Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
“Winning the WBC Heavyweight Championship of the World is an event I will cherish for the rest of my life.”---Pinklon Thomas
Pinklon Thomas came into this world at the end of the reign of the only undefeated Heavyweight Champion of the World who was known as the original “Rock”, and was none other then, Rocky Marciano. And, when he turned professional in 1978, he came along at the end of yet another era for a Heavyweight Champion; this one nicknamed “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali.
Thomas in his trademark pink shorts, made his way up the heavyweight ranks, building his record and fan base that saw him win the WBC Heavyweight Championship of the World on August 31, 1984, when he defeated “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon, over 12 rounds. This win cemented his name in the history of the coveted heavyweight division, and no doubt will remain a close thing to his heart.
In the early 1980’s a pre “Bad” Brad Berkwitt who attended Pontiac Central High School in Pontiac, Michigan, watched with great anticipation of “Pinky” as we called him to get his shot at the title because as I did, he went to Pontiac Central High School. The one time of probably many he came there, I was unable to get up to the basketball game he attended to meet him in person, but my buddies told me he was a very nice guy and hung out after the game.
With memories like this from my childhood, it’s now an honor to have the opportunity to bring the readers interviews with guys that my age group grew up with and I have no doubt, have fond memories of.
BB: In your 15 years since you retired from boxing, what have you been up to?
I moved down to Orlando, Florida and got involved with the Center for Drug Free Living which helps substance abused, physically abused kids and works with teens with problems in Orlando. They are sentenced to the program through the Orlando juvenile justice system.
In this program, I have worked in many capacities as a youth specialist and counselor.
BB: You turned professional in 1978. That was the year that pretty much ended the Muhammad Ali era. What are your observations of the heavyweight division at the time of his departure?
That was the year Ali fought Leon Spinks and was upset in their first meeting in February of the year, only to come back in September of the same year, and become the only man to win the Heavyweight Championship for the third time. Up until that point in boxing history no one had done that.
It was a tough era in the heavyweight division because you really had a change of guard with guys such as Larry Holmes, Greg Page, and Tim Witherspoon to name just a few were coming along as well as me. We all had a tough act to follow when Muhammad Ali was out of the picture.
BB: In your fourth year as a pro, you start really coming into your own when on, August 14, 1982, you face top ranked former Heavyweight Title challenger James “Quick” Tillis. In a fight that was televised on TV, you were supposed to be just a stepping stone for “Quick”. You proved many wrong, when you stopped him in eighth round. What are your recollections of the fight?
It was funny because at that time, I was training at Joe Frazier’s gym in Philadelphia. At that time, I was training to fight Jeff Shellburg in Atlantic City. Two days before the Shellburg fight, I get a call from Cleveland that Witherspoon had pulled out of the fight against “Quick” for some reason I can’t recall. Georgie Benton knew I was in great shape and had really been training. We took the fight with them thinking I was a pushover.
“Quick” didn’t hurt me in the fight and I was ready to face someone in the top ten so I could make a name for myself on the boxing scene. Once I had a big win like this over a top ten guy, I made a concerted effort to get out and meet the boxing fans. Since I wasn’t known, I would stay after the big guys would leave out, signing match boxes to toilet paper, as long as it made the fans happy. I wanted the boxing folks to know me and enjoyed every bit of meeting with them. (**These are the kinds of answers I truly enjoy in doing this job. The fans are what make all of us and without them, we would not be here.)
BB: Beating Tillis places you in the title sweepstakes of the heavyweight division. In your next fight, you face another top ten fighter, along with former Heavyweight Title challenger named Gerrie Coetzee. In this fight, you earn a draw. What do you recall about this fight?
It was funny how things worked after the win over Tillis in the political landscape of boxing. Don King pretty much had the top ten in the heavyweight division. Tillis had King behind him and had he beat me, he was supposed to fight Larry Holmes for the title. As you know, Larry Holmes for whatever reason would not fight me.
Don King wanted me to come and sign with him, but at that time, I was with the Duva’s promotional group. It was hard to get a top ten fighter, but Coetzee was with Bob Arum so I got to fight him. I really don’t think the fight was a draw. The early rounds I admit I may have given up a few, but after the fifth round, I really started busting him up. Coetzee was very tough, but very well protected by his handlers.
BB: After the Coetzee fight, you reel off four wins and reach the dream that every fighter has and that is, to challenge for the Championship Belt of their respective weight class. Your dream turns to reality on August 31, 1984, when you face then WBC Heavyweight Champion “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon. You win the belt with a 12 round decision. Describe the ring walk and your feeling after you heard the announcer say, “And the new Heavyweight Champion of the World.”
Walking into the ring, I knew I was fighting a guy who was young, strong and had some good talent. But, I had him down pretty much because I knew his style very well. My jab was better, and my right hand was thrown much straighter.
When they announced my name as the winner, I have always said, “It was like a hundred pounds were lifted off my shoulders.” That was a blessing and hard to put in words how wonderful it was to me on that special night.
BB: In your first defense, you face former WBA Heavyweight Champion Mike “Hercules” Weaver. In an exciting fight, you bomb him out in the eighth round. What are your recollections about the fight?
Weaver was one tough cookie in the ring. I had a lot of respect for Weaver, not so much in the ring, but out of it because he was the former WBA Heavyweight Champion of the World. I knew when we signed to fight him; I had my work cut out. He was a good puncher who was always just a punch away from winning a fight as he did against “Big” John Tate.
BB: In your second defense, you face Trevor Berbick who you drop a very close decision to for your belt. Looking back, do you feel the decision was fair? Also, what are your recollections of the fight?
I don’t think the decision was fair. Not to make excuses, but I was really going through some personal problems at the time. It was difficult to deal with which had me coming in not at 100% in the ring and be able to do what I had done to Weaver in my previous title defense. The big deal at that time was King as I said earlier, had the top ten heavyweights at this time in boxing. He didn’t have Berbick or me under his control. Weeks before the fight, he tried to romance me as he does with any fighter and also was doing it to Trevor. Just about a week before the fight, he got to Berbick and he signed with him. I stayed independent and who knows if that affected the outcome of the fight or not? Hey, I can’t knock King for handling his business. But, he did give me another opportunity to fight for the belt when I went up against Mike Tyson.
BB: On May 30, 1987, you face a young, seemingly indestructible “Iron” Mike Tyson for his WBC Belt that he took by destroying Trevor Berbick. For the first time in your career, you are knocked out. What are your observations of a young Tyson? Also, what do you recall about your performance that evening in Las Vegas?
Mike was a real good fighter, but I also think at that time, he was vulnerable to get beat with the style that Buster Douglas ultimately used in beating him, which I thought I had as well. Before our fight, I was working with “Scrap Iron” Johnson and during sparring I exchanged right hands with my sparring partner and my right shoulder popped. I went to a chiropractor and they didn’t do much there for me.
A few weeks before the fight, Angelo Dundee my trainer, told me not to take the fight, but I figured I could beat him with my jab which was pretty good. But, I found out in the fight, I could not stick and move which caused me to get caught and that was the end of the fight.
BB: One thing I must commend you on in your career. You took on some tough guys and in your very next fight after being stopped by Tyson; you face a young Evander Holyfield. What are your recollections of this fight and did you feel Holyfield would go on to be a four time Heavyweight Champion of the World?
At that time, I was very excited to get this fight because in Evander’s first fight at heavyweight, he fought “Quick” Tillis who I knocked out and he also beat. When I was preparing for Holyfield I was staying in Miami, Florida doing a lot of road work at the time and running in 10k marathons quite a bit. Angelo Dundee told me to slow down or it would take me legs from me. He was right and it did when I came to fight. Holyfield was young and fast, but not someone with great power. He was just very accurate and had great speed. But, yes, I could see his potential to go on and become the champion he has in boxing.
BB: Two years later, you face another soon to be Heavyweight Champion of the World when you face Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe. He stops you in the sixth round of the fight. Did you see the potential in him to be a Heavyweight Champion?
When I fought Bowe, I can remember Rock Newman making a big deal about the fight because it was in front of his hometown crowd in Washington, DC. I knew once I got him hurt, I would have to take him out. And, sure enough in the fourth round, I hurt him, landing some good shots. Low and behold, the referee came in to stop the action because of some tape on my glove was loose. This gave Riddick a huge breather. After the action started back, I had expended my energy in that flurry trying to get rid of him.
I knew he had a lot of potential because he was a true heavyweight that could punch, and had a decent jab which took him all the way to the Heavyweight Championship.
BB: In a successful career that lasted almost 15 years, who do you feel was your toughest opponent and why?
I would have to say Craig Payne for the IBO Heavyweight Title that I made a comeback for in 1992. He was about 280 LBS and 6’2. He had fought a lot of the big guys who were tough which make you tough in most cases. In fact, at that time, he was a sparring partner for George Foreman who kicked him out of his camp after about a week of sparring with him. Do you know how George never sat down between rounds? Well, Payne did the same thing for 12 rounds against me. That was intimidating to me, but it caused me to give it my all.
BB: Were there any big fights that you wanted or were scheduled, but never materialized for you?
In 1989, George Foreman had an agent in my area in Florida whose name slips me. Foreman had just fought Manuel Clay De Almedia who he stopped in three rounds. George’s agent came down to my training camp with a 1.5 million dollar contract for me to sign to fight George. It was on Good Friday. At that point, I was sparring when he came in the gym. My manager and I sat down with him and decided we would wait till after the holidays to sign and kind of play hard ball. Well, we waited till Monday and were invited to go to church with my then manager. While at church, he told our wife’s to go on ahead because he needed to talk to me.
He sat down, and then said, “Pink sit down. I have something to tell you.” From there, he proceeded to tell me that Foreman’s agent had a heart attack the night before we were going to sign the contract for that huge money fight. His death ended the fight with George Foreman. The only other fight that I really wanted was against Larry Holmes who I felt ducked me. I had a big beef with Larry because of what he did to Ali in the ring and that in turn, made me want to do the same thing to him in the ring if given a shot to do so.
That was in the past because today, I am very friendly with Larry Holmes.
BB: If you had to pick one heavyweight from the year you turned professional in 1978 until today, who do you feel dominated your division and why?
I would have to say Evander Holyfield. He fought and beat Riddick Bowe the second time around. Also, he beat Tyson twice, and I think he beat Lewis the second time around along with wins over Larry Holmes, George Foreman and Michael Moorer. I really have a lot of respect for him because he surrounded himself with good people, along with being a good business man himself. It’s an honor to have been in the ring with him and to this day, we still have functions we go to together with Angelo Dundee and Muhammad Ali.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
I totally agree with the fact we need one for all boxers. So many boxers after the fight game are not fortunate to be physically, mentally or financially able to maintain their selves. It will be a very good thing to see it finally in place and I hope to be part of making it happen.
BB: Now that you are retired from boxing, how do you want your many fans to remember you?
I want them to remember me as a guy with a warm heart who is very giving and loves giving back to the world. In life, I want to help our children and I can do this through the blessings of God.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
“Do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
Pinklon wanted to add the following to our interview:
I am proud today to say, that after boxing, I have no problems with anyone from my fighting days. I am doing very well outside of the boxing ropes and have a very beautiful wife and children that I am very proud of. Finally, I really want to thank you “Bad” Brad for giving me a chance to be heard in my own words on RSR.
Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
“I was on the greatest (76’) US amateur boxing team the Olympics have ever seen. Not taking anything away from the 84’ Team, who won many Gold Medals, but they just didn’t have the tough guys like we faced”.--Davey Lee Armstrong
Throughout my many years of doing interviews with a diverse group of boxers from the new school to the old, I always derive pleasure from going back and finding fighters we just don’t hear about anymore. Interviewing Davey Lee Armstrong happened to be one of those gems you stumble across and once you do, you are moved by it and thrilled to bring a history lesson to the newer generation of boxing fans who think boxing started with Oscar De La Hoya. No slam on Oscar because he has done tons to move the sport forward, but there is a history in the sport that has been around for years before he laced up a boxing glove. The 1980s gave the children of the late 60’s, such as myself, lots of memorable fights along with many exciting fighters. Davey was one of those in the talent rich lightweight division. After going to the 72’ and 76’ Olympic Games, Armstrong turned pro in early 1980. He fought out of the now legendary Kronk Gym and had their leader, Emmanuel Steward, as not only his trainer, but also as his manager. Davey had success in a very short pro career, but never fought for a world title. He got out of boxing before making it to that level, but for very good reasons. The details of which, you will read in his exclusive interview with RSR.
BB: Let’s catch up the RSR readers on what you have been doing since you retired from boxing in 1983?After I retired from boxing in 1983, I went to work at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard as an Engineer Draftsman and did this for about five years. After that, I wanted to go back to College and attended Howard University in Washington, DC. I only went for one semester and missed my daughter who was back in Washington State, so I came back. I attended college in Washington State and obtained my Associates of Arts Degree. In 1991, I applied for and got a job with the City of Seattle as a Surveyor. I did this for a while and currently, still work for the City of Seattle, in Construction Management. BB: You were a world-class amateur boxer in the 1970’s and fought in the 72’ and 76’ Olympics, coming up just a little short in both. What was your amateur record? Also, looking back on this time, what are you fondest recollections of being an amateur and your biggest disappointments?My amateur record is not accurate, but if I had to guess, it was around 190 fights losing about 30. I started in 1966 and they just didn’t keep accurate records at that time. My fondest recollections were traveling the world, a really beautiful thing to do. I went to countries such as Russia, Cuba, Poland, Australia, New Zealand and many others. I was very proud that from 1972-1979, I either won the National AAU Tournament or came in second place in my weight class during those years. Before every fight, I would always call home and have my Mom say a prayer for me. I credit all of this good fortune to Jesus. In both Olympic tries, I lost in the Medal Round. Had I won either fight, I was sure to have one at least a Bronze Medal. Looking back, I think I lost the fight I had in the 72’ Olympics Medal Round, but in the 76’ games, I felt I won the fight to at least win the Bronze Medal.Honestly, I have no disappointments whatsoever and I am very grateful for my amateur career.
BB: I want to throw out names to you from your 76’ Olympic Boxing Team and would like you to give me the first thought that pops into your head.First off, I really enjoy this question and commenting on my teammates for RSR.
106: Louis Curtis:“Sharp little fighter and a good boxer”.
112: Leo Randolph:“The Heart of Lion”
119: Charles Mooney:“A Strong Soldier"
132: Howard Davis, JR.:“Finesse Fighter”
139:Ray Leonard:“All around boxer”
147:Clint Jackson:“All around boxer like Ray”(When Ray and Clint sparred, everybody stopped what they were doing to watch them go at it).
156: Charles Walker, JR.:“Finesse Fighter”
165: Michael Spinks: “This Man wanted to win”
178:Leon Spinks:“Just like his brother, he wanted to win”
+178: John Tate: “A truly sweet man” God rest his soul.
BB: You turned professional on March 28, 1980 with a six round decision over Gil Hernandez. Did you find your transition from the amateurs to the pros difficult?
I sure did. The number of rounds was tough because I was used to going only three rounds and at times, it was a very difficult task. I would do my roadwork based on the length of my upcoming fight so I would have endurance to get through the rounds.
BB: In your first nine fights, you come up with a win in each of them, but in your tenth fight, on December 13, 1980, Agustin Caballero knocked you out in the fourth round. What are your recollections of this fight, and what did it change in you as fighter after getting knocked out for the first time as a professional?
Looking back, Caballero really didn’t look like a lightweight when I stood across from him in the ring. He was a last minute replacement and looked like a middleweight. He was a very strong puncher and caught me with a punch I didn’t see and that was the very first time I was knocked out as either an amateur or professional fighter.
It really didn’t discourage me because any fighter can get caught with a punch they don’t see.
BB: After your knockout loss to Caballero, you reel off 10 wins back to back. In your 18th fight on December 17, 1981, you face tough as nails Arturo Leon who extends you the 10 round distance, with you winning a decision. What are your recollections of this fight?
He was very tough and had I never seen him fight. Leon made every round tough so it was a good win for me to have on my professional record.
BB: After the Leon fight, you reel off five more wins and on October 10, 1982, you drop a ten round decision to a very solid boxer named Greg Coverson. What are your recollections of this fight and how would you rate Coverson?
I remember this fight well because we both really came to fight. As you know, I was out of the Kronk Gym at the time and in my hometown. Neither of these facts stopped Coverson from coming out and fighting me very hard. It was a close fight and think the decision was fair by going to Greg. Coverson was a highly skilled boxer and our fight was probably one of his best performances in my opinion.
BB: On June 9, 1983, you face tough Canadian Nicky Furlano and take the decision over 12 rounds. What do you recall about this fight and how would you rate Furlano, who a little over one year later, would go on to face then IBF Junior Welterweight Champion Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor, to whom he dropped a 15 round decision?
It was for a title, but the name of it slips me. It was in Furlano’s hometown up in Canada and Nicky really fought hard and didn’t want to lose. He really came on strong at the end of the fight. Furlano was a decent fighter.
BB: A little over a month after the Furlano fight, you face Steve Romero and drop a ten round decision. At this time you have only been a professional for a little over three years, but you retired from boxing. You had a solid record with some good wins and hadn’t challenged for a world title as of yet, but you called it a day. What made you retire so early into your pro career and without ever giving yourself a chance to fight for a world title?
Looking back on this fight, I felt I won it and there was talk that in between rounds, they slipped Romero some type of drug. I had him almost out in one round and the next; he was like an animal in there. I started to see myself not take my boxing career as seriously as I had before. Knowing this, I wanted to keep my losses low like they were. Since I was starting to lose the hunger to train, that was a direct signal to me that the end was near for my boxing career. Because of this, I decided to get out at that time in my boxing career.
BB: In your opinion, what was your best performance as a professional and why?
I would say the fight with Greg Coverson. Even though I lost, I was known as boxer, but in this fight, I also slugged it out with Greg, which gave the fans a great fight.
BB: At what point of your boxing career did you team up with Kronk Gym Legend and trainer Emmanuel Steward? What was it like working with him at that time?
I think I teamed up with Emmanuel in 1981. Mr. Steward was a really good trainer and manager who really cared for me and I have nothing bad to say about him. On many occasions, he showed a lot of emotions towards me, which I appreciated. I can tell you this about the Kronk Gym, at that time, it was one tough place. The sparring we had with guys like Tommy Hearns, Hilmer Kenty, the late Dujuan Johnson and others were actually tougher than many of our professional fights were.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Yes, I do. It really needs to be established and each fighter should pay something into as well as the promoters who are getting rich on the fighters. A fighter would have to be in boxing for a minimum of five years in my opinion to get something out of it once they retired.
BB: Now that you have been out of boxing for many years, how would you like your fans to remember you?
I would like my fans to remember me as a fair fighter who always conducted himself in a positive manner.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
“Jesus Christ is always in front of me”
Davey wanted to add this to our interview:
I would like to say to any of my teammates from the 1976 Olympic Team that may be reading this; I would love to get together with all of you because we were on the greatest US amateur boxing team the Olympics have ever seen. Not taking anything away from the 84’ Team, who won many Gold Medals, but they just didn’t have the tough guys like we faced.
Davey Lee Armstrong
Division: Lightweight
Professional Record: 24-3, 14 KO’s
Date Opponent Location Result
1980-03-28 Gil Hernandez Tacoma, USA W PTS 6
1980-05-04 Edmundo Arellano Seattle, USA W TKO 1
1980-06-19 Ray Saldivar Tacoma, USA W KO 3
1980-08-02 Miguel Flores Detroit, USA W KO 1
1980-08-09 Eric Bonilla Spokane, USA W KO 2
1980-08-29 Spencer Wilson Miami Beach, USA W KO 1
1980-09-20 Ray Gonzalez San Juan, Puerto Rico W KO 4
1980-10-24 Norberto Figueroa Uniondale, USA W PTS 8
1980-11-08 Eddie Murray Detroit, USA W KO 2
1980-12-13 Agustin Caballero Miami, USA L KO 4
1981-01-29 Daniel Rivera Detroit, USA W KO 7
1981-03-13 Tom Crowley Lansing, USA W PTS 10
1981-06-06 Danny Favella Detroit, USA W KO 1
1981-08-22 Willie Floyd McIntosh Traverse City, USA W KO 3
1981-09-29 Fili Ramirez Phoenix, USA W PTS 10
1981-10-13 Rosendo Ramirez Phoenix, USA W PTS 10
1981-11-17 Ernesto Herrera Phoenix, USA W UD 10
1981-12-17 Arturo Leon Phoenix, USA W PTS 12
1982-02-18 Mario Rodriguez Phoenix, USA W PTS 10
1982-05-06 Roland Avila Los Angeles, USA W KO 6
1982-06-22 Fili Ramirez Phoenix, USA W KO 3
1982-08-27 Richard Rozelle Detroit, USA W KO 2
1982-09-24 Donald Alston Crystal City, USA W KO 5
1982-10-10 Greg Coverson Detroit, USA L PTS 10
1983-03-19 Rosendo Ramirez Reno, USA W PTS 10
1983-06-09 Nick Furlano Toronto, Canada W PTS 12
NABF Lightweight Title
1983-07-22 Steve Romero San Jose, USA L PTS 10
]]>
Interview by "Bad" Brad Berkwitt
“No matter what, I will always be known as a World Heavyweight Champion from my win over Greg Page for the WBA title.”--Tony “TNT” Tubbs
Former WBA Heavyweight Champion of the World, Tony “TNT” Tubbs, turned pro in March of 1980. The heavyweight division was endearing itself to the fact, that Muhammad Ali was no longer going to be around, and Larry Holmes two years early succeeded Ali to the throne whether the boxing public liked it or not.
Tubbs would fight his way up the ranks of the heavyweight division that was deep with contenders, tough journeymen and solid Heavyweight Champions in Holmes (WBC) along with Mike Weaver the WBA Champ. In fact, with all the rumblings in many boxing columns that there is nothing really to the heavyweight ranks today, pick up a tape or two on the heavyweights from Tubbs’ era and find out for yourself.
Tubbs cemented his name in the record books on April 29, 1985 when he won a 15 round decision over then WBA Heavyweight Champion, Greg Page. Tubbs would lose his title in his first defense a little over eight months later to “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon, via a 15 round close majority decision that many felt at ringside he had won.
Tubbs would face battles outside of the ring with a drug addiction which turned out to be his toughest opponent. From all accounts, including his own, he is clean today and deals with his life one day at a time through his deep spirituality.
BB: Last month, you put your name back on the boxing world’s mind when you beat young prospect Brian Minto. The fight was close on the cards, but from all accounts, your experience helped you prevail. How would you judge your performance and what do you need to work on still? Also, off of this win, have any fights been kicked around for your next match?
That actually was the second fight I had back in 2004 that I won. If I had to do it all over again, I would have allowed myself more time to train for the fight. I really didn’t have any sparring and actually, only had four rounds for the Minto fight with Rob Calloway. I was doing everything else to prepare myself with solid bag work and running quite a bit. Going into the Minto fight and not being at 100%, I knew all I could do is go on my ability. When I reviewed the tape on Minto, I could see the kid was still green. I thought if I could not beat Minto, then my comeback was not meant to be. With all of these factors, I would judge my performance as a good, but with all of the right tangibles on my side, I will be much better in future bouts.
The things I need to work on are getting my weight down which I am working on, and get my sharpness back which will come from more sparring. I would love to get into a fighter’s trainer camp to spar and that will help me get my timing back quickly.
I really thought after this fight, the phone would ring. My rationale on this is that most of the upcoming young fighters would want to face me so if they did beat me, they had a recognized name on their records in the win column.
Being in boxing for almost 25 years, I am totally honest with myself and I would be willing to even take a six round fight, just to stay busy so I can get my weight off quicker and, continue to get my sharpness back.
BB: Besides for your return to boxing, what are you doing with yourself today?
Totally straight up with you, outside of boxing, I don’t know how to make it. My entire life from a kid has been in boxing. I have tried to be a trainer and worked with different kids, but so many times in boxing, you see them leave you if they make it or they wind up going to jail. It’s sad because you put your heart into working and training them, for them to just up and leave you.
If I can make it back into the top ten, I can make a little money and maybe even get a title shot.
BB: It’s no secret that in the past, you had a documented drug problem, but from all accounts, it seems you have gotten your life back on track. What do you attribute your finally defeating, what may have been your toughest opponent? Also, what message can you send to other boxers and every day people who may read this interview about getting clean?
I have to first thank God almighty for helping me defeat this terrible drug problem I had. Over the last several years, I had fought my drug demons before, beat them, but slid back again. Now, I want to prove to myself, not the world, that I can stay clean and maybe, do something in this comeback. That keeps me going everyday. If I leave boxing or get around the old crowd, I will fall backwards again, and I don’t want that. I moved all the way out to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to ensure I will not be around the wrong crowds anymore. Clint Calkins who is my best friend and now my manager, is helping me daily. We are a team!
My message would be fall upon your knees and pray. Each individual has their own way of staying clean. I was a fighter, and to fight 15 rounds against another heavyweight, you would think, it would be no problem to beat a drug addiction. I am here to tell you, this drug thing will kill you! To the folks out there struggling with a drug problem, stay focused and believe that God can give you the strength to beat your demons.
BB: You turned professional on June 14, 1980. It was at the end of the Muhammad Ali era, and the start of another with a dominant champion in Larry Holmes. As a young man, what were your thoughts on the heavyweight division at that time?
At that time, I admired Larry Holmes and Muhammad Ali gave me my first black eye. I was on Ali’s team and in fact, when I turned professional, he bought my Mother a house. I thought the division was very solid with contenders up and down the ranks that could be a champion on any given night. My jab is what I got from Holmes and from Ali, my speed. I knew after working with guys like Mike Weaver, Leroy Jones, and Ken Norton to name just a few and hold my own, I was going to for sure make move up the ranks.
BB: Right out the box, you knock out Bruce Scott in the first round in your pro debut. You then proceed to knock out many of the opponents in front of you over your next several fights. On October 4, 1981, you face a powerhouse puncher in the late Jeff Sims out of Miami. Jeff was always a guy that if he didn’t get you out with that huge power was out of gas by the third round. All of this didn’t matter because you stopped him in the first round. Were you surprised by that, and what do you recall about Sims? (Side note: Jeff Sims who fought many tough opponents in his day and was known for his punching power, tragically was killed in an argument with a man outside of a store in Liberty City, Florida, back in November of 1993).
To be honest, I didn’t know about Jeff’s power going into the fight. I was in great shape and had an extensive amateur career going into the professional ranks. I knocked him out quick. I really don’t recall anything about Sims, but I am saddened to hear he was murdered.
BB: In your 14th fight on September 12, 1982, you face tough journeyman Steve Zouski who is another one of those guys that fought everyone. In this fight, you get another knockout victory in the fifth. At this point in your career, how do you judge yourself as a fighter?
I knew I would be a champion based on how I did in the ring and also in the camps that I was used as a sparring partner, holding my own with many great fighters at that time.
BB: Two fights after the Zouski win; you fight former heavyweight challenger and top contender, Jimmy Young who was at the end of his career. He takes you the full ten rounds where you pull out the decision. In your opinion, did Young have anything left in this fight? What did you learn from it, if anything?
Yes, I do think he had something left. When we fought, I could only hit him with the left hand. My right hardly landed at all. He was that good of a defensive fighter. I learned to take my time in the ring more.
BB: On March 15, 1985, you face top contender James “Bonecrusher” Smith, who in his last fight, the same year, went 12 tough rounds with then IBF Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes who stopped him in the 12th. You defeat “Bonecrusher” by a ten round decision. Did you taste any of his punching power in the fight, and did you know off of this win, you would challenge for the WBA Heavyweight Championship your next fight?
“Bonecrusher” never laid a hand on me. Because of that, I didn’t feel any of his power. He was always on the defense because of my speed.
No, I didn’t know I was going to get a world title shot after this fight.
BB: On April 29, 1985, you are 21-0 with 15 KO’s and challenging then WBA Heavyweight Champion, Greg Page. You go on to defeat him via a 15 round decision. Since you both were solid boxers, with the edge I think in power to you, how did you prepare for this fight? What was the very first thought that went through your mind when you heard and the new………….
Greg beat me seven times in the amateurs where you know, we only had three rounds to fight, but this time around, we had 15. Preparing for that fight, I was running all the time and doing lots of bag work to build up my stamina. We also did lots of sparring during camp that was 15 rounds at a time.
To have Muhammad Ali at ringside along with my Mother was just amazing. The funny thing was I was his pupil, but both Greg and I, had his style. I was moved to tears because my Mother, (Tony’s voice breaks a little) was with me all my life when I did sports even as a little kid playing baseball. It was just an amazing night for me.
BB: Having fought 15 rounds in two of your three heavyweight championship fights, do you think they should have been changed to 12 rounds?
I liked 15 rounds better. They should go back to them because 13-15 separated the men from the boys.
BB: One interesting fact I noticed while reviewing your record up until your title fight was this. You fought several times a year. Why don’t you see fighters for the most part, doing this today?
You made a good observation. I feel fighters today are just too protected. They are getting title shots at 13 or 14 fights. They get ranked right away fighting nobody.
BB: You defend your WBA strap a little over eight months after winning it when on January 17, 1986; you face “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon. Witherspoon, an ex Heavyweight Champion, becomes one again, when he defeats you via a 15 round majority decision of scores of 144-143, 143-143 and 144-141. What do you think about the fight, your loss, and how do you rate Witherspoon as a fighter?
I feel I was landing many more clean shots then Tim did. If you’re scoring for points, then you had to give it to me. He caught me with one good left hook in the entire fight. I hit Tim with so many body shots; he could not go to the after party because he was hurting so bad.
Witherspoon should have given me a rematch, but he never did. Witherspoon was very good fighter with a little power, but not a solid boxer.
BB: After your loss of the title, you reel off three wins during 1987 and on March 2, 1988, you are back fighting for all the belts against then undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World, Mike Tyson. You have a great first round, working your jab, but in the second, Tyson knocks you out. Where do you feel you deviated from your game plan? At that point in Mike’s career could you see any signs that his fall from the top of the boxing world would be less than two years away?
No, I didn’t deviate from my game plan at all. I actually was doing well in the second round as well behind my jab. What happened is I went to catch him with a body shot, and his arms were shorter, nailing me a solid left hook along with an elbow. He tried to hit me while I was down, and I was looking over to my corner. They were saying stay down because they knew I was not ready for him because I had three weeks to prepare for the fight and it just wasn’t enough for a Mike Tyson in his prime.
No, I didn’t see that he was going to fall as a fighter, but I did think he was going to have problems outside the ring. At the time we fought, he was the American Idol.
BB: Do you have any message for the 2005 version of Mike Tyson Vs the 1988 version you faced?
Yes, I do! Mike, get back to your old self. The guy who wasn’t messing with any drugs, and was always focused. Mike, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone, but yourself.
BB: Readers may not realize it, but you actually fought on the undercard of Roy Jones’ professional debut on May 6, 1989, at the Pensacola Civic Center. I was at that fight and watched history being made when RJJ turned professional. What are your recollections of the entire event and did you see the potential in RJJ at that point in his very young pro career?
I can remember back then telling someone I saw Roy in the gym putting combinations down on his sparring partners that he was going to be something very special as he moved up the ranks. He turned out be a great champion.
BB: On April 20, 1991, you face young contender and future Heavyweight Champion Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe. You extend him the ten rounds and lose on close scores of 96-94 (twice) and 97-94, all for Bowe. Do you think you lost this fight and how do you rate Bowe who is another fighter who is on the comeback trail today?
No, I don’t think I lost this fight. I made Bowe miss a lot and he kept trying to dominate me in our fight. I faked him out for almost the entire fight. In the last round, I took it to him. Bowe is a good fighter, but depends on knocking out everyone out. He needs to think more and that is why he had problems with Andrew Golota.
BB: From 1991 - 1997, you fight on with mixed success, but still bring in wins against formidable fighters. In this period of your boxing career, how do you look back on it?
Bad! I couldn’t get a title shot and I was beating guys like Bruce Seldon and Jesse Ferguson, who got a title shot against Bowe in 93. I was really messing with the drugs, and in my life, it was only one drug I ever messed with which was Crack. I never touched a drug in my life until I was 31 years old and got tricked by a young lady into doing it. I am not bragging because for ten years, Crack was my downfall, but in the ring, I was still beating a lot of the top guys while having this terrible demon on my shoulder.
BB: You were out of boxing from 1998-2001, but return in 2002, you go 2-2 through December 2004, but as we discussed earlier, you have a solid win against Brian Minto in your last fight. What made you want to come back to boxing?
Money! I just want to make a little bit, put it to some good and move on from boxing helping out the young kids out there.
BB: In a day when fighters especially heavyweights, are fighting on way past their primes because of a lack of solid fighters per the boxing columns of what seems to be a growing number of writers, what are your thoughts on the division and fighters over 40 risking it in the ring?
The division today is weak. I would never have come back even for some money, if I didn’t look at the guys out there today and think I could beat some of them.
If the fighter was beat up then retired and came back, I would not be for it, but I can only go by my case. I was hardly ever hit in the ring or beat up. I was not beat up because of my smarts and boxing ability, which I have to depend on both during this comeback.
However, if it gets to the point one of the young guys knocks me out, it’s over. I am not trying to get myself hurt.
BB: What is one thing RSR readers will learn about you outside of the ring, which they may not have known before this interview?
I am very likeable guy who gets along with everyone.
BB: Did you by chance watch the fantastic two part documentary on former World Heavyweight Champion Jack Johnson the other night? If so, from what you saw and know about his career, where would you place him on the all-time list of Heavyweight Champions?
Yes, I did. I would put him at the top of the list. Back in those days, they were lynching black folks and he had to endure discrimination for being a great boxer. He could box, punch and brought a style to boxing that had for the most part, not been seen up until Johnson. I admire him for everything he went through and still became the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Yes, I do. Being a former world champion, I wish that had a fund years ago. So many fighters including myself could use it today. We made promoters and different people a lot of money. If I had some money coming in, I would stick to being a trainer and not step in the ring. I think you take a percentage of the fighter’s purse and the promoter should pay a percentage as well. Also, the organizations should kick in because they get big bucks from the sanctioning fees and can put some into a fund.
BB: What would you like to say to the many fans of Tony Tubbs that have been with you from day one?
I want them to know from my heart, I thank them so very much. Please keep praying for me.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
“I have lived my life for the Devil for a long time, now I am going to live it for the Lord”.
Tony wanted to add the following to our interview:
I want to thank RSR for this interview. It’s so good to hear from you guys and I really want to stay in touch with you. God Bless.
Tony Tubbs
Nickname: “TNT”
Division: Heavyweight
Professional Record through 2006: 47-10, 25 KO’s
Date Opponent Location Result
1980-06-14 Bruce Scott Cincinnati, USA W KO 1
1980-08-02 Jerry Hunter Cincinnati, USA W KO 4
1980-11-07 Ron Draper San Antonio, USA W PTS 6
1980-11-14 John L Johnson Miami, USA W TKO 1
1980-11-22 Larry Sims Cincinnati, USA W TKO 3
1980-11-29 Mike Creel Los Angeles, USA W KO 3
1981-08-21 Dennis Wimberly Elizabeth, USA W TKO 2
1981-11-21 Jesse Brown Erlanger, USA W KO 1
1981-12-18 Don Halpin Pittsburgh, USA W PTS 8
1982-04-11 Baker Tinsley Atlantic City, USA W KO 3
1982-06-12 Clayman Sandman Parker Atlantic City, USA W KO 1
1982-08-07 Clarence Hill Albuquerque, USA W UD 10
1982-09-18 Steve Zouski Atlantic City, USA W TKO 5
1983-02-25 Larry Givens Cincinnati, USA W TKO 7
1983-04-10 Jimmy Young Pittsburgh, USA W UD 10
1983-09-09 Gordon Racette Las Vegas, USA W PTS 10
1984-03-18 Tom Trimm Santa Monica, USA W KO 2
1984-11-09 Jerry Williams Las Vegas, USA W TKO 7
1985-01-16 Tim Miller Las Vegas, USA W TKO 2
1985-03-15 James Smith Las Vegas, USA W UD 10
1985-04-29 Greg Page Buffalo, USA W UD 15
WBA Heavyweight Title
1986-01-17 Tim Witherspoon Atlanta, USA L MD 15
WBA Heavyweight Title
1987-04-20 Mike Jameson Santa Monica, USA W UD 10
1987-05-30 Jerry Halstead Las Vegas, USA W UD 10
1987-09-29 Eddie Gonzales Anaheim, USA W TKO 3
1988-03-21 Mike Tyson Japan L TKO 2
WBC Heavyweight Title
WBA Heavyweight Title
IBF Heavyweight Title
1989-04-20 Mike Evans Redondo Beach, USA W UD 10
1989-05-06 Eddie Richardson Pensacola, USA W DQ 8
1989-06-24 Ladislao Mijangos Bakersfield, USA W KO 3
1989-11-21 Orlin Norris Santa Monica, USA NC ND 12
NABF Heavyweight Title
1990-07-28 Mike Cohen Atlantic City, USA W TKO 6
1990-10-20 Lawrence Carter Atlantic City, USA W RTD 6
1991-04-20 Riddick Bowe Atlantic City, USA L UD 10
1992-02-16 Leon Taylor Las Vegas, USA W TKO 8
1992-08-18 Lionel Butler Pensacola, USA L KO 1
1992-10-14 Bruce Seldon Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1992-11-24 Jesse Ferguson Auburn Hills, USA W UD 10
1993-02-02 Alexander Zolkin Auburn Hills, USA W UD 10
1993-04-27 Melton Bowen Auburn Hills, USA W UD 10
1993-08-16 Jimmy Ellis Boise, USA L KO 1
1993-12-03 Daniel Dancuta Bay Saint Louis, USA W UD 3
1993-12-03 Jose Ribalta Bay Saint Louis, USA W UD 3
1993-12-03 Tyrell Biggs Bay Saint Louis, USA W UD 3
1993-12-03 Willie Jackson Bay Saint Louis, USA W KO 1
1994-02-22 Everett Martin Auburn Hills, USA W UD 10
1994-10-04 William Morris Auburn Hills, USA NC NC 10
1994-12-06 Jimmy Thunder Auburn Hills, USA L PTS 12
IBO Heavyweight Title
1995-03-29 Andre Crowder Cincinnati, USA W KO 1
1995-08-25 Alexander Zolkin Atlantic City, USA L MD 12
NABF Heavyweight Title
1995-10-20 Brian Nielsen Copenhagen, Denmark L TKO 4
1997-08-30 Mario Oscar Melo Mar del Plata, Argentina W KO 5
2002-03-26 Michael Shanks West Lafayette, USA W TKO 2
2003-01-17 Gilbert Martinez Lemoore, USA L UD 10
2003-07-25 Abraham Okine Morgantown, USA L TKO 8
2004-10-29 Brian Sargent Saint Joseph, USA W TKO 1
2004-12-30 Brian Minto Chester, USA W SD 10
2005-02-25 Danny Wofford Nashville, USA W UD 6
2005-08-06 Jason Waller Rising Sun, USA W TKO 7
2006-11-04 Adam Smith Morgantown, USA W UD 6
]]>
Interview by Geno McGahee
There are very few heavyweights that are marketable. Most of the men in the division do not draw the fans, as evident by the very low PPV rentals of the WBC Heavyweight Championship bout between Hasim Rahman and Oleg Maskaev. The recent news of Mike Tyson putting on exhibitions in Las Vegas is everywhere, proving that he is still the biggest name in the game, despite the fact that he hasn’t been at his best in nearly twenty years. It is a sad reflection on the division. There are a few heavyweights that have that that “it” factor. They have the ability to draw fans and get people excited. One of those men is Shannon Briggs.
Briggs emerged on the boxing scene with 25 straight wins, 22 by knockout, before losing to the unheralded Darroll Wilson. He would rebound with four straight wins before the most controversial win of his career over “Big” George Foreman. It was a victory that looms over the head of Briggs, referred to most boxing writers as the worst decision of the year. The biggest win for “The Cannon” was dismissed by the press, but was enough to place him into a WBC Heavyweight Title shot against Lennox Lewis. This bout showed the talent as a left hook in the first round shook Lewis badly, but he would rebound and stop Briggs in the fifth round. It was a great moment in the Briggs’ career as he stood toe to toe with the best heavyweight that the world has seen in years.
The career of Shannon Briggs seemed to hit rock bottom as Sedreck Fields, sporting a record of 9 wins, 9 losses, would win a majority decision, and Jameel McCline would dominate him over the course of 10 rounds, apparently erasing him from serious title contention. Here we are, 4 years after the McCline defeat, with Shannon Briggs ready to challenge once again for a heavyweight title. On November 4th, with eleven straight knockout wins, and a record of, 47-4-1, 41 KO’s, Briggs will challenge Serguei “The White Wolf” Lyakhovich for his WBO Heavyweight Championship. This bout came as a surprise to some, as many believed that “The Cannon” would be facing the IBF Heavyweight Champion, Wladimir Klitschko, for his crown.
RSR caught up with the heavyweight contender to discuss his career, his feelings about the current heavyweight champions, and his feelings about the media coverage of his career.
GM: You are signed to fight Serguei Lyakhovich for the WBO Heavyweight Title. What sort of fight do you expect from him?
A great fight. I think that this guy is one of the most talented heavyweights around right now, and I picked him to beat Brewster. In fact, I was the studio analyst on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights the night before he fought him, and I picked him to win, and he did, and Brian Kenny said: “are you kidding me,” and I told him to trust me. I saw Lyakhovich in Vegas, after the fight…after the championship win, and he wanted to fight me. He is a very skillful guy, so I have a very tough fight on my hands. He is one of the toughest, if not the toughest champion…a much harder fight than Klitschko, and we don’t know much about Valuev yet, and I think that Barrett is past his prime and it showed during the Rahman fight. It looked like two old guys fighting in there.
I think that Lyakhovich is the toughest guy, and being Shannon Briggs, I’m not going to get it easy, so they give me the toughest guy. I’m happy for the challenge.
GM: Against Brewster, Lyakhovich was knocked down and rallied back to win. Considering that you are a knockout specialist and hardly ever go beyond 5 rounds, are you concerned that he might become a problem as the fight goes on?
No, but it’s something that I’m working on. I don’t see it as a problem, but it is just going to take some work on my part to improve my endurance and stamina, and I’m looking for a grueling fight. If I get a knockout, which I’m going for, in the first round, then great, but I will be trying to knock him out from round one to twelve, without saying. After his knockout loss to Maurice Harris, he took some time off and fought his way back. Now he’s a better fighter and I know that I have a tough fight on my hands…a grueling tough fight, and I think that this fight, will be fight of the year.
GM: You were originally going to challenge the IBF Champion, Wladimir Klitschko. Why did that fight fall apart?
Shelly Finkel and Wladimir Klitschko @$#@$#ed me. In my opinion, Shelly Finkel is a scumbag, and it’s guys like him that ruin boxing. People always talk about Don King and he gets the bad publicity, but what about guys like Finkel and all of these other promoters and so called managers, that don’t get the bad publicity. Don gets the bad press because he is a black promoter and is the most successful, but these guys are then thousand times worse than Don King.
GM: Do you think that Wladimir Klitschko avoids the bigger punchers because of his questionable chin?
Yeah. He has a china-chin and he knows it, and he stays away from guys that can punch. He’s an excellent boxer. He’s a terrific offensive fighter, but defensively and mentally, he’s not there. He’s not as mentally tough as even his brother, and he avoided me. They led me to believe for months that the fight was going to happen. I turned down three championship fights and possibly two HBO dates that were offered to me to fight Wladimir. The contract that they sent me to fight Wlad was so thick and had so much red tape that it would have put me into slavery. It was basically given to me that way just so I would have so much to go through, in my opinion, so they could find out who won between Rahman and Maskaev.
That in itself shows you the morals of Shelly Finkel, and they type of people that they are. People talk about boxing and it’s guys like this that people don’t know about. You never hear about the dirt with these people. Believe me, these guys pull a lot of strings and bull$#%#$, and the only times that you really hear about the negative stuff is when it comes to Don King.
GM: How are things going with Don King?
You know, Don King has been my savoir in this situation. I’m 34 years old and my entire career, even since my amateur career, people have been against me, and I fought this battle on my own, but I had to go to Don. Don put his hand out and helped me out because I couldn’t fight the fight no more. I did a campaign on the Internet, trying to expose Shelly Finkel and Larry Merchant for who these guys really were…how they were treating me. There’s a reason why people don’t see me on national television and worldwide television anymore and it is because people have tried to put me on the blacklist and blackball me for no apparent reason. It’s because I guess that they just don’t like me. Half of these people don’t even know why they don’t like me. It’s just media propaganda that is put out there, and you can say what you want, but I have never quit in a fight. If I lost a fight, I lost. If I got knocked out, I got knocked out. Every time that I came to the dance, I did what I had to do to try to win the fight.
GM: Arguably your biggest win was against George Foreman, but many sportswriters considered it a bad decision. What did you think of that fight and do you think that the win has haunted your career more than a loss would have.
In the Foreman fight…it was a great fight, and many people thought that he had won. Many people thought that I had won. I had nothing to do with it. I’m not the judges. I’m happy that I got the decision. Had they given that fight to Foreman, I wouldn’t have argued with them. It was that close of fight. I thought that I boxed very well. You want to talk about Foreman fights…how about talking about his bouts with Alex Stewart and the one where he fought Lou Savarese. I thought that he lost that fight. What about Axel Schulz? I thought that he lost that fight. They didn’t give the decision to those guys. With me, it was a close one that I was lucky and fortunate enough to get, and guess what, it’s a black eye for the sport and everyone wants to kill Shannon Briggs. The fact that is that I’m a very talkative guy. I’m not one of these punchy fighters that can’t speak well and I hustle hard for mine. I get out there and make it happen. I came into this game with only thirty amateur fights, but you would have thought that I was an Olympic star. You hear people talk on HBO that Rahman had very little amateur experience, but he had more amateur fights then me, but they made a big deal out of it when he fought Maskaev.
I started boxing when I was eighteen and had only thirty amateur fights and nobody cried about it. I do what I had to do. They said that I lost to George Foreman and I lost to Lennox Lewis, but I gave my all. He beat me. He was a better fighter than me that night. I didn’t cry. The fight was stopped, not because I was knocked out. I slipped…I missed a punch, and the referee stopped the fight. I moved on and lost to Sedreck Fields…I felt that I won. I came into the fight out of shape and got what I deserved, but at the same time, I thought that I won the fight. They gave it to him and I have to live with it. Against McCline, I went into the fight with a bad back, weighing 280 pounds and lost a decision, and I have come back with eleven straight wins. Everyone is against Shannon Briggs, but that’s OK…I went to Don. If you watch Star Wars, they have the dark side and I had to go to the Don Side. They wouldn’t accept me as a fighter. I can’t even get on television.
GM: So, you don’t think that the Wladimir Klitschko offer was ever serious, do you?
They used me because I’m a New York City guy, and I promote very well. I’m the type of a fighter that if you’re my promoter and say: “Shannon, I’m putting you on my card,” I’m going to promote the card. I have five thousand people on my email list and I keep in touch with my fans. My number is on the Internet man: 954-465-5152 is open for everyone to call me. I’m out there. I’m in the public. I’m on the train. I’m on the bus. I walk Times Square. I’m a public person, and they used me. They went to the Garden and told them that they had me in the contract just to get the date just to screw Don King, and then they don’t end up using me, and replace me with Calvin Brock. They were first trying to get Maskaev, Sultan Ibragimov, and everyone else but Shannon Briggs because they knew that I was going to knock him out.
GM: Do you give Calvin Brock any sort of chance to beat Wladimir?
I don’t know. This guy doesn’t have a chin and maybe if he hits him and gets lucky, although I don’t think much of him as an offensive fighter. I think that he is very basic. I think that if he’s lucky and can get something in, and Wlad doesn’t keep him on the outside, but you see with this guy, Wladimir, you have to take the fight to him. You have to fight a street fight. He doesn’t like that. He wants to fight a nice and easy, clean fight. He doesn’t want to get nasty. He doesn’t want to get funky. He doesn’t want to get gritty. If this guy can take this to the street, then he’s got a shot, but this guy is a banker. He’s a @$@#$ nerd. He’s the biggest nerd in boxing…I can’t believe it. So, if he can put down his tap dance shoes and make it a brawl, he’s got a chance, but if he goes in there with his corporate suit on, he’s going to get killed. If he boxes from the outside, he’s going to get murdered.
You see, I’m dirty. I’m from Brownsville. I was homeless as a kid and I will fight dirty. I’m going to take it to you. I’m going to street fight and do whatever I have to do. I fought in K-1 and with 20 million people watching at home, I went in there and fought a street fight and knocked out the champion. That’s the type of fighter that I am.
GM: Not too many people know about the fact that you participated in mixed martial arts. What did you think of it?
It was OK, but if you go to www.youtube.com, it’s there and you can see the vicious knockout. I tell you man. I’m not a bad guy. I’m a little upset because I’m thirty-four years old and I’m always trying to be polite to the public and be a people person, but it’s the politricks of the game that have hurt me over the years. I just realized that. You become a Mike Tyson. You have no other choice. Like I told you, I was forced to go to the dark side. You know, I was trying to fight for good, but then, all of a sudden, I’m the bad guy. I was treated like @$#@# and all I can do now is fight nasty and be the bad guy that they wanted me to be.
GM: Now you mentioned Larry Merchant. Is he doing anything outside of just negative press on the HBO broadcast, or are there more inside things that the general public doesn’t know about?
In my opinion, I don’t have a clue what this guy is. When I fought Foreman, they said that I was picked from a list of thirty people and Foreman picked me, thinking that he could beat me. When I was coming from the dressing room to the ring, Merchant said: “This guy was homeless and was hustling playing chess a few years ago in the park for money.” I sent him an email and said, what was the purpose of that? I was homeless. My mother was a heroin addict. My father was in prison, serving life at the time. So, I was a fifteen year old kid, playing chess for money, and putting myself through high school, sleeping in the street, sleeping on the train. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He went to college. He has parents. Why did he have to make the discouraging remarks about me? What did I do to deserve to be crucified on national television with Larry Merchant acting as if it was my fault?
Then to say that Foreman picked me out of all of those guys is disrespecting George and he was working for the network at the time. Over the years, this guy has proven that he doesn’t like Shannon Briggs. Every time that there is a bad decision in boxing, he says that: “This is almost as bad as the Shannon Briggs-George Foreman debacle.” Let it go all ready. I’m trying to feed my family.
Larry Merchant thinks he is boxing. He also feels like he created the sport, and he’s at the controls. He wants you to listen and do what he says, and what hurts me about that is that I’ve seen men degrade themselves. They kiss up to him because they know that he’ll say something. We all know that it was him or Tyson and HBO stuck with him, and they showed that Tyson was just a @#$@% and that’s all he will ever be.
Mike Tyson is what brought Showtime to its prominence. When him and Don King were forced to Showtime, it proved that they look at you as just a bunch of #%##$%$# and that they are still in control. With that being said, Larry Merchant knows that and he treats people like that. I have seen fighters kiss his ass left and right because they know that if you don’t, you won’t be back. Just like Shannon Briggs. You won’t be back.
I’m a hustler. I’ve been in movies: Transporter 2, Bad Boys 2, and I don’t have a publicist. I promote myself. I kiss babies, help old ladies across the streets, I shake hands…I do whatever I have to do to feed my family. I don’t commit crimes. I don’t do drugs or drink. I’m a positive person. These people that have gone against me and have painted me the bad guy…I could tell you stories about all of them and what they have done to myself and other fighters behind the scenes. It’s not talked about. This is why Shannon Briggs cannot get on national television.
GM: It is a shock that you haven’t been on national television. Do you believe that it’s the back room dealings that’s causing it?
I’m an exciting fighter…say what you want. Why aren’t I on ESPN? Why am I not on Fox? Why am I not on Showtime? I had to go to Don King. They wouldn’t let me on HBO…why? Say what you want, but I’m coming to knock the guy out and if I get knocked out in the process, guess what, big deal! I’m coming to give the fans an exciting fight. You know, when I fought McCline, I had the bad back and weighed 280 pounds, and I didn’t want to go through with the fight, but I knew that if I had pulled out of the fight, they would have never allowed me back on television, and they didn’t allow me back anyway. I had to go and fight in K-1.
GM: What are your recollections of the Jameel McCline bout?
The guy was terrified of me. The entire fight, he was running from me, and I couldn’t catch him because I had a bad back and he knew it, but I came to fight and I was chasing him. After the fight, they act like I was the worst thing ever to put on boxing gloves. I’m the best personality in boxing. I’m the most personable guy in boxing. I don’t have an agent, and I’ve been in two major motion pictures. I did a movie called “The Retirement” with Peter Faulk, Rip Torn, and Coolio that will be coming out soon. I don’t have an agent. I go out there and try to make it happen for my family. You hear Shannon Briggs this and Shannon Briggs that, but I’ve got a trick for them. I’m going to be Heavyweight Champ of the World and then they will have to come and talk to me.
GM: You contacted me in regards to some rather critical things that I said in my segment “Geno’s Boxing Corner.” Do you often contact writers when you believe that they haven’t given you a fair shake?
You know, I want to say that there is no disrespect to you, and I usually don’t respond to articles, but when I read your article, I thought that it was a little bit harsh. I will tell you a quick story. I met a writer that was actually in high school and it was his first boxing show…I think that it was Roy Jones, JR., versus Merqui Sosa at Madison Square Garden. He was sitting next to me and I was sitting somewhere way up in the stands somewhere, and he was like: “Oh my God, you’re Shannon Briggs. Can I sit with you?” He watched the entire card with me. We had a great time and he said that it was the first article that he had ever done and it was for his high school newspaper and he couldn’t believe that he had met me. He asked if he could interview me, and I gave him my number and said no problem. This was in like 1996 or 1997. Years later, he graduated high school, went on to college, and became a boxing writer. In about 2000, I had seen that he had written an article about me, and it was so bad. It was the worst type of article that you could imagine.
So, he sees me and he’s so different and cocky because he’s a big boxing writer now. I walked up to him and said: How are you doing, and he said: “How you doing Shannon,” in a patronizing way. I told him that I read the article that he had written about me and that it was @$#@$## up. I told him that first, he was a young, black man and what he wrote was so negative toward black people. He disrespected me, and I talked to this kid, but first, I wanted to slap him. I said: Let me explain something to you. You came to me in high school as a shy kid, and gave you an interview…sat with you, and you called me many times afterward, and I was always nice to you. You realized that if you wanted to get an article printed, you had to write a negative one about Shannon Briggs.
He said that I was 100% right and that he had no reason. He wrote that I was nothing and wasn’t ever going to be anything. It was just totally negative. He said that I was never going to be a success as a fighter. I’m already a success. I slept in the shelter. I slept on a train. I had to go without meals and eat what other people didn’t want to eat. I live in a million dollar home with a pool. I’m already a success. If I don’t make another dollar, I’m successful because I made it out of Brownsville. I have two kids, a beautiful wife…she looks like a super model. I do very well. My son goes to private school. This is all from a guy that had nothing. I would sleep on a friend’s couch or somebody’s floor, and it hurts me to see people be so negative, when I’m the true American success story. I could be in prison, could be selling drugs, or I could be dead, but I never gave up. My mother died on my birthday, December 4th, 1996, but I never gave up.
Most people couldn’t survive like I survived. They would have folded. Most people resort to crime or just go lay down. I’m a fighter. I may not be the greatest, but I’m the latest. That’s my motto: “I may not be the greatest, but I’m the latest.”
GM: In Teddy Atlas’s book, he mentioned something to the effect that you and he ran into some trouble in the south and you had to fight. What happened there?
Some racist guys came up to me in Mississippi and grabbed my hair and said that he didn’t like dreadlocks. He actually grabbed my hair and Teddy came to my defense and the guy ended up attacking us and we beat the $%@#$ of him. It was hell because we were in a little small town and before you know it, part of the police came out with shotguns in the backs of pick ups. It was crazy. Our lives were on the line. It was a hell of a night.
GM: I was recently watching the Bowe-Golota bout from the garden in New York. After the fight, there was that riot that had broken out, and I noticed you in the crowd. Was anyone foolish enough during the riot to try to exchange punches with you?
Not at all. I’m from Brooklyn baby. I live for a brawl. I saved Tom Hauser in the crowd. I thought that he was going to get hurt. I was a big fan of Hauser, so I ran down to make sure that he was all right, and I made sure that another brother that I knew from D.C. was all right. He was in a wheel chair. You know, that was a bad night for boxing, but you know what? People are too down on boxing. We need positive press. That is why all of these other sports are thriving. You look at the NFL, NHL, NBA, and you cannot talk or write negative about these sports. The biggest scandal was the steroids in baseball. For the most part, it brought attention to baseball and people want to see homeruns. To me baseball is boring, and you want to see homeruns. If you’re not going to see the guy knock it out of the park, what are you going for?
GM: So, what does boxing have to do to bring it back to its glory days?
In my opinion, boxing needs to clean up the writing and coverage. It has become fashionable to write negative about fighters and about fights and organizations. Forget about it. The WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO: let’s leave them alone. They are great for boxing. People want to see one world champion. It’s not going to happen. Let it go. So, let the organizations have as many champions as they want and then hopefully, the champs will get together and unify. That will be great. Don King put together a heavyweight tournament that crowned Mike Tyson the undisputed champion. They should let him do it again. I’m on the Don side now and I’m the biggest promoter of Don King ever. He is the greatest promoter that has ever lived. He has come to my rescue and I appreciate that. He’s always been good at what he does and don’t be fooled. All the promoters do the same bull#%$^.
Like I said, the writers need to change. They have to look at boxing positively, and that’s when people will come to the sport. I hear a guy like Larry Merchant say something like: “This is terrible for the sport…blah blah blah,” and people believe it and stay away. It’s like the President. Whatever he says, people believe. “Iraq has weapons of mass destruction,” and people believe him. They haven’t found one weapon yet!
GM: You have mentioned Larry Merchant a few times. Do you feel like many that the HBO team is biased and are cheerleaders for their house fighters?
Exactly…that’s how they are with Wladimir. Listen to this. This is how bad this sport is. They were so bad that they dying for him to fight Maskaev. Maskaev is 37 years old, was in a grueling fight with Rahman, and they wanted him to go immediately back to training camp so that Wladimir could get his belt, and unify the titles. They were offering this guy up to 3-point something million dollars just to murder his ass just to get the belt. They want Klitschko to have the unified championship. This is just how bias and heartless they are. They didn’t care that this guy had a bad back and had just fought a grueling fight and that he had a bad thumb and a bad elbow. They didn’t care. They wanted Wlad to kill this guy and get the WBC Title, and then the IBF Belt, so they can say that he is the world champion.
This guy got knocked out by Brewster. He got knocked out by Ross Puritty. He got knocked out by Corrie Sanders. He went down three times from punches from Sam Peter that didn’t even look like they landed. He was flopping on the ground like a big fish and you sit up here and say that he’s a great champion?
You know that the boxing business has got to change and you know who is going to change it? You guys. You guys are really in control right now. They say that boxing is a dying sport and it is, and it’s because the writers are not supporting the sport. In any other sport, if a commentator ragged and ragged on a player, the next day, they would have their job. Larry Merchant wouldn’t last.
GM: Do you have any final words for the fans?
You know my day is coming and I am going to give my all. I’m in a tough fight but I’m going in there to knock him out.]]>
Interview by "Bad" Brad Berkwitt
“You just don’t know what this interview for RSR means to me after all these years of not being mentioned”--Tom “Boom Boom” Johnson
A man goes through life plying his trade to maintain not only himself, but also his family in the process. This man may be a carpenter, a truck driver, a Wall Street broker, or, in this case, a World Champion prize fighter. All men yearn for respect when they give their profession everything they have. Desiring recognition in ones respective field from their peers is a very human trait. Former IBF Featherweight Champion Tom “Boom Boom” Johnson went to the mountaintop of the boxing world firmly digging his stake into the record books when on February 26, 1993, he beat then IBF Featherweight Champion, Manuel Medina, via split decision for the belt.
Respect came for the new champion, you would think. Well, you would be wrong. Ok the boxing world says to Johnson, “Prove yourself”. Johnson replies, “Sure I will”. And over the next four years, he wins in eleven title defenses along with a few non-title fights as well. Now he gets the respect he deserves right? Wrong again! He is hardly ever mentioned in the boxing world and this is a crime to say the least.
Only in title defense number twelve when he loses via TKO to, then WBO Featherweight Champion, Prince Naseem Hamed, does he get some press, but just that he lost the fight.
Sitting and talking with Johnson one would have to be hearing impaired not to realize he was proud to be a champion; something he has carried with him everyday since he won it back on February 26, 1993. As any other champion, before and after him, yearns to be recognized, but often a few fall through the cracks of the boxing columns through no fault of their own.
Well, that lack of recognition ends with this interview. RSR brings you Tom “Boom Boom” Johnson in his own words.
BB: Update the RSR readers on what you have been up to since you retired in 2002?
Well, I have being working really hard and went through a bad divorce, but trying to turn things around now in a positive manner. This week I am going back to the gym and actually as we speak, I am walking around at 136 LBS. I run as often as I can, and shadowbox every day between 6-8 rounds. I have no intentions of trying to make a comeback, but I want to be in shape because I would like to teach some of these young guys out there the proper way to box via being a trainer and hopefully guide a young man to a world title. Also, I work full-time at Collins & Aikman, an automotive plant here in Detroit, Michigan.
BB: You turned professional on October 28, 1986 with a TKO win over Aaron Brumfield. What do you recall about having your first professional win under your belt?
It was a good experience, but I really was well prepared for my first fight because I went away to training camp. I actually saw Brumfield fight in the amateurs when we were coming up at the same time and knew I would beat him, but it was great to get the win by knockout.
BB: You don’t let anytime slip by and in 86, you have one more fight, 87 has you winning seven more times, 88 gives you six more wins, and in 89, four more wins. Today, you hardly see a young prospect have this many fights. Why do you think that is?
I think the fighters today are not fighting as much because their camps are protecting their marquee value. They may win a championship belt, but in their first defense, they wind up losing it. The advantage for me fighting as you mentioned so frequently was it allowed me to face so many diverse opponents in the ring, which improved my adaptability for almost any style out there.
BB: In your 21st fight, on July 3, 1990, you face tough as nails Harold Warren, to whom you drop a ten round decision. What do you recall about this fight and what did your first professional loss do to your mindset?
I think it was a good fight and I have it on tape now. It was a tough match and I felt I won it, but the judges felt the other way. For the first time in my career, I had a big head going into the fight and felt no one in the world could beat me. Before the fight, I had some problems with my team which I think kind of affected my mindset going in. But with that said, I think losing at that time was the best thing that could have happened to me because Warren was the first southpaw I faced in the ring. Before this fight, I never watched tape and went in cold, but after this fight, I learned you have to be prepared on all levels. One of the best things I had in my boxing bag was the ability to make adjustments to a fighter when I was in there, but against Warren, I waited too long to make those adjustments needed.
BB: On November 18, 1990, you face for the second time, former IBF Featherweight Champion Troy Dorsey for the NABF Featherweight title and the fight ends in a draw. Dorsey, an ex-kickboxer, was never known for his power, but had solid stamina in the ring. What are your recollections of this fight?
I beat Dorsey in this fight without a doubt in my mind till this day. When I walked into the ring, I knew I was going to beat him as I did once before when we fought. Prior to the Dorsey fight, as you know, I lost to Harold Warren. I had walked into the gym and told my trainer Mitch that I know how we can get back on top in the boxing world and that was to face the number one contender Troy Dorsey. My trainer looked at me and said, “Boy, you must be crazy”.
God as my witness, I came home that same day and received a phone call asking would I fight Troy Dorsey? I asked when? I had two weeks and I took it. It was a good 12 round fight and I feel I won eight of the twelve rounds. The fight was in his hometown and the draw, I feel, was a hometown decision.
BB: Five years into your professional career, you are finally challenging for the IBF Featherweight title against Manuel Medina. This fight ended by a technical decision for Medina when the fight was stopped in the ninth round because of a cut. After the fight, once again, you waste no time in the ring and go on to have four more fights with each ending in a “W” for you. Your second chance comes against Medina again on February 26, 1993. This time around, you are a winner by split decision and the new IBF Featherweight Champion.Describe the fight and why it was so close? What did you feel now being a world champion would do for you?
I think it was close fight, but yes, I do think I won it.
Medina was not by any means your typical Mexican fighter in the ring. He had a lot of boxing ability and fought every round hard causing me to make many adjustments against him. If you look at his career, he was not an easy fight for anyone who faced him.
Honestly, I felt becoming a world champion would change everything in my life from that day forward. The reality of being a world champion never set with me in my career because when I came back home no one acknowledged me. In fact, no one from my promotional outfit came to my fight.
Everyone thought that I would lose this fight. I have to tell you a very personal thing while we are talking right now. You just don’t know the gratitude I have towards you right now for making this phone call to me today to conduct this interview for RingsideReport. I have spent the last ten years of my life trying to figure out what happened? When they talk about champions, my name has never been mentioned amongst good or great fighters.
As tough as things were and as hurt as I was, I still became a world champion and since February 26, 1993, I have carried that with me deep in my heart and no one can take it away from me.
BB: Over the next four years, you make eleven successful title defenses over the likes of (Sugar Baby Rojas UD12, Stephane Haccoun TKO9, Orlando Antonio Soto UD12, Benny Amparo TKO12, Franciso Segura UD12, Manuel Medina UD12, Eddie Croft UD12, Jose Badillo MD12, Ever Beleno TKO12, Caludio Victor Martinet KO7, and Ramon Guzman UD12.
Two observations about all the opponents you fought. First, how were you able to make so many defenses in such a short period of time and what was the goal? Second, no dig on you, but it appears you could not get a big name fight that would attract the boxing world to take notice and make a nice paycheck for you as well. Do you agree with this statement and if so, what was going on?
I was able to make all of those title defenses because I was always prepared to fight and in shape. If I had just fought in a 12 round fight on the weekend, I would be back in the gym the following Tuesday, training just as hard.
Honestly, I have this discussion all the time on your second question about the big name fight. None of the big names around ever called me out. Kevin Kelly would have been the big fight during this time, but he out priced himself by asking for two million dollars.
BB: With no big names calling you out, what stopped you from moving up to Junior Lightweight for some big fights?
Nothing really stopped me, but I walked around at 128 LBS and moving up to 130 with guys coming in even higher in weight the night of the fight, would have put me at a disadvantage.
BB: In the eleven defenses listed, who do you feel was your toughest opponent and why?
Manuel Medina because styles make fights and I had to make so many adjustments against him, even though he was not a big puncher.
BB: On February 8, 1997, you put your belt up against then WBO Featherweight Champion Prince Naseem Hamed. You have to travel over to England to fight him and when the fight is over, you lose your belt via a TKO in the eighth round. Describe the fight, and how do you rate Hamed as a fighter?
I rate Hamed as a champion and he proved it that night. Going into the fight, I had sustained an injury (whiplash) and I was not at 100%, but because so much money was invested in it, I could not pull out.
If I was 100%, I don’t think Hamed would have beaten me.
My last day of training in New York, they put me in the ring with a sparring partner I knew nothing about nor did my team. He showed up in the gym and I rejected working with him. To this day, I don’t know who he was. The press got involved with the story about me not wanting to spar with him, so I broke down and sparred with this guy. Two rounds into the sparring session, I threw a punch and backed up. When I did, his head ran into my neck, causing whiplash. It ended my training, which was two weeks before the fight.
BB: You go on to have 14 more fights in the next five years, but losing half of them and in your last two fights against Jesus Chavez and Jorge Paez, you were stopped. My gut tells me something in you changed or was lost in the Hamed fight. In your words, what happened to you as a prizefighter?
Your observation is correct. After the Hamed loss, something in me died that night in the ring as a prizefighter. My intestinal fortitude was gone. I was devastated because when I walked into my dressing room, I heard everyone who was in my corner and representing me sitting there and deciding who was going to talk me into retiring?
This was the first fight I lost in several years and the loss was not a total beating like many others you have seen. The one conversation had them talking about who was going to tell me to retire and the other, who was going to ask me for their paychecks? Mo Sims was the only one who refused to be part of that conversation and walked out of the dressing room that night. To this day, Mo and I are the best of friends. (Note: Some of these feelings really hurt me back then and I wanted to describe that period to you. However, since that time, I hold no ill feelings against anyone on my team and thank all of them for making me a world champion and the man I am today.)
BB: In the almost twenty years since you turned professional, do you feel the sport has moved ahead or backwards?
I feel it moved ahead by allowing fighters to make a lot more money today with the right team behind them. I think where it moved back is the fighters today don’t train like they should. They have no science in what they are doing like we had.
BB: In your prime, how do you feel you would stack up against the featherweights of today?
I would be a World Champion. In my prime, I was a very hard guy to fight because as I said earlier, I could make all kinds of adjustments in the ring. I could take a punch and I could throw a pretty decent one as well.
BB: In all of your fights, which fight did boxing fans see you at your very best?
I would have to say Ever Beleno whom I stopped in the 12th round.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Yes, I do. I believe the fund should be started as soon as the fighter turns professional and he cannot touch it until a certain age or illness that would prevent him from making a living. This income would help take care of him especially if it happened inside the ropes.
I feel that the fighters as I said should pay into it as well as the promoters that make money off of the fighters. Go one more step on this. Anyone on his team who is making money off the fighter should pay into the fund as well while they are still making money from the fighter.
The Government eventually will have to get involved, so get them involved from the start so everyone especially the fighter, is protected.
BB: Now that you are totally retired, how would you like the fans of Tom “Boom Boom” Johnson to remember you?
As a guy who always showed up to fight in the ring.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
“I made it by the grace of God to see another day”.
“Boom Boom” wanted to add to our interview:
If there was one thing I could really say again is thanks for this call because it will change the way I look at life from this moment on. After all these years, somebody has paid my career some attention.
I would also like to inform your RSR readers and other boxing folks out there that I am really looking to train some young fighters as I mentioned earlier in our interview. If there is anyone out there looking for a former World Champion with 24 plus years of experience in boxing, please reach out to “Bad” Brad with your info and he will in turn, give it to me.
Tom Johnson
(Boom-Boom)
(128 lbs)
(Featherweight)
Professional Record: 63 fights; 51+ (29 KO), 2=, 10-
1993-1997: I.B.F. Featherweight
- 1986 -
+ (Oct-28-1986, Sterling Heights) Aaron BRUMFIELD ko 2
+ (Nov-25-1986, Sterling Heights) Victor Rogers ko 1
- 1987 -
+ (Jan-27-1987, Sterling Heights) Bobby Adams ko 3
+ (Feb-24-1987, Sterling Heights) Sammy RUIZ 6
+ (Apr-28-1987, Sterling Heights) Tony Cisneros ko 5
+ (May-19-1987, Sterling Heights) Vincent Gonzalez 6
+ (Aug-18-1987, Sterling Heights) Mario Rivera ko 2
+ (Sep-29-1987, Sterling Heights) Troy DORSEY 8
+ (Nov-17-1987, Sterling Heights) Kenny Cole 8
- 1988 -
+ (Jan-28-1988, Sterling Heights) Octavio Quinones 6
+ (Apr-27-1988, Sterling Heights) Ernesto Mota ko 1
+ (Jun-29-1988, Sterling Heights) Antonio Medina ko 4
+ (Sep-28-1988, Clemens) Jose Saldana kot 9
+ (Oct-26-1988, Clemens) Carlos Castro 10
+ (Nov-30-1988, Detroit) Gilberto Contreras 12
- 1989 -
+ (Feb-16-1989, Sterling Heights) Tony De La Rosa kot 4
+ (Apr-21-1989, New York) Eddie Garcia kot 6
+ (Jun-29-1989, New York) Fermin Rodriguez kot 6
+ (Sep-28-1989, Sterling Heights) Fermin Rodriguez kot 2
- 1990 -
+ (Jan-26-1990, Atlantic City) Anthony English 10
- (Jul-3-1990, Monticello) Harold WARREN 10
+ (Oct-23-1990, Las Vegas) Gilberto MARTINEZ kot 1
= (Nov-18-1990, Fort Worth) Troy DORSEY 12 (North America, Featherweight)
- 1991 -
+ (Jan-25-1991, Corpus Christi) Sylvestre Castillo ko 4
+ (Mar-1-1991, Charleston) Alex Bear kot 5
+ (May-31-1991, Kerhonkson) German Vasquez kot 1
+ (Aug-3-1991, Columbus) Arturo Padilla ko 4
+ (Oct-4-1991, Atlantic City) Gerardo SANCHEZ kot 2
- (Nov-18-1991, Inglewood) Manuel MEDINA injury 9 (I.B.F., Featherweight)
- 1992 -
+ (Jan-21-1992, Las Vegas) Rafael ORTEGA injury 5
+ (Apr-4-1992, Eldorado) Mario Lozano ko 1
+ (Jun-11-1992, New York) Kelvin SEABROOKS retiring 7
+ (Oct-20-1992, Atlantic City) Antonio HERNANDEZ 10
- 1993 -
+ (Feb-27-1993, Melun) Manuel Medina 12 (I.B.F., Featherweight)
+ (Aug-24-1993, Atlantic City) Jose Scorpion GARCIA 10
+ (Sep-11-1993, Miami) Sugar Baby Jose ROJAS 12 (I.B.F., Featherweight)
+ (Nov-30-1993, Marseille) Stephane HACCOUN kot 9 (I.B.F., Featherweight)
- 1994 -
+ (Feb-12-1994, Saint-Louis) Orlando SOTO 12 (I.B.F., Featherweight)
+ (Jun-11-1994, Atlantic City) Benny AMPARO kot 12 (I.B.F., Featherweight)
+ (Oct-22-1994, Atlantic City) Francisco SEGURA 12 (I.B.F., Featherweight)
- 1995 -
+ (Jan-28-1995, Atlantic City) Manuel MEDINA 12 (I.B.F., Featherweight)
+ (Apr-26-1995, Auburn Hills) Victor LAUREANO kot 2
+ (May-28-1995, South Padre Island) Eddie CROFT 12 (I.B.F., Featherweight)
+ (Dec-9-1995, Stuttgart) Jose Yungo BADILLO 12 (I.B.F., Featherweight)
- 1996 -
+ (Mar-2-1996, Newcastle) Ever BELENO kot 12 (I.B.F., Featherweight)
+ (Apr-27-1996, Antibes) Claudio MARTINET ko 7 (I.B.F., Featherweight)
+ (Aug-31-1996, Dublin) Ramon GUZMAN 12 (I.B.F., Featherweight)
= (Dec-21-1996, Las Vegas) Javier MARQUEZ 3
- 1997 -
- (Feb-8-1997, London) Prince Naseem HAMED kot 8 (World, Featherweight)
+ (Jul-19-1997, Nashville) Vincent HOWARD 10
- 1998 -
- (Feb-21-1998, Miami) Santos REBOLLEDO 10
+ (Apr-30-1998, Fort Lauderdale) Javier DIAZ 10
- (Sep-4-1998, Kolding) Dennis Holbaeck Pedersen 12
+ (Nov-6-1998, Detroit) Jose Luis MONTES kot 8
- 1999 -
- (Feb-17-1999, Grand Rapids) Junior JONES 12
- (Jul-31-1999, Carlisle) Charles SHEPHERD 12
- 2000 -
+ (Apr-29-2000, Aruba) Agustin LORENZO 10
+ (Jun-16-2000, Detroit) Felipe GARCIA kot 4
- (Jul-15-2000, London) Scott HARRISON 12
- 2001 -
+ (Jan-12-2001, Southfield) Ernest KOFFI kot 5
+ (Feb-2-2001, Sarasota) David TURNER 10
- (Feb-23-2001, Austin) Jesus CHAVEZ retiring 8 (North America, Junior lightweight)
- 2002 -
- (Feb-22-2002, Lemoore) Jorge PAEZ kot 2
]]>
Exclusive Interview by "Bad" Brad Berkwitt
"It really felt good to achieve my dream of winning a world title."--Milton McCrory
So many times today in boxing, you hear guys my age in their early 40’s reminiscing about the days when boxing was on ABC, NBC and CBS. Fighters we were able to watch on these networks during the late 70's and mid 1980's dazzled us with their brilliance, ring generalship and miles and miles of heart. One such fighter comes to RSR for the first time to break bread and share what can be defined only as a world class career.
That man, as the title of this interview says, is Milton "The Iceman" McCrory, former Kronk fighter and WBC Welterweight Champion of the World. McCrory is yet another fighter out of many that you can bestow words like class and dignity upon and who has a huge respect for a sport that saw him rise to the top.
That top came on his second try at the vacant WBC Welterweight Championship of the World that saw him face Colin Jones in a draw, back on March 19, 1983, but in his second attempt on August 13, 1983, Milt won a tough, close fight by a spilt decision over Jones, giving Kronk their third world champion.
Throughout this interview, McCrory laughed, looked back fondly on his career, was grateful for his time in the lights of the coveted squared circle and movingly talked about a baby brother (Steve McCrory), who also was a world class fighter that the McCrory family lost tragically back in 2000.
BB: You have been retired for over 15 years now from boxing. During that time, what have you been up to?
I currently work at the Chrysler Corporation for the last twelve years doing assembly line work. Also, I am still in boxing, teaching the amateur kids out of the Kronk Gym for about the last four or five years now.
BB: You turned professional (September 10, 1980) a little over a month after Kronk legend Tommy Hearns won his first of many titles with his 2nd round KO over Pipino Cuevas. What was it like for you to be at Kronk working with Emanuel Steward and being alongside world champions such as Hearns and Hilmer Kenty, the WBC Lightweight Champion at the time?
I truly came along at a great time in Kronk history, just perfect. We had great amateurs and professionals. When you sparred against some of the greats there, it was harder than a lot of our actual fights. To be honest, I would rather have a real fight than spar with those Kronk guys back then.
BB: I am always curious about the late Dujuan Johnson. What can you share with the readers about him?
We sparred a lot of hard rounds in the gym and actually fought twice as amateurs, with us both winning a fight. Dujuan could really punch.
BB: Looking at your record, you were tearing through your opponents via knockout in your first 17 fights and many by first round KO. Did it affect you at all when you faced an opponent who took you the distance wondering if it might cause you to have stamina or any other types of problems?
No, not at all. Manny saw that I was doing 6 - 8 hard rounds in the gym with grown men like Tommy Hearns and others. We knew I would not have problems because of my training regimen with these solid fighters that Kronk had at that time.
BB: In your 17th fight on January 23, 1982, you really step up in competition when you face the tough veteran Randy Shields, who was coming off a KO loss to Tommy Hearns for his WBA title. It took Hearns 13 rounds to get him out and you only 8 rounds. What are your recollections of this fight? What did the win do for your boxing career at that point?
It really wasn't a tough fight, but it was my biggest fight till that period. Shields was my first top ten contender and I really was up for that fight.
What this win did for me was move me into the top very quickly, because I beat someone with a name. The other opponents I faced, they felt were just opponents, but this time around, I beat a contender.
BB: In your next fight on April 22, 1982, you face another tough as nails opponent in Pete Ranzany, who held the NABF title and had challenged for the WBA title as well, being stopped by Pipino Cuevas. Ranzany finally takes you the distance, but you pull out the fight via decision. How did it feel, finally, in your 18th fight to go the distance, and what are your recollections of this fight?
It was a good thing to go ten because it proved to the boxing world that I, in fact, could go ten hard rounds because before then, I was pretty much knocking everyone out. Ranzany was a veteran who hurt me a little to the body that caused me to pass blood in my urine for the very first time as a fighter. I knew right then and there, I was a professional fighter for sure.
BB: Your next fight out on July 10, 1982, you are matched tough again which makes three fights in row. In this match, you face Roger Stafford, who just months earlier in November 1981, was given the 1981 "Upset of the Year" by Ring Magazine for defeating Pipino Cuevas via 10 round decision. Stafford takes you ten full rounds, but in the end, you are the winner by decision. What are your recollections of this fight and at this point in your career, how do judge yourself as a professional fighter?
I shook him up a little in the first round, but I unfortunately broke my right hand. Stafford is someone I really wanted to stop and I feel had I not broken my hand, I could have.
If you look at my fights after that, a lot more went the distance because of hand problems. Stafford was a strong fighter, but not a smart boxer. I have always felt that I was very smart in there as well as strong.
With this win, I felt I was ready for the big time for sure. This was my first TV fight and the boxing world was able to see me beat a top contender easily.
BB: On March 19, 1983, you are fighting for you first title when you face tough Colin Jones of Gorseinon, Wales for the vacant WBC Welterweight title. After 12 hard fought rounds, the judges score it 113-116, 116-114 and 115-115, which was a draw. How did you feel about the decision and did you deviate from your strategy going into the fight once you mixed punches with Jones?
I really did feel it was a very close fight, but that I had won by a narrow margin. In this fight, I came out the gate very fast and wind up getting a little tired, which was even more affected by the altitude in Reno, Nevada.
My philosophy, which goes back to the early days, is you always win the first and last round, which I did in this fight and felt that I edged him overall.
No, I didn't deviate from my strategy in this fight.
BB: Almost five months later on August 13, 1983, you face Colin Jones again for the still vacant WBC strap. In another tough fight that was very close over 12 rounds which was evident with the scorecards coming back: 114-113 for Jones, and 115-114 along with 115-111 for you.
It seemed that just as Muhammad Ali had Kenny Norton, who was his spoiler in three very close matches, Colin was yours. What was so tough about him that made these fights that close? After this win, you are the new WBC Welterweight Champion of the World and amongst the greats of the Kronk gym. How did it feel and did it change your life at all?
Yes, that is a good point because he was a spoiler to me because of his style of fighting. As they say, "styles make fights" and his would give my style of fighting a helluva time each time we would fight.
Jones was a very tough fighter and his biggest losses came to Donald Curry and me.
It felt so great to be a Kronk Champion and a World Champion as well because this is what I worked so hard for from the amateur ranks. To be alongside Hilmer Kenty and Tommy Hearns with belts was really an honor for me.
I wanted it fast, and it came fast to me. Winning the belt made me even a better fighter, and as they always say, "A fighter becomes better when he is a world champion." I really did feel like this.
BB: On January 14, 1984, you defend your title for the first time against Milton Guest, who had a very big win over the late Dujuan Johnson, a stablemate of yours at Kronk, when he knocked him out in fifth round. You drop Guest four times and the fight is stopped in the sixth round. What are your recollections of this fight, and did you expect it to go so easily for you?
Well, he actually got the title shot against me because he beat Dujuan. Guest was an older guy who was strong, but not really skilled, which I think might have been because he didn't have a deep amateur background.
BB: After your KO defeat of Guest, you tear through your opponents in title defenses against Gilles Elbilia (KO6), Pedro Vilella (W12), Luis Santana (TKO3), and Carlos Trujillo (KO3), which sets up a huge unification match with then WBA Welterweight Champion, Donald Curry.
You guys meet in December 6, 1985 at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. The fight is over before it really starts when Curry stops you in the second round. This is your first loss as a professional. Looking back on this fight, what went wrong for you, and how did the loss affect you mentally?
What we didn't realize back then and should have, was that I had really outgrown the welterweight division, but kept making the weight by killing myself. Curry beat me fair and square, but I was so dehydrated going in, that my chances were slim.
It did affect me mentally and pushed me towards wanting to retire because it was my first professional loss and my very first knockout loss. That hurt my pride for a good period of time. I have never complained about any of my four losses in the ring because I did lose fair and square.
BB: Looking at your record, I noticed you actually fought one of the fighters who, back in the early 80's, I fought on his undercards in the amateurs. His name was Keith Adams and you hold a ten round decision over him. For my own personal curiosity, what are your recollections of the fight and Keith?
Yes, he was a tough fighter and had a big crowd following.
BB: After the fight with Adams, you reel off three more wins to include winning the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) junior middleweight title. This win comes in a new weight class for you. In your very next fight you challenged then WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Mike McCallum, whom you had strong moments against early, but eventually you were stopped by him in the 10th round. What are your recollections of this fight and now with your second loss by KO, did you want to still fight?
We took the fight on two weeks notice and we found out during training that my nose was broken, but I didn't want to back out of the fight. Nobody really knows about that, but it's the truth. Mike was a very tough fighter and we actually sparred in the gym many times which were rough outings.
I actually lost some of the will to fight before this loss and because of that, I started shortcutting in training. I was doing that a lot, and the next couple of losses I had were because of that fact and my fault totally.
BB: After your loss to McCallum you go on to win most of your fights over the next four years and actually win the NABF strap again. On a winning note, you face Robert Curry on April 6, 1991 and stop him in the first round. This actually turns out to be your last fight as professional. What made you retire?
I never cared about breaking records, but just wanted to be a World Champion, which I achieved. During this time, I was living in California and wanted to be back with my family in Michigan.
BB: We have just discussed a stellar boxing career. However, I know that you never wanted to box, but play baseball. What forced your hand into boxing? Did you ever really enjoy any aspect of your boxing career?
Funny story. When we were kids, Jimmy Paul, another Kronk stablemate and the former IBF Lightweight Champion lived down the street from us. He told us that he was boxing and my brother Steve and I thought he was lying. Stevie wanted to go see Jimmy box, but Jimmy said, "In order to come see me box, you have to bring gym shorts and stuff to make it look like you want to box too". We thought that was cool because we were going to get a chance to watch him box, but once there, we wound up boxing as well and never stopped.
Yes, I did enjoy many aspects of boxing career and none was better than when I was over in Monte Carlo sitting in my locker room, and you remember how they used to have those little TV's in the room? Well, I saw the commercial saying coming up next you will see the WBC Welterweight Champion, Milton McCrory defending his belt against Carlos Trujillo. I really knew that I had made it and look back on that day fondly. It felt good to achieve my dream.
BB: In your opinion, in what fight did the boxing world see you at your very best?
In both fights with Colin Jones, because even though they both were very close, it showed I had a lot of heart. I got tired in both because they were tough, but I always won the first and last round. In boxing, I have always felt it's important to make a good first impression and last.
BB: Were there any fights that you really wanted, but your team just could not get it made?
I always wanted to fight guys who beat my teammates from Kronk (Milton laughs). Hagler and Leonard because they beat Tommy. Roberto Duran and Pipino Cuevas turned us down.
BB: The RSR team really prides itself on having a lot of respect for the warriors that step into the ring on any given night for the entertainment of boxing fans worldwide. With that said, I know your family faced tragedy when your brother Steve McCrory died in August of 2000. From your heart as Steve's older brother, how would you like him to be remembered by the boxing world?
I would like to have them remember him as a well spoken, outgoing man who liked to have fun. He really liked to have fun. Stevie was a very good fighter and a little guy as you know. He had the McCrory blood in his veins. (Milton's voice had a very proud and affectionate tone when he answered this question about his baby brother).
(Side note: Steve McCrory was a Gold Medalist winner in the 1984 US Olympics and challenged once for the IBF Bantamweight Title against then champion, Jeff Fenech, who defeated Steve by a 14th round TKO, giving McCrory his first professional loss. Steve ended his career in 1991 with a professional record of 30-5-1, 12 KO's. RIP Steve…)
BB: In a welterweight division today that is filled deep with talent, how do you feel you would have fared?
First off, with how they have you weighing in the day before a fight, I would be the champ for a long time. Back in my day, they weighed you in the day of the fight. Today, I could put on 10 to 15 LBS easy coming into the ring the next day.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers, and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Yes, I do, but it would be very hard to do. There has to be set rules because a fighter could not just have two fights, and then get a retirement check. The money could come out of the fighter's purse, promoters could pay in and maybe money from sanctioning fees. Then you need someone very honest to oversee it.
It will be very hard, but is badly needed. How they do it will be the catch for sure.
BB: With your boxing career behind you now, how would you like your fans that followed your career to remember you?
With me being retired now for many years, it's such an honor for me to run into folks in the streets of Detroit who said they really enjoyed me when I was fighting. I am very proud of this and what I have heard from others who said I made Detroit proud especially from the older generation. I have gotten love from all over the world, but especially in my hometown of Detroit.
I want to thank all my fans for this from the heart.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
"Believe and Become." This was my favorite slogan when I graduated high school, and I still go by it today.
Milton McCrory
(The Iceman)
(Welterweight)
Amateur Record: 120 fights; 105+, 15-
Professional Record: 40 fights; 35+ (25 KO), 1=, 4-
1983-1985: W.B.C. Welterweight
1987: North America Junior middleweight
- 1980 –
+ (Sep-10-1980, Detroit) Kevin Straughter ko 1
+ (Sep-20-1980, San Juan) Rodney Kennebrew ko 1
+ (Oct-16-1980, Toledo) Chuck Smith ko 1
+ (Oct-23-1980, Detroit) Billy Hodges ko 1
+ (Nov-8-1980, Detroit) Raul Aguirre ko 1
+ (Nov-22-1980, Cincinnati) James Dixon ko 5
+ (Dec-2-1980, Toledo) Doc Bryant kot 1
+ (Dec-12-1980, Detroit) Alfonso Hayman kot 3
- 1981 –
+ (Jan-29-1981, Detroit) Mao De La Rosa ko 1
+ (Feb-19-1981, Detroit) Santiago Valdez kot 2
+ (Apr-9-1981, Detroit) Eddie Marcelle kot 2
+ (Apr-25-1981, Phoenix) Alejos Rodriguez ko 4
+ (May-27-1981, Phoenix) Joey Robles kot 5
+ (Jun-25-1981, Houston) Steve Hearon kot 8
+ (Aug-13-1981, Detroit) Rafael Rodriguez kot 7
+ (Nov-19-1981, Detroit) Arcadio Garcia ko 3
- 1982 –
+ (Jan-23-1982, Detroit) Randy SHIELDS kot 8
+ (Apr-22-1982, Detroit) Pete RANZANY 10
+ (Jul-10-1982, Detroit) Roger STAFFORD 10
+ (Oct-10-1982, Detroit) Victor Abraham 10
- 1983 –
= (Mar-19-1983, Reno) Colin JONES 12 (W.B.C., Welterweight)
+ (Aug-13-1983, Las Vegas) Colin JONES 12 (W.B.C., Welterweight)
- 1984 –
+ (Jan-14-1984, Sterling Heights) Milton Guest kot 6 (W.B.C., Welterweight)
+ (Apr-15-1984, Detroit) Gilles ELBILIA kot 6 (W.B.C., Welterweight)
+ (Dec-4-1984, Atlantic City) Lloyd Taylor ko 4
- 1985 –
+ (Mar-9-1985, Paris) Pedro Vilella 12 (W.B.C., Welterweight)
+ (May-26-1985, Miami Beach) Luis SANTANA kot 3
+ (Jul-14-1985, Monte-Carlo) Carlos Trujillo ko 3 (W.B.C., Welterweight)
- (Dec-6-1985, Las Vegas) Donald CURRY ko 2 (World, Welterweight)
- 1986 –
+ (Apr-18-1986, Atlantic City) Keith Adams 10
+ (Jul-13-1986, Las Vegas) Doug DE WITT 10
+ (Nov-26-1986, Las Vegas) Jorge AMPARO 10
- 1987 –
+ (Mar-7-1987, Detroit) Rafael Corona kot 1 (North America, Junior middleweights)
- (Apr-19-1987, Phoenix) Mike MC CALLUM kot 10 (W.B.A., Junior middleweights)
+ (Oct-28-1987, Las Vegas) Herman Cavasuela 12 (North America, Junior middleweight)
+Nov-19-1987, Windsor) Jerome KELLY kot 2
-1988-
1988-04-10 Lupe Aquino Atlantic City, USA L MD 10 1988-11-25 Joaquin Velasquez Auburn Hills, USA L TKO 7 -1990- 1990-09-21 Mike Sacchetti Saint Louis, USA W UD 10 -1991- 1991-04-06 Robert Curry Honolulu, USA W KO 1
Advertise On RSR
Purchase Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime
Watch The Trailer For Family Secret
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
“It’s very nice to be remembered from an Era that was very strong in the Middleweight Division”--Mustafa Hamsho"
In the history of boxing, we have had so many diverse personalities come through the sport. Some were hailed as the “Golden Boy’s” while others were labeled as “Black Bart” the guy who wore all black in the movie westerns and was supposed to be the bad guy. Mustafa Hamsho throughout his career was labeled the bad guy, but titles can be quite deceiving. During our interview, Hamsho was honored to be remembered and spoke fondly about his boxing career that saw him rise to the top of the middleweight ranks, twice challenging, Marvelous Marvin Hagler for his Undisputed Middleweight Championship of the World.
There is no doubt in today’s boxing; Hamsho would have been a World Champion and excited fans as he did in his heyday…
BB: First of all for the boxing fans who watched many of your exciting matches in the early to mid 1980’s, what are you doing today?
I am an average guy working hard to get ahead. Currently, I do public relations for a New York restaurant and own a small deli.
BB: You turned pro in 1975 in a middleweight division that was filled with tons of talent. What are your recollections of your first professional fight?
My first opponent was Pat Cuillo and he was a tough kid. He was very popular in his town and the crowd was behind him all the way. In the end, I won the decision and was happy to have my first professional win.
BB: On September 21, 1978, you face tough Philadelphia fighter Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts. In this fight, you knock out Watts in the sixth round. What are your recollections of this fight?
Watts was looking for a tune up fight, but the opponent was not supposed to be a south paw fighter like I was. It was funny he wanted a picture of me before we fought. We sent him a picture with me fighting in the conventional stance. Well, we get in the ring, and I go south paw on him. Watts turned to his manager and said, “I thought this guy wasn’t a southpaw”? His manager turns to him and says, “Too late.”
BB: You go undefeated in a 4 year span in your boxing career, (1977-1981). During those years, you have big wins against top contenders Wilford Scypion, Curtis Parker, and former World Middleweight Champion, Alan Minter. Tell me about your recollections of the Minter fight.
I can remember Minter promising the Queen he would beat me in the ring. Minter couldn’t do anything to me on that night because I was in great shape. At no time did he hurt me in the ring and I felt the referee for that fight was favoring him which had me fighting two people, but only getting paid for one.
BB: After the Minter fight, you face then World Middleweight Champion, Marvelous Marvin Hagler on October 3, 1981. You gave a gutsy performance against Hagler, but were stopped on cuts in the 11th round. What are your recollections of this fight and how would you rate Hagler as a champion?
I cannot take anything away from Marvin Hagler. He truly was one of the greatest fighters to step into the ring. When he retired, they finally gave him the credit he deserved as one of the greatest middleweights of all-time. To have the opportunity to fight him twice, I think was an honor and made me one of the tops guys in the middleweight division.
BB: The main event fight when you faced Hagler, was WBA Heavyweight Champion Mike Weaver vs James “Quick” Tillis. What do you recall about this fight and the atmosphere around it?
After my fight with Hagler, we both had to go straight to the hospital to get sewn up, so I wasn’t able to see the WBA Heavyweight Title fight.
BB: After the Hagler fight, you go right back into tough competition taking on Curtis Parker again winning a decision. You have another knockout win over Gil Rosario and from there, you face, NBC darling the “Matinee Idol” Bobby Czyz who was being groomed as a future champion. You scored a huge upset when you took the decision over the then 20-0 Czyz. What are your recollections of this big win?
I can remember my manager at the time was hearing from the Czyz camp that he really wanted to fight me. We did a mind game on them by saying, “Mustafa is not training, and he is up in Canada drinking along with partying.” Czyz was a very easy fight for me, but once again, I felt the referee was helping him. My late manager, God rest his soul, told me not to do anything wrong in the ring or they would stop the fight, giving it to Czyz.
BB: On June 16, 1983, you have one of your career best wins, when you defeated former Welterweight and Junior Middleweight Champion Wilfred Benitez. With Benitez being the Master of Defense, what was your game plan going into this fight?
I really went into that fight in top shape and the winner was supposed to be made the IBF Middleweight Champion, which was until I beat him. My game plan going in was to take away his body. On our flight home (Benitez was on the same flight as Mustafa), he was urinating blood from the body work I did on him.
BB: The Benitez win puts you back in another title fight with Marvelous Marvin Hagler on October 19, 1984. This time around, you are stopped in the third round of the fight. Which fight do you think Hagler was better in?
Hagler was better the first time around. Even though we only went three rounds, he was missing a lot of punches.
BB: Were there any other fighters in your career that ended in 1987, which you wish you could have faced?
I was supposed to fight Tommy Hearns and really wanted that fight, but he pulled out for some reason.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
I totally agree with you that it needs to be done for all fighters. Last week, I was at a fight that had the NY police versus the police from Ireland. In the crowd with me was a great former champion who many know as “The Blade” Iran Barkley. He is walking around broke with hardly any money to eat. Guys like him and so many others need a pension plan like other sports such as football, baseball and basketball have.
The promoters need to pay in as well because they don’t take any punches. So many boxers are such great people and to see them broke after what they gave in the ring, breaks my heart.
BB: Now that you are retired from boxing for over 21 years, how do you want your fans to remember you?
I know that many people liked me and many didn’t. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I always gave everything I could when I stepped into that ring.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
“Do the best at everything you do no matter what it is in life”.
Mustafa wanted to add the following to our interview:
I really appreciate you remembering me and taking the time to do this interview. My manager once told me, whether they say good or bad things about you is not the problem. The problem comes when they say nothing about you at all.
Mustafa HAMSHO
(Middleweight)
Professional Record: 42-6-2, 26 KO's
- 1975 -
- (Aug-23-1975, Binghampton) Pat Cuillo 6
= (Oct-23-1975, Binghampton) Danny Mc Nevin 4
+ (Nov-21-1975, Providence) Joey Houston ko 3
- 1976 -
+ (Apr-14-1976, New York) Richie Villanueva ko 3
+ (Apr-28-1976, New York) Carlos Novotny ko 4
+ (May-8-1976, Utica) Chuck Small 6
- (Jun-26-1976, Providence) Roger Phillips ko 2
= (Aug-16-1976, Newark) Reggie Jones 8
+ (Sep-11-1976, Utica) Cove Green ko 4
+ (Oct-1-1976, Utica) Benji Goldstone 4
+ (Oct-29-1976, New York) Bernard MC CLEAN 6
- 1977 -
+ (Apr-29-1977, Baltimore) Lester Camper 8
+ (May-20-1977, Binghampton) Lorenzo Howard ko 1
+ (Jun-23-1977, Newark) Archie Andrews 6
+ (Sep-27-1977, New York) Gil Rosario 6
+ (Nov-9-1977, Las Vegas) Antonio Adame 10
- 1978 -
+ (Jan-21-1978, Las Vegas) Rocky Mosley 8
+ (Jun-28-1978, Providence) Frank Moore kot 2
+ (Sep-21-1978, Jersey City) Bobby WATTS ko 6
+ (Oct-28-1978, Jersey City) Eddie Parks ko 2
+ (Dec-1-1978, Jersey City) Donald Johnson ko 6
- 1979 -
+ (Jan-27-1979, Jersey City) Pat Murphy ko 3
+ (Mar-15-1979, North Bergen) Winston Noel ko 2
+ (Apr-11-1979, White Plains) Tyrone Freeman injury 1
+ (Apr-26-1979, North Bergen) Domingo Ortiz kot 8
+ (Jun-27-1979, Secaucus) Domingo Ortiz kot 7
+ (Jul-17-1979, Atlantic City) Leo Saenz ko 6
+ (Sep-19-1979, New York) Fermin Guzman ko 7
+ (Oct-4-1979, North Bergen) Barry Hill kot 1
- 1980 -
+ (Mar-29-1980, Atlantic City) Reggie Jones kot 6
+ (Jun-15-1980, Clarkson) Wilford SCYPION disq.10
+ (Sep-24-1980, Elizabeth) Bob Patterson kot 4
+ (Nov-25-1980, New York) Rudy Robles 10
- 1981 -
+ (Feb-15-1981, Atlantic City) Curtis PARKER 10
+ (Jun-6-1981, Las Vegas) Alan MINTER 10
- (Oct-3-1981, Rosemont) Marvin HAGLER kot 11 (World, Middleweight)
- 1982 -
+ (Mar-13-1982, Atlantic City) Curtis PARKER 10
+ (May-22-1982, Atlantic City) Gil Rosario kot 3
+ (Nov-20-1982, Atlantic City) Bobby CZYZ 10
- 1983 -
+ (Jun-4-1983, Fort Lauderdale) Gil Rosario ko 3
+ (Jul-16-1983, Las Vegas) Wilfredo BENITEZ 12
- 1984 -
+ (Mar-30-1984, Las Vegas) Alexis Shakespeare kot 5
- (Oct-19-1984, New York) Marvin HAGLER ko 3 (World, Middleweight)
- 1985 -
+ (Jun-28-1985, Poosic) Miguel Rosa kot 8
- 1986 -
+ (May-20-1986, New York) Ernie White ko 4
+ (Aug-14-1986, New York) Richard Burton kot 7
+ (Nov-13-1986, New York) Jimmy Shavers 10
- 1987 -
- (May-7-1987, New York) Don LALONDE 12
+ (Aug-10-1987, Secaucus) Reggie Barnes kot 3
-(Dec-5-1987, Dusseldorf) Graciano ROCCHIGIANI kot 1]]>
Exclusive interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
“I have been a fighter all of my life”--Tony “The Tiger” Baltazar
During the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s, the lightweight division was full of talented fighters that included names such as Hector Camacho, SR, Edwin Rosario, Roger Mayweather, Cubanito Perez and our man of the hour in this interview, Tony “The Tiger” Baltazar, who by the way, when he was younger, looked like a dead ringer for a young Tony Danza when he starred on the TV show Taxi. Tony, a tough as nails fighter based out of Los Angeles, California, would turn pro on Feb 8, 1979, when he stopped Art Silveira in just the first round of their boxing match. From there, Tony would fight seven more times in just 1979 which today, a fighter is lucky to have a total of five fights per year, even an upcoming prospect for the most part. Tony would win via the TKO, KO and decision route remaining undefeated in 24 fights over a four year period. In his 25th fight of his career, he faced former 1976 Olympic Gold Medal winner and slick boxer, Howard Davis, JR. In this fight, Tony would taste defeat for the first time via a decision in Davis’ favor.
Tony would go on in his boxing career, beating some big names along the way such as Roger Mayweather and Roque Montoya, while being stopped by another hot prospect named “Rockin” Robin Blake. Baltazar for whatever reason which we will get into during our interview could not secure a World Title shot until his 11th year as a professional fighter when he faced Hector Camacho, SR. for his WBO Junior Welterweight Title on August 11, 1990, dropping a decision to the “Macho Man”.
Tony would challenge for another world title on March 22, 1993, but in this title attempt, he would not fair so well being stopped in the first round by Carlos Gonzalez.
Baltazar would fight on for another year, winning one and losing another. He retired for the next six years, but made a brief comeback to raise money for his son’s Kody foundation. After one fight back and winning, Tony knew his boxing days were over and would pursue other avenues to raise money for his son’s foundation. Tony ended his boxing career with a record of, 39-7, 1 NC, 30 KO’s. On August 19th, Tony and his brother Frankie Baltazar are going to be inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame in Studio City, California.
These are the warriors of yesteryear that boxing tends to forget, but RSR will not allow that to ever happen.
BB: To catch up the readers who many will instantly know your name, fill them in on what you have been up to since you hung up the boxing gloves in 2002?
Though a lot of my family is still in California, I stayed in Arizona because I have two teenage daughters that I love to be a dad to. Currently, I work as a salesman for Danny’s Family Carousel here in Phoenix, AZ, selling detail packages for cars.
BB: RSR recently did a a heartfelt tribute on you recently that actually had you and your father writing in to thank him. In his article, he chronicled the sad story about you losing your beloved son Kody to a disease, but in his research, he couldn’t find the name of what took this little angel. Let’s talk about the disease so we can raise awareness on it and maybe help find a cure through donations to charities out there battling to find one and if any of our RSR readers feel inclined to donate.
Kody was born with Down Syndrome, but that is not what took his life. He also had heart problems and a condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, which is when your heart is not completely formed. In addition, he also had three holes in his heart.
Kody was a gift from God. He was the happiest kid in the world and lived until he was five years old. During those five years, he had three open heart surgeries. After each one, this little man would bounce right back like nothing happened. He was a true fighter and touched everybody that came into contact with him.
My son Kody really taught me a lot about life and changed it for the better. I will be honest with you to say I was very arrogant when I was a fighter because of the success that came my way and it carried over in my life for many years. Kody humbled me!
BB: Did you have an amateur career and if so, how did you fair? Were there any big names you beat during that career?
Amateur career? Are you sitting down? My first amateur fight was in 1964 as a young three and half year old. Between 1964 and when I turned professional in 1979, I had over 350 amateur fights. I won the Junior Olympics and the Golden Gloves.
BB: Were there any fighters you beat in the amateurs that went on to make a name for themselves in the professional ranks?
Yes, I beat John Montes and there were a few others, but I cannot remember them.
BB: You turned professional on February 8, 1979, when you knocked out Art Silveira in one round. What was like to have your first professional win under your belt and by the big KO?
To be honest, I fought all of my life so having my first professional fight under my belt did not affect me as it probably does so many other fighters. I was just going to work.
BB: In just your first year as professional you fought a total of 8 times. In today’s boxing, you hardly see that even from a young prospect on the rise. Why do you think that is?
Back in those days, the purses were very small compared to what it is today. The training we did back then and today is completely different. Sure they are more advanced in their training methods, but we took our training a lot more serious. Today Boxing is just a money sport. I see guys with 8-12 fights under their belt and they are not fighting for a world championship. You can see them in the ring, but they are not at the level that they should be.
BB: In your first 24 fights of your career, you fought them all in Los Angeles except for one that was held in Sacramento, California. LA fans love boxing and I assume that you really built up a following. Talk about those times and what it was like fighting in front of them.
I stayed in California because that is where I fought as an amateur so it only made sense to turn professional there as well. The following came way before my professional fight in 1979. It was great to have the fans behind me.
BB: In your 25th fight as a professional you faced Howard Davis, JR., on February 27, 1983, in a bout that was aired on CBS. It’s weird to say that today since the major networks show zero boxing, but in your day, it was a fixture on them for the most part. In this fight, you lose for the first time via a point’s loss. What do you recollect about this fight and what did you take away with the L on your record that you wanted to improve on?
When I faced Howard Davis, JR., I went into the ring knowing he was the former 76 Olympic Gold Medalist and what he accomplished as a pro as well to this date. I knew it would a tough fight because Howard was very quick. In this fight, I learned about the true politics of boxing. No matter what I did in the ring, I was supposed to lose. I really think I won the fight. Looking back, I can tell you my Dad said to me it was a close fight, but when he saw it on tape, he changed his mind totally and thought I won.
BB: You get right back in the ring beating rugged Roque Montoya on June 17, 1983, by a ten round decision. In your next fight just a little over a month later, you faced highly touted lightweight prospect “Rockin” Robin Blake who stops you for the first time in your career in the 9th round. How do you rate Blake as a fighter? Also, how did a TKO loss affect your state of mind?
I never even heard of Robin Blake before I fought him. But after the fight, I rated him as a world class boxer. Honestly, after I fought Howard though I lost, I kind of got a little celebrity and some money, which went to my head. I trained for the Blake fight, but not like I should have. After he stopped me, I knew right away that I needed to take my training serious for the rest of my career!
BB: After the Blake fight, you take a couple of months off and then, reel a TKO win over Lupe Rocha. From there, you face former WBA Super Featherweight Champion Roger Mayweather who is moving up in weight and you beat him via a unanimous decision. I am very surprised that with this big win on your record, you are not immediately offered a world title shot. What happened that you were not given a title shot against the then WBA Lightweight Champion Livingstone Bramble or WBC Champion Edwin Rosario?
That is a very good observation. It’s funny, when I look back on what you actually mentioned; I realized I was always supposed to have been the underdog going into any of my big fights against guys in the top ten. I guess I have to blame my management at the time whether it was my Dad or whoever, but in hindsight, I really cannot answer this question on why that happened to me.
Bottom line: I should have gotten a title shot after this win.
BB: After the Mayweather win, you took off an entire year from the ring and came back in December of 85 with another KO win over Darryll Cottrell in two rounds. From that fight, you stay out of boxing for two years (86-87). What was going on to keep you away from the ring and building on that big points win over Mayweather?
It was actually 30 months I was away from the ring. I was involved in an accident that had me drunk behind the wheel and I was convicted for and went to prison.
BB: Between 1988 and 1989, you reel off five wins, then face slick boxer Buddy McGirt. In this fight, you drop a unanimous decision to him. What do you recollect about this fight? What do you think of McGirt’s life after boxing as a World Class trainer for many champions?
I remember I hit Buddy so hard that I dropped him and didn’t think he was going to get back up, but he did. At that moment, I realized once again in my boxing career, I was back facing world class competition. Buddy was a tough fighter and I do think he won this fight fair and square. I am in awe of what Buddy has done as a trainer. I would have to loved to have been a trainer, but I wanted to stay in AZ to be around my two daughters.
BB: After the loss to McGirt, you reel off three more wins and finally in your eleventh year as a professional fighter, you faced then WBO Junior Welterweight Champion of the World Hector Camacho, SR, on August 11, 1990. You go the distance with the “Macho Man”, but drop a wide margin unanimous decision. You are 29 years of age at this time and as I mentioned, fighting professionally for 11 years. The boxing fan looking would say you were young in age, but far past your prime. Would you agree with this observation? And had you met Camacho six years earlier after your win over Roger Mayweather, do you think the outcome would be the same?
I totally agree with your observation that I was past my prime in this fight. Yes, I feel the outcome would have been different if Hector and I had met six years earlier, the fight would have been different. It would have been a tough fight, a heck of a lot closer and in the end; I think I would have won it. In our title fight, I hurt him with a body shot during one of the early rounds and knew it. But being friends with him, I just couldn’t go in for the kill and hurt him. I love Hector to death and we remain friends till this day.
BB: In your final attempt to secure a Word Title you face then WBO Junior Welterweight Champion Carlos Gonzalez on March 22, 1993. In this fight, you are out of there in just one round. What are your recollections of this fight?
I caught Gonzalez in the first round with a left hook that had him wobbling all over the ring. My first instinct was to jump on him and I threw a wild left hook that almost put me down and he backed up and threw a right hand that hit me in back of my head. From that punch, my equilibrium was knocked off and I went down, I got back up and he hit me again, causing me to go back down. I got back up and once again, got knocked down. The referee had to stop the fight because of three knockdown rule was in affect. I think the fight would have been different had I not been hit in the back of the head.
BB: You fight on for one more year with mixed success and in 1995, you retire again, but come out of retirement in early 2002. From accounts you came back to raise money for Kody’s foundation, but did you know in this fight (points win over Eduardo Jacques) that your days in the ring were way behind you?
I came back to raise money to help the foundation that I had at that time, but I knew no matter what my mind said about maybe getting a world championship shot. I knew my boxing days were over at this point. I didn’t have in my heart to fight anymore.
BB: Your brother Frankie also boxed during your time as a super featherweight and retired from boxing in 1991 with a record of, 40-3-1, 27 KO’s. What is he up to today?
Frankie today is an insurance adjuster out in Los Angeles, California. Actually, both Frankie and I are going to inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame on August 19, 2006, in Studio City, California.
BB: From the day you turned pro in 1979 to the present day in boxing, what one fighter do you think moved the sport ahead the most and why?
I think there are two. The first is Roy Jones, JR. He was just an amazing fighter in his prime. Second would be Oscar De La Hoya. He is not a great fighter, but he knew what he was capable of doing in the ring. They marked him well with the good looks he has and I have to give him his props because he made a lot of money in his career. I would like to see him not fight anymore and just enjoy the success he has had during his career and now enjoy his promotion company.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
I defiantly favor a mandatory retirement fund and believe it or not, I actually have one now. Being from California, I had to pay into one and I will get it at the age of 55. Every month I get a statement from California saying how much I have in it and what it is going to.
In boxing, the promoters and managers are making millions and millions of dollars off of these young fighters who are taking all the punches and some are ruined for life after their boxing career is over.
I think every state should have an athletic commission that monitors boxing and ensures that fighters pay in so they can get something back in retirement. Everybody who works at a trade needs to get some type of retirement coming in for the fruits of their labor. I like what Senator John McCain has done and we need more help.
BB: What is one thing that the RSR readers can learn about you today that boxing fans might have not known before this interview?
Many people didn’t know before this interview that I boxed for as many years as I did as an amateur and professional combined.
BB: To all of the Tony “The Tiger” Baltazar fans around the world, what thoughts would you like to leave them with?
I want them to know I love them all and thank them for all their support over the years during my career. Kids mean so much to me and I want to appeal to all parents out there to really love your kids and teach them the right things in life.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
“Live a life you would be proud of.”
Tony Baltazar:
Lightweight - Junior Welterweight
Professional record: 47 fights; 39+ (30 KO's), 7-, 1 N.C.- 1979 -
- 1986-1987: inactive -- 1988 -
- 1995-2001: inactive -
- 2002 -
Interview by Mike “The Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“I used to beat on Tommy Hearns.”---Mike McCallum
Notoriety and greatness do not always go hand in hand. From his humble yet well grounded beginnings on the island of Jamaica, Mike McCallum has always understood the value of hard work and in paying his dues. He embarked on a journey through life, first as an amateur fighter, plying his trade in the shadows as a sparring partner for seasoned pros, hoping for the honor to represent his homeland at the Olympics, then later, fueled with burning national pride, becoming boxing’s first Jamaican World Champion. Everything he achieved came with years of low key diligence and traveling the globe looking to compete with the best boxing had to offer. There were no gold medal send-offs or high profile cable contracts.
During this period in the mid to late 1980’s, there was a high profile round robin of lucrative matches going on in boxing between “The Fabulous Four” – “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns, Roberto Duran and Marvelous Marvin Hagler. At his best, McCallum was as good as any of them, no less than a 50/50 proposition in a potential head to head match-up. Despite this, he was shunned, shoved aside and locked-out of any opportunity to prove himself up to the task of competing with his high profile contemporaries.
Through it all, he forged ahead and cut his own swath through each division he competed in, even if it meant kicking-in the back door for the opportunity. In all, he defeated seven highly respected world champions, winning and defending titles at light middleweight, middleweight and light heavyweight. With rightful enshrinement into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003, history will look kindly on the career and legacy of this once great warrior from Jamaica. For me, it was a great honor and a dream come true to represent RSR and spend time with “The Bodysnatcher” to talk about his journey through boxing and life.
MP: Starting out as a youngster, who were your boxing hero’s and what inspired you to take up boxing as an amateur?
Ray Robinson and Bunny Grant. Yeah, Bunny Grant was a Jamaican like me. As a matter of fact he was the one who really started me out with the body shots. He was the one that punched me to the body. Whenever Bunny was getting ready for a fight, he’d have me spar him at the tail end of the sparring sessions. If he set out to spar eight rounds, he’d bring me on for the last three or four rounds. He’d hit me to the body and I couldn’t deal with the body shots. He’d use me as a 17 year-old youngster full of energy, jabbing him like crazy. I’d be surprised at Bunny, he’d be setting me up for the body shots. What really happened is, he asked for me, telling me and others that “that boy is a good fighter, that boy is full of promise.” So Bunny Grant is the one that I really and truly learned the body shots from, and uh, he was a vicious puncher to the body. As a young amateur fighter I used to watch him very closely. All of his little tricks towards getting to the body. I picked up all of his little tricks and stuff and I took it a little further.
MP: All through your career you displayed a level of fluidity. You always had an answer for your opponent’s offense.
That’s what I’m talking about. But see I took it a little further. Doubling and tripling punches to the head, and then the body and back to the head. You know as a youngster, I learned all that he had to offer. It was a fantastic deal for me, and by going along you add to it also. And then I moved onto the national level where I could represent my country. One of my greatest coaches Emilio Sanchez, my international coach, one of the greatest coaches that ever trained me. He showed me a shot where a guy would throw a jab and I’d pull and come back with a quick right hand over the jab. Man, that shot became so great for me in the amateurs and later through the pros, when I threw that shot, it took me through my whole career. I teach that shot now to my fighters.
He taught me things and took me to a higher level. But he taught me stuff, nobody knows about this guy, who was a genius, because this guy wasn’t an American. People would see me as a youngster in the gym and say “wow, the Bodysnatcher, where’d this guy come from?” But I had great coaches, and nobody would know about these guys.
MP: What was behind your decision to turn professional back in 1981?
Well, yeah, as a matter of fact, I went to the 1976 Olympics. The Prime Minister of Jamaica, Michael Manley, asked for me one day. He sent for me and said to me that he admired my work, my fluidity in the ring and that I had great potential. He asked me not to turn pro and give Jamaica four more years in order to get to the 1980 Olympics. I wasn’t bound to do it. He asked me a personal favor. It was a big decision for me. I came out of the Olympics in 1976 at 19. I of course tried to do that. What was so unfortunate for me is I went to Moscow, the week before the games opened, I came down with acute appendicitis in Moscow, in the Olympic village. Yeah, I said I couldn’t believe this!
MP: With less than two years of professional experience, you faced former WBA Light Middleweight Champion Ayub Kalule in your 17th fight. What are your recollections going into this match and of Kalule as an opponent in the ring?
I saw him fight Ray Leonard, and I said to myself I’m gonna beat him better than Ray Leonard did. Ray can’t punch to the body like I punch to the body. But I was a fluid boxer also. Listen, in my career, I was so fortunate to come up against some of the greatest southpaws. Johnny Bumphus and a guy by the name of Clinton Jackson, he was a vicious southpaw. But mainly I worked with Clinton Jackson as an amateur when I was coming up in the National AAU. What I’m trying to say is back then we had some vicious workouts. I’d get so frustrated at first, but by boxing him everyday, and later Johnny Bumphus, later in my career it became very easy for me to fight southpaws. So when I fought Ayub Kalue and Sean Mannion after that, it was easy for me. By learning and working with these guys, I could fight southpaws with my eyes closed and I can also now as a trainer teach my guys to fight southpaws. So I’m basically rounded.
MP: You eventually positioned yourself as the WBA mandatory challenger for Roberto Duran’s Light Middleweight Title in 1984. How much did you focus on him leading into that period and did you see anything that you felt you could capitalize on?
Oh you know about that? I was so confident. Yeah, I wanna show him mano-a- mano. I wanna understand how tough he is. Now the world will know me. Cause I watched him fight. He’s short, he can’t beat me. I’m gonna bust him up. The short man can’t beat me. The world will know Mike McCallum. So I said “OK.” But listen to this now. Emanuel Steward was also the manager of Thomas Hearns because we were in the Kronk stable. What he did was go to Duran’s people and told them that Mike McCallum has agreed to step aside. My former manager, Shelley Finkel called me and said to me, “Mike why are you giving up the chance to fight Duran?” I said what you talking about? He said that I had told Emanuel that I would step aside to let Tommy fight Duran. I said “no way in hell!” All this went on without me knowing. I told them that I was not giving up my right to fight Roberto Duran to let him fight Thomas Hearns. I wanted to fight Duran and am not stepping aside for nobody. I told Manny I need my fight! They did this without my consent.
I went to Panama to the WBA to try to enforce my right for the fight. Let me fight the man and then you can all assess me. I was a vicious body puncher. I was a boxer, I was tall. I had a good chin. Man…he convinced Duran to face Thomas Hearns for more money. He wanted me to step aside and allow him to do that. I told him I want my fight right here and right now!
MP: Ultimately Duran opted to face Thomas Hearns for the WBC Light Middleweight Crown. The WBA then mandated a box-off between yourself and Sean Mannion for the Light Middleweight Title, the fight where by you won your first title. What were your thoughts going into your first title match? Was it harder to focus on such a lesser known opponent?
Yeah man. Mannion was rated number two. Yeah man, I wanted to fight Duran. I don’t want to lose. I could make at least a quarter million dollars for Duran. If you beat Duran you are on top of the world. No disrespect to Mannion. It was for the title!
MP: Your record shows you to be an active champ. When you weren’t defending your title, you were fighting tune-ups. This was an old school approach. Where did this come from and how much do you feel this type of activity helped you stay successful?
You know when I was working with Eddie Futch, his thing was for me to not defend my title right away. He wanted me to have a tune-up before defending my title.
I didn’t know then why he wanted me to do that. Now I understand why. I was the kind of guy that liked to work and if something or my coach makes sense to me, he’d have no problem with me and whatever he said I would make certain to do. The tune-ups made me fluid and sharp for my defenses. Today, now, I understand all of this.
MP: It has been rumored for years that you and Thomas Hearns used to engage in heated sparring sessions at the famed Kronk Gym in Detroit. How much truth is behind this and who else did you spar with over the years?
I used to beat on Thomas Hearns. We had great workouts. Sometimes Tommy would get the better of me, and sometimes I’d get the better of Tommy. I think more times I’d get the better of him then he’d get the better of me. We had some great workout and great times. That’s one of the reasons why Tommy wouldn’t fight me. I would say I sparred maybe a hundred rounds with him. The first time I went to Detroit they paid me to work with him. I told them no, I’m not a sparring partner. But they kept say “come on, work with him.” I worked with him a couple of times, and I was getting the better of him than he was of me. I know I was getting to him. From there it became more heated. Those were good times man……
MP: Who else did you spar with at The Kronk?
Milton McCrory. He was a great sparring partner and he had my number for a minute! He was one of the toughest to spar with and I sparred with him a lot. But a guy named Duane Thomas, a former champion too. Me and him had some workouts man! It was back and forth. Now he gave me a hard time. David Braxton gave me a hard time for a minute too. I had made up my mind that one day I may fight any of them, so I always tried to hold something back so that one day if I ever fought these guys, I’d have something for them.
RSR Readers: Stay tuned for Part II of “Invasion of the Body Snatcher: RSR Sits Down with Mike McCallum, the Forgotten Great,” where we will discuss his defenses against Donald “The Lone Star Cobra” Curry, Milton McCrory, Julian Jackson and his foray into middleweight and light heavyweight waters.
]]>
Interview by Mike “The Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“Mike McCallum is the most naturally gifted fighter I have ever worked with.”--Emanuel Steward
The dictionary has several different definitions for the word “respect.” It’s a given in life that each of us wants respect. Equally given, respect is that rare personal quality that must be earned, usually over the span of time through quality hard work and proven positive results. In the pursuit of respect, there can be no short cuts.
During the mid to late 1980’s, 3-Division Champion Mike McCallum quietly accumulated the respect of his peers and the boxing world as he stepped-up to face every challenge he was presented with, head-on. He avoided nobody and showed “respect,” by his own definition, in his willingness to accommodate all comers, despite being overlooked and sometimes shoved aside by the power brokers and superstars of the day. Where the masses failed, he was able to succeed.
Steadfast in his self belief, and driven by his ambition to succeed, boxing’s first Jamaican World Champion set-out to make an indelible mark in the sport’s long and storied history by conquering the divisions above light middleweight, a province ruled by bigger and younger men. Despite sanctioning body politics and a lack of promotional momentum, McCallum persevered, traveling the world and underlining, both in word and in deed, the true meaning of the designation, “World Champion.”
MP: You defended your WBA Light Middleweight Title against Julian Jackson, Milton McCrory and Donald Curry, all three were fighters who were world champions or would eventually become world champions. Each brought a distinct threat or skill set to the equation, yet you managed to retain your championship against each of them. Compare them for us as challengers.
Well, Milton McCrory was a bad boy. Uh, he was a good boxer. He could punch a little. We sparred a lot in the gym so we knew each other. That was a tough fight. We were going back and forth. As a matter of fact, in the second round he hit me, my back was to the ropes, he hit me with a nice left hook and kind of stung me for a minute, but you know I prevailed. It was hot in Phoenix that day man! That was the hottest time in Phoenix, man. We fought in a tent, sweatin’ like crazy. We had a hell of a fight. It was like a classic fight. Body shots slowed Milton down in the 7th and 8th. I could tell that he was hurt. He got cut over the right eye and was bleeding profusely so they stopped the fight in the 10th.
MP: What about Julian Jackson?
Oh Man! Julian Jackson was THE hardest puncher I ever fought in the game. That includes all the fighters that I sparred with, worked with or fought with. None of them punched harder than Julian Jackson. He was a quick puncher and a devastating puncher. He not only punched hard, he punched fast. I’m gonna tell you how this guy punched. I saw the shot coming, the right hand coming. I knew the shot was coming. He hit me. I stood up on my feet and BANG! And that thing that hit me, I was ok in the head, I was clear in the head but when I tried to move, it was like I didn’t feel my legs. My legs were all rubbery. What’s wrong with my legs? I tried to stand up firm, but I just couldn’t do it because my legs kept going all over the place. I was in great shape, but I came back from that and when I hit him he couldn’t deal with it.
MP: How do you rate Donald Curry? That was a highlight defense.
Oh man, Donald Curry was a bad boy. He didn’t have the right hand that Julian Jackson had, but Donald was more accurate…a very sharp puncher. Now I understood why they called him a Cobra! Before when they called him a Cobra, I was like “yeah right.” That boy hit me with a right hand man, I almost fell down. Oh my God! Oh man! Donald was a sharp shooter. That boy hit me so hard, man. I told him if you hit me that hard again I’m gonna kill you! Donald was a dangerous man. I’m telling you the truth. I tried to use the jab a little bit to get him off me. I got myself back together.
Eventually I finished the round. What I was doing was I tried to throw the left hook to the body, and he’d bring his hand all the way down from his chin to stop the body shot. And he did it also going back. So I said, well ok, I’ll do it again, and he kept doing the same thing. So I said ok, if you do it again I’m going knock him out. So what I did is I made a move like I’m going back to the body, I’d didn’t complete the shot to the body, and he dropped his hand again. So I turned it to the top. I shifted from the body and brought it to the top. Boom, on his chin! That was a clean shot. Once I hit him I knew that was it. I could feel the shot from all the way down from my left arm all the way down to my left toe.
MP: Have you crossed paths with Donald Curry since that fight?
One thing about Donald, he was a game fighter. I saw him when I was at the Hall of Fame being inducted back in 2003. My wife said to him, “Donald what happened in the fight with Mike? You were doing well when all of a sudden Mike knocked you out.” He said “Mike messed my world up on national TV, because I got careful. I wanted to say I got careless, but I got careful and got knocked out.” Donald was a real sport and I had a lot of respect for him. At the ceremony I said, Donald, I have a lot of respect for you. You see, in Jamaica, tourism is one of our biggest assets. People come from different parts of the world to enjoy the beaches, fish, drink our nice fruit juices and stuff like that. Spend some money and from that money we can feed our family. So when they come off the plane to spend their money on vacation to do all of that, the Jamaican people tell them, “nuff respect.” In other words, they’re saying thank you for coming to Jamaica to spend your money with us and do business with us so we can feed our family and show you a good time. So for that, “nuff respect.”
So later, Marvin Hagler leaned over and said he respected me when I was sitting close to him at the ceremony. But respect means to me you give me a chance to feed my family. This is boxing, we are boxers. This how we make a living. I said to him “I heard you say in an interview that you’d cut off your pinky finger for a million. Why didn’t you fight me so we could make some money to feed my family. This is a hurt business that we’re in. This how we feed our family. You didn’t fight me, Thomas Hearns didn’t fight me. Roberto Duran didn’t fight me. But all of you fought each other. And you want to tell me that you respect me? No, you don’t respect me man. Don’t come here and sit beside me and tell me you respect me. Don’t give me that. I don’t want to hear it.” I said, “Champ, don’t tell me that!” He didn’t say anything. He shut up. He never said anything more to me after that. After when I took the podium, I said “one thing I can tell you guys, Donald Curry I have a lot of respect for because, the Haglers’, Durans’, Hearns’ and Leonards’, they never fought me. But Donald Curry gave me a chance to feed my family. Donald respected me and he gave me an opportunity to make some money. That’s what I call respect!”
MP: In 1988, you moved up to the middleweight division and journeyed to France to challenge Sumbu Kalambay the reigning WBA Middleweight Champion. You lost a close decision. What are your recollections of this setback?
I went over there late, man. I wasn’t fully acclimatized over there. I didn’t understand about going over there early, the time difference, jet lag and all that kind of stuff. I went a week before when I should have been there two or three weeks before the fight. They were very happy when I came a week before the fight and I was wondering why. This boy was a good fighter too. Not trying to take anything away from him now. This boy was a damn good boxer. Oh man this boy was bad. He was a real professional. After the fight, we left two days later. That’s when I was just starting to feel good. I said, man why couldn’t I have just come earlier? Man oh man! Sumbu was a trooper and a true professional. He fought good that night. You know, he won. Take nothing away from him.
MP: In 1989, you defeated top-rated Herol Graham for the WBA Middleweight Title. You proceeded to defend that title against talented contenders Steve Collins, Michael Watson and ultimately reversed the previous loss to Kalambay with a decisive decision win. I noticed that a few of these defenses occurred on foreign soil and in potentially biased venues. How did this play on your mind and how did it affect your game plan?
Yeah, but not too much. I didn’t put that into my mind. I’m from Jamaica, so I was already fighting in deep waters as it is. Bunny Grant was a world champion, he’d go all over the place and fight different guys and come back. He’d always say, “You’re a professional fighter. If you are champion of the world, a World Champion, you’re supposed to fight anywhere in the world.” So I always said to myself, I’m a true world champion. I’ll fight anywhere in the world. I learned once you keep the crowd quiet, you’re ok. But if the crowd got out of hand, you’re probably behind. Once you have crowd control, you’re in front. My thing, no matter where I fought, was to keep the crowd quiet.
MP: Next came the high profile James Toney fights. A questionable draw in the first match and a debatable loss in the rematch. What are your recollections?
Yeah, I won those fights. They wanted to push me out because I was old and Toney was young. That’s what they are doing to him now in the Sam Peter fights. But you know, the Lord works in mysterious ways. I know I won all of those fights. It now has come back to haunt him in his career when he’s the old fighter.
MP: In 1994 you defeated the rugged Jeff Harding for the WBC Light Heavyweight Title at the advanced age of 37. In doing so, you looked brilliant, keeping pace with the younger and much larger man. I noticed that you stood in there and committed to your punches more than you had in some previous encounters. Did you feel you had to alter your style for a bigger fighter?
Well Eddie Futch would always tell me that I could go up to light heavyweight and win and could handle those guys. Matter of fact, he was the one that told me to leave middleweight and go right to light heavyweight. I said what about super middleweight? He said no. You got the style, you got the body and the height, you can fight. You’ll win. In Jeff Harding I fought one of the most vicious men of the day and I won the fight. I used heavy body shots and some great moves to out slick the younger man.
MP: You lost the light heavyweight title to Fabrice Tiozzo in France in 1995.Any specific recollections about that one?
That fight man, I didn’t feel right. I don’t know, man, I just didn’t feel good over there again. I’m not taking anything from Fabrice, but I wasn’t right that fight. I had a good training camp, but I didn’t feel right. I don’t know what happened to me. It was a great fight. I tried my best but it just didn’t work out.
MP: In 1996, you faced the streaking Roy Jones, JR., for your old WBC Light Heavyweight crown. Around that period, I had read a statement from you where you declared that Roy was supremely gifted and akin to a modern day Sugar Ray Robinson, possibly one day might be lauded as highly as Robinson was. What were your thoughts going into that match with Roy, and what was it like in that fight facing Roy?
I could beat him. I know I could beat Roy. He had never fought anybody like me. I was going to do things to mesmerize him. I know I’m a gifted fighter. After the fight, I know he had never seen anybody in the ring like me, even as an old fighter.
MP: You were often referred to as an “old school” throwback-type of champion. Bernard Hopkins, the former Undisputed Middleweight Champion and current Light Heavyweight King is often referred to in this way. What are your thoughts on Bernard and his legacy?
Great fighter. He’s paid his dues. A true professional. He goes about his business. He loves to win. You gotta give him all the props as a throwback. I remember him fighting for a long time. Always making a lot of noise, and everything he said that he was going to do, he’d do it, his way. So you really have to give him a lot of props for that. When you see a great throwback like Bernard Hopkins, you got to call it.
MP: Respected Trainer Manny Steward once said that you were the most naturally gifted fighter that he had ever worked with.
You know, Manny and I were very close in terms of a trainer and fighter when I was with him. He’d been saying that for the longest time. So I know that there is some sincerity in that. Even when training with all these guys, Tommy Hearns, Milt McCrory and David Braxton, he’d say “This boy is fluid. This boy is the best fighter.” He didn’t hold his mouth. This is one of the reasons I always said to myself, why, if you have a guy that’s the best fighter you ever worked with, why didn’t he push this guy so he could get all those big fights and so we could go further down the line? But, that never was to happen. So, you know, it’s one of those things.
MP: How do you want to be remembered by fans?
Lots of people don’t give Mike McCallum the credit, his real credit. His credit is I was an all around fighter. I could box, even better than my punching to the body. And because of my boxing ability and skills, nobody could go to the body as I would go to the body. A lot of people are still trying to figure out how The Bodysnatcher did it. I was such a good counter-puncher. It enabled me to go to the body so good. Most guys don’t know how to land to the body like I did. It’s a lost art. Nobody can do it today the way I did it in my day. I feel that I was a great world champion and was proud to represent Jamaica, both as a decorated amateur and later as its first world champion.
]]>
Interview by Geno McGahee
“Everyone knows that the heavyweight division is wide open and I know that I can clean it up a little bit.”—John “The Quiet Man” Ruiz
On March 13th, 1996, on an HBO World Championship Boxing event took place pitting the young and promising heavyweights against each other. John Ruiz faced off against David Tua and in just 19 seconds, it was over. The man known as “The Quiet Man” was silenced and was then written off by the majority of boxing fans and the media. Most fighters that suffer a knockout defeat of this sort never recover, but Ruiz did, winning the world title twice and defeating some of the more notable names along the way.
That defeat was a turning point for a fighter that would typically start off slow in the ring. He tightened up his defense, tucked in his chin, and forged ahead, beating former World Heavyweight Champion, Tony Tucker, and then would beat the legendary Evander Holyfield for the WBA Title. Standing on top of the heavyweight world didn’t change the public’s perception of Ruiz. At the time, Lennox Lewis was the recognized champion and didn’t see Ruiz as a suitable opponent despite his ranking. The Quiet Man would have to fight to gain respect and it seems like an impossible quest. Many just cannot remove the image of Tua landing that left hook in 1996 and will not give credit where it is due.
The men that Ruiz has fought is impressive: Kirk Johnson, Andrew Golota, Hasim Rahman, Evander Holyfield (3 times), Fres Oquendo, James Toney, Roy Jones, JR., Nikolay Valuev, and the current WBA Champion, Ruslan Chagaev. He holds wins over Johnson, Golota, Rahman, Holyfield, and Oquendo, and his two losses recently to Valuev and Chagaev were debatable. Ruiz remains a player in the division and may just be the best American heavyweight at this point.
In his WBA Title defense with Golota, we saw the best of Ruiz, as he got off the canvas twice to rally back to win, but the story of the night was the idiotic trainer of Ruiz, Norman Stone. Stone has not helped the career of “The Quiet Man” and in the Golota fight actually got himself ejected from the ring for cursing out the referee. He caused a ruckus by grabbing the title belt off of Valuev’s shoulder after he got the decision over Ruiz and paraded around the ring with it. Stone put himself into situations that he didn’t belong, acted like he was the star and the attraction, and hurt the career of a good fighter. I think that much of the bad press concerning Ruiz stems from the dislike that most have for Stone.
John “The Quiet Man” Ruiz, 41-7-1, 28 KO’s, is a 2-Time Heavyweight Champion and has established himself as a true champion by fighting whomever they put in front of him and even though some of his fights may not be pretty, he has never backed down and treats boxing like a competitive sport, rather than a business like so many do today. He has rebounded from a defeat to find much more success than the man that held his hand up in victory on that March night in 1996, and has done everything within his power to show that he was and is worthy of holding the heavyweight title.
RSR had the chance to speak to Ruiz to discuss the media’s affect on his career, the relationship between he and former Trainer, Norman Stone, and his thoughts about the current state of the heavyweight division.
GM: You began your career as a promising contender and the first exposure that you got to the boxing world on a large scale was the loss to David Tua. People still talk about that fight after your career has completely rebounded and you have accomplished much more than Tua has in his career. Does it bother you that people focus on that one fight?
Well it just seems that the people that do mention it have determined that I have never gotten over that hump, and have determined that I haven’t accomplished anything else, focusing just on that loss. I feel that it is something that they don’t want to look past it.
GM: Was there ever any consideration for a rematch?
Actually we asked many a time for rematch but they just wouldn’t have it.
GM: Is there any satisfaction on your part that your career has flourished, capturing the title twice, while David Tua’s career sort of fizzled and he never lived up to the hype that he once had surrounding him? Does it make you think that you would have beaten him in a rematch because you improved and your career flourished as he declined and did not?
The way that I saw it was that it was an awakening call for myself. At the time of the Tua loss, I was a very slow starter and I got better each and every round, but since that situation, I came out ready to fight from round one on. Just those things happen in boxing and they happen for a reason and I can almost say that I can be thankful it happened but can also look back and regret that it happened, but it really did help my career flourish.
GM: You had some very good wins after the defeat to Tua, including a knockout win over former Heavyweight Champion of the World, Tony Tucker. How important was that win and how much did it mean to you to stop a man that Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson could not?
It was very important, especially for my career. Everyone at the time said he was a wash up, but he came to fight. He knew that this was his second time around where he could beat me and move on to bigger and better things. I managed to come up with that win and next to my Holyfield loss, I see that as the toughest fight that I ever had.
GM: Now, you seem to be underrated, which makes it easy from another fighter’s standpoint to avoid you. There is no public demand. Lennox Lewis opted not to fight just for that reason. Does it bother you that you never had the opportunity to match and perhaps beat the man that everyone considered the best heavyweight and the true champion?
Oh definitely. I was in with their camp at one point in my career. I was being managed by the same people and we had some sparring, when he was going to face Oliver McCall, for that training camp. I only sparred with him once and that was it. I just felt like that I would have shown a lot more to the public and to the sport itself if I would have gotten the opportunity to fight him.
It seemed that they were so determined to put me down each time. It seemed like I never got the opportunity to get out of the tag that the put on me. It was very disappointing for me not to get that fight because I think that I would have won and it would have been a big money fight for me as well.
GM: Was there something in that sparring session that you think made Lewis say that I don’t want to fight this guy…he’s difficult…I’m going after easier prey?
I think so. His team did and so on. If I were in his shoes, I would do the same thing. If I’m getting ten million dollars to fight anybody, why take a hard fight?
GM: You went on to get a shot at a title against Evander Holyfield and in the first fight most felt that you were absolutely robbed. How much did it anger you that were robbed like that and did you think that it was inevitable considering that you were brought in basically as the other guy?
He did have the name and I felt like I was just a guy that they picked out of the crowd and brought into the ring. I knew that if it came to a decision that I wasn’t going to come close to getting it. It was a tough fight and I thought that I had fought every round because I knew that I was not going to get the decision if I had left it close. As you have seen, I came up short.
GM: In the rematch, you would win the WBA Heavyweight Title and actually knock Evander down along the way. Was there the urgency to stop him because of concern of another crooked decision?
There was a concern about the judges. Like I say, many thought of me as a one time fluke. He looked good the first time around, but this time, Evander is going to knock him out and clear the air. I had something to prove and I felt that the first time was not a fluke and I’m going to show them the second time around. Knocking him out…it really wasn’t a thing in my mind. I knew that he was a tough guy and he came to fight and there is no way that you can plan to knock this guy out. Like you said, very few people have done it. My plan was to go out there and fight and hope that this time around that they see…that the judges will see that I won the fight.
GM: Evander is considered by many as a dirty fighter, using his head as a battering ram to stop opponents as he did with Hasim Rahman in their encounter. He hit you with a hard low blow in the second fight and head butted Mike Tyson during their two fights. After 36 rounds with him, do you consider him a dirty fighter?
The way that I describe Holyfield is an opportunist. I can only admire him because he does things to go out there and win the fight. How can you knock that down? He has the heart of a lion, basically. If he sees things aren’t going his way, he will throw an elbow or hit you with a head butt. Even though it is dirty fighting, you have to look at it that he is coming to win and that is what I admire about him. When he comes to fight, he comes to win, no matter which way.
GM: You faced Roy Jones, JR., in a very interesting match with the Pound for Pound King moving up to the heavyweight division and taking on you for your WBA Heavyweight Title. After the fight there was much criticism from your camp against Jay Nady, the referee. What do you remember of that fight and what was wrong with Jay Nady’s officiating?
With that fight…for myself, I wasn’t mentally there. I was going through a divorce a the time. As far as the referee…I noticed from the first round when I really wanted to get in there and fight it out because as a bigger guy against a smaller guy, the best thing to do is to get in there and wear him out, but the referee would not even allow me to get close to him. Every time that I stepped close, he would break us up. At least some referees would let you fight it out or do something. That was the big thing with the referee. I honestly felt that inside that they were going to take this fight away from me and I wasn’t even there mentally before the bell rang for the first round. I think that this was the first time that I had given up on myself in a way.
GM: Do you think that the influence of Roy Jones, JR., and the boxing business was enough to push the referee in that way, considering that the marquee name was Roy and if he had the title, theoretically, everyone would make more money?
With my divorce in my head and, of course, the Roy name is a bigger name than John Ruiz and referees are going to get a lot more fights with a person that has that name. I’m really hoping that that was not the case, but sometimes you have to look at it for what it is.
GM: You came back to win your title back against Hasim Rahman. Does it bother you that you are always picked to lose and always come in as the underdog as you were with Rahman and Kirk Johnson earlier on, and of course Holyfield, in your career?
I’m just a working guy. I just go out there and work and for them to give me that acknowledgment that I can actually beat these guys is a hardship for them in a way. It is so tough for them to say that John could beat this guy or would beat this guy, but they are stuck in a frame of mind that I am just a…the word that comes to mind is a loser and that I can’t do or accomplish anything and that is the way that it is going to stay. They can’t see the fact that I have accomplished a lot of things.
GM: Norman Stone, he was your trainer for quite a while and he has made a name for himself that isn’t a very good one. Do you resent the fact that Stone turned many of your fights into circus acts and took the attention away from you, the fighter, and creating a scene when it wasn’t necessary?
We had some talks with Norman a couple times and it is not that I was worried about him taking the attention away. It was more that he was pushing important people and people that matter in this boxing world…the reporters, the judges, the referees…everyone that is important to building yourself up in this sport, he was pushing them away and making us the enemy and that is the one thing that I always thought that he was doing to the team instead of just reaching over and just talking to people, he would just criticize them.
GM: In your title defense against Andrew Golota, you got off the canvas twice, and it was one of your better performances where you showed your grit and your heart, and every time that I speak to anyone, they talk about Norman Stone’s altercation with the referee and not your come from behind victory. Now, did the ejection of Stone create more tension for you in the ring that night and did it bother you that the news coverage seemed to speak only of the ejection of Stone rather than the fight itself?
That’s the thing with Stonie. He’s, I hate to say it, got this ego issue where he has to be in the forefront of everything and it really showed in that Golota fight where he was more interested in his name than in the team’s name and I felt that if something happened…let’s say I got cut after he got ejected, then basically I could have lost for that reason alone. When he left, he took all the cut stuff with him, instead of leaving it behind. For me, it was a turning point for myself and him. I let him know that the circus act was over and he saw it as me threatening his exposure and I was like OK, and I couldn’t deal with that. It has always been a team effort and for him to think that it was just his effort, it didn’t make any sense to me.
GM: Don King probably gets the most negative press out of any promoter that has worked in the game. I don’t think that it can be argued that he has treated certain fighters unfairly as proven by several successful lawsuits against him. In your opinion, what are the pros and the cons for working with Don King?
Well, working with Don King…they say that working with any promoter…that they will rob you no matter what. You can go with any other promoter and make thousands and they will steal thousands, or you can go with Don King where he’ll make you millions and steal thousands. With Don King, it’s a person that he’s never in one person’s corner. He needs to be in his fighter’s corner and his opponent’s corner. He plays with win-win game and there is nothing wrong with playing the win-win game because as the end of the night, you end up winning.
You can never feel secure with Don King. He’s the type of guy that will promise you the world but stab you in the back as soon as he gets the opportunity. For me, I had a good experience with him and we never got to that point where we were arguing with him. Right now we are having a little discussion with him because he hasn’t lived up to his contract obligations and I have my lawyer that always stays on his toes with Don King and you have to have a good lawyer to be with Don King.
GM: During your time with King, did you ever have any options on fights? Did he say that you could fight fighter A, fighter B, fighter C, or did he say this is the guy that we are fighting.
Actually, we had the decision on which guy we fought. Don King, if he had a fighter and he always likes ending up holding both ends of the game and if I were to fight somebody, he’d want it to me to fight the person that Carl King owns or that he owns. At the end of the night, he’d go out with the winner.
GM: You faced James Toney and during that broadcast, the HBO commentators were basically saying that he could save the division by eliminating you as a title holder. After the bout was called in his favor, you stormed out of the ring. Were you more upset at the decision or the fact that the media seemingly didn’t want you to have the title to begin with?
I was more upset that they were willing to push me aside…it’s very tough for me to talk about. To be honest, I am upset with the media…not all the media, but the ones that are determined to push me out of the sport when I have done nothing but try to build it up in a way. There are some fights that can be considered terrible. But who doesn’t have those fights? Every fighter has those fights, and what bothers me the most is that they are willing to stick with my bad fights instead of my good fights and push me out of this sport.
GM: You make a valid point. You hardly hear of Wladimir Klitschko’s win over Sam Peter that was not a good performance. He got the win, but he held a lot and didn’t really show that he is the man to rule the world and same too with his win over DaVarryl Williamson, but they sort of gloss over those fights because he is the golden boy…
Yes, they are willing to forgive and forget with some fighters like Hasim Rahman who is still considered a top heavyweight for some reason. They have their own terrible fights but they are willing to forgive and forget, but for myself, they would never do that and I wonder why they won’t ever do that.
GM: James Toney tested positive for steroids again. Were there any rumors prior to your encounter that he was on this stuff and could you tell when you were in the ring with him that something just wasn’t right?
There were some rumors that he was doing this stuff. I was hitting him with clean shots and he would not budge…he just took them and kept fighting and maybe I thought he was on something. For me, that night, I thought he came to fight, and then suddenly I found out that he was on steroids. It took a lot out of my career that they gave him the decision because had I gotten the decision, I would have moved on to bigger and better things. Instead, it took away a lot more than they thought they did.
GM: Your last two fights have both been in Germany, both defeats to Nicolay Valuev and Ruslan Chagaev. Germany has a negative reputation when it comes to American fighters. So, let’s begin with this question: did you win those two fights?
I won the first one with Valuev hands down…no decision about it. The second one was tougher, but I definitely knew that I won it.
GM: Why did you risk your title in Germany when it has such a negative reputation?
I’m at a point where I feel like the USA boxing has turned their back on me and I had no other choice but to go overseas and fight to make some money. It is very discouraging when your country don’t want you and you have to go to another country and fight and that is how I felt with those two fights. I don’t know what else to do. I put on two great fights over there in Germany and came up short again with the referee and the judges and now I’m looking for another fight now. Everyone knows that the heavyweight division is wide open and I know that I can clean it up a little bit.
GM: Have there been any opponents named for your comeback fight?
That’s the weird part. You see Rahman getting an opportunity. Doesn’t make any sense to me that they would take these fights with guys that they can beat instead of fighting somebody that would actually have a chance to beat them?
GM: Which of the current champions would you want right now and do you think that it will be an uphill battle for you to get your opportunity because of your difficult style and the fact that they can say that this guy has two losses in a row and he’s not worthy of a shot?
That’s the whole thing. This is killing me right now. These two losses in a row that they managed to take away from me. It seems that every time that I try to build myself up, they find a way to pull me back down. I am the type of guy that didn’t come up the easy way. I fought the tougher guys out there and I will always fight the toughest guys out there because that is what boxing is. You fight the best guys out there and you prove to the world that you are the best. Maybe that frame of mind isn’t alive anymore because you have guys that fight nobodies until they fight for the championship and then if they win, they won’t fight anybody else. I either have to change my state of mind or move on with my life and forget about boxing.
GM: You and Chris Byrd were both champions at the same time and under the same promotion and neither of you seemed to duck anyone. Why wasn’t there ever a unification bout?
It was because of the bad publicity for myself and Byrd. We never had the great publicity behind us in a way, stating that we were good fighters and such. I think that is why it never happened because many thought that we couldn’t fight or put on a show.
GM: Wladimir Klitschko is taking on Lamon Brewster. Who do you pick and what advice would you give Brewster, the American going over to Germany.
Well, he’s been over there before, and you can’t tell him to just go out there and fight every round and you’re going to get the decision. You have to go out there and knock this guy out and they’ll have no choice but to raise your hand.
GM: Do you have anything to say to your fans in closing?
I just want to thank them for standing by me because it has been very hard because of all the criticism I get. It is hard to stand by somebody who is getting criticized each and every day. I just want to thank them for that and hopefully I will get the chance to be in the ring again as the newer John Ruiz. The reason that me and Stonie parted ways…well, another reason, is that I brought in another trainer to train with me for the Valuev fight. Actually, Stonie wasn’t my trainer. My trainer had retired after a conflict with Stonie and he sort of assumed the duties of the trainer, but at the same time, he is not a trainer. So, I brought in somebody to train me and I thought that with Valuev, I had one of my easiest fights and I knew that I needed somebody to train me that knows the sport and has been in the sport and Stonie didn’t agree with me. He felt that I was threatening his spot in a way.
]]>
Interview by Mike “The Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“Crazy, crazy stuff.” – Vinny Paz
For many and for me in particular, the eighties was a glorious period for boxing. In many ways, it seems only just like yesterday. It was a time where fans could tune-in and watch top-flight boxing matches on network television on a given grey weekend afternoon. Back then, up and coming talent, Olympic Medalists, top-ten contenders and world championship matches could all be had on any of the major television networks. PPV was a rare animal, reserved for only the most elite of mega-bouts.
In the mid to late eighties, a particular lightweight sensation was making waves within the sport, particularly on the east coast. His name back in the day was Vinny Paz, formerly known as “Vinny Pazienza.” To fans he became fittingly known as “The Pazmanian Devil,” an all action, whirlwind fighter of Italian-American heritage based out of Cranston, Rhode Island. At age fifteen, he decided that he wanted to become a fighter and world champion, finding his inspiration after watching the movie “Rocky.”
I first came across “The Pazmanian Devil” in early 1986 on network television on one of those grey weekend afternoons. I quickly became enchanted with his style and combative willingness as he ascended the lightweight ranks, ultimately culminating in his first world championship, the IBF Lightweight Title against Greg Haugen in 1987. The Haugen match was the first in a fun and heated trilogy of entertaining action reminiscent of rivalries from a past era, and all of it on free TV.
Possessing solid boxing skills, notable hand and foot speed, iron chin, respectable power, and extraordinary conditioning, Vinny Paz had the rare underpinnings required of those looking for a long run at the top. What he had in abundance, well beyond many of his championship contemporaries was over the top heart and soul and a desire to go balls to the wall every time out for his fans. To top all of that off, he had that quality we all look for but rarely find, natural charisma and the marked ability to evoke passion from all of those that he dealt with, spilling over in obvious fashion to all of those that watched him.
For me, it was a great honor and an absolute dream come true to represent RSR and spend time with “The Pazmanian Devil” to talk about his long and storied career, his many comebacks in and out of the ring as well as his views on life in general.
Love him or hate him, he was not to be missed and rarely if ever was he in a boring fight.
MP: You started your career on May 26th, 1983, against Alfredo Rivera in Atlantic City, New Jersey. What do you remember of that fight and what were your feelings?
I recall that it was a big moment in my life. He was a tough plumber from Puerto Rico and I beat his ass and stopped him in the fourth round. It was quite a day. I netted $24 for that fight. I love that!
MP: Over the next eighteen months, you amassed thirteen more wins before traveling to Italy to face Abdelkader Marbi. The result was a 5th-round TKO loss. I have to admit to not having seen this fight. What happened that night and what are your recollections of losing your undefeated record?
It’s funny…I was just talking about that today with somebody. The fight was over in Italy. The northern and southern commissioners they have problems with each other over there. I guess where I fought was fighting with the other faction. I think I fought in the south and they didn’t get the results up to the north, so it was originally a no contest but it ultimately went in as a loss because of that. It was a bad cut. I never thought I was gonna fight again. I didn’t know, I was just a kid.
Oh my God! It was from one eyebrow to the other eyebrow. He was nothing. They told me don’t worry about him Vinny. He can fight a little bit but it’s no big deal. They said to just watch his head…he’s a billy goat. He got me pretty good. It was so bad I literally never thought I was gonna fight again. It’s amazing what happened in my career after that. There have been so many ups and downs. That’s why my story is a great story and my DVD’s that I sell now are very inspirational because of all that. You know, I’ve been counted out a dozen times at least. But it all worked out. I ended my career with 50 wins. That was pretty cool for me. I liked going out that way. You know, when I got up in the forties, I said, you know what, I’m gonna go for fifty wins and I was going to make it happen or die trying.
MP: Your first big lightweight win over a rated opponent was Jeff Bumphus
Yeah, it was my first ten round fight. He was a tough left hander. It was a good fight where I kind of punched holes in him. We became good friends after that. He’s a good kid. Every now and then I’ll get a call from him. He’s from Indiana. The last time I talked to him was a little over a year, year and a half ago.
MP: Your next big showing was a spectacular one-punch knockout of Melvin Paul on network television…
Oh yeah. You got my DVD, right? It’s enjoyable. It‘s loaded with some terrific highlights and sound bites. They’re hysterical. Some of them are really good. In a couple of months, I’m actually working on it now, I’m working on the DVD, I’m upping it a little bit and I’m adding my retirement party on it, which I got some shout-outs from some major celebrities. I’m gonna sell it on my website and market it on television throughout the country, little by little, starting out in New England. Pretty cool.
MP:You had quite a performance against Nelson Bolanos. That was quite a knockout. What are your recollections of that fight?
It was a good one for me. It was a big, big win that locked in a title shot for me. It was on national television. It got me the shot at Greg Haugen for the IBF Lightweight Title. Yeah, the Haugen Trilogy.
MP: You won the IBF Lightweight Title, on June 7th, 1987 against Greg Haugen. You had some difficulty before the fight that day, yet you managed to gut it out and go the full fifteen rounds. What happened?
Yeah, just because I shouldn’t have been making lightweight. You know boxers do crazy things. They made me believe that’s the weight I should be at, so I did it. I couldn’t make the weight. Between fights I’d walk around at around one-hundred and sixty-five, one-hundred and seventy pounds. Finally, after the weigh-in on the morning of the fight, I gorged myself with all kinds of food and drinks and got sick as a dog. I was on a cart before the fight in the Providence Civic Center with a heater in front of me in June, a quartz heater, trying to stay warm. Crazy, crazy stuff. I had the runs and was pukin’ all at the same time. Later that day I fought fifteen rounds and I won the fight from the 12th to the 15th and I would have lost if it wasn’t a fifteen round fight. I gave it my all and gutted it out to win the title.
MP: Eight Months later in 1988, you defended against Haugen in the rematch, losing your IBF Lightweight Title in a heated encounter. What happened? What are your recollections of that loss?
I thought I’d beat him easy, because the first time I was sick when I beat him. I figured the second time around that if I wasn’t sick, I’d clean his clock. So I slacked off a little bit and I lost about 11 to 13 pounds the day of the weigh-in. I was a mess! That’s one of the fights where I call them “Please God Fights.” I have about four of them. When I walk into the ring, “Oh please God, please God, please God, let this guy have a bad night!” Yeah it was a good, tough fifteen round fight. It was all right.
MP: After a couple of rebound wins you challenged Roger Mayweather for his WBC Light Welterweight Title on the under card of Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Donny Lalonde. You had a frustrating night with Mayweather. What are your recollections of that bout?
That was one of the worst fights of my life too. Oh yeah. That was his last good fight. I fought a lot of guys that gave their last great fight against me. Mayweather was definitely one of them. Hector Camacho, definitely one of them. Greg Haugen, definitely one of them. Mayweather was a tough guy and fought his last great fight against me. A lot of guys had their last great efforts against me. Roy Jones, Loreto Garza, a lot of them. Jones beat me in his last great fight at super middleweight, then goes on to win the heavyweight championship of the world and then tries to go back down to light heavyweight and goes on to get knocked out.
RSR Readers: Stay tuned for Part II of “Heart and Soul. The Amazing Career of The Pazmanian Devil” where we will discuss his second major world championship at light middleweight, life-threatening personal disaster and the extraordinary comeback at life in and out of the squared-circle.
]]>
Interview by Mike “The Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“I felt it was awesome. Just to be even able to come back and do what I wanted to do in life. Because it’s all I ever wanted to do is fight, since I was five years old.” --Vinny Paz
We’ve all heard the various stories of altered destiny in the world of sport. How a fluke injury or unfortunate accident has altered the destiny of some up and coming hopeful or ended the career of a known athlete. Equally devastating but not necessarily so readily recognized is the toll such an unfortunate detour can take on one’s spirit.
In boxing, too often a fighter is only as good as his last fight. With few exceptions, a fighter’s body of work is too often forgotten in the blink of an eye after a major setback or heartbreaking loss. Such losses have taken the fighting spirit of many talented and great fighters, forever stripping them of the one intangible needed for success.
In the unique case of Vinny Paz, we have before us a man that has known his calling since childhood. He threw every fiber of his being into his quest to become a champion, enduring near impossible expectations and often unwarranted, even ignorant criticism. Ignoring the disappointment of setbacks and choosing to thrust ahead after being literally blindsided by fate, The Pazman is indeed a shining example of championship heart and soul, both in the ring and in everyday life.
I had the opportunity of a lifetime being able to sit down with The Pazmanian Devil for RSR to discuss his championship career and views on life. So often, when a fan meets a fighter he has followed for years, the realization hits that your subject is somewhat different than your original expectation. In the case of Vinny Paz, I was pleasantly surprised to find that he was everything he seemed to be in clips of past interviews and in sound bits. I found Vinny to be a very generous, forthright and fun individual. The kind of guy you’d enjoy spending an afternoon with, over a couple of beers.
MP: In February of 1990 you signed for a WBO Light Welterweight Title bout with Hector “Macho” Camacho at a catch weight of 138lbs despite having faced your last several opponents at or just above 140lbs. What made you decide to go back down for such a gifted, undefeated southpaw opponent? What are your recollections of that bout, Camacho as a fighter and the oft-humorous build-up towards it?
Well, Camacho when I fought him, like a lot of guys I fought, they gave their last great effort against me. Just because they were so high, so prepared and in shape for me. They could never match it again and they went downhill after me. I feel that way about Camacho. He fought great against me and it was close, but he was real hard for me to hit. He was in great condition, and you know, he had everything on his side. The big ring, the weight to his liking, I couldn’t make the weight. He fought a good fight and that was it. He won a close decision and Joe Perez was on his side. The ref being from Puerto Rico also couldn’t hurt. I was pissed off because I wanted to beat him so bad. But…it wasn’t meant to be that day. We tried to get him to fight again at a heavier weight but he never would. He was very smart, Hector. Very smart business-wise and in the ring. Outside the ring he’s a crazy character. He’s crazy like a fox, Camacho. Know what I mean?
MP: He’s had some serious legal issues as of late.
Yeah, it’s just coming out now. He’s doing time now. It’s too bad.
MP: In December of 1990, you faced the talented Loreto Garza for the WBA Light Welterweight Title. You couldn’t seem to get going to your usual standard in that one. The ref also seemed overly aggressive towards you that night, ultimately disqualifying you in the 11th round after tying Garza up against the ropes. From your perspective, what happened that night?
My one regret in life, my one regret, is that I didn’t toss Garza out of the ring. I figured, I was losing no matter what, I wasn’t gonna win. As I picked him up, I literally thought to myself, “don’t do it Pazman, because they’ll never let you fight again.” My intention was to throw him out of the ring. And I’m pissed that I didn’t do it. Now, looking back, I couldn’t make the weight for that fight. I later moved up literally three weight classes.
MP: A year later you moved up to 154lbs and won your second major world championship when you out boxed and out punched Gilbert Dele for the WBA Light Middleweight Title in front of a chorus of rabid Pazmaniacs at the Civic Center Arena in Providence, Rhode Island. You looked quicker and stronger than ever at the new weight. It looked to be a career performance. What do you remember of that night and what went through your mind after winning another championship despite past setbacks?
I felt like I was on top of the world and I felt it was the best I ever boxed. I was in phenomenal shape, I didn’t get hurt, didn’t have to lose too much weight. I just felt stronger than I ever had, just because of the new weight. I just thought that I was gonna make a real mark in my boxing life, in the boxing game because I was only the second guy in the history of boxing to do that, go from lightweight to junior middleweight. Amazingly enough, I was at Duran’s fight as an amateur, when he beat Davey Moore to be the first man ever to go from lightweight to junior middleweight. I happened to only be the second guy to do that at that time. You know, by doing that to Dele. Who would ever think that I would grow up and one day fight Duran? I would have never thought that would have happen in a million years for me. It did and the Dele fight was my best performance ever.
MP: Watching that fight live, I gave you a very good chance to beat “Terrible” Terry Norris, the reigning WBC Light Middleweight Champion and your counterpart during that period in time.
Yeah, that’s what I thought too. At one time he really had it going on. It’s just his chin gave out on him because I think a lot of guys just can’t take it when they lose a lot of weight. He was another guy that used to do that. I feel so fortunate when I start talking about that and I think I never got knocked out. There were times when I lost literally forty pounds to make weight. Ten pounds in a day, the day before a fight in order to make weight. It’s just crazy and I’m so thankful that I never got knocked out because of that.
MP: Shortly after that, near tragedy struck when you were involved in a serious automobile accident. What happened?
I was getting ready to make my first title defense against Pat Lawlor, a dude that I knocked out in sparring, and I liked Pat. A good kid ranked in the top ten at the time, and I just remembered thinking to myself, that was the only time I ever thought about money. I can remember thinking “Oh My God! They’re gonna give me $250,000 to fight Pat Lawlor? This is ridiculous! Oh my God, this is like robbing money!” Then I got into the accident leaving the gym after a workout not to far from where I live now. That was it…the rest is history.
MP: In the aftermath of it all, having faced the prospect of never boxing or even walking again, they gave you a slim chance at a full recovery. You wore a “halo” in order to keep your neck and spine aligned. You wore it through grueling workouts, never giving up the dream of being a fighter and who you felt you were destined to be in life.
The video captures it very well, don’t you think?
MP: Yes it does. To this day, I cannot believe you did that.
Well guess what? Neither can I. Back then was a different story.
MP: You staged a miraculous comeback a year later, putting on a clinic against Luis Santana, a cagey and difficult journeyman that would go on to a controversial trilogy with “Terrible” Terry Norris, and the WBC Light Middleweight Title. How did it feel to prove the doctors and the doubters wrong? Did you feel as though you had been blessed with another chance from above?
I felt it was awesome. Just to be even able to come back and do what I wanted to do in life. Because it’s all I ever wanted to do is fight, since I was five years old. I felt just great. It felt like that’s where I was supposed to be. People ask me, was I scared or was I nervous. I tell them no. I wasn’t because literally if I died in the ring or got hurt, you know, that’s the way I would have chosen to go out. And I meant that with all my heart.
MP: You next big rivalry came with the Roberto Duran matches. You initially fought Duran in June of 1994 for the IBC Super Middleweight Title, taking a controversial decision after getting off of the canvas. What are your recollections?
Duran is so God damn tough. We had a terrific build-up. I boxed him early and I don’t even know what happened. The next thing I know I open my eye and all I saw was canvas next to my eye. I was throwing a bomb, one of those Melvin Paul punches, I’m chuckin’ a Melvin and the next thing I know I seeing canvas next to my eye. I asked myself “what the hell you doing down here?” I started punching myself in the head. It’s funny, I remember that moment, I happened to catch eyes with Montell Williams the talk show host the very second Duran caught me. I came back and boxed him and won the fight after that. That’s how I gained Duran’s respect.
The second fight was much different, much more calm. He aged dramatically from the first fight to the second fight. I white washed him in the rematch. He aged in the second fight. I could feel him age in it. In the first fight, he really didn’t like me. And I got his respect after and you know, we ended up being very friendly. You know I love the guy. I was a fan, I started boxing because of Muhammad Ali and I loved Roberto Duran, I loved his tenacity.
MP: In 1995, you were thrust into a very high profile match with the reigning IBF Super Middleweight Champion and the consensus pound per pound king of that period, Roy Jones, JR., Recollections?
Good puncher and as fast as lightning. He was at the top of his game. The guy was like a machine, hard to hit. Just, fast, fast, fast. I felt like shit going into it. It was for sure one of my Please God fights. I end up going into the ring at 12:30 when I thought I was going in around ten. Besides that, I had to be two-hundred percent to beat that guy. You know, I couldn’t have beat him unless I had a big punch. He was just incredible at the time. Still, I thought I could give it a shot, and maybe hurt him and get him out. It didn’t happen, especially the way the fight was. I was sleeping in the back before the fight, and I don’t sleep period. I’m not a good sleeper to begin with but for that one I was out like a light. I had been all jacked-up on cappuccino and fired-up at 10 o’clock. By the time you crash, you lose all of your electrolytes and potassium, you’re pissing out all of your fluids and I was just dead and Roy Jones, JR., was just too good for that.
MP: Compare Roberto Duran and Roy Jones, JR., as punchers.
Duran’s a little heavier handed. Jones hits you with lightning-fast speed that’s still hard, but Duran’s got that thudding power. I can’t explain it. It’s the difference between a Magnum and a ’38.
MP: Let’s talk about Dana Rosenblatt. You literally decapitated him fourteen months after the loss to Roy Jones, JR., to win the WBU Super Middleweight Title. By that time, many had counted you out. What is your recollection of that period?
I loved it because I had just lost to one of the best fighters in the world and people were counting me out. I’m like, when are you people gonna learn not to count me out? I didn’t fight Rosenblatt by coincidence. I fought him purposely because he was a young undefeated kid I wanted to comeback against. I could have fought a million guys who where 20-10 or 15-15 and beat them very easily. I wanted to take on this young up and coming kid to show people that I ain’t going no where, I’m still one of the best and I’m going to fight this guy to prove it to you. That’s why I fought Rosenblatt. I literally thought I was giving him a break and a chance to make money, because I liked him. A nice white boy from Boston, I gonna do the kid a favor. I’m gonna take him to school, but, I’m gonna give him a chance to make money and make a name for himself and I think he should kiss my ass and thank me.
Then when the fight starts happening, he starts talking shit about me, and talks like he’s doing me a favor and that he’s gonna retire me. I’m like what?! Kid, are you out of your mind? Whoa buddy! I picked you here to do you a favor almost, and make it look good on my record because I’m kicking your ass. I’m gonna show people that I’m not going nowhere and this guy thought that he was using me as a stepping stone. I didn’t like his cocky demeanor. He was kind of down talking to me, because like I said, he’s got that Community College degree and he thinks he’s a genius. I didn’t like him and it showed in the fight and it cost me $10,000 but it was worth every penny.
MP: A late loss to Aaron “Superman” Davis and one last shot at a major world championship against Canadian Eric Lucas for the WBC Super Middleweight Title. Did you feel as though you were nearing the end of a long and storied career?
Yes. When I was in the ring with Lucas…Aaron Davis was another guy I was thinking where I left too much in the gym. I was too old to train as hard as I did. I just left everything in the gym against Davis. Against Lucas, I was in the ring literally thinking “Oh my God kid, ten years ago I’d of eat you up.” I was literally thinking as I was fighting him, “You know what Pazman? Suck it up because it ain’t ten years ago. Just like when you beat Roberto Duran’s ass and it would have been different for that fight ten years before our fight. Just take the #^#$%^ beating like a man”.
MP: Tocker Pudwill, your last opponent and number fifty in a career
Yeah, number fifty. Good fighter, he was going for number forty. He was a pretty good fighter. I wanted number fifty or die trying.
MP: In boxing, there are many stories of the negative impact a father/son relationship can have on the career of a fighter. In your case, I recall your father not only being an animated and vocal presence in your corner and in the aftermath of your bouts, he seemed to be your biggest fan and an incredibly powerful boost of support to your spirit. Tell us about him.
Without a doubt. Well put and very accurate. He was my biggest fan. He thought I was better than I really was, to be honest with you. He just had a lot of pride and a lot of love for me. He did everything he could to make my life easier. I give him a mad shout out. He was an animal, my father. The apple don’t fall far from the tree. It’s funny, as we are talking, I’m putting on my first world title ring. The thumb ring, because I gave it to my dad. The IBF Lightweight Championship of the world. I have a real nice championship ring, it’s really pretty. I gave it to my dad. Now I put it on my thumb since my father died, obviously I inherited it. My mother passed also in the same year my dad did. If you remember, my last fight, my 50th win on the back on my trunks I put “miss you mom and dad.” It was really hard for me to fight without my parents, you know because, I mean my whole life I did. It was real hard for me to fight without my parents. It was real hard for me to do that. They were nice and very supportive. Very loving parents, I got lucky.
MP: Looking at today’s super middleweight landscape, how do you rate titleholders such as Joe Calzaghe, Mikkel Kessler and Anthony Mundine? If you had the opportunity, which of the three would you feel that you were best suited to face?
Joe Calzaghe is just a terror to fight. He’s a hard, hard, hard guy to fight. Incredibly hard guy to fight. He’s tall, long, strong, fast, he’s got good power. He don’t look like much but very, very hard to fight. On top of it all, he’s left-handed. The other two guys I’m not really familiar with. I’d love to see Joe and Kessler fight each other.
MP: In closing, is there anything you’d like to say to all of your fans around the world that followed you through the highs and lows, the heartbreaks and the triumphs? How do you want to be remembered by history?
I’d love to thank my fans for watching me. I hope that I’ve given them some inspiration in life to keep fighting, because that’s what life is all about. Life is a great deal like a boxing ring. You get out of it what you put into it. You‘ve got to take the good with the bad. You have your highs and your lows but you’ve got to keep fighting. On my DVD, it’s like when I say, life is a battle and the wars only over when you quit, and you can’t quit. To my fans, please buy my DVD because it will inspire you and motivate you and that’s what I’m looking to do out of my life. I think it’s the greatest thing I’ve done with my life is give people hope and inspiration and a lot of excitement, and I was very happy to have done that.
Vinny Paz
Nickname: “Pazmanian Devil”
Division: Light Welterweight
Professional Record: 50-10, 30 KO’s
Date Opponent Location Result
1983-05-26 Alfredo Rivera Atlantic City, USA W TKO 4
1983-06-30 Keith McCoy Atlantic City, USA W KO 3
1983-07-10 Patrick Dangerfield Atlantic City, USA W KO 2
1983-08-16 Eddie Carberry Atlantic City, USA W TKO 2
1983-08-31 Rafael Alicia Atlantic City, USA W TKO 2
1983-09-09 Ricardo Moreno Las Vegas, USA W TKO 3
1983-09-24 Jim Zelinski Totowa, USA W TKO 2
1983-10-27 Robert Stevenson Atlantic City, USA W KO 1
1983-12-02 Emilio Diaz Warwick, USA W TKO 3
1983-12-14 Jose Ortiz Totowa, USA W KO 6
1984-02-26 David Bell Beaumont, USA W TKO 4
1984-04-15 Mike Golden Atlantic City, USA W PTS 8
1984-08-29 Rich McCain Atlantic City, USA W UD 8
1984-11-17 Bruno Simili Riva del Garda, Italy W TKO 3
1984-12-01 Abdelkader Marbi Milan, Italy L TKO 5
1985-03-27 Antoine Lark Atlantic City, USA W TKO 6
1985-09-18 Jeff Bumpus Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1985-11-26 Melvin Paul Atlantic City, USA W TKO 2
1986-02-05 Joe Frazier Jr Providence, USA W TKO 7
1986-05-18 Harry Arroyo Providence, USA W UD 10
1986-09-18 Nelson Bolanos Providence, USA W TKO 6
1986-11-08 Roger Brown San Juan, Puerto Rico W TKO 4
1987-02-08 Roberto Elizondo Providence, USA W TKO 10
1987-06-07 Greg Haugen Providence, USA W UD 15
IBF Lightweight Title
1988-02-06 Greg Haugen Atlantic City, USA L UD 15
IBF Lightweight Title
1988-06-27 Felix Dubray Providence, USA W TKO 4
1988-10-04 Rick Kaiser Chicago, USA W TKO 3
1988-11-07 Roger Mayweather Las Vegas, USA L UD 12
WBC Light Welterweight Title
1989-04-14 Jake Carollo Atlantic City, USA W TKO 2
1989-06-11 Vinnie Burgese Atlantic City, USA W TKO 10
1989-11-27 Eddie VanKirk Providence, USA W TKO 5
1990-02-03 Hector Camacho Atlantic City, USA L UD 12
WBO Light Welterweight Title
1990-08-05 Greg Haugen Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1990-12-01 Loreto Garza Sacramento, USA L DQ 11
WBA World Light Welterweight Title
1991-07-02 Ron Amundsen Providence, USA W UD 12
USBA Light Middleweight Title
1991-10-01 Gilbert Dele Providence, USA W TKO 12
WBA World Light Middleweight Title
1992-12-15 Luis Santana Mashantucket, USA W UD 10
1993-03-02 Brett Lally Mashantucket, USA W RTD 6
1993-06-26 Lloyd Honeyghan Atlantic City, USA W TKO 10
1993-10-26 Robbie Sims Mashantucket, USA W UD 10
1993-12-28 Dan Sherry Aspen, USA W KO 11
IBO International Boxing Organisation Super Middleweight Title
1994-04-05 Jacques LeBlanc Mashantucket, USA W UD 10
1994-06-25 Roberto Duran Las Vegas, USA W UD 12
International Boxing Council Super Middleweight Title
1994-11-08 Rafael Williams Mashantucket, USA W UD 10
1995-01-14 Roberto Duran Atlantic City, USA W UD 12
International Boxing Council Super Middleweight Title
1995-06-24 Roy Jones Jr Atlantic City, USA L TKO 6
IBF Super Middleweight Title
1996-08-23 Dana Rosenblatt Atlantic City, USA W TKO 4
World Boxing Union Super Middleweight Title
1997-12-06 Herol Graham Wembley, United Kingdom L UD 12
WBC International Super Middleweight Title
1998-07-26 Glenwood Brown Mashantucket, USA W MD 10
1998-11-06 Arthur Allen Mashantucket, USA W UD 10
1999-01-08 Undra White Mashantucket, USA W TKO 9
1999-04-09 Joseph Kiwanuka Mashantucket, USA W UD 10
1999-06-25 Esteban Cervantes Mashantucket, USA W SD 10
1999-11-05 Dana Rosenblatt Mashantucket, USA L SD 12
IBO International Boxing Organisation Super Middleweight Title
2001-02-09 Aaron Davis Mashantucket, USA L TKO 8
2001-07-27 Pat Lawlor Cranston, USA W KO 2
2001-09-21 Tim Shocks Cranston, USA W UD 10
2001-12-07 Levan Easley Mashantucket, USA W UD 10
2002-03-01 Eric Lucas Mashantucket, USA L UD 12
WBC Super Middleweight Title
2004-03-27 Tocker Pudwill Mashantucket, USA W UD 10
]]>
Interview by "Bad" Brad Berkwitt
"I believe I simply had a style that could beat him (Marvin Hagler); it wasn’t about being a better fighter. It was styles."-- Michael “The Silk” Olajide
Being a fan that started following the sport of boxing in 1975, but became addicted to it in the 80’s, I have always enjoyed reaching back to those days to find fighters who defined that era. With that said, I had to reach out to a former top rated middleweight contender, Michael “The Silk” Olajide who is remembered not only for his 80’s hairstyle, but his colorful attire he would wear into the ring.
But don’t let those flashy things fool you. Olajide could fight. Turning professional just six days after Muhammad Ali had his last bout against Trevor Berbick in the Bahamas; Michael would win his professional debut and rack up 23 straight wins on his boxing résumé. However, in his first attempt at a world title (Vacant IBF Middleweight Championship), he was outgunned and lost a decision to former Olympian, Frank Tate over 15 rounds.
“The Silk” would come back after this fight, winning a few against the lighter opposition, but when he stepped up and faced the big boys, he would lose either by decision or knockout. In our interview, Michael talks very frankly about his first love for the sport of boxing, then at times, a detest for its dirty politics. He also addresses a career ending injury, for the most part, when he suffered a Detached Retina in one of his later fights in his career. This is for you 80’s diehard boxing fans. So sit back, and enjoy another RSR exclusive, with a 80’s legend in the sport of boxing.
BB: First off, catch up the RSR readers on what you have been doing since you retired from boxing in 1991.
Since 1991, I have stayed in boxing, but from a fitness and film perspective. I started a fitness program in 1991, which was a group fitness, shadow boxing class in a popular athletic club. From there I began choreographing stage plays, then movies (Ali-starring Will Smith, Undefeated, starring John Leguizamo, Miami Vice, and The Black Dahlia) and trained a lot of stars from Rapper 50 Cent, to model Iman. I produced and starred in fitness videos as well as written a fitness book for Warner Books. In 2006, I opened 2 of my own fitness centers, which I co-own with Leila Fazel, a former ballet dancer and luxury spa developer. I am also really exploring music and writing as a form of expression. This is all a little much, as it is much better if you have one focus, but I can’t help it. I think I have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) brought on by too many punches to the dome.
BB: You turned professional six days after “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali, had his last professional fight when he lost a ten round decision to Trevor Berbick, in the Bahamas. What was the boxing scene like at that time for a young man who has just turned 18 years old, and I am sure had dreams of being a World Champion some day?
I can clearly remember turning pro at 18, and the thing that seemed to puzzle me the most was boxing without headgear - that seemed most alien to me. Not that it scared me, it was something that I always wore and suddenly, no shirt, no headgear. Of course when the bell rang you have more pressing issues. I was very excited. I had a limited amateur background (a year and a half) so I had no idea what was in store, but as they say, “ignorance is bliss.” Maybe it was better I didn’t know what was coming my way. I wanted to be the new Ali, the Sugar Ray Leonard though, this I knew.
BB: I noticed looking at your record, it appears in just your fourth fight you already were fighting in an eight round fight. Today, you hardly see that with a fighter with the same amount of fights, but in your case, you were already there. What made your team move you along so quickly?
Even more revealing than my fourth fight, was my 5th fight, against Roosevelt Green. I fought a 12 round, Pacific North West Title fight, and I had no idea what I was getting into, but what I lacked in experience, I made up for with conditioning and desire. I was able to out will him, but he was leagues ahead of me in ability at the time. I think I was moved along quickly for economic reasons, and my father was my manager and trainer, and sometimes they have a warped perspective of what is realistic.
BB: In your 12th fight, you faced rugged Wayne Caplette for the Canadian Middleweight Title. You stopped Caplette in the ninth round. What was it like to have your first taste of being a champion of any kind?
I remember seeing Wayne Caplette fighting on NBC against Alex Ramos and I was surprised how tough he was. Personally, he and I had a dislike for one another, unlike one I have ever experienced before, and we didn’t even know one another. Some people you just don’t get along with and you can’t really explain why. So winning that title was bitter sweet because there was controversy at the knockout punch I scored. To make a long story short, I had him hurt and backed off him, the ref said box 3 to 5 times, Wayne looked at his corner, looked back at me, twice. I gave him every opportunity to stop, or defend himself, he didn’t. I threw the right hand and he was out cold. People thought I sucker punched him because it was such an unusual ending, but it was above board.
BB: In your 16th fight on January 11, 1986, you really took a step up in class when you faced former world rated contender, Curtis Parker. This is your first fight on US soil and you take a ten round decision. What are your recollections of this fight?
Against Curtis Parker I definitely remember being a little tentative. And then when we had the weigh in, this guy was built like a tree stump, and here I was, this skinny kid with a Jheri Curl, straight out of Vancouver (that was when the Michael Jackson of boxing thing began). I remember being picked up from the airport and brought to the hotel. In Atlantic City, in January, it was pretty bleak weather. This was the first time I had ever been there and I dropped a quarter in the slot machine on the way to the room and won $10. I definitely began to like the city right away. The fight itself was a great fight and Curtis was amazingly tough. When I got the decision, I was so happy. I was practically floating. I beat the guy and I remember having a picture on my wall of him from Inside SPORT magazine.
BB: Just a day shy of three months later, you once again, face a tough former world ranked fighter in James “Hard Rock” Green. In this fight, you win another ten round decision. It’s quite impressive that you were matched up with very tough fighters so quickly and that you won both fights. Green was, as I said, one tough guy and many boxing fans enjoyed his fights. What are your recollections of this fight, and with a solid win over first Parker, then Green, how did you feel and what did it do for your career?
When I fought “Hardrock” Green again, this was someone who I had really admired as I watched him go to war on TV- him vs. the John “The Beast”? Mugabi. Wow, what a fight! I came into the fight with a game plan that I formed myself: Outbox him, don’t stand in front of him, and I was able to win with less wear and tear than I had in the Parker fight. These fights I think signaled the end of the early 80’s contenders and ushered in the new bunch such as Frank Tate, Michael Nunn, Sumbu Kalambay, and me. Because I didn’t live in NY at the time of the Parker win, I didn’t really feel the industry knew me, but after Green, I began to get talked about a little more.
BB: On February 1, 1987, you once again win, but really big against world ranked, and solid puncher, Don Lee, who you stop in the ninth round. Lee held a nice win over former world title challenger, Tony Sibson by KO, so for you to beat him, that had to propel you up into the top of the rankings. What do you remember about this fight and with this win, did you think at the time, you were close to securing a shot at a world title?
The Don Lee fight was the first fight that gained me huge recognition outside of the boxing industry. Before that, I had a career defining fight with Ray Ray Grey, who was a pretty good fighter, and Richard Burton, which was billed as a NYC middleweight battle. That win got me Don Lee. NBC reached out to us and gave us 2 weeks to prepare for a hard-hitting, tall southpaw…
Fortunately I grew up in the gym where my main sparring partner was a southpaw, so I was not confused and nothing seemed alien to me, except for how hard he hit. He hit me one time in the chest and it felt like he left his fist in my chest. I thought I was on my way to a title fight, in fact I was, especially after this fight, I was in every organizations top 5. I was feeling really great and I thought that I would get the Hagler fight.
There was a sense amongst the middleweights that Marvin was getting a little tired from the massive fights he had had and he may be ripe for the picking. After the Troy Darrell fight, I was the #1 contender and the mandatory for Hagler, Sugar Ray came out of retirement and that dream went up in smoke. I really, in my heart, felt at that time I could beat Hagler. Of course it never would be easy, Hagler was a great champ, one of the best middleweights ever, and that is saying something if you were to look at the middleweight champions. I believe I simply had a style that could beat him, it wasn’t about being a better fighter. It was styles.
BB: On October 10, 1987, you face Frank Tate for the vacant IBF Middleweight Championship of the World in a scheduled 15 round fight. When the fight is over, you lose for the first time in your professional boxing career by a wide unanimous decision. I didn’t see this fight, so I cannot say what happened, but it looked like, at least from the scorecards, you were never in this fight from the start. What are your thoughts on this fight, and what did your first professional loss teach you?
Well, Tate and I ended up fighting for the World Middleweight Title and by the time the fight came around in October, I was so drained of all physical and emotional energy, I was surprised I went the distance to tell you the truth. My Father and I were at one of the most terrible points in our relationship, I hadn’t stopped training since the Ray Ray Grey fight over a year earlier (and if you saw how I trained, you’d think I was possessed). On top of that, I had never in my life been in the ring with someone who had a style like Tate, nor did I have anyone remotely close to his style to spar with. I think it took me 14 rounds just to adjust to the angles and punch trajectory. I really felt defeated before going into the ring and I had never felt this way before. It was like I was depressed and I was being brought to the slaughter, and there was nothing I could do about it.
Then the ugly side of boxing reared its head. I had a co-manager and co-trainer that did the “Judas thing” to me. I suffered a 12-stitch cut in my left hand 7 days before the fight, and no one in my camp-not my promoters or managers-called the fight off. Naturally I am a fighter and I didn’t know to not fight which seemed cowardice to me. I got my ass kicked, dropped twice along the way and never was the same after that fight. I suffered inner ear damage from getting hit behind the head and to this day my balance is still messed up. I stagger like a drunken sailor, but the upside of doing an impression of Captain Jack from Pirates of the Caribbean is he made staggering fashionable, so I can live with that.
After the fight, I really didn’t allow myself to feel anything, but when I got home to NYC, I felt the sting of embarrassment…. I immediately took another fight and then another against Cecil Pettigrew and then Iran Barkley.
BB: You are back in the ring a little over two months later and win again against Cecil Pettigrew in a ten rounder. In your next fight, you face Iran Barkley who would go on to upset Thomas Hearns in his very next fight after yours, by KO. In your fight, he stopped you for the first time in your career in the fifth round. What are your recollections of this fight, and being stopped for the first time in your boxing career? What did that do to you?
The Blade fight was wild. We had a manufactured dislike for one another, but internally, what was not to like? He was a hard working, blood and guts guy, who consistently got the short end of the stick. We fought, my father and I weren’t even effectively communicating at that time, the rats in the camp had completely defected, and when I got up into the ring to fight Barkley, I see them literally in his corner, up on the ring, pointing at me and telling him to kill me. These were people I was really close to and being naïve from Vancouver, I couldn’t rationalize how this could happen. The bell rang, I didn’t box, I just wanted to hit him real hard and immediately. He triggered off a great hook counter, caught me on the side of the head and dropped me. I got up and dropped him (I wished he didn’t get up, but of course he did) and he dropped me again. We were fighting, and the ref, whom I thought was too inexperienced to handle a fight of this magnitude and emotion, pulled the plug. That fight took the wind out of my sails completely. That fight was like a coming of age ritual, or right of passage, and to have someone else decide your fate was too devastating for me to handle.
Between my balance and bad eyes, I began to lose interest in the sport as a profession, but I didn’t know that was what was happening. I cut ties with my Father after this fight, got new management, brought in Hector Roca as my trainer, and then Angelo Dundee, and started over. I won a couple fights, fought a fight against Dennis Milton in which I did a zombie act for 8 rounds, finally decided to punch and stopped him in the last 5 seconds of the last round.
Unfortunately the ref was “persuaded” by Milton’s management that he stopped the fight because he thought he heard a bell and Randy Gordon, Head of the NY Athletic Commission at the time, was threatened with bodily harm if he didn’t “agree” with the ref, so he ended up agreeing with the ref, and they called it a split decision win for Milton. Which was a little frustrating and expensive. Who ever tells you that boxing isn’t “influenced” at times, doesn’t know this sport.
BB: On April 20, 1990, you moved up in weight and faced Thomas Hearns for his WBO Super Middleweight Belt. In this fight, you lose by a wide unanimous decision. At looking back over your career, you did really well, but when you fought the champions, you went the distance, but were heavily out pointed by them. Looking back at the Tate and Hearns fight, why do you think you were so soundly beaten on the scorecards?
I got the fight with Thomas Hearns, and in 1990 he was not a shell of his former self. Yes, he had lost a couple, but anyone not up to par he took out. The fight didn’t really get started till he dropped me in the 9th round. I got up and had him in trouble. He got up on his bike and moved for the final round or two and that was it. I was unimpressive and disinterested in boxing.
BB: In your boxing career, you received an injury that caused a detached retina in your right eye. Which fight did this happen in and what were the long lasting affects on you through today?
My eye was so messed up that I had to undergo various surgical procedures just to see, waited a year, fought again. I didn’t know I could do anything else, I had no other formal training, got creamed in that fight, almost had the eye removed and stopped fighting after that. The final analysis of the eye was, you guessed it, a detached retina due to trauma as well as an orbital fracture, which is really just as bad if not worse than the retina… it causes you to see double. The first time I had orbital damage that caused me to see double was in a sparring match in Gleason’s gym in 86, I adapted by keeping my chin down so I saw most everything in singles. It got worse after a sparring match with Merqi Sosa in 88 and the slide continued.
BB: Looking back on your almost ten year boxing career, if there was one thing you could change, what would that be?
If I were to do it all over, I certainly would have had more experience before stepping up to the world stage. I would have, without a doubt, fought at my natural weight, which was more junior middleweight, even welterweight… I always ate before the weigh in and weighed 158 usually. It sounds cruel, but I would not have my father as my manager/trainer. You need experience to manage someone and he didn’t have the experience as a manager to do what needed to be done with me… and as for training: Well, my father always made sure I was in shape, but the technical end of things, the analysis of opponents, etc, that was never done. Most of what I learned in the ring came from watching fighters like Ali, Benitez, Leonard, Pryor, Duran, etc.
BB: Your younger brother, Tokunbo Olajide, fought over the last couple of years in the junior middleweight division and had mixed results. He hasn’t fought in almost two years. Does he plan on coming back to boxing? Would you think of being his trainer if he did?
My younger brother, Tokunbo is very talented but I remember when he was fighting as an amateur, I mentioned to friends that if he is going to fight professionally, he better do it quick and look to get out fast because he is a kid that really isn’t desperate. He has the kind of mind that can do other things besides boxing, and if boxing isn’t your passion or you are not desperate, it doesn’t make any sense to fight. Sure enough, he didn’t move along the ladder fast enough and boxing couldn’t hold his interest any longer. At one point I did ask him if he were interested in me being his trainer, as I thought I could help him, but I could also tell that he was already somewhere else and I knew we weren’t going to work together.
BB: In the almost 27 years since you started your professional boxing career, do feel the sport has moved ahead and if not, what areas do you think they need to improve on?
In 25 years, I do not think they have improved upon the sport from the inside. The most significant/insignificant change in the rules of boxing since 87 has been lowering the title fights from 15 rounds to 12. OK, the fighters get paid more for potentially less work. And in training you won’t take as many punches, as well as you will take 3 rounds less punishment… but truly, I can’t say that the change to 12 rounds has done anything great for boxing. It sounds weird but a certain mystique has disappeared with boxing since making changes like that. They would be better off making all fighters come into the ring in proper condition to do battle, when they don’t get tired they will get hit a whole lot less, and they can maintain the fights at 15 rounds too. Boxing just needs a marketing overhaul and there almost isn’t an area in pugilism that can’t be improved.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Especially a mandatory retirement fund. I know a lot of fighters won’t agree with it because something you earned is being taken from you and you aren’t going to see it until your in your late 60’s, and that just seems too far off to consider, but time flies fast and you never know what life has in store for you. You have to invest or have someone invest for you. That’s really what a retirement fund is. How is this accomplished? Maybe a portion of the fighter’s purse as well as the promoter’s ticket goes to the retirement fund, but at the same time, fighters need to open a different stream of financial opportunity through the marketing of themselves… licensing. As they do in other professional sports. This is tricky and arduous, but it can be done without too much sweat.
BB: What is the one thing you can share with the RSR readers in this interview that they may hear for the very first time from you?
I would like RSR readers to know that at any given point in a fight, any and everybody gets a chance to win or turn it around if losing. Everybody. It’s all about whether the fighter sees his opportunity and believes, which many don’t because resistance has been beaten out of them either in the gym, or through mismanagement.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
“Stick and Move”… I still don’t know which one to focus on as I seem to do both at the wrong time (stick when I should of moved), but life is an amazing challenge and journey and I might just be beginning to understand how this whole thing works… sort of.
Michael Olajide
(The Silk)
(Middleweight)
Professional Record: 27-5, 19 KO's
- 1981 -
+ (Dec-17-1981, Victoria) Johnny Gains ko 1
- 1982 –
+ (Jan-15-1982, Victoria) Dale Dorsett ko 3
+ (Apr-30-1982, Victoria) Dan Oversby ko 1
+ (Jun-17-1982, Burnaby) Al Ford 8
- 1983 –
+ (Mar-24-1983, Vancouver) Rossevelt Green kot 6
+ (Aug-13-1983, Kelowna) Tommy Briscoe ko 1
+ (Oct-13-1983, Vancouver) Joe Banks ko 2
+ (Nov-25-1983, Vancouver) Stacy Mc Swain 8
- 1984 –
+ (Mar-12-1984, Vancouver) Lancelot Innis ko 4
+ (May-10-1984, New Westminster) Leonardo Bermudez ko 2
+ (Aug-18-1984, Vancouver) Rosendo Ruvalcaba 10
- 1985 –
+ (Apr-10-1985, Vancouver) Wayne Caplette kot 9 (Canada, Middleweight)
+ (Jul-11-1985, Vancouver) Reyes Escalera kot 5
+ (Aug-10-1985, Suva) Sakaraia VE ko 9
+ (Nov-28-1985, Vancouver) Arcelio DIAZ injury 7
- 1986 –
+ (Jan-11-1986, Atlantic City) Curtis PARKER 10
+ (Apr-10-1986, Atlantic City) James GREEN 10
+ (Jun-5-1986, New York) Randy SMITH 10
+ (Aug-28-1986, New York) Knox Brown kot 9
+ (Oct-23-1986, Atlantic City) Ray Ray Grey ko 10
- 1987 –
+ (Jan-8-1987, New York) Richard Burton kot 4
+ (Feb-1-1987, Atlantic City) Don Lee kot 9
+ (May-10-1987, Atlantic City) Troy Darrell 10
- (Oct-10-1987, Las Vegas) Frank TATE 15 (I.B.F., Middleweight)
+ (Dec-17-1987, New York) Frankie Owens ko 6
- 1988 –
+ (Feb-4-1988, New York) Cecil PETTIGREW 10
- (Mar-6-1988, New York) Iran BARKLEY kot 5
+ (Sep-29-1988, New York) Troy WATSON kot 7
- 1989 –
+ (Jun-27-1989, Las Vegas) Kenny LOPEZ injury 4
- (Dec-1-1989, Albany) Dennis MILTON 10
- 1990 –
- (Apr-28-1990, Atlantic City) Thomas HEARNS 12 (W.B.O., Super middleweight)
- 1991 –
- (Apr-25-1991, Mobile) Ralph MONCRIEF kot 8
]]>
By Geno McGahee
On May 6th, 2006, the audience at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, was prepared for a battle, over ten thousand people opting to see live action instead of the Oscar De La Hoya – Ricardo Mayorga pay per view that is still one of the highest rented boxing pay events in recent times. Headlining this card was Worcester local, Jose Antonio Rivera, a man that had been down this road before. He would be vying for the WBA Light Middleweight Title against Alejandro Garcia, a man that brought in a record of, 25-1, 24 KO's, with his only defeat being the result of a foul from Travis Simms. Rivera was coming off of a loss, moving up in weight, and had forty-two fights...a lot of bouts, especially when you look at the amount of wars of attrition that he had throughout his fighting career.
I was lucky enough to be there for the live event and met up with Jose and his team prior to the event, and he was relaxed and seemed prepared for the fight. His entire team seemed confident, and although I had picked Rivera to win, I had my reservations. Garcia was younger, a harder puncher, bigger, and was favored to win by much of the press. The last time that I had seen Jose fight was a close loss to Luis Collazo, and although it was a great fight, “El Gallo” didn't seem as sharp as he once was. I thought that Jose was going to eke by Garcia, but I was concerned that this might be the last time that we saw him in the ring. Although he had never been knocked down or out, Garcia was the biggest puncher that he had ever faced, and there was the question in my mind: What is going to happen if Garcia lands right on the button?
The CEO/Publisher of Ringside Report, Brad Berkwitt, along with friend, Cedric Howard, were there to watch and cheer along with the many rowdy fans that were there to see the hometown boy take the title back to Worcester. I also had the pleasure to sit next to Writer, Miguel Sala, friend of Jose Rivera, and watch as the action transpired.
One of the things that I noticed immediately was the champion's demeanor as he stood in his corner. The audience's strong support of Rivera seemed to have rattled Garcia, and I can't say that I blame him. He was a man alone in the ring and it became obvious that it was one man against ten thousand. A jab in the first round put the champion down and set the pace for the fight. This was Jose's moment and he seized it, dominating the bout from beginning to end, beating Garcia from pillar to post.
When the final bell rang, there was no question. Jose Antonio Rivera became a 3-Time Champion and did it in style. Although his career featured wins over Frankie Randall, Kip Diggs, and Michel Trabant, this was his crowning moment, and a moment that I am happy to say that I was there at ringside watching it as it transpired.
In his last two fights against Travis Simms and Daniel Santos, Rivera would suffer from technical knockouts, marking the end of his career. Boxing has been called the cruelest game and it certainly is, and it was unpleasant to see a career end on that note, but in boxing, all great champions go out with defeats. It's the only way that a fighter will accept that their best days are behind them.
On top of being a 3 – Time World Champion, Jose Antonio Rivera has shown his love for the game with his pieces as a Feature Writer on RSR, his work on the RSRTV Program “The Boxing Show,” and his newfound Rivera Promotions, a business that he hopes to get off the ground where boxers will be treated properly, something that rarely happens.
I initially was going to do an interview with Rivera covering his career, but I thought that it would be better to get the people around him, the ones that have known him, have worked with him, and can express their views on his illustrious career.
Sean “Fitzy” Fitzgerald (Fighter, Trainer & Friend of Jose)
“I was with him from start to finish. He was a hard working fighter and made himself into a world champion. He wasn't the most talented but he had the discipline the drive and he never stopped his work ethic. I was happy for him to reach his goals. It's too bad that boxing didn't give back to him the way he gave to boxing. The thing that sticks out the most to me about Jose is that every time he went into the ring, he gave it a 100%, win lose or draw. That's what champions are made of and that's why he was a champion. He gave his heart and soul to this sport he will always be a champ to me.”
Miguel Sala (Writer & Friend of Jose)
“It was 1995 when my friend Sean Fitzgerald walked into my office and introduced me to Jose Antonio Rivera. Sean was the New England Middleweight Champion then. My first impression was that he was a lightweight, he looked skinny and pale. I started following this kid's career and I was hooked. He had something that triggered my human and boxing interest. He was dedicated to his craft more than anyone I had met before, but better yet he wanted to become better at EVERYTHING!
Everyone knows about his upbringing and how he had to fend for himself, that did not deter him from wanting to learn, every time I opened my mouth he had a question. Every time I answered a question, he had another one. For a few years we were inseparable, we sat to talk boxing, literature, languages, history...you name it. He became family to my wife and children. Later on this kid became Champion of the World a few times and I had the pleasure of being there. He also became an icon in the city of Worcester and a spokesman and example to many children in Massachusetts. Today Jose Antonio Rivera is retired from boxing having accomplished more than he ever dreamed. But he is not retired from life and I'm sure he will accomplish a lot more and God willing I will be there to see him do it.”
“Bad” Brad Berkwitt (CEO/Publisher of RSR & Friend of Jose)
"Jose Antonio Rivera has been a class act from day one. He is one of the most loyal and humble people that I have ever met and to see him win the WBA Championship from Alejandro Garcia in Worcester with my friends Geno McGahee and Cedric Howard was a moment that I will never forget. Jose is a 3-Time Champion and he will be remembered by me and by many as a champion forever. I truly consider him to be a friend and enjoyed our time as well when he came to my retirement from the US Navy in 2006.”
Bob Trieger (Publicist & Friend of Jose)
"Back on June 25, 1994, I was working as the Public Relations Director at Wonderland Greyhound Park in Revere, which borders Boston. I was influential in bringing professional boxing to Wonderland as an entertainment option and marketing tool for the racetrack. That night a 9-0 fighter from Worcester, welterweight Jose Rivera, won a six-round decision against journeyman Alberto Alicea. Little did I realize that I was watching a future world champion, client and friend.
I followed Jose's career and started doing his publicity in 2002, right before he beat Michel Trabant for the WBA Welterweight Title. I went to his wedding, met his family, and learned what a great person, never mind boxer, he is. I remember a member of the Worcester Police Gang Unit explaining that gang members didn't listen to them, but when Jose spoke to them you could hear a pin drop. Jose never forgot where he came from and he's helped countless people over the years, using his boxing notoriety to a great advantage. In fact, the MDA Muscle Team just contacted me about getting Jose to their January fund raiser in Boston because everybody loved him so much last year.
Personally, I'll never forget the big hug he gave me right in the middle of the ring after he beat Alejandro Garcia for the WBA Light Middleweight Crown. When he told me the day before his last fight that he was retiring, all I could say was thanks for letting me be part of his tremendous journey, and that I was happy he'd made the decision to retire on his terms. A champion in the squared circle, Jose Antonio Rivera is an even bigger champion in his community. It was a privilege and honor to be his his publicist and I'm sure that we'll always remain friends.”
Alex Pierpaoli (Owner/Publisher of KOFantasyboxing.com)
“In professional boxing there is rarely a shortage of fighters you can call champions of one division’s title or another, but the true mantle of champion is a more elusive distinction that far fewer pugilists can claim. Boxing’s Jose Antonio Rivera is a fighter who has held the WBA version of the welterweight and junior middleweight titles in his fifteen year professional career but it is Rivera, the man, that defines the term champion in far truer fashion than his in-ring accomplishments have secured.
At the young age of 34, Rivera who now sees his own career in its twilight, has set his sights on exploring the world of boxing promotions. It is Rivera’s sense of giving back to professional boxing and his own community that motivates him. Unlike many titleholders, Rivera has a broader vision of how boxing and his involvement with different aspects of the sport can aid young people and encourage neighborhood kids. Rivera’s compassion is sure to bring him success and fortify relationships with up and coming fighters with whom he can share his own intimate knowledge of the sweet science.
“Fighters gotta know that they are gonna be well taken care of,” Rivera says. “That their hard work and their sacrifice is appreciated and that their needs are met”
With the classy Jose Antonio Rivera’s move from inside the ropes to outside, it is likely his dedication to excellence will only improve the sport which he has given so much and has benefited for having known him.”
I have had the honor to live in Massachusetts and to see Jose develop as a fighter. I am equally happy to have met and have covered a few of his bouts. My time writing and directing the RSRTV program, “The Boxing Show” was great and what I remember most was how easy going and willing Jose was to participate in the show, no matter how silly it could be at times. My experience in Worcester the night he defeated Garcia was a great time and nothing has been able to beat it as far as my time as a boxing journalist goes.
Jose Antonio Rivera has left a legacy behind and with that chapter of his life now over, a new one has begun and I wish him well. He has always been the type of fighter that you had to root for.
I also want to thank Fitzy, Miguel, Brad, Alex, and Bob for their participation on this piece. I also would like to end this by personally thanking Jose for the many thrills that he has given us, the fans of boxing, over the years. Thank you Jose and good luck with your future outside of the ring ropes.
]]>
By Geno McGahee
The immediate rematch took place on June 28th, 1991. For Mike Tyson, this was an unnecessary fight. Even though he had stated after his first bout with Ruddock that a rematch wasn’t a bad idea, he realistically wanted a shot at the title. Although he was heavily favored to win the rematch, he saw Ruddock for what he was: a dangerous puncher with a lot of heart. In the heavyweight division, anything can happen and whenever the “smash,” is thrown, there is a chance that the fight could be over.
Richard Steele and his relations or lack thereof with Promoter Don King is where the controversy lied. Steele had been accused of favoring King fighters and many have said that the two had a cushy relationship, an accusation that the experienced referee denied. Most likely, he bought into the Tyson mystique. He saw that Ruddock was hurt and tried to save the injured fighter, even though it was far too soon. The legend that was Mike Tyson forced the hand of Steele and he made the wrong choice.
The biggest loser from the first fight was the winner. Mike Tyson, seen as a poor loser in the past, was now seen as a co-conspirator. If Ruddock got too much confidence or if the momentum shifted, Tyson, King, and Steele, would make sure that the man that they wanted to win, won. The behavior of King and Tyson after the loss to Buster Douglas threw fuel onto the fire. When Iron Mike was clearly defeated, they protested and two of the three heavyweight titles were withheld. The claim that Tyson knocked out Douglas prior to being knocked out was a lame attempt to put the pieces back together. It failed and many saw Tyson-Ruddock I as another example of their misdeeds.
Razor Ruddock was in the position where he had everything to gain and nothing to lose. The loss to Tyson had boosted his notoriety and if he were to come back and with this fight, it would erase the first encounter and put him first in line to get a crack at the heavyweight title. His Promoter Murad Muhammad put it best: “Knocking out Mike Tyson is a shortcut to the heavyweight championship of the world.”
The press going into Tyson – Ruddock II was not good for Iron Mike. Sports Illustrated claimed that Tyson lost his fury and there was reported animosity between the fighter and his Promoter Don King that became physical. There was the persistent rumor that Tyson threw a toaster at King and then slapped him, which both denied. Another story going into this fight was the weight of Razor Ruddock and his preparations. He was 228 in the first bout and came into this fight at 238. Was he there simply for the payday? The answer was an emphatic no.
Mike Tyson was at his best at the pre-fight hype and comments, noting to his opponent: “I’m gonna make you my girlfriend. You’re sweet. I’m going to make sure you kiss me good with those big lips.” The look on Ruddock’s face was priceless. Both men exchanged insults, making this a very hot fight for the boxing fans.
The fight and this was a great fight. In the first round, Tyson came out like a house of fire, attacking Ruddock, but the “Razor” held steady and was working the body of Iron Mike very well. In the last 15 seconds of the round, Mike landed an overhand right that seriously wobbled Ruddock. It was a very good round for Iron Mike, and so too was the second round. Even though Ruddock was losing, he was throwing some very hard punches at Tyson, especially to the body.
Two minutes into the second round, an overhand right knocked Ruddock to the floor and broke his jaw. This was going to be a tough night for Ruddock who was also being hit with low blows quite frequently. The Razor would strike back in the third round when he would land the “smash” or “shovel punch,” stunning Iron Mike. Ruddock would land hard to both the body and the head, completely shifting the momentum. Mike now knew that he was in a fight and the fans that packed the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as the pay per view audience at home were in for a Tyson fight that was actually a fight.
Ruddock would be dropped again in the fourth round from a right cross. He was more off balance, but the sight of “Razor” on the seat of his pants put Tyson back into swarm mode but a left uppercut would land and nearly lift him off of the canvas. Tyson would land a left hook after the bell but it was Ruddock that would have a point taken off because of his refusal to go back to his corner. It was a strange call by Lane, but he would not be disobeyed. So, the 10-8 round was now a 10-7 round for Tyson. The consensus is that Donovan had lost all but the third round at this point, leaving the score: 39-34 for Tyson, but the big man would come back strong in the fifth. Don King was beginning to sweat.
The sixth round was an all out brawl with both men trading shots. There is no question that the head movement and upper body movement is no longer there with Tyson at this point, making him a much easier target for Ruddock. At the end of the sixth round, Ruddock landed his shovel punch that knocked the mouthpiece out of his opponent and seriously rattled Mike. Both rounds five and six were Ruddock’s, making the score on the RSR scorecard: 57-54 Tyson.
Round seven was another great round for the underdog. Ruddock and Tyson exchanged vicious punches, but a three punch combination at the end of the round pushed the round in favor of the “Razor.” If his strategy was to get Mike late, it was going according to plan. The round pushed the scorecards that much closer: 66-64.
The amazing thing about this fight was the fact that Ruddock and Tyson didn’t bring their A games. They both showed worlds of heart but Tyson was sluggish and the Ruddock that out-boxed Mike Weaver and used a jab wasn’t in the ring this night. The jab was nearly non-existent from both men.
The end of round eight would see Ruddock losing a point again for a hit after the bell, and Tyson was starting to get his groove back. He eked out the ninth round but lost a point for a low blow. At this point, the fight was completely up in the air, but for what it is worth, RSR had it: 84-82 for Tyson.
The tenth round would see Tyson punishing his bigger foe, beating him without mercy to the body and making the “Razor” grimace in pain. Another low blow would cost Iron Mike another point, making this round an even 9-9, and taking away any advantage that Tyson may have had. It was an action packed round with Ruddock coming on at the end. 93-91 for Mike Tyson.
The eleventh round would see Razor Ruddock more effective again and the plan to wait for Iron Mike to wear out was working and putting the prospective Evander Holyfield – Mike Tyson super showdown in doubt. In the first two rounds of this fight, it looked like another Tyson show, but the heart of the “Razor” came through and so did the heart of Iron Mike…something that he doesn’t get enough credit for.
Tyson would claim the last round and claim the fight as well. RSR had it 112-110 for Iron Mike. The judges that mattered that hot night in June of 1991 had it 114-108 (twice), and 113-109 for the former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the world. The two gladiators embraced and the matter was settled. The better man had won, but the masses that thought that Evander Holyfield was just holding the titles for Tyson weren’t so sure anymore.
A fight after the bout would take place between Don King and Ferdie Pacheco. A comment to Tyson from Pacheco stating that the media was trying to help him enraged the flamboyant promoter. With these two going at it, the audience was nearly treated to another bout…this time in the super heavyweight division. I would have picked Don King to TKO Ferdie Pacheco in three rounds.
With this fight out of the way, Tyson was clear to face Holyfield for the title and it was actually signed. It was going to make both men a fortune, but some indiscretion in Indianapolis would change history. In July of 1991, Mike Tyson would be arrested for rape and would pull out of the super fight, and would eventually go away for three years after being convicted in a questionable trial.
This would be Razor Ruddock’s moment. He would move on to face Lennox Lewis and was destroyed quickly and would soon thereafter, fade away. The two wars that he had with the man that was once called, and rightfully so, “The Most Feared Man on the Planet,” will live on forever.
]]>
By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
I first became aware of Jeff Fenech after reading an article about him in one of the many popular boxing rags of the day, sometime back in early 1987. “The Marrickville Mauler”, the moniker most often attributed to Fenech, was an undeniable phenomenon in his homeland of Australia, but to the vast majority of boxing fans of that period around the globe and certainly here in North America, he was mostly just a name with a title belt fighting mostly Down Under.
In one of those articles he was described by the writer as a “Mini Marciano” after a particularly impressive win. It was then that I decided that I had to see for myself just what the hoopla was all about. I scoured the various sources with whom I periodically ordered VHS tapes of the hard to find fights and fighters of the day until I came up with a connection in Rockhampton, Australia. I paid a relatively steep premium for the privilege of setting my eyes on “The Marrickville Mauler” in action, hoping that I’d get something noteworthy and perhaps even colorful in return. When the slow boat from China finally arrived and I had my tapes, I wasn’t disappointed.
I was amazed at the whirlwind attack and technique Fenech displayed despite being a relative greenhorn. I found it mind boggling that a 6-0 fighter would be a mandatory fighter in line for a title shot. Sure, at the time the bantamweight division wasn’t particularly deep, but he had only fighting as a pro for some six months when given his first title opportunity. In hindsight, being made the IBF number one contender almost certainly assured a fast track to the opportunity.
It must be pointed out that Jeff Fenech earned the ranking with impressive showings as opposed to being brought into a situation to serve as cannon fodder, such as Mike Weaver was with his WBC Heavyweight Championship title shot against Larry Holmes, or perhaps more fittingly, when Leon Spinks took the opportunity to face an aging Muhammad Ali despite being ill prepared for the world stage. In Jeff Fenech’s case, the seasoning was already there despite the brevity of his record and experience.
“The Marrickville Mauler” did not disappoint, out working and ultimately overpowering Satoshi Shingaki in nine rounds to win the IBF Bantamweight Title in April 1985. Four months later, Fenech underlined the initial win over Shingaki by overwhelming the former champ in their rematch, this time ending matters in just four rounds. Notice had been served to the boxing world. Fenech wasn’t just there to keep the WBC Title belt warm. He was active between title bouts with explosive wins in non-title tune-ups and improving with every showing. Sharpness was a given for his title defenses and he took the role of being an active champion seriously.
Other matches I was sent equally impressed me. In his second defense, Fenech was taken the fifteen round championship distance for the first time with a tactical and at-times action packed win over the seasoned and undefeated American, Jerome Coffee. Despite Coffee’s 26-0 record and sturdy pedigree, “The Marrickville Mauler” made it look easy, demonstrating marked professionalism and patience once it became apparent that the challenger wasn’t about to be sent to the showers early. Watching it, I had to remind myself that Fenech only had eleven fights to his credit by that point. He had the look and composure of a seasoned veteran.
Fenech’s third title defense was another impressive point of note. He stopped Steve McCrory, the much hyped 11-0-1 American hopeful that had won the Flyweight gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics, chopping him down in fourteen rounds.
By the time “The Marrickville Mauler” had moved-up to one-hundred and twenty-two pounds to challenge the undefeated Samart Payakaroon for the WBC Super Bantamweight Title in the spring of 1987, North America and the rest of the world was beginning to take notice. Fenech managed to notch his second major world title, in a second weight class, in less than three years of fighting as a professional. After trouncing Payakaroon in four rounds, he would go on to make two defenses of that title, the only blip being a disappointing four round technical draw with the 66-2 Carlos Zarate after a clash of heads.
In early 1988, Fenech won the WBC Featherweight Title with a tenth round stoppage victory over Victor Callejas, ultimately going on to make three defenses of that title over the next two years. In late 1989, after yet another jump-up in weight, Fenech faced Mario Martinez in a twelve round WBC Super Featherweight Title Eliminator, a bout in which Fenech had to climb off of the canvas in round six to pull out a stiff points win.
If the fire and ambition of his earlier years still burned deep within, the power he displayed at Bantam and Super Bantamweight was no longer as effective against the larger men he was facing at the higher weight. Regardless, the win positioned “The Marrickville Mauler” for a shot at the reigning WBC Super Featherweight Champion and a certified, if aging great in Azumah Nelson.
I remember attending the live closed circuit telecast for this bout in mid-1991 at a stifling venue in downtown Toronto. It was the chief feature on the under card of the Mike Tyson/Razor Ruddock rematch. Fenech was the decided favorite going into the bout. Nelson had been showing signs of slowing down for some time and many had him pegged as being ripe to be taken. In the bout, Fenech displayed his usual fire, forcing the match throughout, but intermittently, Nelson’s sharp counters would find the mark, momentarily disrupting Fenech’s forward surge and rhythm. As it would later turn out, Nelson’s periodic offerings were enough, ultimately, to cloud the issue, at least in the minds of the three judges at ringside.
From my humble vantage point, “The Marrickville Mauler” looked to have done enough to walk away with another title and the win, but fate had its say and decided differently, calling the bout a draw. I recall the bitter disappointment Fenech displayed during the post fight interview. Those seated around me were perplexed. Whispers of “Don King” and “fix” flirted with my ears.
In hindsight, this was the bout where I felt “The Marrickville Mauler” made his last appearance. I believe the fire that fueled him had been choked in the utter disappointment of the outcome, and from that point on, it appeared to me that something in Fenech’s game was gone forever. To this day, I always think of Jeff Fenech’s initial challenge of Azumah Nelson as “The Marrickville Mauler’s” last stand even though it wasn’t a defeat.
Almost a year after the their first meeting, Fenech and Nelson crossed swords once again, this time on Jeff’s home turf in Victoria, Australia. Going into it, the general expectation among those in the know was that Fenech would make right the wrongs of the first outcome. Circumstance was seemingly in his corner. The bout was in Australia and Azumah Nelson was nine months older and that much closer to retirement. But circumstance doesn’t always have first say in the sport of boxing and as Nelson went on to prove in their return and later in a few other notable bouts over his Hall of Fame career, he wasn’t about to be out done.
“The Professor” was one of the special ones, a fighter able to perform in surprisingly explosive fashion in rematches, late into his career. For the rematch, he laid to rest the question as to who was the best super featherweight on the planet, emphatically stopping remnants of the man that seemingly routed him months earlier, in eight rounds. I didn’t see the match live, only finding out the outcome via a two line results recap in the Toronto Sun a day or so after the fact. When a copy of the match finally arrived, my suspicions looked to be true. “The Marrickville Mauler” was long gone. All that was left were remnants of Jeff Fenech. Something indeed was lost, never again to be recaptured, lost forever in June of 1991 after the disappointment of the first Nelson match.
After the loss to Nelson in their rematch, Fenech fought just four more times over the next four years, going 2-2, losing notably to the former IBF Featherweight Champion Calvin Grove in seven inglorious rounds, then later to IBF Lightweight Champion Phillip Holiday in two. It was a sad and emphatic ending to a brilliant career.
In 2002, Jeff Fenech was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York. Over the past several years, his name has been linked with fighters such as former IBF Flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, super middleweight contender Sakio Bika and the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, “Iron” Mike Tyson, in the role of boxing trainer. In his homeland, Down Under, he enjoys celebrity status after easily becoming arguably one of the preeminent names in Australian boxing of all time.
In today’s torrid climate of pugilism, it seems as though the mantle of “greatness” is bestowed far too early on a given fighter after a couple of notable wins. For younger fans looking back, I would suggest a review of “The Marrickville Mauler’s” spectacular ring career. It’s an example of fierce determination, hunger, focus, ferocity, grit and unwavering ring character fused with finely honed ring craft. Jeff Fenech’s rise to the championship level was very quick. His tenure at the top was not. It was drawn-out like the campaigns of past greats before him, simply because like them, he too was truly a great fighter.
]]>
By Geno McGahee
The consensus best heavyweight in the world is the current IBO/IBF Heavyweight Champion, Wladimir Klitschko, and with good reason. He has beaten a lot of good fighters of late and in dramatic fashion, but none perhaps, as dramatic as the knockout that he was at the end of in 2003, when a pinpoint straight left hand from the huge underdog, Corrie Sanders, sent him to the canvas and out of the fight in just two rounds. It was the crowning achievement for an underachiever and placed the WBO Heavyweight Title around the waist of the South African.
Sanders was known as “The Sniper,” a fitting name for such a sharp and accurate power-puncher. He always seemed on the verge of doing something special in the heavyweight division, but he never really applied himself. He began his career with twenty-three wins in a row, sixteen of those by knockout, and some was against decent competition. He knocked out Johnny DuPlooy in one round to win the South African Heavyweight Title, got decisions over Mike Dixon and Mike Evans, both incredibly tough competitors.
One win that made the public take notice…at least the boxing fans that followed the sport, was a knockout win over Bert Cooper in 1993. In just three rounds, he dominated and dispatched him to the canvas. This was the same Cooper that just two years prior had given Evander Holyfield the fight of his life, knocking him to the canvas and nearly winning the world title, and then went on to trade knockdown after knockdown with future heavyweight champion, Michael Moorer. Cooper had a reputation of a tough guy with a big punch and a lot of spirit and Sanders extinguished it quickly.
A name that may not ring any bells, but was also known to be a very tough customer was Levi Billups. He wasn’t an easy man to stop, and he had actually picked up a good win just two years prior when he decisioned former heavyweight champion, James “Bonecrusher” Smith. Billups would later go on to go the distance with a young Lennox Lewis in 1992, taking the future hall of famer the ten rounds, but would get blasted out of the fight in just one by “The Sniper.” A follow up win over the one time prospect, Mike Williams, also in the first round, let the boxing world know that Corrie Sanders was a force to be reckoned with, but in 1994, the crueler side of the sport would chime in and the undefeated record would vanish.
Nate Tubbs, 12-1, 11 KO’s, was not looked at as a really serious threat to Sanders. He did have a punch and he did come from a boxing family, but the South African appeared to be too talented and too quick for the slow clubber. For one round it seemed that way, but a vicious shove to the canvas by the stocky and incredibly strong Tubbs seemed to rattle Sanders. A right hand in the second round would obliterate him, crumbling him into a pile in the corner of the ring. The referee counted him out in front of his South African hometown audience. The Sanders express had derailed and he soon got the label of an overhyped contender that really wasn’t a player in the division.
Sanders would rebound in 1994 with two wins over nondescript opposition, follow up with two more wins in 1995, and have four quick knockouts in 1996. He was rebuilding his career. In 1997, he would face Ross Puritty for the WBU Heavyweight Title, a meaningless trinket, but the opponent is what mattered. Although Puritty has never been a successful or renowned heavyweight, he was a truth machine. If you weren’t at your best or weren’t the real deal, he would expose it as he did with Tommy Morrison and Wladimir Klitschko. He got a disputed draw with Morrison, after knocking him down twice, and actually stopped “Dr. Steelhammer” in a war of attrition. He was much better than his record indicated.
Sanders showed that he could box and out-boxed Puritty for the entire fight, winning every round and walking away with an easy decision win. This was a confidence booster, and proved that he could handle a guy that didn’t fall down when he hit them. Puritty was the type of fighter that could take your best punch and get into your head by his insistence to move forward, but Sanders overcame that and walked away with a good win.
The activity of Sanders began to slow down. Nearly a year after his win over Puritty, he came to the states to fight former cruiserweight champion, Bobby Czyz. It was a massacre with the bigger man using his power and accuracy to drill Czyz to the canvas. There was nothing that the former Showtime commentator could do against the vicious onslaught. This was a victory that didn’t mean a great deal on paper, but it got people talking. People knew who Czyz was and to hear that he got starched in two rounds made some headlines and got some people talking about the South African import.
Sanders took another year off to return with a first round KO win over Jorge Valdes, and came back after another year off to record one of his best victories, a first round knockout over former cruiserweight champion, Al Cole. Cole was known for his chin. He stood up to heavyweight punches from Michael Grant, who didn’t knock him out. He would retire in the corner after a battle. Cole went the distance with Tim Witherspoon, taking a lot of big shots and Cole was no defensive whiz either. He had an iron chin, but Sanders was too precise and had magic in that straight left hand. He could knock anybody out at anytime if he was able to land it, and he landed it, lowering the boom on Cole, icing him in one minute, thirteen seconds.
Three months later, it was time to face a well known and respected contender, Hasim “The Rock” Rahman, who stated before the encounter that if he couldn’t beat Corrie Sanders, then he had no business in boxing. Sanders entered the ring at 225, but he looked fat, while Rahman looked like a rock. It was a George Foreman-Ron Lyle type of match up, with both men stunned and down, but it was Rahman’s better conditioning that secured the 7th round knockout win, mostly from body shots. Sanders wasn’t taking the sport seriously and paid a dear price for it. He had blown a huge opportunity.
Two knockout wins, one in 2001 over Michael Sprott, and the other over Otis Tisdale in 2002, would propel him into the biggest opportunity of his career and an opportunity that he would not let slip away in March of 2003: A WBO Title shot against reigning champion and HBO’s most promoted big man, Wladimir Klitschko.
Sanders was a name that was first mentioned as an opponent for brother Vitali Klitschko, who opted not to take the fight. It was rumored at one time that Vitali was nearly signed to fight Sanders until he was advised not to because of the KO power that “The Sniper” had. Younger brother Wlad needed an opponent and there weren’t too many takers. Sanders wasn’t supposed to be the guy, but everything else failed and they needed somebody to get destroyed by the next big thing.
Once again, Sanders would weigh 225 pounds, but he was tighter and he looked very focused. He was taking this bout very seriously as well as he should. Despite the WBO’s reputation of having B to C level heavyweights as their champions, it has grown to be respected and counted alongside the WBA, WBC, and IBF. Michael Moorer, Ray Mercer, both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, Tommy Morrison, and Riddick Bowe have held it and have used it as a bargaining chip to bigger things, but by this point in 2003, it was near the point of equality with the others, and Sanders realized that as he stared face to face with the intimidating and enormous champion.
Wladimir, who had one forty of his forty-one fights going into this bout, was nearly destroyed in a round. He barely survived the first round to be knocked out in twenty-seven seconds of the second. As Sanders looked at the mangled heap that once was the WBO Heavyweight Champion, he screamed, raising both his hands in triumph. He had reached the top of boxing, beating the most talked about heavyweight in recent times and not only beat him, but destroyed him. We saw on this night what Sanders could be and could have been had he maintained focus and dedication to the game.
After the win, big brother Vitali, obviously rattled by what he had just seen, approached Sanders in a threatening fashion, stating something to the effect that he was going to regain the title for the Klitschko family. He, like most, was in total shock of the outcome and couldn’t handle seeing his baby brother laid out. Sanders just laughed in his face, not allowing the bad sportsmanship from Vitali to ruin his moment. This face off, however, would lead to a vacant WBC Heavyweight Title fight one year later between the two.
HBO kept flip-flopping between which brother to support and promote. When Vitali quit against Chris Byrd, they left him and moved on to Wlad, and when Wlad lost to Sanders, they came back to Vitali. Now, they stopped calling him “robotic” and called him “tough.” Tough enough to handle the power of Sanders…something that Wladimir could not do. He got the chance to prove it on April 24th, 2004, as he took on the man that beat up his little brother. There was a lot of intrigue going into this bout.
Before the bout, Sanders had commented that he had the key to beat both brothers, which I believed meant that he was going to throw straight down the pike and just knock out Vitali has he did Wlad, and may not have been prepared for a long and grueling contest. HBO’s statement that Vitali was tough, was not a lie, as he stood up to some rocky moments to systematically destroy Sanders. Corrie landed a few straight left hands and some had a good effect while others were too little too late. He stood tall, taking the punishment before he was finally rescued in the eighth round. The courage that Sanders showed in that bout was amazing. He just kept on coming and trying to land that haymaker that would change it all. It didn’t happen and now with him out of the way, HBO could get back to Plan A: push Vitali’s career.
Sanders would have one more fight in 2004, a quick KO over an unknown and hapless opponent and then take two years off before returning again to score another fast knockout over another journeyman fighter. He would wait nearly another year, when he returned in 2007 to score a decision win over Daniel Bispo, injuring his hand in the process. With his sporadic fighting schedule and advanced age, the writing was on the wall that his career was at the tail end and the greatness that he achieved in 2003 would never be repeated.
We got confirmation this month when a 239 pound Sanders crumpled to the canvas after a body shot in the first round by Osborne Machimana, who had only won fourteen of his twenty fights going in. This was it for Sanders. He had stopped so many fighters in the first round and now it had happened to him. It was a sad ending for a very good fighter that could have been a great one.
The story of Corrie Sanders is incomplete. In a time when a lot of heavyweights are labeled as big busts by the media, Sanders could be described as a bust by choice. He never applied himself one hundred percent, and because of that, he didn’t make it to the level that he really belonged. He was born with something that cannot be taught. His left hand was a wrecking ball and he had perfect timing. It’s very easy to imagine him cutting through the heavyweight division at nearly any time in history if he had been motivated, focused, and fought on a consistent basis. He just wasn’t willing to do that.
Sanders’ record stands at, 42-4, 31 KO’s, and will be remembered as the guy that temporarily derailed who many consider to be the best heavyweight in the world. He did hold the WBO Title and deserves to be mentioned as a champion. I think that despite the fact that he is linked forever with the Wladimir Klitschko victory, it’s not a bad thing. The image of him screaming and throwing up his arms in victory is a moment in boxing history that should be remembered. It was a moment when the underdog lived up to his potential and for a moment in time, conquered a perceived unbeatable foe. It is one of the scenarios that makes boxing so special and it was a great example of it, and a moment that Sanders surely deserved.
Purchase Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime
Watch The Trailer For Family Secret]]>
Interview by Geno McGahee
On June 17th, 1966, two armed men would walk into the Lafayette Grill in Paterson, New Jersey and open fire, killing three and severely injuring another. This is the crime that both middleweight contender, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter and John Artis were accused of and eventually, convicted of. I first became aware of this case in 1999 when a movie entitled: “The Hurricane” was released. Anytime that there is a boxing movie produced, I will be the first in line to see it and this situation was no different. I had mixed emotions after I watched the film. First, Denzel Washington, as always did a great job, and it was an uplifting story of triumph over racism and depression, but I didn’t think that I was getting all of the facts. In fact, the movie seemed to use excessive racism to get the point across that Rubin Carter was the victim of a conspiracy and was, in fact, innocent.
I purchased James S. Hirsch’s book: Hurricane: The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter and it was truly a great read and answered many of the questions that I had at the time. It backed up much of what the movie presented and had many facts that I was unaware of. I was now satisfied that Carter was innocent and that there was racism involved. After all, we are discussing a time when racism was rampant and the playing field was not even for minorities. In 1955, just eleven years prior to the Lafayette Grill shootings, a fourteen-year old, African American, Emmett Till is kidnapped and tortured to death for whistling at a white woman by two white men. If you have never seen a picture of Till after the fact, I recommend that you don’t. It was one of the most disturbing things that I have ever seen. In the end, the two men that did it and would later sell their stories to the press on how they carried out the murder, were found innocent, despite the mountain of evidence against them.
The same year that Rubin Carter was arrested, James Meredith started a solitary march against racism from Memphis to Jackson. A sniper made certain that he would not make it to the finish line. Stokely Carmichael, who coined the phrase: “Black Power,” would finish the march in his memory, along with Martin Luther King, and Floyd McKissick. The militant group: “The Black Panthers” were founded in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale out of necessity, as they confronted the negative treatment by white America. This was a very racist time and a time of transition and people don’t like change, which is why Martin Luther King was murdered along with Malcolm X. If murder is not out of the question, then certainly framing a man that is popular and outspoken for a crime he didn’t commit is plausible. Rubin Carter claimed racism and it made sense when you look at the times, but not all agreed.
Cal Deal was there on the front line of the civil rights movement and has covered the case against Carter and saw the story differently than most. I stumbled across his website and I was seriously intrigued. It was put together very well and presented evidence that I personally, have never seen up to that point. Cal Deal was eager to get his side across and granted an interview to RSR, where he explains the other side of the Hurricane.
GM: You have created and maintained a website concerning Rubin “Hurricane” Carter. Why did you make this website and what is or was your relationship to the Hurricane?
Well, the website was to counter the Hollywood version of his story which is not true. I first met Carter in 1975 and I went down to interview him and photograph him for our newspaper. Now I was mostly a photographer, but I also participated in the interview and before I went down, I didn’t know anything about the case. I didn’t cover it. I didn’t know the people involved. I didn’t follow it when it was in the news. So I read up the clip files and what was going on with the case and everything was very positive to Carter. It seemed like he was innocent and I went down to the prison with that in my head, but before we went down, I asked our managing editor. I said: “Can we offer to give him a lie detector test and will the paper pay for it?” And he said: “Yes.”
So, we went down there and started the interview and Carter was very outgoing and friendly…very persuasive to people that didn’t really know the facts of the case. We then offered to give him the lie detector test and he refused. We said that if you’re innocent and you’ve got such a good case, then why not? This whole thing as a PR campaign to win over the public and this would be a great thing to pass a lie detector test. It will be magnificent PR and it will be very interesting. So, he refused and when we drove back to the paper, we talked about that and were very disturbed by that fact. It just didn’t seem right that a person that is innocent would refuse such an offer. That’s when I started looking into the case on my own and started developing a four part series that we ran and then I began learning the facts and after not too long, I began to believe that he was guilty, and I haven’t changed my opinion since.
When you don’t know the facts of the case, and you don’t understand how all the pieces fit together, and you listen to his arguments that the cops did this and the cops did that and you don’t have it in the proper perspective, then his arguments can be persuasive, but when you know the facts and you know what really happened that night, the case just falls apart…that’s why he was convicted twice by the juries. So, years later, when the movie was coming out and it was based on his story and he was participating in it, I knew what it was going to be. That is when I began building the website.
GM: Did you see the movie when it initially was released?
I was sitting next to Pat Valentine who was the key witness against him and Jim Wallace, who was the first police officer to arrive at the murder scene. He was just up the street. He was there in his civilian clothes, and we watched the movie together and it was a bunch of garbage. Through this website, I’ve tried to let people know that the movie is false and that the Carter story is false and that there is good reason why he was convicted of murder. My website has gotten quite a reaction around the world.
GM: What sorts of reactions are you getting?
Well, a lot of people are very appreciative for opening their eyes and other people call me a racist and they don’t even know me and it’s ridiculous that they pull that crap. People that don’t want to know the facts just react. So get quite a few emails of people that just call me a racist bastard and a low life son of a bitch and ask me how I could do this to this good man, and that just irritates me more than anything. I have a response that I send back to all of them that basically says that before you go and call somebody something like that, know what the hell you are talking about and then I direct them to places on my website. It’s just a cheap way to discredit me and Carter, himself, used it when I went to interview him for WABC TV in New York. When he realized just who I was and I told the T.V. reporter that if he knows that I’m coming, he will never sit down for the interview. So they kept it secret and when he came into the room, he recognized me but couldn’t recall from exactly where. That’s when the T.V. reporter introduced him and right away he goes after me, using the race card and he was going to walk out on the interview, but the T.V. reporter convinced him to stay and he did. I even caught him lying in the interview, using his own book as proof. The race issue keeps popping up, but it has nothing to do with what I’m doing. He happens to be black…so what?
GM: Have you read James S. Hirsch’s book on the Hurricane?
I haven’t read it cover to cover, but I’ve thumbed through it.
GM: He states in his book that the lone survivor of the bar shootings, Williams Marin described the shooters as about the same height. Now John Artis is around four inches taller than Rubin Carter. What do you make of Marin’s account of that night and his description of the shooters?
There are a couple things to keep in mind when assessing that. First, Marin didn’t want to get involved in this thing. He did not want to be an important witness. He basically was sort of vague with his testimony if I recall, and he was afraid. He had to live in an area and he wasn’t a very bright man…a simple man, and he didn’t want to be the focal point of that case. One of the stories that surprised me more than any was the day that I was with the owner of the Lafayette Grill and some of the family members of the victims and we were just talking about the case. The bar owner said that Willie told him that Carter and Artis did it and he wouldn’t testify to it or say it in public, but he told him that it was Carter and Artis. Right away, I was like what a great story this is, but being a responsible journalist, I didn’t just go with it. I probably could have gotten away with it, but I didn’t do it. I called Willie Marin’s brother about seven one night and identified myself as a reporter and asked him about that and he said: “Yeah, he told me too.” He never talked to the bar owner or had any contact with him. He talks to me years after the fact. His brother’s been dead for years and he confirmed what the owner said.
So, then before I went with the story, I tracked down somebody else that lived in the neighborhood and who knew Marin and he confirmed it. So, three people that knew Marin and he confided in all of them that it was Carter and Artis. We ran that at the top of the page in about 1975. Now, the thing about the height: I have a number of pictures of Carter and Artis and in some pictures he looks a lot taller and in others, he looks about the same size. It just depends on your perspective. You have to remember Hazel Tanis that was the woman that was shot and she said something similar, but she was on the floor in the corner and she was looking up at them…so how could she judge height? Marin got a quick look at them and he really didn’t have a lot of time to gage height. That really doesn’t bother me…those little discrepancies, but people will fixate on them as proof, but it’s not really proof. The car is far more an issue than the height.
GM: The night of the shootings, Pat Valentine witnessed the getaway car from her window located above the bar. There has been some confusion as to the certainty of Valentine’s statement and the possibility of mistaken identity. What can you tell us about Valentine’s vantage point, and her description of the car?
No, no, no. There was no mistaken identity…you’re referring to the car?
GM: Yes, I know that the movie made a big deal out of it, and I wanted to get your take on that situation.
Pat does not know cars. That night, she realized that something was wrong. She saw those two men run from the side of the building. She heard some noise…she heard a woman screaming. She knew something was wrong and she’s looking right down at this car from her bay window and the car is double-parked. She is only thirty feet away from it. So, she’s staring at it and she’s thinking that she has to remember what this car looks like. There were a number of things about that car. It was shiny like a new car. It has black occupants and for a new car, it would be unusual for that time. It had out of states plates either Pennsylvania or New York, which is unusual. It had those butterfly taillights, which were also unusual, and she just stared at it and remembered all of these things. About a half an hour later, the cops brought Carter and Artis back to the bar and were interviewing Pat in her apartment, I think, and when they brought her down to look at the car. Once she saw it, she became hysterical. She recognized it immediately. She was afraid and she ran around to the front of the bar to get away from it. She was that certain that that was the car.
Al Bello, the other eyewitness that got a good look at the car. At the scene, within an hour of the murders said: “that was the car.” He never, for all the things that Bello did and didn’t do in the subsequent years, he never changed that story. You go to my website and there is the actual police report from that morning that says that both witnesses said that that is the getaway car. The fact that later on at a hearing…ten or so years later, she mixes up the Dodge Monaco and the Polara because they are very similar and she just didn’t remember what the model name was. She just remembered what she saw and just that confusion with the model name that they seized on and the movie makes a big deal out of it to make it seem like she saw a Monaco and Carter drove a Polara. That’s a bunch of crap…it’s a smokescreen.
On my website there are some graphics at the top of the page and you can see the taillights of the Monaco and the tail lights of the Polara and they are so different, especially when you look at them in color. You can see that somebody looking at those two sets of taillights isn’t going to mix them up. That’s why the cops took her to the back of the car and showed her the taillights and that’s when she ran, and to this day she is sure. She doesn’t have any second thoughts or doubts. She knows what she saw. That’s just one of those things that they seize on if you take it out of perspective and say that at a hearing she thought it was a Monaco, but she doesn’t know it from a Polara, or from a Volkswagen and she heard the Monaco being brought up at the hearing and she was just confused…she didn’t know. She did identify that specific car.
RSR Readers: Stay tuned for Part 2 of: Guilty: The Other Side of the Hurricane. RSR Sits Down with Herald News Reporter, Cal Deal to Discuss Rubin Carter, where we will discuss the supposedly racist Detective Desimone, and the revenge motive that may have been the reason why this crime occurred.
]]>
Interview by Geno McGahee
In the movie, “The Hurricane,” an evil and racist detective harassed a young Rubin Carter and maintained this course throughout the majority of his life. Carter most definitely had to deal with racism because it was an extremely volatile time in America with ignorance everywhere, but some of the things that he has stated and that we have seen in the Hollywood production, are less than accurate. In a situation where Carter is trying to come off as a man with impeccable character may have done himself a disservice as he blurred important facts to get his point across. Whether or not this means he’s guilty is not for me to say, but it definitely makes you think.
One of the scenes in the movie, where a white child molester approaches Carter and his young friends, a courageous “Hurricane” stands up to this predator and is forced to stab him in order to save his own life. The police’s account states that a fourteen-year-old Carter actually mugged the man of a $55 dollar watch and that the pedophile story was fabricated. There were many things about the movie that was based on his autobiography “The 16th Round” that are put in there intentionally to steer you in one direction, but that is the way that Hollywood operates, so I can’t fault Carter completely for making the man a victim twice, if that is what he did.
One of the biggest controversies from the boxing world’s perspective was the depiction of the bout that Carter had with Joey Giardello. This was a bout that the majority of the boxing experts claim that Giardello had comfortably won, but in the movie, racist judges joined the vast conspiracy and stole the victory from “The Hurricane.” There was a lawsuit filed and eventually settled, lending proof that the press was correct and that the movie had blurred another fact, possibly hurting the reputation of a great fighter.
The motivation to fabricate situations may have been to make the story more appealing to the public, and to make Rubin Carter a righteous character, or perhaps, as Cal Deal contends, it was an effort to take attention away from the facts of the case. Deal has supplied RSR with a lot of evidence that seems to support everything that he says.
GM: I want to talk about Detective Desimone, who is portrayed in the movie the Hurricane, which I will get to later as a racist corrupt police officer, out to get Carter. Now, on page 35 of James S. Hirsch’s book: Hurricane, Desimone is described as a racist. Hirsch writes that his confessions had less to do with gumshoe police work than with intimidation, he was feared. Was he a racist that used strong-arm tactics to get the answers that he wanted regardless of guilt or innocence?
No, first of all, I don’t believe that Desimone was a racist. I didn’t know him well. I met him a couple of times…talked to him on the phone, and I always got the impression that he was an honorable man. There was this little poem that he carried around in his wallet and was with him on the day he died and it’s called “The man in the mirror” or the “face in the glass” or something like that, and it’s basically a poem that says that you have to look yourself in the eye in the morning and do the right thing. It is about the importance of your name and reputation and being an honorable person. He gave a copy to his son and had a copy in his wallet, and that was the kind of person he was. Now, I’m sure that there were circumstances where he had to play the tough guy, but when you are dealing with tough people, you can’t be a wimp. Who knows what he’s done to play act, but I think that the real person wasn’t a racist. Believe me, if I thought that this was a racist prosecution and that Carter was prosecuted because he’s a black man, I would be on his side and not theirs.
That Bello interview that everyone thinks is so significant, but Bello had already identified Carter twice before ever talking to Desimone. He had nothing to do with Carter being identified by Bello. Bello had told it to a detective that ran into him at a bar and he sat down with him, and Bello was being rattled because he was getting threatened by Carter’s friends to keep his damn mouth shut. He’s around Paterson and around people, so he’s vulnerable. So he was rattled. He says to the detective that “you had the guy but you let him go,” and then finally tells the detective that it was Carter and he asks Bello if he will come back and tell his boss and he agrees.
Bello and the detective go back and tell Captain Mohl and so you have the detective and Mohl being told by Bello that it was Carter and only then do they arrange to send it to the county and Desimone gets involved and does that interview. So, it was a done deal before Desimone was ever involved in the case. Carter’s car was identified by Bello and Valentine and Carter, himself, was identified by Bello way before Desimone was involved…so, how can you blame him?
To further dismiss this racist business with Desimone: his boss, Burrell Ives Humphreys in 1976, the new prosecutor was a member of the NAACP. He was a guy that was such a principle man that he was not racist and defended a black couple that was having difficulty buying a house in his white neighborhood. They were being refused and he represented those people against his own neighborhood. That’s the type of principle man that Burrell Humphreys is. The fact that he was a member of the NAACP doesn’t scream racist to me, and he was very, very concerned about the race issue. He did want to be perceived as a white versus black thing. He made certain, and this terrified his fellow prosecutors, that there were blacks on the jury. They could have gotten them off, but he wanted them on and he got them, and those blacks voted to convict. Calling Desimone a racist is the same thing that Carter does to me…painting me as a racist, but in Desimone’s case, everything was already done before he got involved. It wasn’t him to get Bello to identify Carter or the car.
GM: The defense has argued racism in this case, while the prosecution has argued revenge. Could you tell us about the revenge motive?
The key thing to look at, which I have posted on my website, is the map…the getaway route. When I first did that map, it really opened my eyes because all the pieces of the puzzle really stick together when you look at the map. Earlier in the evening, a black bartender was buying the Waltz Inn, which is just six or eight blocks from the Lafayette Grill where the murders took place. He was buying that bar from a white guy and the white guy went to collect money from him that night at around eight o’clock. The black guy told him basically, screw you, I’m not paying you. I’m not sure of the specifics of the case, but that’s the just of it, from what I understand. So, the white guy got pissed off and went out to his car, got his shotgun and went back to the bar and blew the guy’s head off right there in the bar. Then the white guy just stood there and waited for the cops to come. He was then convicted of murder and sent to prison.
Now the key to the Lafayette Grill murders is the black guy was the stepfather of Eddie Rawls. Eddie Rawls is a key name in this case. He is a friend of Carter and was with Carter after his father was murdered and Carter, after the murders, after it’s reconstructed which you can see on the map, went back by the Night Spot, which was right down the street from the Lafayette Grill and rendezvoused with Rawls, the police believe. They went one block south and took 12th avenue, right to Rawls’ house, right after the murders. Everything revolves around Carter and Artis going to Rawls’ house…probably to dump the guns, and the remaining thing is that Carter said that he was going home to get more money, which was part of his alibi story. If you look at the spot at the map when he was pulled over, it was one and a half blocks from Eddie Rawls’ house. They just left there and they were driving slowly, which explains their slow speed at the time because they probably dumped the guns and now he was trying to get home from Rawls’ house. That wasn’t a route though from the Night Spot where he was that night, drinking. It was a route from Rawls’ house.
The Lafayette Grill murders were seen by the police and I believe it to be true because it fits together so well, as retribution for the murder of Rawls’ stepfather and Rawls himself went to the police station that night because he was mad as hell about it and he said that if you don’t take care of it, I will. It’s quoted in the police reports and Carter, and this is something that he forgot to tell police when he was telling him what he did that night, and this is after Rawls’ stepfather was murdered but before the Lafayette Grill murders. He went out looking for his missing shotgun. Somebody had stolen the shotgun from him and that particular night, he went out to find it, but when the cops asked him what he did that night, he forgot to tell them. It has to be more than a coincidence. Carter and Rawls were together after Rawls’ stepfather’s murder. Rawls tells the cops that if they don’t take care of it, he will and Carter is looking for his shotgun. Then a couple of hours later, with a known racist bartender gets targeted for this retribution murder and Carter’s car is identified by the witnesses, and he claims that he had control of the vehicle all night and ninety minutes after the murders, the cops find shotgun shells in the trunk and a live 32 caliber bullet on the floor by the passenger seat and this is before the police knew what weapons were used and it just so happens that the rounds matched the murder weapons. It’s an important piece of the evidence.
GM: I didn’t see that part in the movie.
The movie was done with Carter’s cooperation. They just did the Carter line and didn’t bother to question anything. A really good example of how the movie is bias in Carter’s favor is the really, really important event is when Bello sees the gunman. Do you remember when Bello is standing outside the bar and he’s across the street and he sees the gunmen come out and they come out through the shadows and jump into a car that’s parked right by the curb. Well, that’s not how it happened at all. It’s clearly documented in the court records. Any idiot that reads the court records would know that. What happened was when they walked out through that front door, their car wasn’t parked to the right there as you looked at it from the movie. They had to come around toward the camera, looking from the movie angle now, came around the side of that building and that’s where Pat Valentine’s window was, and their car was double-parked. So first of all, the route that they took to their car was wrong in the movie. Bello wasn’t across the street. He was on the sidewalk going the opposite way…right toward them. He’s walking down the sidewalk and hears these noises, thinking it’s a base drum in the bar or something. He hears the noise, and sees these two well-dressed, black men, carrying weapons. His first reaction was that they must be detectives. As he gets closer, he realizes that this one guy is Rubin Carter and it hits him and he thinks “oh sh*t” and he turns and he runs.
I’ve met Bello a couple of times and in the 1970’s, he tried to milk this case for money, but he has stuck with the true story, or at least I think it’s the true story, in both trials. I don’t believe Bello because I believe Bello. I believe him because of what he says corresponds with what other people have said and saw. For instance, he said that he was on the sidewalk and he turned and ran. Well, there was a guy a couple of doors up the streets that saw him running down the sidewalk and that corroborates his story. The same guy saw the white car going after him and that’s what Bello says. They chased him in a car and he ducked into an alley.
Bello told the police that he saw a woman in the window from the sidewalk. There is no way that he could have seen the woman had he not been where he said that he was.
GM: Did Pat Valentine see Bello?
Pat didn’t see him because he was on the right and she was looking straight ahead. She was looking down at the car and not in his direction, but he saw her. He was the one that told the cops what weapons the cops were using. The cops didn’t even know. He said that one guy had a revolver and the other had a shotgun. So, how would he know that if he wasn’t where he said that he was?
The movie then portrays the area as very dark. Well, I checked and there were streetlights all over the place. For the movie, they turned the streetlights off. That’s how they misled you. They put Bello in the wrong place, turned the lights off, put the getaway car in the wrong place. They did everything that they could to mislead you and everyone else that has seen that movie. It was such a key moment in the case and for them to do that was completely unethical. It’s not right and it wasn’t difficult to find out what Bello had said, but they decided to completely ignore it and then the director on the DVD special features states that he made it as accurate as he possibly could. That’s a bunch of crap.
GM: Racism seemed to be theme of the movie…sowing the seed from the beginning with the white child molester. Do you think that what draws people to this movie is the racism and injustice it claims?
People don’t like to see this type of racist things happen and when you see what’s being portrayed as a success story, that’s a feel good thing. People like it, but in this case, it’s a false story and for people that don’t check out the facts and don’t understand how all of the pieces of the puzzle fit, they don’t get it. Carter today…ask him what his alibi is. If you look in his book, he states that he was taking Anna Mapes and her daughter, Mrs. McGuire home at the time of the murders, so he couldn’t very well be at that Lafayette Grill at that time. In the 1976 trial, the new prosecutor, Humphreys, he made sure that not only did he have blacks on the jury, but he had black investigators. He didn’t want this to be an entirely white operation.
One of the black investigators was a man named Curtis Thompson that I met once and was very impressed by. He was a very intelligent man with a black belt in Karate. He made quite the impression on me in a very positive way. Thompson talked to Mapes and McGuire and they told him that the alibi story that they testified to was false. They had lied to Carter and they testified to that at the second trial as did some other people. In addition to that, on my website, you will find a letter that Carter wrote when he was in jail in 1966 or 1967, after being arrested, he wrote Mapes and McGuire a letter and in that letter, you can see what he’s doing. He is feeding them the alibi story. You know he says “I was thinking about that night and I was thinking about what happened and I want you to read it and remember it” or something like that. Then he tells them the whole alibi story in that letter and it was an attempt to give the alibi story to those people, but he police intercepted it. A copy of that letter, in Carter’s own handwriting is on my website and it tells you a lot about what’s going on. He was trying to feed them the alibi story and then nine or ten years later, those witnesses state under oath and publicly that they lied the first time and that it was all false.
RSR Readers: Stay tuned for Part 3: Guilty: The Other Side of the Hurricane. RSR Sits Down with Herald News Reporter, Cal Deal to Discuss Rubin Carter, where we will discuss the effect that Lesra Martin and the Canadians had in the release of Carter and the facts surrounding the eventual release of the Hurricane.
]]>
Interview by Geno McGahee
In 1974, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter’s autobiography: “The 16th Round” was released to the public and documented his side of the story, stating that he was falsely accused by a racist system and was a victim his entire life of bigotry. The book was a major success. A new trial was granted when a recorded statement from one of the eyewitnesses, Al Bello, was withheld by the prosecution, and that’s when the celebrities appeared, all supporting this wrongfully accused former boxer. Bob Dylan wrote and performed a song entitled: “Hurricane” and covered the incident at the Lafayette Grill from Carter’s perspective. Muhammad Ali and Burt Reynolds were also behind the former middleweight and it seemed that a great injustice was about to be undone.
Rubin Carter and John Artis were released on bail in between trials and the public support and backing by many of the biggest names in Hollywood and the sports world, gave the duo a lot of momentum that would quickly disappear when controversy hit. Carolyn Kelley was one of the biggest supporters of the “Hurricane,” and the leader of the Carter Defense Fund. She met up with Carter and claims that she was beaten into unconsciousness at the hands of the former middleweight, which is a claim that he denies. He has stated that it was extortion and that he tried to work with her, but her demands were unreasonable. Whatever the case, when this news leaked to the press, the public support and the celebrities disappeared. Carter and Artis would quietly go into the second trial and be found guilty yet again.
In 1985, Judge Lee Sarokin released both Rubin Carter and John Artis, stating that the prosecution appealed to racism over reason. It is such an emotional story that you want to believe that an innocent man was released after a racist system sent him away. That is the story that the majority of the press has ran with and that the majority of the public believes to be true. Cal Deal has bravely faced off against the masses and has presented a compelling case creating some doubt of Carter’s innocence, as you will see in the third part of this RSR exclusive interview.
GM: A young man named Lesra Martin and his Canadian adoptive family of sorts played a very big part in the release of Carter. How effective were they and what was their relationship to Carter.
As far as I understand, they had absolutely nothing with getting him out of prison. His lawyers did it. He got out on procedural errors…technical stuff, and that’s how he got released. He wasn’t released on anything that they found in their alleged investigation. Let me tell you about them. I was on a coast to coast radio show in Canada. I told them that if we were interviewed at the same time, we wouldn’t get anywhere and that we should be interviewed separately. They came on and said that everything on my website was false. That’s it. They basically said that I’m a liar, a deceiver, a cheat, and that I can’t be trusted. For them to say that about me and I’m a pretty ethical person, without even knowing me, told me everything that I need to know about them. You don’t say something like that unless you have a basis of it, and they don’t because everything that I say is true. It just showed what kind of people that they are, and there’s nothing that I’m aware of in their so-called investigation that cleared Carter. They’ll play on that Monaco-Polara thing, but what somebody says at a hearing years later versus what you say within in hour of the crime. What are you going to put your confidence in?
GM: You mentioned earlier that Rubin Carter was offered a lie detector test and he refused. Has he ever taken a lie detector test?
Yes, that morning of the crime and Desimone told him that he passed it, but I talked with the guy that gave him the test in 2000 and he told me personally, that his son had found my website and found his report on my website, and he said that that was the first time that I have seen that report in twenty years. He said that Carter definitely failed the test and he said, he had the test in his office and one day that there was this big name polygraph operator that showed up and he showed him the test. I didn’t tell him who it was and the polygraph operator took one look and said that he man that took that test was lying, without question. Carter refused our offer for a lie detector test and other offers from other people, and then, and I’ve never heard of this anytime before or anytime since in any other case.
The prosecutor writes a letter, and this is before their second trial, and this is really incredible, through their attorneys. It was very official…very legal. It was proper. The letter said this: I want to give you a lie detector test. This is 1976, before the second trial, and it said that I’m going to give you both a lie detector test. If you fail that test, we will not use it against you. We will not use it at trial. If you pass the test, I will let you go. The case is over. You’re free. If he passes the lie detector test, he goes free, and they refused to take it. So, as Humphreys said: “So much for their claims of innocence.”
GM: Did they give a reason why they refused to take it?
They were claiming that they passed on already, which they didn’t. They were going to be released on a triple murder charge if they passed the lie detector test and they refused. So what does that tell you? It defies common sense for an innocent person to do that. There are just so many things about this case that people just don’t know about, and are very persuasive.
GM: In the movie: “Hurricane,” Rubin Carter was released by a judge that stated that the state used “racism over reason.” Was he released because of racism?
What you have to remember about Judge Sarokin, who used to be known as “let-them-go Lee” because he would let people go so often, he was not familiar with the details of the case. The prosecutor gave him a two-hundred page brief that outlined the case and explained everything for him, but he didn’t want to read it. He told them to come back with fifty pages. They had to go back and redo their briefs in a short period of time and cut two-hundred pages down to fifty. Then, he puts out his opinion, and it is full of factual errors. On my website, this guy from Virginia, went through Sarokin’s opinion and shows the factual inaccuracies. He didn’t understand the facts of the case. He gave credibility where it shouldn’t have been given, and scouted other things that shouldn’t have been scouted, and it seems that he had his mind made up before all of the facts came in. For him to make an accusation of racism against a guy like Burrell Humphreys…an NAACP member, that has fought for blacks, a racist? How do you call the black investigators that worked on the case racist? How do you call the black witnesses that said they lied for Carter, racist? It doesn’t make sense. There are so many people that are involved in that case for it to be a racist conspiracy. There is no way a racist prosecution would have lasted this long. Somebody would have talked after all these years. Sarokin didn’t know the facts and bought the Carter line like everyone else.
GM: In the movie, he is shown beating Joey Giardelllo, but being the victim of crooked judges costing him the middleweight championship. I am aware that Giardello sued the producers of the movie. Now, why did Giardello sue and what was the outcome of the case?
I saw the fight. Joey Giardello’s son sent it to me, and I have never seen it before and I’m not a boxing expert and I looked at the fight through the eyes of an observer that doesn’t know boxing, and I just wanted to say that my impression was that Carter did very well, but not well enough to beat the champion. I think that you need to really beat the champion, not just edge him. I don’t even think that he edged him. He did get him bloody and Carter himself has publicly admitted that Giardello won, which put that issue to rest. The people that scored the fight all said that Giardello won. The consensus is that, and with Carter’s admission, is that Giardello won it. The fact that Giardello sued the movie producers and ended up with a big, fat settlement, over that depiction of him tells you about the fight.
What boxing fans need to remember is at the time of the murders, Carter’s boxing career was on the downhill slide. He was 7-7-1 in the last year and a half or so of his career. For Bob Dylan to say that he could have been champion of the world, implies that when he was arrested that he was on the brink of becoming the champion. To me, and I’m not a boxing expert, is a lot of nonsense. How could he have been champion when he’s not beating people that are not particularly great?
I think that the decline in his boxing career contributed to his state of mind on the night of the murders. He’s fading and he must realize it and then you have the racially charged times. The day that the murders took place was a Saturday morning. The day before, the phrase “black power” was coined. That’s just to show you the racial times. I think that it may have been on the front page the day that the murders took place. Then you’ve got the revenge motive. The black man shot by the white guy, and the black neighborhood all riled up. There was a lot of unhappiness about the Waltz Inn murder. You put this all together and with Carter being a naturally violent person, it’s not that much of a stretch to believe that somebody that violent would do something that crazy. It was his way of re-establishing himself as a big shot.
GM: Have John Artis and Rubin Carter had any legal troubles since being released?
Yes. John Artis was arrested for cocaine distribution was the charge, I think. It is my understanding that he was selling or involved in the distribution of cocaine to high school kids. He was arrested and prosecuted and I think that he went back to jail, and now he’s supposedly working with troubled youths in Virginia. Carter was set free on bail and Muhammad Ali came to pick him up on March of 1976. Ali actually bailed him out in March and then in April, Carter went down by invitation to Ali’s fight in Maryland and that’s where he beat the crap out of a woman that was his main defender in New Jersey that was in charge of his defense group in New Jersey. He beat her, and they kept it quiet for months, and there was a reporter named Chuck Stone that got wind of the story and he broke it months after the incident occurred. After that, people realized that Carter wasn’t what he was put up to be.
He wasn’t the good guy that everyone thought that he was, and that is why at his trial in 1976, when you had all these celebrities that allowed him to use their name…Burt Reynolds and Bob Dylan wrote him a song, and Ali, and all these people, and not one of them came to the trial to show him support. Everyone bailed out on him and I think that incident had opened their eyes. I don’t know if he had any contact with Ali after than incident and Dylan doesn’t perform the song anymore.
GM: Is there any other piece of evidence that you believe to be important in this case?
Here’s an example of something that he used repeatedly and probably still does: the speeding white car. According to Carter, the cops saw a speeding white car and they chased it and they lost it. The car looked like the murder car. Hearing that, you think that the murderers got away, except that it’s not true, but if you look at his book, it’s in there, and Hirsch probably has it in there too.
What happened, and this is where that getaway map becomes important. These two cops heard the radio call about the murders. They are heading North, going in the general direction of the murder scene, when they see this speeding white car flash right in front of them with a dark colored car behind it. Now they just heard the call…it was a murder, white car with two blacks in it. They make a spot decision. They decide that this car, which has out of state plates, is heading for the bridge, trying to leave town. Rather to chase it directly, they decided to loop around and cut it off at the road that left the city and that’s what they did. They didn’t chase it. They tried to intercept it at the bridge. They go up to the bridge as fast as they can and there’s nothing there. They look around and they go into East Paterson and look onto this long stretch of highway that you can see a long distance and they see nothing.
As they come back into Paterson, what do they see? A white car that looks just like the one that they had just seen, coming from a side street, going from right to left in front of them. Guess who’s in the car? It was Carter and at that spot, where they saw that car crossing Broadway. If you go one block to the right, and up that street, it’s Eddie Rawls’ house. The car was going slowly because they didn’t have any guns anymore, I’m sure. They pull the car over. Remember that Bello has seen Carter face to face at the murder scene, so Carter has reason to believe that cops are looking for him specifically. Now this is Carter’s car, and he’s driving the short distance, supposedly to his home to get some more money. They pull it over. Where’s Carter? Is he in the driver’s seat? No. Is he in the passenger seat? No, this local drunk is. He is in the backseat hiding, laying down below the windows. He claimed that he was tired. Now this is man at the peak of fitness and was a night owl, that was driving a mile to go home and he had to lie down in the back seat? You have to apply common sense here, and so I think that he was lying down to keep his face out of view because he was spotted at the murder scene.
The cops that pull them over see three guys instead of two that they were looking for and let them go. They go directly from that spot to the murder spot and listening to Al Bello and listening in. They hear Bello describing the getaway car and think: “Holy sh*t, we just let it go.” They knew immediately that that was the car. So they left the Lafayette Grill, looking for that car specifically, and Carter has had a chance to go home and now he’s going back to the Nightspot, within blocks of the Lafayette Grill and right down 18th street, on the other side of the Nightspot, they find Carter’s car and pull him over and that’s how he got caught. It was only 30 minutes after the murders. They pulled him over, let him go, hear the description and find him and bring him in.
Desimone actually let him go because he knew that Carter was too popular to run. He’d be recognized and he wanted to have the strongest possible case and that’s why he let him go. Only after Bello got nervous after being threatened by Carter’s friends that he actually talked to the Paterson police…not even the Desimone group. That’s when the case broke and they finally had enough that they were beyond any doubt and that’s when they arrest Carter. It wasn’t this “let’s frame a black guy and throw him in the jail.” They did a lot to do it right.
GM: Is there anything else that you would like to add regarding your coverage of this case and to the people that are just realizing that there are two sides to this story?
Carter counts on you not knowing squat about the case and most people don’t check out anything he says and he banks on that and ninety-nine percent of the time, he is right. I was the one percent who went back and questioned him and I was looked down upon me at the time and other press people looked down on my like I was nuts. I believe that he is guilty and everyone else is running around saying that he’s innocent. A New York Times reporter actually kissed Carter the second time that he was convicted and that doesn’t scream of press keeping its distance. It just goes to show how close the press was to him and the press just bought it. The New York Times was part of it and it was a shame that they did that. They bought it hook, line, and sinker and it makes it harder for me to make other people look at the other side of the story and to take me seriously.
One last thing. Al Bello on the morning of the murders, he sees this murder scene. He is all excited and shows up at Ken Kellog’s apartment and he asked Bello: “What happened,” and Bello said: “Carter shot up the whole bar.” Carter shot up the whole bar. That’s not police intimidation. That’s not racist conspiracy. That’s one friend talking to another friend and Ken Kellog testified to that in front of a grand jury in 1966, I think. It’s on the record. I think that that’s very enlightening…what one friend tells another.
WRITER’S FINAL THOUGHTS
I want to first thank Cal Deal for the time and encourage everyone to check out his website by There is a video that is very interesting, showing you the getaway route along with other points in regards to positioning of the witnesses as opposed to the movie’s point of view. No matter where you stand on the case, it is an interesting site and put together very well.
The Rubin “Hurricane” Carter story is a fascinating tale and one that will probably live on forever, but how much of it is true and how much of it is fiction to make Carter’s character look more favorable then it was is debatable. I have to say that my initial belief that the former middleweight boxer was innocent has been rattled by Cal Deal’s website. There are certain facts, such as the bullets found in the car, the connection between Carter and the Waltz Inn incident, and the identification of both the car and the shooters by Al Bello and Patty Valentine, that certainly back up the case against Carter. Also, the hand written letter that Carter wrote to enforce an alibi that wasn’t there and the many witnesses for the defense that have admitted under oath that they lied are also big factors in this case. I do have a couple of reservations however before I proclaim Carter guilty. I am curious to know why Detective Desimone informed Carter that he passed the lie detector test if he did not. I don’t know what the motivation could be. If he was playing with “The Hurricane,” it may lend some credence to his claims of racism.
The movie “The Hurricane,” and his autobiography: “The 16th Round” seem to be bias and the question must be posed: If Rubin Carter is blurring the facts as he did in the Giardello bout, the pedophile that he stood up against, the racist detective that followed him since youth, and the facts of the triple murder in Paterson, New Jersey that night, is he fabricating his innocence. I will let you be the judge. I would like to invite Rubin “Hurricane” Carter for an interview, for his side of the story.
Click Here to Visit Cal Deal's website
]]>
By Daniel “Tex” Cohen
There are particular fights throughout history in which one fighter becomes a different boxer than he was before the fight. These occurrences happen in terms of ascending or descending patterns. A boxer can climb the stairs or fall down them in terms of making a name and symbol for himself. Sometimes, like Jermain Taylor did against Kelly Pavlik, one can stumble physically while succeeding metaphorically.
The same happened to Erik Morales in his second fight with Manny Pacquiao. In the first fight, Morales, 48-4, 34 KO's, was able to put together the punches necessary to not only hit Pacquiao, 41-3, 33 KO's, hard but also hit him often. The battle had been a twelve round bloody mess, with Pacquiao’s face looking to be covered in Halloween prop scars. Morales, with bloody shorts, was able to raise his hand that day when he was announced as the winner by unanimous decision.
There was not a more sought after rematch in the sport at the time. There was plenty of controversy following the first fight. Besides that, Pacquiao’s greatness was hailed through out the sport after his beat down of Marco Antonio Barrera. Morales had won the first fight by choosing the right times to box and bang.
There were several quirks to the first fight. The most dramatic of these was Morales’ decision to box southpaw in the twelfth round and get rocked so badly that it looked at times as if he would go down. The bewildering decision by the Mexican fighter combined with several other elements to cast doubt on the outcome.
Pacquiao was originally denied the use of his preferred gloves because of a contract signed by his promoter. Also, Pacquiao suffered a huge gash over his eye that was clearly caused by a butt. The cut was ruled from a punch, sending Pacquiao into a mode of urgency.
All these wide turns of could have affected the outcome of the fight and left plenty on the plate for each fighter in the second fight. It also meant that both men would be hungrier than ever to get back at an opponent. Whether or not Pacquiao would turn on the guns and take back the initiative was yet to be seen.
As a sign of weakness and point of entry into Morales’ ability and arsenal, he was coming off of a loss entering the rematch with Pacquiao. In between the first two fights, Morales faced Zahir Raheem in what was supposed to be a tune up fight. Rahim applied relentless pressure to Morales and bullied him all the way to a unanimous decision in September of 2005. In that fight, the crowd booed and groaned as it became more and more apparent that their favorite fighter was destined to lose.
Now, Morales struggled to make the 130 pound super featherweight weight limit necessary to fight Pacquiao. Even so, odds for the rematch were dead even in most audiences and very narrowly tilted in favor of Morales in Las Vegas. The scene at the Thomas and Mack Center was a chaotic frenzy. Every seat in the house was packed and screaming and got what they deserved for their money. From the opening bell, the action never stopped.
The first two rounds featured a blitzkrieg by Pacquiao, with the southpaw slithering and rushing his way inside and landing numerous strafing left hands and crosses down the middle. Morales was rocked hard several times in the round and landed only occasional leather. When he did land the shots were strong. Pacquiao more or less dominated the pace and returned to his style at the end of the second round.
Morales was back in the right gear over the next few rounds. Moving in a slightly more tactical manner, Morales landed plenty of jabs and combinations to pile up points. He also abandoned his flat footed counter-punching for a stick and move strategy that utilized his reach. It seemed as though he had taken control and found a road map to winning the fight.
Pacquiao came out like a gangbuster in the sixth round and put on a fearless display that would set the tone for the rest of the bout. His hands increased in speed as he landed shots in bunches of five and six. He rocked Morales with shots to both the body and head and nailed him with a volley that stumbled Morales badly with less than thirty seconds to go in the round. Morales returned to his corner looking beaten, with blood coming from his nose.
Over the remaining rounds, Pacquiao continued to unleash his fury on Morales’ battered body. With each round, Morales would flurry back for less and less time and return to his stool looking more and more dejected. With each round, Pacquiao landed more and more combinations and dictated more and more of the pace.
Throughout rounds eight and nine, Pacquiao began to land more and more vicious shots. His right uppercut and his hard left hook thudded at will. Morales returned to his stool both times with blood shot eyes and a busted face.
It was in the tenth round that Pacquiao finally sealed the deal against a flat footed and fatigued Erik Morales. He unleashed a flurry of punches that sent Morales back one last time, softening him with right hands to the body. Morales retreated and dropped his hands to protect his ribs, leaving Pacquiao just enough room to land a crushing left hook that sent Morales to the mat on hands and knees for only the second time in his career.
Morales showed his nearly routine display of courage by climbing to his feet, but it appeared that the bout was over. Pacquiao jumped on him immediately after he rose from the mat and ended the fight by putting him back down. Kenny Bayles made the merciful stoppage at 2:33.
Pacquiao ran to his corner and basked in his victory. The performance was impressive and career defining. He had beaten back one of his ghosts convincingly. He credited himself… and his gloves.
"The gloves I use Cleto Reyes are the gloves I like and they are more comfortable," Pacquiao he said in a post fight interview. "Every time I hit him in the body he stopped punching but I was careful because he was a power puncher. He was hurt to the body first before I hit him in the head. If he got up the second time I knew I would finish him."
Morales told the cameras what most already knew. I was tired and it is an accumulation of all the hard fights," Morales confided after the defeat. "It was just very hard and I fell down because I was just tired. I was tired because of making weight. I hadn't made 130-pounds in over a year and the body can't take that much more and I was just exhausted."
Of course, Morales found it appropriate for there to be a third fight between the two. He fought Pacquiao ten months later and was swallowed up in three rounds. He fought one more time again after that and lost a close decision to WBC Lightweight Champion David Diaz in August, announcing his retirement afterward.
Pacquiao went on successfully to beat Oscar Larios before taking the rubber match with Morales in the third fight. Then, he trounced Jorge Solis by an eighth round knockout and settled business with a clear cut unanimous decision victory of Marco Antonio Barrera. Pacquiao is slated to fight early next year in one of many possible combinations that are expected to be all time classic match ups. Possible opponents that have been mentioned include Juan Manuel Marquez, Juan Diaz, and Edwin Valero.
]]>
By Daniel “Tex” Cohen
In November of 2003, it would have been appropriate to use the old adage of geriatrics all over the world by saying that the “times were a changing.” At that point, the US had entered and stayed in the country of Iraq for eight months. The Democratic Presidential Nomination process was entering the home stretch prior to the last minute scramble and victory of John Kerry nearly a year prior to his 2004 loss to President George W. Bush. The Boston Red Sox were entering a tough off season following a game seven collapse in their classic American League Championship Series against the hated New York Yankees. The Dynasty of the Los Angeles Lakers ended when Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs took the championship the summer before. In October of that same year, California Governor Gray Davis was recalled and replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Davis gained some company in the historical loser category later that month when Steve Bartman reached up and touched a fly ball that may or may not have been caught by an airborne Moises Alou in left field during a pivotal Game 6 of the National League Championship Series.
Given the events of the world in general and specifically the sporting world, the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera was not the most important thing going on to most world watchers. However, it was as important as it gets in the world of boxing, the Philippines and Mexico. Manny Pacquiao is and was a rock star in his country and was 37-2, 30 KO’s, entering the showdown. Barrera, 57-3, 40 KO’s, going into the fight, was the more battle tested of the two entering the fight, splitting two decisions to Erik Morales in outright wars, obliterating the undefeated record of Prince Naseem Hamed in embarrassing fashion, coasting easily past Johnny Tapia and knocking out Kevin Kelley in four rounds.
Pacquiao’s experience at the time included his dominant six round performance against Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in which he took the IBF Super Bantamweight Title, a one sided second round knockout of Jorge Eliecer Julio and an erasure of the undefeated record of Emmanual Lucero in only three rounds. Essentially, Pacquiao was unproven on paper but was seen as an ultimate knockout machine with an incredibly pleasing style. The fight with Barrera would be his chance to prove that he was the real deal once and for all.
However, the days leading into the fight featured a high turn in the tide of what was to come. Barrera trained at his Los Angeles Big Bear training camp at the time. Nearby forest fires actually forced him to cut his training short. He also was forced to fly back and forth between San Antonio and Houston the week before the fight because of an order from the Texas Boxing Commission concern regarding his brain surgery from roughly four years earlier. Barrera was handling an ugly divorce from his wife and a separation from his corrupt managers, switching to Golden Boy Promotions in the process. Essentially, Barrera met with more doctors and lawyers than trainers and speed bags in the pivotal period leading up to the fight.
The two fighters finally butted heads on November 15th of 2003 in San Antonio, Texas. The Alamodome was absolutely rocking that night. The official attendance for the evening was 10,127. While that number is not so hot for a Spurs game, it is known to be plenty in boxing. The nature of the fans makes for a different sort of experience than basketball, such to the extent that 10,000+ boxing fans is worth as much as a sellout Spurs crowd any day.
The fight started off at a fast pace with both men trading shots to the body and several long jabs to the head. Pacquiao was immediately able to establish distance and a stylistic competitive advantage over Barrera. Only thirty seconds in, Barrera tossed Pacquiao to his left with a sweeping shove as Pacquiao’s ankle turned. Pacquiao came tumbling to the mat, prompting referee Laurence Cole to call a knockdown and count to ten. Pacquiao got to his feet in less than a three seconds and looked in total shock that the slip had been ruled a knockdown.
The Barrera thrived on the momentum and stepped on the gas, landing several hard shots to the body. Pacquiao landed leather of his own with long straight shots down the pipe of his opponent. When the bell rang, the fight looked to be an even match.
In the second round, Barrera made a tactical decision to take another step back and allow Pacquiao to be at the end of his punches. With roughly a minute to go in the round, Barrera ripped a huge combination. This prompted the crowd to chant Pacquiao’s name and Pacquiao to raise one fist in the air as he began a huge rally down the stretch of the round. Pacquiao danced in perfect motions around Barrera, peppering the Mexican fighter with whirlwind hooks and spearing jabs. By the end of the round he had thrown a hundred shots.
It was in the third round that Barrera suffered a knockdown from a 1-2 combination down the pipe that sent him to his butt. He took the Pacquiao whirlwind for the rest of the round and returned to his corner with a red swell on his left cheek.
Over the next two rounds, Barrera tried to box and slow the pace. While successful for brief moments, the efforts would always amount to Pacquiao launching and landing combinations of straight rights, lefts and right hand hooks to the body. In the sixth, Pacquiao dropped him yet again. However, Laurence Cole ruled that the fall was from a slip.
Barrera would make his last stand in the seventh round after a cut opened up over his left eye. Cole ruled the cut was an accidental head butt and Barrera was now forced to continue with the cut. He fought forcefully off the break ruling from the referee and let his hands free, trading shots evenly. Pacquiao’s knifing jab began to wear Barrera. Barrera attempted to butt Pacquiao near the bell, receiving only a warning for the maneuver.
After a brawling eighth round in which the action was decent on both ends, the fight was rather anticlimactic. Pacquiao frustrated Barrera and pounded him with incredibly fast combinations. Barrera was deducted a point for hitting on the break in the ninth round and took a beating through the tenth before Pacquiao knocked him to the deck yet again in the eleventh. It took only a few seconds for Jorge Barrera to run across the ring and step in for the stoppage.
In the end, the outcome of this fight was not a question for more than six rounds depending on the IQ of the person asked. Barrera was clearly outgunned and he could not outbox Pacquiao because the faster man can dictate the pace. The same game plan that defeated Rocky Juarez is not universal to all opponents. Jorge Barrera continued to ask Marco for speed but the flurry just was not there. As for Pacquiao, Freddy Roach was calm with him the entire fight and methodically helped him break down Barrera, explaining toward the end of the evening, “If you follow up that right hook with a left hand, you’re going to knock him out.”
This fight was the first in a long list of battles against top flight competition for Pacquiao, competing with tremendous success. He faced Juan Manuel Marquez in his very next fight and traded shots in one of the greatest fights of the decade, won two of three slug fests with Erik Morales and knocked Morales out twice, out boxed Oscar Larios for twelve rounds and erased the undefeated record of Jorge Solis. Overall, he has been 6-1-1, 5 KO’s in the aftermath of his conquest of Barrera.
Barrera has had a fine streak in that time period as well, dominating Paulie Ayala in a tenth round knockout, taking a majority decision over Morales to earn the victory in their three fight series, out boxing Robbie Peden and Rocky Juarez (twice) and losing a close decision to Juan Manuel Marquez. He is 6-1, 2 KO’s in the aftermath period.
]]>
Interview by Geno McGahee
“I don’t really like to boast too much but I would like to say that I’m going to give this heavyweight class a problem.” --Rashad Minor
The United States has had a strangle hold of the heavyweight title forever it seems and now that it has been several years since we can claim that distinction, we have been feverishly looking for the one to come and take it back. Lamon Brewster and Tony Thompson seemed to have the tools to do just that but have since fallen by the wayside and with Nikolay Valuev, Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko, Sam Peter, and David Haye near the top of the heap, the American heavies seem to be fading away, but there is a very interesting one on the horizon.
Rashad “Hit’em Hard” Minor, 1-0, 1 KO, obviously doesn’t have the professional experience to jump right into a title fight, but he has several things going in his favor and making him a man to watch in months to come. He was a acclaimed amateur, winning the 1993-1994 National Junior Olympic Championship, and drawing comparisons to Muhammad Ali with his hand speed and natural ability. He would abandon the sport and succeed at Basketball, showing his versatility as an athlete, but he has returned home to pugilism and may be coming along at just the right time.
After some bad decisions and some time in State prison, Minor has emerged and found Trainer Sean “Fitzy” Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is well known in Massachusetts and had a very successful career in boxing himself, retiring with a record of, 29-2-2, 11 KO’s, and may be best known for his near victory over legendary Roberto Duran before running out of gas and collapsing from a body blow. Fitzy shifted his focus to training, opened a gym “Camp Fitzy’s” and is now trying to guide young fighters in the area in the right direction and protect them from the corruption in boxing. Fitzy is one of the good guys in boxing and the meeting between he and Minor is a match made for success. Out of Fitzy’s stable, Minor’s got a major chance to stand out.
On September 6, 2008, Minor made his professional debut with a 38 second stoppage of Joel Eduardo Jaquez-Colon at the Roxy in Boston, Massachusetts. He will be fighting in the very near future and plans to keep up a busy schedule, focus on boxing and his family and he has the personality to win fans over and outgrow the boxing city of Worcester and become a sensation nationally.
I had the opportunity to sit down with the hopeful heavyweight and bring RSR a man on the rise. Ladies and Gentlemen, RSR presents Rashad “Hit’em Hard” Minor…
GM: You won your pro debut in 38 seconds. Was it your intention to go in there and just make an impression to the boxing world?
The day before, when we were at the weigh in, he kind of said a couple of sweet things if you know what I mean. I can be very gentleman like and I can be really, really rude, and that’s how I carried myself my entire life. I just came out of state prison, so it’s not like I was around a bunch of nice guys and I couldn’t be nice all the time, you know. This guy came out and he said a couple of things that I didn’t like, so I said, you know what I’m just going to go in there and take it to him. I wanted to make an impression on my fans…a couple of them were pissed off because they came all the way from Worcester to Boston for just 38 seconds.
I did more work hitting the mitts then I did in the ring. Something just came over me. I hadn’t been in the ring for a long time and I have never been in the ring with no headgear on and shirt off, so it was like my animal instinct kicked. I felt like an animal. It’s probably not a good thing to say, but I did.
GM: The stuff he was saying…was it in relation to your time in prison?
No, he was saying something when I got on the scale. When I got on the scale, I heard a commissioner or one of those guys say: “That’s a heavyweight.” And he said something to the effect that it didn’t matter the size, it’s the heart, and he then said: “Did you hear that?!” He said it really tough…you know what I mean? We’re fighters, so automatically my instinct went up and I said: “We’ll see if you have one tomorrow” or something like that.
GM: Now did you know anything about this guy before you fought him? Did he have any amateur experience or any other fighting experience that would make him this confident that you knew of?
I really didn’t know too much about him. It was weird. I had been out for six weeks…training for five. So I felt good and I decided just to take it right to him. I should have relaxed and boxed and see where he was at, but once I touched him once…I saw that jab touch him, I could just see that look in his eyes and just knew that I had to get him out of there.
GM: You are fighting in a couple of weeks. How is training going for that and do you have an opponent lined up yet?
I don’t know who my opponent is going to be but I feel bad for him. I don’t mean to talk junk about him, but today Fitzy gave me some leeway and picked me up at 9 AM instead of 6 AM, and the training is extensive. I feel like a whole new person. I have been in the game for a long time but I have never felt this hungry before. I can actually taste it.
GM: Are you planning on keeping this schedule that seemed to work for the Mike Tysons and George Foremans of the world, where you box once or twice a month and keep busy?
That is my plan…to build it up. I guess that we are going to be going independent for a little while and we are going to talk with a couple of managers actually and see if we can get one that can manage my career and to back me because that helps (laughs). Hopefully we will get a promoter soon once I build up this record, but I don’t want to be fighting dudes that are not fighting back. Hopefully as it goes on, we get better opponents.
GM: Do you think that it’s an edge for you having Fitzy in your corner because he was a fighter and dealt with the nonsense outside of the ring that you will encounter and perhaps he can counter that and get around it and sort of look out after you which is something that didn’t happen in his career to a large degree?
It’s like this. I’m sure that you are familiar with Jose Antonio Rivera and Rocky Gonzalez, Sean Fitzgerald, Bobby Harris…we are all brothers. We all come from our father, Carlos Garcia. So when I get a contract, and just because Jose is not training me or Rocky is not training me, I can call any one of those guys at any given time like me and you are talking right now and ask them because we are brothers. We don’t take things personally. They are looking out for my best interest.
As far as Sean, he’s had a couple hard moments over the fight years…he’s been on both sides, the winning side and the losing side and I put my life in his hands because he’s not going to allow me to get hurt. He won’t allow me to dive in head first into an empty swimming pool.
GM: You were 291 for your pro debut. I’m assuming that this is not your ideal weight. Are you going to be gradually coming down and if so, what is your ideal weight in your opinion?
I’m like 278…280 right now because we’ve turned it up a lot, especially with the running and the rounds inside the gym. My ideal weight would be 260. At 260, I will be really unbelievable. I think I’m unbelievable now (laughs). I’m also my worst critic. I’ve seen that youtube fight and I do not like that…where the extra weight is and I have to get this weight off but they tell me to relax and that it’s going to come. I just keep running and keeping myself in shape. I’m 280 right now and I have stepped it up to five miles in the morning of running. So, I’m feeling really good and that’s sort of going against scientific facts.
GM: A lot of fighters have fought at a heavier weight and have been effective and have been in shape, despite what the scale says and what the critics believed.
Exactly. It’s a little tougher though when you have the extra weight. I have a little excess that I have to get off and I think that it will help out a lot.
GM: Style-wise, what boxer do you compare yourself to?
When I was an amateur, I always said Muhammad Ali. They would tell me that my movement for a heavyweight was unbelievable, but now, because my jab is so powerful and quick, I have to say Larry Holmes. Holmes had the best jab of all time. When I would fire the jab off, I would see him, and then with the size of a young George Foreman…there’s a bunch of ways that I can go with it.
GM: Why don’t you think American heavyweights aren’t ruling the division as they have in the past?
It seems like the guys from overseas are hungrier. They are the ones that are taking all of the belts and I don’t see any American heavyweights that really want it like that, outside of myself. It is kind of unbelievable not to see an American with the heavyweight title. The division has been owned by American heavyweights back in the day. It’s tricky. It’s a tricky question. It’s hard to answer. Those guys are hungrier and they are huge!
GM: Absolutely. You have Nikolay Valuev who is seven feet tall and the Klitschko brothers who are also in that range.
Yeah, John Ruiz just lost to Valuev.
GM: He did but I’m hearing mixed results. It seems that Ruiz gets screwed over a great deal and in Germany, there is a lot of talk about unfair treatment of American fighters.
John Ruiz makes everybody look bad. I don’t care what anybody says. This guy had eleven title fights. He is no bum being in eleven title fights. He won like three or four of them.
GM: And he beat Hasim Rahman, Kirk Johnson, and Golota…
He beat Evander Holyfield…come on! This guy is good. John Ruiz is the real deal. I’ve always watched him when I was young and this was maybe in 1996 and he fought Jeremy Williams in the amateurs at light heavyweight, I think. I was there to see that and I remember him then and when I saw him as a pro, I thought: “Wow this guy is good.” He does everything by the books. He buried his head in his shoulder, jabbed, buried his chin in his chest…everything is so textbook but he makes everybody look bad.
GM: I also think that he gets a lot of negative press unfairly. It is sad that he is a 2-Time Heavyweight Champion and everyone trashes him but they remain on the Hasim Rahman bandwagon, a man that he clearly beat.
I don’t understand that at all.
GM: Do you know the location of your next fight? Where is it going to be held?
Well, they’re talking about another Cappiello Brothers card, if not in Boston then in Worcester, my hometown and that would be nice to bring it back to my hometown fans. I was shocked in Boston that two hundred plus came to the fight from Worcester and showed me the love and I wasn’t even the main event.
GM: Worcester has always been great for boxing. When Jose Antonio Rivera would fight, they would pack into the DCU Center to support him.
I went to his one fight when he fought Luis Collazo and when Jose came out and I saw the crowd, it was unbelievable! I couldn’t believe it. He brought everybody out!
GM: And you have to wonder why that wasn’t the main event instead of Jean Marc Mormeck versus Wayne Braithwaite.
Why would they do that? It didn’t make any sense. That’s one thing about Worcester though. That’s one thing that we do. In a way we are like Brooklyn. Whenever they have a fighter or anything that they have that’s a star or anything like that, they come out and support.
I looked around after the fight and congratulated so many people and now they are coming and congratulating me. As I looked around I brought four or five different rivalries together. They were in there…I’m not going to say gangs or whatever, but rivalries. I could not believe that I brought this many people together like this. Maybe I’m the next Obama or something like that (laughs). It was a real blessing and when I got to the ring and heard the crowd, I was in awe. It turned me into another person…like I had an alter ego, as if I was on the outside looking in at myself. It was just the weirdest feeling.
GM: And you have something very marketable going on. You are a heavy handed heavyweight from Worcester. If you continue to knock people out, they may have to build a new stadium to fit the people. With the retirement of Rivera, Worcester is looking for the next big thing.
The definition of a Worcester boy is me. I grew up in the Boy’s Club, I went to college at Becker, I went to North High School, I got into a little trouble, but I cleaned up my image. I’m a Boy’s Club kid. I’m trying to get it right. I don’t want to be looked at and for people to say that: “He went to Becker and the Boy’s Club and North High School, but he also sold drugs.” I don’t want that to be the end of my story.
GM: Boxing has provided a platform for redemption for many and everyone does stupid things when they are young. This is going to be your second chapter of life here but you are still going to have people focus on the negative and your misdeeds in the past. Is that going to hurt you mentally?
It’s like I told my wife. We sat down and talked about it because we got sort of ridiculed and I should have because it was my fault. I did it. I did my time and there is nothing else I can say about it, but all publicity is good publicity, especially in the sport that I’m in. Look at Mike Tyson. He was accused and did time for rape, and he is still one of the most popular people ever.
GM: When he came out of prison for rape, he became bigger than ever.
And it wasn’t all positive. It’s just unbelievable.
GM: You have also excelled in basketball. Do you find that experience and the training that you had in that sport beneficial in any way to your boxing?
When we were younger, I never really trained. I never really put any thought into training. The first time that I trained was when I was on the US Junior Olympic Team and I think that it kind of scared me away. The training was unbelievable. You wake up in the morning and run a mile and a half just to get there to the track to run six miles. I came back in the best shape of my life. When we fought against Ireland and Canada, I ended up fighting some kid from Canada named Adam Coppola or something like that and I made this kid look so bad. The training is unreal. There wasn’t a time in the day that you could kick back and relax.
When it came to basketball, I just did what I wanted. I just went on the court and was dunking on people and this is Junior College Basketball. It was just a natural ability and all of my older cousins played basketball. My cousin was an All American. He played for the University of North Carolina. He was unbelievable as a basketball player. He was 6’10” and that’s my background. My Uncle was a boxer and he got killed in 1979 and he was a great boxer. It all stems from the Boy’s Club. You play basketball and you box.
GM: Why did you choose boxing over basketball?
In 2004, I came up with the assumption that basketball isn’t going to make it because there are only so many people that make in the sport. I knew that boxing was my avenue, plus I love to fight. I have always been a fighter since day one and anyone in my family will definitely tell you that since I was four or five years old. It just came natural.
GM: Do you have anything to say in closing…whatever you want to say.
Whatever I want to say? Be careful because “Hit’em Hard” is coming. I don’t really like to boast too much but I would like to say that I’m going to give this heavyweight class a problem. I’m going to give them a real problem and tell them that here it comes. I also would like to thank all the people that supported me when I was down and out…my wife, my kids, my family. I don’t really want to get too deep and have you write a book. I do have a RIP that I want to do my brother. I have been going through his trial for the last two and a half weeks. He was murdered in 2006 in August.
GM: I’m sorry to hear that.
Thanks…it’s the way that life is man…you know what I mean? I just want to give him a rest in peace and my little cousin who drowned when he was five years old last summer. The tragedy is there, so it’s even a bigger push. And I hope that I can be the American Heavyweight Champion.
Rashad Minor
Division: Heavyweight
Professional Record: 1-0, 1 KO
Date Opponent W-L-D Location Result
2008-09-06 Joel Eduardo Jaquez-Colon 0-0-0 Boston, USA W TKO 1
]]>
Interview by Mike "Rubber Warrior" Plunkett
“I am the wave of the future which is the past”--Nate Campbell
I first became aware of Nate “The Galaxxy Warrior” Campbell way back in January of 2003 when he fought on the Vernon Forrest/Ricardo Mayorga undercard. His opponent was the much-lauded former WBA Super Featherweight champion and future WBC Lightweight Champion Joel Casamayor. My initial impression was that despite his glossy and undefeated 23-0 record he had been brought-in as an opponent, but over the course of that contest, he demonstrated a seasoning and sharpness that went beyond the mere numbers on his ledger at the time. He came out of that bout on the short end of a very questionable split decision, but in hindsight, “The Galaxxy Warrior” was really furthering his ongoing education in The School of Pugilistic Hard Knocks, and going through a period of refinement.
Former World Heavyweight Champion, Lennox Lewis, once stated that winning and losing were on the very same page. But the reality is that all too often a loss or a series of losses takes away from the public’s perception of a fighter. Today’s reality is that the power brokers of boxing seem to really only care about undefeated records, forgetting that many of the greats through our sport’s long and illustrious history endured setback and disappointment. From Henry Armstrong through to Marvelous Marvin Hagler and beyond, great prize fighters have had to overcome adversity and career setback. Such is all a part of the essence of their greatness.
Like the aforementioned greats of old, and fueled by unwavering self belief, “The Galaxxy Warrior” understood the value of focus, perseverance and the old school method of learning along the way. Today, as the IBF/WBA/WBO Lightweight Champion, he is the product of those rare fistic virtues and for this writer it was a great honor to represent RSR and to discuss with him his career, his views on the sport and life in general.
MP: You had what has to be regarded as an accomplished amateur boxing career. How did you first become interested in boxing and were there any early influences that drew you to the sport?
I had 36 fights, 30 wins. I did it all in three years. I was 25 when I started. What drew me was, as a young kid I boxed but I never competed. I always wanted to box but I was playing basketball all of the time. I needed some way to pass the time while going through a bad marriage. I had been looking for a gym and I found one. It pushed me back to something I had been doing all of my life off and on. I made the Olympic Trials. I just didn’t go. I went pro instead.
MP: Turning professional in 2000, you tore through twenty-one opponents before facing Daniel Alicea for the NABA/NABF Super Featherweight Title, a fighter that had once dropped a prime Naseem Hamed in a losing bid for the WBO Featherweight crown. You knocked him out in three rounds, a win that positioned you for the big time. What are your recollections of this period and the aftermath of the win?
Man, when I beat Daniel Alicea by knockout, it was probably one of the best knockout punches, the stances you’ll see; with me standing as he‘s crumbling down to the canvas, with my right hand raised, as I pull it back. It was a terrific automatic recoil with the shot being so powerful. Alicea hit hard and he threw a lot of punches. One thing I remember about Danny, I saw him when I did an ESPN show up in New York, with Joe Tessitore some time ago. When I saw him, he’s was always just such a good person. So when he went down, I did my job but I wanted him to be OK.
MP: It’s all about being professional
You know what? I want to explain something to you. Being professional would mean me knocking him out and not giving a damn. That’s professional. Believe it or not, people fail to realize something. “Professional” is not running over and helping some guy off of the ground. This is a blood sport. And for those that have forgotten that this is a blood sport, they need to look at what we do for a living; we hurt each other. Professionalism is not going over to see if a guy is OK. That’s just something decent and good inside of us.
MP: You came out on the short end of what many feel was an unjust unanimous decision loss to Joel Casamayor in January of 2003. In his very next bout he stopped the late Diego Corrales in an IBF Title Eliminator. Considering the heights Casamayor later reached in his career, your bout with him and the ensuing controversy takes on a whole new light.
He was easy! I thought to myself, damn there’s got to be more to this guy than this. I’m waiting to see this superstar, and I’m thinking to myself, basically I’m on his level. I knew right then, that somebody had lied, and maybe I was the one they lied to. You know what? It’s neither here no there ‘cause at the end of the day, the record says what the record says.
MP: Two of your losses are to Robbie Peden, one of which was for the vacant IBF Super Featherweight Title. What happened in those bouts and do you feel that you have unfinished business with him?
Know what? I could not fight at 130 by that point. I could never make the weight after that. The first fight, I made a bonehead choice. I could have beaten him, but I made a boneheaded play. It was something I did and something I have to pay for the rest of my life. But its something I learned from, more than paying for it, I learned something. So I don’t think in the first fight I came up with the short end of the stick. The second fight I got jobbed in every way possible. So, is there unfinished business? No. I could beat him any day of the weak at lightweight. I believe that deep inside that he knows I’m a different animal at a higher weight.
I like Robbie. People don’t understand that. Me and Robbie get along good. I want Robbie to do the very best he can do with his non-profit organization in Australia. Help as many kids as he can. If he ever needs me to come over and do appearances, I’d do that. Whatever happened between us is history. I can’t change it. So why would I be upset over something I can’t change?
MP: From April 2005 through to July 2007 you went 6-2, 4 KO’s. The two losses were highly questionable split decision losses, one to the underrated Francisco Lorenzo and the other to Isaac Hlatshwayo. Many felt that those decisions should have gone your way. Throughout the setbacks, did you ever consider quitting the sport or did they just further galvanize your resolve to succeed?
You know what? There was something that happened to me in the Franciso Lorenzo fight. I was so dry from trying to make 131, 132 pounds. I should have moved up and never came down. I was so messed-up I could barely walk because I almost fainted on the way to the ring that night. Nobody knew that. But I fought the fight and didn’t pull out like a lot of these young guys do; most of them today, they just wuss out. I made the weight and took the loss like a man. I did it to myself so why should I punish that man by not giving him the chance? He did everything he was supposed to do the way he was supposed to do it and he came out on top. So I take that loss on the chin. He could never beat me at 135.
In the Isaac Hlatshwayo fight, the guy working my corner back then told me to box. When I came back to the corner, I said why would I box him when I was winning on the inside? He said “Nate, stay outside and just box. Just do this for me.” I said OK. He was my corner man, I listened to him, and I lost. A fight I would have won by knockout, but I never have made it my business to point fingers at him but it was up to me to follow his direction. I did it. But you’ll notice that after that fight, no one has come close to beating me.
Manny Pacquiao don’t want to see me. Marco Antonio Barrera called out my name, but that’s because he has to. Let me tell you something. I am the epitome of what a fighter should be. I am what most of these guys wish they could be. If you could build a fighter who had been through something and came out on top, they would be building me. I’m not bragging about that. Check my accolades, check what I’ve done. Look at what I have accomplished. No man in the history of boxing has fallen as far as I fell out of the graces of everyone that was anyone in boxing, and came back to do what I did, period. And to do it at 36 years of age is astounding. That’s a testament to me being something more than just a fighter. I don’t give up.
MP: In March 2008, you posted the biggest win of your career to date, out boxing and out working the previously undefeated Juan Diaz to win the IBF/WBA/WBO Lightweight Titles. Known for his speed and volume punching, Diaz was coming off of three successively big wins and riding a wave of confidence. In the weeks leading up to the match, you were very vocal about what you were going to do with Diaz. What are your recollections going into this bout?
He couldn’t beat me. I told the world he couldn’t beat me. I said it unequivocally, bet what you want bet. He can’t beat me because I understand something about the game of boxing. Losses and wins are not the testament of a man unless he’s not learning. What I learned in my five losses you can’t teach these guys in thirty-three, thirty-five, thirty-eight-whatever wins. You can’t teach them in that many wins, because what you learn in losses lasts a whole career. I fought the very best guys of my era. I’ve been in the ring with Sharmba Mitchell, Shane Mosely – I’m respected by my peers because I can do some things that are phenomenal. I can change speed, change styles, change pace, change everything right in the midst of fighting. Not any other fighter in the game of boxing can do that today.
MP: I remember thinking the age difference might be a factor in your fight with Diaz, and yet you were the one with more energy in the later rounds
You know what? I’ve always been this way. I’ve always been a dynamo. I’ve always been go, go, go, go. If I’d have grown up in today’s school system, they’d have put me on Ritalin and messed me all up, but the problem is, they don’t want this to be said, so I’ll say it. Stop putting these kids on Ritalin. Help these kids find something that they love to do and they won’t as hyper all of the time cause they’d spend more time thinking about what they love to do. It was basketball, and boxing, and football and baseball, tennis and soccer for me; stop putting these kids on Ritalin and messing them all up. That’s what they’re doing to these kids, dumming them all out and making them into little zombies and drug addicts. We’re losing the greatest athletes of our era today with that drug.
I’m 36 years-old but I still get around like a 20-something year-old man and I get around like a 20-something year-old man. Why? It’s just what God wanted me to be. I believe that God has given man youth but he has also given us experience and wisdom to help our youth sustain. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. I don’t do drugs. I’ve always taken care of this one body, it’s the only one I’ve ever had. Dude, I am what I am. I go to the gym every day. I refuse to do anything different. Now you got these guys throwing the steroid issue around. Steroids don’t give you stamina, they don’t make you take a punch any better. Steroids don’t make you better as a fighter, help you judge distance. They don’t do any of that. Not from what I know.
MP: Having faced both Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz, how would you compare them as foes? What were their strengths and weaknesses?
Joel was the dirtiest fighter I ever fought. He taught me more stuff about how to get away with dirty stuff than anybody in my career. He took it to the extreme, and they let him do it. Everything that he did was considered legal because they didn’t call it.
Diaz was a good little fighter. He’s going be something special one day as long as he stays away from guys like me.
MP: Your first title defense was set for last September against Joan Guzman, the undefeated former WBO Super Bantamweight and Super Featherweight Champion. Guzman failed to make weight at the official weigh-in, only to later pull out of the bout altogether. Give our readers your account of what happened and the impact this cancellation had on you and your team.
He punked out! He cost me and everybody around me money. He cost everybody involved money. He punked out! You understand what I’m saying? I said, dude you only have to drop one pound. I got it from here. You didn’t make weight, don’t worry about it. Show up to fight, but he still pulled out! The doctor said there was nothing wrong with him; I know this from his conditioning guy. He didn’t want to fight and he never wanted to fight. Let me explain something to you. Guys know real fighters when they see them. The problem is so much what is going on in America, in the boxing world today, is set up by what the people outside of the ring who work for the networks tell you to believe. They tell you believe. They tell you believe that Nate Campbell can’t sell and people don’t watch Nate Campbell, they are telling you a lie. Let me tell you something. I’m one of the best draws among non-Latin fighters. Latin people will come to see me fight before they go to see most of the other guys fight because they love what I do. You can’t teach what I do to these young guys because they don’t have the balls to stand there and learn it.
MP: What was your game plan for dealing with such a talented and elusive foe? Did you see weakness in his style?
Guzman’s whole style is a weakness. Cut him off and beat him up. I don’t rough guys up, I beat them up. They call it boxing but what is it really? Its professional prize fighting is what it is. That’s what I am.
I’m a mobile guy. I can get around the ring better than most guys in the world. I have great hand speed, tremendous defense, awesome counter-punching ability. I can lead, I can counter and I can punch. When I fought Kid Diamond, I walked him around the ring and beat him up. Then I danced around on him to set him up for the knockout.
MP: What are your thoughts on Juan Manuel Marquez’ recent 11th round stoppage of Joel Casamayor and how do you see Marquez doing with Juan Diaz later in February?
I didn’t see the fight. From what I heard he fought a good fight. He fought a washed-up guy and took eleven rounds to knock him out. I hope he does well against Diaz because I’ll get the fight with him without any drama. So I’m pulling for him to win. I’ll be at the fight sitting ringside so I can call whoever wins, call him out like a man. Let’s do this and stop playing games.
MP: Looking at the current boxing landscape, rate your contemporaries in Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao and where do you feel you fit in.
I’m above the rest, there’s no one better than me at lightweight. I’m the best lightweight in the world. They can give these names, linear this, linear that. If you think any of those guys can beat me, you are a fool!
When you stop and think about guys like Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao, their names look and sound good, but I am the wave of the future. I’m the all around fighter that’s been through something. I am the wave of the future which is the past! Let me explain it. I am the wave of the future because now fighters with losses on their ledger like me, Antonio Margarito and the other guy, Joshua Clottey, those guys are the ones that make that difference in a division. It’s not these guys with these zeros on their record. In the past all of the great fighters had losses but they would still be loved by the fans.
MP: What did you think of the proposed Manny Pacquiao/Ricky Hatton light welterweight match-up and who do you feel will prevail in that bout?
You no what? I really don’t know who will win that fight. I really don’t feel much about it because it doesn’t have anything to do with me. I’m just worrying about
me because they are just fighting around me. If I ever got a shot at either one of them I’d beat either one of them. That’s the way I feel.
MP: Would you consider a move up to light welterweight to face Ricky Hatton or Manny Pacquiao if the opportunity presented itself?
Oh yeah, without a doubt – after I handle my business at lightweight.
MP: You are scheduled to defend your titles against the once beaten Ali Funeka of South Africa on February 14th. What are your thoughts going into this contest?
I’m going do what I do best and he better bring his game ‘cause mine is already brought! See, everybody though because he beat Zahir Raheem and they make that out to be something great. Who did Zahir Raheem ever beat? Who at lightweight did he ever beat? He beat Erik Morales who was washed-up. He beat nobody at lightweight. Now he’s the guy I have to fight. I’m not running from him and I’m not afraid of him. He’s in my way and I don’t go around nothing - I go through it!
MP: In closing, is there anything that you would like to say to your fans around the world?
I want to say this to my fans. To those people who believe in me all these years and never gave up hope in me, thank you. I am eternally honored. For the rest of my life, I will always be remembered as a champion because you all believed in me. There were a lot of people that gave up on me, but I can remember getting letters and messages from fans even after I had losses. That would bring so much joy to me. I would always send them a glove or a picture in response to their support. I am so happy. So happy and so blessed to be where I am and I thank the fans for their support.
Nate Campbell
Nickname: “The Galaxxy Warrior”
Division: Lightweight
Professional Record: 32-5-1, 25 KO’s
Date Opponent W-L-D Location Result
2000-02-05 Scoey Fields 5-14-0 Tallahassee, USA W TKO 1
2000-05-26 Alex Brenes 1-1-1 Miami Beach, USA W TKO 2
2000-06-23 John Trigg 4-6-4 Biloxi, USA W TKO 4
2000-10-28 Sergio Jose Olivas 7-0-0 Miami, USA W TKO 6
2000-12-03 Ivan Dawson 5-0-1 Miami, USA W TKO 2
2001-01-18 John Frazier 3-6-1 Biloxi, USA W KO 3
2001-02-22 Antonio Young 3-4-2 Tampa, USA W TKO 2
2001-04-21 Jaime Torres 8-6-0 Homestead, USA W TKO 3
2001-05-05 Antonio Smith 7-23-2 Philadelphia, USA W KO 1
2001-05-11 Angel Rios 8-1-0 Savannah, USA W UD 6
2001-06-23 Keith Major 1-9-0 Tampa, USA W KO 2
2001-07-28 Antonio Smith 7-24-2 Savannah, USA W TKO 2
2001-08-11 Steve Trumble 11-13-0 Melbourne, USA W TKO 3
2001-08-31 Victorio Abadia 18-1-1 Baltimore, USA W TKO 8
2001-09-29 Elias Juarez 10-19-4 Savannah, USA W TKO 4
2001-11-10 Michael Jamison 10-4-0 Savannah, USA W TKO 1
2002-02-10 James Baker 11-1-3 Elgin, USA W TKO 9
2002-02-23 Joseph Figueroa 9-47-5 Savannah, USA W UD 8
2002-03-22 Alric Johnson 20-11-0 Savannah, USA W TKO 4
NABA Super Featherweight Title
2002-04-27 Jaime Torres 8-8-0 Uncasville, USA W TKO 5
2002-06-22 Carlos Navarro 23-2-1 Biloxi, USA W TKO 5
2002-09-14 Daniel Alicea 27-4-2 Las Vegas, USA W KO 3
NABA Super Featherweight Title
NABF Super Featherweight Title
2002-11-23 Renor Rojas Claure 23-14-2 Atlantic City, USA W KO 5
2003-01-25 Joel Casamayor 28-1-0 Temecula, USA L UD 10
2003-05-17 Edelmiro Martinez 20-2-0 Atlantic City, USA D PTS 10
2004-01-09 Daniel Attah 21-2-1 Uncasville, USA W UD 12
2004-03-14 Robbie Peden 22-2-0 Temecula, USA L KO 5
USBA Super Featherweight Title
2004-07-30 Edelmiro Martinez 21-2-1 Uncasville, USA W DQ 4
2005-02-23 Robbie Peden 24-2-0 Melbourne Park, Australia L TKO 8
Vacant IBF Super Featherweight Title
2005-04-29 Johnny Walker 18-13-0 Tampa, USA W TKO 2
2005-06-14 Francisco Lorenzo 21-3-0 Saint Petersburg, USA L SD 10
2005-10-01 Almazbek Raiymkulov 20-0-1 Tampa, USA W TKO 10
2006-01-27 Francisco Javier Olvera 15-2-0 Atlantic City, USA W RTD 6
2006-04-07 Isaac Hlatshwayo 23-0-0 Tampa, USA L SD 12
IBO Lightweight Title
2006-10-07 Matt Zegan 37-1-0 Rosemont, USA W UD 12
2007-03-02 Ricky Quiles 39-7-3 Tampa, USA W UD 12
2007-07-06 Wilson Alcorro 25-7-3 Tampa, USA W TKO 6
2008-03-08 Juan Diaz 33-0-0 Cancun, Mexico W SD 12
IBF Lightweight Title
WBA Lightweight Title
WBO Lightweight Title
]]>
Interview by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“Anytime I go into the ring, I always carry my country on my shoulders” – Joshua Clottey
The past couple of years have been an exciting time for the welterweight division. It has been a period in which a handful of notable talent has grabbed the imagination of fans all around the globe. In fact, several of our sport’s biggest marquee names have either made their home at one-hundred and forty-seven pounds, or have gravitated to it based on the attractive and lucrative opportunities currently available in the division. Adding to the excitement, the diverse nature of the skill sets this talent pool presents, and the distinct array of different heritages represented have served to color the characters at play, truly adding to the compelling nature of each of the many potentially marvelous match-ups.
Currently residing at the top of the welterweight talent pool, and firmly rated among the top three or four marquee notables, Joshua Clottey, 35-2, 20 KO’s, is a man that has traveled long and hard around the globe in search of opportunity and glory, both for himself and his proud homeland of Ghana. In the past thirty years Ghana has produced two very notable world champions, former WBA Welterweight Champion Ike “Bazooka” Quartey, and the great two-division former kingpin, Azumah “The Professor” Nelson. Last summer, “The Grand Master” succeeded in his quest to become a world champion, defeating former two-division champion Zab Judah to take the IBF Welterweight Title, a win that has not only positioned him alongside championship contemporaries such as WBA Champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Andre Berto, the reigning WBC Champion, but also with wildly popular former champions in Kermit Cintron, Miguel “Angel” Cotto and Antonio Margarito.
It’s a cinch that “The Grand Master” is in an enviable position relative to the potential paydays and attractive match-ups, but sometimes being dedicated, hungry and talented has a way of making it difficult to move forward. In boxing, winning is always the objective, but sometimes it works out that your success can be an impediment to further opportunities, especially if you possess the constitution of an iron man and the ability to hang tough in the trenches regardless of the style presented. Joshua Clottey finds himself in that rare twilight realm of being both blessed and damned, and like the great Azumah Nelson before him, the hopes and dreams of the Ghanaian people are placed squarely on his broad shoulders each and every time he steps into the squared-circle.
It was indeed a rare opportunity to represent RSR and sit down with Joshua “The Grand Master” Clottey to discuss the recent events in the welterweight division, his journey to the pinnacle of the sport, his feelings on title unification and his hopes for the future.
MP: How have you been doing since winning the IBF Welterweight Title last August and are you anxious to get back into action?
I’m ready to get back into action, you know. My manager and promoter gave me a contract to fight with Kermit Cintron, but I signed the contract and Cintron don’t want to fight, so the fight it off. I’m waiting to find out what is next.
MP: You had a record of 20-0 14 KO’s going into your bout against future WBC Welterweight Champion Carlos Baldomir back November 1999. Your record shows the outcome as being an eleventh-round disqualification loss. Tell us what happened?
Well I was winning the fight, you know. It looked like we had two promoters we were dealing with, Frank Maloney and Panos Eliades. So I was winning and the referee disqualified me for nothing with just a round left. In the fight there was only one round left; just one round. The people that were watching the fight, they started shouting and doing some bad, bad things. So I know that there must have been something between them, a boxing friendship behind the outcome; promotional interests that didn’t include me.
MP: In December 2006 you gave then-WBO Welterweight Champion Antonio Margarito one of his toughest fights, ultimately losing a unanimous decision. What are your recollections of that bout and Margarito as an opponent?
When they gave me a contract to fight him, I know that they regarded him as being somebody that nobody wanted to fight. They offered me the money to fight him, but I knew I would beat him. So they gave me the contract and I took lesser money because I knew I was going beat him and also it was for the world title. So what it really came down to was I was planning to throw a lot of punches on him, just do my thing and win. He was very, very strong and he came on late. I waited too long for some openings when I just should have kept throwing punches on him.
MP: How do you rate his punching power and do you have any comments on the recent suspension of his boxing license by the California State Athletic Commission pending an investigation into his having a plaster-like substance inserted into his hand wraps just before his recent bout with
“Sugar” Shane Mosley?
Well you know what? Maybe he was doing that for a long time. Nobody knows, you know? But I tell you, I always get prepared anytime I get a fight before I get into the ring, because boxing is a very hard sport. The way you are going to fight, you have to prepare yourself. So I always prepare myself really, really hard. Even if he was using illegal things and doing all of that, I felt his punches but not too much because I prepared very much for the fight. He was strong but I was ready.
MP: Getting back on the topic of your big title winning effort last summer, it looked to me as if you were on your way to stopping Zab Judah. What are your recollections of that bout and the moment where you knew you had won a world title?
Well I was #1 position and Zab was something like #4 or #5 in the rankings, but they gave me lesser money. They gave a lot of money to Judah. But I took the fight because I knew me and Zab Judah had a personal problem. He pushed my trainer while we were in training, then he tried to fight with me on the street because I challenged him to meet me in the ring. So when they gave me the contract, I was so happy although the money was not good, but I took it because I knew I would beat him and it was for the championship. I know how to spar with southpaws and that’s why I took the fight and I beat him. When I beat him and when I won the belt, all the time I spent listening to him and all the time I spent going all over the world trying to become a champion, right then in 2008 I was a champion. So I was very, very happy about that. I was thinking that when I became a champion, the guys that are going to want to fight me for the belt, but they just keep running away.
MP: Compare Zab Judah and Antonio Margarito as opponents for us.
Zab Judah is more complicated and difficult. Zab is a very slick southpaw. He’s got all the skills there, he don’t have the heart. Antonio Margarito is not that difficult. He’s really just very strong with a good chin, good head and he keeps coming. He’s a durable guy, but I kept looking too much for the openings to get there before jumping on him. So you have two fighters with very different attributes. Margarito is very durable guy who keeps on coming back, who don’t do too much about his game. Zab Judah has a lot to his game but he doesn’t have the heart. Talking about boxing, Zab is much better, more complicated than Margarito.
MP: Would you be interested in a series of unification bouts with your contemporaries and who would be your first choice among WBA Welterweight Champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley and Andre Berto, the current WBC Welterweight Champion?
Everybody knows that now Shane is the best in the welterweight division because he beat Antonio Margarito. Let me tell you, I knew Margarito was nobody with skills and Shane Mosley was going to beat him. Andre Berto will never fight me because he’s not prepared in America. So I don’t think that he will ever chance me. I want to fight with any of the better fighters. But right now if they would give me the chance to unify the titles I would be very, very much happy. I remember there was a time in 2006 they offered him a fight against me, when Lou Di Bella was my promoter. They said no. Now as a champion and now that I am here with the IBF belt, I think it would be good for us to fight, to unify.
MP: Ghana is a proud nation that has produced some notable boxing names in the past such as Azumah Nelson and Ike Quartey. Do you feel that you carry the weight of your nation on your shoulders whenever you enter the ring?
Exactly right! I never knew how important that was because I wasn’t a champion before. I knew that every time I won a fight they would celebrate and all that back home. But when I won the belt and went to Ghana to show the belt to them, they were all over. They were so happy. Even if you go watch it on You Tube, you will see on there. They were very happy that I won the belt. Everybody in Ghana knows I have to be among the world champions, because they have trust in me. They all know that and anytime I go into the ring, I always carry my country on my shoulders. For me to be the champion for my people, so they can be happy.
MP: Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans in closing?
Well, you know, I can’t understand one thing in America. I don’t know about my promoters, but they have to give me the chance. We have to unify the belts. We have to fight each other. They have to stop saying, this fighter or that fighter they don’t want to fight me. That means they are cowards. I don’t understand it. I want to fight with the best, for people to know me and recognize me as the best. If they don’t give me the chance, I will never get the opportunity. I want them to make them fight me. I’m there to unify the belts and I thank all of the Ghanaian people and all my fans for supporting me.
(Interviewers Closing Note: I would like to thank RSR’s Scott Hendrix for his invaluable assistance in setting up this interview. Without his faith and willingness to introduce me to Joshua Clottey, I would not have had the privilege of speaking with one of today’s most prolific ring warriors and a fine example of a world champion.)
Joshua Clottey
Nickname: “Grand Master”
Division: Welterweight
Professional Record: 35-3, 20 KO's
Date Opponent W-L-D Location Result
1995-03-31 Samuel Lotsu 0-1-0 Accra, Ghana W PTS 6
1995-04-14 Joseph Ayinakwa 0-0-0 Benin W TKO 2
1995-04-29 Smart Abbey 0-0-0 Accra, Ghana W TKO 4
1995-05-27 Jomo Jackson 0-1-0 Accra, Ghana W TKO 1
1995-06-03 Nazah Ayetoe 0-0-0 Benin W TKO 5
1995-06-30 Friday Steve Egwatu 0-0-0 Accra, Ghana W TKO 5
1995-07-14 David Duke 0-0-0 Togo W TKO 1
1995-08-25 Sam Akromah 16-10-1 Accra, Ghana W PTS 8
1995-10-25 Ran Coco 0-3-0 Accra, Ghana W TKO 3
1995-11-17 Friday Steve Egwatu 0-1-0 Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire (I W TKO 2
1995-12-22 Marciano Commey 16-2-0 Kaneshie, Ghana W PTS 12
Ghanaian Light Welterweight Title
1996-08-03 Dick Dosseh 1-3-0 Accra, Ghana W TKO 6
1996-10-07 Karl Taylor 14-29-3 Lewisham, United Kingdom W TKO 2
1996-12-28 Abbas De Souza 0-1-0 Accra, Ghana W TKO 2
1997-03-25 Mark Ramsey 13-11-2 Lewisham, United Kingdom W PTS 8
1997-07-12 Cameron Raeside 9-1-1 Kensington, United Kingdo W TKO 2
1997-11-01 Ike Obi 1-2-0 Accra, Ghana W PTS 8
1998-05-23 Dennis Berry 15-6-0 Bethnal Green, United Kin W TD 3
1999-05-01 Ali Mohammed 0-5-0 Accra, Ghana W KO 1
1999-10-19 Viktor Baranov 28-14-3 Bethnal Green, United Kin W TKO 6
1999-11-29 Carlos Manuel Baldomir 28-9-4 Wembley, United Kingdom L DQ 11
WBC International Welterweight Title
vacant International Boxing Council Welterweight Title
2001-04-27 Ike Obi 2-4-0 Kaneshie, Ghana W TKO 10
African Boxing Union Welterweight Title
2001-09-08 Didier Mebara 0-0-0 Kaneshie, Ghana W TKO 3
2001-11-30 Siki Benger 0-6-0 Kaneshie, Ghana W TKO 2
2002-12-06 Ayitey Powers 5-0-1 Accra, Ghana W UD 10
2003-11-21 Jeffrey Hill 23-4-0 New York, USA W TKO 6
2004-06-04 Christian Lloyd Joseph 12-4-3 Poughkeepsie, USA W UD 10
2004-07-24 Christopher Henry 18-7-0 Laughlin, USA W TKO 5
2005-02-18 Steve Martinez 46-5-1 Atlantic City, USA NC NC 2
2005-10-21 Marlon Thomas 35-5-1 Verona, USA W UD 10
2005-12-03 Marcos Primera 19-11-2 Las Vegas, USA W UD 10
WBC Continental Americas Light Middleweight Title
2006-07-29 Richard Gutierrez 21-0-0 Santa Ynez, USA W MD 12
IBF Inter-Continental Welterweight Title
2006-12-02 Antonio Margarito 33-4-0 Atlantic City, USA L UD 12
WBO Welterweight Title
2007-04-07 Diego Corrales 40-4-0 Springfield, USA W UD 10
2007-08-09 Felix Flores 22-5-0 Las Vegas, USA W UD 10
2007-12-20 Shamone Alvarez 19-0-0 Las Vegas, USA W UD 12
2008-04-03 Jose Luis Cruz 36-3-2 Brooklyn, USA W TKO 5
2008-08-02 Zab Judah 36-5-0 Las Vegas, USA W TD 9
vacant IBF Welterweight Title
]]>
Interview by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“Hell no, I'm not doing “a Hector Camacho JR!”-- Francisco "El Gato" Figueroa
For prizefighters the ascension to the upper stratosphere in any division is rarely a smooth proposition. Having the right amount of extraordinary desire and career focus are necessary and being blessed with talent and athleticism can take a man a long way, but there is ultimately no forward progress, at a particular point if the fighter doesn't put in his time gritting it out in the fire. Ask any serious prizefighter, the importance of paying one's dues early on cannot be understated.
Such is the reality of our sport that so often pitched struggle and even defeat form and refine those that keep at it, plugging forward in the hopes of one day earning the opportunity of a lifetime. For the rest, it becomes a case of either being relegated to the role of journeyman or opponent, or at the extreme, an exit from the sport and onto other less demanding pursuits. Only the most driven and focused individuals have a chance, and even then, there are the intangibles of character, career timing and sometimes sheer luck that play a hand in the matter.
Francisco "El Gato" Figueroa is an example of a prizefighter that has experienced those difficult bumps and potholes early in his professional career. Those setbacks and struggles have served to galvanize the indomitable spirit of this Bronx southpaw, boding him well when the stakes were high and it counted most. In his most recent ring foray, fans around the world watched him endure the fistic defiance of one of the toughest and most determined gate keepers our sport has known over the last quarter century, Emmanuel Augustus. Such was the torrid and controversial nature of that match, and having emerged from it victorious, Francisco Figueroa now finds himself poised for a key title eliminator and beyond that, quite possibly a world title opportunity.
It was a pleasure to represent RSR and sit down with "El Gato" to discuss his early career experiences, his world title ambitions and his views on the current state of the light welterweight division.
MP: How did you first become involved in boxing?
I just came out of the United States Army and was working as a child care counselor for kids that had addiction and behavioral problems. One day I recall watching the much anticipated fight between Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya and as I was sitting there I was saying to myself man I'm quicker and as strong as these guys. I can do it, being that I am a competitor and participated in the sport of wrestling and in it I had done very well.
MP: Growing up were there any particular influences that made you want to become a professional fighter?
No. Wrestling was my life I didn't care for boxing not one bit. I just knew of boxing being Puerto Rican. Tito Trinidad was one along with Mike Tyson and some other main stream boxing names but no I didn't care about boxing. Wrestling pumped through my veins and still does. And no, I'm not doing MMA! Lol!
MP: Your record shows a four round majority decision win over one Richard Dean for your initial professional bout back in 2002. What are your recollections of that first win?
Oh yeah, Richard Dean. The first thirty-seconds I was cut and I remember feeling the blood flow down my face. I remember telling myself, hell no, I'm not doing “a Hector Camacho JR” - being that he fought Jesse James Lejia and quit in their fight. So I continued in that fight with blood and all and from that day onward I knew no obstacles would ever get in my way.
MP: Barely three years into your pro career and with a record of 11-2, you won the New York State Light Welterweight Title with a sixth-round stoppage of Hector Alejandro JR. What did it feel like to win your first professional title and did the win position you for greater opportunities?
Man winning the New York State Light Welterweight Title meant the world title to me being that I'm the King Kong of New York City. I started late in boxing and suddenly I'm the NYS champ all these other one-hundred and forty-pounders got nothing on me. Now I've been calling them all out now I have the NYS Title, so let's make it happen. But as the clouds started coming down I noticed they still didn't want to fight me. With that win I thought they had no choice but to face me and boy was I wrong! I quickly learned how in boxing a fighter can be maneuvered without facing a good or ranked fighter until the very end.
MP: Your next bout was for the vacant WBC Intercontinental Mundo Hispano Welterweight Title. You won via split decision over Maximo Cuevas. The scorecards suggest a pitched, tactical battle that became a struggle. In your next bout, you earned a hard-fought majority decision over the rated and undefeated Joey Rios in defense of your New York State Light Welter Title. Do you feel that such tough early career experiences formed the talented and world-rated fighter that you have become today and what are your recollections of those difficult early wins?
Man, Maximo Cuevas was tough as hell! We went at it, back and forth but I'm a warrior. I’d just rather be called “El Gato” (laughing). Joey Rios, as of right now, was a terrority fight, as the fight was billed "Battle of the Bronx". That was a fight where an undefeated boxer was fighting a very risky, tough fight, something that the world of boxing usually doesn’t set-up. It happened and it was a tough fight, but I was in shape and had the mentality of me claiming The Bronx as my own territory. Like an old Bronx hip hop star that I follow, KRS-1.
MP: In July 2007 you won the NABF Light Welterweight Title with a twelfth-round knockout over the vastly more experienced and well-travelled Ubaldo Hernandez, a fighter that had faced the who’s who of your division over the better part of the last decade. Did you at that point realize that your career was now coming together nicely and did you feel as though you were now in line for greater things?
No! Beating Ubaldo was a great battle for me but I don't think about line up that a fight has for me. I just fight! Well, maybe I'm lying. My upcoming fight with Randall Bailey is an IBF eliminator bout. I know that beating him will set me up with a world title shot and I'm ready and super-pumped.
MP: You posted two successful defenses of the NABF Title, impressively posting unanimous decisions over two decidedly talented foes in Noel Rodriguez and Luis Rodriguez. Next up you struggled to a controversial split decision win over the vastly more experienced and seemingly superhuman Emmanuel Augustus last November. Looking back, what made the Augustus bout so difficult and do you feel as though you learned anything that will take you to the next level?
Yes, Emmanuel Augustus is a beast. People say he has an awkward style and being in the ring with him, I can tell you exactly how he's a difficult fighter. His defense is throwing punches, not in the way he dances or what have you. Most fighters will defend with their gloves or elbows, which you can figure a way out to penetrate, and plan your next attack. But a fighter throwing punches back while you are throwing punches is super hard to set up or plan and attack.
MP: What do you see happening in your career in 2009?
I see myself beating Randall Bailey in the IBF Eliminator and then IBF Light Welterweight Champion Juan Urango
MP: Your roots are in Puerto Rico, a country with a fine and growing heritage of producing great fighters such as Miguel Cotto, Felix Trinidad, Hector Camacho, Wilfred Benitez and of course Wilfredo Gomez. Do you feel as though Puerto Rican fans have placed their hopes in you?
Oh wow! Good question seeing that I'm not from the island. My father is and because of that I represent it just like I represent my family name "Figueroa JR" and the Puerto Rican heritage. So yes, I'm from Santurce, Puerto Rico coming to you by way of The Bronx in New York. We don't dance, we boogie! Lol!
I'm not sure I'm as recognized as some other up and coming prospects. Hmmm, wow! What a question! I'm more recognized here in New York being that I live here and I know Puerto Rico knows me for the work I was putting in with Miguel Cotto for his bout against Zab Judah. To be honest, if they don't recognize me, then you know what? I'll prove it to them because Puerto Rico is all about proving not shouting.
MP: Do you feel additional pressure or a sense of cultural obligation whenever you fight in that you are representing Puerto Rico, a land with deep national pride very much proud of its boxing heritage?
Honestly, I think of no one or the culture. I focus on not losing and succeeding; thinking of ways on how to win either by knockout, TKO, cut, or decision. I'm not losing!
MP: Looking at the current light welterweight landscape, which major world champion would you like to face the most if handed the opportunity; WBC Champion Timothy Bradley, WBA Champion Andriy Kotelnik, newly-crowned Juan Urango, the IBF Champ or IBO Kingpin Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton?
You know, I've learned to adapt to “Boxing Business 101”, and that this; I'll fight whoever they hand me but this is the list I would like to travel as the new world champion. List “A to Z” with "A" being the most money possible as a world champion. You put your dues in early so as champion its time to make some good money. Enough with the struggles and obstacles, you wanna get paid for any injuries that may occur and collect retro pay for the trip it took you to get there.
MP: Who do you like to win in the much anticipated mega fight between Ricky Hatton and multi-division champion Manny Pacquiao?
Hmmm…..I like Ricky but damn it, I just want to see a good fight and this is going to be one of them. Like the old boxing referee, judge Mills Lane used to say, "Let's get it on" (laughter).
MP: In closing is there anything you want to say to your fans around the world?
First, I want thank my core team, the Team of Gato Productions. They are doing a wonderful job relieving me of some of the duties that I have been doing to get my name out there via the internet, the general media, on the red carpets, not to mention managing tickets and their distribution.
Second to my son who is making me proud everyday at the age of just four telling me how he feels without the fear of disciplinary action. He's a warrior and destined for greater things.
Lastly, I want thank the Team Gato fans from all over the world. Team Gato of USA, Puerto Rico, Italy, UK, Chile, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Santo Domingo, Mexico, Ireland…from all around the globe. Thank you to all for you being honest with me and sharing your hurts and your dreams. Together we can make it. Remember “Can't Stop, Won't Stop” It’s not just a saying, it’s a movement.
(Interviewer’s Note: I would like to thank RSR’s Scott Hendrix for his assistance in setting up this interview.)
Francisco Figueroa
Nickname: “El Gato”
Division: Light Welterweight
Professional Record: 20-2, 13 KO’s
Date Opponent W-L-D Location Result
2002-11-08 Richard Dean 0-1-1 Jamaica, Queens, USA W MD 4
2003-05-31 Jose Felix 0-0-0 Savannah, USA W TKO 1
2003-08-09 Martinus Clay 7-3-0 Winston-Salem, USA W UD 6
2003-08-16 Troy Wilson 2-0-1 Atlanta, USA L MD 4
2003-09-19 Martin Moore 4-12-0 Bronx, USA W TKO 2
2003-10-24 Ben Wagaba 3-7-1 Bronx, USA W TKO 1
2004-08-28 Matt McKart 7-0-0 Detroit, USA W KO 4
2004-09-25 Roberto Bixano 8-5-0 Detroit, USA W KO 7
2004-10-22 Ali Tareh 6-4-3 Sarasota, USA W KO 3
2004-11-20 Francisco Rincon 8-1-0 Poughkeepsie, USA L UD 10
2005-03-10 Ike Ezeji 7-10-1 New York, USA W TKO 1
2005-05-06 Jadschi Green 11-5-2 White Plains, USA W TKO 3
2005-06-02 Leo Martinez 5-4-0 Rochester, USA W TKO 7
2005-08-17 Hector Alejandro, Jr 10-1-0 Rochester, USA W TKO 6
2006-03-23 Maximino Cuevas 7-2-1 Rochester, USA W SD 10
2006-11-11 Joey Rios 14-0-0 New York, USA W MD 10
2007-03-22 Antonio Ramirez 24-14-6 New York, USA W TKO 3
2007-04-13 Ilido Julio 35-10-1 West Palm Beach, USA W RTD 4
2007-07-28 Ubaldo Hernandez 22-17-2 West Palm Beach, USA W KO 12
vacant NABF Light Welterweight Title
2007-11-16 Noel Rodriguez 13-1-0 Kissimmee, USA W UD 12
NABF Light Welterweight Title
2008-05-14 Luis Rodriguez 22-1-0 New York, USA W UD 12
NABF Light Welterweight Title
2008-11-08 Emanuel Augustus 38-29-6 New York, USA W SD 8
]]>
By Geoff “The Professor” Poundes
Such was the force of Jack Johnson’s impact upon the world of boxing, that one could be forgiven for thinking that he was its foremost black pioneer, who cleared the path for others to follow behind him. Of course Johnson, who won the World’s Heavyweight Championship in 1908, was operating in the flagship division and was as famous for his fondness for white women as he was for his abilities in the ring.
But he wasn’t the first American-born black to win a World Title. That distinction resides with Joe Gans, “The Ol’ Master,” who took the Lightweight crown from Frank Erne in 1902. There were striking similarities between Gans and Johnson in fighting styles – both were noted for their fast footwork and their ability to block and feint, but Gans was a very different character when the gloves were off. Johnson acknowledged Gans’ qualities when he said “Joe moved around the ring like he was on wheels.”
Things were very different in professional boxing in the early years of the twentieth century, particularly for black fighters. Johnson’s autobiography suggests that he was seldom involved in a fight that wasn’t tampered with in some way, and was often asked to take a dive or agree to a fix – Johnson even claims that as Champion he held some of his opponents up so that the fight films would be long enough to attract a cinema audience (moving pictures were in their infancy back then). Johnson’s contests with Stanley Ketchel, Jim Jeffries and Jess Willard all had a whiff of deceit about them, and Gans undoubtedly took the money on occasion. Willie Ritchie, who followed Gans as Lightweight Champion, said after Gans’ death:
"Gans had to do as he was told by the white managers. They were crooks. They framed fights, and being a Negro the poor guy had to follow orders, otherwise he'd have starved to death."
It’s not surprising therefore that Joe Gans, a far less public figure, was involved in some shady dealings. As a black fighter making a living in the deep South in the 1900’s you played along or you didn’t eat. Gans’ first recorded professional contest was in 1893, but it’s probable that he began fighting as a 16 year old a couple of years earlier. He progressed quickly, often fighting and beating much bigger men just to put food on the table, and in 1900 he was matched with Frank Erne for the World Lightweight Title. Gans lost that one when he pulled out with what has been described as a cut eye, and seemed to confirm the prevailing view at the time that black fighters lacked heart. In fact, Gans’ eye had popped out and was resting on his cheek: “The Baltimore man's eye was dislodged from its socket by a head on collision.” Quoted The Chicago Times-Herald.
Undaunted, Gans worked his way into a second title shot against Erne, and this time, in May 1902, he knocked the Champion out in a single round. Gans would go on to defend the title 14 times, and annex the World Welterweight Title along the way by knocking out Mike “Twin” O’Sullivan in 1906.
Along the way, he fitted in some spectacular contests – he gave Sam Langford all he could handle in 1903 (yes, the same Sam Langford who would go on to box the ears off heavyweights) and in 1904 fought a draw with the great Joe Walcott in San Francisco. The fight was seen as one of the finest of it’s era: The San Francisco Chronicle called it “a grand battle as fast and furious as any ever held in a San Francisco ring.”
But Gans’ most famous hour came in September 1906, when he and Battling Nelson contested the World Lightweight Title in Goldfield, Nevada. The fight went 42 rounds in the searing heat (still the longest gloved match ever recorded), before Nelson fouled Gans to bring an end to the contest. Nelson was battered and beaten and found the easy way out. Said one observer: “It looks as though Nelson, who was a very badly beaten man, took an easy way to quit."
The battle took a great deal out of Gans, and many thought the debilitating heat, coupled with a sustained period of dehydration to make the weight, ushered in the tuberculosis that would eventually end his life. Certainly, by the time Gans and Nelson met in the re-match two years later, the Champion was ravaged by the disease. Prophetically, the San Francisco Chronicle noted before the fight that Gans looked unwell: “Joe looks weakened and dull in the eyes”, and afterwards, when Joe had collapsed from exhaustion in the 17th round, the paper acknowledged that all was not well: “It was clear that it was a different Gans than the one who had fought at Goldfield. After the twelfth round Gans was suffering terribly. His skin turned a dull gray and he was shivering as though from ague”.
Amazingly, they fought again two months later, and Gans this time went into the 21st round, taking a terrible beating along the way. By this time he was ravaged with tuberculosis, but still managed one more fight, before succumbing to his illness.
He died in his mother’s arms, aged 36, in 1910 – a month after Jack Johnson smashed Jim Jeffries to finally cement the black man’s entitlement to fistic equality. Joe weighed 84 pounds at his death.
Nat Fleischer, as sound a barometer as any in evaluating fighters from different eras, was unequivocal about Joe Gans’ qualities, rating him as the best Lightweight to have ever lived. In all, he lost only 11 fights in 188 outings – and we know that he threw at least three of those.
Tad Dorgan, who commentated boxing and wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Journal, and who was privileged to see all the early greats from James J. Corbett to Gene Tunney, rated Joe Gans as the greatest pound for pound fighter he ever saw.
He wrote in 1904: “Those who have watched Gans go through his work every day are amazed at his wonderful agility, his speed and his clean hitting ability."
]]>
By Geoff “The Professor” Poundes
There are moments in history when a particular sportsman or woman comes to represent an era or geographical location or an ethnic group. Jesse Owens springs to mind, or Babe Ruth, and in boxing Jack Johnson or Jack Dempsey embodied both the spirit and vitality of their race or time.
In the early 1930’s boxing’s flagship division, the heavyweights, went through a period of transition, between the retirement of Gene Tunney and the all-consuming excellence of Joe Louis, so that fight fans looked elsewhere in the fistic firmament for inspiration.
They found it in the lightweight and welterweight divisions, where the likes of Barney Ross, Henry Armstrong, Lou Ambers and Tony Canzoneri were punching their way into the headlines.
Arguably the biggest draw of all of them was Irish Jimmy Mclarnin, a popular box-fighter born in 1907 in County Down, Ireland, but raised the son of a wheat-farmer in the harsh wilderness of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Mclarnin moved to Vancouver, Canada with his 11 brothers and sisters as an eight year old. Even at age 10 he loved a fight, and had his first fistic encounter: “I fought a kid called Klans Robinson, and we went at it, and I broke both my thumbs on him”.
His father had bought a 2nd hand store and set up business in Vancouver, and was introduced to an ex-booth fighter called Pop Foster, who took it upon himself to teach the young Jimmy how to fight. Foster helped the boy to construct a makeshift gymnasium in the family back-yard, and together they manufactured a style of boxing that would stun the boxing world in the years to come. Foster was convinced the kid had what it took, and persuaded his family that California was the place that Mclarnin needed to be to make the best of his abilities:
“It took me two years to develop a jab” Mclarnin remembered. “I left home at sixteen. Mother gave me their last twenty bucks.”
Back then you had to be eighteen to box legally in California, so Foster simply lied about the youngster’s age, and he won his first paid fight against the strangely named Young Fry in 1923 with a first round knockout. Over the following 5 years Mclarnin built a significant following in California, beating the likes of Pancho Villa, the reigning Flyweight World Champion, in an overweight match (Villa went under the knife after the fight for routine eye surgery, and inexplicably died on the operating table).
This was the era when ethnicity was becoming a major factor in American life, with the Irish, the Jewish and the Italian communities vying for a foothold in society, and inevitably boxers from each group became icons and representatives of their “people.” There were a lot of strong Jewish fighters coming through in the thirties, and Jimmy found himself matched with a good few of them:
“I had a terrible reputation – they called me the Jew-killer. That’s awful, and I wasn’t very popular with the Jewish people.”
Victories over Jackie Fields and Louis Kaplan propelled Jimmy into the headlines, and he found himself summoned to New York to fight for Tex Rickard at Madison Square Garden, at the time the headquarters of world boxing and where the real money was made. The mob were heavily involved with New York boxing at the time, headed by the gangster Owney Madden, and it was pretty much accepted that Madden dictated who made it, and who didn’t. Owney had learnt his skills during ten years of incarceration in Sing Sing, and had carried out any number of killings on the streets of New York. However, he was born in Liverpool, England as was Jimmy’s manager Pop Foster, and the story goes that Mclarnin was left pretty much alone when Madden and Foster reconciled their origins.
Nicknamed “Babyface” for his boyish looks, the Irishman was anything but in the ring. Fleet of foot and carrying a prodigious punch, he knocked out Ruby Goldstein in two rounds at Madison Square Garden in 1929, and continued his entirely accidental assault on Jewish fighters when he was matched with one of the all-time greats, the come-backing Benny Leonard in 1932.
Leonard had been imperious as World Lightweight and Welterweight king between 1917 and 1924, when he had retired, his money made and his legacy safe. Rumour had it that Benny had lost all his money in the Stock Market crash of 1929, and so had mounted a comeback at the age of 35. By 1932, he was 37 and had compiled a 19-0 record against middling opposition but such was his reputation he was widely expected to turn back the “Jew-killer”. In the event, Leonard was badly beaten:
“Benny Leonard was in great shape” said Mclarnin later. “He hit me in the first round and I saw stars, but he had lost all his speed. I knocked him out.”
The win over Leonard saw Mclarnin matched with champion Young Corbett III for the World Welterweight title in May 1933, back in Los Angeles, and Jimmy made
short work of it – knocking his man out in less than a round to become the world champion.
That fight ushered in the golden era of the welterweights, and for Mclarnin a three-fight series with the World Lightweight champion Barney Ross. Those three contests represented the very best that boxing had to offer, not merely in terms of the skill levels and sheer ferocity of the two combatants, but also their generosity of spirit and sportsmanship. They fought 45 rounds and each round could have been scored either way, so evenly were they matched. In fact, Ross won the first and third fights, whilst Mclarnin took the 2nd. Two of the contests were split decisions.
Mclarnin accepted the first loss magnanimously, and trained like a demon for the second fight: “I got in better shape. We took Barney Ross a little cheap, I think”.
He was less enamored of the decision in the third contest, but had his priorities in order. “I thought it was a bad decision, but we fought 3 times and I put $100,000 in the bank!”
Mclarnin fought three more times after the Barney Ross fight, two of which were barnstormers against the Italian Tony Canzoneri. Jimmy won the first by decision but only after he’d handed Canzoneri a serious beating. Said the New York Times the next day: “By the last round Canzoneri's eyes were bloody and his nose was cut. The split lip he earlier sustained while training and sparring--resulting in postponing this bout--was "pulled and crimson." The crowd of 11,423 was so sickened by the sight that they yelled for the referee to stop it. But, as Canzoneri had never been knocked out in his career, the referee allowed him to go the distance.”
They boxed again five months later, and this time it was a different story – Canzoneri took the decision and after a 10 round decision win over Lou Ambers a month later the Babyface hung up his gloves for good.
In retirement Mclarnin enjoyed the good life, playing golf with Hollywood A-listers and enjoying his family. He was offered $50,000 to return for a match with Henry Armstrong but wisely turned it down on the advice of manager Pop Foster. Foster and Mclarnin were together his entire career, forging a bond sadly seldom seen before or since in the professional ring. From the start Pop had refused to take his full cut of Mclarnin’s purses, and when he died in 1956 he left his entire estate, some $250,000, to Mclarnin and his family.
Over a 13 year career Jimmy Mclarnin fought and beat 12 fighters who would later be inducted into the Hall of Fame, surely a record, and left behind a
reputation not only as one of the very best boxers to have graced the professional ring, but as one of it’s forgotten gentlemen. He died in 2004, aged 97, with parting words that summed up the man:
“In many ways I was very fortunate. The big boss upstairs had his hand on my shoulder. I don’t know if he liked prize-fighters or not – but he sure liked me!”
]]>
Interview by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“I’m looking for the best challenges at super middleweight and that is why Jermain Taylor is my first defense, and why I am very open to meeting either Lucian Bute or Mikkel Kessler in the very near future.”--Carl Froch
In recent years the United Kingdom has experienced a noted resurgence of talent in the sport of boxing. It all seemed to start slowly with Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank winning the WBC and WBO Super Middleweight Titles back in the 90’s. Not long after, Lennox Lewis forever changed the image of heavyweight boxing as it pertained to England, over time becoming a three-time heavyweight champion. Starting around the latter part of that same period, Joe Calzaghe of Wales won the WBO Super Middleweight title, ultimately defending it a record twenty-one times before moving up in weight to win the light heavyweight title. Cruiserweight David Haye went on to win the WBA/WBC/WBO titles and the much celebrated Ricky Hatton book-ended the IBF/IBO Light Welterweight titles around the WBA Welterweight strap, ultimately earning himself a mega-match against the consensus pound for pound king of the sport today. Last December, an undefeated fighter out of Nottingham, England won the WBC Super Middleweight Title in a bout that many ranked as 2008’s Fight of the Year, in the process, serving due notice to the boxing world that the well of British talent indeed runs very deep and that the best may be yet to come.
Carl Froch was born on July 2nd, 1977. He began boxing at age 9. As an amateur he won two ABA middleweight titles in 1999 and 2001 and a bronze medal at the 2001 World Amateur Boxing Championships before turning professional in March 2002. “The Cobra” cut a quick and noticeable swath through super middleweight division, winning the Commonwealth (British Empire) and BBBofC Super Middleweight Titles before working his way into position as the mandatory for then WBO Super Middleweight Champion Joe Calzaghe. Although he was denied his opportunity by Calzaghe, he stayed the course, forged ahead and as previously mentioned, secured the WBC Super Middleweight Title against Canada’s talented and undefeated Jean Pascal in a terrific battle that showcased his fine counter-punching skills punctuated with spirited exchanges. More amazingly, he managed all of this with a perforated eardrum and a cracked rib.
Just over a week away from his upcoming April 25th title defense against former Undisputed Middleweight Champion Jermain Taylor, “The Cobra” was kind enough to share his thoughts on unification against his championship contemporaries, Joe Calzaghe, and who he feels will win the upcoming mega-fight between fellow countryman Ricky Hatton and four-division champion Manny Pacquiao.
MP: You won the WBC Super Middleweight Title just over four months ago against the then undefeated Jean Pascal in a bout many believed was a candidate for Fight of the Year. Did you learn anything about yourself in that bout and does it rank as among the most difficult of your career thus far?
It was a very tough fight and Pascal showed himself to be a world-class fighter. I learned that I could go twelve rounds at a very tough and competitive pace and come out on top. Something I had worked towards and trained for my whole career. I had gone twelve rounds before but not at that level with a determined opponent of that caliber.
MP: You’ve stated that you want nothing but the very best fighters and “superstars in their prime” as opposed to making money against easy opposition. So much so, you are making your first defense against the former undisputed middleweight champion in the United States. What are your professional ambitions beyond Jermain Taylor and do they include unification at 168 or even a possible move-up to the light heavyweight division?
I’ll fight any of them. I have no problem getting into the ring with Lucian Bute the IBF Champ or Mikkel Kessler the WBA Champ. I’m not really interested in that other title, the WBO, and I’m not really sure who has it. Those are the big fights for me in my weight class but I have no interest at moving up to light heavy. I have the exact frame and size for super middleweight and that’s where I plan to continue campaigning. Jermain Taylor is just the beginning.
MP: Getting back to the task at hand, what kind of approach do you expect of Jermain Taylor on April 25th and what can your fans expect to see from “The Cobra”?
To be honest I think he’ll do what he always does and look to box. I’m sure that after three or four rounds he’ll try to pull back when I start to really come on as he hasn’t proven to be really effective when he is backed-up. Quite probably he is going to try and win seven of the twelve rounds and look to steal the fight.
MP: He looked both formidable and fragile at different points in his most recent bout, a unanimous decision win over former IBF Super Middleweight Champ Jeff Lacy. Did you see anything in his style that you would like to exploit?
He likes to be in control but when you take some of that away from him he doesn’t perform so well. He’s a talented boxer and the former undisputed middleweight champ. To me it’s all about style. You know the old saying, styles make fights, and I feel that I have the style, talent and determination to send him back.
MP: Speaking of Kessler, he was routed by Joe Calzaghe a couple of years ago. Calzaghe is somebody you have been openly critical of over the past year. Why the animosity towards him?
Yes, I have been extremely critical of Joe Calzaghe over the past little while because I had worked very hard to become his mandatory contender but he failed to make good on his obligation to defend against me. Joe is a talented and great fighter, I won’t deny any of that, but he didn’t travel over to the United States until the tail end of his career and then only to face two old men. He didn’t look for the best challenges within his own division for years. Like I said earlier, I’m looking for the best challenges at super middleweight and that is why Jermain Taylor is my first defense, and why I am very open to meeting either Lucian Bute or Mikkel Kessler in the very near future.
MP: Who do you see prevailing between fellow countryman Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao next month?
I honestly think Ricky will win the fight. He’s a pound for pound fighter and talent. He’s naturally bigger and stronger and I feel that in the fight Manny Pacquiao is going to feel the difference with Ricky as his opponent. I won’t be an easy fight because Pacquiao himself is a pound for pound talent and has a lot of experience. Ricky is a friend of mine as we get on very well. I’m pulling for him to win on May 2nd.
MP: Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans around the world in closing?
I’d just like to say that the BBC, Setanta Sports and Sky Television - they aren’t carrying my fight with Jermain Taylor and I think it is disgraceful. They are an utter disgrace! You’ll have to come to Connecticut if you want to see the fight. For those out there who are pulling for me, thank you, I really appreciate it.
Carl Froch
Nickname: “The Cobra”
Division: Super Middleweight
Professional Record: 24-0, 19 KO’s
Date Opponent W-L-D Location Result
2002-03-16 Michael Pinnock 4-52-8 Bethnal Green, United Kin W TKO 4
2002-05-10 Ojay Abrahams 19-36-4 Bethnal Green, United Kin W KO 1
2002-08-23 Darren Covill 8-28-1 Bethnal Green, United Kin W TKO 1
2002-10-25 Paul Bonson 16-55-6 Bethnal Green, United Kin W PTS 6
2002-12-21 Mike Duffield 9-15-1 Dagenham, United Kingdom W TKO 1
2003-01-28 Valery Odin 6-5-0 Nottingham, United Kingdo W TKO 6
2003-03-05 Varuzhan Davtyan 3-5-0 Bethnal Green, United Kin W TKO 5
2003-04-16 Michael Monaghan 12-7-0 Nottingham, United Kingdo W TKO 3
2003-10-04 Vage Kocharyan 10-7-1 Wood Green, United Kingdo W PTS 8
2003-11-28 Alan Page 8-0-0 Derby, United Kingdom W TKO 7
vacant BBBofC English Super Middleweight Title
2004-01-30 Dmitry Adamovich 9-7-0 Dagenham, United Kingdom W TKO 2
2004-03-12 Charles Adamu 11-1-0 Nottingham, United Kingdo W PTS 12
Commonwealth (British Empire) Super Middleweight Title
2004-06-02 Mark Woolnough 14-3-1 Nottingham, United Kingdo W TKO 11
Commonwealth (British Empire) Super Middleweight Title
2004-09-24 Damon Hague 23-3-1 Nottingham, United Kingdo W TKO 1
vacant BBBofC British Super Middleweight Title
Commonwealth (British Empire) Super Middleweight Title
2005-04-21 Henry Porras 30-4-1 Hollywood, USA W TKO 8
2005-07-09 Matthew Barney 21-5-1 Nottingham, United Kingdo W PTS 12
BBBofC British Super Middleweight Title
Commonwealth (British Empire) Super Middleweight Title
2005-12-02 Ruben Groenewald 19-4-3 Nottingham, United Kingdo W TKO 5
Commonwealth (British Empire) Super Middleweight Title
2006-02-17 Dale Westerman 15-5-0 Bethnal Green, United Kin W TKO 9
Commonwealth (British Empire) Super Middleweight Title
2006-05-26 Brian Magee 25-2-0 Bethnal Green, United Kin W KO 11
BBBofC British Super Middleweight Title
Commonwealth (British Empire) Super Middleweight Title
2006-11-24 Tony Dodson 20-3-1 Nottingham, United Kingdo W KO 3
BBBofC British Super Middleweight Title
Commonwealth (British Empire) Super Middleweight Title
2007-03-23 Sergey Tatevosyan 26-7-0 Nottingham, United Kingdo W TKO 2
2007-11-09 Robin Reid 39-5-1 Nottingham, United Kingdo W RTD 5
BBBofC British Super Middleweight Title
2008-05-10 Albert Rybacki 15-0-0 Nottingham, United Kingdo W TKO 4
2008-12-06 Jean Pascal 21-0-0 Nottingham, United Kingdo W UD 12
vacant WBC Super Middleweight Title
]]>
Interview by Geno McGahee
“All I can do is train like there is no tomorrow, stay true to myself and my limits on my life.”--Bowie Tupou
The heavyweight division is considered a hopeless wasteland by many that follow boxing. The current champions are not exciting the crowds. The most recognized of these champions is Wladimir Klitschko, a man that holds the IBO/WBO/IBF Titles and is on a great run as of late, but his safety first approach to the game isn’t what the fight fans want. WBC Title holder and older brother to Wlad, Vitali has a similar approach, and WBA Champion Nikolay Valuev is lucky to be a champion by most peoples’ estimation. The list of recycled title challengers is driving the boxing fans farther and farther away, but there is a glimmer of hope. There are some contenders on the rise that are leaving their opponents lying and creating a small buzz in the division.
One of these heavyweights is Bowie Tupou, 18-0, 14 KO’s. Tupou is young at 26 years old and is on the rise in the division, increasing the level of opposition as he moves ahead. With only one amateur fight under his belt, the professional game has been used as his amateur career, plowing through carefully selected opposition that would give him the experience but not necessarily a huge threat to defeat him. He has thus far been flawless and is intent on improving his game and moving to the top of the division.
Tupou has gone through many trainers but has now settled with Eddie Mustafa Muhammad to guide his career, and hone his raw talent into a viable contender for the heavyweight title. In three of his last four fights, he has taken on recognizable journeymen: Otis Tisdale (TKO2), Cisse Salif (W6), and Chris Koval (TKO3). On July 31st, he is set to face Demetrice King, 14-17, 12 KO’s, and it should be another learning experience for the young heavyweight. King has only been stopped on one occasion and packs a punch. Tupou may get an idea of where he stands and what he needs to improve on from this bout.
RSR had the opportunity to speak with the young heavyweight hopeful and discuss the current heavyweight division and how he sees his career playing out in the months and years to come.
GM: You only had one amateur fight and you won that. Why did you have so few fights on the amateur level and how does that affect your approach to the professional game?
I did have one amateur fight because my trainer at that time, Johnny Lewis, made that decision to have one amateur bout and go straight into the pros. So I just listened, trained and went to work. I think that only time will tell whether it will affect me in the ring.
GM: You fought much of your early career in Australia. It’s not really considered a hotbed for boxing. What is the boxing scene like there and was it always your intentions to leave and come to the United States to further your career?
To me I count my nine professional fights in Australia as amateur fights. It has got nothing to do with the fighters I fought because they had more experience than me. I came straight from rugby into the boxing scene so I didn't really know what to expect. So after nine fights there I decided I wanted to learn more about boxing and that's when we moved here.
GM: You have had several trainers over your career thus far from Johnny Lewis to Justin Fortune to Jeff Mayweather. What did each trainer bring to your game?
My current trainer is Mr. Eddie Mustafa Muhammad and I’ve been with Eddie just over a year now. He’s definitely what I’ve been searching for in a trainer. A lot people say that it is wrong going from trainer to trainer. At end of the day, it’s all about finding that trainer that’ll bring the best out in me and shows me what I need to learn, rather than telling me to “go in there and smash my opponent.” Eddie has succeeded in boxing, made it to the top and understands what is required to be the best.
GM: In 2008, you stepped up the level of opposition and took on journeyman Otis Tisdale. You stopped him in two rounds. Other heavyweights that have gone on to do some good things have done it in about the same time. Was the point of the fight to accomplish the same feat and stop him quickly as other top heavyweights have done and what are your recollections of that fight?
My fight with Tisdale, I didn't know what to expect so Jeff and I mostly worked on defense and combinations because Tisdale at the time we fought had already had over forty fights. So I knew he already had a lot of experience and fought some of the best fighters out there. So our plan was to go into the ring, keep my hands up and stay focused.
GM: Cisse Salif is another guy that has really been around the block and can be a spoiler. He’s a guy that took David Tua the distance and lost a split decision. You beat him quite handily over six rounds. What did you learn from that fight and was he the toughest guy you took on to date?
Cissie is a tough fighter. Before I fought Cissie I was inactive for 8 months due to the fact that I didn't have a manager and there a few things that were uncertain at that time. I had a lot of things on my mind so I wasn't sure how the fight was going to go but I was determined to go in there and come out on top therefore winning by unanimous decision.
GM: In your last fight, you defeated Chris Koval, another fighter with a winning record that actually knocked down the highly rated Alexander Dimitrenko. You stopped him in three rounds. What did you think of your performance in that fight?
I think that each time I step into the ring I try to not let the adrenaline rush take over me because I won't go in there with the same plan. With Koval I knew I had to stay focused and I did. I was able to go in the ring with a clear head which allowed me to relax on my punches and follow through with the things that Eddie and I had worked on.
GM: You have a fight coming up in late July against Demetrice King, a guy with a record of 14-17, 12 KO’s. It’s unimpressive on the face of it, but he is a guy that has only been stopped once and carries a big punch. Did you take this fight to prove that you can take a big punch and that you have a big enough punch to stop a guy that is used to going the distance? And what should we expect on July 31st when you face him in the ring?
July 31st, I am scheduled to fight Demetrius King and the way I look at it, it’s not about how many wins or losses my opponents have had. The way I see it, if they've had more fights than me, then that's what counts. I found out from John Benati( Gary Shaw matchmaker) 2weeks ago about King, my original opponent was Travis Kauffman. I’m not sure what happened there but I know that King is a tough competitor, and no doubt he will bring his A game. I am very grateful to step into the ring with him because I can only learn from my opponents and prove to myself that I can only get better. I don't want to predict anything about the fight so all I can say is do not underestimate your opponent.
GM: The heavyweight division gets the most negative press. What do you think of it and do you think that your style is just what boxing needs to bring some much needed life into it?
It's sad to see the heavyweight division gets put down a lot. I think the difference now compared to before in Ali/Foreman time, those fighter's had so much passion for boxing, made it exciting for us to watch in their journey to become the best. Now it feels like some fighters are just doing it for a pay check and then move on. I love boxing and I'm always willing and able to learn so much more about this sport. It's my life I put on the line when I enter the ring. So all I can do is train like there is no tomorrow, stay true to myself and my limits on my life.
GM: If you were offered one of the champions right now, which one would you choose and why?
I'll fight anyone. It's not for me to decide, that’s Gary Shaw's choice and who ever they line me up with I'll take it.
GM: Chris Arreola and David Haye are both very hyped. What are your thoughts on them? Any thoughts on the Klitschko brothers, Nikolay Valuev or any other heavyweights at the top of the heap at this point?
Don't really care for Vitali at the moment. Good luck to him. I'm not in a position to judge Valuev. Don't have any thoughts on Arreola or Haye.
GM: How long do you think it will be before you step into the ring with a recognized guy like a Sam Peter or Dominick Guinn?
Right now I don't have a manager, only a promoter so it's up to them who I fight.
GM: Is there one heavyweight on your radar that you are eager to fight at this point in your career, if and when you get past King on July 31st?
I’m pretty sure Travis Kauffman will be my next opponent.
GM: Do you have any closing thoughts?
Thank you Geno and everyone from Ringside Report for your support and giving me this chance to do this interview. I would like to thank Gary Shaw Productions,(trainer)Eddie Muhammad, (assistant trainer) Morris East, John Elmer and most importantly all the people who continue to have faith in me and what I do, thank you for everything.
Bowie Tupou
Nickname: Bo
Division: Heavyweight
Professional Record: 18-0, 14 KO's
Date Opponent W-L-D Location Result
2006-02-18 Brian Fitzgerald 0-0-1 South Windsor, Australia W MD 6
2006-03-24 Corey Wainwright 0-2-0 Punchbowl, Sydney, Austra W KO 1
2006-05-12 John Justice 6-5-1 Punchbowl, Sydney, Austra W KO 1
2006-06-09 Vai Toevai 2-6-2 Southport, Gold Coast, Au W KO 1
2006-07-14 Terry Tuteru 0-7-1 Lakemba, Sydney, Australi W TKO 1
2006-08-04 Ramba Sithsianboh 0-1-0 Punchbowl, Sydney, Austra W TKO 1
2006-09-08 Brian Fitzgerald 0-3-1 Wyong, Australia W UD 6
2006-10-21 Alex Mene 2-4-0 Kensington, Sydney, Austr W TKO 2
2006-11-10 Richard Tutaki 15-14-1 Wyong, Australia W KO 3
2007-09-07 John Clark 12-10-1 Santa Ynez, USA W TKO 4
2007-10-05 Harvey Jolly 6-5-1 Corona, USA W KO 2
2007-11-30 Jason Bergman 5-4-1 Santa Ynez, USA W KO 2
2008-02-22 John Clark 12-11-1 Ontario, USA W RTD 4
2008-04-12 Ramon Hayes 15-26-1 Tampa, USA W UD 6
2008-06-07 Otis Tisdale 25-20-1 Uncasville, USA W TKO 2
2009-01-10 Cisse Salif 23-12-2 Tacoma, USA W UD 6
2009-03-28 Marcus Rhode 34-37-2 Miami, USA W TKO 1
2009-05-09 Chris Koval 24-5-0 Las Vegas, USA W TKO 3
]]>
Exclusive Interview by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“When you fall, fall on your back, because if you can look up, you can get up”--Carl “The Truth” Williams
I remember October 1984 as though it wasn’t all that long ago. A talented virtual novice named Carl “The Truth” Williams arrived on the heavyweight title scene with a comprehensive ten round unanimous decision over the rated and popular James “Quick” Tillis in Atlantic City. Tillis of course had been in with just about everybody of note during that period and was certainly the type of heavyweight gate keeper that would separate true talent from mere hype. Despite Williams’ humble 15-0, 12 KO’s, record to that point, he performed in a manner befitting a fighter with far more experience and seasoning under his belt.
Not long after, Williams was propelled into what many figured was a premature title shot against the long reigning and undefeated IBF Heavyweight Champion, the “Easton Assassin,” Larry Holmes. In a grueling fifteen round encounter, Williams appeared to wrestle the crown from Holmes in an upset, only to later find out that in fact, somehow the judges had seen fit to award Holmes the verdict, despite the punch stats and the swollen features befitting a man that had been out fought and battered for the majority of the match.
The added experience and network exposure served to propel Williams to the forefront of the heavyweight boxing scene. Various boxing magazines wrote articles about him. Talking heads invariably brought up his name when the topic of talent relative to the overall heavyweight picture was discussed. There was no question that The Truth was on the map. Many figured him to be the man to one day win the heavyweight championship. Time was on his side and the future looked bright.
The rest of the 80’s featured some notable highs and lows for Williams, ultimately culminating in a very high profile second opportunity at the heavyweight championship against an undefeated “Iron” Mike Tyson at a point when Tyson was considered virtually invincible and at the pinnacle of his career. The opportunity became a disappointment for Williams. The climb towards a second title shot had been long and arduous. An apparent momentary lapse of judgment by the referee concluded matters mere seconds after the match had begun. It had to be the ultimate painful exclamation point. Four years of hard work towards the most rare of opportunities waved off in just ninety-three seconds.
If anything, boxing is an ongoing tale of tragedy. Many have turned to it and ultimately given up without making a noticeable blip on the radar. Others have managed to realize success only to later come apart as men when their time is done, ultimately ending up back on the streets with no prospects and little, if any, hope. One shifty call by a referee or the wayward scorecards of a couple of judges can literally alter a man’s destiny.
Spending time talking with Carl “The Truth” Williams, it quickly dawned on me that I wasn’t dealing with a relic from a bygone era, but rather dealing with a guy that had been to the highest levels of a very cruel sport and had come out of it with clear perspective on himself and life in general. Speaking with him, it became clear that I was dealing with a man of wisdom accrued over a lifetime of unusual success and dire disappointment. Along the way, I picked-up on his appreciation for life and sensed the underlying compassion that has no doubt served him well. There was one more thing that struck me, it was clear that there was no smoke being blown, and that I was indeed dealing with a man that was clear on reality and dealing strictly in The Truth.
MP: How did you get started in boxing? How did you get that nickname “The Truth”?
I initially got started by watching amateur boxing on television. Me and some friends of mine, we used to always watch it on channel 7 on Wide World of Sports. The USA versus this country or the USA versus that country. I’d always tell my friends “I could beat those guys.” They were like “man they could tear you up!” We’d always talk about it. We’d always race home every Saturday to watch television. Then one day, things kind of got, you know, I fell on some hardship, so to speak, and a friend of mine had suggested I go into boxing. You know at that time, I was like, please give me a break. All of a sudden, my grandmother became sick, and whatever I was involved with at the time, I wanted to change my life around. I started going to the gym. It was really hard in the beginning, I must say. But I stayed at it.
So they put me into the ring with a guy who was being groomed for the Golden Gloves, and I did fairly well with him for somebody who had come off of the street. Three or four months later, I chased him out of the gym. And I became the “go to” guy. I went to the golden gloves, and within six months of first starting out I won the whole golden gloves. I never fought any smokers, as they call them. Just straight from the gym to the Golden Gloves. The next year came around and I was immediately put on the United States boxing team. That was a thrill. That was a super experience for me traveling around the world. Be able to go to the various countries. Just to see the different cultures and different ways of life. For a kid coming off of the street, primarily from the ghetto, so to speak, reaching those heights, going to England, Sweden, Japan and facing various fighters from all around the world was just an awesome experience and a privilege. International boxing gave me an array of things.
MP: How did all of this affect your life?
The notoriety was unbelievable. When I became an amateur, people who knew me, they knew I was trying to do some boxing, but they didn’t know to what degree that I was a boxer until they saw me on Wide World of Sports. They couldn’t believe that I had gone from the Golden Gloves to international boxing, and had gotten that good to make it to that level.
Some of the people I grew up with at that point would tell me I’d never amount to anything. They’d tell you, “you’ll never beat this guy or you’ll never beat that one.” These are supposed to be the people who you grew up with and are supposed to be your friends. So what I did is I kind of left them behind. I just walked away from them. Unfortunately, as I went through life, I ran across a lot of that.
There’s an old saying, when you laugh everybody laughs with you. When you cry, you cry alone. This goes to say so many things about people. When the times are good, you have so many friends and admirers. They care about you and want to do something for you, but when you slide from fame or slide down a little bit, you’ll see who your real friends are. I know this because I’ve done a lot of living. Living, and learning and experiencing. I’ve been what people consider from the lowest of the low to the highest of the high. We live and we learn, but you pay a lot to learn that lesson.
MP: You turned professional on January 22nd, 1982, with a four round unanimous decision over Greg Stephany at the Felt Forum in New York. What are your recollections of that period and your first win?
The thing was getting ready and making that transition from an amateur to a pro, I had pretty much grown into a pro style I guess. The more international boxing experience you have, the better you are equipped to turn pro, so to speak. It was good experience. I won the four rounder. I just boxed him throughout. He was a very strong guy I remember, not super on skills, but that was my first fight. It was a hell of an experience for a young man who had been fighting for maybe two or two and a half years. Suddenly I was a professional and as I thought, a very promising one.
MP: You faced an aging Larry Holmes for the IBF Heavyweight Title in your next fight. At that point, Holmes was a perfect 47-0. What are your recollections of that opportunity and the period just thereafter?
I remember when I was getting ready for him I told him I was the uncrowned king, the young heir to the throne, the baddest heavyweight in all the land. If I said one thing to Holmes, who I loved, don’t get me wrong, I kept telling him that “he’s ‘The Man,’ but I’m gonna push those legs into a journey of no return.” I guess I kept up that rhetoric for him, in that respect. It was playful as he was someone I always respected.
But unfortunately, that could have been one of my downfalls. I say it could have been one my downfalls because as opposed to finishing him on the few occasions when I had him, when I probably could have finished him, I was a little reluctant. He was literally taking a beating from a guy who was a mirror image of himself. What he provided for me wasn’t a money-thing but was an experience that I would get nowhere else. It opened the door for Carl “The Truth” Williams.
Even to this day, I figure that I beat Larry Holmes and on the points system I definitely should have won. That was my high, and obviously I seen a great deal of lows as a result of not being given the decision. One of things that fighters have to remember when you don’t win, there will be a lot of repercussions as a result, and ultimately for me there were.
MP: Three months after Holmes you were floored twice before posting a dramatic tenth round stoppage over a 13-0 Jesse Ferguson. How did you feel after such a grueling win?
He put me on my behind two times! I have to say to this day I’ve been in some fights throughout my career, but that has to be the hardest fight I fought as a professional. It was an endurance fight. It was a fight where I had to dig deep down within myself. I had to reach into myself and said this is what you are all about. I am a champion with a champion’s heart. I could have easily quit, if it had been my make-up, so to speak. That fight showed the people what I was really made of.
It was my carelessness in the respect of getting caught with my hands a little too low, which unfortunately has been my downfall as far as boxing is concerned. But I rose to the occasion. I was able to pick myself up, two times on the canvas, in the third round and again in the fifth, and come back and knock him out in the 10th round. Once again I proved that I was The Truth, no matter what.
MP: February 1986. You were handling the former WBA Heavyweight Champion, Mike “Hercules” Weaver, with apparent ease and seemingly on the verge of stopping him in round two. What happened?
At the Weaver fight I was slated to face Mike Tyson thereafter, probably. There was a lot of talk about that. This was before Tyson was champion. Now the people I had were not too smart, and maybe I wasn’t thinking myself, obviously I wasn’t. Because if I had been down in the Ferguson fight from left hooks, why the hell did they put me in with a guy like Mike Weaver who is a guy that specializes in left hooks and is a very good puncher. What they should have done is put me in fights where I could have honed my skills as far as the left hook is concerned and become a little more defensive in that respect. Then take a fighter like Mike Weaver, a good puncher, as an opponent.
In the fight itself, I did very well early and I had him ready to go. Out of the clear blue sky, all of a sudden he comes over with a left hook, my fault again. The same thing that Ferguson did to me cost me against Mike Weaver. He knocked me down three times and I couldn’t recover. It sent my career somewhat into peril. I had to rebuild myself back up again just to be able to again move forward.
MP: A mid-1987 return to the ring on network television against the streaking “Smokin” Bert Cooper who was coming off of a big win over Olympian Willie DeWitt. It appeared as though you were brought in as the opponent in order to build him up. What happened?
I know Bert. Bert is a friend of mine. He had vowed to destroy me. He was on a high, so to speak, because he had crushed everything they had put in front of him. He was heading down “Tyson Road,” so to speak. I wasn’t even looked at. They figured I was just somebody to be dominated and knocked out, etc, etc. He thought he knew everything but he didn’t know the truth like I know The Truth.
I was put back in the situation where I could redeem myself and that’s what I did, I redeemed myself. I had trained very well…it was one of the hardest times of my life training for a fight. I trained to stick, move and just literally stuck him up. I used good movement, jab, a little boxing, a little punching, in and out. After awhile, Cooper started to come unchained and he just kind of came apart. I just kept putting it on him until the end.
MP: In your 8th year as a professional fighter, and after having posted several impressive wins, you earned another shot at the heavyweight championship, this time against a 36-0 “Iron” Mike Tyson. What are you recollections of that event, going into it, and in the wake of its controversial aftermath?
I felt great about going into the fight against Tyson. Mike used to be my sparring partner, you know. Cus D’Amato was a friend of mine and a friend of my manager’s at the time. Kevin Rooney used bring Mike to White Plains to box with me. I was maybe 7-0 or 8-0 at the time, but Cus would allow him to come down because he trusted my trainer. Mike was very strong, a tough, tough fighter. But believe me. I used to put it on him. I definitely put it on him.
Everything he was when I fought him as a pro, he was an amateur. It just wasn’t the opportunity to continue because the ref said I “oh you never said anything, I asked if you were ok,” but I could barely hear the ref. Don’t get me wrong, I was still a little dazed, but I was up at the count of one, two, three. After, I was left to ponder what could have happened. Ok, he knocked me down, but I’ve been known to be knocked down twice in certain fights, but I always got up and rose to the occasion. This goes back to the amateur days on Wide World of Sports, the USA versus Cuba. The Cuban knocked me down in the first round, when I got up and he came at me again, I ended up knocking him out. As a matter of fact, that was in Montreal at the World Games. I was the only American to win that year.
MP: You went 4-2 with one no contest before landing yourself an HBO date with the very popular and highly ranked Tommy “The Duke” Morrison in 1993. You dropped him twice and came within a whisker of upsetting him before being yet again, the victim of another questionable call. What are your recollections of that event?
They gave Morrison an eight count even though in the rules there was no eight-count for that fight. That was criminal in itself. How the hell did they give him an eight count when there was no eight-count? They were preserving him for the Foreman fight. I knew what happened. It was just another of the unfortunate breaks that to my peril, altered my course in boxing. Every little occasion where they could rob me or they could do something, they would. The only thing, I just thank God is that I still have my head on my shoulders. They couldn’t take that from me.
MP: Your record shows that your final fight was in October of 1997, a stoppage loss to the unheralded Anthony Green. At that point, was the desire gone?
Yeah, pretty much. To be quite frank, I had a five fight deal. I had two knockouts and two decisions and I was fighting Anthony Green, somebody I used to box in the gym. I was just looking to get in and get out really quick, but there was just no longer any desire.
MP: Update RSR readers on what you have been up to since your retirement from boxing in 1997.
Well I’ve had my ups and downs. I was working at Taj Mahal at one point. I was what you would call an ambassador there. I would help people and direct them. From there I became a counselor up in West Chester. Then from there I started working in security. Gerry Cooney has an organization called F.I.S.T. He invited to come into his organization and he’d help me out. HBO had two jobs they were going to give to F.I.S.T. He said, “I’ll give you one of the jobs,” and I said, “okay.” So I waited and nothing happened and then Gerry came to me after six months to tell me that Lou DiBella, who was vice president at HBO Boxing at the time, wasn’t going to give me the job because he was going into boxing himself. He was going to need Bob Arum, and Bob Arum told Lou not to give me the job.
What happened was, he told me to take a security job with a firm he had a connection with to keep a little money in my pocket. Over time, I started getting recognition for doing a super job, because I was combining my street ability with my ability to articulate and communicate with people. I just kept getting better and better at that job. Over time I moved up various levels, I became a field supervisor, then a supervisor, then an account manager, ultimately becoming the Fire Safety Director.
There’s an old saying in order to get in, you got to fit in. You can’t get in if you don’t fit in. My articulation helped me a great deal and the fact that I’ve been able to call upon my experience through out my life of dealing with people and situations. I’ve been fortunate in that respect. I was handed an opportunity and I made the most of it.
I would love to have somebody give me a chance, give me a break. I would love for that to happen, to sit in a booth, sit down and talk about boxing, talk about fighting. You’ve got a lot of people doing that that don’t know crap about the game. They may know it from the outside, but they don’t know it from the inside. I am able to give you an all around view and understanding of boxing. I would just love to be able to do that, to commentate.
MP: How do you feel about today’s heavyweights and all of the titles floating around?
Well, to tell you the truth, if I were around at my very best I’d would probably be a champion for ten years or twenty years, based on the present crop. And that goes for the Klitschko’s or who ever else is fighting today. Today it’s embarrassing. These guys are big lumbering guys looking for one or two punches, holding each other throughout the rounds. In the 80’s, guys were fighting. Today’s crop, you slap them and they run to the ref like a little girl. The opponents are definitely weaker. It’s definitely not the boxers and boxing that I knew. It’s laughable.
MP: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all fighters? How can this be accomplished?
It would have to be accomplished so that every time there is a fight, in whatever state or country, as long as you are a part of that body, whatever comes out of your purse, whatever percentage, will always go into that fund. Whether it’s 1% or 5%, it has to apply to each and every boxer, no matter how small or large the purse. If you participate in the sport, a portion, a percentage, must be put into this fund. The bigger your purse, the more you are actually putting into it. The standards have to be put into place to ensure that it works so that thirty years from now after your career is done, you don’t have to go out and sweep the fucking floor. The thing that helps me is that I can go out, deal with people and articulate. I can roll with the punches, so to speak. You also have to be able to think, show and prove. That’s one of the things that I had to do. I just didn’t talk the talk. I had to walk the walk. Unfortunately, not everybody has that ability.
MP: In closing, how do you want your fans to remember you?
I would like for them to remember me as a tough guy, a tough fighter. I was fair. I wasn’t a dirty fighter. I was honest. As my fans know, there were a few fights that I should have got the decision and I should have won. There were a few fights that I’ve had in my life that would have made the difference in my life, and probably my fans lives too. In retrospect it would have affected everyone. I just want all my fans to know that I still love them and that I’ll always be Carl “The Truth” Williams.
MP: Thank you for giving RSR your time.
Thank you. Hey man, listen. I said I would do it. It was my pleasure. Sometimes I just want to sit back and let all of this stuff out. The average person, everyday, when I go to work, or when I go here or I go there, they weren’t a part of that world. They don’t know or understand. The average person would have no idea on the depth to boxing and what goes into it. I’ve had some really difficult struggles in my life, things that I haven’t even gone into here. If there’s one thing boxing and life has shown me it’s this; “When you fall, fall on your back, because if you can look up, you can get up.”
Carl Williams
Nickname: “The Truth”
Division: Heavyweight
Professional Record: 30-10, 21 KO’s
Date Opponent Location Result
1982-01-22 Greg Stephany New York, USA W UD 4
1982-03-31 Dwight Triplett New York, USA W TKO 1
1982-04-30 Louis Alexander New York, USA W TKO 2
1982-05-28 Donny Townsend New York, USA W KO 1
1982-06-11 Barry Funches New York, USA W TKO 6
1982-08-20 David Starkey New York, USA W TKO 3
1982-10-22 Michael Greer New York, USA W TKO 3
1982-12-09 Leroy Boone New York, USA W PTS 8
1983-02-18 Richard Cade New York, USA W TKO 1
1983-04-24 Robert Hill Atlantic City, USA W TKO 3
1983-06-30 David Jaco Atlantic City, USA W TKO 1
1983-08-16 Woody Clark Atlantic City, USA W PTS 10
1983-09-09 Percell Davis Las Vegas, USA W TKO 4
1984-03-07 Lou Benson Jr White Plains, USA W RTD 2
1984-08-09 Terry Mims New York, USA W TKO 3
1984-10-23 James Tillis Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1985-05-20 Larry Holmes Reno, USA L UD 15
IBF Heavyweight Title
1985-08-31 Jesse Ferguson Atlantic City, USA W TKO 10
1986-02-16 Mike Weaver Troy, USA L TKO 2
1987-06-21 Bert Cooper Atlantic City, USA W RTD 8
vacant USBA Heavyweight Title
1987-10-17 Mike Gans Atlantic City, USA W TKO 7
1988-01-27 Rodney Frazier San Diego, USA W TKO 1
USBA Heavyweight Title
1988-06-27 Trevor Berbick Atlantic City, USA W UD 12
USBA Heavyweight Title
1988-11-10 Mike Rouse Stateline, USA W TKO 3
USBA Heavyweight Title
1989-07-21 Mike Tyson Atlantic City, USA L TKO 1
WBC Heavyweight Title
WBA World Heavyweight Title
IBF Heavyweight Title
1990-07-24 Melton Bowen Atlantic City, USA W TKO 5
USBA Heavyweight Title
1991-03-08 Tim Witherspoon Atlantic City, USA L SD 12
USBA Heavyweight Title
1991-10-15 Kimmuel Odum Atlantic City, USA NC NC 10
1992-01-12 Marshall Tillman Atlantic City, USA W TKO 2
1992-03-22 Jerry Jones Atlantic City, USA L PTS 10
1992-08-20 Ossie Ocasio Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1992-11-03 Jimmy Lee Smith Mashantucket, USA W TKO 3
1993-01-16 Tommy Morrison Reno, USA L TKO 8
1993-04-24 Frank Bruno Birmingham, United Kingdo L TKO 10
1994-07-22 Alexander Zolkin Robinsonville, USA L TKO 7
1995-03-17 Melvin Foster Bushkill, USA L PTS 10
1996-05-31 Sean Hart Rye Brook, USA W DQ 3
1996-08-02 Lou Turchiarelli Melville, USA W TKO 2
1996-11-27 Domingo Monroe Whitman, USA W PTS 8
1997-06-13 Marion Wilson Port Chester, USA W UD 10
1997-10-30 Anthony Green Port Chester, USA L TKO 7
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
“I've worked with Lainie, known her as talented and respected actress in both dramatic and comedic roles; an actress clearly with enviable staying power.”-- Shelley Berman (Grammy Award winning Comedian and co-starred with Lainie in “You Don't Mess With The Zohan”).
“Lainie Kazan is a treasure for those of us hailing from New York City. Admittedly I'm biased.
Lainie has an immense set of pipes, a well articulated voice, and the ability to not just sing a song, but BECOME the protagonist in her songs and express all those subtle feelings.
As an actress, Lainie is a classic example of how being true to one's self, one's roots, ones culture; one can resonate with the larger world community. For a Jewish girl from New York; to command roles as an Italian, a Greek, as well as a Spaniard is a more than significant accomplishment. And, she didn't just play these roles, she owned them convincingly. I LIKE LAINIE.” -- Award winning Singer and Songwriter Gregory Abbott
Lainie Kazan not only defines the word “talent,” but embodies it. She can sing, act, and on top of an amazing career that has spanned almost 50 years, she is a true Humanitarian which in the world today, we need more of them.
Kazan graduated from Hofstra University with a B.A. in Speech and Drama with a minor in Education. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Hofstra University teaching at the School of Communications, where she is on the advisory board.
Lainie's first introduction to show business was in the off Broadway play called “Leave It To Jane.” A few years later, she would come into her own as the Understudy to Barbra Streisand in the Broadway Hit Funny Girl. From there, she would appear an amazing “26” times on the highly rated Dean Martin Variety Show (1965-1974) and from the clips on You Tube, you can see the chemistry they have that cannot be faked. Over the years she would appear in many different TV shows and movies finding major success in 1982's “My Favorite Year” with Peter O'Toole which would garner her a Golden Globe Nomination.
In 1993, she received a Tony nomination as Best Actress (Featured Role - Musical) for "My Favorite Year," reprising her original role from the film My Favorite Year.
In the early 2000's after a successful run in movies, theater and on stage, Kazan co-starred in the movie “My Fat Greek Wedding” which went on to garner Lainie critical acclaim for her role in the blockbuster comedy that has grossed over $600 million worldwide. She would go on to reprise her role in the short lived CBS TV series: “My Big Fat Greek Life.”
Recently she appeared in Adam Sandler's 2008 movie “You Don't Mess With The Zohan” and for you comedy lovers out there, pay close attention to Lainie's performance as Gail. Simply put, I was on the floor laughing because her scenes with Sandler are like little comedic skits within an already very funny movie. Adam if you are reading this interview, I would love to see the outtakes/bloopers of your scenes with Lainie and you because I can only imagine how funny those are as well.
On top of all of her work in the singing and acting realm, she finds time to be a Humanitarian a job that is not required of anyone, but it's always lauded and appreciated when it's done. She serves on the Board for the Young Musicians Foundation, and is involved in AIDS Project LA.
For a lady that started out life as Lainie Levine from NYC, she has climbed the mountain of success, with all its ups and downs, but as I found in this exclusive interview, has stayed true to who she is throughout all of it.
Ladies and Gentlemen, RSR proudly brings you Ms. Lainie Kazan....
BB: Let's catch up the RSR readers on what you are doing as of today?
I open up at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood, CA on Thursday, November 19th -November 21st with my little Jazz band. As you know, I have been singing for many – many years... This past week, I finished a TV series called Till Death with Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher where I play Joely's mother.
I will also be appearing at the Annenberg Center at the Eisenhower in Rancho Mirage, California, on November 22nd.
There are several others I am doing which is keeping me busy...
BB: Growing up in Brooklyn, New York how did that get you interested in the entertainment field you would go on to work in for most of your adult life?
I don't think it really had anything to do with coming from Brooklyn, but I think it was my mother. My mother was a very quiet demure type like Gypsy Rose Lee's mother Mama Rose. She saw that I had talent because I danced and then, she took me for dance lessons from the time I was three years old. My first live performance was at the Brooklyn Academy of Music when I was four. I always sang from a young age and mom knew I was good so she encouraged me to learn my craft. I would go on to acting classes and as I said, dancing classes, which made me very well trained early on.
Then from there, I started going to a camp in the Adirondacks in New York called “Camp Chenawah” and they noted that I was talented. So during my time there, I was in all the shows that they called “Big Shows.” It really set a precedence for me because I understood the rehearsal process and it made me understand what it took to be good at something. I just loved it.
Funny thing. I went on to High School and didn't want to do any of this. My thought was I wanted to be just an average girl so I stopped for about three years.
Then it came time to go to College and I didn't know what else I could be good at or what I wanted to do. I didn't know anything else. So when I got several Drama Scholarships, I chose to go to Hofstra University and that is where I really started to study.
BB: You were the understudy to Barbara Streisand in the play Funny Girl. But you actually went to Erasmus Hall High School together. Do you have any stories that involved you and her during those times?
Barbara and I did go to the same High School, but I was ahead of her by a couple of years and didn't really know her.
BB: Your first appearance on Broadway was in the 1961 play “The Happiest Girl In the World.” What was that experience like?
Yes, it was my first time on Broadway and it was a wonderful experience. It wasn't my first experience in a show because I had been in one during my college years that was off-Broadway called “Leave It To Jane.” I was very involved with that show and all the wonderful college/theater programs that were offered. I did Leave It To Jane for about 3 years while I was in College and during the Summer, I would do the Music Fairs such as Westbury Music Fair which at that time, they had five of them. Wherever they had one, I played it. That is when I first got my Equity Card. George Segal was one of the leads in the play and I was in the chorus.
BB: You appeared an amazing 26 times on the Dean Martin Variety Show and the chemistry between the two of you was magic. Do you have any funny never heard before story about any of those appearances with Dean behind the scenes?
We had amazing chemistry. I loved him so much. He was the most delicious, generous and so funny – funnier than Jerry Lewis to me. Yes, I have a good one for you...
In the 60's you had to cover your breasts so that no cleavage would show. They would put gauze over my breasts. Dean came on the air and looked down at my chest and said, “Your net, doesn't cover your gross.” (We both broke out laughing at that line from Dean.)
He really was the greatest to me ever.
BB: In 1968, you appeared in the Frank Sinatra detective movie Lady In Cement. What was that shoot like?
Well, first it was how I met him that was amazing.... I was working with Don Rickles at the Eden Roc on Miami Beach. Frank was at the Fountainbleu Hotel performing. He sent a note over that he would like to meet with me for this part in his movie which was in the series where he played the Detective Tony Rome. I called the number he left for me and the gentlemen answered and said, “Mr. Sinatra would like you to come to his show and meet you after.” I explained that I had a show to do at the same time and he said, “Mr. Sinatra will hold the show for you and we will pick you up.” So I finished my show and I was a nervous wreck. Two guys who looked like strong arm types came to pick me up at the stage door and one of them was Jilly Rizzo and the other one, I have no clue who he was. They took me to the Fountainbleu and the lights were all up.
We walked down the aisle with all of the people and they sat me right in front of the stage at ringside. During Frank's show, he introduced me and that I was this new singer who was on her way up. Then he was going to meet me after the show. OH MY GOD...I went to his dressing room and he gave me this script telling me he really wanted me to be in his movie. We then started shooting like that following week. I was very nervous still, but it wound up that everything was great and Frank took care of me like a father. We would socialize and it was just an amazing experience for me.
BB: Who were singers that you looked up to and influenced you in your singing career?
Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne and Edith Piaf were my idols.
BB: Edith Piaf is my favorite female singer of all-time.
Ella is mine because she was the cleanest and most musical to me. The pain of Judy Garland and her ability to entertain was so extraordinary that I identified with her. The same way I did with Billie Holiday as I got older.
BB: One of my personal favorite songs that you covered was on the “Love is Lainie” Album and it was “When I Look In Your Eyes” written by Leslie Bricusse. What do you remember about recording this song?
I love that song! I can remember that my husband was in the Control Room and he was much older than I. His eyes were just this unbelievable blue color and I can remember singing it to him- singing it to Peter Daniels. This song was for him. I even cried during that recording.
That album did very well for me.
BB: In October of 1970, you posed in Playboy Magazine and from all the comments I can find, people thought you were extremely sensual and I must agree. How did this help your career and if you had to do it over again, would you have done the shoot?
If I had to do it all over again, I would demand payment. I am the only person who ever did Playboy and didn't get paid. I did it for Art. I was a 70's hippie and for me, it was about the body beautiful and I was not ashamed about my body. I thought the pictures were very Rubenesque. How they got me to do it was I was in Yugoslavia shooting a movie called “Romance of a Horse Thief” with Yul Brynner. Larry Schuler who has written a book on OJ Simpson and was one of the first people to ever interview Susan Atkins from the Manson Family. He also wrote with Norman Mailer a great book on Gary Gilmore the murderer.
Larry was the photographer who approached me and said, “You can do for the Jewish Woman what Sophia Loren has done for the Italian Woman. We will take out the Chicken Soup and Matzoh Ball image and have you riding on a horse in the desert. You will be on a beach and be Jewesque.” He really sold me and he asked, do you always live like this? At that time, I lived in a very hippie fashion with a place at the Plaza Hotel and like a crazy person.
Honestly, I also did it because I had been so compared to Barbara Streisand in every way. I was so frustrated and I thought what can she do, that I cannot do? OK…I will take my clothes off. I have a sensual image and I will use it... Would you believe there was a “Mother's March” in Las Vegas? They marched in Vegas against my picture that was up on a building which was just this wet shirt shot of me that covered the entire side of the building.
That shirt shot became a real bone of contention for those people who lived in Vegas and had to see it every day. It's amazing to me because Vegas is the most debauched society, yet, they were very vocal how they felt about my photographs. Then folks would say lines like, they haven't gotten around to playing my record because they were still playing the cover. Then they would write about what I looked like instead of what I sounded like. So it kind of took the other side because I was just wanting to be recognized for my talent and not my breasts. I kind of got caught up in my own web.
BB: I remember you did a memorable Aqua Velvet commercial in the 70's. Do you still get people who come up to you and say, “Hey you’re the lady from the Aqua Velvet commercial?”
You do? (Big laugh) No not anymore. It looks like we are both getting old. (We both laugh)
BB: In 1982, a film classic hit the movie theaters called “My Favorite Year” where you co-starred with Peter O'Toole and Mark Linn Baker. Your performance received rave reviews from critics and fans alike. What was that movie like to work on?
I had just come off a movie that was Directed by Francis Ford Coppola called “One From The Heart” and it was just a disaster. But it was such a great experience as an actor to be in that film and work for so many months on a project that was so heartfelt.
Once I got done with this movie, I got the script for this comedy. I can remember my friend Norman Steinberg who wrote the script told me I am writing this wonderful script and I would like you to look at it. I had played Maria Ouspenskaya (Played Lon Chaney's mother in the 1941 film The Wolfman) in a Mel Brooks TV show from 1975 called “When Things Were Rotten.” Well, Norman said they remembered me in it and that Mel Brooks who was an Executive Producer on this movie wanted to see me for one of the roles in the movies.
They wanted me to play the writer, but when I read the script, I just fell on the floor and wanted to play the Jewish mother. I told them you have to let me come in so I can show that I can do it. I had been known for playing all these sexy kind of roles and they weren't interested. So I got dressed as the character and went in. Mel Brooks fell on the floor and gave me the part. That was like God was looking at me and I have never gotten a role like this one again in my entire life. It was the defining role.
Though it was such a great role, it really typecast me for a very long time so badly, but I have had a great career so far and I am not complaining. What I am saying is there were so many roles I would have liked to do.
BB: I always heard that Peter O'Toole's role was based on the actor Errol Flynn. Is this true?
Yes, he was based on Errol. Peter was exquisite is all I can tell you. He just delighted in me and gave so much of himself to me that all I wanted to do was be that character and to fawn over him.
BB: In 1985, you appeared in the Cult Classic “Lust in The Dust.” You have a scene where you sing “South of My Border” that had me in stitches. What was that shoot like?
Most of that cast are still my very close friends. I received a call one night when I was at home and my daughter said “Mom, there is a guy on the phone named Tab Hunter. Is that a person?” “Tab Hunter,” I said, “Give me the phone.” Tab told me he had been thinking of me and he had written a script and wanted to meet me for lunch. He then went on to say, I have this part in mind for you and I don't think anyone else could play it. I met him at this beautiful restaurant called Butterfields in California.
I took the part and we went to Sante Fe and lived for months. I fell in love with Tab, the Costume Designer who still is a very close friend of mine and Paul Bartel the Director. It was such a joy to work on that film. I have had such great experiences and even talking with you right now, makes me realize how fortunate I have been because I have had some great theatrical experiences. Yes, I have had some dogs to, but we all do.
BB: I want to throw some names out that you have worked with over the years, and get your thoughts about them.
Don Rickles
Hilarious and not mean at all like you see in his comedy when he performs.
Yul Brenner
Larger than life character who was very – very charismatic.
Eli Wallach
The most giving and generous actor who is a wonderful human being.
Divine
He was very interesting because when he was Glen Devine in his male persona, he was a very gentle intellectual. When he became Divine and got into drag, he became an outrageous Queen.
Chuck Norris
I had no idea who he was when I was going to Israel to shoot the movie “Delta Force” with actors like Shelley Winters, Martin Balsam, Susan Strasberg, Joey Bishop and some guy named Chuck Norris. Back then, I had no idea he was going to be the star of the movie and once we started shooting, he was very kind and was lots of fun.
Shelley Berman
A very nice man.
Adam Sandler
Brilliant…he is very kind and generous to work with and really is very bright.
BB: If you had to pick one night in your career where you thought, “Lainie, you nailed it,” which one would you pick for both the acting and singing side?
There have been times I have really nailed it because I have been signing for many – many years now. When you nail it all has to come together at the same time it is very Kismet. The musicians have to be communicating with each other and then as a unit, they communicate with me which is a very personable and vulnerable experience. When that happens, I don't have to really work, I am like lifted from my body into another space like I don't even have a body. It's almost spiritual. It has not happened many times, but several times. One night when I had my club at the Playboy Club it happened as I mentioned to me. It mostly happened at a small club setting where I don't have to reach out to thousands of people and you have that intimate group in front of me.
On the acting side, it would be the movie “One From The Heart” because I was allowed to just go there and for an actor, that is a great thing. Francis (Coppola) allowed that because he is a visionary and is very much into improvisation.
BB: On your 1995 CD “Body & Soul” you covered a song that is synonymous with Frank Sinatra called “I'm A Fool To Want You.” Well, you really brought your own interpretation to it and I enjoyed it very much. What was is like recording this track?
Thank you. I love that song. It was very intimate and very heartfelt. I draw on my own experiences and emotional thoughts because I live the song when I am signing it.
BB: On your 1998 CD “In The Groove,” you recorded one of my all-time favorite songs “Yesterday When I Was Young” written by Charles Aznavour and Georges Garvarentz. Your cover was a little different. You opened with Yesterday by the Beatles and then, went into Yesterday When I Was Young. At first, I thought the CD had a misprint on the title, but you did something different with the intro and then going into the actual song. Whose idea was that?
That was actually my idea to do that and I am glad you enjoyed it. I actually do that a lot and it's fun for me.
BB: You also covered Donnie Hathaway's “A Song For You.” I have always felt this song is a classic. What was it like recording it?
I love that song and for this CD, I worked with David Benoit who I absolutely love. He was my Conductor for ten years when I ran the Playboy Club. We have a very special relationship and special communication. He played that song so magnificently and it created such a lovely moment in time for me.
BB: One other thing you did on “In The Groove,” you recorded with your daughter Jennifer. What was that experience like?
It was so special and we actually cried during one of the tunes we recorded. We were doing I Would If I Could and it broke us up.
BB: I want to switch gears for a moment and discuss your charity work with The Young Musicians Foundation and AIDS Project LA. What would you like our readers to know and how can they get involved if they are interested?
I am on the board for the Young Musicians Foundation which is an incredible group of women who donate their time and money to promote, encourage and support young musicals artists.
Mostly it's Classical because there is a Youth Symphony that is supported by this group and they have started to play with all the great Symphonic Orchestras across the country. We have supported the Conductors and the Maestros who are now going on to be the in charge of those Symphony Orchestras across the country.
For the AIDS Project LA, I have produced shows, and sung to raise money. I have done everything I can to make this horrible condition go away.
BB: If you were stranded on a desert island and you could only have one movie and one CD, what would they be?
(Big Laugh) The movie is really hard, but I am going to say Young Frankenstein because I would want to laugh. I would take the CD <b>Ella</b> (Fitzgerald) and <b>Louis </b>(Armstrong).
BB: What “words of wisdom” can you impart on the young man or woman wanting to break into the singing and acting business today?
Studying your craft is a lost art. Nowadays people just want to be Movie Stars. You know that line in My Favorite Year where Peter O'Toole says, “You mean this show is live? Live? I am not an actor, but a Movie Star.” (We both crack up) I don't believe in that. I feel one must learn their craft and expose their self to all kinds of music and theater/film. You must learn from those that have come before us so we can interpret with knowledge like a Doctor or an Architect does to learn their craft.
You must be a Historian in either the singing or acting field. Today, I mention Marlon Brando to some young people and they do not know what I am talking about. It's horrendous and there must be a sense of history in what you do.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by if you have one?
“Do unto others as you would have done unto you.”
Lainie wanted to add to our interview:
I have a gorgeous and fabulously talented daughter and granddaughter. I am very proud of my daughter because it was hard for her being a child of a single parent because she grew up like that.
]]>
Is your business looking to generate additional revenue? Do you want to be linked to the fastest growing online boxing site on the net? A boxing site, which is known as “The Heart of Boxing” with readers and viewers both domestic and overseas, who grow in numbers by the day. Well, then RSR may be the place you want to spend some of your advertising budget. We offer very competitive rates for various package deals that can place your business in an area, that without a doubt, will generate new revenue for your company. To get a detailed quote today about Ad Space, use the Form Box below to send your information to our CEO/Publisher/Webmaster "Bad" Brad Berkwitt or you can call the RSR Office at: (703) 517-2155.
[si-contact-form form='2']
]]>
"Bad" Brad Berkwitt - CEO/Publisher/Webmaster - Virginia
"Bad" Brad Berkwitt retired from the US Navy (September 2006) with his 20 years of Honorable Service to our country, and was honored in a Retirement Ceremony held in the Pentagon. He currently is working for US Investigative Services (USIS) as a Program Manager in Northern, VA.
During his childhood, he fought as an amateur boxer for three years (80-83) out of North Miami Beach, Florida. He also is the successful Author of the boxing book: Boxing Interviews of a Lifetime. Brad's passion for boxing which he credits his late Father Alvin Berkwitt, started in 1975, and to this day, is just as strong.
On top of his CEO duties, "Bad" Brad has appeared many times over the last decade on News Channel 8 Sports Talk TV Show with Host Glenn Harris, that is viewed in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Over the last four years, "Bad" Brad is now doing one show a month on Sports Talk because it has become a very popular segment when he appears to talk about the boxing world. He also has been a guest on ESPN Radio and various other radio shows throughout the country.
His nickname "Bad" came from fellow Author and Boxing Ring Announcer, Henry “Dis-com-bob-u-lating” Jones in 2000 and has stuck ever since. In Henry’s words, “I gave him that nickname because he always stands up for what he believes in, and the fighters truly respect him for being so positive in all of his interviews.”
Outside of boxing, he is an old time movie and music buff who was probably born in the wrong generation. His love of the classic singers such as Frank Sinatra, Dame Shirley Bassey, Herb Alpert, Chuck Brown, Rick James, Al Martino, Dean Martin, and French Diva "The Little Sparrow" Edith Piaf, truly do set him back in a time where singers really sang some great standards.
Please use the form below to contact "Bad" Brad
Geno McGahee - Managing Editor/Graphics - Massachusetts
Geno McGahee was born on August 10th, 1974, and lives in the glorious state of Massachusetts. He has written, directed, and produced two full length feature films under X Posse Productions. In 2003, “Evil Awakening,” a 1980’s style slasher film, followed up in 2006 with “Rise of the Scarecrows,” a film that was a huge step up from the first. In 2008, Geno filmed an anthology called “Scary Tales,” his third film. Evil Awakening and Rise of the Scarecrows are both being distributed by Tempe Entertainment. Evil Awakening came out on August 19th, 2008, and Rise of the Scarecrows will be released in May of 2009. In summer of 2009, Geno will film his fourth movie “Family Secret,” working with a budget for the first time, along with some celebrities and horror personalities. Geno plans on making this film his major statement to the movie world.
Geno began with RSR in 2005, and quickly moved up to Managing Editor. He has been a boxing fan for quite some time, noting the rematch between Heavyweight Champion, Michael Spinks and Larry Holmes as the first event that attracted him to the game. His love of pugilism would be put into overdrive when Mike Tyson stormed onto the scene and destroyed everything in his path. Geno has covered many fights in the New England area.
X Posse Productions teamed up with RSRTV to bring boxing video to the RSR fans, including “The Boxing Show,” a funny and informative boxing program that brings you some laughs and some insight on the sport. Written by Geno McGahee, The Boxing Show has gotten quite the response and features 3-Time World Champion, Jose Antonio Rivera and Trainer/Matchmaker Sean “Fitzy” Fitzgerald as panelists and Cedric Howard as the host, discussing the world of boxing.
In May of 2007, Scared Stiff Reviews.COM was created, a site that brings obscure as well as popular horror films to the fans. Geno McGahee and his sister Melissa bring their writing talent and knowledge of the horror genre to the net in hopes to not only expose the masses to unknown horror gems but to also try to steer the industry and bring it back to what it once was.
Please use the form below to contact Geno
GRIM X. – Advisor to the CEO – California
Grim is a child of the 60’s and no doubt when you meet him with his laid back way, you will see he came from the right generation. A boxing-fitness nut, he has competed in body building contests and then went into boxing. First to stay in shape, then to go on and train fighters. If he is not in the gym, he is working his magic on many websites which he does for a living.
The design you now see on RSR is a Grim production. Grim X. is an advisor on many web issues to the CEO of RSR “Bad” Brad Berkwitt and is RSR for life.
In addition, Grim X. also owns World Boxing Forums where you will find nothing, but diehard boxing guys talking about boxing 24/7. Check it out.
[si-contact-form form='1'] ]]>[dailymotion k5kvKGo1z2YjjA4xFQ]
The Boxing Show - October 2006
[dailymotion The Boxing Show - October 2006]
RSRTV Presents the debut of "The Boxing Show"
[dailymotion k6gT3oL1ipszsM2HyS]
Interview With Sean "Fitzy" Fitzgerald
[dailymotion k2N4dZnA0OJRgE1Wny]
Interview with Jose Antonio Rivera
[dailymotion k1V4ISfMFTTdv71Po3]
Edwin Rosado (1-0, 1 KO) vs Felix Hernandez (0-0)
[dailymotion k4PsdEe9L6NRx51Mvx]
Gerry Graelish (4-0, 3 KO) vs Montez Wilson (0-4)
[dailymotion k55ejRagTXkoEK1MqQ]
Adam Harris (6-0, 5 KO) vs Dan Sheehan (10-34, 4 KO)
[dailymotion k1UYfU5ZvN1zyG1Mys]
Enrique Palao (3-0, 3 KO) vs Alonzo Sojourney (2-17, 1 KO) Joe Siciliano (3-3, 2 KO) vs Jamaine Warner (0-0) Sicilano is defending his Central Massachusetts Super-Heavyweight Championship [dailymotion k4sEMDEEEvQpt41Nfy]
]]>
Interview by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“I earned my own way to the top, just me and God.”--Iran “The Blade” Barkley
The business of boxing is often the dirtiest and most difficult aspect of the sport for those that fail to catch the eye of the power brokers that look for sheer marketability. An Olympic medal and a heartfelt story of rags to riches has a way of giving a known name the momentum needed for all of the right opportunities, but what of the diligent pro whose only route is laden with bumps and endless obstacles? The pay is at best poor and the road to success is filled with potholes and hazardous side routes that ultimately lead nowhere. It’s a sport that quickly uses up the best of an earnest soul, if the disappointment and heartbreak, both in and out of the ring, doesn’t first take away one’s spirit.
Iran “The Blade” Barkley is an example of one of the rare ones that came up the hard way, forcing the negatives to become positives; able to ignore the pain and despair of his chosen profession while accepting and learning from the hard knocks along the way. Demonstrating incredible faith in his creator and in himself, he managed to earn the big opportunity most fighters only ever dream of, a kick at the can on the world stage. Incredibly, despite the odds, he managed to become a three-division world champion, proving his most ardent critics wrong and forever linking his name to a decidedly competitive and colorful period in the sport.
MP: Tell us of your beginnings in the sport of boxing and of your amateur career.
I was on the US Olympic team. It was me, Dennis Milton and a couple of other guys. As an amateur I won like ninety-four bouts and lost four. I had about twenty-something knockouts, thirty-something knockouts. When my daughter was born I chose to turn professional. That was in ’82, and I turned pro with Top Rank and I couldn’t wait the two years, so I took the hard road. The guys that went to off to the Olympics, they won their gold medals and stuff, and got million dollar contracts. I worked my way all the way up to the top. I didn’t get any bonuses or anything. The bonus I got was when I beat Thomas Hearns.
MP: You paid your dues early as a professional fighter facing among others talented veterans such as Robbie Sims and Frank Minton. Later, key wins over rated contenders such as Mike Tinley, Wilford Scypion and James Kinchen served notice that you had become a force to be reckoned with in the middleweight division. Describe that period and some of the obstacles you had to overcome in order to move forward.
To move forward, Mike Tinley was one of those obstacles. James “The Heat” Kinchen was another one, as well as Michael Olajide and Wilford Scypion. Those guys were in my way and I knew that if I beat them I would advance to go further, and hopefully Top Rank would give me a bonus and I’d be a force to be reckoned with, but you know, they didn’t come through.
MP: You felt that they didn’t do the best that they could have for you?
No they didn’t. Everything that I had done I earned. I earned my own way to the top, just me and God. I didn’t ask anybody for anything. They didn’t apply me no help like all the rest of the guys that I’ve seen that were pampered all of the way up to the top like Oscar De La Hoya and……
MP: “Sugar” Ray Leonard?
Well, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, he was pampered but you know what? Ray, he had a force. He had Bob Arum’s ear. You know what I’m saying? I kind of felt that I was like the black sheep .The more and more I learnt of the business, which it is a business, I learned the business. I just felt Arum didn’t do with me what he did with the rest of those guys. In a way I’m glad I earned my way to the top because I don’t owe him nothing and they say they don’t owe me nothing, which is a lie, ‘cause I was promised something I never got. He promised me that after I fought Roberto Duran I’d get “Sugar” Ray Leonard. I knew Ray Leonard wasn’t going to fight me because Ray told me to me face - he said “I’ll never fight you Iran.” He said “you hit too hard and I’m not looking for that kind of fight.”
MP: You lost a 15-round decision to Sumbu Kalambay for the vacant WBA Middleweight title in October 1987. What do you recall of that match?
Well, see that’s another thing. Bob Arum sent me over to Italy to fight Sumbu Kalambay. I was like the last fifteen-round fighter. He sent me when he had Michael Nunn. It was originally Michael Nunn that was supposed to go over there, but they chose not to send him. They kept him in Vegas because Arum and Nunn’s manager were good friends and all of that stuff. But I was willing to go wherever it was that it would take me to win that title.
MP: Next came the network TV war with fellow contender Michael “The Silk” Olajide. Relate to us what went down in that bout and how it set the direction of your career for the next several years.
I had seen Michael Olajide when we both were fighting at one time in the Felt Forum. I used to see him at a lot of Felt Forum fights and the guy that was building him up was Stan Hoffman. Olajide, his father and Stan had a falling out, so Stan came and got me to beat him.
MP: In June 1988 you proved the critics wrong, defying the odds and taking the WBC Middleweight championship with a dramatic knockout over highly favored defending champion Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns. What do you recall of that key moment in your life?
That was the most exciting moment of my career right there, but I had a lot of obstacles to overcome. That day, my brother was sick in the hospital, really sick bad in the hospital. My friend Davey Moore had just got run over by his jeep. His jeep backed-up on him and crushed him. So you know, I was really feeling down and really feeling hurt, but I knew that I had a big fight coming and I had to just forget about that stuff, and I have to hold up and just do it.
It was like Davey’s spirit and my brother’s spirit came inside of me and they just pushed me forward, not to cancel the fight. Most guys would have cancelled the fight or they wouldn’t have gone on to do it. All of that I just blacked out of my mind, just went forward and got strength from that….and God.
(Davey Moore won the WBA World Light Middleweight champion in February 1982, losing it to Roberto Duran in June 1983)
MP: Hearns cut you badly in that match and you were getting hit a lot. Did you feel as though time was short and that the opportunity was slipping away?
I felt like I was in a daze in the second round because the simple fact that I was trying to box with Tommy, I knew that he was a good boxer, but after I got cut and everything, that motivated me. That was the spirit of Davey and my brother inside of me, telling me to forget about boxing him, just go out there and slug and do what I had to do. I just blacked everything else out of my mind and said let’s just go for it.
I was ready and in perfect shape for Tommy because he hit James Shuler with that same body shot that he hit me with, the left hook to the body, and Shuler crumbled. I had tough guys to spar with and my body was in perfect shape. When I got hit with that body shot it woke me up to get him out of there.
MP: Next up was Roberto Duran in February 1989. You lost the WBC Middleweight title by a very controversial split decision in an all-time classic middleweight encounter. Tell us about it.
What I remembered was the fight that Duran had with my friend Davey Moore, which I was training back then with Davey. I was his top sparring partner for their fight. I started to think back and I thought wow, I never thought the day would come when I would be fighting Duran. I had four champions in my world; Tommy Hearns, Roberto Duran, “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler. I said to myself that one day I would fight one or two of these guys, but I didn’t know which two. But God set me up to that. When I fought Duran, I remembered his fight with Davey and told myself if he fights a clean fight I’d fight a clean fight. If he fights dirty then I was going to fight dirty. But he fought a good calm, clean fight. I know that I won, but the politics of the game, took it away. “Sugar” Ray Leonard said he wasn’t going to fight me so I knew that I got robbed. I don’t want to say that I got robbed, Duran fought a heck of a fight with me but I know that the money fight was for Ray Leonard and then for Tommy Hearns for the second time to the winner.
MP: Early on your left jab and movement seemed to trouble Duran but as the bout progressed you seemed to get off track, fighting more on the inside. Why?
I started to try and fight because I knew I wasn’t going to win a decision, which was rightfully so. The little knockdown he gave me, he caught me but I was off balance and that gave him the lead that he needed.
MP: In August 1989 you challenged Michael Nunn for the IBF Middleweight title. Nunn was considered the class of the division at that point but you managed to take him the route, losing a very close majority decision. What happened in that bout and share with us your impressions of Nunn as a fighter.
Michael Nunn wasn’t a big puncher. I just knew that he was a boxer but I knew that I could beat him. He was with Arum and I was with Arum and Bob was going with them any old way if it went to a decision.
MP: After taking a year off to deal with a serious eye issue, you were stopped in less than a round by Nigel Benn for his WBO Middleweight title. What happened?
Nigel Benn hit me with a dirty shot. He should have been disqualified. He wasn’t disqualified. I didn’t know then, at that time, my father, he passed away the very same day I fought Benn. I was feeling funny all day, but at the time I didn’t know what it was that I was feeling funny for. But after I lost that fight my manager told me that my father had died. He died that same day.
I remember going to see my father in the hospital. He was in the veteran’s hospital. He was a veteran, and I told him you aren’t going to be at this fight, but I know you’ll be there with me. He said “yeah I’m going to watch it on TV.” He never even got a chance to see the fight because he died that same day.
MP: You were in the right place at the right time in early 1992 when Bob Arum asked you if you could still make 168lbs after a year fighting at 175lbs. From that you had one of your biggest career wins, and a moment that re-established you as a key player in the sport, a two-round blowout of Darrin Van Horn for the IBF Super Middleweight title. Describe to us what that opportunity meant to you and how it felt to get back on top.
It felt good but it wasn’t Bob Arum. It was his decision, but the one who put that fight together was me and Bruce Trampler. I just happened to be sitting in the Top Rank office talking to Bruce. Bruce and I were friends just talking when a telephone call came in Van Horne’s father was looking for someone for his son to fight. Bruce offered me as a challenger. Then he asked me if I could make 168lbs. and I said sure. I asked him how long I had to do it and he said one month. I told him I’d make it and be ready. I had just come off of a fight and I only weighed about 172 pounds at the time, so I had a month to go and I was way ahead of myself. That day when I left his office I started running day and night and when the time came I made the weight comfortably.
MP: You destroyed Van Horn, a talented fighter.
Yeah. Bob Arum didn’t think I could, though. He told Bruce I couldn’t make the weight and that I was too big and Bruce told him we’ll see. After I won, Arum got all of the credit when it was really Bruce Trampler and I that put that fight together.
MP: Just a few months after winning the IBF Super Middleweight title, you won the WBA Light Heavyweight title by again defeating Thomas Hearns, this time by dramatic split decision in a brutal war, making you a three-division champion. Was this the high point of your career for you? Was Tommy the same fighter he had been years before at middleweight?
This was the high point because I knew Bob Arum didn’t believe in me. Everybody thought it was a lucky punch in the first fight, but there is no luck in boxing. I beat the man because I was ready for him. But you know what, since they all thought it was a lucky punch, I told them I was going to take him twelve rounds and I’m just going to beat him up, and then I’m going to see what they all got to say. When I did that, they said Tommy had just gotten old, but if Hearns had knocked me out they would have said he was the greatest thing in the world.
MP: How did Hearns’ power rate with the other big hitters you faced over your career?
Tommy’s was the only punch that I really got to feel. Most other guys I fought, they didn’t hit like he could.
MP: Including Benn?
Yes, even Nigel Benn. I was just glad that I was in the shape for him the way I was for the first fight.
MP: You gave up your light heavyweight title and opted to stay at super middleweight, ultimately losing your IBF championship to James “Lights Out” Toney in February 1993. What happened?
I didn’t give the WBA title up. They told me I couldn’t keep two titles at that time and I had to give up one. I opened up the door for guys after me like Oscar De La Hoya. They didn’t have to give up their titles. They got to keep two belts in two different weight classes. When they lost they still had a belt. I had to give up my belt. You know what I’m saying?
MP: Ray Leonard won two belts in one night back in 1988.
Yeah, all of that too! But Ray was the prince of boxing. Ray could do anything he wanted to do. If anybody else wanted to do it they couldn’t do it.
MP: Describe the Henry Maske bout of 1994.
With Henry Maske, you know the story with that. In his country, Germany, you got to knock him out. If you didn’t knock him out, you ain’t winning. He wasn’t a big puncher or anything. That was the story.
MP: Compare for us, Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns, Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran, Michael “Second to” Nunn and James “Lights Out” Toney. Who was the slickest? Who was the strongest and who hit the hardest?
Believe it or not, the slickest and the hardest to fight, to me, was James Toney. He had that little slickness. He had that little way of not getting hit.
MP: Who was the biggest puncher of those guys?
Tommy was the biggest puncher….besides me.
MP: You moved all the way up to heavyweight to close out your career in 1999. Along the way you stopped Gerrie Coetzee, a former WBA Heavyweight champion from the 80’s. What are your recollections of that bout and of Coetzee?
It was during a time when I was in Top Rank’s office, again. I told Bob Arum that I can’t make these little weights anymore. I said let me move up to heavyweight and I’ll fight those big guys. He said you aren’t a heavyweight. Those guys will eat you up. He then told me if I wouldn’t fight at the weight he wanted me to fight at, he’d drop my contract. So he dropped my contract and I went out and proved to him that I was a heavyweight.
I got the opportunity to fight Gerrie Coetzee for a little belt that they made up, and I beat him. He had been a world class name. Before Coetzee, I even fought Trevor Berbick.
MP: Style-wise and strength-wise, were they much harder than middleweights?
No. I felt their power but I had power too. It made me stand with them and do the things I had to do. Most of these guys at heavyweight, they weren’t really in shape. They were just fighting there because they were big.
MP: What is Iran Barkley up to today?
Iran Barkley is really trying to get with the President, Barack Obama, to get a union organized for boxing. Not really a union, but a pension fund. That’s really needed now. Guys like Bob Arum and Don King have made a lot of money off of fighters and if they want to continue on in the game, the President should let them know that they need to pay a fee into the fighter’s pension.
MP: That would be hard to organize.
It could be, but it’s desperately needed. Boxers should have been the first ones to get it. All those football players and baseball players have these big contracts and they got four-hundred guys to help them. We only got ourselves.
MP: You mentioned God a few times. You have a very strong belief system. Tell us about that.
I believe in God because I know the things I have done and the things he has done for me. When men tell you something, they usually lie. The only one you can trust in is the Holy Spirit and God’s word. Nine times out of ten people will tell me I’m finished in boxing. I don’t let people tell me when I’m finished. I’m finished when I decide I’m finished and when the Holy Spirit of God tells me I’m finished. When he tells me to move away from the game, I will.
MP: Is there anything you wish to say to your many fans around the world?
Don’t be surprised if you see me win another title and do the things I chose to do.
MP: You still plan to continue fighting?
The fight has never left.
MP: We could be seeing Iran “The Blade” Barkley in the ring again?
It’s a possibility. You never know.
(Interviewers Note: I would like to thank former New York Golden Gloves champion and world middleweight title challenger Dennis “The Magician” Milton for his faith and invaluable assistance in setting-up this interview)
Iran Barkley
Nickname: “The Blade”
Division: Middleweight - Heavyweight
Professional Record: 43-19-1, 27 KO's
Date Opponent Location Result
1982-12-09 Larry Jordan Atlantic City, USA W KO 2
1983-01-06 Bruce Starling Atlantic City, USA W KO 2
1983-01-29 Donnie Williams Atlantic City, USA W TKO 1
1983-02-18 Donnie Franklin Atlantic City, USA W UD 4
1983-03-31 Osley Silas Atlantic City, USA L PTS 6
1983-06-18 Jose Torres Atlantic City, USA W UD 6
1983-08-18 Frank Minton Atlantic City, USA W TKO 5
1983-12-15 Marciano Bernardi Atlantic City, USA W TKO 1
1984-01-06 Robbie Sims Atlantic City, USA L KO 6
1984-07-05 Esteban Pizzarro Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1984-08-23 John Ford Atlantic City, USA W TKO 5
1984-11-01 Eddie Hall Atlantic City, USA L SD 8
1985-02-21 Osley Silas Atlantic City, USA W TKO 6
1985-04-26 Norberto Sabater New York, USA W TKO 2
1985-05-24 Randy Smith New York, USA W UD 10
1985-07-11 Carlos Betancourt New York, USA W KO 1
1985-08-08 Bill Lee New York, USA W TKO 3
1985-08-29 Norberto Sabater New York, USA W KO 2
1985-11-01 Wilford Scypion New York, USA W KO 8
1985-12-06 Mike Tinley New York, USA W SD 12
WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Title
1986-06-19 Tony Harrison New York, USA W KO 3
WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Title
1986-07-24 Basante Blanco New York, USA W TKO 4
1986-10-17 James Kinchen Detroit, USA W SD 10
1987-02-20 Stacy McSwain Atlantic City, USA W PTS 10
1987-04-03 Jorge Amparo Las Vegas, USA W UD 10
1987-10-23 Sumbu Kalambay Livorno, Italy L UD 15
vacant WBA World Middleweight Title
1988-01-29 Sanderline Williams Atlantic City, USA W SD 10
1988-03-06 Michael Olajide New York, USA W TKO 5
1988-06-06 Thomas Hearns Las Vegas, USA W TKO 3
WBC Middleweight Title
1989-02-24 Roberto Duran Atlantic City, USA L SD 12
WBC Middleweight Title
1989-08-14 Michael Nunn Reno, USA L MD 12
IBF Middleweight Title
1990-08-18 Nigel Benn Las Vegas, USA L TKO 1
WBO Middleweight Title
1991-08-16 Juan Hernandez Las Vegas, USA W UD 10
1991-10-03 Jesus Castaneda Great Falls, USA W TD 8
1992-01-10 Darrin Van Horn New York, USA W TKO 2
IBF Super Middleweight Title
1992-03-20 Thomas Hearns Las Vegas, USA W SD 12
WBA World Light Heavyweight Title
1992-12-05 Robert Folley Atlantic City, USA W KO 4
1993-02-13 James Toney Las Vegas, USA L RTD 9
IBF Super Middleweight Title
1993-08-30 Dino Stewart Kansas City, USA W TKO 9
1993-10-20 Adolpho Washington Bay Saint Louis, USA L TKO 6
1994-05-24 Rick Enis Tulsa, USA W TKO 4
1994-07-22 Gary Butler Tulsa, USA W UD 8
1994-10-08 Henry Maske Halle, Germany L RTD 9
IBF Light Heavyweight Title
1995-05-14 Tosca Petridis Melbourne, Australia L UD 10
1995-08-18 Rocky Gannon Las Vegas, USA L MD 8
1996-02-02 James Baker Des Moines, USA W TKO 1
1996-06-03 Brian Yates Kansas City, USA W UD 8
1996-07-27 Craig Payne Rochester, USA W MD 8
1996-09-06 Dan Kosmicki Onawa, USA W UD 8
1996-11-14 Frankie Hines Virginia Beach, USA W TKO 1
1996-11-20 Caseny Truesdale Raleigh, USA W TKO 4
1997-01-22 Dave Fiddler Rochester, USA W KO 1
1997-06-08 Gerrie Coetzee Hollywood, USA W TKO 10
1997-09-13 Marcelo Aravena Mandan, USA W TKO 3
1998-08-22 Tony LaRosa Rosemont, USA L UD 10
1998-09-30 Dan Kosmicki Kansas City, USA D TD 4
1998-10-22 Caseny Truesdale Atlanta, USA W TKO 4
1998-11-06 Tue Bjorn Thomsen Copenhagen, Denmark L UD 6
1999-01-27 Joey Guy Nashville, USA L PTS 10
1999-03-19 Thomas Williams Ocala, USA L TKO 4
1999-04-19 Tony Halme Helsinki, Finland L SD 12
1999-06-29 Trevor Berbick Montreal, Canada L UD 8
1999-07-31 Keith McKnight Lula, USA L TKO 6
]]>
By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
Barney Ross was a rugged, hungry fighter whose unmatched physical fitness and superior stamina made him a three-division champion in a time when there were far less world titles in existence. He won world titles in the lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight divisions. Born Dov-Ber Rasofsky, Ross grew up in Chicago where he was raised by strict Orthodox Jewish parents that had an eye towards his becoming a Rabbi. Opposed to his ambition of becoming a practitioner of the sweet science, his family relented after his father was mercilessly killed during a hold-up. The need for support eclipsed that parental dream and Ross was tasked with becoming the chief breadwinner, thus he set forth to make money in the ring. A fast and clever technician with a respectable punch Ross won the 1929 Inter-City Golden Gloves Championship and turned professional later that year.
His first pro bout was in September 1929 against Ramon Lugo, an experienced pug with a 20-1-4 record on the downside of an otherwise invisible ring career. Ross prevailed by six round decision and thus, one of the great ring careers of any generation was underway. Going 10-0 his first year, Ross suffered his first defeat against Carlos Garcia, a ten-round points loss to the seasoned journeyman with a deceptive 17-7 record. Over the next thirty-six bouts, Ross went 32-1-2, paying his dues and honing his craft against the likes of former NBA Featherweight Champion Battling Battalino, among others.
Fighting as a lightweight in the Chicago area, Ross accrued a fine record of 40-2-2. By 1932 he was ranked third by The Ring and gaining momentum both with the fan base and as a fighter. In 1933, Ross defeated Tony Canzoneri by majority decision for both the lightweight and junior welterweight titles in a curious affair that that had a distance of ten rounds. The win made Ross a two-division champion in one night. Canzoneri disputed the verdict and many in the press wondered aloud if the correct decision had been rendered given the competitiveness of the encounter and the suggestion of subjective judging.
Demonstrating the desire to prove a true world champion while looking to silence the notion that he was the beneficiary of a biased hometown decision in the first match, Ross granted Canzoneri an immediate rematch. Taking it a step further, Ross agreed to allow the return to be staged on Canzoneri’s home turf at the Polo Grounds in New York. In a brutal and bloody fifteen-rounder, Ross squeaked out the win via split decision, cementing his claim as champion.
In 1934 and ’35 Ross faced welterweight champion Jimmy McLarnin in three occasions in title bouts that ensured his status at the forefront of the sports pages of the day and for all time in boxing history. Ross and McLarnin both tasted the canvas in their first encounter, a bout Ross won by a controversial split fifteen round decision at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in New York. The win, disputed as it was in some circles, afforded Ross the World Welterweight Title making him a three-division champion in a professional career that by that point was barely five years old. In the rematch held at the same venue just four months later, McLarnin returned the favor, winning back the World Welterweight Title with a controversial fifteen round split decision that made a rubber match between the two inevitable.
Making three successful defenses of the World Junior Welterweight Title in the interim, a title Ross would vacate after outpointing Henry Woods, a third match was signed with Jimmy McLarnin for the welterweight title. In their third encounter in May of 1935, Ross managed to outlast McLarnin, winning a convincing unanimous decision. Many newspapers of the day reported that “the welterweight jinx continued with a welterweight champion losing the title in his first defense, for the 12th consecutive time”. In defeating McLarnin, Ross had vanquished a great and stubborn rival whilst demonstrating he did belong atop the one hundred and forty-seven pound division.
Having long since abandoned his titles at lightweight and junior welterweight, Ross concentrated on staying busy, capitalizing on his standing with a series of non-title bouts. He successfully defended his welterweight title in 1936 against Izzy Jannazzo and again a year later against Ceferino Garcia, both by convincing unanimous decision. Looking ahead towards meeting bigger challenges and enjoying even greater notoriety, Ross signed to defend his title against the streaking Henry Armstrong in 1938, a fighter who by that point was approaching supernatural ability and enjoying the greatest year of his legendary career. It was the last stop on an extraordinary run as in the bout; Ross was so thoroughly battered by “Hammerin’ Hank” many of the fans in the audience were calling upon the referee to stop the contest. Refusing to go down at the fists of Armstrong, Ross snubbed his nose at Father Time, managing to last the distance, losing a wide fifteen round unanimous decision. It has been suggested by some boxing historians that his refusal to collapse against Armstrong is among the most courageous performances in boxing history. It was the last bout of a glorious career that saw him go 72-4-3, 22 KO’s, and world titles in three different weight classes. Barney Ross was an unlikely candidate for pugilism that reached the most fleeting of objectives during a particularly competitive and brutal period.
After retiring in his early-30s, Ross joined the United States Marine Corps. in a patriotic move to fight in World War II. Refusing a stateside assignment to use his celebrity to boost morale, Ross was sent to Guadalcanal in the South Pacific where he was injured single-handedly holding off a number of attacking Japanese soldiers, killing them in battle before carrying off a badly injured comrade, a man weighing in the neighborhood of 230lbs. compared to Ross’ 140-odd pounds.
The act of bravery, his single-handed victory, and his above and beyond sense of loyalty to his comrades in the face of certain disaster served to cause the public to view him as almost superhuman, especially when taken into consideration, his early life and all that he had to overcome. Because of his patriotism and heroism, Ross was awarded America's third-highest military honor, the Silver Star, as well as a Presidential Citation.
As America's greatest celebrity war hero he was ultimately honored by President Roosevelt in a Rose Garden ceremony. Barney Ross died in Chicago at age 57, a fighter to the end and a deserving member of The International Boxing Hall of Fame.
<b>
Barney Ross
Division: Light Welterweight
Professional Record: 72-4-3, 22 KO’s
Date Opponent Location Result </b>
1929-08-31 Ramon Lugo Los Angeles, USA W PTS 6
1929-09-14 Joe Borola Los Angeles, USA W PTS 6
1929-10-12 Joe Borola Los Angeles, USA W PTS 6
1929-10-21 Virgil Tobin San Francisco, USA W KO 2
1929-11-19 Joey Barth Chicago, USA W PTS 5
1929-12-05 Al DeRose Chicago, USA W PTS 6
1930-01-10 Louis New Chicago, USA W PTS 6
1930-01-24 Johnny Andrews Chicago, USA W PTS 4
1930-02-22 Jiro Kumagai San Francisco, USA W PTS 4
1930-03-17 Jackie Davis Saint Louis, USA W NWS 5
1930-04-08 Eddie Bojack Cleveland, USA W TKO 2
1930-04-21 Carlos Garcia Chicago, USA L PTS 6
1930-04-25 Mickey Genaro Chicago, USA W PTS 6
1930-07-01 Eddie Koppy Detroit, USA W PTS 6
1930-08-07 Luis Kid Perez Chicago, USA W KO 1
1930-09-19 Young Terry Chicago, USA D PTS 8
1930-10-14 Sammy Binder Chicago, USA W KO 2
1930-11-06 Petey Mack Chicago, USA W KO 1
1930-11-21 Harry Dublinsky Chicago, USA D PTS 8
1931-01-14 Henry Falegano Chicago, USA W PTS 8
1931-02-20 Young Terry Chicago, USA W UD 10
1931-03-20 Jackie Davis Chicago, USA W PTS 6
1931-03-27 Roger Bernard Chicago, USA L PTS 8
1931-04-08 Midget Mike O'Dowd Moline, USA W PTS 8
1931-04-24 Lud Abella Chicago, USA W TKO 2
1931-05-01 Jackie Dugan Moline, USA W KO 2
1931-05-13 Billy Shaw Chicago, USA W PTS 8
1931-07-15 Babe Ruth Benton Harbor, USA W TKO 4
1931-07-30 Jimmy Alvarado Detroit, USA W PTS 8
1931-10-02 Glenn Camp Chicago, USA W PTS 10
1931-11-04 Lou Jallos Chicago, USA W PTS 8
1931-11-13 Young Terry Moline, USA W PTS 8
1931-11-18 Jimmy Lundy Kansas City, USA W PTS 8
1932-02-08 Mickey O'Neill Milwaukee, USA W PTS 6
1932-02-18 Billy Gladstone Chicago, USA W PTS 6
1932-03-02 Nick Ellenwood Muncie, USA W PTS 10
1932-04-05 Frankie Hughes Indianapolis, USA W PTS 10
1932-05-20 Dick Sisk Chicago, USA W TKO 6
1932-07-28 Henry Perlick Chicago, USA W TKO 3
1932-08-26 Ray Miller Chicago, USA W UD 10
1932-09-15 Frankie Petrolle Chicago, USA W KO 2
1932-10-21 Battling Battalino Chicago, USA W UD 10
1932-11-11 Goldie Hess Chicago, USA W PTS 10
1932-11-25 Johnny Farr Milwaukee, USA W PTS 10
1933-01-30 Johnny Datto Pittsburgh, USA W KO 2
1933-02-22 Tommy Grogan Chicago, USA W PTS 10
1933-03-22 Billy Petrolle Chicago, USA W UD 10
1933-05-03 Joe Ghnouly Saint Louis, USA W PTS 10
1933-06-23 Tony Canzoneri Chicago, USA W MD 10
1933-07-26 Johnny Farr Kansas City, USA W TKO 6
1933-09-12 Tony Canzoneri New York, USA W SD 15
1933-11-17 Sammy Fuller Chicago, USA W MD 10
1934-01-24 Billy Petrolle Bronx, USA W UD 10
1934-02-07 Pete Nebo Kansas City, USA W PTS 12
1934-03-05 Frankie Klick San Francisco, USA D PTS 10
1934-03-14 Kid Moro Oakland, USA W PTS 10
1934-03-27 Bobby Pacho Los Angeles, USA W PTS 10
1934-05-28 Jimmy McLarnin Long Island City, Queens, W SD 15
1934-09-17 Jimmy McLarnin Long Island City, Queens, L SD 15
1934-12-10 Bobby Pacho Cleveland, USA W PTS 12
1935-01-28 Frankie Klick Miami, USA W PTS 10
1935-04-09 Henry Woods Seattle, USA W PTS 12
1935-05-28 Jimmy McLarnin New York, USA W UD 15
1935-09-06 Baby Joe Gans Portland, USA W KO 2
1935-09-13 Ceferino Garcia San Francisco, USA W PTS 10
1935-11-29 Ceferino Garcia Chicago, USA W UD 10
1936-01-27 Lou Halper Philadelphia, USA W TKO 8
1936-03-11 Gordon Wallace Vancouver, Canada W MD 10
1936-05-01 Chuck Woods Louisville, USA W KO 5
1936-06-10 Laddie Tonielli Milwaukee, USA W TKO 5
1936-06-22 Morrie Sherman Omaha, USA W KO 2
1936-07-22 Phil Furr Washington, USA W UD 10
1936-11-27 Izzy Jannazzo New York, USA W UD 15
1937-01-29 Al Manfredo Detroit, USA W PTS 10
1937-06-17 Chuck Woods Indianapolis, USA W KO 4
1937-06-27 Jackie Burke New Orleans, USA W TKO 5
1937-08-19 Al Manfredo Des Moines, USA W NWS 10
1937-09-23 Ceferino Garcia New York, USA W UD 15
1938-04-04 Henry Schaft Minneapolis, USA W TKO 4
1938-04-25 Bobby Venner Des Moines, USA W TKO 7
1938-05-31 Henry Armstrong Long Island City, Queens, L UD 15
]]> 
Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett – RSR Message Board Moderator & Feature Writer - Canada
Daniel “Tex” Cohen – Feature Writer - Texas
Brian Wilbur - Feature Writer - California
Gina L. Caliboso – Feature Writer – California
Jeff Stoyanoff – Feature Writer – California
Jeff has been doing two things for quite a long time, going to school and watching boxing. He has a BA in Broadcast Journalism from Columbia College as well as an MA in Psychology from Pepperdine University. He has been fascinated by boxing since he first started watching fights way back when fights were actually televised on weekend afternoons. After that, it was watching every incarnation of boxing programming that came on the air.
“I suppose I have favorite fighters, but I just have so much respect for the courage and commitment required to box that I end up admiring all of them.” Writing about boxing has been little more than a hobby for Jeff for some time. He is deeply interested in all aspects of the sport; everything from History to social impact outside the ring to analysis of results in the ring.
Predictably, Jeff is currently pursuing an MA in History. He remains confident that he will eventually hit the right degree. In the meantime, it’s school and boxing.
Email Jeff: jas80siowa@yahoo.com
Geoff "The Professor" Poundes – Lead Writer – England
Eoin Redahan – Feature Writer – Ireland
SJ Jarapa – Feature Writer MMA – Philippines
SJ Jarapa is not your ordinary Filipino for as early as the age of 4 it was evident that he was a natural born artist and promising martial arts performer when he picked up a crayon and painted a masterpiece on the pristine walls of his beloved grandmother’s house, and then, afterward, utilizing a self-taught Ninjitsu to avoid getting caught. From that age onwards he was likewise an early sports buff having followed a variety of motor-sports that a local TV station aired every Sunday of which consisted the F-1, NASCAR, and speed bike races. When he turned 8 he met his first love in the form of a basketball, partaking in many games as relentlessly as he could until he outgrew the sport.
Having been born in a place flourishing with culture and tradition he was exposed early on to a great number of martial arts, and, although, he only very briefly partook in one, he holds his fare share of knowledge as a keen observer of many forms. Kenjutsu, Kyokushin-Kai Karate, Jiu-Jitsu and Pinoy breed street fighting are among his preferred styles. Furthermore, to all would be attackers, he has seen enough Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan movies to elicit self-defense.
This passion for combat would later lead to his love for all things MMA. He has borne witness to Royce Gracie’s conquering of the very first UFC to Ernesto Hoost’s winning his 4th K-1 Grand Prix Championship, all the way to the beginning of Fedor Emelianenko’s reign as the PrideFc Champion. Apart from MMA, he is also an avid boxing enthusiast who watched with great interest Mike Tyson’s masterful tearing off a portion of Evander Holyfield’s ear and witnessing the crucial moments in the careers of local talents Luisito Espinosa and Gery Penalosa. Manny Pacquiao is the fighter he considers as the one who rekindled his flame for boxing after a very long hiatus.
Outside the realm of combat sports, he enjoys playing pool and chess, reading, fashioning different mediums of written works, exploring as many forms of music as he possibly could and has recently re-tapped into his artistic creativity.
Email SJ: healingwinds99@yahoo.com
Joe Wilson – Feature Writer – Texas
Joe grew up in a city just one hour outside of Houston, Texas. He moved to Dallas right after High School and lived there for several years and was always a natural born artist from my childhood days. He studied Computer Aided Design and Graphic Illustration in College. After completing both fields of Study, Joe decided to try his hand at acting.
While still living in Dallas, Joe took several acting classes and workshops along with holding down a full time job. Shortly afterwards, he started auditioning for movie roles and was given the opportunity to act in 3 film projects. The biggest film project was playing a Miami Shark’s Assistant Coach in the football movie “Any Given Sunday” starring Al Pacino, directed by Oliver Stone. It was an honor to work side-by-side with an all star cast including Al Pacino, Jamie Foxx, LL Cool J, Dennis Quaid, Jim Brown, Cameron Diaz and James Woods to name a few.
In 2003 Joe and his family relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. Joe worked as an Account Executive in Mortgage Banking to keep income coming in. During that time, he was also a member of the 2005 and 2006 Phoenix Film Festival Viewing Committee. He started writing short stories after he stopped auditioning for movie roles. Recently, Joe just finished a story that’s going through the copyrights process right now.
Over the next 5 years, Joe spent a lot of time traveling between Phoenix and Southern California mostly around the Irvine and San Diego area. Those trips were mainly work related since that’s where the Mortgage Banking Corporate Office was located. Joe also had relatives living in Los Angeles and a couple of actor friends living in West Hollywood. So, when he wasn’t working he spent time in LA and around Hollywood, California, including the studios.
Joe very seldom misses a boxing match, always being a big fan of boxing. He’s been a fan since the Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvin Haglar and Tommy Hearns era. While living in Phoenix, anytime there was a boxing event on HBO, Joe was tuned in… not caring if it was free or PPV. There were several venues around Phoenix that showed PPV fights and Joe always thought being in those venues the next best thing to being in Las Vegas watching the fights live. Usually, after most big fights, he would find himself at home visiting the websites posting comments with other die-hard boxing fans.
In 2007, Joe took a new position with an Advertising Firm as a Media Consultant. During the summer of 2008, his job transferred me back to the Dallas area. 2008 and 2009 were both good years for boxing with the return of Floyd “Money” Mayweather and the rise of Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao along with “Sugar” Shane Mosley’s presence lurking, the welterweight division has never been more exciting. Joe believes that, we the fans, always like seeing the best fight the best!
Email Joe: joedubb913@aol.com
Scott Heritage – Feature Writer MMA – Pennsylvania
Scott grew up in Oxfordshire, England, before moving to Pennsylvania in 2008. He has been a fan of MMA since watching some grainy footage of the early UFC events and has never missed an event since. He also follows boxing closely and is getting into K-1.
His favorite fighters tend to be decisive and aggressive and his all time favorites are Igor Vovchanchyn and Fedor Emelianenko. When he isn't watching or reading about combat sports he is usually training in the hope of one day competing himself in MMA.
Email Scott: Benzine87@aol.com
Eric Fleming - Photographer - Maryland
Eric Fleming has been involved with photography for roughly 30 years now and loves it just as much as when he started as a young teenager. He started at Bladensburg High School in Bladensburg, Maryland, where he worked on the school newspaper and Yearbook Staff. During that time, he photographed all Varsity sports to include, Basketball, Football, Wrestling, and Track and Field. Even back then, he was shooting rising stars such as Thurl Bailey who at the time was a senior. Bailey was on the NCAA championship team at NC State University and went on to play professional basketball for the Utah Jazz.
Fleming’s portfolio includes various social events such as the Congressional Black Caucus, National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and other Corporate Events. It also includes stock photography of, landscapes, nature, and architectural. He has done professional shootings for weddings, family social events such as portraits, birthday and anniversary celebrations.
Eric is also an avid Jazz fan and has photographed many artists such as Joe Sample, Jeff Lorber, George Duke, and Jonathan Butler.
Now we come to the really fun part for him. Fleming, loves the sport of Boxing and has watched it since he was a child. His favorite boxer of all time is Muhammad Ali. In Eric’s words, “He showed the world that it was okay to be “Black and Proud” and not be ashamed of who you are and to stand up/behind your convictions no matter what.”
The most memorable moment in boxing for Fleming, and the most tragic, was watching the Duk Koo Kim vs. Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini fight. Tragically after an all out war, Kim would pay the ultimate price when he passed away shortly after from sustained ring injuries.
Fleming is excited to put his skills to work at RSR which will truly highlight just what this amazing photographer can do behind a camera lens…
Email Eric: efleming21@gmail.com]]>
By Geno McGahee
I don’t think that there is a better series of movies than the Rocky Saga, and the sixth entry did not disappoint the fans or at the box office. Due to the profit of Rocky Balboa (Rocky VI), there is now talk of a seventh entry in the series, and realistically, they could make one hundred of these Rocky films, and I would always be eager to see it. There is something special about Rocky and anybody that has grown up watching these films remember them and still be excited when that theme music plays. The Rocky Franchise means something to many people. I remember seeing Rocky III, when I was eight years old and even though I did not become a boxing fan until I was twelve or so, it quickly became my favorite movie, replacing “Clash of the Titans.”
Now, I’m much older and I’m as excited as I was when I went to go see Rocky IV at the age of eleven, and that movie didn’t fail to impress me either. I, unlike a lot of people, do not think that there is a bad Rocky movie. I think that the first two are in a class of their own and the other three are tied for a close second. Rocky Balboa seemed to have brought back the drama that the first two films produced, and marked the 30th anniversary of the series. That is a remarkable achievement and there aren’t that many series that can claim that staying power. There is certainly not a sports-related film franchise that can claim the success or staying power of the Rocky movies.
The inspiration for the initial movie was a bout that had taken place on March 24th, 1975, between Muhammad Ali, and the rough and tumble underdog, Chuck Wepner, with the WBA and WBC Heavyweight Titles hanging in the balance. Wepner was a bouncer and a liquor salesman and with nine losses on his record, he did not belong in the ring with World Champion. Don King promoted it as it was. This guy was an underdog with a dream to win the Title, but the promotion was a failure. The public just didn’t see a competitive fight and they were correct, but Wepner was credited with a knockdown, which proved that you couldn’t take anyone for granted and that anything can happen in the ring.
As the fight went on, it became clear that all Wepner wanted to do was to go the distance with the champion, and gave a spirited effort, and as Sylvester Stallone sat in a closed circuit theater, Rocky Balboa began to develop in his mind, and a bout that wasn’t incredibly notable became historic because it gave birth to a series of movie that has touched nearly everyone that has seen them.
I have watched all six Rocky Films and look forward to a seventh should they elect to create it.
ROCKY
In 1976, Rocky was unleashed on the public, and was a hit in many ways. It won three Oscars for Best Director, Best Film Editing, and Best Picture. The film was also a success personally, for Stallone, who had demanded that he fill the lead role as Rocky Balboa, or there would be no movie. The studio wanted James Caan, Ryan O’Neal, or Burt Reynolds to fill that slot, but in order to get the movie, Sly Stallone would have to be the lead, and when you look at the three mentioned choices of the studio, it’s hard to imagine any of them playing the “Italian Stallion.”
The story of Rocky is a great one and one that has inspired many. Rocky Balboa is a journeyman boxer that isn’t living up to his potential and doing unsavory things to get by. He is going nowhere fast and there is nothing in sight that can remove him from this situation, until the World Heavyweight Champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), is in need of an opponent and selects “The Italian Stallion” in a novelty bout and a showcase for him and the fans. At this time, Apollo was undefeated and seen by many as unbeatable, and the bout with the lightly regarded Balboa was a foregone conclusion that he would be victorious. Even Rocky himself, did not see himself as a threat to the champion, but things begin to come together when Mickey (Burgess Meredith) trains him and convinces him that he can be competitive.
The love story between the clumsy and raw, Balboa, and the shy and meek, Adrian (Talia Shire), brings a certain charm to the film that has carried over into the other entries. The character “Paulie,” played by Burt Young is one of my favorites by far in the series. Paulie is a jealous, needy, and selfish slob, and also happens to be the best friend of Rocky and the brother of Adrian. His off color comments throughout the movie and just the little things that make his character so amusing, such as, how he treats Rocky as a friend so much better than his sister. The character development in this film is remarkable and a testament to the writing skill and creativity of Sly Stallone.
The victory for Rocky Balboa in this movie isn’t to beat Creed. He wants to go the distance, which no other boxer has ever done with the champion. In the first round of the bout, he actually knocks Apollo down, which is still one of the most exciting moments in movie history. The choreography of the fight scenes is a thing of beauty too, and even though it is unrealistic at times, it is not totally absurd and you can suspend your disbelief for the duration of the bout. This movie delivers in so many ways that you cannot help but love it. I don’t think that a person exists that can say that they dislike this movie.
In the end, Rocky goes the distance and Apollo retains the World Heavyweight Title with a decision win, but the real winner was the “Italian Stallion,” who had gone the distance and accomplished what he wanted to. This movie stood alone, but when you have such a successful film, a sequel cannot be that far behind.
ROCKY II
In 1979, Rocky II is released and it picks up right where the first one has left off with both champion and challenger recovering in the hospital. With nothing left to prove and an injured eye that makes it difficult for him to see, Rocky Balboa hangs up the gloves. With the performance in the ring, Rocky is able to purchase a house and a car and a horrible leather jacket with a tiger imprinted on the back. That purchase may have been the first evidence that Rocky had taken too many shots in the ring.
The other half of that historic bout was not having it nearly as well. He escaped with his World Championship, but the respect of the fans was dwindling. The hate mail that he was receiving came by the busload and one writer even instructed Apollo to “kill himself.” I have a theory that the author was Ivan Drago, but I have never had the opportunity to ask Stallone, who wrote it. Whatever the case, Creed did not take these letters lightly and was very angry. He wanted a rematch to erase all doubt and to cease these nasty letters.
This movie once again focused on the relationship between Rocky and Adrian. They get married and a baby Stallion is on the way. Even though Rocky is seen as the tougher of the two physically, it becomes more and more apparent that Adrian is mentally tougher and protects her man. When Balboa agreed to do some commercials, but really couldn’t read all that well, the director had said some horrible remarks about the fighter, prompting Adrian to lash out.
With the creditors knocking, other employment not working out, and a baby on the way, the constant demands of Apollo Creed for a rematch are finally answered, but not without a little difficulty from the wife. Adrian refuses to support this rematch, which really makes training hard. Rocky can’t even chase chickens right, and when Paulie went to talk some sense into his very pregnant sister, she passes out and goes into a coma, which really screws up the chances of a new champion being crowned.
Finally, she comes around and she may have even purchased that tee shirt for her man that read: “Win Rocky Win!” With a shirt like that, anything is possible. This would be the rematch that would end the long winning streak of Creed and crown a new champion. Paulie, at home, went absolutely berserk when Creed didn’t answer the count. Now that’s good acting people. Burt Young, in my opinion, is a very underrated actor. He was fantastic in “Excessive Force,” which I also recommend.
Rocky II captured the feel of the first movie and proved that sequels aren’t always horrible. This movie may not be as good as the first one, but it is an excellent entry and set up a third movie and a new direction for the series.
ROCKY III
In 1982, the Rocky series went into a different direction, which was a trend of sorts. Death Wish, with the legendary Charles Bronson, followed the same path, where movie series that begin as dramas become action flicks. Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” kicks off this movie, as Rocky defends his title against mediocre competition. He’s living it up as the Heavyweight Champion, and even makes an appearance on The Muppet Show. As you know, back then, you never really made it until you were on The Muppet Show…
In the meantime, there is a mean heavyweight on the rise that is hitting his opponents when they’re down, and sports a Mohawk and an attitude to boot. He even screams at poor Mickey, who was merely in the audience of one of his bouts to enjoy the show. Clubber Lang (Mr. T) is the #1 contender for the Title, but Mickey is keeping his man far away from him, and keeps on searching for the Peter McNeeley’s of the Rocky world. Eventually, the two would meet on a day that Balboa announced his retirement.
Just in case you couldn’t figure out that Clubber was the villain in this film, he sexually harasses Adrian, which seals the deal for the fight. Rocky accepts the challenge despite Mickey’s pleas, and begins to train, but he’s not taking it seriously with him opening his training sessions to the world and posing for pictures, and even taking some time out to enjoy the horrible singing of his brother, Frank. Clubber Lang, however, is training very hard, and after shadow boxing in the mirror for what was probably hours, he just stares at himself, with an angry glare on his face. See, it takes work to get that angry glare…hours upon hours of staring into a mirror.
Now, if you were still saying that Clubber Lang isn’t really a bad guy, and claiming that sexually harassing another man’s wife, hitting his opponent when they’re down, yelling at elderly people, and also smashing the video cameras of the press, Stallone decides that Lang must have a murder attached to his character, but one that will not prevent him from fighting for the title. So, he shoves Mickey against a staircase and that was enough to TKO the old bird for life. Now, everyone knows that he’s a villain, and the coroner chalked up the death to his old age, more or less. It seemed to me that the doctor desperately wanted to say: “Hey, when you push a 90 year old man into a staircase, what do you expect?”
Knowing that Mickey is on death’s door, Rocky is not focused on the bout and gets stopped in just two rounds, making Clubber Lang the new Heavyweight Champion. Apollo Creed, watching from ringside is furious and now has plans to bring the Title back to Rocky. The two former rivals would meet at Mickey’s gym and eventually Rocky would agree to train in a different way and turn a clumsy brawler into a fantastic boxer. Apollo could have probably done wonders with John Ruiz.
It is obvious from the start that Rocky isn’t giving it his all and when finally confronted by his wife, he admits that he is afraid, but her words inspire him to refocus and use “heart and fire,” or whatever to train his best and lose without excuses. Adrian, having challenged him on this matter, never asked him why he’s always wearing half shirts. I know that it was the 1980’s but that was even strange for that time. I know that Apollo’s trainer, Duke (Tony Burton), probably told his man in confidence that Rocky should probably be wearing that tiger jacket over those half shirts if they ever go out together in public.
Rocky, rejuvenated, lighter in weight, possessing new skills and speed, and wearing American Flag trunks, was now ready for the rematch. In this second bout, Rocky exposed Clubber Lang as a one-dimensional fighter and avenged his loss, although there were some rocky moments. You know that Rocky isn’t doing well if Duke starts screaming “No,” and they play it in slow motion to get the most out of it. Well, he did scream “no” a few dozen times, and then Paulie began rubbing Duke’s head because that seems to be fate of most bald people. When Rocky is on his way to victory, Apollo plants a huge kiss on Paulie’s cheek, prompting me to wonder which direction the fourth entry was going to go.
Now, with the help of Apollo, the support of his wife, and a focused effort, “The Italian Stallion” was once again the champion and with the success of the movie, a fourth one was surely on the way.
ROCKY IV
In 1985, Rocky IV would come out and this may be the most talked about entry of the Rocky series. Apollo and Rocky are now good friends and the nasty letters to Creed have apparently stopped. Paulie would celebrate a birthday and Rocky actually buys him a gigantic robot, which were very popular in the eighties. I had one that was about two feet tall and it was radio controlled. The one the Paulie got was stupendous! It was very interactive and he programmed it to have a female voice, which was sort of disturbing. The villain in this movie was the Soviet amateur star, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), who was shipped over to the U.S.A., in hopes of getting a bout with Rocky Balboa. This, for some reason, infuriated Apollo Creed.
Creed decides to take on this monster himself, but he’s been retired for six years and without a tune up bout, this was not a good idea, even if it was only an exhibition bout. Rocky and Adrian try to talk him out of it, but he will not hear it, and takes on Drago. On top of being retired, Apollo seems to take this contest very lightly as he parties with James Brown outside of the ring, dances up a storm on his way to the ring, and demands that the ring announcer call him by his forty or so nicknames before the fight begins. Drago, on the other hand, just wants to fight, and when the bell rings, he beats the heck out of “The King of Sting,” and nearly stops him in the first round.
Had this bout taken place in 1978ish, Creed would have won by UD, I believe, but you can’t beat father time and the bout would be stopped in round 2. There is even a point when the referee tries to jump in, but Drago pushes him away and continues to beat Apollo to a pulp. In the tradition of the third entry, a character dies at the hands of the man that Rocky will eventually have to punish. Balboa vs. Drago is now on.
Rocky agreed to fight in the Soviet Union and elected not to incorporate sparring into his training regimen. He is just hitting the heavy bag, speed bag, and climbing up mountains and screaming Ivan Drago’s name for some reason. I always wondered if Drago could hear him. Whatever the case, Drago was getting pumped full of steroids and training like a madman to defeat the recognized World Heavyweight Champion. He did knock out a guy in Creed that had defeated Rocky once and was well ahead on the cards before getting stopped in the last round of their second encounter. It was safe to say that Rocky was once again the underdog.
For all of you fans of Duke screaming “No” in slow motion, you were not disappointed with this entry, as he seems to do it on average about four times a round. This is a bout where Rocky took a vicious beating, using none of the boxing tactics that Apollo had taught him. He was going for a knockout and the Russian crowd that was initially against him, AMAZINGLY, began to cheer for the American. As always, Rocky is the most dangerous in the last round of a fight and landed enough shots to drop Drago and come from the brink of defeat again to win and make some very deep statements about world love.
Now, I have to say that this is the weakest of the series, although I like it very much. Out of all of the movies, this film presents the most filler. How many music videos can you fit into one movie? Also, I have a question. Apollo died in those red, white, and blue trunks, right? Isn’t it in bad taste to give them to Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison) in the fifth entry? So I like Rocky IV, but it was probably the weakest screenplay out of the bunch, although many would disagree as I discuss Rocky V.
ROCKY V
This film always gets the bad wrap, and I will argue with anyone that says that it isn’t any good. In 1990, Rocky V comes out and the reviews are not good, and even die hard Rocky fans aren’t impressed, but I thought that it was fantastic. Rocky comes back from Russia and elects to retire again. He just fought the fight of his life, took a boatload of punches, and was done with the game. The punches sustained took their toll and the physicians that examined him noted a brain injury that would prevent him from getting a license. So, alls well that ends well, but there is a new and fantastic character introduced: George Washington Duke.
George Washington Duke (Richard Gant), is a dirty promoter that wants his man Union Cane (Mike Williams) to challenge Rocky for the Heavyweight Title in a promotion that he calls: “Letting it Go in Tokyo.” By the way, that is a brilliant title for a bout. Of course, Rocky has to decline because he can’t fight due to medical reasons, but Duke is persistent.
Now, to make matters worse, Rocky loses his money to a crooked accountant, leaving the family broke and forcing them to move back to the old neighborhood. The worst part of this isn’t the fact that Rocky and Adrian have to share a house with Paulie, but they have to live with their annoying son, which I contend is why nobody seems to like this movie. Kudos to Stallone for bringing in his son, Sage, but he was not good for the movie at all. I found him quite annoying, and not to mention, did you notice that Rocky’s son aged five years from the time that he left for Russia to face Ivan Drago to the time that he came back?
In the old neighborhood, heavyweight hopeful, Tommy “The Machine” Gunn appears and wants Rocky to train him, which he eventually does. This movie really focuses on the relationship between Rocky and his son, but Sage being such a poor actor and being basically 50% of the movie has turned a lot of people off. I personally love every other character. I’m just upset that George Washington Duke isn’t returning for the sixth entry.
So, Tommy Gunn moves up the ranks and is wooed away Duke, who is definitely the Don King of the Rocky series and in case you didn’t figure it out, he says “Only in America” at least ten times. Now, onto the press conference. After Duke gets Tommy Gunn a Heavyweight Title Shot, and he wins, a press conference the likes that I have never seen occurs, where the press shout insults at the new champion and then insult his girlfriend to boot! I have been to many a press conference, and I have never insulted the girlfriend of a fighter, especially not the girlfriend of the heavyweight champion. I can only imagine what Nikolay Valuev would have done should I do that. He’s beaten up people for far less.
Now, with Gunn disgruntled at the system, and Duke working his plan, the inevitable was about to happen: Rocky Balboa vs. Tommy Gunn. The fight does happen, but it happens in the street and within seconds, Gunn is down. The fight continues however, and it is a back and forth affair. It is such a tough fight that it prompts Mickey to come back from the dead to advise his star pupil on how to go about his fight. “I didn’t hear no bell,” Mickey screams.
Now, the fight scene is top notch, and the movie is outstanding, but the worst line of the flick that I wish could be eliminated was when Sage Stallone screamed: “He took my room!” If my father was getting beaten up and if I liked him, my room would be the last of my worries, but the good outweighs the bad and I still rank this movie up there with the third and fourth entry, thanks in large part to Richard Gant.
ROCKY BALBOA (ROCKY VI)
In 2006, Rocky Balboa, the sixth entry was released. Like most Rocky films, there is a death. Adrian, his loving wife was now gone, and his son, Robert (Milo Ventimiglia) wants nothing to do with him. We are back to square one with Rocky and his buddy, Paulie. Every year, Rocky makes the tour to the old spots where he and his wife would go, ending up at the ice rink, the location of their first date. From the beginning of this movie, you can see the transition back to a drama, and the essence of the first two entries has returned.
Mason “The Line” Dixon (Antonio Tarver) is the heavyweight champion of the world, and does not get any respect. He is undefeated and has not faced any sort of challenge that the public has considered worthy. With not a real challenger out there, the idea of a match between former champion, Rocky, and Dixon becomes a hot topic, and plays out in a simulated video game much like the Rocky Marciano-Muhammad Ali computer simulated game. Balboa wins via TKO, upsetting the champion who is trying very hard to get respect, and inspiring the promoters to come up with an actual bout between the older ex-champion and the current champion.
Rocky really has no interest in this bout, but the fire in his belly is still there and we have the first movie all over again: the hopeless underdog against the undefeated champion. An old Stallone can still bring the excitement in his training montages and bring the emotion as he argues with his son, eventually winning him back into his corner. This sixth movie brings it back to its roots and is a great way to end the series. It ended where it all began, but there are some problems that I saw.
Why was Rocky allowed to fight? Didn’t he have physical issues preventing him from fighting? Then again, if George Washington Duke could get the medical board to back down, Dixon’s promoters could probably do the same thing. Also, where were the other characters? I wanted to see Ivan Drago again. Dolph Lundgren isn’t doing anything special…just those horrible straight to DVD action films. Bring him back! Clubber Lang too. They were not there, which is why we need a seventh entry.
ROCKY VII
I don’t have any scoop on what the plot is going to be if and when this movie is created, so I’m going to have some fun here and throw my ideas out there with the hope that Stallone is reading and will consider one of them. They are all great ideas and are guaranteed to be hits no matter which one he uses.
Idea #1
Due to the closeness of the exhibition bout with Dixon, an immediate rematch for the Heavyweight Title is ordered, where Rocky wins by fourth round TKO. As he celebrates in the ring, George Washington Duke, the corrupt promoter steps in with a proposition to rematch Ivan Drago. Drago was well ahead on the cards in the first fight and was stopped in the 15th. Bouts are now 12 rounds, and in my story, Drago has not lost since, compiling a record of 40-1, 38 KO’s. For Rocky to take this bout, there has to be some tragedy where he gets so angry that he accepts the fight. I think that it’s time to kill off Paulie. Drago can just pick him up and choke him out or run him over with a car…we have to tie him in somehow. Also, Drago has dumped his wife too…she got fat and has a drinking problem…so he’s got a hot one now. Balboa-Drago II. Wouldn’t you pay to see that? I would. I guess that Rocky would have to win, but it would still be a great movie.
Idea #2
Rocky Balboa vs. Mike Tyson. They have already introduced Tyson in the last film as a contender, and this would bring fact and fiction together, bringing in the masses to see this movie. Same deal here people. Rocky beats Dixon in the rematch, and is forced to fight the #1 contender Mike Tyson. This idea needs some ironing out, but we can work it like this. Tyson, after the McBride defeat, refocused, got back with Kevin Rooney (he’d be in, surely), and beats 10 guys by quick KO like the Mike of old. He crushes a returning Clubber Lang in 20 seconds, making the threat of “Dead Meat” laughable during the prefight stare down. So, we have to legendary fighters head to head, and who wouldn’t want to see Mike Tyson and Rocky Balboa square off?
Those are my two good ideas…my other ideas right now aren’t so hot. I had this idea of a heavyweight breaking into Rocky’s house and stealing that leather jacket with the tiger print on it and wearing it around town to irk him, but it just didn’t seem realistic…but if you like that idea, please let me know! I will forward it to Stallone immediately.
It’s amazing that Sylvester Stallone can make such great movies like the Rocky series and then hit us with the stinkers that he has been known to put out, but he has never screwed up a Rocky film, in my opinion. I am willing to forget about: Stop or My Mom Will Shoot, Judge Dredd, Over the Top, Demolition Man, Tango & Cash, Get Carter, Cobra, Driven, and Spy Kids 3-D, because he delivers with Rocky. So maybe we will see a Rocky VII in the future. Who thought that there’d be a Rocky VI?
]]>
By Jeff Stoyanoff
One might think that the picture of Roy Jones stumbling around the ring vainly trying to make it out of the very first round against fringe contender Danny Green would tragically dull our memories of a once transcendent greatness. Yet, the irony is that with each successive loss, most fans become ever more convinced of just how special a fighter Roy Jones truly was. After being knocked out in the first round by Green, message boards were flooded with comments about the most recent loss for Jones. By far, the majority of the comments derided Green’s accomplishment as nothing more than a decent fighter who was in the right place at the right time. To the masses, Green’s victory merely signaled a new low for Jones, not a new high for Green. Of course, there is a strong grain of truth in that assessment. The fact is, Jones has slipped, in fact, slipped is not even accurate. Jones is in a clear free fall from his once lofty perch as a special fighter. However, his recent losses have not served to bolster his detractors who claimed that he was never really tested by great fighters in his career. Rather, the losses are so clearly the product of the erosion of his skills, that they have rather emboldened his fans. The losses have not taken away Jones standing. Instead, they have made us cling that much more tightly to our memories of his dominance. This dynamic might best be illustrated in the appraisal of another recent loss for Jones; his one sided decision loss to Joe Calzaghe.
Here again, the loss is widely considered to be largely the product of Jones descent rather than the vindication of Calzaghe as an all time great. The familiar tune is that a prime Roy Jones possessed the kind of speed and power that would have exposed Calzaghe. Once again, it is hard to completely dismiss that view. Jones clearly was a shell of what he once was. Predictably, Calzaghe overwhelmed Jones with his trademark combination of speed and aggressiveness, but he received very little credit for doing so. The result of that fight is immediately followed by the caveat regarding just how shot Roy Jones was for the fight. Truthfully, there are very few people who honestly feel that that particular match up would have played out the same way no matter when in their respective careers, the two met. The win over Jones actually did more to harm Calzaghe’s reputation among boxing fans than to help it.
Anyone who seeks to play down Calzaghe’s accomplishment will invariably fall back on the fact that he sought out his toughest opponents during the twilight of their careers, most notably Roy Jones. And therein lay a fascinating difference between the two. Both men are viewed with a brand of hindsight that seeks to balance what they actually accomplished in the ring. It is as though we seek a form of homeostasis when we go to analyze the history of certain fighters. The final sad chapters of Roy Jones career serve to remind us of just how good he must have been to have dominated as he did for so long. Conversely, the absence of that sad finish for Calzaghe leaves us reticent to fully appreciate his dominance. In each case, fans revert to a familiar mean that recognizes the greatness of each fighter while acknowledging the foibles that make them human. In Roy Jones, we are witnessing the mortality and we inevitably cling to the super human feats of yesterday. In the case of Calzaghe, we didn’t see the inevitable slide, so we just assume it would have occurred and factor it in by downplaying what he did accomplish. In so doing, we avoid the discomfort of considering that either man was beyond the scope of what we can understand or have ever seen before. The dynamic has played out before.
Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano – Diverging final chapters
Rocky Marciano’s savage right hand that, perhaps mercifully, finally sent Joe Louis through the ropes is an archetypal image in the history of boxing. That indelible moment has come to symbolize the sadness that comes with watching a great fighter who simply held on for too long. Ironically, it was Louis who begged Marciano to fight him so that he might get out from under a crushing debt courtesy of the IRS. Still, none of that must have mattered in the least to those who had grown to so love and revere Louis as something greater than just a mere man. Perhaps predictably, the latter stages of the career of Joe Louis are often largely discarded when assessing just how great he was in the ring. The fallibility of Joe Louis was not limited to that one fateful night in the ring with Marciano. Louis himself felt that he should have lost in his first fight with Joe Walcott. He always maintained that it was a bad decision and that he was embarrassed to have been awarded the victory that night. In addition, Louis suffered a loss to Ezzard Charles, a tremendous light heavyweight and a fine heavy, but many, perhaps unfairly, still might chalk that up as a loss that signified an aging and diminished Joe Louis.
Louis had already come to occupy his place in history, so the losses are largely disregarded so as not to undermine his legacy. The losses have to be explained for him to keep his rightful place as a transcendent fighter with a deserving place at or near the very top of any all time list of the greatest heavyweights. Walcott, Charles, and Marciano were all outstanding fighters, so only a little spin is necessary to keep Louis’ career epitaph in line. Louis suffered one true loss; to Max Schmeling. And, suffice it to say, that loss was avenged with a savage ferocity that is the stuff of legend.
Conversely, there is Marciano. In the case of “The Rock”, there is no clear image of him as a shell of his former self enduring a beating from a lesser opponent. Marciano walked away near the very height of his powers. So, why isn’t Marciano hailed as the greatest of all time? The answer is homeostatic thinking. Just like Calzaghe, Marciano is regarded as an exceptional fighter, but the accolades are limited by the analytical homeostasis that prevents us from regarding him as greater than other special fighters. Marciano’s undefeated record is appreciated but explained away. Detractors of Marciano point to a lack of outstanding opponents and a tendency to catch opponents at the right time. Much like the Jones-Calzaghe fight, Marciano’s win over Louis is completely disregarded. Nobody regards Marciano as a great because he beat Louis and nobody feels Louis is overrated because he lost to Marciano. Once again, that is absolutely as it should be. Louis was shot at that point in his career and Marciano simply did what he was supposed to do. Yet, Rocky Marciano doesn’t have losses that showed his fallibility, thus all that remains is to establish that fallibility through his wins. If there are no losses, the wins must be suspect somehow. Yet, if the losses pile up, they can never diminish the wins. Great fighters must be appreciated, but still explained. One can be great, just not too great. Human beings seek finite answers and explanations; boxing is not exempt.
Muhammad Ali: The one man show
Muhammad Ali is a fascinating example of this kind of fill in the blanks analysis. Fittingly, the greatness of Ali is a pointed question that can lead to the kind of prickly, trash talking debate that he himself might enjoy. A look at Ali’s career shows that he was undoubtedly a great fighter. However, the debate on whether he should rest on top of the list has ample ammunition on both sides. Ali showed himself to be the best during a very deep era in heavyweight boxing. He has wins over the likes of: Liston, Patterson, Frazier, Norton, Foreman, Quarry, Shavers, and countless others. The list of his fallen opponents reads like a roll call for the Hall of Fame. However, Ali endured three tough fights with Joe Frazier who is often listed well below him on all time lists. There are many who feel that Ali lost twice to Norton. On top of that, many feel that Ali legitimately lost a fight to largely unheralded contender Doug Jones in 1963. And, in that same year, Ali was clearly dazed and in huge trouble after being floored by a left hook from Henry Cooper at the end of the fourth round of their fight in England. Ali was clearly badly hurt, but Angelo Dundee bought him precious time by literally ripping his glove so that it would have to be replaced between rounds. Ali came back and stopped Cooper on cuts in the next round. The point of this essay is not to discuss the merits of greatness, so the Ali argument is not offered to show what is there, but rather what is not there.
Part of what makes people regard Ali as the greatest heavyweight is the three and a half year layoff brought on by the revocation of his boxing license due to his conscientious objection to the war in Viet Nam. It is usually, and likely correctly, assumed that Ali would have dominated more notable names during these prime years and that his status as a legendary fighter would have been elevated further. As time has passed, one gets the feeling that these “victories” have been so readily assumed that they are generally regarded as having actually happened. “Ali lost three years because of Viet Nam” means “Ali would have 7 to 10 more wins against tough opponents were it not for a boxing establishment that kept him out of the ring.” Ali is elevated by something that probably would have happened, not something that actually happened. Part of the strength of this dynamic is that the greater one’s belief in his greatness to begin with, the more dominant one supposes he would have been during his exile. The homeostasis elevates him exactly as much as is required for him to fulfill our vision of his dominance.
On the other hand, even the most virulent Ali detractor does not point to the losses to: Spinks, Holmes, and Berbick as proof of his overrated skills in the ring. Once again, just as with Louis, these losses are sad evidence of a once great fighter who attempted to hold on to something that had escaped his grasp long before. The image of Ali as a great fighter would be so thoroughly shattered by the thoroughness of those beatings that they simply cannot be assimilated into our view except by dismissing them as misleading aberrations. This form of denial while accurate, also allows Ali’s legacy to remain justifiably intact; which brings us back to Roy Jones.
The Show that Never ends
Roy Jones is merely the latest in a long line of tremendous fighters to write this sad final chapter in their career. But, the sad finish to his career raises an ironic symmetry. Jones dominated boxing for better than a decade winning titles from the middleweight division to the heavyweight division in a career that saw him seldom even lose so much as a single round in many of his fights. Yet, throughout that domination, the questions persisted as to his level of competition. Fans often wondered how his chin might stand up if he were ever tested by a truly great opponent. However, now that he has fallen off, fans dismiss the losses. Ironically, now that his chin has been dented, it isn’t really his chin anymore. In terms of legacy, Roy Jones and many other great fighters exist in a vacuum. They can be analyzed, but that analysis will always keep them exactly where they should be; great, but human. Roy Jones could never have been allowed to surpass the legends. Questions about Jones kept us from having to consider that he was an entire level beyond Joe Louis or Rocky Marciano, beyond Muhammad Ali or Sugar Ray Robinson. Conversely, Jones’ sad end can’t be allowed to invalidate what we know we witnessed. Roy Jones was a special fighter; one can be great and be human. After all, all of the others were.
]]>
Ringside Report “The Heart of Boxing” began in 2004 and has been bringing you, the boxing fans, the most up to date and accurate reports, exclusive interviews, and most well written boxing articles on the net, but as time passes, we understand that we must grow to accommodate you and meet your demands. We will now feature a comments section on the articles where you can leave your thoughts and others can comment on what is written or what you said. We are focusing toward a community oriented site and look forward to your participation with the comments and the message board.
2010 is a New Year for RSR and our resolution is to bring you new things and continue to bring you the best articles and interviews on the net.]]>
NABO Lightweight Champion Anthony Peterson Shows Off His RSR T-Shirt
RSR readers asked for shirts and we now have them in Black 100% Heavyweight Cotton. You can now purchase your RingsideReport.com "The Heart of Boxing" T-shirt in sizes (Large - 2XL). Large and Extra Large are $15.95 plus $5.00 for postage along with handling. $20.95 total.
2XL are $17.95 plus $5.00 for postage along with handling. Total $22.95. Overseas orders are the same price for the shirts, but postage and handling varies depending on the country.
You can pay by CASH, CHECK or MONEY ORDER.
[si-contact-form form='3'] ]]>
Update by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
The RSR message boards kicked into another gear altogether last week with the reemergence of George Diaz Smith after an extended leave of absence. A near iconic figure that over the last couple of years colored the happenings in boxing with rare viewpoint and insight accrued over decades of following The Sweet Science, George’s return marks the beginning of a new season of activity beyond what will transpire in the various prize rings around the globe over the next several months, and both our General and Classic Boxing forums will no doubt be all the better for it. Speaking of classic boxing, OKMike’s “Larry Holmes vs. Ken Norton Fight Poll and Discussion” is a must see for anybody that has seen this all-time classic heavyweight war. In a pitched battle with that featured discernable change in the ebb and flow over rounds, this 1978 classic went right down to the wire, decided perhaps in its closing moments by a desperate flurry of punches. A split decision verdict highlighted the start of one of the longest championship reigns ever in the heavyweight division, and more than thirty years after the fact, fans still love to hand in their version of the cards and discuss the reasons behind those views.
The RSR January Prediction League was a busy place last week despite a few bouts suddenly dropping off of the radar.
This time last week Jakeameyers held a firm lead but by midweek that advantage had narrowed to the point that others had designs on his lunch money. Currently league stalwart OKMike leads the pack with the former a few points behind, but the hard and fast reality is that this month the race is close enough so that it’s anybody’s race, and with twelve bouts left open on the roster, three of which being of the funny points variety, it’s really all up in the air. Stay tuned. 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 February 2010 Prediction League, act now using the link to submit your request.
Click Here To Email Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett and Sign Up For The RSR Message Board
]]>
By Brian Wilbur
Welcome to the mailbag fight fans. From the collective emails I have received lately I can say that there is widespread disappointment among fans over the failure of Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather to come to fruition. Many fans are still in disbelief despite the announcement that the fight was dead about two weeks ago.
Manny Pacquiao is set to fight Joshua Clottey on March 13th. Clottey is as quality of an opponent as there was available, so kudos to Pacquiao for taking a chance, but the fact of the matter is that Clottey is not a star, therefore has zero PPV marketability. Pacman vs. Clottey, though competitive and interesting for hardcore fans, is not a super fight by any stretch of the imagination.
Floyd Mayweather has not yet named an opponent but as of right now is planning on fighting a Paulie Malignaggi level opponent, also on March 13th in a competing card. Trying to compete against Pacquiao on the same night for the right to televise on HBO might be a bad move. HBO, if they had any sense, would televise the better fight, which would be the Pacquiao fight. Regarding Mayweather vs. Malignaggi, I would be slightly more interested in that fight than say Roy Jones vs. Bernard Hopkins II, but that is not saying much. Floyd should back off and find a different date for the good of the sport.
Before depression has time to completely sink in, at least we have Shane Mosley vs. Andre Berto to look forward to in two weeks on January 30th. That should be an excellent action fight fought at a very high level of competition, perhaps enough to make us forget about Pacquiao and Mayweather, at least temporarily. I give my prediction for that fight in response to a question in this week's mailbag, but mostly I tackle more Pacquiao/Mayweather related questions. Enjoy the mailbag and please feel free to email me your thoughts and questions.
Court of Public Opinion
As I remain to be a very big Pacfan, I'm so saddened by how Golden Boy Promotions and the Mayweather camp have influenced a lot of people's thinking over in the United States. This "If you don't have anything to hide, why not take the test?" BS aced it. Pac's got the upper hand on the negotiating table, why submit to someone who is arrogant and historically ducks fights? Too late I guess, as you spoke about the court of opinion.As for my real question, what are your thoughts about Xylocaine that Mayweather has been using in the past being banned in Texas (so goodbye to Cowboys Stadium)? Well, Schaeffer knew this right? Well, I hope Floyd is happy now and sleeps better at night. I also read Geno's article about Atlas' email scandal. Well it seemed he now doubts Pacquiao. An email? Is he serious? How can it be proven as evidence that Pacquiao is a doper? I guess Geno took a side as a writer and as a Pacfan, I say he dropped the ball.
-Rotciv54
Rotciv54,
Teddy Atlas linking Pacquiao to steroids through an alleged email did not help Manny’s case with American sports fans. This is the steroids era of sports, with baseball players, football players, bikers, Olympic athletes, and any other sport you can think of having their athletes doping to gain an edge. In this type of environment, fans in America are on the look out and suspicious about any athlete. All it takes is one baseless accusation, the whispers begin, and you are considered guilty by the court of public opinion. Nobody would be surprised if he failed a test.
This is unfortunate and unfair for Manny. As a fan of Pacquiao, I want him to take these tests to get everyone off of his back and prove them wrong. If that was the tactic of GBP and the Mayweathers, to pressure Pacquiao into giving in, they planned their strategy well even though it did not work.
I give my thoughts about Floyd Mayweather using Xylocaine in the next email.
Mayweather’s Use of XylocaineMr. B,Is shooting Xylocaine to numb a boxer's hands an unfair advantage when only one of them uses it in a bout?
-Tito
Tito,
I would say so. Mayweather allegedly uses it for brittle hands but that is not fair in my opinion. The use of such numbing agents should be banned just like any other performance enhancing drug. Floyd was born with weak hands and he has to deal with that handicap. It is not like a boxer who was born with a weak chin is able to wear a football helmet and facemask!
Plan to Sabotage Pacquiao
Hi!!! Great Mailbag. I'm new. In an interview I read, someone stated that blood testing has a small chance of being implemented in boxing because there is the probability of damaging a fighter (his veins) before a fight. It's bad enough that two days before the fight fighters are dehydrating and starving, don't tell me that sticking a needle and taking a teaspoon of blood will have no effect on them. If after the needle episode you prop yourself on the couch I don't think it will have any effect on your performance in watching TV. But boxing?Five random blood lettings. 10-14 day cutoff you said is reasonable. Just put your feet in Pacquiao's shoes for a moment. Five random blood lettings is equivalent to sabotaging Manny's training camp. Every needle visit Pacquiao will be mentally handicapped to train. Now please just explain that. In this light Floyd's demand maybe viewed by many as benign and harmless, but if you dig enough you can see their real motive. They are out to take away Pacquiao's concentration and moral from day 1 of training camp until the night of the fight, and they don't have to employ any propaganda machine to do that. Now that's malicious and cowardly intent hiding in the guise of "level the playing field."
-Sanc
Sanc,
You have made as convincing an argument for Pacquiao's case as I have read yet in all of the emails that I have received. I probably wouldn't want to take my fourth consecutive blood test in a row if I was in the middle of intense training. Especially if I were Pacquiao, scared of needles and superstitious about giving blood.
My hope rests in the future of PED testing, with the HGH urine test. If that test is perfected and approved it would entirely eliminate the need for blood tests.
If your theory that this blood testing campaign was all an elaborate mind game from the Mayweather camp and not real concern over testing policy, then shame on Mayweather.
Test Before vs. After Fight
Brian,
Somebody by the name of Ronald asked you the difference between taking the blood test before and after the fight. Obviously you failed to answer that. Then I will ask you again, can the cheater who takes the juice be caught if the test was done right after the fight as opposed to right before the fight? If yes, then why bother the fighters during their training days when you can do it after the fight?
You said: "Every known PED can be detected by urine except for HGH and perhaps new designer drugs that are not known to the commissions".
Isn't this kind of an insinuation remark? Can you tell us what kind of HGH drug you are referring to? And “Perhaps New Designer Drugs"? Again another insinuation of yours? Please don't insinuate, you must support your claim. You sound like Mayweather Sr.
-Jun Claude
14 Day Cut Off
Brian,
Floyd is really tricky, when Manny agreed to a 24 day cut off for blood testing, team Mayweather didn't reply right away. When Team Pacquiao decided to face Joshua Clottey (though not yet signed but still everything was set) they came up with 14 days. To cut the story short, they found a way to duck Pacman, just like how they avoided Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley and Paul Williams.
I know you didn't realize this, so here you go.
-Ed
Mayweather Taking Easy Way Out
Mayweather should fight a tough fighter like Paul Williams, Antonio Margarito or Miguel Cotto. These three fighters are available I think. He needs this in order to convince his critics that he’s not the number 1 pound for pound ducker.He might not sell much in PPV if he doesn’t select one of these three guys I mentioned. And my advice is for HBO to cover Pacquiao's fight or else they lose millions. People don’t waste their money in watching a mismatch fight. If Mayweather selects Paulie Malinaggi, Matthew Hatton or Timothy Bradley, that’s a ridiculous match up. If you’re one of the best you select the best among the best.
I predict Mayweather's fight will sell less in PPV than Pacquiao's fight for the reason that Pacquiao’s fight is more lively, you should not blink your eye or else you might miss the huge punching combinations. Pacquiao throws punches every millisecond. Unlike Floyd who keeps running if he gets hit. People won’t waste their money watching Floyd fight.
-Daniel Chan
Proving Innocence
Hi Brian? I think there is another way for Manny to prove his innocence for taking PED. If he could destroy Joshua Clottey in his coming bout the way he did Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton & Miguel Cotto, he could take the blood test right after the fight. If the results will be negative, then we can say he's clean all throughout from his previous fights. What can you comment about this? Thanks.-Alex
Alex,
The only way for Pacquiao to prove his innocence without a shadow of a doubt would be to give a blood test everyday leading up to his fight with Joshua Clottey, starting now. He would have to test clean on all of his tests and then knock out Clottey to prove that he was the same fighter who KO’d Hatton and Cotto.
This is obviously unnecessary and unreasonable to ask of Pacquiao. Manny doesn't need to go through excessive amounts of pain and trial prove his innocence. However it would have been nice if he had agreed to some kind of reasonable cut off date for the fight with Mayweather, to appease Mayweather and allow this fight to happen. What a shame the fight fell through.
Who Is To Blame?
Who do you think is really wrong here for this fight falling apart? Is it Pacquiao or is it Mayweather? No more explanations please, just tell me if its Pacquiao or Mayweather. Just that answer. After you have answered this one, I think it’s better to move on to another topic Sir.-
Benjie Tiu
Benjie,
Both! They have egos and are unwilling to compromise because they both think that they are the man. Can you imagine a young, hungry, unknown Mayweather or Pacquiao turning down a fight of this magnitude due to some petting BS like this? They are both in the wrong! And selfish for not making this fight happen for the fans.
Sorry for not giving you a one word response but this is what I think.
Obvious Who Chickened Out, Plus Mosley/Berto
ThoughtsAfter their failed attempt to make the super fight and each man blaming the other for the failure, I think all we have to do is take a look at each man’s desired replacement for an opponent.Pacman is aiming for high ranked contender Joshua Clottey, while Floyd is opting for either Matthew Hatton or Paulie Malignaggi. Geez, I think it’s quite obvious who chickened out.
I’m wondering when Floyd will stop fighting tune-up fights and start fighting real fights. Floyd always talks a good fight but when its time to deliver, well lets just say he’s not Karl Malone. He’s more like a bedtime story which puts us to sleep even before finishing it.
Regarding Shane Mosley vs. Andre Berto, I think Berto wins this because of him being younger and fresher. Mosley’s win against Margarito was overrated because of
1. Tony came straight forward with no defense allowing Mosley to fire at will.
2. Tony’s confidence (and punching power) was way down because he had no more cement in his hands.
-Vinjo
Vinjo,
Nice observations Vinjo. Pacquiao's proposed next opponent is much stronger than Mayweather's proposed next opponent. There is no question about that. Joshua Clottey is a top flight welterweight, and due to his flying-under-the-radar status, he the kind of guy that nobody wants to fight. Mayweather wouldn't take on someone like Clottey because the risk/reward ratio is too high. Manny, on the other hand, just fights and takes on the best boxer who is willing to step in the ring with him. This is why Pacquiao has buzz as being one of the greatest of all time.
The only person who talks about Floyd Mayweather as being one of the greatest of all time is Floyd Mayweather. He has to start proving it in the ring if he wants anyone to believe him.
You make valid points regarding Andre Berto vs. Shane Mosley. I like Mosley here even though I agree with your two points. Mosley is getting older and that win over Margarito looked liked he was at the right place at the right time more than anything that Mosley did.
Still, Shane is and always has been crafty and consistent. He is going to take a very green and overrated Berto to school with his boxing ability. I see Berto as another Jermain Taylor. He is incredibly gifted physically but he is not on the elite level in terms of boxing skill. Andre has not proven himself against enough quality opponents for me to pick him against someone like Mosley. Berto's only fight against a top ranked welterweight was against Luis Collazo and he was less than impressive. Berto is nowhere near a proven commodity yet.
I can't wait to see this one though. Berto is a young bull who will be aggressive offensively and I have never seen Mosley back down from a brawl. One other reason why I like Mosley is that he tends to do well against opponents who come after him. The style that Shane struggles with is against defensive boxers with good jabs, and Berto does not fit that description.
Okay folks, that's all I have for now. Come back next time for more mailbag fun.
]]>
By John Pitroff
TNA’s Monday night Impact debut competing against Raw was full of many surprises. The main one being that I actually wanted to watch Impact for the first time in months. It was full of a lot of new names and faces, and even more old ones making their returns. It was also full of some pretty bad booking decisions, but I don’t want to review the show. That has been done from every conceivable angle, but I do feel as though there is something important that came out of Monday night that has been overlooked by most of the wrestling community.
Orlando Jordan, The Nasty Boys, Ric Flair, Eric Bischoff, Jeff Hardy, Hulk Hogan, Jeff Jarrett, Sting, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, Val Ven….well, Towel Guy, and Bubba The Love Sponge, whoever the that guy is (is he related to SpongeBob SquarePants?), all showed up for Monday’s historic Impact. Some were surprising, some were monumental, and a few had you wondering why they even bothered. Why wouldn’t they let Mick Foley into the arena, but Val Venis and Orlando Jordan are free to just walk right in? That makes as much as sense as the fact that it was booked that way.
The one star that was overlooked more than all the rest was Jeff Hardy. I am here to make the case that this was a bigger acquisition for TNA than any of the other talents who showed up expectedly or unexpectedly Monday night. The biggest surprise coming out of TNA Monday night? The fact that Jeff Hardy showing up in TNA wasn’t surprising enough for TNA to make a bigger deal out of it.
I realize it won’t be easy to convince one that Jeff Hardy is more important than Hulk Hogan or any of the other big names making their returns on Monday. I feel as though I am TNA going up against WWE at the moment, without Hogan or Flair to back me up. Just call me Dixie Carter for the past six years.
Both Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan were both just wrestling on the Hulkamania tour not that long ago. So, if one is to put some thought into the situation, them being in TNA is not quite as big a deal as some would have you believe. Sure, Ric Flair is a huge name, as well as Hulk Hogan, but are they young, athletic, and ready to compete? No. They are quite the opposite, actually. I mean, these guys were old when they were in WCW, and that was about ten years ago now! When I think of Hogan and Flair, I feel old just thinking about how long I’ve been consistently watching them.
Have they been relevant in months? Not really. They have a much bigger name attraction than Jeff Hardy because they have been around longer. But, it is sort of how dinosaurs are more popular than tadpoles. Flair, although he was a huge surprise, didn’t do anything. If his tenure in TNA consists of him stepping out of limousine to shake hands with a few people no one knows and then interrupting a perfectly good main event, I see no reason he even signed a deal. Plus, that catch phrase won’t work when he can only say, “limousine ridin’.” Actually, keep him in the back, I was having fun watching Kurt Angle and AJ Styles work their magic. This might be the first time Ric Flair has made a match worse. And, that is something that takes effort, TNA!
I realize Jeff Hardy is not as big a name as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, or perhaps even Eric Bischoff, but what he represents is something more symbolic. The difference between Jeff Hardy and the rest of the guys that came back Monday is that Jeff Hardy was actually doing something a few months ago. And, that something was being one of the top guys in the rival company.
What were The Nasty Boys doing besides sniffing each other’s arm pits…and sucking up to Hulk Hogan so they could get back on TV? Scott Hall was most likely drinking or looking for a toothpick, and X-Pac was probably making another homemade porno with Chyna (I apologize for this reference being so 1999 – it’s almost as old school as Raw and Impact were Monday). Towel Boy? Apparently he has been in the shower since January 9, 2009 when he left WWE. Well, I guess he might be moving up. Before, he was jobbing to WWE’s low to mid carders, now he is playing cards in a terrible voice that makes Batman sound good. Orlando Jordan?
He was doing the same thing he had been doing in WWE, absolutely nothing. He had so much time he was able to watch to his hair grow. Both Sting and Jarrett were already part of TNA, so their so-called “returns” were really no big deal at all. I think Sting successfully did less than Flair, actually. Eric Bischoff? The last relevant thing he did was produce Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling. Oh, wait, that wasn’t relevant. I won’t get into the fact that he was also executive producer for a Scott Baio reality show on VH1. Scott Baio at this point is more irrelevant to society than Bubba
The Love Sponge is to wrestling.
The return of Jeff Hardy means more than any of the others because only a few months ago he was still with WWE competing for the World Heavyweight Championship. A little over a year ago, in December 2008, Hardy was winning his first WWE Championship. Jeff Hardy is not washed up, he is not a “has been, he is not even an older star looking to get back some of his glory. At the end of August, he was still one of the top wrestlers on the entire WWE roster. Jeff Hardy is coming off of main eventing SummerSlam, WWE’s second biggest Pay-Per-View of the year!
What this proves to the wrestling world is that TNA can get top talent from WWE. I realize TNA can pick up guys that haven’t been on TV in years, guys who still have name value but haven’t done anything of significance in recent memory, and random radio hosts that happen to be good friends with Hulk Hogan. But, TNA signing Jeff Hardy proves that WWE has to watch its back. If one of the top two baby faces in the company is willing to join for another company, WWE has to now be paying attention to TNA, something I doubt they did before. I know TNA likes to keep talking about a war being started, but the jump of Jeff Hardy from one company to the other was what made the previous Monday Night Wars so popular. Who is going to show up from the other company? What will they do with him? It is exciting, and Hardy’s move opens the doors for others from WWE who are at the top of the card to do the same, if it is handled the right way. More on that later.
Jeff Hardy has competed with TNA before, but this was before he was ever at the main event level of the top of wrestling, WWE. See, TNA, although they like to speak of themselves in the same breath as WWE, up to this point, have not been anywhere near them. But, now that they have shown that they can sign the hottest free agent in wrestling, as JR says, “business is about to pick up.” Hardy showing up in TNA was a legitimate surprise to the fans, the talent, and the rival company. For the first time, I was actually surprised that TNA had signed someone. Very few, if anyone saw him coming to TNA. Symbolically, this is the biggest acquisition TNA has had ever.
Jeff Hardy hasn’t been out of the limelight for very long, he isn’t coming in after months and months of negotiations, he is still at the top of fan’s popularity. Fans don’t consider him a wannabe WWE guy, because, quite frankly, if he wanted to be with WWE, he still would be. Wrestler’s like Rhino, Dr. Stevie, Bobby Lashley, Matt Morgan were nothing but mid card talents in WWE who had never quite hit it big time. Now, with Hardy, TNA finally has someone who is still in the last stages of the prime of his career. Kurt Angle was also a big “get” for TNA, but he hadn‘t been in the main event scene when he left, and it wasn’t at a time when TNA had the outlet to be seen by millions of new fans.
Popularity is something that Jeff Hardy brings to TNA. And, that popularity is very high. During his time in WWE, he had the attraction of the male audience as well as the female audience. His popularity nearly rivaled that of John Cena. That popularity will only lead to more money for TNA. If TNA does things right, they have signed the perfect talent, because not only is Hardy relevant, popular, and fresh, he can also sell tons of merchandise. The merchandise I see most on kids these days is John Cena, Rey Mysterio, and Jeff Hardy.
I do have to wonder how serious Hulk Hogan is about pushing the younger talent. Seriously, they are already handling this Jeff Hardy situation the wrong way. Why did he show up from the crowd with little to no fanfare and then start a feud with Homicide? I realize it was at the beginning of the show to hook viewers, but why was the rest of Impact not all about Hardy? Sure, they showed him painting a picture that my five month old nephew could have made and being chased down by 13 year old girls, but why not make him more relevant?
Homicide? Last I knew of Jeff Hardy, he was in a match for the World Heavyweight Championship, and now he is starting a feud with Homicide…this almost makes me want to commit homicide to whoever booked this. The fact is that Hardy should have been part of the main event scene somehow later in the show.
The signing of Jeff Hardy, whether it be short or long term, is a milestone in TNA company history. It is the first time there has been a big, exciting, main event caliber jump from one wrestling company to the other in years. This gives wrestlers as well as both companies opportunities to make something happen. Although Hulk Hogan is the focal point of this new “war” between TNA and WWE, Jeff Hardy is the true Leonidas of TNA. Let’s just hope it doesn’t end like that movie under the direction of Hulk Hogan. Plus, look at it this way, if all else fails, TNA can just come clean on Jeff Hardy’s drug charges and attempt to get some name value that way. There is no such thing as bad press, right? Let’s be honest, wrestling companies have done more shameless things to get their name out there, right Monday Night Raw weekly guest host gimmick?
]]>
By SJ Jarapa
Let’s do this haphazardly. The card was filled with rising talents but few big names, even so, UFC 108 proved to be a satisfying start to a New Year.
First, let me do a shout out to my comrade’s scintillating performance. I recall vividly my instant fondness to “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Mark Munoz when he debuted on the Ultimate Fighting scene. I thought with great fervor as I watched him enter the cage and strut his stuff against Matt “The Hammer” Hammill:
“Oh lookie a Pinoy… he’s got that mountain-native-with-a-spear look about him… clearly a pure breed, not a nurse like Philippe Novar, not fat like Brandon Vera… fantastic. Okay, he’s moving, floating like a butterfly, this is great, he looks confident, footwork seems intact, good, good, good…”
And that’s about as far as I remember because I changed the channel. Sponge Bob was on. However, I have no doubt he won that fight. I’ve been told otherwise but you know how haters are…
Anyway, this past January 2, 2010, Mark Munoz silenced all the haters with a first round stoppage over a very game Ryan Jensen. He came, he conquered by making Ryan Jensen tap out due to a bevy of solid punches on the ground at the 2:30 mark of the first round and all I can say is, “P**a galing!!!”
Translation: “Good job buddy!”
In a fight that really disappointed me, “McLovin” Dustin Hazlet foolishly tried to eat Semtex for dinner and fainted at the mere taste of it. Nothing against Paul Daley, but I was hoping to see Hazlet add another truly inimitable submission maneuver to his impressive highlight reel over a tough customer in Paul Daley.
On the countdown to UFC 108, McLovin’ made no secret of his game plan for this fight and was quoted as saying:
“I see so many Jiu-Jitsu guys trying to out-strike a striker lately. I’m happy just submitting guys.”
I guess Dustin Hazlet fell victim to his own words when he attempted to get inside the strength of his opponent to land a two-punch combination, which, unfortunately, was all the opening Paul Daley needed. Daley, being no stranger to this sort of offensive pattern, threw a looping shot and severed Hazlet’s spirit from reality immediately upon connection. I think the current UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre would one day meet this heavy-handed Brit somewhere down the road.
It’s going to be interesting to find out if Paul Daley could indeed punch his way through the top.
More results:
Junior Dos Santos confirms yet again that he belongs in the current crop of the Heavyweight Elites. Jim Miller arm-bars Duane Ludwig and Sam Stout decisions Joe Lauzon.
Finally the first leg of the race toward the UFC Light Heavyweight Throne is over and the victor: “Sugar” Rashad Evans. Rashad must have been breathing deep sighs of relief right after his encounter with the powerhouse Thiago Silva. He escaped the jaws of defeat through a great amount of luck – that fortune being Thiago Silva unable to finish the job in the grasp of exhaustion.
Rashad did a great job negating Silva on the first two rounds using his superior ground skills, his great wrestling undoubtedly the key to his victory. He’s been knocking people out in his last few fights before losing to Machida that he has virtually abandoned the foundation that brought him to where he is now. Wrestling has always been his greatest asset and hearing him babble about vengeance – expressing how badly he wanted to punch his friend’s tormentor on the face – prior to Saturday’s fight made me uneasy about his chances against a young powerful striker who is in his prime like Thiago Silva. Had Rashad opted to strike with Thiago on the on-set like he did on the third and final round, he would have been knocked out.
But like a true champion, he was able to let his emotions slide for a while and it paid off. He followed the game plan steadfastly and the unanimous decision that succeeded was well deserved.
With this victory, Rashad Evans re-mounted the winning horse and is slowly inching towards another title contention. First leg of the race is over, second leg begins, next opponent – possibly the returning former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
It is no secret that these two genuinely hate each other as we have witnessed during the heat of the The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 series where Rashad Evans’ team wiped out Quinton’s bigger, meaner looking heavyweight team, which included the highly-touted street fighter Kimbo Slice.
Now, while Evans’ team did clean the Ultimate Fighter House, coaching and fighting are two different planes but Rashad calling out Quinton Jackson right after his triumph over Thiago Silva says he is ready, willing to fight at any time, and not at all intimidate by Rampage. Rashad wants him that bad. One has to wonder, though, if he can take Quinton’s strength, unlike Silva, Rampage is raw power, carries nukes in his fists, his physical force is unparalleled both standing up and on the ground.
And, although, probably not as impressive, is that Quinton too holds a wrestling background that could effectively counteract Rashad’s. How “Sugar” will deal with Rampage’s God-given strength and punching power is interesting to ponder. What he has over Quinton is his superior speed and mobility which I could see being the strategy coming in for this fight to able Rashad to create the angles and openings that would eventually break Quinton Jackson down.
So yeah this early on I am predicting a Rashad Evans’ victory over Quinton Jackson. A TKO win!
Thiago Silva, Quinton Jackson, Chuck Liddell… they’ve all had power, they’ve all had great jiu-jitsu…
What makes Rashad Evans’ a cut above most and from what we have just witnessed this past fight night is not his tremendous capacity for learning but perhaps his formidable intelligence that allows him to see the cracks in defenses and penetrate the impenetrable.
]]>
By Geno McGahee
Sugar Free
The WBC Welterweight Champion, Andre Berto has pulled out of his January 30th showdown with “Sugar” Shane Mosley, citing the tragedy in Haiti as the reason why he cannot do the fight. He has family there and it is definitely understandable, but this was the bout that was supposed to help the boxing fans forget the collapse of Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather, JR. Now the entire card has been scrapped and another attractive bout is gone.
Mosley hasn’t fought since his destruction of Antonio Margarito last year and the more he stays on the shelf, the more ring rust he’ll have to shake. Now with Berto out, Mosley scrambles for another opponent but it will not be on January 30th. The focus now, as expected, is the match up of Floyd Mayweather, JR., and Sugar Shane Mosley. It is a super fight and one that should be attractive to Mayweather, which is why it will most likely be negotiated and signed in the weeks to come.
Mayweather is as sharp as he’s ever been and has gotten a lot of press from the steroid scandal and breakdown with Manny Pacquiao. He was in the news for quite a while and there still is, but he has to strike while the iron is hot and the fans will not accept a Matthew Hatton as an opponent. They want a name and Mosley is a name. What he has left is another story.
When Mayweather and Mosley sign to fight and they will, it will be a pay per view and Money Mayweather is such a hot topic in boxing now, the buys will be high…higher than they would have been pre-Pacquiao breakdown. Although Mosley destroyed “Hands of Plaster” Margarito, it is debatable if he was an elite fighter without the loaded gloves. His punches didn’t put a dent in Mosley in that fight and they probably wouldn’t have had the effect they had on Kermit Cintron or Miguel Cotto either. The win over Margarito could be deceiving, and Mayweather may give Mosley a reality check. If Ricardo Mayorga and Fernando Varagas (in their first fight) could give Mosley a run for his money, what could Mayweather do? We’re going to find out. Expect for that fight to begin negotiations soon.
Hopkins – Jones II a go!
When Danny Green sent Roy Jones, JR., to the floor with a crushing overhand right on December 2, 2009, and went on to stop him in the very first round, the truth was revealed. The charade was over and Roy Jones, JR., had to face the fact that he no longer had the reflexes to be an elite fighter. This was the end of his career….but wait. Not so fast.
There is a pay per view with Bernard Hopkins waiting in the wings. Now how do we proceed with the Hopkins PPV after a crushing first round knockout loss? You claim that Danny Green had loaded gloves. With Margarito still fresh on everyone’s minds, it’s not going to be a stretch for the public to believe it and if nothing else, it may create a little doubt. As always, the ego of Jones and the greed of Hopkins are more important than the reputation of a boxer (Green) or the sport as a whole.
On April 17th, this disgrace will try to fleece the public out of 60 bucks per view. Is there any entertainment value at all in this fight? Hopkins way of fighting with his clutching and cagy tactics, bound to go the distance, versus Jones inability to find the mark anymore and lack of reflexes, does not make a pretty fight. Their first fight in 1991 when they were in their primes was not an exciting fight and now we are at this point.
Hopkins last KO was in 2004 when he stopped Oscar De La Hoya. Roy Jones, JR., is 5-5, 2 KO’s, in his last ten fights. This fight is a sham and it’s quite obvious. It’s up to the public to just say no and hold onto their money. The fight in meaningless and is only there to soothe the ego of Jones and line the pockets of Hopkins. Hopkins priced himself out of bouts with Tomasz Adamek and Danny Green because he would rather screw the public with a joke like this PPV coming our way in April.
The Joshua Clottey Surprise
The speculation about the steroid abuse by Manny Pacquiao still goes on, and there are people on both sides of the matter firmly believing one way or the other. Teddy Atlas has come under some scrutiny for reporting that Pacquiao or somebody on his team emailed Team Mayweather and asked the penalty should he come up positive. Atlas was not the only one that reported this, yet the Manny fans and reporters that suck up to the Manny fans to get positive emails, have demanded his head. Atlas reported what he believed to be true, period. If it is, we may never know, but you can’t have honesty in boxing without hearing some things that you might not want to hear.
If Manny is on steroids, he has found a way to beat the system, and he fights on, and up to this point, he should be considered innocent until proven guilty. Many times when an athlete performs above and beyond expectation, those will point to steroids. Larry Holmes accused Evander Holyfield of steroid use prior to their bout, but nothing ever came of it. Boxing has a lot of baseless accusations, but in a sport that could generate millions of dollars for one fight, you can’t discount anything.
Pacquiao focuses on his March showdown with Joshua Clottey, and credit to Team Pacquiao for taking him on. Clottey is a very live dog and a very difficult guy to fight. Antonio Margarito couldn’t put a dent in him and Miguel Cotto barely survived against him. His tight defense and consistency will give Pacquiao troubles and this is going to be a tough night for the Pacman.
With Mosley-Mayweather a near certainty, and Pacquiao – Clottey coming quickly, we could still see the eventual showdown between the Pacman and Money Mayweather. The interest will grow should they both come up big in these encounters and in this sport, money talks, and they will eventually meet in the ring should they both continue to win. There is far too much demand and money involved to avoid it.
]]>
By Geno McGahee
Two of the brightest stars in boxing are on a collision course and this Saturday night, HBO will give them a stage to show their skills and allow the fans to speculate what a showdown between the two would look like.
In the main event, the WBO Super Bantamweight Champion, Juan Manuel Lopez, 27-0, 24 KO’s, moves up to the featherweight division to try to take the gold from the WBO Champion, Steven Luevano, 37-1-1, 15 KO’s. Lopez has all the makings of a superstar in boxing. He is an incredible puncher and has shown that he can get rid of a quality opponent in the early rounds. He stopped Daniel Ponce De Leon in one round in 2008, and has been sending his opponents packing without much trouble, with the exception of his last encounter with Rogers Mtagwa on October 10, 2009.
Mtagwa survived early and had the young Lopez holding on for dear life in the final round. Lopez would win a unanimous decision but he faced serious adversity for the first time in his career. Trouble making weight may have been part of the reason he tired down the stretch and he hopes to prove that should the bout go into the later rounds with Luevano.
Luevano is a relative unknown. He has never been stopped, losing only once by decision in 2005. He has made five successful defenses of his WBO title and has to have some confidence going into this fight considering the life and death struggle Lopez had with Mtagwa. This should be an interesting fight.
In the co-main event, we have WBA Featherweight Champion, Yuriokis Gamboa, 16-0, 14 KO’s, taking on the same Rogers Mtagwa, 26-13-2, 18 KO’s, in a twelve round title defense. This bout was obviously made as a comparison fight to see how Gamboa would do against a man that gave his potential future foe a fight of his life. Mtagwa is durable and Gamboa’s recklessness at times will give him opportunities.
Gamboa is one of the most exciting fighters in the sport and a collision with Lopez would be a great match. This is the first phase of this operation and should the two undefeated stars get beyond their tough opposition, they will be facing off to decide who the superstar is going to be. HBO put together a great double header here.
On the undercard, “Irish” John Duddy, 27-1, 17 KO’s, still on the comeback trail, takes on Juan Astorga, 14-3-1, 9 KO’s, in a middleweight encounter. Duddy has been considered for many big events but has never been able to actually land one. He has been rumored to fight Kelly Pavlik several times only to have it fall through. Duddy, should he continue to win, will eventually get his opportunity at the bigger names in boxing.
In other action, light middleweight contender, Pawel Wolak, 25-1, 17 KO’s, has put four straight wins together since his setback loss to Ishe Smith in 2008. He will take on Ishmail Arvin, 15-1-4, 7 KO’s.
]]>
By Gina L. Caliboso
In December 2009, Dana White announced that Chuck “Iceman” Liddell, 21-7, a coach from the first season of the Ultimate Fighter will be making a return for Season 11.
Since his last fight, Liddell has been seen on HBO’s “Entourage” and “Dancing with the Stars.” But I think it’s a smart move to see Liddell back in the Octagon. It is a homecoming for the Iceman. At 40, it’s best for his career that he considers life outside of the ring even as a coach. But by Randy Couture standards, Liddell still might have more fight in him.
For Season 11 of the Ultimate Fighter, Liddell the coach will be up against Tito Ortiz, 16-7-1 who also makes his return. As a member of the UFC Hall of Fame which also includes such MMA greats Randy “The Natural” Couture, 17-10 and Royce Gracie, 13-2-2, Liddell will hopefully lead his team and a skilled fighter towards the elite MMA contract with the UFC. In the first season of Ultimate Fighter, he matched up against Randy Couture. It would make for a great season end fight, but you never know with President Dana White and the UFC.
In Season 10 of the Heavyweights, I was expecting Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, 30-7 to fight Rashad “Suga” Evans, 19-1-1. It was so painfully clear that the two needed to meet in the Octagon. It would have made a great headline match from the drama of the show leading to the PPV event. However, this fight has since fizzled due to Jackson’s would be retirement and new career as a film star. Evans, by contrast, defeated Thiago Silva, 14-2, most recently in UFC 108. But again, Dana White is constantly making supposed matches just to ensure the UFC’s future. I don’t quite count out UFC 1?
Finally - Evans vs. Jackson.
But let’s get back to the Iceman. In looking at his fight career, Liddell’s performance in the Octagon cannot be questioned. Even as he faces a younger rival in Ortiz, it is in his fights against the 46-year old Couture, 17-10, that reveals MMA excellence. In UFC 43 back in June 2003, Liddell suffered a loss against Couture due to a TKO in the 3rd round.
Two years later in UFC 52, appropriately titled Couture vs. Liddell II, he defeated Couture with a KO in the 1st round. Finally, in February 2006, in UFC 57, again appropriately titled Liddell vs. Couture III, Liddell scored a 2nd round KO over the then just in his 40’s champ Couture. By the way, Couture, now 46, is fighting in UFC 109 on February 6 this year against Mark “The Hammer” Coleman, 16-9.
Liddell also has a winning record against Tito Ortiz. In April 2004, in UFC 47, Liddell went to the 2nd round against Ortiz, but not for very long. At :38 into the 2nd round, Liddell scored the win by TKO. In December 2006, in UFC 66, he defeated Ortiz again with a 3rd round TKO.
In November 2009, Ortiz most recently suffered a loss against Forrest Griffin in UFC 106 – Ortiz vs. Griffin II with a split decision. Both Liddell and Ortiz come to the Ultimate Fighter at a good point in their fight careers. It’s Liddell’s most recent fight record that perhaps reveals he needs to re-focus his training a la Randy Couture and get into the best shape and MMA mentality if he is to fight against Ortiz for a 3rd time.
Since 2007, Liddell has experienced a series of losses that point in the direction of re-evaluation of his fighting style which consists primarily of a good balance between his stand up striking to his grappling. However, since Liddell has been in the UFC, the MMA tactics and newly crowned champions of late are different fighters. Luckily, Liddell has great athleticism and mental toughness. But whether or not his body can take it just might make the difference in his eventual return.
In May 2007, in UFC 71, against Rampage Jackson, Liddell suffered a TKO in 1:53 of the 1st round. 4 months later in UFC 76, he lost to Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine, 14-7-1, in a split decision with the fight going all three rounds. In UFC 79, in December 2007, he defeated Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva, 32-10-1, in a unanimous decision going all three rounds.
As 2007 was a full fight year, Liddell did not fight again until UFC 88 in September 2008 where he fought and loss to Rashad Evans. Evans scored the KO in the 2nd round. In April 2009, Liddell suffered another loss with a TKO against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, 18-4, within 4:28 in the 1st round. Altogether, Liddell has fought 5 times in the last 2 years with a 1-4 win-loss record.
As Liddell does have amazing athleticism, I can see that he may easily adapt to his opponent. And as far as his age and veteran status go, Liddell cannot be counted out just yet. It appears that for MMA and UFC overall, Liddell must establish his dominance with a convincing stand-up and go for the KO in the opening round. If he gets caught with the right strike, Liddell may lose. But two great things stand out for Liddell: his controlled aggression and fearlessness.
Even though his most recent fights show losses, Liddell isn’t the type of fighter or athlete to back down in his own development and stature as a fighter that can get better and most importantly, win.
Luckily, Liddell has set a standard in the world of MMA. UFC President Dana White knows this for a fact and the Iceman’s presence is nothing but lucrative. Overall, it’s a good thing for Liddell to come back as coach, maybe he can teach something to the up and coming UFC fighters.
Either way, as coach or as fighter, Liddell has nothing to prove to anyone, maybe just himself, that he set the standard for MMA and will continue to do so – at least until his next fight.
]]>A comprehensive analysis by highly-regarded punch stat compiler and analyst CompuBox supports Team Shumenov’s original contention, as well as the contention of the vast majority of fans in attendance, that Beibut Shumenov deserved to win a unanimous 12-round decision against Gabriel Campillo in their August 15, 2009 World Boxing Association (WBA) Light Heavyweight World Championship fight.
Campillo, however, was able to hold on to his WBA World Title by way of a controversial decision that was announced as unanimous but changed the following day to a majority decision (114-113 John Coyle, 113-113 Glenn Feldman, 115-111 Pasquale Procopio) when a scoring error was discovered. The controversy surrounding the scoring has led to their January 29 World Title rematch at The Joint at Hark Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to CompuBox’s statistical breakdown of Campillo-Shumenov I, Shumenov landed more total punches and at a higher connect percentage (213 of 651 compared to Campillo’s 199 of 672), including a dominating 193-144 edge in power punches. CompuBox’s scoring gave Shumenov the first five rounds in addition to the eighth and ninth (10-8) for a 115-112 advantage. (See full chart below)
“We always believed that Beibut won a close decision and we're happy that the analysis by an independent organization like CompuBox fully supports us,” Chingis Shumenov, Co-Owner of KZ Event Productions said. “Beibut is seeking redemption. We look forward to the rematch and are grateful that the WBA has sanctioned it.”
“Campillo vs. Shumenov II” features the 12-round WBA Light Heavyweight Championship rematch between the defending champion, Spain’s Campillo (19-2, 6 KOs), and IBA World title-holder Shumenov (8-1, 6 KOs). The evening of boxing will be presented by KZ Event Productions and Golden Boy Promotions with Campillo vs. Shumenov presented in association with Sampson Boxing LLC. The bout will be televised live on Fox Sports Net (FSN) and its regional sports network affiliates beginning at 11 pm ET / 8 pm PT (check local listings). Doors will open at 6 pm and the first bell rings at 7 pm.
In the event’s opening televised fight, former Cuban amateur star Erislandy Lara (9-0, 5 KO’s) takes on veteran junior middleweight Grady Brewer (26-11, 15 KO’s), winner of hit reality television show The Contender II, in a 10-round bout.
Joining Shumenov on the January 29 show are two other KZ Event Productions fighters, unbeaten Uzbekistan prospects light heavyweight Gayrat Ahmedov (12-0-1, 8 KO’s) and Ravshan Hudaynazarov (9-0, 6 KO’s), making their United States debuts in separate bouts.
]]>
By Ryan Justason
(Managing Editor’s Note: Ryan Justason is our newest Feature Writer here on RSR and will be covering the world of the MMA. I, along with the rest of the team welcome him aboard!)
On February 22nd 2006 between the hours of 1:00 am and 2:15am UTC (London, England), seven masked and heavily armed men and another tied up man entered the doors of the Securitas Depot. The tied up man turned out to be Colin Dixon who was the Securitas Depot manager. All fourteen Securitas Depot employees who were there at the time of the robbery were shocked to see their boss tied up as Dixon yelled “Do whatever they want!” “They have my family”. Sure enough the employees complied and it took the seven masked men 40 minutes to escape with the 53,116,760 Euros as they left everyone unharmed and locked up in cages. The 53,116,760 Euros then turned out to be the largest cash robbery in British history. The alleged mastermind behind this robbery is said to be none other than British Mixed Martial Arts tough guy “Lightning” Lee Murray. Lee Murray was famous in South East London for his notorious street fights in which fellow South East Londoner Mixed Martial Artist Mark “The Beast” Epstein said “I never saw him lose.” As Murray was making his money in street Mixed Martial Arts, he decided to take his street brawling prowess to professional Mixed Martial Arts to make a quick buck. Although Murray did end up going professional, the street brawler in him never seemed to die. On July 13th 2002, at the after-party for UFC 38 which was the first UFC in the United Kingdom, Lee Murray and his buddies decided to crash the party. A party that was filled with a lot of boozed up Mixed Martial Artists that contained the likes of Pat Miletech, Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. Soon after a melee ensued with Lee Murray and Tito Ortiz going one on one. Pat Miletech has since described the events of the brawl. "One of Tito Ortiz's friends jumped on my back as a joke. A buddy of Lee's thought it was a fight and jumped in," he tells me. "Then it exploded." "Lee took off his jacket. Tito did too. Tito threw the first punch and missed. Then Lee flattened him with a five-punch combo.I told him to get the hell outta there.” Once word was getting around that the British middleweight Lee Murray had knocked out the then UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, Murray was then getting the attention of the bigger shows like the UFC. After Murray’s street brawl with Ortiz, he then racked up two professional mixed martial arts knock outs. These two impressive knock outs then lead to a three fight contract with the UFC. Lightning Lee Murray made his UFC debut at UFC 46 in which he made quick work of Jorge Rivera via triangle armbar in the first round. Sadly for Lee and the $100,000 contract he was sitting on, he would never be fighting in the UFC again due to an altercation that took place on Christmas Day 2003. On December 25th 2003, Murray was driving with his wife and child when a man hit his Range Rover. Murray then became irate as he was said to “disable” the other man’s vehicle as well as the other man. Once this incident was all sorted out, Murray could no longer compete in the UFC because he was denied a visa to work in the United States. Many who knew Lee Murray as a fighter knew he was tough but they had not known how much of a hot head he was. But if you were to know where Lee grew up and the people he hung out with, many would understand how the professional fighter could snap at any moment. Lee Murray grew up in the tough area of South East London called the Barnfield Housing Projects. He was the son of a Moroccan man and an English mother. The Barnfield Housing Project area was a ghetto in which young boys would most likely end up running with crews and making the quick buck to survive. Murray was known around his neighborhood for always running away from the cops which caught the attention of future Mixed Martial Artist Mark “The Beast” Epstein. In the mid 90’s Mark Epstein was the leader of the gang “The Barney Boys.” Once the two became friends, Lee Murray became a member of The Barney Boys. The Barney Boys were a very well known gang in South East London. They were known for their street fights, knife fights and drug sales. The Barney Boys were said to have their hands in anything that could earn them the fast cash. Mark “The Best” Epstein has even admitted shooting a man in the face over 200 kilos of cocaine. Lee Murray was no different in this aspect. Even after The Barney Boys started to fade away, Murray was said to have his hands in a lot of different baskets. This was said to be true even throughout Murray’s career as a professional Mixed Martial Artist. Although Murray made it the UFC, unless you’re a big name like a Chuck Liddell or a Brock Lesnar, fighters generally don’t make that much money. Which leads many to wonder how Murray was able to afford his beautiful suburban home as well as his Range Rover and Ferrari? How did Murray afford his flashy mink coats and silk shirts? Murray was said to always be looking for a way to fast cash and one of those ways to fast cash was selling drugs. Being as flashy, a notorious drug dealer and loud, Murray often found himself a target. On September 21st 2005, Lee Murray was hanging out at The Funky Buddha night club when he was approached by two men. Both of these men then attacked Lee with knives as he attempted to fight of the attackers. Lee was able to fight off the attackers while in the process losing his left nipple. Just like any tough guy, this didn’t stop Lee from going out to the same club the week after. Lee Murray lost his life a total of three times after being stabbed at The Funky Buddha a week after losing his nipple. Murray was at The Funky Buddha attending glamour model Lauren Popes birthday when some familiar faces noticed him. Once being noticed outside the club, a huge brawl broke out. Murray was stabbed several times even yelling at one point “I’m dying”! Murray then ran to a nearby bus stop where he was later picked up by an ambulance. Due to all the blood loss, Murray died and was revived three times. After he was awakened for the third and last time, Murray was said to have motioned for a piece of paper to which he wrote one word “warrior.” Although the warrior was alive, he did need hospital stay to get well. This was said to be the time period when Murray masterminded the plot to commit the largest cash robbery in the history of the United Kingdom.
Four days after, Murray was nowhere to be found until British authorities received wind that he was in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Mark “The Beast” Epstein later clarified that four days after the robbery, Murray was indeed in Amsterdam being protected by a Dutch mafia hitman on his way to Morocco. Murray was on his way to Morocco because he can claim citizenship due to the fact that his father is Moroccan. Soon after arriving in Morocco, Murray bought a $1.5 million Villa in the posh suburb of Souissi. Murray was arrested until it was proven that he was indeed Moroccan. Once proven that Murray was of Moroccan decent, he was released from jail. Murray who was virtually living up his gangster life, thought he was untouchable from any type of British arrest. This remained true although what Murray did not know is that he could be tried for his British crimes through Moroccan court. Lee Murray was then re-arrested as a result of the British government’s plea to try Lee Murray in Moroccan court. Murray’s attorney has since said that if proven guilty, the most jail time he will serve is 10 years while his accomplices in the United Kingdom have received several life sentences. At 32 years of age, Murray is young and 10 years is not bad if he did in fact commit the robbery. Unlike other inmates, Murray gets special treatment. His cell is something similar to Pauley’s cell from the Goodfellas Murray also gets lots of phone time. Lee is said to be working on his own life story in which Time Warner has bought the rights to. Also Murray continues to train Mixed Martial Arts inside the Moroccan prison walls and if he does get 10 years, 42 is not a bad age to make a post-prison Mixed Martial Arts debut.
]]>By Gina L. Caliboso
This Saturday, Brian “Pinoy Punch” Viloria, 26-2, 15 KO’s, will go up against Columbian Carlos “El Olimpico” Tamara, 20-4, 14 KO’s, in order to defend his IBF Light Flyweight title. The fight will take place at the Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Viloria currently ranks #1 among Light Flyweight fighters. His opponent, Tamara, will put up a good fight and will give Viloria a challenge. As a light flyweight, Tamara earned a Silver medal for Colombia at the 2003 Santo Domingo Pan American Games.
At 26-2, 15 KO’s, Viloria goes into the fight well-prepared and confident. Born and raised in Hawaii, Viloria is slowly making his way into the spotlight with his last few fights being won in a convincing fashion. I had previously profiled Viloria and mentioned his losses, but his wins have been nothing less than dominating.
Viloria took some much needed time off in 2009 and comes away looking a little more focused. Since coming off a loss in 2007 against Edgar Sosa, 37-6, 21 KO’s, for the vacant WBC Light Flyweight title, Viloria went through a reinvention of his career. First, in February 2008, he started back at the bottom with a less than hyped venue at the Alameda Swap Meet. He defeated Jose Garcia Bernal in an 8 round unanimous decision. Since then, Viloria has moved on to bigger and more prestigious venues and opponents.
In May 2008, he defeated Fred Heberto Valdez with a 3rd round KO in a scheduled 10 round bout. Four months later in September 2008, he defeated Juan Javier Lagos with an 8 round unanimous decision. He closed out 2008 with a 2nd round KO victory over Benjamin Garcia.
Viloria continued his battling back to the spotlight in 2009. In April 2009, he defeated the light flyweight fighter that every Filipino fighter wants to fight - Ulises Solis. Against Solis, Vilonia came away with an 11th round KO in a scheduled 12 round bout. Finally, in August 2009, in front of his hometown crowd, Viloria defeated Jesus Iribe over 12 rounds by unanimous decision and became the IBF Light Flyweight titleholder.
As an amateur, Tamara fought for Columbia in the Light Flyweight division at the 2004 Olympics in Greece. Three years younger than Viloria, Tamara is just beginning to find his way into bigger fights and better opponents. In the last two years, Tamara has slowed down his pace of fighting. This can never hurt a fighter at the beginning of his career. By contrast, Tamara had fought 6 times throughout 2007 and came away with 2 losses. By 2008, he had fought only twice.
In January 2008, in a fight against Omar Andres Narvaez for the WBO Light Flyweight title, Tamara lost over 12 rounds by unanimous decision. Later in June 2008 against Juan Esquer, Tamara earned a victory by unanimous decision over 12 rounds. In 2009, Tamara fought twice and won each time. In August 2009, he fought against Nelson Cantero and won by TKO in the 4th round of a scheduled 8 round bout. Finally, Tamara ended 2009 on a winning note. In October 2009, he defeated Alfonso De La Hoz, 14-24, 7 KO’s with a 6 round unanimous decision.
For Saturday, I predict that Viloria will come out the winner. Viloria is soaring off of some new found direction and confidence. Tamara may give Viloria a hard time over 12 rounds, but in the end Viloria will win over 12 rounds in a unanimous decision – if not sooner by TKO, or even a KO.
]]>
By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
Not long ago I took part in an on-line debate as to who were among the top five best light heavyweights of all-time. Shortly after that I began reviewing the career of Bob Foster for a feature I penned. Leading into that the gist of that banter played significantly on my mind. Essentially, I have come to learn over the course of many years that fans stick with the heroes they came up with, and this little debate again drove that notion home. Case to point; I came up watching Michael Spinks turn “ugly” into an art form. His style was no style. The Spinks Jinx was an apt description of his application in the ring. His skills and power took a back seat when you broke down what it was that made him effective. But to me he was perhaps the very best light heavyweight champion of all-time, if for nothing else he was right up there with those that came up before him and he remained unbeaten, dominant in fact, at his natural weight.
Younger fans like to throw Roy Jones JR. out there, pointing out that when he was at his best he was virtually untouchable. The name Dariusz Michalczewski also came up a few times, but if anything there was more debate about who would have won between Michalczewski and Jones circa 1998-99 than about where The Pole fit in among all-timers in the division. Older fans that remember the campaign of Bob Foster like to point out the Howitzer Effect his right hand had on foes, and his considerable boxing ability. Going back even further though, there is one man that absolutely must be looked at whenever a review of past light heavyweight champions is embarked upon, and whether you are a believer in him relative to the shock and awe Foster often delivered or the uncanny, even supernatural athleticism Jones specialized in, there can be no discounting the remarkable achievements of Archie Moore, who had one of the longest professional careers in the sport.
Archie Moore turned professional in 1938 and boxed all but one of his twelve bouts that year in San Diego. Moore had eight bouts in 1939, going 5-2 during that span, with one no contest, losing to former middleweight champion and future Hall of Famer Teddy Yarosz. In 1940, Moore packed his suitcase and embarked on a tour of Australia, fighting in Melbourne, Tasmania, Adelaide and Sydney, going 7-0. Upon returning to the United States, he defeated Pancho Ramirez by knockout before dropping a six round decision to Shorty Hogue. Moore had four fights in 1941, during which he went 2-1-1, with the draw against Eddie Booker. By then, however, he had suffered through several stomach ulcers, with the resulting operations, prompting him to announce his retirement.
Full of resolve and needing to make money, he resumed his career in 1942. He won his first six bouts that year, including a second round knockout of Hogue in a rematch, and a ten round decision over Jack Chase. He met Booker in a rematch with the same outcome as in their first encounter, another ten-round draw.
In 1943, Moore went 5-2. He won and then lost the California State Middleweight title against Jack Chase, both by fifteen- round decisions, going on to ultimately defeat Chase by ten round decision to close out the year. His record for 1944 was 7-2. His last bout that year marked his debut on the Atlantic Coast, and the level of his opposition began to improve. He stopped Jimmy Hayden in five, lost to future Hall of Famer Charlie Burley by decision, and continued to be frustrated by Eddie Booker, this time losing by knockout in eight rounds.
He won his first eight bouts of 1945, impressing Atlantic coast boxing experts, earning himself a match with future IBHOF inductee Jimmy Bivins, who stopped Moore in six. Quickly regrouping, “The Mongoose” returned, going to the post five times before the year was over. He met, among others, future IBHOF inductee Holman Williams dropping a verdict over ten before stopping him in eleven rounds in the rematch.
In 1946 Moore moved up fifteen pounds to the light heavyweight division, posting a 5-2-1 record that year, beating contender Curtis Sheppard, but losing to future world heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer Ezzard Charles by a decision in ten, and drawing with old nemesis Jack Chase. 1947 was essentially a year of rematches for Moore. He went 7-1 that year, his lone loss again to Ezzard Charles. He exacted revenge on troublesome nemesis Chase, flattening him in nine before defeating old foes Sheppard, Bivins. He capped the year by posting a points verdict over Burt Lytell, easily dominating him over ten rounds.
“The Mongoose” had a busy year in 1948, a period which started badly for him. He lost again to Charles, this time by stoppage in nine rounds before being knocked-out in one by Leonard Morrow. Later, his shaky start was underlined by a ten-round loss to Henry Hall and after that with Lloyd Gibson by disqualification in four. After those disappointments he went on to defeat Ted Lowry and Hall in the rematch, posting convincing, return to form ten-round decisions.
Moore went 12-1 in 1949. He defeated the Alabama Kid twice by knockout before posting stoppage wins over Bob Satterfield and Jimmy Bivins, and a convincing decision over future world light heavyweight champion and IBHOF inductee Harold Johnson. In 1950, Moore had only two bouts, winning both, but if that schedule was relatively light 1951 would prove to be downright insane, going 16-1-1 on a South American tour that saw him visit Argentina and Uruguay, where he defeated Vicente Quiroz by knockout, later stopping Bivins in nine, and after that splitting two decisions with familiar foe Harold Johnson.
1952 was one of the most important years in Moore's professional career. After defeating Harold Johnson in their fourth go-round over ten and after having turned back the challenge of larger heavyweight contenders in Jimmy Slade, Bob Dunlap, and Clarence Henry, Moore was given the opportunity to fight for world light heavyweight title against reigning champion and future IBHOF inductee Joey Maxim. Posting a dominant fifteen-round decision, “The Old Mongoose” realized his dream, becoming the light heavyweight champion of the world at age 39, sixteen long years after embarking on his professional career.
Moore was far from satisfied. The next year, he won all nine of his bouts, including a ten-round non title lathering of fringe heavyweight contender Nino Valdez of Cuba, and a fifteen- round decision over former light heavyweight champ Joey Maxim in a rematch to retain his title. In 1954, he had only four bouts, retaining the title in a third match with Maxim, who once again went the full rout, and against old foe Harold Johnson, who he stopped in the 14th-round in defense of the title. He also beat highly ranked heavyweight Bob Baker that year. In 1955, he again defeated Valdez, who by that point had become the consensus number one-ranked heavyweight contender, then melted back down to the light heavyweight limit to successfully defended against Bobo Olson, then the world middleweight champion who was coming off a points victory over Joey Maxim. Moore handed Olson an emphatic defeat, stopping him in three short rounds to retain his 175lb. title.
On September 21, 1955, it was Archie Moore attempted to make history by moving up to the heavyweight division to challenge the undefeated Rocky Marciano for the world heavyweight championship. Moore dropped Marciano in the second round before being dropped some five times over the course of absorbing a terrific beating, ultimately going down for the count in the ninth-round. Warrior that he was, “The Old Mongoose” kept fighting until the very end, insisting on being taken out as opposed to giving ground.
In 1956, Moore fought mostly as a heavyweight but did manage to fit in one defense of his light heavyweight title, stopping challenger Yolande Pompey in ten-rounds in London. He won eleven bouts in a row before again challenging for the world heavyweight crown. The title was declared vacant after Rocky Marciano’s retirement, thus the aging warrior was matched-up with the blazing fast Floyd Patterson, an athletic contender young enough to be his son. Losing by sudden knockout in the fifth-round, Moore claimed to have entered the contest over trained, but hindsight suggests that the combination of age on his part, and the talented youthful vigor brought to the equation by the extraordinary Patterson were the real factors behind his demise.
Moore won all six of his bouts in 1957. Among those wins was an easy ten-round decision over heavyweight contender Hans Kalbfell in Germany, a seventh-round knockout over highly ranked Tony Anthony to retain the light heavyweight title, a one-sided ten-round non-title decision over light heavyweight contender Eddie Cotton, and a fourth-round demolition of future top ten heavyweight contender Roger Rischer.
In 1958, Moore had ten bouts, going 9-0-1. Of particular note, his match with Yvon Durelle in defense of the world light heavyweight title in Montreal. Dropped three times in round one and on the precipice disaster, “The Old Mongoose” managed to survive and work his way back into the fight, but not before hitting the canvas for a fourth time in round five. Using every ounce of guile accrued over a virtual lifetime spent educating himself in rings around the globe, the wily aging champion managed to wear down Durelle, dropping the dangerous challenger in round ten and stopping him in the eleventh.
The year 1959 proved to be Moore’s last full year as an uncontested champion. Fighting at heavyweight, he stopped Sterling Davis, a wrestler by trade, on cuts after dropping him three times in the second-round. Five months later, after again melting down to the light heavyweight limit, he posted his last title defense, a rematch stoppage of Yvon Durelle, the gritty Canadian who had felled him multiple times in their first bout, this time dropping the challenger a total of four times in the third round.
Moore was stripped of his world light heavyweight title by the National Boxing Association in 1960, but continued to be recognized by most major boxing authorities as the world light heavyweight champion, including the New York State Athletic Commission and Ring Magazine. Moore won three of his four bouts in 1960, one by decision against Buddy Turman in Dallas, Texas, his lone loss coming in a ten-round decision versus Giulio Rinaldi in Rome.
In 1961 he defeated Buddy Turman in a rematch before defending his lineal world light heavyweight championship for what would be the last time, beating former non-title conqueror Giulio Rinaldi by a fifteen- round decision to retain the title. In his last fight that year, he once again ventured upward to heavyweight, defeating Pete Rademacher, a man who had made history earlier in his career by becoming the first man ever to challenge for a world title in his first professional bout, by knockout in round-nine.
By 1962 the remaining boxing commissions that had continued to back Moore as the world light heavyweight champion withdrew their recognition. He fought out his remaining days as a fading heavyweight. In his last significant bout of note, “The Old Mongoose” was ground down to the canvas by the much larger and far younger Cassius Clay in four-rounds, a man that would go on to arguably become one of the two or three greatest heavyweight champions of all times. The loss would make Moore the only man to have faced both Rocky Marciano and Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali. In 1963 Archie Moore fought one last time, stopping his foe in round three before announcing his retirement.
With a career total of 185-23-11 with 131 KO’s, Archie Moore easily figures among the top three light heavyweight champions of all-time. Not impervious to failure, “The Old Mongoose” should be viewed as an extraordinary case of monumental perseverance and determination. He fought better beyond the age of forty than most fighters do at their peak in their twenties. He was able to move between the light heavy and heavyweight divisions without the advantages of modern nutrition and supplementation. He schooled himself the difficult, old-fashioned way, absorbing the hard knocks and reinventing himself after each loss. The soul searching paid off. Once asked if he had ever thought about really hanging them up after a particularly hard loss, Moore went on to explain that every man at some point entertains the notion of packing it all in, but at the end of the day, he felt it was better to apply the lessons learned in a painful defeat and to ignore the disappointment, forging ahead in continuance of the original goal.
“The Old Mongoose” may have lacked the sheer size of Bob Foster, the Olympic pedigree of Michael Spinks or the uncanny God-given natural athleticism of Roy Jones JR., but what he did have, focus, drive, mental grit and unusual determination, all bundled-up with a unique level of intelligence, was more than enough.
Archie Moore
Nickname: “Old Mongoose”
Division: Light Heavyweight
Professional Record: 185-23-11, 131 KO's
Date Opponent Location Result
1935-09-03 Billy Simms Poplar Bluff, USA W KO 2
1936-01-31 Kid Pocahuntas Hot Springs, USA W KO 3
1936-07-14 Murray Allen Quincy, USA W PTS 6
1936-08-04 Sammy Christian Quincy, USA D PTS 6
1936-09-30 Murray Allen Keokuk, USA W KO 2
1936-10-09 Sammy Jackson Saint Louis, USA W PTS 5
1936-12-03 Sammy Jackson Saint Louis, USA D PTS 5
1937-01-05 Dynamite Payne Saint Louis, USA W KO 1
1937-01-18 Johnny Davis Quincy, USA W KO 4
1937-01-29 Sammy Jackson Quincy, USA D PTS 8
1937-02-02 Joe Huff Saint Louis, USA W KO 3
1937-03-23 Ham Pounder Ponca City, USA W KO 2
1937-04-09 Charley Dawson Indianapolis, USA W PTS 8
1937-04-23 Karl Martin Indianapolis, USA W KO 1
1937-04-26 Frank Hatfield Cincinnati, USA W KO 1
1937-06-01 Al Dublinsky W KO 3
1937-08-19 Deacon Logan Saint Louis, USA W KO 3
1937-09-01 Billy Adams Cincinnati, USA L PTS 8
1937-09-09 Sammy Slaughter Indianapolis, USA W PTS 10
1937-09-17 Charley Dawson Saint Louis, USA W TKO 5
1937-11-09 Chuck Vickers Fort Wayne, USA W KO 2
1937-11-16 Sammy Christian Saint Louis, USA W PTS 5
1937-12-01 Sammy Jackson Jackson, USA W KO 8
1938-01-07 Karl Lautenschlager Saint Louis, USA W KO 2
1938-05-20 Jimmy Brent San Diego, USA W KO 1
1938-05-27 Ray Vargas San Diego, USA W KO 3
1938-06-24 Johnny 'Bandit' Romero San Diego, USA L PTS 10
1938-07-22 Johnny Sikes San Diego, USA W KO 1
1938-08-05 Lorenzo Pedro San Diego, USA W PTS 10
1938-09-02 Johnny 'Bandit' Romero San Diego, USA W KO 8
1938-09-16 Frank Rowsey San Diego, USA W TKO 3
1938-09-27 Tom Henry Los Angeles, USA W TKO 4
1938-10-01 Bobby Yannes San Diego, USA W KO 2
1938-11-22 Ray Lyle Saint Louis, USA W KO 2
1938-12-07 Bob Turner Saint Louis, USA W KO 2
1939-01-20 Jack Moran Saint Louis, USA W KO 1
1939-03-02 Domenico Ceccarelli Saint Louis, USA W KO 1
1939-03-16 Marty Simmons Saint Louis, USA W UD 10
1939-04-20 Teddy Yarosz Saint Louis, USA L PTS 10
1939-07-21 Jack Coggins San Diego, USA NC NC 8
1939-09-01 Jack Coggins San Diego, USA W PTS 10
1939-09-22 Bobby Seaman San Diego, USA W KO 7
1939-11-13 Freddie Dixon Phoenix, USA D TD 8
1939-11-27 Billy Day Phoenix, USA W KO 1
1939-12-07 Honey Boy Jones Saint Louis, USA W PTS 10
1939-12-29 Shorty Hogue San Diego, USA L PTS 6
1940-03-30 Jack McNamee Melbourne, Australia W TKO 4
1940-04-18 Ron Richards Sydney, Australia W TKO 10
1940-05-09 Atilio Sabatino Sydney, Australia W TKO 5
1940-05-18 Joe Delaney Adelaide, Australia W KO 2
1940-05-27 Frank Lindsay Hobart, Australia W KO 4
1940-06-27 Fred Henneberry Sydney, Australia W TKO 7
1940-07-11 Ron Richards Sydney, Australia W PTS 12
1940-10-18 Pancho Ramirez San Diego, USA W KO 5
1941-01-17 Clay Rowan San Diego, USA W KO 1
1941-01-31 Shorty Hogue San Diego, USA L PTS 10
1941-02-21 Eddie Booker San Diego, USA D PTS 10
USA California State Middleweight Title
1942-01-28 Bobby Britt Phoenix, USA W KO 3
1942-02-27 Al Globe San Diego, USA W TKO 2
1942-03-18 Jimmy Casino Oakland, USA W TKO 5
1942-10-30 Shorty Hogue San Diego, USA W TKO 2
1942-11-06 Tabby Romero San Diego, USA W KO 2
1942-11-27 Jack Chase San Diego, USA W PTS 10
1942-12-11 Eddie Booker San Diego, USA D PTS 12
USA California State Middleweight Title
1943-05-08 Jack Chase San Diego, USA W UD 15
USA California State Middleweight Title
1943-07-22 Big Boy Hogue San Diego, USA W TKO 5
1943-07-28 Eddie Cerda San Diego, USA W KO 3
1943-08-02 Jack Chase San Francisco, USA L UD 15
USA California State Middleweight Title
1943-08-16 Aaron Wade San Francisco, USA L PTS 10
1943-11-04 Pedro Kid Hermosillo San Diego, USA W TKO 5
1943-11-26 Jack Chase Hollywood, USA W MD 10
1944-01-07 Amado Rodriguez San Diego, USA W KO 1
1944-01-21 Eddie Booker Hollywood, USA L TKO 8
1944-03-24 Roman Starr Hollywood, USA W TKO 2
1944-04-21 Charley Burley Hollywood, USA L PTS 10
1944-05-19 Kenny LaSalle San Diego, USA W PTS 10
1944-08-11 Louis Mays San Diego, USA W KO 3
1944-08-18 Jimmy Hayden San Diego, USA W KO 5
1944-09-01 Battling Monroe San Diego, USA W KO 6
1944-12-18 Nate Bolden New York, USA W PTS 10
1945-01-11 Joey Jones Boston, USA W TKO 2
1945-01-29 Bob Jacobs New York, USA W TKO 9
1945-02-12 Napoleon Mitchell Boston, USA W KO 6
1945-04-02 Nate Bolden Baltimore, USA W PTS 10
1945-04-23 Teddy Randolph Baltimore, USA W TKO 9
1945-05-21 Lloyd Marshall Baltimore, USA W UD 10
1945-06-18 George Kochan Baltimore, USA W TKO 6
1945-06-26 Lloyd Marshall Cleveland, USA W TKO 10
1945-08-22 Jimmy Bivins Cleveland, USA L KO 6
1945-09-17 Cocoa Kid Baltimore, USA W KO 8
1945-10-22 Holman Williams Baltimore, USA L MD 10
1945-11-12 O'Dell Riley Detroit, USA W KO 6
1945-11-26 Holman Williams Baltimore, USA W TKO 11
1945-12-13 Colion Chaney Saint Louis, USA W KO 5
1946-01-28 Curtis Sheppard Baltimore, USA W UD 12
1946-02-05 George Parks Washington, USA W KO 1
1946-05-02 Vern Escoe Orange, USA W TKO 7
1946-05-20 Ezzard Charles Pittsburgh, USA L UD 10
1946-08-19 Buddy Walker Baltimore, USA W KO 4
1946-09-09 Jimmy O'Brien Baltimore, USA W TKO 2
1946-10-23 Oakland Billy Smith Oakland, USA D PTS 12
USA California State Light Heavyweight Title
1946-11-06 Jack Chase Oakland, USA D PTS 10
1947-03-18 Jack Chase Los Angeles, USA W KO 9
1947-04-11 Rusty Payne San Diego, USA W PTS 10
1947-05-05 Ezzard Charles Cincinnati, USA L MD 10
1947-06-16 Curtis Sheppard Washington, USA W PTS 10
1947-07-14 Bert Lytell Baltimore, USA W UD 10
1947-07-30 Bobby Zander Oakland, USA W PTS 12
USA California State Light Heavyweight Title
1947-09-08 Jimmy Bivins Baltimore, USA W TKO 9
1947-11-10 George Fitch Baltimore, USA W TKO 6
1948-01-13 Ezzard Charles Cleveland, USA L KO 8
1948-04-12 Dusty Wilkerson Baltimore, USA W TKO 7
1948-04-19 Charley 'Doc' Williams Newark, USA W KO 7
1948-05-05 Oakland Billy Smith Cincinnati, USA W UD 10
1948-06-02 Leonard Morrow Oakland, USA L KO 1
USA California State Light Heavyweight Title
1948-06-28 Jimmy Bivins Baltimore, USA W MD 10
1948-08-02 Ted Lowry Baltimore, USA W UD 10
1948-09-20 Oakland Billy Smith Baltimore, USA W KO 4
1948-10-15 Henry Hall New Orleans, USA L PTS 10
1948-11-01 Lloyd Gibson Washington, USA L DQ 4
1948-11-15 Henry Hall Baltimore, USA W UD 10
1948-12-06 Bob Amos Washington, USA W PTS 10
1948-12-27 Charley 'Doc' Williams Baltimore, USA W KO 7
1949-01-10 Alabama Kid Toledo, USA W KO 4
1949-01-31 Bob Satterfield Toledo, USA W KO 3
1949-03-04 Alabama Kid Columbus, USA W KO 3
1949-03-23 Dusty Wilkerson Philadelphia, USA W TKO 6
1949-04-11 Jimmy Bivins Toledo, USA W KO 8
1949-04-26 Harold Johnson Philadelphia, USA W UD 10
1949-06-13 Clinton Bacon Indianapolis, USA L DQ 6
1949-06-27 Bob Sikes Indianapolis, USA W TKO 3
1949-07-29 Esco Greenwood North Adams, USA W TKO 2
1949-10-04 Bob Amos Toledo, USA W PTS 10
1949-10-24 Phil Muscato Toledo, USA W KO 6
1949-12-06 Charley 'Doc' Williams Hartford, USA W KO 8
1949-12-13 Leonard Morrow Toledo, USA W KO 10
1950-01-31 Bert Lytell Toledo, USA W UD 10
1950-07-31 Vernon Williams Chicago, USA W KO 2
1951-01-02 Oakland Billy Smith Portland, USA W TKO 8
1951-01-28 John Thomas Panama City, Panama W KO 1
1951-02-21 Jimmy Bivins New York, USA W TKO 9
1951-03-13 Abel Cestac Toledo, USA W UD 10
1951-04-26 Herman Harris Flint, USA W KO 4
1951-05-14 Art Henri Baltimore, USA W TKO 4
1951-06-09 Abel Cestac Buenos Aires, Argentina W RTD 9
1951-06-23 Karel Sys Buenos Aires, Argentina D PTS 12
1951-07-07 Alberto Santiago Lovell Buenos Aires, Argentina W KO 1
1951-07-14 Vicente Quiroz Montevideo, Uruguay W TKO 6
1951-07-26 Victor Carabajal Cordoba, Argentina W KO 3
1951-07-28 Americo Capitanelli San Miguel de Tucumán, A W KO 3
1951-08-05 Rafael Miranda Comodoro Rivadavia, Argen W TKO 4
1951-08-17 Alfredo Lagay Bahia Blanca, Argentina W KO 3
1951-09-05 Embrell Davidson Detroit, USA W KO 1
1951-09-24 Harold Johnson Philadelphia, USA W UD 10
1951-10-29 Chubby Wright Saint Louis, USA W TKO 7
1951-12-10 Harold Johnson Milwaukee, USA L UD 10
1952-01-29 Harold Johnson Toledo, USA W UD 10
1952-02-27 Jimmy Slade Saint Louis, USA W UD 10
1952-05-19 Bob Dunlap San Francisco, USA W KO 6
1952-06-26 Clarence Henry Baltimore, USA W UD 10
1952-07-25 Clinton Bacon Denver, USA W KO 4
1952-12-17 Joey Maxim Saint Louis, USA W UD 15
1953-01-27 Toxie Hall Toledo, USA W KO 4
1953-02-16 Leonard Dugan San Francisco, USA W TKO 8
1953-03-03 Sonny Andrews Sacramento, USA W TKO 5
1953-03-11 Nino Valdes Saint Louis, USA W UD 10
1953-03-17 Al Spaulding Spokane, USA W KO 3
1953-03-30 Frank Buford San Diego, USA W TKO 9
1953-06-24 Joey Maxim Ogden, USA W UD 15
1953-08-22 Rinaldo Ansaloni Buenos Aires, Argentina W TKO 4
1953-09-12 Dogomar Martinez Buenos Aires, Argentina W PTS 10
1954-01-27 Joey Maxim Miami, USA W UD 15
1954-03-09 Bob Baker Miami Beach, USA W TKO 9
1954-06-07 Bert Whitehurst New York, USA W TKO 6
1954-08-11 Harold Johnson New York, USA W TKO 14
1955-05-02 Nino Valdes Las Vegas, USA W PTS 15
1955-06-22 Bobo Olson New York, USA W KO 3
1955-09-21 Rocky Marciano Bronx, USA L KO 9
1956-02-20 Howard King San Francisco, USA W PTS 10
1956-02-27 Bob Dunlap San Diego, USA W KO 1
1956-03-17 Frankie Daniels Hollywood, USA W UD 10
1956-03-27 Howard King Sacramento, USA W PTS 10
1956-04-10 Willie Bean Richmond, USA W TKO 5
1956-04-16 George Parmentier Seattle, USA W TKO 3
1956-04-26 Sonny Andrews Edmonton, Canada W KO 4
1956-04-30 Gene Thompson Tucson, USA W TKO 3
1956-06-05 Yolande Pompey Harringay, United Kingdom W TKO 10
1956-07-25 James J Parker Toronto, Canada W TKO 9
1956-09-08 Professor Roy Shire Ogden, USA W TKO 3
1956-11-30 Floyd Patterson Chicago, USA L KO 5
1957-05-01 Hans Kalbfell Essen, Germany W UD 10
1957-06-02 Alain Cherville Stuttgart, Germany W TKO 6
1957-09-20 Tony Anthony Los Angeles, USA W KO 7
1957-10-31 Ralph KO Hooker Vancouver, Canada W TKO 5
1957-11-05 Eddie Cotton Seattle, USA W PTS 10
1957-11-29 Roger Rischer Portland, USA W KO 4
1958-01-18 Luis Ignacio Sao Paulo, Brazil W PTS 10
1958-02-01 Julio Neves Río de Janeiro, Brazil W KO 3
1958-03-04 Bert Whitehurst San Bernardino, USA W TKO 10
1958-03-10 Bob Albright Vancouver, Canada W TKO 7
1958-05-02 Willi Besmanoff Louisville, USA W SD 10
1958-05-17 Howard King San Diego, USA W PTS 10
1958-05-26 Charley Norkus San Francisco, USA W UD 10
1958-06-09 Howard King Sacramento, USA W PTS 10
1958-08-04 Howard King Reno, USA D PTS 10
1958-12-10 Yvon Durelle Montreal, Canada W KO 11
1959-03-09 Sterling Davis Odessa, USA W TKO 3
1959-08-12 Yvon Durelle Montreal, Canada W KO 3
NYSAC World Light Heavyweight Title
National Boxing Association World Light Heavyweight Title
1960-05-25 Willi Besmanoff Indianapolis, USA W TKO 10
1960-09-13 George Abinet Dallas, USA W RTD 3
1960-10-29 Giulio Rinaldi Rome, Italy L PTS 10
1960-11-28 Buddy Turman Dallas, USA W UD 10
1961-03-25 Buddy Turman Manila, Philippines W UD 10
1961-06-10 Giulio Rinaldi New York, USA W UD 15
NYSAC World Light Heavyweight Title
1961-10-23 Pete Rademacher Baltimore, USA W TKO 6
1962-03-30 Alejandro Lavorante Los Angeles, USA W TKO 10
1962-05-07 Howard King Tijuana, Mexico W KO 1
1962-05-28 Willie Pastrano Los Angeles, USA D PTS 10
1962-11-15 Muhammad Ali Los Angeles, USA L TKO 4
1963-03-15 Mike DiBiase Phoenix, USA W TKO 3
]]>
By Gina L. Caliboso
According to news reports, Brian “Pinoy Punch” Viloria, 26-3, 15 KO’s, collapsed after losing his IBF Light Flyweight Title to Columbia’s Carlos “El Olimpico” Tamara, 21-4, 15 KO’s. At 1:45 in the 12th and final round, Referee Bruce McTavish stopped the fight.
Local media reports that once Viloria was in the locker room, he collapsed and was immediately rushed to the hospital. There have been no updates to Viloria’s condition.
Going into the bout, Viloria was the favorite. Although raised in Hawaii, Viloria is still considered as part of a strong wave of native Filipino boxers. After a brief period if whether he should remain a boxer, Viloria fought his way back to become the IBF Light Flyweight titleholder. But on this night, Tamara gave Viloria a much needed challenge and defeated him with a TKO in the 12th round.
According to news reports, Viloria started the fight strongly. From rounds 1 through 6, Viloria put on a strong attack against Tamara. Viloria attacked from the outside and made strong punches to Tamara’s body once the two fought inside. But Tamara stuck with Viloria. As the fight continued, Tamara worked off an attack with his jab and kept Viloria at bay. Tamara was able to use his jab and set up body-head combinations that took a toll on Viloria.
As the fight continued, Viloria could not keep pace with the strength and amount of Tamara’s punching power. By the middle rounds, Tamara was simply outpacing and outworking Viloria. By rounds 9 and ten, Tamara was punishing Viloria. Viloria remained in the fight but could not match or keep pace with Tamara. Viloria continued to take more of a beating in the 11th round. Viloria never once got knocked down throughout the fight. It was painfully clear to Referee McTavish that by the 12th round, he needed to step in and stop the fight.
As the new IBF Light Flyweight titleholder, Tamara now ranks #1 among light flyweights. Viloria now ranks #6 in the weight division.
And, for now, my heartfelt prayers and thoughts go out to Viloria.
]]>By Geno McGahee
Juan Manuel Lopez TKO’s Steve Luevano in Seven
Juan Manuel Lopez, 28-0, 24 KO’s, had some issues with the technique of defending WBO Featherweight Champion, Steve Luevano, 37-2-1, 15 KO’s, but imposed his strength and eventually wore the champion down and stopped him. In the first two rounds, Luevano kept Lopez at the distance but he couldn’t keep him off. As the rounds went on, Lopez got closer and closer and landed harder shots. In the seventh round, an uppercut seriously hurt Luevano. Several shots followed and he was sent to the floor and the referee waved it off. Luevano had not recovered sufficiently from the uppercut and was not mentally there to fight anymore. It was a great fight for Lopez and now the stage is set for a showdown with Yuriokis Gamboa.
Yuriokis Gamboa Destroys Rogers Mtagwa in Two
Yuriokis Gamboa, 17-0, 15 KO’s, looked like a million bucks as he landed at will on the slower and wider-punching Rogers Mtagwa, 26-14-2, 18 KO’s. In the first round, it was obvious that Mtagwa could not deal with the speed of the defending WBA Featherweight Champion. A left hook would drop Mtagwa at the end of the first round. In the second, Mtagwa became more aggressive and paid dearly for it. The quick counterpunches and timing of Gamboa was the difference. Mtagwa couldn’t see the punches coming and was dropped two more times before the bout was stopped late in the second round. This is a big statement to Juan Manuel Lopez, a man that barely survived Mtagwa. Gamboa is a star and seems to be fighting better in each and every fight.
]]>
By John Pitroff
I don’t know if you heard, but another wrestler died. His name was Eddie Fatu, better known to the world of wrestling fans as Umaga, Jamal, or Ekmo. Okay, I’ll be up front and honest here, no one remembers his run as Ekmo in TNA. I give you a Three Minute Warning to do some research. It is quite irrelevant if you knew who he was, or whether or not you were a fan. The fact is that we now have the latest addition to the list of wrestlers who have died young. Perhaps you took the news of Umaga’s death with the same indifference as I. Then again, perhaps you actually have a heart, but let me explain myself. Another dead wrestler? I’m not surprised in the least. I was more shocked when Vince McMahon revealed himself as the “greater power.” Not to sound harsh, but seriously, it’s nothing I am not used to at this point. How many times can this happen? There have been more failed wrestlers than TNA PPVs at this point.
I openly admit when I really think about it, it is quite sad. It is quite depressing. It is quite of a downer. Just like WCW Nitro circa 2000. But, I have grown somewhat immune to it. I have learned to ignore it. Just like WCW Nitro circa 2000. If I were to put that much care into another dead wrestler, it seems as though every few months I would fall into a state of depression. A depression more depressing than DDPs run in WWF, and that is not something I am not ready to handle. There are almost as many dead wrestlers as failed WWF gimmicks in the early to mid 90s. I can’t put that much emotion into the personal lives of wrestlers, because every few months, one of them drops worse than a botched Sid Vicious power bomb.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Of course I care about these men and women dying. They are people. I don’t really know these people and I have never met them. But, a lot of them touched my life in some sort of way, and I got some sort of joy out of their presence on the earth. They are not just wrestlers (sorry, Vince, I mean “Superstars.”) but human beings with families, friends, and loved ones. Except Mr. Perfect, no one liked that holier-than-thou jerk. As the saying goes, “A single death is a tragedy, even when it is some curtain jerker that no one really knows.” That might not be the exact quote, but it went something like that.
The list of wrestlers who have died young is astounding. These are young, talented people whose lives are cut short. I did some research, and even as a life-long wrestling fan, I was surprised to learn that some of these stars of the past are dead. Let me run over a list so you can realize how many there are, and how serious this problem really is. Keep in mind that I didn’t include all, and I didn’t include no name wrestlers on the Indy circuit that you never hear about. Also be forewarned I will be making tasteless jokes throughout that make the Katie Vick storyline seem almost heartfelt:
Brian Adams (43, not the singer), John Kronus (38), Sheri Martel (49), “Ravishing” Rick Rude (41, his body was “heavenly“), Mike Awesome (42, suicide most likely due to “That 70s Guy” gimmick) Bam Bam Bigelow (45). Umaga (36), Test (33), Chris Benoit (40), Eddie Guerrero (38), Owen Hart (34), Buddy Rose (56), Earthquake (42, died due to an earthquake), Johnny Grunge (39), Rocco Rock (49), Miss Elizabeth (42), Brian Pillman (35 he’s “Flyin’” in heaven), Chris Candido (33, this means Sunny is single, this means I am happy), Big Bossman (42, like his father during that Big Show storyline), Hercules (45), The Wall (36), Crash Holly (32), Hawk (46), “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig (44), British Bulldog (39), Big Dick Dudley (34), Bertha Faye (40), Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy, Yokozuka (38, we all saw this one coming), Bobby Duncan (34), Renegade (33), Junkyard dog (45, due to collar being too tight), Big John Studd (46), nearly the entire Von Erich family, Andre The Giant (46), Bruiser Brody (42), Adrian Adonis (33), Peter Maivia (45), and The Undertaker (“The Dead Man” - get it?).
Looking at that list, it is no wonder that wrestling has a bad reputation. When this many involved in the business are dying year after year, something needs to be done. It must be sort of depressing in wrestling. Anyone you get to know either gets fired, injured, leaves for another company, dies, or becomes champion while you still can’t break the mid card. Imagine showing up every few months to your job and finding out your coworker died. And, it’s not even your boss. Unless you count that time Vince McMahon faked his own death. That is why I’m a writer, no coworkers that I have to worry about dying on me. Lame jokes aside, what can be done and whose fault is it really?
Many attempt the blame the business itself. Now, I agree that wrestling is not easy to get into, not easy to stay a part of, and is a hard business in which to make a living. You need a lot of luck, and a lot of sucking up to the right people, right Sheamus? It’s like being a rock star with a lot less money, a lot less chicks, and a lot more hicks who think the stuff is “real.” Life on the road is not easy, hence the drugs, drinking, and macho jocks who inherit it. But, then again, no one forces these men and women to be involved in wrestling. It is by choice, out of love for wrestling that they do it. Well, except for Brock Lesnar. He wanted to play in the NFL. How is that going for him? How can you blame the business? No one was forced into this, except Stephanie McMahon. Can’t any of these guys remain actual “people” and just attempt to have fun and entertain?
It is true that some of the wrestler’s deaths are literally due to in ring action. Owen Hart is the prime example, and Chris Candido, to a degree can have their deaths blamed on actual wrestling. But, then again, you can blame Candido’s doctor more than anyone. The lifestyle is not easy. I realize that being on the road over 300 days a year getting pounded is not the best for your life. But, take a vacation. Whoops, you can’t, they will just replace you with someone else, someone else will just slide in your spot.
This viciousness of the business is why wrestlers work when injured, hurt, or when mentally unstable. Perhaps wrestlers need an off season. Wouldn’t it help everyone? Storylines, characters, wrestlers themselves, fans, and staff? Perhaps the money of a month or two off is not worth another dead wrestler. This is a business decision, so I’m leaving it to Mr. McMahon. Does wrestling really need to be so cut throat that Chris Benoit goes nuts and literally becomes “the crippler?” Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy both knew it was getting to be too much, so they quit. But, not all wrestlers have enough money to do that.
With that said and some of the blame placed elsewhere, I have to blame the wrestlers more than anyone. Life is about making choices, and it seems as though as a group, wrestlers don’t want to make good ones. When you live a life of excess, this is what happens. When you drink all the time, this is what happens. When you do drugs all the time, this is what happens. Pain killers, steroids, cocaine, pharmaceuticals, and all sorts of other drugs plus the road over 300 days a year is a recipe for disaster. I still lie awake at night wondering how Jake Roberts still walks the planet.
No one normal gets into wrestling. These are attention starved people looking for people to cheer for them fake fighting with someone else. But, how many bad choices can they make and still expect me to feel sorry for them? Everyone has things in their life that aren’t easy to get through. Slowly committing suicide seeing your coworkers do the same is not the best career or life choice. Save some of that money you make so that you can retire when you are young, or so that if you do lose your job, you have something to back yourself up with.
How many guys will die before these other wrestlers get their act together and start living right? Seriously, how many does it have to be, “boys?” At what point does it come that you realize you shouldn’t be doing what you are doing? This is like people who smoke cigarettes all the time. They keep seeing everyone around them dying, but still do it anyway. Perhaps wrestlers need to come with a little warning label, “Wrestling has been known to cause early deaths.” By the way, remember that time The Giant smoked when coming to the ring? What was that all about? I’m not sure, but that gimmick was cool.
I want to see wrestlers grow old and retire from in-ring performing so that they can become forgotten announcers. Right Mick Foley, JBL, Tazz, and Don West…wait, he never wrestled. But how are wrestlers supposed to respect the business, wrestling, and the elders & their accomplishments when the only ones still living are past their prime wash ups who don’t know how to hang up the boots the right way (Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan)? With so many wrestlers dying young, the young talent are missing out on a big way of learning from those that have come before them. This knowledge needs to be passed on, but the ones who have it keep passing on. I’m not so sure what The Renegade had to offer the young guys except how to steal someone’s gimmick, but anyway, you know what I mean.
Please, wrestlers of the world, man up and be responsible for your actions. Look around and make better choices. Health choices, financial choices, business choices, and personal choices. And, company executives and CEOs, think of not only your wrestlers as “Superstars” but as human beings and please consider some solution to this problem. There has to be a balance, and both the wrestlers themselves and their bosses need to make it happen before it is too late yet again!
Death in Pro Wrestling: The Dark Side of the Squared Circle
By John Pitroff
I don’t know if you heard, but another wrestler died. His name was Eddie Fatu, better known to the world of wrestling fans as Umaga, Jamal, or Ekmo. Okay, I’ll be up front and honest here, no one remembers his run as Ekmo in TNA. I give you a Three Minute Warning to do some research. It is quite irrelevant if you knew who he was, or whether or not you were a fan. The fact is that we now have the latest addition to the list of wrestlers who have died young. Perhaps you took the news of Umaga’s death with the same indifference as I. Then again, perhaps you actually have a heart, but let me explain myself. Another dead wrestler? I’m not surprised in the least. I was more shocked when Vince McMahon revealed himself as the “greater power.” Not to sound harsh, but seriously, it’s nothing I am not used to at this point. How many times can this happen? There have been more failed wrestlers than TNA PPVs at this point.
I openly admit when I really think about it, it is quite sad. It is quite depressing. It is quite of a downer. Just like WCW Nitro circa 2000. But, I have grown somewhat immune to it. I have learned to ignore it. Just like WCW Nitro circa 2000. If I were to put that much care into another dead wrestler, it seems as though every few months I would fall into a state of depression. A depression more depressing than DDPs run in WWF, and that is not something I am not ready to handle. There are almost as many dead wrestlers as failed WWF gimmicks in the early to mid 90s. I can’t put that much emotion into the personal lives of wrestlers, because every few months, one of them drops worse than a botched Sid Vicious power bomb.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Of course I care about these men and women dying. They are people. I don’t really know these people and I have never met them. But, a lot of them touched my life in some sort of way, and I got some sort of joy out of their presence on the earth. They are not just wrestlers (sorry, Vince, I mean “Superstars.”) but human beings with families, friends, and loved ones. Except Mr. Perfect, no one liked that holier-than-thou jerk. As the saying goes, “A single death is a tragedy, even when it is some curtain jerker that no one really knows.” That might not be the exact quote, but it went something like that.
The list of wrestlers who have died young is astounding. These are young, talented people whose lives are cut short. I did some research, and even as a life-long wrestling fan, I was surprised to learn that some of these stars of the past are dead. Let me run over a list so you can realize how many there are, and how serious this problem really is. Keep in mind that I didn’t include all, and I didn’t include no name wrestlers on the Indy circuit that you never hear about. Also be forewarned I will be making tasteless jokes throughout that make the Katie Vick storyline seem almost heartfelt:
Brian Adams (43, not the singer), John Kronus (38), Sheri Martel (49), “Ravishing” Rick Rude (41, his body was “heavenly“), Mike Awesome (42, suicide most likely due to “That 70s Guy” gimmick) Bam Bam Bigelow (45). Umaga (36), Test (33), Chris Benoit (40), Eddie Guerrero (38), Owen Hart (34), Buddy Rose (56), Earthquake (42, died due to an earthquake), Johnny Grunge (39), Rocco Rock (49), Miss Elizabeth (42), Brian Pillman (35 he’s “Flyin’” in heaven), Chris Candido (33, this means Sunny is single, this means I am happy), Big Bossman (42, like his father during that Big Show storyline), Hercules (45), The Wall (36), Crash Holly (32), Hawk (46), “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig (44), British Bulldog (39), Big Dick Dudley (34), Bertha Faye (40), Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy, Yokozuka (38, we all saw this one coming), Bobby Duncan (34), Renegade (33), Junkyard dog (45, due to collar being too tight), Big John Studd (46), nearly the entire Von Erich family, Andre The Giant (46), Bruiser Brody (42), Adrian Adonis (33), Peter Maivia (45), and The Undertaker (“The Dead Man” - get it?).
Looking at that list, it is no wonder that wrestling has a bad reputation. When this many involved in the business are dying year after year, something needs to be done. It must be sort of depressing in wrestling. Anyone you get to know either gets fired, injured, leaves for another company, dies, or becomes champion while you still can’t break the mid card. Imagine showing up every few months to your job and finding out your coworker died. And, it’s not even your boss. Unless you count that time Vince McMahon faked his own death. That is why I’m a writer, no coworkers that I have to worry about dying on me. Lame jokes aside, what can be done and whose fault is it really?
Many attempt the blame the business itself. Now, I agree that wrestling is not easy to get into, not easy to stay a part of, and is a hard business in which to make a living. You need a lot of luck, and a lot of sucking up to the right people, right Sheamus? It’s like being a rock star with a lot less money, a lot less chicks, and a lot more hicks who think the stuff is “real.” Life on the road is not easy, hence the drugs, drinking, and macho jocks who inherit it. But, then again, no one forces these men and women to be involved in wrestling. It is by choice, out of love for wrestling that they do it. Well, except for Brock Lesnar. He wanted to play in the NFL. How is that going for him? How can you blame the business? No one was forced into this, except Stephanie McMahon. Can’t any of these guys remain actual “people” and just attempt to have fun and entertain?
It is true that some of the wrestler’s deaths are literally due to in ring action. Owen Hart is the prime example, and Chris Candido, to a degree can have their deaths blamed on actual wrestling. But, then again, you can blame Candido’s doctor more than anyone. The lifestyle is not easy. I realize that being on the road over 300 days a year getting pounded is not the best for your life. But, take a vacation. Whoops, you can’t, they will just replace you with someone else, someone else will just slide in your spot.
This viciousness of the business is why wrestlers work when injured, hurt, or when mentally unstable. Perhaps wrestlers need an off season. Wouldn’t it help everyone? Storylines, characters, wrestlers themselves, fans, and staff? Perhaps the money of a month or two off is not worth another dead wrestler. This is a business decision, so I’m leaving it to Mr. McMahon. Does wrestling really need to be so cut throat that Chris Benoit goes nuts and literally becomes “the crippler?” Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy both knew it was getting to be too much, so they quit. But, not all wrestlers have enough money to do that.
With that said and some of the blame placed elsewhere, I have to blame the wrestlers more than anyone. Life is about making choices, and it seems as though as a group, wrestlers don’t want to make good ones. When you live a life of excess, this is what happens. When you drink all the time, this is what happens. When you do drugs all the time, this is what happens. Pain killers, steroids, cocaine, pharmaceuticals, and all sorts of other drugs plus the road over 300 days a year is a recipe for disaster. I still lie awake at night wondering how Jake Roberts still walks the planet.
No one normal gets into wrestling. These are attention starved people looking for people to cheer for them fake fighting with someone else. But, how many bad choices can they make and still expect me to feel sorry for them? Everyone has things in their life that aren’t easy to get through. Slowly committing suicide seeing your coworkers do the same is not the best career or life choice. Save some of that money you make so that you can retire when you are young, or so that if you do lose your job, you have something to back yourself up with.
How many guys will die before these other wrestlers get their act together and start living right? Seriously, how many does it have to be, “boys?” At what point does it come that you realize you shouldn’t be doing what you are doing? This is like people who smoke cigarettes all the time. They keep seeing everyone around them dying, but still do it anyway. Perhaps wrestlers need to come with a little warning label, “Wrestling has been known to cause early deaths.” By the way, remember that time The Giant smoked when coming to the ring? What was that all about? I’m not sure, but that gimmick was cool.
I want to see wrestlers grow old and retire from in-ring performing so that they can become forgotten announcers. Right Mick Foley, JBL, Tazz, and Don West…wait, he never wrestled. But how are wrestlers supposed to respect the business, wrestling, and the elders & their accomplishments when the only ones still living are past their prime wash ups who don’t know how to hang up the boots the right way (Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan)? With so many wrestlers dying young, the young talent are missing out on a big way of learning from those that have come before them. This knowledge needs to be passed on, but the ones who have it keep passing on. I’m not so sure what The Renegade had to offer the young guys except how to steal someone’s gimmick, but anyway, you know what I mean.
Please, wrestlers of the world, man up and be responsible for your actions. Look around and make better choices. Health choices, financial choices, business choices, and personal choices. And, company executives and CEOs, think of not only your wrestlers as “Superstars” but as human beings and please consider some solution to this problem. There has to be a balance, and both the wrestlers themselves and their bosses need to make it happen before it is too late yet again!
]]>
Interview by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“I made it on talent, determination and will.”--Henry Tillman
It seems like a lifetime ago that I canoed down the Trent-Severn waterway with the intent to meet-up with a group of friends at a popular beach situated at the most southern tip of Washago, Ontario. I remember the voyage well. It was to be a sunny and fun day of beach activities, swimming, barbeque and most importantly, time with the ladies of the moment. As strange as it may now seem, my focus wasn't on all of the beautiful tanning women we passed as we made our slow decent down that scenic canal, but rather the periodic updates on the 1984 Summer Olympics that would interrupt what was playing over my boom box. As we eased past the numerous yachts on that journey, and as I listened intently to some of the results for what was sizing up to be perhaps the most talented and glorious boxing team ever to represent the United States, I couldn't help but wish I was in front of the television.
Henry Tillman was an integral part of that great 1984 Summer Olympics boxing team. Representing his country at the highest possible level in competition, he took home the Heavyweight Gold Medal, having bested Willie De Witt, a talented countryman of mine, in the finals. Getting to that point is a story in itself, having to overcome the key obstacle of doubt from those around him, if not the fists of a ferocious amateur named Mike Tyson. But after having the unique opportunity of speaking with Henry Tillman, it quickly became clear that this was a man unfazed by the obstacles that life would present, and that his determination to succeed was at the core of who he was as a competitor in the toughest and most brutal of sports and in life itself .
MP: You had a highly successful amateur career which culminated in a Gold Medal in 1984 Summer Olympics at Heavyweight. Looking back, how do you remember that moment?
That was almost like an out of body experience I think for the whole team because the moments were very magical. People say that the Cubans or whatever weren’t there, but I truly believe in my heart that we were so prepared and so close knit, because we travelled a couple of years together, fighting internationally, and nationally, leading up to the Olympics, we had a camaraderie that made it really more like a family than a team. Everybody really cared and pulled for one another even though we had our little inside quirks just like any family would. Other than that, we came together and it was truly great how we supported one another. I’m telling you it was a magical moment. It was like the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team. It was one of those magical moments that you don’t see but once in a lifetime and if you see more than that it’s a long time in between until you see it again. When you do, it reminds you of that first magical incident or situation.
MP: There hasn’t been an Olympic boxing team like that since.
No. That says a lot right there, or before that. Now the ‘76 team was a great team. They were a great team. They fought the competition that showed up and fought them back. And that’s what we did. We fought the competition that showed up. We showed up.
MP: It’s well known that long before you faced him as a pro, you out boxed Mike Tyson as an amateur in the Olympic trials. What are your recollections of that experience?
Mike and I were friends then and we’re friends now. We never stopped being friends even with those two fights and even with the match we had after he turned pro. It was the kind of experience where nobody really thought I could win or believed that I could accomplish something, and I just knew in my mind, and in my body and soul, that I was about to do it. On the inside you are screaming at people “I’m going to win”, but they don’t hear you. They are just walking by like you are saying nothing.
I was told I didn’t have enough experience to fight internationally. I didn’t have that many amateur fights.
MP: You had some 40 amateur fights.
Something like that. Yeah. I had only been fighting for maybe two years. They were getting a little particular. I made it on talent, determination and will. A boxing match is like a chess match; it is two people imposing their will upon each other. You try to break them or make them make a mistake. That’s what it’s about. It’s physical but it’s more mental than anything else, and that’s how Tyson beat, 99, 98 or 95% of the guys he fought. He beat them with intimidation and reputation.
MP: You turned pro with a knockout over future world champion Uriah Grant in December 1984. What do you recall of the moments just after that first win and was the transition from amateur to professional difficult?
No it wasn’t. I used to work with a lot of heavyweight, very well known and great heavyweights. I worked with Michael Dokes, Tony Tubbs, big Mark Wills, and a host of others such as David Bey who trained here in L.A. California. So as an amateur I got to box and move around with those guys so I learned professional tricks of the boxing trade at an early age in my life with boxing. So that set me up rather early compared to others that started off at the same time as I did. So it actually set me apart.
MP: After going 9-0 you won the NABF cruiserweight title with a first-round blowout of Bash Ali. You looked poised for greater success but you lost that title to the streaking Bert Cooper in your next bout. What happened?
I went out there and Bert Cooper was talking, telling me I had to run to beat him, because I couldn’t fight him and beat him, because he’s a slugger. Bert was a big-time puncher, so I went in there and started trading with him. I wanted to show him something, but by the time I figured he could hit like they all said he could I had been on the floor twice already. That was the hardest fight I ever had right there. Inside my mouth it looked like I chewed up a whole box of brand new razor blades. At the time I didn’t have enough sense to get the double mouthpiece. Some of the punches I was taking cut into the sides of my jaw. Afterwards we both had to go and get checked.
One commentator said he didn’t know how I got up after being put down. He hit me with a left hook on that second knockdown. He floored my ass. It was for my title and my recovery was so good and there maybe 30 or 40 seconds left in that round, so I danced around, grabbed him and tied him up. I was holding both he and the referee a couple of times – at the same time. I was just trying to buy time. Bert said he never threw that many punches, but he had too because of how fast and determined I was.
MP: Having regrouped with a series of wins, you challenged Evander Holyfield for the WBA Cruiserweight Title on Valentine Day in 1987, ultimately losing by 7th round TKO. What are your recollections of the bout?
I lost too much weight. Can you see me at hundred and ninety pounds? It was a brutal fight until fatigue set in from all of the weight loss. If we could have done it at 195lbs I think I would have been ever better and stronger. But 190lbs. was just too much. My mother told me when she saw me, “Boy you look peaked. You look like you need something to eat.”
MP: Looking back, did you think that Evander Holyfield would one day gone on to become what he is today, as respected all-time great?
Yes, without question. Holyfield is one of the most talented men I’ve ever met in my life. Evander and I were and still are friends today. I was talking to him just after the Manny Pacquiao/Miguel Cotto fight. I talk to him three or four times a week. I’ll be seeing him here in L.A. in the next few weeks. He’s in training right now. He says he has a fight coming up at the beginning of the New Year. So I’ll talk to him, hang out with him and see where his head is at. In my heart, I’m not saying that he can’t fight I’m just saying is it worth it? Just think of all the fights and wars he’s been through.
MP: In June 1990 you were brought in as Mike Tyson’s first comeback foe after he had lost the unified heavyweight title to James “Buster” Douglas. You were stopped in round one. What are your recollections of the moments just before and during the bout?
I was trying to make history and stop Mike in the first round (laughing).
MP: Was there much improvement in Tyson relative to when you defeated him as an amateur?
By that time he was a little more patient. He was still coming at you, but he was coming at you with a more controlled and calculated aggression as opposed to a wild and loose aggression. He had a more controlled aggression which to me made him more dangerous.
MP: Compare the power of Bert Cooper and Mike Tyson.
Power-wise, Bert Cooper was as strong as Mike if not a little stronger. Mike was just so fast and he hit hard. People often don’t give him credit for his hand speed when he hit you. Mike could hit your ass with three hard as board and bone punches, in quick-assed succession, if you didn’t have enough damn sense to get out of there. He broke my ribs in our first amateur fight in Houston at the Convention Center, and knocked me on my ass with a body shot. He hit me so hard my damn leg went up by itself. My mind didn’t tell me to lift it; my leg went up like I was trying to start a motorcycle.
MP: Your record indicates that your last bout was a 7th-round loss to Terry Davis in September 1992. Why did you leave the sport and what did you do after having walked away?
I was ready to retire. My heart just wasn’t into it anymore. I quit and went out and got my business degree, my GED, a computer degree and got an education in computers in Word, Power Point and Excel. I wanted to learn about the cyber world because everything as you know is there right now. People my age or older are typically naïve of computers and the cyber world, especially if they figure they don’t have the smarts to learn it. I wanted to be educated in cyberspace.
MP: The year 1996 proved to be a life-altering turning point for you. What happened?
I can’t really talk about that right now because I have a book coming out next year, so that’s something I wish to save for it. I can tell you that it was a turning point in my life and for my family and my friends, so on and so forth. Today I am doing just fine.
Until just recently I was involved with a program, which doesn’t have the funds at the moment, but they are looking to pick it back up early next year. It’s a program called ReadySetGo which works through the Olympic committee where athletes and Olympians go to different L.A. unified school districts. It’s a Southern California program. It educates teens and children in school on child and teen nutrition; how to eat correctly, diet correctly and have balanced nutrition.
MP: Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans in closing?
Just that I appreciate my fans in and around the world that over the years have supported and stuck with me through the good and not so good times. Anything that I accomplished or did well, I give it all back to my parents, to God, my family, my trainers and to the people around me who helped get me to the point in my life where I became successful and where I am today.
(Interviewer’s note: About fifteen minutes after we had concluded the interview, Henry Tillman took the liberty of calling me back to introduce me to one of the NFL’s all-time top linebackers and a close personal friend, Rod Martin. Both Rod and Henry were enjoying Monday Night Football at a place called Poncho’s in Manhattan Beach where Rod plays host with the rest of the Monday night crew. Having been presented with the unlikely opportunity to speak to a 12-year NFL veteran who played for the Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders, and who over the course of that period earned two Super Bowl rings, I could not help but marvel at the situation and how in effect it underlined what a great inspiration Henry Tillman is to those around him. Mr. Martin spoke his mind about the great athlete he knew Tillman to be, openly mentioning that he had long been friends with Henry and that he admired the way he had persevered through the trials and difficult periods of his notable life, and that God worked in strange ways.
It was clear that Henry Tillman had long since made a significant impact on a man who had made it to the pinnacle in his own sport on two separate occasions, underlining the unique and extraordinary character the 1984 Heavyweight Gold Medalist really is. For the chance to spend a few moments with #53 Rod Martin, I thank Henry Tillman.)
Henry Tillman
Division: Cruiserweight
Professional Record: 25-6, 16 KO's
Date Opponent Location Result
1984-12-07 Uriah Grant Houston, USA W TKO 2
1985-03-05 Mickey Pryor Dallas, USA W TKO 4
1985-04-18 Andre Crowder Atlantic City, USA W TKO 1
1985-05-12 John Williams Tyler, USA W TKO 1
1985-06-30 Leroy Caldwell Las Vegas, USA W PTS 6
1985-08-11 Larry Phelps Hollywood, USA W TKO 2
1985-09-18 Richard Scott Atlantic City, USA W UD 6
1986-02-02 Sylvester Lee Hollywood, USA W TKO 1
1986-03-04 Reggie Gross Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1986-04-22 Bash Ali Las Vegas, USA W TKO 1
NABF Cruiserweight Title
1986-06-15 Bert Cooper Atlantic City, USA L PTS 12
NABF Cruiserweight Title
1986-08-19 Cedric Parsons Las Vegas, USA W KO 1
1986-09-24 Oscar Holman Las Vegas, USA W TKO 6
1986-10-17 Tyrone Booze Las Vegas, USA W UD 10
1986-12-26 Stanley Ross Las Vegas, USA W TKO 4
1987-02-14 Evander Holyfield Reno, USA L TKO 7
WBA World Cruiserweight Title
1987-06-07 Woody Clark Providence, USA W TKO 7
1987-07-11 Kevin P Porter Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1987-08-22 Danny Sutton Columbia, USA W KO 7
1987-11-20 Dwain Bonds Las Vegas, USA L TKO 8
1988-03-29 Willie DeWitt Edmonton, Canada L PTS 10
1989-12-09 Danny Wofford Daytona Beach, USA W PTS 10
1990-01-30 Gerardo Valero Reseda, USA W KO 2
1990-02-17 Tim Morrison Edmonton, Canada W TKO 2
1990-06-16 Mike Tyson Las Vegas, USA L KO 1
1990-08-30 Danny Blake Daytona Beach, USA W UD 10
1990-10-26 Lynwood Jones Daytona Beach, USA W UD 10
1990-11-29 Rick Kellar Kalamazoo, USA W TKO 4
1992-03-26 Mark Lee Irvine, USA W UD 10
1992-04-21 Young Joe Louis Tampa, USA W TKO 6
1992-09-15 Terry Davis Fort Lauderdale, USA L KO 7
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
“Mike had been with Al for over 26 years and because of all these wonderful years that we have spent together, Mike has become our adopted son. Al was very lucky to finally lure Mike to join him as his drummer. Mike not only proved he was a fantastic drummer, but he is an amazing human being. I always told Mike that his parents did a great job raising him because he is a real gentleman. I can't say enough about Mike, he is family to us. I love him.”-–Judi Martino (Widow of the Legendary Italian Singer Al Martino)
Through sadness, sometimes joy can come out of it. Last month, I did a tribute on RSR to the late Italian Crooner Al Martino who unexpectedly passed away at the age of 82, on October 13, 2009. His death was a shock to all because he was in great shape from all accounts and was actually getting ready to tour again in early 2010.
For many, Facebook has brought Al's family, friends, acquaintances and fans together. They have been sharing stories, pictures, and videos that have helped his family get through this very sad time. Well, one of those close friends I was able to meet is Al's former drummer of 26 years, Michael Nigro. Mike a born and bred Philly guy who has been playing drums since he was a young child, toured the world with Al and has worked with many musical legends over the years.
Nigro was lucky to have a neighbor who was in show business in the 1950's named Jodie Sands who found some success in the music business singing. Sands took an interest in Mike and got him a lot of exposure, doing TV shows, benefit shows, and talent showcases. This would be Mike's on the job training and it paid off.
So you put an Italian (Mike) and an Italian - Jew (Yours Truly) together, you get a conversation that lasted five hours with stories of music we grew up with, artists we knew or followed, and just more proof that an era has come and went when you had legends like Al Martino, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jerry Vale and others gracing stages around the world. Oh yeah, we also got an interview in.
Drum Roll......Ladies and Gentlemen, RSR brings you Mr. Michael Nigro......
BB: For the RSR readers, what are you up to today?
Well, as you know, I was Al Martino's drummer for the past 26 years. He took me all over the world, and I had the privilege, and honor to perform with the world’s finest musicians. Since we lost Al, I now will have to reevaluate my future. During my tenure with him, I did do shows for other artists, but Al was always priority number one. I still get calls for outside work, and the occasional "headliner." I may decide to start teaching now, since I won't be touring as much as I was when I was working with him. I can pass along the gift that was given to me.
BB: How did you first break into music and what instruments did you play?
I think that all drummers are frustrated bass players, myself included. I stick with what I know best which is the drums. When I was little I always wanted to play the trumpet. Then one day, my father came home from work with a pair of drumsticks. He gave them to me and I started gathering my mother’s pots and pans, cardboard boxes, and anything else I could find to bang on. A day or so later, my father said to his friend who gave him the drumsticks, "This may sound crazy, but it doesn't sound like noise when Michael is banging away on those pots and pans. Could you come and see him and tell us what you think?"
The following weekend, my father's friend, Ritchie Heil, came to the house to watch me play. He put on one record after another and told me to play along. When I was finished, Ritchie said to my father, "He can play all different styles of music, Rock, Jazz, Latin, etcetera. Your son is a natural drummer. Send him to this man for lessons.” That man was named Armand Santarelli, who was a protégé of jazz great Joe Morello. I was nine years old at the time.
I was also very fortunate to have a neighbor who was in show business in the 50's, singer Jodie Sands. She had a couple of hit records in the 50's and was handled by Bob Marcucci, who also found Fabian. She took an interest in me and got me a lot of exposure, TV shows, benefit shows, talent showcases…anything to get me some experience.
From there things just seemed to snowball for me. I played in many different types of musical settings since I was 10 years old: rock bands, club bands, wedding bands, dinner theater, and even 17 piece big bands. While performing at a talent showcase, an agent who was in the audience asked my parents if I would be interested in making national television commercials. The very first commercial I made my role was what else, a drummer. I was now a member of the Screen Actors Guild and under contract for three years to be an actor. Those commercials bought my first set of professional drums!
After High School, I was a member of a local Big Band that backed up many "headline" acts at a place called The Woodbine Inn in Pennsauken, New Jersey. It was there that I was offered a job with a comedy team named Fisher & Marks. I went out on the road with them for three years. I was performing with them in Atlantic City at The Claridge Casino when I was first approached by Al Martino who offered me a job as his drummer. Ironically, Fisher & Marks use to be Al's opening act for years.
BB: Growing up, who were some of the musicians you looked up to?
Thanks to my dad, I learned to listen to all different styles of music. He taught me a great lesson one day by telling me, "You don't have to like the music, but you have to learn how to play it." This being said, the musicians I looked up to were very diversified. Frank Sinatra was always being played in my house. Others include Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, all the Big Bands (Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman), The Beatles, Tower Of Power, Yes, Billy Joel, and Earth, Wind, and Fire. There were so many.
BB: If you had to pick only one night in your career where you thought, “Mike, you nailed it tonight,” which one would you pick?
That's a very tough question Brad. That's like asking me which one of my sons are my favorite (Big laugh). I try to make every single performance I give my very best. Like most artists, you always strive to do better every night. But if you need an answer, I would say the night I played in Atlantic City and I impressed Al Martino who in turn gave me so many years of experience, knowledge, and friendship. I must have done something right that night!
BB: Do you think music has changed since you first got into it and if so, how?
Yes, it definitely has changed. It has to change. That's the way you grow as a musician. Trying something that is new, something that is different. Although I will say that I don't like all of the music that is being offered today. That's just the way it is. Different strokes for different folks.
I personally like structure in music. It seems like a lot of the music today is not really thought out as well as they did years ago. OK granted, when I was young we had the usual 3 chord songs, but they said something. They had melody. You don't hear too many songs nowadays that have a good melody. Sometimes it seems that they take a step backwards instead of forward. Some of the music I hear today on radio is insulting to a studied musician.
BB: You appeared with Al on the CD Al Martino Live in Concert. What was it like working that concert that night and how do you feel about the finished product that came out in 1993?
If I remember correctly, we recorded that concert sometime in 1991. The original idea at the time was to film the show and release it on video. However, I think that they had some technical problems with the lighting so the video idea was scrapped. The producer then sold the tapes to the BBC in England. They were the very first to release the concert on CD in 1991. It was only available in England at that time.
It was then released here in America on the Laserlight label in 1993. Unfortunately, this release omitted a 12 minute medley called "The Big Band Medley.” I have no idea why this was not included on the American release. I was a little disappointed about that.
The orchestra on that concert was top notch. We contracted all the top players from Atlantic City.
I remember telling Al that as much as I liked his original recording of "Here In My Heart" that he did in 1952, and his remake in 1959 which I thought was even better than the original version because his voice had matured a bit, his performance of "Here In My Heart" from that concert was the greatest version that he ever recorded. You can hear all the vocal technique that Al possessed on that track. Soft, smooth, and powerful and if you want to hear a singer with great breath control, just give this track a listen.
BB: I want to throw some names out to you that you have worked with over the years and give me some of your thoughts on each.
Al Martino-
Al had the best pipes in the business...bar none! I know of no other singer that could sing their hit records in the same key that they were originally recorded. And I'm talking about over a 50 year span! That is a feat in itself. Anyone who knows Al's repertoire will know that his songs were not easy to sing. They were big and powerful songs. I know of no other singer that can make this claim.
When Al performed at Billy Joel's 50th birthday party, I was standing right next to Billy when he told Al how he couldn't believe how beautiful and powerful his voice remained after all these years. He told Al that his voice was shot, and Billy was only 50 years old at the time. Al was in his 70's.
I have countless stories of Al performing when he was not feeling 100%. Of course no one with the exception of myself and Al's conductor knew this. One example, we had a three week tour of Florida and Al had about 15 shows to do. He did them all...with a cracked rib, a kidney stone, and a hernia!
That's the truth....That's "Old School" brother. Al was the consummate professional and he had class.
Jerry Vale
I first met Jerry way back in 1981 when I was working at The Claridge Casino in Atlantic City. We would spend a lot of time together since he was friends with Fisher & Marks. I didn't find this out until years later, but Jerry would ask Fisher & Marks if I could play drums for his performances at The Claridge. Since we were off when a "headliner" was at the theater, Jerry thought that I could work for him. Fisher & Marks told him "NO!" I couldn't believe it.
They thought that I would leave their act for Jerry. Through the years, Al & Jerry did many shows together on the same bill, but I never played for him...just Al. I use to say to Jerry that I've known you for years and I have never played your show. I finally got to play Jerry's show at The Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. It only took 25 years to accomplish this.
Joe Piscopo
Joe is a very talented and wonderful human being.
I first met him in 2004 when I got a last minute call to play his show in Connecticut. Joe's show consists of singing and comedy. In addition to this, he also plays guitar, piano, flute, saxophone, and drums in his shows.
Joe and I hit it off right from the start. I enjoyed playing his show and told him anytime you need me, just give me a call. To my amazement, he called me two weeks later. I was unavailable. A month later he called again, I was unavailable. I told his people that I hope he understands and that I hope he will call me again. In this business, if you don't answer the first time, they usually move on to the next guy and forget about you. Well, Joe didn't forget about me. I've done many of his shows since then including The Montreal Jazz Festival where we shared the stage with Dave Brubeck, and Gino Vanelli.
When Joe had a two month engagement at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, he not only asked me to be his drummer, but also wanted me to be his Musical Director.
BB: If you were stranded on a desert island and you could only have one movie and one CD, what would they be?
My movie choice is The Godfather. The CD choice is a tough one. If I can only have one my choice is The Beatles White Album...in mono.
BB: What “words of wisdom” can you impart on the young man or woman wanting to break into the music business as a drummer?
STUDY! Find a good teacher to help develop your technique. Listen to all kinds of music, not just what you like. Try to be an original and not a carbon copy of someone else. My teacher use to tell me, "Listen to everyone, steal from them, and develop it into something all your own." Why would you want to just copy what someone else already played on a record? Music is feeling. Music is emotion. It should come from the heart.
BB: When did you first start following the sport of boxing?
I started following boxing because of my father. He loved boxing. We would always watch any fight that was televised. When I was younger that meant watching ABC's Wide World Of Sports every Saturday afternoon with my dad and my brothers. My dad would tell us about all the great fighters from way back to the present day. I was amazed that he could remember so much about so many boxers.
BB: Who are your top three fighters of all-time and why?
Rocky Marciano has to be my first pick. Although he was before my time, I've seen many of his bouts on ESPN Classics. The man was unbelievable. I once asked the great Willie Pep what made Marciano so great? We all know that he was undefeated, but he also came from behind to win some of those fights. He told me that Rocky would come in and punish their arms so badly that after a while they couldn't even hold them up to defend themselves. Then he would come in for the kill.
Following a very close second is Muhammad Ali. I've never seen a boxer who could take a punch like Ali. The man was only knocked down 4 times in his career! With a record of 56 wins and only 5 losses, he had 37 KO's! He made a lot of people dislike him through the years with his mouth, but you have to give the man his due. He was most definitely one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Then you have Joe Frazier. Being from Philadelphia, I grew up loving Joe Frazier. Philly gave the sport of boxing some incredible fighters, but Joe was always one of my all time favorites. He had such heart and determination. I remember that I almost cried when he lost the belt in Kingston, Jamaica to George Foreman in 1973, being knocked down a total of six times in two rounds.
BB: Do you have any stories about fighters you have known?
Would you believe that I played drums for Joe Frazier on a couple of occasions? Joe would stop by to see a friend of his by the name of Sonny Averone who was singing at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. Joe would come up on stage and sing his version of My Way. He had special lyrics written for the song that told a story about his life.
When I was working in Atlantic City in the early 80's with Fisher & Marks, I became friendly with Middleweight Champ Joey Giardello. We would go to some matches together at The Claridge, and The Tropicana. He was always a lot of fun to be with. He had an incredible sense of humor. I always had a great time when I was with Joey. This May there will be a statue put up in South Philadelphia honoring him.
I shared the stage twice with Middleweight Champion Jake Lamotta. He was an opening act for Al Martino. The promoter of the show didn't hire a drummer to play for Jake. He told me to play for the opening act. At this time I didn't know the opening act was Jack LaMotta. I told the promoter that I don't play for the opening acts, just Mr. Martino. Well, I held up the show for about 15 minutes. Then Al told me to go on stage and play for Jake. I said "Jake who?" When he said "Jake LaMotta," I almost died. Here I was this little kid telling "The Raging Bull" that I won't play for him. I almost died!
I also had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with fighters Willie Pep, and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini. Willie was a huge fan of Al Martino's and he never missed a show when we played in Connecticut. Ray was also friendly with Al and we met for lunch or dinner many times through the years.
BB: If you had to pick one fighter since the day you started following boxing, who do you feel moved the sport ahead the most and why?
Without a doubt, Muhammad Ali. Not only was he quick and sharp with his punches, he was just as sharp with his comments. Ali kept the sport of boxing in the news more than anyone else. And for the most part it had to do with boxing! Who can forget all those interviews with Howard Cosell? I always wanted Ali to really take off Cosell's toupee (Big Laugh)! People who weren't even born when Ali was in his prime will still know the saying, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."...and they will know who said it as well.
BB: Is there one boxing match in all your years of following the sport that you would say that was the single most exciting fight I have ever seen?
I know you asked for one fight, but I have to pick the Arturo Gatti - Micky Ward trilogy. If you watch any of these bouts I don't think you will ever see a match with so much action, guts, and determination from both fighters. From the first round to the last, Gatti and Ward gave their all. You just don't get to see matches like this anymore. When Gatti and Ward stepped into the ring, you knew that it was going to be an exciting match.
BB: Who are some of the fighters you follow today?
I always liked to watch Oscar De La Hoya. He was a Class Act. I think he should have retired when he was on top of his game. A great fighter like that should know when to stop. Floyd Mayweather, JR., is another favorite. I also enjoy watching Ricky Hatton. The guy I like to watch now is Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao. He looked great in his big win over Miguel Cotto recently.
BB: Do you feel the sport of boxing has moved ahead or backwards since you first started following it?
I think it moved backwards. Everything now is about the almighty dollar. This is not to say that there are not great fighters now, there are many, but the promoters seem to think they are more important than the fights or fighters themselves. This is a great sport with a big following. Respect the boxer. Respect the sport.
BB: What is your favorite boxing movie of all-time and why?
There are lots of choices for this question. But I will go with the first Rocky film. I was born and raised in South Philly. As a young kid I watched them film scenes for this movie in my neighborhood. I remember the night my friends and I watched them film a scene where Rocky asks the Priest for his blessing before he went to fight Apollo Creed. This was filmed at the school yard where I went to grade school. I know it's not a big deal, but it is when you're only 15 years old. After you watch this film, you feel like you can take on the whole world.
BB: Who is your favorite Boxing Commentator?
Howard Cosell was my favorite commentator growing up. He had a style all his own. Even if the fight wasn't the most thrilling fight you ever saw, Howard had a way of making it exciting.
Larry Merchant does a great job as well for HBO Sports.
If you ever watch the old fights on ESPN Classic, the master was Don Dunphy. Naturally, years ago lots of people listened to the fights. Dunphy made you know everything that was happening during the fight. That was a commentator!
BB: If you could change one thing in boxing today, what would you change and why?
The divisions. I don't know who's the champ anymore. I know that there were other people who you have interviewed who have said the very same thing, but it's true. When I was younger, we knew all the champs in all the divisions. There's just too many divisions nowadays to keep track of.
This may not pertain to your question but one other thing I would like to see an end to is the language used by some boxers during their after fight interviews. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a prude by any means. But when they use foul language on live television it shows a lack of class for themselves and for the sport of boxing.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Yes, I do. They could handle it like any other union. While your active and making money, they can take a percentage out of your purse and use it toward a retirement fund. It would have been nice if this was done many years ago when the fighters didn't receive millions of dollars for a single fight. They are the ones who really need it. If you make millions upon millions of dollars while a pro and you lose it all, that's just stupidity on their part. The older fighters who made peanuts when they fought really deserve it more.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
"Don't depend on anyone to do anything for you in life but yourself."
]]>
Interview by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“I gave people what they wanted to see - an action-packed fight.”--Al Cole
Sometimes in life it is what we don’t really see in a person’s life that can make all of the difference. Be it a well-founded family upbringing, faith in God, the burning desire to excel where failure is expected or injury and heart-breaking loss. All of it can affect one’s direction and purpose, but its how we choose to deal with it that in the end ultimately decides our fate.
I remember watching Alfred “Ice” Cole for the first time way back in 1990 as he was ascending the ranks in the cruiserweight division. That first glimpse for me turned out to be a first loss for him. Not too long after, I happened across him again, this time watching him reverse that first loss, over the course of which he impressed me as a skilled fighter with the potential to possibly one day become a world champion. From that point on I kept tabs on him, following his bouts where I could and later, quietly tipping my hat to a guy that was clearly hard luck and not the same fighter he had been when he faced the big boys at heavyweight.
I recently had the opportunity to spend time talking with “Ice”. I found him to be an affable, open and truly interesting individual, unafraid to discuss his success and failures and what was truly at the core of his becoming a long reigning world champion at cruiserweight from 1992-1997.
MP: Tell our readers of how you became involved with the sport of boxing and who were your earliest influences?
It’s kind of strange; I had no influences from a fighter’s prospect. I was just a kid on the street playing basketball. That’s really how it started. My friends kept fouling me and as guys playing around we’d get into “slap boxing”. So we started slap boxing with each other. When I was in high school they used to always say “hey man, you’re pretty good not having any experience”. I figured they were just trying to get me to go to a boxing gym with them so they could beat me up in the gym because I kept beating them up in basketball. I never took it seriously though. I thought boxing was stupid and dumb. You have to realize, I said I’d never do this. What kind of sport is this, getting hit in the face? They got a referee, and if you hit me, I’m going to hit you any way I can. The ref is going to say I can’t hit this way or hit that way. I don’t care if I hit you behind the head, in the knee caps; I’m going to hit you.
After high school I joined the Army. I was going to the gym to play basketball and I saw a sign that at that time I called no-vice boxing. It was novice but I called it no-vice. It was a sign for beginners in boxing. And so I was going to try out for the post basketball team, which at Fort Hood, Texas, which is the largest military base in the world. One of my friends suggested we try boxing, remembering people said I could box. To make a long story short, I went on to win the Fort Hood boxing championships for beginners. And that was with Kenny Adams. He wasn’t training me right then. It was like an elimination process. Like a whole bunch of dogs in a pit and who was strong enough to survive. I survived and we went from there.
MP: You amassed a 15-0 record before dropping a split decision to Leon Taylor, a fighter that had been in with some talented fighters. What happened?
Actually that was the only fight I was expected to really win. Probably six or seven of my first ten bouts were with fighters who were undefeated. They thought this would be one of my easiest fights. For my pro debut, I think my opponent was 5-3 and my second fight the guy was 8-0 with six knockouts. I had fought so many tough people that by the time I was 10-0. Up until Leon Taylor, everybody I fought, at most, had just one or two losses or they were undefeated. At the time Ron Katz was my matchmaker and I think his job was with Bob Arum and he’d weed the real good fighters out, so he gave me a lot of tough fights. I fought tough up and coming guys. So when I fought Leon Taylor that was the first fight that they gave me that he thought I was going to win. It was just a tune-up match and I was #1 and heading for a world title fight. That was a learning experience ‘cause I didn’t train that tough. I didn’t go to training camp and he beat me on a close split decision. He was such a slick-cat fighter. He was so slick, I couldn’t hit him. I didn’t train that great and he just took me to school, honestly. I learned so much from that fight.
After the fight, I was so fixated on Leon Taylor, where ever I went I saw him. Everybody looked like him! If I went to the mall, I saw him, or I thought I did. I’d ask myself what he is doing here. If I went to my hometown, I’d see him. I was so fixated. Everybody looked like him to me. I was so fixated on getting him back and winning, so that when we had the rematch, I totally destroyed him. It was one of my easiest unanimous decisions, almost had him out a couple of times. I was really focused and that helped me prepare myself. It helped me to bite down and use my craft, my boxing skills instead of just going in there and fighting. With the Leon Taylor rematch I learned how to be skillful and prepared in boxing. Before that, I was just outfighting and out hustling everybody. I’d wear you down because I refused to quit.
MP: After winning the vacant USBA Cruiserweight Title in a rematch with Taylor, you widely outpointed the dangerous Nate Miller, a man that went tooth and nail with the great Dwight Qawi and would one day go on to become WBA Cruiserweight champion. Did you believe at that point you were destined for a major world title?
I distinctly remember my manager at that time had mentioned the promoter had said after I had beat Leon Taylor in the rematch, there was a clause in my contract that if I had two losses in the first two years of our contract, the promoter would have the right to drop us from that contract. So, that fight with Taylor was supposed to be my last fight before the two year contract was up, but when I lost, they quickly made the rematch. If I had of lost that fight, I’m sure Top Rank would have terminated the contract they had with me. After I won the rematch, they gave me Nate Miller. Just after my first loss, I heard a lot of rumors. You see, back then I was with an outfit called Triple Threat. Myself, Charles Murray and Ray Mercer. If I had lost, they would have changed it to Double Trouble. They didn’t know I heard this. Everybody loves you when you are on top, but it’s the business of boxing. It’s all just a bunch of crap. With Miller it was time for me to swim or drown. At that time Miller was ranked #1. Today, I can tell you that Nate Miller was one of hardest punchers I ever fought.
MP: Even among all of the heavyweights you faced?
Yes. He was one of THE hardest punchers I ever fought.
MP: You won the IBF Cruiserweight Title in July 1992 unanimously outpointing James Warring, a fighter with the reputation as a big hitter at 190 pounds. How did it feel winning a major world title barely three years into your pro career against such a dangerous opponent?
A lot of people looked at that that way, but actually with me believing in God, with my focus and determination, I had no doubts I was winning. And I guess a lot of people looked at that as being something because James Warring was a big puncher and I was not known as a big puncher. I was known as a workhorse. Praise God, I was blessed to have a great chin! I’m thinking probably that was coming from football all my life, banging heads as a kid. My military background, my coming up as always the underachiever, I was always underestimated all of my life. It didn’t matter. Basketball, baseball, I always ended up being the most improved athlete. I realized I was never really the most improved; it’s just that the coach never acknowledged or recognized me.
I was just underestimated. But I would always work very hard. My heart and determination overtook the other people’s skills. When I fought James Warring I just knew I was going to win. I felt almost invincible. I would pray and believe God that I could do all things through Jesus Christ which strengthens me. I thought it was a pretty easy fight for me.
MP: You easily defended your title against the dangerous Uriah Grant, a fighter that went on to stop Thomas Hearns and at one point greatly troubled Bobby Czyz who was the WBA Cruiserweight titlist at the same time you held your title. The convincing win over Grant seemed to illustrate your strengths as a boxer, suggesting you had the skills and style to defeat Czyz. Was unification ever discussed with the Czyz camp or with Anaclet Wamba, the WBC champ?
All of them. I always wanted to fight everybody, all of them and they all avoided me. Actually I knew I’d probably never get Bobby Czyz because when I started out boxing after coming off as an alternate on the Olympic team, one of my coaches was Tommy Parks, who was Bobby’s head trainer. So, when I first started boxing, sometimes I was boxing with Bobby Czyz, beating him up in the gym. So I knew his trainer, when I tried to make the unification fight with Bobby Czyz, they never wanted to face me. I tried to get them even for less money. At that time cruiserweight wasn’t big, but by me beating Bobby would elevate me a little bit. The others would only consider fighting me only if they had every advantage, only if I’d go overseas and face them in their hometown. So, I had to make my mandatory defense for the second time against Nate Miller. So I would defeat him, then he would turn around and fight all they told him to fight, and he’d become #1 again. So it was between him and Uriah Grant. I kept beating them back, I beat them both twice. When I decided to vacate the title, a lot of people think I lost the title, but I actually vacated it, the same fighters I kept beating back went on to win the world title. Nate Miller and Uriah Grant went on to win world titles.
MP: You relinquished the IBF Cruiserweight title after five successful defenses to move up to heavyweight, something you hinted at doing a few years earlier after voicing a willingness to face IBF/WBA Heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe. Why did you move up?
Exactly. You do know. You did your homework! Actually, people do not know, I fought a heavyweight before trying to get Riddick Bowe. I fought Mike Dixon. He went the distance with Bruce Seldon and he went eight or nine rounds with Ray Mercer. He was my first heavyweight fight. People think it was with Tim Witherspoon, but it wasn’t. People think I only kept the IBF Cruiserweight title for two or three years but I kept it all the way up to ’97. The only reason I vacated was because it was so hard for me to get quality fights at cruiserweight, plus I was getting much bigger. I’m 6’4.
MP: Did you find a big difference in the punching power the heavyweights had as opposed to cruiserweights?
Not to me because when I was a middleweight in the Army with Kenny Adams, I was always working with heavyweights, so I was used to getting hit by the big guys. Boxing heavyweights was like a walk in the part in that I was well prepared for the big guys having started out facing them as a little guy. I was used to going in hard with the big guys.
MP: The heavyweight portion of your career didn’t work out as well as your cruiserweight chapter of your career. What happened?
Nobody really knows this. About two maybe two and a half week before the fight I got into a major car accident. I totaled my car. Somebody was running from the police out in Pensacola, Florida, and they hit me and totaled the car. Two weeks later I was supposed to face Tim Witherspoon, and at this time, I knew I could not move. After I got out of the car, I was so pissed and mad at everything, I’m walking around, no problem. The next day, I go to the gym, I can’t move. My back is all stiff. My back is locked up. I had to stop and stretch, try to exercise it out, had somebody stretch me. When I started training again, after a round or two, I couldn’t move, so I couldn’t train. So the last two weeks before the fight, I was taking so many pain killers and muscle relaxers because it to me was the opportunity of the world. I’m about to fight a guy that was on a great win streak, the former WBA Heavyweight champion, and everybody thought he was going to knock me out. I figured I would out hustle Witherspoon, beat him out to the punch, and out box him. I wasn’t worried about his punch or his power. I knew I could take it. I was training to outhustle him, but after the crash I couldn’t move. I couldn’t pivot or throw those punches.
Before the fight I sat and talked with Rock Newman about how after I beat Tim Witherspoon, I was going to fight Riddick Bowe for the heavyweight world title. The win over Tim would legitimize me for going after the heavyweight title. Unfortunately, I couldn’t move or pivot the way I planned. Witherspoon did everything to me I was supposed to do to him. He out punched me, he out hustled me; he beat me to the punch. I just couldn’t move. At one point I hurt him with a body shot, he took a step back and spit out his mouthpiece. Everybody figured he was going to knock me out. He hit me with everything but the kitchen sink.
MP: He had a big right hand.
Yes. Surprisingly his left hook was more effective to me than his right hand.
MP: How did the loss affect you?
I just figured it was a really bad night for me, with the car accident and all going into it.
MP: You faced an up and coming, undefeated Michael Grant in 1997.
My next fight was supposed to be George Foreman. So leading up to it they wanted me to face this guy named Michael Grant who they say wasn’t that good. So we watched some tapes of him barely beating some southpaw. Mike was just a big strong guy; it was just about his stature. He really wasn’t that skilled, that good. We figured we could easily beat him. So they set-up that fight and after, I could face George Foreman. But the same thing happened as before. My back went out. When I fought Grant, I’m getting hit with everything. I saw the punches coming, but it seemed like I couldn’t move. After the Grant fight, I knew something was wrong. I wasn’t punching much; I wasn’t moving much, I wasn’t moving left and right. All of the muscle relaxers and pain killers I was taking for my back, I just didn’t know any better. They were affecting my reactions and my reflexes, and it makes your blood thinner and you can easily swell. You easily swell up, can be easily cut and then you bleed. All of this stuff I should not have been taking. But I knew I had to take them because I wanted this fight, so I could go on to face big name fighters for major money. The last couple of rounds with Grant I’m telling my trainer I’m just going to take it to him. I got caught with another right hand and it busted my eye wide open.
MP: In 1998 it looked like you handed then-undefeated Kirk Johnson his first loss in a bout that was ruled a draw. What happened?
Exactly. During all of this time, besides the car accident, I had never told one of the key things that happened to me. At that time when I was taking those fights and coming up short, no one knows, but my mom had died. In fact, at this time I had almost ten deaths in my family over the next few years. So when I was having those fights, working through the back injury, I wasn’t in the mental state where I should have been. I lost them all over a period of three years. It’s something I mostly kept to myself. Two of my brothers died, one of them within a month of losing my mother. My aunt, my cousin, my uncle, another cousin who was 22 years-old, she came home from college, told her mom she wasn’t feeling, good, went and laid down and never got back up. So I was going through this entire trauma, and they were offering me fights on short notice and I said “OK”. I just didn’t care. I wasn’t in my best shape mentally or physically. I was taking these bouts on short notice. Every three or four months it seemed like somebody died or was critically ill in the hospital.
When the Johnson fight came about, my back was still jammed up. Watch the last couple of rounds, I almost had him out. In fact, I don’t even see how they didn’t disqualify him. They gave him three warnings, and took three points away for low blows. After they take three points away they are supposed to disqualify you. I hit him in the first round and he went down. I don’t think it was really a knockdown, but I hit him and he went down. In the last round, I had him holding on for dear life. They had taken three points away, how are you going to call that a draw? In the rematch a few months later, I was on my way to knocking him out again. Over the first three rounds I figured I was boxing well, I’m thinking I was doing OK. Then I heard one of the commentators say “three rounds to nothing, Kirk Johnson.” I’m like, what? I shifted gears, I didn’t try to box him anymore, and I went straight to him and fought him. The commentators said they were surprised Al Cole is right there fighting him and Roy Jones, JR., who was there said “No. I’ve seen Cole in the gym. He can fight. Al Cole is a fighter.” I was outslugging him and I knew I was beating him. In the last two or three rounds, my back locked up on me again. You’ll see, in the last two or three rounds, I didn’t hit Johnson at all.
No matter how good the opponent was, you could see, I barely lost. It didn’t matter how good the opponent was. If he was number one or one-hundred and one, I barely lost. Except when I fought a southpaw. I went against Sedreck Fields up in New York. I barely lost. The guy was like 15-15 (Note: Sedreck Fields was in fact 17-15-1 at the time he faced Al Cole). They gave him a unanimous decision. The only reason that was, I believe, was because I had been in an argument with Ron Stevens, a match maker.
MP: You mentioned having trouble with southpaws. Corrie Sanders, Juan Carlos Gomez, and Sultan Ibragimov, all of them southpaws, managed to stop you where other, orthodox big hitters failed to. You found that style difficult?
Yes, definitely. Corrie Sanders was a fast, big hitter but he can’t take a punch. No one ever noticed that but every time he got hit he’d go down. But he probably had the fastest hands I had ever seen. By the time I faced Ibragimov, I think that Ron Stevens got in the way again. He didn’t want me to face Ibragimov. It was all personal. Back when I fought Sedreck Fields, he and I got into a bad argument up in the Hamptons. We got into a big fight before a bout and I was about to walk out, and I was the main event. Listen, I can be honest. I could lose to anybody, even if it is a unanimous decision, as when Hasim Rahman beat me. Rahman beat me by a 96-94 on all of the cards. That’s a close fight, correct? I am not getting blown out and I’m losing to a short guy like Sedreck Fields, who can’t punch. Now because of Ron Stevens, I’m suddenly losing. I truly believe that with all of my heart. Every time I was in a close fight somewhere up in New York, I’d lose. In Maryland, the match maker that made the Rahman fight for me, Ron Stevens called him up and tried to stop it. He called the commission down in Florida when I was lined up to face Danny Williams; he called up and told them to not let me fight. I had several bouts for various promoters that said Ron Stevens called and said take me off the card. Even when I had passed all the medicals, he told me he could still keep me from fighting, telling me he could give me an administrative suspension. He said he had the right not to ever let me fight in New York. That’s what it was. Even when I told him about what was going on, all those deaths in my family.
After those bouts with Kirk Johnson, I finally found out what was really going on with my back. I had this fan that would come into the gym to watch me train and he noticed something was wrong with the way I moved, seeing me somewhat limp when I walked. As it turned out, he was a physical therapist and personal fitness trainer who today trains “50 Cent”, Mr. Jay Cardiello. He showed me exercises for my hip flexors and in effect extended my career. Jay is, to this very day, a great friend that was recently featured in OK Magazine, Women’s Health and Muscle and Performance, among others.
MP: You fought as recently as a few months ago. Do you plan to continue?
Actually, I wasn’t planning on fighting, and I’m not making excuses. I hate saying it because it sounds like I’m making excuses, but a week before that bout I was in the hospital with pneumonia. I really don’t know. I was very frustrated. The only reason that I fought is because today’s fighters are not really all that great. They’re not that good. Don’t look at my age, look at my ability. I have never been a partier. I am very health conscious. It’s been my heritage, my background, me being Jamaican and where I grew up. It’s about eating the right fruits and roots, all natural and holistic. I’ve never defiled my body. And I’m still able to get in there and do it. Today, if somebody wants some tough hard sparring they call me or they bring me in camp at the later stages when a fighter is in better shape. If some guy is beating me up the first week, the second week it’s even, the third week I’m beating him, the fourth week they get rid of me!
MP: How do you wish to be remembered?
As a workhorse. A guy that gave it his all. I was never a big knockout puncher like Mike Tyson or Roy Jones JR., the kind that was killing people, beating them up. I was once told be somebody “You’re the guy on the card that everybody is going to remember. They might not remember your name, but you are the guy that is going to raise them to their feet, because you are going to get hit, and you are going to hit.” I was a crowd pleasing fighter. I gave people what they wanted to see - an action-packed fight.
Alfred Cole
Nickname: “Ice”
Division: Heavyweight
Professional Record: 35-15-3, 16 KO's
Date Opponent W-L-D Location Result
1989-03-25 Lorenzo Thomas 1-1-0 Las Vegas, USA W TKO 3
1989-04-25 Guy Sonnenberg 8-0-2 Las Vegas, USA W UD 4
1989-05-27 Jack Basting 9-4-0 Bismarck, USA W MD 4
1989-06-24 Aundrey Nelson 2-0-0 Atlantic City, USA W PTS 4
1989-08-15 John Beckles 2-0-1 West Orange, USA W TKO 4
1989-09-12 Drake Thadzi 14-1-1 Atlantic City, USA W PTS 6
1989-10-20 Harrison Pearson 2-0-0 Atlantic City, USA W KO 5
1989-11-14 Luis Castillo 3-1-0 West Orange, USA W TKO 3
1990-01-07 Ed Mack 7-0-0 Atlantic City, USA W UD 6
1990-03-22 Jerry Dorsey 7-3-0 Atlantic City, USA W TKO 3
1990-05-03 Tommy Richardson 8-4-0 Newark, USA W TKO 5
1990-06-12 Chris Collins 2-4-0 Fort Bragg, USA W TKO 5
1990-06-24 Keith McMurray 12-7-1 Atlantic City, USA W PTS 8
1990-08-05 Jesse Shelby 19-8-1 Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1990-09-27 Matthew Brooks 8-2-1 Stanhope, USA W TKO 4
1990-12-13 Leon Taylor 12-4-0 Atlantic City, USA L SD 10
1991-03-08 Leon Taylor 13-4-0 Atlantic City, USA W UD 12
vacant USBA Cruiserweight Title
1991-05-09 Nate Miller 18-2-0 Newark, USA W PTS 12
USBA Cruiserweight Title
1991-07-25 Frankie Swindell 19-5-0 Atlantic City, USA W TKO 11
USBA Cruiserweight Title
1991-09-25 Mike DeVito 11-6-2 Stanhope, USA W TKO 3
1991-12-12 Govoner Chavers 9-2-1 Atlantic City, USA W TKO 6
1992-07-30 James Warring 14-1-0 Stanhope, USA W UD 12
IBF Cruiserweight Title
1993-02-28 Uriah Grant 22-9-0 Atlantic City, USA W UD 12
IBF Cruiserweight Title
1993-07-16 Glenn McCrory 30-7-1 Moscow, Russia W UD 12
IBF Cruiserweight Title
1993-11-17 Vincent Boulware 26-4-1 Atlantic City, USA W TKO 5
IBF Cruiserweight Title
1994-07-23 Nate Miller 23-3-0 Bismarck, USA W UD 12
IBF Cruiserweight Title
1995-03-18 Mike Dixon 15-16-0 Pensacola, USA W TKO 8
1995-06-24 Uriah Grant 23-10-0 Atlantic City, USA W UD 12
IBF Cruiserweight Title
1996-01-12 Tim Witherspoon 43-4-0 New York, USA L UD 10
1996-11-22 Matthew Charleston 23-7-0 Tampa, USA W KO 1
1997-06-20 Michael Grant 24-0-0 Atlantic City, USA L RTD 10
vacant International Boxing Council Heavyweight Title
1998-05-08 Carlos Monroe 11-5-0 Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1998-09-04 Derrick Roddy 18-13-0 Atlantic City, USA W TKO 3
1998-12-08 Kirk Johnson 26-0-0 New York, USA D PTS 10
1999-03-20 Kirk Johnson 26-0-1 Tacoma, USA L UD 10
1999-10-29 Brian Nix 10-4-0 Montreal, Canada W TKO 8
2000-02-19 Corrie Sanders 35-1-0 Brakpan, South Africa L TKO 1
World Boxing Union Heavyweight Title
2000-04-27 Frankie Swindell 37-19-2 New York, USA D PTS 10
2000-09-14 Terrence Lewis 27-7-0 New York, USA L UD 10
2000-12-08 David Bostice 24-2-1 Las Vegas, USA L UD 10
2001-05-25 Jameel McCline 24-2-3 Norfolk, USA L UD 10
2001-08-04 Juan Carlos Gomez 32-0-0 Las Vegas, USA L TKO 6
2002-01-26 Sherman Williams 18-6-1 New York, USA L UD 10
2002-06-29 Vinny Maddalone 15-0-0 Atlantic City, USA W UD 6
2002-08-31 Sedreck Fields 17-15-1 Bridgehampton, USA L UD 10
2003-01-30 Jeremy Williams 39-4-0 Portland, USA D PTS 10
2003-03-01 David Izon 27-5-0 Las Vegas, USA W UD 8
2003-08-22 Joe Lenhart 11-18-3 Las Vegas, USA W UD 6
2003-10-30 Lance Whitaker 26-2-1 Coconut Creek, USA L UD 12
vacant NABA Heavyweight Title
2004-03-11 Hasim Rahman 35-5-1 Glen Burnie, USA L UD 10
2005-03-03 Sultan Ibragimov 14-0-0 New York, USA L TKO 3
WBO Asia Pacific Heavyweight Title
2008-09-05 Joey Abell 20-2-0 Karlstad, Sweden W SD 6
2009-09-04 Timur Ibragimov 25-2-1 Karlstad, Sweden L UD 6
]]> By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
Our General Boxing forum is a great place to catch-up on the daily ramblings of our sport discussing the ever-developing behind the scenes rumor and activity. It’s also a great place to get with other hardcore fans from around the world to ponder your hard earned dollars relative to potential pay per view investments. Touching briefly on that note, “Jones vs. Hopkins II” by OKMike asks you the fan if you are interested in this decade-late rematch and willing to shell-out the considerable amount more than likely associated with their marquee status, and even more to the point, if you are even interested in the match-up given Jones recent one-round lathering at the hands of Australia’s Danny Green. The RSR January Prediction League continues to roll along despite some of the disappointing cancellations that have served to complicate what originally looked to be a very colorful month in the sport.
Holding on to the lead he assumed previous to my last update by the slimmest of margins, OKMike is but a mere four bouts away from taking the first championship win for 2010 with both league oppressor JakeaMeyers and AnthonySullivan but a mere heartbeat behind. Amazingly enough however, behind that wave of pugilistic know-it-alls lurks Remeanors and yours truly, a hair or two behind and positioned just well enough to ensure that one good call and with a minimum of luck a big come from behind win remains a distinct possibility. Stay tuned. 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 February 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]]>
RSR Press Release
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 January 28th, for a night full of great talk about our beloved sport of Boxing.]]>Bag Hosted by Brian Wilbur
Listen up boxing fans. If you want to see a potentially great fight between two guys who never back down and love to brawl then I have the perfect fight for you. I was stoked when I heard the news that the fight between Yusaf Mack and Glen Johnson was salvaged. This terrific light heavyweight crossroads bout was originally scheduled to be on the undercard of Shane Mosley vs. Andre Berto. When Berto pulled out due to family issues caused by the earthquake in Haiti, the entire card was scrapped leaving Johnson and Mack out in the cold.
ESPN2 came to the rescue and added Mack vs. Johnson to their already scheduled Friday Night Fights broadcast on February 5th from Miami. Anyone who is even remotely into boxing needs to check that fight out. Both men are one good win away from a title shot in this interesting championship caliber match.
Glen Johnson is a former world champion who is the definition of guts and toughness. He has been one of my favorite fighters to watch for a long time now. I especially like his attitude that he will fight anyone, anytime, anywhere; a mentality that is rare in boxers these days.
Yusaf Mack is no slouch either. Mack, a legitimate contender, is an all action slugger who has never been in a boring fight. He goes after his opponents with ruthless aggression and a Philadelphia attitude. I expect Mack and Johnson to go to war in a fight of the year candidate. This is a can’t miss fight!
Two time Olympic gold medalist from Cuba Guillermo Rigondeaux against TBA was originally going to be the main event on Friday Night Fights and will still fight on the card. Rigondeaux has only four pro fights under his belt but with his extensive amateur background he is as pro ready as a newcomer could possibly be. Also on the card is a rematch of a draw between Florida based prospects Ed Paredes and Joey Hernandez. Friday Night Fights on February 5th went from a mediocre show to one of the best ESPN cards in a long time with the addition of Mack vs. Johnson.
I was looking forward to Mosley vs. Berto, but how the situation played out is even better. Mosley is now negotiating with Floyd Mayweather and Mack vs. Johnson will be on TV, when before it was going to be a non-televised undercard bout. It would have been a shame if a terrific action fight of this caliber did not make it on TV.
Enjoy this guys, a free fight of this caliber does not come around very often.
Now onto the mailbag. The first submission comments on last Saturday’s impressive performances from he miniature weight classes. Juan Manuel Lopez scored a 7th round TKO over Steve Luevano and Yuriorkis Gamboa scored a 2nd round TKO over Roger Mtagwa. Both are among the most impressive wins on their respective records.
Juanma and Gambao Annihilate Foes
I don’t know about you Wilbur, but that was some impressive stuff from Lopez and Gamboa. They were up against pretty decent opponents and made them look like children. Especially Gamboa, man he has some serious power and swings for the fences every time. Now I hear that Bob Arum wants to put them in against each other. What do you think about that? Who would win?
-Hector
Hector,
Poor Steve Luevano man, he just came along at the wrong time. I think he has good skills and could have had a very long reign at featherweight under the right circumstances. Too bad for him he ran into an awesome fighter like Juan Manuel Lopez, though I commend him for taking on the tough challenge. Lopez took apart Luevano as impressively as rival Celstino Cabellero took apart the comparable Steve Molitor. Perhaps he was knowingly trying to upstage Caballero.
Speaking of upstaging, Yuriorkis Gamboa had a ridiculously easier time with Roger Mtagwa than Juanma a few months ago. Gamboa, once again, proved how unbelievably explosive he is, although he is pretty careless with his aggression.
Gamboa’s reckless nature is exactly what I see as his undoing in a fight with Juanma Lopez. Yuriorkis has been dropped before for making mistakes. Against a patient, powerful, and skilled pro like Lopez, I think Gamboa gets punished for his wild offensive tactics. Juanma Lopez vs. Gamboa would be a fun fight while it lasted. Two promising young guns in a brawl is the kind of fight description that makes me smile.
Since Gamboa and Lopez are both signed to Top Rank, this should be an easy fight to make. I know Arum was toying with the idea of pitting these two against each other if they both won on Saturday. And of course it would be fun since both are explosive, so I certainly wouldn’t mind it.
However the best fight that can be made in the super bantamweight division, and the fight that I want to see the most is Juanma Lopez vs. Celestino Caballero. Lopez and Caballero are the two best boxers in the division by far so they eventually have to face each other, I would hope. I know “Pelenchin” wants the fight; he has been calling out Lopez for some time now. We’ll see if Juanma stays in the featherweight division permanently (he won the IBF Featherweight trinket with his win over Luevano) or if he will go back down in weight to take on his biggest challenge. I am hoping for the latter since there are few interesting opponents besides Yuriorkis Gamboa, and maybe Chris John, at 126 pounds.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley??
Mr. B,
IF this fight happens, and that's a GIGANTIC IF, it will not be on March 13th. There's a tremendous irony here in that Oscar De La Hoya, Richard Schaefer, and the Mayweathers are going to have to require Mosley to submit to Olympic-style testing. After all, they can't require Olympic-style testing of Pacquiao, who's never tested positive, and then NOT require it of Shane Mosley, who has admitted under oath to using steroids.
Golden Boy Promotions is in a very weak position here, at least from a public relations standpoint. I know the boxing public has a short memory, but it would require nothing short of full blown amnesia for this fight to fly without Olympic-style testing. But who knows, perhaps Shane will be on-board with it.
Even if Team Mosley and Mayweather are able to traverse the rocky waters of Olympic-style testing, I don't think the fight will happen. I just cannot envision a scenario in which Mayweather will agree to fight Mosley. I hope I'm wrong, I really do.
-Tito
Tito,
Mayweather should agree to fight Mosley because that would be a very easy win for him. This is a horrible styles match up for Mosley. If I had to design a boxer who had the best set of skills and talents to defeat Shane Mosley I would come up with Floyd Mayweather.
Antonio Margarito, as good as he was, came directly at Mosley and was tailor made for Sugar Shane. Mayweather is a slick boxer with a good jab, exactly the type of fighter that Mosley has struggled with in the past, losing decisions to Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright. I see Floyd winning that fight by a 119-109 type score. There would be nothing to fear, so for that reason I think Floyd will take the fight.
Though Mayweather has ducked Mosley in the past, the competition he feels from Pacquiao to be the best will force him to take on a better quality opponent than he has been fighting. Although I would hardly consider fighting Shane Mosley taking a chance for Mayweather since he has such an overwhelming style advantage.
As far as the Olympic style testing, it would probably hurt Mayweather's defense in his defamation suit against Pacquiao if he did not demand USADA testing from Shane Mosley like he did against Pacquiao. Not to demand this style of testing from Mosley would mean that Mayweather is unconcerned if Mosley is on steroids because he knows he will win anyway. Likewise, it also means that Mayweather was scared that Pacquiao could have beaten him.
Not asking Mosley would be very hypocritical like you say. How could you have this issue be a deal breaker against a guy with no history of steroids and then not care at all against a known steroid user? This would give fuel and arguments to those who feel that Mayweather created this testing issue as a way to duck the fight against Pacquiao. At the very least it would reveal that Floyd was nervous and/or concerned about Pacquiao’s very realistic shot of defeating him; much more so than his concern over Mosley.
HGH Is An Imaginary Substance
In your mailbags you said that HGH would not be able to be found in a blood test if done after the fight instead of before the fight. Yeah right! So far you haven’t given the specific Brand/Name/Maker of this so called HGH which has this effect. Do you know? If not, then it's just an illusion, a speculation, a fabricated story. How can anybody say that they exist when no one knows or sees that they are? Has anybody detected it from somebody?
Taking this blood test, even everyday, if this HGH doesn't exist is idiotic stupidity. You know what? This is the reason why Pacquiao will not submit, because he thinks he is a victim of bad publicity, to trick him and implore a very bad idea that he is a cheater. Why are they asking this to him only? Should Pacquiao submit and fight Mayweather? Why? Because Mayweather say so? To reward him with 40 million dollars? Nahhhh, I don't think so! Now who lost?
-Jun Andan
Jun,
You don’t even believe that HGH exists? This is going to be an easy one. There are many producers of HGH marketed under different names. Nutropin (Genentech), Humatrope (Lilly), Genotropin (Pfizer), Norditropin (Novo), and Saizen (Merck Serono).
This link describes how HGH is undetectable 24 hours after use: http://sportsanddrugs.procon.org/viewresource.asp?resourceID=002063#hgh
This is another link that states "Blood screening can only detect HGH taken within the previous 24 to 48 hours."
http://mmajunkie.com/news/16045/ask-the-doc-with-steroid-and-hgh-testing-is-blood-or-urine-best.mma
The purpose of HGH is to take it in training to make you faster and stronger. The positive effect on your body stays long after the drug is undetectable and gone from your body.
Okay Maybe HGH Is Real After All
Will I guess that answers all, but still Pacquiao has all the rights to reject Mayweather’s demand since it is not required by the NSAC.
I guess all athletes especially Americans are using them, especially those sports and competitions that are not covered by random blood testing rules, as they can easily acquire them! So the people now are right that Pacquiao is using HGH because of his superior speed and strength, and refusing to undergo the random blood testing demanded by Mayweather!
Poor Pacquiao destroyed by the press and the Mayweather camp without throwing a single punch. Do you agree with this Brian? Too bad for Pacquiao. I think he should retire then and Mayweather shall be instead considered P4P best because he is clean and stands a very noble cause for a cleaner boxing, he also exposed Pacquiao as a cheater. I guess this is the trend now of Boxing.
-Jun Andan
Jun,
I don’t think that Pacquiao was destroyed after this situation. His fight against Joshua Clottey is selling very well right now. He still has the title of the #1 pound for pound best boxer and tons of respect. This issue with blood testing was just a speed bump for him and raised questions from some people.
I personally don’t think that Pacquiao is on performance enhancing drugs. However when you say that all athletes that compete in a sport that does not have random blood testing are likely on PEDs, I agree that they at least have the opportunity to take PEDs without being caught.
That is what I have been trying to explain this whole time. I am not trying to say that Pacquiao is a doper. I am simply stating the fact that the current drug testing methods are ineffective and Pacquiao, or any other boxer, could easily be taking PEDs without fear of being caught. As Victor Conte of BALCO said, the holes in current drug testing procedures are so big you could drive a Mack truck through them.
HGH Releasers
Brian,
I’ve read an article about the USADA concerning HGH and PEDS. What bothered me most was about HGH Releasers. Even the highest pharmaceutical agencies of America or any others around the world can’t detect HGH, and even more difficult are HGH Releasers.
That is why even blood testing can’t detect HGH. Then if I’m a simple fan of boxing and I knew it, how about the experts of boxing and trainers in any other sports? The most intriguing part is they said “only a dumb boxer will be caught using HGH”. THEN RANDOM BLOOD TESTING IS USELESS IF NOBODY WILL BE CAUGHT! Floyd’s camp knew it better than anybody else then what really is the purpose of testing? The answer to that question is to weaken Pacquiao. Am I correct?
My last question is do you think that the NSAC knew that blood testing was useless because of HGH Releasers and that is why they stuck with urine testing?
In my own mere knowledge, HGH doesn’t train nor teach technique, it only enhances what you have? What if you have nothing to enhance? Vargas tested positive for steroids but he lost to Oscar De La Hoya. So what’s the use of it?
-Paclander
Paclander,
You make a very good point. Though the random blood testing is better (at least there is some chance of catching HGH users) than urine testing, it is still not a very good test. Even if Pacquiao was doping with HGH, there is still a solid chance he would get away with it even with Olympic-style drug testing. There is a reason why no Olympic athlete has ever tested dirty for HGH, and it is not because they haven’t been using it.
Thanks for bringing HGH Releasers to my attention as I had not heard of them until you brought them up. The HGH Releasers are not HGH the hormone, they are supplements that stimulate the pituitary gland to release natural HGH that your body makes. Brilliant! Well, brilliant for athletes trying to gain an edge, but not so hot for the poor chemists who are trying to catch them. The invention of HGH releasers makes it even harder, almost impossible, for a smart user to get caught.
With all of this said, I am starting to agree with Freddie Roach who said that HGH can’t be detected by urine or blood. What he should have said is that HGH can’t be detected by urine or blood if you know what you are doing. The random blood tests demanded by Mayweather seem like a moot point now as there are easy ways to get around them if you were trying to cheat.
The NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission) probably saw how little could be gained from blood testing and decided it was not worth the money or the harm it could potentially cause boxers from poking them with a needle. Boxers do have to have an annual blood test, but that is more to test for diseases than PEDs. Sticking with urine testing for the time being seems like it is the right move until a more improved set of testing comes along.
You are right in that PEDs do not teach technique. However there is no question that they will make you better. If you have two identical twins with the same technique and training, but only one is on PEDs and one is not; the doper will be bigger, stronger, faster, and better. If Fernando Vargas had not been on steroids he probably would have done worse against De La Hoya than he actually did. The edge that you gain is not going to make you invincible, but they will certainly make you better if you use them correctly. Bottom line is that PEDs work and they enhance what you already have.
Brian Viloria Collapsed After Fight
Let us all keep Brian Viloria in our prayers so that he has speedy recovery. First our man Z Gorres and now this…I really hope that Viloria is okay. This is getting really scary.
-Mike
Mike,
When a fighter collapses after a fight it usually means that he has a severe subdural hematoma and they have a 50/50 shot of staying alive. Brian Viloria’s case looked very scary since he took sustained punishment in the loss against Carlos Tamara and collapsed in the dressing room, which is exactly what most subdural hematoma cases look like. However the doctors in the Philippines are saying that Viloria simply suffers from exhaustion and is in stable condition. Thank goodness since that is a much less severe what I had feared. Still this sounds like a serious health issue and I wish that Brian Viloria makes a full and speedy recovery. He is a good guy and an exciting fighter.
That’s it for now, thanks for reading. Be sure to send in your emails to be used for next week’s bag. Take care and see you next time!
]]>
As he prepares for his February 6 showdown in Newark against former world light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek, 2004 U.S. Olympian Jason “Big Six” Estrada’s nose is out of place and it doesn’t have anything to do with sparring sessions gone wrong. Estrada (15-2, 3 KOs) feels disrespected by Team Adamek but not, surprisingly, for Adamek looking past him to a reported April 24 fight against Chris Arreola, rather their apparent belief that Adamek (39-1, 27 KOs) has faster hands than Estrada, whose lightning-like hand speed for a 240-pound heavyweight has been his calling card. “Looking past me towards Arreola doesn’t really bother me,” Estrada said. “I think it’s silly and they’ll hear about it after the fight. I never talk too much but I’m going to talk like never before after this fight. I hope they keep thinking about fighting somebody else. I’m keeping track of everything and got names of people to talk about after I beat Adamek.
I’m going to shutdown his plans. “I’m in the gym with sparring partners that are similar to him – tough, stand-up with decent hand speed. They made a big mistake offering me this fight and an even bigger mistake thinking he has faster hands than me. I’ve heard that they’ve brought in guys to work with who are big but don’t have fast hands. That makes me laugh. How, all of a sudden is he going to have faster hands than me? I am bigger, stronger, faster, quicker and younger than him. I’m just a better all-around fighter.” Estrada also notes that he’s never been down and Adamek was floored twice as a light heavyweight. “I know he likes to pressure his opponents but how is he going to do that against a bigger guy like me,” Estrada rhetorically asked. “I’m a heavyweight, not a light heavyweight. I’ve never taken big hits like he has. They say he has a great chin, but so do I, and we know he has been hurt at least twice….by light heavyweights! They weren’t flash knockdowns, either. I’ve never been hurt in my whole career. I don’t see him changing his come forward, tough guy style at this stage. He was a good light heavyweight, good cruiserweight, but I’m a real heavyweight.” Providence-native Estrada was one of the most highly decorated American amateur boxers ever, compiling an amazing 261-14 record in U.S. competition. He was the first boxer to win both the U.S. Nationals and U.S. Challenge three years (2001-2003) in a row. During his 5-year pro career, the 29-year-old Estrada has beaten solid heavyweights such as Lance Whitaker, Zuri Lawrence, Derek Bryant, Charles Sufford and Robert Hawkins.
Adamek’s lone win as a heavyweight, Estrada noted, was against an over-the-hill Andrew Golota. “Jason has had his best training camp,” his promoter Jimmy Burchfield (Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc.) remarked. “He’s never been in better shape, mentally or physically. He’s going to surprise a lot of people February 6th. Not me, though; I’ve always believed in him and I know what he’s capable of doing.” By fight night, Estrada will have trained a full eight weeks for “Heavy Artillery,” much longer than ever before, and “Big Six” doesn’t mind fighting in Adamek’s backyard. “Training camp has been smooth,” Jason explained. “I’ve never had this much time to prepare for a fight, maybe five weeks and a couple of days, at best. There’s been plenty of time to get over little physical problems suffered in camp, not like in the past when I’d go straight from doing very little to hard training. I’m much more comfortable than I’ve ever been because of this extended time in camp. Mentally, it really helps. “This is a big fight for me. Beating Adamek should take me to where I thought I’d be by now in the heavyweight division. Fighting in front of all his Polish fans doesn’t bother me at all. I’ve never had a problem being the villain. His fans will have nothing to do with the fight. It’s just going to be me and him in the ring. I’m half Puerto Rican with a lot of family, friends and fans coming to the fight, especially from New Jersey and New York. I know there will be a lot more Polish fans there for him, but my Hispanic fans will be loud, too.”
]]>
By John Pitroff
I have decided to do something a bit different for this column. Wrestling news nowadays moves very quickly, and a lot of times it is hard to keep up with it all. I like to cover the bigger topics in long form in my columns, but some of these topics aren’t worthy of 2-4 pages of me blabbing on and on about. There are important issues that I love to write about, research, and dissect in my columns, but I feel as though a lot of times I am missing out on some of the weekly news that has happened when I go so in depth on one subject. So, what I will do is bring up topics that I have read about that I feel are important and give my take on them. If you ever have anything from current wrestling news that you would like to read about, just send me an email and let me know what you would like to hear. Wrestling is never short on news, and with these past few weeks being so busy in wrestling, there was a lot I would have missed out on if I didn’t cover them like this. Thanks and enjoy.
Six Sided Ring: TNA is thinking about getting rid of the six sided ring. And, by TNA, I mean Hulk Hogan. There are some things that I like about the six sided ring. It gives TNA a different look right away to differentiate their company from others. Someone who turns on the TV to watch wrestling will realize they are in a new age of wrestling when they see six sides on the ring. It allows for cooler looking steal cages. However, I think it has run its course in TNA. Although I have been a fan, I am more of a traditionalist. It was a nice thing to try out and I respect the attempt to be original, but I have to say, I agree with Hulk Hogan here. It is called the “squared circle” and it should remain that. If TNA wants to make it big time, they need to go back to the old school. New school is cool to try, but as I said, it isn’t doing anything for the product. TNA tried to sell it as though it was for the X division so guys had more places to do moves, but a lot of the times, it is just distracting. Plus, it shortens the rest of the ring. For some reason, it always looks like the matches are taking place in a play pen. It is much like a lot of TNA storylines and match types: way too gimmicky. The traditional four sided ring is where all the best matches of the past have taken place. Can you really imagine The Rock vs. Austin at WrestleMania X-Seven inside a six sided ring? How about Hogan vs. Andre? Andre wouldn’t know what to do in there. Imagine The Kennel From Hell match in a six sided ring! It would have been even worse, and I didn’t think that was possible! It would have been worse than me stealing ripping on the Kennel From Hell from Mick Foley’s writing.
There is nothing like watching old tapes and old matches with the traditional four sided ring, goes going face to face in the middle, four sets of three ropes on each side, four sets of three turnbuckles. Tradition wins out here, and I think it will be very good for TNA to go back to the roots of wrestling. They already have the young guys wrestling and some new faces making a difference, so that covers the new school. Time to get rid of two sides of the ring.
Orlando Jordan returns: No one cared.
The Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels Raw segment: I’ve never been a huge fan of bringing back old storylines for the sake of one pay off match, and this segment was no different. A friend of mine kept mentioning how he wanted to see this so bad, since there was 12-13 years of history involved in it. That is the very reason I didn’t want to see it. Wrestling should be making new storylines, creating new Montreal screw jobs, not bringing back 12 year old storylines that newer fans do not understand. I wasn’t watching wrestling during The Montreal Screwjob. I have seen it many, many times, and I have researched it extensively. I wrote a high school paper about it. But, it isn’t moving WWE in the direction they need to go. They need to be establishing new big storylines, not relying on their past because they can’t think of anything else. I honestly did not really care what Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels did in the ring Monday Night. Unless they were having another classic, I didn’t really care. Seriously this Montreal Screwjob has already been covered from every conceivable angle by WWE itself, including a long piece on the short lived show, WWE Confidential, when Bret Hart was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and on DVDs for both Bret and Shawn.
I did like Bret’s speech. He had a lot to say after not being able to really speak his mind for a long time in a WWE ring. But, the segment to me, fell sort of flat. Sure, it was cool to see those two in the ring again, but it isn’t like Hart is going to lace up the boots against Michaels. And, even if he is, it just reminds of WCW circa 1998-1999 when they just used old WWF feuds and redid them. I have already seen Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels in their primes against each other, I don’t need to see them standing in the ring again for no apparent reason than for a totally gimmicked apology. Seriously that hug at the end of the interview from Bret Hart was easily the most fake thing I have ever seen in wrestling. Just look at the look on Bret’s face. He has to look away and barely pat Michaels on the back. All of this for a Hart-Vince match at WrestleMania? I’m not interested.
Talks of Michaels vs. Undertaker II at WrestleMania: I really can’t decide on this one. Something in me really wants to see these two go at WrestleMania again. Something in me knows that it will never be what the first one was because that one had such a great build. You can never reproduce the emotion of those two classic WWE ring veterans showing their stuff for the first time together at a WrestleMania Last year, before WrestleMania, that match was hyped up so much, it was almost impossible to live up to it. People were calling it a classic before they even set foot in the ring. But, not only did Michaels and Taker live up to it, they easily surpassed it. I just read in PWI that Michaels vs. Flair is match of the decade. What an insult.
Michaels vs. Undertaker last year was easily match of the decade. It had the intensity, the build, the storyline, the timing, and the perfect stage. I really would like to see them go again, but I don’t want to be let down. I’m not so sure they could ever have a better match than last year’s classic. I would love to see them in the ring again, but the fan in me, and I’m sure in everyone else, would always compare it to the one the year before. Last year’s had the timing, I’m not so sure this years has it. Look, I am already talking negatively about it and it isn’t even a done deal yet, so it already shows that expectations are lower. If expectations are lower, however, that just means they can surpass them. I’m not doubting Undertaker, and I’m sure as hell not doubting Michaels (he has never let me down when it comes to a big match), but then again, just how much better can you get? How do you improve on wrestling heaven? Everything about their match last year was flawless, I’m just afraid that if they try it this year again, it won’t be able to be quite the same thing because it has already been done on the grandest stage of them all. In addition, I feel as though if they do try to have this match and it is a letdown, it sort of takes something away from the first match. It would be disrespectful to their WrestleMania classic to be seen in a worse light because they tried it again when they shouldn’t have. Sort of like when Dumb & Dumberer came out and somehow made me dislike the fact that they spit on the name of Dumb & Dumber with such garbage. Remember, a lot of times, sequels suck and taint the image of their original. But, if WWE does decide to go with it once again, I will surely be checking it out. And, even if it doesn’t come close to last year’s, it will still easily steal the show and be better than probably anything else you will see in wrestling in 2010.
TNA Genesis PPV: Supposedly this is their biggest show ever, and as of writing time, they have only announced one match. AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle for the TNA Championship. Good. That is going to a great match. But, the only other thing they have announced is Hulk Hogan’s return to PPV. He just returned to TV, why should I care that he is now going to be doing the same thing but now I have to pay for it? TNA should have announced some Genesis matches and promoted it better on their live Impact when it went head to head against Raw. It was a perfect time to push the PPV, since they had their most viewers ever. Wrestling PPVs need build up, they need matches announced weeks in advance, they need feuds culminating.
And, TNA has sort of dropped the ball with not announcing more matches beforehand. I understand that it was only about two weeks before Genesis that all the changes went down in the company, but they should have booked some matches in advance to show they cared, and to show they were working on the future. Then again, this PPV is something I am excited for. I would love to be able to check it out to see how a PPV is run under the new administration. I was pretty entertained on Monday, so I want to see how they can put together a PPV now. This is almost as big as their live Monday show, because if they prove their PPVs are worthy of buying to the new audience that they picked up over the last few months, then they will be making the next move towards being a big time player in wrestling.
WWE releases a bunch of stars from developmental you have never heard of: I will not bore you with this.
Ending of guest host storyline discussed: Please let this come true! I have never been a fan of this. I think it distracts from wrestling. Some of these guest hosts have been unbearable. Wrestling has never seemed like more of a circus than when they have random actors, rappers, and entertainment figures running around a wrestling ring like they belong there. Wrestling isn’t for the masses, wrestling isn’t easy, but when WWE keeps putting these guys with no experience out there week after week, it makes fans think that anyone can do it. I guess anyone can do it, but not very well. These celebrities promoting their own garbage have taken away hours and hours of time that could have been used to build characters, storylines, and wrestlers that are going to be around for a while.
Do I really need Timbaland standing in a wrestling ring booking matches? The entire idea is ludicrous: A guy that knows nothing of wrestling will come to the show and make booking decisions. It doesn’t make any sense. It has turned Raw into The Tonight Show. Guests acting like they really care, but they are just there to promote whatever it is that they are there to promote. I realize that it gives WWE more mainstream attention, but if WWE wants to be totally entertainment, just get rid of the wrestling ring and make it a circus show. It has slowly been getting worse and worse with this idea, and I will be glad to see it go sooner rather than later.
Kaz & Traci get married: No one cares….you know where I’m going with this…
]]>
IBF/WBO/IBO world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (53-3, 47 KOs) defends his titles against Eddie Chambers (35-1, 18 KOs) on March 20th at ESPRIT arena Düsseldorf, Germany. Chambers is the current WBO #1 and the official challenger. On fight night, the arena, homefield of 2. Bundesleague Club Fortuna Düsseldorf, will have a capacity of 51.000 seats. “I am really happy to be back in the ring,” said Klitschko. “I have only good memories of Düsseldorf, my only fight there I won by TKO. This fight is going to take place in a giant stadium. The audience of over 50,000 spectators is a further motivation for me. Chambers is currently the best heavyweight boxer from the US.”
27-year old Philadelphian Chambers won a world title eliminator against odds-on favourite Alexander Dimitrenko (Universum Boxing). A few months before, he had beaten previous WBC champion Samuel Peter. “I worked very hard for this championship fight. In the way I surprised Dimitrenko I am going to take Klitschko by surprise and will collect his three belts. This is a great chance. He is the favourite, but I am confident and take his belts to the US.”
It’s Klitschko’s first fight since his title defense against Ruslan Chagaev in June 2009 in front of 61,000 spectators in Gelsenkirchen, Germany (TKO 9).
“The Esprit arena is a state-of-the-art stadium and we are looking forward to presenting another boxing event in a football stadium,” said Bernd Bönte, Managing Director of the Klitschko Management Group. “Together with the officials of the arena, who are very supportive in any way, we are planning a great event with well-priced tickets and expect to have a sold out venue.”
Ticket sale starts on January 28th at 3 p.m. German time exclusively on www.eventim.de. From January 29th tickets will also be available under +49-(0)1805-12 13 14 and at box offices nationwide. Ticket prices start as low as € 20.
In Germany, Klitschko-Chambers will be broadcast live on RTL.
]]>Mikkel Kessler presented his new gym to the media today when he hosted an open training session in Copenhagen. The Viking Warrior cannot wait to get back in the ring and become world champion again. The 30-year-old will meet WBC Champion Carl Froch in the second round of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, and Kessler says he’s already looking forward to it. “I really had a bad night against Andre Ward, but I had a good rest, analyzed everything with my team and now I am ready for Froch,” he said. “I have just started my preparation with my new coach Jimmy Montoya. Things have been going really well. We are training very hard here in Copenhagen and will move camp to Berlin next week. I feel very hungry without a world title and I will take the WBC belt from Froch.”
Jimmy Montoya has no doubts that Kessler will bounce back. “Mikkel has so much talent and he will show it against Froch,” Montoya said. “In this tournament the best are fighting the best and obviously Froch is a very strong fighter but Mikkel is better and he will beat him in front of his home fans in April.”
Promoter Kalle Sauerland added: “That was not the real Mikkel Kessler in the ring against Ward. But Jimmy Montoya has already started to bring back the real Viking Warrior. The clash with Froch will certainly be an exciting one and I am 100 percent sure that Mikkel will notch his first three points in the Super Six, especially with the support of his Danish fans.”
]]>
European Middleweight Champion Matthew Macklin will link up with new trainer Freddie Roach in Los Angeles next week as he begins preparations for the first defence of his title. Macklin defends his belt against the highly touted Dmitry Pirog in April and he will prepare for the unbeaten Russian at Roach’s legendary Wildcard Gym. Roach is generally regarded as one of boxing’s best trainers and has been the guiding force behind Manny Pacquiao’s rise to become the best pound for pound fighter in the World. Macklin believes linking up with Roach could prove crucial as he looks to make an assault on a World title in 2010.
“I spent some time training at the Wildcard at the start of my career and it’s always been on my mind to go back there at some point,” said Macklin. “When you see the improvements that Freddie has made with fighters like Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan it shows you just how good a trainer he is. The next few years in my career are going to be massive and to have Freddie in my corner will be a huge bonus.
“It’s a huge opportunity for me because not only is it a chance to work with the most successful trainer in the world but the sparring over there is unbelievable. The Wildcard Gym is full of champions so everyday you’re testing yourself against the very best.”
Roach says he’s delighted to have the opportunity to work with Macklin. “I like Matt, he’s a good kid with a lot of ability and plenty of ambition,” said Roach. “I’ve had some good times working with Irish fighters like Steve Collins, Bernard Dunne and Wayne McCullough in the past so hopefully I can have some success with Matt too.
“The middleweight division is wide open right now so I think there could be some big fights out there for Matt. We’ve got to get past Pirog first though and that’s a tough fight so we’re just thinking about that right now.”
Following an excellent 2009 that saw him win the British and European titles with a pair of sensational knockouts and an impressive win over Uruguayan Champ Rafa Sosa Pintos in Dublin Macklin is on the cusp of a World title fight with only Pirog standing in his way.
“I’ve been ticking over and I’ll travel to LA next week to start working with Freddie and preparing for the Pirog fight. It’s a big fight because as well as being a mandatory defence of my European title we’re both ranked in the top ten in the World so it’s effectively a World title eliminator as well.”
Macklin had been based in Manchester with trainer Joe Gallagher and admits he will be leaving Gallagher’s gym with a heavy heart having enjoyed so much success with him.
“It’s bitter sweet to be honest because I’m sorry to be leaving Joe but o his credit he understood that this was an opportunity I had to take. I’ve enjoyed the most successful spell of my career with him and Joe’s been a huge part of that success. He’s brought out levels of fitness in me that I didn’t even know existed and he’s always had the tactics spot on. He’s an excellent trainer and I know he’s going to go on to become one of the best trainers out there.”
]]>By Geno McGahee
Steroids & Boxing
The Manny Pacquiao allegations still linger over boxing and the public is divided somewhere around the middle. It will not affect the upcoming pay per view showdown with Joshua Clottey. The show will go on and it will be very successful. Clottey is a great opponent…far better than Paulie Malignaggi or Yuri Foreman, two other considered challengers.
Clottey has a much better chance to upset the “Pacman” then Ricky Hatton or Miguel Cotto did. His tight defense and consistency is something that Pacquiao will have to figure out. What Team Pacquiao is counting on, I’m sure, is the susceptibility of Clottey to straight punches. That straight left hand coming down the pike would do some serious damage to Clottey, or so they hope. Cotto was able to drop Clottey with a jab. Manny punches very hard and is very quick and his straight left is more powerful than any jab. Clottey will have to be extra defensive and use a very disciplined style, which he seems to do naturally anyway.
The steroid allegation has made many other boxers’ misdeeds resurface, proving that this is not an isolated incident and there should possibly be stricter guidelines.
Jameel McCline, the 4-Time Heavyweight Title Challenger, received more than 12,000 worth of steroids (Stanozolol, nandrolone, testosterone, and tamoxifen) in 2005 and 2006. He never tested positive for any substance, which means that he knew how to play the game and avoid positive testing while using.
James Toney, former Middleweight, Super Middleweight, and Cruiserweight Champion won the WBA Heavyweight Title in 2005 with a decision over then champion, John Ruiz, but would test positive for stanozolol and the decision would be turned into a no contest. Toney insisted that he was given the steroid by a doctor and didn’t knowingly cheat. He would test positive again in 2007 for boldenone and stanozolol.
Shane Mosley, multiple division champion, admitted using steroids prior to 2003, although he stated that he did so without knowledge. Many in the Mosley camp during this time beg to differ. Mosley stated to a grand jury in 2003 that he injected himself with EPO prior to his second bout with Oscar De La Hoya.
Former WBO Heavyweight Champion, Tommy Morrison, admitted using steroids to get an edge on his competition.
Recently, another former WBO Heavyweight Champion, Shannon Briggs tested positive for an illegal substance, although he claims that is was his asthma medication. No further details have emerged.
In 2002, former IBF Light Middleweight Champion, Fernando Vargas, tested positive for stanozolol after a bout with Oscar De La Hoya.
In a competitive sport where millions of dollars can be made, there will be steroid abuse and there will be controversies with loaded gloves and crooked judges. It is unfortunate that boxing has this dark cloud and especially as it hangs over the most popular and best fighter in the game, Manny Pacquiao. At this time, we have to believe Manny to be innocent until proven guilty but some would argue that he has not acted like an innocent man. Time should tell us the truth. For now, we can look ahead to the Pacquiao-Clottey showdown and hope for a great fight.
Allan Green in the Super Six
The Showtime super middleweight tournament lost a fighter in Jermain Taylor. He was scheduled to take on Andre Ward for the WBA Super Middleweight Title and for more points in the tournament, but bowed out after a knockout loss to Arthur Abraham in his first appearance. Allan Green has been eager to get into the tournament and felt that he belonged more so than many of the accepted competitors. He has only lost once in 2007 to Edison Miranda, and when you figure in his medical condition, you can forgive it. He has been flawless since.
Now slated is Allan Green, 29-1, 20 KO’s, as he challenges for the WBA Crown against Andre Ward, 21-0, 13 KO’s, on April 17th. Ward was lightly regarded prior to his title winning performance against tournament favorite, Mikkel Kessler. Now he is a big favorite to not only defeat Green but to go all the way.
Make no mistake, Ward looked great in his fight with Kessler. He used cagy tactics and timing to befuddle and subdue the strong champion en route to a technical decision. Ward fights like a veteran and knows many tricks and although he stands in front of his opponent, he proves hard to hit. Green will have to solve that and is quick enough to find him.
Jermain Taylor is a great fighter but he most likely would not have been mentally in the fight with Ward and would have lost a wide decision. Green is not only mentally in this fight, it’s an opportunity he’s been awaiting his entire career. He has a huge punch and great timing. If his timing is great enough to catch Ward, we will have a new champion and even more excitement in this tournament. This is a great turn for the event.
]]>
By SJ Jarapa
Given the big bang which all the sudden endowed the UFC’s heavyweight division the much needed attention from the media and the fervor it continues to receive, I can’t help but think all these would not have been availed or its deprivation from such elements that once crippled it would not have been filled if not had been for the presence as enormous as what the ailing UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar brought us.
The big guy, with all the fandom and charisma he comes with, has done a great deal not just for the UFC but for MMA in general. He came in an unwanted guest, an intruder from a circus that sported fake matches, coming to fight in a legitimate sport, being overlooked that he was in fact a true athlete, one who, even through a passing glimpse, would leave no doubt was certainly a colossal specimen of an entity, long before he was an entertainer. Being in the WWE, he had it made – fame and money. He was a superstar. At first, on the outside all seemed well, after a while, however, the organization's demanding hours began to take its toll on his health and the athlete deep inside him did not enjoy it; his soul was apparently being pounded into something of a great depression by all its temptations. So he left the world of Entertainment Wrestling to getaway from its persuasions and swapped its fast-paced way of existence to a simple life with his wife and kids, distant and away from it all. Fragments of his nature were lost somewhere along the way, in all the confusion. To put it simply, a huge chunk of his athletic front was gone.
Following his departure from the WWE, he sought for ways to recover that part of him. However, upon failing to secure a career in the NFL, he believed it was over, that he would instead be flipping burgers, and was doomed never to recapture again what made him whole. That was when the world of Mixed Martial Arts caught his attention. After training for only 2-years, he took an offer to fight in Japan, and won without breaking a sweat. Finding it too easy, he knocked on UFC President Dana White’s door and implored that he be given a chance to fight in the big leagues.
Frank Mir, a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, would give him a taste of exactly what it was like to be fighting in the Ultimate Proving Grounds of MMA’s premiere organization. Brock would shock everyone with his speed and power early on but would eventually show his inexperience – he became too frantic to finish the fight quickly. The veteran, Frank Mir had him analyzed pretty good. With the big guy standing and pounding on top of him, Frank swung his legs upward and locked him in a knee-bar and made him tap out for the first time in his career.
But since that faithful defeat, Brock Lesnar has improved leaps and bounds, learning the curves and corners of the game, and has seen nothing but victory afterward, having steamrolled Heath Herring towards a unanimous decision, seized the Heavyweight Belt from Randy Couture via KO, and avenged his loss from Frank Mir via TKO.
He has shown discipline since and through it, we all saw what he can be. With only just 4 wins in MMA, he is a champion. Before Lesnar, little cared about the big dogs in the Octagon, unless Randy Couture was fighting, no one really gave a damn. Compared to the now defunct PRIDE Fighting Championship’s heavyweight talent pool, the UFC’s was a joke. It was even laughable at one point that they would have a crowned champion in it when everyone knows who was who. Its former champions Andrei Arlovksi and Tim Sylvia were both considered greatly inferior to PRIDE’s Big 3 – Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio “Minautoro” Nogueira, and Mirko CroCop.
Now the suit has a champion, a true heavyweight champion, and with just only 4 MMA wins under his belt, Brock Lesnar is a champion whom many see would beat CroCop and Minautoro Nogueira handily and a man who in one instant became a real threat to the man who is widely considered as the one true MMA Heavyweight Champion, Fedor Emelianenko. Even though he’s yet to show his mettle against someone who can actually thump with him, despite his obvious size advantage, he has tremendous fighting acumen complimented with great technique. Unlike Kimbo Slice, his potential actually seems boundless.
But now, all that, is endangered of disappearing in a blink – whisked away, before this potential is even realized, by an illness he possibly kept hidden from most likely everyone until it was too late.
Last year, Brock Lesnar became severely ill and was forced to back out of a couple UFC events against top contender Shane Carwin. Little is known about the true state of his condition with him refusing to say anything more about it. What we know so far is that he had been sick for a year, probably over, and it has forged a hole in his intestines and it has slowly but surely weakened his immune system, severely damaging his body, making him constantly sick. Presently, there has been mixed rumors being floated out there. Some say, he will be back fighting this year, some claims early next year. While a cryptic message that was recently posted on his Facebook page suggested that he might not return to fighting at all. That and the fact he doesn’t want to talk about it has everyone truly disturbed.
What is the real case here?
I guess all we can do is wait and pray that he recovers.
What happens to the UFC in the light that the big guy cannot fight again? One can say, it still has a horde of rising heavyweight stars in his place… but it is not the same without Lesnar. Will his legions and legions of WWE fans flock the UFC scene still if he’s no longer in the picture? Perhaps not or maybe some of them might, since they might have seen what excitement MMA can bring that they would opt to stick around. The truth is WWE fans or not, the majority wants to see Lesnar fight or wants to see someone fight Lesnar to see if he can actually hold out or even beat Lesnar.
More importantly, everyone wants to see Fedor Emelianenko take on Brock Lesnar.
Without Lesnar, I would like to think MMA’s heavyweight scene goes dull again. Why? For one, Fedor Emelianenko has wiped out all the contenders whose names actually beckon people’s interest except for one Brock Lesnar. Sure, Minotauro’s still out there, Junior Dos Santos looks prime and ready as Cain Velasquez is, Shane Carwin is still huge and packs a big punch, Frank Mir appears crazed for vengeance… but what will he do with that impetus without the very man that has encouraged that psychotic drive?
We’ve seen them all before.
Brock Lesnar is unique in a lot of ways.
Hate him or not, you actually would like to follow his progress because there is a real sense that he could just be one of the greatest forces to ever come and set foot on this sport.
Should he be forever barred from fighting again, Brock Lesnar would leave us an everlasting mark as the fighter, the athlete, who had it all – the Size, Speed, and Power, which are without doubt gifts from above, all that compounded by his sheer capacity to learn quickly and swiftly adapt when circumstances call for it… he is of a breed out of fantastical tales of brawn and robust heroes the likes of which you can never believe save for the fact that he is actually real... the fighter, the athlete who could be deprived of an opportunity to show the world what he is made of.
Get well Brock.
The rest of us may criticize you for your unfair size advantage, but honestly possessing such is not your fault, and despite the criticisms, we are all just mere supporters.
]]>By John Pitroff
I have to admit, it has been a while. No, not since I have seen a Kevin Nash mat classic, but since I have been legitimately excited about wrestling. These last few weeks have done it for me. Ever since the end of the Monday Night Wars, wrestling has never been quite the same. Now, I’m not saying that we are in store for that, but at least wrestling fans are getting excited. At least I’m starting to really get into it again. It has been too long since wrestling has really made me care, really made me go out of my way to pay attention, and really made me want to have it at the top of my brain every week.
I have to admit, recently was the first time in a long time that I really wanted to sit down on a Monday night and catch what was going on in the world of wrestling. Both in WWE and in TNA, I regret that I had to miss both shows. For the first time in a while, I wanted to find a bar, a neighbor, or anyone with a TV so that I could watch at least the last hour of each show. Hell, I would have watched it in the back of an abandoned car on a small little TV like the people did on the WrestleMania X-Seven video package if I had to. If next Monday you see someone sitting outside your window while you watch wrestling, don’t fret, that’s probably me. Either that or it’s Steve Austin coming in…but please don’t pull a Brian Pillman and brandish a gun.
Now, let me inform you, back in the day, I was in love with wrestling so much that I used to watch the Pay-Per-Views blurred with all the squiggly lines just so that I could hear the commentary on them. This happened numerous times, and in retrospect I now realize why my mom thought I needed to go out more often. But, it has provided me with these memories to write about. I knew it was all for a good cause. I still remember the second I turned on Over The Edge to hear Jim Ross announcing Owen Hart’s fall. If wrestling can get me to the point of caring once again where I am staring at a TV screen with no real picture just listening, I will know it is time to start dating more often. My mom might enforce it at that point, and she can, because she is The Big Boss Woman.
I was unable to see either Impact or Raw due to my radio show, but I made it a point to watch all the clips that were posted online as soon as I got home. In addition, just last night, I watched the entire episode of Impact online at Youtube. Thanks TNA, for being so internet fan friendly! It was great to catch every little segment to see how they produced it, and to see in what direction they intend to go creatively. For Raw, I ended up catching the entire Bret Hart speech and the Shawn Michaels segment as well as the entire Bret Hart-Vince McMahon confrontation at the end. I couldn’t find much more than that online, since WWE is always a stickler when it comes to copyright infringement. Nothing like The Brian Kendrick calling the kettle Booker T, since WWE basically stole the entire Attitude Era gimmick from ECW. If you got that last wordplay, I am going to be like my mother and say that you watch too much wrestling and need to get out more. Just call me Ray Traylor.
In addition to watching the shows as much as I could, I also read as many reviews as possible on each show. I got home and excitedly turned on the computer to see what had happened. I wanted to know who was going where, who was doing what, and in what way the business was changing. It was fun reading the opinions of others, looking at photographs, and checking the TNA and WWE websites to see what they had to say about their own product. I haven’t been like this for wrestling since I sat in my room my entire high school years watching wrestling every night, over and over.
I am a huge wrestling fan. I have been for a long time. Wrestling has been a part of my life since I was a kid. However, sometimes it takes different forms. Sometimes I am more into it than others. When I was a kid, wrestling was a huge part of my life. I fell off for a little while, until in late 1998 I was brought back in with the ECW Theft Era…err…Attitude Era. Now, within that time frame, I watched enough wrestling, studied enough wrestling, and had wrestling on my mind enough for an entire lifetime. I taped every single RAW, Smackdown, Heat, and whatever else show was playing throughout the years. No, you cannot have a key to my house, and yes, I could give Vince a pretty good run for his money in the video vault category. Although, who wants VHS? I do…sorry, I am still living in 1990 in my head.
Over the last few years, I have had a lot of changes come my way, with other interests motivating me to do other things other than sit and my room and watch wrestling for hours on end. Please, remember, I’m not faulting that. Hell, I sit here and write these columns for hours on end every week. Not much has changed. But, with these other interests and activities, wrestling wasn’t my only priority like it used to be. It helps when you start getting some action.
I started going to wrestling practice twice a week, which was an hour drive both ways, I started writing all the time, I started doing stand up comedy, and I started a radio show. Wrestling now took a more personal turn, because I was actually involved in it. I didn’t have as much time to follow every show, and I didn’t tape every show (my VHS is in the closet).
But, it was still part of me, I was still into it. I still followed as much as I could online, I still thought about it a lot, I still caught whatever I deemed necessary online, and every year around WrestleMania time, I picked up the wrestling within my own head and paid more attention than I have to during a Jake Roberts interview. I still loved wrestling, but it was more of a personal love for something I was doing rather than just watching it.
Now, the time has come where I haven’t been to wrestling in a while, and the love has started to come back up in my heart. These past few weeks especially, I have been all over the internet reading as much as I can. I have been reading articles, watching interviews, checking out press conferences, reading the dirt shirt websites, going to both the WWE & TNA websites. I even picked up Pro Wrestling Illustrated the other day. I am really starting to get into this again. Before the big head to head Raw and Impact, I was constantly online reading about what might happen, who might show up, and whatever else I could dig up. A lot of my thought is going to the current state of wrestling, as opposed to my usual love of thinking of wrestling as a whole.
The return of Hulk Hogan, surprises in TNA, the debut of a 3 hour live show head to head against Raw, WWE bringing back Bret Hart, signing matches before the show, bringing back the Vince-Hart-Michaels storyline, and just the overall buzz over wrestling made me want to be in the know. I have been talking with friends of mine more and more about wrestling. Before, our wrestling conversation consisted of talking about years past and the wrestling business in general, but lately, it has been more based on the TNA debut on Monday night, the return of Hogan, and the return of Bret Hart.
Wrestling needs competition, this is good for wrestling fans. It is fun to be online and see the marks talking trash about the other companies. That used to be me! “TNA sucks!” “No, WWE sucks!” It is fun to watch a clip on Youtube and then just read the comments from the teenagers sitting in their rooms alone, or from the twenty four year olds sitting in their rooms alone (yes, me).
I have no stake in the outcome of who “wins” this “war,” I just know that the wrestling fans are going to win here. They already are winning! They actually having something to talk about with their wrestling buddies again, and perhaps even some non fans who have heard some of the buzz going around. Both companies will push each other to do better, there will be better shows, and the fans will be rewarded with better matches, better interviews, and better entertainment.
I know this is not on the level of WCW vs. WWF back in the day, but at least it is something. At least I am excited. My interest is peaked right now. I am sure a lot of wrestling fans feel the same way. We just might be part of something big, and it is fun to live through that. Where was I the day JFK got shot? I don’t know. But, I know where I was when TNA debuted on Monday night head to head against Raw. Let’s just hope this doesn’t all end like it did last time. It is nice to have another wrestling war, but I’m still waiting on that Kevin Nash mat classic.
]]>Dangerous Maurice “Sugar Moe” Harris, returns to the ring Friday night in Albuquerque against veteran Billy “The Kid” Zumbrun.
The 33-year-old Harris (20-14-2, 10 KOs), winner of the 2002 ‘Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament,” has been inactive for more than two years due to promotional problems. His fight against battled-tested Zumbrun marks Harris’ debut as a member of the new Boxing 360 stable.
In 2002, Harris knocked out previously unbeaten and future world title-holder Sergey Lyakhovich (16-0) in the ninth round. Harris earned a spot in that November’s “Thunderbox” tournament, eventually capturing the $100,000 winner’s purse by out-pointing Gerald Nobles, Israel Garcia and Anthony Thompson, respectively, in 3-round matches in the same evening.
During the course of his up-and-down career, Maurice has also defeated David Izon, Jimmy Thunder and Jeremy Williams.
Harris fought only four times in the last six years and he’s anxious to get back into the heavyweight picture. “I’m ready and feel great,” Harris said. “I’m older, wiser and my experience is my greatest advantage. I’m going to really crack this guy and show people some new things that they haven’t seen from me. Look out heavyweights!”]]>The road to boxing stardom for 21-year-old Sadam “World Kid” Ali, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, is being patiently paved and continues February 6 in Newark, New Jersey.
“I’m a promotional free agent taking fights one by one,” Ali explained the route he’s taking. “We’re doing it this way to show people I’m a boxer worth investing money in. I’ll probably have a lot of fights before I sign with a promoter. I’m only 21 and in no rush.”
Ali (4-0, 2 KOs), fighting out of Brooklyn, was a celebrated U.S. amateur boxer, starting when he was only nine, who became the first Arab-American member of the U.S. Olympic Team, as well as the first New York City based member of the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team in 20 years. He also was a 3-time PAL National and 2-time National Golden Gloves champion.
Last year, Sadam turned pro January 18, stopping Ricky Thompson in the opening round. He went on to win all four 2009 fights, the last coming Oct. 31 at Mohegan Sun, which ended in a 4-round decision versus Osvaldo Rivera.
Ali is matched against fellow Brooklyn welterweight Jason Thompson (4-0, 2 KOs) in a 4-round bout on the Feb. 6 “Heavy Artillery” card, headlined by Tomasz Adamek and Jason Estrada, at the Prudential Center in Newark.
“I know Jason Thompson and I’ll be ready for whatever he brings,” Ali said. “He has experience from the amateurs, fighting top guys like Danny Jacobs and Joe Greene. A lot of people will be at this fight, especially Polish fans there for Adamek, but a lot of my fans will be there, too. I have to shine; I know it’s going to be crazy. It’s just the beginning for me.
“It’s cool fighting on the same show with guys I know like (Jason) Estrada and ‘Kid Chocolate’ (Peter Quillin). I feel more comfortable than if I were fighting where I didn’t know anybody, but it’s just going to be me and Jason Thompson in the ring. Nobody’s going to help us and I just have to stay focused. I’m hard to figure out in the ring because I don’t fight one way. How I fight depends on my opponent and I figure out my best opportunity to win in the first 30 seconds. I can stand and punch, or move around and bust-up my opponent. I do it all! The key to my success is making good adjustments during the fight. ”
Ali’s head trainer, Andre Rozier, added, “Thompson is a durable opponent. Sadam hasn’t had any walk-in-the-park fights since he turned pro and Jason’s a tough nugget. We know that because he used to train in our gym. He’s a real competitor who will bring intensity into the ring like he always does. Sadam has worked hard for this fight and I expect him to excel and shine. Whether he wins by knockout or decision, he will put on a fantastic performance.”
Ali’s Olympian experience jump-started his pro career, which is still in its infancy, yet, he’s already showcased his tremendous potential. “Being an Olympian – the first New Yorker since 1988 on the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team and first Arab-American ever on the U.S. Olympic Team – has been a big boost,” Sadam concluded. “I gained valuable experience fighting all over the world against all types of guys.”
“Sadam has very fast hands and nimble footwork,” Rozier broke-down his fighter. “He is a real character – he can be standing in front of you and then he’s behind you. Sadam is his own entity, not like any other fighter. He does it his way – box on his toes, or tighten-up his defense and slug. He’s still a baby but he will be world champion, I’m sure of that. He has the ability to be great but that will all be up to him.”
The long journey has just begun for “World Kid,” unbeaten prospect Sadam Ali, a name to remember for the future.
]]>
By Geno McGahee
ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights
This Friday, ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights will feature former Contender star and top 10 super middleweight, Jesse Brinkley, 34-5, 22 KO’s, taking on Curtis Stevens, 21-2, 15 KO’s, in a twelve round showdown with the WBC USNBC Title hanging in the balance. Brinkley made a name for himself on the reality show the Contender, coming up short in contests with Sergio Mora, the winner of the show, and Alfonso Gomez. His career basically seemed dead from 2004-2007 with a record of 1-4, but to his credit, he rebounded and has put together eight straight wins and worked his way into the rankings.
In one of his recent outings, Brinkley dominated fellow Contender, Joey Gilbert, en route to a wide twelve round decision. Curtis Stevens, the opponent this Friday night, avenged his first loss to Marcos Primera, leaving a ten round unanimous decision loss to Super Six participant, Andre Dirrell on his record. He has put together four straight wins since the loss, three of which were by knockout.
Brinkley and Stevens are evenly matched, evenly qualified, and eager to be noticed in the crowded super middleweight division.
The supporting bout features welterweight Raymond Serrano, 11-0, 6 KO’s, taking on Ronnie Warrior, JR., 13-2-1, 4 KO’s, in a ten round showdown. Also featured is undefeated super middleweight, Brandon Gonzales, 9-0, 8 KO’s, taking on Dumont Welliver, 18-19-1, 6 KO’s, in an eight round contest.
SHOBOX
Showtime’s hit boxing series SHOBOX will feature a double header Friday night with bantamweight prospect, Chris Avalos, 14-0, 11 KO’s, taking on Jose Nieves, 17-1-3, 8 KO’s, in a ten round event. Avalos will be facing his toughest challenge in his career, facing a guy in Nieves that has gone 12 rounds, and has climbed off the canvas several times to continue fighting. He has a lot of heart and may need it against Avalos, a boxer that was named “prospect to watch in 2010” by various publications.
In the supporting bout, undefeated super featherweight prospect, Archie Ray Marquez, 9-0, 7 KO’s, takes on Derrick Campos, 20-7, 11 KO’s, in an eight round contest.
FOX Sports
On Saturday, former Flyweight Champion, Jorge Arce, 52-6-1, 40 KO’s, will vie for the WBO Super Flyweight Title against Angky Angkota, 23-4, 14 KO’s. Arce was a superstar in boxing in 2005 when he destroyed Hussein Hussein in ten rounds with a crimson mask. The black cowboy hat, heart, and reckless style made him a fan favorite, and he continued to win. At only 112 pounds, he packed a punch and had a lot of marquee matchup possibilities. In 2007, he got a crack at the WBC Super Flyweight Title, losing a wide decision to defending champion, Cristian Mijares.
In 2009, he landed a high profile bout against defending WBC, WBA, and IBF Super Flyweight Champion, Vic Darchinyan, losing badly and being TKO’d in 11 rounds. He has lost two of his three last bouts, but he still has this opportunity Saturday night against Angkota, a relative unknown from Indonesia. Most of his fights have taken place in his home country and most of the opponents, if not all, are unremarkable. This is a huge step up for Angkota.
]]>
By SJ Jarapa
I sat motionless, hoping the silence would temper the mounting grief, which, through all means of madness, was caused by the euphoria that had pulled a pang in the hearts of millions worldwide, inside me. Then I seized the carton of a camel's milk from across the table into my palms. It was cold, fresh from the fridge. I stared at it; contemplating if I would be the wiser should I choose to cleanse my depression with it.
The space around me was dim and ominous, with every shadow appearing to dance by the flickering rays of the moon which seeped in from a distant wall of wrought iron and glass. They all seem to want to lunge at me, envelope me as if to make me part of their lonely universe. I wondered if they too were in anguish much as I am that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, JR., will no longer fight on March 13.
13…the number deemed more ill-omened than not by all has brought death to what was supposedly the greatest fight in boxing history – 13… how fitting, I said miserably in my head – in my distraught mental state.
I caught myself and yanked my eyes back to the carton of camel's milk lying prone with the innocence of a child in my hands. I looked at it with so much longing. What am I doing? Quack doctors had already cautioned against the liquid, comparing the beverage to a deadly mixture of snake venom, cognac, Alco-Gel, and urine. But my despair was forcing me to ignore their warnings. Am I really out to get smashed?
I ripped the milk cap off. Oh saints forgive me for what I am about to do!
I took a swig.
So good…
I chugged another mouthful then another, stopping only after a whole minute of hysterical chugging. Ah… how I forgot how great the intoxicating flavor of the nectar once enjoyed only by gods!
Why was this happening? What on earth went so wrong that they chose not to praise each other anymore with a stellar exchange of their fistic talents? What did I and every soul in the world do to warrant such pain? I never should have kept my hopes up. It was too good to be true. I tipped my head back now to look up at the ceiling and remembered how perfect they were for each other.
Dazzling, well in my imaginings, there stands in one towering peak, Floyd Mayweather, JR: Good looking, so refined, a real big spender – a graceful defensive genius.
Another, seemingly shining with equal brilliance, standing in a crest of the same height and stature, Manny Pacquiao: Great smile, multilingual, a real superstar – a ferocious offensive genius.
As I mused over and pondered with the scene further, the picture in my head began to sprout to life in the form of a mist that embellished on the ceiling a dreamlike illustration of the two boxers standing mere inches from each other, with Floyd Mayweather, JR., glowering at an intense but smiling Manny Pacquiao.
Strange I thought.
What was Floyd’s gaze doing so high in the sky like he was looking up at the much smaller Manny as if the man was a thousand leagues taller than he was, even though, they stood on equal measure?
Perhaps he believes despite himself that Manny Pacquiao is the personification of a world he bears deep desires to have but cannot ever reach or touch since no matter how pure and splendid his own endowments are, he knows deep within him that it could be a world he might be forever barred from.
And Manny… true to his character his gaze remained leveled on his fellow combatant for he neither sees no one below him nor does he sees anyone above him save God.
My fantasy bubble snapped.
God, I thought.
Is Manny Pacquiao godlike or is he in fact a god?
Hundreds of people think that is exactly what he is – as such seems the destiny of someone whose power to galvanize an immense entirety radically surpasses the boundaries of his own world. They swear by him, some would plunge in deep waters with him, even through, as history would prove, his many slip-ups and wrong doings.
Fortunately, there are eyes around him which appear to far exceed the bands of those on the wrong. Their watch penetrates his conscience and it forces him to confront his mistakes, allowing him to set to right what was wronged and that… is the product of his humanity. Something his rival seems to lack. But given his tremendous force as a person, his enviable physical qualities as a fighter, his awe-inspiring authority over a people, all does not merit him the gift of infallibility. He does to the best of his ability to be what he can be for his people but he is far from perfect. What he deserves is to be seen as but a mere mortal for that is what he’ll always be.
Manny Pacquiao is no god.
The lips of the camel's milk carton, without thinking, found its way to my mouth and while the lethal fluid gushed finely in my throat like there was no tomorrow, I mumbled. “I will pray for Manny but I will never pray to Manny.”
I pulled away from the milk carton. Tipping it over, I learned the awful truth that it was empty.
Anger swept over me.
The drink that had kept me sane was gone. Paranoia clutched my chest, putting me in dread of what I might become without it. With long, heavy breaths, I permitted seconds, minutes, hours to pass, and tried to keep my bearings together. What do I do now? What can I do to fix this problem? Kidnap both men and force them to fight each other? No… that will not work. I rose from my chair and swiveled about with eyes a great bulge in search of answers that would clearly not be found anywhere in the chamber’s ever-increasing darkness. On the instant my incessant circling stopped, my eyes locked on the carton of milk. Then, in one swipe of lunacy, I crushed it with both hands and back-handed it to the floor. Next, my glare fixated on the wooden table with wrath ablaze in my pupils. I closed my fist and pitched it downwards at the table in full force. CRACK! I heard it break… not the table but my hand.
The scream came thunderous only in my head for I refused to shriek out loud and risk losing face – with the girl next door being so hot and all…
My eyes welled up, my body possessed by a frantic state of thrashing. Then I tripped and smacked the floor. My wailing was ever so hushed, my tears flooded out like a cosmetic facial mask that coated every inch of my face, even my groaning was in utter disbelief of the electrical pain that surged from my broken fist into my entire nervous system. After what seemed forever, my aching at last abated, and I started to relax in the fetal position.
Then I laughed. My head was clear. Amazing how physical pain can wake your rational senses.
I know now what to do.
But first, something must be done to alleviate the milk’s sinister clout over my mental and physical fortitude. So like a bolt of sudden erection, I sprang up to my feet and got over to the refrigerator on the far end of the chamber in just .6 seconds. I heaved its door open. Light spilled from its rectangular interior and into the darkness beyond. What I found inside made my eyes sparkle with pure bliss. A bottle of cold beer sat, as lonely as I had been earlier, in the middle. Without delaying any further, I snatched the brew, its cold exterior freezing my palm. Then I closed the fridge’s door and glided right back out to the table. I made the cold bottled beer lie on its wooden surface. As I watch it lay there, I knew I was in love, it looked so beautiful to me. One problem, I noticed. I did not have an opener with me. But when I thought about it again, there was no problem at all. I broke into a stance and then Karate-chopped the bottle’s neck off Mr. Miyagi Style to give it a fine crater in which to drink from.
I savored the scent of alcohol in gold.
I will now write an open letter…
Dear our beloved Manny Pacquiao,
From the moment your fighting star soared the skies your nation fondly christened you as its modern day hero and you have always prided yourself with the designation. You are the fist of the Philippines – a hero of millions, the meek, the strong, the rich, and poor. So please show us the hero. Show your followers precisely what was it that they believed in. Show them the worth of their faith in you. I know the circumstance at hand is unwarranted, therefore unjust and extremely difficult to abide by… but since when did you cower from such a challenge – you who walked right through thorns and fire to feel the clouds?
“People do not follow titles. They follow courage…”
I forgot who said that (Mel Gibson?) but it sounds just right for how you have lived your life so far. It fits. Courage is the one aspect that sets you high above Floyd Mayweather, JR. When Lehlo Ledwaba wrestled you down and Marco Antonio Barrera fist-groped your sacred stones, you retaliated not in the same manner; instead, you punched back with great respect and honor for not only yourself but likewise for both your foes, regardless of their tactics, and your sport. No, I do not believe you have it in you to ever cheat boxing. But there are those who would say otherwise, those who would dare twist things to suit their own malicious hides.
Do their allegations against you hold real grounds? Only you can prove them wrong. I know you are just navigating a way around the dangers in the seas to give them not a chance to mess with your training – your psyche come fight night. I am afraid, though, that you have so little choice this time. The court of public opinion is divided on your case. Many have laid unfair judgment upon you. When you say you are scared of needles they bend its meaning into something wicked.
I know you meant the statement as a joke but in case you are indeed afraid of needles – here in my hand, a cold bottle of beer. Take it. It’s yours. It’ll help numb your fears… actually, you’ve got the money, get your own. No offense intended. I’m just too smitten by its frozen body to let it go… headless or not.
Anyway brother… you are lucky, because, just as many believe in your innocence. But this will not be judged by the masses. They can neither punish nor vindicate you despite the breadth of their emotions. This innuendo has become so large to a point where it could potentially leak into everyone who carries your name and blood. Imagine what they could suffer from what it might bring in the future. Disapproving eyes born of unpleasant hearsays is often the cause of inner torment. You were right to file lawsuits against these people. But I don’t think the spite in the air will fade away even if you win your case.
It has to be you – you can end this with your vaunted left fist in Floyd Mayweather, JR’s mouth or you can choose to ignore it and let it build into something you cannot control. It’s your choice. But then I don’t have to tell you for you know well as we all do that with one punch, you can finish it all.
If you have to go through his cowardly demands to greatly weaken you – go through it.
Because there is an entire world that believes you will never let him win – never let him leave the ring on his toes. When the hour comes that you knock Floyd Mayweather, JR., out blind, deaf, and dumb, all life on Earth, in space, and Hell will know him as the fake who thought he had the upper hand.
Manny Pacquiao, you are the re-embodiment of our ancestors’ enormous valor. What better way for you to leave the life of a warrior than to perform one final act of true courage – to save your name against all odds before they kill it? This in my heart I believe would be your life’s greatest act of heroism.
And that my friend… was my best punch…
I wish I could tell you to sleep on it…
I drank the cold beer.
And collapsed…
]]>
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, tonight, for a night full of great talk about our beloved sport of Boxing.
]]>
By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
I reached a point of complete mental exhaustion with the ongoing negotiations between the camps of Floyd Mayweather, JR., and Manny Pacquiao long before the throngs of Mayweather supporters started chanting in unison that something was up on the basis of Team Pacquiao’s outright refusal to submit to the schedule of Olympic style blood testing as demanded by Team “Money”. As the negotiations took on a tone that suggested “soap opera” and fan sentiment became polarized to a point well beyond the norm, I quickly embraced the “glass is really half full” mentality with the notion that other great match-ups awaited both Pacquiao and Mayweather should their proposed mega-fight implode. When the negotiations fell apart both fighters were left to find other mountains to climb while mindless chatter about our sport dying a sudden death flooded the internet.
Initial speculation had Pac crossing swords with WBA World light middleweight champion Yuri Foreman for an 8th division world title but eventually Team Pacquiao settled in on former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey, a stiff assignment at the very least by any reasonable standard. Names such as Juan Diaz and Paulie Malignaggi circulated relative to “Money” in the weeks thereafter, and while both are former world champions that give their all each time they enter the ring, neither is big enough or talented enough to pose any kind of realistic threat to the undefeated “Pretty Boy”. I suppose that Diaz and Malignaggi would serve as decent tune-ups for Floyd given his penchant for exhibition, but at least they were several steps up from Matthew Hatton, who rumor had it was on the table as a potential foe.
Moving along, and playing into my ongoing assertion that there were other terrific match-ups set to occur in the wake of the demise of Pac/Mayweather, WBA Super World welterweight champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley had signed to face the undefeated and unquestionably talented Andre Berto, his WBC counterpart, in a high-stakes unification match that was for all intents and purposes, a consolation prize of sorts for fans and perhaps in the mind of Mosley himself, after failing to coerce Floyd Mayweather into the ring after confronting him publicly on HBO last year. Unfortunately, the recent earthquake that devastated Haiti had repercussions that affected our sport, and Berto, a man of Haitian descent, backed out of the match just mere weeks before the first bell, citing quite reasonably his inability to focus on the task at hand given the devastation that had touched members of his extended family.
Like any good soap opera, boxing has always specialized in serving up twists and turns that more often than not are not ranked as obvious. If you had told me three months ago that Floyd would line-up “Sugar” Shane Mosley as an alternate opponent should a super fight with the Filipino phenom not be forthcoming I would have outright shrugged the notion off. Today though, it is looking more and more as though Mayweather’s hand may have been forced into choosing one of the most formidable fighters in and around his weight class with word coming down that Mayweather’s crew is openly entertaining a meeting between these two great fighters.
Credit the very possibility of a Mayweather/Mosley match-up to sheer ego on Floyd’s part, pinched perhaps by Shane’s obnoxious challenge on HBO last September in the aftermath of his almost perfect comeback victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, or the near-fanatical flame-fanning Max Kellerman performed to near perfection as Mosley delivered his rhetoric, or even perhaps with Joshua Clottey being asked to the big dance by the mighty Pacquiao in a manner that was decidedly dismissive of Floyd.
Whatever the case, seeing Floyd step to it with Mosley is for me and the sport a breath of fresh air, and the truth of the matter is we actually might be getting more bang for the buck now that Pacquiao/Mayweather is off of the table for the time being than if it had gone ahead as hoped for. Instead of one big fat giant mega-fight we now have two very sexy big events that will in fact not only serve to sort the welterweight division out, it promises to answer many of the lingering questions. Throw a monkey-wrench like to rumored ring return of former WBA/WBO welterweight champion Antonio Margarito into the mix and all of a sudden one-hundred and forty-seven sounds an awful lot like the division to watch in 2010.
The popular train of thought about a Mayweather/Mosley match-up is that Shane’s sheer aggression and power would ultimately prove too much for the safety-conscious “Money”, or at the very least, a re-invigorated Mosley would be too hard to come off clean against in a tooth and nail close shave. Whatever the case, Mosley’s sheer passion seems to have affected the reasoning of most fans, but I have always wondered just how good Mosley would look against a supremely confident boxer with the ability to adjust and shift gears and for this reason alone, I am very excited about the prospect of “Money” and “Sugar” meeting.
Brain Wilbur, one of my esteemed colleagues here at RSR recently responded to a query on Mayweather/Mosley in his weekly mailbag. His response was perhaps the best response I have seen to date on the outcome of such a match-up – and it isn’t reflective of the general train of thought on how these two ring greats will fare once the echo of the first bell fades; “Mayweather should agree to fight Mosley because that would be a very easy win for him. This is a horrible styles match up for Mosley. If I had to design a boxer who had the best set of skills and talents to defeat Shane Mosley I would come up with Floyd Mayweather. Antonio Margarito, as good as he was, came directly at Mosley and was tailor made for “Sugar” Shane. Mayweather is a slick boxer with a good jab, exactly the type of fighter that Mosley has struggled with in the past, losing decisions to Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright. I see Floyd winning that fight by a 119-109 type score. There would be nothing to fear, so for that reason I think Floyd will take the fight.
Though Mayweather has ducked Mosley in the past, the competition he feels from Pacquiao to be the best will force him to take on a better quality opponent than he has been fighting. Although I would hardly consider fighting Shane Mosley taking a chance for Mayweather since he has such an overwhelming style advantage.”
So there you have it. As ballsy a prediction as that may sound, it is made with the hope that we see Floyd Mayweather, JR., move onto a challenge just a half-rung down from a Manny Pacquiao super fight. No, boxing did not die recently. In fact, focus is shifting and we may now have the opportunity to see a self-appointed all-time great face another potential all-timer in a showdown that is long overdue. A surprising ending just may be in the offing and provided Manny Pacquiao turns back Josh Clottey, that mega-fight we just recently missed out on just may serve to be a blessing in disguise, and end up being back on the radar later in the year. With boxing, I’ve learned, the glass is always really half-full.
]]>
By Jeff Stoyanoff
It hasn’t been the best of holiday seasons for the sport of boxing. The Mayweather-Pacquiao debacle has derailed the entire sport just when things seemed to be looking up. Pacquiao had put together another stellar year, Mayweather had come back and looked fantastic, there was the typical slew of tremendous fights involving exciting fighters who continued to ply their trade in the often overlooked lower weight classes, and a number of promoters and managers had come together and actually found enough common ground to put together a unique event in the Super Six Super Middleweight Classic. It had been an outstanding year. For the first time in a long time, boxing actually seemed to be successfully getting out of its own way. Boxing was still on the fringe in the world of sports, but at least it wasn’t embarrassing itself. It just couldn’t last, Mayweather and Pacquiao saw to that.
Yet, in the wake of the breakdown of THE mega fight, another story has popped up. Jermain Taylor is withdrawing from the Super Six. Taylor suffered a vicious knockout loss at the hands of Arthur Abraham in the first phase of the round robin tournament. The loss was his fourth in his last five fights with three of those coming by knockout. Perhaps even more disturbing than the knockout was the way Taylor looked in the fight. Taylor seemed unsteady throughout looking very much like a fighter whose best days were well behind him. Obviously, credit must be given to Abraham who fought extremely well and who was clearly leading in the fight even before landing the devastating right hand that brought things abruptly to an end. Furthermore, it seems safe to say that the punch landed by Abraham would have stopped Taylor then, a month before, or five years before. However, Taylor seemed to have lost a measure of his fluidity and this fight was the first time that the loss was so clearly on display.
In the wake of that loss, many fans openly wished that Taylor would withdraw fearing for his health if he continued to box. Predictably, Taylor was defiantly courageous saying that he wanted to continue and that he felt he could still be a factor in the event. A fighter is forced to endure and overcome so much to make it at all in boxing, let alone make it to elite status as Taylor has. The willingness to sacrifice and the ability to overcome doubt and fear become traits unto themselves. Perhaps that is why so many great fighters find it so difficult to walk away. If one allows themselves to walk away when things get tough they will never make it. Losing one’s skills to the point of no longer being able to compete probably feels like just one more time when the going has gotten rough. What to do? Quit? In the mind of a great fighter, that is simply never an option. The mindset is so thoroughly ingrained as to become almost involuntary.
That is why many fans braced for the worst. They prepared themselves for the possibility that Taylor would persevere and continue on against fearsome competition. The whole thing had the potential to be downright ugly; ultimately leading to the kind of sad night that makes even fans wonder if boxing is truly something worthwhile. And then it happened, Taylor announced that he was withdrawing from the event. If the last month was a circus that is all too common in boxing, then the last week was a feel good moment that is not nearly common enough. Taylor is not out of the woods yet; as he left the door open for an eventual return to the sport. However, for the moment, a rare thing transpired. A fine fighter stepped away rather than suffer ignominious and unnecessary defeat. Taylor didn’t quit, he just knew when to walk away.
Now What?
Initially, it looked as if the winner of a February 5th clash between Allan Green and Sakio Bika would be slated to replace Taylor in the Super Six. Either man would have been an able replacement for Taylor. However, the Bika-Green tilt was recently canceled and Green was given the spot in the Super Six. The reality is, coming off three losses in four fights; Taylor was a long shot to be a difference maker in the tournament going in. Thus, the fact that Green will similarly be a dark horse at best is of little importance. It is what Green brings to the table that makes him a viable replacement. Green brings enough in the way of talent to keep his opponents interested. And, he brings enough in the way of questions to keep fans interested. Sadly, it is this second area where Bika likely fell short. Despite his recent win on The Contender and three successive knockouts as a follow up, many must have felt that Bika simply could not compete at the highest levels in the Super Middleweight Division. After all, Bika had already fought Calzaghe and Bute losing both fights. Admittedly, Bika went the distance both times and did not seem overwhelmed. Nonetheless, Bika has already taken his shot and fell short while Green has yet to test his talents at the top. Has Bika raised his game to a new level in the later stages of his career? Unfortunately for him, that question is not as compelling as just how good is Allan Green?
Unlike Bika, Allan Green seemed destined for a big stage like the Super Six. The ascendance of Allan Green reached a crescendo with his devastating first round (first 30 seconds) knockout of Jaidon Codrington on Shobox in 2005. That victory was so emphatic that there are plenty of people still clinging to the notion that Green is possessed of volcanic talent; that he is capable of erupting at any time and decimating any opponent. Green has shown himself to be quite human since his initial flashes of brilliance. Green was knocked down and badly hurt against journeyman (and contender alum) Donnie McRary in 2006. Green managed to get to his feet and stop McRary, but he was not as fortunate against Edison Miranda. Miranda handed Green his lone loss with a unanimous decision win that saw Green sent to the canvas twice in the tenth and final round. Still, in the aftermath, with his career seemingly irreversibly headed toward B level obscurity, Green unleashed an instrument of doubt; an injury. After the Miranda loss, Green divulged that he had recently had a majority of his colon removed and that he would now be able to resume his career free from the health problems that had hampered his performance previously. Since then, Green has won all of his fights, but has not yet had the step up moment that will either rebut or confirm his own career prognosis.
Green and Bika provide a dramatic juxtaposition in their respective careers. Both men have never quite made it, which is why they were both such tantalizing choices to replace Taylor. Yet, their career stories diverge sharply on many levels. Bika has demonstrated that he might just be coming into his own late in his career and he is now fighting at a level that nobody would have thought within his reach. Bika has seemingly already provided answers as to his ability to compete at the top levels of the Super Middleweight Division. Conversely, Green is navigating uncharted waters in his career. He claims that he is finally free from injury, and thereby doubt perhaps, and that he is thus ready to take his place at the top of the division. So far, Green’s talk has not been tested. However, his claim can only be definitively dismissed in the ring, against the best. Where Bika provides answers, Green provides only questions.
February 5th would have given fans that which they crave the most, definitive answers provided in the ring. Yet, that step was bypassed and the more intriguing name was simply given the spot, once again boxing as a sport and boxing as a business crossed paths and the business path won. Green is a suitable replacement to be sure, but a Bika-Green fight would have not only been a good fight, but a positive story during a bad stretch for boxing.. A compelling bout would have provided welcome good news; unfortunately, a compelling fight being called off is just old news.
Taylor, Hatton and the Warrior’s Conundrum
While Green prepares to take a critical step in his career, Taylor ponders his own next step. If Boxing is fortunate, Taylor will decide to hang up the gloves for good. It has been an outstanding career for Taylor. He was the undisputed middleweight champion of the world and he holds two wins over ring legend Bernard Hopkins. In addition, even his losses are laden with sterling moments and moments of near glory. Taylor is the only man to put down Carl Froch and he was within a minute of turning that knockdown into a tremendous victory. Taylor had Kelly Pavlik down and nearly out in the second round of their first fight. Had Taylor found the range with just one more punch Pavlik very well may have been stopped right there. Taylor legitimately lost both fights and credit must be given to both men who overcame adversity themselves and found a way to win. However, the near misses show that Taylor was no pretender. He was far from a guy who simply found himself in the right place at the right time. Taylor was a remarkably talented fighter and a true warrior in the ring. It is that warrior spirit that he must contend with now as he considers continuing in the sport. How does one separate himself from the very spirit that makes him the successful fighter that he has been?
It is ironic that as Taylor considers his future, the other major story is the likely comeback of Ricky Hatton. Hatton occupies the same place as Taylor in nearly every way possible. Hatton has absolutely nothing left to prove, but still he cannot walk away. Boxing is the ultimate sport of light and shadow. The sport itself is a Jungian delight. At its core is a savagery that any sane person should be anxious to disavow. Yet, the sport is also the unquestioned domain of the most admirable traits such as: Courage, discipline, and dedication. Boxing is exhilarating and fearsome; a sport of savage beauty. It is filled with glory and regret. Taylor considers walking away and we all hope for the best. Hatton ponders a comeback and we all prepare ourselves for the worst. The ethos of boxing is a study in duality. Courage and commitment lead to glory, but that same dedication makes it difficult to know when it is time to move on. Taylor and Hatton are merely the latest chapter. Taylor’s decision is a positive. The moment offers some light to a world of shadow. Yet, Hatton looms and so then does a sense of impending sadness that always permeates the world of boxing. Only in boxing do triumph and tragedy coexist in such equal measure.
]]>IBF/WBO/IBO world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and his opponent Eddie Chambers faced off at a press conference yesterday at ESPRIT arena Düsseldorf, where their fight will take place on March 20.
Klitschko: “This is a great arena and the idea of more than 50.000 spectator gives me additional motivation. After a break of 7 months I am really looking forward to stepping back into the ring. Chambers is a very strong and quick opponent; therefore he is the number 1 in the WBO ranking. But for me, there is no doubt that I will win the fight and keep my belts.”
Chambers: “Sure, Klitschko is the favorite. But I will surprise him and shock the boxing world when I take his titles to the US on March 20.”
For the second time Klitschko will be fighting in a soccer stadium. The ESPRIT arena Düsseldorf, homefield of Fortuna Düsseldorf, will have a capacity of 51,000 seats on fight night. In his last fight, Champion Klitschko beat Ruslan Chagaev at Schalke Arena in front of 61,000 spectators in June 2009.
Tickets for the highly anticipated fight are available at www.eventim.de or via phone +49-1805-570070. Price start at 20 Euro. VIP packages cost 350 Euro or 600 Euro.
]]>By Geno McGahee
ESPN2
Jesse Brinkley, 35-5, 22 KO’s, scored a minor upset over Curtis Stevens, 21-3, 15 KO’s, on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights via wide 12 round unanimous decision by scores of 117-109, 118-108, and 119-107. Prior to the bout, Stevens was very adamant that he was going to score an early knockout and it nearly seemed like a safe bet. Stevens, a massive power-puncher with only one true career loss going into this, appeared to be too much for the former Contender star. The thought was that he’d eventually catch him and most likely, it would come sooner rather than later.
In the first round, Stevens came out of his corner and attacked, landing some very good shots and swelling up the right side of Brinkley’s face with his left hook, but Brinkley remained calm. In the second round, Brinkley found his range and began dodging the shots of Stevens and then quickly countering. It was a trend that went on for the rest of the night. Confused, Stevens stayed on the outside and ate jab after jab and in the sixth round, a right hand hurt him. He backed into the ropes and Brinkley went after him, dropping him from a barrage of punches. He got up and they fought on, having a vicious exchange that continued after the bell. Brinkley’s trainer, Peter Manfredo, SR., ran into the ring and actually shoved Stevens. Manfredo, SR., was removed from the corner immediately afterwards.
The rest of the fight was all Brinkley and he got more confident as the fight went on, exchanging punch for punch with the perceived stronger man. This was Brinkley’s night.
The winner of this fight, Brinkley, is now the #2 super middleweight in the world, and will be in line to take on the current champ, undefeated Lucian Bute. It’s hard to imagine Brinkley pulling off an upset there, but not many gave him a shot here. A very good performance for the former Contender star, and a big disappointment for Stevens.
In a snoozer, welterweight Ray Serrano, 12-0, 6 KO’s, outworked a sleepwalking Ronnie Warrior, JR., 13-3-1, 4 KO’s, over eight rounds, easily taking the decision by scores of 79-73 across the board.
SHOBOX
Bantamweight Chris Avalos, 15-0, 12 KO’s, had no problems with opponent Jose Nieves, 17-1-3, 8 KO’s, dropping him in the second and then stopping him in the fourth round. It was obvious from the opening bell that Avalos was far too strong of a puncher for Nieves and it would only be a matter of time.
Super featherweight Ray Marquez, 9-0, 6 KO’s, out-boxed Derrick Campos, 20-8, 11 KO’s, winning a unanimous eight round decision by scores of 79-72, 80-71, and 77-74. Also on the card, returning heavyweight Maurice Harris, 21-14-2, 10 KO’s, defeated Billy Zumbrun, 23-11-1, 13 KO’s, by unanimous decision. Harris has been in the ring with many of the top heavyweights, defeating Sergei Liakhovich and Jimmy Thunder along the way. Zumbrun had his moment in the sun when he nearly stopped a fat and shot Riddick Bowe.
]]>
Interview by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“I was just blessed enough to get into boxing and once I did I was able to go around the world and be somebody that other people looked up to.” – Dennis Milton
I remember my first glimpse of Gerald “The G-Man” McClellan. It took him less than a round to walk right through John “The Beast” Mugabi back in 1991, and from that moment on I was hooked and in awe at the unmistakable combination of destructiveness and talent. The obvious self confidence and momentum behind him made it inconceivable that he was summarily routed just a few short years before, as if by some act of magic, but indeed such had been the case. Digging a little deeper, the realization hit me and the pieces came together. That first loss was handed to him by Dennis “The Magician” Milton, a diligent fighter who had paid his dues and toiled in the shadows for years. He had been brought in as the opponent but took virtually everyone by surprise, demonstrating the drive and the talent that would one day take him to a title shot.
I first noticed “The Magician” in 1989, having watched him take Michael “The Silk” Olajide, a talented contender who had at one time fought for a world title at middleweight and later would go on to challenge for one at super middleweight, to the very brink. It was the type of win that made you raise an eyebrow and take notice. When I put two and two together, I noticed that it had indeed taken an act of magic to turn back “The G-Man”, and that Dennis Milton had been the magician that pulled it off. It was a privilege to sit down and speak with Dennis “The Magician” Milton about his unlikely beginning that led to a remarkable journey through the amateur and professional ranks of boxing. Over the course of that discussion, I picked-up on his positive nature and what I sensed to be a good and giving spirit to those around him, and that regardless of the victories and disappointments, this was a man whose feet were firmly planted on the ground.
MP: Starting off, for your fans that followed your career through the late-80’s and into the mid-nineties, what are you doing today?
As of right now I have a restaurant up in Mount Vernon, New York. It’s called J&D’s Tasty Fish Chips which is right across the street from City Hall. I’m also getting into real estate. I’m actually starting out as a real estate investor. I should end up doing pretty good. My business will be online shortly; I know we start advertising in November. Right now I work for an advertising company, I’m their concierge. I’m doing fine.
MP: What made you decide to become involved with boxing and where did the nickname “The Magician” come from?
I was part of the Boys Club. We were a group of kids that went to the city-wide billiard championships to compete playing pool. We lost in the finals. We were the runner-ups down in Manhattan. After the loss in the finals we decided we all wanted to stay together. Over at the PAL organization they were starting up a martial arts program, so we left the Boys Club to join the karate team. When we got there it hadn’t started yet and they had boxing going on. So we sat down and watched and we became so interested in boxing we forgot about karate and decided to go into that. It wasn’t my original intention to go into boxing because I grew up as a kid cherishing Bruce Lee.
MP: You eventually won the New York Golden Gloves championship four times, as well as the 165lb. Open Championship in 1981, defeating future three-division world champion Iran Barkley and the 156lb. Open Championship in ’82, ’83 and ’84. What are you recollections of this period?
It was a good time and I fought a lot of good guys. We had a lot of fun. We met a lot of people that just by chance I am now back in contact with online because of Facebook. I’ve been on Facebook now for maybe about a month and I’ve spoken with guys like Paul Gonzalez who was the first Mexican-American to win the gold medal back in 1984. Before Facebook I hadn’t spoken with him in 25-years. I’m also now in touch with Henry Tillman. He like Paul is on the other side of the country. Wow! The recollections and everything. It’s just fantastic! The internet is fantastic. That’s why I’m taking my business to the internet.
MP: Turning professional in 1985, you went 11-2-1 before a breakthrough win over future WBC/WBO Middleweight champion Gerald “The G-Man” McClellan. What is your recollection of McClellan and at the time did you believe that the victory would propel you toward bigger opportunities?
Yes, I did think it would open up bigger opportunities. The fight itself, I remember it, I have a tape of it somewhere although I haven’t watched it in years. Gerald McClellan was without a doubt the most dangerous fighter at that time in boxing after Thomas Hearns. He was the next Thomas Hearns. I think that had he been able to stick around the boxing world would have been different where Roy Jones JR was concerned. Both Roy and Gerald were two very competitive individuals and they knew each other from the amateurs. I don’t think, and I could be entirely wrong, but I don’t think Roy would have had as much success in the ring if Gerald was around. He was the type of individual that could change a fight with a matter of just one punch. He was the most dangerous guy I ever fought, without a doubt.
MP: Does that include Julian Jackson?
Yes, including Julian Jackson. But Gerald McClellan, definitely to me, if you put both of them in front of me and asked me who I would fight and who I wouldn’t want to fight – I wouldn’t want to face Gerald McClellan again.
MP: Next came a decisive unanimous decision over perennial division policeman Robbie Sims and after that a close split decision win over former top contender and IBF Middleweight title challenger Michael “The Silk” Olajide. You seemed to really have it going on at this point. What are your recollections of this period and did you feel you could make it all of the way to a world championship?
The Michael Olajide match was a very tough fight. After the fight I went to the hospital for dehydration. I became very dehydrated in that fight. That had a lot to do with my physical decline after that point in my career. Olajide was, to me, in my personal opinion, the most conditioned fighter I ever faced in my career. There were two guys in a far as conditioning that stood out, Bernard Hopkins and Olajide.
MP: When you faced an up and coming Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins back in 1992, did you think he’d go on to become what he is today?
No. The only thing I remember about Bernard Hopkins was that he was in very good shape, he was very crafty and that he basically fought dirty. Hopkins was extremely crafty. He was like the new Mongoose. There’s the old Mongoose, Archie Moore, and he’s like the new Mongoose.
That’s what I most remember about him. I don’t want to belittle Hopkins because of some of the things he does. But I do think he does do things that aren’t necessarily in the rule book, and I knew this way back when. By the same token, the dirtiest fighter I ever was in with was Michael Olajide. We both were fouling. We threw the rule book out. I don’t see anything really wrong with what Hopkins does because the other guy has the opportunity to do it as well. If the referee is not going to take action and penalize your foe for using dirty tactics, you have to always be in control of the situation if you can’t count on the ref to do things.
MP: You challenged a prime 44-1 Julian Jackson for the WBC Middleweight title in September 1991, perhaps the hardest puncher in middleweight division history. What happened?
I was totally confident in beating Jackson, I just got caught early. Julian beat me in one round. The thing was if I had made it back to my corner at the end of the first round I knew I could have beat him. When we clinched I got to feel his weight, his strength and what not and I decided that if I made it back to the corner I’d be alright. There were things that were going on in camp that I never disclosed and I’m not going to disclose them now. There were too many things going on in my life at that time and Julian did what he was known for doing. No excuses whatsoever. He was the better man that night.
MP: Your final bout was against former WBA Welterweight champion Aaron “Superman” Davis in 1995. Tell us about it.
I always saw Davis around. I never really paid much attention to him. I knew he beat Mark Breland for the welterweight title rather easily in a rather ugly bout. I never really put him at the same level that I was at in as far as his boxing skills even though he had become a world champion. If you watch our fight, from what I can recall, I pretty much out boxed him from the first bell but by then my legs were no longer any good, and that had started a few fights earlier in the Olajide bout with the extreme dehydration. That was what changed my career. It just didn’t work out; it didn’t come out the way we expected it to. The Davis bout was the end of my professional career as a boxer.
I’m still in the game today. I’ve got a couple of kids I’m working with at the amateur level and I’m very excited about them. I have the opportunity to be able to be somebody that can be an inspiration for others and to guide them away from people that aren’t going to do right by them. One more thing I want to make mention of; my favorite fighter in the game is Oscar De La Hoya. I never really watched him as a young professional coming up. I remember him from when I lived in Las Vegas. A young kid before he went to the Olympics in the Top Rank Gym. He was the only amateur, other than Floyd Mayweather JR. that I remember.
I truly think that Oscar is a blessing to boxing because he’s done something that none of the other guys before him, including Sugar Ray Leonard, really did. That is to become more involved in the promotional aspect of the game and help young, struggling fighters who are trying to make it in the game to go on and do something with their lives, as well as the many positive things he has done in his community. He’s helped rebuild it and is giving young kids the chance to do something with their lives. I have so much respect for him for doing all of that where the other guys may have done some things but they didn’t do it to the level Oscar did. Because of his example, other fighters are now going out and promoting; grabbing a piece of boxing rather than letting people that don’t really care or don’t really know anything about the sport go on to become filthy rich off of it, without really knowing the sport and the individuals competing in it on a day in and day out basis.
MP: It sounds like you’ve made peace with boxing and that you actively give back to it.
Definitely. My initial goal wasn’t boxing. I was just blessed enough to get into boxing and once I did I was able to go around the world and be somebody that other people looked up to. A lot of times I’ll be somewhere or even on Facebook, people will tell me they enjoyed watching me. I just found some cards some kid out in California had sent to me, asking me to please sign them, telling me he was a big fan. That’s a shot in the arm for me. It shows that I did have some type of affect in the sport as far as some people are concerned. That’s very important. The sport changed my life. I could have gone in another direction and I didn’t go that way and because of that I am fortunate enough to be talking to you and talking about my career, talking about something good.
MP: Is there anything you would like to say to RSR readers in closing?
I just would like to thank everyone for supporting me and those that got me interested in boxing and for those that help to keep it alive. There are a lot of things that are going on in the sport that isn’t good but I think that the sport will continue to survive so long as we have good young blood coming into it. Also, it’s very important to have people, fans like yourself, who are getting the stories out there for the public to read. Be it on the internet, in print or on television, it’s very important that those stories get out there and are told in a way that is truthful for the fans as well as for the athlete. One last thing; I would like to acknowledge that I was blessed to have Manard Stovall as my boxing trainer. Manard like so many others trainers around the world, do not get enough credit for the work they do. I just wanted to say THANK YOU MANARD.
You can visit Dennis Milton’s business “IBUYISALEHOUSES, LLC.” The website is IBUYISALEHOUSES.COM. The company helps people buy, sell, lease and rent houses. They can be contacted at (347) 963-9970 or visit ibuyisalehouses.com next month.
Dennis Milton Nickname: “The Magician” Division: Middleweight Professional Record: 16-5-1, 22 KO's Date Opponent Location Result1985-07-11 Greg Jones New York, USA W TKO 4 1985-08-29 Willie Monroe New York, USA W UD 6 1985-11-07 Cortez Mobley Atlantic City, USA W UD 6 1985-12-06 Mario Davis New York, USA W KO 4 1986-04-03 Ali Bey New York, USA W UD 6 1986-05-22 Ismael Negron Atlantic City, USA L SD 6 1986-08-14 Gary Tibbs New York, USA W PTS 6 1986-11-19 Fred Savage Richmond Hill, USA W KO 1 1986-12-26 Mike Peoples West Orange, USA W UD 6 1987-02-21 Sam Leonard Atlantic City, USA W PTS 6 1987-06-05 Tommy Davenport East Rutherford, USA W TKO 7 1987-08-01 Angel Sindo East Rutherford, USA L TKO 5 1988-10-25 Pedro Rivera Atlantic City, USA D PTS 4 1989-05-30 Pedro Rivera Atlantic City, USA W UD 8 1989-06-24 Gerald McClellan Atlantic City, USA W PTS 6 1989-09-12 Robbie Sims Atlantic City, USA W UD 10 1989-12-01 Michael Olajide Albany, USA W SD 10 1990-03-08 Jose Antonio Martinez Atlantic City, USA W UD 10 1991-06-28 Pat Brennan Las Vegas, USA W TKO 2 1991-09-14 Julian Jackson Las Vegas, USA L KO 1 WBC Middleweight Title 1992-01-31 Bernard Hopkins Philadelphia, USA L TKO 4 1995-01-14 Aaron Davis Atlantic City, USA L TKO 3 ]]>
By Geno McGahee
The year is 2010 and we have a lot of great fights on the horizon. Despite the fall through of the biggest fight to come down the pike in years, Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather, JR., we have plenty of other bouts to excite us. Another early disappointment in the year was the cancellation of the Andre Berto-Shane Mosley bout, but this dark cloud also has a silver lining.
Super Fights
March 13th – WBO Welterweight Title
Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey
Pacquiao, 50-3-2, 38 KO’s, has to be given credit for taking on a man like Joshua Clottey, 35-3, 20 KO’s, when the Mayweather bout didn’t materialize. Clottey brings a tight defense and consistency to the ring and has been waiting for an opportunity like this for some time. He nearly beat Miguel Cotto in his last fight, but the loss is being used by many to dismiss his chances of winning because Pacquiao TKO’d Cotto, beating him with relative ease. Although this is true, styles make fights and this is a tougher match up for Pacquiao than Cotto was. He will have to work hard to earn this.
Clottey’s trouble in this fight will be his openness to straight punches. Zab Judah was able to land them, Miguel Cotto, and even Diego Corrales found some success with straight punches, which happen to be the best punches in the arsenal of Pacquiao. That has to be the thinking when choosing Clottey, but they run a risk. If Pacquiao cannot penetrate the defense of Clottey, then he could be walked down and possibly stopped. He will have to try for the knockout early and if it doesn’t happen or he doesn’t find continued success going right down the middle, expect him to box and use his speed and angles to outpoint Clottey.
Prediction: Manny Pacquiao comes out strong early using his quick punches but none of them do any real damage or land cleanly. Clottey walks forward in a defensive shell, fending off the attacks. Pacquiao takes an early lead on the cards but Clottey’s consistency begin to bother Manny and pick up points on the cards. Manny will rally late to win a close decision in a very tough fight with some shaky moments on both sides.
Just signed for May 1st
Floyd Mayweather, JR vs. Shane Mosley
Mosley, 46-5, 39 KO’s, seemed like he had reached the end of the road in 2004 with back to back losses to Winky Wright. He looked very mediocre against Fernando Vargas and even worse against Ricardo Mayorga, but in January of 2009, he stopped Antonio Margarito and breathed some fresh air into his career, but what was Margarito without the loaded gloves? What he brings to this fight is a great chin, a fighting spirit, incredible strength, and a general dislike for Mayweather. This is a grudge fight.
Mayweather, JR., 40-0, 25 KO’s, is a defensive genius with great timing and underrated power. He most likely would have been favored to beat Pacquiao and most likely would have if they had the fight. Although just by recent activity, Pacman rules the pound for pound list, it’s fair to say that Mayweather is the man to beat. He has never lost and really hasn’t even come close, despite some close decisions. Nobody has ever walked away saying they got the best of him. He took a brief hiatus from the sport and came back to dominate a much smaller Juan Manuel Marquez, but now has his sights on bigger game: Mosley.
Prediction: I would love to say that this will be a competitive fight, but I think that the Mosley win over Margarito proved what a cheater we had on our hands and what a mediocrity he was without the plastered fists. Mosley looked like he turned back the clock, but I don’t think that he did. Mayweather will be smart and outthink Mosley, gaining and keeping the lead, winning a wide decision on the cards.
Heavyweight Title Fights
March 20th – WBO/IBF/IBO Heavyweight Title
Wladimir Klitschko vs. Eddie Chambers
The days of the great American heavyweight appear to have passed, but there is a very good one getting a title shot on March 20th. Eddie Chambers, 35-1, 18 KO’s, has beaten some of the better fighters the division has to offer. He defeated Calvin Brock, former WBC Champ Samuel Peter, Dominick Guinn, and scored the most impressive win of his career over Alexander Dimitrenko. That win over Dimitrenko was the best he had ever looked. He was quick and accurate and weighed in at a fit and trim 208 pounds. Not only was it his best performance, but it was one against a much bigger guy…which he will be facing on the 20th of March.
Wlad, 53-3, 47 KO’s, has also been on the top of his game, winning his last eleven fights, eight of them by stoppage. He controls the range and uses his jab very well. His right hand is one of the best punches in boxing and he has beaten some of the best in the division as well. He knocked out former WBA Champ, Ruslan Chagaev, Tony Thompson, former WBO Champ Sultan Ibragimov, Calvin Brock, avenged a loss by stopping Lamon Brewster, and easily destroyed former Champ Hasim Rahman. He is recognized as the true champ, over his older brother Vitali.
Prediction: This will be fun while it lasts. Chambers is very smart and tricky and has underrated power. He will test the chin of Wlad, but can he get through the long jab? That is the question. Although Chambers is a good fighter and will give Wlad some scares, you have to favor the defending champion by late stoppage or decision. The real intrigue of this fight is that this is Wlad’s toughest opponent in years and he will be trying very hard to take the belt back to the US, but he will most likely fall short inside of the distance.
April 3rd – WBA Heavyweight Title
David Haye vs. John Ruiz
There were a lot of people out there that invested a lot of hope into David Haye, 23-1, 21 KO’s. His charisma and big punch made him a fan favorite. He had images made of himself holding the decapitated head of Wladimir Klitschko. He confronted Wlad prior to his defense against Tony Thompson. He is what boxing needs, but inside the ring, he may not be as good as we had hoped.
He took the title from the gigantic Nikolay Valuev with a disappointing decision win…and a disputable one. Although Valuev is far better than most give him credit for, Haye would have sent a big message to the world had he sent the big man to the floor. He didn’t. Now he takes on former 2-Time Champ, John Ruiz, 44-8-1, 30 KO’s, another underrated fighter.
Ruiz has never ducked anyone. He has taken on Hasim Rahman, Roy Jones, James Toney, Andrew Golota, Evander Holyfield, Ruslan Chagaev, David Tua, and Nikolay Valuev. Outside of Tua, nobody has knocked him out, and he presents a puzzling style and grit that will give Haye some issues. He also has a very sneaky right hand that Haye will have to avoid.
Prediction: Reluctantly, I would go with David Haye to defend his title by a decision win. Roy Jones, JR., wrote the blue print, capitalizing on the slow feet of Ruiz to avoid trouble and keep him at bay, piling up points and cruising to a win. I expect Haye to fight in this manner because he has the speed and boxing ability to do it. Haye by UD in 12, but watch out for that Ruiz right hand!
Super Six Showdowns
March 6th – Round 2 Showdown
Arthur Abraham vs. Andre Dirrell
Abraham, 31-0, 25 KO’s, is a monster in the ring with a tight defense, an iron chin, the biggest heart in boxing, and power in both hands. He is easily the favorite to win the Super Six. He made a statement when he knocked out former Middleweight Champion Jermain Taylor in the final round in dramatic style. Andre Dirrell, 18-1, 13 KO’s, lost his first outing, a close and debatable split decision loss to WBC Super Middleweight Champ, Carl Froch, and presents a tough challenge style-wise for Abraham.
Prediction: Dirrell will give Abraham trouble with his movement and speed, but Abraham will walk him down en route to another late stoppage. Dirrell can run but he cannot hide from Abraham.
April 17th – Round 2 Showdown – WBC Super Middleweight Title
Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler
Carl Froch, 26-0, 20 KO’s, may have gotten over his biggest hurdle of the tournament when he got the nod over Dirrell. The other participants: Allan Green, Andre Ward, Abraham, and Kessler all present a target and will be there to be hit. Froch is a big puncher and is the dark horse of this competition. Kessler, 42-2, 32 KO’s, was a favorite to win the tournament based on his title status (WBA Champ at the time), record, and performance against Joe Calzaghe. Kessler may have been exposed when he was dominated by Andre Ward. He lost his title that night and now wants to win Froch’s. It will be a shoot out.
Prediction: Expect Kessler and Froch both look for the knockout. Froch has the one punch knockout power while Kessler is a good hitter but takes a better shot. It will be a brawl with Froch catching Kessler midway through the fight and stopping him shortly thereafter. Kessler is a great match for Froch and it will show how good he can be when matched correctly.
April 17th – Round 2 Showdown – WBA Super Middleweight Title
Andre Ward vs. Allan Green
Allan Green, 29-1, 20 KO’s, was eager to get involved and now he is, as he plans to take the WBA crown away from defending champion, Andre Ward, 21-0, 13 KO’s. Ward initially was slated to fight Jermain Taylor, but “Bad Intentions” had no intentions of staying in the tournament after his defeat to Abraham. Green steps in and brings a big punch and a lot of heart. Ward has looked very good in his last few fights, dominating both Kessler and Edison Miranda. Green is a different sort of fighter and he will have to bring something more to the dance to get the win here.
Prediction: Allan Green stops Andre Ward within five rounds. Green is a great puncher and has been in top form, and the way that Ward leans, he seems wide open for the attack from Green. The enthusiasm and power of Green will find a way through the ugly style of Ward to get the stoppage win and put three points on the board and a title around the waist of Green.
Leftovers
April 17th – Unwanted Rematch
Bernard Hopkins vs. Roy Jones JR
Fleecing the boxing fans is nothing new to boxing, but this PPV rematch may be an all time low. Roy Jones, JR., 54-6, 40 KO’s, was starched inside of a round in his last fight with Danny Williams, and has not beaten a top fighter since he eked by Antonio Tarver in 2003, a fight that most thought he lost. Since that, he has been stopped by Glen Johnson and Tarver in the rematch, and then dominated by Joe Calzaghe, leading up to his defeat to Green. He has zero left outside of his name, but this is boxing…and don’t underestimate greed and ego.
Hopkins, 50-5, 32 KO’s, lost in his first encounter with Jones, JR., in 1993, when they both were at the top of their games and that was not an exciting fight. Now, Hopkins has had a better track record of late because of his dirty tactics and clutching ways. He is cagy and tough, but most of his bouts could cure insomnia.
Prediction: This fight means ZERO. It’s only for the money and here to screw you, the fan, as hard as they can out of your hard earned money. Hopkins by UD over Jones, JR., and expect another PPV to settle the score.
Not Yet Signed (But expected to be for early to mid 2010)
Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Ricky Hatton
Both men have lost to Floyd Mayweather, JR., and to Manny Pacquiao. The difference is that Hatton, 45-2, 32 KO’s, was starched by both while Marquez, 50-5-1, 37 KO’s, made it to the final bell and nearly beat Manny on two occasions. Both men are looking to rebound after defeats and have found each other, reportedly. Hatton was the victim of one of the scariest knockouts in recent history when Pacquiao clobbered him in two rounds, while Marquez seemed three steps too slow to find Mayweather. They will have more success against each other.
I don’t think that either man is shot. They both have a lot more to give to the sport. It is obvious that Hatton is not an elite fighter. He is a good fighter with a lot of heart but he cannot compete with the top tier of the game. Marquez is the top tier, but he is up there in age and in ring wars, leveling the playing field somewhat.
Prediction: It will be a rough and ugly fight, but expect Marquez’s better boxing skills to make the difference and lead to a close but unanimous decision.
Exciting Showdowns
Not Yet Signed (But expected for mid 2010)
Chris Arreola vs. Tomasz Adamek
Tomasz Adamek, 39-1, 27 KO’s, has held the light heavyweight and cruiserweight titles and made a statement in his heavyweight showcase, knocking former title challenger, Andrew Golota into tomorrow in five rounds. On February 6, he takes on Jason Estrada, and should he get the win, which is expected, he gets a shot at HBO’s heavyweight fan favorite, Chris Arreola, 28-1, 25 KO’s. Adamek takes the sport seriously, and has grown into a good heavyweight.
Chris Arreola could be a good heavyweight, maybe even a champion, if he spent more time in the gym. In his title fight against Vitali Klitschko, he embarrassed himself and the sport, coming in at 251 pounds. In his comeback fight against Brian Minto, he weighed 263 pounds. Both were very important fights and both he did not train for properly. You have to believe that a fat Arreola will be in the ring with Adamek when and if they meet.
Prediction: Adamek knocks out Arreola. The open defense and lack of conditioning will be all Adamek needs to beat Arreola to the floor in the 8th round, winning every round in the process. Arreola is another heavyweight that has thrown his career chances into the trash by coming in out of shape for nearly every fight.
Not Yet Signed (But expected for mid 2010)
Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Juan Manuel Lopez
Gamboa, 17-0, 15 KO’s, holds the WBA Featherweight title. He has fast hands, great power, throws combinations reminiscent of a young Roy Jones, JR., and is on the fast track to superstardom. Juan Manuel Lopez, 28-0, 25 KO’s, holds the WBO Featherweight Title, and has had a path of destruction since the beginning of his career, bringing power in both hands and a seek and destroy style to the ring.
HBO recently featured the two in a double header and both looked spectacular. Gamboa was dazzling in a second round stoppage of Rogers Mtagwa, and Lopez showed patience in the beat down of Steve Luevano, leading to this showdown.
Prediction: A great fight. A heated war…everything that is good about boxing will be present here in this fight. It could go either way, but the speed of Gamboa seems to be the difference here and he may be the first one to land and the first one to land will probably win. Gamboa by TKO in four.
The year 2010 already is presenting a great amount of quality matchups. Boxing has been considered dead or in desperate need of help, but this year will mark a comeback for the sport. We don’t need Mayeather-Pacquiao, as much as we would want it to make it a great year for the boxing fans.
]]>By Geno McGahee
Popular super flyweight, Jorge Arce, 53-6-1, 40 KO’s, dominated and scored a seventh round technical decision over Angky Angkota, 18-4, 9 KO’s, by scores of 60-54 (twice), and 58-56, after Angkota suffered a cut which stopped the fight. Arce picked up the WBO Super Flyweight Title and has brought himself back into the division after a hot and cold run as of late. This victory made Arce a four time champion and with his charisma, we will probably see him involved in a marquee fight in the near future.
In other Saturday action, former WBO Heavyweight Champion, Lamon Brewster, 35-6, 30 KO’s, met the end of the road, being stopped by Robert Helenius, 11-0, 7 KO’s, in eight rounds. Brewster is one of only three men to hold a victory over current Heavyweight Champion, Wladimir Klitschko. He was at his peak when he destroyed Andrew Golota in 53 seconds after his win over Wlad, but the amount of punishment he’s taking over his career and inactivity have cost him and he has now lost four of his last six outings. Helenius may be a fighter to watch in the future heavyweight division. He seems to be on the fast track.
]]> By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
The Classic Boxing forum is a terrific place to reach out to other like-minded old-school hardcore fans and kick around memories of great fighters and bouts from days gone by. In fact, if you are somewhat new to the sport it’s a great way to get a sense on which bouts merit review. Hindsight being what it is, I always enjoy the distinct career arc on a given fighter, often being able to correlate their greatest moment with the point where their abilities and momentum level out and ultimately go on to wane. “Cornelius Boza-Edwards vs. Bobby Chacon II” is a discussion and an excellent example of a key moment for two glorious fighters, so much so, the portrait these two ring artists produced was of such rare passion and skill that it hooked its author, Saad79 for life. For those who have never seen that heated rematch, consider it a friendly tip-off on a past bout worth your time, and for the others that remember well how fast Mennen Speed Stick or Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes could be flashed before your eyes between rounds, it’s an excellent stroll down prizefighting’s memory lane.
RSR January 2010 Prediction League came to a blistering if cock-eyed conclusion last week. After numerous last-minute pull-outs, postponements or outright cancellations, the first league of the year saw a long suffering stalwart and a former multi-month victor emerge victorious, giving us two champions to start the year. Anthony Sullivan proved up to the task at the first bell, staying within a mere breath of the lead right through until the very end, where he ultimately found himself neck and neck with RSR’s approximate of a hybridized Jean Dixon/Floyd Mayweather JR, the seemingly irrepressible Jakeameyers. 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 February 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
]]>
By Geoff “The Professor” Poundes
Finally, it’s official.
After keeping the watching masses on tenterhooks for some 6 months or more Ricky Hatton has delivered the news that surprised no-one – he’ll fight again this summer.
Those of us who were witnessing his ballooning corpulence had begun to doubt. We doubted not because it appeared that the fires within this admirable warrior had diminished, nor because his last fight indicated a separation from his formerly formidable powers, but because he was beginning to look for all the world like a man comfortable in his own stretched skin, ready for the pipe and slippers.
Apparently not.
As much as Ricky disclaims his knockout at the flashing fists of Manny Pacquiao last May as a training mishap, even he must know that at 31 years of age his best fighting years are behind him, and what remains up ahead is a hard, desperate struggle to recapture the vim and vigor of youth.
Hatton is not the first, nor will he be the last, to embark on that journey. Of course the Hitman gives himself a far greater mountain to climb than most, with his stubborn refusal to exercise any kind of moderation between fights, a refusal that has surely exacerbated a quick and painful fall from grace.
At his presser to announce his return to the ring, Hatton claimed to have weighed in at around 180 pounds, but looked closer to 190, and he refused to remove his t-shirt as he lumbered around a heavy bag for the photographers like a pregnant rhino.
There will still be fires that burn within. Not least the desire to clear his name in the wake of that debilitating Pacquiao loss. Ricky claims that Floyd Mayweather, SR., over trained him (when all the indications pre- and post-fight were that Floyd was, if anything, an absentee coach), and that he approached the ring that night knowing that he was in no shape to fight. His loss to Mayweather, whilst emphasizing a gulf in class between the two fighters, at least allowed Hatton the kudos of having competed on something like level terms with the Pretty Boy for much of the fight. Hatton has tried to persuade himself and others that he out-fought Pacquiao in the second round of their encounter, before the Philippine put his lights out. A cursory glimpse of the fight film proves otherwise, and suggests that Ricky is separating himself from reality if he’s going into a comeback on that basis.
He’ll have no shortage of willing opponents. It’s almost certain he’ll fight in Manchester, where 50,000 fans would turn up to watch him break wind. He’s box office, damaged goods or not, and offers a mega-payday to any fighter who’s prepared to share a ring with him. Champions will happily place their titles on the line against him, particularly now that he’s been beaten twice, and spectacularly knocked out in his last fight. One suspects also that they’ll take a look at the pudgy ex-champ and fancy their chances of keeping their belts and picking up some big bucks.
Juan Manuel Marquez remains the most likely candidate, and would make for an intriguing fight. Despite his current size, Hatton insists that he wants to box at 140, so it’s unlikely that he’ll be looking at welterweights, although he himself hinted at a challenge for the WBA Welterweight Title, currently held by Vyacheslav Senchenko, a 32 year old Ukrainian with a 30-0 record.
Senchenko is one of those mysterious fighters who’s come up on the blind side, fought no-one of note, but might turn out to be the real deal when he does. At 5 feet 10 he’s a big welter, and one suspects that Hatton may want a better known quantity first time out, particularly given that Ricky has struggled up at 147 previously.
A prospective tussle with WBA light-welter champ, and fellow countryman Amir Khan, has moved closer as a possibility now that Khan has ditched his long-time promoter Frank Warren in favor of Oscar’s Golden Boy. Khan has a mandatory challenge to see off first (assuming he accepts the overtures of Marcos Maidana, 27-1, 26 KO’s, who’s record as a puncher may yet deter the fragile-chinned Brit), and the fight would be a money-spinner in the UK, but the two fighters are friends, and the fight probably won’t happen until the payday becomes essential to one of other of them.
Of course, if there were any justice in the world it would be Tim Bradley on the other side of the ring come the summer, but the WBO champion, still unbeaten after 25 fights, is being ignored by everyone that matters because, frankly, he’s too good and doesn’t excite the fans. The likes of Hatton, Khan, Mayweather and even Pacquiao will not take a fight with Bradley anytime soon.
So Marquez fits the bill precisely.
Coming off a lop-sided loss to Mayweather (no disgrace in hindsight) Marquez still retains the respect he deserves having been the one man to give Pacquiao a couple of his sternest tests, and there would be considerable interest in the match-up. He’s 36 now, with 56 contests under his belt (50 wins, 5 losses), and he’s the right size and style of fighter to make Hatton look good if the Hitman can recapture anything of his former glory.
]]>
Hosted by Brian Wilbur
Hello readers, I welcome you to another fun and exciting volume of my boxing mailbag. The big news this week was that the rumored match up between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley is now confirmed and set for May 1st in Las Vegas. This is great news for a couple reasons. First, Mayweather is taking on a legitimate top ranked welterweight (gasp!), and it is always good to see the best fight the best. Second, the bout is not taking place on March 13th so it won’t counter program the Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey fight as previously thought. An interesting wrinkle in the announcement is that Mosley agreed to the Olympics style drug testing that Pacquiao refused, leading to the collapse of negotiations. I had discussed in last week’s mailbag though that Mosley and Mayweather really had to fight with the enhanced drug testing or else Floyd would come away looking like a fraud. Pacquiao and Mayweather are engaging in two separate but quality fights this spring to look forward to. However I know that everyone is still hoping and praying that they both win and will meet later on in 2010 in the fight that entire world is waiting for. Nothing compares to Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather. There were a few minor fights this weekend, but the one that caught my eye was Jesse Brinkley vs. Curtis Stevens. I have to give a shout out to Brinkley, a former contestant on The Contender reality show. He had a brilliant performance against Stevens, scoring two knockdowns and winning a wide decision. Brinkley was thought to be finished due to a series of losses starting with his exit from the television show. However since 2007 he has won his last 9 fights and taken down a handful of name opponents during that span, including Dallas Vargas, Joey Gilbert, “The Next Great Champ” Otis Griffin, and now Curtis Stevens. Brinkley has surprised and impressed me by resurrecting his career at the age of 33. I see a title shot in his future. Before we move onto the mailbag, I wanted to remind my readers once again to check out Yusef Mack vs. Glen Johnson this upcoming Friday. This is the best fight we’ve had on regular cable in a long time. I have a mixed bag of topics this week. We touch on Antonio Margarito, the Super Six tournament, and Manny Pacquiao among other topics. I open this week’s emails with a take on the Mosley vs. Mayweather bout. Enjoy, and as always, I would love to hear your feedback. Shane Mosley vs. Floyd Mayweather Set I know this disagrees with a lot of growing excitement about Floyd “Money” Mayweather vs. “Sugar” Shane Mosley, but I honestly think Mosley will look oh so bad that Money’s ego will only be stroked and will skyrocket into the next galaxy. Shane did demolish Margarito, but think about it: - Shane looked bad against Ricardo Mayorga - Miguel Cotto out-boxed him - He just looked decent against a badly faded Fernando Vargas - Shane couldn’t dent Winky Wright - Margarito probably weakened his previous opponents with his loaded gloves, so he was able to take their punches better as the rounds went; such was not the case against Mosley. And of course huge credits to Naazim Richardson for the tactics Shane employed (loading up on his punches as Margarito came near, knowing Margarito wouldn’t move his head anyway; then coming close & clinching to avoid Margarito's power hooks to the body when Margarito got into position). Shane would be very dangerous against Manny Pacquiao, maybe that's why Freddie Roach thinks that is the most difficult fight for Pacman among the top welterweights. But against Floyd, Shane, would be embarrassed by the end of the fight. Of course he has brother Naazim is in his corner, but what stylistic change can Shane do to be more competitive? Oscar De La Hoya did good in the early rounds against Floyd, but it seemed De La Hoya's punches were not connecting solid or hurting Floyd. Shane would have much more power but I don’t see him doing a forcing job with hard jabs to get close and then body strike solidly. How would you advise Mosley and brother Naazim? -Rob P. Rob, I completely agree with you. Shane Mosley is top ranked welterweight and a quality opponent, but I still see this fight as a mismatch in favor of Mayweather. Most of Floyd's recent fights have been mismatches because he fought a poor quality of opposition or he held a size advantage like he did against Juan Manuel Marquez. In this fight against Mosley, we can't criticize his choice of opponent because Mosley was the best available since the Pacquiao fight fell through. However due to styles and Shane being a tad overrated right now this is also a mismatch. When Winky Wright fought Mosley, he did not just win, he toyed with Mosley and had such an easy time that he got bored halfway through the match. Shane has no answer for an elite defensive boxer with a good jab. Mayweather is going to dominate Mosley and win a near shut out unanimous decision. And like you said, since Shane is highly ranked and the best quality opponent that Mayweather has fought in a long time, the public will react positively and Mayweather's ego will soar to new heights. Again I am not knocking Mosley as an opponent or a fighter. He deservedly is ranked as the next best welterweight behind Pacquiao and Mayweather so I commend Floyd for taking on a real opponent this time. Mosley would have a much more favorable styles match up against Manny Pacquiao (though I would still favor Pacquiao, just by not as big of a margin). Mosley is at his best when his opponent engages him and Mayweather will do nothing of the sort. For your question regarding what strategy I would advise for team Mosley, I would advise Shane Mosley to emulate Mike Tyson against Mayweather. Cus D'Amato's fighting techniques that Tyson perfected was the best style I have seen at countering defensive boxers and boxer-punchers. That means use a quick jab to set up combinations, fight from a crouch, bob and weave, head movement to avoid the jab, and once you slip the jab lunge in with hard swift power combinations. The key is getting past the reach and the jab, trapping your opponent on the ropes and unloading your power punches. The problem is that in order to effectively implement that style one needs to have elite power, speed, and reflexes. Mosley has good power, but he has never been a one-punch knockout kind of guy. Shane used to have elite speed and reflexes but I believe that those have diminished as he has aged. I don't think that Mosley has the physical tools to get it done against Mayweather. Naazim Richardson is a better fight strategist than I am though, so we'll see what kind of game plan he sets up for Mosley. Another point on Richardson, is that against Margarito you could clearly see flaws to exploit since Antonio is/was a raw fighter. Naazim came up with a plan to capitalize on huge holes in Margarito’s game. Mayweather is so technically sound, coming up with a slam dunk game plan like that is not possible. If there are flaws in Floyd’s game, they are very minor. Last Pacquiao Steroid Email, I Promise!!! Hi Brian, I beg to disagree with you saying that Pacquiao agreeing to be blood tested after the fight is irrelevant. I don't think it is "completely irrelevant. If the whole purpose of the blood testing is to catch a cheat, then taking the blood right after the fight would be the best thing to do and should put all of this nonsense to rest. Anyway, I just hope Pacquiao will win against Joshua Clottey as I believe the fight with Floyd Mayweather will still happen later. Clottey is a tough guy and has a big chance of upsetting the Pacman. As for Mayweather, I have to admit, I am not a big fan of his fighting style. But I rather like his dancing and in fact voted for him a couple of times during his Dancing With the Stars gig. One question though, what is the difference between his 40-0 wins vs. Chavez Jr. 38-0 record? -Lance Adame Lance, The blood test that tests for HGH can only catch dopers within 2-3 days of use. This means that Pacquiao could take massive amounts of HGH all throughout training. As long as he stopped taking the drug a few days before fight night, he would test completely clean on the blood test after the fight. This is why taking a blood test after the fight is irrelevant. Even if he was taking HGH he would test negative! The only way to catch an HGH user is to do random blood testing throughout training camp (and even then you have to get lucky and catch the user making a mistake). Concerning your other question, the difference between Floyd Mayweather's 40-0 vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.'s 38-0 is the quality of opposition. People like to criticize Mayweather's quality of opposition, and rightfully so compared to other elite fighters like Pacquiao, but his record is leaps and bounds better than Chavez's. Mayweather has defeated a handful of A level opponents and a slew of B level opponents. Chavez's record consists almost primarily of D and F level opponents, and sometimes he struggles! And by the way, I don’t think you should be so proud in saying that you watch Dancing With the Stars. Some readers might consider that a bit feminine. Just saying. Punishment For Margarito Mr. B,Antonio Margarito was caught with loaded hand wraps last year, no ifs, ands or buts. I think Margarito should be banned forever from boxing worldwide! Your thoughts, Mr. B?-Tito Tito, Yeah, based on the evidence against him and the proof that he was knowingly playing with the lives on his opponents, Antonio Margarito probably should be banned for life. There is no room for cheaters in boxing when the stakes are so high. Look at what happened to Brian Viloria and Z Gorres recently to remind you of what we are dealing with. Ike Ibeabuchi. He beat up and raped a girl and deservedly is going to spend many years in jail. However I would have been happy if he had been released early, again for selfish reasons and not because I thought he deserved to be set free. I would have loved to see a potentially great heavyweight like Ibeabuchi challenge Lennox Lewis and the Klitschko brothers. But real talk, I would be a little disappointed if he did get a lifetime ban, for selfish reasons. I want to see him fight again even though I acknowledge that he deserves a permanent ban. I had similar thoughts about I am curious just how much the hand wraps had to do with Antonio's success. There will be increased scrutiny on him now so I highly doubt that he will be able to get away with cheating anymore. I'd like to see him come back against someone like Zab Judah, or perhaps a rematch with Sebastian Lujan, to see exactly what he's got when he is fighting without an illegal aid. Based on what I have been reading, Margarito will probably be allowed to get his license back sometime in 2010. We’ll see how it plays out with the commission. Pacquiao Undersized At Welterweight Pacquiao weighed 149 pounds on fight night against Miguel Cotto, so what does that tell you? Your guess is as good as mine. He was really just a small welterweight fighting a big welterweight. Heck, Pacquiao could even fight at 140 without a problem. It just shows you how good Pacquiao is. Marquez was already struggling at 135. Sure he won his fights due to skill, but you could tell he was undersized against Juan Diaz. I am not sure if he could cope up with 140. Even Juan Diaz isn't good at 140. You really nailed that 5 pounds makes a big difference, but not on Pacman though. My guess, if Marquez gets a loss at 140, he'll go back to 135 or retire. Marquez is really a 130 fighter. That's my guess, I don't know about you. -Benjie M. Tiu Benjie, I remember all of the debates we used to have in previous mailbags about Pacquiao and whether or not he should go up in weight. You thought that going up in weight would be no big deal for Pacquiao and I was hesitant. If you look at 99% of fighters, they lose something when they move up in weight and have to make adjustments or sacrifices. Pacquiao proved that he is a freak by getting better as he put on weight, defying logic. Pacquiao weighed in at 149 on fight night when Cotto typically weighs in at around 160 when he fights at welterweight. Manny was a welterweight fighting a middleweight essentially, and he still won in dominant fashion. This is why some have been making the comparison to Henry Armstrong. His archrival Juan Manuel Marquez is obviously human because he falls under the laws of physics when it comes to moving up in weight! Thank you for humoring me and saying that I was right even though I’m not sure that I was. I always like to hear that I am right because it makes me feel good and strokes my ego. But let’s say that we were both right. I was right that fighting in a higher weight class makes a huge impact. But you were right in saying that Pacquiao could handle it and succeed. Super Six Still Super? Brian, In the Super Six tournament we have Arthur Abraham vs. Andre Dirrell on March 6th, then Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward vs. Allan Green coming up on April 17th. Do you feel like this tournament has kind of lost its luster at all? Abraham is a huge favorite over Dirrell. Kessler was pretty much exposed against Ward and his stock plummeted. Allan Green is a substitute with Jermain Taylor stepping down. How do you see these fights? -Eric Eric, I am still very curious and interested in the outcome of the next round of the Super Six tournament. All of those fights are quality. Dirrell showed promise against Carl Froch, so even though I agree with he is a big underdog against Abraham, his potential is dangerous and could shine through at any time, especially since his back is against the wall. I am very much anticipating Kessler vs. Froch. There are so many questions. Was the beating that Ward put on Kessler more that Mikkel was overrated or that Ward is that good? Is Carl Froch really good enough to make it to the second round despite being a dark horse at the start? If Kessler loses here, Joe Calzaghe’s win over him looks substantially less impressive since Mikkel continually proves that he can’t hang with top notch opposition. I am glad that Jermain Taylor was replaced since I was growing concerned seeing him brutally knocked out with such frequency. Allan Green is a fine replacement since he was the best available contender (since Lucian Bute was unavailable). Allan Green vs. Andre Ward is a much better fight than Jermain Taylor vs. Andre Ward. Ward will be tested but I see him winning by decision. Sunset Thomas I just shriveled up to one inch when I saw what I just saw. Those (censored) over at doghouse stole your writer/hooker/2nd hottest writer for ringside report (next to you mister). Who do they think they are? Take it to the streets Wilbur. Plus, that site has more pop up ads than my favorite gay porn website. When I go there it takes like 11 hours just to read a damn story because I am blocking all their heterosexual porn ads. Give me something I can work with if you are going to interrupt my reading. That is why I like your bag Wilbur, because it is short, sweet, and straight to the point. So what is the deal with Sunset? Can't you get the Sgt. to offer her up a better pay rate than your opposition? Let’s say four million per article? -Ralph Maccio Ralph, You have a favorite gay porn website? Dude, you crack me up. Contract and compensation negotiations aren’t really my duty here at Ringside Report so I won’t comment on that. However, I wish Sunset the best of luck at her new home. I enjoyed working with her as she was always pleasant and cordial. Without Sunset writing at RSR I never would have known that the word courtesan is a modern term for prostitute, so I thank her for educating me in that respect. You learn something new everyday. Sexy White Boy Meets Mike Tyson Hey Brian,Mike Tyson will ever come back? You one sexy white boy and I love your big hands. Listen, do you think that Sugar wants to do things to Brian. -Sugar Johnson Sugar, Please hold back your urges to “do things to me”. I beg of you. But for your boxing related question, which I feel obliged to answer despite your creepiness, no, Mike Tyson will never come back as a professional boxer. He is back doing fake wrestling though, and he might do some other things like that for money. Well readers, looks like this week I got less Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather questions. Those, apparently, have been replaced by weird perverted emails that I am ashamed to say that I am mildly enjoying as a change of pace. Remember to send me your emails so I can feature your email in next week’s bag. Thanks and take care until next time.
]]>
By Gina L. Caliboso
As 2010 moves beyond the super/mega fight between you know who and my guy – and for all you faithful readers, I’ve mentioned him before, the welterweights may have to take a back seat to the middleweight hitters. The middleweight division currently has its top three fighters in need of good fights and these fights just may have to be against one another.
Currently, Kelly Pavlik, 36-1, 32 KO’s, ranks #1 among middleweights followed by Felix Sturm, 33-2, 14 KO’s, at #2. But the boxer I want to focus on is Anthony “The Man” Mundine, currently ranked #3 behind Pavlik and Sturm.
By all accounts, Pavlik and Sturm do have better records than Mundine. At 34, Mundine first made his debut back in 2000 with the majority of his fights taking place in Australia. At one point in his career, he was the titleholder of the WBA Super Middleweight belt now held by Manny Sciaca and also the belt now held by Andre Ward.
In looking at Mundine’s fight record over the past 2 years – I could go further, but his record just reads like a fighter with a lot of ring time and always coming away as the winner.
Since 2008, Mundine’s fights have gone the distance and he has scored victories with decisions. This can be very dangerous for any opponent he may face. Mundine’s shortest fight was back in December 2007 against Jose Alberto Clavero, where he scored a 4th round KO in a scheduled 12 round bout. In this fight, it was the second title defense of the WBA World Super Middleweight title belt he held at the time.
In 2008, Mundine fought 4 times with each fight going the distance and resulting in a unanimous decision. In February 2008, he first defeated Nader Hamdan and later in May, he defeated Sam Soliman. Both these fights went for 12 rounds.
His next two fights in 2008 resulted in unanimous decisions as well. Two months later in July 2008, he fought against Crazy Kim and achieved a 10 round unanimous decision as well as another 10 round unanimous decision against Rafael Sosa Pintos in November.
In 2009, he continued to take his fights to the distance. In February 2009, he defeated Shannan Taylor in a 12 round unanimous decision. Later in May 2009, he defeated Daniel Geale, 21-0, with a 12 round split decision. He ended 2009 with yet another unanimous decision over 10 rounds against Alejandro Gustavo Falliga.
Mundine is off to a good start for 2010. On January 10th of this year, Mundine went on to become the WBA International Middleweight titleholder when he defeated Robert Medley with a 12 round unanimous decision.
A former rugby player, Mundine is a tough fighter and while his victories via unanimous decision are impressive, I’d have to question just why he hasn’t fought outside of Australia but once.
For his own reasoning or logic, Mundine wants fighters to go to him and fight him in his country where he can get possibly get a larger purse rather than venturing outside of Australia. Maybe he considers that he’ll always have the hometown advantage because of hometown judges. But really, he needs to put his toughness to the test against the best. And currently, Pavlik ranks as the best.
Mundine can definitely be a draw against Pavlik. He is an entertaining fighter by his country’s standards. Back in May 2006, he came up against fellow countryman Danny Green and defeated him with a 12 round unanimous decision. According to his bio on boxrec.com, all of Mundine’s fights have been broadcast on Australian Pay-per-view, so at least should he decide to fight outside Australia, his country will definitely pick up some sort of broadcasting rights.
As for Pavlik and Sturm, both fighters have remained relatively quiet and out of the limelight. Champion Pavlik is the current titleholder for the WBC and WBO Middleweight belts. There is something suspect to Pavlik’s performance. Even as Pavlik went through a physical crisis and postponed his showdown against #1 ranked light middleweight Paul “Punisher” Williams he decided to take on Miguel Angel Espino, in December 2009. Pavlik did manage to score a 5th round TKO, but it would have made for a better fight against Williams.
Sturm is the current WBA World Middleweight titleholder and has successfully defended his title eight times since April 2007. Sturm’s last fight came against Khoren Gevor with a unanimous decision over 12 rounds. Sturm, much like Mundine, does not like to fight outside the confines of his home country of Germany. Sturm is also a fighter than can go the distance, but has achieved two TKO decisions that resulted in wins. In April 2008, he fought against Jamie Pittman and scored a 7th round TKO. And later, in April 2009, he defeated Koji Sato with another 7th round TKO.
So, let’s hear it for the middleweights. The top three middleweights all have the records and belts to put on the line. The question is if whether Pavlik and Sturm will give my guy Mundine the opportunity to go the distance and have a chance at their titles. My first thought is no, but on second thought, the division needs to have these middleweights battle it out. Specifically, Mundine needs to go up against either Pavlik or Sturm.
With Pavlik, Sturm, and Mundine, this may very well be the year of the middleweights. In which case, the fight between you know who and you know who won’t matter at all. Boxing need not look to the welterweights - the battle of the middleweights is going to happen and it’s going to be great!
]]>
By Geno McGahee
Vitali Klitschko, 39-2, 37 KO’s, the WBC Heavyweight Champion, and younger brother Wladimir, 53-3, 47 KO’s, the WBO/IBO/IBF Champion are the recognized co-champions at this point, even with the WBA Crown belonging to David Haye. Their dominance of the mediocre heavyweight division has placed them at the top of everyone’s heavyweight list and rightfully so. They have taken on the best possible contenders and have made easy work of them, but there are challengers ready to change the face of the heavyweight division.
The Invasion of the Cruiserweights
The best heavyweights of all time were smaller guys. Mike Tyson weighed in the 215 range in his prime, Evander Holyfield at 210, Joe Louis 200, Muhammad Ali 210, Rocky Marciano 185, and Joe Frazier 205. The best heavyweights of all time ranged from 200 to 220 pounds and were not hulking giants. At this time, we have sanctioning bodies considering a “super heavyweight” division again to further confuse the sport, but there is a chance here to set things right by keeping the heavyweight division the be all and end all of boxing and letting these cruisers show that bigger is not necessarily better.
We begin with David “Hayemaker” Haye, 23-1, 21 KO’s. As a cruiserweight, he was a menace, demolishing the competition with ease, and capturing the WBA, WBC, and WBO titles. His charisma and powerful punch made him a fan favorite and when he began to confront the Klitschko brothers, the stage was set for a big time collision and serious defense for Wlad, at the time. Promotional problems would stop the Wlad – Haye bout, but he would forge on and in November of 2009, he would give up 99 pounds to the defending champion Nikolay Valuev, and come away with a majority decision. Although many expected more from Haye, he did win against a very tough opponent that stood seven feet tall and who took a great punch. Valuev held wins over John Ruiz, Larry Donald, Sergei Liakhovich, and Evander Holyfield. Haye showed poise and stuck to a game plan to become one of the few that have moved up in weight to win the heavyweight crown. With his title, charisma, and punch, he will get a crack at one of the Klitschkos in the near future.
Best Chances Against: Wladimir
Threat Level: High
Tomasz Adamek, 39-1, 27 KO’s, followed in the footsteps of Haye, realizing that the big money is in the heavyweight division. In 2007, he was a 175 pounder and held the WBC Light Heavyweight Crown. In 2008, he weighed 198 and won the IBF Cruiserweight Title. Last October, he weighed 214 pounds and knocked out Andrew Golota in five rounds, and is slated to take on Jason Estrada in February. Should he get beyond Estrada, he will take on Chris Arreola in an HBO Showcase. Against Golota, he showed that he packs a heavyweight punch, but he also showed some lapses in defense. He should get beyond both Estrada and Arreola, which would put him in line with one of the Klitschkos. Although he doesn’t have the speed of a David Haye, he has a great punch and makes up for it in toughness. He will be in shape and ready to fight and has filled out as a legitimate heavyweight.
Best Chances Against: Vitali.
Threat Level: High
Jean Marc Mormeck, 34-4, 22 KO’s, has made the jump to heavyweight and in his last bout, he defeated fan favorite, Vinny Maddalone by unanimous decision. At 37, the former Cruiserweight Champion’s age may be catching up with him, and the jump to the 200+ division doesn’t seem to have championship gold at the end. He has suffered knockout losses to O’Neil Bell and David Haye, and doesn’t seem to have the punch or durability to overcome either Klitschkos
Best Chances Against: Vitali
Threat Level: Low
The Former Champions
The former champions are always lingering around, eagerly awaiting their chance to regain glory inside the ring. The heavyweight picture still has a few of them awaiting another opportunity. Former Champs regaining titles is not out of the ordinary and within this current group, we have some multiple time titlists. They want to prove that they cannot be dismissed just yet.
Nikolay Valuev, 50-2, 34 KO’s, is one of the most disrespected boxers in the game. He has fought mostly in Germany and has held the WBA Title on two occasions. He stands seven feet tall and comes into the ring weighing over three hundred pounds. Although he does not have an exciting style or big punch (for his size) he is consistent and has been improving fight by fight. He is confident and takes a good punch. His biggest issue going in against either Klitschko would be his speed and openness to the right hands, but his relaxed nature will help him. He is a former champ that could regain gold.
Best Chances Against: Wladimir
Threat Level: Medium
John “Quietman” Ruiz, 44-8-1, 30 KO’s, is another disrespected boxer that has taken on the best and has defeated many former and future champions. His puzzling “jab and grab” style and underrated power still make him a threat to either Klitschko, should he be pitted against them. Many boxers have avoided facing him because of the difficult fight that they are sure to have. He is durable and courageous and will do his best to win. He is still a viable opponent.
Best Chances Against: Wladimir
Threat Level: Medium
Sam “Nigerian Nightmare” Peter, 33-3, 26 KO’s, held the WBC Title in 2008 with a TKO win over Oleg Maskaev, and with a strong performance against Wladimir Klitschko in 2005, and back to back wins over James Toney, he seemed like the potential future of the division, but a lack of discipline and heart derailed his climb. An embarrassing non-effort against Vitali Klitschko in 2008 cost him his title and he gave an equally uninspired go at Eddie Chambers, resulting in a majority decision defeat. For that fight, he weighed in at a whopping 265 pounds and it showed. In his three comeback fights, he has weighed in the 240 range and destroyed three journeyman. He is now in line for a title shot, and an in shape and focused Nightmare is not out of the picture yet.
Best Chances Against: Wladimir
Threat Level: Medium
Oliver “Atomic Bull” McCall, 54-9, 37 KO’s, has won 13 of his last 15 fights, with his only defeat coming to Juan Carlos Gomez by decision. The former WBC Champion is 44 years old and still hopes for another crack at the big time, and with his name value, distinction as one of only two men to ever knock out Lennox Lewis, it may be an attractive keep busy bout for either Klitschko. At 44, he still has the punch and toughness to have the “puncher’s chance” but outside of a lucky punch, wouldn’t stand much of a chance.
Best Chances Against: Wladimir
Threat Level: Low
Sultan Ibragimov, 22-1-1, 17 KO’s, held onto the WBO Title in 2007 with a win over Shannon Briggs, and a defense against Evander Holyfield, before going into a unification bout with Wladimir Klitschko in February of 2008. It was a disappointing bout, where Wlad jabbed the entire night and the much smaller Ibragimov couldn’t find a way in. He has been on the shelf for nearly two years with managerial problems, but has said in a recent interview that he plans a return. With a big punch, good boxing skills, and the southpaw stance, he could still stir up the division. He would have to be more aggressive against the Klitschkos, but it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibilities that he could win.
Best Chances Against: Vitali
Threat Level: Medium
The Title Contenders
“Fast” Eddie Chambers, 35-1, 18 KO’s, will get his shot at Wladimir Klitschko in the near future and represents the best American heavyweight in boxing right now. His performance against Alexander Dimitrenko showed just how great he could be. He holds wins over Calvin Brock and Sam Peter, and will be a live dog going into his biggest opportunity. With his speed and accuracy and overall trickiness in the ring, Wlad will have to be very careful. His low KO percentage is deceiving. Chambers can punch.
Best Chances Against: Vitali
Threat Level: High
Alexander Povetkin, 18-0, 13 KO’s, is the only man thus far to defeat Chambers, and has shown amazing improvement after hiring Teddy Atlas to train him. Povetkin is a smaller, stocky heavyweight and now brings a more Americanized approach to the game, which will help him immensely as he goes after the Klitschko brothers. He holds wins over Chris Byrd, Larry Donald, and Chambers, and is in line to face either one of the Klitschkos and may be the most likely to defeat them at this point.
Best Chances Against: Wladimir
Threat Level: High
Chris “Nightmare” Arreola, 28-1, 25 KO’s, is a highly regarded heavyweight that HBO has put much focus on, despite his lack of seriousness about the sport. He came in overweight for his title challenge against Vitali Klitschko and then recently came in at an embarrassing 263 pounds in his last fight against Brian Minto. He has good power and throws combinations well enough, but he doesn’t have the heart for the game and comes in out of shape over and over again. He has eaten himself out of the possible title and seems to be doing the same thing with this comeback.
Best Chances Against: Wladimir
Threat Level: Medium
Ray “Rainman” Austin, 28-4-4, 18 KO’s, did not do well when he faced Wladimir in 2007, but he has fought his way back with four straight wins, two of which were knockouts of has-beens with name values in Andrew Golota and DaVarryl Williamson. His awkward style and toughness have kept him in the game and he will most likely find himself in a title opportunity sometime in 2010, probably not against Wlad.
Best Chances Against: Vitali
Threat Level: Low
David “Tuaman” Tua, 50-3-1, 43 KO’s, has never reached his potential, but it may be his time. At 37 years of age, he still possesses the punch and chin to make either Klitschko nervous. His last fight against the once defeated Shane Cameron was an example of his power, a first round example. He may be beyond his better years but if somebody stands in front of him, they will be stopped. He takes one heck of a punch and came into his last bout in pretty good shape. If he dedicates himself to boxing, he may just win the title, something that he should have done a long time ago.
Best Chances Against: Wladimir
Threat Level: High
The Klitschkos have some viable challenges out there and we should have some interesting challenges for them coming up in the near future. Can any of the above mentioned heavyweights stop the Klitschko family from dominating boxing? Maybe. There is at least enough challenge out there for the fans to finally get a real heavyweight title fight and not the slow dances that we’ve been getting lately.
]]>
By John Pitroff
The wrestling world is always full of news. But, the problem is that most of it is not newsworthy. Do you read the dirt shirts? I do. The little tidbits are cool, but I feel as though I am reading Star Magazine for wrestling. I always feel dirty when reading those magazines because I know most of it is nonsense. I also feel the same way when reading the dirt shirts. Perhaps that is why they call them dirt sheets. No one cares about Karen Angle…unless she is naked. Well, except Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett! Did you hear she might be returning to TNA? See, you still don‘t care and nor do I!
I find humor in these “news” stories, but they are never big enough to actually warrant knowing about unless you are an avid wrestling fan. As a wrestling fan, you are lucky if once a week you get something worthy of reading online that is big enough to the world of wrestling to end up mattering in a few weeks. Everything else isn’t even of note. Rikishi’s son wrestling, Jeremy Borash off of TV, WWE releases another developmental wrestler nobody knew anyway? Don’t care, don’t care, don’t care!
I find it hard to attempt to write two columns a week about wrestling when wrestling doesn’t provide me with enough to write two solid columns a week. I never want to write about things that aren’t worthy of writing about. I never want a reader to have to sit through stupid news stories that don’t really matter to the world of wrestling. Does the average reader really need to know about the fact that Awesome Kong fought Bubba the Love Sponge backstage at the Impact tapings? See, it is interesting, but I always wanted to write about things that are of a more important ideology.
Wrestling needs to step up its game and make some things happen so that I can get some columns. A message to WWE & TNA: make something happen and make it quick, because not only do I need the entertainment, I need something to write about! C’mon, I almost turned to writing about Hornswoggle…oh wait, I already did that. One knows they are scraping the barrel for something to write about when a green midget comes to mind. I think WWE feels the same way as I do, because they keep writing him into their show scripts as well.
If this gets any worse, I am going to have to start acting liking a 14 year old, doing crotch chops, wearing back & green, and saying, “suck it” every five minutes. I feel as though I am Shawn Michaels. I know I am worthy of better than this, but wrestling can’t seem to find anything worthy for me to do right now. I guess within the next few weeks I might have to turn to trusty old Undertaker for some inspiration to do better, just like Michaels.
I feel like one of those newspaper writers who are just waiting for someone to bomb a building so they have something to cover. Don’t get any ideas. Wrestling needs nothing even remotely resembling that Muhammad Hassan storyline with piano wire. I mean, that almost got Smackdown cancelled! And, that is saying something, since they were on UPN…and we all know how high of standards they set for their television line up. Plus, you’ll be sent to jail like Nailz in that storyline, or like when he attacked Vince backstage.
I never want to write about something that isn’t relevant. Sure, for a joke here or there like in the last paragraph, but I never want to bring you, the reader, two to four pages informing you of things that you need no informing of. You can find all that on the dirt sheet sites. Or, call “Mean” Gene Okerlund on the WCW hotline. I did that once, after begging my dad for hours. Finally, he let me, and it took 3 minutes with no news to finally realize my dad was right about wasting money. Thank god for the internet! At least this is free, as long as you don’t count the pop ups on PWTorch and the viruses from the slew of crappy wrestling news sites out there.
My main point here is that you can get wrestling news at any random site, what I am trying to bring are well thought out essays about the world of wrestling. But, without anything worthy of writing about in the current product, wrestling has driven me to write about the fact that there is nothing to write about!
It shouldn’t be like this, especially now. This should be one of the biggest times in recent wrestling history for a writer, but not as much is happening as should be. Don’t get me wrong, a lot happened…within one week. Then, once all that was covered, no one in either WWE or TNA kept up. There was a big push for wrestling the last few weeks, but it seemed to die quicker than Kane’s WWF Championship run.
I don’t feel the buzz anymore. Why didn’t wrestling keep up and stay on the top of people’s minds? Coming from such a big week, there should have been interesting story layered upon interesting story to write about, but the biggest thing that happened, Jeff Hardy debuting for TNA, was seen as a nothing more than an afterthought.
Perhaps it is the fault of TNA for not getting Impact live the Monday following their debut. I know many people who expected to tune in and see Impact vs. Raw once again. Little did they know, TNA was off their game and didn’t have the smarts to put Impact on the next week and the week after to really solidify themselves. I would have loved to write about the follow up head to head Raw vs. Impact, but instead I sat here wondering what was a good enough topic to write about.
Why wasn’t there another live Impact ready to go if the ratings were good? I am sure that a lot of the fans that were gained on Monday for Impact were lost when they tuned in next week to whatever show Spike normally puts in that time slot. Plus, I can’t say for sure, but I don’t remember TNA even mentioning Impact’s normal time slot during the broadcast. Even if they did, it wasn’t enough. Fans tuning in for the first time need to know when to watch the show! Unlike the people reading this, other people are not totally obsessed with wrestling and have other things to do than go online and research when TNA is going to be back on television again. TNA, it is your job to let your viewers know when they can watch you.
And, what about WWE? Sadly, they have done just as bad. Bret Hart was guest host for a week, and seemed to solidify some future storylines, but then he was off TV the last two weeks. I realize that he was just a “guest host” but if WWE didn’t plan on having him part of the future shows, they shouldn’t have written him into the show so deeply.
The Bret Hart story had me interested more than I expected, but then that interest was quickly lost when he didn’t show up the next week. I started caring about him as much as I originally had, not at all. Shame on WWE for not following up. Imagine a fan tuning in to see Hart, and at the end of the show seeing the cliff hanger ending of having Hart getting kicked by Vince. Then, they tune in next week, and there is no Vince or Hart interaction. Great writing WWE; leaving your main storyline off for no apparent reason.
Any new viewer that came back must have been wondering, “Where is Hart for his revenge?” If wrestling fans were smart and followed the way that WWE booked this storyline, they might boo him when he comes back for being such a coward. Wrestling is great for having good hook endings to their shows, but when it isn’t followed up with anything, why should the viewer care? “Wow, that was a great ending, I wonder what is going to happen next week.” “What happened to that whole Bret Hart thing? Is he still around? Why didn’t he do something?” It is important to leave the viewers guessing, but not guessing over who would be stupid enough to forget to write the main event storyline into the next week’s show.
What has been happening in wrestling, I have been covering. I have already written about Hulk Hogan’s comeback, Jeff Hardy being the most important part of the Monday Night War, Sheamus (who is that, oh yeah, the WWE Champion), dead wrestlers (yes, another one), wrestling not being fake, and even The Ultimate Warrior. I am stretching for something to write about more than WWE writers are at this point. Now, there are always various bigger topics to write about wrestling in general, but I also like to keep things up to date with current news as well. I enjoy writing on big topics that involve wrestling as a whole, but I also feel as though it is important to stay up to date with the big news that has happened the previous week. Problem is, there haven’t been enough interesting things to make one care. And, this is all coming from someone who just wrote an entire column about how I was finally interested in the current wrestling product again.
Within the next few weeks, I will be forced to cover only wrestling in a larger aspect. I will be forced to leave all the petty little new stories to you. Just watch out for viruses on those sites. I am just begging WWE or TNA to do something of note so that I don’t have to write a column next week about having to write a second column about not having anything to write about. Either that, or you got a solid four pages about Hornswoggle.
]]>
By Daniel “Tex” Cohen
8:29- Moments before the showdown between Rogers Mtagwa and Yuriorkis Gamboa, I can’t help but empathize with Mtagwa more than his opponent. It’s not that I dislike Gamboa. I suppose I would just like to see a grizzled old veteran with a less than snazzy record take on an undefeated fighter with a notoriously questionable chin and gain a moment in the sun. I know a Mtagwa championship reign wouldn’t last forever, but damn it if he doesn’t deserve it.
8:50- Perhaps I’m susceptible to propaganda, but I am actually a little moved by the HBO Gamboa introductory feature piece. Selling your gold medal to pay for your daughter’s birthday is touching.
There’s a story here that we see time and time again but fail to acknowledge: Cuba has problems. I know every country has its issues, but this is a story that is particularly pertinent to Boxing. If we are going to identify internal issues dealing with sanctioning bodies, we should also try to scoop our best and brightest when they are in a rough and tumble situation. We’re an internationalist community anyway, right?
9:05- Mtagwa just got clipped with several hooks in round one. He looks out of sorts. Gamboa, meanwhile, is moving beautifully.
9:08- The knockdown at the end of round one looks legit on replay. The crowd is oohing and aahing with every Gamboa power shot. There are plenty of oohs and aahs. Mtagwa looks hurt every few moments, and he goes down again. It’s too early in the fight to be in this much trouble.
9:10- Just like that, Steve Smoger stops the fight. I’m a bit shocked with the performance. Gamboa looked spectacular. I wonder if Mtagwa had a good night or if Juan Manuel Lopez had a bad night when the journeyman almost knocked Lopez out.
9:15- Max Kellerman is interviewing Gamboa regarding a Lopez-Gamboa matchup if Lopez wins tonight. The fighter gives the stereotypical pugilistic answer: “I will fight whoever is put in front of me.”
9:23- Juan Manuel Lopez is a bit cocky, but I would be too if I was a Puerto Rican champion fighting at Madison Square Garden.
9:27: RIP for Miguel Cotto’s father.
9:32- Lopez is fighting well early in the first round, moving and shaking well. The one-two combinations are landing solidly, with shots entering Luevano’s kitchen over his guard.
9:34- Luevano has a good jab. Rosenbaum just pointed out that Luevano should go to the body early. He’s right. Lopez uses his legs and stamina to burn many of his opponents. His speed and power will decrease if he gets the air taken out of him a little.
9:35- These southpaws are trading some hard shots. The pace is far slower in this fight. Luevao showed up in that round, using his jab more. I think Lopez still took the round, but it was more even.
9:39- Lopez is catching Luevano in the third round, snagging his opposition with short, accurate combination in varied bunches. Luevano is hanging tough, firing back to the body. He loses the round, but those body shots were smart.
9:42- The difference here will be whether or not Lopez slows down. If we see a slower version of the Puerto Rican, Luevano will have an opening. Otherwise, consider this another win for the undefeated fighter.
9:43- Luevano is a little bloody. Lederman just made a good point, suggesting that Luevano should be swinging his power shots more. Those left hands aren’t coming, and crashing a few home might retake some momentum. Lopez is winning this round, but Luevano is just a bit closer to giving him trouble.
9:47- Luevano is loading up a bit. Lopez is on the spot, camped out and dug in for war. This has turned into a firefight. Phone-booth close trench warfare is the heart and soul of Boxing. Lopez is up on the cards and I don’t see him losing steam yet. If Luevano is going to win this fight, he needs to burn rubber down the stretch of the fight.
9:52- The volume of the crowd has decreased in correlation with the action of the fight. Luevano is back on the outside of the fight. The shots are getting lower. Lopez is establishing better and better control with each passing moment.
The last two rounds have been pivotal rounds. Luevano has not slowed down Lopez.
9:56- Sure enough, Lopez just scored himself a knockout and unified the belts. The beginning of the end started with a solid right uppercut and finished the fight with a garden variety of hooks and crosses. Luevano looked a little like he got blasted out of a cannon.
9:58- Lennox Lewis makes a good point. You don’t get paid for overtime in Boxing.
10:00- Lopez just told Max Kellerman, “It was a tough fight… He’s not the toughest but he was a tough fight.” I don’t know if I find that honest, respectable or just as cocky as I would expect it to be.
10:01- Lopez discusses Gamboa, Israel Vazquez, and Rafael Marquez as possible opponents for the future. The HBO broadcast just ended about forty-five minutes early, which gives me just enough time to see the Rockets lose to the Bulls.
]]>
Reviewed by Geno McGahee
This was the very first Twilight Zone episode and concerns a man alone in a town. Mike Ferris (Earl Holliman) wanders aimlessly and confused, seeking humanity but not finding it anywhere. He roams into a diner looking for some grub and the place is empty…not a soul. He sees a woman in a car and when he runs over to speak with her, he discovers that it is a mannequin, but still talks with her because she is the closest thing to another person.
He decides to go to the police station and once again, there is nobody there. There is some activity however. There is a lit cigar and the water is running in one of the cells. When he makes it to a movie theater, he realizes that there is a film playing but when he makes it into the projection booth, nobody’s home.
This episode is what may have inspired the movies “The Last Man on Earth” with Vincent Price and “The Omega Man” with Charlton Heston, but it cannot be compared with either. Although this is not a bad tale, it’s not a very good one either. By Twilight Zone standards, it doesn’t match up, but it is watchable and if you like the two above mentioned movies, you will like this one, even if it is merely to compare them.
The ending of this episode is satisfying and probably played out a lot better at the time it was released, but knowing history, you will appreciate it. I thought that the ending was the best part of the entire story, and for that, I recommend it.
Ringside Report Rating: 6/10. A Mediocre Episode
]]>
By John Pitroff
Backyard wrestling is a topic that hasn’t been covered in a long time. I haven’t seen a kid jumping off a trampoline onto a flaming table in years, and it’s about time. Seriously, I miss seeing a teenager give his best friend a powerbomb onto the ground in the middle of a field. Even though you don’t hear that much about backyard wrestling anymore it is still relevant. A lot has been said about it, but it has mostly been negative up to this point.
Seriously, I have never read anything positive written on backyard wrestling. I guess that is why I am here. Backyard wrestling is cool. Backyard wrestling is fun. Backyard wrestling is not all negative. I’m not saying backyard is necessarily a totally good thing, but attempt to see the positive in it. I’d take a backyard wrestling match over an A-Train match any day of the week.
Backyard wresting used to be a much bigger deal. It has toned down since WWE put up that “Don’t Try This At Home” nonsense at the beginning of all their DVDs. Just kidding, that didn’t work at all. Does WWE really think that backyard wrestling fans buy WWE DVDs? No, of course not, they download them for free online. When will WWE ever learn? However, the fact remains that backyard wrestling is not as popular as it used to be and there are reasons for that.
The reason you don’t see as many specials on backyard wrestling like you did in 1999 and 2000 is because wrestling was bigger then and people love to nitpick and create trouble in order to be heard. You don’t hear it so much anymore because wrestling isn’t as popular. People are generally haters and never want to see anything do good, especially something as lowbrow as pro wrestling. So, when wrestling was at its biggest, they picked out the most hardcore group of backyard wrestlers and showed them doing the worst things to each other. Why? Because it was a topic that would create controversy and make them money. That is what the news media does.
These shows attempted to prove how WWF didn’t care about kids because they “let” backyard wrestling happen. The fact is that the news shows were the ones using kids to make money. Talk about not caring about the kids of the world! Screw 20/20, Dateline, and 60 Minutes. Once these shows realized that wrestling wasn’t as popular, they started to not cover it anymore. Coincidence? I think not.
I wish there was a less biased approach to the coverage I have seen on backyard wrestling. Anyone talking or writing about backyard wrestling feels as though they have some stake in it. I can see backyard wrestling as positive, because my thoughts on it won’t get me fired from WWE or TNA since I don’t work for them (sign me!). All of these pros have to speak badly about it because that is what is expected of them. Not me. I have always enjoyed backyard wrestling, in all aspects. Think about this; how much commentary on backyard wrestling comes from those who know nothing about it?
You can’t blame backyard wrestling on WWE or TNA. Perhaps CZW, but no kid watches that garbage. There is no “blame” to be placed. If you stop seeing it as all negative, someone being “responsible” is irrelevant. Can you blame the NFL for football leagues, can you blame MLB for kids wanting to hit a ball with a stick? It is the choice of the kids and the parents. This isn’t about WWE. Daddy WWE doesn’t exist. It comes down to the fact that parents need to get off of it and learn how to raise their children.
I realize a lot of these people are just terrible parents who don’t know anything about anything and they just let their kids do whatever they want. But, that isn’t the fault of WWE, Vince McMahon, or pro wrestling at all. My parents let me backyard wrestle, while at the same time being great parents. They were smart enough to realize that I was smart enough to realize I am not an idiot.
I never hid it from them nor did I ever try to lie about what I was doing. Actually, my dad watched my first match. He liked seeing his son perform, even if it was in his own backyard and even if my friend did jump through his card table. My mom helped me build a ring in the backyard. She came up with the idea of using garden hoses as ring ropes. I never had a match in there, but I was the one kid in school with a wrestling ring in his backyard! I loved that thing! I think back to it and it is a great memory. It is possible to be the parent of a backyard wrestler while at the same time being responsible and smart about it.
Backyard wrestling is something very personal to me. It is something that is in my heart. It was part of my childhood, my teenagehood (this should be a word), and if the owner of that backyard wrestling company I talked to on Craigslist is still down, it will be part of my adulthood. Coming from personal experience, I have nothing bad to say about it. Perhaps I could say that my matches could have had better storytelling, but I was young. It was still better than anything A-Train ever did. In addition, it is hard to have a well thought out match when two fruit crates are involved.
When I was a teenager, I ordered two videos of backyard wrestling. My first reason was because they were more entertaining than WCW was at the time, and my second was that I loved seeing kids that were my age at the time jumping off of roofs, hitting each other with boards, throwing each other into ladders, and even blading!
What is better than seeing kids with a dream attempting to make it happen?! I love that sort of desire, that sort of passion. I love to see people who really want it, and any teenager willing to cut himself with a razor blade on the forehead and bleed profusely so that his family and friends can find some form of entertainment is the man in my book!
Why do people want to ruin the dreams of the kids? It’s no wonder there haven’t been any really captivating wrestlers to come along in a while. Their love was stifled when they were children to protect adults. Slashing a child’s dreams because a few parents and WWF didn’t want to get blamed…so sad. I guess pro wrestling doesn’t want kids to have that joy, because it gives them a bad name and they might get some of the blame.
The argument WWE throws out about being a professional and being trained is all nonsense, because wrestling results in injury either way. You can take as many falls as you want “the right way” but let me tell you, there is nothing natural about falling flat onto your back to entertain some people at an old Chinese restaurant. You can train for months and months and still get injured every few weeks. You can be wrestling for years and still get injured all the time. Just ask Batista. Or Edge. Or Kurt Angle. Or Ken Kenn…Anderson. Or Randy Orton. Or John Cena. Or Triple H.
In addition, when I wrestled professionally, I personally felt as though I wasn’t ready to have my first match, but others felt I was. I saw people with minimal training get in the ring and perform. So, what is left of the “these guys are pros and have had training” argument? About the same amount of worth the title belt I made for my backyard company had to the world.
Backyard wrestling has provided me with hours of entertainment in life. Now, it is not as good as the pros, but neither are the pickup basketball games that I play during the summer. Of course it is not as good. If these kids were any good, WWE would sign them and then misuse them for a few months until TNA picked them up to misuse them. But, we all have to start somewhere.
A large percentage of wrestlers today grew up wrestling in some way or another. Most wrestlers were at some point a fan. I’m not saying all, but at some point these wrestlers saw it on TV and were enthralled and thus wanted to get into it themselves. Jeff Hardy was a big backyard wrestler. Fellow wrestlers that I trained with also told me that they had been backyard wrestlers before they ever stepped foot in an actual ring.
Mick Foley, one of my top three favorite wrestlers of all time, always talked out against the more hardcore forms of backyard wrestling. But, it is how he got discovered. Sure, he put in years of training and wrestling outdoors in front of handfuls of people to make it, but doesn’t he have to thank backyard wrestling for giving him that initial start?
Both in backyard and pro wrestling, I knew what I was getting into when I wrestled. I knew I could get injured. But, I also can get hit by a car anytime I walk outside. You have to take a risk in life to have fun. Perhaps I could have sat inside my house watching wrestling tapes over and over instead of wrestling. Well, I did that, too. Wrestling was my life at that point. And, I wanted to do it. I was in middle school and high school and they didn’t have a place to train anywhere near my house. I think they should provide pro wrestling in high school. Seriously, I would have been the man in high school if they had that.
How much worse is this than pee wee football, really? I know they are wearing pads because they aren’t as tough as wrestlers, but how bad is that parents willingly and on purpose put their kids into a sport where the main idea is to hit another kid as hard as they can? The bigger the hit, the bigger the father’s ego gets as he watches it. At least wrestlers “fake” it. Any kid that sees his idols on TV wants to do what they do. Children being put in beauty pageants is far worse than any backyard match I have ever seen.
One of my main questions is does it come down to WWE not really wanting to see kids wrestle, or does it come down to the fact that it gives wrestling a bad name and can get the higher ups sued? WWE needs to man up and come out and say that backyard wrestling is not their fault. They also need to say it’s not that big of a deal.
I really doubt Vince McMahon actually cares about the lives of these idiots jumping off of roofs. If he did care, he would have noticed me and I would have been signed by now. I guess the point is that these wrestlers don’t want to see kids get hurt. But, who are they to say anything, really? They are the ones wrestling every week, while telling the dreamers not to wrestle. I understand that they are “trained” but again…who ever is really trained enough.
Parents need to be smarter, society needs to let kids be kids, and people need to realize that backyard wrestling is a lot like other youth sports. Except the kids get to book the shows themselves. It gives them entrepreneur skills! Lighten up, enjoy the show, and have some fun in life. We are all young and dumb, some of us just have the scars to prove it! And, WWE needs to take a stance and let the world know that they didn’t create backyard wrestling. They created a love for wrestling, and that is nothing that deserves fault.
]]>
By Ryan Justason
The UFC has proven itself to be to most dominant promotion in MMA. The UFC also has the best talent out of any MMA promotion. That being said, the UFC still does not have all the best talent. This is a list of the top ten guys who should be in the UFC.
10. Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski
Never underestimate your opponent will most likely be Andrei’s latest MMA lesson. Andrei’s most recent fight was an upset 14 second knock out to up and coming heavyweight Brett Rogers. Andrei has since gone on to say he did underestimate Rogers and he was not in his right mind.
Although his most recent fight was a huge upset, we cannot forget about what this man has done. He was the UFC champion who beat the likes of Tim Sylvia, Paul Buentello and Vladimir Matyushenko. Then Andrei went where the money was and the money was at Affliction.
Since Affliction, Andrei has gone 2-2 defeating the likes of Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson while getting knocked out by both Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers. Since these back to back losses, Andrei has started to reinvent himself by training at the world famous Greg Jackson camp. In the end Andrei could be on his way back to the UFC with a big win against a smaller promotion and then he could prove once again who the real Andrei Arlovski is.
9. Ikuhisa “Minowaman” Minowa
Minowaman should also be known as the giant killing journeyman. He has beaten giant fighter like Hong Man Choi, Bob Sapp, Giant Silva and Butterbean. Although Minowaman has defeated such odds, his record stands at a not so impressive 44-30. This type of record is not what the UFC typically looks for. One thing the UFC does look for although is exciting fighters and Minowaman is one exciting fighter.
There aren’t too many fighters that will attempt to get the fight to the ground by doing a Judo roll straight in to the other fighters feet. Minowaman seems to have found an awkward fighting style that is very affective against certain fighters although close strikers such as Wanderlei Silva and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. This man is a true fighter and has proven to be so in his last three victories.
In Minowaman’s last three outings, he has put out notable fighters Bob Sapp, Hong Man Choi and Sokoudjou winning the DREAM 2009 Super Hulk Grand Prix. With having beaten names like that in his last three bouts, the UFC must have noticed how beneficial it would be to have such an exciting fighter who goes for the finish or is finished….something like a Japanese Wanderlei Silva.
8. Nick Diaz
Nick Diaz is truly the Stockton bad boy and he has proven himself so throughout his MMA career. Nick, who is always known going where the money is has been a dominant force in the UFC, Pride FC, Elite XC and now Strikeforce. Never one to shy away about how he really feels about judging, fighters and his belief that Marijuana should be legal, his believes have recently kept him out of the UFC limelight.
After returning to the UFC, Diaz went 2-0 defeating the likes of Gleison Tibau and Josh Neer before fighting once top ranked fighter Takanori Gomi in Pride. This was when the Marijuana trouble came in to place. At Pride 33, Nick Diaz defeated Takanori Gomi via Gogoplata although this was eventually overturned to a no-contest due to a failed post fight drug test. The NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission), suspended Diaz’s fighting license for 6 months as he tried to find a promotion that would take the fighter.
Since Diaz’s problems at Pride 33, he has fought eight times without problems of Marijuana testing. This happened up until Diaz was supposed to fight Jay Heiron at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg, although he failed to get a license after not attending the pre-fight drug test. Since then Diaz made quick work of DREAM welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis to win the Strikeforce welterweight championship without failing a test. Diaz also looks very hungry to feed his family as he has said in interviews and I doubt there will be another Marijuana issue leading up to any of his fights.
7. Hector “Shango” Lombard
The Cuban born Australian has been silently flying under the radar since 2004. He went 6-0 in his career until he was scheduled to meet MMA veteran Akihiro Gono at Pride Bushido 11 in which the bout went to a unanimous decision. The former Olympic Judokan then went on to plow through too more guys until he met Gegard Mousasi at Pride Bushido 13 where he also lost to a unanimous decision. Up to this point, this would be the end of loses for Lombard.
Since these loses, Lombard been defeating his opponents left and right and has even become the Bellator middleweight champion. He has racked his impressive MMA record to 23-2 with one draw. Lombard has defeated the likes of Jean-Francois Lenogue, Kalib Starnes and Daiju Takase.
6. Jake Shields
For most fans who are UFC fans and UFC fans alone, Jake Shields is the guy who most recently defeated Jason “Mayhem” Miller for some Strikeforce title. Jake Shields although he has never fought in the UFC has been a very dominant force in both MMA’s middleweight and welterweight division. He has notable wins over Hayoto Sakurai, Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Robbie Lawlor and knockout artist Paul Daley.
Jake Shields really made his name when he became the first Elite XC welterweight champion on network television defeating former Strikeforce lightweight champion Nick Thompson via guillotine choke. He then defended his title one time against Paul Daley where he won via arm bar. Things were going good for Jake Shields and his image up until Kimbo Slice lost 14 seconds into his fight against the smaller Seth Petruzelli. So why wasn’t Jake Shields who is a very close friend of Chuck Liddell signed with the UFC afterwards?
After the Elite XC promotion went bankrupt, in February 2009 Strikeforce bought several of the company’s assets. Among these assets were video library, fighter contracts that included Jake Shields, Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith. With Shields being in contract with Strikeforce as well as the current Strikeforce middleweight champion, it could be hard for the UFC to break that barrier to offer Jake a contract. Perhaps Jake Shields being a judge on The Ultimate Fighter 11 along side Chuck Liddell, who knows what will happen?
5. Dan “Hendo” Henderson
Every MMA fan knows who Dan Henderson is. He is the man that dominated the Pride middleweight division who went on the rack up a 3-2 record in the UFC defeating the likes of Michael Bisping, Rich Franklin and Rousimar Paulhares. Thing were looking great for Hendo when he devastatingly knocked out Michael Bisping at UFC 100. Hendo was also in stages to renegotiate his new contract with the UFC. Things took a huge u-turn when Dan Henderson signed with Strikeforce.
Reports indicate that Dan Henderson and Zuffa LCC could not reach an agreement because quote “Dan Henderson asked for too much money.” Dan on the other hand says that Zuffa was being unreasonable considering other reports of how much other guys such as Brock Lesnar, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Tito Ortiz made. These negotiations eventually lead to Dan childishly signing with a less talented promotion in Strikeforce. Since the signing both Dan Henderson and Dana White have been taking little jabs at each other but nothing major.
Although both Dan and Dana have been poking jabs at each other, I believe there is still room in the UFC for him. There is no denying what Hendo can do and not even Dana White can deny that. Dan Henderson has been the only one in the UFC to win a round against the spider. On his way out of the UFC, Hendo was on his way to another shot at Anderson Silva and he showed he can beat Anderson if he doesn’t get too excited and caught in a choke.
4. Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki
Some call Shinya Aoki the Japanese BJ Penn. Some call him the best lightweight fighter in the world. Others call him a rude little judo ninja but there is no denying the Shinya Aoki is no joke. Aoki has beaten the top lightweight fighters in DREAM including Eddie Alvarez, Joachim Hansen and Caol Uno. Shinya has racked up a 23-4 record with 1 no-contest. Some may know Shinya Aoki for his most recent show of lack of respect after his fight with Mizuto Hirota.
On December 22nd, 2009, at the Dynamite!! 2009 MMA event Shinya Aoki took on Sengoku Lightweight champion Mizuto Hirota. In this fight during the first round, Shinya secured a tight kimura on Hirota who did not tap. This resulted in Aoki breaking Hirotas arm without hesitation but this wasn’t the issue at hand. The issue at hand occurred after the arm was broke.
After the arm was broken, Aoki was seen giving Hirota the middle finger over his ailing body. Aoki wasn’t done there as he took to his opponent’s corner also flipping them the bird. Aoki then continued as he flipped off some of the crowd. Dana White has indicated interest in Shinya Aoki before but something tells me that Shinya’s after fight actions wouldn’t deter the UFC president from signing him. Hell Brock Lesnar did the same thing after his UFC 100 defeat of Frank Mir, so why not Shinya Aoki?
3. Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal
Before MMA, King Mo has received several amateur wrestling championships including NCAA National Collegiate wrestling champion. Coming from such a wrestling background and having the competitive drive, it was a no-brainer for King Mo to enter the world of MMA.
At 28 years of age, King Mo has defeated such notables in devastating fashion as Mike Whitehead, Mark Kerr and Travis Wiuff. Since then, King Mo has gained enough notice to be receiving a Strikeforce light heavyweight title shot at Gegard Mousasi. For some of you UFC and UFC fans only, you might remember King Mo from his “inside a van confrontation” with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. The confrontation was not anything more serious than aggressive joking around.
2. Gegard “The Dream Catcher” Mousasi
Many call Gegard “Mini Fedor” because of the fact that the two train together quite frequently. At only 24 years of age, Gegard is showing some great promise to be one of the greatest fighters to have ever lived. It’s hard to think of any other fighter who has accomplished what Gegard has at only 24 years of age and he continues to get better every day. At 24 years old, Gegard has compiled a record of 28-2 with his most recent loss being to Akihiro Gono at the young age of 22. Since then he has defeated the likes of Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Renato “Babalu” Sobral and most recently MMA veteran Gary Goodridge. With a resume like that it’s hard to imagine how Gegard could not already be in the UFC.
Like the fact that Gegard trains quite frequently with Fedor Emelianenko, he also shares the same management in M-1 Global. When M-1 Global started to co-promote with Strikeforce, Gegard came along with the deal. Dana White has since expressed his interest in acquiring the Dutch fighter. Gegard himself has also expressed interest in fighting in the UFC so hopefully we can see this kid get tested in the near future.
1. Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko
We all know the Fedor is arguably the best pound for pound fighter in the world and the best fighter in the world should be fighting the best fighters in the world. Sometimes it comes to a point with some fighters where it is all about the business and not about the fight. M-1 Global has always been the problem in the UFC signing Fedor Emelianenko. M-1 has in Dana White’s terms “tried to come over from Russia to the United States to try to strong-arm the neighborhood butcher.” Although most know that Fedor would fight any man put in front of him, some fans respectively believe that Fedor is afraid to take a notch of that near perfect record of his. Truly we shall only find out once and if “The Last Emperor” signs with the UFC.
As you can see, a lot of these guys are contracted with Strikeforce. Most of these fighters have also expressed interest in signing with the UFC. So could you imagine if the UFC were to take these fighters away from Strikeforce? Or could the UFC do challenges like they did when Dana White did to Chuck Liddell over to Pride? Either way, all parties should but the nonsense aside and let the best fight the best. Whether you may have to co-promote or not, let the best fight the best.
(Honorable mentions: Gilbert Melendez, Aleksander Emelianenko, Josh Barnett and Blagoi Ivanov)
]]>
By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
The mid-90’s was for me a terrifically bright period in the sport of boxing. Bernard Hopkins was just coming into his own having won his first major world title. Roy Jones JR, an almost supernatural talent at that point in time, was the new IBF super middleweight king. Pernell Whitaker had come down a notch or two and was beginning to have to really dig down in order to come out on top in his ring assignments. Julio Cesar Chavez was a quart low but still fun to watch. Up and comers such as Kostya Tszyu and Marco Antonio Barrera captivated those that followed them to the point of their first world championships and Oscar De La Hoya had what I consider to be his first really significant win, a breakout performance with his two-round blowout of Rafael Ruelas for the IBF Lightweight title. And to top all of that off, the world watched as the post-prison variant of “Iron” Mike Tyson set about on his journey to recapture the glory of the previous decade by embarking on a comeback in a career that by that point proved to be more sensationalism than actual substance. In my opinion, it was the most interesting period in the sport since the early-80’s, highlighted by extraordinary talent and colorful characters bent upon proving themselves inside the squared-circle, but perhaps none of them captured my curiosity and attention more than a particularly gifted and obnoxiously boastful featherweight out of Sheffield, England, Naseem Hamed.
Like many of the aforementioned fighters, “The Prince” exuded desire, hunger and talent, but what drew me in were the headlines and subsequent waves he created apart from a given explosive result; the openly boastful statements that were delivered with a cockiness rarely seen since the emergence of a young Cassius Clay decades before. My good fight buddy Jeremy, a collector of bouts from all around the globe aimed me at Hamed, commenting that the Englishman was as much fun in the ring as he was post-fight jack-ass. That made review of the diminutive Englishman mandatory for me, but as I quickly learned, behind those brash utterances was an increasingly impressive, if deliciously flawed body of work. Hamed was more than a run of the mill obnoxious loudmouth with delusions of greatness, he had an uncanny knack for coming out on top after the holes in his game put him in jeopardy, and he usually did it in dramatic, explosive fashion. God-given athletic abilities bundled with obscene punching power were the talk of the media, but it was the holes in his game, his unconventional foundation as a prizefighter and the chinks in his armor which rounded him out as great fun in the ring and a must-see fighter for his time.
Standing a hair over 5’3 and with a lean and unspectacular physique that seemed to contradict a rare blend of athletic ability and unusual fight-ending power, Hamed began his professional career in 1992 at an age when most young men are more concerned about borrowing their father’s car on a Friday night than at focusing on a career of fighting professional, grown men in search of a major world title. Starting out as a flyweight, Hamed quickly made a name for himself scoring early-round knockouts against the usual array of suspects and punching bags. The call of his body demanded he begin the process of moving northward through the bantamweight and super bantamweight ranks shortly thereafter. Along the way Hamed punctuated his promise of sheer greatness by winning the EBU Bantamweight title and the WBC International Super Bantamweight titles. Five short-order defenses of the latter strap positioned the “Prince” for yet another move up, this time to the featherweight division and a shot against Steve Robinson for the WBO Featherweight crown. Leading handedly on all cards, Hamed accelerated and dispatched Robinson in the 8th-round, giving him his first major world championship just three years into his career.
In June 1996 the fundamental flaws that would ultimately make “Prince” Naseem Hamed a fun fighter to watch came to the forefront during the second defense of his WBO title. Dropped early by undefeated power puncher Daniel Alicea, Hamed’s self-belief kicked-in. Shifting gears on the fly, Hamed reeled his challenger in and dropped both he and the curtain in short order in dramatic fashion. I was amazed at the mindset behind Hamed’s game. Typically such rare athletic ability and blistering hand speed were the sort of things a safety-first talent such as Roy Jones JR would use in the pursuit of prizefighting’s ultimate goal; hit and not be hit. But in the case of Naz, the opposite seemed true. The uncanny athletic ability and blistering hand speed were just the sort of attributes needed and used strictly for positioning, looking to drop those big fight-ending bombs, and defense be damned; the odd angles and at-times lack of proper balance and technique often put the Prince directly into harm’s way, thus providing fans with the opportunity for the kind of drama and excitement rarely part of such a gifted fighter’s game.
An early 1997 high-stakes unification showdown with IBF Featherweight champion Tom Johnson saw Naz further stake his claim as the best featherweight of the day after matters were waved off in the 8th-round in a bout that despite moments that illustrated his vulnerability to a sound and confident ring technician, he mostly dominated. Two additional title defenses, one of which was featured on American network television amounted to nothing more than glorified pit stops as they underlined the crushing fight-ending power and exciting ring style of “The Prince”, but it was his high-profile title defense in December of that year on HBO that illustrated the best and the worst of a fighter that had quickly become one of the most exciting talents of his time.
In a bout that Ring Magazine called Fight of the Year, Hamed exchanged multiple knockdowns with former WBC Featherweight champion Kevin Kelley, a talented practitioner himself not lacking for confidence. After rising from the canvas three times, an overtone of desperation was soundly punctuated by a single-shot knockout of Kelley just as matters had reached an undeniably crucial point. Such was the nature of the obviously flawed aspects of his game; HBO’s talking heads went to great pains to predict “The Prince’s” ultimate demise while at the same time acknowledging that a star had been born.
The year 1999 was indeed a pivotal turning point for Naz. Gone was Brendan Ingle, the man that essentially recognized the raw material that was in the beginning just a willing seven year-old boy, molding him over the course of many years into the well tuned and cocky fighting machine that came into his own about the time he was on a roll turning back the challenge of those looking to take his WBO Featherweight championship. Ironically, the departure of Ingle serves as a milestone; it is essentially the beginning of the end for a fighter that by rights should have been getting better with each showing, maturing into the role of champion with each given experience. Instead, there was a marked departure of sorts occurring. The little points that Ingle made Naz work on and, the finite details not easily picked up by those watching from the outside were no longer a part of his game. Flawed as Naz seemed, it worked for him when Ingle was behind him.
The respected voice that over time won over that young boy and that saw him into manhood was no longer there to push him. Instead Manny Steward of The Kronk Gym, one of the greatest trainers of all time was brought in to hone Hamed’s game; reign-in the uncanny skill set and smooth out those rough defensive edges. But regardless of the caliber of Steward, or anyone else in the world for that matter, “The Prince” was incomplete without the commanding presence of Ingle to dial-in the precise combination of instructions, flawed as they may sometimes have seemed.
So unique was their chemistry, any other trainer, no matter how experienced and successful, would fail to blend with Hamed in quite that same way, and the result was less synergy. After struggling to stop a 21-0 Paul Ingle, a decent enough fighter but levels below Naz in the talent department, “The Prince” endured and ultimately muddled his way through a twelve-round foul-fest with a survival-intent Cesar Soto at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Looking back, I was certain that the magic was all but gone.
After an impressive 4th-round knockout over Vuyani Bungu, the former IBF Super Bantamweight champion in March 2000, many were of the opinion that Naz had given his best showing in several years, and that he was once again moving forward towards greatness under the tutelage of Steward. Still, I had my doubts. You see, Marco Antonio Barrera was in line for a mandatory crack at Hamed sometime down the road. Barrera was in rebuild-mode after losing successive bouts to Junior Jones some four years before. After having watched him edge Erik Morales only to lose a controversial split decision the month before the Bungu bout, it was clear to me that Barrera had returned to form. By the time Naz absorbed unnecessary punishment before decimating the far less gifted but dangerous Augie Sanchez, a brazen approximate of a seasoned world-class professional in August of that year, I was firmly of the opinion he had not developed enough to turn back Barrera should they meet at any point in 2001. A few months later when I saw Barrera utterly outclass and disassemble remnants of Jesus Salud with the precision of a surgeon, I was certain that barring a well-placed straight left, Naz had next to no chance with “The Baby Faced Assassin” who looked to have found a second peak.
The year 2001 essentially marks the end of “Prince” Naseem Hamed as a world-class fighter and as a force to be reckoned with. So thoroughly was he out-fought during those heated moments where leather was exchanged, and so adroitly out maneuvered throughout, one would have figure the Englishman to be a mere greenhorn taken to school by a wily old ring veteran as opposed to being an experienced world champion systematically stripped of his confidence and standing. For twelve rounds a boxing Barrera zigged when Hamed zagged, taking the WBO Featherweight title and effectively proving to both “The Prince” and the world that the magic had long since vanished. So thorough was the shellacking, one could be forgiven for asking aloud what was the point of a contracted rematch given that Naz seemed unable to land anything on Barrera. Looking back, Hamed must have felt the same way. Dragging his feet and ignoring the signing deadline and the subsequent extension of it on the contracted rematch, it was clear that Hamed no longer wanted to fight, or rather believed he could fight. The point was further driven home by his final ring appearance a year later, a lackluster twelve-round waltz with nondescript Manuel Calvo, cannon-fodder disguised as a gritty Spaniard journeyman.
I’ve revisited the idea on writing about “Prince” Naseem Hamed many times over the last three years, only now making peace with his anti-climactic and less than prideful exit; finding only recently the desire to sit down and revisit the career of a man that once stood out in one of the most glorious periods in boxing over the last thirty years. I found it hard to accept that Hamed was actually well beaten long before he actually lost. He was a fun and forceful diversion for me at a point when there was a lot of serious standout talent in the sport. His ludicrous utterances, non-conventional application of aggression, cocky nature and willingness to plug forward despite the torpedoes was titillating stuff, especially when one considered the less than granite state of his chin. It all equated to sheer fun, but like the best merry go-rounds, the fun and the music has to end sometime, and in the case of “Prince” Naseem Hamed, the music stopped long before the ride had ended.
Naseem Hamed Nickname: “Prince” Division: Featherweight Professional Record: 36-1, 31 KO's Date Opponent Location Result 1992-04-14 Ricky Beard Mansfield, United Kingdom W KO 2 1992-04-25 Shaun Norman Manchester, United Kingdo W KO 2 1992-05-23 Andrew Bloomer Birmingham, United Kingdo W TKO 2 1992-07-14 Miguel Matthews Mayfair, United Kingdom W KO 3 1992-10-07 Des Gargano Sunderland, United Kingdo W KO 4 1992-11-12 Peter Buckley Liverpool, United Kingdom W PTS 6 1993-02-24 Alan Ley Wembley, United Kingdom W KO 2 1993-05-26 Kevin Jenkins Mansfield, United Kingdom W TKO 3 1993-09-24 Chris Clarkson Dublin, Ireland W KO 2 1994-01-29 Peter Buckley Cardiff, United Kingdom W TKO 4 1994-04-09 John Miceli Mansfield, United Kingdom W KO 1 1994-05-11 Vincenzo Belcastro Sheffield, United Kingdom W UD 12 EBU (European) Bantamweight Title 1994-08-17 Antonio Picardi Sheffield, United Kingdom W TKO 3 EBU (European) Bantamweight Title 1994-10-12 Freddy Cruz Sheffield, United Kingdom W TKO 6 vacant WBC International Super Bantamweight Title 1994-11-19 Laureano Ramirez Padilla Cardiff, United Kingdom W TKO 3 WBC International Super Bantamweight Title 1995-01-21 Armando Castro Glasgow, United Kingdom W KO 4 WBC International Super Bantamweight Title 1995-03-04 Sergio Rafael Liendo Livingston, United Kingdo W KO 2 WBC International Super Bantamweight Title 1995-05-06 Enrique Angeles Shepton Mallet, United Ki W KO 2 WBC International Super Bantamweight Title 1995-07-01 Juan Polo Perez Kensington, United Kingdo W KO 2 WBC International Super Bantamweight Title 1995-09-30 Steve Robinson Cardiff, United Kingdom W TKO 8 WBO Featherweight Title 1996-03-16 Said Lawal Glasgow, United Kingdom W KO 1 WBO Featherweight Title 1996-06-08 Daniel Alicea Newcastle, United Kingdom W TKO 2 WBO Featherweight Title 1996-08-31 Manuel Medina Dublin, Ireland W TKO 11 WBO Featherweight Title 1996-11-09 Remigio Daniel Molina Manchester, United Kingdo W TKO 2 WBO Featherweight Title 1997-02-08 Tom Johnson Millwall, United Kingdom W TKO 8 IBF Featherweight Title WBO Featherweight Title 1997-05-03 Billy Hardy Manchester, United Kingdo W TKO 1 IBF Featherweight Title WBO Featherweight Title 1997-07-19 Juan Gerardo Cabrera Wembley, United Kingdom W TKO 2 IBF Featherweight Title WBO Featherweight Title 1997-10-11 Jose Badillo Sheffield, United Kingdom W TKO 7 WBO Featherweight Title 1997-12-19 Kevin Kelley New York, USA W KO 4 WBO Featherweight Title 1998-04-18 Wilfredo Vazquez Manchester, United Kingdo W TKO 7 WBO Featherweight Title 1998-10-31 Wayne McCullough Atlantic City, USA W UD 12 WBO Featherweight Title 1999-04-10 Paul Ingle Manchester, United Kingdo W TKO 11 WBO Featherweight Title 1999-10-22 Cesar Soto Detroit, USA W UD 12 WBC Featherweight Title WBO Featherweight Title 2000-03-11 Vuyani Bungu Kensington, United Kingdo W TKO 4 WBO Featherweight Title 2000-08-19 Augie Sanchez Mashantucket, USA W TKO 4 WBO Featherweight Title 2001-04-07 Marco Antonio Barrera Las Vegas, USA L UD 12 vacant IBO International Boxing Organisation Featherweight Title 2002-05-18 Manuel Calvo Dockland, United Kingdom W UD 12 vacant IBO International Boxing Organisation Featherweight Title Advertise Now On RSR Purchase Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime Watch The Trailer For Family Secret]]>
By SJ Jarapa
The WWE has been a stellar catalyst for change in athletes looking to alter their fortunes in terms of harvesting support or simply drawing attention to their respective sporting platforms. We have seen NBA Legends Dennis Rodman – then of the Chicago Bull’s – take on Utah Jazz’s Karl Malone in WCW’s squared circle. More recently, Floyd “Money” Mayweather, JR., has given his Pay-Per-View ratings a vast improvement with his stints on the WWE.
Performing in it seems to be a great way for building a public guise that one, if done correctly, can market productively and with a good deal of ease – as proven by the likes of Brock Lesnar and Ken Shamrock, it is an effective springboard for immediate attention and success by way of numbers once they step out of its make believe stage and into the theater of actual combat.
With his popularity being constantly dwarfed by the charms of Royce Gracie and other more charismatic fighters, Ken Shamrock’s appeal in the MMA public’s eye was at best 65% and did not merit much thought despite his stature of being one of the best at the time. He had dissenters and for some reason rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. When Senator John McCain succeeded in derailing MMA operations in various states in the U.S., a move to Entertainment Wrestling seemed the wiser, more profitable choice for Shamrock.
And it was.
Still in his prime, he walked away from the sport of real fighting to pursue a career in Pro Wrestling. The move made him an instant superstar, becoming a true fan favorite in the process, and for years paraded as “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” under the banner of the then WWF, with a signature, almost comical act where he would snap out of his wits, screaming like a rabid mental patient bent on massacring anyone he comes in contact with, while he was in such a zone.
The move from Real Fighting to Scripted Fighting was a brilliant one on Ken Shamrock’s part.
When his dormant urge for real fighting awoke and beckoned to him again after quite a long hiatus, and the time and opportunity for him to return to his origins came, the results of his hard labor in the World of Pro Wrestling could not have been more apparent than when he returned to the UFC in a settling of old scores match up with the then UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz.
Ken Shamrock’s long-time MMA supporters coupled with his newly acquired Entertainment Wrestling fan base turned him into one of the biggest ever draws in MMA history. He was akin to a colossus who bore a whole planet full of cult-like followers on his wings that seemed almost untouchable by any UFC fighter to date at that point in time.
Unfortunately, the outcome of that fight and the rematch that later followed were not as attractive as it had been for Shamrock’s pockets, as he was literally razed flat on the pavement, brutally torn down, and simply destroyed and ravaged by the young bulldozer that Tito Ortiz was.
Shamrock’s move to Pro Wrestling was both rewarding and damnatory for his well-being. He suffered many injuries through the mores of its demanding system of labor. It took away his agility, his reflexes, more significantly it took away his precious fighting insight. Not only did the WWF steal his prime years from him, the enormous amount of sweat and blood the outfit required from one performer to another robbed him of his potential to re-attain the form which made him one of the most dangerous fighters in MMA.
The result of the Tito Ortiz fight was much expected if one knew what was going on behind the doors, was aware of the whole story, and was alert as to the kind of fighter the Ken Shamrock who showed up in the octagon had been. That is not saying Tito Ortiz would have lost if the situation had been a little different. However, it is only fair to state that, given Ken Shamrock’s impressive set of skills, in-ring wisdom, and sheer deftness, the fight might have taken a different course even if he were to lose in the end.
Fast forward to present and we seem to have a similar case in the current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar – like Ken Shamrock, is a former Pro Wrestling Superstar. News of Brock Lesnar’s illness hit the waves like Swine-Flu in the latter part of last year. The illness has effectively removed Brock from his mandatory title defenses, leaving the UFC management confused as to what they'll do with the title – either they set up an interim heavyweight title match or wait for the big guy to recover, which could take longer than anyone might expect. To this day it remains a question whether he would be able to fight again or that he is out for good.
Like how it was for Ken Shamrock, the WWE Way of Life was just as punishing for Brock Lesnar. “It was painful for me,” he stated in one interview. Could it be that his current illness is an after effect of his rough days in the WWE? He was doing well until he came to the UFC, so I guess that rules out this question. But how do we know if it isn’t an old injury he suffered during those days that did not really heal, one that worsened through his MMA training?
Judging from how things are transpiring now, we appear to have a trend going on with Pro Wrestling, with its Superstars seeking to break into the MMA scene. Bobby Lashley for one, another former WWE Superstar, is causing buzz in the MMA public outside the UFC. Athletes, especially college and Olympic wrestlers, have found a great launch pad to stir interest in their careers once they hit the podium of professional sports. This is a trend that – with all the intense support they could muster in it – I see budding ever more in the near or distant future.
Only, how can we be assured that these athletes would be a hundred percent healthy when they tackle on the truly dangerous realm of Mixed Martial Arts? Perhaps there ought to be a more thorough physical examination on every fighter looking to enter the sport – a better assessment tool than what is presently on the table before they are allowed to fight even if it’s only purpose is to protect the fighters from themselves.
]]> By Geno McGahee
ESPN2 Friday Night Fights
This Friday, ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights presents an IBF Light Heavyweight Eliminator between grizzled veteran, Glen Johnson, 49-13-2, 33 KO’s, and Yusaf Mack, 28-2-2, 17 KO’s. Johnson has failed in two recent attempts at the light heavyweight kingpin, Chad Dawson, losing badly in the rematch, his most recent outing. The long road for the “Road Warrior” may be coming to an end.
In 2004, he had the year of his career, winning a decision over Clinton Woods, knocking out Roy Jones, JR., and getting a twelve round nod over Antonio Tarver. Since then, he has fell off the boxing radar, falling back into relative obscurity. He has had a few showcases on the networks, but has come up short. Now he comes to ESPN2 with hopes that he will be able to defeat the younger opponent and get back into the mix.
Mack is on a five fight winning streak since his knockout loss to power-puncher Librado Andrade, including wins over Daniel Judah and Chris Henry. Mack will be facing his toughest challenge this Friday night, and may be catching Johnson as the right time. This is a very good headliner for ESPN2’s FNF.
On the undercard, welterweight Ed Paredes, 24-3-1, 14 KO’s, will be colliding with undefeated Joey Hernandez, 15-0-1, 8 KO’s. This is a rematch of an August bout that turned out to be a draw.
SHOBOX
This Friday, SHOBOX presents a double header, with welterweight Freddy Hernandez, 27-1, 18 KO’s, taking on his most notable opponent in former WBO Light Welterweight Champion, DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley, 36-12-1, 21 KO’s, in a ten round bout.
Corley has been in with the best boxers in and around the division. He has done well in most of the encounters. He lost a split decision to Zab Judah, was one of the few men to stun Floyd Mayweather, JR., before losing a decision, hurt Miguel Cotto before being stopped, and defeated Randall Bailey. He has lost 8 of his last 13 bouts and is definitely beyond his better years, but he has won three of his last four and most would say four of his last four, being robbed in his last encounter. He now plays the role of spoiler against the prospect Hernandez.
Hernandez was outsmarted by another veteran in his only loss against Golden Johnson. Corley is a better fighter with more tricks up his sleeves and will present a real test for the young welterweight. He has put together ten wins in a row since the Johnson defeat and comes into this fight with a full head of steam.
On the undercard, heavyweight hopeful, Lateef Kayode, 9-0, 8 KO’s, will take on David Whittom, 10-11-1, 6 KO’s, in an eight round bout. Whittom is a lamb being led to slaughter, a loser in his last six fights.
SHOWTIME
This Saturday is the highlight of a good boxing weekend. The youtube knockout sensation, Edwin Valero, 26-0, 26 KO’s, will be featured on Showtime. Valero won every bout by knockout, 19 of which were in the first round. He will be defending his WBC Lightweight Title against challenger, Antonio DeMarco, 23-1-1, 17 KO’s.
Valero has been on a collision course with Filipino superstar, Manny Pacquiao for some time, but the fight never materialized. It may have been too far risk, too little reward for Manny to take on Valero. Due to a medical condition, stemming from a motorcycle accident, Valero hasn’t been allowed to fight in the states and has been only available for the US fans on youtube, and he has become a popular watch. He is fearless and hits very hard, sending the majority of his opposition to the floor early and often.
Valero will be in Mexico this Saturday and will have his hands full with DeMarco. DeMarco is a tough 24 year old kid that has proven his grit in his most recent performances, beating Kid Diamond into submission in 9 rounds in his most impressive recent bout. He may be overlooked going into this Valero bout, but he is a very live underdog.
In the supporting bout, knockout punching welterweight, Luis Carlos Abregu, 28-0, 23 KO’s, takes on Richard Gutierrez, 24-3-1, 14 KO’s, in a ten round showdown.
]]>
By Jeff Stoyanoff
It is hard not to get excited about watching Edwin Valero fight. It’s the record that brings you in, 26-0, 26 KO’s. This guy didn’t even see the second round until his 19th fight. Upon stopping his seventeenth consecutive opponent in the first round, Valero eclipsed the previous record (undocumented) of Young Otto who set the previous record in 1906. Anybody who is setting records that have stood for better than 100 years is worth watching. Amazingly, despite the gaudy record, many people are picking against Valero as he readies himself to meet Antonio DeMarco, 23-1-1, 17 KO’s, for the WBC Lightweight Title, in Monterrey, Mexico this Saturday night. It is not as though his record means that Valero is infallible by any stretch. Many fighters have put together pretty spectacular records only to be exposed when they stepped up. And, Antonio DeMarco is a solid fighter having strung together 16 consecutive wins himself. The striking thing is not the presence of those who doubt Valero; rather it is the lack of many believers in Valero. Obviously, we will learn more about Valero as he goes along. In the meantime, this step up highlights many questions and dynamics.
The various paths of the knockout artist
Not long ago, Shobox featured a young super middleweight named Victor Oganov. Oganov came in with a record of 26-0 with 26 KO’s. Oganov was stepping up some to take on Fulgencio Zuniga. Oganov struggled mightily as his wide shots never found Zuniga and his suspect defense provided ample opportunity for Zuniga to counter. Zuniga became more and more dominant as the fight progressed eventually stopping Oganov in the 9th round. Edwin Valero has definitely accomplished more to this point than had Oganov. Oganov was completely untested, while Valero has notable wins over the likes of: Vicente Mosquera, Antonio Pitalua, and Hector Velazquez. Nonetheless, history is replete with fighters who amassed stellar records before meeting the kind of opponent who is both willing and able to stand in and fight only to then wilt under the pressure of a tough and experienced opponent.
Valero almost undoubtedly brings more than Oganov. Yet, it could still be a case of a Jeff Lacy or Michael Grant. Lacy and Grant strung together impressive records and even continued to win as they stepped up to tougher competition. The chinks in their armor were still there, but they were still good enough to keep on winning. That is until they stepped up to the very top levels of their divisions. Only then did they fall short. This could be the path of Valero, only time will tell. Valero has explosive, incredible power that is unquestionably legitimate. However, he is prone to throwing wide punches and his defense is suspect as he squares up regularly and constantly keeps his chin in the air. Like many before him, Valero may prove to have enough offensively to continue to win, but defensive lapses will be exposed eventually. One just has to scale high enough in the rankings to find the opponent who can do the job. Valero might just be the latest example of this kind of knockout king.
Of course, there is still another possibility. Some fighters dominate early opposition and just go right on winning eventually reaching the summit of the sport. Pretty much any great power punching fighter fits into this category: Joe Louis, George Foreman, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Julio Cesar Chavez, and on and on. What separates these fighters is that the chinks in the armor are not nearly as noticeable. The power is there, but so is the rest of the package. This might yet be the case with Valero. Although, it seems unlikely that Valero can get to this lofty perch without substantially improving his defense. The fact is, Valero’s record only tells us that he has some power. Just how much power and how good of a fighter he is overall will only be revealed in his subsequent fights.
Naturally, these paths are not binary. Valero may yet prove to straddle the ground between these names. Yet, in the end, the degree to which his early record either endorsed or belied his true ability will be uncovered…by the likes of Antonio DeMarco. And, in the end, for better or for worse, Valero’s career will probably closely mirror a fellow KO artist who came before him.
A Matchup of Styles?
This fight should provide a classic battle of boxer versus puncher, but it probably won’t. DeMarco has the frame of a boxer, but he seems to prefer to stand in and trade. It would seem that the best way to fight Valero would be to box in an effort to take advantage of his wide punches and defensive deficiencies. The fact that boxing might also serve to neutralize Valero’s power should not be discounted either. The simple fact is, someone is going to box Valero; it just probably won’t be DeMarco.
The degree to which DeMarco can box in this fight should closely coincide with his chances of doing well. DeMarco has some ability to box. This would be a great time to dust off those skills and put them to good use. If DeMarco elects to stand and trade then Valero will likely have scored a major coup by picking the perfect name opponent against whom he can deliver a spectacular performance.
Who will take the next step?
Both fighters are talented; both are on a roll, and both have shown glimpses that they can be impact fighters at the top of the sport. Conversely, both are still somewhat inexperienced and both have weaknesses that can be exploited. Valero is still wide and a little slow sometimes which lays the door wide open for a tough, slick counterpuncher to come in and earn a huge win. DeMarco is also still a little green as he tends to slug it out more than he needs to often eschewing the body as well as he repeatedly targets the head. That leaves the door open for a superior slugger like Valero to engage in just the kind of firefight that he, no doubt, desires.
This will very likely be a seminal fight in one of their careers. This fight will quite possibly be the beginning of the end for one of the combatants. If Valero is successful, it should demonstrate that his power is truly special and that he is a force to be reckoned with by virtue of his devastating power alone. It won’t mean that every other fighter can hang up the gloves because Valero has done it to perfection mind you; it just means that his legitimacy as a player will take another huge step forward. On the other hand, if DeMarco wins, it will signify an ascendance of an equally dangerous fighter. If DeMarco can win over Valero especially by fighting a tactically superior fight, it will signal the arrival of another young fighter with the potential to be special. DeMarco has shown both speed and pop; if he adds a measure of experience and ring savvy he will truly be a fighter to watch.
The stakes are very high as they always are when both fighters prepare to take that dangerous leap to a higher level. There is no turning back now….for either man.
The Pick
This seems like an imminently winnable fight for DeMarco. One suspects that Valero will always leave people with the impression that he can be beaten. Fighters that rely on power always appear as though they can be boxed. What is not always apparent is just how hard that can be to do when an opponent can hit the way that Valero can. The fighter that beats Valero is going to be tough, smart, and experienced. I have no doubt that DeMarco is the first. He probably is also the second. But, he is not yet the third and it is that dynamic that could cost him here. Valero makes mistakes and if DeMarco is patient he will be rewarded. Unfortunately, DeMarco makes mistakes as well which opens the door for Valero.
This should be a scintillating fight with both men landing. DeMarco may very well be ahead on the cards. However, Valero will get to fight his fight and that makes it only a matter of time before his power becomes the telling factor; Valero by 10th round TKO.
Also on the card
Luis Carlos Abregu, 28-0-0, 23 KO’s, also steps up his level of competition when he squares off against solid veteran Richard Gutierrez, 24-3-1, 14 KO’s. In keeping with the theme of the evening evidently, Abregu has also compiled an impressive record, albeit against less than stellar opposition. Abregu has stopped his last two opponents, but a win over David Estrada likely stands as his biggest win to date. Unfortunately, that win was by split decision. It remains to be seen how Abregu will fare as he steps up to more seasoned competition.
Gutierrez certainly qualifies as seasoned. Gutierrez seemed overmatched against Alfred Angulo in 2008 losing by 5th round TKO, but that fight took place in the Junior Middleweight Division where an obviously overmatched Gutierrez went only 1-1-1 in three fights. Outside of that experience, Gutierrez has consistently held his own against top level fighters. Gutierrez lost a majority decision to Joshua Clottey in 2006. His only other loss was in his most recent fight; a unanimous decision to Antwone Smith. Gutierrez will look to get back on track against Abregu, but moving back down in weight after the age of 30 is never easy. Abregu might just be in the right place at the right time.
The Rest
Marvin Quintero, 18-2-0, 14 KO’s takes on Luis Gonzalez, 14-1-1, 8 KO’s in a Lightweight bout scheduled for 8 rounds.
Juan Pablo Lopez, 14-0-0, 13 KO’s, takes on Humberto Tapia, 14-12-1, 7 KO’s in a Junior Welterweight bout scheduled for 8 rounds..
]]>
By Eoin Redahan
A Pinch of Celt
Ireland’s contenders are currently jostling for position on the rungs of boxing’s middleweight ladder.
In a trinity of articles, I analyze the merits of three prospects: John Duddy, Andy Lee, and Matthew Macklin…
A funereal silence greeted the verdict in Newark, New Jersey. A thousand olés stayed in their larynxes, and a solitary pin whistled through the air.
John Duddy may have fought and won since his solitary defeat against the unheralded Billy Lyell, but it lingers in the minds of his fans and critics; however, the Northern Irish middleweight went some way toward mending his punctured prospects after a convincing victory over Mexican-born American Juan Astorga on January 23.
Gone was the pensive approach that pervaded previous bouts, to be replaced with incisive urgency and vicious power. The dormant jab was snapping, the wince-inducing body punches were smarting, and the busyness that typified his rise to renown was apparent. Unfortunately, all of this only lasted for one minute and 57 seconds. Duddy must be given credit for his performance, but the caliber of his opponent must also be questioned.
Astorga may have had a respectable record of 14 wins in 18 fights prior to their fight, but his résumé looked flimsy when inspected. Not one of his vanquished opponents held a winning record, and on the three occasions he made a step up in class, he was knocked out. Nevertheless, the John Duddy that battered Astorga into submission looked more like the relentless pressure fighter that got so close to a world-title shot against WBC and WBO world champion Kelly Pavlik and less like the one that sustained protracted punishment against Matt Vanda, Walid Smichet and (to a lesser extent) Billy Lyell.
While Duddy has become better known in the professional ranks for his all-action brawling and often-masochistic defense, people can sometimes forget about his pugilistic prowess. With an amateur record of 100 wins from 130 fights, and decision victories over former world champion Yory Boy Campas and world title challenger Howard Eastman (albeit, when they were past their best), Duddy has proved that he can box, as well as brawl.
His physical attributes, on the other hand, are seldom questioned. Irish boxing analyst, and former European super middleweight titleholder, Jim Rock, outlined the physical challenge that Duddy poses in a recent interview: “With John Duddy, you have to be at your fittest to beat him…. You would have to stand toe-to-toe with him all the time.” That said, with the exception of the Astorga fight, Duddy has not been knocking out opponents on a consistent basis in recent times. While Mick Dowling, former Irish Olympian bantamweight and boxing analyst for Irish state broadcaster RTE, was complimentary of his ability and power, he would like to see him develop a more ruthless streak in bouts: “He’s got a lot of good things going for him, but I’d like him to get in there and finish guys off.”
Billy Walsh, Head Coach of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association High Performance Unit, underlined Duddy’s all-round ability: “He’s a very capable boxer and a good athlete with loads of heart;” however, he did point out some of the boxer’s well-documented defensive frailties: “He needs a lot more head movement. He’s very straight up, which makes you easier to hit. He has a very good jab, but he doesn’t use it enough.”
Unfortunately, when fans are used to seeing you fight in a certain manner, it can be hard to change, and Duddy is an entertainer. Rock mentioned that popularity while obviously beneficial can lead to excessive pressure: “A lot of Irish fighters start off their careers with two lines at the end of a page, and there’s no expectation…. If you go to the US and you get all this publicity; right from the start, they’re expecting monumental tasks of you.” Walsh explained how Duddy’s immense popularity among many Irish-American fight fans, may have its drawbacks in the ring: “He has a big following, and he wants to put on a big show, [but] toe to toe slugging can lead to all sorts of trouble.”
In recent years, Duddy has tried to attack his defensive shortcomings. He enlisted the services of world champion trainers Don Turner and later, Pat Burns, to help add defensive elusiveness to his skill set. The results were mixed. Duddy appeared to box better in spurts, though he still proved easy to hit, and the scars of battle were written all over his easily cut brow. Furthermore, he seemed to lose the intensity that had made him such an effective pressure fighter.
He then reunited with long-time trainer Harry Keitt after the Lyell defeat in an effort to regain this lost intensity. In an interview with The Belfast Telegraph after his recent fight against Michi Munoz, he said that: “I learned a lot with Pat Burns, and I used some of that in this win. But I feel that Harry [Keitt] is very good for me at this point. He works me hard, which is what I need.”
And, there is no doubt that Duddy will have to work harder in future bouts. He is yet to fight any boxer in the top-15 of the current WBC, WBA, WBO, or IBF rankings, with the exception of Billy Lyell (15th in the IBF). He is overdue a step up in standard. Rock mentioned that, while a fluctuating level of opposition is natural for any boxer learning their trade, “when they get to the top end, they have to take certain people who they wouldn’t want to take. That sorts the men out from the boys.”
The hope is that Duddy steps up his caliber of opposition for his upcoming fights. Unfortunately, the proposed bout against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has fallen through, due to the latter’s alleged use of a banned substance; however, there is no shortage of suitors.
Duddy is now scheduled to fight heavy-handed Mexican fighter Michael Medina, 22-1-2, 17 KO’s, on the Joshua Clottey vs. Manny Pacquiao undercard on March 13. According to ESPN, Duddy may then fight on the undercard of the proposed Miguel Cotto vs. Yuri Foreman bout on June 12, possibly against “Contender” boxer Jimmy Lange. Should he come through both fights, Duddy would be reasonably well placed to call out one of the middleweight supremos.
Not many would fancy him to cope with Paul William’s prodigious output or Kelly Pavlik’s power, but Duddy has always relished fighting on the big stage. As Billy Walsh said: “Boxing is a funny game. Anything can happen with it. John is a very determined young man. He’ll look at this as his big opportunity.”
]]>
Reviewed by Melissa McGahee
“The thing of it is, is I’m not entirely sure I want to be alive.” - Henry (Burgess Meredith)
Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith) is a middle-aged bank teller who spends his time reading novels, and burying his head in newspapers. He relies on every written word to preoccupy and help him forget about the existence that is his everyday life. He’s married to a battleaxe named Helen (Jacqueline deWit) who bosses him around and forbids him from reading. She colors over the words in his books and then baits him into reading her poetry. He becomes excited and opens the cover only to find every word crossed out. She’s evil.
His boss, Mr. Carsville (Vaughn Taylor) is no more sympathetic than the wife. Bemis is dragged into Carsville office and berated for his adoration for reading. Sure, poor Henry does read on the job and ignores the customers in the process, but he has no other time to read.
Bemis is an overall mousy guy who does what he is told. He’s soft spoken and tries to reason with both his wife and boss, but to no avail. He finds solace in the written word. There’s an obvious escape that he holds onto in the books that he reads. After being banned by nearly everyone, he becomes desperate for to read. He locks himself away in the small bank vault with his newspapers and novels. Meanwhile, the entire world is taken out by nuclear explosions, and when Bemis exits the safe he realizes that he is the only survivor.
Finally, there are no more interruptions and he is able to enjoy all that others have taken away from him. He has time enough at last to read whatever it is he wants. Like every “Twilight Zone,” the solution is not that cut and dry. There is a moral to be learned. Here, the lesson is a tough one. Still today, when men and women are miserable they find a way to forget about their worries. Instead of confronting what is wrong and finding a viable solution, they drown their sorrows in an addiction. There’s chat rooms, video games, soap operas, liquor, etc. Although one can easily argue that Bemis’s addiction for literature is far less damaging, it still played a most confining role in his life. He should have left Helen, stood his ground and found a job that better suited him. Instead, he just waited until the literal end of the world. In the aftermath he gave into his addiction, but even then arose a confining force.
Burgess Meredith is amazing. He was in four episodes of the original “The Twilight Zone”, including one of the best, “The Obsolete Man.” Coincidently, in that episode he also had an affection for books. He played a librarian. Meredith also narrated “Twilight Zone: The Movie” in 1983. His voice added the much needed credibility that the film required to succeed. Without the introduction of Serling who had died in 1975, the movie needed someone who was truly connected to the series. They could have not chosen better. As Henry Bemis, he is sympathetic and good natured. One can’t help but root for the character despite his obvious flaws.
There are so many great episodes of “The Twilight Zone,” that it feels redundant to compliment. Still, the constant examination and explanation of human behavior that the show offers, never seizes to amaze. It is the mirror into the viewers’ own beliefs that spark such an unyielding interest in the show. There is always a character to relate to. There are always emotions that the fans understand, and because of that it will never lose its popularity.
“Time Enough At Last,” is an outstanding episode that stands the test of time. It is a reflection of the errors in human nature and at the end, the ever so popular cliche, “be careful what you wish for,” may ring in your ears.
Ringside Report Rating: 9/10
]]>By Geno McGahee
Floyd Mayweather – Shane Mosley officially official
The May 1st super fight between undefeated co-pound for pound best in the world, Floyd “Money” Mayweather and “Sugar” Shane Mosley has been signed and sealed and will be delivered. This is not the fight that the people wanted to see, but they will certainly take it. Out of all the opponents out there for Floyd, Shane is the best next to Manny Pacquiao, and there are some things that Mosley can do to be effective.
An early prediction on this bout is easy: Floyd by wide decision. Despite his highlight reel knockout of “Hands of Plaster” Antonio Margarito, Mosley has not been that impressive in his last few outings, struggling badly with the raw yet strong, Ricardo Mayorga. Mayorga was beaten down easily by Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad prior to facing Mosley, and it was an even fight until the final round stoppage.
You add the possible ring wear along with being out of the ring nearly a year and a half, and the age of Shane, it’s a tall order here. There is bad blood between the two and Mosley will not roll over and die, but does he still possess the speed to make this fight competitive? The likely answer is no.
The thing going in Mosley’s favor and what makes this so interesting is that he is very smart. He will stick to a game plan. He also has a great chin and tremendous strength. To win though, he would have to be flawless and fight the fight of his life. Past performances against boxers like Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright certainly make a bet on him a risky one, but at least we are not seeing Floyd vs. Matthew Hatton, a fight that was proposed.
March 13th Quickly Approaching
Despite the fallout of the showdown with Floyd Mayweather, JR., Manny Pacquiao carries on and will be facing Joshua Clottey on March 13th, a date once reserved for his showdown with Money Mayweather.
Pacquiao’s recent track record make him the modern day Mike Tyson, a warrior that comes at his opponent relentlessly with power in both hands. He has destroyed some very big names in boxing: Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and most recently, Miguel Cotto. He is the real deal, but Joshua Clottey is a strange choice for an opponent.
Clottey is the sort of guy that would give Manny trouble with his tight defense and consistency. He barely lost in his last outing to Miguel Cotto, and stood tough with Antonio Margarito, winning before injuring his hands, and playing survival for the last half of the fight. Clottey is tough and takes a good shot, but there is a weakness. He is susceptible to straight punches…Manny’s specialty. The plan has to be to launch the straight punches early and often and hope for the best. Manny has every edge in this bout with the possible exception of toughness. Clottey might make this a battle of wills and although Manny has been through battles before, the late aggression from his challenger may be too much for him. We’ll see.
Without question, Manny is the big favorite going in, but Clottey has proven difficult for everyone he has faced. Will this be another spectacular KO win for the Filipino superstar or will we get a shocker on our hands. Most likely, this bout will lead to a showdown between Mayweather and Pacquiao. They will eventually iron everything out and get into the ring together. The public demand is far too high for them not to fight.
Super Six Leftovers
One guy that belonged in the Super Six Tournament, IBF Super Middleweight Champ, Lucian Bute, will be featured on HBO’s World Championship boxing when he squares off against Edison Miranda, a fighter that has seen better days.
When Jermain Taylor was rumored to be dropping out of the tournament, the Miranda camp rallied to get him into that spot. It was apparently a race between Allan Green and Edison Miranda to see who would get it should “Bad Intentions” pull out. Well, he did, and thankfully, Green has filled in.
Miranda’s record is impressive at 33-4, 29 KO’s, and he always brings that puncher’s chance to the ring, but his boxing life changed after May 19th, 2007, when Kelly Pavlik dominated and destroyed him in seven rounds. He wasn’t the monster anymore, and his next defeat at the hands of Arthur Abraham was more proof that he wasn’t at the top of his game anymore. Miranda looked for redemption at the expense of Andre Ward in May of 2009, but couldn’t pull the trigger. Now he goes after the IBF crown against Bute.
Bute, 25-0, 20 KO’s, is the best super middleweight not in the Showtime tournament. He is an incredible puncher and is at the top of his game. His last fight, a rematch with Librado Andrade, was brilliant. He stopped him easily in four rounds…a man that had given him a life and death battle just one year prior to the rematch. He will have zero to little problem with Miranda.
Jesse Brinkley, the Contender star that just scored an upset over Curtis Stevens on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights, which put him in line for a crack at Bute, but he has to wait in line behind Miranda. A Bute-Brinkley bout was proposed to HBO, but the network did not see it as competitive, according to sources close to the situation, and demanded Miranda as the opponent. HBO is somewhat correct with their assessment. It’s hard to imagine Brinkley being competitive with Bute. Miranda should be easy for Bute as well, but at least he brings the big punch and could win should he land. He only needs one opportunity.
Under the Radar
This weekend has some decent fights, headlined by the Edwin Valero-Antonio DeMarco bout, but a heavyweight collision in New Jersey is going unnoticed. Top rated heavyweight, Tomasz Adamek, 39-1, 27 KO’s, fresh off his stoppage of former title challenger Andrew Golota, is taking on the capable and upset-minded Jason Estrada, 16-2, 4 KO’s.
Adamek has held the light heavyweight and cruiserweight titles and has now followed the path set by David Haye, moving up to the heavyweight division. He packs a big punch and seems to be punching harder with the move up. He could be a true force in the division and is on a collision course with HBO favorite, Chris Arreola, if he can get passed the challenge of Estrada.
What does Estrada bring to the show?
Estrada is a good boxer with a decent jab, and has beaten some recognizable competition. He out-boxed Lance “Mount” Whitaker in 2008, took a wide decision over Derek Bryant later that year, before taking on top rated challenger Alexander Povetkin. Estrada could not keep the aggressive Povetkin off and lost a wide decision, but rebounded with a knockout over Zuri Lawrence. With only 4 knockouts, he is not a huge threat to stop Adamek, but he is a legit heavyweight with skill and should prove difficult in this fight, coming up Saturday night.
]]>
By Ryan Justason
UFC 109 will be making history on Saturday with its main event. For the first time ever, two UFC Hall of Famers: Randy Couture and Mark Coleman will go face to face in what should be a grueling battle. Also, both Nate “The Great” Marquardt and Chael Sonnen do battle to get themselves in UFC middleweight title contention. UFC 109 will also feature a battle between 2 of MMA’s best trash-talkers takes place when Matt “The Terra” Serra meets Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg in the octagon. UFC 109 is set to be very exciting.
Main Event
Randy “The Natural” Couture, 17-10 vs. Mark “The Hammer” Coleman, 17-9
At 46 years of age, Randy Couture has been fighting the toughest of the tough since 1997. Randy is nicknamed “The Natural” for a reason as he only ever seems to get better with age. Throughout Randy’s career he has defeated the likes of Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Gabriel Gonzaga and most recently Brandon Vera. Randy’s most recent loss was a tough unanimous decision to top contender Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. That being said, win or lose, Randy Couture is in no great danger of being cut by the UFC. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for his opponent Mark Coleman.
Dana White, when talking about this main event fight, has said: “Randy Couture needs this win to get into title contention; but Mark Coleman needs this win a lot more than Randy.” Dana was indicating that if Mark Coleman loses this bout, then that could be the end of his UFC career. Coleman who is known as “The Godfather of the Ground n’ Pound.” He has defeated a who’s who a fighters that include Dan Severn, Kazuyuki Fujita, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and most recently Stephan Bonnar.
This fight was originally meant to happen 10 years ago when Mark Coleman was the UFC Heavyweight Champion but due to a rib injury Randy Couture suffered in training, the fight was put off. This fight has been interesting for fans for a long time due to the fact that both men are very skilled wrestlers. This being said, usually when two wrestlers go at it, the end up striking and it then turns into who is the better striker? In this fight, it’s fair to assume that this fight will indeed stay standing as the two men will find out who the better striker is. On paper and from what fans have seen from the past, Randy takes the cake striking wise. Randy will also be able to stop the takedown if Coleman attempts.
Prediction: Randy Couture defeats Mark Coleman via TKO
Co-Main Event
Nate “The Great” Marquardt, 29-8-2 vs. Chael Sonnen, 24-10-1
Nate Marquardt is nicknamed “The Great” for a reason and it’s not because it rhymes but because he was the 3 time middleweight King of Pancrase amongst many other MMA accomplishments. Nate has racked up a record against many of the toughest fighters in the world that include Yves Edwards, Joe Doerksen, Dean Lister, Jeremy Horn and most recently submission specialist Damian Maia in a 21 second 1 round KO. Nate even got a shot at Anderson Silva’s UFC Middleweight Championship belt in which he was knocked out in the first round. Nate is now working his way back to the top and a win over Chael Sonnen will certainly put him back in the mix.
The very talented and often out-spoken Chael Sonnen has had his name floating around since he defeated Jason “Mayhem” Miller in his MMA debut back in 2002. Other than Mayhem, Chael has defeated the likes of Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Paulo Filho, Dan Miller and Yushin Okami. Never one to answer a dull question, Chael has recently been put on the spot for answering questions too honestly. For example, Chael has attempted to “out” Anderson Silva saying that Anderson hates the American media and that he spoke perfect English. Other statements have been towards Mark Coleman about how Coleman is his own manager.
In a recent interview, honest Chael Sonnen went on to say that he would win this fight against Marquardt not because of technical skill but more because he believes he is more of a fighter. In the same interview, Sonnen admitted that Marquardt was more technically sound in all areas. On paper, Marquardt would defeat Sonnen in all areas but those skills do in fact need heart. Unlike Sonnen although, no one should ever test the heart of Nate Marquardt. Sonnen will have to fight Marquardt’s fight which will most likely lead to Sonnen standing up with Marquardt. Sonnen will soon find out that with Nate Marquardt, you need more than heart.
Prediction: Nate Marquardt defeats Chael Sonnen via TKO
Mike “Quick” Swick, 14-3 vs. Paulo Thiago, 12-1
Mike “Quick” Swick was on his way to a title shot at UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre until he was derailed by British superstar Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy. Mike Swick has defeated the likes of Marcus Davis, Joe Riggs and David Loiseau while only losing to the very tough Chris Leben, Yushin Okami and Dan Hardy. Mike Swick comes out of the great American Kickboxing Academy in which he trains with Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Cain Velasquez and Cung Le. Mike is very hungry to get back in the mix and believes a win over Paulo Thiago will get him closer to that goal.
Before his debut in the UFC, Paulo Thiago was 11-0 with 8 wins via submission. Thiago then made his UFC debut in style when he surprised everyone by knocking out top contender Josh Koscheck via upper hook in the first round. Since Thiago’s incredible debut, he fought two hard decisions losing 1 to top contending Jon Fitch and winner the other to wrestling standout Jacob Volkmann. Paulo Thiago is consistently considered amongst the top 5 welterweight fighters in the world.
This fight is a fight that is important for both Mike Swick and Paulo Thiago. Both men are ranked around the same that a win over either would send one another in to title contention. Both men are going to be equally as hungry for this fight which would break down to skill and game plan. Swick is going to want to keep this fight standing while Thiago is going to want to use his superior ground game. If Thiago wants this fight, he’s going to want to turn this fight in to a grappling match and it’s fair to assume that this will be his strategy.
Prediction: Paulo Thiago defeats Mike Swick via Decision
Damian Maia, 11-1 vs. Dan Miller, 11-2-1
Knowing that Anderson Silva has only ever loss via submission, Damian Maia was on the fast track to fighting the middleweight champion. Once entering the UFC, Maia quickly became 5-0 defeating all his opponents via submission. Amongst these victories, he defeated Jason MacDonald, Nate Quarry and Chael Sonnen. Things were on the fast road towards Anderson Silva for Maia…that was until Maia ran into Nate Marquardt. Maia went into his fight with Marquardt with bad strategy has he decided to stand with him. 21 seconds into the fight and Maia was knocked out. Damian Maia is certainly looking to bounce back with a victory over the newly awarded BJJ black belt in Dan Miller.
Before the UFC Dan Miller was 7-1 with 1 no-contest. He also got a chance to fight in the now defunct IFL (International Fight League) where he defeated Dave Phillips and Ryan McGivern. In his UFC career he went 3-0 before getting defeated by Chael Sonnen. With-in his UFC career, he has defeated Jake Rosholt, Matt Horwich and Rob Kimmons. Dan Miller graduated to BJJ black belt under Renzo Gracie.
Wanderlei Silva once said that Damian Maia would submit him in no time. Wanderlei also said that it was odd how fast Maia could submit him because he was in fact also a black belt in BJJ. Not only does Wanderlei know how good Maia is but everyone knows how good he is. And although Dan Miller is a newly awarded BJJ black belt, he is going to want to keep this thing standing and try to catch Maia. If Miller is not able to catch Maia like Nate Marquardt did, Maia will get Miller to the ground.
Prediction: Damian Maia defeats Dan Miller via Submission
Matt “The Terra” Serra, 9-6 vs. Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg, 19-7
One time UFC Welterweight Champion and 1 of only 2 men to have ever beaten Georges St. Pierre, Matt Serra has proven to be a contender. Although his record of 9-6 isn’t quite appealing, Matt Serra has only ever lost to tough competition such as Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes, Karo Parisyan and BJ Penn. Matt Serra is most famous for his underdog win over Georges St. Pierre when he dominated him with his hands. Since then Serra fought Matt Hughes in where he lost to a unanimous decision in a fight many saw in Serra’s favor.
Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg might be most famous for his continued attack on Matt Hughes after he gave Hughes a cheap shot to “the area.” Other than that, Frank has proven to be a tough competitor with wins over names like Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Ronald Jhun and Edwin Dewees. Frank is known for is strong wrestling although he has been known to want to stand with certain opponents. Frank is best known for his 2 fights with Matt Hughes where he lost both times via rear naked choke. The fight between the two gained so much animosity that Dana White has since said that Hughes vs. Trigg 2 is his all-time favorite fight.
This fight is interesting in the aspect that both men might want to get this fight to the ground. Frank Trigg has the better wrestling and might want to get this fight to the ground for a little ground and pound action while Matt Serra might want to get it to the ground to utilize his superior BJJ. Either way this fight is going to be exciting. Frank Trigg has called Matt Serra “a stomping angry midget” while Matt Serra simply reply’s “tramp stamp.” So basically Matt has already won in the trash talking department. Since Frank Trigg is prone to submissions, his hardest battle won’t be the trash talking, it will be his submission attempts.
Prediction: Matt Serra defeats Frank Trigg via Submission
]]>By Geno McGahee
SHOBOX
Freddy Hernandez, 28-1, 19 KO’s, was involved in an ugly brawl with former champion, DeMarcus Corley, 36-13-1, 21 KO’s, until he caught him with a devastating right hand in the fifth round. It was just a rough fight for both men as they kept running head first into each other and beginning to foul. It all came to an end when the right hand landed. Corley was out before he hit the floor and couldn’t get up. It was a great performance by Hernandez and more evidence that Corley is a totally spent force.
EPSN2's FNF
Ed Paredes, 24-3-1, 15 KO’s, scored an impressive second round stoppage of Joey Hernandez, 15-1-1, 8 KO’s, a fighter that he drew with in August of 2009. In their first fight, the foul-fest featured a lot of rough moments including Hernandez body slamming Paredes en route to the draw. In the first round, Hernandez and Paredes fought relatively evenly, exchanging punches. Hernandez threw wide punches and grabbed often. In the second round, it looked like much of the same until Paredes landed with a left hook that put Hernandez down for the ten count. It was a great knockout and impressive performance for Paredes.
Glen Johnson, 50-13-2, 34 KO’s, has once again put himself in line for a title shot, winning an IBF Title Eliminator with a sixth round stoppage of Yusaf Mack, 28-3-2, 17 KO’s. Johnson kept moving forward and putting pressure on the younger Mack, who was countering very well. As the pressure continued, Mack began to wilt and began finding himself pinned against the ropes.
In the sixth round, a right hand sent Mack to the floor. He got up, only to be knocked down again by the same right hand. He got up unsure and groggy and was put down again quickly after, prompting the referee to stop the fight and Johnson has lived to fight another day. He will now be in line for a crack at the champ, Tavoris Cloud, 20-0, 18 KO’s, in the near future.
]]>By SJ Jarapa
Fighting… oh, so we all say is no country for old men. Yet the granddads remain confidently rooted with an adamant refusal to be moved despite all the heartaches. Why? We go figure, roll our eyes, and just plain shake our heads mostly on what is obviously no longer there. Perhaps it’s got something to do with the stubbornness that comes with age. Or perhaps it is simply the thrill of the ride, the fun of the chase – that whole out of body sensation which keeps time at bay through the system of living life on the edge – that foolish attempt to hold that ever elusive feeling of being alive which gives them the audacity to refuel and forge on.
When things go bad we all implore them to call it quits. Just hang it up gramps, we all bark. But what do we know? Most of us are young enough to not have seen many a million more of their waking hours and we think we know what boils deep in their hearts? We tell them – we imply what must be done next even though we know that they must know what to do with their own lives. And if they want to depart life in a cold but cheek way as to get their souls knocked out of their bodies for good within the ringed caskets of professional fighting like the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s infamous Octagon, why should we tell them otherwise? After all, dying cool is an admirable way to go when most people just go on right ahead for a boring death. So why don’t we all stop nagging at our good ol’ elders since we already know they won’t be moved and would stay for as long their ailing bodies would allow. They would fight, fight, and fight for fighting is the love of a warrior.
Picture this:
An old lion paces across the cage before his young challenger. He looks sharp, in shape, but clearly out of his time with all the visible sag and wrinkles speckled all over his muscular body. He fights on because he loves the adulation of the crowd. Their screams ignite his bones; their booing inspires him to prove them wrong. This is the wisdom that has been established in him by his years and years of fighting. It is the one thing his challenger does not have over him. But the young lion could care less about this – he doesn’t care or that he is not aware that such wisdom exists. To him, the screams mean he is liked; the booing simply upsets him and it makes him want to tear the old lion’s head off to make it stop.
The bell rings.
The Young Lion charges forward, adrenaline rushing through his veins. The Old Lion, all calm and calculating, snarls and skips forward. When both lions break the distance between them, their guns draw at the exact same time. But before either one could land the hay-maker, the Old Lion collapses to the ground. He is dead. The replay shows: A vein in his head popped out of his forehead for not being able to withstand the stress. Another angle on the replay shows: The left side of his chest visibly contracting somewhat grotesquely and then it expanded with a shocking, tremendous force as if a sudden blast occurred inside him. Later, autopsy would reveal that his heart exploded due to pressure.
And we are left with the Young Lion gaping in wonder and the crowd divided between the states of quiet awe and panicked shrieking.
Now wouldn’t that be a sight?
Such an image would last forever.
It would be the talk on Earth for years and years and would lay down a very strong foundation for debate on the safety of professional fighting. Of course the story is a work of fiction out of my clever mind… that could become reality if some of the most stubborn old lions in professional pugilism decide to push on regardless of their physical conditions. I see so many of these aged cats roaming the boxing world with the once great former heavyweight champion Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield being its prime example.
Holyfield’s boxing ingenuity has long deserted him. He’s now the poster boy for boxers who seem unable to get past the past – a desperate body that clings to the hopes of re-attaining past glories.
Either that or The Real Deal simply loves the sport too much to let it go.
Even the young world of Mixed Martial Arts has not escaped the grasp of old age with its icons from times of yore lingering longer than they should. Its seemingly safer bureau of fistic exchange even had a pulling effect on one of boxing’s former greats in Ray Mercer, who recently appeared in a cage to get mauled and then – by divine providence – gets lucky with big Tim Sylvia. What do you know? Third is not the charm after all. He stunned the MMA public with a one-punch KO over a former UFC heavyweight champion with a solid record. The win is a trick to the eye that says Ray Mercer still has a lot of fight left in him. But how can a 9 seconds bout even be considered a fight? Popular belief expresses that should Mercer continues to pursue his quest for MMA glory, he would make history as the sport’s first ever fatality.
I raise my glass to him. Ray Mercer has embarked on the audacious crossing towards a cool death.
And that in itself is glorious.
Yes, certainly, I know… this piece has indeed taken on a slightly moody undertone but I assure you my intention here is not to demoralize the reader by any stretch of morbidity but to prepare or even prevent the shock of what such an occurrence might cause in the future.
Thing’s can happen.
I am not saying it will. But it can.
A vein can in fact pop out of someone’s forehead under the right circumstances and hearts do explode if pressured.
From what I’m seeing in today’s UFC where a washed up old lion is constantly brought in the cage to compensate for the young up-and-comers utter lack of star power, it’s not overly impossible to think that such morbidity can indeed happen. Every time I see someone like Mark Coleman strut his stuff in there, my clenched fist turn white in fear of the punch that could be the last he’ll ever take… whiter when Ken Shamrock decided to re-enter the fences in spite of his ailing body… even whiter when Wanderlei Silva insist on fighting hardcore matches after being knocked out cold in a near succeeding sequence. I fear for their well-being. It also grips your heart to see the quality of these once extraordinary warriors diminish over time. It isn’t fun to watch them reduced to mere remnants of their former selves.
I would much rather fumble with the memory of what they once were – of how they were quite the inimitable forces which drew in the approval of a once unforgiving, disagreeing world.
Mark Coleman, Ken Shamrock, and Wanderlei Silva were part of a special race – a unique group of individuals that whose presence without, the MMA Universe would not have survived the many bombings of scorn and condemnation that it met throughout its tender days. Without them MMA would not be as booming as it is today. They were young and highly-skilled in the arts of fighting deemed too violent to ever be inducted in the norm of our daily lives. They were unrivaled in what they do, unmatched in their meteoric persona, and devoid of equals in stature – throw every designation that would qualify as godlike and they were it.
They belonged to a precious crew that made the cage worthy of understanding and soon… respect and adoration.
And how can one forget the very character of technique – the architect of perhaps the most vital element which makes MMA complete, Royce Gracie?
These men flew high and shone brighter than any star when they rode by the fire of youth. Today, they are old and not as shining as they once had been – geriatrics if you will…
The skills that once made them the best of the best have weakened down to that of a mere typical and turned them human.
But they fight still.
For they believe through fighting, they stop time and cast the day young again even if it is only for a fleeting while.
Mark Coleman bucked on the scene all powerful – the first true heavyweight Mixed Martial Artist. He was a wrestling god – a devastator, the godfather who revolutionized the game. He was champion, a colossal heavyweight favorite, until his rule’s untimely demise in the hands of fatigue. The kick that severed his brain from his head afterward should have been the waking call that it was all over. Instead, the brutal defeat drove him deeper into desires for redemption which ensues to this day. Mark Coleman is the living example of my Old Lion story. Every time he goes in the ring, I do what I can to harden my senses to prepare for the vein that might pop in his forehead. The same can be said for Wanderlei Silva who took Japan and the MMA consciousness by the whirlwind of his long reign as PRIDE Light Heavyweight Champion. For every second he is forcing the rush that makes his muscles tremble with excitement when he is fighting, the heart which beats life in his tired old body appears would explode at any given moment.
Recently, Chuck Liddell and Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic have joined this grand flock of declining warriors. Both men, like Coleman and Silva, were once the prides of their fields, both are true icons worldwide… something which perhaps is likewise their curse much as it is their endowment.
Yes we see these patients all the time and each one often bears no difference from the last. May their reason be for love, money, or honor – who knows? They all linger on despite the absence of what made them great. But then, as it is no doubt a fact of life, there are always exceptions to the chain.
Men like Randy Couture. While the rest slide and rot with age, the more this man lose hair, the more his eminence improve, his skills constrict ever more intact, with the sole purpose of defying conventional wisdom. Once he was nothing more than an unacknowledged contender, merely an old fighter who apparently lacked the backings which create the building blocks of a superstar, but like with many aspects in regards to his temperament, his light lead a dramatic rise with age. For such reasons and more, I sanction Randy Couture as Captain of this exceptional band of aging legends.
This coming February, Captain Couture will be throwing his mighty shield against The Hammer of the ex- heavyweight champion Mark Coleman in a fight where there really isn’t much to look forward to apart from the joy of watching two elderly men have a go at each other’s throats… and yet I am as certain as stone the surrounding seats around their fighting stage will no doubt be filled. Why? Perhaps it is their magnetic auras, wielding the power to compel the most dissimilar and bipolar of souls to link under the common ground of hero worship. Heroism doesn’t die. Once you are labeled a hero, greatness is yours forever.
Or maybe people would dare watch because they think the spectacle a weird version of the movie Fight Club – starring Brad Pitt – only better.
No… that is not it, but, rather, it is, perhaps, even with the knowledge that their time in fighting has run and will inexorably soon fade in the sunset, regardless of how pleasant it is to see them decaying and defeated – if you have seen them arrive on the first step of the mount, rise up the heap, and then fall from the mountain, and then rise up it again… you have to see them through with eyes wide open until the sweet or bitter end for I believe that is only the respect they deserve.
Don’t be fooled by all the folds and crease of their sagging skins, their world is neither a country of weary, exhausted individuals nor is it a retirement shelter for the aged.
When these men fight, they enter a world truly their own that is surely not for the young and fainthearted.
It is something beyond the fountain of youth.
It is something more than a world – it is something special within but an Old Men’s Crew.
]]>
Book Review by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
First time Author Felix Manuel Rodriquez brings the readers a very heartfelt story about his son and him meeting with “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali and along the way to this encounter, the journey is very delightful to read about. This book is a Father and Son story, not focusing on Muhammad Ali.
What you should take away from is the love between a parent and their child which is quite evident in this story. It almost is a throwback to times gone by where relationships were so important while a child was growing up, but today, seem to be a lot different in many cases. However, not in this one...
I highly recommended this book for both children of around the age of 12 and adults because there is a lesson to be learned.
To purchase Dad, Me and Muhammad Ali from the Publisher or any of the online retailers
If you would like to get the book personally autographed by Felix, Click Here
]]>By Geno McGahee
WBC Lightweight Champion Edwin Valero, 27-0, 27 KO’s, has made a name for himself on youtube, but got a chance on Showtime, against challenger Antonio DeMarco, 23-2-1, 17 KO’s, to show his skills to a much larger audience. The bout was fought evenly in the first round, but the drama began in the second when an elbow hit Valero on the forehead and opened up a horrible gash. It looked like the fight would be stopped because the cut was that bad, but he was allowed to go on and Valero, with a face covered in blood, continued on and put pressure on the challenger.
DeMarco became focused on surviving, as the aggression became too much. Valero is not only a very good puncher, but he has better defense than you might think. He was able to land his punches and then dodge the incoming from DeMarco.
As the rounds went on, Valero became more and more aggressive and began to corner DeMarco and land hard shots. The toughness of DeMarco was on display but he was forced into a shell. When he opened up, Valero took advantage of the opening and unloaded his shots. The beating got worse and worse and, in the end, DeMarco’s corner would not allow their fighter to come out for the tenth round.
In New Jersey, Tomasz Adamek, 40-1, 27 KO’s, outworked Jason Estrada, 16-3, 4 KO’s, winning a twelve round unanimous decision by scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 118-110, which puts him on a collision course with Chris Arreola.
]]>
By Gina L. Caliboso
When it was first announced that Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor’s manager had “fired” his client because of his ill advised intention to stay in the tournament, I was thinking that Taylor really needed a time out.
It seems after some evaluation, Taylor has decided to take some time off from boxing after getting knocked out by Arthur Abraham in the 12th round of his opening bout of the tournament. But now, who can possibly replace Taylor?
I immediately thought about Lucian “Le Tombeur” Bute. I love Bute and he recently made quick and methodical work of Librado Andrade. I’m not going to criticize the matchmakers of the Super Six Tournament, but really? But here we go boxing fans, will American Allan “Ghost Dog” Green please stand up?
Will anyone in the division for that matter please stand up?
A little background here because I just needed a moment – much like Taylor – trying to wrap my head around why a currently ranked #9 super middleweight fighter is really being given a once in a lifetime shot. Think Rocky Balboa meets Apollo Creed from Rocky I here. Allan “Ghost Dog” Green hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He stands 6’2, aged 30, with a rather impressive record of 29-1, 20 KO’s.
Impressive for sure.
On April 17, 2010, Green will now fight fellow American Andre Ward in Oakland, California, for the WBA Super World Super Middleweight title. The bout signals Group Stage 2 of the tournament.>
For Green, his fight record reveals that he has yet to fight a 12 round championship bout. With the international appeal and flavor of the Super Six, Oakland will be the championship stage that will put him into the spotlight – fast.
Going back to 2007, his record reveals a notable loss to Edison Miranda in a 10 round unanimous decision. Since then, he hasn’t had to fight a lot – he’s beaten every single one of his opponents – rather convincingly. After his loss to Miranda, he fought 4 months later against Darrell Woods with a 1st round KO. He fought again 3 months later in October against Sherwin Davis with a 2nd round KO in a scheduled 8 round bout.
As he entered January 2008, he fought against Rubin Williams and defeated him in a 10 round unanimous decision. He fought again in November against Carl Daniels and defeated him with a 7th round TKO. Green has consistently shown he is getting better.
In April 2009, he defeated Carlos De Leon, JR., with a 2nd round TKO in a scheduled 10 round bout. Finally, his last fight occurred in November 2009. He fought Tarvis Simms, and defeated him over 10 rounds with a unanimous decision. In the footage against De Leon JR., a Showtime commentator stated that Green “is all business.”
In Round 2 of the De Leon, JR., fight, De Leon was down four times in Round 2. Green had floored him with an incredible hook to the head that left him wobbly and barely standing. Green leads with a powerful left hook followed with a cross to the body and head.
Even though his opponents with the notable exception of Miranda, currently ranked #17 among super middleweights, haven’t been of top caliber or rank, Green puts some much needed competition into the tournament. And, he makes for an exciting underdog into the tournament. All Americans seem to be underdogs these days in boxing.
So, I think my moment is over as I’ve wrapped my head around the super middleweight drama. Green can potentially give some much needed competition into the mix of middleweight fighters, but I still have to wonder just why Lucian “Le Tombeur” Bute remains out of the mix among the super middleweights. Or rather, why does he remain out of the Super Six Tournament?
Bute is currently ranked #2 behind #1 ranked Arthur Abraham. Among the top 10, Bute is only one of two southpaws in the division. Andre Dirrell is the other. I can’t help but think that matters.
After Bute had convincingly defeated Andrade, I put Bute as the man of the super middleweight division. But now, looking at the potential match-ups of the super middleweight division, the fighters have a serious case of ducking.
The records of the top super middleweight contenders have notable losses against one another, but those fighters with an undefeated record, including Bute, Abraham, Carl Froch, Ward have not shown a willingness to put the record at risk. There are such things as rematches.
Rematches create drama.
So at this point, I’ll take a step back from the fight records and simply add that the records among the super middleweights remain safely padded and intact. The ducking of the super middleweights against one another must end, and someone, anyone in the division, needs to step up and fight Bute.
So there is drama in the super middleweight division, but who’s going to actually stand up, step up and make some noise?
]]>By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
As the year 2010 quickly begins to gain momentum, and as we move beyond the malaise that so often comes after the holiday season and the cold grey winter season, we look forward to the many exciting in the ring match-ups and visualize what the future may hold for the talented and compelling personalities the sport of boxing currently has to offer. In keeping with that positive outlook, RSR has posted three interesting new fight polls, asking you your views and opinions on an upcoming super flyweight twelve-rounder for an interim world title, what the future may hold for a former two-division world champion in the heavyweight division, as well as what we can likely expect from our sports king of KO artists, the current WBC Lightweight champion. “Nonito Donaire vs. Gerson Guerrero – Feb 13th”, “Tomasz Adamek – Does He Have a Prayer at Heavyweight” and “Edwin Valero – What Are His Chances Against Marquez/Funeka/Guzman?” Each poll asks you the hard questions and each will be open over the next week for you to add your two cents.
The RSR February Prediction League smoked out of the starting gate nicely last week. After an action-packed first round that featured an array of compelling match-ups, both Remeanors and AnthonySullivan underlined their ambition to unseat league oppressor Jakeameyers by taking the early lead. Not far behind, OKMike is well positioned to stay firmly in the running, perhaps ultimately having the stuff over the coming weeks to assume the lead as opposed to a late-hour fitting for a new gown, ala bridesmaid. With twenty-one bouts left on this month’s roster, seven of which make up our next round of activity, anything can and likely will happen. Stay tuned. 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
]]>Hosted by Brian Wilbur
Happy Super Bowl hangover day sports fans! I welcome you to my mailbag. Though this is a boxing column, the most high profile slugfest of the weekend belonged to the sport of football. Commentators often like to compare a hard hitting, physical football game to a heavyweight championship title fight. I would compare the battle between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints as more of a welterweight championship fight because of the skill and speed of the players. I am amazed when I see how fast the game is played at the NFL level. I am reminded of an ESPN the Magazine article talking about converting former football players into boxers to inject some life into the heavyweight division. That article is a good read if you are able to get your hands on it, say in the waiting room at your next dentist appointment.
I congratulate the underdog Saints for delivering a knockout blow late in the 4th quarter against the Colts. The interception returned for a touchdown was the symbolic left hook to the point of the chin that sealed the deal. Up until that point it was anyone’s game.
The last three Super Bowls have been terrific games. The NFL is on a role, widely considered to be the premier sports league, and are winning over fans at a rapid pace when their highest profile event is a fun, action-packed game for three years straight. Floyd Mayweather should take notes after stinking out the joint against Oscar De La Hoya in boxing’s version of the Super Bowl.
The two boxing events over the weekend reminded us why boxing, unlike football, is not a game. Former undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion Glen Johnson turned back the clock at 41 years old and pummeled a game Yusef Mack to a mid round TKO. I was hyping this bout up in my mailbag pretty substantially and I feel like it lived up to the hype. Mack and Johnson briutally went toe to toe in spots. Mack was a little too careless though, which has been his problem in the past, and succumbed after getting hit with some big shots. Johnson will get old and fade out someday, but there is no sign of that day yet. Johnson looks as good as ever.
In other action, KO artist Edwin Valero dominated Antonio DeMarco winning with a 10th round TKO. Many like to compare Valero to a young Manny Pacquiao, and I don’t think those comparisons are far off of the mark. Like a young Pacquiao, Valero is a strong, energetic power puncher who head hunts early but has the stamina and subtle skill to go deeper into fights and break down their opponents if the early round KO does not come. I am impressed with what I have seen from Valero and would like to see him take another step in class. Perhaps a clash with Juan Manuel Marquez is in order? How awesome would that fight be?
Onto the mailbag, I have a brief offering for you this week (I was busy, give me a break!) but the readers chimed in with some interesting questions and points. I hope you enjoy and be sure to send in your emails/questions to be used for next week’s mailbag.
Mayweather/Mosley and Clottey/Pacquiao Thoughts
Brian,
What are your thoughts of the upcoming Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey and Shane Mosley vs. Floyd Mayweather fights? I personally think the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight will be like the Pacquiao vs. Diaz fight, Clottey being stronger than Pacquiao but a lot slower and he will be too slow to defend himself from all angles even though he’s considered to have respectable defense.
And about Mosley vs. Mayweather, I don’t know why people tend to say that Mosley has a very good chance against Mayweather and that Mayweather has now picked a worthy opponent (he’s almost 40 for Pete’s sake). Mayweather will box the ears off Mosley and win a boring unanimous decision since Mosley is older and slower now.
If this would have happened five years ago then I would think Shane would have a much better chance, but now, he’s going to have to pray that a Hail Mary punch could get through. I don’t like Floyd, but I see him dominating Mosley for a wide decision win though he won’t stop him with those brittle xylocaine-laced hands.
-Vinjo
Vinjo,
I tend to favor both favorites in those fights by a fairly wide margin. Clottey is not dynamic enough to break through against Pacquiao, though is a solid fighter in every area with no glaring weaknesses. I agree with you that Shane Mosley is going to get thoroughly dominated by Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather has the perfect style to beat Mosley so this one is not going to be close.
I think the greater chance of upset comes from the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight. You don’t give Joshua enough credit if you compare him to the underwhelming David Diaz. Clottey arguably beat Miguel Cotto. Joshua is such a well-rounded boxer that he has the ability to make Pacquiao pay if he makes any mistakes. Clottey also has a very good chin, stamina, and defense. Pacquiao would do well using his edge in speed to move in and out with combinations as we've seen recently from him. The old one-dimensional Pacquiao loses to Clottey, but the new improved boxer-puncher Pacquiao wins by decision or late KO.
Shane Mosley has enough left in the tank to look good against fighters who come right at him. I don't think that he will be able to chase Mayweather to land with any kind of frequency. Even in Shane's prime this is an extremely difficult fight for him. Think of Mosley's fights against Winky Wright and Vernon Forrest, only even more dominant because Mayweather is better in almost every way than Wright and Forrest. I would be surprised if Mosley was able to land more than one or two meaningful punches in the entire twelve rounds.
Hall of Fame – Who Should Be In?
Hi Brian,
Asero here. I really enjoy reading your columns every week.
Finally, I get to see Danny “Little Red” Lopez and Lloyd Marshall get their spot in the Hall of Fame. It's terrible to think that Brian Mitchell and Barry McGuigan where inducted ahead of them. These two warriors had all what it takes to be inducted in the first year of eligibility.
But question to you now is, who do you think deserves to be inducted in the hall of fame but has been snubbed in the past. Grateful if you could name three names.
Thank you,
-ASERO
Asero,
Hi Asero, good to hear from you again.
I am happy to see that Danny Lopez and Lloyd Marshall made it. Your question though is rather difficult. I tend to think that the hall of fame voters are too generous. They have done a good job at voting in the obvious picks and have made mistakes by letting in too many borderline cases.
So to give you an honest answer, I can't think of any snubbed fighters. Perhaps there are some I can't think of now. Without digging deep and doing weeks of research I don't think there are any who are being unfairly treated by the voters.
Out of those eligible who are not in, perhaps Michael Nunn, Naseem Hamed, Davey Moore, and Jimmy Carruthers deserve consideration, but those are all borderline cases. If we are going on “fame” instead of accomplishments then “Prince” Naseem Hamed should get in because boy, that guy had a legion of hardcore fans like I’ve never seen (until Pacquiao came along).
What Do I Think?
Hi Brian,
This is my first time to write and ask you a question and I need your sincere/honest answer. Do you believe that Manny Pacquiao is using steroids/PED's ?
-Chad from Tokyo
Chad,
Thank you for finally writing in, and especially doing so all the way from Tokyo. I take pride in knowing that my mailbag is an international one.
No, I don't believe that Manny Pacquiao is on performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Am I 100% sure? Nothing is ever 100%. I prefer to believe that Manny is an honorable sportsman who plays by the rules.
But like I said in a previous mailbag, perhaps I am too naive and trusting when it comes to this sort of thing. I was a big A's fan in the mid 1990's when Mark McGwire was hitting 50+ home runs and I didn't believe that he was on steroids either. I believed him when he said that he was "just spending more time in the weight room". McGwire has since admitted his steroids use.
That was kind of a tangent, but my point is that my beliefs regarding who is or is not using steroids have been wrong in the past. Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to Pacquiao and PEDs.
Again, thanks for the question, and next time don’t be so shy to chime in.
Why Pacman Beats Mayweather (If It Happens)
Brian,
I want to look ahead to the fight that everyone wants to see. I can't argue that Mayweather can't win. Pacquiao vs. Mayweather a 50/50 fight do you agree? What are your odds 50/50, 60/40 in favor of who??
By the way, just wanted to add regarding the De La Hoya vs. Mayweather, Castillo vs. Mayweather, Hatton vs. Mayweather, and Zab vs. Mayweather. Looking at, and dissecting, these select fights will allow you to see that Pacquiao will win.
1. De La Hoya lost to Mayweather on a split decision, but what is revealing is that De La Hoya was able to pressure Floyd to the ropes over and over again. De La Hoya was the aggressor throughout the fight and Floyd won by just a split decision.
Knowing that Pacman, who also fought De La Hoya, showed he was faster, more elusive and the aggressor of the fight. Don't you think Pacman can be able to pressure Floyd more effectively than De La Hoya did and be more accurate when he traps Mayweather on the ropes? Pacman will take a shot from Mayweather to get in with a lot more for sure Brian.
2. What I learned from the Castillo vs. Mayweather fight 1 is that if Mayweather gets in to a slugging match he loses. Castillo vs. Mayweather 2 turned into a boxing match so Mayweather won. If Castillo (a flat-footed Mexican style fighter) gave him fits, what more if it was Pacman and his quick footwork fighting him?
3. Hatton was competitive when he fought Mayweather. Hatton as we all know has no technical skills is just pure slugger who just wants to unload body punches but he gave Mayweather nine rounds and if you check the score cards he was winning some of the rounds and was the aggressor. And you know what Pacman did to Hatton right? He didn't even give Hatton his moment to shine. My point is if Hatton can pressure Mayweather and win some of the rounds what more if it was Pacman doing the pressuring? It's not rocket Science.
4. Zab vs. Mayweather. If you watch that fight again Zab was hitting Mayweather with his straight left at the end of round three or four I think he trapped Mayweather on the ropes and Mayweather did the shoulder role. Zab did the jab, jab, straight left and boom hit Mayweather right on the money. If Zab can do that with his straight what more if it was Pacman's straight left? Mayweather's shoulder role won't cut it if he gets trapped.
With stamina that can go on and on for 12 rounds like a true pressure fighter, Pacman will take Mayweather into deep waters. And if you noticed not only did Zab lack stamina he was getting affected by Mayweather’s straight right to the abdominals that weakened him more down the stretch of the fight thus causing Mayweather to win. Zab’s weakness was his stamina but stamina is Pacquiao’s strong point.
In conclusion, these fighters, which in some degree gave Mayweather a lot of pressure and even showed some incredible aggression of their own, gave Mayweather a lot of problems. If they can do that to Mayweather what more if it were Pacman doing the pressuring? A dynamic puncher who's fast on his feet and throws combos more than any of Mayweather's adversaries ever did.
We all know boxing is about combination punching. To get a win over Mayweather you need to throw combos and we all know Pacman is lethal in that department. That's all I can say. Just felt I had to add something more to my point of view. Thanks for replying more power to your site. I will keep on reading on. Hope to hear from you again. God Bless!
PS. Just a scoop Pacman just put some new tattoos on his left forearm. It's a crashing meteor strategically located on his left inner forearm. Hehe!
-Spoon
Spoon,
We are getting a bit ahead of ourselves here, though I understand your overwhelming anticipation for this super fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao that everyone is hoping will finally materialize sometime this year.
If it does happen, I see Mayweather vs. Pacquiao as a very close fight. I would put the odds at 52/48 in favor of Floyd Mayweather. I see your points and Mayweather's vulnerability in those fights are why I give Pacquiao as big of a chance as a do. You break down my thoughts exactly on many of Mayweather’s fights where he flirted with the first defeat of his career. Pacquiao, or Pacman as you endearingly call him, has all of the skill and talent to duplicate or do more than Mayweather’s toughest opponents. This is going to be a very tough, hard-earned victory to whoever comes away with it (again, assuming that it happens!). Fight strategy would play a huge role.
Undercard and Pound for Pound Talk
Hey Brian,
I've just read your current pound for pound list and I was surprised you placed Edwin Valero in the 8th spot. Honestly, were you impressed by his performance against Velasquez or DeMarco? Yes, the guy's got some power but that's it. He has poor defense and bad footwork. I don't discount the possibility of him improving just like Pacquiao though.
By the way, if you were to make the undercard of a mega fight like Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley, whom would you rather see? Well, here's mine:
Amir Khan vs. Zab Judah (battle of sparring mates)
Rodel Mayol vs. Edgar Sosa rematch
Nonito Donaire vs. Vic Darchinyan rematch
Edwin Valero vs. Humberto Soto or vs. Michael Katsidis (any pair will do)
I guess such would be a very expensive undercard but as much as they charge for PPV, we deserve the best card possible.
Thanks Brian.
-Morse
Morse,
I know what list you were talking about. That list was not my pound for pound list. I was only giving my opinion on which fighters I think had the most ability even if they had done nothing to back it up. Valero has done very little to prove his tremendous natural talent so I can't make an argument for him being on a top 10 pound for pound list; thus Valero is not on my top 10 pound for pound list. Edwin certainly has the potential to make it to that level. He just needs to step up his level of opposition.
Your undercard sounds awesome, but as you already pessimistically suggested, it would cost too much money, therefore is extremely unlikely. Perhaps one fight of that quality would be able to fit on an undercard. The one I like the most is the rematch between Nonito Donaire and Vic Darchinyan. Edwin Valero vs. Michael Katsidis would be a fantastic action fight so I'll pick that one as my second favorite. Mayol vs. Sosa doesn’t make much sense since Mayol won so convincingly last time.
Thanks for reading all. Come back next week!
]]>By John Pitroff
Who are the wrestling fans of the world? What are these people all about? Why do they like this odd thing known as wrestling? How come they all seem to be hicks? Why do they really believe this is all real? Why do they all seem to fit into this perfect mold of what us outsiders think they should be? Why are they all missing teeth, why are none of them smart, why do none of them ever get laid enough, why are they all so cliché? How many times can they put up with another boring Triple H title reign? Why do they ask so many questions in the opening to their wrestling columns?
It must be odd to an outsider of wrestling to look in. It must feel weird to have no clue what drives us, what makes us find enjoyment in half naked men fight hitting each other. But, aren’t we all really outsiders? This column is going to be about wrestling as it relates to life…so aren’t we really all outsiders to what we like and why we like it? If you take yourself out of the idea of life and look in at it without letting the fact that you are alive cloud your judgments, isn’t life just this insane crazy ride that makes no sense when you really think about it? Seriously, this thing known as life makes so little sense that it makes having Pete Rose at WrestleMania dressed up as the San Diego Chicken getting beat up by Kane seem almost commonplace.
What drives me to like wrestling and you not to? I don’t have a clue. I just like it. What is it about me sitting here writing this that brings me to a point of love that I can’t describe and what makes you want to sit down and read it, while others could not care less? Why do I watch great wrestling matches with as much introspection that most only use to study Nietzsche? Why can I find just as much enjoyment in a 25 minute classic, that someone else can find in a nearly 3 hour movie about blue creatures that fly around? Why would I never bother to go see that movie at the theater, while millions would? And, why would those same people never bother to watch Kurt Angle vs. Stone Cold at SummerSlam 2001?
The fact is that wrestling fans come in all shapes and sizes. Sort of like Snickers bars. Next time a non fan asks you what a wrestling fan is, tell them they are Snickers bars. I guarantee you they will leave with justification of the suspicion that they had before they ever asked you…wrestling fans are totally insane. As they walk away, throw a Snickers bar at their gut to make them bend over slightly and then give them a Stone Cold Stunner. We don’t need anymore people walking around spreading the lie that wrestling fans are crazy.
Some wrestling fans are insane. Some aren’t. There are stupid fans, there are smart fans, there are young fans, there are old fans, there are casual fans, there are hardcore fans. There are male fans, female fans, black fans, white fans, and fans that oscillate at three different settings. Wrestling fans are as unique and odd of a group as humanity itself.
Wrestling has always been a great metaphor for life both inside the ring and out, and in the same respect, so are the fans. Just as no human is truly the same, but they all are united by the fact that they are alive, as wrestling fans, we aren’t all the same, but we are united by the fact that one time or another in our life, we have found joy in professional wrestling. Just as life is just the slow process of death and the second you are born you start to die, watching a bad wrestling show is a slow process of death and the second you turn it on you start dying inside mentally.
Too many people like to generalize wrestling fans. Just like too many people like to generalize humans. Just like I generalized humans with the previous statements. But, I have even generalized too much in the past. In one of my previous columns I said, “No one normal gets into wrestling. These are attention starved people looking for people to cheer for them fake fighting with someone else.” In hindsight, I can’t agree with what I wrote. I’m sure there are some “normal” people who get involved in wrestling, even if they are few and far between. The “attention starved people” was something I know about myself, so I put it onto other wrestlers as well. But seriously, look at the outfits that Rico wore, and tell me that a lot of these wrestlers aren’t just dying for attention more than WWE is dying for an original character in the main event scene.
This whole debate over whether or not wrestling fans, or wrestlers in general, are normal all comes down to the definition of the word “normal.” Just what is normal? Does it even exist? Isn’t everything uniquely unique? Well, everything but TNA bringing back the Montreal Screwjob again. Isn’t the only way that people are the same is the fact that we are all unique and that makes us the same? Doesn’t the same apply to wrestling fans as well? Aren’t we all both totally normal to ourselves, whether or not that is normal to an outsider (this is not a Scott Hall reference)? I’ll give in and say Kizarny was not normal, that dude was just weird. Whizile wize izare izon thize sizubject, Kizizarny wizas izan izawesome chizaracter thizat dizidn’t gizet hizis chizance tizo gizet izover. By the way, in Kizarny speak, is it proper to say “izis” or “isiz” for is? These are the levels of thought that wrestling pushes me to when it is 2:27 in the morning and you find yourself speaking Kizarny while listening to Tool blasting into your headphones.
As wrestling fans, who are we? We fathers, sons, husbands, wives, cousins, distant relatives, friends, aunts, and grandparents. We might be your dog or cat. Who knows? We are your children, we are the mailman, we are the guy on the street that walks by that you never say hi to and he just walks on through this life and all you are left with is the missed opportunity of knowing anything about him. Hell, that guy probably goes home every night and watches ECW tape after ECW tape for all you know. We are philosophers, we are writers, we are radio hosts, we are stand up comedians, we are lovers, we are haters, we are people. See what I am saying? We are all around you, whether or not you know it. We are taking over the planet…just like the New World Order.
As wrestling fans, we are someone you know and love. We are you…if you look in the mirror deep and long enough. You are all of your interactions with others, all your thoughts of everything. Therefore, if you know someone that is a fan, perhaps you should open your mind to wrestling and try to see what they see in it. If you have always been close minded to the idea of wrestling because you believed all the cliché premises about the fans, about the storylines, about the product…then you might just be dead wrong. People know as little about what wrestling is about as we as humans know about what life is all about. I think it was Jake “The Snake” Roberts who said, “The only thing I know is that I know nothing.” Just kidding, that was Socrates, but Jake was the only one deep enough to make the joke sound even believable. I guess Ultimate Warrior would have worked there in some odd way, too. But that is just because he never seems to make sense.
I am a wrestling fan. I have been for a long time. I love being a fan. I hate the cliché ideas that being a wrestling fan is associated with. Please, both in wrestling and in life, open your mind to see what others see. If you are a hater, you will never learn to love. If you only see the Mark Henry “Sexual Chocolate” storyline, open your mind to the time Austin attacked Vince McMahon with a Zamboni. If you never try to see something from another’s perspective, you are only stifling your own world view. Don’t fit in your squared circle, or box, of normalcy without ever trying to see that sometimes life’s ring has more than even TNA’s six sides. You can’t fit fans of wrestling in a box, we aren’t square, we are more like an icosagon. If you only laugh at wrestling because you don’t know, if you make up your opinion of wrestling, and its fans, without ever doing some research, it is time to think differently. Pick up a book if you are of the literate wrestling fan quota (I know there aren’t many of us).
It is time to revolutionize what it means to understand others, both in the ring and out. Wrestling is life, and when we open our minds to see it, we will all be able to live peacefully together while hitting each other with steel chairs and while performing hit and run felonies on unsuspecting victims who are lying in a waiting ambulance while we ram them with semi trucks. Yes! I always wanted to end a column with a Hulk Hogan/The Rock pre WrestleMania X8 storyline reference. Life is complete…I will go to watch some more wrestling.]]>By Geno McGahee
At 31, with fifty-two fights, the career of Manny Pacquiao may be at its tail end. The explosive southpaw will be leaving some big shoes to fill, but there is a lightweight that brings many of the same things to the ring. Edwin Valero, 27-0, 27 KO’s, holds the WBC Lightweight Championship, and has not found any use for the judges yet in his career. Last Saturday, he stepped up to the biggest challenge of his career, facing the young and hungry contender, Antonio DeMarco, in a defense of his title. DeMarco came into the fight with only one defeat on his record and had a recent spree of good wins. He was hungry and tough and if Valero was a fraud, he would have exposed it. Valero proved that he was not a fraud.
Out of the 27 knockout wins, 19 of them were inside of the very first round. The majority of his reputation was built on his exposure on youtube, the only way that the boxing fans in the states could see him. His lack of exposure in the United States is due to his ineligibility to fight within its borders. He cannot get medically cleared because of a motorcycle accident he had which led to surgery and the removal of a blood clot. There is the concern that a punch could hurt him more so than any other boxer that hasn’t had this sort of issue, but money is not only talking at this point, it’s screaming.
Showtime was on hand and broadcasted the Valero-DeMarco showdown, which took place in Mexico, and the undefeated champion was all that people that were clamoring about him have claimed, and more. He is a big puncher, stunning DeMarco on several occasions, but he also presents good defense, dodging and swaying away from punches, the ability to put punches together, and a big heart. In the second round, he was elbowed, opening a giant gash on his forehead. He forged on and continued to fight, when he could have probably had it stopped and held onto his title without much more fuss, but he understood the importance of the occasion and battered DeMarco into submission.
Where does Valero go from here? The lightweight division has plenty to work with. There’s Juan Manuel Marquez, the man that came closest to beating Manny Pacquiao in recent times and on two occasions. It would be a high profile fight and a big test for Valero. How would he do against the technically sound and very tough Marquez?
Ali Funeka, the very tall and very strong fighter that was robbed in his two defeats would be a great challenge for Valero too. How would he overcome the incredible height? It’s another fight that would get Valero into an HBO or Showtime showcase.
The powerful Michael Katsidis would be a wild encounter, Marco Antonio Barrera is still hanging around, and Joan Guzman are all possible challenges that would put Valero back into the public’s eye. With the names in and around the lightweight division, Valero has a big chance to become a big attraction and PPV star, following the same path that Filipino superstar, Manny Pacquiao. When you compare Valero and Pacquiao, you can’t help but see the similarities. They are both fearless southpaws that come forward seeking the knockout from the opening bell on. In fact, Valero was once considered as an opponent for Manny, but it was too much risk, not enough reward, and getting Valero cleared in the states where most big fights take place would have proven difficult to say the least.
I don’t think that the ban will last forever with Valero, especially when the demand grows. Valero has stated that he can pass a medical test and he will have a chance to prove it in the near future. He is one of the, if not the, most exciting fighters in the game today, and I look forward to his continued development and future showdowns with some of the bigger names out there in the lightweight division.
Antonio Margarito: Will he Return to the Ring?
The “Hands of Plaster” Antonio Margarito, 37-6, 27 KO’s, the former WBA Welterweight Champion, is about to be given the news. Will he be allowed to return to the ring after his hand wraps were exposed prior to his encounter with Shane Mosley in January of 2009? Team Mosley noticed something fishy about the wrapping of Margarito’s hands and when they were sent to the lab to be analyzed, it came back that he was using plaster of Paris to make his fists basically bricks packed into the boxing gloves.
Bob Arum, the Promoter of Margarito, came out strong when his fighter was first banned, stating that he was only banned because he was Mexican and had he been white, he would have not been prevented from fighting. And people say Don King is scum.
The fact is that Margarito cheated and it’s fair to say that he has done this for some time, including his Miguel Cotto and Kermit Cintron wins. Against Mosley, when the playing field was even, he was very ineffective and it’s fair to say that he would have lost many more of his bouts had he not loaded his gloves.
Should Margarito be re-instated? No. They need to ban this menace for life. If they ban Luis Resto for life, why should Margarito be any different? What he did was the basic equivalent. He knew he could have killed his opponent, but had the money signs in his eyes and found that more important than the health of his opposition. We don’t need a person with that attitude and that lack of morals involved in boxing.
Unfortunately, my guess is that he will be back in the ring. Money talks and boxing is a dirty sport where guys like Margarito flourish and he has some big guns behind him to make the return easier. Hopefully, the networks will ignore his return and the boxers that face off with him take every precaution to ensure that he doesn’t load his gloves again.]]>By Gina L. Caliboso
Tonight, yours truly will be sitting ringside to watch “Battle in the Ballroom” showcasing up and coming fighters in both boxing and MMA. Promoted by Roy Engelbrecht Events/Promotions, the event is part of a series of fight nights held at the Irvine Marriott Grand Ballroom in Irvine, California.
Expected to be a sellout crowd, combat sports fans will be watching a fight card to include both boxing matches and MMA fights. To date, the hybrid boxing and MMA fight card have scheduled the following bouts:
Demetrio Soto, 5-1, 4 KO’s, will go up against Yakub Shidaev, 3-1, 1 KO, in a scheduled 4 round fight at 140 pounds. Local fighter Arquimendez Garcia, 4-1-1, 2 KO’s, from nearby Santa Ana will meet Manuel Delcid, 2-0, of East Los Angeles at 136 pounds.
In one heavyweight bout scheduled for 6 rounds, Joe “The Future” Hanks, 10-0, 6 KO’s, will fight against 35 year old Shannon Miller, 16-4, 9 KO’s. In a second heavyweight contest going for a scheduled 4 rounds, Chris Davis, 1-0, will go up against Kourtney Boden, 1-0. You remember Chris Davis right? He fought in the last event I covered – “Glendale Glory 2” so I’m excited to see him fight one month later. As both heavyweight fighters are off to 1-0 records, someone has to lose.
In the first MMA bout of the night, Markus Kowal, 1-0, will fight against Titus Holmes, 0-3 in a scheduled 3 round fight at 136 poudns. Following Kowal – Holmes, I am looking forward to a women’s boxing match. Chika Nakamura, 9-1, 3 KO’s will go up against Jennifer Barber, 9-1, 4 KO’s. Even though Nakamura suffered a hard fought loss to Gloria Ramirez, 11-16, 1 KO, in December, she makes a return to the “Battle in the Ballroom” as a fan favorite and will deliver a strong and entertaining fight.
Finally, the evening will conclude with an MMA matchup. Chris Saunders, 3-1, fights Andy Morales, 2-0, at 156 pounds in a scheduled 3 round fight.
Just so you know, I normally train on Wednesday nights in boxing and kickboxing, so I’m taking the night off. But not really because I’ll be ringside - and, I’m sure it’s a night that won’t disappoint! Stay tuned!
]]>By Geoff “The Professor” Poundes
As freak shows go, the Roy Jones – Bernard Hopkins bore-fest scheduled for April 3rd should attract its fair share of thrill-seekers.
They’ll not be interested in the boxing, or the sport, or the competition; they’ll not tune in to witness history in the making, as the fighters would have us believe, nor will they watch to see two faded greats strut their stuff.
No, this audience shares a common goal – to consume the most boorish, gratuitous, shocking “entertainment” with no other purpose than to titillate the worst elements of human nature. When they’re not at the Mandalay Bay Hotel (suspiciously just two days apart from April Fools Day), you’ll see them at MMA events, or gawping at accidents in the street, or down-loading bizarre videos of disadvantaged human beings.
Of course, I’m over-stating the case.
Even I’ll own up to a kind of middling curiosity over the outcome of the fight, probably because these two practitioners were so exceptionally good in their day and had a fight back when they were young men and at least one of them was at the peak of his powers. Although Hopkins was the older man back in 1993 at 28, when he contested his first world title fight against the 24 year old Jones, the suspicion back then was that both fighter’s best years were yet to come. That proved to be the case, and this rematch should have occurred in the late nineties, when Bernard was compiling 20 title defenses, and before Jones became bored with making weight and assaulted the super-middle, light-heavy and even heavyweight divisions.
They fight in April because Hopkins is now 46 and burdened by middle-aged weight-gain and Jones really has nowhere else to go.
In December, Jones travelled to Sydney, Australia and got himself knocked out in less than a round by middling contender Danny Green, which had at first glance appeared to put paid to any chance of Hopkins-Jones II, until the money men sat round a table and decided that the freak-show audience was still up for the debacle.
Jones’s response to the knockout in Australia changed overnight when he realized he still had a fight with Hopkins to sell. Immediately after the fight he praised Green for jumping on him so quickly, but later decided that Green’s gloves were loaded and wanted the authorities to remove the result from the record books.
He needn’t have created the subterfuge. The freak-watchers will tune in anyway.
They don’t care that Jones is 5-5 in his last ten fights, including three devastating knockout losses and a fourth loss to Joe Calzaghe in which he was systematically beaten to a pulp over twelve freakish rounds. Jones, JR., is so far removed from the fighter who carried all before him in the late nineties and early-nineties that he’s barely recognizable as a fighter at all.
The same cannot be said for Hopkins, who seems to mature like a fine wine.
At 46 he’s a freak of nature. He too got into a fight with Calzaghe, but gave the gritty Welshman all he could handle over twelve rounds before dropping a majority decision.
In October 2008 Hopkins took to the ring with new middleweight sensation and unbeaten puncher Kelly Pavlik and boxed his ears off over twelve rounds, when he had no right to be competitive in the fight. We’ve all forgotten Hopkins two losses to Jermain Taylor in the wake of those exceptional performances, but time, as they say, stands still for no man, and there has to come a time even for an icon like Bernard Hopkins, when age will catch up with him.
It might catch up with both of them right there in the ring on April 3rd, right in front of our eyes. Two old men, way past their prime, trying to beat the living daylights out of each other…for our entertainment, and their bank balance.
Jones this week likened Hopkins task to that of an old man who flunked college the first time going back for another dose. He says he believes that Hopkins will flunk again.
“I’m like that high school test. He flunked it back then, now he wanna try it again when he think he done finished college. He wanna come back to see if he can pass. He still can’t pass, but he welcome to try.”
Brave words from an old warrior, who must know that beneath the bravado there’s nothing left in the tank.
If Jones makes it to the fourth round it will be a huge surprise. If he’s able to walk unassisted from the ring that too will be a huge surprise.
But not for the freak-watchers…that’s what they turned up for.
]]>By John Pitroff
Bret Hart finally returns to Raw: It is about time. I was wondering what had happened to the guy. However, I couldn’t really be less pumped for a WrestleMania marquee confrontation, unless you count last year with Mickey Rourke. I have never seen Bret Hart work. I was not watching wrestling when he was at the top of the company. Just like when Shawn Michaels returned, it was something totally new for me. I have been nothing but astounded with Michaels, but I really can’t say the same for Hart. Actually, it has been quite the opposite. I’m not impressed in any aspect of what makes a wrestler a wrestler.
Now, I realize he isn’t in wrestling shape, but, how bad is this guy on the mic? I can’t believe he was main event material with such terrible mic skills. I thought the first time it was because he was nervous, but this time around, he couldn’t seem to put a proper sentence together and just seemed so unnatural in his confrontation with Vince. It all seemed faker than that hug he gave Michaels when he made his return the first time. It came off as if he was acting. It really felt as though he was thinking, “I really don’t even want to be here saying these things, but it will be nice to have the paycheck.”
I am a bit nervous about what is going to go down at WrestleMania between Vince and Bret. It looks as though there will be no match, sense he can’t even take a punch. What was with that “attack” by Batista? My two year old nephew sold better than that when I gave him a powerbomb the other day. It is sort of sad to see, really. Hart is obviously not in shape to be in the ring, and it is depressing that WWE is attempting make something out of this McMahon/Hart storyline, squeezing it to the last drip of cash it can gain. But, what is the payoff going to be? I highly doubt they can work a match together. Will they tag with Cena and Batista? Will they be in their corners? Why was Batista even involved? It feels all so forced. Batista showed up because Vince and Bret won’t be able to have a one on one match, so he was interjected in this twelve year old storyline that he has nothing to do with. I guess I just wish that WrestleMania was about the performers who perform all the time, instead of bringing in guys who really can’t do much just to create a buzz. WWE has a way of surprising in a good way, especially at Mania, so I’ll keep an open mind.
Edge wins the Royal Rumble: I was glad when I read this. It is good to see Edge back, and I’m glad to see he will figure very prominently into WrestleMania. As I have mentioned, I am a fan of Edge. But, seriously, how bad does he look? He needs to get that upper body into shape in time for Mania. He looks less muscular than when he returned at Survivor Series 2008. I guess the Wellness Policy will do that to you. The same thing happened to Jericho. Edge also returned with the long beard again just as he did at SS 08, a look I think really works for him as a heel. Then, the next night, it was shaved down again. What is with this beard saga Edge? He changes facial hair more than gimmicks.
Edge winning the Rumble was more important than his beard, however. It was very interesting because it showed that WWE can still surprise the audience. Sure, I had read a few predictions that said Edge might return at the Rumble. But how many people actually believed it, and of those who did, how many thought he would win the thing? It was a well kept secret, even for the biggest insider in the wrestling game. Only days before, I had been reading the dirt sheets saying that Edge would most likely not be back in time for Mania. The same thing happened a few years ago with Cena. He returned at the Rumble from an injury when no one saw it coming. RVD made a surprise appearance last year as well. WWE does a good job in keeping the surprises hidden and well executed at the Royal Rumble. If only that could be said of the rest of their shows.
WWE apparently done with ECW: I couldn’t be happier. The entire abomination of the ECW brand name has been totally depressing. When WWE brought the name ECW back for their first ever return PPV, it was special. It wasn’t quite ECW, but it was pretty damn close. And, it was interesting, entertaining, and enthralling. It was a good show with a lot of action. I always appreciated the fact that WWE as a company would put on an ECW show. Plus, it nearly felt like it was an actual ECW show. Referees, camera angles, ring set up, guardrails, arena, and most importantly, the fans felt of the old ECW. It was all there. The only big gripe was the big involvement of WWE wrestlers. However, it could have been much worse. Well, no worries about that, it soon got a lot worse. If there is ever a good idea, WWE likes to run it into the ground until it is no longer a good idea, right Cena? After doing another ECW PPV, which the WWE style had crept into a bit more, WWE decided to bring back the name ECW full time.
It had Bad News Brown written all over it since the beginning. It was never ECW. ECW never played big arenas. The talent wasn’t right, the wrestler’s weren’t ECW wrestlers, it was all taped at a WWE show before a WWE show, the most important aspect of an ECW show, the fans, were just WWE fans. This latest incarnation of ECW had nothing in common with ECW except the three letters describing it.
I am so glad it is finally over. It is about time. I never like seeing a legacy spit on by overdoing it. That is what ended up happening. Does anyone really think Paul Heyman would ever want his name associated with what ECW had become as a WWE product? ECWWE made Paul Heyman’s bounced checks look good by comparison. Now that ECW has been canned, we can only hope the “brand extension” is next…
Impact to move to Mondays permanently: I have read this at a few websites, but it has not been “officially confirmed” yet. Actually, I read it about a week ago at The Torch, but never heard about it from any other wrestling news source. I saw it at that one site, but couldn’t find it anywhere else. Then, recently this week, the story hit other sources as well.
I don’t understand why this isn’t bigger news amongst the wrestling community. This really is one of the bigger stories of the last few years. A new wrestling “war” is going to be on soon. This will push both companies to have a better product, and wrestling fans will be the true winners. I am very excited for Mondays to be an all out war again. I can’t wait to see what TNA and WWE pull out to stay the next step ahead of the competition.
Thursdays just does not cut it anymore for Impact. TNA needs to be seen, they need to make an “Impact.” Moving to Mondays will do that. In fact, it already did with their previous Monday special show. It got people talking. It made a buzz in the wrestling community. Fans that hadn’t paid attention in years started to again, at least for one week. I realize that not every week is going to be full of new wrestlers, huge matches, insane surprises, big returns, or Jeff Hardy painting, but at least WWE is no longer the only game in town. At least we will have a choice as wrestling fans.
WWE interested in bringing Conan O’Brien as guest host: Although I absolutely despise the guest host idea, I think Conan could make it work. Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather see it go away than have Conan on it, but if WWE wants to keep it, at least have people worthy of doing it.
If WWE wants to do this Conan thing, they already missed the ball slightly. They should have had him on the week after his show ended. You know, when the story was hot and people cared. The Conan/Jay Leno saga was one of the biggest news stories recently. Seriously, I heard people talking about it nearly as much as Haiti. It was on the top of people’s minds, and most of Conan’s fans would have followed him anywhere on television, including a wrestling show. It would have been a great opportunity to bring in some new fans. Conan has a lot of young, hip fans and them being exposed to wrestling would be a good match. Conan can apparently show up on Raw without breaking his contract through some loophole of him being a guest host. I’m not sure of the legalities behind it, but it something I would like to see. Plus, he would be even more proof of how much of an idiot Sheamus looks like, especially as WWE champion. I think Conan is taller, but Sheamus is whiter and has even worse hair.
]]>Reviewed by Geno McGahee
“That monster stole my dollar!”---Franklin (Everett Sloane)
Everett Sloane owned this tale. When he is on the screen, he steals it and when he erupts at his wife, it’s hilarious, as he calls her a “shrew” and demands that she leaves his side because she is bad luck. When he gets dragged away from the casino and screams over a dollar, it is fantastic. This tale is great and I can’t see giving it anything other than a perfect rating.
Everyone knows somebody with a gambling problem. In fact, most of my family has a gambling problem. How many times do you see an elderly man, high on Viagra, screaming “let it ride” while playing Bingo, only to later find out that “let it ride” refers to a totally different sort of game? Rod Serling captured the issue of gambling in an episode called “The Fever,” which is one of my favorite Twilight Zone Episodes ever.
We begin with Franklin (Everett Sloane) and Flora (Vivi Janiss) Gibbs, winners of an all expense paid trip to Las Vegas. The only problem is that Franklin is against gambling, believing it to be a waste and immoral. When his wife places a nickel into the machine, he throws a tantrum and openly comments just how stupid and foolish she is and how all the people that do this sort of thing are morons. She takes the chance and loses.
Franklin on his way back to the hotel room gets stopped by a drunk who puts a dollar coin into his hand and places it into the machine and he reluctantly pulls the lever. He wins, and vows to quit with his winnings a happy man, but the temptation gets the best of him and he returns to the casino, where he gets the fever.
Writing check after check, he clears out his bank account and when he is down to his last dollar, the machine malfunctions and he loses the play, driving him insane. He tips over the slot machine and is dragged away by security. It felt good to see him do it though. Slot machines have gotten the better of me in the past and it was nice to see sweet revenge occur, even if it were merely vicarious. Those @$@#$ing one armed bandits!
My favorite part of this entire tale is when Franklin becomes consumed with the casino and the slot machine begins tormenting him, saying “Franklin” in a creepy, robotic-like voice. “Franklin, Franklin, Franklin, Franklin.” It is very amusing and you wonder why Gibbs is running from it. It is only a slot machine and he knocked it over once. He could do it again…but then again, he was going crazy and wasn’t thinking straight.
Leave Franklin alone you stupid slot machine!
Ringside Report Rating: 10/10
]]>By Gina L. Caliboso
Just to be clear, I am not going to begin my article with a lot of reasons on why the Manny Pacquiao – Floyd Mayweather, JR., mega fight never happened.
The ugliness of steroids overall is a horrible yet unfortunate reality about today’s modern athlete. Fingerpointing and lecturing aside, I’ll refrain from further comment that the fight negotiations were just - how can I put this?
Ugly?
I’m just saying that there’s a whole year left. I don’t count out the possibility just yet.
For now, Pacquiao definitely looks like he’s gearing up for the fight against Joshua “Grand Master” Clottey, 35-3, 20 KO’s, set for March 13th at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. But given some thought about Clottey as an opponent, I’ll argue that he may give Pacquiao some competition.
Some competition meaning that the fight is going to end with a unanimous decision in favor of Pacquiao over 12 rounds. However, Clottey is not and should not be taken lightly because there is never a sure thing for a fighter – even for Pacquiao - once he steps into the ring.
I had to look back at some of Clottey’s previous bouts. And, l always feel that looking at a fighter’s losses are more telling and if whether his post loss matches were better or worse. Clottey’s fight record is a veritable list of who’s who in the current welterweight division. And, unlike Pacquiao, he’s always fought at welterweight so he’s established himself at that weight against some heavy hitters and can definitely take some punishment at the hands of his opponents.
From footage I’ve seen, Clottey fights great inside. He has a good jab-hook combination that if properly executed, rocks his opponents. He goes to the body with left uppercuts, followed by barrages of hooks.
Clottey is definitely at his best when he’s in the middle of the ring. He has a tendency to get cornered and as such, doesn’t work too hard to dominate, especially if he’s against the ropes and in the corner. Once he establishes close in-fighting exchanges, he does not back down at all.
Clottey easily loses points when he fails to be aggressive and works tentatively showing moments of strong fighting and winning by points, but then somehow takes times off in a round or two without establishing his will on his opponent. Clottey’s lackluster ring generalship allows his opponents to win rounds he could have easily won if he weren’t so reluctant to exchange.
Now, I just stated that his ring generalship is a little lackluster, but it’s not lacking too much. This is where I just love to theorize about boxing tactics because I definitely think Clottey has an awareness of the referee. Call it “dirty tactics,” but I think Clottey is very aware of the referee in the ring and what he can possibly do to his opponent depending on what the referee may or might not be seeing. Yes, fight fans, others have said it. Clottey is notorious for the timeliness of his clashing of heads. And, it’s usually his opponents that get the worst of these accidental head butts.
Back in 1999 in his fight against Argentina’s Carlos Baldomir, Clottey scored a DQ. He lost two points for his headbutting of Baldomir in the 10th round and repeated a headbutt again in the 11th resulting in the disqualification. Again, timeliness of the head clash, but in this case, he lost big because he was ahead on the judges’ scorecards at the time the fight was stopped.
Back in June 2009, Clottey faced Miguel Angel Cotto. Clottey had suffered a knockdown in the first round. But later, towards the end of round three, Cotto had suffered a cut above his left eye again by an accidental headbutt. Cotto went on to win the fight by split decision over 12 rounds, but the cut didn’t exactly take one or two stitches. According to reports, the cut took 20 total stitches (14 over and 6 below the eye – ouch!)
In this fight, Clottey definitely gave Cotto a hard time despite the knockdown in the first round, but still didn’t really looked like he could beat Cotto.
Clottey is definitely a different type of opponent for Pacquiao. He has solid talent, has shown definite ability to work and exchange on the inside. But as a slow starter, he cannot afford to be tentative. It’s a big moment and venue for the fighter from Ghana. If Clottey can step up his game and the occasion, he has nothing to lose by any means. Given his history of accidental headbutts, Pacquiao’s southpaw stance makes him even more vulnerable to the possibility of a clash of heads.
Pacquiao must show even more technical ability, combined with his speed and power, to take the fight quickly. However, it’s up to Clottey to make this his fight and not make the fight about his opponent Pacquiao. So, was Clottey the safer choice for Pacquiao? Probably, but maybe, just maybe, Clottey will make this fight about giving some competition to Pacquiao.
Will he win?
I say no, but I don’t see him exactly standing there getting beat up either.
]]>
By Gina L. Caliboso (At Ringside)
As I gave up my usual kickboxing workout to attend “Battle in the Ballroom” promoted by Roy Englebrecht Promotions, I was happy to sit ringside and watch a great mix of boxing and MMA. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment of “Battle in the Ballroom. But, as promised, here’s a breakdown of last night’s bouts.
“Battle in the Ballroom” began with a 4 round super featherweight bout between Emmanuel Castro, 1-1, and Jonathan Alcantara, 3-1. As the bout opened, round 1 proved to be a feeling out round for both fighters. In the second round, Castro, a southpaw, moved forward on Alcantara, but Alcantara showed a great jab-cross combination that landed along with solid body punches.
In round 3, Castro came out as the aggressor, but lost points by missing. Alcantara pulled off several overhand rights and showed definite evasiveness. By round 4, Alcantara continued the momentum of the 3rd round and pulled off a flurry of punches and also made Castro miss. As the night’s opening bout, the sellout crowd witnessed Alcantara score a unanimous decision over Castro.
In the first heavyweight bout of the night, Chris Davis, 1-1, 1 KO, went against Nevada’s Kourtney Boden, 2-0. In round 1, Boden showed a good display of combination shots to the head and body. Davis displayed a relaxed jab-cross combination along with a good defense. Davis showed a good hook and active lead hand. In the second round, Boden connected with a straight cross to Davis’ chin. Boden connected twice and rocked the towering Davis in the center of the ring. Boden tagged Davis twice and had the bell not rung, the referee would have been counting. In the 3rd round, Davis still looked a little shaky and Boden capitalized on the opportunity. He connected with compact power punches and was able to get inside of Davis. Finally, the referee called an end of the bout by TKO at 1:51 in round 2. Davis had taken too many shots and his legs just couldn’t support him.
In the first MMA bout of the evening, Marcus Kowal, 2-0 of Krav Maga Worldwide fought against San Bernardino’s Vincent Martinez, 1-6. Martinez initially took Kowal down to the mat, but Kowal adeptly worked himself out in a reversal, into side control, until finally Martinez lost his back and gave Kowal the dominant position to put down strikes on Martinez. It was a quick victory for Kowal at 1:30 in the first round.
After the MMA bout, the action switched to boxing. In a 4 round bout at 136 pounds, Manuel Delcid, 3-0, defeated Arquimedez Garcia, 4-2, 2 KO’s. Both boxers showed good head movement, but tentative engagement at best. In round 1, Garcia showed a good jab and displayed better hand speed. By round 2, both fighters remained tentative and didn’t work combos. Garcia worked the body well in the second round. By the 3rd and 4th rounds, both fighters felt the sense of urgency to win by points, but didn’t exactly show any aggression. Delcid wins by unanimous decision.
In the second MMA bout of the evening, Chris “Pit Bull” Saunders, 4-1, from Long Beach went up against Billy Terry, 4-16 of Taft. In this bout, Saunders was clearly the aggressor as he shot in as soon as he tied up with Terry from the stand-up. Terry couldn’t put together an attack until, finally, Saunders gained a dominant position on the ground – working from side control, eventually into mount position. It was an example of a great ground and pound ending.
In the evening’s main heavyweight bout featured Cliff “Twin Tyson” Couser, 26-21, 14 KO’s, fought against Joe “the Future” Hanks, 11-0, 6 KO’s. The opening round started out slowly for both heavyweights, but Hanks showed definite connects with a great jab-cross combination. Hanks worked inside and Couser took the punches. In an exchange, Hanks executed a body shot that took Couser out of the fight by KO at 2:22 of the 1st round.
]]>
By Geno McGahee
ESPN 2’s FNF
This Friday night, ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights will feature super featherweight Tyrone Harris, 24-5, 16 KO’s, taking on Ji Hoon Kim, 19-5, 16 KO’s, in a ten round showdown from Temecula, California.
At 23, Kim is on the way up in the super featherweight division. He has won 11 straight, 10 by knockout. In his last fight, he won the IBO Super Featherweight Title with a ninth round stoppage of Zolani Marali, but despite the distinction of being a champion, he is an unknown here in the states. He hopes to change that this Friday night when he collides with Tyrone Harris.
Harris has only one three of his last five outings, but was able to knock out the once defeated Marvin Quintero in his last showing and hopes to stop another fighter on the way up.
Light welterweight, Ruslan Provodnikov, 14-0, 9 KO’s, will be the supporting 10 round bout, as he takes on Javier Jauregui, 53-16-2, 36 KO’s. Provodnikov won the WBO Intercontinental Light Welterweight Title in his last fight and has been facing respectable opposition for the most part. Jauregui is playing the role of spoiler, and this is not something he is unable to do. He recently stopped undefeated Adrian Mora in eight rounds. He has been in the ring with Julio Diaz, Joan Guzman, and Acelino Freitas, and will be looking to upset the undefeated Russian prospect.
Another undefeated Russian fighter, Maxim Vlasov, 15-0, 6 KO’s, will be facing Julius Fogle, 15-1, 10 KO’s, in an eight round light heavyweight showdown. Thus far, Vlasov’s opponents haven’t been that impressive. Fogle, on paper, is a step up and should give Vlasov some trouble.
PPV
WBA Super Flyweight Champion, Nonito Donaire, 22-1, 14 KO’s, was set to defend his title on PPV against challenger Gerson Guerrero, 34-8, 26 KO’s, in a twelve round bout, but the challenger failed an eye exam and the “Filipino Flash” was left without an opponent. Donaire made his splash on the scene when he knocked out the heavily favored Vic Darchinyan in five rounds. He has followed up with four more wins, three of which were by stoppage, but he still hasn’t captured the public’s imagination like the other champion Filipino has, Manny Pacquiao. He is looking to escape the shadow.
Stepping in to fill the spot is the unknown and unremarkable Manuel Vargas, 26-4-1, 11 KO’s. I’m expecting this one to be quick.
In the co-feature, Fernando Montiel, 39-2, 29 KO’s, will be taking on Ciso Morales, 14-0, 8 KO’s, for the WBO Bantamweight Title. Montiel was the long time running WBO Super Flyweight Champion and has moved up to the bantamweight division, already winning the Interim WBO title. On experience alone, this is an incredible mismatch. Morales has yet to face any real adversity or opponent of note. He seems to be in way over his head.
Also on the card, an interim WBO Bantamweight clash between Bernabe Concepcion, 27-3-1, 15 KO’s, and Mario Santiago, 21-4-1, 14 KO’s.
This appears to be a “rent at your own risk” sort of pay per view.
Overall, it’s not that impressive of a weekend for boxing fans.
]]>
By Eoin Redahan
Whatever happened to Adie Mike?
Some well-worn British and Irish football fans might remember him as a Premier League sticker from the 1994/95 album (the one with a foppish Ryan Giggs on the front). He was on the “Rising Star” page and was supposed to be Manchester City’s next big thing.
That was 15 years ago. In the interim, he has played for a total of 16 league and non-league clubs, including the less-than-eminent Leek (not just a vegetable), Hednesford, Droylsden, and a Swedish club called Linkoping. By 2003, (the last available statistics) the forward had scored a total of 28 career goals. He is now a registered personal trainer.
It would be fair to say that Mike never fulfilled his potential; but, for every luminary in every sport, there are a thousand Adie Mikes. Sporting limbo is littered with faded promise and tattered dreams.
Irish prospect Andy Lee is unlikely to fade into obscurity any time soon, but the Limerick-born middleweight is in his own sporting limbo at the moment. He is possibly only two impressive wins away from a world title challenge; yet, he is the same number of defeats away from relative anonymity.
This precarious position not what was expected of Lee. In recent years, Larry Merchant talked up the prospect and ESPN expounded his virtuoso talents (Lee featured as one of its top prospects for 2007). Even more strikingly, his trainer Emanuel Steward has continually talked up his pupil’s future. He predicted that that Lee would be a Hall of Fame fighter back in 2006 and still ascertains that he will be a world champion.
The expectation appeared well founded. Lee had an impressive grounding as an amateur. He was world junior silver medalist and had become amateur Irish middleweight champion by the age of 18. After representing his country at the Olympic Games in 2004, he made an impressive start to his professional career, under the tutelage of the revered Steward at the Kronk gym in Detroit.
On paper, the young Lee seemed to have all the attributes of a champion. He was a tall (6’2”), rangy southpaw with an excellent jab that was difficult to get inside. In addition, he contained knockout power in both hands, and had an excellent repertoire of punches, which seemed to befuddle many of his early opponents. As a young fighter with an exciting style and decent fan bases in the U.S. and Ireland, Lee was also very marketable. Then along came Brian Vera in Lee’s 15th fight, in March ‘08.
Despite Vera’s respectable 15-1 record, Lee was expected to win comfortably. Nevertheless, Vera gradually exposed a weakness in Lee’s armoury: fighting on the inside. His come-forward aggression paid off, and the referee called a halt to proceedings in the seventh round after Lee sustained a series of clubbing shots.
As former four-weight Irish champion Jim Rock said: “On his night, a good fighter can have a bad night, and a mediocre fighter can fight out of his skin.” Unfortunately for Lee, that is precisely what happened; however, since the Vera fight, he hasn’t looked at his brutal best. Lee has fought five times since his solitary defeat but has failed to box with the same authority.
Part of this could be attributed Steward’s choice of opponent. After his grueling 10th round stoppage win over Willie Gibbs in July, Steward mentioned that he didn’t feel the need to take Lee’s caliber of opponent down a notch, stating that, “There’s no use putting him in against second-class fighters. He’s already on the top level.” Indeed, his last choice of opponent – the durable European Union champion Affif Belghecham, would appear to bear testament to this approach.Lee may have maintained, and beaten, a decent level of opposition in recent fights, but there have been weaknesses in his performances. While Rock has a lot of respect for Lee’s “exceptional” ability, if he were to fight one of Ireland’s three middleweight contenders, (the others being Matthew Macklin and John Duddy), he would select Lee.
He explained that, “As we’ve seen with a few of his fights; he doesn’t like being under pressure…. My angle to beat Andy Lee would be to keep him under pressure with fitness and relentlessness.” That said, Rock did mention that, “Lee has the most skill out of all of the middleweights in Ireland.”
Conversely, if Mick Dowling, former nine-time Irish amateur bantamweight champion and boxing analyst, were drawn into choosing a hypothetical winner from among the triumvirate, he would probably go for Lee:
“I think Macklin or Duddy’s style might well suit Andy in a way, in that they’re considerably smaller in stature. Andy is taller; he is a good southpaw and a good mover with a good reach;” however, Dowling did mention that any match-ups would be too close to call, and that each boxer would trouble the other: “Duddy and Macklin are well able to let it rip inside. They would have to get close to Andy before they could let it rip, but if you’re boxing over 10 rounds, sooner or later you’re going to narrow it down and get close.”
Dowling was complimentary of Lee’s technical ability, though (like Duddy) he would like to see the ruthless streak return to his boxing: “Andy has a lot of skills and all that, [but] I would like to see a lot more ruthlessness in him, a lot more killer instinct.”
It is also not implausible to suggest that Lee has suffered from steep expectations. Not only do his fans on either side of the Atlantic expect him to win every bout, the many plaudits from within the boxing world bring their own burdensome pressure. Rock mentioned that the eulogies and predictions from prominent boxing figures have an upside and a downside:
“It’s great when people talk you up like that. The feel-good factor alone must be great for Andy. The other side of it is that it puts a lot of pressure on Andy to perform all the time.”
Despite his fluctuating form, the future looks promising for Lee. The attributes that cast him into the spotlight haven’t dwindled. At 25, he will only get stronger, and he doesn’t appear to have difficulty making the 160 lb limit. The school of hard knocks at the Kronk gym with hard sparring against top-class opponents can only be good for Lee.
He is also in the right stable. Steward is well versed in coaxing fighters from the depths of adversity after knockout defeats. Under his tutelage, the previously vulnerable Wladimir Klitschko has gone unbeaten since 2004. Similarly, Steward helped Lennox Lewis become the finest heavyweight of his generation after a knockout defeat to Oliver McCall in 1994. The list goes on.
No opponent has been mentioned for Lee as yet, but 2010 should see a continued hike in his standard of opposition. Dowling is hopeful about the Limerick southpaw’s future: “If Andy gets his confidence back, he could be the one to make the splash, but he really needs some good, tough sparring, [so] that he proves to himself, not to us, that he can take a shot and mix it with any of them…. Then, perhaps if he gets a fight or two that are like that and he comes through them with flying colors; then he might be the one to really do it.”
In the press conference before the Belghecham fight in November, Lee was philosophical about the fluctuating nature of boxers’ careers: “It comes and goes. You’re only as hot as your last fight…. Sixteen months ago, Matthew Macklin was considered third between John Duddy and myself, and now he’s probably [ranked] first. So, it comes and goes.”
It does come and go. Just ask Adie Mike.
]]>By Geno McGahee
Ji Hoon Kim, 20-5, 17 KO’s, survived an early onslaught and some very big punches from Tyrone Harris, 24-6, 16 KO’s, to drop him in the fifth and get the stoppage. Harris used some effective body shots early but Kim was relentless and just kept walking through the punishment, eventually finding a shot to the jaw, dropping Harris. Harris got up at 8 and continued on, but an attack against the ropes would convince the referee that the fight was over. A good win for Kim.
Light welterweight Ruslan Provodnikov, 14-0, 9 KO’s, showed grit and power as he hunted down Javier Jauregui, 53-16-2, 36 KO’s, and stopped him in the eighth round. In the first round, Provodnikov went after the body of his opponent and took a couple of good body shots himself, but the end result was never in question. Jauregui never had an answer for the strength of the Russian prospect and as the rounds went on, he became less and less ambitious…just looking to survive. In the eighth round, the referee stopped the beating and Provodnikov scored a good victory in his young career.
]]>
Reviewed by Geno McGahee
On June 16, 1983, a fight took place between the undefeated prospect Billy Collins, JR., and journeyman Luis Resto. Resto would win via unanimous decision in a fight where he battered the young prospect en route to the biggest victory of his career. In the ring, Resto and trainer Panama Lewis celebrated but the celebration was short lived. Billy Collins, SR., noticed a problem with the gloves and the story began.
Filmmaker Eric Drath tackles the controversy in ASSAULT IN THE RING, a look at life after the biggest crime in the history of boxing took place. Resto and Lewis were both accused and eventually convicted of tampering with the boxing gloves that night, removing the padding and creating lethal weapons that would end the career of the once promising Collins, JR.
Both fighter and trainer would go to prison and the life of Billy Collins, JR., would end tragically. Drath follows Resto, exploring his modern life and how this one fight affected him, haunting him until this day. This film attempts to help Resto exorcize some demons and it succeeds.
From the beginning of the movie, you get the sense that Resto wants to bare his soul and tell his secret that he has kept hidden for many years. All parties found guilty of the crime had always pled innocent to the media and their closest friends and family. Resto knew only boxing and when that was taken away from him, he fell into a world of drugs and self destruction. That night in 1983 destroyed many involved, with the exception of Panama Lewis.
Lewis was allowed to train but could not work a corner. He stands there with diamonds covering his fingers and wrists, working with big time fighters like Mike Tyson and Zab Judah. He was able to rise and continue to work while Resto fell and became a sad case, struggling with himself and the fight and the eventual death of the fighter that he cheated. Drath captures not only the inner struggle of Resto but also the absolute lack of conscious of Panama Lewis. In a world of villains, Lewis may be the worst, putting his own financial gain over the lives of several fighters.
For years, many have hated Resto and Panama, but it soon becomes apparent just who the puppet master is. You learn about Resto’s lack of a true father figure in life and you see how he placed Panama in that spot, and you also see how the trainer took advantage of it then and now, preventing his one time fighter from answering questions by continuing to cut him off when asked about the gloves. Panama never admits guilt, but you see it. Drath needs to be given credit for the style and approach to this topic. He knew the exact ingredients to get the result he and the viewer wanted. He wanted answers and so did we.
ASSAULT IN THE RING is now released in a special edition with many bonuses. The most notable is the entire fight from 1983 between Collins, JR., and Resto. It is a part of boxing history. There are also interviews with trainers like Freddie Roach and Teddy Atlas, and one very interesting commentary about a certain popular fighter using plaster in his hand wraps. I was surprised by that.
Another great bonus was the confrontation between Resto and another fighter that claimed he had wronged him as well in the ring. The bonuses on this two disc set make it a must buy for any boxing fan. I was glued to the screen from the opening and this scattered puzzle from that night slowly comes together over the course of the film, eventually revealing the ugly picture. There are twists and turns and commentary from many in boxing that lived that situation. I highly recommend this. It is an amazing documentary.
]]>
Tribute by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Reposted from October 14, 2009)
As I do everyday, I logged on to the internet and checked the latest news. AOL this AM had a story that said “Godfather Star Dead at 82.” I have to be honest. My first thought was that the character actor, Abe Vigoda, who played “Tessio,” in The Godfather had died. I clicked on the link and was absolutely stunned to see Italian Singer Al Martino had died the night before. My Grandmother Aurora came right into my mind because not only was she a huge fan of Al's, but he was kind enough to send her an autographed picture a few months back for her 90th birthday. She was thrilled to get it and actually had seen him perform at the Westchester Theater in Elmsford, New York, this past June. Like the years before, she talked my head off about how great he was and how gracious he was to his legion of fans who packed the place as I did, in June of 08, with my Grandmother and Aunt Grace as well.
I called my Grandmother around 9 AM today and like I figured, she was very sad to hear Al had passed away. In fact, she had just marked on her calendar that he was coming back to the Westchester Theater next May, which was just posted on his official website.
She will never see Al again in the physical, but I have made her many CD's which she plays daily with sheer enjoyment as he belts out every note with a clarity that you no longer for the most part, hear in the music business today. His body of work in the music industry will outlive us all and stand the test of time.
But to stop here, would only be half of my Al Martino Story.... In 2000, I was knocking out interviews left and right with one in the can that I conducted with another Legendary Italian Singer named “Jerry Vale.” Well, Jerry enjoyed it so much, he passed my number on to Al who was a friend of his. Al called my home while I was cutting the grass in the front yard and I was called to the phone. When I picked up, I hear: “Brad, Jerry Vale gave me your phone number after you did the interview with him on boxing. I am a big boxing fan and wondered if you would be interested in doing an interview with me?”
Interested in doing an interview with Al Martino? That's like asking me do I like a Filet Mignon? You bet I do, and that I did want that interview under my belt. We conducted that interview and to this day, it was one of my very favorites out of hundreds I have done. Since that time, we have spoken once or twice on the phone about a gig in Atlantic City that, at that time, the President of the now torn down Sands Hotel wanted him to play at. In addition, and so relevant to this tribute is his dear wife, Judi Martino, who ensured that Al signed the picture for my Grandmother and others over the years for me, from folks who also liked him and read the interview back many years ago. I am not claiming to be a close friend of his, but just an acquaintance that respected the man. In 2002, when my first boxing book “Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime” was published, Al was gracious enough to write one of the Forewords that really humbled me to read. On my wall in my home office today, I sadly, but proudly looked at the picture he signed to me after our interview some nine years ago that says: “Brad, It was great talking to you about the boxing legends of our time.”-- Al Martino.
Al, it was not only great, but an honor to have talked with a man with such class, an amazing voice and for you boxing fans out there, he was our brother in boxing because he loved the warriors in the ring along with the entire sport of boxing. It's amazing that just a few days ago, I put comments on a page they had for him on Face Book and had just told my lady Valarie that I wanted to bring her next time he performed in New York so she could see what so many of his legions of fans knew about his wonderful voice.
Sadly, that will never happen, but like my Grandmother Aurora, I have countless CD's that I will cherish and play for a lifetime. So Al, you really did make your fans an offer they couldn't refuse. That offer was your wonderful body of music that will live on forever.
In closing, I want to pass on to the Martino Family, my deepest condolences in your time of grief and Ringside Report rings the honorary “Ten Count” for our lost brother in boxing, Al Martino....
A Trip Down Memory Lane…
Up Close and Personal With Legendary Italian Singer Al Martino
Interview conducted and copyrighted by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Boxing Book: Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime 2002)
When I was called to my house phone and was told Al Martino wanted to speak with me, I had no clue what it could be about. Well, I was delighted when he said, “Brad, Jerry Vale gave me your phone number after you did the interview with him on boxing. I am a big boxing fan and wondered if you would be interested in doing an interview with me?” I told Al it would be an honor, and this turned out to be a very special interview.
While conducting our interview, I discovered that in addition to music, Al had a totally different love, and that was his love of the sport of boxing. This love materialized from his following the sport over many years, some of those during “The Golden Era” of boxing.
Martino, being in show business for more than fifty years, has met and been involved with some great fighters, which has given him tremendous insight into the sport.
As a result of having numerous hits throughout his legendary career, such as Here In My Heart, Spanish Eyes, and Daddy’s Little Girl, to name just a few, Al was afforded the opportunity to travel the world and see many great fights. For the younger generation, you may remember Martino as singer Johnny Fontane, in this writer’s personal favorite movie of all-time, The Godfather.
BB: Tell me about the fighters you knew over the years and how you were involved with them?
I go back a long ways with boxing. I can remember when I was a young boy I used to listen to all of Joe Louis’ fights on the radio and especially remember the one with Max Schmeling.
Later when TV came out and was just in its infancy, I was glued to it, watching the fights as well. My family would look forward to all the boxing matches and boy did we watch them. I distinctly remember watching the Rocky Graziano Vs Tony Zale fight. Rocky was a close friend of mine for many years. Rocky and I used to see each other in New York and in fact, we did a couple of shows together.
Brad, let me tell you, to be friends with these fighters was to me, one of the most gratifying and exciting ventures in my life. I was friendly with Joe Louis and of course, Rocky Marciano. Rocky and I were very close and used to room in the same hotel together in Boston called the Logan Motel. Rocky and I used to get together in Boston and talk boxing over dinner on many a night at Mother Anna’s where I used to see the Kennedy’s as well. As you grow in this business you have the opportunity to meet so many of the wonderful fighters.
I have to tell you a story about Muhammad Ali who is a fan of mine. Muhammad almost bought my house in Cherry Hill, New Jersey back in about 1964 - 65. I had just built the house because as you may know, construction is my hobby which started when I was a young boy. My father, brother, and I, used to build houses. I built this wonderful house in Cherry Hill which was not a big home but was completely surrounded by a big seven foot high wall and iron gates.
Well, one day I looked out the window and there was Muhammad Ali sitting in a car right in front of my house. He had someone knock on my door. He said “We would like to buy your house”. Seconds later the big man walked in. He then said to me “I like your house a lot and I have been watching you build it. Is it for sale”? I told him that I would love to sell it to you, but it took me almost a year to build it with my own hands and sweat so I really can’t sell it.
Muhammad said, “If I offer you twice as much as you paid for it will you sell it?” I said “no I just can’t.” What finally happened is they pulled away and I only got one more call from them. I told them I was still thinking about it. Ali eventually moved to another area close by in New Jersey where he bought a house. The funny thing now is I should have sold it to him because when I did sell it, I didn’t get very much for it.
BB: Who, in your lifetime, do you feel is the greatest fighter of all-time?
Well, that’s like asking me what’s my favorite finger? When these guys become champions it’s because they are the best out there. If they are the best then they have to be your favorite, in my opinion. Fighters such as Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, and Rocky Marciano. I just can’t say one is better than the other unless you put them all in the ring and the best man wins.
Thinking about these guys makes me think of another funny story I would like to tell you. When I first starting singing in New York City, I wanted a job at the Copacabana nightclub. I didn’t know how to go about getting it and back then, I had no one representing me.
I met this guy who really looked like a wiseguy. He told me that he could get me a job at the Copa. At that time, Jack Entratter owned the Copa and later on became famous with the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. This is around the late 40’s say 1948 or 49. He took me over to the Copa. Jack said, “Let him get up and sing a song”. I did and the wiseguy asked Jack, “what did you think about my singer?”
Jack replied, “I didn’t like him.” So the wiseguy said, “you don’t like him as a singer we will make him a fighter.” Of course I couldn’t fight and that never happened. That’s a true story.
BB: What is the nicest venue you have ever seen a fight at?
I would have to say Madison Square Garden. You know it hasn’t been that long since big fights went on at other places like they used to have at the Garden. You always can look back and say I saw those fights at Madison Square Garden.
BB: What era do you feel had the best fighters and why?
Well, first of all, I will answer the why. The why is television. Television was so important to boxing because it brought it forward the same way it has brought golf forward. If Tiger Woods played back in the days when Ben Hogan played, he would not have been as known. Now, the era would be the late 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s when I really went out of my way to see the fights.
BB: Who are you top three favorite fighters of all-time and why?
Well Ali is on top. He was the most exciting, charismatic, articulate, and funny. He could come up with some of the funniest lines. Next, Rocky Marciano. Rocky was just so tough. Finally, Sugar Ray Robinson who was a good friend of mine. He got into show business and we worked the room together at the Latin Quarter up in Boston. He really was a great fighter and had a good act.
BB: Are there any fighters today who remind you of the old days?
I would say Oscar De La Hoya a little bit. You see what it is television is so different today than when it came out of its infancy. When I watched Rocky Graziano fight Tony Zale, that was the first time I saw a live fight. It left an impression that you never forget. Now, TV is different today, because you don’t see many fights on it like in the old days.
Everything is Pay Per View. This really makes a difference. I wish they would show the old fights here like they do in Germany. Once a week, they show the old fights and it's exciting to see them. They need to show them in the states and I am sure they can, because the networks own fight films.
BB: What is the greatest fight you have ever seen and why?
Well, the greatest fight I saw, and it’s not because of the fight, but because it involved two great champions, one ex-champion and one soon-to-be champion, was Rocky Marciano Vs Joe Louis. I was glued to the TV set. In my heart and believe it, I wanted Joe to win. I didn’t want Joe to lose, even though I liked Rocky and we were friends. In my mind I said “Hey Rocky pass this one up or let Joe win.” It broke my heart to see Joe lose.
If I was Rocky, I would not have taken the fight. Here, I will give you an idea. I made a record called Here in My Heart back in the early 50’s. I recorded the song, produced it, and paid for it myself. It went on the air in Philadelphia and started to become a big hit.
Well, RCA Records heard about it and called Mario Lanza. At that time, Mario was the biggest star in the world and they told him to cover my record. They told him I was going to have a big hit with it but if he did it, it would knock me right out of the box.
When I heard about that, I called Mario and told him this was my big opportunity to break into show business with a hit record. I asked him would he consider passing on covering Here in My Heart? You know what he said? He said, “Well why not? You’re from Philadelphia and I am too. I will tell RCA that I will not do it.” That was real CLASS! That’s what I wish happened in the Louis fight.
BB: Finally, in all your years as a boxing fan, what is the most brutal knockout you have ever seen?
I would say Rocky Marciano vs. Jersey Joe Walcott I. That was some punch Rocky landed and those close ups were something else. I remember pictures of Walcott’s face being distorted.
]]>By Geno McGahee
Surprise, surprise…well, not really. WBA Interim Super Flyweight Champion, Nonito Donaire, 23-1, 15 KO’s, destroyed late replacement Manuel Vargas, 26-5-1, 11 KO’s, in three rounds. Vargas was a lamb led to slaughter and you almost wanted to rescue him at the prefight stare down. It was just a wicked mismatch and despite the fact that Vargas was a late replacement, the initial opponent Gerson Guerrero wasn’t that much better and would have suffered the same fate. This was a very poor headliner no matter what way you look at it, especially for a pay per view event.
The WBO Bantamweight Champion, Fernando Montiel, 40-2-2, 30 KO’s, destroyed Ciso Morales, 14-1, 8 KO’s, in just one round to retain his title. Going into the fight, Morales had not faced any opposition of note, and now we see why.
The vacant WBO Interim Bantamweight was decided. Eric Morel, 42-2, 21 KO’s, won via split decision over Gerry Penalosa, 54-8, 34 KO’s, by scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 113-115.
]]>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.”
Don soon becomes obsessed with the Seer. As he starts to ask specific questions surrounding the time at which they should leave, he places more and more credence into the cards he receives back. Don asks if something bad will happen if they leave before 3 o‘clock. The Seer once again responds cryptically with “to dare is to find out.” Pat is a bit unnerved yet wants to leave. Don however procrastinates. He remains for a long time trying to stretch out leaving as long as he can.
Finally, a few moments before three, Pat convinces him to leave. He pays the bill and they walk out . As they cross the street, and move away from the diner, Don is still plagued by the answers The Seer offered. He asks Pat why the cards were so specific. She remains calm and collective. She explains that the contraption is no more than a napkin holder and nothing to pay mind to. For a moment, she seems to be getting through, but only for a moment. As they argue about the merit of the answers given, they are nearly be hit by an oncoming truck.
After recovering from the anxiety of almost being struck, Pat remains convinced it was a mere coincidence, nonetheless Don coaxes her back into the diner. Don asks The Seer if it knew about the near accident to which it responds, “what do you think?” Penny after penny, Don feeds into the metal box. As he asks questions, it appears that The Seer is spot on every time. Despite the vagueness of the answers, Don remains convinced it is in fact a psychic entity.
Pat attempts to prove Don wrong and begins asking random questions, but to each one the Seer offers a card that answers properly. Though she isn’t superstitious she finds herself afraid. Pat tries to walk away but Don remains. He feeds more money into the machine trying to find out every aspect of his life and future. Pat sits beside him once again and tries to rationalize but he is unmoved. In the end it is a showdown between superstition and Don’s love for his wife.
Though I believe myself to be a reasonable woman who is both logical and sensible, I often find myself placing faith into superstition. Whether it be the surprised feeling that emerges when a horoscope seems to fit too perfectly into a circumstance or the belief that a dream is significant and speaks from the metaphysical, I often step away from the rational and into an entirely different world. Whereas this isn’t an unhealthy behavior the amount of focus placed into these superstitions may become so.
This episode is a personal favorite of mine because it does hit close to home. Every once in awhile it is necessary to have a mirror held up to oneself and “Nick of Time” does that for me. Though there is nothing wrong with wishing upon a star or avoiding a ladder while walking, when one becomes fixated on the wish that came true or walks an extra couple miles to steer clear of the ladder it is time to reexamine reality.
As always Rod Serling excels in developing characters that immediately captivate. The episode radiates as well with today’s audience as it did upon the first time it aired. Serling’s constant understanding of human nature and every facet that it entails ensures that his message is a timeless one.
Overall, this episode is a must-see. Shatner as always shines in the lead and Patricia Breslin does excellent as the doting wife desperate to save her husband. Many times, throughout the years film makers have attempted to emulate the same storyline however have failed in the delivery. Though this is a mere half hour presentation it is done brilliantly and the conclusion fulfills the audiences’ need to have the “what if” question answered.
Ringside Report Rating: 10/10
]]>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 12th “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.”
Grano, who was born in Hebron (CT) and fights out of Hartford, will be fighting in his home state for the 15th time, his fourth at Foxwoods.
“It’s great fighting in Connecticut and I love fighting at Foxwoods,” Tony added from training camp in Houston. “I have a huge fan-base that we’re trying to build up even more in the Italian-American market. I expect a large crowd at Foxwoods and I’m looking forward to putting on a great display. I want to get boxing fans excited again.”
Also slated to be in action on “Brace For Impact” are Hartford super bantamweight “Machine” Mike Oliver (22-2, 7 KOs), reigning New England and EBA champion; Marshfield (MA) super middleweight Manuel Antonio Lopes (5-0-1, 1 KO), Long Island (NY) light heavyweight Joe “The Irish Bomber” Smith Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs), 2008 New York Golden Gloves champion; Brooklyn (NY) welterweight Sadam “World Kid” Ali (5-0, 2 KOs), 2008 U.S. Olympian; Hartford middleweight David Bauza (3-0, 3 KOs). All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets for “Brace For Impact,” priced at $40.00, $60.00 and $100.00, are available to purchase by calling CES (401.724.2253/2254) or Foxwoods (800-200-2882).
]]>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
]]>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.
How can you expect to hold house shows when people don’t know your company exists yet? Once they work out a better television deal where they gain more viewers through that medium and have more people watching week after week, then it will be the time to implement house shows into the mix. The money TNA will save from booking arenas, travel, ring crew, and whatever else goes into putting on a house show will allow Hulk Hogan to sign more of his washed up friends to the TNA roster.
Holding all the PPVs besides two at the Impact Zone is great for many of the same reasons. It will save a lot of money until the time is right to go elsewhere. It was also mentioned that holding all the shows at the Impact Zone will allow them to seem major league, even if they aren’t quite there yet. The Impact Zone is their home, and the way it is set up now makes the product look state of the art. Even though the Impact Zone is not very big, it is hard to tell watching it on TV. Every seat is full, the audience is usually hot, the set up is perfect, the production quality is good, and they have the home court advantage. Once they reach a higher level through their television, that will be the time to spend the extra money to go to other places more often to spread the word of TNA that way.
Paying To Get Into Show: This actually isn’t a piece of news, but it should be. TNA should start charging fans to get into their Impact tapings, and especially PPVs. Seriously, why not have the people pay? A lot of people will pay, knowing the show is broadcast on TV. And, how much sense does it make that you have to pay 35 bucks to watch a show on PPV, but you can watch it for free live? I realize that the Impact Zone is inside of a theme park that people already have to pay to get into, but why shouldn’t they have to pay now? Too many free shows have been given away too many times now. TNA can’t really afford to miss out on this source of income. Now TNA actually has the star power to validate charging people to get into shows.
TNA doesn’t have to charge much. Five, ten, fifteen bucks. I have seen people drop 20s for independent shows with no one of any star power on the card. If TNA starts charging people to get into their shows, they would be making a lot more money every week that right now is lost for no good reason. There are no excuses anymore not to charge. Charge one general admission price and see how it works. There might be an initial backlash just like there was about the four sided ring, but fans can stop whining and deal with the fact that they should have to pay for their entertainment, especially now that TNA is having well known wrestlers and stars on the show every week. If TNA is turning away fans, as they did at the live Impact taping, I don’t see why people wouldn’t be willing to pay.
No Mention of Jeff Hardy: I haven’t heard much from TNA about Jeff Hardy. I haven’t heard much on TV, I haven’t seen anything on their website, and I have barely read any information on the dirt sheet websites. The column I wrote about TNA dropping the ball over the whole Jeff Hardy deal has grown into something even worse. I thought it was bad he wasn‘t a focal point of that Impact, and now, he isn’t even mentioned on any of their shows! Perhaps they didn’t sign him to a long term deal, perhaps they didn’t sign him to a deal at all. Either way, it is pretty stupid of them. Why have him debut if you aren’t going to have him on the shows in the following weeks, and especially if you aren’t even going to mention him at all? TNA’s biggest star, greatest “get,” and wrestler with the most potential for building TNAs future…and they act like he doesn’t exist after being on the opening of their biggest show ever? What happened here?
Edge Return: The date for Edge’s in ring return was supposedly not until after WrestleMania. However, he is recovering ahead of schedule and might be ready for a match at WrestleMania. Awesome. I have always been a huge fan of Edge and his work, and would love to see him get a spot at WM this year. It is never a cool when WrestleMania rolls around and some of the top talent are injured and can’t compete. WrestleMania should always showcase the top talent of the year and have the biggest pay off matches, so it is a downer when someone happens to be injured at the wrong time of the year.
The idea is that he will return to feud and have a match with Chris Jericho at the biggest show of the year. Another good thing. Edge and Jericho could have an interesting feud, as the back story is already set in place due to them being tag champs before Edge’s injury. And, they are both great wrestlers who always seem to have good matches. My only complaint is that Edge would have to come back as a face. I always thought Edge played the heel better. He was always an original heel character; sneaky, sly, backstabbing, and just an overall jerk. The problem is that Jericho is also a great heel, and he has been amazing over the last few years since his return. It doesn’t really work turning him face either. A heel Edge vs. a heel Jericho would really work that well.
Character aside, it would still be nice to see Edge and Jericho work their magic at Mania. Let’s hope that he still stays ahead of schedule on his recovery and is back to in-ring shape come the end of March. This will give both Edge, and more importantly, Jericho, something significant to do at WrestleMania (as of right now he isn’t in any real WrestleMania worthy feud).
AJ Styles Heel Turn: I like the idea of AJ Styles as a heel, as it keeps him fresh and actually gives him some sort of character, which he never seemed to have as a face. Actually, I have never thought of AJ Styles as a can’t miss performer just because he never came across as a “star.” Great, you can do amazing moves, but why should anyone care?
He gave an in ring promo on Impact with Ric Flair following his heel turn at Genesis in which he showed more character than he had ever before. That is what you need to do as champion. He showed emotion, albeit seeming a bit contrived. He has never been that strong on the mic, and the southern accent sort of knocks him down a few points in the eyes of those watching at home, but if he delivers promos with as much intensity, ingenuity and originality as he does in his matches, he will definitely bring prestige to being TNA Champion. I hope he continues to improve his mic skills so that he can be the total package that TNA needs him to be if they are going to push him as a true face of TNA.
Styles’ alignment with Ric Flair is nice because it gives him that aura of class. He is wearing a suit and tie to the ring, he has women by his side, he is giving promos full of energy, and he just brings respect to the TNA title. This was a great step in the direction of the character of AJ Styles, as well as a great way to show how much the TNA title means to the wrestlers, something totally lacking in WWE.
The growth of the AJ Styles character is one of the more interesting wrestling sagas to follow. When Hulk Hogan came to TNA, I knew the best part was the fact that Hogan knew that it doesn’t just take great moves in a ring to make people care, it takes a lot of charisma, mic skills, and an overall definition of character to get over with the fans. TNA redefining the AJ Styles character is a big piece of wrestling news to pay attention to, because it will show if TNA is able to build a “superstar” out of a “wrestler.” If TNA can do it with AJ Styles, then the sky is the limit for other X Division type talent who have the drive and desire, but perhaps have never had the character necessary to make the audience care enough.
]]>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.
The rest of the Pinoy Power fight card went as planned. Nonito Donaire and Fernando Montiel made quick work of their challengers. Bernabe Concepcion unfortunately won a unanimous decision against Mario Santiago. I say unfortunately because Concepcion earned a title shot against Juanma Lopez with the win, and he will be a lamb led to slaughter against Lopez. The highlight of the entire night was seeing Z Gorres at ringside, back from his life-threatening and career-ending injuries.
And with that we steer into the mailbag section of the column. I hope you enjoy this week’s offerings, and as always, I look forward to reading your responses and qeustions.
Brian Wilbur as Judge Dredd
Hi Brian,
If you were the judge or one of the jury on Pacquiao’s defamation lawsuit against Mayweather and Co, what would your judgment or verdict be?
Do you think Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the others being sued are guilty of slander, libel and defaming Pacquiao? I’m not familiar with the US justice system and I’d like to ask how long does this kind of case go in your country? Pacquiao is suing a very popular American, can he get fair trial there? And lastly, can he actually win his case against Mayweather and Co?
Thanks so much Brian… more power and God bless.
-Ace from Manila, Phil.
Ace,
There are many defendants in this case. If I were the judge and jury of this case (Judge Dredd style) I would have a different verdict for each one. Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. I would say not guilty because they were careful with their words and did not blatantly say anything slanderous. They only implied and that is not good enough in my opinion.
Richard Schaeffer is borderline. There is word that Schaeffer explicitly told people that he was 100% certain that Pacquiao was on steroids. If there was a witness or evidence to convince me that was the truth then I would find Schaeffer guilty. If no convincing witness or evidence came forward proving that Schaeffer actually said that then I would have to find him not guilty.
The others in the Mayweather clan, such as Floyd Mayweather Sr., I would find guilty because they have blatantly accused Pacquiao of PED use. They were not shy or careful with their words either.
I could see a judge ruling not guilty if they felt that the Mayweathers were only stating opinion and did not claim that they know for sure. I don’t see it that way though. For anyone to be found guilty in civil cases like this they must prove damages and they must prove either negligence or malice.
A case like this can sometimes take months or years, especially if there are appeals. Yes, Pacquiao can get a fair trial because Mayweather is not that popular of a figure in the United States. Boxing is a fringe sport in the USA. I’d like to think that the American justice system is fair and unbiased.
Can Pacquiao win this case? I would say that the odds are against him. You have to really prove foul play to win a slander case. If he has a good enough lawyer though, anything can happen.
Mythical Match Ups
Hi Brian,
I wanna know your insights on the following matches:
- Manny Pacquiao vs Edwin Valero
- Nonito Donaire vs Vic Darchinyan II
- Bernard Hopkins vs Roy Jones Jr.
- Kelly Pavlik vs Sergio Martinez
- Carl Froch vs Lucian Bute
Thanks a lot, man. More power to your very nice and entertaining blog!
-Aljun
Aljun,
Thanks for the email. Here are my thoughts on those match ups:
Pacquiao vs. Valero – These two are very similar actually, but I give Manny an edge in many categories. For example, Pacquiao is faster, more experienced, more precise, and more seasoned. Plus, Manny is comfortable at welterweight so he has the size advantage. Valero impressed with his thorough thrashing of Antonio DeMarco because he showed that he has boxing skill and not just reckless power. This could be a tough fight for Manny and potentially a very fun one to watch. I’ll take Pacquiao by late round TKO.
Darchinyan vs. Donaire II – This is an interesting one because you know that Vic would be watching that hook and not get caught with the same punch twice. Still, I like Donaire’s youth, speed, and boxing ability here. Darchinyan is getting up there in age and has been beaten up a bit recently. I also like the gutsy performances that I’ve seen Nonito display when he has been grossly outmatched in the size and strength categories. Donaire by decision.
Jones vs. Hopkins – Roy Jones is completely shot and has been for over 5 years now. He is a hazard to himself and I would not be confident picking him over club fighters at this point. Hopkins is going to demolish him in a silly fight that I have no interest in.
Pavlik vs. Martinez – This is a solid fight since Martinez is coming off of an impressive showing against Paul Williams. Pavlik will be in against a real opponent who should test him. I see Pavlik coming forward with limited success early but eventually wearing down Sergio and winning a decision.
Froch vs. Bute – I am not much of a Carl Froch fan. He seems like a pretty generic European fighter to me. He is not bad but nothing spectacular either. Lucian Bute on the other hand, looks terrific and may be the total package. I like Bute to knock Froch out in the middle rounds.
SJ Jarapa’s Rant
Hello,
I thought I’d join your conversations.
I was rather moved by SJ Jarapa’s open letter to Pacquiao. His elegant prose gave a comical spin to a drama intent on diluting the preachy overtone of his many points that when he arrived at the open letter itself, he was carrying a great wave of momentum with him. It was powerful in its delivery with a great deal of poise and dignity. I have spent half my life coaching, directing, writing and giving speeches on various events, occasions, and corporations and I could say with confidence that this open letter is among the best written speeches I have read in recent time. He really had my attention. He touched on the subject a lot of people have overlooked in this whole shenanigan: “It could potentially leak into everyone who carries Pacquiao’s name and blood.” I’m a family guy with two lovely daughters. Both are in their early twenties. I can’t begin to imagine what heartaches they could suffer should anyone attempt to stain my name like in the way the Mayweathers are doing with Pacquiao’s. Being Swede, I’m not particularly a Pacquiao fan as I would rather root for my own but clearly these people have crossed a line here.
My question to you, young man, is:
Will the American public let this case slide if Pacquiao proves his innocence on legal terms or will he be written off, unless he takes the random blood test? (I apologize if I come off a bit racist with that. I am not racist. That’s the truth. It’s just American media seems to enjoy building heroes for the pleasure of kicking them down later.)
Keep up the great work. I have found my website. You have the best collection of writers.
-The Painter
The Painter,
That was quite an open letter from SJ. That guy, you never know what to expect from him, but I agree that his letter put a very human touch to this saga. In that, he described the Pacquiao perspective better than anyone could have simply reciting facts. Even though I gripe and partially blame him for the fight being canned, Pacquiao had every right to turn down the fight since he felt disrespected. Family and respect is important.
To answer your question, no, I don’t think that everyone in the American public will forget about the steroid allegations even if Pacquiao wins his lawsuit. You can never really take back a rumor that is so juicy that it spreads like wild fire, the way that this one has. The damage is pretty much done. You are correct in your observation that the American media likes to build people up only so that they have someone notable to tear down later. There is nothing racist in that statement; that is the truth about the cyclical coverage of American media.
US Amateur Program
Hi Brian,
Fellow writer Gina Caliboso here. You have quite a following, especially from your last two admirers (Writer’s Note: Gina is referring to the group of sexual perverts who often email me demanding gay sex). I think I’m jealous, but it truly shows just how good your writing has always been – excellent. Really good take on the Super Six Tournament too. Lucian Bute I think would have made for a great replacement and looking among the middleweights, I think Allan Green does make a good replacement for Jermain Taylor.
As far as you can see, do you think American boxing needs a sort of national program (aside from amateurs gearing for national teams, etc.)? Or is the appeal more so to leap into the pros even at a young age just for the money?
-Gina
Gina,
A national program would be terrific. USA Boxing as it is now is pretty limited and is currently performing terribly in worldwide tournaments. Any innovation or improvement on the United States amateur program would be welcome.
The appeal to go pro and get money will always be there; the temptation of going pro is great no matter what the sport is.
Now that I am think about the subject, I would also like to see a national program or commission for professional boxing as well. Boxing would benefit greatly if we were ran like the NFL or NBA. Boxing is begging for some kind of format change that will stir interest back into the sport. Boxing is too great of a sport to be on the fringes like it is now.
Hypothetical Situations: Williams and Pacquiao
In the time between say, 2010 – 2012, please analyze these hypothetical scenarios.Paul Williams defeats Kelly Pavlik, Bernard Hopkins, the winner of Super Six tournament and Chad Dawson.
Say
At the same time, Manny Pacquiao, fresh off of his win over Miguel Cotto, defeats Joshua Clottey, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Cory Spinks.
Who would you have as the number one pound for pound based on their records? I compared this two guys because they love to leap weight classes.
Thank you and more power to your mailbag.
-Bertz
Bertz,
This would be a very compelling situation and both would cement their legacy as two of the greatest boxers of their generation and of all time. After much consideration and going back and forth I would have Pacquiao as the number one pound for pound. The reason being is that I have Manny ranked higher currently so he has a head start, and defeating Floyd Mayweather would be a monstrously huge accomplishment. A Pacquiao win over Mayweather would send shock waves through the sporting world and be remembered for generations. Those are the kinds of wins and events that make legendary boxers immortal.
Williams moving up to light heavyweight to beat Chad Dawson would be almost as huge though in terms of difficultly and merit. Still, I’ll go with Pacman for cleaning out the welterweight division, the highest profile division in boxing right now.
That’s all I have to offer this week ladies and gents. Send in those questions and I’ll see you next week!
]]>“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.
]]>
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.
Their first step has been to swerve the attentions of Khan’s mandatory challenger, the relatively little-known but heavy punching Argentinian Marcos Maidana. Maidana’s opposition has been less than stellar, but he has carved out a 27-1 record, which will frighten no-one (Salita was 30-0 when Khan destroyed him) until one notes that he’s stopped 26 foes. Marry that to Khan’s questionable chin and it’s less surprising that Golden Boy is looking to bypass the fight. They can get away with doing so on commercial grounds, in that there are bigger names (and lighter punchers) lining up to take on their man.
One of those is Paulie Malignaggi, the always vocal and recently rejuvenated New Yorker, who has had much to say about Khan avoiding a fight with him. In fact, Malignaggi, 27-3, 5 KO’s, would fit the bill as a fighter with a name, an attitude, and some box office appeal, together with a feather-duster punch. He’s coming off an impressive points victory over Juan Diaz, and has achieved a measure of redemption in the game after being out-classed and ridiculed by Ricky Hatton. However, it seems that Khan has passed on the Malignaggi option also.
At one point there was talk of Khan fighting WBO champion Timothy Bradley, 25-0, 11 KO’s, but he’s far too good a fighter, and too poor a publicist, for Khan to share a ring with. Nate Campbell was also mentioned, but at 37 he’s almost certainly on the slide and wouldn’t excite the fans.
Of course the fight that would really make us all sit up is Khan versus Edwin Valero, who declared after this weekend’s mauling of Antonio DeMarco that he wants to campaign at 140 for a while. Valero is looking for meaningful fights that will see him along the path to a showdown with Manny Pacquiao, and Khan would fit that bill precisely. Of course the Venezuelan has the most fearsome record in the game, 27-0, 27 KO’s, and is beginning to show that he’s just as powerful in world class as he was as a novice, when he chalked up 18 first round stoppages in his opening 18 fights. It’s fair to say, therefore, that Amir Khan won’t want any part of him.
Which brings us to Amir’s most likely next opponent, Juan Manuel Marquez.
Much touted as Ricky Hatton’s first comeback fight, Marquez, 50-5, 37 KO’s, is valuable currency having been readily outpointed by Floyd Junior in his last outing, but remaining the last warrior to give Manny Pacquiao anything like a decent fight. That mix of vulnerability and class puts him at the head of the wanted list. Khan’s people will see similarities between a Marquez-Khan fight and Khan’s win over Marco Antonio Barrera, and will fancy the Englishman to turn back a second iconic Mexican. He’s also small at the weight, and won’t be expected to wield the kind of one-punch power that could unseat Khan.
Whatever the outcome, there will come a point in Khan’s American adventure when he will have to stand before the Bradley’s, Maidana’s and Valero’s of this world. When he does, it will be because Golden Boy has faith not in Amir, but in Freddie Roach to keep Khan slick and fast enough to get his fragile chin out of harm’s way, whilst landing his own blurring arsenal of punches.
]]>
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 11th 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.
Pacquiao followed that up by depositing the incredibly rugged Miguel Cotto on the canvas twice in the first four rounds of their fight last November. Cotto had endured some questions regarding his chin, but that came at 140 pounds. Cotto’s ability to take punishment at 147 pounds simply could not be questioned; until he met Pacquiao. Once again, there can be no doubt that Pacquiao had power at any weight class. However, his single punch power seemed to increase as he moved up in weight. Where he always possessed the power to stun and hurt his opponents, he subsequently seemed to develop the power to close the show with a single punch early on only later in his career. Once again, how much power Pac would have at 135 is difficult to measure. Still, the increase in strength and durability is still merely the beginning of the story of Pac.
Which Pacquiao – Part II
Pacquiao has not only become stronger with age, he has become better. Pacquiao’s increase in terms of acumen rivals his obvious increase in strength. Pacquiao’s first fight with Marquez typically provides the first chapters of this story. Pacquiao came out like a tornado and ravaged Marquez for what must have seemed like the longest three minutes in the history of boxing. As has been well documented, Marquez made it out of the round and turned the tables on Pacquiao for much of the remaining eleven rounds. Pacquiao continued to fight hard, but once Marquez adjusted to his straight left, Pac didn’t have a whole lot else he could bring. By any objective measure, Marquez had the better of it for much of the fight. Ironically, Pacquiao was denied a win by a scoring quirk in which he was not given an additional point for his third knockdown of the first round. However, in a greater sense, it would be hard to argue that a draw didn’t represent a just result for such a tremendous effort by both men. At that time, Pacquiao was talented, explosive, but somewhat limited. That was a long time ago.
Unlike his apparent spike in terms of power and durability, Pac’s ascent as a technical fighter has been one of a slow and steady arc. For a long time, it has been a familiar refrain as Pacquiao has looked a little better each time out. The right hand has been the story. Once nowhere near the weapon that his left represented, it is now more than formidable.
In his second fight with Marco Antonio Barrera, Pacquiao showed just how far he had come as a fighter. Barrera was a tremendously smart fighter whose technical prowess could not be overestimated. It would be hard to forget the way in which Barrera utterly exposed Naseem Hamed in their mega-fight years before. Barrera thoroughly dominated Hamed taking full advantage of the holes in Hamed’s defense brought on by his deficiencies in balance and distance. Hamed had been more than good enough to overcome these weaknesses thanks to a combination of speed, power, and awkward style. That is, until he met up with a fighter as good as Barrera. It was a shocking performance that demonstrated beyond any doubt that Barrera was far from just a gutty warrior, he was a master boxer as well.
Needless to say, upon gaining a second look at Pacquiao, one could be assured that Barrera would be ready for the straight left that had bedeviled him three years before. And, for the most part, he was, Pacquiao did not land the left nearly as often and when he did, Barrera took it well as he was better able to see it coming. On top of that, most of the positive moments for Barrera came when he slipped the left and landed his own right hand counter. Yet, Pacquiao still cruised to an easy decision. The key to his win was his own right hand which he used to score points, to disrupt Barrera’s timing, and to stifle any offense that Barrera attempted to mount. In the end, the development of his right hand was something that even a brilliant tactician like Barrera could not have anticipated nor prepared for. Since that time, Pacquiao’s right hand has only gotten better; improving each and every time he enters the ring. Pacquiao’s rise has been so measured and consistent that Freddie Roach himself suggested that only now, nearly six years after the first fight with Marquez, does he have his man right where he wants him to be.
So Chavez has no shot?
It would be more than fitting if that were the take on this one. The reality is, Chavez is often underrated as a fighter by many fans. In fact, Chavez was underrated by more than a few opponents as well. Greg Haugen once infamously ridiculed Chavez’ then unblemished record suggesting that he had compiled that record against a parade of Tijuana cab drivers. Haugen can be forgiven for his words for a few reasons. First, he stood in there and took his beating like a man when the two met in 1993. Second, this was his opponent, what was Haugen supposed to do? Talk him up? But, the third reason is the key to forgiveness; when asked after the fight (Haugen lost by 5 round TKO) about his earlier comments, Haugen said, “OK, so they were tough cab drivers.” You have to like a guy who can admit he was wrong and be funny at the same time.
Yet, the Haugen story underpins any underestimation of Chavez. After all, anybody who remains unbeaten for so long must have had his share of walkovers. Frankly, that is probably true to a certain degree. One is not going to win 80 plus fights in a row over non-stop championship level opponents. So the argument goes as follows: Chavez has some easy wins, thus his record is inflated and therefore he is not invincible. From that logic, it became possible to view Chavez as primarily a brawler who relied on strength and durability primarily to eventually overwhelm often overmatched opponents; Chavez as an excellent, albeit one dimensional fighter. But, a closer look at his resume will yield the absurdity of that notion.
Obviously, Chavez had more than his share of tough opponents. Moreover, with over 100 fights in his career, it seems safe to say that he saw just about every body type and fighting style there is. To have compiled such an insanely impressive record against such a brutal combination of quality and variety leads to the inescapable conclusion that not only was Chavez a great fighter, but he was incredibly complete as a fighter. After all, he never saw the style that completely befuddled him, with the possible exception of Pernell Whitaker and whom did he not befuddle? If Chavez didn’t have the versatility to adjust; didn’t have the intelligence to set up his man; didn’t have the ability to fight different styles himself; he would not have suffered only his first loss… at 31, in his 13 ear as a pro, in his 6 eight class. The sheer numbers speak volumes.
Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Juan Manuel Marquez will probably always be tied to each other in boxing lore. Together they represented a golden era in the 122 to 135 pound range in Mexican boxing during the last 10 to 15 years. However, there is another way in which they should be linked. They all followed a ring legend in Chavez. Each one of them demonstrated a warrior’s heart; a trait that is so often used in describing Chavez. However, they also all demonstrated tremendous versatility and intelligence in the ring as well. In so clearly demonstrating these traits, each man was continuing the legacy of Chavez who, no doubt, influenced all of them.
Morales had never been one to shy away from contact in the ring, yet he pulled off the most impressive win of his career when he boxed magnificently to win a unanimous decision over Pacquiao in 2005. Barrera had already apparently been exposed as a mere brawler by Junior Jones when he demonstrated remarkable and, at that time, largely unseen counter punching and defensive skills in dismantling Hamed in 2001. Marquez was nearly out in the very first round against Pac, but then adjusted and, as the fight progressed, even began to earnestly go after Pacquiao. All three men were tough, but also incredibly sound technically; each uniquely able to break down what his opponent was doing and take full advantage of the holes that were inevitably created. Each man was a master at the art of the possible in the ring. Chavez was possessed of this gift to the rarest of degree. If there is a trait for Chavez that would be problematic for Pacquiao, it is most certainly that.
How would it go down?
It is almost impossible to imagine that the Manny Pacquiao fighting right now could lose. It is ironic, for a few years, it must have seemed that a machine like Chavez couldn’t lose either. There doesn’t seem to be any way to prepare for Pacquiao’s speed and power, while a couple of decades ago, it didn’t seem like there was any escape from the relentless power and precision of Chavez. Predictably, when analyzing greatness, parallels abound. My take on a matchup between these two once again arises out of the arcs of their careers.
Chavez was the prototypical ring legend. At the lower weights, Chavez was a more devastating puncher scoring a much higher percentage of early KO’s. As Chavez moved up, the knockouts came a little more slowly. As he aged, the skills diminished slowly but inexorably. Eventually, Chavez began to suffer losses. The cracks started to appear at 140 pounds where he struggled and was a Lou Duva brain freeze away from losing to Meldrick Taylor. The cracks deepened when he appeared lost at times trying to find Pernell Whitaker. However, Taylor and Whitaker at that time were among the best fighters around and two of the toughest opponents Chavez would face in his career. Thus, the walls truly tumbled against Frankie Randall where Chavez was finally dropped and lost a split decision that shouldn’t have been that close. Eventual losses to Tzsyu and Willy Wise merely provided a sad denouement to his career. The career of Chavez was the textbook story of a legendary fighter; profound greatness gently sliding into sad mediocrity as the effects of aging finally set in.
Not so for the Pacman. Perhaps, Pacquiao is simply still in his prime and the inevitably dwindling of his formidable skills is sadly yet to come. However, for now there is no debate; Pacquiao is getting stronger. As he has moved up, he is better able to withstand punishment and, incredibly, he seems to hit harder. Manny Pacquiao stopped Hatton in two rounds. Pac delivered a more savage beating to Miguel Cotto than a giant welterweight who likely had plaster on his hands in Antonio Margarito. And finally, Pac was about to KO De La Hoya when DLH refused to continue. Only a huge middleweight in Bernard Hopkins had performed that feat. All of this from a man who generally wore down his top opponents when he was fighting in lighter weight classes. The whole data set defies any rational explanation.
As for the fight, it all depends on when and where they met. For Chavez, the earlier the better; if Chavez only had to get by the left hand, he would be in good shape. If Marquez could turn the tables on Pacquiao then a stronger and similarly intelligent Chavez would likely have been able to do the same. If he had Pac at a lower weight class where apparently it was at least possible to hurt him, he would similarly be looking good. There can be no doubt that Chavez was a fearsome body puncher at any weight; the kind of guy against which every fighter had a plan until he felt that punch. At a lower weight class, Chavez might have been more successful slowing Pac down with his devastating body attack.
On the other hand, if it was this Pacquiao, a two handed beast, ridiculously strong at 140 plus pounds, 115 fights or not, even the great Julio Cesar Chavez would have almost certainly finally encountered something he had never seen before.
]]>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.
Ellington lets his curiosity get the best of him and visits the man that is making all that noise and he has quite the story. The Howling Man (Robin Hughes) states that he was kidnapped by Brother Jerome (John Carradine) because of a common love interest. His story is compelling and believable…much more believable than Brother Jerome’s. Jerome claims that he and his bunch of bearded boyfriends have captured the devil, but Ellington does not buy it. He feels that the Howling Man’s story is the true one and is now going to release him.
Is it the devil? Is it Brother Jerome’s prison fantasy? Well, I won’t spill the beans, but the ending is really neat and it really addresses those people that have dismissed religion as a fairy tale but want to believe in it nonetheless. That is Ellington…and although he wanted to believe in the God story, he couldn’t accept it over what he considered to be reality. Rod Serling really knows how to challenge people and what they believe and that is a great part of this episode. He steers the viewer into the position of: what would they do, if they were Ellington. I would have let the dude go, personally. I can’t go to my grave knowing that I allowed a man to be raped by monks.
The Howling Man is a very decent Twilight Zone episode…not that there are any really bad ones, and I do recommend it. Crazy Carl was right. This was pretty darn good.
Ringside Report Rating: 8/10
]]>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.
I have always had a great idea for Ted Dibiase, the sequel. If you are going to just attempt to live off of your father’s glory, why not use the gimmick? I wouldn’t mind seeing another Million Dollar Man. But, for this age…The Billion Dollar Man. Vince, I own the royalties to that one. It wouldn’t be so much of a ripping off, but more or less an homage to the great character his father created. Why not? Perhaps this could get across the charismatic side of the younger that is just waiting to come out. We know it’s in there. Remember, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. I don’t think this will work for Cody, however. His dad couldn’t get over wearing yellow polka dot trunks, imagine how bad it would look if he tried the same thing. Bring back the old theme music, which the generation of fans that loved when they were younger will now mark out for. It is all there. It could go heel, it could go face, but it needs to be done. The only thing we need is for him to first grow out that beard, and it is on from there.
Jerry Springer as Raw guest host: Perhaps this would have worked years ago, when Jerry Springer was still relevant. Back in the late 90s-early 00s when both WWF and Springer were attacked for their type of television. Back then, both were pushing the boundaries of what could be done on TV. There were a lot of comparisons between each in the media. Now, WWE has decided to do away with the adult oriented material, and Jerry Springer has…what? I have no clue what he is doing, what he is promoting, or why he is going to be on my television set come Monday. I have been talking as bad about the guest host idea as I have about Sheamus, but seriously, when you are attempting to gain viewers by saying, “Watch our show, JERRY SPRINGER IS GOING TO BE ON!” the wrestling world has reached lows I could have never fathomed. I would hope WWE thinks better of itself than having the same audience that Springer once had, although I am sure there is some sort of overlap. The only thing that I will be interested in is if Springer hosts a mock version of his own show come Monday. Much like Piper’s Pit or The Highlight Reel, it could be run and it would be the family edition, involving the McMahons. Now that would be interesting. I can’t wait to see Stephanie hit Linda with a love seat.
TNA & the Internet: TNA seems to be very fan friendly when it comes to their internet fans. Now, I do think they pander to them too much during live shows and television broadcasts, but one has to admit, they surely treat the IWC very well with the videos they offer. TNA’s youtube channel allows folks like myself without cable to keep up with what is going on with the product. Although I would like to catch Impact every week, I do not get the chance as much as I would like to. However, after the last few, I have gone online and seen not only recaps of shows, but also accompanying videos that hit the major parts of the shows for lazy folk such as I who don’t feel like getting cable to watch just wrestling. It makes it easier for someone like myself who wants to keep up, but doesn’t have the resources, to still follow what has been happening. It is great to read about it, but the best when one can actually view it.
In addition, on their youtube channel, they have numerous PPV matches from the past that one can check out. It is like a walk down memory lane simply by clicking a button online. I am glad that TNA is open minded to the idea of using the internet as a way to entice the viewers they have, and to gain new ones.
I would like to mention WWE in here, as they have also been decent about putting up recap videos of shows. And, over at Hulu, if one misses Smackdown, you can catch the entire show online whenever one feels inclined to do so. I wish they would do the same for Raw, however.
It can be tough to attempt to make money using online video, but at least both companies aren’t being too overbearing and not letting any of their stuff be seen by the internet browsing fan. I would like to thank WWE, and even more so, TNA for giving back to the internet wrestling community, without asking for much in return other than us being fans.
Bobby Lashley apparently done with TNA: Well, he wanted to do MMA while still attempting to be involved in wrestling. Bobby, you can’t have your steroids and inject them too.
Flair says he will be wrestling for TNA “sooner than later.”: If only it was later than sooner. Seriously, Ric, hang up the boots for good. WWE went out of their way to write the best possible storyline ever for a retirement. WWE put on an entire show and made you the main focus of their biggest show of the year because everyone knew it would be your “last match.” Why ruin that, yet again? I realize Flair has wrestled during the Hulkamania tour, something I still think ruins the entire angle that WWE set up for him heading into his retirement.
Flair back in the ring taints that legacy, but also, Flair in the ring means Flair in the ring. And, Flair in the ring nowadays is not a good thing. Knife edge chop after knife edge chop after going to the top rope only to be thrown off after knife edge chop after Flair flop after knife edge chop can only be done so many times. Why not let your legacy speak for itself? I do realize the wrestling bug bites deep, and it is hard to give up performing, but please, stop spitting on your own legacy. I seriously thought you were too old in 1998. It is now 2010. Take a look in the mirror, step back, take a deeper look, and realize you had a great career, and a retirement that nearly matched it, so leave it at that, and let the young guys take over.
Flair should be used in TNA to help the careers of others, like he is doing with AJ Styles, not to get in the ring and stink up the joint because he can no longer move. He is just no longer believable in a ring with the way he looks. Flair is a legend, so let that legend live on without ruining its own legacy.
]]>
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.
McCall had all the makings of a good heavyweight, possibly a great one. He possessed a big punch and a granite chin. He made a reputation for himself because of his heated sparring sessions with then champion, Mike Tyson, but he earned a shot at the WBC Crown himself in 1994 against the highly touted, undefeated “Lion” Lennox Lewis.
In the second round, McCall unleashed a big right hand that sent the British heavyweight to the floor and out of the fight. McCall had realized a dream and was now in a position to make some big waves in boxing, but he could not get his personal life in order. He would lose the title shortly thereafter to Frank Bruno, and would have a mental breakdown in a rematch with Lennox Lewis.
The rematch in 1997 was a window into the inner turmoil that is the life of McCall. Frustrated, McCall began to lose it and allowed Lewis to hit him without a defense. He just stood there and took the punishment, walking away from time to time. His head was not in the fight. A testament to the chin of McCall was how he took the best shots of Lewis unprotected and wasn’t moved. What he could have been had he not had any problems.
The fight was stopped as McCall began to sob. Despite comments later on that he was playing with Lewis and baiting him in, it was obvious that he had some major problems. Don King took the wrap…an easy scapegoat…but the problems lie with the Atomic Bull.
In 2006, he would be picked up by police with cocaine and a glass pipe in his possession, and, according to reports, he threatened to kill the officers. Arrests for disorderly conduct and failed stints in rehab turned a potentially great fighter into an unstable and unreliable head case.
Oliver McCall was and seems to always be a step or two away from a title shot. He compiled a record of 26-2, 17 KO’s, since his defeat to Lennox Lewis in 1997, and recently put three wins together against relatively decent opposition. With his name value and checkered past, he was likely to get another crack, especially when you consider that he was one of the two men that hold a victory over the last great heavyweight, Lennox Lewis.
Now we await to see how this latest arrest is handled. He was found with cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also in violation of parole, and it now seems that he will be going away for a while.
The career of Oliver McCall as a viable heavyweight contender is over and perhaps his career too is now at its end. He will most likely go down in history as the first man to beat Lennox Lewis and one of Mike Tyson’s best sparring partners, which is a shame, because he could have been much more.
Let’s hope that he can finally overcome this inner demon and remain clean. It seems that the lights and fame that go along with boxing were a little too much for him.
]]>
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!
MP: You turned professional in November 1981, stopping one Mustapha Yazidi in three rounds. What do you recall of that moment and what were your hopes at that time as a pro fighter?
I have very vague memories of that time and I don’t remember anything of that fight. All what I’m sure of is that I lost contact with reality about that period of time. Things were very new and overwhelming!
MP: Two years into your professional career and with a record of 11-1, you won the vacant France light middleweight title. Did you feel as though you had the talent to take it to the world level after such a key win?
I guess that I was just thinking what a long way I still had to go. Remember all the big guys; “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran; they occupied the front of the scene, how could I think I'd be able to pull myself up to their level? I did not anticipate in any way the fact that I could be a world champ or even a world challenger.
MP: You lost in your first attempt to win the EBU light middleweight title in 1984, later winning it in November 1985 and ultimately defending it on two occasions. Later you regained and lost the EBU title years later in 1991. Did this title thrust you to the forefront on the world scene and with Europeans in general?
I learned a lot on the European scene but this had nothing to do with the world scene. The great boxers were global not European. I had a hard time finding my balance in this context.
MP: You lost your first bid for a major world title in 1986 when you challenged Mike McCallum for the WBA light middleweight championship, losing by 9th-round TKO. What do you recall of this rare moment and of McCallum as a fighter?
Looking back, I think I was better than Mr. McCallum. I was a healthy, honest boxer, while, though he was a good boxer, used vicious ways. I think he will remember my right hand! I can say I learned from Mr. McCallum that cheating could lead to victory.
MP: Less than a year later you received your second shot at a major world title when you challenged Buster Drayton for the IBF light middleweight championship in a very competitive bout. What do you recall of that bout and of Drayton as a champion?
In the second round I was four points ahead. In the 10th I took a right hand and Jean Bretonnel throws in the towel! This fight was lost by my coach!
MP: You continued your career after those two title opportunities, and as mentioned earlier, at one point regained the EBU light middleweight title, but you began to slip in the early 90’s. Was the desire fading and what prompted you to retire for good in 1993?
When Jean Bretonnel died it weakened me as a champion. No one came up to replace my coach. You cannot continue a boxing career by yourself. My dream was broken! I left the scene, not for lack of desire, but because I could not do otherwise.
MP: Looking back, you had a successful and notable boxing career. Do you feel that boxing was good to you?
Boxing was good to me in many ways; I learned to say “yes” and also to say “no”, and I met interesting people. Boxing has made me independent and autonomous. It taught me how to talk and how to assert myself.
MP: What are you doing today?
I am preparing a show together with Daniel Humair and Michel Portal called “JAZZBOXE”. It is a mix between jazz improvisation and boxing - with my own words instead of my fists. I also do some coaching in boxing and plan to go on a conference tour to talk about violence to school kids in hot spots around Paris. Florence my wife taught me the rhythm and sync and made me realize how boxing and music can complement each other.
MP: In closing is there anything you would like to say to those that supported you during your career and boxing fans around the world in general?
It's good to be supported and appreciated. The worst thing is to be abandoned. The grass utterly erases the trace of the graves. I don’t have a message to the fans of boxing because in my opinion the boxing spirit has faded.
Said Skouma
Division: Light Middleweight
Professional Record: 37-9, 30 KO's
Date Opponent Location Result
1981-11-06 Mustapha Yazidi Tarbes, France W RTD 3
1981-12-18 Mohamed Ghabi Fumel, France W TKO 4
1982-01-15 Gerard Doizy Tarbes, France W TKO 3
1982-03-12 Jean Pierre Moreau Tarbes, France W TKO 3
1982-04-23 Abdel Ben Ameur Clermont, France W KO 1
1982-05-07 Wa Lomani Wa Fumel, France W TKO 4
1982-10-28 Uwe Wissenbach Paris, France W KO 1
1982-12-17 Dennis Pryce Monsempron, France W KO 6
1983-02-04 Esperno Postl Saint-Etienne, France W TKO 5
1983-02-24 Lloyd Christie Paris, France L PTS 8
1983-05-19 Fred Coranson Paris, France W TKO 8
1983-07-01 Jean-Louis Coquin Paris, France W PTS 8
1983-11-26 Richard Rodriguez Nimes, France W PTS 12
vacant France Light Middleweight Title
1984-05-25 Jimmy Cable Toulouse, France L TKO 11
vacant EBU (European) Light Middleweight Title
1984-10-26 Philippe Monin Echirolles, France W TKO 8
1984-12-07 Helier Custos Bordeaux, France W PTS 8
1985-01-25 Yvor Segor Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadelou W KO 7
1985-03-22 Germain Le Maitre Tarbes, France W TKO 5
France Light Middleweight Title
1985-10-18 Luigi Marini Antibes, France W TKO 4
1985-11-30 Enrico Scacchia Geneva, Switzerland W KO 6
vacant EBU (European) Light Middleweight Title
1986-04-10 Angelo Liquori Antibes, France W TKO 8
EBU (European) Light Middleweight Title
1986-05-23 Alfonso Redondo Bordeaux, France W TKO 4
EBU (European) Light Middleweight Title
1986-08-24 Kenny Butler Juan-les-Pins, France W TKO 2
1986-10-25 Mike McCallum Paris, France L TKO 9
WBA World Light Middleweight Title
1987-02-06 Judas Clottey Antibes, France L DQ 5
1987-02-28 Tomas Negro Garcia Paris, France W TKO 4
1987-03-27 Buster Drayton Cannes, France L TKO 10
IBF Light Middleweight Title
1987-06-27 Knox Brown Cannes, France W KO 6
1987-11-06 Hugo Raul Marinangeli Antibes, France W DQ 7
1988-03-03 Jake Torrance Casablanca, Morocco W TKO 5
1988-10-03 Kevin Brazier Bercy, France W KO 3
1988-11-19 Darryl Anthony Château-Thierry, France W TKO 2
1989-01-23 Manning Galloway Bercy, France L MD 10
1989-03-13 Kenny Snow Paris, France W PTS 10
1990-01-26 William Clayton Perpignan, France W TKO 2
1990-03-30 Yung-Kil Chung Lyon, France W DQ 7
1990-05-19 Steve Mayo Montpellier, France W TKO 2
1991-02-02 Jean-Claude Fontana Bouliac, France W KO 2
EBU (European) Light Middleweight Title
1991-05-03 Mourad Louati Paris, France L TKO 5
EBU (European) Light Middleweight Title
1991-06-22 Horace Fleary Paris, France W PTS 8
1991-10-30 Ariel Conde Enghien, France W TKO 3
1992-01-10 Martin Smith Vitrolles, France L SD 8
1992-05-28 Larry McCall Creil, France W TKO 2
1992-08-14 Marino Monteyne Ajaccio, France W TKO 6
1993-11-20 Mustapha Dundar Vendome, France W TKO 5
1993-12-11 Gino Lelong Berck-sur-Mer, France L TKO 3
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.
The supporting bout will feature light welterweight, Lanard Lane, 10-0, 7 KO’s, taking on Martin Tucker, 7-4, 3 KO’s, in an eight round contest.
]]>
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.
Bob Sapp wasamong those talents.
He stormed in its rings like a berserker, bull-rushing his way into a cycle of success with his size, volume, and aggression, and quickly catapulted his rank on the plane of public exaltation. Although, he fought, initially, against low-level oppositions, and mounted victories by unfair strength and weight advantage, he was an excellent prospect and a key fan favorite, who launched a new technique, to cloak his limitations, and front out into mainstream awareness. The technique recognized as “Bull-rush” was nothing more than blind abandon which, if employed by someone of lesser magnitude, would otherwise prove an idiotic application of an exercise that could lead into something lamentable in the most abysmal of sense.
But it was an effective skill, exclusive only to The Beast.
And a skill which saw him upset the legendary four-time K-1 Grand Prix Champion Ernesto Hoost, twice by technical knockout. The victories over Hoost seemed the apex of his career – since later his bull-rushing days were driven into a chain of disqualifications due to hysterical aggression which occasionally resulted in the accidental ruin of his opponents’ precious jewels. Then his leading light bucked downhill towards an inescapable decline when his orbital bone met the fist of the powerful Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic and was stopped for the first time. Later, the more experienced veterans of the sport began to detect – eventually discerning his weak spots in his midsection and legs, and then exploiting his inadequate supply of batteries.
Since then, he's been afraid to engage the real pros, bequeathing the world with a new-found defensive technique – that entertain cower-behind-the-muscle-armor-and-spin-around-the-ring-hoping-his-opponent-would-punch-himself-out technique.
Since May of last year, Bob Sapp has lost 3 in a row.
Perhaps this is the time for Bob to make an exit from MMA and traverse a road that would fit his style best.
In boxing, not only could Bob make box office killings, he could literally kill someone... okay, maybe I shouldn't be saying this since he lost by TKO in his last fight.
That is not to say though that he's a potential pushover in boxing. To suggest that is probably ignorant... since his best asset has been his crushing power that has so sent many of his foes into the void.
If anyone could cast whirlwinds of pressure on Wladimir Klitschko...I'm betting it is Bob.
If Bob can recall the ferocity that made him a star then... I'm really not convincing anyone with this am I? Well, the Klitschko brothers would probably toy with Bob in a slug and slide fight... but what if Bob can manage to pin them to the ropes and...bull-swarm them with punches courtesy of his 300 pound fists? Anything's possible. If not the Klitschkos... I'm certain he'll make a run on most of the heavyweights... He'll tear through the top ten...
You know what? I'll just end this piece here and say, “Bob Sapp will be a force in today's heavyweight boxing.” I just feel it in my bones.
]]>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:
(Feb. 2nd, 8:52) boxing scene: “Timothy Bradley’s Promoter: “Amir Khan is a fraud!”
Or (Feb. 3rd, 11:16) “Official score: Malignaggi vs Khan?”
There is also the private conversation technique, where a twitterer will answer his/her followers’ messages with a view to public (or Khan’s) consumption:
(Feb. 2nd, 8:17) “more respect? I’m fresh buddy, Marquez is too old.”
4. Don’t give up.
Despite Malignaggi’s best efforts, it seems that Khan couldn’t be incited into fighting him; however, perseverance is a virtue, and there are always other boxers to needle over the same medium. Isn’t Andre Berto also a prolific twitterer? Does he have any opponent scheduled? We can already hear the ominous chirping:
(Feb 8th, 20:22) “So I don’t have to answer the same questions, everyone read. Not sure whose next. It could be berto, hopefully can fight April 10th.”
And the subtle approach, just for good measure:
(Feb 9th) “POSSIBLY BERTO, NOT SURE.”
And how to take wing:
5. It was my friend - laugh out loud!
When the vitriol is flying, maintaining dignity is a delicate art. Amir Khan learns that it is almost possible to elude accountability by blaming somebody else. In this instance, a loyal friend/fan dives headlong into the flying flak:
(Feb. 4th, 9:40) “Marquez, Yes, it was a friend/fan who was updating twitter acc. I read the treads and it was wrong what he said, his spelling was bad lol.”
Khan treads wisely, but the spelling error keeps us suspicious. Not to worry, any potential seriousness is eliminated with the ubiquitous laugh out loud addendum. Lol!
6. My Promoter’s fault
In fairness to Khan, he has other silky moves in his repertoire. He defends himself manfully against a sustained character attack by assuming the posture of an obedient, mature Golden Boy fighter.
(Feb. 4th, 5:32) “Sorry don’t want to argue about the Paulie M fight, GBP have picked Marquez. Maybe fight after we can come to NYC, wen r u fighting next PM.”
And for good measure:
(Feb. 4th, 6:18) I’m not on this to argue, I think most of u guys don’t have anything to do then talk trash, I leave all fights with goldenboy.”
7. Circulating the blame game
If other methods fail, the blame can always be deflected in true I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I fashion:
(Feb. 2nd, 2:36) “Just reading the treads, paulie wot a idiot. I can’t believe this he refused to fight me so I had to take anova opponent he no,s the truth.”
Of course, this comment was made by the pseudo Khan (friend/fan), not the original (and humbly named) AmirKingKhan; so, unlike every other tweet in this article, it shouldn’t be taken seriously.
]]>
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.
Rocky tells Pip about his boredom and how he wants to get some kicks, but everything that he does is predetermined. Everything is rigged. There is no excitement. He then says that he doesn’t belong in heaven which makes Pip laugh…and he laughs in a very high pitch, as if he’s a split personality…half 13 year old girl. It was very amusing. I think that it was supposed to be eerie and for the time, it probably was, but I thought it was very funny.
This is a great tale. I love this one. The ending is predictable but the acting throughout is great and the characters are superb.
Ringside Report Rating:: 8/10. Let it Ride Fatso.
]]>
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.
Holyfield’s wife is in the unfortunate position where she has to recant. I had zero doubt that she would withdraw the petition for the restraining order because of the power and money of her husband.
So tune in if you must, but wear boots because the nonsense will be getting rather high.
Chris Arreola – Tomasz Adamek Set for April 24th
HBO’s Boxing After Dark will present a very compelling double header. The main event will be a showdown between former title challenger, Chris “Nightmare” Arreola, 28-1, 25 KO’s, as he takes on former light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion, Tomasz Adamek, 40-1, 27 KO’s, in a twelve round showdown.
The supporting bout will be an interesting match up between light middleweight prospect, Alfredo Angulo, 17-1, 14 KO’s, and battle tested veteran, Joel Julio, 35-3, 31 KO’s, in a 12 round bout for the interim WBO title.
Both fights present plenty of intrigue. The main event has the most on the line however. We have the HBO fighter, heavily hyped Arreola, trying to bully a smaller man in Tomasz Adamek, in hopes to get another title shot. Arreola is a power-puncher and a genuinely likeable guy, but his lack of discipline has cost him in the ring, and cost him dearly in his encounter with WBC Champion, Vitali Klitschko. After watching Klitschko’s difficulties with Kevin Johnson, you have to wonder what an in shape Arreola could have done.
Unfortunately, Arreola cannot stay focused and in his comeback fight against Brian Minto, he weighed a career high 263 pounds. This is a guy that started his career at 236 and people then said he weighed too much. Although he pounded the smaller Minto the floor, he wasn’t sharp and wasn’t reacting well to the incoming. His overall strength was the difference, and he hopes for it to be the difference here against Adamek.
The lack of talent in the 200+ division has attracted the cruisers like David Haye, Jean Marc Mormeck, and now Tomasz Adamek. There is a lot more money to be made in the heavyweight division and the little step up for these smaller guys is well worth it. Haye won the WBA Title in a lackluster effort against Nikolay Valuev. Mormeck won a recent fight, and Adamek is now 2-0, 1 KO, in his heavyweight run.
In Adamek’s first fight, he beat down a shopworn Andrew Golota, and he looked good in doing so, but the “Foul Pole” had nearly nothing left. We got a window into Adamek the heavyweight with this struggle with Jason Estrada, a light-hitting mover that could be classified as “mediocre.” It went 12 rounds and Adamek failed to impress. He did show that he could use movement but didn’t seem aggressive enough. Arreola will knock him out if he isn’t aggressive. He will need to use a mixture of movement and pressure to pull off an upset and if we see a 260+ nightmare in the ring, I would not be the least surprised if it happened.
Alfredo Angulo is another HBO fighter that was rushed along a little, losing a decision to the experienced Kermit Cintron. He has rebounded with two early knockout wins and will now face the dangerous Joel Julio.
Julio has been in the ring with some good fighters. He lost a decision to Carlos Quintana in 2006, stopped Cornelius Bundrage and outpointed Ishe Smith, and went toe to toe with James Kirkland before succumbing in the sixth round. He has had one fight since his first knockout loss, a win over a 14-22-4 journeyman by the name of Clarence Taylor, and now comes back to HBO to try to pull the upset.
What bodes well for Julio is the aggression of Angulo. There will be opportunities to unload his power punches. This fight is a fan-friendly war and although you have to heavily favor Angulo, Julio brings a lot of firepower and will be looking to catch the youngster coming in.
]]>
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.
On the undercard, Lanard Lane, 11-0, 7 KO’s, defeated Martin Tucker, 7-5, 3 KO’s, by unanimous decision in a junior welterweight bout.
]]>
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.
When the opening bell rang, “Candy Slim” pounced, and the former WBA Title holder had no answer and referee Arthur Mercante stopped the contest at 2:42 of the first round. In the dressing room, King boomed: “Remember the name ‘Candy Slim!’ Champ next year! Don’t bring us mortal men. We want to fight giants!” It was a great night for Jeff Merritt and one for Don King, who was still trying to establish himself in boxing. The future was very bright.
Merritt would follow up the win over Terrell with another good win, a TKO in three over Ron Stander, before facing off with the unremarkable Henry Clark. It was another first round knockout, but this time, “Candy Slim” was on the wrong end. Only in boxing can one defeat ruin you. Merritt was damaged goods after this fight, abandoned by King, and quickly falling back into the madness that was his life on the outside of the ring. He was knocked out again by Stan Ward in three rounds, and then had a ten round draw with Billy Daniels, a man that had only won 23 of his 47 bouts.
In 1982, he would have his final bout against Memphis Al Jones, a career loser, with a record of 12-31-2, going in. Merritt got the thrill of victory one last time as he sent Jones to the floor and out of the fight inside of one round. Merritt would leave boxing with a record of 24-3-1, 19 KO’s.
The man known as “Candy Slim” was all but forgotten and fell deep back into the world that he tried so hard to escape from. He resurfaced in 1991 in Las Vegas, a homeless addict begging for money and ranting and raving about Don King, who was in town promoting a Mike Tyson – Razor Ruddock fight. Barefoot at the Mirage Hotel, he told the gamblers and fight fans: “I was Don King’s first fighter. I’m Candy Slim. Give me a dollar.” It was a sad ending, but thankfully, there is redemption even without the assistance of the ring.
“Candy Slim” is now reportedly working on his life story, cleaned up his act, and is living with his family. His past is sorted and his ring exploits were exciting. He fought in the golden age of heavyweights, held his own in sparring sessions with some of the best of the time, and may have been a major part of that era had he not had the problems that he did. “Candy Slim” is another one of those comets in boxing, burning out quickly but leaving quite the impression. He had the potential to be a star, but never achieved it.
]]>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]]>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.
The fact that Bradley is a possibility suggests something bigger for Valero: His name has entered the mind of media and fans alike. Yet, Valero still has plenty to prove. Even those that admit that his competition has gradually gotten better still point to his lack of stamina and technique and pitch to every listening ear that he will one day wind up unconscious on the mat against someone who can actually fight. Many have floated the names of some warriors that would give him a run for his money.
For that reason, listed below are five of the possible opponents Valero could face and how he would fare against them if the fight was held today.
#1: Michael “The Great” Katsidis, 26-2, 21 KO’s
The Appeal: Katsidis-Valero is perhaps the best actual fight in this whole article. Talk about a bloodbath. Katsidis is never in a bad fight and he creates hell for a variety of different types of fighters. In an unforgettable splash, Katsidis made his name known to US fans by warring through several cuts to overcome great adversity and take a unanimous decision over Czar Amonsot on the undercard of the Winky Wright-Bernard Hopkins Pay Per View.
Outcome: If this fight were held today, Valero would eventually stop Katsidis on cuts or take a long, hard unanimous decision against him. The Aussie is one of the toughest men of the planet and is undoubtedly and undyingly carrying the mantle of the great Arturo Gatti. Both men have a great chin. However, Valero will land the harder blows, and that tends to impress more judges and cut more faces.
#2: Juan “The Baby Bull” Diaz, 35-3, 17 KO’s
The Appeal: Diaz is a fan favorite. HBO can always put him in a good fight because he always makes for one. Unfortunately, we may be seeing that he is somewhat one dimensional in his approach. Juan is far from a “natural” talent; he knows how to fight, and he relies on his stamina and volume punching to wear out his opponents, filling him with the wish that he would stop freaking hitting them before they finally give in to the flails of punches and retire on their stools ala Julio Diaz or Acelino Freitas. Diaz, like Katsidis, would be Valero’s best opponent to date. The action would be great.
Outcome: Valero either stops Diaz late or takes a clear unanimous decision. Diaz is built wrong for guys who can either stick and move (Paulie Malignaggi) or thump inside (Nate Campbell). Valero fits the second mold. Diaz would not be able to crack that chin because he has nothing to keep him away. Boxing is sometimes a game of rock, paper, scissors. While Diaz beat Katsidis rather comfortably, he would stand less of a chance than the Aussie would at surviving against Valero.
#3: Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez, 50-5, 37 KO’s
The Appeal: La Guerra de las Dinamitas. While fighting Marquez would still leave doubters out there, this fight would go a long way in proving that Valero can compete against the best. Marquez is the best Mexican lightweight of his generation and as served as the number one foil for the great Manny Pacquiao. If Valero can figure out how to get around Marquez’s impassable timing, he is good enough to compete with many of the slick fighters he might come across.
Outcome: A really, really close fight. A young Pacquiao proved that a wild yet speedy fighter can get to Marquez and put him in serious trouble. However, Marquez also proved in his fights against the Pacmonster that he is indeed capable of beating someone with a tremendous amount of raw talent. If this fight happened today, after a full training camp, I have Marquez winning a razor thin split decision or the two men leaving it at a draw. However, with each passing moment, Marquez is getting a bit older and perhaps a bit slower. Over the next six months to a year, expect the odds to tip slightly in the other direction.
#4: Ali Funeka, 30-2, 25 KO’s
The Appeal: Funeka is one of the most underrated fighters in the sport. The long-armed contender was most recently robbed of a unanimous decision and a belt in a fight against Joan Guzman. In the bout directly prior to that, Funeka lost a very close majority decision against Nate Campbell in a highly competitive fight. The style matchup with Valero would be interesting because Valero has had difficulty getting at the chin of some of his taller opponents.
The Outcome: Funeka takes a decision. The South African Warrior represents an impressive physical challenge for a guy moving up in weight, and Valero might lose a bit of pop if he jumps two weight classes. The one caveat here is that Funeka was nearly knocked out against Nate Campbell. I could see a fight in which Funeka hits the mat once or twice but takes the decision. I could also see Valero scoring a stoppage.
#5: Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, 50-3, 38 KO’s
The Appeal: A Pacquiao fight always has appeal, and watching him in there with a power hitter is even more intriguing. This fight would be a bit like watching Pacquiao take on a younger version of himself.
The Outcome: Pacquiao would destroy him. Valero is in no way ready to take on the best Pound for Pound fighter in the whole sport. If this fight comes off in 2011, things could be different, but today we would be looking at a bloodbath.
As for Timothy Bradley? We’ll just see if the stars align for that showdown and judge it as it comes.
]]>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!
Prime vs. Prime Mythical Match-ups
Hi Brian,
I just want to ask how you see these matches unfold and who you think would win. Please assume that these fights are prime vs. prime.
Rosendo Alvarez vs. Ivan Calderon at strawweight.
Ricky Hatton vs. Zab Judah at junior welterweight.
Tommy Hearns vs. Kelly Pavlik at middleweight.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Tito Trinidad at welterweight.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Alexis Arguello at junior lightweight.
Evander Holyfield vs. Roy Jones Jr. at crusierweight
-Asero
Asero,
Ivan Calderon vs. Rosendo Alvarez - I'll take Calderon by decision because of his slick boxing ability. Alvarez is best known for creating the only blemish on Ricardo Lopez's record and was a tough opponent for anyone in his prime. Ivan, though, is one of the best pure boxers I have ever seen. He was not as complete of a fighter as Ricardo Lopez, but his defense and counter punching blows me away. No chance of a KO here but Calderon wins on points.
Ricky Hatton vs. Zab Judah - There would be a chance for an early round knockout in favor of Zab here since he was so incredibly explosive in his prime and Hatton can be reckless before he finds his rhythm. Still, more often than not Hatton pounds away and makes Judah give up in the later rounds.
Tommy Hearns vs. Kelly Pavlik - Hearns demolishes Pavlik. Pavlik is a strong workman-like champion, but it would only take one or two of Hearns' sharpshooting right hands to end it.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Felix Trinidad - Interesting match up. Tito was very strong, hard hitting, and a relentless warrior. He would also have the edge in size. However I will go with Pacquiao here because of his edge in defense and chin. Pacquiao would almost assuredly score an early round knockdown, which would give him the advantage to win. Plus, Pacquiao has matured into a good/underrated defender so he would stay away from Trinidad's vaunted left hook.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Alexis Arguello - I look to Mayweather's fight against Diego Corrales for my prediction in this one. Arguello and Corrales were both explosive tall, thin men with similar fighting styles. Arguello was quite a bit better than Corrales, but you can still get an idea of how Mayweather deals with that fighting style by looking at the Corrales fight. Mayweather dominated Chico and it wasn't even close. For that reason I'll take Mayweather on points.
Roy Jones vs. Evander Holyfield - I respect RJJ as a fighter but a percentage of his perceived greatness has to do with his careful match making. Sure, there is no doubt that he was an immensely gifted athlete with the kind of speed few have possessed in all of boxing history. Still, Roy would be no match for a prime Evander Holyfield at cruiserweight. Holyfield would skillfully, fearlessly, and relentlessly pursue Jones and knock him out by the 7th round. Even if Holyfield had to eat some of Jones' best punches on the way, his chin was more than good enough to absorb those blows.
Even Better Mythical Match Up
Brian, I
If Lionel Ritchie was a boxer, who would he beat? I know it’s an impossibility but there has to be someone.
-SJ
SJ,
Thought provoking question SJ. Lionel Ritchie, boy could that guy sing a ballad. Could he throw a jab or a hook to save his life? Probably not. Ritchie wouldn't be able to beat anyone of note. However anyone who was in good shape, which Lionel appears to be, could beat Eric Crumble. Look him up on boxrec and I'm sure you'll agree with me.
Vitali To Retire?
Brian,
Word is that Vitali Klitschko is going to retire after his next fight, especially if he wins the WBA Heavyweight belt. I say good riddance if he leaves. You want to know why? He is a disgusting cheater.
I watched Vitali Klitschko dismantle that pudgy Mexican (Chris Arreola) in his last fight, but I saw something that went down in the third round that nobody is talking about. Vitali took his (censored) out in a clinch and hit Chris with it. He was never the same after it. Did you not see it? I know he has a PhD and probably really knows how to use his meat, but that is not fair. I will be writing to Jose Sulaiman about this and then my Governor, who is a huge boxing fan and will start in an inquiry. What do you think will happen?
-JJ
JJ,
I must have missed that one! I think I would have remembered if Vitali Klitschko had done something that graphic and inappropriate in his fight against Arreola. Or perhaps I blocked it out of my mind because it was so traumatizing.
But regarding Klitschko's retirement status, yes, he stated this week that he is eying retirement. That is not really a surprise since he was already retired recently and he is approaching 40 years old, which is very old for a pro boxer. The goal of the Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, is to hold two of the four major belts apiece. Wladimir holds the WBO and the IBF right now and Vitali has the WBC. David Haye has the WBA.
Vitali Klitschko wants to achieve his goal of Klitschko brother domination of the heavyweight division before he retires. They are so close to achieving their goal. Vitali is going to try very hard to attain a unification bout against the winner of David Haye vs. John Ruiz. If Vitali is able to win the WBA belt and fulfill the Klitschko goal, I think he will immediately retire. Until that happens, Vitali is too close to hang up the gloves just yet, especially since he is still the best despite his age. Even if Vitali retires, I hope that Wladimir Klitschko sticks around for a while since the heavyweight division could use a dominant champion to be the face of the division.
I have a feeling that the Klitschko brothers will be much more appreciated after they retire than they were when they were active. The same phenomenon happened to Larry Holmes and Lennox Lewis.
Ranking Pacquiao Against The Greats
I very much respected Mayweather in the past, I rooted for him every time he fought and made plenty of money when he fought the overblown Juan Manuel Marquez. Every time I watch him, I choose not to join those people who watch him just because they want him defeated. I mean, skill wise, he surpassed most of our all time greats which is difficult not to admire. I considerately accepted his trash talks and unreasonable sentences for a while but his statements about Pacquiao just blew my mind! I am an avid antagonist for the Pacman (okay, I guess the Pacmaniacs) but calling him “one dimensional” and criticizing his past loses after the Pacquiao’s most brilliant performance of an all time great career (against Miguel Cotto) is stupid and beyond logical mind. Anyone who doubts Pacquiao is, as Yahoo’s Kevin Iole wrote, “a fool”.
I’m full and done with Mayweather, I think I will be the latest recruit for the “kick Floyd’s ass fans club”. Can you contact Freddie or Jason to get rid of him ASAP for me?
I just don’t see how anyone could still consider anybody but Manny Pacquiao the pound-for-pound best boxer alive. If someone will make a case for Floyd, then the burden of proof is way too difficult. Mayweather has arguably not beaten anyone as formidable as the boxer Pacquiao knocked out in his last fight, Miguel Cotto. Cotto was in most people’s pound-for-pound top-10, and some, including myself, had him as high as #5. Mayweather beat a higher-ranked man in his last fight, Juan Manuel Marquez (#2 at the time), but Marquez had to move up two weight classes to do it, and everyone knew he was past his prime and wasn’t going to be the same fighter at 144 pounds. Pacquiao, meanwhile, was the one moving up in weight, and he knocked out Cotto, something Mayweather couldn’t do to Marquez.
Who do you think is the Fighter of the Decade? Certainly, Pacquiao has to be considered the greatest Asian fighter ever. I don’t think it’s even close. Fighting Harada? “Flash” Elorde?
Here we go again; Pacmaniacs are claiming that Pacquaio is the greatest boxer of all time! I wonder what Duran fans were thinking after Duran beat Sugar? The point is; it is easy to say that Pacquiao is the greatest because they have not seen and followed the career of Henry Armstrong, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Muhammad Ali.
Brian, was Pacquiao better than Julio Cesar Chavez, #24 (ESPN list), after beating Hatton? I think so. Is he better after beating Cotto than George Foreman, #20? I think so there, too. Is he better than Gene Tunney, #16? Now it’s getting harder. The reason is no fault of Pacquiao’s own: At a certain point, the level of competition available now isn’t as accomplished as it was even a couple decades ago. Don’t get me wrong, Pacquiao has beaten any number of excellent fighters. Barrera, Hatton, Marquez, Morales and De La Hoya are all sure-fire hall of famers, and Cotto might get in, too. But if you were making a top 50 all-time list today, De La Hoya might not be on it, Hatton wouldn’t, Cotto wouldn’t and Barrera, Morales and Marquez would be near the bottom of it.
Let’s just stick with Tunney for a second, for comparison’s sake. He beat Jack Dempsey, who is #9 on ESPN’s list; he beat Harry Greb, who is #13. Let’s take Leonard, who is just outside ESPN’s top 10. Some of Leonard’s weight-spanning and Fighter of the Year-style accomplishments are comparable to Pacquiao’s, although not as impressive. He was Fighter of the Year twice, Fighter of the Decade in the 1980s. He won titles in five divisions, from welterweight to light heavyweight, two of them lineal. Where Leonard eclipses Pacquiao, I think, is that the best men he beat were better than the best men Pacquiao beat, and by a long shot. Leonard beat Tommy Hearns, #37 on ESPN’s list; Marvin Hagler, #35 on ESPN’s list; and Roberto Duran, #6 on ESPN’s list. I got most of this information from another writer and even a casual fan can understand the preceding points that no matter what, Pacquaio cannot be considered no. 1 all time. And I guess it is unfair to rank him early considering he is still capable for future achievements. I want to hear your take on this. I hope you consider the grammar and its length.
Thank you Brian, I enjoy your mailbag very much!!!
-Sam
Sam,
That was a loaded email my friend so there is a lot to respond to!
Your first point about Floyd Mayweather, and his trash talk, is right on. The days where one could call Pacquiao a one-dimensional fighter are long gone. He has transformed himself into a complete boxer-puncher. Floyd is insecure that his status as his generation's greatest fighter is challenged. I've seen an interview where he said that he thought Pacquiao was the second best pound for pound boxer in the world other than himself, so he obviously thinks highly of Manny. He is talking trash because that is what he does and what he knows.
Pacquiao is clearly the number 1 pound for pound boxer in the world. That rank was definitively established for him even before the win over Miguel Cotto. The argument for having Mayweather as the #1 pound for pound ahead of Pacquiao is not just flimsy, it is wrong. Pound for pound lists are a “what have you done for me lately” kind of list and Pacquiao recent resume easily trumps Floyd's. Mayweather's quality of opposition since moving up to junior welterweight and beyond has been less than what fans expect from a potentially all time great fighter.
I would also have Manny as the fighter of the decade because he has come the closest to the upper echelon of all time greats than any of his peers during 2000-2010.
Regarding your final points, ranking Manny Pacquiao against ESPN's top 50 list, first let me start by saying that ESPN's list is garbage. They rank Jack Dempsey #9? I don't even know if I put Dempsey in the top 10 all time heavyweights, let alone top 10 of all boxers ever. If you are ranking Dempsey that high you are ranking him based on his popularity and not his accomplishments. And if you are ranking fighters based on popularity you might as well have Mike Tyson and Oscar De La Hoya in the top 10 as well. Throw in Floyd Patterson in the top 20 while you're at it.
So where do I think Pacquiao should rank right now against the all time greats? I have touched on this point in previous mailbags but I have Manny in the top 20 right now. That means that he is right along side the Gene Tunney, Ezzard Charles, and Salvador Sanchez's of the past. His quality of opposition spanning several different weight classes is an amazing accomplishment. He still is not done with his career either so his ranking could increase with more big wins.
I never thought that I would see the day that a modern boxer, in an era of fight ducking and just two fights per year, would come close to the top 10 of all time, but Pacquiao has broken the mold of a modern boxer.
Two Cents On Not-So-Current Events
What's up? Just thought I'd put my 2 cents worth in again. For starters I'd have to say that I hate Floyd Mayweather's fighting style almost as much as his mouth and hope Manny whoops him if the fight even happens. There are not too many pure boxing fans that appreciate his defensive nature and just do enough to win style. For the money he makes he should be more concerned about entertaining the fans and making more fans if he was exciting. Without the fans he would be nobody. I think most people only watch him to hopefully see him get beat. Most people could care less if he's undefeated. They want to see a fight.
I've become a lot more of an MMA fan than I used to be just because they do like to fight. Hardly any of them are undefeated and nobody cares because they almost always put on a show. I can turn on WEC and watch a fight with guys I've never heard of and see a damn good fight often. For some reason that just doesn't seem to happen in boxing.
Another thing I'd like to mention is I think people are overreacting to Manny's stepping up in weight classes. As far as I know Manny started out at 106 lbs at 16 years of age. He was just a boy then. I'm 40 years old now and have been lifting weights on and off since I was 12. I'm not quite as lean as I was at 19 but I'm a lot bigger at the same weight. Muscle and Fitness magazine calls it muscle maturity. Maybe that could be the case with Manny.
Anyways, on the other hand, I do not understand why so many people are so confident Manny is not on something. Have they not noticed all the other rich and important and trusting figures that get caught in lies or break the law everyday (Tiger Woods for example)? It seems that nobody can be trusted 100%. It does seem kind of strange that he won't do whatever it takes to shut the Mayweathers up and clear his name. Allegedly not liking needles doesn't seem to make much sense when he does have tattoos. Just curious what your thoughts are. One more thing. It was impressive Manny beating Cotto but it seems to me Cotto's power was overrated a bit. Who was Cotto knocking out recently to show it? I can't think of anyone. Also, if a couple of his fights (Mosely for one) were a couple more rounds he (Cotto) probably would have been KO'ed too, mainly from fatigue. Thanks.
-Ackerman
Ackerman,
I agree with your take regarding Mayweather being a boring fighter. The guy seems to not even think that anything is wrong when the entire arena is booing him.
Cotto was a very strong fighter and had good punching power, but was known more for his physical strength than his power. He wore fighters down over the course of a fight instead of knocking them out with one punch. I can't knock Cotto at all and don't think he was overrated one bit. His combination of skill and strength is extremely rare.
I don't really know what to think about Pacquiao's alleged fear of needles. I do think that giving blood two days before the fight could potentially affect your performance so I can see why he would object there. However giving blood a week before the fight seems okay, and two weeks before would allow for even more recovery time. What has he got to lose? I am not 100% sure that Pacquiao is steroid free, as I can say that same thing about Mayweather or any other person. However I personally do not think he is a cheater.
Pacman Lawsuit
You said that Little Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya had been very careful with their words after all this time, and that makes them not guilty right? Well, I think you missed some events that happened there Mr. boy wonder.
Maybe you don't know anything or haven't read anything about Oscar's blog's on his Ring Magazine column. Wait, you didn't? Ah ok! That makes sense, so don't argue! And what about Mayweather being very vocal about the Philippines having or making the best ped's ever? Have you read about that? Naah! I think you didn't! Becasue if those comments were made and they wouldn't incriminate someone, i don't really know what will!
Don't be ignorant, you say that they were careful, so they're innocent. But what about Pacman? You seem to acknowledge that he is guilty already. For what? For not having the test? Or for not buying Mayweather's bluff? Think real hard Mr. boy wonder because maybe, or just maybe your brain might be on to something!
-Oliver Bono
Oliver,
I have talked about De La Hoya's blog and Mayweather's interview several times in previous mailbags. Trying doing a little bit of research or background check before assuming or calling names. You will look like less of a fool.
Of course I've read Oscar De La Hoya's Ring Magazine blog. And no, I don't think that it is actionable. He essentially asked the question “What is Pacquiao hiding by not taking the drug tests?”. That is a question that millions others have asked because it is a logical question, not a slanderous one. Oscar was careful with his words to only pose questions and not accuse.
And of course I have heard the interview that Floyd had on Sirius XM radio where when asked about Pacquiao he responded by saying “The Philippines has the best enhancement drugs”. Though this is not quite as harmless as Oscar's blog, according to the US legal system, Pacquiao has to prove damages and that Floyd was acting maliciously. The way that Floyd made the statement he was not directly accusing Pacquiao, only making a general statement about the country of the Philippines. I don't think this will hold up in court.
We'll see when the lawsuit is resolved who is right about whether Pacquiao will win his lawsuit. Based on how I have seen other cases like this play out in the past I am fairly confident that at the very least, Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Jr. will not be found guilty. Defamation cases are very difficult to win in the United States.
Who Beat Bad Chad?
I know most people consider Chad Dawson to be the man to beat at light heavyweight. I think he is pretty good but not sure if he belongs at the top of the pound for pound rankings. After seeing that fight he had with Glen Johnson I know he can be beat. Who do you think is going to eventually give Dawson his first lost?
-Herb
Herb,
That tough first fight with Glen Johnson is a bit misleading I think. Dawson was coming off of two soft opponents and was probably mentally unprepared as a young fighter to make the transition from scrubs to world class. As you can see, Dawson fought Johnson's fight, trying to slug it out with a brawler to very poor results. In the rematch against Johnson, Dawson boxed and used his advantages, coming away with an easy decision.
Chad can box from a distance, or mix it up and trade. Either way, he is going to throw a ton of punches and outlast his opponent with his trademark stamina. He will do whatever gives him the best chance to win. As he ages he is maturing into an intelligent, and not just a physically gifted boxer.
I don't see anyone in the light heavyweight division or below who I would favor over Chad Dawson right now. Bernard Hopkins is too old to keep up with Dawson's work rate. Perhaps if Tavoris Cloud is able to impress me and decisively beat Glen Johnson then I would entertain Cloud beating Dawson as a possibility. Maybe a super middleweight could do it. Say, the winner of the Super Six tournament, or Lucian Bute. Even though the super middleweight division is much better than the light heavyweight, I don't like the chances of those guys moving up in weight against Dawson.
I will end the mailbag here folks. Come back next time for more mailbag fun. Until then, send in your emails to be feature next week!
]]>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.]]>
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.
If you have less of an understanding of the world than your two month old, perhaps you should not only not be watching wrestling yourself, but perhaps you shouldn’t be having any more children… Is the problem wrestling, or is the problem the fact that these parents make me think Papa Shango could parent better? Forget that, I’ll use another Charles Wright character…perhaps the problem is that these parents make me think The Godfather could parent better.
Seriously, Vince McMahon treated Shane McMahon better in their WrestleMania X-Seven match than a lot of parents treat their children daily. The egomaniacal Vince McMahon overbearing father figure is a great character and it works because people can relate. Sadly, kids have fathers like that, and it isn’t in a fantasy realm known as pro wrestling. A lot of parents could care less about their children and let the TV be their baby sitter. With that kind of mindset, even Disney movies could be turned into a negative. Oh, wait…Disney movies include various sexual references, guns, and violence already as well. My bad. The Godfather is looking like a great alternative already.
So, back to the question at hand: what age is appropriate to let your children watch wrestling, if ever? Well, not only does it depend on the parents, but it also depends on the child. Not every child is the same. Each child has their own gimmick. Trust me, not all kids are main eventers, and most barely can jerk the curtain. It all comes down to personal identity. If you have given birth to a Great Khali, first of all, that is one huge baby, and second, perhaps it is best to wait and see how he turns out before opening his mind to wrestling.
What age is right for your child? This is something that you have to look at and find out for yourself. What do you expect of me, I can’t do it all. I have less of a clue about raising a child than TNA has about how to define their own brand of wrestling. Some questions you should ask of your child to see if they are ready: are they old enough to understand, is their mind advanced enough to get the concept, do they think Batista is a great in ring talent? Seriously, if they think that last one is true, grab the remote and click off the television before their world view becomes too tainted. We do not need any children running around who think Batista has “mad skillz.”
If your child likes to hit people, kick people, and push people for no reason, perhaps wrestling isn’t their thing. Or perhaps Daddy should stop beating him and learn how to parent. Did he learn it from W.W.E., or did it learn it from D.A.D.? Then again, what young boy doesn’t rough house? “Boys will be boys” right? Remember when WCW’s slogan was, “Where the big boys play? That should be telling. The point here is that I know many a child that doesn’t watch wrestling that is more violent than an ECW non televised main event circa 1996.
I know this is going to sound odd, but perhaps the solution to children being so violent is to have them watch wrestling once their mind can handle it. Perhaps, just perhaps, please stay with me here…perhaps fake violence is a better alternative than real violence. One is an art form, the other, well, according to MMA, it is also an art form.
Is all of wrestling for children? No. But, what is? Most of the banal and mediocre television shows on TV are far worse for kids than wrestling. In wrestling, children can learn how to have an imagination. What is so wrong about wonder, about thinking, about dreaming, about imagining?
What’s worse, seeing men fighting with each other in a controlled atmosphere where they really aren’t trying to hurt each other, or watching a baseball game where a grown man literally attempts to hurt another man by throwing a 100 mile per hour baseball at his head? Technically, that could kill the batter. So, what is better, actual attempted murder, or fake attempted murder? That was a Steve Austin/Brian Pillman reference.
People like to always pick on wrestling because it is an easy target for being dumped on. But, what is worse? Watching hockey and seeing men actually having real fistfights, or watching men create a masterpiece using their bodies as the tools of art? I’ll tell you what is worse than both, and that is the idea of Brawl For All. Want another example? What is worse? Watching the NBA where grown men jump into the stands and attack fans, or watching wrestling where grown men jump into the ring and attack wrestlers?
Here’s the reality of life: the world sucks a lot of times. You can’t hide reality from children forever. I realize that wrestling isn’t the greatest thing for children, but there are a lot of positive things that a kid can get from it. There is no reason to stifle children because of your narrow minded view of wrestling. Reality is far worse than any wrestling storyline that has even been written, and that includes Sheamus still being WWE Champion despite my numerous attempts to show how unworthy he is of such an accolade.
What is worse? Accidentally having the TV tuned to USA network on a Monday night at 9 o’clock, or having your kids awake the morning of September 11, 2001 with the television tuned to any one of the 1,763 channel that exist now? At least the wrestling thing is “fake.” Much like I mentioned in my column about backyard wrestling, as long as you are a good parent, there shouldn’t be a problem. If you are a good parent, your child can enjoy wrestling in an acceptable atmosphere. Then again, one can always go back to blurring the line of fantasy and reality by staying in “their” chair drinking themselves into oblivion while their children sit by wondering not what Chris Jericho is doing with his hair, but why Daddy has passed out yet again.
]]>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 13th, 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 13th, 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.
Not only did the referee wrong Harris, but he also did a disservice to Mattheysse. It is likely that he would have stopped Harris, judging by the way the fight was going. He would have most likely won fair and square, but now there is much doubt and we will never know. All we know is that Huerta should never be allowed to referee another bout again and should be investigated. It is hard to watch the stoppage and find any way to justify it.
Vitali Klitschko Retiring …
The WBC Heavyweight Champion, Vitali Klitschko, has mentioned that he will retire after collecting the WBA title. This means that we should have “Dr. IronFist” for two more fights.
The first on the agenda is former 2-Time Heavyweight Champion, Nikolay Valuev, the “Russian Giant.” Most boxing fans and many that cover the sport quickly dismiss Valuev as a legitimate top heavyweight, but he is. The two defeats on his record were to David Haye and Ruslan Chagaev, both of which knew to use a lot of movement. The slow-footed Valuev does not cope well with movers, but Vitali is no mover, and this will be a competitive fight when and if it comes off.
The winner of David Haye/John Ruiz would be the next up and the final opponent for Vitali, should he get beyond Valuev. Most favor Haye to defeat Ruiz, and he most likely will take the decision. So, Vitali ekes by Valuev with a decision and Haye beats Ruiz by decision in the 116-112 range, leaving Vitali’s last fight, if everything goes according to plan.
Haye might be too small for Vitali, but the Kevin Johnson fight with the WBC Kingpin proved that he can be frustrated and his power can be nullified with the right game plan. Haye has a chance, but the odds on favorite would have to be Vitali.
The big issue with Vitali retiring, even if he were to win both the WBA and hold onto the WBC title is that the division will have yet another heavyweight leaving with titles around their waist. Lennox Lewis did the same thing when there were no more worlds left to conquer. Vitali is a victim of the modern day heavyweight. There is no big showdown that he could have to generate excitement with the American fans. He will retire and be forgotten.
]]>By Geno McGahee
ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights
This Friday on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights, super bantamweight Antonio Escalante, 22-2, 14 KO’s, will take on Miguel Roman, 28-6, 20 KO’s, in Texas. Escalante is currently on an eight fight winning streak, five of which are by knockout since his defeat to Mauricio Pastrana in 2007. He has had two notable wins as of late, scoring an early knockout over Gary Stark, JR., and winning a decision against Cornelius Lock.
Roman has gone 3-3 in his last six bouts, but he has never been stopped and did stop two prospects in recent outings. He will be coming into this fight with a puncher’s chance.
In the supporting bout, light welterweight Danny Garcia, 15-0, 10 KO’s, takes on veteran Ashley Theophane, 25-3-1, 7 KO’s, in an eight round bout.
Double Assault PPV
This Saturday, Wilfredo Vazquez, JR., 17-0-1, 14 KO’s, will headline a pay per view coming from Puerto Rico entitled “Double Assault,” featuring Vazquez, JR., in the main event against Marvin Sonsona, 14-0-1, 12 KO’s, for the vacant WBO Super Bantamweight Title.
The interim WBO Latino Super Bantamweight Title will be decided as Jonathan Oquendo, 17-2, 11 KO’s, squares off against Reynaldo Lopez, 30-7-3, 21 KO’s, for 12 rounds.
The card looks rather poor for a pay per view, but it is one nonetheless. Rent at your own risk.
]]>By Joe Wilson
(Managing Editor’s Note: Joe Wilson is our newest Feature Writer here at RSR and I, along with the rest of the team, welcome him aboard.)
On March 13, 2010, the bright lights of Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will once again be the big stage for a main event. This time it won’t be the NBA All-star game, which just recently held a record crowd of over 108,000+ fans. The main event this night will be the sport of boxing, Manny Pacquiao versus Joshua Clottey.
This type of event is usually housed in a place like MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas or one of its venues on the strip. Manny Pacquiao just fought there back in November 2009, where he punished Miguel Cotto before a huge crowd. Joshua Clottey’s last fight took place before a crowd at Madison Square Garden in New York City against Miguel Cotto back in early 2009. Clottey lost a close 12 round decision. There were some skeptics who thought Clottey did enough to win that fight.
Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao has been pleasing boxing fans all over the world lately. He has become one of the most exciting fighters to watch. He is known for his “take no prisoners” attitude. This little guy has marched up the weight divisions from 106 pounds all the way to the welterweight division. And he has beaten up everyone who has stepped in the ring with him. Pacquiao has carried his strength up to heavier weight divisions very well. He has not lost any speed while doing so. It’s very rare that a boxer can do that.
What seems to make Manny Pacquiao a big threat for most fighters is his style of fighting. He fights with pure aggression. Pacquiao moves in and out like no other fighter today. He throws punches from all angles with power in both hands.
The speed factor of Pacquiao is hard to match, because of the way he bounces in and out. The way he uses his legs gives power to his punches. Once he starts to land his punches clean, it’s usually not long before he gets his opponent out of there. From watching his past fights, he usually gets stronger as the fight goes on.
Okay, let’s talk about Joshua Clottey. How can he win?
If you talk to Joshua Clottey, he might tell you he’s never lost a fight! Some may agree with him, being that he’s only been knocked down once in his career, by a punch. That knockdown came in his last bout against Miguel Cotto. Even that knockdown was questionable by many who viewed the fight. Joshua Clottey has never been knocked out by any fighter.
Joshua Clottey is a big strong welterweight, who will keep coming forward. He feels his size advantage and counterpunching skills will be key in a victory over Manny Pacquiao. Joshua Clottey also feels his true size advantage will be something new and different for Manny Pacquiao. Clottey realizes, when Pacquiao defeated Six Time World Champion Oscar De La Hoya, he was aged and weight drained. He also mentioned Pacquiao defeat over a blown-up Ricky Hatton, who had not fully recovered from the 10 round knockout by the Undefeated World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather the previous year, was no big deal! Clottey said, “Pacquiao’s destruction of Miguel Cotto was only a shell of what was left after fighting Antonio Margarito, Zab Judah, Shane Mosley and himself.”
Joshua Clottey feels, if he can take away Manny Pacquiao’s right hook, which is his knockout punch, then he thinks this fight becomes one sided. He feels his size and counterpunching will offset the speed of Pacquiao. In the opinion of some, this fight matches up pretty well. There is a height and reach advantage for Clottey, but that’s seems to be normal with most of Pacquiao’s opponents.
Freddie Roach, the trainer for Manny Pacquiao, has already predicted this fight ending by knockout. Roach feels that Joshua Clottey’s style will be tailor-made just for Pacquiao to give him his first defeat by knockout. There are many fight fans around the world that feel Joshua Clottey has no chance of winning this fight. Some think he will spend too much time on the defense covering up and they feel he will not have much left in the tank going into later rounds, if the fight ends up there.
If Joshua Clottey finds a way to take away Pacquiao’s right hook, and jam some hard punches straight through the center, he might be able to throw Pacquiao off his game plan. He will have to study the tapes of Manny Pacquiao fights against Juan Manuel Marquez. Marquez gave Pacquiao trouble in both of those fights. Marquez proved that good counterpunching could pose major problems for Pacquiao. Clottey will be much stronger than Marquez, and if he’s able to land clean on Pacquiao, his punches will do much more damage than Marquez’s.
I remember vividly back in February 1990, I was ordering food from the drive-thru at my neighborhood restaurant. The guy at the window looked me in my eyes and asked me, “was I a fan of boxing?” I answered, “Yes!” He said, “You are not going to believe this but James “Buster” Douglas has just knocked out “Iron Man” Mike Tyson in Tokyo.”
I remember like yesterday, it seemed to me the world stopped at that moment! The guy handed me my order, I pulled over to the side of the parking lot, and just sat in the car speechless.
Twenty years later, can lightening strike the same way twice? However, this time it could strike on the biggest stage two fighters has ever fought on. The Cowboy Stadium of Arlington, Texas is a $1.5 billion dollar arena. Will Joshua Clottey pull off a big upset against Manny Pacquiao? Will those bright lights be too much of a test for either fighter? No other fighters have had the privilege of boxing on a stage this big. Will there be stage fright come the night of March 13, 2010? Only time can answer these questions. The clock is ticking… ]]>
By Geno McGahee
In 1993, a 21-0, young Roy Jones, JR., would step into the ring and vie for the IBF Middleweight Title against the then unknown Bernard Hopkins. The fight would be tactical with the activity of Jones, JR., being the difference, and he would walk away with the title and a unanimous decision. Hopkins went on to become one of the best middleweights of all time, winning the title and defending it twenty times, and Jones went on to dominate the light heavyweight division.
The two had considered a rematch for some time, and it made a lot of sense when Roy was pound for pound king and Hopkins emerged as the real deal when he stopped Felix Trinidad in 2001, but they couldn’t agree on the price. Both men wanted more money and the negotiations collapsed, but now, with neither having many options, they have found each other again, seventeen years after their first encounter, and boy have times changed.
This fight is being put forth in April on Pay Per View, and the pitch is that they are trying to settle some unfinished business. Roy holds the win and Hopkins wants desperately to avenge it. I hope you are wearing boots. It’s getting awfully high in here. The true motive behind this fight is to screw the public and make as much money as they can. Both men will try to win, but I don’t think that it’s a great motive for either.
And why is this a pay per view? Even before Roy got stopped in one round by Danny Green, it was ridiculous, but now, it makes even less sense. At one time, Roy was an absolutely fantastic fighter with lightning reflexes and great timing, but he has lost it. He is now better than other shot fighters like Omar Sheika and Jeff Lacy, two men he’s beaten in recent times, but he is not good enough to be in the top tier of the light heavyweight division or anywhere around there.
Danny Green is not a great fighter but he’s got a punch and he still has a lot left in the tank. He exposed Jones for the spent force that he is, pummeling him until the referee stopped it. Roy, at first, gave him total credit for the win, but we know Roy. Quickly after the fight, he began making accusations against Green, stating that he had loaded gloves and that the fight result should be changed to a DQ win for Jones, JR.
Jones, JR’s ego cannot handle losing via first round stoppage, so he has to make some excuse. The loaded gloves excuse not only helps him save face and may even convince some gullible people that he got jobbed, but it also saves this PPV. He can now dismiss that loss and forge on…
The hype leading up to this fight should not be viewed unless you want to lose your lunch. The two fighters throwing insults at each other, face to face, was as staged as can be, and I would not rule out an agreement to fight to a draw to get the public to buy a third encounter. If you remember when Hopkins fought Winky Wright on PPV and they had that obviously staged moment where Bernard shoved Winky’s face with the palm of his hand…well, here we go again.
Hopkins is not as shot as Jones. He’s crafty and has compensated his declining reflexes with ring smarts and some dirty tactics. He fought a close fight with Joe Calzaghe, losing a split decision, and dominated Kelly Pavlik, the Middleweight Champion. He defeated Antonio Tarver without much trouble, but his time is coming to an end. He’s still good enough to defeat 90% of the challengers put in front of him, but he is not a seat filler. His fights are ugly and predictable. We are going 12 rounds and it’s going to be a long and boring ride.
When he faced Pavlik, the promotion focused on whether or not Pavlik could stop Hopkins…anything to sell it. Will Kelly win by KO or will it be a horribly boring fight that goes to the cards? It was the latter.
Although Hopkins has more left, his current record in his last seven fights is 4 wins, 3 losses. Roy is 5 wins, 5 losses, in his last ten. So you combine the records here in recent outings, you have only a 52% winning percentage. They are both at the end of their roads, and this encounter is just a payday and a big one if you allow it to be.
Hopkins, 50-5-1, 32 KO’s, is the favorite, if that means anything. On paper, his current style will be affective against Roy, 54-6, 40 KO’s. If you are banking on a stoppage, don’t. You can go to your refrigerator on this one people. Go there and stay there for a few rounds. It might be more exciting then this fight that they are trying to sell us.
If you are a betting man or woman and want to turn over some money, a bet on a boring Hopkins 12 round decision is a safe bet. Roy has zero left. He was never the same since he moved up to heavyweight to beat John Ruiz in 2003, and then seemed to lose everything when he moved back down to light heavyweight. Through creative matchmaking, he has given the illusion to some that he may still be a big force, and some have even called for his inclusion in the Showtime Super Six, prior to his KO loss to Green, but the cat is out of the bag, and Roy is no longer an elite fighter…far from it.
Roy needs Hopkins more than the other way around, and Hopkins sees this as the easiest money. He thought about taking on Danny Green or Tomasz Adamek, but he would have most likely lost both fights. Against Roy, he will look like the Hopkins of old, and most likely win the majority of the rounds, and will then call out all of the biggest names in boxing, only to price himself out of the fights when the come on the table.
Roy Jones, JR., and Bernard Hopkins were all time greats, but the pay per view that they have put together is an insult to the public and presents nothing compelling or important to modern boxing. It is a sham. Don’t waste your money or time on it.
]]>
By Gina L. Caliboso
As you boxing fans may have noticed, our website has gone through a major transformation. So, I’ve decided to take a look back and re-introduce my Filipino Boxing Report on up and coming Filipino fighters.
As I’ve discovered, there is more Pinoy boxing power out there and the number of Pinoy boxing talent is quickly increasing. Today, I’m happy to introduce another fighter – Mark Jason “MJM Grand” Melligen, 17-2, 13, KO’s. MJM Grand is currently listed as a Cebu City resident and fighter, but as my island roots go far – I’ll acknowledge that he’s originally from my mother’s island too – Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.
A southpaw, Melligen made his debut back in 2006 and he started out with a 1st round TKO against William George in a scheduled 4 round bout. Now, four years later, he has fought rather steadily. After his debut in 2006 and through 2008 he has primarily fought in the Philippines. In 2006, he went undefeated in 6 bouts, ending fights within the opening rounds. In October 2006, his first challenge came against Cris Alag. He defeated Alag over 8 rounds in a unanimous decision.
As he came into 2007, in a bout for the Interim WBO Asia Pacific light welterweight bout, Melligen suffered his first loss when Yong-Sung Kim knocked him out in the 7th round of a 12 round bout. It was also Melligen’s first taste of facing a fighter outside the Philippines and in front of a hometown crowd in Seoul, South Korea. Knocked out but not counted out, Melligen quickly rebounded from this loss when he fought 3 more times and won all 3 bouts. He again ended his fight year with a competitive bout. In a fight against Dondon Lapus, Melligen fought a 10 round bout that went the distance.
Melligen earned the judges’ scorecards and defeated Lapus with a unanimous decision.
As he entered into 2008, his fight schedule tapered off and with good results. He proceeded to fight three times in 2008. And, he went on to win all three. In February 2008, he fought Tia Koswara to a 10 round unanimous decision. After Koswara, he quickly TKO’d Payakchai Sithparadorm in the first round in a scheduled 6 round bout. Melligen ended 2008 with a quick 1st round KO against Alag again.
On paper, I look at Melligen’s 2009 fight year as a transition into fighting in the United States. It can always be a difficult transition for a pro fighter to make his way into the American professional boxing scene, but Melligen’s performances reveal a steady improvement. More importantly, Melligen’s fighting under the Las Vegas lights and demonstrated poise and ability to handle the scrutiny and pressure of a Vegas bout.
There are also the comparisons to Manny Pacquiao.
Yes, it took me quite a few paragraphs to NOT mention Pacquiao, but Melligen does face this comparison and he should get used to it. Pacquiao is a driving force in the international boxing world and he’s such a shining, living example of pride for the Philippines. Any fighter and really, ANY Filipino fighter is going to be considered the next Pacquiao. It’s not so much the up and coming fighters are overshadowed – I’d argue that the up and coming Filipino fighters face a high level of expectation of excellence and success. Melligen’s rise through the welterweight ranks will be slow and steady and hopefully his management will pick the right fights for him.
So, back to Melligen’s 2009 year. In March 2009, he faced Gerardo Cesar Prieto, 6-8 and defeated him in the 5th round with a TKO. Two months later in May 2009, he went up against Ramon Montano, 17-7, 2 KO’s and emerged with an 8 round unanimous decision. He fought again in June and defeated Fabian “El Lobo” Luque, 21-9, 12 KO’s with a 2nd round TKO in a scheduled 8 round bout. In August 2009, he defeated Ernesto “Baby Face” Zepeda, 39-13, 14 KO’s with a 4th round TKO in a scheduled 10 round bout. Finally, in November 2009, Melligen didn’t exactly end his year with a quick win.
He fought against Michel Rosales, 24-3 and lost in a 10 round split decision. As an observer, I’d say that Melligen was in the gym as he quickly took bouts with not much time in between to rest and re-group. Like I say, boxers need time to recuperate both physically and mentally. Although 2009 ended with a tough split decision loss, it may have just been too much ring time for Melligen.
Finally, this past Saturday in Pinoy Power III, Melligen began his 2010 fight year with an impressive 6th round TKO against Texas native Raymond “Ray Lino” Gatica, 11-1, 6 KO’s in a scheduled 8 round bout.
At 23 years old, Melligen is already on the path of a great fight career. As Pacquiao successfully ascended into success through 5 different weight divisions, Melligen is a true welterweight talent. He shows great power punches to the body with a solid jab hook combination to both body and head. His left cross has tremendous power potential and is delivered with great timing and efficiency in combination.
Currently ranked #74 among welterweights, Melligen may consider losing some weight to fight at light welterweight. In the light welterweight division, Melligen can pose a challenge to fighters such as Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley, Ricky “Hitman” Hatton, and Nate “Galaxxy Warrior” Campbell. Put heavily touted Amir Khan and Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi into this mix of potential match-ups.
As 2010 unfolds for all boxing fans I’m sure we’ll see Melligen produce and cultivate his talent. I suppose that’s really my point. It is the year for Filipino boxers. Mark Jason “MJM Grand” Melligen has a promising fight career now and in the future.
]]>
By Eoin Redahan
The contrasting portrayal of British-based boxers in the U.S. and U.K. media tells its own story: If these fighters want credibility across the Atlantic, then they must fight there on a regular basis.
A beeping alarm teased the mountain from its slumber. It stretched its rugged frame, drank a cup of coffee, and told its wife it would be back by nightfall. It rumbled across the land and sloshed across the ocean as inconspicuously as possible before arriving at its friend’s door.
Muhammad sprang from his sitting to answer the doorbell. The mountain - which towered above the doorstep - had brought a packet of biscuits. “That was nice of you,” smiled Muhammad. “I had thought of coming to you, but I figured you would turn up at my door sooner or later.” “That’s exactly what Joe Calzaghe said,” the mountain replied.
If boxing in the U.S. can be likened to a mountain, then British-based (and European) boxers play the part of Muhammad. The mountain stays where it is, and the boxers come to it. The reality for fighters based in Europe is that they have very little chance of exposure in the U.S. if they stay where they are. They can win world titles and even fight a sprinkling of U.S. opponents in foreign climbs, but few will attain credibility without that move. This taints legacies, lightens fortunes, and reduces popularity.
Amir Khan and David Haye are two British world champions who seem to suffer from this dearth of exposure (and credibility). Khan is yet to fight in the U.S. and Haye hasn’t been enticed back since fighting in the Playboy Mansion in 2003. This is reflected in the paucity of column inches in many prominent U.S. newspapers. Not only do the The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Boston Globe (among others) offer scant boxing coverage for domestic fights; they publish markedly less for fights outside the U.S.
Take David Haye as an example. He forged his name as a swashbuckling cruiserweight with awesome power and a flighty chin. He moved from the relative comfort of cruiserweight, and within about a year he defeated the gargantuan Nikolai Valuev for a world heavyweight title in Nuremberg, Germany. You would think that this would merit a glut of articles in U.S. papers along the David vs. Goliath and Evander Holyfield reincarnate themes. You would be wrong.
The Boston Globe’s sportlog on November 8 provides a case in print. Buried beneath a deluge of winter sports, tennis miscellany, golf, and sophomore basketball, there is a line that reads: “David Haye won the World Boxing Association heavyweight title with a split decision over Nikolai Valuev in Nuremberg, Germany.” The Chad Dawson vs. Glen Johnson bout of the same night is also endowed with a single line of text. There were 807 words in that article; the new world heavyweight champion was worthy of 19.
A blog from the online newspaper, The Huffington Post, offered a starker reminder of the fighter’s lack of profile. An article entitled “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fightin’” asked if anyone knew either Valuev or “the anonymous Brit” he was up against. It continued: “Give up? Nikolai Valuev lost to a bloke named David Haye. Who said Haye is for horses?”
Amir Khan’s coverage in The New York Times after his win over Dmitriy Salita (in December) speaks volumes about his renown stateside. In a briefing, taken from the Agence France-Presse newswire, only one sentence was devoted to the Bolton boxer’s exploits against his Brooklyn-based opponent.
In that particular brief, Khan also received second billing; the first paragraph covered Julio Cesar Chavez Junior’s positive diuretic test. Even a much-maligned fighter with a heavily-padded record gets more column inches in a briefing than the world light welterweight champion.
This contrasts sharply with the amount of media coverage both boxers receive in the U.K. While boxing is a niche sport in Britain, world titleholders still are still the objects of fervid prose and televised hype.
For instance, despite the fact that he had fought only once in 2009 in a dull and uninspiring contest, David Haye was placed on the shortlist of 10 for the BBC sports personality of the year (he finished ninth).
Similarly, in a November 10th article with The Times of London, Haye was described as having “just made the move into the superstar bracket.” Considering the indifference of many high profile U.S. publications, it is safe to assume that he doesn’t enjoy a similarly stratospheric profile in the U.S. Therein lies the crux of the matter. Haye may be large beer in the U.K., but he will not receive adequate recognition until he makes waves on American shores.
Perhaps he should follow the example of Lennox Lewis, Britain’s closest embodiment of a heavyweight “superstar.” After fighting mainly in Britain and Canada for the early part of his career, Lewis took on all comers in Las Vegas, New York and New Jersey (among other venues). He indented his status by making the U.S. the platform for showcasing his pugilistic prowess.
Encouragingly, David Haye would appear to be almost as marketable as Lewis was. He is not as accomplished technically, but he is exciting to watch, has a huge knockout percentage and brings genuine charisma to boxing’s whirligig; however, it seems that, unless he fights in the US regularly - or knocks out a Klitschko brother - he will struggle for mainstream exposure.
The same pertains to Khan. His pay-per-view defeat of Juan Antonio Barrera may have made a major statement about his credentials in Europe, and his victory over Andrea Kotelnik cemented that promise; however, his lack of fight-time stateside means that he desperately needs to start fighting established names in the U.S. to garner significant notice from fight fans. Khan needs to go in against fighters such as Malignaggi, Bradley, Maidana, Marquez, or Ortiz to become credible.
At least both David Haye and Amir Khan seem to be in a good position to broaden the public lens. Khan has signed on with Golden Boy and trains with Freddie Roach; and, despite promoting himself, Haye has a working relationship with the same body. As we have seen in the past, the failure to clasp this U.S. meal ticket can famish a boxer’s legacy.
Joe Calzaghe is a prime example of this. He comprised many of the ingredients needed to become a darling of U.S. fight fans. He had blurring hand speed for a big man; he retained cat-like reflexes throughout his career; he was undefeated and had a durable chin; he even the good looks we are constantly told are so marketable; however, Calzaghe fought outside the U.K. only four times in a 46-fight career. He lingered on the eastern side of the Atlantic until Roy Jones’ and Bernard Hopkins’ temples sprouted suggestions of grey. By that stage, many hardened U.S. fans’ respect for him had eroded, and his American legacy is tainted despite his outstanding ability.
The grim truth for many British and European boxers is that, like Calzaghe, their credibility is largely dependent on U.S. exposure. The indifference of its media provides the starkest of mirrors.
As the saying goes: If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must come to the mountain.
]]>By Geno McGahee
Manny Pacquiao, 50-3, 38 KO’s, Joshua Clottey, 35-3, 20 KO’s, Floyd Mayweather, JR., 40-0, 25 KO’s, and Shane Mosley, 46-5, 39 KO’s, all come together in the near future in showdowns that will shape the future of boxing.
On March 13th, we have the return of Filipino national hero, Manny Pacquiao, as he defends his WBO Welterweight Crown against the challenge of Joshua Clottey. The boxing fans watched as the proposed and nearly signed contest between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, JR., disintegrated. It got dirty as steroids allegations against Manny surfaced from Team Mayweather. Manny countered with a lawsuit and opted out of the fight, electing to take on the challenge of Clottey.
In this welterweight foursome, Clottey is the forgotten man. He isn’t much more than “the opponent” in the estimation of most and many writers are now looking ahead to Pacquiao facing the winner of Mosley – Mayweather. I don’t think that the fans realize the incredible threat that the former IBF Welterweight Champ poses to the Pacman.
How Clottey Beats Pacquiao
Clottey will have to start earlier than usual to avoid losing a close decision, which seems like the most likely scenario going into this fight. In 2007, he took on Diego Corrales, another fighter that was moving up and gave him a systematic beating, winning a wide decision. Pacquiao is a better welterweight then Corrales was, but the standard has been set. This is Clottey’s division. He has been there the majority of his career and will be motivated not to lose to a smaller man. This is the same position that Bernard Hopkins was in when he faced off against smaller man, Felix Trinidad, in 2001. He stopped Trinidad. This is what Clottey hopes to do and it will be what he will do to win this fight.
Clottey has a good punch but he will have to be more aggressive as the rounds go by in order to get the upset TKO win. He must stay behind the defense and start backing Manny up. He has to make Pacquiao realize that he is the smaller man and not just stand there and wait for something to happen. Miguel Cotto controlled Pacquiao in the first round of their fight, but could not adjust when Manny made his adjustments. Clottey must control the fight with his jab from the get-go and keep coming forward, using the consistency which has brought him so much success, leading to a late round TKO.
How Pacquiao Beats Clottey
Despite the lack of marquee value, Clottey is a much tougher opponent for Manny then Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, or Miguel Cotto. This is, arguably, the biggest test in the career of Manny. To come out victorious, he has to use his straight punches, which seem to be the punch that gives Clottey trouble. I don’t think that the hooks of Manny will work that well. He needs to use movement and the punches right down the middle. I don’t think that he will be able to stop Clottey, but he could outwork him, taking a decision.
Prediction
Manny is so confident right now that it is hard to see him losing to anyone and with Freddie Roach in his corner, you have to assume that he is coming with a strong game plan to come out with a victory, most likely by decision. Pacquiao will take an early lead, have some scares down the stretch, but come out with a win in the 115-113 range with claims from the Clottey camp that they were robbed and many siding with them.
On May 1st, Floyd “Money” Mayweather finally faces off with long time rival “Sugar” Shane Mosley. It was the best option for both men, as Floyd’s mega bout with Pacquiao fell apart, and Andre Berto backed out of his showdown with Shane. They were left without opponents and found each other, making for a very exciting fight, on paper at least.
How Mosley Beats Mayweather
At 38 years old, the lightweight turned light middleweight champion, Mosley, is beyond his better days, but you wouldn’t know it from his destruction of Antonio Margarito in his last fight. You may know it from his performance against the strong yet limited Ricardo Mayorga, where he scored a final round stoppage in a fight that was even at the point of the stoppage.
The victory over Margarito may be misleading. What was Margarito without the loaded gloves? Maybe that was the key to his success in boxing and Mosley exposed a mediocrity. I’m not sold that Mosley has a lot left. He is still very strong and has an iron chin, but his reflexes are not as good as they once were and he might be a few steps too slow to beat Mayweather. BUT there is a ray of hope. Mosley, for what he lacks in youth, he makes up for in ring smarts and ambition. He will have to press the fight and work hard in order to stop Floyd, which should be the goal. He cannot make this a chess game with Floyd. An aggressive Mosley that is trying to win by KO is the one that he needs to be come fight night.
How Mayweather Beats Mosley
Floyd is a defensive expert and has great timing. He is undefeated, left the sport to pursue some other things, returned and looked like he didn’t miss a beat, battering Juan Manuel Marquez and taking a decision. He doesn’t have many weaknesses. To beat Mosley, he only has to fight as he normally does. He adapts to any style. He may have to throw harder punches to keep Shane in his place, but if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Mayweather should box, be cautious, and build up points. He won’t stop Shane, but he could and should win a decision clearly when the dust settles.
Prediction
It’s a no brainer, really. Floyd is too sharp at this point to lose. Barring any big punch surprising him, I think we can bank on a Floyd UD by scores of 117-111 or 118-110.
These two bouts should once again put Manny and Floyd on a collision course and the money will be greater and the demand will be larger and we will eventually see the two in the ring punching it out for pound for pound supremacy.
]]>
By Geoff “The Professor” Poundes
These days the lines between boxing’s weight divisions are becoming increasingly blurred. With the proliferation of mini’s and junior’s, light’s and super’s, all designed as usual to give the governing bodies more title-fights to tack a sanctioning fee to, a fighter’s poundage has become as elastic as Antonio Margarito’s morals.
In some cases all this has meant is that an undisciplined fighter can still function without getting himself into any kind of shape, like James Toney. Or a fighter can earn a huge payday by boiling himself down to a husk to take on the man of the moment, like Oscar De La Hoya. Or a very skilled fighter can put on a few pounds and make heavier men look silly, like Manny Pacquiao.
Of course in the old days fighters pretty much stayed put at a certain weight until old age and a gathering midriff forced them up the divisions. Some flourished, but most, in truth, perished – prompting the age-old adage: “A good big man always beats a good littl’un”.
Pugilists like Bob Fitzsimmons, Henry Armstrong, Georges Carpentier and the two Sugar Ray’s were rarities: prodigiously talented fighters who knew enough between the ropes to make “light” of a size disparity, if you’ll pardon the pun.
It’s no longer enough to be the best at any given weight. You’ll only get your due after you’ve leapt out of your comfort zone. Everyone’s pound for pound candidates are the weight-jumpers: Pacquiao/Mayweather/Hopkins/ Darchinyan. Paul Williams and Arthur Abraham are only getting their just due now that they’re moving up. Kelly Pavlik tried to fight 10 pounds above his weight, got knocked back, and is now down the pound for pound ratings
Perhaps that’s why Timothy Bradley, 25-0, 11 KO’s, the WBO Light-Welterweight Champion, doesn’t feature in any pound for pounds lists (BoxRec has him at 24, behind the Klitschko’s would you believe). Bradley hit world class in May 2008, when he out-boxed the highly capable Junior Witter to take the WBC light-welterweight title, and he’s remained a 140 pound fighter in each of his four outings since.
There’s been a whirlwind of activity in and around Bradley’s division since he became world champion. Ricky Hatton gave way to Manny Pacquiao (but the Hitman is back looking for a fight), Amir Khan has taken the WBA title, Devon Alexander and Juan Urango have become WBC and IBF champs, and are due to marry those titles together when they fight in a couple of weeks.
Juan Manuel Marquez remains in the picture, and Edwin Valero, the knockout artist, is knocking on the light-welterweight door. Seven pounds up and the picture is filled with explosive talent: Paul Williams is threatening to come
back down, Manny Pacquiao, Joshua Clottey, Floyd Mayweather, JR., and Shane Mosley are fighting each other, with Andre Berto and Marcos Maidana waiting in the wings.
It’s an exciting picture, and the prospective matchups are mouth-watering, and yet, in all the discussions, it’s Timothy Bradley’s name that invariably gets left out.
Part of the reason for that is that Tim is no salesman, but a much bigger part of it is that he’s an exceptionally talented fighter, with few recognizable flaws for these better-known boxers to latch on to. This lack of box-office appeal, coupled with some awesome talent, puts Bradley at the back of the queue for the big paydays.
There’s been talk of a Valero fight, and this week Gary Shaw, Bradley’s promoter, has had crossed words with Bob Arum (Valero’s advocate), where they’ve both blamed each other for failing to tie down the details of a match. Over in England Frank Warren, Amir Khan’s ditched promoter, insists he’d signed Bradley to a fight with the young Briton in the UK, only for Khan to think better of it and decamp to the US with Golden Boy and a much easier night with feather-punching Paulie Malignaggi.
Malignaggi is rated number one by the WBO, yet even he has opted to take the more lucrative (and more winnable) fight with Khan. Even his challengers seem uninterested in a fight with the champion.
Which brings us back to the modern day phenomenon of weightlessness. At 5 feet 6 inches tall, Bradley has never weighed more than 146 in a fight, early in his career, and he’s a smallish light-welter. He’s only stopped 11 opponents, so he’s nothing more than a moderately powerful puncher at the weight. However, to get his just due, and the big paydays, he’s almost certainly going to have to move to welterweight.
He’ll be chastened by Ricky Hatton’s forays amongst the bigger men. A monster at 140, Hatton could bully opponents around a ring and make his strength count, but up at 147 he was bullied himself at times by Luis Collazo and Floyd Mayweather. Bradley is a far slicker fighter than Ricky, and will out-speed and out-think many bigger men, but he won’t have the power to shift them.
In a perfect world Bradley would be permitted to stay at 140, compile 15 to 20 defenses and go down in history as an all-time great. But in this day and age, that’s not possible. Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins put together 20-odd defenses of their respective titles, but didn’t get any credit until they started taking on heavier men. Chad Dawson and Kelly Pavlik look like the best light-heavy and middleweight of their era, able to settle into a long run as champions, but is anyone really interested?
]]>
Boxing Depot Press Release
Make the ring your dance floor
You're going to be moving quick and constantly in the ring. Get shoes that will be your friend. The best boxing boots or shoes will provide traction, shock absorption, cooling, comfort and safety. Hopefully they'll also look good.
Look for treaded shoes that will give you traction even if there's sweat in the ring. Mesh panels will keep you cool while you move and are usually part of a lighter shoe to keep you moving quicker.
There is only one place to get the best boxing shoes and boxing equipment – BoxingDepot.com -helping you get the right gear every step of the way.
BoxingDepot.com now presents a 10% deal on boxing shoes by Everlast, Adidas, Ringside and Grant. Buy the shoes and enter “rsrshoes” at checkout and you will automatically get a 10% discount from BoxingDepot.com
]]>By John Pitroff
Hogan & Flair confirmed to wrestle: Oh, god. This should be interesting, to say the least. I might pay attention just to see how terrible these two are in the ring. And, it has been announced that they will both be wrestling on the debut edition of Impact on March 8. Attempting to sell your new generation of wrestling by having Flair and Hogan wrestle on the show more than a decade past their prime is like the NFL trying to stay hip while making us watch The Who perform 35-40 years past their heyday. As my good friend, comedian Mr. Goodnight said, “Who Cares?”
Not only will both be wrestling on the show, they will be in the same match! What we have on hand for the new wrestling company of the next generation is Abyss & Hulk Hogan vs. AJ Styles & Ric Flair. There is somewhat of a generation gap here, and it seems to show the confused nature of TNA as a whole. They realize it is important to make new stars, they also know the importance of big name talent, but they don’t know how to put them together properly. Why Hulk Hogan and Abyss are teaming is beyond me. How anyone ever dreamed of Hulk Hogan and Abyss as allies is smoking better stuff than RVD was getting at the time of his run as WWE Champion.
Despite all this negativity, I guess something has worked here for TNA, because whether or not I like to admit it, I will be paying attention to this come March 8th. This booking decision might work. I know one thing, it will work better both Flair and Hogan will be able to work come March 8th.
NXT to follow wannabes around like Tough Enough: We all know how well Tough Enough worked, so why not do it again? Let’s look at this situation with some logic: The only talent to come out of Tough Enough are John Morrison and The Miz. And, both of whom are not known as being “Tough Enough” guys. The announcers never mention their history on that show. Why? Because it is bush league and once a star reaches a certain level, it only makes them look bad when you see where they started. They lose that star power quality when you see them bickering amongst friends inside a house fighting over orange juice while wearing pajamas. I know that never specifically happened, but it was pretty close.
How WWE thinks this type of concept is going to work again is beyond me. How many Tough Enough’s were there? I admit that I had to look it up because I stopped paying attention after the first season, but there ended up being a total of four seasons. The best thing to come of Tough Enough besides John Morrison? Jackie Gayda and Charles Haas’ two children.
There are only two wrestlers still involved in WWE from Tough Enough, one of them who didn’t even win it. WWE also signed a ton of the wrestlers from Tough Enough that didn‘t win. What happened to them? I don’t know, and nor do you. And if you do, you watch too much wrestling and read too much about it online. If you have been following whatever happened to Ryan Reeves, seriously, get a life.
The only thing that Tough Enough did was expose the wrestling business and put WWE in a weird position of admitting where wrestlers come from at the same time of having to ignore all of that once one of the alumni became a “WWE Superstar.” What is going to happen with NXT? Will we see the same things happening to a lot of these already established stars of the independent scene? Will it ruin more careers than it makes, will it put WWE in that same awkward position of admitting, “Yeah, this guy is just some dude, he is nothing really special, but we will totally ignore our own show once he reaches that certain level of and has that aura of a star?
One last thing about this before I move on. Why not just call it NEXT? WWE already has enough trouble with stupid three letter abbreviations. WWF, anyone? Get the “F” out? How about get the “NXT” out? WWE needs to stop trying to be so hip and just go ahead and call this show “NEXT,” before they get themselves into even more legal trouble for stealing someone else’s brand name again.
Destination X perhaps an all X Division PPV: I keep hearing that TNA’s Destination X PPV might be an all X Division show, but I seriously doubt it. With Hulk Hogan at the helm of TNA and his love for big name talent and characters as opposed to great in ring work I doubt we will be seeing an all X Division show. Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff both know better than to have an entire thirty five dollar show with no name, no character talent jumping around the ring as if it is a jungle gym.
I have never been a big fan of the X Division. I know I am an online wrestling writer, and I will most likely be killed for a such a statement if anyone ever finds out where I live, but I live with my statement. The X Division is totally overrated. If you don’t hear from me within a few weeks, I have probably been abducted by some 15 year old TNA mark who is torturing by making me watch TNA X Division spotfest after TNA X Division spotfest. I stopped caring about spotfests in 2001 when I saw it perfected at WrestleMania in the TLC match. And, when I had a better spotfest in my backyard at the same age as my kidnapper with my two friends in the backyard of my dad’s house.
I hate to keep agreeing with Hogan here, who, oddly enough also agrees with Vince McMahon on this situation. But, the fact remains that X Division wrestling, or cruiserweight wrestling (which, mind you, is leaps and bounds above X Division wrestling) doesn’t really sell Pay-Per-Views. So, therefore, attempting to sell and entire PPV with all X Division matches is just insane. I will retract all statements and take a Styles Clash off the top of the Ultimate X structure that always seems to botch if I am wrong about his whole concept.
Please, Hogan & Bischoff, know better than to try to sell the wrestling audience to the idea of an all X Division show, especially if you want us to pay for it. If it is really something you want to try that bad, try it out on free television first. Then, go from there.
Wrestling is about having characters that people care about. Wrestling is about making people care enough about who is in the ring. Anyone can jump around like an idiot for 15 minutes. Hulk Hogan, a man who has never been one to have a lot of wrestling moves, knows that it isn’t always the moves that matter, but the character, the man, that is using the moves. Let’s hope he isn’t so old that he has forgotten what made the idea of Hulk Hogan so amazing in the first place. I’m not totally sure what that idea is, but I know what it is not and that is X Division wrestling.
Steve Austin says he will not come back for a match: Thank you, Steve Austin. I have always respected Stone Cold for his in ring work, his character, and his ability to mold them both into what a wrestler should be all about. His treatment of his wife? Not so much. I totally respect the fact that he does not want to come back for another match. He is one of the few wrestlers that realizes once it is time to hang up the boots, it is time to hang up the boots. That does not mean you hang them up for a few weeks, months, or years and then put them back on. His remark that, “I definitely do not have any interest in delivering anything that would be second-best to what I've done before” is what it should be all about. When you can no longer give your best, why give the second rate to the fans?
Austin also remarked that it would never live up to the expectations of fans if himself and Hogan were to ever have a match. I am totally with Austin on this one. It is about time a wrestler was real about his ability once he has retired. It is about time a wrestler put aside the money, the attention, and the fame so that he could come back for one match that will only taint his own legacy. The best thing Austin can do is stay out of the ring and let his work from the past speak for itself, and the best a lot of these other wrestlers can do is learn from someone as amazing a performer as Austin and stay out of the ring once the prime of your career has come and gone.
Jeff Hardy TNA situation: In the epic saga that is the Jeff Hardy TNA situation and my obsession with it, the latest piece of news is that he in fact did not sign a contract the time he appeared on the Monday night Impact special. Apparently, he has a contact waiting for him once he clears up his legal troubles and once he stops being a drug addicted psychopath as opposed to just a regular old psychopath. I have always been a fan of Hardy and think he is the big name that TNA needs to really push themselves to the next level. Read my column on Jeff Hardy and TNA if you really want to know how important he is to that company. It seems as though TNA keeps messing this situation up. Having him debut, attack Homicide, become a painter on the show, never be heard from again, and never be mentioned on TNA television since. It is all just so ridiculous. Let’s hope that this news is true and in fact TNA has him in their back pocket with a contract ready so that he can be what TNA needs him to be.
]]>
By Geno McGahee
The heavyweight division has been considered boring by most boxing fans. The safety first, big European heavyweights have not captured the imagination of the American public, and neither have the challengers from the states that have given non-efforts or have been mediocrities to begin with. The 1990s was a great and exciting time for heavyweight boxing, and now a man that made that decade and the one before it incredibly exciting is coming back to boxing.
Iron Mike Tyson, 50-6, 44 KO’s, has been out of the ring since an embarrassing sixth round TKO loss to Kevin McBride in 2005. Prior to that defeat, he was stopped by Danny Williams and a couple fights before that, he was demolished by Lennox Lewis. Times have changed, however, and Iron Mike is coming back to the sport that he helped flourish when he was mopping the floors with heavyweights in the 1980s and 90s.
According to a source close to Tyson, former Promoter Don King has a tentative deal for Tyson to return to the ring in late 2010. The initial plan is to have Tyson-Holyfield III, but there is rumored hesitation on the part of Iron Mike, and there is a plan B.
A Connecticut heavyweight named Tony Grano, former cruiserweight champ, Jean Marc Mormeck, Vinny Maddalone, and Derric Rossy have all been mentioned as potential first or second comeback opponents for Tyson.
A recent wrench may have been thrown in the works of the Tyson comeback when Don King Aide, Craig Jones, was accused of having sex with a 13 year old girl after taking pornographic pictures of her. He apparently has a history of sexual misconduct. This was important mainly because Jones was working with Tyson and King, planning the comeback tour. His removal from the plan or assumed removal, may mean that the comeback pushes to the beginning of 2011.
The King-Tyson combination is a winner, despite the fact that King fighters have reported to be losers financially in the long run. When Tyson was imprisoned for rape, he was losing popularity. His defeat to Buster Douglas and mediocre performances against Razor Ruddock took away the invincibility belief that the public had. After four years in prison, King resumed control of Tyson and promoted a Pay Per View showdown with Peter McNeeley.
McNeeley did not belong in the ring with a top 50 fighter, let alone Mike Tyson, but the promotion was one of the top promotions in boxing history and it was in large part due to the genius of Don King. Even rival promoter, Bob Arum, noted that King’s handling of the promotion was “genius.”
King knew matchmaking and put Tyson in with Frank Bruno (WBC Champ) and quickly got a title around the waist of his popular power-house. Instead of taking on Lennox Lewis, a fight that Tyson, at that stage, would have probably lost, King would set up a match with Bruce Seldon, the WBA titlist.
Seldon’s weak chin would be the factor that could not be overcome and everyone knew it, but King still sold the PPV without issue. It became the Tyson show again, where the people were interested and didn’t think that any heavyweight could beat him. Even avoiding Lennox Lewis was overlooked. Tyson was the man at this point.
Tyson would lose to Evander Holyfield twice and then have some other strange things happen throughout his career. His persona became chaos and the question was no longer: “Who can beat him?” It became: “What happens if Tyson gets mad?” Unfortunately, we found out a few times.
We are now in 2010 and Mike Tyson is still riding high off an appearance in the movie THE HANGOVER as well as a documentary called TYSON which exposed the people to a softer side of the former 2-Time Champ. He appeared on Oprah and SNL (Saturday Night Live). He was also on a variation of Dancing with the Stars, and in recent photos, appears to be getting back into shape. The comeback is obviously looming.
The point of this comeback may not be to regain a title, but to leave the sport on a better note. He was out of shape and unfocused and battling addictions when he lost to Kevin McBride. He now is mentally better and with the weak division and King’s knack for matchmaking, we may see Tyson re-appear in the top 10 again and may even find himself in the ring for a title. Stranger things have happened.
I welcome the return of Mike Tyson to the ring. None of the current champions have one tenth of the charisma that Tyson had and his return to the ring will be a popular one. His following has not gone away and there are still those that look and say: “He’s got a puncher’s chance.”
Mike Tyson does have a puncher’s chance and nothing but good things can come from this comeback, which is now confirmed. We will see Iron Mike in the ring in late 2010, most likely, against a top 40 heavyweight. He will win and we will see a much more focused and fit Tyson. It’s unlikely that he will make it back to the top, but it will be fun while it lasts.
]]>By Joe Wilson
Not long ago, anytime steroids were mentioned it was affiliated with sports other than boxing. In recent years it was not unusual to hear the word steroids in the same sentences with professional body builders and wrestlers. It wasn’t until the last few decades that professional athletes such as track and baseball players started to get flagged. The days of flying below the radar with the use of steroids has begun to present its own challenges, even in professional boxing.
It’s rare that professional boxing is at the center of attention of sports and steroids. There is growing evidence that performance-enhancing substances have been a part of boxing discussions. Not just the recent headlines regarding Floyd Mayweather, JR., and Manny Pacquiao, but allegations of steroid use by boxers in the past.
There have been several stories in the news regarding steroids and professional
boxers. Many boxers have been stripped of titles because of testing positive after a fight. A while back the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Orlando Salido, who had a victory over Robert Guerrero to win the International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight belt. Salido post fight urinalysis revealed the presence of the steroid, nandrolone, according to the news. Right around that time, Mariano Carrera tested positive for the anabolic steroid clenbuterol, following his victory over Javier Castillejo in Berlin for the World Boxing Association (WBA) junior middleweight title.
Back in 1995, Frans Botha of South Africa was stripped of the IBF heavyweight title belt after his victory over Axel Schulz. Frans Botha tested positive for steroids according to boxing news. Later, he and his camp claimed the drug had been prescribed for treatment of an arm injury. According to past boxing news, Roy Jones, JR., and Richard Hall both tested positive for the drug testosterone precursor androstendione after Jones defeated Hall to retain undisputed world light heavyweight championship in Indianapolis in 2000. Roy Jones and his camp claimed his positive test was the result of ingesting the supplement Ripped Fuel (A fat-burner supplement that could be dangerous if not used correctly).
In September 2002, Fernando Vargas dominated Oscar De La Hoya for the first several rounds of the fight, but was later knocked out by Oscar. Fernando Vargas was later suspended for nine months and fined $100,000 for testing positive for the steroid stanozolol after the fight. Vargas claimed the steroids were given to him without his knowledge. Vargas did accept full responsibility for the actions.
In 2005, WBA Heavyweight Champ John Ruiz lost a decision to James Toney, which was later ruled a no-contest after Toney tested positive for the drug nandrolone. According to boxing news around the sport Toney claimed the steroids were given to him by a doctor to treat an injured arm suffered during a previous fight.
Floyd Mayweather, JR., recently brought attention to the sport of boxing by requiring himself and Manny Pacquiao to be subject to Olympic style testing. That subject can be argued on both sides of the fence, mainly on Mayweather’s side because he was willing to be tested by those same procedures. The Olympic style testing that Mayweather wanted jeopardized many millions that both fighters could have cashed in on had they fought! As most people may know by now, what makes Olympic style testing different from other testing in professional sports is: they have year-round testing, that would be unannounced. Say, for example, if Olympic style testing was mandatory for professional boxing, there would be random unannounced testing from the time a boxer starts training camp all the way up until fight time. Maybe a cutoff period like one week before the fight and immediately tested right after the fight. It would not call for just a urinalysis, but also withdraw small amounts of blood, randomly.
One would probably think after titles and belts being stripped because of positive test in the past, steroids are no small subject in professional boxing. Some experts seem to think that steroids in boxing are a much bigger problem than we recognize. However, for some reason boxing has seemed to ignore it! Some experts don’t think it’s related to the positive drug tests that have turned up. What makes boxing different is, there is no federal oversight. Commissions don’t have to test, and they don’t have to test for the same thing, while performing test. There is no standard which governs the commissions. Over the past most boxers have known how to stay below the radar when it comes to testing.
Just like many other illegal drugs, steroids are available as well. The many scandals that surfaced around the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (known as BALCO), big-name athletes spent several thousands of dollars enhancing those drug regimes beyond reach of average athletics. But, now days so much of those drugs are available around boxing gyms, gymnasiums and on street corners. There is probably no way to know if experts or an average drug dealer trying to make a quick buck is administering today’s steroids.
Some experts say, “The reason most fighters use anabolic steroids is not for the bulk.” They also say, “It’s not the heavyweights that’s been testing positive over the past years, it’s been the smaller weights.” The smaller have been known to use steroids to put on bulk. The drug also reduces the time they would have to take off from a small injury while training for a fight. Usually, anything that increases muscle mass and strength for a fighter, especially a smaller fighter going up in size to face a bigger opponent, gives him a better chance at winning.
One would believe that in this era of boxing, the sport really has to get serious about drug testing for performance-enhancing substances. Unlike track and field and professional baseball, which have stepped-up measures for testing athletes. Professional boxing is the only sport that has not risen to the occasion of drug testing for the safety of the fighters in the ring. Boxing is a one-on-one combat sport. Just that alone brings its on dangers. Many who follow the sport of boxing around the world have voiced their opinion regarding testing for steroid use. Most followers of professional boxing believe State Commissions can do a lot more to better regulate this sport.
One would believe that as fans continue to speak out about the subject of steroid use in boxing, Sate Commissions will have no other choice but to enforce better testing standards for all professional boxing events.
]]>
RSR Press Release
March 13th, Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey will collide for the WBO Welterweight Title. For those of you not getting the Pay Per View, tune into RSR for the round by round coverage, including the fights leading up to the main event. The fans have demanded it and we are happy to oblige. Don’t miss the round by round coverage on March 13th of the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey Pay Per View!
]]>Reviewed by Geno McGahee
Nan Adams (Inger Stevens) is on a road trip and has a minor accident where she pops a tire and need some assistance. After fixing up the car, she begins driving and seeing this old man hitchhiking or hitchin’ a ride if you are stuck in the 1970s. Ride, ride, ride, hitchin’ a ride. What a song!
The hitchhiker (Leonard Strong) seems to be everywhere, as Nan drives on and on, increasing speed, only to see him on the side of the road with his thumb up in the air. She cannot avoid this guy as she drives on and on, and there he is around every turn. She takes a side road to lose him and runs out of gas, leaving her now on foot. Luckily for her, she finds a gas station, but it’s 11:30 PM, and they are closed and the guy running the show wouldn’t help her. Since when doesn’t an old man help an attractive young girl? What was his problem?
Nan runs into a sailor at the station (Adam Williams) and they hit it off and she agrees to take him wherever he wants to go if he can get her some gas. He pounds on the old guy’s window and basically says, if you don’t get Nan gas, I’ll knock your thingy in the dirt.
I always wondered why sailors wear those tiny hats. It isn’t a knock against any sailor, but why wear a tiny hat? I can understand why a person wears a tiny hat with a propeller on top. The lighter you are, the better your chances are of taking flight.
On the road and in the company of a sailor, Nan now has a feeling of safety. That sailor will fix that old hitchhiker’s ass if he tries that creepy crap again. Unfortunately for Nan, the sailor cannot see the hitchhiker, and then bails out when Nan begins driving erratically, and even leaves after she throws herself at him. He has definitely been out to sea for far too long or that tiny hat has cut circulation to his brain.
Now completely alone, Nan finds a payphone to call her house and talk to a familiar voice, only to find out the horrible and somewhat predictable truth.
I LOVE this tale. That hitchhiker is creepy and every character delivers.
Ringside Report Rating:: 9/10: Sailor…I hardly know her.]]>
By Eoin Redahan
“Oh the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear
And it shows them pearly and white
Just a jack knife has old MacHeath babe,
And he keeps it, ah, out of sight…”
Even in the mouths of silken-tongued crooners, the protagonist from Mack the Knife was a murderer, a robber, a rapist, and an arsonist. Yes, old Macky was a man that could hasten your demise with the mere swish of his digits.
Strangely, this MacHeath character has been an enduring muse: he was born in a German opera and traversed decades through the billowing lungs of Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra, and several others. For now, his renown is fittingly nurtured in the moniker of Irish middleweight prospect Matthew “Mack the Knife” Macklin.
As nicknames go, it is better than most (honorable mention to Roy “Captain Hook” Jones). Like MacHeath, Macklin is a man avoided by his peers; he has partaken in brutal scuffles, and, for the most part, he has worked with clinical ruthlessness. In the past year, he has bypassed the exploits of fellow Irish middleweights John Duddy and Andy Lee, and is now near the head of the middleweight contender queue.
It would appear that the Birmingham-based boxer of Irish parentage is endowed with many of the attributes needed to become a world champion. He has excellent hand speed and vicious power off both hands; he has developed nimble footwork, shifty head movement, and has generally boxed with intelligence and patience since his knockout defeat to Jamie Moore over three years ago.
The weight drained, overzealous Matthew Macklin that suffered a brutal knockout in the 10th round that night looked like a different fighter. From the first bell, Macklin showed fleeting regard for his defense, throwing barrages of punches; however, as Moore had predicted prior to the fight, Macklin faded badly by the middle rounds. This would be the last time that Macklin would fight at light middleweight and the last time he would taste the sour spittle of defeat.
It may be an exhausted cliché, but most athletes will tell you that they learned more from defeat than they did from victory. Since the Moore defeat, Macklin has made a string of trainer changes and altered his approach in fights. While the constant change may have been unsettling, he has developed into a more efficient and patient operator.
He also improved by treading a path of firm resistance. Macklin has battled his way though some difficult bouts against crafty veterans and durable journeymen, before taking on British titleholder Wayne Elcock at the start of 2009.
The result was spectacular. Macklin has displayed a twitching speed and a defensive guile seldom seen in bygone bouts. Elcock was prodding at shadows until he descended into his own veil of darkness with a resounding third round knockout defeat. Macklin may have made an important statement with that victory, but he was still a man in a hurry.
Six months later, the evolution from pretender to contender was complete when Macklin challenged Amin Asikainen for the European middleweight title. The Finnish veteran had a reputation for being iron-fisted, and he had previously knocked out current IBF titleholder Sebastian Sylvester (though the defeat was avenged); nevertheless, two and a half minutes and a stinging left hook to the chin later, Macklin stood over his crumpled associate as British and European champion.
A convincing points win over Uruguayan Rafael Sosa Pintos in December has compounded Macklin’s position as Ireland’s leading middleweight contender. He is now ranked #5 in the Ring magazine’s middleweight ladder, and should only be one bout a way from a world title challenge.
All of this would intimate that Macklin is settled in his methods, but this is far from the case. After the best year of his career so far with Joe Gallacher, he has decided to change trainers yet again. His decision to join up with Freddie Roach is not only indicative of his impatience and ambition; it embodies Macklin’s bolstered profile.
Many would argue that with his power, speed, and improved ring craft, Macklin has enough ammunition in his armory to worry any of the top middleweights; however, lingering doubts persist. It remains to be seen what happens if he comes up against an excellent destructive counter puncher, as he did against Moore, or if he can resist a slugfest if the occasion presented itself.
Former Irish amateur champion Mick Dowling has been very impressed by Macklin’s exploits in the past year, but he feels that improvement is necessary: “With Macklin, I’d expect him to shift up one more gear, but he’s had so little fighting in the last 10 months.” In that regard, Macklin has fallen victim to his own ruthless efficiency in the ring. His recent 10-round victory over Pintos, however, will leave him better prepared for tougher fights to come.
Macklin is slated to defend his European title in Birmingham on April 16, though the opponent is yet to be announced. He was due to fight dangerous Russian Dmitry Pirog (15-0) - rated #2 in the WBO rankings - but this seems to have fallen through; Pirog’s victory over Eric Mitchell last Saturday may have cleared the way for a title shot of his own.
Pirog claims to have been dodged by Macklin and criticized him in an interview with Allboxing.ru for being “a home fighter, who is used to perform under local judging.”
While neither man would admit it, the collapse of the proposed matchup may a relief to both fighters. Given the form and prowess of Pirog and Macklin, there would be too much at stake for the loser, especially in a non-title bout. Macklin may yet have the luxury of beating a less-skilled opponent ahead of a world-title shot.
In an ideal world, he would face IBF champion Sebastian Sylvester, who is regarded by some as the weakest of the belt holders. Macklin has expressed an interest in fighting the German, but like many in the division, Sylvester has been blaringly quiet about fighting the Irish prospect.
Unbeaten Briton Darren Barker’s name has been mooted, but this fight would represent a step backwards for Macklin. The other name that has been circulated is that of fellow Irish prospect Andy Lee. Both fighters have expressed an interest in fighting each other at some stage in their careers, but it is doubtful that they will lock fists any time soon. As former four-weight Irish champion Jim Rock explained, “As much as I’d like to see them get in the ring and get it on, I can’t see it happening. If Macklin boxes and he lost, then that would be his European title gone, and a shot at a world title would [also] be gone.”
Nevertheless, the overriding impression one gets from Macklin is that he is unconcerned about holding on to British and European belts. He is full of confidence and is aggressively seeking out a world middleweight title. As Billy Walsh, Head Coach of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association High Performance Programme, said, “Matthew is laying down the marker. He will fight any of them.”
The boxing world is finally paying heed to the exploits of Matthew Macklin, and the middleweight supremos have probably become that bit more mindful of the belts around their waists. As Bobby Darin crooned all those years ago,
“…Someone’s sneakin’ round the corner
Could that someone be Mack the Knife?”
]]>By Gina L. Caliboso
Tonight ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights and Goossen Tutor Promotions, brings boxing from the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California. In the main event, Mexico’s Martin “El Brochas” Honorio, 27-4-1, 14 KO’s, will defend his NABO Lightweight Championship against Wilton “Pretty Warrior” Hilario, 12-0-1, 9 KO’s of the Dominican Republic. For Honorio, he makes his return to the Grand Ballroom when he first defeated John Molina, JR., back in November.
At 30, Honorio comes to the ring with a lot of ring experience. In his 11 year career, Honorio notably fought and defeated featherweight champ Steven Luevano. Back in 2005, Honorio handed Luevano a loss in a 10 round unanimous decision.
In 2009, Honorio fought twice and handed his opponents losses. In October, he defeated Ricardo Medina with a 5th round TKO. Later, in November, he defeated John Molina, JR over 10 rounds in a unanimous decision for the vacant NABF WBO Lightweight titles.
By contrast, the Dominican Hilario has a relatively young career. His undefeated record shows great promise. In 2009, Hilario fought three times and came away the winner. In January, he defeated Darrell Martin with a TKO in the 5th round of a scheduled 6 round bout. In April, he defeated Allen Litzau with a TKO in the 5th round in a scheduled 10 round bout. Finally, in November, he ended his year with an 8 round unanimous decision over Leon Bobo.
The remaining undercard bouts will not disappoint. In a featured co-event, Rico “Suavecito” Ramos, 14-0, 8 KO’s, will fight Cecilio “Boga” Santos, 24-12, 14 KO’s, for the NABO Youth Super Bantamweight Championship. Ramos is the current NABO Youth Super Bantamweight Champion. In non-title bouts, the undercard currently lists Michael “Silent Assassin” Dallas, JR., 11-0, 2 KO’s, against Fabian “El Lobo” Luque, 21-9, 12 KO’s, in a Jr. Welterweight bout. In an 8 round lightweight bout, John Molina, JR., 18-1, 14 KO’s, will fight against a fighter TBA. Walter “School Boy” Sarnoi, 4-0, 2 KO’s, fights Jerry Mondragon, 3-1, 2 KO’s, and, finally, Ephraim Martinez, 3-0, 1 KO, fights Ludwin Mondragon, 0-3.
]]>By Geno McGahee
SHOBOX
This Saturday, the charismatic super flyweight power-puncher, Vic Darchinyan, 33-2-1, 27 KO’s, will defend his WBC and WBA Titles against challenger, Rodrigo Guerrero, 13-1-1, 9 KO’s. Some of you may be asking just who Rodrigo Guerrero is…and you are in the majority. Guerrero has only had fifteen fights and the only fighter of note on his record is a shopworn Luis Maldonado, a fight he won via unanimous decision. In his last fight, he stopped Rey Lopez, who brought in the impressive record of 0-0-1. He is an unknown coming into this Saturday’s SHOBOX main event.
Darchinyan is a southpaw with a big punch and can certainly draw a crowd. He has been in and out of the pound for pound listings, and is currently on the outskirts after a disappointing defeat to Joseph Agbeko for the IBF Bantamweight title. He rebounded with a squashing of Tomas Rojas in his last fight and comes into this one with a full head of steam.
Darchinyan has been featured on Showtime on several occasions and has rebounded well from his sole knockout defeat to Nonito Donaire in 2007. We will have to see if Guerrero can take a punch because there will be many hard ones thrown in his direction.
HBO’s Boxing After Dark
Also on Saturday night, HBO will feature a light welterweight unification. IBF Light Welterweight Champ, Juan Urango, 22-2-1, 17 KO’s, comes off his loss to Welterweight Champ, Andre Berto, to defend his title against WBC Light Welterweight Champ, Devon Alexander, 19-0, 12 KO’s.
Urango is a power-puncher with a lot of heart. In his last fight, he went to war with Randall Bailey, getting off the floor to stop his challenger in the 11th round and kept the IBF crown. Urango was too small and slow to be effective against the true welterweight Berto and also lost when he was outslugged by Ricky Hatton in 2007. He comes into this unification looking for the knockout.
Alexander proved his ability with a stoppage of Junior Witter in his last fight, claiming the WBC Title. He also out-boxed veteran, DeMarcus Corley, taking a decision in 2008. Urango promises to be his toughest opponent to date, and fireworks should be expected come fight night.
]]>By Jeff Stoyanoff
One of the perks of being a superstar in boxing is that you no longer have to take fights against the likes of Joshua Clottey. Floyd Mayweather, JR., is well aware of the rule no doubt. It is beyond unlikely that Mayweather would ever choose to fight Clottey. Not because Mayweather doesn’t believe he would win, one can be sure he does. But rather because Clottey is the ultimate high risk/ low reward opponent. Pacquiao has clearly ascended beyond the point where he needs to take on a Clottey, realistically it could easily be argued that Pac could fight anyone he wanted up to and including a walkover and it would still be hard to question his willingness to meet the best in the ring. So, why fight Joshua Clottey? And, why do it now when the stakes are still so very high?
The potential fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather turned into a savage PR war with Mayweather openly calling into question the legitimacy of Pacquiao’s recent wins and Pacquiao responding with legal action himself. Perhaps the choice of Clottey was a PR punch by team Pacquiao. After all, fair or not, there are many out there who now wonder if Pacquiao has something to hide in the wake of his refusal to submit to random blood test any time up until two weeks before their proposed fight. As has been covered Ad nausea, Pacquiao is not required to undergo such testing and has never tested positive, but that won’t stop those who question his motivation in refusing the terms offered and walking away from tens of millions of dollars. The reality is, Pacquiao couldn’t take on just any fighter; he needed an opponent that left no doubt of his continued willingness to meet literally anybody in the ring. If ever there was a fighter who fit under that banner, it’s Joshua Clottey.
The Dangers of Clottey
Clottey has a long, heavy jab and he uses it relentlessly as he presses forward behind a solid defense. Moreover, Clottey certainly seems to take a punch well. The flash knockdown he suffered in the first round with Miguel Cotto was the first of his outstanding career. Clottey is not possessed of sensational power; his knockout percentage of just 51% aptly demonstrates his relatively average power. Yet, the KO percentage only tells part of the story. What Clottey does have is sufficient power to slow opponents down and earn their respect and that is often all one needs. Despite his excellent jab, Clottey appears to prefer fighting at a fairly measured pace. Clottey often dominated the action against Cotto when he took the time to engage. However, all too often, Clottey seem to take time off and wait on Cotto. That was just the opening that Cotto needed to steal that fight. Yet, Clottey is a solid fighter, with an excellent chin and an outstanding jab. And, he is fighting a smaller man whose one weakness, it would seem, is that he is not a defensive wizard. All in all, Clottey has to like his position as he attempts what would have to be considered a titanic upset.
Amazingly, the news gets better for Clottey. Pacquiao has forced himself into a quick turnaround after dispatching Cotto only last November. Freddie Roach has suggested that the quick turnaround will be good for Pacquiao as down time is generally bad for a fighter. Still, it was a physical fight against a tough opponent and now another durable and talented opponent follows right behind. But, the situation is potentially even more dangerous. Pacquiao was close to getting THE mega fight with Floyd Mayweather JR.; the fight that was to represent the pinnacle of his career. Instead, he gets Clottey; a letdown has to be considered a possibility. Of course Pac will arrive in great shape and ready to fight, but what if he is just the tiniest bit flat? This seems like exactly the kind of scenario that produces major upsets; a hungry and talented underdog and a huge talent whose mind just might be somewhere else. It is hard to envision that Pacquiao can lose right now, but some of the ingredients for an unexpected result are present and that should make for high drama on March 13th.
Story and Opportunity
It would appear that Clottey was a risky and therefore bad choice for Pacquiao, but that would be missing what might just be a great decision. Clottey comes into this fight with only three losses on his ledger. Clottey suffered his first loss losing by 11th round DQ against Carlos Baldomir in 1999; it was a fight that he was winning fairly easily. Clottey took his second loss against Antonio Margarito in 2006. Clottey came out fast and won the first few rounds against Margarito before encountering hand problems on his way to eventually dropping a unanimous decision. Whether Clottey hurt his hands or whether he was bedeviled by his own complacency in the ring is hard to ever know definitively. However, his punch output did taper off in the fight and that did allow Margarito to step up his offense and take the fight. Although, even in losing, Clottey was certainly not overmatched that night. Rather, he demonstrated quite clearly that he was a worthy opponent for any welterweight.
Clottey’s only other loss came in June of 2009 against Miguel Cotto. Once again, Clottey acquitted himself quite well in the fight. Despite going down in the first round, it was Clottey who controlled much of the action in the fight consistently landing shots on an all too often beleaguered Miguel Cotto. Of course Cotto is a tremendous fighter with a heart that is every bit the equal of his unquestionable acumen. As such, Cotto was able to fight on relatively even terms for much of the bout. Yet, one had the distinct feeling that when Clottey set his mind to fighting, it was Cotto who was struggling to keep pace. Going into the final round it was an extraordinarily close fight; the type of fight in which a single point seemed destined to make the difference. Inexplicably, Clottey came out passively and simply allowed the incredibly game Cotto to take the final round and a split decision victory. As it turned out, Clottey would have needed to score at least a knockdown in the last round to secure even a draw, but there simply would have been no way to know that before the cards were read. At the time, it appeared as though the 12th and final round could have easily determined the winner of the fight. Cotto fought as if it did; for whatever reason, Clottey did not.
It was only at this point perhaps that an ethos for the career of Clottey finally began to materialize; Clottey as an unquestionably talented fighter who somehow finds a way to come up just the tiniest bit short in the biggest fights of his life. Where the hand problems slowed him down against Margarito, the fall and subsequent knee problems perhaps derailed him against Cotto always something keeping him from the victory he seemed so destined to obtain. Or, perhaps the answer is not so easy to define. Clottey came out fast against Margarito and then seemed to take a step back and let Margarito back into the fight. Similarly, he came out fast with Cotto and then seemed to find a way to allow Cotto to do just enough to win. Clottey appears to have solid endurance, so one is left to wonder why he has been unable to close the deal in what have often appeared to be imminently winnable fights. Clottey is the boxing equivalent of the athlete in any sport that is clearly talented enough, but has yet to find a way to win the big one. Until he does, that will be the story of his career.
On the other hand, there is a definite positive aspect to the career of Joshua Clottey; even including the losses. While he has yet to capture his white whale, he has also never been overmatched. Even in his three losses; Clottey not only wasn’t clearly defeated, he left viewers with the unmistakable sensation that the better fighter lost. If the mysterious inability to capture a career defining win encapsulates the ring saga of Joshua Clottey than the inability of any opponent to dominate him in the ring nonetheless represents a seminal truth. Every vice becomes a virtue; did his hands betray him against Margarito? It doesn’t matter because we all saw that Clottey could more than handle himself in the fight. What was behind his inability to sustain his effort against Cotto? It doesn’t matter as he shocked audiences once again by demonstrating for much of that fight that it was Cotto who had to find a way to deal with him. His losses in those fights only seem to underscore how good he is as we wonder to ourselves over and over, how did he let it get away? In this dynamic wins and losses are no longer significant. Setting a ring record aside, to date no fighter has ever been able to reduce Clottey to being just an opponent; and that is where Pacquiao comes in.
The genius of Pacquiao
The differences between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are readily apparent. Ring styles and personalities aside, there is one difference that is perhaps most telling. Pacquiao seems to capture the imagination of fight fans to a much greater degree than Floyd Mayweather. Make no mistake, they are both outstanding fighters and Floyd Mayweather is a colorful personality who brings far more excitement to the fight game than he is often given credit for. Still, the difference in the feeling one has when they watch either man fight is palpable. Mayweather’s genius is subtle as he methodically stifles his opponent slowly constricting his man until his opportunity to finish things invariably appears. Conversely, Pacquiao strikes from the outset with an awe inspiring fury. The level of genius is comparable, but one leaves you feeling almost sedate as you appreciate the brilliance, while in the other case a dumbstruck feeling washes over you as you ponder how anyone can withstand such a precise and vicious assault. There can be no difference greater between the two than how they are often perceived by those who watch them in the ring.
Oddly enough, Clottey is an ideal choice as an opponent for Manny Pacquiao. Not because he matches up in a particular way or because the timing is somehow right for this or that to take place. Clottey is the perfect choice for the opportunities that are woven into this fight. Perhaps Clottey can find a way to secure one of the biggest upsets in recent boxing history. It would complete a story that sports fans have seen many times before as a talented man finally finds a way to accomplish that which he always seemed destined to do. Clottey has been close and now he faces another great fighter, perhaps the tiniest bit distracted and perhaps not completely ready for the grueling twelve rounds that Clottey has always delivered…regardless of opponent.
On the other hand, the genius might just have another object lesson in store for his voracious audience. If Pacquiao is able to dominate Clottey and perhaps even knock him out he will have continued constructing his own tale of shocking brilliance in the ring. What Pacquiao is able to deliver, unlike even many other great fighters, is the sensation that you can’t believe what you just saw. Nobody has ever been able to dominate Joshua Clottey in the ring and that is the challenge that awaits Pacquiao. If he can go out and do just that he will once again invoke the sense of awe that has come to define the rapidly hardening ring legacy of Manny Pacquiao. Who would have thought that a tough and talented Joshua Clottey; a man nobody wanted to fight, would have ever represented the perfect opponent?
Best Round by Round Coverage of Manny Pacquiao – Joshua Clottey PPV: Only at RSR
March 13th, Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey will collide for the WBO Welterweight Title. For those of you not getting the Pay Per View, tune into RSR for the round by round coverage, including the fights leading up to the main event. The fans have demanded it and we are happy to oblige. Don’t miss the round by round coverage on March 13th of the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey Pay Per View!
]]>
RSR Press Release
The recent article “Done Deal: The Return of Mike Tyson to Boxing,” by Geno McGahee has started a media frenzy. A source close to the Tyson Camp gave RSR an inside tip concerning the return of the former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion and the comeback is launching later this year. An Internet source contacted Don King to validate this story and King was evasive and with good reason. Tyson-King have been reunited and they will be coming back to boxing together.
RSR thanks the publications for their professionalism and shame on the way ESPN2 Brian Kenny and Dan Rafael handled this report on ESPN2 FNF which misrepresented the story published on RSR, claiming to investigate the story when they based their entire report on their speculation and one interview where the subject said very little.
]]>
By Gina L. Caliboso (At Ringside)
On ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights, Martin “El Brochas” Honorio, 28-4-1, 14 KO’s, successfully defended his NABO Lightweight title by defeating Wilton “Pretty Warrior” Hilario, 12-1-1, 9 KO’s, in a 12 round unanimous decision. Both Goossen Tutor Promotions and Pechanga Resort & Casino put together a great night of boxing. Here’s a breakdown of the night’s bouts:
Main Event: Honorio vs. Hilario
Round 1 through 4:
Both fighters were lackluster in the opening round, still trying to figure out what the other could do. Hilario showed a good uppercut to the body and both fighters put together some combinations. In round 2, Honorio showed an effective lead hand when he used his jab. Hilario showed a promising short overhand right, but displayed a tendency to lead with his head and received a warning by ref. In round 3, Honorio showed technical ability by keeping off Hilario’s attack by his reach and made Hilario miss. Hilario continued to go forward but failed to put together any attack that showed he could box.
He continued to try and find his way inside, but Honorio’s reach and continued use of his jab made this difficult. Finally, in round 4, Honorio really started to open up and pulled off a flurry of punches to the body and the head of Hilario. Hilario connected with an overhand right, but still didn’t put together any effective combinations
Rounds 5 – 9:
In round 5, Honorio picked up the pace and both fighters exchanged but Honorio landed more punches and he easily took the round. Hilario just kept missing with no combination and showed he can take punches, but failed to counter and come up with any sort of offense. In round 6, Honorio continued to make Hilario miss and he connected with a hook that caught Hilario solidly. Hilario got knocked down twice in the round but managed to survive to the sound of the bell. In round 7, Honorio continued his momentum and didn’t let up. Again, Hilario showed he can take punches, but had no defenses and in one effective shot, connected, but it really wasn’t enough to hurt Honorio at this point of the bout.
Round 8 continued action in Honorio’s part and he did not relent on his attack. Hilario remained tentative and continued to take more punches. In round 9, Honorio worked a brilliant round of combinations at will, in a flurry, and shoe-shined to Hilario’s body. Hilario did not fight back at all, except against the ropes as he tried to get inside. As the bout reached the final rounds, the ref continued to stick close to Hilario’s corner because of the amount of punishment Hilario had taken.
Round 10 through 12:
In the closing rounds, Honorio continued to build points in his favor. In round 10, he continued to attack and put together more effective punch combinations to the head and body. Hilario failed to counter against Honorio. Hilario, knowing the fight was not going to be won on points, started to head hunt and look for an opening to get the KO. In round 11, Honorio had a cut above his eye that may have affected his vision, but still managed to pull off an effective offense in the round. Hilario continued his efforts to get the KO, especially with the uppercut, but seemingly grew frustrated with himself. Finally, in the 12th round, Honorio put the finishing touches on the fight and came away with the unanimous decision.
The night’s action started with a quick win by John Molina, JR., 19-1, 15 KO’s, over Ricardo “El Rayo” Medina, 31-36, 17 KO’s. In the first round, Molina and Medina exchanged on the inside when Molina connected with a left hook. There were 2 knockdowns in the opening round and the ref called an end to the fight at 1:48 in the first round. Molina declared winner by KO.
Following the quick victory by Molina, Ukrainian Sergey Karpenko, 0-1, made his boxing debut in a 4 round bout against Las Vegas heavyweight Alvaro Morales, 4-6. The fight went to 4 rounds with Karpenko showing promise with a good lead hand with an effective jab-cross combination. Morales proved to be a good counterpuncher and executed more combos whenever the two exchanged. Morales showed more experience and connected on Karpenko several times in the 2nd round. Karpenko is a good technical fighter and started to go to the body and head. In the 4th round, Karpenko had a sense of urgency to putting together an attack in the closing round, but actually kept missing. Morales showed more fatigue and took everything Karpenko gave him. In the end, Morales came out the winner in a 4 round split decision.
In the third bout of the evening, Rico “Suavacito” Ramos, 15-0, 9 KO’s successfully defended his NABO Youth Champion title against Cecilio Santos, 24-13, 14 KO’s. At 1:14 in the 4th round, Ramos connected with a left to Santos’ body that took him down. It was a perfectly timed, well placed body shot.
In the fourth bout of the evening, Michael “Silent Assassin” Dallas, JR., 12-0, 3 KO’s handed Fabian “El Lobo” Luque a loss at 2:58 in the 1st round. Dallas showed excellent hand speed and landed effective combinations when the ref called the fight with a KO.
]]>By Geno McGahee
SHOBOX
Vic Darchinyan, 34-2-1, 27 KO’s, successfully defended his WBC/WBA Super Flyweight Titles with a workmanlike decision win over Rodrigo Guerrero, 13-2-1, 9 KO’s, with scores of 120-108, 118-110, and 117-111. Darchinyan maintained a steady pace, punishing his challenger over the course of the fight, but couldn’t stop him. Guerrero showed a lot of grit but couldn’t do anything to stop the champion. It was a good performance for Darchinyan.
HBO: Boxing’s After Dark
Devon Alexander, 20-0, 13 KO’s, defended his WBC Super Lightweight Title while capturing the IBF Title with an eighth round stoppage of Juan Urango, 22-3-1, 17 KO’s. Urango showed the power and aggressiveness but would run into a right hand and have to climb off the floor. Urango was done and a further attack by Alexander would end it and crown a new unified champion.
]]>By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
The best boxing-based website in the world has returned with an updated look and a whole slew of new user enhancements that will make your time spent interacting with some of the most knowledgeable hardcore fans from around the globe truly a remarkable experience.
In the coming weeks look for compelling discussion threads and fight polls that are worth your times and cents. Names like Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather JR, Devon Alexander, Yuri Gamboa and Wladimir Klitschko are but some of the key points discussion certain to grab your interest, not to mention the “look back” links to articles and interviews that are as certain to stimulate as they are to inform. Watch for our new and improved RSR Prediction League for the month of April to be posted shortly, easily the most demanding prediction league to be found anywhere on the web. 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 April 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
]]>By Geno McGahee
We are already nearly three months into 2010 and the boxing future looks bright. We have some tentative agreements between good fighters to meet inside the ring in the near future, some signed super fights, some overhyped novelty fights, and some overlooked gems all scheduled for this year.
RSR examines the year 2010 to come and we see if the showdowns are worth your time.
Manny Pacquiao – Joshua Clottey
WBO Welterweight Title
March 13th
The Filipino superstar, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao continues to fight on a regular basis. When Floyd Mayweather, JR., could not come to an agreement with him to fight on March 13th, Team Pacquiao found a replacement: Joshua Clottey. Clottey is a tough customer, never knocked out, and has only lost once cleanly, but even that is in dispute. The fight with Miguel Cotto, a fight he lost via split decision, could have gone either way, he lost to Carlos Baldomir while ahead on points when he was disqualified, something he contended to be unjust. In 2006, he lost to Antonio Margarito by decision, but knowing the cheating history of Margarito, I tend to throw out all of his victories. The point is that Clottey has never been definitively beaten and presents one hell of a challenge for the #1 P4P best.
Grade: A. It is a wonderful showdown, PPV worthy, where we will see how Manny deals with such a durable and consistent guy in Clottey.
Floyd Mayweather, JR. – Sugar Shane Mosley
WBA Super World Welterweight Title
May 1st
With the Manny Pacquiao fight not materializing, Floyd too had to find a replacement. Yuri Foreman and Matthew Hatton were rumored, but when Andre Berto pulled out of his fight with Shane Mosley, the match could be made between two long time rivals. Mosley was nearly off the map until he was given an opportunity to fight Antonio Margarito, a man coming off his biggest win over Miguel Cotto. Unfortunately, the story of that fight was how Margarito was exposed as a cheater, using plaster of Paris in his hand wraps, taking away from the explosive knockout win for Mosley. Sugar Shane has a lot left and he is very strong. Floyd is a defensive dynamo with good power and great technique and has never lost.
Grade: B+. Although Mosley brings a lot of name value to the ring, the Margarito fight could be misleading. It may have been more of a case of what Margarito wasn’t when he didn’t load his gloves then what Mosley was. Prior to that fight, Mosley struggled with a shot Ricardo Mayorga, pulling out a final round stoppage in an even fight up to that point, and a shopworn Fernando Vargas. Mosley won’t lie down for Floyd, but does he had enough reflexes left to catch the elusive Floyd? We’ll see.
Bernard Hopkins – Roy Jones, JR. II
April 3rd
In 1993, Roy Jones, JR., defeated Bernard Hopkins via unanimous decision for the IBF Middleweight Title. Since that point, they both went different ways, Hopkins ruling the middleweight division, Jones moving up and dominated the light heavyweight division. They continually argued and came close to having a rematch on several occasions, but the greed of the combatants proved too much for the fight to occur, until now. This fight is at least 9 years too late. Roy brings in a record of 5-5 in his last 10 bouts, and he lost his last fight via first round stoppage. Hopkins recent record is 4-3. What is this fight doing on PPV?
Grade: F. This fight is a joke being played on the public with the sole goal to line the pockets of the two fighters involved. They are trying to charge for something that they shouldn’t be able to give away and hopefully the public doesn’t buy into it. They are spending a pretty penny on the advertising and trying to make this seem important and attempting to give the illusion that there is bad blood. This is a money fight. Neither man cares about victory or defeat. They are merely looking to screw over the public for as much change as they can get.
Kelly Pavlik – Sergio Martinez
WBC/WBO Middleweight Titles
April 17th
At one time, Kelly Pavlik was one of the most respected boxers in the game, but times have changed. His uninspired loss to Bernard Hopkins, stoppages of soft opposition, and apparent avoidance of Paul Williams have made him a forgotten man, but now he intends to change that. Sergio Martinez just came off a close shave defeat to Paul Williams, where both fighters exchanged knockouts and fought hard for twelve full rounds. Martinez is slick and tricky and is a very good style match up with the aggressive and powerful Pavlik. This is a very important fight for both men and the winner will be looking at a showdown with Paul Williams. A great great fight.
Grade: A. This showdown can be nothing but a great fight. Martinez has a huge heart and a decent punch and Pavlik is heavy-handed with a lot of courage himself. This will be a war.
Wladimir Klitschko – Eddie Chambers
WBO/IBO/IBF Heavyweight Titles
March 20th
The heavyweight division does not present a great deal of quality opponents for the Brothers Klitschko. The latest challenge is American hopeful, “Fast” Eddie Chambers, coming off wins over former WBC Champ, Sam Peter, and contender Alexander Dimitrenko. He now tries to stop “Dr. Steelhammer” in Germany for all the marbles. What bode well for Chambers is his speed and his newfound conditioning. In his last fight, he weighed in at a fit 208 pounds and looked fantastic. Expect the same level of conditioning and determination on March 20th. Wlad will look to establish the jab and to drop in the right hand, controlling the smaller man as he usually does. Chambers will have more enthusiasm than the others Wlad has faced, but he doesn’t seem to possess the physical attributes necessary to pull off the upset.
Grade: C+. Chambers is a live underdog, but he is still a heavy long shot to win, especially in Germany.
Carl Froch – Mikkel Kessler
WBC Super Middleweight Title
April 24th
The Showtime Super Six Tournament moves forward with a showdown between former WBA Champ, Kessler, and current WBC Champ, Froch. We have two big punchers, both with something to prove, battle for a title and points in the most exciting boxing tournament to come along in years. Kessler, losing his last bout badly to Andre Ward, he wants desperately to try to regain his footing as one of the favorites to win. Froch struggled with the slick and quick Andre Dirrell and wants an explosive knockout to prove his worth. This is a very exciting collision.
Grade: B+. Expect an all out brawl with the bigger heart winning in the end. A great fight and another great example of why this tournament is so wonderful.
Allan Green – Andre Ward
WBA Super Middleweight Title
April 24th
Battling on the same night as Froch and Kessler, are defending WBA Champ, Ward, and Jermain Taylor replacement, Allan Green. Green wanted badly into this tournament and was granted his wish and now gets a title shot and a chance to prove that he belongs. He is a powerful puncher with an exciting style that hopes to catch Ward. Ward showed that he is a true champion as he beat, battered, and confused Mikkel Kessler, taking the title and 2 points in the tournament. His strength is amazing and he has a lot of veteran tricks for a fighter with only 21 fights. Green has a puncher’s chance and we’ll see what happens should he land. This fight could be incredibly exciting or tactical and boring. We’ll see.
Grade: B-. The addition of Green is a good thing, and we should be in for some exciting moments come fight night.
Tomasz Adamek – Chris Arreola
April 24th
Yet another great fight taking place on April 24th is a heavyweight showdown between HBO hyped Arreola and former light heavy and cruiserweight champ, Tomasz Adamek. Arreola has a decent punch and is aggressive, but his biggest battle seems to be with his weight as he consistently comes into bouts heavier and heavier. He was obese in his challenge with Vitali Klitschko, too slow to land a good punch, was heavier in his comeback fight with Brian Minto, a fight he won, but was still disappointing at that weight (263 pounds). Now he squares off against Adamek. Adamek recently knocked out Andrew Golota but was less than spectacular in defeating Jason Estrada. He will be facing a heavyweight puncher on the 24th and it if Arreola comes into the fight in shape, he may prove too strong, but what are the odds of that?
Grade: B-. Two decent contenders fighting for top ranking in the division. A good fight.
The first half of 2010 looks like a winner for the boxing fans with the exception of the ridiculous Hopkins-Jones PPV. We also have the David Haye-John Ruiz title fight on the horizon, a potential showdown with Vitali Klitschko and Nikolay Valuev, and the continued progress of the Showtime Super Six Tournament to keep the boxing fans hooked to the sport. It should be a good year.
]]>By Brian Wilbur
Hello and welcome faithful RSR readers to my boxing mailbag. Lately the boxing game has been a bit flat, with a long gap in between major fights. The fight game comes back with a mighty roar next weekend with the return of boxing biggest star, Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao will be defending the WBO Welterweight title that he won from Miguel Cotto against top contender Joshua Clottey. As solid and intriguing as this fight is, it was a consolation fight because the super fight against Floyd Mayweather fell through. Cowboys Stadium in Arlington will be the site of this Championship battle.
I am glad to see that Pacquiao continually seeks out the best opponents who are willing to fight him. Clottey is one of those fighters who is frequently avoided because his skills far exceed his marketability. Arum must have figured that Pacquiao has enough marketability for the both of them.
I am also glad to see a major fight that is going to be held at a football stadium, to be attended by real fans instead of ending up at a Las Vegas casino. Pacquiao vs. Clottey is going to be a rare treat for boxing fans in Arlington and the surrounding areas in Texas. This time, real fans will be able to buy tickets instead of all of the tickets being bought by the casinos and given to high rollers.
As many aspects as this fight that has hardcore fans excited, one still has to admit that Pacquiao vs. Clottey is a letdown for two reasons. First, everyone was expecting the best case scenario of Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. Second, Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto was a bigger event than Pacquiao vs. Clottey because Cotto was a big marketable name. These types of letdown fights are dangerous for the top dog. Pacquiao clearly is the favorite, but he has to be prepared mentally and physically or he could let one slip by.
Pacquiao has effectively dealt with potential let down situations in the past. Word from his training camp is positive and that Manny is in great shape. Freddie Roach is confident as always, predicting a knockout win. Is Pacquiao letdown proof? We’ll find out Saturday.
We move onto the mailbag this week which includes my take on how the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight will play out, my take on the quality of the undercard, some mythical matchups, and a few other topics. Enjoy!
Clottey/Pacquiao Undercard
Yo Brian,
I respect your opinion when it comes to pay per view undercards. Mainly because you always talk (censored) about them so I know you aren’t in the pocket of the promoters, hyping up crappy undercards like a yes-man, just like almost every other boxing website.
So be real with me. Is this undercard going to be any good? I ask because I am deciding whether or not I want to buy this fight since I’m not sold on the main event, meaning I’m not all that interested in Clottey.
Let me know,
-Grawg69
Grawg69,
I appreciate you complimenting my journalistic integrity. I make it my duty to be honest to my readers and point out the garbage when I see it. And yes, 95% of the PPV undercards that HBO has been churning out lately are disgustingly bad. Even for marquee events, like Pacquiao fights, instead of taking advantage of the spotlight to showcase the best of boxing, they give us nothing.
The Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey undercard is as follows:
Humberto Soto vs. David Diaz
Alfonso Gomez vs. Jose Luis Castillo
John Duddy vs. Michael Medina
My verdict: not bad actually. This undercard does not make me want to do back flips in anticipation, but does enhance the card and is one of the better undercards in recent years.
Soto vs. Diaz is between two world rated lightweights who most boxing fans should be familiar with. Soto has been a staple of Top Rank undercards for a while now and at one point was being touted as a potential Pacquiao opponent. Diaz actually was a former Pacquiao opponent and a former World Champion. Diaz is trying to win back the WBC Lightweight title that he lost to Manny, since this match is for the vacant belt. My prediction: I think Humberto Soto’s edge in boxing skills gives him enough to win a close decision after a couple rough rounds against the hard-hitting Diaz.
Gomez vs. Castillo is an interesting crossroads bout. Gomez has had a charmed career thus far despite modest skills because he was a fan favorite on “The Contender” the TV show. He has been matched favorable, most notably when he was given a shot against the badly faded former champion and super star Arturo Gatti. He is matched up against another badly faded former champion in Castillo. This should be a war while it lasts because of the fighting style of both men. I am curious for this one only because I want to see how much Castillo (a favorite of mine) has left in the tank. My guess is that he doesn’t have much and is stopped by Gomez, further (and artificially) inflating the reputation of Gomez.
Duddy vs. Medina, which will likely open the telecast, features John Duddy, who has a huge fan base in the Irish community despite, well…not being that good of a fighter. To his credit, Duddy is an exciting action brawler who is very fun to watch. I don’t ever see him becoming a world champion but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy one of his fights. He is matched pretty tough here, going against Medina, a 23 year old hard hitting prospect from Mexico. I saw Duddy lose to a lesser opponent in Billy Lyell so I will predict a Medina victory, disappointing the enthusiastic Duddy fans.
Overall, I recommend buying this card because at least Bob Arum is trying this time. You have a world title bout between two recognizable names, a crossroads fight between two recognizable names, and a fan favorite is being matched tough. Again, this is much better than the undercard fodder that fans have been treated to recently so the prelim fights for Pacquiao vs. Clottey have my seal of approval.
Intriguing Fantasy Bouts: Prime vs. Prime
Dear Brian,
I pretty much agree in your views/answers in my email/question that was posted in your last mailbag. Your only takes on my proposed mythical match ups that I do not completely agree with is I do not think a prime Roy Jones would be stopped by Evander Holyfield, but he would take a beating there. Also, I felt that Zab Judah just needs his mental mindset in order to frustrate Ricky Hatton and take a comfortable unanimous decision.
I would like to ask for you views on a new set of match-ups:
Nonito Donaire vs. Hozumi Hasegawa
Juanma Lopez vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa
Paul Williams vs. Mikkel Kessler at 168
David Haye vs. Tomasz Adamek at heavyweight
Thanks and more power!
-Asero
Asero,
Zab Judah finding a sound mental mindset? That sentence doesn’t look right! He's way too inconsistent for me to count on him in a big fight.
Here are my takes on the next crop of fights:
Nonito Donaire vs. Hozumi Hasegawa - I have only seen a few fights from Hasegawa since his fights are only televised in Asia. I'm not sure that I can make an accurate prediction for this one based on my limited knowledge of him. However he is clearly a world class fighter and one of the best bantamweights in the world. Donaire would have his hands full against a more experienced champion.
On a side note, I was elated to read that Hozumi Hasegawa signed to take on Fernando Montiel. Usually Asian World Champions are content to defend their belts against mandatory challengers and regional foes. Montiel is also a World Champion and one of the elite in the bantamweight division. I commend both fighters for making a great fight in a weight class where the best almost never fight each other. That bout is set to take place April 30th in Japan.
Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa - I'll take Lopez by KO because of his calmer temperament. Gamboa always tries to swing out of his shoes trying to knock his opponent out quickly. Both are extremely talented and hard hitting with sound fundamentals. Jaunma's wins because he takes advantage of Yuriorkis's borderline reckless assaults. A quick counter punch does the trick.
Paul Williams vs. Mikkel Kessler - I am leaning towards Kessler here because of his size, although Williams has a great style to defeat Mikkel. I could see Paul duplicating what Calzaghe did against Kessler, beating him with a volume of punches and using angles. Kessler, even with his good jab and impressive strength, is rigid and stiff so he can be out-boxed. This is an intriguing matchup but I go with Kessler to win, only because I respect his ability enough to think he could make use of his large size advantage. How Williams would be able to carry the extra weight and how Kessler does against Carl Froch could change my opinion.
David Haye vs. Tomasz Adamek - This would be a lot closer than most people would think since I am still not 100% convinced that David Haye is as good as his English fans think he is. Haye could potentially have some stamina issues and he is not the most fundamentally sound boxer. Adamek is a warrior with good all around skills. I'll take Haye to win in a shoot out, although I would not be surprised by a late round collapse by Haye, allowing Adamek to walk away with a hard earned win.
Ranking Pacquiao and Predicting Upcoming Bouts (Includes My Pacquiao vs. Clottey Pick)
Hi Brian,
I haven’t been writing in your mailbag lately (though I continue to read weekly) because nothing seems to give me a plot in boxing in the past month aside from mismatches and more mismatches. I read your response about my inquiry as to where would you put Pacman in your greatest of all time list and I applaud you having the guts putting Manny Pacquaio in the top 20 all time range. That is an incredible achievement for a still active boxer.
However, I am sneaky intrigued about if you placed Pacman ahead or below Julio Cesar Chavez. Who is higher on your list of all time great pound for pound boxers: Pacquiao or Chavez?
By the way what would be your analysis and prediction on the coming Manny Pacquaio vs, Joshua Clottey fight? How about Arthur Abraham vs. Andre Dirrell? Chris Arreola vs. Tomasz Ademek? Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler?
Never mind Floyd “Money” Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley since I believed, like you, that Mosley is tailored made for Money and has no chance. I am excited somehow that after three months hiatus, boxing will be in full blast in the succeeding month.
Thanks,
-Sam
Sam,
Thanks for writing in again Sam. Wow, Pacquiao or JCC; that is a tough one. I had to think about this long and hard before responding. These two greats are neck and neck. I give the edge to Manny Pacquiao, meaning that I have him higher on an all time great list. The main reason for that ranking is that I believe that Pacquiao's quality of opposition is slightly higher, meaning that he has the scalps of more A-listers than Chavez. I am a firm believer in clear wins over top notch opposition as being the main factor in determining all time great status.
Here are my quick picks for the upcoming fights that you mention:
Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey - You have to go with Pacquiao here. He is the hot commodity right now and Clottey tends to let close fights slip out of his hands due to lack of aggression. However I would not be surprised at an upset because Clottey is in terrific shape and has all the talent in the world. I will be watching intently and expecting anything. Clottey is a very good, world class opponent and as much as I like to say that this will be a competitive fight, I can’t bring myself to put money on Clottey, even at +475 odds.
Arthur Abraham vs. Andre Dirrell - Perhaps the experience Dirrell gained fighting Carl Froch will help him but I don't think that it will be enough. Dirrell lost to Froch and Abraham is a large step above Froch. I see Abraham dominating Dirrell and winning by KO because Dirrell is too green to fight his fight.
Chris Arreola vs. Tomasz Adamek - The big question here is whether or not former light heavyweight Adamek can take Arreola's heavyweight punches. My guess is that he can. Adamek is a tough cat, and he finished on his feet against Chad Dawson despite getting pummeled. I take a risk and say that Tomasz is able to out box fat, sloppy Chris "I can't believe this is the best that America has to offer" Arreola.
Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler - I was surprised how easily that Andre Ward dispatched of Kessler considering that I have always been an admirer of his. Only two explanations can make sense of that fight. Either Kessler is past his prime and will be defeated in similar fashion against Froch, or Ward is really that good and Kessler did not expect that. I am going to say that 30 year old Kessler still has something left in the tank and gives Froch a very tough fight, winning a close decision only because he has hometown advantage.
Pacquiao’s Future at Welterweight
When I see Paul Williams in the ring honing his skills, I just can't imagine a fighter like Manny Pacquiao coming close to beating him. Paul is a master boxer in his own right and he knows how to use his height and reach very well. Let's not forget this is a tall southpaw who can fight inside very well for a tall guy and from a distance.
As for Mayweather, the guy is just great! We both know that styles make fights Brian, and the way Floyd fights may not be a knock down, drag out style, but he has proven that it works. So if you're a trainer you would have to ask and answer the question "What would or what could work to get this guy out of his natural rhythm?" That's not an easy question to answer when it comes to Mayweather because everything everyone has tried to do has not worked.
What would Roach have Pacquiao do that would be different to disrupt Mayweather's rhythm? Nothing has worked for anybody so far and I've seen everything from dirty fighting to being a real crybaby thrown at this man! It has not worked!!! I know the many Pacquiao fans are saying that Pacquiao would win, but I believe that's just wishful thinking. The real question is what would he do different than the other guys that have faced Mayweather? No one has answered that question successfully so far.
-Mark Buchanan
Mark,
Paul Williams is an extremely large frame and would give anyone a headache simply because he is one of a kind and you can’t do much to prepare for him. His tough outings against Carlos Quintana and Sergio Martinez highlight his weaknesses though. His defense is terrible, meaning he is there to be hit. That does not bode well against a powerful, fast, sharp shooter like Pacquiao. I’m not sure how the fight plays out, but unlike you, I could definitely imagine a scenario where Manny wins.
As for the Mayweather fight, I don’t like your argument. What would Pacquiao do differently than other Mayweather opponents? Manny brings a completely different set of skills to the table. He has the speed and power of Zab Judah, only he is infinitely more mentally stable than Judah, has better endurance, is a better boxer, and uses more angles. Mayweather would be in against an entirely different beast compared to his previous opponents if he fights Pacquiao.
Now don’t misinterpret me now. My prediction for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao if it ever happens is a Mayweather decision and that is what it has always been. My objection with your logic is that you paint Mayweather out to be this unsolvable riddle and that Pacquiao couldn’t possibly do anything to beat Mayweather that Floyd’s previous opponents haven’t already tried. I don’t buy that for a minute.
We are getting ahead ourselves though. Pacquiao and Mayweather both have scheduled fights that they have to win before Mayweather vs. Pacquiao can even be a possibility.
Wilbur Affecting the Odds
Brian,
In a couple of your recent mailbags and emails you stated that you thought Floyd Mayweather was going to beat Shane Mosley, that Mosley would be lucky to land even a meaningful punch let alone a round, that Mayweather beats this version of Mosley 100 times if they fight 100 times. Those are bold words considering Shane Mosley’s status as the #3 ranked welterweight in the world. At the time you said that the betting odds were about 3 to 1 or 2.5 to 1 with Mayweather as the favorite.
Since then the odds have shifted even more skewed with Mayweather being almost a 4 to 1 favorite. Wow! That is a big shift I would say. Did you have anything to do with those odds being shifted you think? I mean, did people read your column, take your advice, and bet the mortgage on Mayweather? If so, your column has an even bigger impact than I could have imagined!
-Richard
Richard,
I also noticed the movement of the betting lines making it harder to make money on a Mayweather win. I don’t think my column had much to do with it though! I am humbled if it did. The real reason, I think, that the line moved so much is that the “smart” money, or professional gamblers who know the game inside and out, agree with my take on Mayweather vs. Mosley.
I mean, I don’t see how anyone could pick Mosley here looking at all of the factors. Clearly Mosley is a quality opponent and belongs in the ring with any welterweight in the world so this is no knock on Floyd’s opponent choice. Merit does not win a fight though. Styles make fights and Mayweather has the perfect style. Look at Mosley’s losses and struggles and always it was against a stick and move type opponent. Mayweather can box, stick and move, and fight a defensive fight even better than the guys who schooled Mosley. This is going to be a no contest.
I will end it here folks. I look forward to reading your emails. Enjoy the fights!
]]>
By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
This past Saturday night, I attended a pre fight party with my lady Valarie at the classy Hogates Café at 800 Water Street, SW DC located on the waterfront. Cassandra White (CEO of Babie Girl Productions) and the 2009 USA Promoter of the Year, an honor bestowed upon her by the World Boxing Federation (WBF), officially announced her boxing card that takes place Friday April 2nd at the DC Convention Center. In the crowd were many of the boxers appearing on the card to include local fan favorite and undefeated heavyweight contender, Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell, 15-0-1, 9 KO’s, who is headlining in the main event against Danny Batchelder, 25-7-1, 3 KO’s.
Also scheduled to appear on the card are: Tony Jeter, Henry “Sugar Poo” Buchanan, Thomas Snow, Molly McConnell and making his professional debut, Thomas Williams. The card is billed as “Fighting the Irish” and from past cards that BGP has put on, you can be sure this one will not disappoint.
In an article I wrote back in December 2008, when I made my comeback to covering local boxing after an extended departure, you will recall that it was Cassandra’s fight card from the Burr Gymnasium I attended on the campus of Howard University. That night, I saw a lady who is committed to bringing the boxing fans the very best matches/locations she can and from subsequent cards after the one I covered in 2008, she has done just that.
As I have said many times over the years on Sports Talk TV Show with Host Glenn Harris when callers would call in and ask when is boxing coming back to this area? It has never left, and in order to keep it here, you must come out and support these local cards. You get your chance to do just that on April 2nd from the DC Convention Center. I suggest you get your tickets now because no doubt, it will be sold out.
To find out more information and purchase your tickets now you can visit: www.babiegirlproduction.net or call (202) 365-5061.
]]>Reviewed by Geno McGahee
Little Henry has a big one. Should I end the review here and leave it open so that you can draw your own conclusions? Probably not. I’m more responsible than that. Little Henry has a big wish that he has made. He has a friend…a much older friend named “Bolie Jackson.”
Bolie (Ivan Dixon) is a boxer on the tail end of his career, destined to lose and pitted against a younger up and comer that will certainly send him packing in a couple of short rounds. This is not going to be pretty, especially when you figure in that Bolie has broken his right hand right before the fight, making him easy pickings. Only a super wish could stop him from losing.
In the first round, down goes Bolie and the referee counts, but Henry (Stephen Perry) wishes as hard as he can and time freezes. Suddenly, Bolie’s opponent is on the mat and the count is on ten and we have a major upset. Bolie is back! Holy Molie, way to go Bolie!
Now, unfortunately Bolie doesn’t believe in magic or wishes. His spirit was shot down a long time ago and his refusal to believe in the magic of a wish reverses his fortune and puts him back on the mat, counted out, and a loser in the boxing match. Remarkably, this situation makes him believe but it was too late. It was too late Bolie!
Overall, this tale was not as good as I hoped. I am a huge boxing fan and I expected more bang for the buck if you will, and I will. You cannot find a bad Twilight Zone tale, and this is not a bad one, but I would say that it was average.
Ringside Report Rating:: 7/10. Float like a butterfly, Sting like Bolie.
]]>
By John Pitroff
Whether or not you can tell by the columns I write about pro wrestling, in only a few months I will be 25 years old. I realize most of the time I sound like a fifteen your old mark, but that is beside the point. Complaining about champions, groaning about talent, and acting as if I could write better storylines than the WWE writers is something I need to get over. I’ve been doing that since I was 15. My life character has grown less than the AJ Styles character has grown since the beginning of TNA. It will be soon time for my heel turn
But, with age comes thought, and I have started thinking about a lot of things lately. What is going on with my life, what have I done of consequence, what more could I have done, where am I going, what will the rest of my life consist of? Why do my wrestling columns always seem to be more about life than wrestling? Why do the beginnings of my columns always ask so many questions, and why do I even ask about why I ask so many questions? I guess it isn’t a bad thing I ask questions. WWF forgot to ask questions when they gave the Phantasio character the green light to appear on national television. What am I saying? That character was awesome, and I’m sort of angry I never got to see more of him. He seemed to just disappear. Disregard that lame joke and please continue reading.
Is wrestling going to be part of all that is to come? One reaches an age where they first feel like an adult, and I have reached it this last year of my life. One question that just came to my mind about this whole adult process is one in which I am not so sure I want to directly confront. Like Vince McMahon to Steve Austin circa 1998. Here it is: Am I now that old weird adult wrestling fan? I must be. What other adult spends hours every week writing two columns about wrestling just for the fun of it? Old? Yes. Weird. For sure. Wrestling fan? Of course. As Ron Simmons would say before his recent retirement: “Damn.”
I never wanted to be that adult wrestling fan alone at shows going insane because it is all I have left. Hell, I already have been doing that my entire life. But, at least before I had the excuse of, “I was young and stupid, we have all been there.” Bringing signs to independent wrestling and house shows is something I need to stop, regardless of age. At what point does growing up become relevant here? At what point does it just become creepy to be a wrestling fan? At what point do I realize that when I beg Hulk Hogan to stop stepping foot in the ring to wrestle, that perhaps I should stop marking out when does. Who needs to grow up Hulk Hogan, or me? Hogan growing up? How much older can that man get?
Don’t get me wrong, wrestling fans of all sizes, shapes, colors are cool to me. As I mentioned in a previous column, wrestling fans are just people, and just as diverse a group. Somehow I likened fans of wrestling to Snickers (don’t ask me how, I have no clue). Bite size, King size, regular size, fun size. The fact is that I have just come around to the idea of older, adult wrestling fans. Just like I have only recently enjoyed the King size Snickers. Age teaches you things…
Sometimes one forgets to learn from the words in his own columns, because I was still myself living with the stigma that older wrestling fans need to do something better with their lives. I have to admit, I’m still having trouble understanding these adult Star Trek dorks, although I am sure they feel the same way about me. They like shows and movies about humans flying around in spaceships, I like watching shows where 80 year old women give birth to hands. The is a schism here, and we have to attempt to understand one another. Let’s understand that we will most likely never understand each other. Understand? Me either. Star Trek and wrestling fans do have something in common, and no, it is not the fact that they don’t have sex that often. William Shatner recently was a guest host on Raw…we might be more alike than at first glance.
Only recently have I opened my mind to the fact that these adult wrestling fans are just as cool as the rest of the wrestling fans of the world. I used to think they were totally out of their minds, needed to grow up, and needed to find some sort of hobby to fill up their day. Now that I think about it, all of this is still true, but it is these things that make them as cool as they are.
Aren’t the same things true of any wrestling fan, regardless of their age? Those are things you hear as a wrestling fan, no matter your age: “You are crazy, grow up, get a life and find a hobby!” Perhaps the fact that are out of their minds, refuse to grow up, and need a hobby to fill up their day is the fact that makes them cool in the first place. As far as that hobby goes…why not just start to collect wrestling action figures? Is it sad at the age of 25 I still play with those things, and I just had a dream about them last night? No, seriously, I did. No need to interpret that dream, I already know what it means: YOU NEED TO GET OUT MORE JOHN! When you are a wrestling fan and someone tells you to get a hobby, I’m pretty sure they didn’t want you to find a hobby that involved pro wrestling. Then again, anything that can get an adult to play around with toy action figures has some sort of magical power that only Phantasio could recognize.
It is relevant here to compare adult wrestling fans to adult fans of sports. Couldn‘t a lot of these “negative“ aspects of being an adult wrestling fan pertain just as much to being an adult fan of the NFL, if not even more so? Perhaps the NFL fans are worse. Don’t they need to stop acting insane, grow up, and find a hobby just as bad as even the most die hard fifty year old wrestling fanatic? Seriously, being already terribly overweight, getting drunk on beer, eating wings, going to games in freezing temperatures with your shirts off exposing your fat bellies with letters painted on them is going a bit far as a fan. Wait a minute, what am I saying? That is awesome! Where is that type of dedication, wrestling fans? I always like to think of wrestling fans as the most dedicated, most insane, most fun group of fans that exist, but c’mon, boys, man up, we aren’t going to games dressed up as dogs barking uncontrollably! What happened to your Spirit (squad) wrestling fans?!
The thing I like about older fans is that they still find awe in something that they loved as a kid. They don’t blockage that type of emotion because it is youthful, because it is playful, because it is downright fun. Not enough people know how to have fun, and many a reason for that is because they are too scared by the judgments of other adults. Seriously who doesn’t like running up escalators the wrong way? But, then, who does it as an adult? Why not? Societal judgments. And, who doesn’t enjoy a good wrestling show? But, who talks about it? The same amount of people that run up escalators the wrong way. The next person that shows up to the office next Tuesday and brings up the previous nights Raw at a board meeting deserves a raise. The next adult to build a wrestling ring in the backyard or to hire Doink The Clown for their child’s birthday party deserves some adulation.
It has come to the point where I am that adult wrestling fan, whether or not I want to admit it. It took a long time for me to come out of the wrestling closet and admit my love of wrestling. Things felt a lot better once I could be honest about my love of wrestling. Recently, I have been living with the fact that now I am an adult. In addition, I am still a wrestling fan. I know most wrestling fans aren’t that smart, but let’s put this together. I am an adult. I am a wrestling fan. That means that I am an adult wrestling fan.
Perhaps this is my coming out as an adult wrestling fan. Yeah, I’m an adult. Yeah, I love pro wrestling. Yeah, I get what is going on. Yeah, I still like it nonetheless. Yeah, I say yeah a lot. No, I’m not stupid or ignorant. And, no I don’t live in a trailer park, although I wouldn’t mind getting a place with Duke “The Dumpster” Droese.
There are cooler older wrestling fans, those dudes that never lost the passion. The ones that go to shows and yell and scream and become a kid again. The ones I used to think of as weird. I guess it is tough to judge someone when you become the thing you were judging. Perhaps it is tough for an outsider to understand because they just see an adult watching men in spandex rolling around with one another and having too much fun while watching it. See, I told you we would never understand one another.
Growing up is a fun thing to do. And, everything looks different in retrospect. It is easy to judge wrestling fans as insane madmen who need to do with more with their lives, especially when they are no longer kids. But, when you come to the point where you are now an adult, and still a wrestling fan, you must confront the fact that you have now become what you used to laugh at and were never able to understand. Next time, before I go judging away more Judge Jeff Jones with Mike Awesome, I will look attempt to look in retrospect first. I will attempt to put myself in the wrestling boots of another. I apologize for this abrupt ending, but my wrestling figurines are on my mind and I need to go book a match.
]]>
Interview by Jeff Stoyanoff and Mike Zepeda
“People see boxing as a brutal sport, but at the same time they need to see the opposite side where it helps a lot of guys get off the streets.” – John Ruiz
Even John Ruiz himself is aware that he is likely coming to the end of a long and winding road in a difficult yet gratifying boxing career that has spanned nearly 18 years. The former 2-Time Heavyweight Champion even referred to his upcoming title bout with WBA Champion David Haye as possibly the “last hurrah” in a career that Ruiz himself likened to a roller coaster ride. The terminally underrated Ruiz holds win over the likes of: Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman, Jameel McCline, Andrew Golota, as well as wins over many other notable names. In addition, he will always hold a special place in boxing history as the first fighter of Latino heritage to ever win a Heavyweight Championship.
Still, as he prepares for his April 3rd fight with the newly crowned WBA Champ David Haye, Ruiz appears mindful of the timing of things, while predictably remaining deeply determined to secure one last big win to finish off his fine career. These solemn, yet somewhat intriguing realities were clearly on his mind as Ruiz took some time to talk about his upcoming fight, his future, and the state of boxing in a recent interview with Ringside Report.
RR: One of the striking differences in this fight lies in the experience level of both fighters against top competition. How important might experience be in this fight? And, how might that experience play out in the fight itself?
You never know in fights like this. You have the younger guy and the older guy and one guy has a lot more fights and the other is hungry to gain that experience. It all depends on who has the stamina and the heart to go out there and take the fight to the other person. You can never tell which way the fight will go; it’s all about who is hungrier.
RR: The fight is set to take place in Britain. You were quoted saying that you felt that Haye’s fans helped to “sway” the decision when he fought Valuev in Germany in his last fight. How concerned are you about the potential for the crowd to sway the result in this fight? And, could it even impact the way you actually choose to fight in the ring?
I honestly felt that his fans put an exclamation point on that win against Valuev. Both fighters didn’t do what they needed to do to actually win the fight. The fans created the atmosphere where it looked like Haye was doing more than Valuev even though it was kind of even with neither of them throwing punches. But at the same time, now it’s me going over to fight Haye in his hometown. But, I honestly feel like the British fans are there more for a great fight than anything else. I’ve fought there six times and have never lost and I never had the experience that they were against me. Even though I was always fighting a hometown guy, somehow or some way I managed to get the crowd behind me. I’m looking forward to fighting there; unlike Germany where I am 0-3 so I am glad to be moving away from there. I couldn’t catch a break fighting over there, but meanwhile I’m 6-0 in Britain so I like my odds there where the fans get behind the fighter that is actually doing the fighting.
RR: When asked about this fight, David Haye said the following about you, “He is a pressure fighter. He has quick hands and he will try to take me into the trenches. I am relishing that battle.” Would you like to get into a fast paced fight with him with more exchanges? Or will you look to set a slower pace?
The thing is I have fought these kinds of fighters before from James Toney to Roy Jones, but also bigger guys like McCline. I have fought guys at all kinds of weights and I’ve adjusted to all of them. This is a fight I am looking forward to myself. This guy’s main weapon is his quickness, but at the same time it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. It’s a fight where it’s up to me to win or lose and what I mean by that is it’s up to me to take the fight and make sure he gets off his horse and comes in to fight. But, I think most of the time he is going to be on his horse and I feel like I’ll have to chase him down.
RR: You have also talked about his movement as a key weapon for him, perhaps even his main weapon in the fight. He does have a pretty impressive knockout percentage in his career thus far. What do you make of his power? And, how careful do you feel like you need to be with him, particularly early on?
You always have to be careful with anybody because any punch can knock out anyone so you definitely have to be careful with anyone you fight; especially with a guy like Haye who has quick hands so you never know when the punch is coming. That is the one thing you have to be prepared for is that quickness because that quickness can create power. What we’re doing is preparing for him and working on cutting off the ring to make sure he has to fight me. That is my game plan all the time is to make the other guy fight my fight; that is what I have been doing my entire career; making my opponent fight my fight. I have been able to accomplish that most of the time.
RR: On the other hand, one of the persistent questions about Haye surrounds his ability to take a punch especially now that he is campaigning as a heavyweight. Do you expect that you will be able to hurt him when you land in this fight?
With things like this you just never know. He is quick. He avoids punches. It will be tough for me to connect on him cleanly, but at the same time I have to throw more than one. That is a key for me is I have to throw more than one punch at a time. That is why we are working on combinations that way if one misses then the other two might connect. That’s the thing, he may move and get on his horse and definitely run around a lot. But, it’s up to me to cut the ring off, slow him down, work the body, and from there if one connects that’s perfect we can all go home early. But, if it doesn’t then I am there for the long haul.
RR: You came in to your last fight at 227 pounds which is the lightest you had been for several years. Is that the weight you are targeting for this fight? And, is that about matching up with Haye in terms of the quickness you were talking about just then?
Most definitely. Right now I’m at 230 and I feel good, but I feel like I can still shed a few more pounds so that I can be even lighter on my feet. The key thing in this fight is making sure that he doesn’t run as much as he did in the Valuev fight and some of his other fights. That is the key point of my training. If I can stop him and make him stop running that is perfect for me because now he is fighting my fight and he is not doing what he is supposed to be doing which is throwing a few punches and taking off. So, that is the key focus of my training and hopefully it will work out.
RR: It sounds like the main concern deals with him using his speed to get off first and then move on you. What specifically can you do to negate the speed advantage that he hopes to utilize in this fight?
The best thing is moving well myself. I have been working with Miguel Diaz and Richie Saldivar and they have me moving my head more. Maybe you saw in my last fight that I moved a little more, but now this fight I am bringing out even more and definitely making him miss. The key thing with Haye is he hates to waste energy. Once he starts to miss punches he will start running around to get more comfortable, and I don’t want him to be comfortable in the ring. If I can move and make him miss and then cut off the ring then he will feel uncomfortable in there. Sooner or later he is going to start to think; what have I gotten myself into?
RR: Throughout your career you have always been a very smart, cerebral fighter. Often times in other sports those kinds of athletes go into coaching. Have you considered becoming a trainer after your days as a fighter have ended?
I have been thinking about it. You know, I have been doing this so many times for so many years. I’m trying to get out as soon as possible; hopefully this is my last hurrah here in this championship fight. After that I would like to go back and train young kids and get involved with the community and helping to take kids off the street and bring them in to the gym and let them go through what I went through where it got me away from the drugs. It builds character when you are in the ring and also in the gym with the guys. It helps to build your confidence up. Boxing helps people. People see boxing as a brutal sport, but at the same time they need to see the opposite side where it helps a lot of guys get off the streets.
RR: PED’s have become a huge story in boxing recently with the firestorm of controversy surrounding the potential mega fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Unfortunately, you have some firsthand experience with this issue; we are referring of course to James Toney testing positive for a banned substance after fighting you in 2005. In your opinion, how widespread is the problem of PED’s in boxing right now?
It’s everywhere. It seems like it is touching every sport. It is sad to see when people depend on a drug to perform better instead of just using their natural talent. As you said, I have been through it with James Toney. It’s funny, it seems like every bad thing has managed to touch my career; I attract the worst things in life in a way. Thank goodness I’m getting rid of all that crap, in a way. And especially steroids which have been used so many times before, and it’s sad when a guy like myself goes in there for the fight of his life and a lot of times his opponent is taking steroids and it’s helping his performance. That means a lot because boxing is a sport where you are as good as your last fight. And, if you lose and then the other guy tests positive, people don’t care about that they only care about how you lost. It hurts your career, it definitely hurt mine and there is no way I can go back and repair it.
RR: Steroids are often used to get bigger, but there is definitely a school of thought that says getting bigger won’t really help in boxing. Does it help to get bigger as a boxer?
What it does is help you to train harder. The better you train the better you fight. That’s what it does, it helps you train as hard as you can and come fight time it definitely helps you out. In the lighter divisions, it doesn’t necessarily pack on the weight. Sometimes steroids are used to lean you down and they make you work harder. You can then stay in the same weight class or you can move up, so it helps those guys moving up into other weight classes. So, you can keep moving up and using steroids to build more muscle. Sometimes when you see guys gaining weight you can see a little baby fat, but with steroids it’s more lean muscle which allows you to move up further in weight. It is definitely a drug that helps the person taking it, but at the same time it’s also killing the sport.
RR: Finally, once again you have the fight for the WBA Title on April 3rd in Manchester, England against David Haye. I want to give you one last chance to address the fans on what they can expect to see that night?
First of all, I just want to say thank you to all of my fans who have been through this roller coaster with me. The fight on April 3rd is going to be a great fight. It’s going to be a chess match where you just never know who is going to win. I just want to thank everybody again, and it’s been a long road for me. I’m hoping to get my fans out there. This could be my last hurrah so hopefully they can cheer me on and I can become a three time world champion. Then I can move on with my career and after that just go out and enjoy life.
John Ruiz
Nickname: "The Quietman"
Professional Record: 44-8-1, 30 KO's
Division: Heavyweight
Date Opponent W-L-D Location Result
1992-08-20 Kevin Parker 2-0-1 Atlantic City, USA W UD 4
1992-09-12 Mike Vasser 0-0-0 Revere, USA W KO 1
1992-11-03 Barry Kirton 5-4-0 Mashantucket, USA W TKO 2
1992-11-13 John Basil Jackson 0-8-0 Revere, USA W PTS 6
1992-12-10 Jesus Rohena 1-6-0 Boston, USA W TKO 1
1993-01-16 John Basil Jackson 0-9-0 Belmont, USA W PTS 6
1993-01-30 Miguel Rosa 4-18-0 Chelsea, USA W TKO 2
1993-02-20 Phil Prince 1-5-0 Boston, USA W KO 1
1993-03-05 Derrick Jones 0-0-0 Boston, USA W TKO 1
1993-03-20 Lorenzo Poole 0-3-0 Revere, USA W KO 1
1993-04-03 Juan Quintana 6-25-2 Somerville, USA W PTS 6
1993-04-16 Mark Sonnier 3-2-0 Boston, USA W TKO 1
1993-04-30 George Chambers 0-0-0 Chelsea, USA W KO 1
1993-06-25 Exum Speight 5-7-1 Chelsea, USA W UD 8
1993-08-12 Sergei Kobozev 15-0-0 Bay Saint Louis, USA L SD 10
1993-11-03 Cordwell Hylton 26-34-2 Bristol, United Kingdom W PTS 6
1993-11-27 Carl Williams 14-14-0 Cleveland, USA W PTS 6
1994-05-25 Julius Francis 6-0-0 Bristol, United Kingdom W KO 4
1994-06-25 Muhammad Askai 0-7-0 Revere, USA W TKO 2
1994-08-04 Danell Nicholson 15-1-0 Mashantucket, USA L SD 12
vacant International Boxing Organization Heavyweight Title
1994-10-01 Rick Sullivan 3-3-0 Boston, USA W KO 2
1995-02-04 Boris Powell 23-0-0 Las Vegas, USA W UD 10
1995-03-30 Jack Basting 21-10-0 Bethnal Green, United Kin W TKO 1
1995-05-17 Michael Murray 12-7-0 Ipswich, United Kingdom W TKO 4
1995-06-16 Derrick Roddy 15-4-0 Southwark, United Kingdom W KO 2
vacant WBC International Heavyweight Title
1995-08-24 Willie Jackson 10-3-0 Somerville, USA W KO 1
1995-10-07 Steve Pannell 18-2-0 Atlantic City, USA W TKO 4
1996-03-15 David Tua 22-0-0 Atlantic City, USA L KO 1
WBC International Heavyweight Title
1996-06-06 Doug Davis 7-17-1 Boston, USA W TKO 6
1996-07-18 Greg Pickrom 9-1-1 Boston, USA W TKO 1
1996-10-25 Nathaniel Fitch 12-15-0 Boston, USA W TKO 3
1996-11-26 Yuri Yelistratov 10-3-0 Bethnal Green, United Kin W TKO 3
1997-01-14 Jimmy Thunder 31-6-0 Kansas City, USA W SD 12
vacant NABF Heavyweight Title
1997-06-17 Ray Anis 24-3-0 Bay Saint Louis, USA W TKO 1
NABF Heavyweight Title
1998-01-31 Tony Tucker 57-6-0 Tampa, USA W TKO 11
NABF Heavyweight Title
1998-09-19 Jerry Ballard 19-1-1 Atlanta, USA W TKO 4
NABF Heavyweight Title
vacant NABA Heavyweight Title
1999-03-13 Mario Cawley 21-1-0 New York, USA W TKO 4
NABA Heavyweight Title
1999-06-12 Fernely Feliz 16-1-0 Wilmington, USA W TKO 7
NABA Heavyweight Title
1999-12-11 Thomas Williams 25-6-0 Tunica, USA W TKO 2
NABA Heavyweight Title
2000-08-12 Evander Holyfield 36-4-1 Las Vegas, USA L UD 12
vacant WBA World Heavyweight Title
2001-03-03 Evander Holyfield 37-4-1 Las Vegas, USA W UD 12
WBA World Heavyweight Title
2001-12-15 Evander Holyfield 37-5-1 Mashantucket, USA D PTS 12
WBA World Heavyweight Title
2002-07-27 Kirk Johnson 32-0-1 Las Vegas, USA W DQ 10
WBA World Heavyweight Title
2003-03-01 Roy Jones Jr 47-1-0 Las Vegas, USA L UD 12
WBA World Heavyweight Title
2003-12-13 Hasim Rahman 35-4-1 Atlantic City, USA W UD 12
WBA World Heavyweight Title
2004-04-17 Fres Oquendo 24-2-0 New York, USA W TKO 11
WBA World Heavyweight Title
2004-11-13 Andrew Golota 38-4-1 New York, USA W UD 12
WBA World Heavyweight Title
2005-04-30 James Toney 68-4-2 New York, USA NC ND 12
WBA World Heavyweight Title
International Boxing Association Heavyweight Title
2005-12-17 Nikolay Valuev 42-0-0 Prenzlauer Berg, Germany L MD 12
WBA World Heavyweight Title
2006-11-18 Ruslan Chagaev 21-0-1 Düsseldorf, Germany L SD 12
2007-10-13 Otis Tisdale 25-18-1 Hoffman Estates, USA W TKO 2
2008-03-08 Jameel McCline 38-8-3 Cancun, Mexico W UD 12
2008-08-30 Nikolay Valuev 48-1-0 Prenzlauer Berg, Germany L UD 12
vacant WBA World Heavyweight Title
2009-11-07 Adnan Serin 19-10-1 Nuremberg (Nürnberg), Ge W TKO 7
]]>
By Geno McGahee
Last week, I wrote an article entitled: “Done Deal: The Return of Mike Tyson to Boxing,” which was picked up by USA Today, FOX Sports,NESN, and many others. I was somewhat surprised that ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights ran a piece on the situation but didn’t cite the source and claimed to do an investigation. Dan Rafael of ESPN dismissed the other publications because of the fact that he called Don King. Rafael noted that King stated that there were no plans to fight Evander Holyfield, but opted to ignore the fact that King confirmed everything else in my piece.
Evander Holyfield, whether or not he or anyone else in the “inside group” wants to admit it, was and is considered as a potential opponent in the Mike Tyson comeback. I had written in my prior article concerning this that the “initial plan is to have Tyson-Holyfield III,” and it is, but that does not mean that it happens first. You see, like Rafael, I could take any article and easily tear it apart, taking things out of context and mold it and shape it the way that suits my needs.
Holyfield stated in a recent interview that he had no plans to fight Tyson and was only seeking a title shot, and if you have followed Evander’s career, you will realize that you have to take everything that he says with a grain of salt. He had said in an earlier interview that he would fight Tyson again if the money was right and that for ten million dollars, he’d give “Tyson the other ear.”
The fact that Holyfield denies any talks of a potential third encounter shows that the talks are not going well and that he is trying to get a larger share of the purse when it comes through or that they don’t want anyone knowing, at this time, that “Iron Mike” is coming back to the ring.
There are those now claiming that there is “no truth” in the Mike Tyson comeback for 2010, based mainly on the skewed report from Rafael. Tyson will return to the ring and just because he is over the hill shouldn’t stop him from doing so. The recent media frenzy surrounding my scoop and his return proves that boxing needs him back. His funny appearance in THE HANGOVER and his appearance on SNL along with his movie “TYSON” have proven that this is a big moneymaker and Don King knows it. King will have him back in the ring in the near future.
As of now, many fighters have made their opinions known concerning the comeback. David Haye has warned Iron Mike to stay away to avoid getting hurt. He is basically putting it out there that he would be willing to take on Tyson. King is getting what he wants. A heavyweight champion has already taken notice and the people are talking about his most successful fighter returning to the ring.
With Vitali Klitschko just signing to fight the unknown Albert Sosnowski for the WBC Title, IBO/IBF/WBO Champ Wladimir Klitschko taking on Eddie Chambers, while the other title holder, WBA Kingpin David Haye tries to fend off John Ruiz, the world has spoken. None of the above has capture the imagination of the public, but Mike Tyson still does.
When you then look at the super fights around the corner with Manny Pacquiao taking on Joshua Clottey and Floyd Mayweather, JR., taking on Shane Mosley, and then realize that even those two fights took a backseat to the comeback of Tyson, any doubt of a comeback should vanish. The people want to see Tyson back, he wants to come back, Don King wants to bring him back, and Evander Holyfield is salivating at the chance to get another big payday, which he can only do with Tyson. Holyfield-Frans Botha has flown under the radar. When Holyfield took on Nikolay Valuev, NOBODY cared. Now with the “wife beater” tag, more have given up on him. He needs Tyson more than the other way around and he is, despite what he may say, very receptive to the idea.
Tyson will draw fans. If you look at his losses prior to leaving the sport against Lennox Lewis, Danny Williams, and Kevin McBride, you will quickly realize that he was unmotivated and wasn’t represented well. He was in it strictly for the money and hoped to land that one punch to end it early, but it didn’t happen.
Lennox Lewis, at the point where Tyson crossed paths with him, was nearly unbeatable with his size and ability to control the ring. A smaller man, especially one the size of Mike would not have been able to get into range to make it happen. When you add the questionable training and the lack of fire in the belly at the time, Tyson had zero chance to win.
Danny Williams weathered the storm early and exposed an out of shape Tyson and then Kevin McBride stepped into the ring with a zombie that looked like Mike…one unwilling to even try to win. His heart was no longer in the game that he once loved. His personal life was in shambles…his documented drug problems hurting his chances immensely, but now, in 2010, things are totally different and a return is a good thing.
When George Foreman returned to the ring most laughed and dismissed his chances right off the bat, but he would end up stopping the young and undefeated heavyweight champion, Michael Moorer, becoming the oldest man to ever win the heavyweight title. Tyson, should he follow the George Foreman blueprint, fighting regularly against scrubs to begin with and then gradually stepping up the opposition, and if all goes well, take on Holyfield again or go for a title. Tyson is in his right mind now and that will be the difference.
As details become more available, you will find them here at RSR. Mike Tyson is returning and you can expect Don King to make the announcement in the months to come.
]]>
By Gina L. Caliboso
There is a whole month of highly anticipated bouts this month. As I look to March, there are two bouts that I wouldn’t mind being ringside for - the Super Six Middleweight bout between Andre Dirrell vs. Arthur “King Arthur” Abraham on March 27th, just an hour and a half away from me. And of course, there is the Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey bout on March 13th in Arlington, Texas.
I’ve already written on Clottey’s chances and I just made a return to my Filipino Boxer Report. So what am I doing now? Before I even had a chance to blink and think of making my way ringside to bouts next month, I am happy to discover that on April 17th, my man Lucian “Le Tombeur” Bute, 25-0, 20 KO’s, has been scheduled to take on Edison “Panther” Miranda, 33-4, 29 KO’s.
Bute’s solid fighting ability and undefeated record speak for themselves. The Romanian/French Canadian southpaw’s undefeated record is hardly padded and filled with bouts that he earned wholeheartedly. But it’s always good to look back at his stellar performance in 2009. He handily defeated Fulgencio Zuniga in March 2009 with a 4th round TKO. Nearly 8 months later, Bute would follow up with a KO of Librado Andrade in the 4th round.
Bute’s 2008 fight performance was successful in two ways. First, he did successfully defend his title twice. Second, he learned a little something to contribute to his overall success. He fought and defeated former title holder, William Joppy with a 10th round TKO. He followed up his win over Joppy with a fight against Librado Andrade. This fight against Andrade taught Bute a lesson.
He had been winning the fight all the way up to the 12th round, but nearly lost the battle against Andrade in the end. He held on to win with a 12 round unanimous decision. Bute successfully defeated Andrade and retained his belt, but he promised himself he wouldn’t allow that to happen again, especially in the closing rounds.
The result?
Two quick victories in 2009 in the fourth round – both against Zuniga and Andrade. Lesson learned all in Bute’s favor!
How long has Bute held the IBF Super Middleweight belt? Since 2007, Bute started his sole ownership of the IBF Super Middleweight title when he first defeated Sakio Bika, in June 2007 with a 12 round unanimous decision in a title eliminator bout. Later in October 2007, Bute fought against Alejandro Berrio with a TKO in the 11th round and became the IBF Super Middleweight titleholder. I’d like to mention his losses as humbling lessons of maturity, but he doesn’t have any.
Currently ranked #2 among super middleweights, he was not available to participate in the Super Six Middleweight Tournament. But he has definitely earned his way to fight the current #1 super middleweight, Arthur “King Arthur” Abraham, 31-0, 25 KO’s. It’s only stage 2 of the tournament and Abraham is going to be in it to the end.
Colombia’s Edison Miranda makes for a good match-up for Bute and will definitely provide a challenge. Currently ranked #17 among super middleweights, Miranda can provide an entertaining resistance to Bute’s fighting style. Even though Miranda has 4 losses, the losses show inconsistent flashes of resilience.
Going back in 2006, he lost to Abraham over 12 rounds in a unanimous decision for the IBF Middleweight title. In his 4 losses, he lost two fights by unanimous decision while the other two fights were by early TKO’s. It could be that Abraham also has Miranda’s number. Miranda had pushed Abraham to 12 rounds in their first meeting, but Abraham beat him with a 4th round TKO back in 2008. In 2007, Miranda lost in a WBC Middleweight title eliminator bout to Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik, with a 7th round TKO.
Finally, in 2009, he pushed Andre Ward, to 12 rounds although he eventually lost by unanimous decision. After his loss to Ward, Miranda quickly followed up with a 1st round KO against Francisco Sierra for the interim WBO – NABO Super Middleweight title.
However, you look at Miranda’s fight record and speculate that when he loses, he loses big. When I say big, I just mean that he doesn’t just take a beating. Again, a loss against Abraham in 2008 versus Abraham now? His loss to Pavlik in 2007? Pavlik in 2007 versus Pavlik now? Miranda faced two tough fighters early on and at different stages in their fight careers. Looking back to 2007, Miranda also defeated Allan Green in 10 rounds with a unanimous decision. Allan Green replaces Jermain Taylor in the Super Six Middleweight Tournament.
Miranda hasn’t fought bad fighters. He has fought against good fighters in their prime and gave them a challenge. Now, a few years later with such losses under his belt, they can only serve him in experience, maturity and provide a solid presence in the boxing ring.
Barring a repeat episode of his first fight against Andrade where Bute nearly lost his belt and held on in the last few rounds, I predict Bute will defeat Miranda. But really, Miranda has his work cut out for him and needs to make himself a contender again. Let’s just head into March and April – it’s going to be an awesome two months of boxing!
]]>
By Daniel “Tex” Cohen
Business is never finished in Boxing.
There’s always an upstart, old foe, grizzly veteran, stylistic complication, or personal vendetta left on the table when a fighter retires. Lennox Lewis never had a second fight with Vitali Klitschko. Marco Antonio Barrera will probably never get another shot at Amir Khan. Jesse Feliciano and Alfonso Gomez will probably never have a fourth, tiebreaker fight.
If Floyd Mayweather, JR., beats Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao beats Joshua Clottey, both men will still have to face one another to close the books. Even then, there will still be the prospect of a fight with Paul Williams, or Sergio Martinez, or whoever else is the flavor of the month.
The Super Middleweight Division, teamed up with Showtime, is doing everything it can to finish business within the Super Middleweight Division. By tabbing six of the best fighters in the division for a round robin, points-based tournament, the Super Middleweight Super Six Tournament is looking to close the books (at least temporarily) on the question of who “es mas macho” in the division.
So far, we have seen that Andre Ward has a grip of dominance over Mikkel Kessler, and Arthur Abraham, as well as the rest of the top fighters in the division, have the ability to knock out a highly competitive yet overmatched Jermain Taylor.
In spite of the ambitious goal of the tournament, the above results were the only solidified evidence of… anything at all. Andre Dirrell and Carl Froch fought to an ugly and debatable decision (in favor of Froch). The tournament is also missing the only other truly dominant super middleweight prospect to have performed with any gusto in recent fights: Lucian Bute.
Aside from those obvious issues, we have yet to see what we will get from Allan Green in his tournament debut in place of Taylor.
As if that weren’t enough reason to maintain the openness of the division, even after the tournament reaches its eventual, inevitable end, there are plenty of fighters not usually considered in the super middleweight mix that could instantly enter the fray with a few changes of fortune.
Kelly Pavlik and Sergio Martinez will scrap April 17th. Given the proximity of that fight to the next round of the tournament, either of those guys could instantly decide to angle for the winner of the tournament by challenging leftovers. Martinez, who fought Paul Williams at middleweight and will face Pavlik at the same weight, could decide to try his hand at the divisions above him. At 35, the Argentinean will want paydays.
Those paydays could come from somewhere higher up.
As for Pavlik, the Hope of Youngstown may be interested in moving up. Bernard Hopkins may have dissuaded him from considering the light heavyweight ranks for the time being, but there’s no reason he couldn’t try his hand at 168, just a few pounds above where “The Ghost” met Taylor in their catch weight rematch.
The aforementioned Williams, who went toe to toe with Martinez last year, might be interested in the Super Middleweight Division as he grows into his incredibly lanky body. Williams has looked uncomfortable in the lower weight divisions for some time, and he is still young enough that he has room to grow in terms of pure mass.
On the fringe of the division is the exciting and formerly frightening Edison Miranda. “La Pantera” is Bute’s next challenger. In spite of Miranda’s one-sided loss to Pavlik and his place at the short end of a unanimous decision to tournament standout Andre Ward, Miranda still owns a victory over Green. Some might question that win because of certain specific reasons surrounding the fight (including the fact that Green was coming off of a recent colon removal surgery). Yet, Miranda still owns the victory and therefore is one up on Green, the new tournament entry.
None of these options have even considered the prospect of somebody moving down, or finding a catch weight to meet one of these super middleweights.
Chad Dawson and Jean Pascal offer highly lucrative fights. Dawson, as the man in the division above, would be a favorite and a breadwinner no matter who he faces. As for Pascal, he recently put on a great show against Adrian Diaconu (for the second time in three fights), and has a loss to the strong-willed and under-skilled Carl Froch. A rematch between the two would help close another open book.
As for Diaconu, he’s a great fighter that can still use his wits and ability to create difficult matchups for some of the better fighters in the world. Diaconu owns a win over Chris Henry, who recently knocked Shaun George down and out. In fact, Henry or Diaconu would both be worthy challengers for any of the men in this article.
Obviously, men who are on the smaller side of the Super Middleweight Division will not be able to fight men on the larger side. However, the beauty of the tournament is that all of the challengers are average super middleweights. That way, the winner can go in almost any direction.
Whether or not that’s good for the guy that comes out on top remains to be seen. The winner of the tournament, be it Green, Froch, Kessler, Dirrell, Ward or Abraham, will command plenty of dollars.
Conversely, you might consider the price to be on that man’s head.
]]>
Interview by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“You win and you lose. I was just honored to be a part of history” – Hector “Macho” Camacho
When the opportunity to interview Hector “Macho Man” Camacho presented itself, I jumped at the opportunity. Not only was he arguably the pound per pound best the sport had to offer about the time he won the WBC super featherweight title, his heyday was during one of the richest and most competitive periods our sport has ever known. In fact, the career of Hector Camacho reads in a way that is mostly forgotten today; put it all on the line and meet the best, risk be damned.
More than just a hotshot fighter with God-given attributes and ability, the “Macho Man” moved through several divisions over the span of years, taking on the best and most celebrated talent available despite the laws of probability. Discussing his views on the Edwin Rosario match, the grueling encounter with undefeated Mexican ring icon Julio Cesar Chavez, his victories over the two greats from “The Brawl in Montreal” or his challenge of two great Hispanic welterweights from yet another era, I could not help but marvel at how much ring history this great multi-division former world champion has lived through. Amazingly, with 87 career bouts to date, Camacho is on the cusp of yet another ring campaign when he looks to embark on a world tour later next month at an age where most fighters are looking back as opposed to looking forward. As a fan, it was indeed a pleasure to represent RSR and sit down with the “Macho Man” and go over a career that although not yet over, is already one for is one for the ages.
MP: Beginning in October 1982 and with a record of 17-0, you whipped four talented contenders over a period of six months, three of which had previously been undefeated; Melvin Paul, Greg Coverson, John Montes and “Cubanito” Perez. Did you feel destined for a world title unstoppable by this point?
Oh yeah. At that point I felt ready to fulfill my call to become a three-time world champion and after all, not only three world champions I went on to win ten world championships. I’m probably one of the only legends out there live and kicking, still active. I’m going after my eleventh title on March 26th.
MP: You won the vacant WBC super featherweight title in August 1983 with a fifth-round stoppage over former champion Rafael Limon. You followed that up by pounding Rafael Solis some three months later in your first title defense, also in the fifth-round. How did it feel to be a young world champion and what were your goals back then after winning your first title?
Well, back then I was just unstoppable. Anything I wanted to do I would do it and as the years went on I kept doing everything I ever wanted to, and originally set out to do in boxing. That’s the reason why I’ve decided to make this my last hurrah. Not my last “hurrah”, but last “hurrahs”. I want to put it on as many fighters as I can, just one after another. I want to basically fight outside of the United States. I will take it overseas to Denmark or Russia or places out that way because I’m very big out there and I really have the opportunity to take advantage of fighting out there. I do have it and I’m 47 years-old and I’ll be 48 in May. But you know, health-wise, condition-wise, the way I look, my person, I’m still a young looking “Macho Man” from back in 1990 or even the 80’s. I feel young, I feel good. I’m wiser and grown up. I have all this experience plus my speed, I still have my speed. I’m able to do everything I always did. It’s just a gift from The Lord that I’m able to carry my career this far.
MP: You won the WBC lightweight title in April 1985 with a shutout over Jose Luis Ramirez who came into the bout with a 90-5 record. What do you remember of that bout and of Ramirez as a foe?
I remember back then that I was just ready to explode. I was insane; I was fast as lightning and I proved it to him in that fight. I proved to him how fast and sharp I could be. I proved I was invincible at that time. I will prove how sharp and fast I am today up in Denmark on March 26th. I’m hearing through the internet and word of mouth that this guy Allan Vester is pretending he is gonna box me and make me quit in the seventh round and all that. He’s just a young kid compared to me; 35 or 36 years-old. He’s got a record of 27-7 and he’s never fought nobody like me and he’s able to talk a little like I did back then, but I can almost guarantee you that I’m gonna blow this guy out. I’m very, very hyped, very excited that I’m gonna fight in Denmark for the first time and have the full attention of the public out there, just waiting for me like I had back in the 80’s and 90’s, how people just waited for my appearance. That’s what they are doing in Denmark. I feel so excited!
MP: Your next bout was a ten-round non-title tune-up win over Freddie Roach, who is generally regarded as arguably the best trainer in the sport of boxing today. What do you remember of that bout and of the 38-9 Roach as a fighter?
Freddie Roach is a very fine trainer, maybe that’s what he was born to do. As a fighter, I beat him very well, very convincingly. I really mashed his face. As a trainer he’s doing very well but that’s ‘cause of the fighters he’s training. Keep in mind that Freddie’s not taking his fighters as new pupils and developing them into great champions. No. He’s not that type of trainer. He has the experience of know-how to get his fighters ready and conditioned for fights, and he does a good job on that, but by no means is he a champion-maker. He’s a former fighter and now a trainer that is out there at the right time doing all of the right things to follow-up with the fighters as they are when they first go to him, to go out there and win.
MP: Next came what many consider to be the pivotal moment of your entire career and a turning point of sorts for you as a professional fighter; the Edwin Rosario fight. You prevailed by split decision in a match some in the media felt that you lost. Tell us what happened in that bout.
Well, I never thought that I lost that fight. It was just two rounds, the fifth and I think it was the tenth where Edwin managed to back me up. Now keep in mind that when I was coming up, I was the type to get in and steal the round. That why I’ve lasted this long. That’s why I’m still here; that’s why I can still speak, I can talk, I can fight, I can punch, I can dance, I can move around, I can do everything that I always did because I wasn’t a fighter that got beat-up. But then again when I went those hard rounds with Eddy Rosario when he backed me up in the fifth and the tenth round, people wanted to believe that I lost the fight, but I didn’t. I thought that I had the fight under control, and so I got backed-up. After I got backed-up, I came back. Then I got backed-up again in the tenth-round, and then I went on to win a very close, twelve-round split decision, but I was the champion and I did earn the fight. I think I did win the fight.
MP: Having watched it live and again recently, I think you won it.
Thank you. I thought so too. But nevertheless, Edwin Rosario fought a great fight. He stayed with me he exchanged punches with me and was able to make me miss at times. He fought a great fight. I love that guy, even now, though he is no longer around. I think he was a very big, big part of my early career.
MP: Later in 1987, you moved up to super lightweight and completely shutout Howard Davis, JR., on national television in a bout where you didn’t at any point move in for the kill, further fueling rumors you had grown complacent with boxing and had adopted a safety-first mentality after being shook-up in the fifth round of the Rosario bout the year before. Tell us about those bouts and why the change in approach?
Howard Davis JR was, you know, a former Olympian, up and coming attractive fighter. He’s was from the old school of 1976 when “Sugar” Ray came around, and those kind of guys. He was destined to win a world championship but never did. I beat him very well, I beat Howard very convincingly. Then again that came after my fight with Rosario, and even though I was the same kind of fighter, they were saying I was no longer the same fighter I had been. Instead, styles make fights and at that time I started slacking in my training, and since I had the legs to dance and box and win the fight boxing without getting hit, I chose to do that. I really stopped being dedicated as a fighter in the gym, but my legs kept me around and kept me winning good.
MP: The split decision victory over the far less talented Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, somebody that had been under your skin for years. Recall that moment for us.
You know, it’s funny. I just got with Mancini about six months ago at the Hall of Fame, and I was so happy to see him. I hugged him and told him Mancini, I love the shit out of you. You are my brother and any time you need something, anything, you give me a call, I will be there. It’s just funny how years go by and I have this admiration and this respect for Ray Mancini. He looks well. He looks older ‘cause he has white hair and all that, but he was very well and I was happy to see him. As far as our fight went, Mancini got himself into shape. He really wanted to beat me and he fought a damn good fight. I fought and boxed him the way I prepared myself to, but Mancini was truly a great little champion and a great little fighter.
MP: You split two bouts with former IBF Lightweight Champion Greg Haugen in 1991, your initial encounter with him, the first official loss of your career. What happened in those bouts?
I really thought I won the first fight. I’m very game, being the first born as I was and being the “Macho Man”, I was kind of dominating everybody I fought. Back then I was under Bob Arum’s promotion, and I thought Arum had something to do with Haugen. I really thought I won that fight but they gave it to Haugen after they took a point from me. Even with the point loss I really thought I won the fight. But in boxing, you know, you see it all. You win and you lose. I was just honored to be a part of history. I’m honored to be a part of things that happened in boxing. I came back to beat him in the second fight just like I did in the first fight, but shit happens, you know. Things happen in boxing like that. Maybe if I was white and was The Golden Boy, it may not have ever happened. Then again, I was the bad boy of boxing, the “Macho Man”, and it was allowed to happen and it did. That’s the way it goes.
MP: In 1992 you challenged an 81-0 Julio Cesar Chavez for the WBC Light Welterweight Title. You lost a wide unanimous decision, taking a pounding in the process. It appears as though you could not get into your usual rhythm in that bout. What happened and what was it like facing Chavez, whom many considered an absolute phenomenon by that point?
That’s when I really played myself cheap. I slacked in my determination to come out in the best condition that I could have. Yes, I got myself into great shape, OK, but not into the right kind of condition that I should have. You know, when I fought Chavez, I thought if I boxed him I’d beat him easy. I didn’t get myself into the right condition but I got myself into the right shape to fight the way I did. I thought that if I boxed him and moved, I could’ve made him look silly and beat him that way, but he prepared himself for my style of fighting. Not having the right conditioning, I wasn’t able to really fight him the way I did the last four rounds. When I was boxing him, he was on me, he was all over me. When I fought him later in the bout, I really started taking over the fight, but he was way up in points for me to come back that late, and he won a good decision on me. It’s cool. Remember how Ali beat George Foreman? Foreman came back after ten years and he did everything he did the first time around, plus more and retired great, with money and his senses? He’s such a great man, George Foreman and I want to follow his example that it can be done. Well, Chavez beat me. Now Chavez ain’t around but I’m still around for my last hurrah. I’m sure I’ll be very successful.
MP: You moved up to welterweight in 1994, challenging undefeated Felix Trinidad for the IBF title, ultimately losing a unanimous decision. What do you recall of Trinidad as a champion?
At that time Trinidad was a great, promising little fighter. I wasn’t fighting as regularly as before in my career, but I thought if I got this young guy, coming up, I would be able to put myself back in the picture. I fought. He beat me. Good. He then went on to beat Oscar De La Hoya, and he did great. I tried to fulfill this desire inside to win, something that I was put on this earth to do. But little setbacks in the ring, outside of the ring, shit happens.
MP: You embarked on a seniors tour of sorts by beating Roberto Duran in 1996, then later again in 2001, the first bout being somewhat controversial with some in the media claiming he deserved the decision. What is your reaction to those claims?
I took those fights to show that I was still around. Yeah, I beat Duran when he was pretty much over it. He was still Duran; you win and you lose as you get older but maybe I didn’t fight Duran when he was 23 or 21, but I still beat Duran. I beat Roberto Duran. He came at me and I fought him and I beat him, twice.
MP: In early-1997 you out-boxed and beat-up “Sugar” Ray Leonard, somebody you had an ongoing rivalry with for some time. What is the story behind that rivalry and what do you recall of your bout with the former multi-division champion?
I fought a great fight. I got ready for that fight I said at the time, Ray I’m getting ready for this. To beat “Sugar” Ray I had to be the best that I could be at that time to beat him. He was trying to out-talk me, out-class me. He thought by being that great living legend that he was, that he could just overshadow me and beat me with his past and his jazz, but I got really focused and told him I was going to knock him out, and I did. I even told him what round I was gonna knock him out in, and I did. Am I Houdini? No. Am I Muhammad Ali? No, I’m just the” Macho Man” and I beat him very good.
MP: The Leonard win re-invigorated your career. In late-1997 you challenged undefeated Oscar De La Hoya for the WBC Welterweight Title. After absorbing a solid left hook from the champ late in round one, you seemed to switch gears and fight mainly to survive. What happened?
If I would have fought De La Hoya at the same weight that I beat “Sugar” Ray Leonard at, 154 pounds, it would have been in my favor. The last time I made ’47 I lost to Trinidad and barely made that weight. I made ’47 for Oscar because the money and opportunity was right, so that’s why I fought at ’47 but I had no firepower. The advantages that Oscar De La Hoya had over me that night, I still proved defensively, offensively, that I could go twelve hard rounds with anybody in the world win or lose.
MP: Next month you are facing Allan Vester in Denmark for the WPBF Middleweight Title. Will we possibly see Hector “Macho” Camacho one day again challenging for a major world title?
I will beat Allan Vester. The whole thing is knocking him out. That’s what will be the challenge, knocking him out. Beat him? Yes, I can beat him. After I beat him, I’m taking with K-1 about doing an Asian tour, about doing three fights over there. There’s some good money out there on the table. We’re still negotiating but I think the way the economy is here in the United States, I can make more money fighting overseas. I want to do two or three fights overseas and when I prove to be the real thing, the way George Foreman did, then I’ll return to the States and fight anybody from Manny Pacquiao to Bernard Hopkins. Anyone from Miguel Cotto to Pacquiao to Hopkins, hopefully in about a year. I’ll do Japan, Europe, I’ll fight the most fights that I can get. Nobody can tell me that I can’t do what I’ve done all my life. I’ve won ten world championships and I’m going after my eleventh world championship in my next fight.
At this point in my life, you know, I have no setbacks. I’m doing everything I have to do. I’m boxing because there’s gonna be a time that I ain’t gonna be able to do this anymore. I’m 47 years-old. So I want to be able to do everything now, so after I retire, I can say I did everything and the whole world is gonna know I did everything because I’m giving it my best. I’m gonna do it!
MP: In closing is there anything that you would like to say to your many fans around the world?
Don’t blink an eye, the man is back. It’s Macho time!
Hector Camacho
Nickname: “Macho”
Division: Light Middleweight
Professional Record: 79-5-3, 38 KO's
Date Opponent W-L-D Location Result
1980-09-12 David Brown 0-1-1 New York, USA W PTS 4
1980-12-12 Benny Llanos 0-1-0 New York, USA W KO 1
1981-03-12 Herman Ingram 1-9-1 New York, USA W UD 6
1981-03-27 Robert Johnson 1-9-1 New York, USA W KO 1
1981-04-24 Jerry Strickland 9-52-0 New York, USA W KO 2
1981-05-02 Tomas Enrique Diaz 1-4-0 New York, USA W UD 6
1981-05-16 Kato Ali 0-6-0 Kiamesha Lake, USA W TKO 7
1981-06-25 Marcial Santiago 4-10-0 New York, USA W UD 8
1981-07-24 Jose Figueroa 3-6-2 New York, USA W KO 1
1981-09-16 Robert Mullins 24-2-0 New York, USA W KO 6
1981-11-05 Anthony Murray 4-1-0 New York, USA W UD 10
1981-12-11 Blaine Dickson 15-3-0 New York, USA W UD 12
NABF Super Featherweight Title
1982-02-15 Jorge Nina 1-12-1 Queens, USA W UD 8
1982-03-31 Rafael Lopez 16-1-0 New York, USA W TKO 3
1982-05-21 Refugio Rojas 19-9-0 New York, USA W TKO 1
NABF Super Featherweight Title
1982-07-11 Louis Loy 15-0-1 New York, USA W TKO 7
1982-08-28 Johnny Sato 18-6-0 Atlantic City, USA W TKO 4
1982-10-30 Melvin Paul 15-0-0 Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1982-11-20 Greg Coverson 32-0-0 Las Vegas, USA W UD 10
1983-02-12 John Montes 22-1-0 Anchorage, USA W KO 1
1983-04-03 Irleis Perez 26-0-0 Phoenix, USA W UD 10
1983-08-07 Rafael Limon 50-12-2 San Juan, Puerto Rico W TKO 5
vacant WBC Super Featherweight Title
1983-11-18 Rafael Solis 29-3-2 San Juan, Puerto Rico W KO 5
WBC Super Featherweight Title
1984-05-20 Rafael Williams 19-1-0 Corpus Christi, USA W TKO 7
1985-01-19 Louis Burke 19-1-0 Atlantic City, USA W TKO 5
1985-04-29 Roque Montoya 14-6-2 Buffalo, USA W UD 12
NABF Lightweight Title
1985-08-10 Jose Luis Ramirez 90-5-0 Las Vegas, USA W UD 12
WBC Lightweight Title
1985-12-18 Freddie Roach 38-9-0 Sacramento, USA W UD 10
1986-06-13 Edwin Rosario 28-1-0 New York, USA W SD 12
WBC Lightweight Title
1986-09-26 Cornelius Boza Edwards 44-5-1 Miami Beach, USA W UD 12
WBC Lightweight Title
1987-05-02 Howard Davis Jr 29-3-1 Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1988-06-25 Reyes Antonio Cruz 37-2-1 Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1988-10-22 Rick Souce 14-1-0 Bayamon, Puerto Rico W TKO 4
1989-03-06 Ray Mancini 29-3-0 Reno, USA W SD 12
vacant WBO Light Welterweight Title
1989-07-17 Tommy Hanks 18-3-0 Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1989-11-04 Raul Torres 10-3-2 Atlantic City, USA W UD 10
1990-02-03 Vinny Pazienza 28-3-0 Atlantic City, USA W UD 12
WBO Light Welterweight Title
1990-08-11 Tony Baltazar 34-3-1 Stateline, USA W UD 12
WBO Light Welterweight Title
1991-02-23 Greg Haugen 27-3-0 Las Vegas, USA L SD 12
WBO Light Welterweight Title
1991-05-18 Greg Haugen 28-3-0 Reno, USA W SD 12
WBO Light Welterweight Title
1992-08-01 Eddie VanKirk 25-7-2 Las Vegas, USA W TKO 4
1992-09-12 Julio Cesar Chavez 81-0-0 Las Vegas, USA L UD 12
WBC Light Welterweight Title
1993-05-08 Eric Podolak 19-3-0 Las Vegas, USA W TKO 5
1993-06-19 Tom Alexander 17-4-0 San Diego, USA W TKO 7
1993-12-18 Lee Fortune 18-10-1 Puebla, Mexico W TKO 1
1994-01-29 Felix Trinidad 22-0-0 Las Vegas, USA L UD 12
IBF Welterweight Title
1994-05-03 Franco DiOrio 27-3-1 Bay Saint Louis, USA W UD 10
1994-06-09 Craig Snyder 14-4-0 Rosemont, USA W UD 10
1994-09-27 Pat Lawlor 20-4-0 Bay Saint Louis, USA W UD 10
1994-11-15 Rusty Derouen 33-6-0 Erie, USA W TKO 4
1995-01-14 Todd Foster 33-3-0 Atlantic City, USA W TKO 4
International Boxing Council Welterweight Title
1995-02-28 Luis Maysonet 28-5-0 Mashantucket, USA W KO 7
1995-03-29 Verdell Smith 24-17-2 Cincinnati, USA W UD 10
1995-05-20 Homer Gibbins 35-3-0 Atlantic City, USA W UD 12
International Boxing Council Welterweight Title
1995-06-27 Juan Arroyo 28-4-1 Fort Lauderdale, USA W RTD 6
1995-08-06 Gary Kirkland 23-0-0 Mashantucket, USA W TKO 9
International Boxing Council Welterweight Title
1995-09-28 Tony Rodriguez 13-1-0 Los Angeles, USA W UD 10
1995-10-11 Richie Hess 16-3-1 Washington, USA W TKO 4
1995-11-07 Danny Chavez 25-5-1 Chester, USA W UD 10
1995-12-09 Lonnie Horn 24-2-0 Moline, USA W TKO 6
1996-01-16 Sal Lopez 17-1-1 Fort Lauderdale, USA D TD 2
International Boxing Council Welterweight Title
1996-04-11 Wilbur Garst 19-4-1 Corpus Christi, USA W TKO 7
1996-06-22 Roberto Duran 96-11-0 Atlantic City, USA W UD 12
vacant International Boxing Council Middleweight Title
1996-07-11 Craig Houk 55-27-0 New York, USA W TKO 2
1996-08-20 Arturo Nina 10-20-1 New York, USA W UD 10
1996-10-01 Heath Todd 31-10-0 Fort Lauderdale, USA W TKO 6
1997-03-01 Sugar Ray Leonard 36-2-1 Atlantic City, USA W TKO 5
International Boxing Council Middleweight Title
1997-09-13 Oscar De La Hoya 25-0-0 Las Vegas, USA L UD 12
WBC Welterweight Title
1998-06-12 Tommy Small 35-16-0 Verona, USA W TKO 6
1998-08-11 Tony Menefee 62-4-0 Miami, USA W UD 12
International Boxing Council Light Middleweight Title
1998-10-23 Ken Sigurani 22-2-0 Chester, USA W SD 10
1999-03-19 Scott Smith 25-6-2 Verona, USA W UD 10
1999-06-18 Patrick Goossen 19-1-0 Struthers, USA W UD 10
1999-10-21 Manuel Esparza 19-6-1 Washington, USA W TKO 5
1999-11-27 Jorge Vaca 63-21-1 Carolina, Puerto Rico D TD 3
2000-04-08 Bobby Elkins 29-9-0 Detroit, USA W TKO 5
2000-06-09 Billy Fox 20-2-2 Verona, USA W UD 10
2000-06-16 Tim Bryan 29-22-2 Rama, Canada W TKO 5
2001-02-03 Troy Lowry 24-1-0 Miami Beach, USA W UD 10
2001-07-14 Roberto Duran 103-15-0 Denver, USA W UD 12
2003-01-18 Otilio Villarreal 15-15-1 Fort Lauderdale, USA W TKO 9
2003-04-18 Chris Walsh 18-6-1 Raleigh, USA L TD 6
2003-12-05 Craig Houk 67-34-0 Coconut Creek, USA W TKO 3
2004-07-03 Clint McNeil 15-6-0 Biloxi, USA W UD 10
2005-07-09 Raul Munoz 17-6-0 Tucson, USA W UD 10
2008-07-18 Perry Ballard 20-1-0 Houston, USA W TKO 7
vacant World Boxing Foundation International Light Middleweight Title
2009-05-09 Luis Ramon Campas 92-14-0 Orlando, USA D PTS 8
]]>RSR is currently seeking Entertainment Writers to cover the entertainment world. From music to movies to your favorite TV show, RSR is interested in bringing the readers commentary about the goings on in the world of entertainment. If you are interested, please contact Managing Editor Geno McGahee.
]]>
By Joe Wilson
April 24, 2010, will headline a clash between former IBF Cruiserweight and WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Tomasz Adamek, 40-1, 27 KO’s, against Mexican-American heavyweight contender Chris Arreola, 28-1, 25 KO’s. Promoters Dan Goossen and Kathy Duva are calling this bout “Ring of Fire.” With the lack of excitement lately in the heavyweight division, some are viewing this match-up as a potential “Heavyweight Fight of the Year.”
Many voices around the sport can see why. If both fighters bring to the table what they normally bring, it could become a reckless slugfest. Just enough reckless abandon to make this bout, an interesting fight. The heavyweight division has been on a long vacation in the eyes of many. This fight could be just what boxing fans have been waiting for in this division.
Tomasz Adamek just recently put on a solid performance against Jason Estrada the United States super-heavyweight representative. Adamek came in weighing a solid 220 pounds and dominated this fight at a fast pace. Estrada showed up weighing 237 pounds, which was 10 pounds less than his previous bout. Dropping weight for that bout gave Estrada more stamina to at least stay competitive during the early part of that match. As the fight went on, Adamek controlled the rounds.
That event brought in over 10,000+ fans, which packed the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Most of the fans were Polish-Americans who were supporters of Adamek. It’s not often that a fighter from another country have that many supporters already living here in the United States.
Even though, there are Polish-Americans all over the United States, Adamek will not have that same following when he steps in the ring with Chris Arreola. This time the event will be held on the West Coast, around the Los Angeles area, (the home of Chris Arreola). When a fighter fights in his or her own hometown, it usually poses as an advantage for that fighter. Arreola will definitely have that advantage come fight night.
Can a good small man beat a good unfocused big man?
Well… let’s see here. First of all, the good small man (Adamek) has had to change trainers. Due to a serious illness of his former trainer, he has had to call on world-class trainer, Ronnie Shields. Shields has worked with some of boxing’s elite…fighters with names such as; Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Jermain Taylor and (RIP) Vernon Forrest, to name a few. Ronnie Shields was also a world-class fighter himself, before he became a trainer.
Will changing trainers in such a short notice have an affect on Adamek? He and Shields will have about seven weeks to establish a good working relationship. It can be done! A good trainer usually doesn’t go in and try to change a seasoned fighter. What a good trainer usually does is… help sharpen the skills a fighter already has. He does not try to change the way the fighter already fights. It’s too late for that!
The good thing about Adamek is… He’s always in good shape! There will be no questions about his conditioning. “I can’t say the same for his opponent,” whom I will address shortly. New trainers usually experience good results from fighters who stay in good shape. Conditioning has always been a key factor in a fight. Skills and talent alone usually doesn’t cut it all the time. Tomasz Adamek could pose all the problems a smaller fighter could pose on a bigger opponent. Adamek fights with heart. He has a very good chin and will be there in the later rounds, if he chooses to box and not go toe-to-toe with the bigger man.
Ronnie Shields will train Adamek to fight twelve rounds. If Adamek doesn’t get too brave early in this fight he could possibly win this war in the later rounds. Arreola has been known to have conditioning problems, which will show up late in the fight. Adamek has all the weapons necessary to pull off a win against Chris Arreola, only if… and that’s a big word, he can stick to a good game plan.
Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola is excited about this bout, because Adamek is a high profile opponent. This could be the best opponent for Arreola to redeem his name from the brutal beating he took from WBC heavyweight champion, Vitali Klitschko, in Los Angeles’ Staples Center back in September 2009.
After that lost, Arreola jumped right back in the ring and beat veteran Brian Minto in a four round stoppage. Adamek brings a totally different package than Minto. Brian Minto slugged with Arreola as long as he could, but the size difference and experience proved to be too much! The fight was stopped in the fourth round in a victory for Arreola.
Over the past, Chris Arreola has had major problems staying focused in training camps for fights. He has to be monitored during the night, because of his eating disorder. I’ve seen film footage on Arreola, during a training camp. It is devastating to see a fighter who suffers from an eating disorder, having to fight those demons at night. Chris Arreola has been known to go to Taco Bell in the middle of the night and pig out on anything he can get his hands on. This is the worst nightmare for any trainer while in camp preparing for a big fight.
Even though Chris Arreola has only lost one fight in his professional career, which came from a legitimate opponent, this fight with Tomasz Adamek could easily make or break Arreola’s boxing career. The funny thing is… Arreola is still in his prime; he is only 28 years old. A lost for him could cost him, his career in boxing. Unlike Adamek who could take another loss, and step right back down in weight and his career would carry on, if he chooses to do so. There would still be big fights available for him in the smaller weight divisions.
Maybe, the combination of good conditioning and a new trainer makes the difference in Tomasz Adamek winning or losing? Maybe, Chris Arreola (the bigger man) shows up very focused and conditioned, or a lack there of? Or, maybe this fight just proves once again, “what was once the great heavyweight division” is still a thing of past?
]]>By Gina L. Caliboso
It was only a matter of time. The inevitable happened.
It was the KO that rocked the boxing world. This past Saturday, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao suffered a KO in the 10th round against Clottey. My keyboard is filled with tears at reporting this upset.
That’s it – Clottey’s headbutt in the 3rd round with no point deduction prevented the Filipino fighter from fully seeing the power cross to the chin. The punch rocked him and he was stunned, wobbly, and unable to find his legs. Roach and Buboy screaming to get up. No chance. Referee Kenny Bayliss counts to 10. Pacquiao is still not up.
Clottey wins by KO.
Fight fans, let’s step away from the Twilight Zone (insert shameless plug for RSR Review of series here) for a moment. I simply created out of my imagination, the possibility of Pacquiao getting KO’d by Clottey. Now boxing and RSR fans key in here, it’s called imagination. It’s called possibility. There are no guarantees in the crazy mixed up business sport world of boxing.
All it takes is one single solidly landed punch and Pacquiao getting KO’d is a possibility. It’s never a good thing to think about loss – especially as I am the resident Filipino flag waver, I’ll take Pacquiao over everyone period. But my Editor thought it’d be fun to think about what might happen should and if Pacquiao gets knocked out by Clottey.
Being raised by Filipino parents, I know sarcasm does not translate well, and I await the many emails. I might even catch the same amount of heat that Brian’s Mailbag gets, minus the requests for certain other favors (Writer’s note: Sorry Brian, I just had to mention that however subtle). Regardless, here’s my hypothetical, strictly imaginative scenarios of the boxing world asunder should the pound for pound Pacquiao get knocked out by Clottey.
Right after the loss, with Clottey’s hand held high in victory, Pacquiao, the consummate and humbled fighter, congratulates Clottey and his corner on a well-fought fight. Larry Merchant eventually tracks down Pacquiao and asks, “So, you came here to Texas and like Davy Crockett, met your Alamo and he went by the name Joshua Clottey.”
Pacquiao simply says, “He knocked me out. He fought a good match and he knocked me out.” No words necessary really. But Pacquiao humbly thanks the fight fans, his corner, Clottey, and heads back to the locker room. But Roach steps in with Merchant and soon says, “I think we’ve got one more fight. And it’s the fight that will happen. We’ll get Mayweather.” Roach leaves the ring quickly with Merchant left to interview Clottey.
Clottey goes back to Ghana a national hero. There is a sudden increase in the amount of fighters out of Ghana in the ranks once dominated by Filipino and Mexican fighters. As a quick follow-up to his Pacquiao victory, Clottey gets a match against Mosley and loses in a 12 round split decision.
Clottey got the fight against Mosley because Mayweather had to spend time in jail due to failure to pay taxes - and his hand got hurt during training while throwing bills at 50 Cent during training. Remember boxing fans, imagination here - imagination.
As for Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, it was a long airplane ride back to the Philippines for Team Pacquiao. And how is Pacquiao welcomed at the airport? It’s nothing short of a countrywide celebration.
The Filipinos greet their national hero with open arms, cheers, and a parade. Pacquiao heads back to General Santos City, Mindanao. Waiting for results on his election, Pacquiao becomes the family man, goes to church, and plays basketball. It’s quiet for the champ because it’s really what he needs.
No business of boxing for a while.
While he takes some much needed time off, the business of boxing continues with a lot of words coming out of Camp Mayweather. Bottom line, Mayweather is in dire need of some cash. Mayweather’s hand is fine now. Mayweather Promotions puts “the fight that shoulda been” out there to Pacquiao.
Pacquiao’s lawsuit is dropped and the family Mayweather all issue apologies. Floyd JR., himself goes to Bob Arum and pleads his case for a fight against Pacquiao. Arum goes to the Philippines and tracks down Pacquiao. Everything is in motion for the fight, including if whether Mayweather can suspend his failure to pay tax jail time even as he will have to pay a certain amount to pay off his tax debt.
The deal is done: Pacquiao – Mayweather fight for December 2010. Details of contract: Mayweather gets 25% of what Pacquiao gets (undisclosed amount). Pacquiao trains even harder for this fight and defeats Mayweather by a 12th round KO.
This ends the RSR writer episode in imagination and a trip into the Twilight Zone. Who knows what the headlines will read on Sunday, March 14th? But on Saturday, March 13th, reality will sound off with the opening bell of Pacquiao – Clottey. It’s going to be a fight, boxing fans, and this entire article will be pushed off into a cyber world where Pacquiao getting KO’d is NEVER a possibility.
]]>By Geno McGahee
“Unlike other journalists, I did my research and made a phone call,” Dan Rafael smugly noted on a recent episode of Friday Night Fights and then proceeded to dismiss the comeback of Mike Tyson and the report here on RSR. Now, I don’t know how one phone call to one person that may have a vested interest in denying something counts as good research, but this is TV and most people believe what they are told, especially from a powerhouse like ESPN.
In a recent article by Ron Borges, he noted King saying very recently: “It would have been a surprise (announcement) were it not for somebody’s indiscreet comments,’’ King said of a twitter report from a Tyson “friend’’ claiming he was reuniting with King for a possible Holyfield fight. “We would have dropped the bomb that he’s here but we got premature exposure so now here they come! The midnight ramblers and the four day walkers are all coming out.”
As I said in my very first report concerning Mike Tyson, he is on a collision course with Evander Holyfield and it will happen, even if “The Real Deal” should lose to Frans Botha. Don King, with all of the press, can no longer keep a lid on it and may not want to. A Tyson-Holyfield bout has captured the imagination of the public and there is a lot of money to be made.
According to my source, King has spoken to two fighters and their teams about a future bout with Iron Mike. As reported in my first article, Derric Rossy and Tony Grano are top candidates as the first or possibly second opponent for the Tyson return. Mike is working very hard to get back into shape and has dropped a dramatic amount and is focused and ready to return.
Evander will be in the ring with former title challenger, Frans Botha, on April 10th and is expected to come out on top, although Botha is a live dog in the fight. Holyfield who has denied reports of a third Tyson bout has once again misled the public and is eagerly awaiting the paycheck and the high profile showdown. King has a lot of things already in place and is just working out the specifics. Look for an announcement sooner rather than later.
Mike Tyson, 50-6, 44 KO’s, is 43 years old and has been out of the ring for nearly 5 years, and left boxing losing three of his last four fights. On paper, his comeback seems like it has little to no promise, but King said it best when he noted that “Tyson beat Tyson.” The former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion wasn’t matched well, wasn’t motivated and gave himself little to no chance to win.
In 2002, he lost to Lennox Lewis via 8th round stoppage in a fight that was a mess to begin with. Tyson lost his head at a press conference, exchanging blows with Lewis and some others and then exploding on the press. Inside the ring, he was docile and just moved forward, eating punches until Lewis finally landed a haymaker to end it.
Tyson came back with a 49 second knockout of Clifford Etienne. This fight once again showed the strange mindset of Tyson at the time. He pulled out of the fight, got that tattoo on his face, and then elected to go on with the fight. He won via easy KO over a frightened opponent, but he wasn’t mentally prepared for boxing anymore.
Danny Williams, the unknown Brit, was his next opponent, and an injury in the first round, being ill prepared to fight, and the punches of Williams proved too much and Tyson would crumble in four.
In his last fight, the giant Irish mediocrity, Kevin McBride would hand Iron Mike his most embarrassing loss, pounding him into submission in six rounds. Tyson was the most unmotivated he had ever been in his career and it was a sad note to leave the sport on, even stating after the fight that he would not “disgrace the sport” anymore. His heart wasn’t in it.
Five years have past and Mike has put things together. He has matured and is ready to give boxing one more go. The public is ready for it. The media loves it. Boxing needs Iron Mike.
Those that have dismissed him, would have dismissed George Foreman in 1987 when he returned to the ring after ten years away, looking for a showdown with Tyson or a crack at the heavyweight title. Foreman plugged away, ignored the criticism, and would win the title in 1994, with a spectacular knockout over Michael Moorer. Could Tyson regain old form? It’s possible. We are not dealing with a great division at this time.
Grano or Rossy would be the first or second opponent with Holyfield on the radar, and although they are not getting ahead of themselves, should Tyson do well and win consistently and impressively, a shot at the WBA Heavyweight Title, a sanctioning body that King is friendly with, would be available for the Iron one.
In 1986, Mike Tyson won the heavyweight championship of the world from Trevor Berbick. Now, in 2010, he returns to the ring, and will hopefully recapture some of the magic that brought so many fans to boxing, myself included. Tyson comes back with a clear head and focus and no excuses. If he loses this time, it will not be because of his lack of focus or training. He is coming back to win and those out there looking to watch a piece of history happen, get in line because with King behind it and Tyson as the subject, the tickets will go fast.
Stay tuned to RSR for the most accurate and up to date information on the Mike Tyson comeback.
]]>By Geno McGahee
Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, 50-3-2, 38 KO’s, headlines this weekend’s boxing as he defends his WBO Welterweight title against the very capable and dangerous Joshua Clottey, 35-3, 20 KO’s.
Pacquiao is at an all time high in his career and has quite the following. He is a national hero in the Philippines and has a large fan base just about everywhere else. His continued improvement and likable nature have made him a pay per view smash. He is willing to take on just about anyone and has destroyed most of his opposition, including Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, and David Diaz. He has struggled with Juan Manuel Marquez in recent years, a fighter with good defense and the ability to control the ring, which is something that Clottey is able to do. The difference is: Clottey is a natural welterweight.
Pacquiao has to use his speed and movement in order to beat Clottey. Clottey has a history of beating up smaller guys. He battered and destroyed Diego Corrales, pounded Zab Judah into submission, and chased Miguel Cotto around the ring, before losing a controversial decision. He has a great chin, packs a decent punch, and keeps a tight defense. Clottey is a very dangerous opponent for Pacquiao and one that he may not be able to get beyond.
A win is a win and you can’t take anything away from the recent victories of Pacquiao, but when you look at the big names that were destroyed, you have to analyze it realistically. Oscar De La Hoya was spent, Ricky Hatton wasn’t an elite fighter, and Miguel Cotto’s psyche was broken. Clottey is a much bigger test for Pacquiao the welterweight, despite the fact that he isn’t as well known as the fighters mentioned above. He will try to walk down and pound Pacquiao to the floor in the later rounds. It should be a fun show.
The vacant WBC Lightweight title will be decided as Humberto Soto, 50-7-2, 32 KO’s, takes on David Diaz, 35-2-1, 17 KO’s. Soto recently dominated Jesus Chavez and has been on a winning streak. Diaz struggled with the same Chavez to take a majority decision in his last fight. Prior to that, he was dominated and planted on the canvas by Manny Pacquiao in nine rounds. He does hold a win over ancient Erik Morales, and at 33 years of age, still has some time left in the game. This should be a competitive and busy fight.
Contender favorite, Alfonso Gomez, 21-4-2, 10 KO’s, tries to send former WBC Lightweight Champion, Jose Luis Castillo, 60-9-1, 50 KO’s, into retirement in a ten round bout. Gomez has rebounded from his TKO loss to Miguel Cotto and put together a couple of wins as he goes into his biggest challenge. Castillo has been very active lately, fighting four times in 2009, winning all four by stoppage, although the opposition is highly questionable. Can Gomez avoid the slow powerhouse? We’ll find out Saturday night.
Irish Middleweight John Duddy, 28-1, 18 KO’s, is still a hot property in boxing and hopes to defeat the untested Michael Medina, 23-1-2, 18 KO’s, in a ten round bout. Duddy has beaten some decent competition like Matt Vanda, Howard Eastman, and Yory Boy Campas, while Medina has been feasting on guys like Roberto Valenzuela, who brought in an impressive record of 51-49-2. This is a huge step up for Medina.
If you’re not getting the pay per view, tune into RSR for the round by round coverage.
]]>
Compiled by Brian Wilbur
Manny Pacquiao is the best boxer in the world, holding the pound for pound crown with an iron fist. He is an active, fighting champion, set to step in the ring again this Saturday just four months after dispatching of Miguel Cotto. Four months may seem like a long time, but we live in an era where we are lucky if a championship level fighter fights twice in one year.
Pacquiao is not taking any easy routes either. He is set to take on top rated contender Joshua Clottey. Clottey has fought an excellent level of competition, including giving the likes of Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito very tough fights that went the distance. Clottey has never been stopped and is a former IBF Welterweight Champion.
Despite Clottey’s solid reputation as a world class boxer, he is considered a large underdog in this fight. Odds makers peg Joshua as approximately a 5 to 1 underdog. The reason has more to do with Pacquiao being an amazing talent in his prime rather than a knock on Clottey’s skill or merit. This Saturday night, we will find out if the odds makers were correct in making Pacquiao such a large favorite despite being the smaller man.
The team of writers at RSR offer their picks:
Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
I think very highly of Joshua Clottey as a fighter and former world champion, but I cannot get away from certain fleeting moments in his close loss last year with Miguel Cotto. There were points where he seemed to submit spiritually and I believe this cost him the win, whereas Cotto forged ahead. What will happen when Manny Pacquiao starts holding his owns and lands a telling combination? Will Clottey give ground or will he stand ground? And then there's the whole issue with Clottey's trainer. How can we expect him to be all he can be if he has for the most part trained himself - especially against the hungry, willing, active and apparently peaking pound per pound king today? Look for Manny Pacquiao to prevail, most likely by stoppage within six rounds.
“Bad” Brad Berkwitt
Pacquiao by a very hard fought decision. Somewhere in the 116-112 range.
Geno McGahee
The easy pick is Manny by UD, but I'm going with Joshua Clottey to shock the world and stop Pacquiao in the 8th round. Clottey looks fit and ready and is incredibly focused. He's good with distance and is coming in knowing he is the bigger man and wants to defend his place in boxing. Clottey wins by TKO.
Gina Caliboso
I want to get my money’s worth so I’m sure Pacquiao will defeat Clottey by KO in the 9th or 10th round. Clottey may take 2 or 3 rounds, but since he has a tendency to kick in his attack later in the fight, it may be too late. Pacquiao’s speed and punching power will overwhelm Clottey. Prediction: Pacquiao by KO.
Jeff Stoyanoff
Clottey has always presented problems for his opponents and, to a certain degree, he should here as well. I look for Clottey to start fast behind his jab successfully backing Pacquiao up early on. However, once Pac gets his bearings, he will simply be too good and too fast. This should actually end up looking a little like the Cotto fight; an increasingly dominant Pacquiao by TKO in round 10 or 11.
Dan “Tex” Cohen
Clottey is a nice fighter that gave Cotto hell, but I have a feeling we were looking at a Cotto who was on the downside at that point. Granted, Pacquiao took a few rounds to figure out that same fighter, and Cotto fought courageously to beat Clottey that night, but I think we are looking at a drastic talent gap between these two fighters. Expect Pacquiao to bob, weave, and spike, stopping the bigger man over a very long stretch.
Joe Wilson
I see this fight being the toughest fight of Manny Pacquiao’s career. Manny Pacquiao has never went into a fight with the kind of pressure he will have going into this one. “What pressure?” First of all, the way he beat his last three opponents has raised expectations very HIGH for him! There are also the allegations of steroids use hanging over his head from passing on a mega fight with Floyd “Money” Mayweather JR., because of the type of drug test requested. The stage will be the biggest any fighter has ever fought on!
The first three rounds will be Pacquiao’s rounds since Clottey will be fighting from a shell. From three rounds on, this fight becomes a battle. Clottey will figure out Pacquiao just like he did Zab Judah. Clottey will start to counter punch and Pacquiao will not have the defense to stop him. Clottey’s size and strength will show going into the middle rounds of this fight! He will have Pacquiao fighting going backwards, and this will take its toll on Manny going down the stretch.
Joshua Clottey is going into this fight as the underdog. Very few have given him chance to win. He has very little pressure on him! This type of opponent can be very dangerous. Freddie Roach has already predicted Manny winning this fight by knockout! That brings more pressure on Manny. I wouldn’t bet money on this fight at all. It’s these kinds of fights that send crowds away stunned at the outcome!
Geoff “The Professor” Poundes
By all the laws of physics and biology this should be a tough one for the Pacman, but then that was true of the De La Hoya, Hatton and Cotto extravaganzas. Clottey is a bigger man than all of those (yes, even bigger than a boiled down ODLH), and he’s never been stopped – and for six or seven rounds he too dismantled Cotto before running out of ideas as the Puerto Rican ran skillfully from the fight. It’s just impossible to call against Manny these days, so I’ll take Manny to stop him between the 8th and 10th rounds (although every fiber of my being is screaming out: Pacquiao in a tough hard, split points verdict).
Eoin Redahan
Despite his durability, I see Clottey going the way of De La Hoya and Cotto. Pacquiao by eighth round stoppage.
Brian Wilbur
Clottey lets rounds go by because he does not let his hands go. That will cost him against Pacquiao, who throws many hard punches to make his case clear to the judges. Clottey is competitive but I can’t see him getting a decision win over Pacquiao unless he hurts Manny, and I don’t see that happening at all. Clottey couldn’t even knock out a bloated, shot Diego Corrales. Pacquiao by a comfortable decision, possibly a corner stoppage.
Friends of RSR
Vonzell Johnson (Former Light Heavyweight Contender)
Manny stops Clottey in eight rounds.
Jose Antonio Rivera (Former World Champion)
I think Manny wins by Unanimous decision. Clottey, is a tough veteran that can take a punch & knows how to survive.
If you are not getting the fight on PPV, stop by RSR the night of the fight to get a free round by round live report by our very own Geno McGahee.
]]>Reviewed by Geno McGahee
“I can offer you four wishes with a guaranteed performance.”—Genie (Joseph Ruskin)
Arthur Castle (Luther Adler) and his wife Edna (Vivi Janiss) own an antique shop and are not doing very well financially. Arthur’s father owned it before him and his grandfather owned it before his father and now it was his and all three of them never were able to keep their heads above water. He even refers to it as a “monument to failure,” and he is near bankruptcy. That doesn’t change his good heart, however, as he buys what he believes to be an empty wine bottle from Mrs. Gumley (Lisa Golm), only because she is so poor and needs the money. This is more than a wine bottle, however, and Arthur and Edna are going to get more than they bargained for.
During one of Arthur’s angry outbursts concerning the bills and how life has basically shat on him, he knocks down the wine bottle and unleashes a genie. The Genie (Joseph Ruskin) appears and offers the couple four wishes and a guarantee on the performance.
This is a tale that sort of hits everyone, I think. Who doesn’t want the chance to live on easy street, but this is the Twilight Zone and you are not going to get away that easily. Once the couple starts wishing, the genie only lives up to the wish and everything begins to backfire upon them. When they get money, the tax collector arrives to take his share…an absurdly large share. When Arthur wants power, he is sent to Nazi Germany. It makes you think of that saying: “Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it.” It’s a much better saying than: “It’s not who you know, it’s who you blow.”
I really loved this tale. I love any story that shows the pitfalls of free money. The story is fantastic and it shows how Rod Serling can take a topic like a Genie and turn it into an interesting and adult oriented tale. The acting was top notch, but I do have one question. Vivi Janiss was in “The Fever” and was married to Franklin (Everett Sloane). Now, did she leave poor Franklin for this guy Arthur? I know that you might argue that Franklin is dead and she can knock boots with whomever she pleases, but I’m not 100% sure that Franklin didn’t survive that fall and how dare Arthur mow another guy’s lawn. I wish that they made an episode where Franklin and his new friend, The Slot Machine, kick in the door of the antique shop and take back his woman.
In the end, this is a near perfect tale with the twists and turns that we adore from the Twilight Zone.
RSR Rating: 9/10. Arthur, did you wish for Franklin’s Wife?]]>By Geno McGahee
Manny Pacquiao, 50-3-2, 38 KO’s vs. Joshua Clottey, 35-3, 20 KO’s
Result: Manny Pacquiao winner by UD: 120-108, 119-109, 119-109.
Round 12
Clottey is not doing anything…content to go the distance and Manny easily takes the final round. 10-9 Manny. 120-108 for Manny.
Round 11
Clottey more active but Manny is still winning. Manny stepped up the gas and threw a lot of punches to easily win the round. 10-9. 110-99.
Round 10
Manny still very effective. Clottey not doing much. Clottey landed some good shots but doesn’t follow up. Manny still winning but Clottey showed some life… 10-9 for Manny. 100-90.
Round 9
Manny dominating the fight. Clottey a little more active. Manny lands a great right hand and hurts Clottey. Another very big round for Manny. 10-9. 90-81…hopeless for Clottey.
Round 8
Manny really doing well…landing well and getting through the defense of Clottey. Manny still pushing and landing well. Clottey was in a shell and may be looking to survive. 10-9 Manny. 80-73.
Round 7
Manny is getting more aggressive. Clottey is landing but the activity of Pacquiao seems too much. Manny still running away with it. Another busy round for Manny. 10-9 for Manny. 70-63 for Pacquiao.
Round 6
Clottey lands some good shots with Manny against the ropes. Manny still landing well to the body. Manny unloading well. Big round for Manny. 10-9. 60-54 for Manny.
Round 5
Clottey getting closer. Clottey landing some good shots to the body and head. Manny moving. Manny unloading and wins round with late rally. 10-9 for Manny. 50-45.
Round 4
Manny stepping it up. Clottey not throwing any punches. Manny taking full advantage. Manny is so much quicker. Clottey hits a combo at the end of the round. Big round for Manny. 10-9. 40-36 for Manny.
Round 3
Clottey stalking. Good body work by Manny. Good punches by Clottey but Manny is outworking him. Clottey’s punches are landing with more effect, but he’s landing far less. Great body work by Pacman over the entire round. 10-9 for Manny. 30-27.
Round 2
Clottey lands some good shots. Manny still busier. Clottey clowning a little…but coming on and doing well. Manny wins the round. 10-9. 20-18 for Manny.
Round 1
Pacman starting quick. Clottey behind a tight defense. Pacman using body work. Manny lands a good right hand. Clottey lands a couple straight right hands. Good round for Manny. 10-9.
Humberto Soto, 50-7-2, 32 KO’s vs. David Diaz, 35-2-1, 17 KO’s
Result: Soto takes a UD: 117-109 (twice) and 115-111
Round 12
Soto landing well. Good low blow by Diaz. They are exchanging punches. Soto is smothering Diaz. Soto really opening up and landing well, but Diaz still pushing. Soto scores a knockdown with a left hook at the end of the round. 10-8 for Soto. RSR has it 113-113.
Round 11
Diaz still coming forward. Soto moving and trying to counter but he’s not doing much. Diaz wants it more. Soto lands a good right hand…uneventful round but Diaz was busier. 10-9 Diaz. 105-103 for Diaz.
Round 10
Diaz still putting pressure on Soto and doing some good things. Soto is back in a shell as Diaz comes forward. Soto opening up a little, but still losing the round. Diaz 10-9. 95-94 for Diaz.
Round 9
Soto boxing from the outside, using a good range, keeping Diaz at bay. Good exchanges…both men landing well. Diaz is coming on. Diaz’s aggressiveness was enough to clinch the round. 10-9 Diaz. 85-85.
Round 8
Soto picking up the tempo and is landing from the outside. Soto using his movement and speed to win the round without much trouble. 10-9 Soto. 76-75 for Soto.
Round 7
Diaz still more active and is roughing up a more and more inactive Soto. Diaz lands some good shots and is beginning to beat Soto into a shell. 10-9 for Diaz. 66-66 at this point.
Round 6
Diaz pushing forward and Soto has gone into a shell. Diaz using the straight left hand to some effect. Soto opening up at the end, but too little, too late. Diaz’s round, 10-9. 57-56 for Soto at this point.
Round 5
Turning into a brawl. Soto roughing Diaz up against the ropes. Diaz sloppy and not landing much. Diaz edged out the round as the aggressor. Close round. 10-9 for Diaz. 48-46 for Soto.
Round 4
Soto and Diaz are now doing a lot of posing. The fight slowed down. Soto winning round and still landing some decent shots…just not many of them. Good exchange to end it. 10-9 for Soto. 39-36 for Soto.
Round 3
Diaz pushing forward and trying but just not finding Soto. He is more effective at this point as Soto takes the round off. Diaz wins the round 10-9. 29-27 for Soto.
Round 2
Soto looks very sharp. Diaz mauling Soto, but not doing anything effective at this point. Soto really looks good thus far…very accurate. Diaz can’t find anything yet. 10-9, Soto. 20-17 for Soto.
Round 1
Soto begins with a good uppercut. Soto looks confident. Diaz bouncing around...not doing much. Head butt…Diaz cut over his right eye. Nothing major at this point. Left hook drops Diaz. Good two punch combo. Diaz seems OK. 10-8 for Soto.
Alfonso Gomez, 21-4-2, 10 KO’s vs. Jose Luis Castillo, 60-9-1, 52 KO’s
Result: Jose Luis Castillo quits! After the fifth round, Castillo says no more. He has disgraced himself again.
Round 5
Gomez landing with ease on the slow Castillo. Gomez moving and landing at will. Castillo still taking a lot of punches. A big right hand by Gomez ends the round. Another easy round for Gomez. 10-9 Gomez. 50-45 Gomez.
Round 4
Gomez having his way. Castillo is too shot to counter and Gomez is opening up more. Gomez landing some great uppercuts and can really land what he wants. Castillo isn’t doing a thing. 10-9 Gomez. 40-36 Gomez.
Round 3
Castillo looks shot. He is not doing anything. Gomez is pecking away. No brainer thus far to score it. 10-9 Gomez. 30-27 Gomez.
Round 2
Gomez landing quicker shots. Castillo begins to warm up and throws more, but Gomez still busier. 10-9, Gomez, 20-18 for Gomez.
Round 1
Gomez landing jabs as Castillo starts slow. Good jab by Castillo rattles Gomez, but he is still more active. 10-9 Gomez.
John Duddy, 28-1, 18 KO’s vs. Michael Medina, 23-1-2, 18 KO’s
Result: 96-93 Duddy, 96-93 Medina, 96-93 for Duddy.
Split Decision for John Duddy.
Round 10
Duddy going for KO…lands left hook. Medina coming on strong the second half of the round and landing well. Huge exchange to end the round. 10-9 Medina. RSR has it 96-93 for Duddy.
Round 9
Duddy really doing well…landing triple left hooks. Medina beginning to slow down. Duddy in control of the fight, and Medina not doing much in return. 10-9, Duddy. 87-83 Duddy.
Round 8
Medina landing early on. Duddy seems OK and keeps moving forward. Duddy landing well. Medina fighting back but Duddy wins round. Medina has one point taken away for a low blow. 10-8 for Duddy. 77-74 Duddy.
Round 7
Medina still coming on and landing well. Heating up. Duddy landing some good inside shots. Duddy resuming control. Medina wobbled from a huge right hand! Duddy is hurt! 10-9 Medina. 67-66 Duddy.
Round 6
Medina is coming on but gets caught by a good left hook by Duddy and is backed into the ropes. They are trading shots. Good round! Medina landing some vicious body shots. 10-9 Medina. 58-56 Duddy.
Round 5
Duddy taking full control of the fight. Other than some wide winging shots from Medina, he’s not doing much. 10-9, Duddy. 49-46 Duddy.
Round 4
Duddy boxing and landing better shots than Medina. A clear round for Duddy. Medina now being outworked. Duddy’s round, 10-9. 39-37 Duddy.
Round 3
Duddy coming on and Medina fighting back. Duddy begins to work the body as Medina circles and wings wide shots. Duddy trying to use the jab and is beginning to control the fight, but Medina is still landing well. Good exchanges to end the round. Duddy’s round, 10-9, 29-28 for Duddy.
Round 2
Medina landing some good shots to start out, reddening Duddy’s face. More good shots by Medina…winning the first half of the round. Duddy not very active and is paying for it. Medina getting more courageous. Duddy lands great uppercut but Medina still on his feet and still fighting. 10-9 for Medina, 19-19.
Round 1
John Duddy controlling the round as Medina wings shots…nothing effective. Medina lands some good jabs. Duddy counters with right hand-left hook combo. Duddy’s round, 10-9.]]>
By SJ Jarapa
It's official.
Former multiple weight class boxing champion James “Lights Out” Toney will be fighting in the UFC.
Oh my God!
I don't mean to insult James Toney but as soon as I got the message, I fired at a multitude of cell phones with the news and “Oh my God” was the most compelling answer I got in response.
It sure sums up the entirety of what many people feel about this.
James Toney leaving boxing and going into the Ultimate Fighting Championship?
Dana White and Company would obviously disagree if it be said this is a circus alright.
What else do they have in mind with Toney other than to utilize his name as a means to net in a pot-load of cash?
Being one of the Top 5 Best Heavyweight Boxers in the past, James Toney is a curiosity in MMA and a beckoning commodity. It's not hard to figure that every James Toney fight from here will be on Pay-Per-View.
The UFC wants him to shell the excess fat and be a light heavyweight. But Toney insists he is a heavyweight and should be fighting as a heavyweight.
I can almost smell the conspiracy here – the UFC reeks of it. I see an angle where the UFC will try to lead on – somewhere down the road, if not later then sooner, James Toney will be made to lock fists with the street fighter and fan favorite Kimbo Slice.
Who else would they make him fight that has Slice's enormous appeal that he can win against?
It's a good storyline capable of reaping huge profits before and after. It's 50-50 for both guys. Either man will benefit from it, especially the victor. The UFC can't lose. There's a popular question floating around right now that asks:
“What if James Toney does slay a good MMA fighter at this point in his career or at this point in time in MMA?”
Word is, it will seriously impugn the caliber and quality of every MMA athlete out there not just in the UFC but in every corner of the world that touts MMA.
This is laughable.
The only plausible outcome I could see arising from a James Toney win is the win actually inspiring Evander Holyfield to finally hang his boxing shorts and don a speedo to pursue his life's dream of becoming the oldest heavyweight champion – not in boxing but in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
If Toney wins, it should be clear to Holyfield that Mixed Martial Arts is so far easier than boxing. Of course if he still would harbor doubt after the Toney win, all the former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion needs to do is examine former WBO Heavyweight Boxing Champion Ray Mercer's one-punch 9-second KO win over a UFC former champion.
But enough about Holyfield – boy... does he get old quick.
What are James Toney's chances in the UFC?
Let's face it, Toney was never known for his punching power but MMA's thinner fighting gloves might make a difference. It did with Ray Mercer. No one should be counting James Toney out, though. He is a true warrior.
James Toney is an agile player.
He can move with a very dynamic offensive and defensive prowess. He is infinitely skilled in the boxing department compared to all the MMA Strikers. But his old school boxing is vulnerable to a very good kicker.
Every kick in the leg would disrupt his pace and frustrate his mindset. When that happens what will he do?
What happens when he is taken to the ground by the likes of Cain Velasquez or Brock Lesnar or Cheick Kongo – or even Quinton Jackson and Randy Couture in the light heavyweight division?
The only way James Toney can excel here and win is in training. Obviously, he will have to learn quick and come in to fight with an apt strategy. He must acclimate to the many facets of the game in a very short time.
It's a long shot but I think he can pull it off.
You know...is it just me or is the UFC quickly becoming a retirement shelter?
]]>By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
Our new and improved message boards enjoyed a terrific kick-off last week and the timing couldn’t have been better given the fact that it served as a sort of lead-in to the first major boxing event of the year. “Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey” by Ring Rat brought out colorful and opposing opinion on the yet to be realized outcome from many of those among our ranks, and in its aftermath, capped with “Manny Pacquiao – Are We Convinced Yet” by yours truly. Such is the nature of our sport, the diversity of viewpoint from fans all around the globe and the undeniable intrigue the build-up such a mega-event brings, our message boards truly rank as a first-class outlet for those that love the sport of boxing and enjoy mature and intelligent discussion and debate. Watch for more such discussions in the weeks ahead as the sport moves closer to upcoming big bouts featuring marquee names such as Klitschko, Haye, Pavlik and Mayweather.
Watch for our new and improved RSR Prediction League for the month of April to be posted shortly, easily the most demanding prediction league to be found anywhere on the web. 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 April 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
]]>By Brian Wilbur
Greetings and welcome to the mailbag ladies and gents. On Saturday we witnessed yet another brilliant performance by Manny Pacquiao, shutting out Joshua Clottey over twelve rounds. Joshua Clottey's instinctive fighting style is to cover up, wait for his opponent to stop punching, and then go on the offensive. The problem with using this style against Pacquiao is that Pacquiao never stops punching! Pacquiao has incredible stamina and seemingly never tires. We saw Clottey covering up for twelve rounds and Pacquiao clubbing away at his hands, arms, body, and anything else that Clottey gave him.
Clottey knew that he was losing every round but he didn't dare open up because he feared the blazing fast counter punches that would have surely put him on his butt. Joshua did not do any favors to his reputation amongst fans by fighting to survive instead of trying to win. I hate to be cocky, but I perfectly analyzed the fight in my official prediction that you can read in the Team RSR Fight Picks posted a couple days before the fight.
I am curious to see the PPV buy rate for Pacquiao vs. Clottey, and how it compares to Mayweather vs. Mosley in May. Once again, the money that both men bring in will affect the inevitable reprising of negotiations for a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao. My guess is that Pacquiao vs. Clottey did about 800,000 buys, in addition to the very impressive live gate.
Feel free email me with your PPV buy predictions, or your thoughts/reactions to the fight.
With the Pacquiao fight over and done with, the next good match up comes up next Saturday. I am talking about the Heavyweight Championship bout between Wladimir Klitschko and Eddie Chambers. Klitschko vs. Chambers falls into the same category as Pacquiao vs. Clottey. Wladimir, like Pacquiao, is the best. Eddie Chambers, like Joshua Clottey, is a good, respectable opponent, and definitely among the best available. However this is not a fight that captures the imagination of the general public because it is a perceived mismatch.
In the case of Pacquiao, the marquee fight fell through. In the case of Klitschko, there is no marquee opponent to fight. In those tough situations, I commend both for trying to challenge themselves against rated opponents instead of tomato cans while waiting for their desired match up to come along. In this week's first email I cover the Chambers vs. Klitschko fight, and of course, later on there is more on Pacquiao's nice win over Clottey. Enjoy and send in your emails to be featured in next week's mailbag.
Klitschko Shaky No More?
Wladimir has been knocked out early against Lamon Brewster and Corries Sanders, two fighters who aren't (or weren't) much better than the guy he is fighting next, Eddie Chambers. Yet nobody thinks that Chambers has much of a chance to do anything but get knocked out. Why is that? I think just one crack to the chin and Wladimir is looking like a drunk who's had one too many. He's been getting lucky.
-Kyle
Kyle,
Those losses are such distance memories at this point that Wladimir Klitschko has regained the same aura of invincibility that he had before those embarrassing KO's. His skills are hard to ignore and he has changed his style to be less crowd-pleasing but more careful and guarding of his chin and limited stamina.
I still think that certain fighters could bring the nervousness out of Wladimir. Eddie Chambers is not that fighter though. He doesn't have the right style. Chambers is a short, slick boxer with good reflexes. That is exactly the type of boxer that Klitschko loves to fight. He will dominate Chambers with his size, jab, and movement. Eddie doesn't have the overwhelming power to break Klitschko's once-questionable chin.
Sam Peter just won an IBF eliminator last week so he could potentially get another shot at Wladimir. Peter was able to drop Wladimir a few times and could potentially find some more success in a rematch. I don't think that Peter has the skill to actually beat someone of Klitschko's ability, but his skill set is better equipped to fight Wladimir than Chambers. A heavyweight with potent knockout power, quick hands, and the ability to slip a jab will be the kind of fighter that beats Klitschko. Unfortunately for Klitschko haters out there, I don't see anyone in the heavyweight rankings who fits that description.
Rating The Clottey Win
Hi Brian,
The people who I was watching the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight with last night were all a little disappointed in the fight. This one was not as exciting as a usual Pacquiao fight and Pacquiao did not win by knockout. Why was this not a great fight like some people thought it would be? How do you rate this win for Pacquiao?
-Lamar
Lamar,
Manny Pacquiao threw over 100 punches per round and came forward with his typical aggression. The blame for that fight not being particularly exciting falls squarely on Joshua Clottey. Pacquiao was more than willing to engage and trade punches but Clottey was too scared; he stayed in his defensive shell even though he knew he was losing badly.
Clottey vs. Pacquiao had less action that you would expect from a Pacquiao fight. In terms of excitement I would rate this fight poorly. However in terms of accomplishment, the dominant shut out win over Clottey rates among Pacquiao's best wins of his career. Why? Because Clottey was a full sized championship caliber welterweight who was in his prime. Manny didn't just beat him, he dominated him from start to finish and won every round. Nobody has ever done that to Clottey and Clottey has fought an extremely high level of opposition. Considering that Pacquiao is not a true welterweight, his feat is incredible. Manny also showed off his versatility in being able to win a clear cut decision, which is Floyd Mayweather's specialty not Pacquiao's.
Pre-Fight Discussions (Clottey Has No Chance!)
Hey Brian,
It's the eve of the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight and I just want to give my take on what I think will happen. It will be an easy fight for Pacquiao since Clottey seldom throws combinations (heck he seldom even punches) and is always on the defensive, and most importantly, he is slow. Pac will run rings around him landing multiple-punch combinations and be out of there before Clottey could even think of firing back. Clottey may have a good chin but that only means one thing, he would only take more punishment than the usual Pac foes.
Maybe Pacquiao can't KO him but I think the referee or the corner would stop the one-sided fight before the final bell. If this does go the distance then it would be a very very wide unanimous decision for the Pacman. I don't think Pacquiao could KO him with a punch though and would be very impressed if he could.
That would even make the Gayweathers more suspicious because they cant believe other people except themselves would do amazing things and they haven't been doing something amazing since Money Mayweather's lightweight days.
-Vinjo
Vinjo,
I was watching tape on Clottey the night before the fight and the more I watched the more I thought Pacquiao was going to dominate. I saw several things about Clottey's game that Pacquiao could exploit.
The conventional thinking was that Pacquiao would win handily but it could be tough for Pacman because of his durability. Well, looking at the tape, I saw that he drops his hands when going to the body or throwing any kind of combination. Manny could easily take advantage of that with his straight, fast counter punches, like the kind he dropped Cotto with.
If Clottey had gone on the offensive he would have been knocked out by Pacquiao. I was starting to believe it after watching that tape before the fight, and now after watching the match I can confidently say that would have been the case. The few times that Clottey tried to get any offense going, Pacquiao would tag him with hard shots putting him back into his shell. Clottey wouldn't dare come out of his shell because he knew what would happen.
Two Cents on Pacquiao, Floyd, Mosley, Tyson and Toney
What's up Brian? Just had a couple thoughts and was curious what you thought. I didn't buy the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight. I guess Clottey is tough but who really cares if Pacquiao beat him, especially for $50 to view it? It seems that Clottey was most popular for losing to Miguel Cotto and the cheater Antonio Margarito. So Pacquiao won; big deal. I actually hoped Pac got his ass beat. The more I think about his refusal to agree to Floyd's drug test the more it irritates me.
Pacquiao is a liar. I have to bust my ass everyday to barely survive it seems to take care of my wife and 3 kids and Pacquiao can turn down 20 million plus for a multitude of stupid reasons. How can any man turn down that kind of money? If he is on something it doesn't make him invincible anyways. I don't think he would be much of a different fighter at all being clean. Drugs are not going to help his technique at all. Drugs or no drugs he'll lose to Floyd (who I can't stand) anyways.
Another thing that pisses me off about him turning down that kind of money is if he does fight Floyd and loses, big deal. He isn't undefeated anyways (which means so much in boxing for some reason) and he would still have all his fans and popularity and still get more multimillion dollar fights.
I do have a couple questions too. Why are people downplaying Shane's KO of Margarito because he didn't have his hands of stone? Loaded gloves would not improve Margarito's alleged jaw of steel at all. Shane simply beat his ass and KO'ed him which is something nobody else has done.
On a different subject, how the hell did fat, old, loud-mouth Toney get a multiple fight contract with UFC without 1 MMA fight? He'll do fine standing up for about 5 seconds til he's flat on his back eating elbows or getting choked out. I hate to say it but I'm far more of an MMA fan now and I used to hate it because of the wrestling. I have several friends now that are wrestlers and fight some MMA and I appreciate their impressive skills a lot more now. They literally can beat someone with no or moderate skills in a matter of seconds. I've apparently been more of a "real" fight fan all this time because a real fight always ends up on the ground. And, unlike MMA, there is way too much drama in boxing, outside of the ring that is.
Speaking of a real fight. I believe it was in 1988 when Tyson busted up Mitch Green's face outside of a club or something before their sanctioned fight. I never had any interest in boxing at all before that. That event seemed to get a lot of people's attention. Hopefully Mike can do something impressive this time around but isn't going to happen. He's too old. It's impossible to regain your youth. C-ya.
-Ackerman
Ackerman,
Pacquiao's win over Clottey may not have had the same historical impact as some of his other wins. For example, in the wins over David Diaz, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao was going after a title in a new weight class, chasing records. Still, Clottey represented a top 5 welterweight and beating a boxer of Clottey's caliber is always a notable achievement. Pacquiao improved his legacy and increased his lead in the pound for pound consideration with a dominant performance over a highly rated and worthy opponent.
I understand your frustration towards Pacquiao for the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight for following through. Some of your anger should be directed at Mayweather though. It is not fair to lay the entirety of the blame on Manny when what Floyd was demanding was completely unprecedented in the history of boxing and fully knowing that the testing would affect Pacquiao more than it would him. Mayweather was trying to gain a mental edge and Pacquiao's team wasn't having it.
As a boxing fan, I really hope that both Mayweather and Pacquiao can pull their heads out of their butts and get a deal done. Boxing fans are demanding this bout and will be sufficiently pissed off if this mega event fails to materialize. Boxing would take a serious hit and you would have every right to abandon boxing in favor of MMA if Pacquiao vs. Mayweather doesn't happen. Because at least in the UFC, the best guys fight each other without negotiation drama.
People question the Shane Mosley win over Antonio Margarito because the bout played out drastically different than what people expected. Mosley had looked very old and deflated in his previous few fights. Mosley couldn't even look impressive against the unskilled wild man Ricardo Mayorga. Boxing fans and experts try to explain why a fight did not play out as expected and in this particular case, the hand wrap controversy was too convenient. Even if the actual hand wraps didn't have much of an impact, the mental distraction of getting caught red handed in the dressing room had to have played a role.
Dane White of the UFC was a boxing fan before getting involved with MMA and James Toney was one of his favorite fighters. Toney was born to fight so if he had grown up training mixed martial arts instead of boxing I am sure he would have reached the same heights in that sport. However at this point, Toney is old and far past his physical prime. Also, it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Toney got his UFC contract on his name and reputation. And I think the reason James even wanted to go to the UFC is that his boxing career is essentially over anyway so this might be the only way he can make any money fighting.
The Tyson vs. Mitch “Blood” Green street fight indeed happened in 1988 and reminds me of the glory days when boxing was mentioned during the 10 o'clock news. As for Mike Tyson's upcoming return to boxing, he is too old and out of shape to be taken seriously so I agree with you in that respect. I look forward to the media circus that Tyson attracts to boxing though.
Okay folks, send in those emails and come back next week!
]]>
By John Pitroff
With WrestleMania coming up soon, I wanted to write about the entire aspect of what it means to the fans, and why it is really considered the biggest show of the year. In addition, as part of this, I would also like to cover the build for the matches at this year’s show. Because there is so much to be said about WrestleMania, I figured I would break this into two different columns just as a flow of consciousness about how I feel about “The Showcase of the Immortals.” So, here is part one of what WrestleMania means to a fan, and the reason many people, including the talent, consider it the “Granddaddy Of Them All” and the “Super Bowl Of Wrestling.”
WrestleMania time is always one of the best times to be a wrestling fan. Things always pick up, WWE makes its biggest efforts toward building a good show, and the fans seem genuinely interested in what is going on. It is the one time of the year, where as a fan, even if a long list of other things are annoying you or upsetting you about the state of wrestling, you can put that all behind you and attempt to enjoy a show you can only see once a year. For that reason, WrestleMania really is can’t miss. If you miss it, you are missing out on the culmination of a year’s worth of build. Despite better PPV cards on paper, and despite the fact that sometimes other PPVs from the year end up being better than ’Mania, it is the one show that wrestling fans will be talking about. It is the one show where you should be up to date on as a fan. It is a talking point amongst fans, and it is a time when even casual fans come back around in a bigger force to see what is going on with wrestling. I always thought to myself that even if were to ever stop watching wrestling, I would at least tune in once a year to watch WrestleMania to see where the company is at. WrestleMania is always a good barometer of what is going on in WWE.
Not every WrestleMania is great, some have been on the lower end of the PPVs for their respective year, but then again, every few years there is a defining show that has an amazing card, but also changes the landscape of wrestling forever, like WrestleMania X-Seven. You can’t get that type of thing at Fully Loaded. I realize Fully Loaded hasn’t been around in a while, but I like living in the past. Just like Honkey Tonk Man. WM is the one PPV of the year that big things are bound to happen. Angles culminate, ideas hit a crescendo. The show becomes the end all, be all for everything that it means to be creative in WWE. Writing is all built towards the point of ‘Mania. Big feuds begin and end, stars debut and retire, careers are made and angles are ended. It is the one show where the most noteworthy things happen.
At times, things don’t always seem too noteworthy or history changing at the time. But, when one looks at the history of wrestling, the biggest show of the year is where a lot of historical things take place. Austin turning heel, the beginning of Hulk Hogan’s face run in WWE, Austin’s last match, Shawn Michaels last (at the time) match, Ric Flair retiring, Mick Foley being retired. OK, I won’t get into the entire retirement angle thing because in wrestling, retiring seems to be as serious as a Sheamus WWE title run.
In the new age of WrestleMania where they try to hold the shows at larger venues and well known arenas in an attempt to break attendance records, fans can expect at least one really good match every year. Marquee matches are given more time to develop and become something special. So, even if the show as a whole isn’t the best of the year, you will most likely see a match of the year contender. That is what happens when the wrestlers put it all in the ring for one night of the year. Every year that WrestleMania gets a year older, it is another year of wrestling standards to live up to and another year of matches to attempt to be better than. That creates a lot of want and necessity in the minds of the wrestlers to outdo not only what they have done in previous years, but what others have done. WrestleMania creates a high standard of wrestling quality for the wrestlers involved. That is why Nathan Jones was taken off the card at XIX. I’m not sure of the logic in that decision, however, since they left both A-Train and Big Show in the ring. WrestleMania standards for wrestling? I didn’t say in every match.
The pageantry and spectacle of WM is something that WWE doesn’t take light heartedly, and it shows. No expense seems to be spared for the one special night of WrestleMania. WWE brings out the best in the firework displays, production quality, and set design. Turn on WrestleMania, and nowadays, you instantly know it is a bigger deal compared to the other shows of the year just by the look. The lighting is always better, including ground spotlights that go deep into the arena that you won’t see on any other Pay-Per-View. The set is always more massive and in depth than usual, including a longer ramp to the ring. Seeing the wrestlers walk down that ramp from a high above shot makes the show as a whole seem more special than the average Raw, Smackdown, or PPV. Where would the world be without Ultimate Warrior sprinting down that long WrestleMania VI ramp? Or, without The Undertaker taking off on high speed on his motorcycle at X-Seven. The firework displays are always even better than they are on TV and PPV. I mean, the fireworks are so good, at WrestleMania XIV people nearly got killed over them. Now, that is a good fireworks show. Seriously, if you ever can’t make it outside on the fourth of July, pop in any of the latest WrestleMania shows and watch the explosives. The display is probably better than what you will see in your lame backwoods town anyway. I must say this though, please WWE, don’t burn the Undertaker. He’s had enough of that this year already.
Pageantry can also include celebrity guests. WWE likes to bring out celebrities to perform on the show, be in the audience, or make a special guest appearance. What other PPV can you hear someone sing “America the Beautiful?” When else would WWE ever even bother? Seriously, the more I write about it, the more I realize just how much WWE puts into the idea behind WrestleMania. From celebrities showing up to do guest commentary, to special guest referees like Mike Tyson, and including Pete Rose dressed up like the San Diego chicken, one can truly never know what to expect from celebrities at WrestleMania. I mean, Pam Anderson and Jenny McCarthy have been at WM. Need I say more, gentlemen? Then again, Lawrence Taylor did main event at 13, and Floyd Mayweather seemed to be the biggest selling point behind XIV, but we all have our faults. I really don’t even want to mention the terrible appearance by Mickey Rourke last year, but I had to. It was like the Big Show in the living room if I hadn’t said anything.
I will get to more on WrestleMania in my next column, but I want to mention the build for this year’s show. Here is my take on The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels:
The build for this match actually started last year after they had such a good match. As soon as one sees an amazing match between two of the best at the biggest show of the year, of course, as fans, we want to see it again. I’m sure minutes after that match happened last year, many fans were thinking, “I can’t wait to see them go again.” So, WWE did amazing job building this match for the next year. Of course, it wasn’t in the minds of fans all year, but when Michaels took the Slammy for match of the year, he mentioned how he wanted Taker at ‘Mania again to prove he could beat him. And, with Taker as his sole purpose for the following months, it has made a strong build for a match that really doesn’t even need it. I mean, these two could have a match of the year yet again without a storyline. This could be the storyline, right here…ready… “Listen, folks, it’s Michaels and Taker at WrestleMania, need we do more?”
No, WWE doesn’t need to do more, but they are really building this feud nicely. They didn’t half ass their way through the feud because it would be easy. They put a storyline in place months in advance and booked it well. With Taker not agreeing to wrestle again at first, it just built the tension. It built the hype. I know I personally wasn’t sure if they would actually get together again at Mania. That intrigue was nice.
With the edition of the streak vs. career, this match should be epic. Even if it doesn’t top last year’s match in the ring, it might actually be even more important because it could mean the end of an era in that of Shawn Michaels career either being over, or at least him taking some time off. And, if Michaels wins, Taker finally loses his WrestleMania streak. Things just won’t be the same for UT or HBK anymore once this WM is over, and that is just one more of the reasons that WrestleMania is seen as the biggest shows of the year. What other PPV would it matter if you had an undefeated streak at? Did you know that Triple H is undefeated at the Breakdown PPV? Did you know that I just made that up? Did you know that he didn’t even compete at it? Did you know that no one cares? My point here is about Michaels and Taker and that is this; where else is the best place to go out than on top at WrestleMania? This match is going to be nothing short of amazing, just like last year.
(Stay Tuned for Wrestlemania Part II, where I discuss more of the biggest event in professional wrestling.)
]]>
Interview by Eoin Redahan
“I want to prove to people around the world that I’m the best fighter in the division.” – Sakio Bika
Cameroon-born Australian boxer Sakio Bakia, 28-3-2, 19 KO’s, has endured a difficult time of late. The former IBF Australasian Super Middleweight Champion was due to fight for a place in the Showtime Super Middleweight Super 6 Tournament against Allan Green before the opportunity was taken from him.
Instead, the competition organizers gave former Middleweight Champion Jermain Taylor’s spot to Green without the pair having to fight. This has left the former Contender star in a frustrating position. Bika has been in with the best including Joe Calzaghe and Lucian Bute and now RSR has caught up with the much-avoided fighter:
ER: When do you intend to fight next?
I was supposed to fight Allan Green but it was put off for many reasons. I couldn’t get my visa; my working visa was a little bit difficult and the fight was off.
At this point I’m trying to fight in May or April. At this moment I can’t tell you a big story about that. I’m looking to get a fight around April.
ER: How serious are you about moving up to light heavyweight?
I was looking to maybe move to light heavyweight, maybe to fight the better fighters like Jean Pascal or Chad Dawson, but if I can’t get the chance to fight either of them, I don’t have to move to light heavyweight. I will stay at super middleweight because it is the best division at the moment. Everyone is talking about that division. So, I’m looking to stay at super middleweight and wait for the big opportunity again.
ER: Who do you think is going to win the Super 6?
Good question.
It’s very competitive. You don’t know exactly because it’s too hard [to call]. For me, if I think there are three people that I think can win, but I can’t decide exactly who. Andre Ward, Abraham and Carl Froch are three people I’m wishing to win. I don’t know exactly, but the only man I could put my money on is Andre Ward…. He fought very well [against Kessler]. He was the Olympic champion. He proved he’s one of the best in the division.
ER: How do you think your proposed fight against Allan Green would have gone?
I think if the fight had gone ahead, I would have stopped him. First of all, he didn’t want to fight me when he had the big fight. We were supposed to fight as the main support for Floyd Mayweather, JR., and Juan Manuel Marquez. He refused to fight because of the money involved. And the second chance: we were supposed to fight, and the winner was supposed to go in the (super six) tournament. He didn’t want to fight me. I would have stopped him….
ER: How frustrating has it been for you to have so many fighters ducking you?
Yes, there were people ducking me for a couple of years. I want to be very fair about what I’m going to say. I was very unlucky because the people that used to look after me, the people on The Contender (TV show). That wasn’t very, very positive; they didn’t have a plan exactly what to do with me. Their plan was to get me in the big fight with big money.
You have to have a plan B if you can’t get the big fights. You’re supposed to try to fight normal fights and to try just to put my name [out] there…. That was just a little bit difficult for me. They were getting me for a five-year contract, and I couldn’t prove the best fighter I was. I was unlucky; I just wasn’t competitive. People were saying: “What’s this guy doing? Why’s he not fighting? He was just too big for the contender.” They couldn’t provide me with the right fight at the right time.
ER: Of all the guys you’ve fought, was Joe Calzaghe the best fighter you faced?
I thought he was the best fighter because he proved around the world he was the best. I am positive about myself. I think our fight was very close. When he retired I thought it was the best for him, because he proved that he was the on of the best fighters in the division.
ER: What do you hope to have achieved in boxing in two years time?
In two years time, I want to win again, maybe a couple of world championships. I want people to remember that this guy was the best fighter in the division. Next year, maybe the tournament will be over, and maybe I’m looking to fight Lucian Bute again. Maybe I’m looking to fight the WBO champion Robert Stieglitz.
I want to prove to people around the world that I’m the best fighter in the division.
Sakio Bika
Nickname: “The Scorpion”
Division: Super Middleweight
Professional Record: 28-3-2, 19 KO's
Date Opponent W-L-D Location Result
2000-12-15 Ivan Vakulyuk 3-0-0 Sydney, Australia W DQ 4
2001-04-20 Leo Christou 2-2-0 Sydney, Australia W TKO 2
2001-05-04 Waqa Kolivuso 0-1-0 Wyong, Australia W KO 2
2001-08-03 Kamel Chater 1-0-0 Sydney, Australia W PTS 4
2001-09-27 Saimoni Taudomo 0-1-1 Dapto, Australia W KO 2
2001-11-16 Manueli Delaitabua 0-4-0 Sydney, Australia W TKO 3
2002-02-08 Rasheed Baloch 5-4-0 Sydney, Australia W KO 4
Australia - New South Wales State Middleweight Title
2002-05-10 Eni Latu 1-5-1 Gosford, Australia W KO 3
2002-06-14 Brown Enyi 2-3-1 Sydney, Australia W KO 2
2002-08-09 Mike Cope 0-0-0 Albert Park, Australia W UD 6
2002-10-15 Sam Soliman 15-7-0 Albert Park, Australia L MD 12
IBF Pan Pacific Middleweight Title
2002-12-20 Harmen Ajadato 3-6-0 Denpasar, Indonesia D TD 3
2003-03-15 Sergio Llancafilo 2-1-1 Perth, Australia W TKO 5
2003-04-11 Arama Tabuai 7-6-0 Penrith, Australia W TKO 2
vacant Australian Middleweight Title
2003-06-13 John Wayne Parr 10-2-0 Auburn, Sydney, Australia W UD 12
Australian Middleweight Title
2003-09-12 Moechrody 0-5-0 Gosford, Australia W KO 2
2003-10-31 Ramon Arturo Britez 34-18-1 Penrith, Australia W UD 8
2004-04-02 Joel Bourke 12-11-1 Homebush Bay, Sydney, Aus W TKO 5
Australian Middleweight Title
2004-08-15 Rico Chong Nee 9-5-1 Homebush Bay, Sydney, Aus W UD 6
2004-10-18 Yoshihiro Araki 14-1-0 Osaka, Japan W TKO 10
vacant OPBF Middleweight Title
2005-04-01 Juarne Dowling 12-3-0 Penrith, Australia W TKO 6
2005-11-22 Yoshihiro Araki 15-2-0 Osaka, Japan W KO 5
OPBF Middleweight Title
2006-05-13 Markus Beyer 34-2-0 Zwickau, Germany D TD 4
WBC Super Middleweight Title
2006-10-14 Joe Calzaghe 41-0-0 Manchester, United Kingdo L UD 12
IBF Super Middleweight Title
WBO Super Middleweight Title
2006-12-08 Dechapon Suwannalert 1-6-0 Coffs Harbour, Australia W TKO 2
vacant IBF Australasian Super Middleweight Title
2007-02-04 Andre Thysse 19-7-0 Homebush Bay, Sydney, Aus W UD 12
IBF Australasian Super Middleweight Title
2007-06-15 Lucian Bute 19-0-0 Montreal, Canada L UD 12
2007-10-02 Donny McCrary 23-5-2 Los Angeles, USA W UD 5
2007-10-30 Sam Soliman 34-9-0 Los Angeles, USA W UD 8
2007-11-06 Jaidon Codrington 18-1-0 Boston, USA W TKO 8
2008-04-11 Gustavo Javier Kapusi 18-11-3 Cronulla, Australia W KO 1
vacant IBF Pan Pacific Super Middleweight Title
2008-11-13 Peter Manfredo Jr 31-5-0 Providence, USA W TKO 3
vacant International Boxing Organization Super Middleweight Title
2009-07-30 Nestor Fabian Casanova 22-14-0 Campsie, Australia W KO 1
]]>
By John Pitroff
The idea of WrestleMania being the one show where the wrestlers seem to really give their all is quite true. I realize that a lot of the wrestlers take pride in always working their best and giving their all, no matter the show, but it just is a little different at WrestleMania. There is a different feeling, a different atmosphere. There is more of a drive to compete, to outdo your peers, to have the best ‘Mania match of not only the year, but of all time. With this whole mystique over WrestleMania, there is no doubt it gets into the minds of referees, wrestles, commentators, and anyone else involved in WWE. WrestleMania sets a high standard for all involved, so there is always that need to want to live up to what is being touted as such a great show.
I can only imagine what it means to perform at WrestleMania in any capacity. The WrestleMania name has grown so big over the last 26 years that backstage there must be a feeling in the air. That whole magic of ‘Mania subconsciously makes one want to do the best they can. When you do something amazing at WM, it is seen by the world. In the opposite thought, when you mess something up, that goes down in history. Therefore, everyone is looking to look, do, perform, act, and be their best when late March, early April arrives every year.
With all this being said, every year around WM time, I start getting really excited for the show. I am not immune to the magic of ‘Mania. Both performers and fans alike can both enjoy that feeling of a special time of the year. Sort of like Christmas to the Christians. No Xanta Klaus joke here. My yearly excitement for WM used to start around Survivor Series. I’m an old school fan, folks, back when there was such a thing know as Survivor Series. But, Survivor Series is when, as a fan, you could start to see where angles were headed and you had somewhat of an idea of what matches you could be seeing at ‘Mania. With so much talent, so many PPVs, and so many television shows, the build for WrestleMania seems to start a bit later now. It isn’t until a bit after The Royal Rumble where you can start to get a picture of where things are going. With PPVs so close to one another, it is tough to see where WWE is headed creatively for the biggest show of the year since they need to book the PPVs before hand as well, and still make them seem important. But, even though the build starts a bit later now, WWE does still seem to try to put in place angles in advance for their biggest show of the year. I always liked that about “The Granddaddy of Them All.”
Back in the days of high school when I was into wrestling and nothing else, I used to keep files written about what angles were developing for WM, what matches were likely to take place, and whatever else was bound to happen. I tell you this not to prove that I had no friends, but to show you just how involved fans can get in a show like WrestleMania. I mean, I wasn‘t keeping a file in my computer written up about what was going to happen at Backlash. See the difference? No? I‘m not sure there is a difference but the fact is that wrestling is still on my mind too much. WrestleMania always is a special time in the eyes of the fans.
As I mentioned the previous column, even if I ever stopped watching wrestling I would make sure to catch WrestleMania every year just to see where the company is at. The show might be amazing, it might be decent, but WrestleMania is a sort of spark notes version of where WWE is at. ‘Mania is the time where WWE puts on their biggest matches and biggest feuds. So, when you tune in and see a new wrestler who is really over, even if you haven’t been watching, you can sort of pick up on things.
I remember watching WrestleMania one year when John Cena came out and did a rap about how he would be main-eventing WrestleMania one day. I doubted it. But, within a few years, there he was, main-eventing WM, just as he had rapped about. That would have been fun to follow once a year to see how much a star had grown. Brock Lesnar is another example of this. At WrestleMania X8, he hadn’t even debuted yet. There was no sign of him. He debuted the next night on Raw. By WrestleMania XIX, he was in the main event. If you look at it as a once a year spectacular, WrestleMania just shows you where WWE is at, where they are headed, and where they have been. It shows you who has made something of themselves and who has fallen down in the car.
The Showcase of the Immortals shows fans if WWE is attempting to change, or if they are staying the same. If you watched X-Seven, and then X8, you could see just how much WWE had changed. Hogan was back, Scott Hall was back (if you consider what he did actually “being there“), Triple H won the title again from Chris Jericho. Edge and Booker T were fighting over a shampoo commercial. Things were changing (not always in a good way - next toiletries WrestleMania storyline that develops - god help me - I‘m out). And, by the time XIX came, things had totally changed again.
I still consider X-Seven the end of the Attitude Era to this day. I mentioned big things happening at WM that change the history of wrestling as a whole in Part 1 of this column, but if you really think about it, WrestleMania changes eras in wrestling history. WM is where eras begin and end. It is where stars start, where dreams do come true. Torches are passed. Titles are won. A company is defined yet again. Shawn Michaels won his first title at Mania. Austin started a new era when he beat Michaels at XIV. The so called big change in WWE in the names of Eddie Guerrero & Chris Benoit at XX was more of a sentimental idea for a new era in WWE, as it never amounted too much for either champion. But, it happened. It was a nice attempt at passing a torch, but that didn‘t happen until the next year when both Cena and Batista left with the belts. Another change of an era.
What other show of the year would I spend all the money I had at the age of 16 on and drive 8 hours in a van to go see it? Only WrestleMania is worthy of that type of dedication. It is the only show where people come from all over the country to see it. It is the only show where people even come from all over the states to see a wrestling performance. People travel far and wide to attend WrestleMania, and it shows in their attendance numbers and figures every year.
What other show would make me cry at an opening vignette? I hate to admit this, but after giving everything and investing a lot of myself into getting to WM X8 and somehow finding 21st row floor seats, I bought both the VHS and DVD. When I popped it into my computer and listened to The Undertaker describing what the show meant to the himself and the wrestlers in the back, as well as the fans, it hit something in me personally because I had made it all a reality for myself. See, WrestleMania does special things.
What other show gets Roman numerals? I mean, that is the mark of importance right there, folks. Once you are identified with the Romans, you know you have something historical going on. Vince McMahon did end up taking this idea too far with the WrestleMania IX Roman themed show. Seriously, I never want to see Jim Ross in a toga again. Or Giant Gonzales on PPV. Or, Hogan return for a hotshot title win.
What other show would get me to write two lengthy columns about it and still have enough material to write two more if I didn’t feel like boring my audience to death? The thing with WM is that every year, I still find myself being excited even though the last year I didn’t think it would happen again. Somehow, nearly every year, WrestleMania has me thinking, “They have somehow done it again and come up with something that is really worth checking out.” I’m not so sure of how WWE continues to do it in an era of so many TV shows and PPVs, but once again, this year, I am excited to see what is to come.
I would have liked to get into more of the matches for WrestleMania in these two columns, but I will cover them in the upcoming weeks in other columns. Here is my look at Chris Jericho vs. Edge:
This match had a storyline in place the day Edge got injured while Jericho and himself were the Tag Team Champions. Many people figured that when Edge returned, he would feud with Jericho. The only problem was that the return date of Edge was past WrestleMania originally. See, that is just another reason that WM is seen as such a big thing in the eyes of the fans as well as the talent. Injured wrestles attempt to get back so in time for the biggest show of the year so they can showcase their talent in front of the biggest audience. It also helps that WWE gives out pretty good bonuses for appearing and performing at ‘Mania. Money is always important, and WrestleMania makes the most of it.
With the surprise return of Edge at The Royal Rumble this year, people new something big was up. Edge healed quicker than expected, and that meant that his feud that was already in place with Jericho once he left could be picked up and used for the big show. Both Jericho and Edge had great reasons to dislike each other per the storyline.
Even though this feud really didn’t start picking up until the Raw after Elimination Chamber, it still has a lot behind it. With Edge‘s Royal Rumble victory and Jericho‘s title win, it set it all up perfectly. Great booking by WWE here.
I didn’t even mention how good these two are in the ring. I’ll let that speak for itself come March 28.
]]>
By Joe Wilson
The dynamic duo, the twin towers of Europe. The Klitschko Brothers presence in the heavyweight division is as solid as a rock. When you think of the heavyweight division of today, you think of the Klitschkos. Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko is the subject of heavyweight boxing. I’ve heard it put this way, their last name begins with “K” and ends with “O” but that only partially describe the hard-hitting Klitschko Brothers. Will they both be remembered as great heavyweights?
They are both educated with degrees as Doctors. Grew up in the Ukraine. Raised by their two parents, father Wladimir Rodionovich a General in the Air Force, and mother Nadezhda Ulyanovna a schoolteacher. They both are well mannered with great attitudes and well spoken. They speak four different languages - English, Russian, German and Ukrainian. Most people think they are twins, but they are not. Vitali is the older of the two. He is five years older and one and a half inch taller than Wladimir.
Vitali was born in Belovodsk (Kyrgyzstan) given the Nickname “Dr. Ironfist.” He was the first to earn a Doctorate’s Degree. He was also the first to capture a world title, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Heavyweight Championship. He stands 6-foot-6 1/2 in height with a record of 39-2, 37 KO’s. He has over 24 knockouts inside of three rounds.
At the age of 13, Vitali put on a pair of boxing gloves for the first time. Vitali started his career as a successful kickboxer. He became a six-time Kickboxing World Champion twice as an amateur and four times as a professional. It was not until later when Vitali discovered his passion for the sport of boxing. As an amateur he became Ukrainian Heavyweight Champion three times. He also became champion of the first World Military Games and a winner of the Silver Medal at the Amateur World Championships.
In 1996 Vitali left the amateurs and started his career in professional boxing. He won his first title fight on October 24th 1998. It was a European championship were he defeated Mario Schieber by TKO in the 2nd round. That victory paved the way for an opportunity to fight for the World Heavyweight Title. On June 25th 1999 Vitali knocked out Herbie Hide in round 2 and became WBO- Heavyweight Champion of the World.
After holding the WBO- Championship Title for nearly a year, Vitali lost the title to
Chris Byrd. In round nine Vitali had to quit due to a severe injury to his shoulder. Up until that time the judges had Vitali ahead on all three scorecards. On April 24th 2004, at Staples Center in Los Angeles Vitali fought Corrie Sanders for the World Boxing Council (WBC) Title. After a different and entertaining fight Vitali won by TKO in round 8. By winning that fight Vitali was able to get revenge from the loss his brother Wladimir had suffered from Corrie Sanders a year before. “They called it big brothers revenge.”
At the height of Vitali's success, he started to suffer more injuries in the ring. He defended his WBC Title against Danny Williams. He had a title fight scheduled with World Champion Hasim Rahman, but after being postponed several times the bout was later cancelled. In 2005, Vitali was plagued with more serious injuries. He had back-surgery and a damaged ligament in his right knee.
On November 9th 2005 Vitali retired as reigning WBC Heavyweight Champion of the World. After 3 years, Vitali returned back to the ring on October 11th 2008, in Berlin. His opponent was WBC- Champion, Samuel “Nigerian Nightmare” Peter from Nigeria. After 8 rounds of fighting Peter quit on his stool. Once again Vitali regained his WBC-Title for a second time. He has since successfully defended his belt against heavyweights Juan Carlos Gomez, Chris Arreola and Kevin Johnson.
Unlike Vitali, younger brother Wladimir was born in Semipalantinsk (Kazakhstan). Wladimir developed his passion for boxing at age 14. Three years later he was European Champion in his age division. He started building a successful career as an amateur. He became a five-time champion of Ukraine and won first place in the Military World Championships.
His outstanding achievement during his amateur career was winning a Gold Medal in the super heavyweight division during the Olympic Games of 1996 in Atlanta. That same year in November, Wladimir made his professional debut. He knocked out Fabian Meza in the first round. In 1999 Wladimir battered a helpless
Axel Schulz and became European Heavyweight Champion knocking out the German in eight rounds.
He reached his ultimate goal by a winning the WBO- Championship Title over Chris Byrd in October 2000. Over five years later Wladimir and Byrd fought again, this time for IBO and IBF-Titles. This time the Ukrainian dominated the fight, winning by TKO. Byrd took a brutal beating in that fight. Wladimir who’s Nickname “Dr. Steelhammer” currently holds the IBF,WBO,IBO and Ring Magazine World Titles. He’s 6 foot 5 with a record of 53-3, 47 KO’s.
Anyone who review the resumes of these two world-class heavyweight fighters can only think one thing, “How can the Klitschkos NOT be remembered as great heavyweights”? Well… there are many fans around the sport that think they will not be remembered as great heavyweights. Sad as it may sound the Klitschkos have not gotten the recognition a fighter needs to be remembered as great!
One of the biggest setbacks for the Klitschkos, is the era they’re fighting in. They do not have the competition that will bring out the best in them. When you look back on old Father Time- Muhammad Ali had the best competition ever in the heavyweight division. He had Sonny Liston, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Ron Lyle, Ken Norton, Floyd Patterson, Jerry Quarry and Larry Holmes who started as his sparring partner.
This was an era that covered two decades. If a fighter won a title fight against any of these fighters, they were remembered as a great heavyweight. These guys fought 15 rounds. I truly believe the heavyweight division will never experience an era like that ever again.
Gerry Cooney had Larry Holmes to bring out the absolute best in him and visa-versa. Those fights and the defining moments of the fight is what made those guys legends in the ring. The Mike Tyson era had Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, James “Buster” Douglas, Riddick Bowe, Andrew Golota, and Ray Mercer.
The fighters the Klitschkos have had for competition is not on the same level as the heavyweights of the past. The closest test was when Vitali met up with Lennox Lewis in June 2003 for a Title fight. That fight was very competitive and excited fans all over world. The fight had to be stopped because of a cut eyebrow to Vitali’s eye that could have caused permanent damage had the fight went on.
It’s the type of competition a fighter has around him that makes him great! Unfortunately, the Klitschkos suffer from a lack of good competition. It’s those defining moments when a fighter has to dig down deep within himself during big fights that make him great. A fighter does not have to win every bout to be considered great.
It’s not the Klitschkos fault that there are is no real competition in the heavyweight division to deliver those defining moments. To answer the question, will the Klitschkos be remembered as great heavyweights? At this point, “can only be judged in the eyes of the beholder”. In my opinion, there will always be mixed feelings about that question.
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
Photos by Eric Fleming
"I really care about the boxers and I am not here to make money off of them because I have a business already that does well."-Cassandra White
Throughout my travels of covering boxing now for many years around the world, I have encountered many diverse characters. From the Korean bosses of boxing, to the cigar chomping promoters whose stained coffee shirts were only matched by the managers of fighters who wanted to work a deal for their fighter in one of our interviews. Well, in December of 2008, I met yet another character in the world of boxing, but this person didn’t fit the mold. She had on what had to be six inch heels, had a walk and a talk that clearly showed she was no pushover, and being in a male dominated sport like boxing, a lady must have those attributes.
In fact, we hit it off out the gate, posed for the camera and she threw me a bag of money that I guarded like a New Orleans Saints Defensive Lineman did during the Super Bowl of their Quarterback Drew Brees when she took her bows in the center ring after a great night of boxing at the Burr Gymnasium located on the campus of Howard University.
Yes, the money was returned. What do I look like here, John Dillinger? That lady in those high heels is none other than DC Boxing Promoter Cassandra White, CEO of Babie Girl Productions. White, a DC native and business owner also in the District of Columbia is continuing her quest to be at the dance with the big boys of boxing by putting on regular boxing cards in the Washington, DC area. She realizes that you must put on strong competitive fights on a consistent basis to build up your fan base of boxing fans that in turn, will come out and pay their hard earned cash to watch one of her cards.
On top of all the boxing stuff, White is also the Owner and President of Safe Haven, INC., a transportation company located in the District of Columbia. If her success in the private sector is any indication, then in years to come, her success in the local boxing scene seems to be destined.
BB: First off, let’s update the RSR readers on your upcoming fight card that takes place on April 2nd at the DC Convention Center.
The main event is Henry “Sugar Poo” Buchanan versus Clarence “Sonny Boy” Taylor who has been in with many of the top fighters in the world today. The co main event will be heavyweight Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell who is undefeated. Thomas Williams will be making his professional debut in the super middleweight division and Tony Jeter will be fighting as well. Rounding out the card will be two female fights that should really be exciting to watch.
Tickets can be purchased at Capitol Hill Sporting Goods & Apparel located at 727 8th Street SE (Across from the US Marine Barracks) or by calling them at: (202) 546-8078.
Or you can contact Cassandra at her Babie Girl Productions office at: (202) 365-5021.
Finally, you can also call (202) 582-0007 between the hours of 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM to reserve tickets...
BB: Growing up in such a diverse city as Washington, DC, what are some of your memories from those early years?
I had a great childhood growing up in the Washington, DC, and at an early age, I had an entrepreneurial spirit. At the age of 12, I would go to the neighbor’s houses and cut grass or clean their houses to make money. We really had a great family structure where my mother raised five kids and we were able to travel which was a lot of fun.
BB: Now that you are a business owner in that same city you grew up in, do you think it has moved forward and if so, how?
I think it definitely has moved forward as a city. I was incorporated in 1993 and it was hard then because I didn't have any female role models that were already in business. As the years progressed, I saw a lot of females become business owners in DC and we were able to talk about various things. The city has really become more acceptable to women as well when it comes to getting your business license.
BB: Tell the readers about your company Save Haven, INC., located in the District of Columbia.
Actually when I first started in business, I was going to run Homeless Shelters and that is how I got the name Safe Haven for the business. In my world, that was what you were supposed to do is provide a homeless shelter, but what I found out, was you need to have all of these other support services which then that makes the process very political. One day, I was watching a show on television that said what are three most important businesses out there? It said medical, computer and transportation. I picked the latter because I thought it would be cheaper.
At that time, I had two old cars: a Chevrolet Camaro and a Chrysler Le Baron. So what I would do is transport senior citizens to various places in the community. I finally got to meet a very good friend who sadly, passed away in 2000. His name was MR Phillips and he co-signed for me to get my first van which was handicapped accessible. I sold those two cars and put that money toward the purchase of the van. Back then, that was my mode of transportation whether I was taking people around or going to club, you saw my big van and on the side, it said Safe Haven, INC. So, one van led into two and then three. My goal was always to have about 8 – 10 vehicles and I achieved that.
BB: What year did you decide to get into promoting boxing matches and what drew you to doing it?
I got into back in 2005 when I put on an amateur show. What happened with that is one of my friends I grew up is a boxing trainer and his gym wanted to do an amateur show. At the time, I had a lot that I was renting from the DC Government that was something like 26,000 square feet. So we collectively came up with the idea to do an outside amateur show, but when the money came up, they didn't have any. We had already started out so I decided to come out of my pocket to pay for the event.
So some of the fighters on that card turned professional and said to me “why don't you put on professional shows”? So that is pretty much how I got into being a boxing promoter.
BB: Now that you have done it for five years, what do you feel was the hardest lesson to learn that eventually you felt you overcame?
Well, to be honest, I don't think I really have overcame it, but it would be trusting people in this boxing business. My heart is very big and it is extremely difficult to deal with people at times who say one thing, but do another. I have a tendency to always believe in what someone says, but it turns out that it actually doesn't happen that way.
That is the major obstacle I feel that I am still facing today.
BB: What idea out of the box did you have that really worked in promoting and to this day, you still use in your promotions?
I really care about the boxers and I am not here to make money off of them because I have a business already that does well. My goal is to really bring boxing back in this area to the point where fans really respect it again.
BB: I commend you for saying you want to look out for the fighters, but playing Devil’s Advocate, we have heard Oscar De La Hoya, Don King and Bob Arum say the same thing over the years, but then the complete opposite seems to happen. Tell the readers why Babie Girl Productions is going to be different to not just talk the talk, but to walk the walk.
I am going to keep my shows small and of course if I could get an investor, that would be great, but that will still not dictate how my shows are going to go. Yes, of course I don't want to lose my money, but as I had said earlier, I own a business so I can make a little profit and be content in the boxing business. My goal when I started was to always have three World Champions that came out of DC and started on my fight cards. It was not to make a fortune doing this, so I feel that is what keeps me grounded.
BB: When did you first start following the sport of boxing?
In the days of Muhammad Ali. I can remember we would be playing outside and people in the neighborhood would have their TV's on where you could hear Ali's fights.
BB: Who are your top three fighters of all-time and why?
Muhammad Ali because he had such a great mouth and he could back it up in the ring. Sugar Ray Leonard because I loved his style of fighting and of course, he was a hometown favorite. Finally, Hector “Macho” Camacho…I enjoyed his antics in the ring and I actually had a chance to meet him one time in Puerto Rico and I just love him.
BB: If you had to pick one fighter since the day you started following boxing, who do you feel moved the sport ahead the most and why?
I think more recently it would be Floyd Mayweather, JR., because he put that interest back in boxing that had been gone for a while.
BB: What is your prediction for Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley?
PBF by Unanimous Decision.
BB: Is there one boxing match in all your years of following the sport that you would say that was the single most exciting fight I have ever seen?
The “Thrilla in Manilla” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier back in 1975. That was such a hard fight for both of them and during the match, they gave everything they had in that ring.
BB: Who are some of the fighters you follow today?
I really like Paul Williams and will pay the PPV tag to see him fight. He is very focused and I have actually seen him train in the area. Another would be Henry “Sugar Poo” Buchanan who I think people have underestimated.
BB: Do you feel the sport of boxing has moved ahead or backwards since you first started following it?
It has moved backwards, but hopefully there are some out there in the boxing world who are making changes to ensure we don't continue down that road.
BB: What is your favorite boxing movie of all-time and why?
The Black and White 1953 movie “The Joe Louis Story” that starred Coley Wallace as Joe Louis. It showed the greatness of the man and what he endured in his life to become a World Champion.
BB: Who is your favorite Boxing Commentator?
(Cassandra broke into a Howard Cosell voice when answering) and of course picked the legendary Cosell as her favorite commentator of all time.
BB: If you could change one thing in boxing today, what would you change and why?
I would change the way the boxing industry dictates that a perfect record for a fighter is almost a must. That is bogus and they should let these fighters go out there and show their craft in the ring. If they lose a match or two, that doesn't mean that may not still go on to be a World Champion some day.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Yes! I think what Promoters should do is when they have these fighters on their card, they should take out a portion of their purse and have it go into a fund to help them when their careers are over. You see too many fighters that once their career is over, are flat broke.
BB: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one CD and one movie, what you select?
(Big Laugh) The movie would be Million Dollar Baby which I love. The CD is a little tougher pick, but I would go with any of Whitney Houston's early CD's.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
“Always treat others as you would want to be treated.”
Is there anything you would like to add to our interview:
I hope the VA, DC and MD boxing community comes out for the card on April 2nd at the DC Convention Center and please keep looking out for the local boxers from our area.
(Interviewers Note: A special thanks to an old associate of mine Gene Molovinsky for letting us use his Keystone Boxing Gym located in Marlow Heights Plaza/Temple Hills, MD.)
By Gina L. Caliboso
And so it begins – some much needed hype before a big fight.
On May 1st, you can bet that both Sugar Shane Mosley and Floyd “Money” Mayweather will be ready to exchange punches. Sorry, I mean to report that earlier as both Mosley and Mayweather had a bit of a scuffle in a press conference held in New York. There was definite shoving involved, a stare down, and later, as Mayweather quipped, “Our noses touched, but between two men, you know it’s all about the ladies … and then he grabbed my hands.”
So, it’s hype before the hype.
As my colleague Brian Wilbur stated in his Mailbag, boxing is currently going through a bit of a hiatus (until March 13th anyway). Boxing can use some drama now because of the whole superfight fiasco. But don’t get too excited here fight fans, I’m sure it’s going to be the first of many back and forth verbal barrages between the two fighters. I’ll be watching HBO’s acclaimed 24/7 series showcasing both training camps in anticipation (or hype) of the fight.
Sugar Shane Mosley, 46-5, 39 KO’s is one of my all-time favorite fighters. I always admired his strength, stamina, and speed. Mosley has a solid chin and has always shown up to fight – no excuses, no talking about how good he is. Mosley is just good, period. He has never taken time off from the sport of boxing and I always awaited the announcement of his next opponent. I rooted for him when he fought his battles against Oscar De La Hoya.
When Mosley is on, he is on and he fights like he wants to win every time.
But then there was the period of his fight career that had a shadow of doubt about where he was going in boxing. In 2002, Mosley suffered what seemed to be a string of losses against strong and worthy opponents. He lost twice against the late Vernon Forrest in 12 round unanimous decisions.
In 2004, he suffered the same record against Ronald “Winky” Wright. In the first bout against Wright, he lost in a 12 round unanimous decision followed up by a 12 round MD later in November. I thought he seemed to be on a straight path to retirement, but even with these losses, he never stopped challenging his ability. He continued to take fights against such talented fighters as Fernando Vargas and Luis Collazo. Mosley’s last loss came against Miguel Angel Cotto in 2007 via another 12 round unanimous decision.
In 2008, he fought against the volatile Ricardo Mayorga. But he handily defeated Mayorga with a 12th round KO. Mayorga, who is now on an MMA path, absolutely scared me because you just never knew what to expect from him as a fighter. Finally in 2009, he fought against Antonio Margarito for the WBA Super World Welterweight title and defeated him with a 9th round TKO.
It’s amazing to think that with such a string of notable victories and losses, Mosley is considered the underdog against Mayweather. But let’s move on to Mayweather.
For Floyd “Money” Mayweather, 40-0, 25 KO’s, there’s no mistaking Mayweather’s speed and defensive ability. His tight defensive stature reminds us of Sonny Liston and even Arthur Abraham. It’s a peek-a-boo, a guard the chin with your shoulder defense and it’s always worked for Mayweather. Mayweather moves in out with his speed and always connects in a flurry. Although 6 years younger than his opponent and perhaps rested from his retirement, Mayweather has always stayed in tremendous shape so his stamina has never been a problem. It’s going to be a fight of speed versus super speed.
Mayweather’s fights have gone through 10 rounds or more which is testimony to his stand and fight ability. Because of his strong defense, he hasn’t had to take a punch, but he will trade – in and out – and more than likely his opponent will feel the full extent of his punches. I actually get a little bored watching Mayweather because of his defense, but I don’t question its effectiveness.
It’s been criticized that Mayweather chose fighters that serve as perfect counters to his boxing ability, but much like Mosley, he didn’t exactly pick fighters that didn’t have a bit of punching power to them. I was rooting for Juan Manuel Marquez because he isn’t a weak fighter by any means.
If you look at Mayweather on paper, he smartly chose a fighting schedule that was never more than 2 to 3 fights a year, and by his own admission, in his retirement, he never stopped training in the gym. But, it’s also no mistake that his fights have gone on for 10 rounds or longer, he also hasn’t been knocking them out with a KO punch either (Boxrec.com shows Mosley with a KO stat at 75% versus 62.5% for Mayweather). His last TKO came against Hatton in the 10th round – back in 2007. There will be no KO in this fight. It will go 12 rounds by split decision.
I love the underdog and in this case, Mosley is the underdog. But I expect a good fight from both fighters. Mosley is the perfect foil for Mayweather because they can evenly match and exchange on speed and power. Both fighters are going to be dragged down to a degree as the fight may be dubbed as the fight that happened because another fight didn’t happen.
As both Mosley and Mayweather represent the best of the welterweight division, it’s going to be a battle – one that both fighters may come away as the rightful and well deserved opponent for any bout with Manny Pacquiao.
]]>By Geno McGahee
Erik Morales – Manny Pacquiao IV?
Erik Morales, the three division world champion, has noted that he wants to fight Manny Pacquiao once more. Morales has an impressive record of, 48-6, 34 KO’s, but it loses its luster when you examine his recent track record. He is 0-4 in his last 4 fights, losing twice by knockout to Manny Pacquiao.
Now Morales returns on March 27th, as a welterweight, hoping to rebound against Jose Alfaro, in a WBC International Welterweight title match. Prior to this fight, Morales would lose a decision to David Diaz and announce his retirement, but boxers that have reached the top level of the game usually do not leave quietly. They have to be convinced to go and amazingly, the two beatings by Manny Pacquiao have not done the trick. The four losses in a row have not convinced Morales to hang them up, and amazingly, he wants to fight “The Pacman” again.
In the first Pacquiao fight, Morales won…one of the few that hold a victory over the Filipino legend. In the second fight, Morales was beaten and battered to the floor in ten rounds. The tiebreaker was more of the same, only this time, it came in the third round. Pacquiao is in his prime, fighting better than ever and is stronger now than he was when he met Morales in 2006, when the Mexican boxer didn’t even see the fourth round.
Boxing has been called “The Cruelest Game,” and it is most certainly that. I’m sure that I’m not the only one thinking that the latest Morales comeback is going to end badly…horrible should he somehow convince Team Pacquiao to take a fourth fight. There is nothing worse than seeing a one time great fighter beaten to a pulp in their old age. It’s the norm in boxing though. Most greats leave the sport on their backs and I would bet that it happens with “El Terrible.”
It may just happen in this upcoming fight with Alfaro, a 26 year old with a decent punch.
Tyson – Holyfield III
Iron Mike will be involved with a reality show on Animal Planet called “Taking on Tyson,” where contestants will take on Iron Mike in pigeon races. Evander Holyfield, a man that has been denying any talks of a Mike Tyson rematch when he returns to boxing is now making statements, noting that Tyson would only make money if he were to fight him.
The building blocks are beginning to come into view and the two will collide eventually, and Holyfield wants it a lot more than Tyson. Holyfield needs it a lot more than Tyson.
When you look at the Pay Per View buy rates, Tyson had 6 of the top 10, 4 of the top 5. He is still a hot ticket in the sport, and no matter who he fights, he will draw big money in his first comeback fight. Holyfield cannot draw anymore, unless he has Tyson. Holyfield – Fres Oquendo, Holyfield – Lou Savarese, Holyfield – Nikolay Valuev…all got dismal buy rates. The interest is gone in “The Real Deal” and the current wife beater allegations, child support avoidance, and public finally realizing that he is one of the dirtiest fighters to ever lace up the gloves, he has lost a lot of his fan base. He has been exposed for the man that he is.
I do find it amusing that so many journalists are interviewing Holyfield and asking him to dismiss the Tyson comeback, despite the fact that it has been confirmed by Don King and despite the fact that he has been contacting King in hopes of getting the rematch and turning a buck.
Mike Tyson – Evander Holyfield III will most likely happen, but it won’t be Tyson’s first go out of the gate. At this point, it still appears to be Tony Grano or Derric Rossy, according to an inside source.
Sam Peter Back in the Mix
I was able to catch Sam Peter’s stoppage of Nagy Aguilera on youtube recently and at 237 pounds, I’m beginning to step slowly onto his bandwagon again. Peter was once a tremendous force in the division, drawing comparisons to Mike Tyson and David Tua, but things have changed.
Peter was at the peak of his popularity when he defeated James Toney in two fights, leading to a title shot against Oleg Maskaev. He would capture the title in six lopsided rounds via TKO. In 2008, a 253 pound Peter stepped into the ring to take on returning challenger Vitali Klitschko for the WBC Title, and this is when I, along with the rest of the world jumped off the Peter bandwagon. He didn’t fight. It looked like he threw the fight, not throwing any punches, showing any aggression, and disgracing himself and the sport. It was disgusting.
To embarrass himself some more, Peter took on Eddie Chambers in his next bout, and came in at 265 pounds. He would lose that fight by decision and would fall off the map of heavyweight contenders, but something has changed and the “Nigerian Nightmare” is apparently focused again, coming in at the 240 pound range for each of his last four fights, all of which he won by knockout. If you see him in the ring, he looks fit. This is the Sam Peter to get excited for, but can he maintain focus.
He won the IBF Title Eliminator by squashing Aguilera in two rounds, a man that demolished former champion, Oleg Maskaev in one round. I can see Peter giving any of the champions hell should they elect to fight him, unless he regresses back to his old ways and becomes a passive and fat zombie in the ring, taking punishment and waiting to be stopped or lose on the cards. There is no reason why Peter shouldn’t be in the top 5 of the division and at 237 pounds, he has a world of potential again. Let’s hope that he can keep his head on straight.
]]>By Geno McGahee
ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights
This weekend’s episode of ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights presents a rematch between light middleweights Sechew Powell, 25-2, 15 KO’s, and Deandre Latimore, 20-2, 16 KO’s, in a 12 round IBF Eliminator.
The two met in 2008, and Latimore scored the upset knockout win in the seventh round. Powell has rebounded with two victories over mediocre opposition and plans to avenge his worst defeat.
Powell made a name for himself on SHOBOX, most notably scoring a 22 second stoppage of Cornelius Bundrage, after both men hit the floor simultaneously in the first five seconds of the round. Powell would lose to a prime Kassim Ouma, rebound with a decision over Contender star, Ishe Smith, before getting stopped by Latimore. He now looks to get back on track.
Latimore was a relatively untested fighter before stepping into the ring with Powell and he quickly showed that he was the real deal. He recently lost a controversial split decision to Cory Spinks with the IBF crown on the line. He hopes to repeat his victory and get another crack at the title.
‘
Wlad’s Back
IBO/IBF/WBO Heavyweight Champion, Wladimir “Dr. Steelhammer” Klitschko, 53-3, 47 KO’s, defends his title in Germany against American challenger, Eddie Chambers, 35-1, 18 KO’s. Unfortunately, American TV will not be running with this good title fight. Klitschko has been out of the ring for nearly ten months and will have to be on his game to stop the quick and intelligent challenger.
Chambers holds wins over Calvin Brock, Dominick Guinn, and former WBC Heavyweight Champion, Sam Peter. His only loss was an uninspired performance which led to a decision loss to Alexander Povetkin. He was incredibly focused in his last fight, a decision win over Alexander Dimitrenko, and comes into this fight with a full head of steam.
Wlad is 10-0, 8 KO’s, in his last ten outings and plans to make it 11-0 with his incredible jab and right hand. Size may matter when it comes to this showdown, as the 6 foot 6 inch champion towers over the much smaller Chambers. It will be interesting to see how Chambers deals with the size differential. This fight has the potential to be a barnburner, but American fans will have to await the fight results instead of seeing it live, the way the heavyweight title bout should be seen.
]]>
By Geno McGahee
This Saturday, the IBO/IBF/WBO Heavyweight Champion of the world, Wladimir “Dr. Steelhammer” Klitschko, 53-3, 47 KO’s, defends in Germany against American challenger, Eddie Chambers, 35-1, 18 KO’s. Klitschko has been featured on HBO’s World Championship Boxing on several occasions against much lesser opposition, but for some reason, they passed on Chambers.
Eddie Chambers has only lost once. He faced Alexander Povetkin and was winning the fight when he lost interest and lost a decision. At 6 feet, 1 inch, he is a small heavyweight by today’s standards and often came into bouts looking soft at 220 pounds, but things have changed.
In his last bout, he battered down the much larger Alexander Dimitrenko en route to a majority decision, which should have been unanimous. For that fight, he weighed 208 pounds and came in with a mission and performed better than ever. That was Chambers at his best.
When he is not in shape, he still wins. He defeated former WBC Champion, Sam Peter, former title challenger, Calvin Brock, Dominick Guinn, and fringe contender Derric Rossy. Chambers is a smart fighter that will use movement and speed to try to frustrate and eventually beat Klitschko. It’s a tall order, literally, and he is the heavy underdog going into Saturday’s showdown, but he is a much bigger of a threat than the long line of opponents that Wlad has feasted on in recent years.
Wlad has been champion since 2006, when he stopped Chris Byrd for the IBF and IBO Titles. He has picked up the WBO Title in 2008 with a decision win over Sultan Ibragimov. His record since he initially lost the WBO Title to Lamon Brewster in 2004 is 10-0, 8 KO’s, and he has beaten some very good opposition, including Brewster in a rematch.
The biggest issue with Wlad is how he fights in the ring. When George Foreman was the heavyweight champion (the first time), he went in there and fought like a big man, squashing the opposition. Wlad is a tactical and safety first fighter, using his jab and clinching to keep the opponent in check. It’s rarely pretty, but typically ends in a stoppage win. Lennox Lewis created the blueprint for the big man to rule the division without getting scratched and Wlad and Vitali follow it.
The ugly style has led to victories over Tony Thompson, 2-Time Heavyweight Champion Hasim Rahman, Calvin Brock, Ray Austin, former WBA Champ Ruslan Chagaev, former WBO Champ Sultan Ibragimov, and former WBC Champ Samuel Peter. You cannot argue with success and Wlad has to be commended for being a fighting champion, averaging 2 to 3 fights a year. He did, however, only step into the ring on one occasion in 2009, the battering of Chagaev, and might be rusty coming into the Chambers defense.
HBO has passed on this bout. There is an interest in Wladimir Klitschko, but it has not translated over to the United States and perhaps the return on other Wlad outings with similar unknown opposition may have soured the company to any future investments, but this is the heavyweight championship of the world! Mike Tyson could be fighting anybody. They could yank a fat sportswriter out of press row and throw him into the ring with Iron Mike and HBO would run with it because the fans demanded it here in the states, and around the world where Tyson was concerned. You can ask the average person who the heavyweight champion is and they will probably come up with Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, or another notable from the past. The Klitschko brothers, Nikolay Valuev, David Haye, John Ruiz, Sultan Ibragimov…none of them were able to bring the American fans in and now with the network not covering the Chambers defense, you have to imagine that it is not going to get better.
What boxing is waiting for, especially the American public, is the next big thing in the heavyweight division. Some have placed stock in WBA Kingpin, David “Hayemaker” Haye, a devastating puncher at cruiserweight with a suspect chin…especially suspect at heavyweight. He has a defense coming up against former 2-Time Champ, John Ruiz, and he has to impress. In his title win against “Russian Giant” Nikolay Valuev, Haye didn’t do much outside of moving and Valuev, who arguably benefited from some gift decisions, was seen as the winner by a great deal of press, but Haye walked out with the title. Haye needs to do something dramatic…stop John Ruiz. Ruiz was starched inside of a round by David Tua, but since then, he has shown his true grit and puzzling style. He will not be stopped easily. If Haye does it, maybe he will be the next big thing in the division, but it seems unlikely at this point.
There is no obvious superstar coming out of the 200+ division. Chambers is merely a good fighter with a lot of heart and a great deal of ambition, and he will give everything he has to try to win the title come Saturday, which should be enough for the network to bite.
Saturday, the most likely scenario is a decision win or late stoppage win for Wladimir. He’s so much bigger, standing over 6 feet, 6 inches, and doesn’t allow the smaller men inside his range if he can help it. Chambers is not an inside fighter and will try to outthink the champion from the outside, which doesn’t appear to be a formula for success. Nevertheless, this is a fight that the American public should have been allowed to see. This is the heavyweight championship and for it to be ignored by the network that claims ownership of the Klitschko brothers is ridiculous.
It’s all that much more absurd when you look at all of the Chris Arreola fights that they have accepted. I would argue that Klitschko-Chambers is a far more attractive match than Arreola-Brian Minto.
I, like most boxing fans, will be eager to see the outcome of this fight and perhaps we will be treated to a surprise to rattle the division and breathe some life into it.
]]>Compiled by Brian Wilbur
This Saturday, March 21st, from Dusseldorf Germany, unified IBF and WBO Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko defends his titles against highly ranked contender Eddie Chambers. Wladimir, along with his older brother Vitali, rule the heavyweight division with iron fists and are considered to be a full step above their competition. That is why Chambers, despite being among the best available opponents, is a large underdog in this bout.
“Fast” Eddie Chambers has good counter punching skills and moves well for a heavyweight. He is the best heavyweight that America has to offer at the moment. Chambers is coming off his two most impressive wins, decisions over Sam Peter and Alexander Dimitrenko. Klitschko is on an impressive streak of his own having not lost in over 5 years despite quality competition. Both men appear to be in top form for this intriguing heavyweight title fight. Read on to see who the team of writers are picking to win.
SJ Jarapa
Eddie Chambers drops Wlady Klitschko twice but when Klitschko gets up and drops Chambers in the 7th, Chambers goes to sleep. Klitschko by 7th round KO!
Joe Wilson
I see this fight going six rounds. Eddie Chambers will put up a good fight for about 3-4 rounds, then Wladimir Klitschko's jab will be too much. Chambers will start to take too much punishment in round five. Klitschko will start to land combos in the beginning of round six. Chambers begin to wobble in middle of round six. Referee stops the fight before the end of round six. TKO victory for Wladimir.
Gina L. Caliboso
Another Klitschko fight? Oh, this is the younger Wladimir Klitschko. He stands at 6’6 and if he fights anything like his brother Vitali, I expect a lot of jabs. But I always like the underdog, I saw American “Fast” Eddie Chambers and I liked what I saw, notably in his last fight when he defeated Alexander Dimitrenko. Chambers showed impressive hand speed over a much bigger opponent. Against Dimitrenko, Chambers worked his way in and out with punch combination and countered well. Underdog Chambers needs to be productive from round one. Prediction: Chambers by 12 round decision.
Jeff Stoyanoff
It is hard to envision that Chambers can do much of anything in this fight beyond using his quickness and defense to go the distance. Chambers will look to survive and Klitschko will pile up the rounds en route to an easy unanimous decision victory.
Eoin Redahan
I can't see how Eddie Chambers will possibly win. He won't outbox Wlad, and he won't knock him out. My guess is that the younger Klitschko stinks the place out to win by a wide points decision or possibly a late knock out.
Mike Plunkett
In some respects Eddie Chambers may be more formidable than many of Wlad's recent challengers in that it can be argued that he is more rounded with more dimensions - and at or nearing his prime. In a very real sense, Chambers' trainer is right when he states that Eddie matches-up better with Wlad's style than Wlad does with Eddie.
Wladimir Klitschko is the favorite and it is his fight to lose. Look for Chambers to demonstrate poise and a sound strategy of attack, demonstrating some of the dimension he has over Wlad's recent challengers. I'm going with the upset here. Chambers via 9th-round upset TKO.
Geno McGahee
Eddie Chambers is a good heavyweight that will be motivated and in shape, but it's hard to see him overcoming the size difference and Wlad's style. Wlad will keep Chambers on the outside with the jab and gradually break him down, resulting in a late TKO or decision win. What's going for Chambers in this fight is that he is a smart fighter with a decent right hand. If he can outsmart Wlad and catch him, we may have an upset, but I'm sticking with the safe bet. Wlad TKO -10 Chambers.
Geoff Poundes
There’s nothing as relevant on Chambers record as his near shutout loss to Alexander Povetkin back in January 2008, which indicates that the American can’t compete with a smallish 6 foot 2 inch heavyweight with a few moves – so how will he cope with a 6 foot 7 inch monolith with a few moves? The answer – he won’t. I’d say that Klitschko will stop him in the mid-rounds, but this is Wlad and not Vitali, so expect the younger Klitschko to make optimum use of a six inch height and reach advantage to fiddle his way to a, yawn, 12 round unanimous decision.
“Bad” Brad Berkwitt
Klitschko by 9th round TKO.
Dan “Tex” Cohen
I have a hard time betting against Klitschko in this one. Smarts and talent take him a long way, but really, he's too damn big for Chambers to close the gap. I think we're gonna see a lot better performance out of him than we did out of Arreola against big brudda, but Chambers will probably go down over the stretch (I hate saying it though).
Brian Wilbur
Chambers doesn't have the right style to pull off this upset. Eddie has the fast hands but not the power or size. Klitschko plays it safe early but eventually wins with a late round TKO.
Friends of RSR
Jose Antonio Rivera
I think Wladimir Klitschko wins by late round stoppage or decision. I am not sure Chambers has the abilities to take away Wlad's crown! He has the heart, motivation, and sometimes that's enough, but not this time. Prove me wrong Eddie!
Vonzell Johnson (Former Light Heavyweight Contender)
Klitschko by decision.
Final Tally
Wladimir Klitschko – 11
Eddie Chambers – 2
]]>By Geno McGahee
Sechew Powell, 26-2, 15 KO’s, outworked the dangerous Deandre Latimore, 25-3, 15 KO’s, by majority decision by scores of 117-111, 116-112, and 114-114. Powell avenged his defeat to Latimore, where he found himself on the wrong end of a knockout. Powell had some scary moments but held tough and made it the distance, getting a lead on the cards and keeping busy. This was an IBF light middleweight eliminator and now Powell can move forward with his promising career.
]]>By Geoff “The Professor” Poundes
Well, it promised much – but in the end it was nothing but a sham.
At the glitzy Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas, Manny Pacquiao, 51-3, 38 KO’s, took every round in a 12 round shutout victory over Joshua Clottey, 35-4, 20 KO’s, thereby setting up his side of a bargain that should see him share a ring with Floyd Mayweather, JR., before the year is out.
Clearly, Clottey is one of those fight fans who doesn’t want to miss the Pacquiao/Mayweather matchup, since he did little in the fight to upset those plans, preferring instead to sleepwalk through the contest offering little more than target practice for the lauded Pacman.
For his part Manny did everything that was asked of him, but he’s increasingly looking like a pawn in a game of financial brinkmanship that is clearly being played out behind the scenes, designed to eke maximum profit from his encounter with Mayweather when it finally, inevitably, happens.
So complete was Pacquiao’s dominance over Clottey that at one point in the middle of the fight he threw a double punch, effectively clapping his Ghanaian opponent on both sides of his head.
This scribe has never seen such a thing in a professional ring, and not only did Pacquiao get away with it (how could he not, since Clottey spent the vast majority of the fight cowering behind a high guard offering no offensive threat whatsoever), but the fact that he tried the move at all demonstrated just how easy he was finding matters, and also that he himself was bored and frustrated by Clottey’s persistent lack of ambition.
The truth was that Clottey made no effort to win the fight at all. He peeked through his guard as Pacquiao teed off, and every so often prodded out an uppercut, but he had clearly decided he was not in the fight to win it, so that when he returned to his corner at the end of the seventh round and was told by his equally disinterested handlers “you’ve lost every round”, it was no real surprise when his work rate remained pedestrian for the remainder of the fight. He rallied in the eleventh to throw three successive half-hearted uppercuts, which Manny took almost willingly, as if to remind himself that he was still in a fight, but then the familiar pattern returned until the final bell.
Doubtless Joshua won’t care what the people think as he counts his money in the aftermath of the fight; he’s played his part dutifully in the Pacquiao/Mayweather soap opera and been paid handsomely for not fluffing his lines in a supporting role as the financiers seek to ratchet up the marketing effort for the “big one”.
Mayweather’s episode, of course, runs on May 1st, when doubtless Sugar Shane Mosley will pick up a similar paycheck at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, for being the fall guy on that side of the equation. Expect Mayweather to come through that “test” as comfortably as Pacquiao came through his.
Clearly the script, which included all the nonsense about Pacquiao’s alleged steroid abuse and Mayweather’s accusations and proclamations, is resolutely on message, and is being developed in the dark and shadowy halls of boxing’s political cliques.
As ever, when there are such vast amounts of cash to be made, nothing can be allowed to upset the apple-cart, and the power-brokers will stop at nothing to ensure a commercial killing.
Don’t expect either that there will be too many dissenting voices amongst the cognoscenti. The media are being manipulated too, but they love it, and you will see miles of column inches in the coming months dedicated to propagating the Pacquiao legend, fuelled of course by manic support in his homeland (which translated in Arlington to an astonishing 50,000 fans packing into the stadium for the Clottey affair).
I’m not sure that those 50,000 would complain even about the pantomime they witnessed Saturday night. Big audiences attend the grotesque spectacle that is professional wrestling, which is itself woven around soap opera story-lines, so that the Mayweather/Pacquiao narrative is nothing new to them.
They’ll have followed along open-mouthed at the steroid shenanigans, gazed in wonderment at the half-hearted lawsuit Pacquiao has brought against his tormentors, and cheered wildly as Manny whaled away at Joshua Clottey’s clam-like arms and elbows for 12 rounds.
There will be more twists and turns in the plot before the first bell rings, all of them coldly and calculatingly designed to separate the unsuspecting layman from
his pay-per-view dollar. HBO’s 24/7 spectacle, hitherto a decent document of each fighter’s internal workings in the build-up to a major fight, will doubtless be hijacked and converted into televisual tripe.
That won’t matter to Joshua Clottey, who got a little exercise in Dallas on Saturday night, and laughed all the way to the bank Sunday morning.
]]>By Geno McGahee
IBO/IBF/WBO Heavyweight Champion, Wladimir “Dr. Steelhammer” Klitschko, 54-3, 48 KO’s, controlled and battered Eddie Chambers, 35-2, 18 KO’s, stopping him in the final round. Chambers couldn’t find his way to the inside. Wladimir’s size and boxing ability were too much to overcome, and as the rounds went by, Wlad built up the points and could have easily walked away with a decision. A good win for Wladimir.
]]>By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
As both winter and the March break wind down the sport of boxing appears to be winding up. Over the last two weeks we’ve enjoyed a sudden spike in the color and quality of featured bouts, not the least of which saw today’s pound per pound best fighter defend both his WBO welterweight title and current status as the best of the best. At the higher end of the weight scale we got to see IBF/WBO heavyweight champion once again demonstrate his dominance inside the squared-circle in a bout that was framed by the recent ring appearances of two rising contenders in features that could best be considered a prelude to a dance one day with “Dr. Steelehammer”. “Alexander Povetkin – Dedicated, Willing and on a Mission” and “Odlanier Solis – A Cuban Not Easily Smoked” are two very timely discussions by yours truly that focus on two undefeated and very talented heavyweight hopefuls from two very divergent worlds but of quality amateur pedigree that has translated into carefully mapped success in the professional ranks.
Rounding out matters on big bouts down the road, “Vazquez-Marquez IV Formally Announced” by OKMike is a “lighting of the candle”, so to speak, regarding the next and quite likely last chapter of the opposing ring duo Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez. It’s a dice role on the possible outcome as much as it is a discussion on what fate will have in store for either man, on a match the elements of which all but guarantee another classic in the making.
The RSR April Prediction League is now posted. Historically we’ve put out the best and deepest prediction league that can be found anywhere on the web. It’s so much more than just getting the outcome right, it’s about understanding the nuances of the fight game, how timing, politics, strengths and weaknesses mesh with Lady Luck – and how it can all come together in the face of mass decent – or come crashing down despite every conceivable shred of logic and evidence supporting it. For April, thirty top-flight contests round out what I believe to be a terrific inaugural roster to go with our updated look. I will be locking the thread on Friday April 2nd at 7pm EST. Take part if you dare. 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
]]>Reviewed by Melissa McGahee
“Who am I talking to? I’m talking to monsters from outer space.”—Steve (Claude Akins)
In a quiet neighborhood where everyone knows each other by name and considers one another friends, a strange flash in the sky disrupts the normal peaceful street. First, thought to be a meteor, the theory is soon discounted when not only is the electricity cut in everyone’s house, but cars, portable radios, and the telephones all seize to work.
Two of the neighbors decide to walk over and find out if the next street is also without power, but a young boy, Tommy (Jan Handzlik) stops them. He states that what has occurred is reminiscent of a story he knows about aliens who come to earth and take the form of humans to blend in. At first, they all dismiss the idea, but when one of the cars start while the others remain dead, suspicion falls on the owner, Les (Barry Atwater).
Soon, accusations fly, the friends become bitter enemies and everyone becomes a suspect. When Steve (Claude Akins) attempts to be the voice of reason and calm the mob mentality, he too get puts under surveillance and every activity including the construction of a normal home radio becomes scrutinized and questioned.
This by far is one of the best, if not thee best episode of the spectacular series. Often the Twilight Zone shows the weaknesses in human condition and how quickly relationships and trust dissolve when self-preservation becomes a real risk. What makes the show so captivating is how true to life the reactions are, especially in this episode.
The Monsters on Maple St is as drawing now as it was when it first aired. It stands the test of time because Rod Serling, the genius that he was, understood that imperfections of behavior, emotions and conscience remain the same generation after generation.
RSR Review: 10/10. The Twilight Zone at its best!
]]>By Joe Wilson
All of the festivities leading up to what were going to be the biggest night in professional boxing to start off 2010, surfaced recently. If you were in the Dallas area at the beginning of the week of March 9th, you witnessed a great build-up to a welterweight fight between 7-Time World Champion Manny Pacquiao versus former World Champion Joshua Clottey. This fight had all the ingredients to be one for the books.
This event brought in media from all over the world. HBO opened this act with a 30 minute special called “The Road to Dallas.” This special was a lot like 24/7, but I don’t remember them it calling that. The show checked in on both fighters during training camp. At the beginning it showed footage of Joshua Clottey in his homeland Ghana, Africa.
Afterwards, it showed Clottey leaving his Brooklyn, New York, apartment where he now resides, going for a jog before daybreak in the a.m. It then, switches to Manny Pacquiao’s homeland in the Philippines. Then, you see Pacquiao at The Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles where he trains. He and Hall of Fame Trainer Freddie Roach go through some boxing techniques.
These scenes quickly change to both fighters walking on the field of Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Both fighters were surrounded by the Famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and media. Owner of the Cowboy Stadium, Jerry Jones grabs both fighters by the arms and raise them up high to let fights fans all over the world know “this bout is official”, the fight is on…
Jerry Jones seemed to really enjoy having a boxing event take place at his stadium. He and Top Rank Promoter, Bob Arum seemed to have established a really good relationship. They both seems to be two shrewd businessmen “who knows how to make a buck” during these challenging economic times.
A couple of days leading up to the fight in Dallas were electrifying. The buzz around most sporting venues regarding this event was loud. What seemed to be just an average fight from the beginning, turned into something spectacular. This boxing event created excitement all around Big-D and around the world.
With the combination of boxing icon; Manny Pacquiao and Jerry Jones with his new billion dollar toy; The Cowboy Stadium, we all knew that the end results would be big. I must admit in my opinion, if this same fight is fought in Las Vegas or Atlantic City this fight probably would not have come close to the PPV numbers it put up this weekend, especially the gate.
Leading up to the weigh-in on Friday afternoon the excitement level soared for fight fans. Manny Pacquaio weighed in at 145 ¾ pounds, and Joshua Clottey came in at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds. At weigh-in these two fighters tried to be serious, but they could not! There was NO bad blood between these two. They seemed more like best friends than opponents; getting ready to fight in a boxing match of this magnitude.
The crowds came in from all over to see what was suppose to be the big showdown, to start the year off for professional boxing.
Jerry Jones was expecting around 45,000 to show up for this event. But, after all was said and done, there were just over 50,000 in attendance. That was a lot more than anyone imagined, being that very few knew who Joshua Clottey was, going into this fight. This was great marketing on the behalf of Jerry Jones and Bob Arum to turn the volume up on this event.
The undercards to start this event were very boring. I thought watching 2-Time World Champion, Jose Luis Castillo against top 10 contender, Alfonso Gomez would light up some fireworks before the main event. It never happened! The only excitement so far was the arena itself. The lights and the big screen standing about forty-feet above the ring was the attraction, not the fighters.
While watching the fight, I had a gentlemen sitting next to me who was a professional bowler. He told me that he was in town for the weekend, participating in a bowling tournament. He had just finished bowling that afternoon and decided to stay in town to watch the fight.
What was funny to me was when Manny Pacquiao began his ring entrance; he walked out to the theme song, “Eye Of The Tiger” from the movie “Rocky III.” The guy sitting next me yelled out, very loud, “You can’t do that,” you can’t come out on that song, “that song is for an American.” No way, he yelled…over and over again. Only one person can do that, and that person is “Rocky”, he screamed at the top of his voice. The guy looked at me and said “Can you believe this S#@*?”
Well… I thought to myself “here is the excitement I’ve been looking for,” not knowing that it wouldn’t get much better than that.
When the first bell rang for round one, I could see the level of excitement throughout the arena. Manny Pacquiao came in as usual, but somewhat cautious. He threw punches and Joshua Clottey did what he does best, and that’s cover up. Pacquiao showed no fear of Clottey’s size advantage.
Round two was more of the same. Clottey fought from the same shell he usually fights from. I noticed he was more cautious in this fight than ever before. I predicted Clottey would fight from a shell for the first three rounds, just to evaluate Pacquaio’s power. Then he would open up and go to war with the smaller man. However, to my surprise Clottey fought from that defensive shell for the entire fight.
Whenever Clottey threw punches they seemed to land clean on Pacquiao, but there were too few thrown. My prediction of this fight was the worse prediction I’ve made for any fight. Not to brag, I’ve always been close in my prediction of most boxing matches, if not right on the money. This one left me hanging in the “Twilight Zone.”
Pacquiao brought the fight to Clottey as best he could; throwing some 1200 punches, but it takes two to make a good fight. Any fighter that depends on defense alone to win a fight is crazy and delusional. I must say a fighter of Joshua Clottey’s caliber, who gets the opportunity of a lifetime and let it slips right through his hands gets very little respect from me.
Unless somehow there were more millions poured on top of his original purse, to put up a “defense only” fight to protect boxing cash cow (Pacquiao), and what lies ahead for him down the road. I’m not saying that happened, but the right amount of money usually changes the mind of most!
I just recently read an article from someone who interviewed Joshua Clottey right before the fight and quoted him as saying; “In the end, it’s all about the money.” I guess there is some truth to that. It’s been said by many in this sport that, “if it don’t make money, it don’t make sense.”
I walked away hoping I would have witnessed a showdown between these two fighters, but in the end it was mostly hype. I must admit I’ve seen better fights on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights for free.
Floyd “Money” Mayweather, JR., and “Sugar” Shane Mosley will meet up May 1st at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for what is suppose to be the biggest fight of 2010. Maybe this fight will bring all the goods, we the fight fans desire in a big mega fight.
Until then, Manny Pacquiao can set back and relax, because he has earned his spot at the top. There can only be great things ahead for him, because the welterweight division is the division to be in these days. Mayweather, Mosley and Pacquiao are the true faces of the welterweight division. In my opinion, they are carrying this division very well.
]]>
Boxing Product Review by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
Hello RSR readers and welcome to the debut of my column titled “Bad” Brad's Scorecard, where I will be reviewing boxing products supplied to me by Boxing Depot.com. In the weeks and months to come, I will review the various products that I have received and actually use on a daily basis in my home boxing gym. You may ask what qualifies me to review products since I am not a boxer?
Actually, I was an amateur boxer for three years (1980 - 1983) out of North Miami Beach, Florida (Allen Park Gym). In addition over the last six years for the most part, I have done a boxing workout, but since January of this year when I had my home gym built, I have been working out on an average of nine times a week, once a day, Monday through Friday and twice on Saturday and Sunday.
It may sound obsessive, but there is nothing like cranking up the music to 15 and working on the heavy bag/speed bag along with shadow boxing and crunches/pushups/sit ups/running/riding a mountain bike.
I will always review the products fairly and give both the positive and negatives if there are some and will use a scale of 1 – 10 to rate the items I am reviewing. I encourage the RSR readers that decide to buy a product that I review to let me know their thoughts on it by posting a reply to this article, once you have tried the product out.
Now that I have given my rating system, let's get to the first review of the Kutting Weight Sauna Suit.
For years, I have worn shorties which are dive suits to make me really sweat because if you are like me, you want to see that perspiration dripping off you when you are cranked up doing whatever type of workout you do on a daily basis. Shorties worked, but I never liked the heavy material or the zipper being in the back. Well, when I pulled the Kutting Weight Sauna Suit out of the shipping box, I was thrilled to see that the zipper was in the front of the suit and there was no long pull string on it that always got in the way when I was working out with shorties. Already a plus before I put it on for the first time to see if it really worked as inventor Dustin Zahursky says on his You Tube Video and on the brochure that came in the shipping box from Boxing Depot. It arrived on a Thursday night and that same night, I tried it out for a spin. It was easy to put on, as I said earlier, because of the zipper in the front and Neoprene shell that it was made of was for sure, lighter in weight than the shorties I have been wearing since 2004. The size, at least in my case, fit exactly like it said which I wore a Large.
I did my normal boxing workout and as I pounded the heavy bag (10 rounds/3 minute rounds/ with a one minute rest), my body heated up and the water started dripping out. In fact, there were puddles because it really makes you sweat and that was exactly what I was looking for.
The Kutting Weight Sauna Suit has now been incorporated into my daily workout for the last two weeks and it has not only held up, but I actually washed it in the washing machine and had no problems with it holding up. I was a little concerned because the directions say to wipe it down, but I like to really get the sweat out of it by washing it in the machine.
If you are looking for a suit that fits like a glove, makes you really sweat and holds up, then the Kutting Weight Sauna Suit is for you. You can say goodbye to those cheap Sauna Suits that rip under the arm for the tops and in the crotch for the pants while you are working out and I can say that from experience because before the shorties, I wore those as well.
I am giving the Kutting Weight Sauna Suit a rating of 10 out of 10 on my scorecard because there were only positives in my use of it. Also, Boxing Depot.com currently sells the suit for $99.95, but it's on sale now for $79.95.
Click Here to Purchase your Kutting Weight Sauna Suit from Boxing Depot
Reviewed by Geno McGahee
Dr. Stockton (Larry Gates) has built a bomb shelter and his wealthy friends all seem to believe that he was crazy for building it. They poke fun at him at a dinner party over it, but when a bulletin over the radio declares that there may be enemy nuclear missiles headed toward the U.S., everyone wants in his bomb shelter.
Jerry Harlowe (Jack Albertson) of Willy Wonka fame. He was Grampa Joe. Unfortunately for him, not even a golden ticket would get him into Stockton’s shelter. Not even a musical number would sway Stockton. I don't even think that an Oompa Loompa could talk some sense into the doctor. He and his family locked themselves in and away from their friends, who soon begin to congregate outside of the shelter.
The more that time goes by, the more that tempers flare and real feelings come out. What makes this show so great is that it never pulled any punches and it was real. The good friends at the party begin to unravel and insult each other, all fighting for the right to live and to find their way into the bomb shelter.
With the danger apparently more eminent, the mob takes a battering ram and knocks down the shelter door. They are ready to kill and the Doctor and his family probably would have been had the radio broadcast not announced that it was a false alarm. Suddenly reality hits them and they all realize that they were ready to kill their best of friends and that they had said the worst things to and about each other.
Stockton is most affected by the situation that had just transpired. Everyone, including himself, were exposed.
RSR Rating: 8/10.
]]>
By Daniel “Tex” Cohen
RSR is a site made for news and editorials. Unless you have been hit in the head with a tack hammer moments before reading one of our articles, telling the difference between the two is no problem. Our news is reported in AP Style and formatted with continuity and regularity. Our editorials are in semi-personal voice. Digital story-telling makes for compelling, differentiated opinions that are clearly just those.
Many of our editorials fan the flames of angry fans, but those reactions come with the territory for a site of our business. When Geoff “The Professor” Poundes slams Manny Pacquiao, I am sure Pac-Nation floods his in-box in the style of their own heroic volume-puncher.
When I slammed Wladimir Klitschko’s propensity to use the clinch as a strategy, every globe-gripping K-Head from here to Timbuktu decided to put on their “intellectual” glasses and send me long-winded, critical e-mails laced with exclamation points and wild claims. When I called for the permanent ban of Antonio Margarito, Margacheato fans came out with vicious attacks to call me everything from Gringo to… well, I can’t really print what else they called me. You get the picture.
Those reactions prompt a response of no response. Note to nut-huggers: I don’t care. Don’t care at all. I’ve lost more sleep over a piece of belly button lint than I have over hate mail. So let me preface this editorial by saying, “Bring it on.”
One of the most dominant fighters in Boxing today is Vitali Klitschko, arguably the last heavyweight fighter to have held his own against a decent version of one of yesteryear’s great champions in Lennox Lewis. Vitali was the top of the heavyweight pyramid for exactly three fights after the Lewis bout, defeating Kirk Johnson, Corrie Sanders and Danny Williams in 2003 and 2004. Following the Williams bout, Klitschko and his chronically injured shoulder stepped out of Boxing for almost four years.
During that time period, the younger Klitschko took over the heavyweight division with a collection of knockouts against most if not all top contenders. Vitali finally made his comeback in 2008, pounding Sam Peter into submission in one of the most disappointing heavyweight fights of all time. The elder Klitschko then took victories over Juan Carlos Gomez, Chris Arreola and Kevin Johnson.
With the exception of the Arreola fight, all of those bouts could have tranquilized a horse. On the other hand, no one ever said it was Klitschko’s job to entertain (Actually, thousands of people have said just that in the past). Klitschko’s job is to win by any means possible (like John Ruiz). He is the most dominant champion in the world today (against mostly weak contenders).
In all honesty, who can blame Vitali for cleaning up with bludgeoning knockouts? The best contenders are bad; so be it. He’ll knock out anyone they put in front of him, and it’s not his job to go out and find good competitors. That job is for his promoters, who have done the best they can. Until now.
Some of you may have heard about Vitali Klitschko’s upcoming challenger, Albert Sosnowski. My bet is that most of you have not.
I first saw Sosnowski on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights in August of 2008 while I was drinking some Jim Beam at the famous Phoenix Hill Tavern on Bardstown Road in Louisville Kentucky. Phoenix Hill is a weird little place with six stages for a variety of different bands. The music sucked that night, so I stuck to watching the fight.
Sosnowski, nicknamed “The Dragon”, is a huge Polish guy, and going into that bout he was boasting a 43-1 record. Naturally, those credentials suggest an interesting, though perhaps one-dimensional fighter, ready to crash any and all who stand in the ring with him, including the statistical anomaly that stood in the ring with him that night.
You may have heard of Sosnowksi’s challenger that evening. If you are a Boxing sabrematrician or just a frequenter of ESPN 2 or boxing oddities, Zuri Lawrence might even be a household name. For those of you who have never heard of him, I’ll clue you in. Lawrence has the honor of being 24-16 without a single solitary knockout. How he manages to beat most of his opponents without one iota of pop is fascinating. He even has victories over former contenders Jameel McCline and Darroll Wilson, and held former challenger Ray Austin to a draw. In other words, Lawrence is very respectable for what he does.
Having said that, a real contender should have no issue with Lawrence, the ultimate novelty fighter. Zuri has been on the receiving end of eight knockouts and lacks the pop to hurt anyone with a human chin. Yet there was Sosnowski on that pitiful evening, swinging at air and putting up very little outside of a minor body attack as Lawrence stuck, moved and jabbed his way to an easy shutout victory. Sosnowsi lost all eight rounds on all three cards, never to be seen again in a major fight.
Or so we thought. After knocking out Danny Williams and fighting to a draw with Francesco Pianeta, Sosnowski managed to knockout Paolo Vidoz for some minor belt. Apparently, Klitschko’s handlers decided that was enough for a title shot, and that’s where we are now.
I thought maybe the folly was that of the sanctioning body, so I checked the WBC rankings. As faulty as they are, even that organization had the brains to keep Sosnowski out of the top ten.
All of that said, Klitschko’s handlers will gain sympathy based on a tired old excuse: “Who else should he fight?”
To that I say, “Anyone but Sosnowski.” I understand the idea of a tune-up, but this guy is a joke. Sosnowski’s most recent “comeback streak” has two victories. The first guy he beat was recently destroyed by Vitali Klitschko. As for Vidoz, his once undefeated record was originally ruined by none other than Zuri Lawrence. A fight against Sosnowski might “keep Klitschko sharp”, but so would a sword in the eye.
So while little brother K dogs it out with the best American heavyweight in Eddie Chambers, Vitali Klitschko is training for what should be a one punch knockout of a fight with a Polish sausage. My advice for the “handlers”? Next time, stick Iron Fist in there with Lawrence. At least the guy can beat Sosnowski.
]]>By Brian Wilbur
Hi all, thanks for coming to Ringside Report and checking out my weekly mailbag. On Saturday we saw another dominant title defense by Wladimir Klitschko. The Klitschko brothers seem to be falling into the same category as Larry Holmes in the 80's. They are so much better than the competition that they get a bad rap. The Klitschkos may have the talent to stack up against the all time greats, but we can't say for sure because they lack the quality of opponents needed to prove their greatness. Being dominant in a weak era is a curse to the champion.
HBO decided not to televise Wladimir vs. Eddie Chambers despite having Klitschko under contract. HBO did not think that Chambers was good enough and the match up did not excite. For the first eleven rounds, HBO looked like geniuses because the fight had little action. Wladimir was content to control with a long jab. However in the 12th round, Wladimir listened to his trainer Emanuel Steward and came out guns blazing. By that time Chambers was a dead man walking in survival mode. Wladimir's added aggression paid off as he landed a hard left hook that toppled Chambers in the final moments of the bout. Klitschko closed the show to answer his critics, and had fans leaving the arena happy. I'm not saying that HBO made a mistake by not showing this fight on their network, but they have shown far worse in the past.
Eddie Chambers was a top 10 heavyweight, and the best American in the world, but he could not even compete. In the first question of this week's mailbag I give my opinion on which heavyweights have the best chance of really pushing the Klitschko brothers instead of being pushovers.
Also in the mailbag we have some remnant discussions regarding Manny Pacquiao's recent domination of Joshua Clottey. We also talk about Pacquiao's future, including the mega match that every boxing fan is still lusting after: Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather.
This is one of my best mailbags in a while so please enjoy. As always, I look forward to your emails.
Who the Klitschkos Should Fight Next?
Eddie Chambers was supposed to be good right? Well he wasn't. At least not good enough. Vitali and Wladimir are fighting scrubs. But the truth is, these scrubs are the best that the division has to offer. It's not like there is a Clubber Lang hanging around gunning for a title shot and getting ducked. If there is I haven't heard about him or seen him.
Most of the guys in the top 10 heavyweights list have already fought and lost to one of the brothers. I hate to say that they have cleaned out the division since the division was already pretty much spic and span. Anyway, who do you think the Klitschko brothers should fight next? Who makes the best fights and pushes them the most?
-Roy
Roy,
First off, breaking news is that Vitali Klitschko has selected Albert Sosnowski to be his next opponent. Sosnowski is a joke but I see this as more of a “stay busy” fight until Vitali has a chance to fight for the WBA belt.
The Klitschko brothers are very good. I think they would have done well in any era. I wouldn't completely give up on this era though. There are still a few interesting opponents and match ups to be made. Here are 5 heavyweights who I think are the toughest challenges that the Klitschkos have yet to face:
Alexander Povetkin – Olympic gold medalist with good boxing skills and a fan-friendly offensive minded style to boot. The only reason I would favor the Klitschkos over him is that he is short so I have a hard time seeing him consistently getting past the jab. This blue chip contender should still put up a good fight because of his pedigree.
David Haye – Haye currently holds the coveted WBA Heavyweight title that Vitali Klitschko wants so bad in order to complete the goal of two belts per brother. Haye is a former cruiserweight and I am unsure if he can compete with an elite heavyweight like Vitali. However, he is a very interesting opponent because of his personality. Haye has the charisma that most heavyweights lack these days. Haye vs. either Klitschko is the most bankable match out there because of Haye's big mouth, power punching style, and lightning rod cocky attitude. Plus the fact that he is from England with a built in audience doesn't hurt. I'm really looking forward to the day that Haye gets his crack at the Klitschkos because of the hype, not because I think Haye has a real shot at winning. Haye has to get by John Ruiz next month before this can happen.
Nikolay Valuev – So I have not been all that impressed with Valuev because he is slow and awkward. However, he is 7 feet tall and 330+ pounds, so his size alone makes him an opponent that the general public would be interested in seeing fight. If he fought Vitali they should market the fight as “Goliath vs. Goliath”.
Tomasz Adamek – Like Haye, here is another former cruiserweight. Tomasz is tentatively on this list because he has not yet proven himself as a legitimate heavyweight contender yet. However if he defeats Chris Arreola in his next fight then he becomes a very legitimate and accomplished foe for the Klitschko brothers, albeit undersized.
Odlanier Solis – The second Olympic gold medalist on the list. Solis is a star Cuban defector in the mold of Yuriorkis Gamboa, Joel Casamayor, and Guillermo Rigondeaux. These guys were ready to fight for world titles almost immediately after their pro debuts because of their vast amateur background on a world-class level. Solis is working his way up the ranks, but he has the most potential out of everyone on the list due to his talent and class. Cuba has an awesome boxing program and these Olympic defectors are the cream of the crop. Once they are used to fighting without headgear, going twelve rounds, and professional rules, put them in against the champ because they are ready.
Pacquiao v. Clottey Provides Insight On Pacquiao vs. Mayweather
Hey Brian,
I think I called the fight almost perfectly except for the ref or corner stoppage which could have happened if Clottey wasn’t too scared to fight back. He looked like a human punching bag but I guess we can’t blame him for having no answer for the Pacquiao juggernaut. Now I think Mayweather would avoid Pac even more after he saw what Pac did to Clottey and his defense because I don’t think Floyd could keep up with that kind of pace the whole twelve rounds and I don’t think Floyd has half the chin that Clottey has and I don’t think Mayweather can block 1000 punches without it affecting him. I can’t imagine how Clottey’s arms and elbows are feeling now after "blocking" those 1000+ punches.
Mayweather really is a master of defense and the best defense he knows when dealing with Pacquiao is not fighting him, keeping his undefeated record intact because that is about the only thing that makes him a winner.
Before the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight, I used to think that “Money” Mayweather would be the more difficult opponent for Pacquiao than Shane Mosley. I even had Mayweather as the slight favorite to beat Manny. But after what I saw what he did to Joshua Clottey and his defense, I now think Mayweather would be an easy night for Pacquiao.
When Clottey, with his iron chin and good defense, was terrified to fight back I don’t know how Mayweather would react when he faces that kind of an opponent and I’m quite sure he doesn’t have the same whiskers as Clottey. And with Floyd’s hit and don’t want to be hit attitude, I cant’ see how he can fight back with all those punches coming his way non-stop for 3 minutes over 12 rounds (that’s assuming he can go the distance which I now think he wouldn’t). Well maybe Mayweather could if he fought to survive and not to win like what Clottey and Marco Antonio Barrera did in their 2nd fight.
I would want Shane Mosley to win the upcoming fight with Mayweather because I think he wouldn’t be afraid to fight Pacquiao, even though I really would love to see Manny vs. Floyd. I don’t think Floyd wants a piece of Pacquiao. Floyd tells us how great he is, while Pacquiao shows us how great he is.
-Vinjo
Vinjo,
Good call on the fight breakdown. I agree with you about Mayweather possibly getting nervous about fight Pacquiao after that performance. Pacquiao perfectly showed how to deal with an A level defense. Volume punchers tend to give defensive fighters fits and Pacquiao proved that he could throw over 100 punches per round without an issue. His punches were well placed and timed as well so it wasn't like he was just winging punches because he could.
The Clottey win, even more than any of his other recent fights, makes the best argument that Pacquiao would do well against Mayweather. Clottey's style, though different, is closer to Mayweather's than say Hatton or Cotto. When a guy like Pacquiao relentlessly comes at you like that, you have to hurt him or get his respect in order to get him to relent. Mayweather going into a defensive shell and pot-shotting like he did against Marquez and De La Hoya isn't going to cut it against Pacquiao.
About your next point though, I would never say that Floyd Mayweather is an easy fight for anyone. However I do see your point that after watching what Pacquiao did to Clottey I definitely feel that Pacquiao would have a better shot at beating Mayweather than I did before the Clottey fight.
I also agree with your notion about wanting Shane Mosley to beat Mayweather. I am secretly hoping for that as well (even though I believe it is highly unlikely) because we know for a fact that Shane Mosley would sign the contract immediately. There would be no problem at all getting Mosley to agree to a Pacquiao fight. As we have recently seen, the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao negotiations are not as simple and may never be resolved. With both of them finding an excuse to turn down 40+ million dollars already, I am not optimistic that a compromise can be reached.
Mosley vs. Pacquiao, with Mosley coming off of a fresh win over Mayweather is almost as appealing as a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight is right now.
“The Event” Post Fight Comments
Sir Brian,
Greetings! It's been awhile since the last time I wrote to your mailbag, though I have religiously followed your column every week.
Please allow me to share some of my observations regarding what transpired in “The Event” between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey:
1.) Lawrence Cole shouldn't be given the right to referee championship fights. I would have loved the fight between Humberto Soto and David Diaz much, much better if he weren't the third man in the ring that night. The idea that he was even considered to be the third man in the ring for the main event was ridiculous! He is slow and was clearly not committed - more like he's afraid of getting hit by a punch from the boxers. He is slow in untangling boxers when they are holding each other. Every time the bell rang, he was way too far from the boxers that they end up hitting each other long after the bell had already rung. He does not know how to position himself so he could easily stop both boxers from making extra shots. Heck, I wonder what would have transpired if he were the referee during the Abe Concepcion vs. Steve Luevano fight - the former might just have scored a knockdown! This man should try a desk job at his dad's office.
2.) The other star of the fight was the stadium itself with its monstrous TV, not Clottey. Nevertheless, it was a great achievement for Pacquiao knowing that he drew half (51,000 plus) the crowd of the most-attended NBA all star game in history at the same venue (over 100,000), considering that he was arguably the only draw in that event as compared to more than 20 NBA superstars. Also, he has surpassed Oscar De La Hoya in terms of live gate attendants in Texas (47,000 in Sun Bowl, El Paso), but fell short to Julio Cesar Chavez's 65,000 at the Astrodome.
3.) I think I have found what Clottey's supposed secret strategy was (I remembered him talking about a secret strategy though I can't recall where I read it) for beating Pacquiao and it was not to tire Pacquiao out but rather, stepping on Pacquiao's lead foot so he could not utilize his trademark footwork. Unfortunately for Clottey though, it didn't pan out. I was surprised that nobody noticed it, not even the referee. Isn't it a violation to do that? If you haven't noticed it as well, you could check it for yourself and review the tape. Heck, you can include his previous fights and you will see that it was only in this particular fight that he did try to step on Pacquiao's lead foot, intentionally for that matter. I don't believe that he expected Pacquiao to get tired because, as much as he denies he never watches an opponent's previous fights, I believe he was convinced Pacquiao never gets tired and that was his only way to win.
4.) I don't know if it was just our PPV, but I must say that the commentators were so bland! Where were Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant?
5.) After “The Event”, I am curious to where Pacquiao lands in your welterweight rankings. Who are in your top ten welterweights right now?
Till then. Thanks for your very informative mailbag. More power and GOD bless!
-Reagan A. Loberternos
Reagan,
Here are my thoughts on your questions:
1. Wow harsh words for Mr. Cole. I didn't really notice him in that fight, which I usually see as a good thing. He didn't strike me as a particularly poor referee that night but I wasn't paying that much attention to him, like I said. I enjoyed the Soto vs. Diaz fight. Soto dominated early on but then Diaz came on strong to the point where winning the fight was within grasp since he appeared to be wearing Soto down. Then Soto sealed the deal with the 12th round knockdown to cap off an entertaining and competitive bout. The other two undercard fights disappointed though, especially Jose Luis Castillo who is clearly ready to retire.
2. The attendance was very impressive, proving that local venues in large markets (as opposed to having the fight in Las Vegas every time) is a large source of potential revenue. Getting that many fans to the arena to watch boxing is also great for the sport. Those were 50,000 real fans, not high rollers who only came to watch the main event. Texas deserves another big fight.
3. I noticed Clottey's attempted foot fouls as well. The commentators pointed it out to at one point. Nonetheless, if that was Clottey's secret strategy for beating Pacquiao it didn't work at all! He was trying to foul to gain an edge in a way where he thought he could get away with it. Unfortunately for Clottey, he didn't need just an edge; he needed a crowbar.
4. The commentators for the HBO PPV telecast were Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman, and Emanuel Steward. They were a bit bland that evening I must admit. Lampley started yelling out "Bang, Bang, Bang!" at one point giving Pacquiao's punches sound effects and I felt embarrassed for him because he sounded ridiculous.
5. Here are my current top 10 welterweights:
1) Manny Pacquiao
2) Shane Mosley
3) Floyd Mayweather
4) Andre Berto
5) Joshua Clottey
6) Vyacheslav Senchenko
7) Jan Zaveck
8) Rafal Jackiewicz
9) Alfonso Gomez
10) Luis Collazo
I assume Miguel Cotto is at 154 pounds now. The drop off after #5 is pretty big.
Dissecting Game Plans
Hi Brian,
I didn’t really expect much from Clottey but what he offered (aside from his defense) was way below what I thought. What he was trying to do isn’t clear at all, and it looks to me like he was trying to make Pacquiao punch himself out, when that happens, that is where he would up gear and take over. But he/they miscalculated badly as Pacquiao delivered ~100 punches a round for 12 rounds. Was it like that or maybe team Clottey never really had a game plan at all, what do you think?
And as early as round 2, I saw Clottey trying to step on Pacquiao’s right foot( Plan B) :D, as referred to by Lenny De Jesus.
As for Pacquiao vs. Roach, they had a clear game plan at full display, attack the body early then capitalize on it on the championship rounds. It is only enough to outpoint Clottey but did not stop him. Do you think if Clottey had played the aggressor and let his hands go, it would open him up for Pac to counter? Which, in turn, would give Pac a better chance of KO’ing the Ghanaian?
-Pacboy
Pacboy,
Clottey's trainer was unable to be with him on fight night so perhaps that killed his game plan. More likely, Clottey thought that he could get by on skill alone like he has in all of his previous bouts. Once he got in the ring and tasted Pacquiao's speed he realized he was in error.
I am 100% sure that Pacquiao would have won by knockout if Clottey had thrown more punches and went on the attack. Clottey's offense is porous and he usually gets away with it because he fires when his opponent is done punching and tired. Pacquiao doesn't get tired so Clottey would have been ripped to shreds by the counter punches. With a guy who is fighting in a defensive shell like that, you can't knock him out. All you can do is exactly what Pacquiao did, keep on punching and win an easy decision.
I was sad to see a world-class boxer fight to survive instead of trying to win during a fight of that magnitude. But I'm sure Joshua is thinking, "at least I didn't get knocked out."
8th World Title Next?
Brian,
If Miguel Cotto will defeat Yuri Foreman in their Jr. Middleweight title fight, is their any probability that Pacquiao claims his 8th world title in different weights in case Cotto will defend the title against Pacquaio at 154 lbs? If Cotto retains the titles what is your opinion? Can Pacquiao still TKO Cotto as in their welterweight title fight? Please give your prediction and outcome of this fight if this will materialize.
-Eddieboy
Eddieboy,
I don't think many people will want Pacquiao vs. Cotto II. The first fight was so definitive that the second fight would be very hard to sell. If it did happen I would think that Cotto would be roughed up just the same regardless of the added weight.
But in reality, if Cotto wins that belt I don't think Arum makes the rematch because nobody would want to see it. Pacquiao has a better chance at trying for his 8th world title if Yuri Foreman beats Cotto. Foreman would be a new opponent so there would be intrigue and interest despite Foreman being not very exciting. Both fights though are less than tantalizing and therefore unlikely.
The odds of Pacquiao getting that 8th world title are low. Not because he couldn't do it (I think he is a strong favorite in either match), but because there is not a popular enough champion in that weight class that would make for a good, marketable fight.
Mandatory Weirdo Email
Hello, I'm Big Dick Kuklinski, and this is a question for your mailbag. Here you go:
1. Why do boxers go topless? Are there any sports that go bottomless and if so, do you compete, and can I watch?
2. Should Joshua Clottey be fined his whole purse for not fighting and, BTW, why does he own a purse?
3. Do you like Alice in Wonderland and if so, who is your favorite character?
4. If you answered the Mad Hatter, would you go as the Mad Hatter for a Halloween party called "The Mad Hatter Splish Splashing Affair?"
5. Is Mike Tyson coming back a good thing to boxing? Will he eat more ears?
6. Do you like ABBA?
7. Oscar De La Hoya womens panties pics: true or false
8. Manny vs Floyd: whom do you like
Thanks and will be reading your mailbag when you get it up for me.
-Richard Kuklinski
Richard,
Even though you are blatantly coming on to me I'll humor you and answer your questions.
1. Boxers are topless because shirts would get in the way. Shirts could also potentially hide body pads.
2. Clottey shouldn't be fined his whole purse, but perhaps he should get a penalty for fighting to survive because he did not help the sport by making that fight less interesting. The UFC has boring fight penalties like this.
3. I don't know...Cheshare Cat?
4. No, I wouldn't.
5. Tyson coming back isn't necessarily bad. He brings a lot of publicity to the sport. As for Tyson, coming back is bad for his health but good for his bank account. If I were an odds maker I would set the odds of him eating more ears at unlikely but remotely possible.
6. Heck yes I like ABBA!
7. False...I think.
8. I have always said Floyd, but after how good Manny looked against Clottey I'm not sure anymore. I'm going to wait to see how Mayweather looks against Mosley to make my pick.
Speed Kills
Just a follow up to my latest email, I think we now know why Oscar De La Hoya had a very low punch output in his fight with Pacquiao. It’s the speed. After Pac throws his combinations he is out of there before the last punch even hits. And when there were times that De La Hoya could find an opening he was afraid to throw because he knew what was coming if he let his hands go.
That same thing that happened to Clottey, meaning he could not catch Pac, and was afraid of the counterpunches coming him way after he throws his own punches. I don’t think Oscar was that washed up, if you put him in there with Clottey or Cotto then he could give a good fight, but not against Pac. It’s the speed.
-Vinjo
Vinjo,
Good point. Speed kills and Pacquiao has the fastest hands in boxing. Pacquiao's super fast punches are fired off after his opponents start to throw a punch, but his miraculously land first. And when they land they are straight, compact punches, landing with accuracy and severe damage.
He tagged Clottey with theses shots the few times that Joshua opened up and he knocked down Miguel Cotto with these punches. Pacquiao didn't used to be this good of a counter puncher. Yet another reason why Manny is so much better than he used to be and proof that he continues to improve with each fight.
Alrighty folks, that's all for now. Send in your comments, questions, and reactions. I hope to hear from you all. The mailbag will be back same time next week. Take care until then everyone!
]]>
By Gina L. Caliboso
Interview by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“I really tell them, it’s one of the things I really stress; you get out of life what you put into it. The same goes for boxing it’s especially true in boxing” -- Eddie “Prime Time” Croft
I remember seeing Eddie Croft for the first time almost seventeen years ago. It was Christmas time and “Prime Time” had just fought the fight of his life only to be rewarded with a majority draw in what otherwise looked like a close but well deserved win to these eyes. Not that it was all bad. He struggled not with just anybody, but with a talented future world champion, having demonstrated the spirit to succeed and will to survive in a way that suggested he belonged among the very best. But fate sometimes has a cruel way of leaving its impression on talent and on one’s personal legacy, often teasing those that have earned their ticket by taking something away just as they get within inches of their ultimate goal.
Amazingly, the spirit to succeed that took him to the highest levels of professional boxing has spilled over into his life outside of the ring, and while the story of Eddie “Prime Time” Croft is far from over, the byproducts of his discipline and drive as a former prizefighter and ranked contender have today put him on the road to success and happiness.
MP: How did you first become involved with boxing and who, if any, were your earliest influences?
I started martial arts when I was five years old back in 1974. Growing up in martial arts…there’s only a few ways that you can make money in martial arts. One is to own a school. Two is to be in the movies or three is to become a kick-boxer. Since that was always kind of my route I thought that I would kick-box and possibly make movies and then own a school one day. In 1987 this guy walked into my gym and, we used to have Friday night sparring class in my karate school and our martial arts school was one of the best in the San Francisco Bay area, people would come from all over to spar, and we usually sent them packing with their tail between their legs. But Johnny Nava, who later became my trainer, he walked in one day, and even though he was chubby, probably weighed about 200lbs, and that weight on him didn’t really look good – he actually put a whoopin’ on most of the guys he sparred with. It turned out that he was former pro, he had just retired the previous year, and I figured if I wanted to kick-box I would need to learn what he knew. He fought as a middleweight out of Pacifica, California in the early 80’s. So I approached him and asked him to train me, he started training me and I fought in the Golden Gloves in 1988 here in San Francisco and I won, so I decided that boxers made more money than kick-boxers, and that was the route that I wanted to go. I won two more Golden Gloves after that and I was on my way.
As far as earliest influences, I remember as a kid watching Muhammad Ali, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, he was probably the person that I looked-up to most as a kid growing up. I also remember in the early-80’s, guys like Salvador Sanchez and I loved Azumah Nelson; usually smaller guys were the guys that I would really rally behind.
MP: You turned pro in July 1991 just above the featherweight limit, outpointing Manuel Prospero who weighed-in a mere pound beneath the lightweight division limit, scoring a clear four-round decision. What do you recall of that moment and why was there such a vast disparity in weight?
I really fought most of my career as junior featherweight or super bantam. I probably could have made 118lbs and I was coming in at 126 just because as an amateur I was coming in at 125lbs so I wanted to really kind of stay close to that weight in the beginning. Manuel Prospero was actually a late sub, we had another guy, I can’t remember what his name was for the life of me right now, and he came in on probably a week’s notice, and he was a little heavy. I remember his record being 4-12, you know, I always felt that I was going be a world champion, and in order to be a world champion it didn’t matter if this was my first pro fight or my tenth pro fight, a guy that was 4-12 had no business beating me. I remember I only got hit with one clean punch in the fight, and that was a body shot and everything else I either slipped or blocked and I just kind of cruised to an easy victory. I was by no means ever worried about the weight disparity.
MP: Just over a year into your career and after settling in as a junior featherweight, you outpointed George Garcia, the former California State Super Bantamweight champion in your 14th bout. Looking back, did this win reinforce the notion that you could one day move onto bigger game and a shot at a major world title?
I saw George Garcia sparring in the gym in San Jose and this was at a time when I was still an amateur; I knew I could beat him, so when the time came and they would bring an opponent to us, I said I’d fight him anytime. He was strong and very aggressive but I knew that I could outbox him and really make him pay for a little bit of his wildness. I was always from the get-go, early on in my amateur days, I always felt that I could compete, or that one day I could compete, with the best in the world. I don’t know if that bout validated the feeling because I already felt that way, not to sound overconfident or cocky. Going into the ring, you have to have a lot of confidence in yourself otherwise you’ll get knocked out if you don’t.
MP: Two years into your career you scored what can be described as a break-out win over former world title challenger Jerome Coffee, scoring a unanimous twelve-round decision for the WBC Continental Americas Super Bantamweight title. What do you recall of this bout and of Coffee as a fighter?
I remember Coffee, especially like when we boycotted the Olympics, the Moscow Games in 1980. I remember Jerome Coffee being an amateur world champion at that time. It was funny, having watched him from afar as a kid, kind of admiring his work and style, the way he fought; it was an honor to be able to share the ring with him. At the same time I had seen him fight previously, I was at a fight when he fought Rudy Zavala.
I saw him give Zavala trouble early in their fight, but I saw him fade, he started fading in the fourth, fifth round. Part of that was age and part of that was mileage having been around a long time with a lot of pro and amateur fights, so I knew at that time that the early rounds might be close but I would start taking over about the fourth round. As it turned out, I shut him out on a couple of the scorecards. The one thing that I do remember about the fight was that he was really crafty, he was the first guy that I fought that I can say was a true veteran and used a lot of feints, used his head a lot to his advantage, knew how to tie you up; there were a lot of things that I learned in that fight that kind of prepared me to fight ranked contenders after that.
MP: You lost your title and your undefeated record to the 28-1 Gerardo Martinez in your next bout. What happened?
You know, in that fight I really got knocked out of my game plan. I wasn’t a really big puncher. I knew that I had a little pop in my punches but my game was really predicated on moving, making good use of my jab, making people miss and countering. In the first round he caught me with a right hand and it was a flash knockdown. I was fine, when it happened; I didn’t even know that I got hit. I thought that I slipped and fell and I got up and was fine. After that he came in really recklessly trying to finish me and I ended up knocking him down twice in the same round, in the very first round, from that point on I just thought I could finish him and I ended up really trying to load up and hit him with one punch at a time going for the knockout, and he just outhustled me. It was a real tough way to learn a lesson but sometimes it’s the only way you can learn.
MP: Next up was the talented Hector Acero Sanchez of the Dominican Republic who at the time was 28-1 and who would go on to win the WBC Super Bantamweight title. The official result was a majority draw after a competitive contest that could have gone either way. What do you recall of that bout and of Sanchez as a fighter?
That was the first guy that I fought that could do things similar to me. He had really good head movement, good defense, was really good at slipping punches, making people miss and making them pay, good jab. We even looked similar, same haircut, same skin color and everything. The exception was that he was a little bit better at that particular style than me.
At the end of the fight I remember Al Bernstein saying what a travesty it was, it was such a bad decision, but I really remember I took the first two rounds and I felt really confident about that, but rounds 3 through six he was really able to take me out of my game because he was better at my game than I was. Round 7 he caught me with one more good shot, I dropped my hands in the middle of the ring and I took a step back, and I said I really got to turn this into a war in order for me to win this fight. From that point on I really got aggressive and I started coming forward throwing more punches, trying to really throw hard. Since I changed strategy right in the middle of the fight, it kind of threw him off. I thought I swept rounds 8, 9 and 10 and that’s what gave me the draw.
MP: After posting four wins you moved up in weight to challenge a 39-2-1 Tom “Boom Boom” Johnson for the IBF Featherweight title on network television, losing a wide unanimous decision. Looking back, was it too soon to be fighting a fighter of that caliber barely four years into your career and what do you recall of Johnson as a fighter?
I wanted to fight Tracy Harris Patterson. They called and they offered me the fight but I was getting married, I had a wedding planned, people were travelling over from Italy to come to the wedding, so I couldn’t postpone it. Patterson’s people said they’d give me the next shot and they got Hector Acero Sanchez instead. Sanchez, I found out later in the wedding during the reception, I found out that he had beat Patterson, so essentially there went my shot. We tried to secure a shot with Sanchez, and that wasn’t happening. Later they offered the fight with “Boom Boom” and we jumped at it.
During training I got hit and received nerve damage to my left eye that I actually had five surgeries for in recent years. I had one surgery in 2007 and then four more in 2008. But at the time we kept it quiet and basically I was fighting with one eye.
MP: In your next bout you moved back down to 122lbs, losing by 7th-round TKO to a 38-0 Marco Antonio Barrera for the WBO Super Bantamweight title. What do you recall of that bout and of Barrera, who at that point was on a rampage through the sport?
I look back at it, I used to always say, if I was right I would have beaten Johnson, I would have beaten Barrera, but l look at it with a more objective eye now, well Johnson maybe……Barrera maybe, it would have been a competitive fight, even with one eye I was able to go seven rounds with him; he was really handling me at the time but there was a lot of things I couldn’t do like when I made him miss I couldn’t make him pay because I wasn’t able to pick him up and really see where he was. I look back it now more objectively because Barrera is an all-time great. The guy is a Hall of Famer. So is “Boom Boom”. Do I think I would have beaten them? I don’t know. I would love to say yes, but at the same time, I know that the fights would have been competitive and I still would have stayed in title contention for years to come if it weren’t for the injury.
MP: After taking some time off you were matched tough with a 34-0 Dennis Holbaek Pedersen in September ’99, losing in the 6th-round. By that point was the desire waning?
I hadn’t seriously trained or anything for years. I won a fight against a guy named Frankie Lizarraga in ’98 and in ’99 I fought a guy named “Tiger” Smalls and I just knew I was done at that point. I didn’t have it the eye was just no good. I got a call and they asked if I’d like to fight Dennis Pedersen kid in Denmark. I said you know what, I’ve never fought out of the country and I was still in pretty good shape; I’ll take the fight. I went out there, this guy had a lot of fights, 28-0 (Pedersen was listed as 34-0 at the time of their bout) and for the first couple of rounds, he couldn’t even hit me. I was thinking this guy was terrible, this guy is awful, he can’t even hit me and I was a shell of my former self, and not only that, the guy was way bigger than me. He was 130lbs or probably walking around 145 or 150 and I was a 122 poundguy; he really should have been blowing me out of the water. A top-ten guy should have blown me out of the water, and he had the hardest time hitting me. I really did it just to kind of go on a little trip, go out of the country, part of the deal that I made with them was my purse, two plane tickets because I wanted to bring a friend so I got a chance to hang out in Denmark with a friend and kind of be in the limelight a little bit. I knew that, like I said, if I wasn’t injured, I would have still been fighting at that point because I still had good reflexes. I just couldn’t see. It takes two good eyes to be a good fighter.
MP: Your record shows that you challenged the 42-1 Erik Morales for the WBC Featherweight title after three years of inactivity and three straight stoppage defeats. How did such an unlikely opportunity come about and what were your thoughts going into the bout given the context of your career at that point?
The same agent that set up the fight with Pedersen called me up and said “Hey Eddie, we need a guy, a former contender to go three or four rounds with a guy in Mexico City, they’re having the WBC 30-year convention, and they want to have a big show, a big fight; they’re offering twenty-grand cash.” I said to the guy it has to be someone fairly good if they are going to pay that kind of money. They said “well they want you to fight Erik Morales.” They weren’t looking for a world-beater, just a former contender, someone that could go three or four rounds and look good. This is kind of like the seedy underbelly of professional boxing that most people don’t hear about. Erik Morales; twenty-grand may not pay my hospital bills! I went on to tell him that I haven’t fought in years or stepped into a gym in awhile, which wasn’t necessarily true. I had been in the gym but had spent more time training people than actually working out myself. I asked for thirty-grand. He called back a couple of days later, offered me twenty-five and two planes tickets and I said, OK fine, I’ll do it. Just because I wanted to be able to say that I got to fight both Barrera and Morales.
What I remember of the fight, it’s kind of a crazy story, I remember the day of the weigh-in waking up at six in the morning to a phone call. They wanted me to go downstairs to check my weight. My weight was fine, the weight was 130lbs and I weighed probably 129 pounds. So I went downstairs and I got on the scale and I was 128 and a half and I was a little dehydrated having just gotten out of bed. They said it was too light. They gave me a big jug of water, a gallon of water and said, “This is your homework”. I drank the water, weighed in again; too light. They told me to go eat a big breakfast, don’t pee, don’t go to the bathroom, hold it.
Ok, fine. I ate as much as I could, my belly was really full, went back to the weigh-in with my pants on, they gave me a couple of bags of pesos to put in my pockets, got on the scale and weighed about 136 pounds and Morales weighed-in about 140, and the fight went on. I decided to just go out there and see what I could do.
The first round I got hit with the jab and my timing was off. It kind of shook my legs a little bit. It all kind of came rushing back to me right then; I remembered what it was all like. He threw a couple more jabs and I slipped them and then I threw a jab and popped him, and I thought to myself that this was really easy. I hit him a couple more times and I felt pretty good moving around and I felt like I won the round. When the bell rang I started walking back to the corner and began thinking to myself that I was really tired; the elevation’s high, the air is not so good, the fight was outside in a bull ring, lots of smog and lots of dust. I didn’t know how much more I had left. I told my corner I was going to go out there and hit him as hard as I could with the first punch I threw.
The bell rang, I walked across the ring and I surprised him with a hard lead right hand, snapped his head back and he gave me a look of pure anger. He started swinging for the fences and he caught me with a body shot and I went down, then he caught me a few more times and I was down again; I barely made it out that round…and then he stopped me in the next round. I really remember thinking to myself after the fight that he was not nearly as good as Barrera was.
MP: Who hit harder, Erik Morales or Marco Antonio Barrera?
Marco Antonio Barrera. He hit harder, he was faster and he was more technically proficient. His punches were shorter; he was by far the better fighter. Now, what made Morales great in my opinion was that he was relentless and he was long for the weight class, really long and kind of tall. Good body puncher and he had a lot of heart. As far as technical skills, he wasn’t anywhere near what Barrera was.
MP: Seven years after your last professional bout you are moving forward in life while giving back to the community with B Street Boxing. Tell us about that.
I opened up a boxing gym in downtown San Mateo, the city where I grew up. When I was a fighter in the early-mid 90’s I always wanted to open a gym, and in November 1st 2008 I opened up B Street Boxing. I am so proud of the progress that we’ve made. I had a couple of registered amateur boxers; in 2009 Golden Gloves I had just one entry. Over the past year we’ve really been busy growing the gym and developing boxers, this year in the 2010 Golden Gloves I entered eight fighters and four won their division, one novice winner and three open winners. I’m really very proud of the accomplishments and skill level of the fighters we’ve developed here.
MP: Discipline is the key to success. Is that something you look to impress upon the youth that walk into your gym, regardless of their ambitions in the sport?
I really tell them, it’s one of the things I really stress; you get out of life what you put into it. The same goes for boxing, it’s especially true in boxing; if you train with a half-hearted effort then you’re going to get half-hearted results. The same goes in life. If a kid is in school, I tell him if you’re only studying half as hard as you can, your grades are going to reflect the amount of effort that you put in. Luckily, we have some people here that are really dedicated to the craft, and that are really in tune with training hard, doing work on their own, doing the roadwork and the extra conditioning work, spending time doing all of the push-ups and all of the sit-ups, sparring that extra round if they need to push themselves a little more. The people that come in here are really driven and they know what they want to get out of this sport and life. I’m blessed in that way.
MP: What are your proudest achievements?
My proudest achievement is being able to open the gym. I had some dark moments after I stopped boxing. I didn’t know what I was going to do and I was really scared. A lot of times when you hear of fighters after they are done fighting, they don’t have anything and they don’t really have any skills. Luckily for me, I can talk a good game and usually I can back it up. I’m able to communicate my ideas to people and enough people believed in me to help me out opening the gym, and enough of them believed in me to allow me to be their trainer.
MP: You strike me as a very effective communicator, which is not something a lot of fighters are. Talking and listening to you, I’m not completely surprised you are doing as well as you are.
Thank you. I really appreciate that. One of the things that is so great about martial arts is that you learn how to teach early in your development. Because there is a ranking system, you go through the belts, and with each step up in rank you are almost expected to guide the ranks below you. I’ve spent basically my whole life teaching and it really kind of carried on into boxing. I’m really able to give everything that I’ve gotten out of this game and give it away freely. It’s really great.
MP: What fighters do you follow today?
I follow them all. I like Shane Mosley a lot, Floyd Mayweather JR,, his skill is just amazing. Everybody is following Manny Pacquiao right now. He’s the hottest name, maybe ever. I follow Andre Ward closely because he’s a Bay Area kid as well. I really always kind of liked the lesser known guys; I was a big fan of Buddy McGirt, I was a big fan of Mike McCallum and I loved James Toney. I like fighters that are welterweight and below; guys like Israel Vazquez and all those guys. I try to watch as much boxing as I can.
MP: Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans in closing?
Not only to my fans but to all boxing fans; I’m really grateful that there are so many great boxing fans that support boxing. I hear all the time that our sport is dying. I don’t see how it’s dying if Manny Pacquiao can get thirty-million for a fight. If they are still generating seven figures in a fight, I don’t see the death of boxing any time soon. I’d like to express my gratitude toward everybody watching and going to the fights.
Eddie Croft
Nickname: "Prime Time"
Division: Super Featherweight
Professional Record: 23-7-1, (10 KO's)
Date Opponent Location Result
1991-07-11 Manuel Prospero Gardnerville, USA W PTS 4
1991-09-20 Jorge Ojeda San Francisco, USA W TKO 4
1991-10-11 Eduardo Castro San Francisco, USA W PTS 4
1991-11-15 Cesar Vasquez San Francisco, USA W PTS 4
1991-12-20 Francisco Lueveno San Francisco, USA W KO 3
1992-01-05 Robert Parra Reno, USA W UD 4
1992-02-23 Anthony Griego San Francisco, USA W TKO 2
1992-03-26 Alejandro Armenta San Francisco, USA W PTS 6
1992-04-24 Andres Chavez Sacramento, USA W KO 2
1992-05-16 Eloy Cortez San Jose, USA W KO 2
1992-06-09 Javier Carmona San Francisco, USA W KO 6
1992-06-30 Idelfonso Bernal Sacramento, USA W KO 2
1992-08-29 Magdaleno Maldonado Reno, USA W PTS 6
1992-11-22 George Garcia Burlingame, USA W PTS 8
1993-02-19 Jorge Fuentes Martinez San Mateo, USA W TKO 6
1993-04-23 Vinnel Ponzio San Mateo, USA W PTS 10
1993-05-21 Felipe Garcia San Mateo, USA W UD 10
1993-07-16 Jerome Coffee San Mateo, USA W PTS 12
WBC Continental Americas Super Bantamweight Title
1993-09-23 Gerardo Martinez San Jose, USA L PTS 12
WBC Continental Americas Super Bantamweight Title
1993-12-09 Hector Acero Sanchez New York, USA D PTS 10
1994-05-22 Jose Luis Vegagil Burlingame, USA W KO 4
1994-07-16 Richard Duran San Mateo, USA W PTS 10
1994-11-16 Dadoy Andujar Las Vegas, USA W KO 7
1995-01-28 Antonio Ramirez Reno, USA W UD 10
1995-05-28 Tom Johnson South Padre Island, USA L UD 12
IBF Featherweight Title
1995-11-04 Marco Antonio Barrera Las Vegas, USA L TKO 7
WBO Super Bantamweight Title
1998-11-20 Frank Lizarraga San Rafael, USA W SD 8
1999-03-31 Priest Smalls Monterey, USA L KO 3
1999-09-03 Dennis Holbaek Pedersen Copenhagen, Denmark L TKO 6
2000-01-14 Fred Neal Las Vegas, USA L TKO 3
2003-02-22 Erik Morales Mexico City, Mexico L TKO 3
WBC Featherweight Title
]]>By SJ Jarapa
Hello.
This is a delayed reaction.
But for those who doesn't know of this incident already, well, basically, weeks ago, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir whipped out a blood-boiling verbal assault, that if you have a weak heart you'd most likely faint with shock, at the ailing current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.
“I will break Brock Lesnar's neck and make him the first recorded death in the Octagon.”
This was the statement that has had many feelings hurt since. It shocked many people. Really, it did... as if it was something we haven't heard before. How this bravado is any different from boxing's “Next time I put him in morgue” jab and K-1's “I'll put your fuse out” heated lash or BJ Penn's infamous “I will kill GSP” declaration, beats the hell out of me. I think some of us are overreacting on what is already a norm in the fight-game.
Frank Mir has from the second he stepped in there been proudly cocky. No doubt he's said stupid things before, it was only a matter of time that he upped his antics and say something truly ridiculous. Indeed he's snapped a fighter's limb before, shattered his bones to many fragments, even worse he's shown no remorse afterward – a feat which made the statement believable to a degree. But, guess what, and it's a fact, Frank Mir is a fighter no different from any other fighter who is looking to draw flocks into his fights with words. He simply picked the wrong choice of words in the wrong moment at the wrong time.
It wasn't so much the context of the statement that made it so unappealing but the manner in which it was said and the fact that it was aimed at someone who is presently fighting for his life.
Really bad timing to try and sound tough.
Was it really that bad, though? Regrettably, unfortunately.
For a sport that went through more hell than any sport on the planet to project an honest image, the statement was not the sort of front it needed to pitch at the public. If he does kill Lesnar in there, may that be accidental or not, all those years of extreme sweat and labor the sport has spent to gain the deference of a disapproving lot will have been for nothing.
How can a veteran fight-fan buy it for a second, though?
Frank Mir kill Brock Lesnar?
It sure seems but a poor attempt at psychological warfare in my eyes – in that, Frank Mir was merely aiming to psyche Brock Lesnar and everyone in his division, this was simply Frank Mir looking to get a message across the pond.
Only, one might suspect that Frank Mir has established so much pressure upon himself with all this fiasco which he himself created that it might cost him something however big or damnatory that is to his well-being in the long run.
How can all this affect him?
Let's begin with the negative:
For all his talents, sadly, Brock Lesnar is clearly in Frank Mir's head, and his emotions are without question governed by rage, if in fact, his desire for Lesnar's death is no nonsense – Brock Lesnar has him absolutely messed up. And that can't be good, both in and out of the cage. What if someone stops him before he could get his hands on Lesnar? What happens then? Would he flip? That scenario is very likely considering the insanity of the path he's marching on.
Shane Carwin, the undefeated contender he will be fighting for the interim heavyweight title this Saturday has already expressed his displeasure for what was said and will probably step up to put an end to Mir's parade. At 255 pounds when fighting, Carwin is a big guy and not just a big guy but that Carwin being big is hereditary in his blood. There is a huge difference between a fighter who tried to bulk up to be big and a fighter who is born to be big. Carwin's enormous family tree is testament to his size and power. To be colossal is in his genes. Joe Rogan has many times exalted at how Brock Lesnar's custom made goliathan gloves won't even fit the size of Brock Lesnar's fists. With that, no one should ever question why many of Carwin's wins are off by KO.
Shane Carwin himself is very confident that his bones are larger therefore tougher than everyone else's for anyone to knock him out. Having won half of his all-stoppage win record with submissions, he is also not a stranger to Jiu-Jitsu, and to make matters worse for Frank Mir, Carwin is in great command of the best weapon out there capable of effectively stifling Frank Mir's best weapon. Carwin's wrestling base is a rock Mir will have to contend with. It was Mir's inability to overcome size and wrestling control that forced him into his current state of mind. If Frank Mir comes in distorted by emotions, he might soon find his psychotic journey towards Lesnar come to an abrupt end.
Now for the positive:
Sure, Shane Carwin's bone structure, musculature, and all that, may perhaps be naturally bigger, but at 255 pounds he is 10 pounds lighter than what Frank Mir currently carts to the plate. In the current trend of fighting, apart from boxing where a little guy is at the moment pounding the big boys, weight does make a lot of difference. Frank Mir's drive for revenge, likewise, is so intense that he's gone to extremes. His newly-developed muscles are meant precisely to match Brock Lesnar's 265 pounds of fighting mass.
Bulking up with muscles could make a fighter slower, less fluid than normal, however. But if done correctly, it could give his offensive armory a huge boost in effectiveness.
So if Frank Mir's last fight with Cheick Kongo, who ended up flat in the pavement after eating a perfectly timed punch, was any indication, he'll be just fine against Carwin. His psychotic impetus, in his case, so far, is a major plus, since he probably sees every fight before Lesnar as practice, a means to better himself, a means to an end – it bequeaths him the indomitable will not to lose. He will refuse to lose no matter what.
Sure, Carwin is a force on the feet and on the ground but he doesn't possess Mir's skill, dynamics, and knowledge on both departments.
Sure, Shane Carwin is undefeated but who is the pro?
I see Frank Mir employing distance, while working Carwin's legs, scoring with punches, in and out of angles. On the ground, I sense him being strong enough to outwork Carwin into submission.
Make no mistake, though, because Shane Carwin can win this too. His power is without question, it is enough to control Mir. His fists are huge enough to put Mir to sleep with a mere glancing blow to the head.
This is a great fight.
But what really makes this match-up interesting is the air it has adopted, with Frank Mir taking on the role of the over-confident anti-hero and Shane Carwin taking on the role of the gallant people's hero.
The real question here, however, is whether Frank Mir will be stopped or will he go on to get a shot at vengeance in the future?
We will know on Saturday.
]]>By Geno McGahee
Manny Pacquiao has a record of 51-3-2, 38 KO’s, and owns the WBO Welterweight Title. In his last defense at “The Event,” the Pacman easily outworked the challenger, Joshua Clottey, winning every single round en route to a decision. It’s difficult being Pacquiao because the easiest thing to do is to tear down the opposition. Oscar De La Hoya was spent, Miguel Cotto was mentally shot, Ricky Hatton was never that good, and Joshua Clottey showed up for a payday. All that aside, Manny still won and forced some good fighters to quit.
There are two fighters currently battling in the public for the right to be called “Pound for Pound Best in the Game.” The more popular at this point is Manny Pacquiao and he makes a good case. He has beaten some of the best fighters in the game, sending most of them into retirement. He has beaten Erik Morales (2 out of 3 times), Marco Antonio Barrera (twice), Juan Manual Marquez, De La Hoya, Hatton, Cotto, and Clottey. He has done what a fighter in his position should be doing and that is to fight the best available opponent.
The other pugilist with a case is Floyd Mayweather, JR., 40-0, 25 KO’s, currently gearing up for his May 1st meeting with Sugar Shane Mosley, the only other big name in the division outside of Pacquiao. Floyd will win this fight. Shane had his back and forth with Cotto in 2007 and scored the knockout over “Hands of Plaster” Antonio Margarito in early 2009, but other than those two outings, he has looked less than spectacular.
In 2008, he stopped Ricardo Mayorga in the final round in what was an even fight at that point. This is the same Mayorga that Oscar De La Hoya easily destroyed and the same one that Felix Trinidad battered. Mosley should have dominated the fight, but he had trouble and Floyd is going to present a whole lot more of it come May 1st.
As popular as Manny is, Floyd is still the man to beat. He’s never lost, dominates his opposition with ease, and has beaten his fair share of great fighters including Jose Luis Castillo, Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Genaro Hernandez, and Zab Judah. Some question the record of Floyd, but when you examine it, you have to be impressed. He is the modern day Pernell Whitaker…a genius in the boxing ring.
Pacquiao stated that he wanted the winner of Floyd/Mosley next, which means he wants Floyd, but the fight fell apart on one occasion…it’s possible that it might fall through again considering the demands of both sides.
The big steroid scandal destroyed the chances of the two meeting on March 13th, giving Clottey the chance to step in…a chance that he elected to throw away by not fighting. Now we move on and the public demand is higher and will skyrocket when Floyd is victorious. There is a great deal of money to be made with these two colliding and style-wise, it’s a great fight.
The relentless aggressor versus the smart boxer.
The majority of the public will be picking with their hearts rather than their minds if the two great fighters can iron out the details and sign to officially fight. You will see most picking Manny to win, most Pacquiao die hard fans will pick him to win in the first or second round, and then some groupies posing as writers will pick him to win just to get the approval of the masses of Pacfans out there. Manny has a very good chance to win, more so than any other fighter that has ever faced Floyd, but realistically, he is still an underdog going in.
HBO has found a cash cow in Manny and they are going to do whatever they can to keep this money express on the tracks, including Jim Lampley screaming “Bang,” every forty seconds during the Clottey fight. What was that about?
Because of this incentive, there is a great deal of overplay. Manny is a great fighter without question, but much of his great wins were over guys on the way out. He is a knockout threat at nearly any weight, has the will to win, and will be a hard man to beat, but all of this talk of Floyd Mayweather, JR., being beaten down and stopped by Pacquiao is hard to imagine.
Floyd is painted as the villain. He is a thug, Manny is humble…well, that’s the sale. Floyd sells tickets as the bad guy that you want to see lose. He talks big, flashes money, and even refers to himself as “Money Mayweather.” People want to see him lose, so it translates into Manny winning. This sort of thinking is rampant with boxing fans, especially those that are considered “die hard” or live vicariously through the athlete.
Pacquiao has a chance to win when he eventually clashes with Floyd. He’s quick and hits hard, but getting through the defense of Floyd and overcoming the precision and timing is going to be a hard thing to do for the “Pacman.” Most will want to see Floyd lose and some will even pick Shane to beat him, but he has been flawless in the ring thus far and will not panic like Clottey did and will not come in terrified.
With Pacquiao getting by Clottey, that leaves Floyd to beat Mosley and when he does, the two will negotiate again and hopefully sign to fight in the biggest fight in the past 10 years, but Floyd remains the man to beat. What is so exciting about it is that Manny will have the best chance thus far throughout the career of Mayweather, and if anyone can do it, he can, but the odds are still against him. At least both parties seem eager to settle the score and the public demand is so high that it will most likely happen.
Although there will be many Pacquiao fans upset the day after, more than likely, the fact that he has become this force in boxing is impressive, winning fights that not many would have predicted. Perhaps Floyd will prove to be another example of that.
]]>Here is the lineup for Babie Girl Productions boxing card on April 2nd from the DC Convention Center in Washington, DC.
| Henry “Sugar Poo” Buchanan | VS.8 Rounds | Clarence “Sonny Bono” Taylor |
| Capital Heights, MD | Residence | Wilmington, DE |
| 18-2 12 KO's | Record | 14-24-4 7 KO's |
| 31 | Age | 38 |
| Super Middleweight | Division | Super Middleweight |
| Seth “Mayhem”Mitchell | VS.8 Rounds | RyanThompson |
| Brandywine, MD | Residence | Cleveland, OH |
| 15-0-1 9 KO's | Record | 9-8 6 KO's |
| 27 | Age | 38 |
| heavyweight | Division | Heavyweight |
| Alexander “The Great” Johnson | VS.6 Rounds | WilliamGill |
| Oxon Hill, MD | Residence | Toms River, NJ |
| 8-0 3 KO's | Record | 9-24 7 KO's |
| 28 | Age | 32 |
| Light Heavyweight | Division | Light Heavyweight |
| Tony “Mo' Betta”Jeter | VS.4 Rounds | VincentRobbins |
| Columbia, MD | Residence | York, SC |
| 8-2 7 KO's | Record | 3-8-2 3 KO's |
| 34 | Age | 35 |
| Middleweight | Division | Middleweight |
| MollyMcConnel | VS.6x2 Rounds | AdelitaIrizarry |
| Olympia, WA | Residence | Hartford, CT |
| 10-1 5 KO's | Record | 6-4 2 KO's |
| 37 | Age | 39 |
| Welterweight | Division | Welterweight |
| SpecialAttraction | ExhibitionBout | |
| Paul “The Punisher” Williams | OtgonbayerDaivii | |
| Aiken, SC | Residence | Arlington, VA |
| 38-1 27 KO's | Record | 3-4-1 1 KO |
| 28 | Age | 28 |
| Super Welterweight | Division | Cruiserweight
|
By Geno McGahee
SHOWTIME
The Super Six continues with the leader in the tournament, Arthur Abraham, 31-0, 25 KO’s, takes on Andre Dirrell, 18-1, 13 KO’s. Abraham, the long time middleweight champion, demolished Jermain Taylor and sent him out of the tournament in his first appearance, picking up 3 points for the KO win, and now plans to get 3 more when he faces off against Dirrell.
Dirrell lost a close decision to Carl Froch in his first appearance in the tournament, currently having a zero on the scoreboard. Dirrell may have the best chance to upset Abraham, the current favorite to win. Dirrell has an awkward and quick style that isn’t pretty but is effective and a slow and methodical Abraham could fall victim to a decision loss. This is a wonderful showdown and will pump life back into the tournament, which it needs at this point with the drop out of Taylor and the postponement of the Allen Green-Andre Ward match.
HBO
HBO will be presenting a double header with Marcos Maidana, 27-1, 26 KO’s, taking on Victor Cayo, 24-0, 16 KO’s, for the WBA Light Welterweight Title. Maidana is still riding high off his stoppage victory over rising contender Victor Ortiz in 2009. His only defeat was a split decision defeat to Andriy Kotelnik. Maidana has a big punch and an exciting style and will be trying to add another memorable stoppage on HBO to his résumé this Saturday night.
The fight that may be most anticipated is the IBF Lightweight title bout between Joan Guzman, 29-0-1, 17 KO’s, and Ali Funeka, 30-2-3, 25 KO’s. In their first encounter, Funeka battered Guzman for twelve rounds, clearly winning the fight, but the judges saw it differently, scoring it a majority draw. It was called, by most, the worst decision of 2009 and now they try to settle the score, this time with the IBF Title on the line. Both men have a lot to prove and you have to assume that Funeka, a fighter who cannot get a break, losing a controversial decision to Nate Campbell and then suffering from that ridiculous draw. Expect Funeka to put Guzman on his back Saturday.
PPV
OK, if Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins merit a PPV price tag, and Evander Holyfield taking on Frans Botha does as well, then why not the returning Erik Morales? Morales, 48-6, 34 KO’s, will be taking on Jose Alfaro, 23-5, 20 KO’s, this Saturday night. Morales is 0-4 in his last four, two of which are by stoppage, but he continues on. He is the last man to hold a victory over Manny Pacquiao, although he paid dearly for it in the rematch and the rubber match. With money signs in his eyes, he returns, and has even mentioned a wanting to take on the “Pacman” again, which would be the first televised execution should he convince Team Pacquiao to meet him a fourth time.
Morales has zero left and this PPV is a waste of money, unless you are a fan of Morales and want to continue to follow his career. It may just end Saturday night. Much like Jones with Danny Green, Morales is an old man and he is facing a heavy-handed opponent…anything can happen.
]]>By Gina L. Caliboso
“Like Sands of the Hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives.”
As the resident female writer of RSR, I’ll admit my stage when I would watch my daily soap opera. Love lost and love found. Somebody gets hurt. Drama is the stuff that makes life a little less boring and you know what? Someone always has more.
As we are now entering into the 4th month of the 2010 fight year, boxing has drama these days. I absolutely lost it during the Floyd Mayweather – Manny Pacquiao superfight negotiations. It was daily drama on that one. But really, as the fight year continues to extend its shaky footing in terms of fight matchups, the Super Six tournament seems to be generating some soap opera drama on its own. It’s now a daily thing for me now, to peruse the boxing headlines of my favorite websites – RSR being the FIRST I check, but now with the rescheduling of Andre Ward versus Allan Green, it leaves me to wonder that the Super Six tournament has lost its edge to a degree.
The Americans have fallen by the wayside and it’s now become a European Cup matchup.
Let’s start from the beginning. The first round of the tournament was awesome (that’s my SoCal accent working). Stage One had Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor, 28-4, 17 KO’s, against Arthur “King Arthur” Abraham, 31-0, 25 KO’s.
As a fan of Jermain Taylor in his career, although it’s been by the wayside in losses these days, I saw his presence in the tournament as a chance to revamp his career. As for Abraham, I had never heard of him. But the Taylor-Abraham fight showed a solid fighting and talented Abraham and he finished off the bout with a KO to Taylor leaving no doubt to why he is currently #1 in the tournament and among super middleweight fighters.
Then, the fight venue moved over into the United Kingdom for the fight between Andre “Matrix” Dirrell, 18-1, 13 KO’s and Carl “Cobra” Froch, 26-0, 20 KO’s. I didn’t see much in Dirrell in this fight and Froch articulately spoke like a barrister and with further research found out that he is a fierce critic of countryman Joe Calzaghe. This is the stuff matchups are made. I again wasn’t too impressed with Dirrell’s fighting ability, but seeing as how Froch has not really fought outside of the UK; it doesn’t surprise me he came away with the win.
Dirrell didn’t exactly win the fight, but I didn’t think Froch showed a whole lot of dominating fighting either.
Let’s fly into Oakland, California, North America. Okay, so it has become an international battle of sorts – Europeans 2, Americans 0. The venue now switches to Oakland for the fight between Danish champion Mikkel “Viking Warrior” Kessler, 42-2, 32 KO’s and Oakland’s Andre “S.O.G” Ward, 21-0, 13 KO’s. Kessler fights a very technical fight against Ward in his backyard, but suffers some of the worst cuts I’d seen in a while. (Writer’s Note: I have quite a crush on Kessler. I didn’t need to see him cut and bleeding.) Back to the business at hand, Ward wins by TD over Kessler. Ward takes the WBA Super World Super Middleweight title away from Kessler.
Now this is the stuff of bar and beer talk. Pay attention.
Jermain Taylor pulls out of the tournament. American and Tulsa, Oklahoma native, Allan “Ghost Dog” Green, 29-1, 20 KO’s takes Taylor’s place. On March 6th, Dirrell was supposed to fight Abraham here in California at the Agua Caliente Resort and Casino, but Dirrell suffers an injury and can’t fight. A rematch is set up for March 27th in Detroit, MI. That’s this weekend. Fellow Writer Brian Wilbur asked for our predictions. First read the rest of my article then head over to Brian’s article.
You caught up now? One other detail. On April 24th, Green was supposed to go up against Andre Ward – cheers for an American matchup. Hold the cheers people, Ward had to pull out due to an injury. But luckily, we have Froch versus Kessler to look forward to on the same day. Green and Ward are now set to fight one another on June 19th. At least that’s where it stands now. According to my Facebook fan pages, Froch and Kessler are getting in their workouts.
So, all looks good for the European side of things.
For the American side of things, I think they are carrying the bulk of the drama right now – all of it unintentional. It was a pleasant surprise to see Ward beat Kessler in his relatively young career. Even though the fight didn’t go all 12 rounds, Ward showed he has what it takes to challenge his opponent and he took away the title from a world class champion as Kessler.
Taylor’s withdrawal took me by surprise, but the KO he suffered against Abraham even rocked me. Dirrell and Ward’s injuries for the second stage are definitely ill-timed because boxing fans may be losing interest in the entire tournament. I want to see Green fight. Basically, let’s get this tournament going. The boxing ring is the only place I want to see drama!
So, like sand through an hourglass, stay tuned for the daily installment as the Super 6 Middleweight tournament unravels.
If it’s anything like the last few months, we’re in for more drama, more blood, titles lost, titles gained - and I suppose that’s why this writer keeps tuning in.
]]>
By Jeff Stoyanoff
From the beginning, The Super Six has been sold first and foremost as unique in the world of Boxing. The round robin tournament represented a new path in the sport that would ultimately find a way to finally combine exciting fights and a dramatic format. After the first stage, it would seem that the first part of the equation has come to fruition. Perhaps the bouts could have been closer with the notable exception of the Froch-Dirrell contest which ultimately went to a split decision. Yet, overall the event appears to be off to a good start. And, now it really gets good, because the second part of the equation is about to come into play.
After stage one, it would seem that Andre Ward and Arthur Abraham are on a collision course to determine who will ultimately walk away with the Title in this event. With all due respect to the four remaining combatants, Abraham and Ward have clearly established themselves as the favorites. In the non Super Six world of boxing, this is where the story would end. Kessler would likely return to Europe and take a fight or two there before deciding if and how he wanted to proceed with his career. Allan Green would toil in relative obscurity as he vainly tried to find his way into the major fight he feels he has earned. Froch, Abraham, and Ward would all likely start exploring mega fight possibilities among themselves with each one holding out for the best possible deal that they could find. And finally, Andre Dirrell would recede into the shadows as the talented fighter that the other top fighters would rather not fight no doubt embarking on a multi-year journey back to the top before gaining a shot once again. Dirrell, as much as any other, would be the latest fighter to fall on the wrong side of the risk/reward equation that governs matchmaking at the highest levels of Boxing. The paths of the fighters seeming to be so clearly carved out, that even an ordinary fan could predict the future.
Fortunately, this is an alternate universe. The status quo will be upset and that can hardly be considered a bad thing for boxing fans. In the upcoming weeks, the fighters will get right back into it and that leads to a question that is not so easy to answer; how will things look after stage two? Will there be an emerging status quo that sees Ward and Abraham continue to dominate the action continuing on an inexorable path towards each other? Or, will things be turned upside down in stage two as we turn our attention to new favorites and a muddled field? We will know in a few weeks, but one thing is certain, we as boxing fans will have a new experience because the regular world of boxing seldom, if ever, delivers a stage two.
Abraham vs. Dirrell – Redemption Without the Wait
In a non-tournament format, this appears to be a fine example of a fight that would never happen. With all due respect to Arthur Abraham, what use does he have for Andre Dirrell? Dirrell is long, fast, and slick. He has considerable skills and a striking fluidity in the ring. On top of that, he is still relatively unknown. Conversely, Abraham has a pair of sensational knockouts in the last couple of years and he just beat a big name in spectacular fashion which is the ultimate currency in the pursuit of a big time fight in boxing. The import of all this is clear; in the real world, Abraham would have successfully moved passed the Dirrell’s of the world and arrived safe and sound in mega-fight territory. There can be little doubt that Abraham, a true warrior in the ring, would fight anyone. But, the business infrastructure of boxing would fast track him to the money he deserves and bypass the potential derailment that could come from a fight with Dirrell.
The Abraham-Dirrell tilt is an appropriate headliner for stage two. Abraham has notable wins over Taylor and Miranda of late. However, Dirrell is bigger than Taylor, faster than Miranda, and he is almost certainly better than both at this point. Abraham is stepping up once again. The mega-fight is still coming, but the participants are no longer predetermined based on one night. Will boxing fans still be talking about Abraham as the favorite on March 28th? That is one of the central questions that will be asked in stage two.
Froch-Kessler – And the Dark Horse is…..
If the lead up to this event could be called stage zero; then we have already seen a shift in how the fighters are perceived from one stage to the next. In stage zero, much of the talk surrounded Kessler as one of the clear favorites and Froch as a viable threat to emerge as the winner of the event himself. After stage one, the view has changed considerably. Kessler struggled mightily against Andre Ward, who not coincidentally, replaced him as a new favorite to win the tournament. Meanwhile, Froch also struggled to find the range against Dirrell and, while he emerged victorious in the fight, he also emerged with more questions about his potential to be a factor in the event than had been the case going in. Indeed, both men seem to be on the outside looking in as fans speculate on what will happen next. But, each stage is a still photograph of fan perception that can portray a vastly different landscape in an event like this. What if one of the two is able to win in spectacular fashion? Perhaps, it will signal a death knell for the hopes of the other fighter, but it will also catapult the other back into the conversation of potential winners of this event; once again that is the essence of stage two.
If Froch can win he would move to 2-0 and would hold wins over Dirrell and Kessler in the event. That would provide a lot of answers to the questions that persist. The landscape after round two might just show a vastly different Carl Froch than the one that existed after stage one. On the other hand, what if Kessler looks sharp and is able to defeat Froch? Once again, the picture would shift dramatically as the talk would surround Kessler’s loss being an aberration and his favorite status once again being justified. The stakes are high in stage two and high stakes produce high drama. The difference here is that Kessler and Froch are being denied the time to regroup that the business of professional boxing customarily provides. Rather, the two men will meet right away and in so doing, will continue the rapidly shifting story of the 168 pound division.
Uncharted Waters
Hype is inevitable in boxing. It is hopelessly interwoven into the storyline that leads to any fight, then and now. The hype is alive and well in Super Middleweight Division. Andre Ward and Arthur Abraham have made impactful statements regarding their burgeoning dominance in the division. It is hard to avoid wondering if all this is merely a preamble to an eventual showdown between the two. Yet, the Super Six doesn’t seek to delay and manipulate that hype and in so doing brings a new dimension to boxing for its fans. Before stage one, the hype surrounded the central question of just how good are each of the fighters. How good are Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell? Is Carl Froch still being underrated as a top fighter? Is Mikkel Kessler the most anonymous special fighter in boxing? How will Arthur Abraham handle his opponents as he moves up to take on, not just any 168 pounders, but the best the division has to offer? Stage one provided some answers, but the real question is, will stage two yield the same answers? If stage one provided some unexpected answers then one can only assume that some more surprises might just be coming in stage two. But, what happens in the ring is only part of the story here.
Fans learn about fighters and the answers invariably come in the ring. But, those answers come randomly, or after years of missed opportunity, or sometimes not at all. Boxing fans are eagerly anticipating the answer to the question of who is the best welterweight in the world. The sad truth is that the answer is not only not coming soon it may never come at all. Even if Floyd Mayweather, JR., is able to defeat Shane Mosley, what is the likelihood that he or Manny Pacquiao will deviate substantially from the impasse that imploded their fight the first time around? It seems hard to fathom that winning is going to make either one of them more likely to give in and the money has already shown to be not enough to sway them from their position. And now, Pacquiao is talking openly about retiring. The mega fight has never been in greater peril. Indeed, the welterweight saga provides a perfect juxtaposition to the Super Six with one representing the conventional timing of boxing and the other showcasing a format that is, in every way, its polar opposite.
It is ironic that Roy Jones, JR., and Bernard Hopkins are preparing to step into the ring this month for their long anticipated rematch…it only took 17 years. Once again, the conventional timing of boxing is on full display right alongside The Super Six. The timing could not have been more perfect. Rematches in boxing provide the most fundamental look at the business that underpins the game. The degree to which the fans desire the fight is a mere afterthought in the making of a fight. Perhaps that is exactly as it should be. Fighters should not be beholden to fans when it comes to their livelihood. It would be an absurdity for any athlete to not consider what is best for himself and those close to him first and foremost in making any decision. Nonetheless, any look at the timing of big fights and lucrative rematches in boxing will unveil an often ridiculous sense of timing that can be found in no other sport and a frustrating heartache that only a boxing fan can understand.
And then there is the Super Six. The top fighters get right back to it and the answers come, not later, but now. Are Ward and Abraham on a collision course? Is there a favorite looming in the shadows? That we will get our answers when the fighters square off in the ring is thankfully nothing new. That the answers come right away; now that is unique.
]]>Compiled by Brian Wilbur
This Saturday night, March 27th, the Super Six tournament continues. Points leader and former Middleweight Champion from Germany Arthur Abraham will take on American contender Andre Dirrell. Abraham began the tournament as an established star and was toted as one of the favorites. He lived up to those high expectations by scoring a KO over Jermain Taylor in the first round of the tournament. Dirrell, who entered the tournament as a promising but unproven prospect, lost a controversial decision to Carl Froch in the first round. Dirrell is looking for redemption and to put points on the board against a very strong opponent in Abraham.
Dirrell has the hometown advantage this time, with the fight being hosted in his home state of Michigan. Arthur has fought most of his matches in Germany but he once previously fought in the United States, recording an impressive 4th round TKO against Edison Miranda. Abraham is the most polished of the Super Six contestants and thus is considered a slight betting favorite. Dirrell though, has tremendous upside and if his performance on Saturday comes close to matching his potential and talent, then we could have an upset on our hands. The team of writers at RSR offer their predictions.
Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
Despite all of the hoopla and potential, Andre Dirrell hasn't demonstrated that he can operate in the lion's den. Arthur Abraham has. Look for Abraham to catch-up to Dirrell later in the fight and either force him to cooperate or stop him in the process.
Geno McGahee
Arthur Abraham is a beast and will be too strong for the speedy Dirrell. Look for Abraham to control the fight, cornering Dirrrell, and eventually stopping him, somewhere in the later rounds. Abraham TKO -10.
“Bad” Brad Berkwitt
Arthur A. by TKO in six.
Jeff Stoyanoff
Abraham is going to see some things here that he hasn't seen before when he faces Andre Dirrell. Dirrell is very long and fast and moves with considerable fluidity. Abraham has been impressive, particularly of late, but this is the sternest test of his career. Dirrell will control distance better than Taylor did and should do a better job of limiting offensive opportunities for the smaller Abraham. It should be a close fight on the cards, but I look for Dirrell to spring the minor upset here and emerge with a tight decision victory.
Gina L. Caliboso
Dirrell needs to constantly attack Abraham and hurt him. Although Abraham's defense is quite effective, Dirrell needs to trade and fight. Dirrell faces a tougher challenge in Abraham so he can't be tentative and wait for an opening. He must create an offense and take it to Abraham. But this is where I don't quite know what to expect with Dirrell. It will be a close fight and since Abraham won his first fight against Taylor in the closing seconds of the final round, I expect a battle. My prediction: Dirrell by 12 round split decision.
Joe Wilson
If Dirrell chooses to box and not get into exchanges with Abraham, he wins this fight by late stoppage or unanimous cecision. If Dirrell chooses to exchange and go toe-to toe with Abraham, he gets KO'ed by Abraham in 9 rounds.
Eion Redahan
I thought Andre Dirrell did just about enough to deserve the decision against Froch, but he did himself no favors by continually holding and running from a fight. Arthur Abraham is a different proposition to Froch though. He has a far better defense, he is a better boxer; and he is stronger. Dirrell will have some success in the early rounds before Abraham's vicious body punching slows him right down. I see Abraham winning by late TKO.
SJ Jarapa
Abraham by controversial decision.
Dan “Tex” Cohen
I love the super middleweight tourney. The parity is beautiful. Every man had a fairly good shot against any other, and his tactics are unique in that respect. Arthur Abraham is a methodical fighter with the ability to counter as well as come forward. I expect Dirrell to create similar problems for him; this is much closer to a pick ‘em fight than people think. Abraham and Dirrell will fight to a near draw, but I expect Arthur to eke it out by way of unanimous decision.
Brian Wilbur
I’m not on the Andre Dirrell bandwagon yet. I’m taking Arthur Abraham to win this one handily, probably by decision.
Geoff “The Professor” Poundes
Abraham is one of those guys who always seems to find a way, but I felt at the start of the Super Six that he might struggle with the size and weight of some of the other guys – and certainly before he lowered the boom on Taylor he had his hands full. Given that we know that Taylor is fragile late in a fight I think Abraham’s win might be misleading. Dirrell on the hand will have learnt a great deal from his loss to Froch, and has undoubted talent. I’m going to stick my neck out and take Dirrell to win a close decision.
Final Tally
Arthur Abraham – 7
Andre Dirrell – 3
Noncommittal - 1
]]>Reviewed by Geno McGahee
Captain Lutze (Oscar Beregi, JR.) returns to Germany after some time away to relive some good old times and reminisce. The good old times that he wants to relive are when he was a captain for the Nazi party and worked at the concentration camps, killing and torturing the prisoners. When the Nazis were defeated, he left, but with the heat off of him now, he is back and returns to one of the camps that he used to manage and as we walks through, he remembers the bodies hanging from poles, the screams of agony, and his own sadistic ways. The memory of torturing the prisoners brings a smile to his face.
As he walks around the camp, he runs into a familiar face. Becker (Joseph Schildkraut) was one of his prisoners and was beaten without mercy, but has apparently taken over as caretaker of the property or so Lutze believed.
Becker locks Lutze inside of the camp and now he must stand trial, and Lutze comes to the scary realization that Becker is not the only prisoner remaining at the camp. He comes face to face with numerous prisoners, all staring at him, and all very angry. It is one of the best scenes of the movie when all of the prisoners glare at their former jailer. Lutze must now stand trial for his crimes against humanity.
One of the best moments is when Lutze realizes that he had killed Becker and that he is in a bad situation. Being found guilty, he suffers for his crimes finally and that moment is terrific. This episode has some genuinely creepy moments and it is very compelling.
RSR Rating: 8.5/10
]]>By Geno McGahee
SHOWTIME: Arthur Abraham Disqualified
Arthur Abraham, 31-1, 25 KO’s, was disqualified for hitting Andre Dirrell, 19-1, 13 KO’s, when he was down in the eleventh round. Dirrell, well ahead on points, was looking for the final bell to take the decision as Abraham came on, when he slipped in the eleventh round and was hit with a right uppercut that knocked him out cold.
Abraham was desperate and that led to the foul. Dirrell was running away with the fight, even knocking Abraham down in the 4th round. It was the first defeat on the record of Abraham.
PPV
Erik Morales, 49-6, 34 KO’s, won a 12 round unanimous decision over Jose Alfaro, 23-6, 20 KO’s, in his comeback effort.
HBO
Marcos Maidana, 28-1, 27 KO’s, stopped Victor Cayo, 24-1, 16 KO’s, by sixth round stoppage from a terrific hook to the body. Cayo was taking a lot of punishment in that sixth round and it was just a matter of time before he crumbled and he went down in a heap. Maidana is a huge puncher with a lot of heart and he will be hard to beat.
Joan Guzman, 30-0-1, 17 KO’s, came in overweight and eked out a split decision over Ali Funeka, 30-3-3, 25 KO’s, in a rematch of a highly controversial bout. Funeka clearly won their first encounter but the judges saw it as an even fight. In this bout, Guzman clowned and moved. Funeka wasn’t able to find the mark and was dropped in the sixth round and just didn’t find any rhythm to be effective. It could have gone either way.
]]>Reviewed by Geno McGahee
Rod Serling has stood the test of time and his popular series: The Twilight Zone, has inspired many a movie and show. I had heard that the Jim Carrey flick LIAR LIAR was based on a TZ episode called “The Whole Truth,” so I decided to watch it and see if they were similar. Well, they truly are, but realistically, they are different enough to stand apart from each other, so to the people that told me LIAR LIAR is a huge rip off of this tale, can go choke on one if you know what I mean.
We begin with a sleazy car salesman, Harvey Hunnicut (Jack Carson), and he is selling a piece of junk to an old man, who drives away. Hunnicut smiles and waves but when he notices that the car is off the lot, the smile disappears. He is a fake and will do anything for the sale. He is even trying to sell a lemon to a young couple, who obviously are not wealthy and are just looking for something reliable. Hunnicut doesn’t care and tries to push a piece of crap car on them and they are ready to bite when an old man drives up in a beaten vehicle and is looking to sell.
Harvey approaches the old man (George Chandler) and offers him nearly nothing for the car and the old man is sort of bullied into the deal. Harvey has acquired another lemon for the lot for dirt cheap, insuring a high turnover when he sells it, but there is a catch. The car is “haunted” and now Harvey has to tell the truth and discovers that selling cars can be difficult when he’s not allowed to lie. So too is keeping his help who begins to question him about a raise that he was promised. Harvey loses his right hand man when he admits that he would never have given him a dime and that he was just dangling the raise in front of him just to keep him working.
When politician “Honest” Luther Grimbley (Loring Smith) shows up to buy the car, Harvey nearly gets rid of this curse, but Grimbley is smart and figures out the situation and elects not to buy it, but there is one buyer that might save Hunnicut from the truth…
Overall, this tale is very weak for a Twilight Zone episode. The ending is not Serling’s best and that’s being kind. It was actually very stupid and I don’t think that I will be watching this one again any time soon. Serling is a genius and entitled to a bad night or two and this one was one of his bad nights. I would watch LIAR LIAR though. That was a great movie!
RSR Rating: 5/10. Good Tale? Liar Liar!
]]>By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
Spring has sprung and boxing has kicked into a higher gear. Last week we saw a myriad of highly anticipated contests unfold, and in the aftermath fans now have far more to chirp about given some of the drama and controversy that ensued. Like any good Flash Gordon or Lone Ranger serial from back in the day, Showtime’s Super middleweight Super Six Tournament is not without its share of surprises. Proof positive of that statement can be found in our General Boxing forum; “Andre Dirrell WDQ11 Arthur Abraham – Your Take on the Outcome” by yours truly. Like those Saturday afternoon serials of old, the latest episode of the SSS tourney featured the sort of outcome that effectively serves to polarize those watching it, making the next installment more than just the next scheduled bout on the roster, rather it’s must see entertainment. “Maidana-Cayo” by Goldenstatefan shines the spotlight on a key bout that featured two very colorful prospects, one of which who now figures prominently in any discussion regarding the immediate direction of the light welterweight division. Closing out matters, OKMike’s “Margarito to Fight in Mexico” goes beyond raising the question of whether the smiling cheater deserves to continue fighting for pay, rather focusing on the scheduled return of the former WBA welterweight champion and the many lucrative big fight options he’ll have should the likely victory become the reality.
The RSR April Prediction League is now posted. Historically we’ve put out the best and deepest prediction league that can be found anywhere on the web. It’s so much more than just getting the outcome right, it’s about understanding the subtle nuances of the fight game, how timing, politics, strengths and weaknesses mesh with Lady Luck – and how it can all come together in the face of mass decent – or come crashing down despite every conceivable shred of logic and evidence supporting it. For April, thirty top-flight contests round out what I believe to be a terrific inaugural roster to go with our updated look. I will be locking the thread on Friday April 2nd at 7pm EST. Take part if you dare. 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
]]>By Joe Wilson
For the last several years, the heavyweight division has taken a back seat in the sport of boxing. In my lifetime, I don’t ever remember the division being in the shape it’s in today. It has clearly gone on vacation. Many fight fans are puzzled about what’s happening to the heavyweights.
There has not been a good heavyweight fight since World Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis stopped Vitali Klitschko in round six, after a bad cut to Klitschko’s left eye. That fight was very exciting. All three judges had Klitschko ahead before the stoppage. Those two fighters battled it out in the center of the ring.
Lennox Lewis retired shortly after that fight; that was June 21, 2003. Since then, there has been other heavyweight fights, but none of them really worth talking about. Maybe, the 2004 WBO heavyweight title fight, when Lamon Brewster knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in round six, after coming off the canvas himself in round two from a knockdown. Klitschko later won a rematch against Brewster.
Here recently there have been rumors of a Mike Tyson comeback. RSR’s very own, Managing Editor, Geno McGahee, launched a story on Tyson’s return that was picked up by several major Sports News Medias; USA Today, Detroit Free Press, Fox News and ESPN 2 to name a few.
RSR thanked other publications for their professionalism. However, it was shame on Brian Kenny and Dan Rafael for the way they handled the report on ESPN 2 Friday Nights Fights a couple weeks ago. They misrepresented the story published on RSR, claiming to have investigated the story when in fact based their entire report on speculations and one interview were the subject said very little, according to McGahee.
Back on October 31, 2009, Don King let the “cat out of the bag” when he made it known to everyone that his relationship with “Iron Man” Mike Tyson has been renewed. King had a scheduled boxing event at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Before the start of the event King put on a “marketing extravaganza” with Mike Tyson.
King traveled all through the casino with Tyson at his side; shouting, “He’s back, Mike Tyson everybody, he’s back,” over and over again. They both stopped in the main lobby of the hotel & casino. There was an entourage with people following all around them flashing cameras and getting autographs.
That was the evening Don King started to promote Mike Tyson all over again. I had never seen King look so excited. He acted, as if Tyson was 20 years old, all over again. I must admit at that moment, it looked really nice. After all these years and setbacks of Mike Tyson, he and King could still attract attention. People were watching!
That night King had Tyson as a surprise commentator for his Showtime telecast. Not long ago Tyson released a documentary of his life. He had very harsh words to say about Don King, but that night it was much love between the two. Both Tyson and King acted as if there has never been a falling out between them.
It’s on record of Tyson saying “all things pass and he felt it was time to just mend fences with Don.” As of late, he has taken on a much kinder and gentler approach when dealing with others. He says “he has gratitude in his life now, and that he’s taken so much from others, and now it’s time to start giving back.” Tyson says “he never thought he would live to see 43 yrs. old, and he just wants to give back.”
King said, “He never said anything bad about Mike Tyson after all those years, because he knew one day, they would be back together again.” “Reunited and it feels so good” sings King… It had been four years since Don King put on a boxing event in Las Vegas. Having Tyson at his side is what made the evening so great!
“I think Mike is one of the greatest fighters that ever lived,” said King. He also feels that Tyson can still be a fighter if he wants to be one. Any time Don King start saying things like, “Mike needs vitamins; he needs tender loving care, dedication and discipline.” There are definitely plans for Mike Tyson’s return to the ring.
I agree with Managing Editor, Geno McGahee in regards to the five years Tyson has had away from boxing. Being away from the sport has allowed him to put a lot of things back in proper order. He seems to be focused.
Lately, Tyson seems to be very comfortable with himself. Anyone who has watched Mike fight during the prime of his career knows he can beat anybody who stands in front of him when he’s focused. He seems to have his head “screwed on pretty tight these days.” All he needs to do is get in top shape and spend time at the gym. Then, leave all the rest up to his promoter Don King.
The return of “Iron Man” Mike Tyson would be just the cylinder the heavyweight division needs. I don’t believe age would be a big factor, if he decides to come back. Tyson knows the dedication it will take to become champion again. George Foreman has definitely laid out the blueprint on how it can be done, even when you are past your prime.
There is a flip side to this coin and that is; Mike Tyson has to comeback, because Mike Tyson has that desire to fight again, not me or Don King or anyone else can place that in him. It totally has to be Mike. If he chooses to do so, the sport would gladly have him back!]]>
Boxing Product Review by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
In 1980, when I started boxing as an amateur, most of the kids including me, wore Asics Tiger shoes for boxing, but they were really more geared towards wrestling. After about six months, and a few fights under my belt, I saw some of the older guys in the gym wearing Adidas boxing shoes. My dad would take me to the store and the first pair I owned were actually leather. They worked quite well, but as you get older, you learn that you want your feet to breathe more.
Well, here is where the Box Hog Ring Shoes by Adidas come into play. Boxing Depot sent me a pair in size 11 (They really do fit to size) to try out when I workout in my home boxing gym. I gave them a spin, and the ventilated mesh design really allows your feet to breathe and the high top design enables you to dig in when you are hitting the heavy bag while having maximum ankle support. The non-marking soles work really well as you move around shadowboxing.
The only minor thing that I didn’t like was the tongue of the shoes are the same material which is fine, but the outer part of the tongue needs to have some type of covering with a little weight to make it spread out when you lace up the shoe. Even with this minor complaint, I highly recommend the Box Hog Ring Shoes and give this product a 9 out 10.
Boxing Depot sells them for $59.95.
By Gina L. Caliboso
The light welterweight division just got a little heavier.
Britain’s Amir Khan, 22-1, 16 KO’s, has come to America and now steps into a weight class that does not lack for talent and competition. Instead it’s a matchmaker’s (boxing anyway) dream to pick and choose just who he will be fighting who in the upcoming year.
Khan makes his American debut at Madison Square Garden on May 15th against Paul “Magic Man” Malignaggi, 27-3, 5 KO’s.
Khan hails from Bolton, Lancashire, UK. He earned the 2004 Olympic Silver Medal for Britain in the lightweight division. At 23, he has a relatively young career. Khan recently signed with Golden Boy Promotions and currently trains with Freddie Roach. As far as the business of boxing is concerned, Khan has allied himself with all the right people. It’s now up to him if whether he can compete at a top level and let his boxing ability shout out that he is the real deal among the light welterweights.
Looking back to Khan’s fight year in 2008, the impressive record is marred with a single loss in September 2008. Fighting for the WBO Inter-Continental title, Khan lost the bout against Breidis Prescott in a 1st round KO.
Shaking off the loss as a lesson, Khan took a fight 3 months later and rebounded with a bout against Oisin Fagan. In the 2nd round, Khan scored a TKO and came away with the WBA International Lightweight title.
In 2009, Khan set himself for a defense of his title along with the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight Title. Against veteran Mexican fighter Marco Antonio Barrera, Khan beat up the seasoned Barrera with the bout ending in a 5th round TD. Khan continued his winning ways and set his eyes on the WBA World Light Welterweight title.
Later in July 2009, he fought against Andriy Kotelnik and earned a 12 round unanimous decision. In his last fight of 2009, Khan easily defeated Dmitriy Salita with a 1st round TKO. Salita didn’t show up for the fight because he was knocked down three times and the first knockdown came 10 seconds into the round. Brutal to watch, Khan executed a perfectly timed lead hook and cross. The replay on that is brutal and beautiful – there is no doubt to Khan’s punching intent and power.
Of his 22 bouts, Khan has 16 KO’s which shows obvious punching power. In his fight against Malignaggi, I predict that he will successfully defend his belt for a third time. Should Malignaggi have a chance, he would have to go all 12 rounds and display punch combinations and ring generalship.
Malignaggi’s KO power is questionable so I don’t see how he can knock out Khan. But that’s just for right now. The year is still relatively young. Depending on this result, Khan would just have to see who may take him up on his next fight and put his WBA belt on the line.
Currently ranked #5 among light welterweights, Khan has no shortage of fighters to choose. I always like to exaggerate matchups, especially matchups that might result in the Supreme Champion of a Division. Trying to remember which fighter has what title always turns into a game of Scrabble for this boxing writer. I’ll start with the obvious.
Recently, Devon “Alexander the Great” Alexander defeated Juan Urango with an 8th round TKO and unified the WBC and IBF Light Welterweight Titles. Khan is the current titleholder for the WBA World Light Welterweight title. So, imagine this, Amir Khan, WBC, IBF, WBA Light Welterweight titleholder. The same could be said for Alexander. It would be an excellent initiation for Khan to enter the mix of boxing business and coveted belt earning. Alexander is currently ranked #4.
Of course, the second matchup would be against the currently ranked #1 light welterweight Timothy Bradley. Bradley is the current WBO Light Welterweight titleholder. I read my fellow writer, Geoff “The Professor” Poundes’ article on the talented Bradley and think, well first, I’ve never been a bride either, but he makes a good point that Bradley can stay at his weight and beat everyone in the division, which I know he can do or he can move up in weight, which he probably will.
But whether his boxing ability and talent will translate at the higher weight may not even be a possibility. A boxer’s talent and his boxing record will get a boxer so far in the ranks, but are his matchups heavily touted and lucrative bouts or is he simply going through yet another fighter? The light welterweight division is filled with good, solid fighters, but each fighter must ask, “Who is next?” Could be there be a fight between Bradley and Alexander? The light welterweight matchups just may be a nightmare after all to figure out.
Oh, wait, Khan’s in this mix too.
As for the promise of Amir Khan and his career, regardless of his belt, needs to take a hard fought path against fighters that comparably match his talent and ever changing boxing ability.
With the proper guidance, Khan will hopefully take fights and get more ring time at light welterweight. He may even consider moving up in weight. But moving up in weight should be gradual and his boxing path will no less promise well-earned wins and belts.
]]>By Brian Wilbur
Though there were no blockbuster PPV boxing matches, Saturday night was filled with significant results in the fight game. Allow me to run through the results and weigh their significance.
The Super Six bout between hometown Andre Dirrell and Arthur Abraham played out very unexpectedly. Abraham was a strong favorite heading into the fight but he started slow. Starting slow proved to be a bad idea against a green but talented guy like Dirrell because he gained confidence as the fight went on. Dirrell piled up a nearly insurmountable lead on the scorecards so he got on his bike and ran to protect his lead. A desperate Abraham was having his best rounds while Dirrell was in retreat, and a come from behind knockout punch seemed plausible. In the 11th Dirrell slipped on a wet ring advertisement and Abraham blasted Dirrell illegally when he was down. Dirrell was knocked out from the punch so Arthur was disqualified, putting an end to the fight.
I was shocked to see Abraham getting beaten so decisively against a largely unproven guy in Dirrell, especially since Andre laid an egg against the less talented Carl Froch. Dirrell is growing up before our eyes in this tournament. He has surpassed Abraham as one of the favorites to win the tournament with this surprising victory, assuming that the effects of the illegal KO punch do him no permanent damage.
Andre is not guaranteed a spot in the next round though with only 2 points, so he will have to win his next fight. I am eagerly looking forward to the next two Super Six bouts: Andre Ward vs. Allan Green and Mikkel Kessler vs. Carl Froch. So far this has been an excellent tournament. Thanks Showtime!
In an HBO bout much less interesting than what Showtime was airing, Marcos Maidana knocked out pushover Victor Cayo very predictably. The junior welterweight is not devoid of talent so there is no excuse for not matching Maidana against a good opponent.
On the undercard of the HBO match, Joan Guzman and Ali Funeka had unfinished business to settle. If you remember, Guzman and Funeka fought to a controversial draw last November in a match that most felt Funeka won. Funeka started out as a slight favorite, but after the weigh in when Guzman was an astonishing nine pounds overweight, Funeka because a bigger favorite. Being overweight is usually a sign of being out of shape. However in this case, Guzman may have pulled a Jose Luis Castillo and used his extra poundage to his advantage.
Guzman scored a minor upset by winning a split decision in another debatable verdict. Despite the win, you have to wonder where Guzman goes from here. He obviously needs to move up one, or possibly two, weight classes. Moving up in weight will cause him to lose effectiveness and he is already looking past his prime. This may be the last major victory for Joan Guzman, a once master boxer.
Speaking of being past their prime, Erik Morales had an encore fight against second rate Jose Alfaro. Morales, at least, put on a good show for the fans who purchased the match and won a decision. I recommend checking out the fight if you can find a replay or video; there is some nice back and forth action. Morales's career as a elite boxer are over, but he still knows how to put on a show.
In the UFC PPV over the weekend, Georges St. Pierre won a boring unanimous decision over some random guy. St. Pierre used ground game and wrestling tactics, reminding me why I prefer boxing over MMA.
The most important fight of the UFC card, and ended up being the most explosive fight of the night, was the heavyweight bout between Shane Carwin and Frank Mir. Carwin blasted Mir with a series of uppercuts while in a clinch against the cage, toppling the former champ while earning a shot at Brock Lesnar. Carwin has won all of his fights by 1st round KO. Despite his surprisingly old age of 35 (I thought he was younger since he is relatively new to the UFC), Carwin looks like he will be a good match for Lesnar with his similar size, athleticism, and power.
Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin is now the biggest fight that can be made in the UFC, with the exception of maybe Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton Jackson. The UFC heavyweight scene is moving into respectability, especially with studs like Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos waiting to fight the winner of Carwin vs. Lesnar. The absence of MMA's top heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko is not as glaring anymore.
In the final match worth mentioning over the weekend, Pongsaklek Wongjongkam won his old WBC Flyweight belt back after being written off a couple years ago. Wongjongkam schooled and embarrassed undefeated, arrogant hot shot Koki Kameda over twelve rounds.
Despite fighting exclusively in Asia and thus not fighting the very best opposition, Pongsaklek has many supporters arguing his hall of fame status. Personally, I greatly respect Wongjongkam but think he is just short of being a hall of fame inductee. This huge win over Kameda in Japan is a step in the right direction. One more win over a top 5 ranked opponent would be enough for me to support his entry into the hall of fame; perhaps a unification bout against Omar Navarez or a fifth match against rival Daisuke Naito would be enough to change my mind.
Abraham Foul On Purpose?
So I watched the fight between Arthur Abraham and Andre Dirrell. They showed the replay in slow motion several times of Abraham hitting Dirrell while he was down. The guy was knocked out cold twitching on the canvas. Such a brutal foul and a brutal punch he deserves to be disqualified. I know he deserved losing, but do you think Abraham did it on purpose. In slow motion it seems like he may have, but in real time it happened pretty fast. What do you think Brian? Did Abraham hit Dirrell while he was down on purpose? If so, should he be banned from the tournament or suspended from boxing?
-Omar
Omar,
Only Arthur Abraham knows for sure if he did it on purpose. I agree with you that the referee made the right decision by disqualifying Abraham. He hit Dirrell with an illegal shot, whether he did it on purpose or not, and Andre was unable to continue due to that illegal shot. The ref had no other choice but to declare Dirrell the winner.
So did Abraham do it on purpose? Perhaps. However I do not think that he should be banned from the tournament. Arthur was frustrated and desperate because he was losing the fight badly. He only had one round to do something drastic. I think he realized that Dirrell was either down or at least had slipped and was unable to defend himself, yet it happened so fast that he did not have enough time to switch off his killer instinct. Things like this happen in competitive sports in the heat of the moment.
Arthur's punishment was losing the fight, now everyone should move on and start thinking about the next fight. Maybe these two will meet later on in the Super Six to settle their bad blood.
Who Wins Super Six?
Who do you think wins the Super Six based on what we've seen so far?
-Andy
Andy,
Before the tournament started I said that the seasoned European boxers were the easy favorites here, especially Mikkel Kessler and Arthur Abraham. Both of them have been definitely beaten so far. Their conquerors, Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell should probably be considered the front runners now. Funny because I considered these two unproven Americans as in over their heads and dark horses before the tournament started. They have proven that they can hang with anyone in the world and are ready for prime time.
This tournament has shown parity and even match ups. Anyone can win this still. That includes those who have recorded a loss already and Carl Froch, who I sometimes dismiss. If I had to pick one favorite I would go with Andre Ward because he looked sensational against Kessler in the first round. Obviously that could change with one swift power punch to the jaw from Allan Green.
Roy Jones vs. Bernard Hopkins
Who do they think we are trying to sell us this geriatric battle on Pay Per View? What is the tag line? “Fight for the last pill of Viagra”? “Battle over the last can of prune juice”? “A rematch from last week's shuffleboard game”? I don't know about you Brian, but I don't care about this fight between two boxers who are way to old to be in a fight that I care about. Are you looking forward to this one at all?
-R. Macklin
R. Macklin,
The official tag line for the Roy Jones vs. Bernard Hopkins long overdue rematch is “The Rivals”. I like your tag lines better though; they seem more appropriate. I don't care about this fight either. Neither man is very relevant anymore. Roy Jones is so far past his prime that I fear for his life. He should have retired 5+ years ago due to a combination of declining skills and not reacting to punches well.
Hopkins, despite being older, is in much better shape. I think the difference between the current form of Hopkins compared to the slightly younger Jones has to do with their fight styles and skill sets.
Jones was great because of his speed, reflexes and athleticism. Those traits fade rapidly as you get older and we saw an extremely rapid descent from Roy. I've never seen a decline as frighteningly rapid as Roy Jones. He went from #1 pound for pound to bottom feeder in a period of about two fights.
Hopkins was great because of his technical boxing ability, ring intelligence, and strength. Bernard experienced the same decline in speed and reflexes, however he relied on those physical attributes far less than Jones did. That is why, when matched against the right opponent and fighting style, Hopkins can still compete on a world class level. He is still able to do what he did best in his prime even if he can't keep up with some of the energetic young boxers. Hopkins can still capitalize on his opponent's flaws and execute a flawless game plan.
In one of the pre-fight press conferences the veteran trainers of both future hall of famers said that Jones vs. Hopkins II will be a “thinking man's fight”. To me, that means that his will be a boring fight that goes the distances between two guys who can't pull the trigger anymore. I'm curious to read about who wins (I'm expecting a Hopkins unanimous decision) but I'm not going to suffer through watching it live.
David Haye vs. A Grizzly Bear
Big (kind of) heavyweight championship fight this weekend. John Ruiz vs. David Haye for Haye's WBA strap. Who do you like and why?
-Mark
Mark,
David Haye remains the most interesting (even if not the most qualified or dangerous) opponent for one of the Klitschko brothers. A loss here derails him and leaves the Klitschko's with even less options. Haye has not impressed me with his fights at heavyweight so even though Haye is a favorite against Ruiz on Saturday, I won't be confident in my prediction.
John Ruiz, as much as everyone hates him for his boring style, is a tough opponent. He is experienced, determined, and makes you look bad. Haye will be tested. Ruiz preys on big, slow, uncoordinated “modern” heavyweights and exposes their lack of skill fighting on the inside. Haye, a former cruiserweight, might have the kind of power and fast hands to get to Ruiz the way that David Tua did, but I doubt it. I don't think that he is skilled enough on the inside to avoid Ruiz's clinches. Like Hasim Rahman, Haye needs space to throw his punches.
I expect a typical John Ruiz fight, with David Haye winning a close and controversial decision. I know Haye's hardcore fans are predicting an early round KO, but I just don't see it. I hope I am wrong because an entertaining or knockout win from Haye would be great in promotion for a Klitschko fight, but I don't think Haye is good enough.
Old School Appreciation and Pacquiao vs. Arguello
Hi Brian.
Enjoy reading your boxing column, and think you are spot on. I have been a boxing fan over 65 years and retired here to The Philippines about five years ago. I'm not Pinoy but have become a real Pacquiao fan. Some of my best boxing memories are of Sugar Ray Robinson, Joey Giardello. Carmen Basilio, and Bobo Olson.
I also was a big fan of Alexis Arguello. Alexis and Pacquiao when Alexis was in his prime would have made an interesting fight.
I have all of Bert Sugar's (The Hat) books and publications. Thanks for keeping your mailbag free of all the vulgarities one see's on some boxing sites. Will look forward to reading every week. Take care and God bless.
-Dave Crevier
Dave,
Thanks for the nice email. I wanted to include this in my mailbag this week as a thanks for supporting my column. You mentioned some truly great fighters in the golden age of middleweight boxing. That era of middleweights was probably the best and deepest division in the history of boxing. I envy you that you were able to watch the immortal Sugar Ray Robinson fight live.
Alexis Arguello vs. Manny Pacquiao - Now here is a mythical match up that would be awesome. These guys would be throwing some wicked shots. I would pay to see this fight now matter what the ticket prices were. Arguello's height and reach, throwing those atomic bombs for punches, could give Pacquiao major problems, although I think Manny would be a slight favorite because of his underrated defense in being able to avoid power punches.
Thanks everyone for reading RSR. I look forward to reading your emails. Have a take about the world of boxing or the UFC? Don't be shy, send them on in.
Take care all.
]]>By Eoin Redahan
Keats said it was truth; someone else said it was in the eye of the beholder. Either way, beauty plays a curiously prominent role in boxing.
The cosmetic surgeons would laugh in your face; the gawky, pimple-strewn teenager would scoff with scorn; and the women from the calendar leaves would just smile and shrug if you lectured them on the superficiality of beauty. If it is only skin deep, they might say, then it measures a very profound 1.5 millimeters.
Strangely, facial aesthetics play a bigger part in boxing than in almost any other sport. A boxer’s successes and failings are written on the curves of his nose and on the tissue of his cheekbones. Arguably, attractiveness has a more distinct bearing on the popularity of a boxer than purists would admit.
For example, what if creation had been unkind to the faces of Oscar De La Hoya and Muhammad Ali? And what if Mike Tyson’s face betrayed none of his menace? Would their careers have been warped like the limbs of a bonsai, or would they have grown up just the same? Of course we’ll never know.
Or will we?
Oscar’s house
“Wake up. Oscar, wake up.”
Oscar rubs the slumber from his eyes. Today is a big day. He has a television interview, and he must look the part. He scans the room for his lucky fish net stockings and suitable brassiere. “Sports or regular?” he asks.
He puts on his heels and totters to the bathroom. He is greeted by the grim reflection of a mirror. He sees tiny, squinting eyes, a large nose mashed about his face, and the conspicuous absence of a front tooth. It is a bad face day. He applies “the clear” moisturizer Sugar Shane was so kind to lend him before caking his skin in a painted disguise.
“You look so handsome today, honey,” his wife says with restrained mirth. “But I wish you wouldn’t wear so much makeup.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” he replies irritably. “There is another hairline crack in the mirror by the way,” he adds. “You said you had replaced it.”
“I did. That’s the third mirror this month,” she gasps.
The clip of heels can be heard around the house. Eventually, Oscar sits as his wife briefs (he prefers them to boxers) him on the morning’s developments:
“Floyd wants to sever ties with Sterling Boy Promotions. He says you haven’t given him enough exposure.”
“Exposure?” Oscar cries. “Were those photographs not enough?”
“He’s not talking about those photographs, Oscar. He just feels that you don’t have the facial recognition to make him an obscene amount of money. He says he has lawyers to feed and medallions to buy. Oh, and the Hispanic-oriented bank is dropping you from its advertising campaign. They say your face is, well, intimidating customers.”
Oscar slumps in his seat.
“First I get duped out of a gold medal and now this. I swear if I looked like Ali, I would’ve gotten that decision. Instead, I’m with Roy Jones JR. and “Pretty Boy” as the Olympic bridesmaids (this gives him an idea). Can you imagine how much better Golden Boy Promotions would sound than Sterling Boy?
“If only I were pretty,” he grumbles to himself. “I would never have lost so many close decisions.”
Later that day, Oscar appears on television. He discusses the “eagerly-anticipated” match-up between Roy Jones, JR., and Bernard Hopkins. This time the female presenter is not touching her face, making lingering eye contact, or laughing bashfully at his jokes. Moreover, she cuts short his meandering monologue about “the fight we’ve all been waiting for.”
She asks him if he will release his blood test records in the interest of transparency, and if he will stop speaking in baby. Oscar tugs at his garter uncomfortably. “Well,” he says trying to summon a winning smile. “I did give my answer in a non-committal Sterling Boy Promotions press release.”
“I’m sorry Oscar,” the presenter says with the hint of a smile. “But answers like that are reserved for pretty people.”
Taking the Mick (in 1989)
An agent shakes Iron Mike’s young hand. The young Mike is different to how we remember. He has soft features, a brow without furrows, and a dashing smile. With his billowing woolen jumper, he could have been a Cosby. The agent looks upon the young bull as a cash cow, and sets about milking his client for all he’s worth:
Agent: Who are your heroes, Mike?
Mike: Jack Dempsey. Sonny Liston. Pigeons.
Agent: Okay, not any more they’re not. These guys just won’t work for your sponsors. To be frank, we liked neither Mr. Dempsey’s haircut, nor his pre-fight glare. As for Mr. Liston: Suffice to say, he is not a savory enough role model for a young gentleman such as yourself.
The toothpaste company wants to see that smile, and the washing powder people desperately want to see some sock action. Disney was also hoping for a bit of color in those trunks and a suggestion of light-heartedness. May I suggest a hokey anthem to enter the ring by, a smattering of celebrity friends, and a foppish haircut?
Mike: But that’s the point. I need to intimidate my…
Agent: No, Mike. Floyd Patterson is the point. Joe Louis is the point. We need wholesome heroes. You’re the face of boxing now, and with the right tutelage, I think you can become a media darling. Now, you mentioned pigeons. We like pigeons.
Mike: I also like pigeons.
Agent: My job is to make you more money than you can ever spend, but we need to make sure that you’re as marketable as possible; so, there will be ground rules: Firstly, no gold teeth. Apparently, women don’t find them attractive any more. The same goes for tattoos of Chinese Communists and Cuban revolutionaries. If you must get a tattoo, at least make sure it’s of a capitalist. But if you got one, I know you’d make it subtle anyway. You’re going to be the Jack Nicklaus of boxing. How does that sound?
Mike: That sounds tremendous
Agent: Okay, just a few more items: The cereal company wants you to come in and bite a few ears for them.
Mike: Ears?
Agent: You’ll need to gnaw on an ear of corn for the advertisement. Don’t worry; it’ll just be one ear.
Mike: But, but.
Agent: No butts, Mike. You take care of your ears; let other boxers take care of the buts. Oh, and one last thing: Don’t threaten to eat any one’s children. It doesn’t mix well with your image as teenage heartthrob and ideal son in law. But, I wouldn’t worry about any of this; this is just the beginning of the Mike Tyson glory years.
]]>
Interview by Jeff Stoyanoff and Mike Zepeda
"I have been embedded in this local scene for so long that everybody knows me. I’m a white guy and I can fight a little bit so that makes me more noticeable."--Tony Jeter
In the niche which boxing occupies in the sports world, there is only room enough for the superstars; only room enough for the spectacular talents and the bigger than life personalities. In the shadows, the business of boxing goes on much as it always has filled with fighters who will almost undoubtedly never know the bright lights of a mega fight. Middleweight Tony “Mo Betta” Jeter is 8-2 with 7 KO’s in a nine year professional career fighting exclusively in the DC Metro area. The 34 year old Jeter is hardly a newcomer however; he has come by his ring skills honestly honing those skills in over 800 amateur fights.
The amiable Jeter offers a thorough look at the cruel and ultimately unforgiving business of boxing. Jeter is a study in duality; on the one hand, he is a fighter rushing against time as he tries one last time to work his way into the TV fight he has always coveted, just one more fighter dreaming of gaining his shot. Yet, on the other hand, he is a local name navigating the dirty business of the sport as other fighters attempt to lure him into fights he knows he doesn’t need. He is at once seeking and sought after, hungry fighter and savvy businessman, eager charge and wise mentor. In an interview with Ringside Report, Jeter provides a window into the recesses of boxing as he tells of his journey in boxing; a journey that predictably is long and winding and yet, far from over.
JS: Boxing in the Beltway has a loyal and voracious following and you certainly seem to be a significant player in that region.
Me, I’m one of those guys. I am one of the most talked about guys whether they love me or hate me and there are a handful of guys, critics, but I am definitely a well known boxer out of this area. I can fight a little bit; I had a lot of amateur fights, but I think it’s my personality. People either love me or they hate me; there is no gray area.
JS: It seems like it goes with the territory in boxing overall. No matter whom it is some people seem to love what they do and others are not sold at all about their abilities. I can see that you seem to have a way of attracting attention on both sides of the equation.
Yeah, and I think it’s just a handful of guys. Overall, I think I am a liked guy and I am a known guy especially in this area. I mean, you’re talking about my having a nine year career with seven years of inactivity. What kills me is having people be as critical of me as they are. I mean, I’m 8-2 with a seven year layoff. You take Cory Spinks with a record of 19-0 and he is fighting guys who are 0-1 and they just call it building a record. You take guys that they take from the Midwest and we’re talking about blue chip guys or guys down south and these are like Olympic alternates and they’re 10 or 15 and 0 and they are fighting guys who are 0-1 or 0-9 and they’ve been stopped nine times. So, you can take a handful of guys in this area and they are just over critical; they are over jealous of me.
JS: Your next fight is against Vincent Robbins and he has been stopped eight times, but you are still building a record. Is this just a question of staying active then?
The last year and a half I have had one fight. A guy like Vincent Robbins is a good fight for me. I’m 8-2 with a four fight win streak and nothing is set in stone. I’m not looking passed anybody because I did that one time and I got stopped. I have two losses; Kwame Bumpus was a blue chipper who could beat anyone from 154 to 165 in this area hands down. He was nothing but the truth and I don’t even know what happened to that guy. He just disappeared. I heard stories that he was locked up or that he had been shot, who knows? But, the guy was a good, good fighter.
(Bumpus fought in 2001 and 2002. His last fight came on April 18th, 2002. His professional record stands at 6-0-1, 1 KO.)
Another loss, you take the James Shedrick loss; I was winning every second of that fight. At the end, my coaches looked at the scorecards and I had won every round. But, with a minute left I just got clipped. I had never been stopped before, but it just goes to show how in boxing that one punch can change everything. It’s a sport that doesn’t forgive easily, you know?
JS: Funny that you mention one punch as you are coming off of a one punch knockout yourself against Keith Gross. That fight came after a layoff of nearly a year, how did it feel to be back in the ring?
It felt good and there is actually some history between me and Keith Gross. He had actually come up to the gym a lot to spar. He didn’t come up to train, but he would come up to work because we have a ton of fighters here. He had sparred with me five times and I would say that four out of those five times he had got the better of me; I mean I struggled. It was weird; I thought we would go into the deeper rounds and that I would probably get him later in the fight. He had always given me problems, but to just walk out there and stretch him like I did was great; it was a good feeling.
One of his corner guys used to be a trainer here. There was so much that was into that fight. Take a guy like Gross; he was 3-1 with a loss to Erlislandy Lara who is, by far, one of the best fighters in the world. So, he is 3-1 and his one loss is to a blue chipper; a probable future world champion. I get him and I go out and take care of business. During the weigh in there was a lot of animosity and I’m not that kind of guy and I like him so I was sort of taken aback by the fact that they didn’t want to talk to me at the weigh in. I understand that we have to fight and I told his coach; it’s just a fight and ultimately I don’t dislike you all. One of us is going to win and one of us is going to lose. When the bell rang, he ran across the ring and hit me with a three punch combination. We thought he was going to stay on the outside, but he didn’t he engaged quick and ultimately that was his downfall.
JS: You think the sparring gave him the confidence to stand right in front of you?
I truly do and everybody says you have to fight these five people and this handful of people who go out under anonymous and club me out on these websites. But, nobody knew like he did that he had gotten the better of me in sparring. I tell everybody I have been in boxing for a long time. I have had a lot of hard amateur fights. I have been to Marquette. I have fought at that level. I tell everybody in sparring you have the big gloves and the headgear; it’s totally different. Once you take the headgear off and put on the little gloves it’s just a totally different sport because that’s when you’re getting hit for real. You’re getting elbows, you’re getting head butts, it’s just a lot different. I think he took those sparring sessions and he underestimated me, or maybe he didn’t underestimate me but the confidence was still there.
JS: I know you mentioned the considerable amateur experience you have. One number that jumps out when you look at your record is your age of 34. You didn’t even have your first pro fight until you were 25. Can you talk about your path to professional boxing?
I started boxing when I was about 15 or 16 and we just kept trying to make the Olympic team and to get there is just insane. I mean, the steps; you have to win the national title, then you go to the Olympic Trials, and then you have to win the box offs. Now, it’s even more complicated because then you have to win the qualifiers. So, not only do you have to go national title, Olympic Trials, box offs, but then you have to win one of the qualifiers now to get to the Olympics. We tried and tried to get the national title and next thing you know I’m 25 years old. We went to the National Golden Gloves in 2001 and I made it to the quarterfinals and that was it.
I got the call and we had Steve Nelson who had just broken up with Robert Mittelman at that point. He had Hasim Rahman at that time. We had Art Danzinger and them. We had JD Brown who was with Sugar Ray Leonard Promotions. And, we had Chris Middendorf and a couple of other little guys who were looking at me. Ultimately, I was 25 years old and I had to make a decision so we went with Sugar Ray. In hindsight, I probably should have gone with the smaller guys because they (Sugar Ray) got me for nothing so I was expendable. They didn’t put any money into me and they had just signed a deal with ESPN2 so they had one Friday every month for a year. So, that was their selling point. They could say, hey will get you on TV. But, at that point, they had Joe Mesi, they had Dunne, they had a bunch of big prospects, I was just expendable. So, that was my path. 800 amateur fights, kept waiting and didn’t win a national title and next thing you know I’m 25 years old.
So, I go up to Philly to fight on the undercard of Thomas Tate and Omar Sheika and I lose to a guy, from Philly, who was a really good fighter. You look at how they managed me and it was horrific. You have Ron Katz as the matchmaker and if you know boxing, you know Ron Katz so you are not going to be in an 80-20 or 70-30; with Ron Katz you’re going to be in a 50-50 if not the other way around. You know, so we were in a tough fight and I don’t think I was ready for that fight at that point so I take the loss. Boxing is a sport where you have to be 100 percent mentally and I wasn’t so I just drifted off. Now, at 34 years old, I have a couple of good years to get active and you know I can punch a little bit so that is one good thing I have going for me.
JS: The Gross fight came after an 11 month layoff and now Robbins comes up but it’s been another six months. If you had your way, you would much prefer to be more active at this point?
Definitely, we have a couple of fights lined up and we’ll see. Ultimately, I have to get passed these fights. Babie Girl Promotions has allowed me to jump on and that is a blessing that I am very thankful for. So, I would like to get through this and then keep it moving maybe head down south for a couple of fights. I have received a couple of calls from overseas so who knows, you know? Maybe I will pick up a regional title around here, but ultimately I have to get double digit wins so I can get a call for Shobox so my short term goal is to get double digit wins. It would be nice to be like 11-2 with 10 knockouts because with that double digit knockout record people can overlook those two losses. It works better for TV because they can justify that.
I have a good team with me. I have Tom Langley, SR., who has been in the game for 35 years. He has sat at Don King’s desk. He is one of the best cut men in boxing and he has worked a bunch of big fights. I have Charles Dent training me and this guy Charles Dent is going to be the Freddie Roach of this area; mark my words and remember that name. This guy is going to be the guy, he is good. So we have a lot going that is going to help us in this fight. And, we’re looking forward to getting to that ultimate goal which is to get to double digit wins and then to get some kind of shot on ESPN2 or wherever. But, at this point at 34 years old, I’m not an Olympian and I have two losses so I’m going to be an opponent in a big fight. So, I have to go in there and make it happen for myself.
JS: After your win over Pete Guthy there was some talk about you moving on to a major fight in the Beltway against one of the other more well known fighters from that region. The talk came up again after the win over Gross. Is that something that would still interest you? Is there anyone in particular that you would be interested in fighting in the area if that opportunity came about?
Who are we talking about locally that is going to bring in some money, you know? I tell everybody, I beat Mike Pasqual in 1999 in the Golden Gloves Championships. In 2000, I won against the head bangers in the finals of the Golden Gloves open class. So, I don’t need to prove that I’m the baddest guy locally. At this point, I’ve done that already. Now, I need to be smart. A lot of fighters, they don’t have the brains to say this fight here doesn’t make one bit of sense. I’m going to be paid peanuts and I’m going to go out and be in a war and ultimately it isn’t going to do one thing for my career. As an amateur, I did that. To go out and win a Golden Gloves open class title and 147 and 156, you know what I mean? You are talking about two of the most competitive weights in boxing. And this is DC Metro area, it’s not like Tennessee or North Carolina, there are some thoroughbred blue chippers coming out of here. But, there are some guys around here where if the money is right, of course I would jump on it.
But, ultimately, I have promoted. I promoted and made the matches on my own card two years ago so I have been on both sides. I have promoted two professional shows, a few amateur shows, and my wife owns a 24000 square foot facility that houses some of the best fighters in this area. So, I’m sort of pipelined into the local scene. So, to fight some of these guys, you see what I’m saying? Does it really make sense?
We are going to the fights tonight and there are a couple of fighters on there that, I’m not even going to mention their names, because they don’t even deserve to have their name mentioned. But, they sort of talked their way into a fight by talking trash. But, in this game, when you turn pro, you are trying to get to the money and the championships. Those two go hand in hand. Being the local tough guy is not something that gets you there. But, there are some guys where if they wanted to fight (me) here and I knew I could sell tickets and that it would benefit me the promoter, than we would do that in a heartbeat. Why should I fight one of these guys that badmouths me and benefit someone else for 1500 dollars? It just doesn’t make sense.
MZ: I know that you want to be more active in the ring. But, you do a great job talking too. You are a great pitch man. How important can that be in helping you to get to your ultimate goal in the ring?
I have been embedded in this local scene for so long that everybody knows me. I’m a white guy and I can fight a little bit so that makes me more noticeable. So, you’re going to know who I am. I don’t know if some of the promoters are turned off because I’m the type of fighter that has some brains and that understands the business side and can think on his own. In 2001, when I was with Sugar Ray Leonard Promotions and they took me up to Philly to fight Kwame Bumpus when I was 3-0, I had no business sense then. In hindsight, I think; why am I going to Philly to fight this kid that I have already heard stories about him knocking Aaron Mitchell out in the gym? So, why would I go and fight this kid in Philly where, if it’s close, I’m not even going to get a decision, you know? So, I am that type of guy now and I think a lot of people locally are turned off by that. So, they don’t give me a chance and I think ultimately I can fight a little bit, but I’m realistic.
A lot of these fighters when you talk to them, they are so unrealistic. I have a couple of years, at best, I have to get active and try to get some wins and then maybe I get the call overseas and I can get a 10 or 15 thousand dollar payday, but that’s the goal. But, I’m going to do other things than boxing which I have already started to do. There are three matchmakers in Maryland and I am one of them. I’ve only done matchmaking on two cards, but I do have my license in Maryland as a matchmaker. That is a cool thing to be an active fighter and have a license as a matchmaker in Maryland which is one of the most difficult states in which to get a license because it’s such a thorough commission.
But, back to Babie Girl Promotions, Cassandra White has done a wonderful job. You are talking about a DC Boxing game that has been non-existent for five years. She has basically been the driving force behind DC boxing. And to do anything in DC is tough because it is so expensive; there is nowhere to park and to rent anything is going to be twice as expensive as anywhere else so she has done a great job. I feel privileged to fight on this show. You have some big names on this card. Seth Mitchell, I feel, is going to be the Heavyweight Champion of the World if they keep handling him the way that they are. Obviously, they need to keep bringing him along, but he’s young for a heavyweight; he’s like 28. So, they need to keep bringing him along taking baby steps, but if they can position him then you never know.
Then there is Henry Buchanan who is right there going against Clarence Taylor and hopefully they can position him for maybe a top ten ranking or something. You have Thomas Williams who was a blue chip amateur and then you have me and, if nothing else, I’m entertaining.
JS: Of course, PED’s and boxing have crossed paths in a very public way this last year. As a fighter who is inside the sport, what is your take on the issue? How big of a problem does it represent?
In all sports, at the top level, there are guys doing something. You take any sport and everybody is trying to get that edge to be better than the next guy. You take five people and they are all great, but somebody has to be the best. So, how do they get there? They are all at that same level, so I think a lot of people do it. Do I think it’s bad? I don’t know, I have never done a drug in my life so I can’t say whether it’s good or bad. I know that ultimately there are guys in boxing who have been doing it and doing it for a long time; that’s for sure. But, do I think it’s a bad thing? I don’t know, but I guess if you are not allowed to do it then I guess it’s cheating so in that sense I guess it is a bad thing. But, when you are at that top echelon level I think a lot of them do it. These guys have personal trainers and you take a guy like Fernando Vargas and his guy was a known steroid dealer, you know? So, how can you be surprised that that dude tested positive? When they knew and his trainer got caught when they raided his gym. Ultimately though, if one guy is doing it and the other guy is not then it’s unfair.
MZ: I was an athlete; I played Basketball at the D1 level in college and there were some guys who maybe crossed some boundaries in terms of PED’s back when I was playing. But everyone took supplements. How much credibility do you give when these guys test positive and then turn around and say that it was just a supplement that they got at a CVS up the street?
Well, you know when they say that that is bullshit. Ultimately, that is just a crock. Everybody is doing some form of supplement whether it’s Fedrin or who knows. This is 2010 not 1940 so everybody is doing stuff to enhance and get better. And ultimately, if you’re cheating you are stepping over that line that they’ve drawn where they say this is the stuff that you can’t do and it’s bad so you shouldn’t do it. It’s unfair, but do I think a lot of people are doing it? Yes, I think so, especially at that upper level. You take these local club levels and it’s not as prevalent at the local level. But, you step up to that next level where there is millions of dollars on the line and people are doing it, yes. And, I think it’s unfair of course, and should people be doing it? No.
JS: Between fighting, promoting, and matchmaking; you seem to be well on your way to being able to do just about every job in boxing so, with that in mind, if you were running things how would you like to see this situation handled? Do you feel that random testing is warranted?
You could probably do that, but I will tell you this; right now what we need is a national commission that governs everything. Right now, you have various state commissions each with different rules.
MZ: We know that Manny Pacquiao, for instance, did not want to agree to random testing too close to the date of a proposed fight. From the perspective of a fighter, what would you do in that kind of a situation?
It’s hard for me to say because I have never been at that level. I could see how it could affect you because boxing is 90 percent mental. So, if that is going to affect Pacquiao mentally than, yes I can see where he is coming from when he says I don’t want to take it ten days beforehand because last time I bled or when I fought Erik Morales that is what caused the loss. But, I don’t know, you are talking about fighting 12 rounds at the elite of the elite level and maybe it does affect them and maybe 10 days is just too close.
JS: And, even if it’s just in his head, in a way it doesn’t matter because if it affects him mentally than it can and will affect him physically.
That’s what I’m saying. Boxing is so mental; if there is one thing that is messing with your mind than that’s it. You’re talking about these guys possibly getting hurt badly, I mean it happens. Boxing is an unforgiving sport. One bad thing or one punch and that’s it and when you are talking about 20, 30, 40 million dollars that is serious, life altering money. Plus, you have boxers that are so ritualistic that they wear the same socks. And then you have Marquez drinking his own urine. I haven’t done that and I will never do that, but I can understand it.
But, maybe Mayweather is just being smart and building this up to like a 100 million dollar fight, but I think he may have some trouble with Mosley. I think Mosley is going to give him a go. I was training in 2001 and Hasim Rahman was the heavyweight champion of the world and he was there; Keith Holmes was in there, William Joppy was in there, Sharmba Mitchell was in there, Jermaine Fields was in there. We had all these champions in there and we were all training at the same time. Shane Mosley came through when he was on the press tour for the De La Hoya fight and he came in and he bench pressed like 400 pounds and Hasim Rahman couldn’t get it off the bench. That was before the Balco thing and this dude, the bar was bending and Rahman couldn’t get it off the bench! It was insane! I couldn’t even lift the bar and the plates were just stacked on, I was like holy crap!
JS: We spoke to John Ruiz a couple of weeks back and he spoke eloquently about the ways in which boxing does a lot to help and even save people who might otherwise struggle to find their way in life, but that that is often overlooked. You have had a long road in the sport filled with starts and stops, but can you put into words what boxing has done for you? What keeps bringing you back?
Any kind of sport can give you dedication and focus and discipline. You take a kid who doesn’t have a good family situation and no support and he is just running wild out on the streets and something like this can help; it’s helped me to stay out of trouble. Not to say that I haven’t had some trouble, but ultimately I have never done a drug in my life and I’ve been able to progress in life and maybe without boxing, I wouldn’t have. Before I started boxing I was heading down the wrong way; I was getting in trouble in school and stuff like that. I think boxing has helped me to stay focused and keep myself on the right path and I think it does that for a lot of people. Not five minutes before you called, I was talking to one of my coaches Charles Dent, and I said you are helping a lot of kids out.
Mr. Langley, the first day I walked in he took me as a 15-16 year old kid and showed me that this is hard work that requires dedication, but here are some things that can happen; you can go to national tournaments, you can meet kids from all over, you can travel, and that kept me coming. It also allowed me to do good in school and it allowed me to try to do the right thing in life, to try to be a productive citizen, and that’s what boxing does for a lot of people. Not saying for everybody, everybody is not the same, but ultimately boxing, like any sport, helps by giving people focus, dedication, and discipline.
And I met my wife, my beautiful wife! Who owns this beautiful gym where I train! I mean, I met my wife at the gym, go figure. She’s a graduate of UVA and I have a Prince Georges County High School education. She has a degree from a major school, so two opposites, but the boxing connected us. So, I think boxing has done a lot for me. Hopefully, once I am through fighting I will be able to do some other things and be able to help people. Ultimately, boxing, as brutal and unforgiving a sport as it is, it does help. You can mentor; there are so many positive things that can happen. Boxing, let me tell you, is a rough, rough sport, but there are some positive things that come out of it.
Tony Jeter
Nickname:“Mo Better”
Division: Middleweight
Professional Record: 8-2, 7 KO's
Date Opponent W-L-D Location Result
2001-01-25 Ervin Fuller 1-1-0 Glen Burnie, USA W TKO 1
2001-02-07 Donald Beynum 0-1-0 Washington, USA W KO 3
2001-03-30 Curtis Wilkens 1-5-0 Dover, USA NC NC 2
2001-06-29 Richard McCombs 1-0-0 Washington, USA W TKO 1
2001-10-05 Kwame Bumpus 1-0-1 Philadelphia, USA L UD 4
2005-10-07 Lawrence Frisby 3-8-0 Millersville, USA W TKO 2
2005-12-02 James Shedrick 3-4-0 Millersville, USA L KO 4
2008-04-18 Pete Guthy 1-3-2 Pikesville, USA W TKO 1
2008-09-19 Chris Cook 3-14-1 Millersville, USA W UD 4
2008-11-14 Darrett Crockett 6-20-0 Millersville, USA W TKO 2
2009-09-26 Keith Gross 3-1-0 Fairfax, USA W KO 1
]]>RSR Press Release
The 2-Time Heavyweight Champion, John “QuietMan” Ruiz, is trying to capture the title for a third time against reigning champion, David “Hayemaker” Haye this Saturday in the UK. To mark this event, RSR and John Ruiz offer this special item for a lucky fan with a lucky and educated pick as to who will win this upcoming fight. To win, you must place closest to the actual end result. If you picked Ruiz to win in one round, you would put:
John Ruiz, KO-1, 2 minutes 4 seconds
If you picked Haye by decision, you would submit:
David Haye, UD – 12, 115-113, 116-112, 115-113
You have to be precise and specific and this glove could be yours. Time is running out. Send your predictions now!
(RSR Note: Any person sending more than one prediction will be disqualified from the give away. Contest entries will not be taken after Friday, April 2nd at 11:59 PM EST.)
To email Geno with your prediction, click here
To find out more about John Ruiz you can visit his website
]]>
By Geno McGahee
On April 10th, Frans Botha, 47-4-3, 28 KO’s, will step into the ring with former Heavyweight Champion, Evander Holyfield, 42-10-2, 27 KO’s, in a 12 round showdown for the WBF Heavyweight Title. Botha is 41 years old and has been in the ring with some of the best fighters in world and has fared well with the exception of his knockout defeat to Lennox Lewis, when he was launched out of the ring from a combination.
This is a pay per view, and it’s a better buy than Roy Jones – Bernard Hopkins. At least here you know you will get some action and possibly a knockout. Holyfield still maintains his vow to become the champion again, despite his age and recent track record. Never underestimate his ego though or his poor money managing…he must fight, and he must win the title to soothe that ego and put some much needed cash in his pockets.
Although Holyfield is the headliner here, don’t count Botha out. This is a very winnable fight for him. Let’s look at the career of Botha:
Frans “The White Buffalo” Botha
The Beginning: 1990 – 1995
Botha started his career with 35 straight wins, earning a title shot against Axel Schulz with the vacant IBF Crown hanging in the balance. Botha would get the victory via split decision and become world champion, only to have the bout turned into a no contest due to a positive test for steroids.
35-0, 1 NC, 21 KO’s
The Middle: 1995 – 2002
Michael Moorer would go on to win the IBF Title and defend it against Botha on November 9th, 1996. Botha showed he belonged by roughing up Moorer and rattling him with some decent right hands. In the later rounds, Botha would tire badly and get pinned against the ropes, stopped in the final round.
In 1999, a returning Mike Tyson would select Botha for his opponent, but he was in for a surprise. Botha’s arrogance and confidence before the fight transitioned into the fight itself. He boxed and played with Tyson, landing the right hand often and showing no fear. Frustrated, Tyson fouled, trying to break Botha’s arm on two occasions. Botha kept his cool, but would run into a straight right hand in round five and lose via KO.
Seven months after the Tyson fight, he landed another high profile bout against the popular contender, Shannon Briggs. Although most spectators felt Botha had done enough to win, the bout was declared a majority draw.
In 2000, Botha would get another crack at the heavyweight title, but would meet Lennox Lewis on the wrong night. Lewis hit Botha with a vicious combination, stopping him in the second round and nearly launching him out of the ring. It was Botha’s worst defeat.
In 2002, Botha would take on Wladimir Klitschko for the WBO Title, losing via TKO in round 8. Botha would later comment that he was not impressed with “Dr. Steelhammer.”
His last fight in 2002 was a showdown with Clifford Etienne. The Black Rhino versus the White Buffalo was too tempting for the promoters not to put together and there was an added incentive to the winner. Who ever won was promised a shot at Mike Tyson. Botha wanted to face Iron Mike again, and went on to defeat Etienne, in a fight that was scored a draw. Etienne would go on to face Mike, and Botha would leave boxing.
9-4-2, 7 KO’s
The End: 2007 – Present
After stepping into the world of Mixed Martial Arts and having mixed results, Botha returned home to boxing, winning a decision over Bob Mirovic for the interim WBF Heavyweight Title. He would decision Ron Guerrero for the vacant WBF Title, eke by Timo Hoffman via split decision to hold onto it and fight to a majority draw with Pedro Carrion in his last fight. These four fighters are mediocrities and say a lot about the current place of Frans Botha. He is at the end of the road, but still may have enough to beat Holyfield.
3-0-1
Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield
The Beginning: 1984 – 1993
Holyfield won the Olympic Bronze in 1984, and would debut as a professional that year. He would be moved along very quickly, winning eleven fights and then challenging for the cruiserweight title against the much more experienced Dwight Muhammad Qawi. In a fight of the year, Evander walked away with a 15 round split decision and the title. He would go on to defend it five times, including a knockout of Olympic teammate Henry Tillman and a stoppage of Qawi in a rematch. In 1988, he would fight for the last time as a cruiserweight, eying bigger money in the heavyweight division. He would score an 8th round stoppage of Carlos De Leon, and then vacate the title and move up.
Holyfield moved up to the heavyweights with Mike Tyson on his mind. They were amateur rivals to a certain degree and had sparred in a heated session that was halted by their trainers. He would begin with grizzled veteran, James “Quick” Tillis (TKO 5), follow up with former champion, Pinklon Thomas (TKO 7), have a memorable battle with another former champion, Michael Dokes (TKO 10), and stop three contenders: Alex Stewart (TKO 8), Adilson Rodrigues (KO 2), and Seamus McDonagh (TKO 4), before getting a shot at the heavyweight title, but it wouldn’t be against Iron Mike.
James “Buster” Douglas pulled the upset of the century with a 10th round stoppage of Tyson, and agreed to the “Moment of Truth” with the #1 contender, Evander Holyfield. The truth of the fight was that Douglas was unprepared at 246 pounds and the aggressive Holyfield made short work of him and became a 2-division champion. Holyfield would follow up with defenses against George Foreman (UD 12), Bert Cooper (TKO 7), Larry Holmes (UD 12), before losing to Riddick Bowe (UD 12).
27-1, 21 KO’s
The Middle: 1993 – 2004
Holyfield would regroup and rebound with a win over Alex Stewart in a rematch (UD 12), and avenged his loss to Bowe via majority decision. Holyfield would lose the title in his very first defense against former Light Heavyweight Champion, Michael Moorer, and claim a heart problem as the reason why.
After a supposed healing from a TV evangelist, Holyfield returned in 1995, colliding with Ray Mercer on PPV in a 10 round event. It was a war that could have gone either way when the dust settled, and Holyfield would walk away with the win. He would take on Bowe in the third and final encounter and suffer his first stoppage loss. After knocking Bowe down, Holyfield was pummeled into submission in the 8th round. It looked like the end of the road for the “Real Deal.”
In 1996, Tyson the WBA/WBC Champion at the time, gave up his WBC crown to avoid Lennox Lewis and opted to defend his WBA Title against Holyfield, a fighter deemed by most to be shot. Holyfield shocked the world, stopping Iron Mike in 11 and claiming the title. In a foul-filled rematch, Tyson would be disqualified by Mills Lane after two ear bites. Holyfield persistent use of his head as a weapon went unpunished, as usual.
Holyfield, possibly at the peak of his marketability, scored an 8th round stoppage of Michael Moorer, avenging another defeat, but struggled to get past mediocrity Vaughn Bean in another defense. This would put him into the ring with the man that had been waiting a long time to prove himself: Lennox Lewis.
On March 13th, 1999, they would meet and Lewis clearly won, but the judges were either bought off or fell asleep, scoring it a draw. The rematch would take place in November of 1999, and Lewis would win by decision.
Lewis was stripped of the WBA Title for refusal to face John Ruiz, prompting the sanctioning body to make Holyfield – Ruiz. Holyfield lost again, yet won on the cards and was once again a title holder. Ruiz would win in a rematch, and then the two would draw in what could easily be the ugliest trilogy in the history of boxing.
In 2002, Holyfield was given yet another title shot, easily beaten by Chris Byrd. James Toney would dominate and destroy him inside of nine rounds in his next fight, and then Larry Donald would play with him en route to a wide decision. It was the end of the road for Holyfield.
10-8-2, 3 KO’s
The End: 2006 – Present
After the three straight defeats to Byrd, Toney, and Donald, most thought that we had seen the last of Holyfield. He returned to face Jeremy Bates, a no hoper, and stopped him in two rounds. He would face Fres Oquendo in a terrible fight that seemed to go the way of Oquendo, but Holyfield would benefit from his name value again and get the nod via UD. He would put together two more wins against mediocre opposition before landing a shot at WBO Champion, Sultan Ibragimov.
Ibragimov had little problem controlling Holyfield and winning a lopsided UD. As usual, Holyfield was granted yet another title opportunity, losing to WBA Champ, Nikolay Valuev by majority decision. Some contend that Holyfield won, but his clutching, head-butting, running style in that fight was not championship worthy.
4-2, 2 KO’s
Evander Holyfield was a great fighter and is an all time great, but his ego and hypocritical ways make him a hard guy to like. The recent confirmed report that he is a wife beater should have driven away supporters but most have apparently turned a blind eye to it. His contention that he will once again be heavyweight champion is laughable, especially when you consider his recent track record. He has only won 4 of his last 9 fights, should have lost to Oquendo, and has little left outside of a head butt and a dream.
Botha doesn’t have much left either, but is underrated, and has been his entire career. He has only lost to world champions and he is fighting a former champ in Holyfield. This bout is a pick’em fight. Holyfield has taken on the better competition recently, Botha has been more successful recently…who knows? Hopefully Botha takes it.
]]>By Joe Wilson
Ranking a fighter pound-for-pound has never been easy for me.
Some fighters are exciting to watch whether they win or lose. It’s really hard to rank a fighter based on pound-for-pound.
What do you look for?
Some fighters are big punchers who knockout their opponents; then there are some fighters who are so skillful in the ring, that they can hit and don’t get hit. Meaning they give punishment, but taking very little punishment themselves, if any at all.
Should a pound-for-pound fighter be judged on how many opponents they knockout, or what kind of ring generalship they show in the ring? There have been some experts in the sport that don’t believe in a best pound-for-pound ranking. Hall of Fame Trainer and HBO boxing analyst Emanuel Steward does not believe in such a thing.
Steward feels that ranking a boxer pound-for-pound is something that’s been made up of lately. Steward has been involved in the sport of boxing for many decades and “when he’s asked that question” he quickly ops out of it. “I don’t believe in a pound-for-pound ranking,” he’d say without any hesitation.
I remember during a HBO telecast years ago, Hall of Fame Boxing Analyst Jim Lampley asked Steward to pick the pound-for-pound best fighter for that era. Steward quickly responded, “I don’t have one”. I just don’t believe in a pound-for-pound ranking. He then said, “If I had to pick a fighter, I would have to pick my all time favorite, and that is…Sugar Ray Robinson. He would be the only one worth such a title” pound-for-pound in his opinion, he said.
That same year, during a Roy Jones, JR., fight, Lampley asked Former Heavyweight Champion and HBO boxing analyst at the time, George Foreman that same question. Foreman answered saying, “trying to rank a fighter pound-for-pound is pure garbage, there should be no such thing.”
Lampley smiled and turn away.
I really share the same views as Emanuel Steward and George Foreman on this subject. Everyone has their own opinion when it comes to ranking fighters. I’m one that enjoys the “sweet science of boxing.”
I rank fighters high who display skills in the ring. No disrespect to the trainers, but--smart fighters who can think for themselves in the ring to pull off a win, gets my vote.
A fighter that is smart and can deliver punishment without taking much in return, while in the ring, and win, gets my vote.
Fighters such as; Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Aaron Pryor, Sugar Ray Leonard, Pernell Whitaker, Bernard Hopkins, Sugar Shane Mosley and Floyd ”Money” Mayweather. These fighters have displayed unbelievable skills in the ring. I usually can look at fighter’s face at the end of any bout and see the damage that was done in the ring
Very rarely did these guys show damage to their face after a fight.
I’ve just recently added Manny Pacquiao to these special names above; even though his defense is still a little suspect, but the excitement he always brings makes him worthy.
To place Pacquiao at the top of the current pound-4-pound list, will be based on how well he competes against Mayweather and Mosley should those fights take place.
If there is a pound for pound list, this is what it would be:
1. Floyd Mayweather, JR
2. Shane Mosley
3. Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao
4. Bernard Hopkins
5. Juan Manuel Marquez
6. Paul Williams
7. Chad Dawson
8. Israel Vazquez
9. Miguel Cotto
10. Nonito Donaire
Some may agree or disagree with my picks, but this is how I rank the best fighters in the world today.
]]>By Geno McGahee
ESPN 2’s Friday Night Fights
At one point, Delvin Rodriguez, 24-4-2, 14 KO’s, was a pretty big deal, especially in Connecticut and he was featured on ESPN2 quite often. One of his most exciting fights was a defeat to Jesse Feliciano, the only knockout loss on the record of Rodriguez. He’s only won one of his last four fights, and plans to rebound in a USBA Welterweight Title match against Michael Arnaoutis, 22-4-2, 10 KO’s.
Arnaoutis has lost two of his last three fights, including a stoppage loss to Victor Ortiz in the second round. Rodriguez hopes to impose his power on his opponent this Friday night.
SHOBOX
Also on Friday, Showtime’s popular series “SHOBOX” returns with Cuban light middleweight, Erislandy Lara, 10-0, 6 KO’s, taking on the seasoned veteran, Danny Perez, 34-6, 17 KO’s. Lara is coming off of a TKO stoppage of Grady Brewer and looks to continue his winning ways on SHOBOX Friday night. Perez is a tough customer that has been in with some big names and has never been stopped. He will test Lara.
PPV
It’s called “The Rivals” but it should be called “the Business Deal,” for this meaningless pay per view designed to screw the public. Roy Jones, JR., 54-6, 40 KO’s, will square off against a man he hasn’t been across the ring from since 1993 in Bernard Hopkins, 50-5-1, 32 KO’s, and you will have to pay for it, if you want to watch it for some reason. Jones is 5-5 in his last ten fights and was starched inside of one round by Danny Green in his last fight…a bout that the two businessmen in this “fight” want you to ignore or chalk up to loaded gloves. Nothing is going to stop this moneymaker…even if they have to bend the truth.
Hopkins has lost the ability to be in an entertaining fight. He clutches, moves, and mauls, but this fight with Jones is going to be a dance. You can’t help but to get the sense that they got together and decided to just go for the money and I hope that they are not gearing towards a third matching. This fight is a farce. Waste your money if you really want to, but need I remind you of Hopkins-Winky Wright? That’s what you’re going to see here people, except it will be in slower motion. Bad fight…maybe HBO worthy just out of curiosity, but I can’t justify paying for an event that promises to be boring and is totally meaningless.
Sergio Mora, 21-1-1, 5 KO’s, will be featured on the undercard, facing Calvin Green, 21-4-1, 13 KO’s, and also a match up with Rocky Juarez, 28-5-1, 20 KO’s, facing off against Jason Litzau, 26-2, 21 KO’s. Buy this event at your own risk.
Overseas
David “Hayemaker” Haye, 23-1, 21 KO’s, defends his WBA Heavyweight Title for the first time in the UK against former 2-Time Champ, John “QuietMan” Ruiz, 44-8-1, 30 KO’s, in what will truly be the toughest challenge in the career of the new champ. Ruiz has beaten a lot of good big men like Andrew Golota, Evander Holyfield, Tony Tucker, Hasim Rahman, Kirk Johnson, and Fres Oquendo, but has struggled against smaller men that have moved up like Roy Jones and James Toney. Haye is a cruiserweight with speed and power that has moved up and hopes to exploit the same weaknesses that Jones and Toney did before him.
Expect Ruiz to blitz early, hoping to land his sneaky right hand. He cannot remain on the outside with the jab and boxing ability of Haye. Haye will have to be very careful and mimic Roy Jones, using his jab and movement and keeping Ruiz confused. It’s a winnable fight for Ruiz, but Haye should have the edge because of his speed and the difficulty Ruiz has with guys like Haye. Should be fun though.
]]>
By Geno McGahee
On March 15th, 1996, HBO featured a triple header with six heavyweight hopefuls colliding. The opening bout was a match between John Ruiz, a Massachusetts heavyweight that had won 25 of his 27 outings, and the slugger, short and compact, winner of all 22 of his bouts, David Tua. A left hook sent Ruiz reeling early, and a barrage of punches would end it just 19 seconds into the round. It sent a message to the division. There was a champion coming out of this fight, but amazingly, it wouldn’t be Tua. Ruiz would go on to hold the title on two occasions.
The career of David Tua is a curious one. He is a fighter that has demolished men that would go on to be champion, but never came close to winning a title himself. Tua, 51-3-1, 43 KO’s, has beaten former WBC Champ Oleg Maskaev (KO -11), former 2-Time Champion Hasim Rahman (KO-10), former Undisputed Champion, Michael Moorer (KO-1), and Ruiz (KO-1).
Part of the reason has been his weight, and it may have been the biggest factor. He started his career at 201 pounds. He beat Ruiz at what many see his best weight, 225 pounds. When he finally landed his title shot in 2000 against Lennox Lewis, he came in at 245 pounds and didn’t have the speed or mobility to have a chance to win. Lewis boxed and stayed away, winning a wide decision. Tua’s career after that fight had been up and down.
He lost to Chris Byrd in 2001, had a stretch of inactivity, including a recent one from 2007 to 2009, but he is back. In late 2009, he took on fringe contender Shane Cameron, starching him inside of two rounds. In his last fight, he went twelve rounds, taking the decision easily over Friday Ahunanya, and occupies the #3 ranking in the WBO. So, what can a 37 year old David Tua do against the WBO Heavyweight Champion, Wladimir Klitschko? A lot.
Tua seems to have his focus back. He has a huge punch and takes a great punch, which is a formula that Wlad doesn’t always deal well with. Sam Peter, a much more raw version of Tua, gave Wlad hell over twelve rounds. An inspired Lamon Brewster stopped him. Tua, if motivated, could finally realize what many contended was his destiny…to win the heavyweight title.
A Tua – Wlad match up would generate a lot of public interest…maybe HBO would even broadcast it! David Tua is a notable heavyweight from a much more memorable time than we have going now. His punching power and the perceived weaknesses in the chin and heart of the champion would get the boxing fans excited, especially if a 230 pound Tua showed up to fight.
The Klitschko brothers have eliminated most of the contenders that were of any threat. Calvin Brock, Ruslan Chagaev, Sultan Ibragimov, Eddie Chambers, Kirk Johnson, Tony Thompson, Lamon Brewster, Ray Austin, Sam Peter, Juan Carlos Gomez, Chris Byrd, and Chris Arreola have all been defeated. There isn’t much left. Tua could shake up the division.
Unfortunately for boxing and unfortunately for the Klitschko brothers, the current heavyweight division is in a lull. The talent pool is very small, leaving the brothers atop of the mountain and the rest much farther down and without much chance to survive the fight, let alone win it. The size, Lennox Lewis style of fighting, and lack of true competition cements them in as long reigning champions. This is why boxing has died on the heavyweight level.
On May 29th, Vitali, who has hinted at retirement…again, will take on the challenge of Polish heavyweight, Albert Sosnowski in a WBC Title bout that most consider to be a mismatch of epic proportions. You pile that on top of Eddie Chambers’ non effort against Wlad, and Kevin Johnson’s equally horrible performance against Vitali, then there is no reason for people to get excited about the heavyweight title anymore.
In the 1990s, we had it good with guys like Ray Mercer, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, Razor Ruddock, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, Michael Moorer, Tommy Morrison, and many more good contenders to keep it fresh and create great fights. We had warriors that would go to battle and now we are seeing beatings or bouts of survival.
The Klitschko brothers want to go down in history as memorable champions, but you are only as good as your competition. Fighters like Odlanier Solis, Alexander Povetkin, Tomasz Adamek, and David Haye have the potential to shake up the control of the division, but they don’t have the following that a David Tua does. Tua is in a great position right now to lay down a challenge to either Klitschko brothers.
What the “Tuaman” may need to make the public demand the fight is a showdown with one of the top guns in the division today. If he were to take on the winner of Adamek-Arreola and come out victorious, especially if it were by stoppage, he would be right in there for a title shot. If he were to take on Nikolay Valuev, the gigantic former champion and give him his first KO defeat, it would generate more support for the big fight.
David Tua needs to fight one of the Klitschko brothers and Wlad is the much more winnable fight. It would be tough for the smaller Tua to get into punching range without being smothered or tied up, but his short arms and vicious hooks should provide us with some entertainment and Wlad some scares.
At one time, David Tua was nearly a sure thing to wear the heavyweight title, but it didn’t happen. Many lesser fighters went on to hold the crown, but at 37 years of age with nine straight wins, he may finally have his focus back and finally realize his dream to be the heavyweight champion.
]]>
By Geoff “The Professor” Poundes
I’ve just seen one of the more ludicrous headlines in the build-up to a major fight: “Ruiz Motivated by Muhammad Ali Three-Time World Champion Tag”.
Now there’s hype, and there’s hype. To suggest that John Ruiz, 2-Time WBA Heavyweight Champ, and soon-to-be cannon fodder for the emerging Brit David Haye, has any kind of claim to stand alongside The Greatest, is stretching credulity just too far.
I admire Ruiz much in the same way as I admire the pop singer Madonna – both, through a combination of street-smarts and dogged determination, have made a very tiny amount of talent go an awfully long way.
Of course, both have benefited from a crushing dearth of competing talent in their respective professions, but hey, that’s not their fault.
On Saturday night Ruiz takes his 44-8-1, 30 KO’s, record into a fight with the current WBA Champ Haye and will look to make best use of his 18 years experience in the heavyweight division.
Haye, 23-1, 21 KO’s, has by contrast been punching for pay for just eight years, and the majority of those have been down at cruiserweight. He’s made something of a splash in the current woeful heavyweight pool, simply by virtue of having a dash of charisma about him, and some pretty impressive skills to boot. Haye’s ability to talk himself up and rile the opposition (he’s got both Klitschko’s, the “other” world champions, frothing at the mouth with his antics) have motivated some to draw parallels with the great Ali, who, of course, was boxing’s finest ever publicist.
But such comparisons are demeaning to the great man. Ruiz’s 11 “title” contests have been a pale shadow of the twenty-odd championship matches Ali graced – and Ruiz has lost more than he’s won. Of course, the relative quality of opposition bears no comparison either. Ruiz lost to a 38 year old Evander Holyfield, already well past his best, Roy Jones, JR., a pumped-up middleweight, James Toney, ten years and seventy pounds divorced from his best years, and Ruslan Chagaev, who has since made something of a fool of himself in a frankly pathetic “challenge” for Wladimir Klitschko’s titles.
Ruiz has also lost twice to the giant Nicolay Valuev, who handed his title to David Haye at the end of last year with a performance that confirmed what we’ve always known – he can’t fight!
For Haye’s part, he’s also a long way short of filling Muhammad Ali’s boots. This will be only his fourth fight as a heavyweight, and doubts persist over his stamina and his punch resistance, particularly in the wake of a couple of performances at cruiserweight when he got himself separated from his senses by Carl Thompson and Jean Marc Mormeck. In his second fight at heavyweight he was dropped by Monte Barrett, in between bouncing the American up and down over five eventful rounds.
It’s the “eventful” in David Haye’s makeup that has us all rooting for him. After a generation of soporific heavyweight encounters featuring a stream of eastern European automatons, the fight game is screeching out for some life in its heavyweight division.
It’s perhaps informative that Ruiz might actually be the best American heavyweight out there, after Tony Thompson, Eddie Chambers, Kevin Johnson and Chris Arreola all made a mockery of themselves and their profession in timid and abortive challenges to the Klitschko’s supremacy. At the very least you can count on Ruiz to not shoulder arms, pick up his check, and walk away.
Over here in the UK, the card is being televised by Sky Television on pay-per-view, and everyone connected with the promotion is doing everything they can to sell it as a competitive fight. The Haye-Valuev affair sold itself with the David vs. Goliath tag, and whilst the contest itself failed to live up to its billing, Haye garnered some rave reviews for the way he stuck to a rigid game plan to unseat the hulking Russian.
Now Adam Booth, Haye’s erudite trainer and chief teamster, is claiming that Ruiz presents a bigger obstacle in fistic terms even than Valuev, but few amongst the cognoscenti are buying that. Booth neglects to mention that Ruiz hasn’t won a fight against a meaningful fighter since 2004 (and I include Jameel McCline in that equation).
In his comments about Haye, Ruiz seems to have the Britisher pegged as a mover and tactician, presumably on the evidence of the Valuev performance, but he’d do well to remember that Haye and Booth devised that game plan precisely because it was a departure from his usual mode of fighting, and because he had to come up with something to counter-act a 7 stone weight and 9 inch height discrepancy. Haye’s usual style is to come out bombing with fast, angular punches, and the two men are similarly sized this time so that he’ll feel much more comfortable doing so in this fight.
The PR machine is making a big deal out of the fact that Ruiz hasn’t been knocked out in 15 years, when he was caught cold in the first round by a then undefeated 22 year old David Tua. That record of durability says more about the quality of his opposition since than it does about his chin, but credit where credit’s due – Ruiz has been around a long time, mixed it with some of the best of his era, and deserves a measure of respect for staying on his feet for so long.
For me, that record ends Saturday night. Haye’s a real up-and-comer, and he will have smarted at some of the criticism of his performance in Germany against Valuev, when he sacrificed a crowd-pleasing style to carve out a careful, cerebral win. I expect him to want to put on a show and come out fast, throwing bombs in combination, and have Ruiz out cold within a round or two.
If that happens, perhaps the headline writers will think again. But even if it doesn’t, and somehow Ruiz annexes a third heavyweight crown, I’ll still belly-laugh when on Sunday morning they try to tell me that John Ruiz exists on the same fistic planet as the Louisville Lip.
]]>Compiled by Brian Wilbur
On separate fight cards, on separate continents, two notable boxing main events will take place this Saturday, April 3rd. The first is a WBA Heavyweight Championship fight between title holder David Haye and former holder of that belt John Ruiz. The second is a grudge match between Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins, who despite being well into their 40's are still two of the sports biggest stars. Neither of these big money fights are being televised by a major US television network, which may actually be a blessing in disguise since neither match is expected to be action packed. The team of writers from RSR offer their predictions for both marquee bouts.
John Ruiz vs. David Haye
Brian Wilbur
David Haye doesn't have the inside fighting prowess of James Toney, or the compact power of David Tua, or the speed and movement of Roy Jones; so for those reasons I think Haye will have a tough time with John Ruiz. Avoiding those clinches has proven difficult for most of Ruiz's opponents. I see an ugly fight that is tough to score. Haye comes away with a debatable decision since he has the hometown judges behind him.
Geoff Poundes
I don’t believe this to be a competitive fight – the only reason Ruiz hasn’t been knocked out Tua-like in fifteen years is that he’s fought in a division shockingly bereft of any kind of talent. When he has fought anyone with a heavyweight pulse they’ve been either too old (Holyfield, Toney) or too fat (Toney, Toney, Toney). Expect Haye to come out fast, and he won’t worry about his chandelier chin since Ruiz doesn’t have a world class punch, so that he knocks Ruiz out within three rounds.
Jeff Stoyanoff
Ruiz specializes in making his opponents look bad. He is able to do this by consistently taking away the main weapon of his opponent. That is a difficult thing to stop an intelligent, solid fighter from doing; which might just be why Ruiz hasn't been stopped in a fight in 14 years. Ruiz will do what he does. He will stifle Haye's speed and movement and make it into a competitive grind. However, Haye will have just enough to slip passed Ruiz and take a tight unanimous or majority decision.
Eoin Redahan
Haye will make a big statement by knocking Ruiz out. I'm going to say round five.
Joe Wilson
Even though John Ruiz is an awkward fighter and poses problems for most fighters, I believe David Haye will land power shots early, and stop Ruiz inside of 8 rounds by TKO.
Geno McGahee
Haye is the favorite going in because of his speed, but his chin and Ruiz's sneaky right hand make this an interesting fight. The most likely scenario is a UD for Haye as he uses his jab and movement, not risking much, and cruising to a decision win. Ruiz has issues with speed. It'll cost him here. Haye by UD.
SJ Jarapa
Errr........ WBA Heavyweight Championship? Okay, this is a blonde moment but I'm surprised there's still a belt that hasn't been annexed by the Soviet. I'll be retarded and pick John Ruiz by majority decision.
“Bad” Brad Berkwitt
John Ruiz by an upset split decision.
Final Tally
David Haye - 6
John Ruiz - 2
Roy Jones vs. Bernard Hopkins
Brian Wilbur
Roy Jones is so far past his prime I fear for his life. Hopkins, though older in age and boring in style, can still hang with the elite of the division. Hopkins wins a wide decision.
Geoff Poundes
Sorry, but who cares? Hopkins will win. Big whoop.
Jeff Stoyanoff
Hopkins has never liked speed (who does?), but hand speed has a way of making him slow down even more and become extra methodical. As scary as it sounds, this fight might be even more boring than expected. Jones' skills have fallen completely off the map, but he still has a little speed and he can still put some punches together. Hopkins will be methodical and his punch output will be low, especially early on. Eventually, Hopkins will step it up a little and he will punish Jones as he himself fades down the stretch. Still, Jones will look to survive in a desperate attempt to avoid the ignominy of being knocked out by his arch rival and in that he should be successful. Nonetheless, Hopkins has more in the tank and he will emerge with a clear unanimous decision win.
Eoin Redahan
The manner of Hopkins' victory over Jones Jr. is hard to call. I think Hopkins will win by a wide points decision after having Jones on the canvas.
Joe Wilson
This fight will have the same outcome as the first. There is real tension this time. Bernard Hopkins will resort to dirty tactics once he starts to get hit clean by Roy Jones JR. (holding, headbutting and hitting behind the head). Going into the later rounds Jones will be ahead on all scorecards. His speed and accuracy will be too much for Hopkins. This is going to break out into a real fight if there is no disqualification, Jones wins by decision once again.
Geno McGahee
In this absurd PPV main event, I will go with Hopkins by UD. No brainer.
SJ Jarapa
Roy Jones Jr. is toting a gun with one bullet coming into this fight and that bullet is his only chance in a million against Bernard Hopkins. Hopkins in 6 rounds.
“Bad” Brad Berkwitt
Bernard Hopkins by a boring 12 round UD in a fight, I would not pay a dime to see.
Final Tally
Bernard Hopkins - 7
Roy Jones - 1
]]>By Geno McGahee
ESPN2’s FNF
Delvin Rodriguez, 25-4-2, 14 KO’s, gave a workmanlike performance against Mike Arnaoutis, 22-5-2, 10 KO’s, winning a clear cut unanimous decision by scores of 117-111, 119-108, and 118-109. Rodriguez boxed well, using his jab to control the fight and never allowed Arnaoutis into the fight. A very good performance by Rodriguez.
SHOBOX
Junior middleweight Erislandy Lara, 11-0, 6 KO’s, dominated Danny Perez, 34-6, 17 KO’s, over ten rounds, winning clearly by scores of 99-91 on all three cards. Perez didn’t have the speed to compete with the quick Lara and was quickly frustrated. It was an easy night for Lara.
]]>
By Geno McGahee
David Haye, 24-1, 22 KO’s, retained his WBA Heavyweight Title and sent a message to the Klitschko brothers by being only the second man to stop former 2-Time Champ, John Ruiz, 44-9-1, 30 KO’s, in the ninth round.
In the first round, Haye dropped Ruiz with a big right hand. Ruiz has always had trouble with speed and mobility and Haye became a nightmare for him. Ruiz proved too slow and clumsy to land against the quick hard-hitting champion. Haye would drop Ruiz once more in the first round, and then give Ruiz a consistent beating, forcing the Ruiz corner to stop the fight in the ninth round.
Haye lost some credit after his mediocre performance against Nikolay Valuev, but is back on the map as a serious threat to the Klitschko brothers after this performance.
]]>By Geno McGahee
The boos from the crowd, the cure for insomnia, the fifty dollar price tag…everything that it was meant to be: Bernard Hopkins versus Roy Jones, JR. As expected, Hopkins had more left and won the fight, which was absolutely horrible from start to finish. Hopkins, 51-5-1, 32 KO’s, controlled the fight, got somewhat upset from a rabbit punch and made the fight even dirtier. Jones, 54-7, 40 KO’s, was in it for the money, having nothing left, but he at least made it to the finish line, with the judges seeing it 117-110 (twice), and 118-109. Horrible fight….as expected.
]]>By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
Last week was another busy week for boxing. “Haye vs Ruiz” by Battlingsiki focused on British heavyweight boxing as we closed-in on the next chapter of the soap opera known as the WBA heavyweight title. As that thread so adroitly points out, much was riding on “The Hayemaker’s” ability to underline his stance as a breath of fresh air and star while ridding fans and the sport of yet another round of what surely would have been Ruiz-Valuev Part III, not to mention stoking the ever-growing anticipation for a big showdown later in the year with one of the Klitschko’s. For those of you that enjoyed Lemon and Matthau in Grumpy Old Men one key bout featuring two very prominent if aging ring icons just may well have tickled your fancy, if not for the action in the bout itself, then perhaps for the one-liners from both combatants leading into it. “RJJ vs. Hopkins II” by OKMike discusses the much-maligned rematch as if it were a straight to video response to an awesome blockbuster of decades gone by, perhaps forgetting that over the course of history in prizefighting, very few go quietly into the night with both pride and legacy fully intact.
The RSR Prediction League enjoyed a brisk and competitive first round of activity thanks to a few of the aforementioned geriatrics, and was not without upset where a particular super featherweight was concerned. Taking the early lead, OKMike looks to pick-up where he left off in February, undaunted by the fact that Jakeameyers recently upgraded his crystal ball. With twenty-one bouts left on this month’s roster, six of which make up our next round of activity, anything can and likely will happen. Stay tuned. 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, 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
]]>
By Eoin Redahan
Scan boxing’s International Hall of Fame and you will find the sport’s dapper pioneers, the gnarled glares of its early practitioners, and the disconcerting smiles of its modern greats. There is the Panamanian with the hands of stone, the Louisville lip, the raging bull, and even a Thai Tyson. Surprisingly, however, only three African boxers grace this list: Nigeria’s Dick Tiger, South Africa’s Brian Mitchell, and Ghana’s Azumah Nelson.
The relative dearth of stellar African boxers is hard to believe. After all, how many extraordinary athletes do African countries produce every year? How many Hall of Fame boxers owe their ancestry to West Africa alone? Boxing is one of very few sports with a global reach, and it is not expensive; so, why have so few world-renowned boxers emerged from the continent?
Adeyinka Makinde, boxing historian and author of the book, Dick Tiger: The Life and Times of a Boxing Immortal, explained why he felt there are so many African-American boxers, yet so few African boxers, in the Hall of Fame:
“It’s likely down to the nurturing they receive at the early stages of their careers. Many African athletes do not have proper or adequate facilities in their home countries. Some go further to postulate genetic improvement. The forebears of those sold into slavery were often times captured warriors. Then only the strong survived the horrors of the middle passage. Maybe there’s an inkling of truth there, but I think it is more a case of having an environment within which training and nurturing expertise marries with latent talent and ambition.”
Sometimes, a paucity of wealth doesn’t affect a country’s ability to produce world class-athletes. Countries such as Argentina and Brazil are renowned for producing a glut of professional football players from impoverished areas; however, Mr. Makinde explained why this has not been the case with African boxing:
“Although poverty and desperation borne out of the membership of an available underclass would appear to place Africa – among the continents – in something of a vanguard of the potential breeding ground for fighters, there is simply no infrastructure in most African countries to produce…a thriving scene of active fighters.”
Former IBF Australasian Super Middleweight Champion Sakio Bika grew up in Cameroon before moving to Australia to pursue a professional career after the Sydney Olympics. He said that while some African countries have decent systems in place for amateur boxing, it is very difficult to sustain a professional career from most African countries:
“The government, the business people; they help the amateurs a lot in Cameroon….[But], it’s impossible to become a professional in Cameroon. If you want to become a professional, just get your luggage and fly off and go to some country. Maybe go to Europe or America.”
Statistics would appear to compound Mr. Bika’s point. According to the boxing website Boxrec.com, the top 10 Nigerian boxers in its pound-for-pound rankings are all based outside the country; only two of Uganda’s, and one of Cameroon’s best boxers are based at home, while North African countries (with such close proximity to Europe) such as Tunisia and Morocco are seeing most of their best boxers ply their trade elsewhere. Even Ghana, which has such a strong boxing tradition, has only four domestic-based boxers in its top 10 in the pound-for-pound rankings.
Mr. Bika identified the lack of financial support for professional African boxers and the difficulty in obtaining visas to fight in different countries as the main reasons why many African professional boxers choose to live in the U.S. or Europe. He said he intends to return to Cameroon when he has retires in order to help the next generation of Cameroonian boxers. He said he will, “try to give young people the opportunity to achieve their goals…. I can pay back what I learned when I was younger in Cameroon.”
Unlike Bika, however, many professional boxers will not return home to live in their native countries. This starves many countries of valuable expertise, experience, and the constant presence of role models for aspiring professionals. South Africa is a notable exception. According to Boxrec, its top 20 boxers in the current pound-for-pound listing are all living in South Africa. Loyiso Mtya, the South African Boxing Association’s Director of Operations, said that much of this is attributable to economics and infrastructure:
“It goes back to the capabilities to facilitate and promote. Our boxers do not have to leave the country in order to earn the opportunities to contest for the biggest sanctioning bodies. That has the effect of encouraging youngsters, as their international star or role models are within sight…. Imagine any teenager that has Oscar De La Hoya or Floyd Mayweather living next door? They cannot wait to try their hand at boxing.”
Having a quality infrastructure not only fosters tradition, it strengthens existing boxing bloodlines. Mr. Makinde mentioned the Ga ethnic group in Ghana’s capital Accra as an example of how tradition can nurture a long line of boxers; this dynasty has included Roy Ankrah, David “Poison” Kotey, Hall of Fame member Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey, and now world title challenger Joshua Clottey.
When these traditions are nurtured, it further strengthens the sport in the country. According to Mr. Mtya, there is a historic boxing tradition that forms part of the culture or religion in parts of South Africa, such as the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and Limpopo. He said that, “you will find youngsters in a rural area, where they still cannot afford gloves, boxing in the streets using milk cans or anything else that can cover their hands. A lot of boys, and lately the girls, therefore are born into the tradition of boxing. It flows in their veins.”
While Ghana and South Africa have taken advantage of the boxing traditions in their countries, they have also enjoyed relative political stability in recent years. Mr. Makinde emphasized the importance of this: “Tradition is predicated on stability and continuity, which given the recent bouts of political and social chaos on the African continent, has not been possible.” As part of the administrative system in South African boxing, Mr. Mtya echoed these sentiments: “Political stability is immeasurable in all sorts of life. Just look at the other African countries…. The instability has paralyzed not only boxing, but life in general.”
He mentioned that boxing has struggled in South Africa in the past two years due to a lack of sponsorship and funding; however, it has received government support when it needed it the most: “The Boxing SA office could only keep the fire burning from only the provincial governments. Ninety-six percent of those tournaments were funded by the provincial governments. Without that kind of assistance, boxing would have been a thing of the past. If this country was unstable like other African countries and the rest of the world, where would we be?”
Unfortunately, not all administrations are as concerned with the health of their country’s sports. Mr. Adeyinka felt that poor infrastructure and “the nearsightedness of administrators” have hindered progress. He cited the example of a friend of his who asked for advice about promoting fights in Nigeria:
“I told him that the tried and trusted way was to get as much of your capital from businesses and also from television. He replied that when he contacted a Nigerian television station, they insisted that the norm was for a promoter to pay the TV company for the privilege of broadcasting the bouts.”
Also, ostentatious events organized by despotic regimes, such as the “Rumble in the Jungle” between Ali and Foreman in the Democratic of Congo (then Zaire) in 1974, may appear impressive to the watching world, but actually do little to stimulate the development of a sport in the country. As Mr. Makinde said, the sponsor of that fight - the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko - was more interested in filling his boots than actually using “an event of such magnitude as the stimulus for opening boxing and other sporting academies.”
However, even if the administration and infrastructure improve considerably and professional boxers are given better opportunities, the sport still faces a grim future on the continent. This is due to the seemingly innocuous, yet irrepressible, rise of football.
With European football’s sprawling popularity, huge wealth, and extensive scouting networks, boxing simply cannot compete. Barcelona’s line up for final of last season’s premier world club football competition, The Champions’ League, encapsulates the challenge facing boxing in Africa. The winning side featured three African players: Seydou Keita from Mali, Samuel Eto’o from Cameroon, and Yaya Touré from Côte d’Ivoire.
Somewhere between 100 and 200 million people from around the world watched this match alone; thus, it is no surprise that youngsters are choosing to play a sport where they can earn millions of dollars and achieve global renown, as opposed to a niche sport where they get punched in the head for a living for a more modest fee.
Unfortunately for Africa’s boxing fraternity, they are “thinking outside the box.”
For the full transcript of the interview with Adeyinka Makinde
]]>
By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt and Valarie Murphy (At Ringside)
Photos by Eric Fleming
Move over Sarah Palin and the Tea Party. Let the real ladies of the business world through. This past Friday, Babie Girl Productions CEO Cassandra White put on an exciting professional card that took place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.
Before a crowd of about 650 boxing spectators who watched in the main event local boxer Henry “Sugar Poo” Buchanan, 19-2, 12 KO's, win an eight-round unanimous decision over Julius Fogle, 14-3, 10 KO's, to regain his WBF All-Americas Super Middleweight Title.
Sugar Poo was able to overcome a broken right hand that happened very early in the fight. When the scorecards were read, Buchanan was up by 77-75 (twice) and 78-74 on the third card.
In the co-main event, local heavyweight Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell, 16-0, 10 KO's, looked impressive in what he was supposed to do with Ryan Thompson, 9-9, 6 KO's, by working his combinations and stopping him at 2:32 of the third round.
Mitchell, at this point of his career, needs to step up the level of his competition to see exactly where he stands as a professional in the heavyweight division, a division that is a big money maker and is in dire need of the next superstar from the United States. My colleague Gary “Digital” Williams from Boxing Along The Beltway is reporting that Mitchell has an upcoming bout on ESPN2 against Ashanti Jordan, on May 8th. Jordan has a record of 10-1 and is coming off his first loss to Joe Hanks via a six round unanimous decision.
In other bouts:
In a light heavyweight bout, Alexander “The Great” Johnson, 9-0, 3 KO's, won a six-round unanimous decision over William Gill, 9-25, 7 KO's.
In a middleweight bout Tony “Mo Better” Jeter, 9-2, 8 KO's, saw the canvas in the first round, but went on to stop Vincent Robbins, 3-9-2, 3 KO's, at 1:34 of the second round.
In a heavyweight bout Horace “The Reason” Grant, 15-2, 9 KO's, won a four-round unanimous decision over “The People’s Champion” Jonathan Felton, 6-21, 5 KO's. Both fighters saw the canvas in this fight and when the scorecards were read, Grant won by the scores of 40-35, 40-34, and 39-36.
The most exciting bout of the evening was in the women's ranks when Adelita Irizarry, 7-4, 2 KO's, won a split decision over “Fearless” Molly McConnell, 10-2, 5 KO's, to capture the vacant WBF All-Americas Women’s Welterweight Title. They fought on top of each other for most of the fight with Irizarry being the aggressor throughout, but McConnell did have her moments as well. When the scorecards were read, they had the judges split with scores of 59-55 for Irizarry (twice) and 58-56 for McConnell.
In an exhibition bout former World Champion Paul “The Punisher” Williams went three tough rounds with his main sparring partner Otganbayer Daivii. Williams has a fight coming up on May 8th against former RSR writer Kermit Cintron.
This was my first time in the new Walter E. Washington Convention Center and I must admit, it is a very nice/clean venue to put on a fight card. Again, for all those fans that say when is boxing coming back, it was back this past Friday night and I expect even more fans in the seats the next time around for a Babie Girl Productions night of boxing.
For the full transcript of the interview with Adeyinka Makinde
]]>By Geno McGahee
The two favorites in the Showtime Super Six tournament have losses on their records now. Mikkel Kessler was dominated en route to a decision loss to Andre Ward, and recently, undefeated Arthur Abraham was disqualified for an illegal blow to underdog Andre Dirrell. The two defeats demonstrated why this tournament is so good.
It’s a very hard thing to predict, but there is now a clear favorite…or not so clear favorite, a dark horse, a new entry trying to prove he belongs, and the two favorites trying to regroup. What do the participants need to do and what are their chances?
“King” Arthur Abraham, 31-1, 25 KO’s
Tournament Record: 1-1
Points: 3
The former IBF Middleweight Champion seemed like nearly a sure thing after Kessler was defeated to win the tournament. He made a statement in his first showing, knocking former Middleweight Champion, Jermain Taylor, into tomorrow and out of the tournament, picking up three points. His tight defense, iron chin, and courage made him a near impossible man to beat and not too many gave Andre Dirrell a chance to defeat him.
The tight defense proved to be his downfall against Dirrell. The quick and light-footed Dirrell was so quick and active that Abraham remained in a shell, and shockingly, Abraham was dropped for the first time in his career in the fourth round. Going into the 11th round, Dirrell was well ahead on the cards (98-91 and 97-92 twice), and Abraham was desperate, so desperate that he threw a wicked uppercut to the chin of Dirrell when he was on his knees, slipping on some water in the corner. Dirrell was knocked cold and the fight was over with Abraham was DQ’d.
What does the future hold for Abraham in the tourney? Abraham will face off against Carl Froch in his next outing with the hopes of rebound. Froch has a big punch but can be bullied at times, which should work out well for “King” Arthur. There is still hope for King Arthur to win it.
Mikkel “Viking Warrior” Kessler, 42-2, 32 KO’s
Tournament Record: 0-1
Points: 0
The former WBA Super Middleweight Champ only had one defeat on his record coming into the tournament against all time great, Joe Calzaghe, and most focused on that as the reason why he would win it. At one time, Larry Merchant said he didn’t trust any fighter whose reputation was based on a defeat, and this was a case of it. When he took on Andre Ward, he was favored to win, but from the opening bell, Ward dominated. Kessler was frustrated and rocked on several occasions. The bout would be stopped in the 11th round from a cut on Kessler, and it would go to the cards with Ward winning a wide decision.
Kessler now focuses on his April 24th showdown with Carl Froch, which should be fireworks from the opening bell. Kessler wants desperately to win convincingly and Froch has dynamite in his fists meaning that something is going to happen and happen early. I expect Froch to win and put Kessler out of the tournament.
Andre Ward, 21-0, 13 KO’s
Tournament Record: 1-0
Points: 2
Ward proved that he had grit and skill when he outmuscled and dominated Edison Miranda, taking an easy decision win. Ward was the underdog going into the Kessler fight, but his timing and puzzling style, mixing holding and movement to frustrate his opponent. Ward is not a pretty fighter to watch but he is going to be hard to beat.
The next fight up for Ward is a collision tournament newbie, Allan Green on June 19th. Green may prove to be the most difficult opponent style-wise and most dangerous with his great power. It will be a grudge match that will most likely not go the distance. It’s one of the most exciting matches of the tourney. Ward is now considered the favorite to win, especially after Abraham’s defeat to Dirrell.
Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell, 19-1, 13 KO’s
Tournament Record: 1-1
Points: 2
In his first showing, Dirrell lost a close decision to Carl Froch, but he gave a good showing, but was a big underdog going into his showdown with Arthur Abraham. Dirrell fought the fight of his life, using his speed, timing, and just enough movement to keep Abraham confused and frustrated. For ten rounds, Dirrell owned the fight, only to be fouled in round 11. In a scary situation, Dirrell was trembling on the canvas and wasn’t aware of where he was when he came to.
Dirrell’s style is going to pose problems for anyone he faces. He doesn’t possess a huge punch but he has established himself as a player in the tournament, taking down the top guy in Abraham.
Carl “Cobra” Froch, 26-0, 20 KO’s
Tournament Record: 1-0
Points: 2
In April of 2009, Froch defended his WBC Super Middleweight Title with a come from behind, last round stoppage, of Jermain Taylor, and quickly accepted the invitation into the tournament. In his first outing, he struggled to outpoint Andre Dirrell and now looks ahead to the April 24th showdown with the much more manageable, style-wise, Mikkel Kessler. Froch is the dark horse in the tournament and could prove to be a big surprise to everyone with his big punch and big heart.
Froch should defeat Kessler and it will most likely be a knockout victory, giving him a solid 5 points, leading to his third round bout with Arthur Abraham, another guy that will be right in his face, allowing him to land his power shots.
Allan Green, 29-1, 20 KO’s
Tournament Record: 0-0-0
Points: 0
Allan Green wanted into the tournament badly and when Jermain Taylor was convinced to leave, he quickly jumped at the opportunity and has Andre Ward and the WBA Title in his sights on June 19th. Green is a big puncher with an exciting style that will give Ward some scares and might even be more than that.
Green has wanted to face the best of the 168 pound division and this is his chance and if he can figure Ward out, he may shock the tournament, knocking another #1 guy out of their spot. This is a tourney of surprises and Green plans to add one more and pick up 3 points. The addition of Green and removal of Taylor was a good thing.
Who wins?
Carl Froch is my pick at this time. He got over the hump with the tough outing against Dirrell, and now has some more style-friendly fights ahead of him. The second choice would be Ward. Ward’s style and confidence will be hard to beat. Dirrell would be the third choice to win it. Arthur Abraham falls from my pick to the fourth most likely to come out victorious. He is tough and will hopefully become more active when facing a guy like Dirrell. Green comes in at number five, but that may change dramatically should he defeat Ward, and now sitting in my least likely to win spot is Mikkel Kessler. He looked like damaged goods in the Ward fight. Edison Miranda seemed to accomplish more than he did against Ward.
It’s a great tournament and I’m sure my picks will be rattled by the twists and turns of this fun tourney.
]]>By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
Last year just after he had defeated Ruslan Chagaev I wrote an article that essentially took the high road view on Wladimir Klitschko and his station today as IBF/WBO Heavyweight Champion. I referred to him as the heavyweight division’s “trash man”, in that I felt he was doing all of the really important work, answering the questions relative to the best of what today’s heavyweight ranks had to offer outside of his brother Vitali, the current WBC titlist. Think about it; Wladimir rightfully established himself for his present run some five years ago when he defeated Samuel Peter, then an undefeated thumper with a semblance of mystique. After that he took the IBF title by trouncing the always complicated Chris Byrd, a fighter that I believe to this very day his brother wanted no part of in a return. From there, he’s defended his title no less than eight times, along the way stopping a former conqueror and picking up the WBO title in a unification event that although devoid of high drama, is a key selling point relative to the context of today’s heavyweight landscape.
Further to that, three of the men he has defended against were undefeated at the time when they challenged him and in the case of the aforementioned Chagaev, that bout should rightfully have been another unification showdown, save for the fact that boxing politics eliminated any chance of the WBA title being a part of the stakes for that contest. When you dust it all off Wladimir Klitschko hasn’t ducked anybody and he’s done everything he can as heavyweight champion to honor the role outside of facing his brother, a unique and unprecedented situation with considerations that go well beyond the prize ring.
In his last appearance Wladimir disappointed those with a thirst for combat by riding the brakes for ten mundane rounds before switching gears and going for the kill against the slippery and underrated Eddie Chambers. There were moments of hope for Chambers early but by the seventh it was clear to me that the challenger had run out of ideas on getting past Klitschko’s left jab and measured defense and had accepted a grim fate. There can be no doubt that Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward has done a wondrous makeover on Klitschko, obviously keen to the chinks in Wlad’s flawed former game of seek and destroy aggression and the sudden panicked mindset that seemed to come about during moments of duress.
The net result is a practiced, albeit dry routine of defensive boxing that utilizes the distinct physical advantages of his 6’6 charge to the point that fans are often ready to nod off just as his opponent is ready to crumble. Sometimes being too good and too practiced works against you, and in the case of the defense-oriented younger Klitschko, who often enjoys a significant advantage in sheer size and athleticism over his nerve racked challengers, the formulation is less than appealing, particularly to North American to fans hoping for sparks.
I’ve taken the liberty to review four current fighters that are of particular interest and pedigree, the next wave of hopefuls if you will, that could be signed to oppose the dominant IBF/WBO kingpin sometime in the near future. Each is at a distinct size disadvantage and in two cases, has limited experience relative to the champion. Of particular note, two of these four fighters are former cruiserweight champions; ironic in that for years the much maligned cruiserweight division was looked upon as a graveyard of sorts where fat light heavyweights and listless, smallish heavyweights toiled in the shadows.
David Haye
The current WBA heavyweight champion has spent the better part of two years talking up credentials that didn’t really exist beyond 200lbs. After having called out Wladimir Klitschko for the better part of six months starting towards the end of 2008, Haye, 23-1, 21 KO’s signed to challenge Wlad only to back out under a myriad dubious details and excuses. Not that it was all bad; his pull-out precipitated Wlad’s useful defense against Ruslan Chagaev, ridding us of further postponements from the former WBA titlist and demonstrating who between the two the better champion was. After that, Haye challenged and subsequently backed out on Vitali Klitschko for the WBC title. In the end Haye moved toward and ultimately defeated the oafish and in-decline Nikolay Valuev for the WBA trinket in a bout painfully devoid of style and electricity, where the supposed one-punch power of “The Hayemaker” made next to know appearance. Compounding the complications associated with his claim to having become the supposed new heavyweight champion of the world, Haye admitted before the bout that Valuev was the least threatening of the heavyweight titlists, fueling speculation he had backed away from Wlad and his brother on false pretenses.
Tomasz Adamek
Say what you will about his liabilities demonstrated at light heavyweight and cruiserweight, divisions where he won the WBC and IBF world titles, with a record of 40-1, 27 KO’s “Goral” is a balls to the wall tiger when it comes to laying it all out. He can systematically box an opponent to a standstill or he can chisel away at a foe until a bull’s eye presents itself as a target for his thudding right hand. His recent climb up to heavyweight surprised me, and subsequent wins over a finished but far larger Andrew Golota and contender Jason Estrada have demonstrated with decidedly modest results his effectiveness at or just around 215lbs. Against Wladimir he’ll be at a marked disadvantage; outgunned and out-sized in just about every aspect of such a match-up, except where it counts most – killer instinct and heart.
Alexander Povetkin
I like Alexander Povetkin, 19-0, 14 KO’s. He has great amateur pedigree and the spirit of a true, measured competitor. The guy seems to have a whiff of what success, relative to the greater picture, really means. Having backed out of his challenge of Klitschko on pretenses that are arguably up for debate, he's regrouped and refined both his team and his game for the sake of future success. In what must be considered a great bargain, he's hired Teddy Atlas to train him. No doubt it's a two-for-one deal that includes the latter's fully charged cell phone and a sack full of Wagnerian diatribes that would make a post-Beaches Bette Midler blush.
A late-2009 tune-up on one Leo Nolan saw the new team in action. His most recent appearance saw him play the role of "blacksmith" to a blubbery Javier Mora's interpretation of "anvil". Credit Povetkin's antics; he may not be a one-punch thrasher but damned if we'll sit through virtually twelve rounds of "touch me not" should he decide to roll the dice in a similar fashion with Wladimir Klitschko anytime soon. But in case he does get that fight and suddenly has a change of heart - trust that Ready Teddy will be ready to assume his corner stool, cell phone in hand, tongue wagging like a prairie dog in heat.
Odlanier Solis
At 16-0, 12 KO's Odlanier Solis isn’t so easily dismissed when taking a broad view of today's heavyweight division. The land of the giants is a far more international blend than it was twenty or even ten years ago. Last October Solis flattened the completely shot Monte Barrett with apparent ease - and he did it without getting floored in the process, something the all too celebrated David Haye failed to pull off. Most recently he convinced Carl Davis Drumond to remain on his stool, and the last time I looked Drumond wasn't one for the piano.
Yes, Solis borders upon being "rotund", having paired down from a career high 271 last October to a relatively hopeful 268 in his last showing, but I think expecting him to cut poundage would be a waste of energy for all concerned. He will likely need to be convinced....but does such a need really exist? Or is this refrigerator-sized Cuban a talent already built to spec and ready for a forward march into that territory known as "Klitschko"? I like this guy's jab and his hammer. Further, he has some patience and the suggestion of a few gears. 16-0 isn't what I would consider extensive experience, but given what I've seen from Solis thus far I'll take what I can get.
]]>By Brian Wilbur
Welcome to Ringside Report and my mailbag. This column is about giving fans of boxing and MMA a forum to express their views, voice their opinions, and to call me an idiot. This weekend, the fight that got the most press was the pathetic match up between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones, two guys who should be long retired. Hopkins has made an effort to make his fights as boring as possible over the last five years or so. Based on that knowledge, and the fact that Jones is so shot I would hesitate to pick him to beat my grandmother, I did not watch the “anticipated” rematch between Hopkins and Jones. You could not have paid me to watch that fight.
After reading the reports I am glad I passed. From the reports I read, the only damage that either man imposed on the other was of the illegal variety. I am saddened that these kinds of irrelevant circus fights get much more media attention than quality championship boxing matches.
Although the media ignored it and instead paid attention to squabbling old men, the Heavyweight Championship fight between David Haye and John Ruiz was the best and more significant fight of the weekend. What's that you say? John Ruiz in a good fight? Yeah, mostly it was entertaining because he was getting knocked around. In the first email this week, me and regular emailer Olafur, discuss David Haye and his performance.
Other topics in this week's mailbag include the Super Six tournament, how the Mexican trio of Morales, Barrera, and Marquez would do against Julio Cesar Chavez, UFC heavyweights, and more. I hope you enjoy reading and get inspired enough to send me an email of your own to be featured in next week's bag.
David Haye Excites, Kind Of and Super Six Talk
Hello Brian,
Thinking about David Haye's win over John Ruiz, I found the fight interesting and there was more excitement than when the Klitschkos fights generally. But I feel like there's something missing, an X factor if you will. I can't put my finger on it, there were knockdowns there was a feel that John Ruiz could take the punishment and win, because he had Haye working the whole fight through. This is not a criticism on the performance. The thing I would like to see next is of course a fight with Wladimir. How do you see that fight panning out? I still see Haye as an underdog in that fight with a puncher's chance. Also how do you rate his punching power? He has got a really good right hand.
Now the Arthur Abraham fight. I couldn't see the fight live and I heard that Arthur was out-boxed and knocked down etc. So when I finally saw the fight it was like going in to a movie every body said sucked (regarding Abraham's performance) so maybe that had an effect. Before the fight I thought Abraham would cruise through him and knock him out so I would have been shocked if I saw it live. Having said that, I don't think Abraham's performance was that bad. He had his same old Winky Wright defense going on and the fight reminded me of the one with Jermain Taylor. Dirrell was throwing a lot but very many punches landed on the guard (hands of Abraham). Abraham landed one one punch here and there in every round. He was clearly losing on points and Dirrell performed very well.
Dirrell is dangerous to any fighter especially because of his footwork and speed. The knockdown in the 4th round seemed to me like a balance shot. Arthur wasn´t hurt and Dirrell caught him coming in and off balance. I felt Arthur was coming on strong in the latter half and it would have been interesting to see if Dirrell would suffer the same fate as Jermain (although he technically did).
Arthur had a bad foul that stopped the fight, but I see a pattern in Dirrell that I don't like, just like in the Froch fight he keeps on falling down and it's strange how he always slips when heat is on him. I feel like sometimes he does this to escape punishment and knockdowns (failed terribly this time). So I wonder is
there any rules about that? Falling down and stealing time or busting an offense by doing so? Just so it's clear I did agree with the stoppage and it was a very bad foul on Arthur's part. Of course he should not hit an opponent when he's down.
I think there were two knockdowns that were not awarded. One obviously when Arthur punched him down in the 9th or 10th round, I don't remember. And one time Abraham took a very hard punch from Dirrell and fell really hard on the ropes and it seemed to me that if not for the ropes he would have fallen down.
Carl Froch's performance doesn't look as bad now, this tournament is brilliant it has brought very good, competitive fights.
Happy holiday and keep up the good work.
-Olafur
Olafur,
David Haye performed better than I expected against Ruiz. In the Team RSR fight picks I said that Haye would struggle with Ruiz like most do. Since the fight played out differently than I expected I am struggling to explain why.
It looked as if Ruiz finally decided to abandon his jab and clinch strategy in favor of an aggressive Mike Tyson-esque approach, which is strange. Why in the world would he all of a sudden abandon his battle tested approach when going against one of the most dangerous punchers in the division? Perhaps he was fed up with the criticisms about his boring fighting style, or perhaps he realized that he was not going to win by fighting his standard fight so he went all out in desperation, ala Erik Morales in his third fight with Manny Pacquiao.
Age probably played a role as well since John Ruiz is getting old and has not looked very good lately. And of course, the other explanation is that Haye is better than I thought he was; good enough to beat down John Ruiz where others have failed. There is no denying that David Haye has a terrific knockout punch. He is also fast and athletic. But like you said, you get the feeling that he is hiding some vulnerabilities, such as a weak chin, poor stamina, or mental lapses. We'll see in the future if those shortcomings reveal themselves.
I would make either Klitschko a very large favorite over Haye. Against Wladimir, Haye would have a slight puncher's chance because of his power and speed, but not much. Against Vitali Haye would not even have that. He would have to hope that Vitali's body betrayed him with a freak injury.
I am surprised that Wladimir's name has surfaced as the next Haye opponent. That surprises me because I thought that Vitali Klitschko would be the one to fight Haye. For one, because Vitali matches up better stylistically against Haye, but more importantly because Haye holds the WBA belt and I know the brothers want two belts a piece. Wladimir holding three belts to Vitali's one belt would put a kink in their goal.
You are right that Arthur Abraham was still alive at the time of the foul that disqualified him against Andre Dirrell. He was losing badly on points, but was coming on very strong and is typically a late round fighter. I don't think there was a person watching the fight who thought that Abraham didn't have a chance to score a dramatic win in the final two rounds. Had the foul not happened, who knows what would have happened. Most likely Dirrell would have fought defensively to protect his lead and secure a points victory. But I see your point that the fight played out similarly to Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor. But disregarding the “what if?” scenarios, Dirrell won almost every round so you have to commend him on a stellar performance against someone who was supposed to beat him. I wouldn't argue if one would say that Andre dominated Abraham.
Abraham is still almost a lock to make the final four of the Super Six tournament because he scored a 3 points knockout already. Dirrell and Abraham could very well meet again in this tournament. I would be curious to see how Arthur would fight Dirrell in a rematch seeing as how his original strategy left in him a hole that was nearly impossible to climb out of.
And to address your question as to whether slipping on purpose to get a rest is illegal. Yes, although this is clearly a judgment call by the referee. If the ref thinks that you are slipping on purpose to avoid heat he will rule it as taking a knee, and it is officially scored a knockdown.
I like that you mentioned Carl Froch after discussing Andre Dirrell's rise in stock. Froch's stock should rise as well for doing better against Dirrell than Arthur Abraham did. I am actually surprised that the line for Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler did not change at all after Dirrell won his fight. Froch remains a +140 underdog. Perhaps the thinking is that Dirrell was too scared and inexperienced fighting on the big stage against Froch to utilize all of his talents against Froch the way he did against Abraham.
Looking forward to the next set of Super Six fights! This has been a wonderful tournament so far.
Mexico's Great Rivalries
Hi Brian,
I have been a fan of a lot of the great Mexican fighters and my favorite has always been Julio Cesar Chavez. Knowing that after his absence there were 3 candidates as the next great Mexican star I'd like to know your opinion on the fights below. I'd like to pit them with each other since Mexicans do fight their own and form great rivalries within the same country.
In their primes who do you think will win:
Chavez vs. Erik Morales - I think this one is a toss up. This will be a great see-saw battle which will leave our mouths open. I'd probably give it to Chavez due to better punch output en route to a split or unanimous decision.
Chavez vs. Marco Antonio Barrera - I think this might be a tough match-up for Barrera, Barrera has the tendency to back down when he is attacked by a stronger and busier opponent (ex. Pacquiao). I have a hunch that Chavez might stop him late.
Chavez vs. Juan Manuel Marquez - This is gonna be a tough fight for Chavez, Marquez is a different kind of boxer-puncher and he is very tough. I think Marquez might get a decision in this one due to the better percentage of landed punches in a unanimous decision win.
I'd like to read about your opinion man. I'm a frustrated analyst and I want someone to talk to regarding the sport that I love.
Regards,
Maginoo "Pero" Bastos
Maginoo,
As great at this era's Mexican trio of Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Marco Antonio Barrera are, Julio Cesar Chavez was a step above those three guys. Chavez could equal them in skill but one-upped them in his physical attributes. JC Superstar was amazingly strong, tough, and had one of the best chins of all time. Also, I consider the fact that Chavez was naturally one or two weight classes bigger than Morales, Barrera, and Marquez. This is how I see those three matchups:
Chavez vs. Morales - “El Terrible” would have a moderate chance of winning this one by boxing and using his length. However, Chavez was the ultimate pressure fighter and Morales never backs down from a fight. Morales's bravery and guts would get him in trouble. After Chavez trapped him against the ropes and landed his power shots to the ribs and head a few times, Morales would get pissed off and trade punches. That would lead to his demise and a 9th round TKO victory for Julio Cesar Chavez.
Chavez vs. Barrera – This is a bad styles match up for Barrera. The young version of Barrera is essentially the same fighter as Chavez only not as big or strong. Chavez would absorb any offense that Marco Antonio would have to offer and then retaliate with crushing counter punches with devastating effect, stopping Barrera in the middle rounds.
Chavez vs. Marquez – Marquez is a unique fighter with his precision counter punching style. Despite Chavez being a master inside fighter/brawler, I don't think that he could match Marquez in skill in the center of the ring. Chavez would have to use his size and strength to overpower Marquez. I could see a fight where Chavez stalked Marquez, eating two punches for every one he got in, but eventually trapping Marquez against the ropes and mauling him. This could be a match up similar to Juan Manuel's brother's rivalry, Rafael Marquez vs. Israel Vazquez. Marquez is more skilled and technical, but the power, strength, chin and determination is enough to overcome in the case of Vazquez, and in this mythical match up Julio Cesar Chavez. I'll take Chavez to win by unanimous decision.
I have Chavez winning a clean sweep over all three modern Mexican greats, but mostly because Julio Cesar is bigger. None of those guys have proved that they can perform at an all time great level at lightweight or junior welterweight like Chavez has. Perhaps in a pound for pound mythical match up would have a different opinion.
To Become a True Hall of Famer
Mr. Brian Wilbur,
Good day to you, I’m just one of so many avid boxing fans that truly knows and understands very well of the exact meaning of boxing hall of fame. I am a Filipino and from time to time I watch boxing worldwide on You Tube, DVD, and PPV and reading the Ring Magazine, KO magazine etc.
As you know more and more Filipino fighters are fighting in different parts of the world and gallantly fought no matter what. Win or loss it doesn’t matter nor affect us simply because fighting outside of your own backyard is so great to appreciate, learn and follow steps forward with bravery!
We Filipinos hold the very first Asian Boxing World Championship with the immortal Pancho Villa way back in 1923 when he brutally KO’d the great Jimmy Wilde. After Villa’s success in your country it was followed by middleweight Ceferino Garcia, whom invented the bolo punch, followed by Flash Elorde, who still holds the longest world junior lightweight championship reign ever 1960-1967, it was followed by the Penalosa brothers, who are both two division champs, Gerry and Dodie Boy Penalosa. More and more Filipino fighters fought outside of Asia and became successful, until the newest hottest boxing sensation the current P4P king and boxing’s lone 7 division World Champion: Manny Pacman Pacquiao!
My bottom line is this: how could a boxer able to win a world title belt asking for more than his true will? 99% of Thai fighters inviting foreign world champs to fight in Thailand win hometown decisions? These cheater Thai promoters and managers always hold their fighters to defend the title they won in very low class title defenses inside their own backyard in Thailand. Is anybody here seeing a Thai fighter who is so successful fighting in America? In Europe? In Africa? The exact answer is no.
And in the case of this new WBC flyweight title holder Thai Pongsaklek Wongjongkam who defended his title inside of his own backyard for a long time is asking for a shot in the Hall of Fame? I’m calling out the attention of all American boxing writers, because I would like to challenge you all guys about the true meaning of Hall of Fame. How could a fighter become such a great if he wasn’t able to challenge and fought thousand miles away? Oh, c'mon guys? Is the Hall of Fame only based in the way a fighter defended his title many times? That’s all? If that is the case, every Filipino fighter must decide also to defend our world titles inside of our own backyard right? Just to be able to hold a world title, even in span of straight ten years without a single defeat right?
For a huge fan and a true believer of boxing just like me, the true essence of the word GREATNESS lies within the heart of a fighter, no matter who he fought, no matter when, no matter where took the fight, the true great fighter and a true hall of famer has no cares about this matter but only the words he knows: fight like a devil in the ring with no mercy…just like Manny Pacquiao, who fought outside of his country and outside of his continent of Asia. Are there any
Thai, Japanese, or Koreans who gallantly fought and became a giant success in America?
I just hope the BWAA, Ring Magazine, the IBHOF, and the WBHOF carefully study every fighter before including them in their most prestigious boxing Hall of Fame.
-Agent Russ
Agent Russ,
When I consider a fighter's greatness I look primarily at one factor: wins over quality opponents. Fighting outside one's country is honorable and great experience for a boxer, but not absolutely necessary to make the Hall of Fame. However the champions who hold their belt hostage at home are usually the kind who are not willing to take on all comers.
Like you, I don't agree with the thinking that Pongsaklek Wongjongkam should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I feel that way because he did not defeat enough A level opponents. The fact that he only fought in Thailand meant that he would only fight certain fighters, and only on his own terms.
The boxers who travel anywhere, like Manny Pacquiao, tend to be the kind of boxers who will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime, and therefore will fight a higher level of opposition overall. But the fact that Pacquiao is willing to travel does not make him great. His brilliant record and his numerous wins over stellar opposition is why he is going into the Hall of Fame some day.
In a hypothetical world, if a guy is able to convince the best available competition to travel to fight him, I would not hold it against him. So bottom line, wins while factoring in strength of opposition are what really matter when judging a hall of famer. I am not really concerned with where the fights took place. It just so happens that historically, the ones who are not willing to travel are also not willing to fight the best.
Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin
Yeah Carwin looked pretty good in his last fight but Frank Mir is done. The guy has good skills but he doesn’t have anything left. Carwin is going to get a shot at Brock Lesnar now but I think that Lesnar is going to kill him. Brock is bigger, stronger, and just better. What do you think about that fight?
-Alfredo
Alfredo,
I don’t see Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin as one-sided as you do. They are basically the same fighter. Carwin is actually the same size as Lesnar. Lesnar is 6’3”, 265 pounds. Carwin is 6’4”, 265 pounds. They are very similar is stature. Lesnar will not enjoy the hefty size advantage that he has in his highest profile UFC bouts.
I give Lesnar a very slight edge because he is faster (freakishly fast for his size), a better wrestler, and seems sturdier. Carwin though, appears to have an edge in striking ability and punching power. This will the Lesnar’s toughest test to date and the widespread notion that Brock is going to have an easy time is misguided in my opinion. One punch could end the night on either side.
Thanks for reading all. Come back next week for more!
]]>By Geno McGahee
ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights
The career of veteran welterweight David Estrada, 23-6, 14 KO’s, continues as he takes on Orlando Lora, 26-0-1, 18 KO’s, for the vacant WBC FECOMBOX Welterweight title, whatever that’s worth.
Estrada has been in with the best and always gives everything he has inside of the ropes. He took on Shane Mosley, losing a decision, was stopped in a war with Kermit Cintron in the tenth round. Andre Berto was able to stop him in eleven rounds. Most recently, Jesus Soto Karass was able to stop Estrada in eight rounds. Every time that Estrada has stepped up, he has lost and now we will find out if Lora is in the same group as those mentioned above.
The career of Lora was built on no-hopers…men like Hicklet Lau, a boxer that brought in a record of 7-7-1. Jesus Ortega was 12-15, Francisco Villanueva was 4-10-2 before he was considered hopeless enough to step into the ring with Lora. Most of the victims came in wearing toe tags, but now he has Estrada in front of him. Make no mistake, Estrada is beyond his better years. The continual punishment and wars in the ring have taken their toll, but he still presents the best fighter, on paper, of the young Lora’s career.
PPV
The 4-Time Heavyweight Champion, Evander Holyfield, 42-10-2, 27 KO’s, takes on the WBF Heavyweight Champion, Frans “White Buffalo” Botha, 47-4-3, 28 KO’s, in a 12 round bout. Holyfield wants desperately to face off against a champion…one of the more well known titles out there (WBA, WBO, IBF, WBC) but is settling for the WBF. Winning this title would also sweeten the pot for a Mike Tyson rematch. Tyson-Holyfield for the heavyweight title. That’s a sale right there.
Botha came back to boxing after a failed attempt at mixed martial arts. Somebody named “Mighty Mo” knocked him into tomorrow in just one round and he had a record somewhere in the range of 2 wins and 11 defeats. Mixed Martial Arts was not for him, but many boxers were drawn to it because of the money. Shannon Briggs, Ray Mercer, and several others have stepped into the world of cage fighting and have lost typically, with the exception of Briggs, a man with one MMA fight and one KO win.
Botha is up there in years, like Holyfield, but doesn’t have as many miles on him. How the kicks to the legs and advanced age will affect him as he takes on one of the dirtiest fighters in the game will be answered Saturday night.
There is intrigue to this bout, mainly as a fan of the 1990’s heavyweights. Botha is a live dog in this fight and could upset Holyfield, especially when you look at the recent string of “Real Deal” fights. He has not been impressive. Some point to Valuev as proof that he is still a big player, but watch that fight and try to give the title to Holyfield off that performance. Valuev won, but it wasn’t pretty.
The main event for the PPV is almost worth 30 bucks, but the undercard is one of the worst that I’ve seen. We have a 10 rounder in the cruiserweights to support it featuring Henry Namauu, 5-3, 3 KO’s, taking on Rayford Johnson, 5-4, 3 KO’s. King Arthur Williams, 46-16-1, 30 KO’s, steps into the ring with Valente Tinajero, 8-0, 4 KO’s, and we have several four rounders to complete the card. It’s not a good card as a whole, but if you want to see the former champ go in there against the White Buffalo, it might be worth the money, especially if you didn’t make the mistake of renting the farce that was Roy Jones JR – Bernard Hopkins II.
HBO
If you opt not to rent the PPV and tune into HBO, we have WBC Welterweight Champion Andre Berto, 25-0, 19 KO’s, taking on Carlos Quintana, 27-2, 21 KO’s, for all the marbles. Berto missed an opportunity to take on Shane Mosley in a high profile match up and now faces the only man to hold a victory over Paul Williams in Quintana. Both of Quintan’s losses were by stoppage, one to a prime Miguel Cotto, and the other in a rematch to Williams, where Quintana was destroyed in 2 minutes and 15 seconds.
Quintana has bounced back with two knockout wins since his defeat and he’s a good boxer/puncher. Berto, although he has the title around his waist, is still an unknown. How good is he? We should get some answers Saturday night when he takes on a known commodity in Quintana.
Also on the card is the interim WBA Featherweight Title with Celestino Caballero, 33-2, 23 KO’s, facing off against the undefeated Daud Cino Yordan, 25-0, 19 KO’s, in a 12 rounder.
]]>
By Daniel “Tex” Cohen
Apologies to the pugilistic public.
The masses have had too many styles and measurements coming at them recently to make sense of the whole big mess. Between Floyd Mayweather’s boxing ability, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao’s explosiveness, Paul Williams’ supernatural frame and talents, Bernard Hopkins’ agelessness, Edwin Valero’s artillery, the two-headed Klitschkos’ dominance, Juan Manuel Marquez’s counterpunching wiliness, Chad Dawson’s youth, Miguel Cotto’s will and Shane Mosley’s whirlwind attacks, there’s no room to include some of the finer specimens of the Boxing universe. Not enough fights for not enough dollars in not enough venues.
Some cats will chalk that up to business, and let me tell you; they’re right.
Obviously, the world is littered in fights that fall apart from promotional psychobabble. Drama for nada. Boxing politics is the hurricane that runs over the villages of boxers that sacrifice for the sport.
Yet consider the magnitude of it all. Surely, prospects take time to develop and must undergo tests before ascending to levels of greatness. Even the most dominant twenty-five-year-olds of the day are far from the legendary halls they deserve to join. Chad Dawson has plenty of belts and plenty of time, but he’s not yet in the halls of history, and he knows it.
Then again, Dawson’ undefeated record takes him far.
Large cross-sections of fans have pointed the finger at Floyd Mayweather to decry his claims of an undefeated record as “fake.” Some of those same fans seem to have gone fickle on Kelly Pavlik.
You wonder sometimes if “The Ghost”, 36-1, 32 KO’s, is snake bit. The visual tale is necessary for the casual fan to even understand why that “1” in the loss column is so significant. Pavlik is a professional that knows how to take his job the right way: Professionally. Rumors may swirl of his personal problems, but my memories so far of Pavlik can be summed up in two, proper words, and one name: Edison Miranda.
Miranda was supposed to be the panther….the sleep walker…the tough street Colombian with success on his mind. Miranda learned to read from a drug-dealer and slept in mosquito-infested gyms. He was kicked out of his house from his family twice at two different times.
Pavlik was the prospect. It was his job to either struggle a bit before closing the show, or have trouble “looking good” in the ring. He didn’t do “his job.” Rather, he slammed a courageous, but utterly overmatched, Miranda with shotgun blasts. Miranda was the man with the knife in the gun fight. Pavlik became the star and earned a shot at Jermain Taylor.
Given the current state of affairs, many forget how good Jermain Taylor has been in the past. Style has done Taylor dirty, as Pavlik was able to survive trouble early against Taylor and take him out late in the fight.
From there, Taylor was never again the same. Carl Froch caught the Arkansas native late in their championship bout, and Arthur Abraham gave us super six fireworks in taking out Taylor just as late.
It all started with Pavlik, though. “The Ghost” put his butt on the line and fought his way out of defeat in two great fights. By that time, he had earned a tune up against the unknown Gary Lockett, and he delivered in that fight with dominance.
So along came the scrap with Bernard Hopkins. Pavlik turns into a 4-1 favorite overnight and Hopkins relishes in the underdog role, counterpunching from angles galore and proving that he is as strong and youthful as ever in beating the skinnier Youngstown redwood like a side of meat under the fits of fictionalized character envisioned by Sylvester Stallone himself.
From that specific fight and a few delays of other bouts, Pavlik fell from grace. Apparently one loss, even to the great Bernard Hopkins, can obliterate an entire body of work. Even when a man faces all comers and has a loss to show for it, he is chastised.
Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve been Mayweathered. One loss never made a fighter minor league in the past. It shouldn’t now. A fighter should be judged based on who he fights and how he performs in those fights. Kelly Pavlik passes both tests with flying colors. Most recently, he has a few rebuilding fights under his belt (both of which ended in knockouts) and he will face the vicious Sergio Martinez in a fight of might vs. speed.
We all know “speed kills”, but writing off Pavlik on a cliché is rather absurd. “The Ghost” is nowhere to be seen on the radar. For the amount of upside potential he has, Pavlik might be a good long-term bet.
Do you see everyone in the super six dogging Kelly Pavlik?
It’s a good question, isn’t it?
In a sport of moments, some great fighters catch a leg up on others. Jermain Taylor splashed on the national Boxing scene with two unanimous decision wins over none other than Pavlik’s toughest opponent, Bernard Hopkins. In this case of rock, paper, scissors, it’s easy to see who won what and why. Hopkins could not find angles on the athletic Taylor, but he was able to hit a stationary Pavlik. Pavlik was able to catch Taylor at the end of his punches and overwhelm him with size. Hopkins was too big. Hopkins can be out-boxed.
Hopkins himself told Pavlik that he would one day be great and that he shouldn’t let the loss destroy him.
Kelly Pavlik has been missing from the scene for too long. Rather than beckon the jokes the come with calling yourself a seemingly imaginary spirit, he should think about a name change to something vicious and just as respectable as… well, an “Executioner.”
]]>
Press Release Courtesy of Boxing Along The Beltway
Two Beltway Boxing Legends and one Baltimore fan favorite will be involved in championship bouts on a Titanium Promotions card on Saturday, May 29 at the DC Armory in Washington DC.
The title matchups will be sanctioned by the Universal Boxing Organization (UBO), whose president resides in Germany. One of those title bouts will be for the vacant UBO International junior middleweight title and will feature former WBC Middleweight champion Keith Holmes. Holmes (41-5, 25 KO's) hasn't fought since June 6 when he won an eight-round unanimous decision over Willis Lockett at the Washington Convention Center. No word yet on who Holmes's opponent will be.
Another title bout will include former WBO Junior Welterweight champion DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley (36-13-1, 21 KO's) who will face Verquan "The Show" Kimbrough of Pittsburgh, PA (21-3-3, seven KO's) in a bout for the UBO Junior Welterweight crown. Corley has lost his last two bouts, including being stopped in the fifth round by Freddy Hernandez on February 9 in Santa Ynez, CA. Kimbrough, is no stranger to Beltway competition, having fought Dean White twice during his career, winning a six-round majority decision in West Virginia in February of 2007 and battling to an eight-round draw in November of last year at the Washington Hilton and Towers in DC. That draw is part of a three-bout winless streak that Kimbrough will be looking to break against Corley.
The third UBO title bout will pit Baltimore's Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin against Kassim "The Dream" Ouma of Palm Beach Gardens, FL by way of Uganda for the world junior middleweight title. Arvin (15-2-4, seven KO's) is coming off an eight-round unanimous decision loss to Pawel Wolak on January 23 at Madison Square Garden. Ouma (26-7-1, 16 KO's) has a record of 1-5 in his last six bouts, but the losses have come against the likes of Jermain Taylor, Cornelius Bundrage and, in his last outing, Vanas Matirosyan, whom Ouma lost a 10-round unanimous decision.
Titanium Promotions is a new local promotional group run by Garcia Staley, SR.
]]>Reviewed by Geno McGahee
Hector B. Poole (Dick York) is on his way to his job at the bank, but stops for a newspaper prior to work. He tosses a quarter into the change box and grabs his paper, not realizing that the quarter had landed on its side. The Newsboy began telling him that it was a one in a million shot for that to happen and soon, other odd things begin to happen to Poole, making this a very interesting and funny TZ entry.
Immediately after the strange occurrence with the quarter, Poole begins to hear voices. He can actually read the minds of the people around him and it’s pretty funny to watch the expressions of people as they shake their head and growl while calling him a “low life” in their minds. The actors really did well in giving the facial expressions that they were pissed off and I was really amused at how nearly everyone that came into contact with Poole called him an idiot in their mind. I’m guessing that in 1961 the network approved the word “idiot” for use and Serling took full advantage of it.
Initially this new power seems to confuse Poole, but he discovers the Helen (June Dayton) has a thing for him. She wants Poole’s “Dick York” if you know what I mean. You don’t? How about this…she wants York’s skyscraper. I think that I have made my point, and I have to say that York did a fantastic job in this and really brought the same sympathetic character that we saw in the classic “Inherit the Wind.” In my opinion, you can never get enough Dick (York).
The new power is very useful as he gets dirt on his boss, finds out how much of a prick his co-worker is and even dumps a glass of water on his head after he hears the negative words he had to say about Helen, but it is coming with a price. There is no peace and he doesn’t know if he is really hearing what they are thinking or if he is going crazy. His mindreading even costs the bank 200 thousand dollars when he angers a businessman and claims that he is going to take the money and gamble and not invest it into the business as promised. If Poole is right, he saved the bank some money. If he’s wrong, he’s lost the bank a great deal.
The truth comes out and although this is a very tame TZ, I did really enjoy it. The best parts were certainly the expressions of the actors that just stood there with looks on their faces as they played the negative lines. I do recommend this.
RSR Rating: 7.5/10
]]>By Geno McGahee
Mike Tyson on Holyfield/Botha
Mike Tyson has a couple of fights on his mind as of late. The first is with PETA, a fanatical group that have jumped on Tyson’s reality show because he is racing pigeons, something he has been doing since he was a child. PETA versus Tyson and Animal Planet, the network airing the show, should be an interesting battle…one that Tyson hasn’t concerned himself with too much.
The other fight is Evander Holyfield – Frans Botha this Saturday night in Vegas. Vegas is a place that Tyson is very familiar with and so too are the two combatants going to war this Saturday night. According to a source close to the former champion, Tyson is becoming more and more receptive to the idea of facing Holyfield. Don King is pushing very hard for the Tyson comeback to begin, possibly coinciding with the pigeon show which is set to begin airing next year. Tyson is not getting any younger and that may be too long of a wait. The most likely scenario is that Tyson will be in the ring later this year or early 2011 at the latest.
Evander Holyfield has made it clear both to Don King and to the public through various interviews that he wants Iron Mike. He has stated that “Tyson could only make money” against him, an absurd statement, but one that shows the interest of the “Real Deal” in a third encounter. Should Holyfield get through Botha, expect the wheels to turn for the third match. Should Holyfield lose, it is still a possibility. Either way, the most interested spectator this Saturday night will be Iron Mike.
The Return of Antonio Margarito
Bob Arum said that what Luis Resto did was unforgivable and that he should be banned for life, but when his fighter does nearly the same thing, it wasn’t his fault. Antonio Margarito, proven to have used plaster of Paris in his hand wraps, leading to victories over many opponents that he probably would have lost to had the playing field been even, will return to the ring in Mexico on May 8th in “Latin Fury 14.”
You cannot blame Bob Arum for wanting his fighter to get in there, especially now. The discovery of his cheating ways may actually make him more of an attraction. The boxing bad boys always sell well. Look at Mike Tyson. When his skills diminished and he began becoming more and more unpredictable, people watched. His fight with Lennox Lewis was incredibly successful because of that factor, and now Margarito, the known cheater, comes back to boxing and it will only be a matter of time before he makes his way to the states again.
Money talks and it will scream for him to return. The commission will have to keep a close eye on him, but after time, it may not be as stringent, and we could see him return to the loaded gloves. Remember, for those of you that may dispute the chances of him doing it again, that boxing is a sport where you can make a lot of money. One victory can mean millions upon millions of dollars. Margarito cheated for the money, plain and simple, and he made a boatload, risking the lives of many an opponent and ruining Miguel Cotto in the process.
The PPV buys for this event will tell us something about the future of Margarito. If it sells well, it will be more incentive for Arum to get him back to the states, and with Floyd Mayweather taking on Shane Mosley, and Manny Pacquiao waiting in the wings, there is plenty of money to go around, especially with the hands of plaster, Margarito.
Roy Jones – Bernard Hopkins II: As Advertised
Roy Jones, JR., went to war in an incredibly ugly match with Bernard Hopkins, a rematch 17 years in the making. My prediction was Hopkins by UD in what I called a “no brainer,” and it was Hopkins by UD…a no brainer. I thought it was amusing that the promotion announced that there would be no replay and that anyone streaming it live via the Internet would be punished to the full extent of the law. They knew that this was a bomb and did whatever they could to get people to lay down the 50 dollars to buy it.
The problem with the fight is that it was meaningless and predictable. Jones, JR., had zero left going into it. He was stopped in one round by Danny Green, and pummeled twelve rounds by Joe Calzaghe in recent outings. He beat a bloated Felix Trinidad and a shot Jeff Lacy, names that on paper, impress, but when you see exactly what they have left, you realize that the victories were misleading.
Hopkins has not been in an exciting fight since 2001 when he knocked out Felix Trinidad. His mauling, ugly style is effective, but it isn’t what fans want to see. The bad blood between the fighters, whether real or manufactured to sell the fight, did not do anything to make the PPV any more worthy of the price tag.
This was a business deal. When Green won via first round stoppage, damage control went into effect and suddenly, Green wore illegal hand wraps. It was a pathetic charge, but Jones planted the seed in the public’s mind. Now there was doubt. On top of that, Hopkins chimed in, stating that it was quick stoppage. When you compile the two allegations, some may be duped into believing that Jones was jobbed and therefore you can erase the defeat. In all actuality, he lost fair and square.
Where do the fighters go from here? Jones – Hopkins III? They are tied 1-1 at this point and why not fleece the public for another 50 bucks? Then again, if I’m correct, they will not be in a position to when the PPV rentals come very low. Hopkins will move on and Jones, JR., will regroup and find boxers more shot then he is to beat up and attempt to fool the public into thinking he’s back on his game. Unfortunately for Jones, he built his career on reflexes and they are the first thing to go and they have gone.
]]>Baltimore's Ishmail "The Arsenal" Arvin will not be on the May 29 Titanium Promotions card at the DC Armory.
Arvin was scheduled to face Kassim Ouma in a bout for the UBO Junior middleweight title, however, contract negotiations broke down and Arvin's camp could not come to an agreement.
]]>
By Joe Wilson
The famous welterweight division is playing on all six strings these days. This division is packed with talent. It seems the most exciting fights in professional boxing camps out right here. Andre Berto, Carlos Quintana, Miguel Cotto, Timothy Bradley, Luis Carlos Abregu both undefeated, Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito whose now fighting for boxing privileges are all part of the group.
These welterweights mentioned above are considered good fighters in this division. However, there are three names I have not mentioned yet; because these three are running so far ahead of the pack you can’t even see their dust. And…when it comes to star power, these guys are the true faces of the welterweight division. Think Hollywood’s A-list.
They are Floyd “Money” Mayweather, JR., Sugar Shane Mosley and Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.
Any permutation of these three names, against each other guarantees a mega fight. It’s been said, the biggest match up of these three welterweights is; Floyd Mayweather JR. versus Manny Pacquiao. This fight becomes a super mega fight. It’s also said this match up will break all records when it comes to attendance and PPV buys. The day this match up becomes a reality, history will be made.
Mayweather JR. and Pacquiao have already transcended the sport of boxing. These guys are now known all over the world. Thanks to Bob Arum, not long ago, the Top Rank Boxing promoter released a premature statement saying, “these two fighters have signed a contact agreement to fight.” The “deal is done” was the headlines of all boxing news.
Shortly afterwards, a statement hit boxing news, that no contract agreement had been finalized between these two fighters. One week fight fans all over the world were making preparations for the biggest fight in history, and then would soon have their bubble burst all in one day. Back to square one with fight negotiations. What seemed to be really close turned out to be miles away.
The demands from both camps took a life of their own. What was intended to be a fight in the ring turned out to be a “war of words” throughout the media. Random drug test, ten million dollars for every pound over the welterweight limit, “I’m suing,” all echoed around the news. It was a real fiasco. The ugly face of boxing surfaced like no other time before.
But even at the height of all that garbage, some remained optimistic about this fight. We all thought that after a week are so, the dust would settle and these two camps would pull themselves together; take out there calculators, do some simple math and quickly come to their senses. So far that hasn’t happened.
Let’s talk about these two fighters and what they bring. Manny Pacquiao has become an icon in boxing. Today, his name is common in America. He is known as a “Hero” in his country. His courage along with his humble appearance has made him likeable amongst people from all over. He gives 100 percent every time he steps in the ring.
Floyd Mayweather, JR., on the other hand is totally opposite when it comes to character. He is well known for bragging, loud mouth, gangster attitude and showing off. Mayweather is seen as the “villain” in the public eye. But when it comes to fighting he knows how to win. Anyone who has placed a bet against him throughout his career walked away sad. Mayweather has never lost a fight!
His skills in the ring, are probably the best in the history of boxing. They call it the “sweet science” of boxing. Mayweather has a way of making his opponents miss, and then he counters with the blink of an eye. His hand speed is like lightening fast. After his opponent miss, before they can get back in place, he has already struck. It’s amazing to see an athlete with that kind of accuracy and speed.
Manny Pacquiao has been very impressive with his wins over some of boxing elite. He has made some fighters quit before finishing the bout. He has taken some of his opponents out by devastating knockout. The only thing is… he has never been is the ring with someone as crafty and skillful as Floyd Mayweather. That will be the difference in this fight. Think green energy!
If you watch any of Mayweather fights, even before he was on the two year layoff. In his corner between rounds he gets very little advice from his trainer, Roger Mayweather. Floyd makes adjustments in the ring. He figures out his competition within the early rounds. He is one of the smartest fighters I’ve seen when it comes to doing this.
You can’t teach a fighter to do that! This is something he’s born with; it’s called a “gift.” Roger Mayweather invested his boxing knowledge in Floyd many years ago. Floyd grew up in the boxing gym. His father Floyd, SR., and Uncle Roger were both professional boxers. Boxing is all Floyd knows and he’s damn good at it!
This “in the ring gift” he has will allow him to defeat Manny Pacquiao. There is no blueprint on how to beat Mayweather. His conditioning has never been in question. He out thinks his competition in the ring. He will figure out Pacquiao within a few rounds and take over the fight.
Trainer Freddie Roach will have no answers. Pacquiao will get through Mayweather’s defense at times, but Floyd will make him pay tremendously. Unlike Joshua Clottey who fought from a shell the entire fight; Mayweather would never do that. His counter punching skills are way too good for that. Not to mention his ego…
Pacquiao will not look like the same fighter after about six rounds. He will become frustrated with Mayweather’s style of hit and not get hit technique. He will get close enough to counter punch Pacquiao with ease. Mayweather will win this fight by unanimous decision, if and when this fight takes place. This fight will not be the toughest fight of Mayweather’s career. Not even close.
The toughest fight for Mayweather will be his upcoming fight against Sugar Shane Mosley. This match up may come in second place according to dollars made, but the two fighter’s styles could make this fight very exciting. We all know they don’t like each other and Mosley always goes for the knockout.
Manny Pacquiao will get to sit back and watch how this May 1st event unfolds, and then decide who he wants next. Either way you slice it, the most money that can be generated in boxing today, is between these three fighters. Fight fans are waiting.
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Reposted for Archive Purposes)
“I am proud that he is getting the respect he has always deserved. Being in the business, I always knew how great of a comedian he already was, but he now has this series ‘Boston Legal’ where an entirely new generation is getting to witness this very funny man all over again.”--Comedian Dom Irrera
Shelley Berman is known as many things. One, he is an award winning brilliant comedian that has gained accolades and acknowledgment for his comedy albums and his live standup routine. Secondly, he is an actor who has appeared more times on Television Variety Shows, Game Shows, Sitcoms and Movies, then I think any 10 people in the entertainment industry you can name collectively. With all of that said, Berman has a new title that he can add to an already chock full resume. That title is: “Boxing Aficionado.” Wait just a minute… Hold that phone that Shelley used in his act for many years… OK so are you holding RSR readers? Well, pick up the phone for this tidbit. Mrs. Berman, (Sarah) is a huge boxing fan as well. How huge of a fan you ask? Well, you have to keep reading to find that out.
As I get to this point of my lead-in, which I know is so important to any interview, I came to the conclusion that it would be near impossible to write about Shelley Berman’s career things that have not been written or re-written hundreds of times over. We may have just scratched the surface in our interview, but I think that the type of questions and Berman’s interpretation of a story, we were actually able to dig deep and find a way to do the impossible.
Interpretation – now there is a word. Berman’s interpretation of a story, is what Frank Sinatra’s interpretation of a lyric was when he sang just about any song. Just listen to Sinatra on Capitol Records singing “April In Paris” or on Reprise Records singing “Lady Day.” You will discover just how much he had an infinite wisdom to interpret a lyric that may only be matched by the late French Diva Edith Piaf. I think this is the ultimate compliment I can bestow on Shelley because though I may only be 39 years old, I had a Father, who was 40 years my senior whom introduced both Berman and Sinatra along with countless others through a record collection that he had and of course, now I do. For that, and a list of so many other things, I am forever grateful to my late Father Alvin Frank Berkwitt.
In our interview, Shelley’s love for his craft, his wife Sarah and the sport of boxing to include its participants, well, moved me. A championship level fighter goes into a fight with a game plan and in his head at least, and he can play the fight out. I did this with my interview with Shelley, but never did I expect that once the tape started to roll that I would be so moved by a guest, as I was with Shelley and Sarah Berman’s passion for the sport of boxing and for humanity in general. When you get done reading this interview, I think you will feel the same way.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I truly extend an RSR heartfelt welcome to Mr. Shelley Berman…
BB: First of all, congratulations on the great reviews you are getting on your role as “Judge Robert Sanders” on the hit television show “Boston Legal.” Describe your character and what the set is like for you?
Thank you. It’s very hard for me to describe my character, but the way it’s described by others is that he is a senile old guy who, at times, makes a lot of sense now and again. It really is a very funny character when they decide to let him go. I think that is what the writers and the Director (David E. Kelly) are after from Judge Sanders. I really enjoy that viewers find him funny and that is enough for me.
BB: In your preparation for your character Judge Sanders, did you mold it based on anyone in particular that you either had seen before or maybe personally knew?
I really didn’t, but incidentally, I have a cousin who is a Superior Court Judge out here in Los Angeles. He is a marvelous man and his name is Victor Chavez who is really a great Judge. I always tease him that whenever I’m asked, where I got the idea for my character on Boston Legal, I say I am doing my cousin Victor. (Laughs)
BB: Boston Legal is not the only time you have played a judge recently. In the 2004 hit movie “Meet the Fockers,” the sequel to “Meet the Parents,” you played Judge Ira. You were in an amazing ensemble cast for this shoot. Did you have as much fun as the viewers, such as myself, did watching you play this funny character?
I had an absolute ball playing Judge Ira and my big scene with Barbara Streisand. Barbara and I have known each other for many years and in fact, we were both beginners in the business and working together at the Blue Angel in New York City. To see her after all those years was just a pleasure for me.
This may sound political, but really it isn’t. The entire cast of this movie from Robert Deniro, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand, Ben Stiller, Blythe Danner and the rest, were just so much fun to work with and that is why I think the viewers such as yourself, enjoyed Judge Ira.
Funny story…. I wanted to take a picture with Dustin Hoffman and he insisted that I couldn’t have a picture with him unless we stood nose to nose. We did it and his assistant took the picture with us both coming out looking like the Tower Bridge in London, England.
BB: I would like to go back in time with you to talk about your life shortly before you got into your entertainment career. We both share a common thread with having served in the US Navy. What years did you serve?
I joined the Navy in 1943, but received a Medical Discharge right away because they were anxious to win the war. Seriously though, I did my Boot Camp Training in Great Lakes, Illinois. (Both Shelley and I went there.)
BB: Where did you serve for your Tour of Duty?
From Great Lakes, I went to Norfolk, Virginia, and worked Sick Officer Quarters (SOQ) while I was waiting to be assigned to my ship. While I was waiting for my orders to come in for the ship, I caught pneumonia and it led to the doctors also finding out, I had bad asthma as well. That was the end of my Navy career.
BB: Had you not gotten sick and received your orders to a ship, what was your job going to be?
I actually already had a rating (Hospital Corpsman - HM) and was working in my field at the SOQ.
BB: Did you use the GI Bill as so many from your generation did to pay for your enrollment for Drama School at Chicago’s Goodman Theater?
That’s right, the GI Bill paid for me to go to school.
BB: Do you have a message for the men and women in uniform serving in harms way and will be reading this interview?
I offer all of the men and women serving in harms way, my profound and meaningful prayers.
BB: Talk about your life once you got out of the Navy, and pursued a career in entertainment.
My life at the Goodman Theater in Chicago essentially went from there to Summer Stock and Winter Stock. I developed whatever talents I had and honed them in theaters, such as the time I spent in Woodstock, Illinois. During my time there, I was doing a play a week. We did a variety of plays and each one helped the actors and actresses, such as myself, hone our skills.
We actually did our own wardrobe, directing, props and so forth. I was there around 1947-48, which at that time, we were doing Winter Stock. Shortly after I left, Paul Newman would come in. Some of the folks that were there during my time were Geraldine Page (Won an Oscar in 1985 for her role as Best Actress in the movie The Trip to the Bountiful), and Tom Bosley (Went on to do tons of work, but is best known as the lovable character of Mr. Cunningham on Happy Days).
I met my loving wife Sarah during this time and we got married. Thank God she worked because we were not making that much. However, back then, the town did house us and also subsidized the working actors. We managed even though it was very tight, but this was the foundation that set forth into motion, the rest of my career.
BB: In 1958, you found enormous success from your comedy album titled “Inside Shelley Berman.” It went on to huge sales and was the first comedy album to ever go Gold (at that time, it was 250,000 albums sold that made a record Gold) and also win a Grammy for the first non-musical album ever. Could you feel once the album was on wax, that it was going to be such a hit?
I had no idea that it would become such a big hit as it did. To that point, who had really done a comedy album prior to this? It was a 33 LP and not a single, which were easier to sell. It was an honor to have this album win a Grammy and in all, I was blessed with three comedy albums that went Gold.
BB: I have no doubt that it opened doors for you professionally. Talk a little about that experience.
Certainly it allowed me to play at establishments that I never dreamed I would. It created an audience that was now coming in for me, and that also raised my salary level, which in turn, allowed me to have Sarah (Shelley’s wife) to give up her job.
BB: Being so successful in an era where others such as Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, Woody Allen and in the following decade Richard Pryor was, why do you feel that today, comedy albums appear not to be as popular in the 60’s and early to late 70’s?
The comedy album fun has sort of left it and it really started going away for several years. The album was no longer important because now the CD was available…then the DVD became available. You just don’t see people today sitting around listening to even a CD because you just have too much visual like you do on a DVD. The only exception to this is music of course. You still can record it and people can poke the earpiece in their ears while they work out or put in a CD while driving to work. (Both Shelley and I agreed that to sit and listen to an album or as we know today, a CD, creates a visual which is even funnier at times.)
BB: In 1961, you become forever linked to what I personally feel was the most well written television show that was years ahead of its time and tackled so many social issues. That show was Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone.” In an episode titled “The Mind And The Matter” you played Archibald Beechcroft, a man who is tired of the hustle and bustle of every day life and especially people. Beechcroft makes them all disappear, but is left to his own inner voice that talks to him throughout. What was it like working with Rod Serling on The Twilight Zone?
First of all, it started out with Rod Serling calling me up and saying I would like to write a show for you to do. I was already a big fan of his and The Twilight Zone so when I heard that, I almost fainted. I couldn’t get the word “YES” out fast enough!
So of course he wrote a show for me, as you know, called “The Mind And The Matter.” I came into rehearse it with the Director who was Buzz Kulik (who directed a total of nine episodes of TZ) who gave me all the needed direction for my role. At the end of the rehearsal, Rod came to me and asked how I liked doing it? I said “fine, but that it was just missing one thing. The episode has me as all kinds of characters but not as a woman.” He said to me, “I will fix that.”
The next day, I had a scene on the elevator where I was a woman.
BB: Looking back on that episode, do you still think it stands the test of time as so many fans of The Twilight Zone do?
No, not in the least bit am I surprised it has stood the test of time. Those shows as you said, made statements that last forever. It was a stupendously intelligent television show and always made people think about it. Rod chose his actors and plots very carefully, but because they were so well written, I feel that is made all of us that much better in our performances.
BB: The entertainment world lost Rod Serling at such a young age (Died in 1975 at the age of 49, from complications arising from Coronary Bypass Surgery). Do you have any other recollections of him?
Just that whenever I would see him after that, it was always friendly and warm.
BB: Over the last 48 years, you have done countless guest appearances on television that would we have to do 50 interviews just to cover every one of them. Since we cannot possibly do that, pick one show if you can, that in your mind, you said: “Shelley, you nailed your performance you were playing tonight.”
There is one that I may have nailed completely, but I had some help from the host. It was an appearance I had on the Ed Sullivan Show. I can say until this very moment, that there never was or will never be a greater showman than the late Ed Sullivan. He brought us The Beatles and Elvis. In fact, he would have an Opera Star perform and then follow that act up with an elephant act. He always felt you give the people what they want, have some fun doing it, and the rest will all work out.
Well, I finally got to do the Ed Sullivan Show (I think in all, I did 21 appearances on his show over the years) and on Sunday afternoon, you would do the “Dress Rehearsal.” Sullivan would tape that for review. Back then, if you were a star, you got about seven minutes to do your act. If you were not a star, you got about five minutes. I came in with a routine about me asking my father for money to go to Acting School. It’s called “The Father – Son Routine.” I did my routine and it ran twelve minutes. When I got done, I was waiting because Sullivan could be pretty tough about going over your time. I knew I had taken too much time, and I waited to hear the response. I finally got called to come to Ed’s office. He was in their muttering to me, “Pretty Good, Pretty Good.”
I was thinking to myself that pretty soon, the axe was going to fall. Well, Ed went on to say, “you know where you tell your son to write a letter? I want you to tell him to write a letter to his mother.” My response was that you know because of the construction of the piece, that it may add a minute to the piece to do that. He then said it again: “You just make sure you tell him to write a letter to his mother!”
Again, I interrupted him to say, “are you aware…” and he then interrupted me and said, “just tell him to write the letter to his mother”! He was mad at this point.
In this piece that I did towards the end, it becomes rather touching because you see the love for the boy and the tenderness of the man. Up until this point, you only see how rough the man can be. Ed instructed the lighting folks to dim the lighting at a certain point of my piece. I didn’t know he was going to do that, but I see the lights dim and the spotlight putting me in kind of an infinity lighting, which I know is effective.
Of course I went on with the routine, but I was wondering what the hell was going on? Then I hear really beautiful violin music playing towards the end of this piece. When I finished the piece, I received a standing ovation in the studio, which you never see by the viewers. When I got off stage, Ed’s wife was waiting on the telephone with a sobbing voice telling me how beautiful it was.
So it was, perhaps, the most astonishing moment I have had in working these television spots over the years.
BB: You also appeared on many variety shows over the years. Having enjoyed them as a young man growing up, I have often wondered why are they no longer around today. What is your take on this?
The variety format is something I wish we still had today. It was a great way to entertain the public. I really have no idea why it stopped and really do, wish I could name it. It would be that a variety artist would own the show and it would be about him or her such as Dinah Shore or Dean Martin. Somehow that wonderful format just vanished and I guess the only thing you can come up was that it no longer worked. It wasn’t selling enough soup.
BB: The same thing applies to all the creative game shows you appeared on and even with Mrs. Berman. Why do you not see them around today as well?
The entire business over the years has just changed so, in response to this question, those creative game shows also like the variety shows went away.
BB: If your career is not busy enough, you also find time to teach writing humor (Literary and Dramatic) at USC as part of the Master of Writing Program. Talk briefly about this.
Well, it’s a Graduate Course where my students have their Bachelors Degree and are going for their Masters Degree. They come to program, which will teach them fiction writing, novel and screen writing to name just a few. I find myself teaching the basics of humor writing. This year starts my 23rd year of doing this.
BB: Before we move on to the boxing, I want to ask you what your words of wisdom would be to the young man or woman wanting to get into standup comedy today?
I would suggest that you learn everything you possibly can and know everything you can know. Read your newspaper…forget the television concept. Read your books and listen to what everyone is saying. Pick up everything you can because all of it is food for the comedian. Look at your own self, which is food for the comedian. Then when you get up in front of an audience, respect them enough to put on a tie and look like a person!
In Part II, Shelley will talk about his true love for the sport of boxing, and he brings on a special guest with him as well....
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Reposted for Archive Purposes)
"I am flattered that you asked me about boxing because I am not an outsider when it comes to the sport. Sarah and I are really a couple of boxing nuts."-- Shelley Berman
Yesterday, in Part I of RSR’s interview with Shelley Berman, we discussed his amazing career as an actor and comedian and his many contributions to the world of entertainment. Now, for all of you die hard boxing fans, we will turn back the clock, and talk about the sport covering 75 years of the game.
This brief look at some of the history of boxing will not only be informative but the great stories concerning the fighters that the world loved, but the way that Shelley opens up his heart, sharing stories of the game that have never been published before is something that is a must read.
What can be noticed in this interview is how world history and boxing relate and how they can often collide as they did when Joe Louis faced off against Germany’s Max Schmeling and the entire world tuned it. I have no doubt that this look at the boxing world will satisfy the casual boxing fan and the boxing historian.
So once again RSR Readers, I welcome back, Mr. Shelley Berman…
BB: You grew up in an era when boxing was only broadcasted on the radio. Describe to our readers what that experience was like.
I can tell you this. We used to sit and look at the radio…not just listen to it. The announcers were very gifted and they were fast. You were able to through these announcers to get full value of the action in the ring. By the time the final bell rang or if the fight ended by TKO or KO, you were gratified. You really did feel as if you had just witnessed that fight. Sarah who is sitting across from me as we talk, can recall so many of Joe Louis’ fights on the radio as well.
BB: On June 22, 1938, a fight that defined a country was held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, which pitted then Heavyweight Champion of the World Joe Louis against Max Schmeling of Germany. Louis was trying to avenge his previous loss to Schmeling by 12th round knockout. Describe from what you can recall the atmosphere in the US and then, the actual fight.
Oh boy do I remember it. I lived in a Jewish neighborhood and when you walked down the street the day of the fight, you heard the beginnings of this fight, from every window you would pass by which was being piped out into the streets. Everyone was rushing around to get home to listen to our man Joe Louis fight. When you got home and went upstairs, if someone was sitting in front of the radio, he was in your way. You had to see the radio! We expected a good fight and knew Joe was going to win. We thought it was going to be a longer fight, but nobody was disappointed when it went just one round. (Laughs)
We were practically dancing in the street when Max Schmeling got beat.
BB: Years later, it really came to the forefront that Adolph Hitler took advantage of Max Schemeling who was not a Nazi. Did people realize at the time, that though the media was hyping this as the US Vs Germany, it was in fact, nothing more than just a German challenger Vs an American Champion and that Schmeling was not a bad man?
The American public might not have known, but I did at the time, however, years later, they realized it and Schmeling was very kind to Louis during his down and out times. He was, unfortunately, used by Hitler during his evil reign of terror.
BB: With Joe Louis’ win, what did it do for the country in respect to race relations?
A very interesting thing that you would hear now and then from white folks that they wanted the white guy to win against Joe, but not in my Jewish neighborhood somehow. It was racist and we did not grow up with it. We didn’t see Joe as black, but as “Our Champion.” He was the “Brown Bomber” and was a winner and a gentleman! In fact, I feel Joe Louis did quite a bit to change racist attitudes in the US back in his time. I can’t say it enough, he was such a great gentlemen.
BB: You were privileged to be around to watch a man that the boxing pundits have named the greatest fighter of all time. That man is the late Sugar Ray Robinson. Talk about your recollections of the fighter and the man.
Another one, who was all class! When you saw Robinson after a fight when he dressed up and looked sharp, and my God, like he wasn’t even in a fight.
Robinson was another guy where you never saw the race, you only saw the fighter.
I must say that the black athletes I watched growing up, cut away all of the racist crap that people were fed and just wasn’t true.
(Interviewers Note: Shelley was so moved by this question because of his deep rooted beliefs in the fact that all men are created equal, and that skin tone means nothing about the quality of a man. This led to a story about his late son Joshua Berman, who passed away before his 13th birthday, and as Shelley’s voice quivered telling the heartfelt story. On playback, I was moved even more than the first time I heard it told to me. It was so personal that I asked Shelley if I could share it with the world and without hesitation, he said yes.)
My boy who didn’t get the chance to live, and died before his 13th birthday, was a huge fan of Basketball Great, the late Wilt Chamberlain. I asked Joshua one day who is the greatest person you know? And he said, Wilt Chamberlain. Joshua never saw color as I mentioned we didn’t many years before and I was proud of that. He loved the man!
When my boy was in very serious trouble, the brain tumor had got him and he was going to die, he received a phone call. He picked up the phone and on the other line, it was Wilt Chamberlain. They had a little conversation with Wilt saying that he was hoping he would get better and to “keep his chin up.” It was a very meaningful moment in my son’s life. In fact, probably more meaningful then we could ever have hoped for. That stays with me forever that Wilt would take the time to do that and I don’t know how he did it, because I didn’t tell him to do it.
This goes back to my point that as a people who love sports, you should always love the person, not the color or religion.
BB: Another fighter you watched was the only Heavyweight Champion to ever go undefeated, Rocky Marciano. What are you recollections of his fights?
(Laughs) Rocky was something else in there. In his fight where his nose was split against Jersey Joe Walcott, he came back to knock him out in the 13th round of a fight he was losing. Incidentally, I was rooting for Walcott in that fight. He was one heck of a fighter and what’s amazing is, he weighed under 200 pounds compared to heavyweights today, that way up around 250 pounds.
BB: With your huge success in the 1960’s entertainment industry, you had a young fighter doing the same in the boxing world by first winning Gold in the 1960 Olympics, then going on to become the youngest Heavyweight Champion up until his time. That man was known at the time as Cassius Clay who later as we know went on to be called “The Greatest – Muhammad Ali.” Did you know early on how great he would be?
Well, before I answer your question, I have to tell you a story. Years ago, I was in Boston with a fellow named Dave Garroway (first host of the NBC’s Today Show) who had a guest on and me as well. I went on and did my thing with Dave and we had fun. Then he brought on his second guest who was Muhammad Ali. It was a time when he had gotten himself in trouble as a separatist.
He went into a religion that a lot of folks didn’t understand and he started talking about his separate feelings. At that time, I was one who all but worshiped him was sitting there listening to this. I turned to Ali and said, “Are you really saying that someone like me, who really wants to be your brother, you could not accept in anyway?” Ali responded by saying, “You’re just joking around, I am not even going to talk about that.” I replied, “Please, I am serious about this.”
“You are saying, that you would deny me the right to call you brother?” Again Ali said, “No you’re just joking around…I don’t want to talk to you.” That was it. He went on and spoke for a little while longer. When I got off that stage, I was fighting and fighting myself all that time, that I ran into the bathroom, hid in a stall and burst into tears. I was truly hurt. A producer or someone came in and caught me crying and asked what was wrong? I told him and he said, “Ali didn’t mean it.”
All I know is that I was still weeping and there was a knock on that stall door by a man who said, “Hey don’t take on man, open the door.” I opened the door and this big guy reached out and shook my hand. He said, “I thought wrong, I made a mistake and I thought you were joking.” While we were shaking hands, he said “I want you to feel better now and I don’t want you to cry. I want you to try and understand, I made a mistake with you.” I loved that man because he was a lovable human being who was bitter at some, for the way his career had taken a turn.
Now I would see him at a charitable affair a few years back, and he was limping a bit and unable to speak or move to well because of the Parkinson’s Syndrome. I was in a line where we were receiving him and as he came to me, I said: “Do you remember me?” He said, “Sure I remember you Shelley. How are you doing now you crybaby?” You have to know, I am proud of that story. I feel for the man and it was the greatest experience I have ever had with a great athlete. (Interviewers Note: This story has never been in print before Shelley’s interview on RSR.)
I saw him in Las Vegas as I recall, in '65 when I was appearing at the Sahara Hotel. I'd been invited to see Floyd Patterson fight Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali who was making the second defense of his Championship. We were all excited over him; a great fighter with a gift of gab.
As Patterson entered to go to the ring, he came down the aisle right next to where I was sitting and I could see what appeared to be fear in his eyes. This I do remember quite clearly. People around me seemed to see the same look and commented on it. Anyway, Ali beat Patterson quite handily. That's how I remember it.
BB: If you had to rate Ali amongst all the heavyweights you have been alive to watch, where would you rate him?
I would have to rate him as number one even though I have an emotional attachment to him. But at 1B, I would have to go with Joe Louis.
BB: Where do you feel Mike Tyson will place in the history of the heavyweight division?
There is no brevity when speaking of Tyson. Sarah and I tried to talk about him, but he so dominated the ring for his window of time in boxing, it is hard to give a short answer when speaking of him.
His professional as well as personal life seemed filled with perplexities: apparent errors of judgment, personal didos, big mistakes in the ring and out. He was positively scary. Today, with that odd tattoo on one side of his face, he looks a bit like he might have come from outer space. It wouldn't surprise us to learn it's true.
And, my God, look at his record! In 1985, his early period, nobody got past the 4th round with him. All of his first 15 fights ended by TKO or KO, most in the first round.
Sarah and I watched him, almost in disbelief. His eyes, the simple carriage of his face…we were convinced his opponents were terrified of him.
BB: Were you a fan of his?
We could not say we were "fans.” He needed no one to root for him. He'd just come out of his corner and end the fight. I may be stretching this metaphor but in a strange sense, his opponents were the Christians and he was the lion.
Yet when he spoke, he was so articulate, so reasonable, he became the man you'd want to know, to sit with and talk. We still feel that way. His speech is one of a learned and sensitive man. And this is the guy who lost control and bit off another man's ear. This is the guy you wouldn't want to be sitting next to in a bar and say something that might offend him.
When Tyson was the Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion, it was as if it would last forever. Why not? Well, Mike was bothered by a self most of us would only read about. It began to seem natural to say he was an "animal." The fighting genius Cus D'Amato created was being sued for assault, rape…a guy out of control. Yet, his strength, his ring savvy, his ferocity as a heavyweight, could not but continue to be admired.
We still watched him retain his championship in fight upon fight. We stuck with him, admiring him, watching his victims keep falling, KO after KO. And though we'd come to know Tyson in all this time, reading about his apparently uncontrolled behaviors, we were nevertheless surprised in 1997 when he lost to Evander Holyfield by disqualification, in his attempt to win back his WBA Heavyweight Title he had lost to Holyfield some seven months before in an upset. Tyson bit a part of Holyfield's ear off. Bit his ear off! No, though staunch admirers, we were not "fans." In a peculiar way, we worried for him…we cared.
Later Lennox Lewis would, while retaining his ears, beat Tyson. Tyson still holds a fascination for us. We would drop everything to watch him today. The lupine wariness in his eyes, the faintly ironic smile, the lisp, that damned tattoo…we confess we'd honest-to-God pull for him again.
BB: In the last 75 years, who would you choose as your personal favorite fighter, trainer and boxing match?
My favorite boxer would be Muhammad Ali. A pick for a favorite trainer is much harder since you had so many great ones over the years that I am not honestly prepared to give you a decent answer. There are so many that are just so great!
I have to tell you that I thought I always had a personal favorite boxing match till I saw the late Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo I. They all vanished because this fight was like a Rocky ending seeing Corrales get up from those devastating knockdowns twice, and win that fight so strongly.
I probably could have found other fights that were great, but I just can’t get this one out of my head. If you had to push for another fight from me, we could go back to the Arturo Gatti vs. Micky Ward Trilogy.
BB: In our conversation, you mentioned Mrs. Berman is also a huge boxing fan. May I speak with her?
You sure can. Stand by….
BB: Mrs. Berman, talk about your love for the sport of boxing.
Well, I grew up as a little girl as Shelley was saying, watching the radio listening to these fights. As far as I was concerned back then, Joe Louis was the only man in the world. Everything was Joe Louis and the night when he lost to Max Schmeling back in 1936, we thought it was just a bad night for him. We did not believe our hero had lost, but when he won in the rematch, we celebrated in the streets.
BB: Who is your favorite fighter of all-time and why?
I want to put Joe Louis out of the picture because he is my all-time favorite of course, but there other fighters who did not have a long career, yet, they were beautiful fighters. I have always loved boxers and the one I am going to say is the late Eddie Machen who fought in the heavyweight division and actually challenged for the WBA Heavyweight Title against then Champion, Ernie Terell losing by a unanimous decision. We watched him at the Olympic Auditorium out here many times. At that time, there was a woman promoter who may have been the only one on the scene named Aileen Eaton who always greeted both Shelley and I, very nicely.
I can remember the night he lost to Joe Frazier in November of ‘66 by TKO. He tried his very best to win and was stopped in the 10th round of the fight. The only thing Eddie could think about was he let Aileen down. He kept saying, “I am so sorry.” As I said before, he was a beautiful boxer. I really don’t like the fighters who hit and clutch. That is why I like Oscar De La Hoya’s style of boxing.
As far as I am concerned, if it’s going to go to a decision, he is never going to get a fair one because they resent the fact that he is so successful in boxing. I really felt back in 1999, that he beat Felix Trinidad, but was not giving the decision. I also think he beat Floyd Mayweather, JR., and that he did not put up as good as of fight as they thought he did when he was given the decision.
BB: What is your personal favorite fight of all-time and why?
Of course the one Shelley just told you with Corrales vs. Castillo, but I am going to pick the last fight in the trilogy of Gatti vs. Ward where Ward could hardly hold up his arms at the end. I swear that I have never seen two fighters fight so hard and you wanted both of them to win. It was a fabulous fight that had me on the edge of my seat.
BB: Are there any other comments you want to make on the sport before I go back to Shelley?
Well, sometimes I wonder if I’m watching the same fight that the judges are watching. You will notice this sometimes in the disparity of their scorecards. One will have a big margin for a particular fighter and the other will have a totally opposite score, but they were both sitting there at ringside. I wish that they would have better and fairer judges in boxing.
BB: Talking about judges… Do you and Shelley ever score a fight and have it completely different from each other?
No, we don’t score the fights, but we are pretty much in agreement of the outcome if it goes to the cards. That is why I am so surprised that the judges have such wide margins from each other. Also, the commentators will talk and make a viewer think a particular fighter is winning, but in reality, you can see what they are doing is pushing their favorite fighter.
BB: (Back to Shelley) In the last 75 years, what single fighter do you feel moved the sport of boxing forward the most and why?
I will say Barney Ross born Beryl David Rosofsky (World Junior Welterweight and World Welterweight Champion) who was a Jewish fighter from the late 20’s and 30’s. You see fighters today jumping weight classes and winning belts and he did that as well years before.
BB: Do you have any funny stories about any boxers you either worked with or met over the years?
When I was in Chicago working as a comedian at Mr. Kelley’s around the late 1950’s, Joe Louis would from time to time come to this particular club. It turned out that he showed up one night when I was playing there with singer Della Reese. I was amazed that he would come to see me, but I have a feeling he had come to see Della Reese. (We both busted out laughing)
I knew that I was going to meet him after the show. During the entire night, I did not want to blow it when I met him by gushing or being silly. So I kept rehearsing before I went on stage saying, “Hi Joe, pleased to meet you.” I rehearsed even when I got off stage to go and change clothes. “Hi Joe, pleased to meet you.”
I finally got to him and he was introduced to me, and I said, “Hi Joe meased to pleet you.” I kept trying to correct it, and I kept screwing it up. Joe understood and he said, “It’s great to meet you to Shelley.” He kept talking to cover up my flub. Oh God I was devastated and could not get the words out of my mouth. I was trying to be so cool, but just forget it.
BB: What is your favorite boxing movie and why?
The first Rocky film (1976) with Sylvester Stallone was fantastic. It showed the preparation of a fighter and I liked that.
BB: Why do you think all the major networks took boxing off regular television for the most part during the late 80’s?
I suspect that they didn’t trust it. It really is a very cynical attitude not to trust fighters. I am assuming they lost trust.
BB: When you say they lost trust, what do you mean?
You have to think of the minds involved here. Those minds know what wrestling is and what it really is. I think they began to distrust fighters, but I hope I am wrong on this. I am just shocked that our networks just dropped boxing all together because the big fights were money makers.
BB: If you had the power to change one thing in boxing right now, what would that be?
I would get rid of punch counting! To me, it’s just ridiculous. How dare they? Boxing is clear to see and I don’t have to be told the number of punches, to what affect or anything else for that matter because I can clearly see it.
BB: Do you feel that the network only brought it as another bell and whistle for their boxing telecast?
Yes, that’s correct. For a while, they even tried to give you the winner of each round and I hated that too. That went away where it should be, and so should this CompuBox punching thing. I really do think it’s a way the networks think they can keep our interest in watching the fight.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Well, people in professional boxing should be ready to pay a little bit of their earnings to put into a fund for themselves. It’s really in their best interest. This is what we do in SAG (Screen Actors Guild) and AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) we have a little bit taken off and we may resent it at first, but when you get to my age or where a boxer really can’t push it anymore, he doesn’t have to worry about how he is going to live. I also feel the boxing promoters should also put into a fund. Anybody who is making living off the sport of boxing, should be contributing to it. I don’t ask producers to put up for me, but I do ask my fellow actors to put up as I do for them.
The guys making the most money of course get the most taken out and it’s no different in my line of work than it should be for the boxers. Actors have a Union that protects the money. Boxers should have a Union as well, at least for the retirement fund to be protected, which will have a group in charge, who will also get paid to take care of this fund. They have to see who should get it, who has paid in, and things like this. I am not financier, but a fund should exist in boxing.
BB: Any other closing thoughts on boxing?
The sport of boxing, thank God, is still a legitimate sport. It is a real honest to God thing. Men go in there and hurt themselves and hurt others, but that’s not the point. The point is the manly art. When I say to people, I am a fight fan, they don’t understand it. I am not there to see someone hit them until they are dizzy. There is a whole lot that goes on in a fight that is just amazing if you really watch it.
I am flattered that you asked me about boxing because I am not an outsider when it comes to the sport. Sarah and I are really a couple of boxing nuts.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
I don’t have a saying I live my life by, but I do say “I love you” quite frequently to my wife Sarah.
(Interviews closing thoughts): I have been doing interviews for over ten years now and of course like any writer, we all have our personal favorites for various reasons. Well, I will not be shy about why this ranks up there with some of my all-time favorites. Shelley Berman’s love of his fellow man, but to even go further, his love for boxers and the sport of boxing, something that we both share, is touching. He is not ashamed to say it and if you did not read that loud and clear in this interview, then I suggest you read it again.
I am really proud of this interview and that RSR was able to obtain it. We have a documented record now of what was and it’s truly amazing. Years after Shelley and I are sitting together at ringside up by that big boxing ring in the sky, people will read this interview.
I am going to say, that when they do, they to, will realize we did something very special here over the last two days. Finally, I want to thank Shelley and Sarah Berman or as I like to call them, Shelley and Sarah “Boom Boom” Berman for doing this interview.
To find out more about Shelley Berman Visit His Website
]]>
By Geno McGahee
On March 8, 1971, the “Fight of the Century” would take place between the Heavyweight Champion “Smokin’” Joe Frazier and the returning ex-champ, Muhammad Ali. Ali was banned from the sport and stripped of the title when he refused induction into the military. In his absence, Frazier won the title and built up an impressive record of 26-0, 23 KO’s. The fight was a promoter’s dream. Ali was famous to some, infamous to others, and the people would watch, either to watch him fulfill a destiny or to finally be shut up. Frazier was the working man’s fighter, a tough guy that did everything the hard way. The title was in question, the location was New York City, and the fight proved to be the biggest of all time up to that date.
The referee for the contest was Arthur Mercante, SR., a man that had been the third man in the ring since 1954, and much like Ali and Frazier are forever linked together, so too is he. The fight was historical and was as important as a sporting event could be. Mercante, SR., as always, did a flawless job, ensuring that the end result would not be marred by controversy. Frazier would walk away with a decision win after fifteen rounds and the two would go on to fight two more times and have even squabbled well into their golden years, a never ending feud.
Mercante, SR., would go on to referee 120 world title fights, retiring from the sport in 2001 at 81 years of age. In 1988, he would be awarded the James J. Walker Memorial Award and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He was the premiere referee of his time, stood out when the referee would typically be forgotten.
The sad news that the legendary referee had passed away at the age of 90 came in, dying in his home. He lived a long and full life, and his memory within the boxing community as well as those that grew up in the late sixties and early seventies, when the nation was changing and boxing was changing with it.
He lives on through his family and especially so through his son Arthur Mercante, JR., a good referee in his own right. Mercante, SR., will be remembered for his contributions to pugilism, his service to his country in the Navy in World War II, and by his loving family.
RSR says goodbye to Arthur Mercante, SR., a man I once had the pleasure to speak to and was very courteous and kind, eager to speak to anyone at any time. He will be missed. We at RSR ring the bell for the honorary brother in boxing that we lost...]]>By Geno McGahee
Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield, 43-10-2, 28 KO’s, scored a seventh round TKO over WBF Heavyweight Champion, Frans Botha, 47-5-3, 28 KO’s, thanks in part to a VERY quick stoppage where no punches landed. Botha, coming in at 250 pounds, did not have time on his side and took an early lead, winning the first five rounds clearly. Botha used his right hand to the body and head regularly, even hitting Evander with both fists at the same time. He did it three times in round one and was warned by Russell Mora, the referee and president of the Holyfield fan club (I presume), regularly.
In round six, Holyfield came on and put pressure on the tiring Botha, getting him against the ropes and finally landing some good shots. In the eighth round, Holyfield landed a right hand and dropped Botha. Botha arose and Holyfield pounced, throwing a barrage of punches, none of which landed cleanly and referee Mora jumped in and called it. It was one of the worst stoppages of the year. Botha was ahead 5 to 2 at this point and although he was fading, he was still in the fight and still throwing.
This bout told us a lot about both fighters. Holyfield can’t pull the trigger anymore, and Botha doesn’t have the dedication to be a player in the division, coming in so out of shape. Evander did express interest in going for the title again with one of the more recognized belts, which is held by the Klitschkos and David Haye.
Overall, the pay per view wasn’t a bad one. The undercard featured some unknowns in interesting slugfests and the main event was interesting. It is such a shame that the bout was stopped so prematurely. It robbed the fans…well, the fans that were in attendance that weren’t many, and it robbed Holyfield and Botha. Botha, as the defending champion, should have been allowed to continue and Holyfield probably would have stopped him, but now there is doubt.
Andre Berto TKO’s Carlos Quintana
Andre Berto, 26-0, 20 KO’s, defended his WBC Welterweight Title, with a TKO in round seven of challenger Carlos Quintana, 27-3, 21 KO’s. It was a very ugly fight with a lot of mauling and clutching and neither man really landed anything cleanly until later in the fight. When the fight progressed, the speed of Berto came into play and he began to dominate. In the seventh round, Berto landed some very hard shots and rattled Quintana and followed up with some very good combinations until the referee was forced to stop it.
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Reposted for Archive Purposes)
“When Muhammad Ali beat Sonny Liston in 1964, it changed boxing in my opinion.”--Seka
In Part I of our exclusive interview, Seka talked in-depth about her career in the Adult Movie Industry and the industry as it stands today. In Part II, she takes us back in time with her thoughts about the sport of boxing, a sport she has followed since her childhood. From her thoughts on “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali, to her thoughts about a Retirement Fund, are all covered in this second part of this remarkable interview.
The comparison between boxing and the adult film industry has always been there. Both have been secretly adored at times only to be considered immoral by the same people. Both have been on the chopping block and blamed for certain misdeeds of the public, which is why this interview is important and why RSR is bringing you Seka.
Ladies and Gentlemen, RSR welcomes back the One and Only Seka…
BB: When did you first start following boxing and what are your earliest recollections?
In the early to mid sixties, when Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay at the time) was just starting out and you would see the old black and white films. He was a pretty man and when he beat Sonny Liston in 1964, it changed boxing in my opinion.
BB: Do you get out to the fights often? If so, which ones have you seen lately and what were your thoughts on them?
I have been, but it was years ago when I lived in Chicago and went to the local fights there. It was really fun watching and having two good looking guys with muscles and no shirts on, was pretty hot! (Laughs) But later of course, I would go on to really watch the sport and appreciate the skills they had which is just amazing to me. Boxing is an amazing sport that when that bell rings, it’s only Fighter A vs. Fighter B and that is when you see just how great they are.
BB: Who are some of your personal favorite fighters over the years and why?
Muhammad Ali, as I mentioned before. To watch him in his prime was to watch precision. He was just an amazing athlete. I respected the fact that when he took his stance in the late sixties…he did not just talk, but walked the walk. He gave it all up. You have to respect that.
I also love Evander Holyfield. I liked his style and felt he always fought with a strong determination in the ring. Rocky Marciano was another one I feel the same way about. He was a brawler in there and they make for exciting fights.
BB: What boxing match more than any other, can you vividly remember in your mind till this day?
Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton I in March of 1973, when Kenny broke Ali’s jaw, winning by a split decision. That was a huge upset back then and I was shocked.
BB: What fighter in the last 25 years do you personally feel not only was big in boxing, but transcended the sport as well?
I would have to say George Foreman. And yes, I have his grill! (Laughs) For him to come back like he did after a ten year layoff, then when he won the title in his mid forties, was just amazing. On his grill, I have to say, George really knows what to do with his meat. (We both busted out laughing)
BB: Do you think the sport has moved forward or back since you first started following it?
I don’t think it holds the same prestige of say when Muhammad Ali fought in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s or even a generation before Ali with Carmen Basilio who was an exciting fighter and you could almost bank that anytime he fought, his eyes were going to be swollen shut. Fighters of yesteryear were like God’s and today, the champions are not that well known which is a shame. I think with all of these belts, that makes it hard for the common boxing fan, to say, so and so is a World Champion.
BB: What is your favorite boxing movie and why?
I love the Rocky series and always have. Just look at the cast and there you see the great ensemble of powerhouse actors and actresses. Also, how can you hate a movie with a lot of hunky men in it? (Laughs)
You know another great boxing movie was “The Great White Hope” that starred James Earl Jones. I really enjoyed his acting as Jack Jefferson (based on the first ever Black Heavyweight Champion Jack Johnson) and the story as well.
BB: Since you came from an industry that has been referred to as being brilliantly marketed throughout the years, do you think boxing needs better marketing? If so, how do you think it should be done?
I don’t know that is needs better marketing, but better management for the boxers is a must. They need this because they are constantly getting ripped off.
BB: If you had the power to change one thing in boxing today, what would that be?
I wish they never would have let Mike Tyson back into boxing ring after he bit a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear off. It was terrible for the sport and for the millions watching to see that.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Yes, I do think they should have one. As you know, I love Baseball and they have one. To be honest though, I am not really qualified to say how it could be set up, but I do whole heartily wish they had one.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
“Just be nice.”
Anything you like to add about to the the interview?
I really enjoyed having the opportunity to talk about boxing because I do love the sport and all sports for the most part.
To find out more about Seka you can visit her website
There also is an email address there to reach her and she wanted all the RSR readers to know, that she personally answers all of her emails. WARNING: This Site Contains Adult Material Of An Extreme Nature. If you are under 21 years of age or if it’s illegal to view adult material in your community, please don’t click the link. RSR can't be held responsible for your actions if you choose to visit Seka’s website. She also has an in-depth disclaimer on her site. ]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Reposted for Archive Purposes)
“I really was one of the true frontiers women of this business who stood up and fought for our First Amendment rights so we would be able to do what we are doing today.”--Seka
In the 1980’s Adult Movie Industry, you had one name that if you admitted that you did in fact, watch Adult movies in the confines of your own home, or in a local Adult Movie Theater, you know you had at the top of your list of favorite female stars, Seka. She was the platinum blonde bombshell who was ahead of her time in her industry. It’s an industry if you like it or not, is a multi-million dollar business today, with numbers continuing to rise. Well, in any industry, you must have those founding pioneers that set things in motion. In mainstream movies you had the John and Lionel Barrymore’s who took film from silent reels to an audio/video mix, thus creating an industry for modern day stars to make a very nice living. In boxing, you had fighters such as Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis and Henry Armstrong, to name just a few, that moved their industry forward so fighters such as Oscar De La Hoya and Mike Tyson could make the many millions they have.
In the Adult Movie industry, you had Linda Lovelace whose film “Deep Throat” brought Adult Movies to the forefront that would go on to have “The Devil In Miss Jones” come out in the early 70’s and take it to another level. With the VHS tape coming out and taking adult movies now into the bedrooms, living rooms or just about anywhere that you could place a VCR in the 1980’s, you were no doubt watching Seka. She enabled future Adult Movie stars today such as Jenna Jameson to make the large paychecks she does.
Whether you like the Adult movie industry or you don’t, it cannot be denied that Seka was and is a Pioneer of that genre of movies. If you are open-minded, then you will agree that she deserves that respect, and if not, then you are also entitled to your opinions.
In talking with Seka, there is a lot more than meets the eye here… Years ago, she was labeled unfairly as “Difficult” to work with. Well, if you define difficult as wanting to get paid for the efforts you put in and in her case, not just on the screen, but everything associated with the promotion of a film, then yes, she is “Difficult.” But in reality, who doesn’t want to be compensated for the fruits of their efforts? So let’s be honest here, “Difficult” is word that has been used over the last several years really more to use someone, then to fairly pay them for the work put in and when they refuse that utter nonsense, they are labeled as “Difficult.” This interviewer found the complete opposite in all my dealings with her. In fact, she was so accommodating; it made the interview flow and allowed us to bring you exclusive pictures from her private collection of copyrighted photos.
In this very revealing interview, you will read Seka’s thoughts on a myriad of items in the Adult Movie industry, but not to stop there, she is also a huge boxing fan who worked off the ropes, stuck out her jab, and threw her uppercut when she answered the boxing questions thrown at her. She pulls no punches on anything that was asked of her and for a lady that doesn’t do too many interviews; she seemed to really enjoy this one. So without further ado…
Ladies and Gentlemen, RSR brings the One and Only Seka…
BB: Since your departure from the adult movie industry about 16 years ago, what have you been up to?
I have been working on my website, Seka.com, which I try to keep it as up to date as I can for the fans who I really appreciate. Lately I have been doing a lot of personal appearances such as “Chiller Theater” for Sci-Fi Shows, Comic Book Shows and Toy Shows. I did a recent comic book show (personal appearance) with Lou Gossett, JR., Adam West (played the original Batman), and Julie Newmar (played the original Catwoman) at the Detroit Comic Con.
For years in Chicago, before I moved out West, I was the host of a Radio Talk Show called “Let’s Talk Sex” for WLUP (97.9 FM). We were on 10:00 PM – 2:00 AM every Saturday night. Obviously that is not primetime meaning Drive Time for folks who listen to the radio on their way to work in the morning. Most people are out Saturday night and not listening to their radios. Well, I am proud to say, we beat Danny Bonaduce who was on five days a week, during drive time.
I did the radio show for about three years. We talked about anything and everything about sex and I think it helped a lot of people out there. We are working with a gentleman in London to redo a documentary that was done about me a couple of years back called “Desperately Seeking Seka” also a reality (maybe a round table type of thing) television show. Finally, in the fall, we are going to come out with a line of bookends from the two characters I played in “Careful He May Be Watching.” Sure, you can put books in between them, but it would be so much more fun to say, to have my movies there. (Laughs) So as you can see, I have a lot on my plate and really love it!
BB: How did you first get into Adult Movies?
I had seven Adult Book Stores in Virginia and Maryland that I owned. In the back of the stores at that time, you had the movies and you would have to loop the movies. So I would have to fix the movies when they broke and of course, I ended up watching a lot of movies. Well, I saw these ladies doing Adult Films back then and felt that was a nasty representation of women. I thought to myself that I can do it and do it better than that. That is how I came into the industry.
BB: You came into the Adult Movie industry in the late 1970’s, but became one of the defining ladies of your genre of the industry from your body of work during in the 1980’s. Looking back, what do you feel put you ahead of the others ladies that were on the scene?
For one thing, there weren’t any other platinum blondes at that time. Also, I was basically the transition girl from film to VHS, so when it reached everyone’s home, with people not having to go out, feeling naughty or guilty about watching an Adult Movie at a theater or Adult Book Store, they could now rent it or buy it to take home and enjoy in the privacy of that setting.
Women and men both loved me back then. Finally, it didn’t hurt the fact that I worked a lot with the late John Holmes.
BB: With so many distributors today taking just clips of your films and repackaging them into another movie making it look like you have a brand new movie out, while advertising your name as the star, when really you did the scene or scenes from a previous movie, do you get any royalties from these tapes?
No, I don’t get a dime from them. Back then, I didn’t know any better and signed my rights away. Most of my generation in the Adult Movies back then, did the same thing as me. We really didn’t know how lucrative the industry would become all these years later. Most of the actors I knew back then did not get paid what they were worth. That is why I demanded the money I did for my work and that is another reason I was labeled “Difficult.”
BB: In today’s Adult Movies there seems to be very little if any storyline or scenery other than a room with a bed or couch in it. In your day, you had some great storylines and lots of scenery. The industry thrived with that format, but today, they have all but gotten away from it. Why do you feel that is?
To me, it’s gone to instant gratification by throwing sex in the viewers face. To me, it’s violent and just not erotic for the most part anymore. There is no foreplay or story, just people going right at each other. People just walk in a room and are naked and just start having sex. I liked when you set up a scene, saw the lady or man come in the door, had some dialogue, and then went into a scene. It was set up.
BB: With what you just said, do you feel companies are just slapping anything to together for the cheapest amount they can and in turn, they make an even bigger profit?
Yes, I do. Again, I think it goes back to their mentality that we don’t have to see you take your clothes off or someone knock on the door. Today, I feel they think it’s sex and lets just get to it.
BB: With you being like the elder spokesperson for your genre of film, do you get asked by Producers or Directors to be an adviser on a film?
Yes, I have been asked, but they want you to do it for nothing. I always ask them how much are you going to pay me? Their response is really that they don’t have a budget. Which my reply is then, “Are you going to make money off of this film?” Finally, they say, “Yes we are,” and then I always reply, “|Well so am I!”
BB: Today there seems to be very little individuality amongst the ladies who all have blonde hair, breast Implants, and the same look basically with the same chemistry on screen. In fact, it seems that if you asked a dozen people who admitted that they did watch adult films; they could not name three of the ladies today outside of maybe Jenna Jameson. However, in your day, the first thing a group of people would say is Seka, Vanessa Del Rio, and Marilyn Chambers without blinking an eye.
As someone that did in fact, create her own niche, why do you think this is?
It’s like “Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory” except today, it’s the blonde boob factory. They cut them out, and then throw them out there for a couple of years and if they make it, then they are lucky. I would lay you 10-1 that the girls in the industry today, you will have no clue who they are in 25 years from now.
We (ladies) really did have a different look back then that kept us apart.
BB: In the 1970s through the 1980s, you had actual grand premieres where mainstream stars came out to watch a Adult Movie on the screen. It broke the common folk amongst the celebrity power brokers as well. I am sure that you don’t see them for the most part with the addition of the VCR and now the DVD, which can allow you to watch a movie in the privacy of your own home. However, do you think premieres are something they should get back to promote a new movie or star on the scene?
I think they should bring them back if they actually did movies like we did in our days with a tangible script and a storyline opposed to what we are seeing today.
BB: Do you feel as many do in your industry that “Deep Throat” starring Linda Lovelace hands down, busted the door open for the Adult Movie industry to make the huge sums of money it has up until this day?
Yes, I think it took the industry further at that particular point.
BB: Do you think it gets too much credit?
No, I don’t. Then came “The Devil In Miss Jones,” which really was a great storyline that had Georgina Spelvin in it. Here is a woman who speaks seven different languages fluently. She actually was a script reader who helped the other actors on the set. She was approached by someone in the industry who told her she should do this and she did.
BB: In the 1980s, you appeared before the Meese Commission that was headed by then US Attorney General, Edwin Meese. Explain why you did that and how you feel your appearance helped future actors and actresses that came along after you did.
I really was one of the true frontiers women of this business who stood up and fought for our First Amendment rights so we would be able to do what we are doing today. That is what the entire thing was about when I appeared before then Attorney General Edwin Meese. We were not treated very nicely, but I didn’t back down either. Some people today in the business do not give us the proper respect for what we did back then that has allowed them to do their thing today.
BB: Politicians have been criticized by their constituents over the years for going after the Adult Movie industry when they felt there were so many more important issues that the US was facing then an adult watching a pornographic movie in the confines of his or her own home. What is your take on this?
They do it because it grabs the headlines and it’s like fluff filler for them. They know that it will grab peoples attention which what they should be concentrating on issues like Homeland Security.
What chaps my ass is Priests who go after little boys or little girls that just get transferred to another Parrish. But if you are some everyday Joe, then you go away for a long time. It’s disgusting and Politicians should go after the Church for allowing that and anyone doing this need to be put away for life. But they want to go after consenting adults of age, who want to watch an Adult Movie in their own homes.
BB: Talk about your company Lilyjake LTD.
Yes, this is my company and I named it after my two cats. Lily has passed away now and Jake is a female cat that I saved from the mean cold streets of Chicago. She is my kid!
BB: Do performers in the adult industry belong to the Screen Actors Guild? If so, do they pay into a retirement?
No, we don’t have anything like SAG and they don’t want us to form a Union. All these years later, there is nothing and nobody pays into a retirement fund.
BB: That brings up another question. If the Adult Movie Industry doesn’t want to do it, why don’t the actors get a Union going?
A lot of them don’t have their stuff together to start a union or even help their selves doing something good. I do think they should start a Union.
BB: Because of the content of your movies, have you ever had any issues with a stalker or a fan that took what was on the screen to be the real you?
Yes, I had one person who actually came up to me at an autograph signing and kind of poked me. I asked him what are you doing? He said you’re not Seka, you died when you were blown up in “Prisoner of Paradise.” I thought I was going to wet my pants! Another time I had a stalker who wrote me all the time with 10-12 page letters that started out very nice and then, got very ugly. We finally got the guy arrested for stalking.
BB: I want to throw some names out at you from your days in the industry and get your thoughts on them.
John Holmes
I loved him and always will. He was very professional with me at all times and contrary to what others have said, I had no problems.
Vanessa Del Rio
I love her. Even though I worked with her one time, we both enjoyed it a lot.
John Leslie
He was a good performer, but personally, I don’t think he was that much of a professional. He was very well liked by people viewing the movies. At times, he could be difficult, but I think it was he cared about how he was presented which he always stood up for.
Peter North
I only worked with him once and it was for photo stills, which were not hardcore. So I don’t know how far North to North goes… (Laughs)
Lisa De Leeuw
I loved her to and, sadly, she died of AIDS. They said it was not from sexual activity, but possibly drug usage. I did know the folks she hung around with and it’s possible. She was absolutely one of the funniest women I have ever known both on screen and off.
BB: You dated late comedian Sam Kinison who passed away in 1992. Share your thoughts about Sam.
I loved him even though we fought like cats and dogs. I met him at one of his shows and we hit it off immediately. We dated on and off for about three years. People always thought he was on even off stage, but he was actually a very intelligent human being. He was actually a Pastor and you didn’t dare get into an argument with him especially about theology.
It was sad when he was killed by a drunk driver because he was finally clean and sober for a couple of months.
BB: If you had to pick one Adult Movie you were the most proud of, which one would you pick and why?
“Careful He May Be Watching.” It was one of the very first times a woman in the industry tried to do this. I wrote it, produced it, and raised the money for it. It won Film of the Year (1988 from AVN).
BB In my research for this interview, you have been brutally honest to say, “I was not a good actress for mainstream movies and I never claimed to be.” However, I am sure that mainstream Producers and Directors still came after you because you had such a name in your genre of movies. Did that happen?
Sure they did, but they wanted to sleep with me off the screen to be in their movies. I was like, “I get paid to do this now on the screen, why I am going to do it with you for free?” (Laughs)
BB: In your day, what type of precautions did they take to stop the spread of STD’s? Do you know if today’s industry is just as precautious?
You have to remember that in my day, we only had a handful of actors and actresses that we worked with. We did testing. Today, I think they do, but they work with so many different partners, that I would be worried.
BB: In 1997, Director Paul Thomas Anderson directed the movie “Boogie Nights” that was a portrayal of the Adult Movie Industry during your time in it. What do you think of the movie and did he capture the essence of your era in the business?
First off, I don't remember ever dressing that poorly, but I guess we must have... How could we have looked so bad and to this day remain so popular? I thought they did an okay job with it for the most part, considering Hollywood did it.
BB: Burt Reynolds career was revived by this movie when he portrayed the character of Jack Horner who was an Adult Movie director. This role garnered Reynolds great reviews and an actual Oscar Nomination. What did you think of his portrayal and could you see in it, that he might have actually gotten with some directors of Adult Films to help his interpretation of the role?
I thought that Burt was pretty much on the mark. Not only did he look very much the part, but his portrayal was as close as anyone else could have gotten.
BB: In 2002, Swedish filmmakers Christian Hallman and Magnus Paulsson filmed the documentary “Desperately Seeking Seka.” From the reviews I have read, it seems to have become a cult film with a large following. Since you were actually in it today, what do you think of it?
I thought they did a very nice job and they were both very sweet. We had them in my home, cooking for them and shooting the interviews I did in it. They sold their US rights to a company who came to me to promote it. But they wanted to offer me a lousy deal, so when I asked for a percentage of the action, they said “we can’t do that.” It was a bad move on their part because had I promoted it, they would have sold a lot more copies.
BB: What is one thing about you that you can share with the RSR Readers that up until our interview today, hardly anyone knew.
That I am really a nice person and not the Bitch, which everyone seems to proclaim I am. (Laughs)
BB: Finally before we get into the boxing which I know you have you really been sparring to get ready for it, I would like you to share your words of wisdom from a business standpoint to any young man or woman who is of the legal age who wants to get into the Adult Movie Industry.
Go to school, then go on to college and forget the business because it’s not what it once was. Not everybody can be a Seka or a Jenna Jameson. But if you are still going to do it, then own everything that you do and control everything you do!
Come back tomorrow to read about Seka's love for boxing in Part II...
]]>
Exclusive Interview by "Bad" Brad Berkwitt (Reposted for Archive Purposes)
“I can remember as far back to the fights of guys like Muhammad Ali, Jerry Quarry, and Joe Frazier who when they were boxing, I was always trying to catch them on TV.”--Robert Funaro
Italian American actor Robert Funaro is a born and bred New Yorker who wears it like a brand new pair of diamond cufflinks. His works screams NYC. His voice echoes Brooklyn. His passion for his work is unmatched. He uses boxing throughout his various analogies about his acting career because he realizes that as he plies his trade day in and day out, he is like a boxer. The boxer goes to the gym. The actor to the studio. Both work themselves to the bone to win the championship in their craft.
Funaro challenged for the title at an early point in his acting career just like fellow New Yorker, the late junior middleweight Davey Moore from the Bronx, did in just his ninth professional fight. Davey struck Gold when he knocked out the Japanese Champion Tadashi Mihara to win the WBA Junior Middleweight Title.
In Bobby’s first attempt at the title, he faced a major champion in the television show, “The Sopranos.” It was already a hit show and he was contacted personally by a friend he calls “Jimmy,” but is known to the rest of the world by the character name of Tony Soprano, who requested him to audition for the show. Funaro entered that audition, with hands wrapped tight and boxing gloves on. His audition wowed the “Powers That Be” and the character who was known only in words as Eugene Pontecorvo, now had a live soul to channel the written word to the actor.
Pontecorvo was a member of the crew headed up by Ralph Cifaretto, and was one of the newer made guys in New Jersey; who got his button at the same ceremony as Christopher Moltisanti. That day, Eugene stood up in front of Tony Soprano and the rest of the family, and pledged his undying devotion to them, above any and all else.
Pontecorvo later learned the seriousness of that pledge, when he inherited $2 million from an Aunt. Seeing a chance to make a new life, both he and his wife devised a plan to move to Florida and asked Tony for permission to leave. But after considering it, Tony dispatched the trusted Capo Silvio Dante to inform Eugene that this wasn't the NHL - there's no retirement. Pressed hard by his near-hysterical wife and, suddenly, the Feds, who wanted him to be their new man on the inside of Tony's crew, Pontecorvo took the only way out - he hanged himself.
Funaro’s character, Eugene Pontecorvo, may have died on The Sopranos, but Bobby’s acting career and now his documented love for the sport of boxing in this exclusive interview, shows he is in fact, very much alive...
BB: Last week I interviewed Joe Gannascoli (Vito Spatafore) and I asked him his opinion and thoughts on the last episode of The Sopranos. What were your thoughts about it?
I loved it because it had the open ending like Director Francois Truffaut’s 1959 movie called (Quatre cents coups, Les – translation 400 Blows), which was up for an Oscar for (Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written directly for the screen). At the end of this movie, the little delinquent boy is seen making it to shore, then a still shot of him, with the picture fading to black just as it did with Tony Soprano in the final episode.
It left you with a thought that just maybe, there may be something else down the road for Tony and the crew on The Sopranos. David Chase, really in my mind, stayed the course with his writing because he left a lot of stories open such as the Russians who were at war with Paulie Walnuts or Dr. Melfi’s rapist, who folks wondered if Tony ever took care of him?
BB: Your character Eugene Pontecorvo got his button in the same episode as Christopher Moltisanti who was made. Talk about that famous episode and your tenure on The Sopranos.
Funny thing about my last name in the show. I did a scene with Actor and Director Paul Mazursky on The Sopranos and we actually got into a discussion about my characters last name. It means Bridge (Ponte) Crow (Corvo) in Italian. (Laughs). I think a lot of the guys names on the set are named after folks that David Chase (Creator) whose real name is (David DeCesare) knew about growing up because he is Italian.
I was scared sh*& if you look at my face during the shooting of the episode where I get my button. But really, in that episode, I got my button in terms of being on TV working as a professional. It was like art imitating life for me. What it was for Michael (Imperioli) in the show (being made) was for me doing the show.
Many don’t know this, but when I first got on the show, I had some health problems and took a gamble to not elect to have surgery, which my brother who is a doctor, said I needed to have. I prayed to God that it would work out because I knew my acting chops would have to be up to a very high level.
I was on the show a total of four years and did about 25-28 episodes during that time. During those shows, I was more in the outer circle, but the big break came when I did a show titled “Members Only.” I was hearing from my acting friends, I was getting a wife and kids, so of course, they wanted to play them. (Laughs)
I started saying to myself this could be really great for me or bad. (Laughs) One day I was on the way out to the movies with my son, when David Chase calls me, which he does personally with all the main guys to let them know what the story is and if they are going to be let go. David says, “I have good news and bad news for you.” I said, “Give me the good news first.” David than says, “The first episode of that season was all about my character Eugene Pontecorvo and it will give you a chance to shine Bobby.” The bad news was he also said that I was going to die! (Laughs)
When I got the script for the episode (Members Only), I was thrilled to death! It had Terence Winter (Writer) and Timothy Van Patton (Directing). You could not ask for a better team. When I first got the script, folks were saying no way he would kill himself over two million dollars, so they pumped the script up and I have to tell you, by the time we got done with it to shoot, I was so honored by what this script allowed me to do with my acting. I don’t think I could do it again today with everything being as good as it was for that shoot. It won an Emmy Award for writing, which I was very proud of for Terence (Winter). I was actually on the ballot for the Emmy, but did not make the final cut, but still it was an honor nonetheless.
Finally, I dedicate what I feel is my biggest triumph (Members Only) thus far in my acting career to my dearly departed mentor and friend, actor Richard Bright. (Al Neri in all three Godfather movies and many others)
BB: Let’s have a little fun with The Soprano Characters. I will throw a name out at you and for each, just give a few words on what you think of them from your working experience.
James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano)
Three words. Honesty, truthful, and humility. This man truly has a lot of courage and those three words describe him.
Edie Falco (Carmela Soprano)
At the top of her acting game!
Michael Imperioli (Christopher Multasanti)
Great guy! He was the first one to come up to me on the set and welcomed me aboard.
Steven Van Zandt (Silvo Dante)
The real truth and a great musician!
Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts)
Brooklyn all the way! He is at the top of his game and really has a lot of heart. Just look at how long he was in the business before he got his big break on The Sopranos.
BB: What type of work did you do to sustain yourself while waiting on acting jobs or getting your big break?
I was managing Caroline’s Comedy Club on Broadway in New York City, which is the biggest comedy club on the east coast.
BB: How did you first get into acting?
Since my days in college, it was always my dream to be an actor. I always kind of dabbled in it and actually did a play with Jimmy (Gandolfini) in Europe called “A Street Car Named Desire.” I played Stanley Kowalski (Role made famous by the late Marlon Brando) and Jimmy played Harold “Mitch” Mitchell (Role made famous by Karl Malden) in the 1951 movie version. We toured Scandinavia doing it.
When we came back, I actually got out of acting for the most part, but always remained in entertainment. Jimmy (Gandolfini) started to get somewhat famous in his acting work, then, The Sopranos broke for a huge hit. The third year into the show Jimmy, heard from a friend of mine that I was working at the Comedy Club and actually came to the club one night to check on me. He then went on to say to me, I want you to audition for The Sopranos.
I was floored! Funny thing, I had to go to Georgianne Walken’s Casting Office (Christopher’s wife) office, which was a street over from where I worked. They sent the script over and I had my audition at the Silver Cup Studio in New York City. I was in shock to see the entire Sopranos crew there and that includes David Chase. I was scared to death, but I did well. Jimmy (Gandolfini) is the reason I got on the show because I had no agent at the time. This really is the kind of guy he is. I will forever appreciate what my friend did for me.
BB: To even a novice eye, I think it’s safe to say your career progression in just close to seven years, has been pretty amazing. What do you think?
All I can say is that I have been really blessed to have been on The Sopranos as a young apprentice to work my way up to an episode like “Members Only” is humbling for sure. I may or may not ever repeat the level of acting I hit in this episode and to be honest, it is not different than the boxer who goes out there, and has his greatest night in the ring winning a title, but then, cannot duplicate in his first title defense.
BB: Your most recent film work is in American Gangster with Denzel Washington in the lead. With an all-star cast such as Washington, Russell Crowe and Cuba Gooding, JR., to mention just a few, what was that set like?
It was just great. The movie is based on a true story. Ridley Scott in my opinion did a great job in the Director’s chair and Russell Crowe was a regular guy for sure. My partner in the movie is Josh Brolin (Actor James Brolin’s son) and we had a great time together shooting. I played McCann who is a Special Investigative Unit Detective who is underhanded like (Treat Williams’ character in the 1981 movie Prince of the City).
BB: I am a huge fan of Al Martino (Singer Johnny Fontane from The Godfather and legendary Italian Crooner). I see you made a short movie called “Cutout” (Directed by Marc Cantone) with Al last year. What was the movie about and where can fans of both of your careers see it?
We actually rehearsed in Beverly Hills, California, for three days and Al (Martino) and his lovely wife Judi, were just so gracious to us during the entire time. Judi makes the best lemonade I have ever had in my life. We then brought it back to Absecon, New Jersey, where Marc was able to get a beautiful home to shoot the short movie at. It really was a wonderful shoot about a washed up singer who was playing like Foreign Legions and stuff like that.
He finds out that his son who he has been estranged from for about 30 years, is trying to sell his house. Al finds out and he had built a pool at the home. What he does is gets in the pool and refuses to come out. So between my character and his, we go backand forth which opens up many memories. If it is shown in a local art theater, check it out.
BB: Talk about the play you were involved in called Lamppost Reunion.
I played the character Frank Santora who was based on Frank Sinatra who comes back to his birth home of Hoboken, New Jersey. Vincent Pastore (Big Pussy) from The Sopranos who is a friend of mine, asked me to be part of the read. Years ago, on Broadway, the late actor Gabriel Dell played the part as well.
It was a very enjoyable project for sure.
BB: Let’s now shift our interview to your love for the sport of boxing. How long have you followed the sport?
Since I was a very young kid. I came into this world shortly after Rocky Marciano hung up the gloves, but I used to see tapes of him all the time. I can remember as far back to the fights of guys like Muhammad Ali, Jerry Quarry, and Joe Frazier who when they were boxing, I was always trying to catch them on TV.
BB: Being a New York born and raised guy like you are; what fights did you enjoy seeing at Madison Square Garden over the years?
I actually used to work at Madison Square Garden and got a chance to watch Buddy McGirt fight Pernell Whitaker back in March of 1993. It was a great fight and very close when the scorecards were announced. Buddy and I became very friendly over the years and I really admire his work as a trainer now.
BB: Being Italian American, would you agree that whenever a fighter comes out that is Italian or Italian American, there is always a huge following. Why do you think this is?
Yes, I agree. I think it’s a family thing. It’s like the Italian’s go crazy over the Italian Soccer Team. Italians, as you know, are very close knit when it comes to family and this is why I think this would explain the following for an Italian or Italian American fighters following.
BB: If you had to pick one fighter in the last 40 years that hands down, was your favorite boxer during that period, who would that be and why?
It would have to be Muhammad Ali. The reason why is because he was the Michael Jordan of boxing in his day. He was a great boxer, took the sport to another level with his showmanship and boxing skills. I was never interested in his personal life, but admired his boxing career.
BB: What fight do you think defined boxing during that same 40 year period and why?
Well, for in the earlier part would have to be Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier I, which was a huge fight that was held at Madison Square Garden. There was a division of people backing each fighter for different reasons. This fight was so big that Life Magazine actually dispatched Frank Sinatra as a photographer whose shot of the fighters actually graced the front cover of Life.
If we talk about modern day, I have to say the three wars between Arturo Gatti versus Micky Ward. They brought hardcore fans and even the casual ones into the sport, which is a great thing.
BB: What is your favorite boxing movie and why?
Raging Bull (1980). I thought the performances, the set, music, and all the minute details that they made sure of were just outstanding.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers, and if so, how do you think it could be accomplished?
Yes, I do. I think it could be done kind of like how we do in the Screen Actors Guild. A lot of the funding is from dues from folks in the acting business and of course the more you make, the more you pay in dues. It helps the others who are not making the big money, but are always working and paying their dues as well.
I think anyone involved with making a profit in boxing, should pay into a fund.
BB: If you had the power right now to change one thing in the sport of boxing, what would that be?
I would get rid of all of these title belts. With so many today, you just don’t know who the champion is. The heavyweight division has always been the one division that even the casual fans knew who the champion was. Today, they could not tell you one if they were standing right in front of them. (Writers Note: In this new series, take notice that Robert Shapiro, Joe Gannascoli, and now Bobby, have said the same exact thing in three consecutive interviews.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
“It’s what you do with what you got, that counts.”
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Reposted for Archive Purposes)
“I actually cried as so many did when The Greatest (Muhammad Ali) lost.” --Joseph R. Gannascoli
Joseph R. Gannascoli is a Brooklyn, New York, born and raised actor who has plied his trade for many years in some well known movies, but hit pay dirt, as Mafia Capo Vito Spatafore, a tough guy character that is found out to be gay in the HBO Hit Original Series, The Sopranos. Before he became a truly famous face, he had parts in movies such as Ed Wood with Johnny Depp, Mickey Blue Eyes with Hugh Grant, and maybe one of the most famous actors to play a mafia figure in James Caan, (Sonny Corleone in The Godfather).
When you look at Gannascoli’s resume, you see a guy who has worked his way up in each movie role with small parts leading of course, into bigger ones. Acting, in a sense, is no different than boxing. Both the boxer and actor must start out small working their way up the ranks. The Actor starts with smaller roles, the fighter in smaller venues, working his way through lesser competition. So in that sense, an actor such as Joe, who if he wins the Oscar one day, is like the boxer winning his first legitimate World Title. Exciting for both, no doubt, and for sure a milestone that can passed on to generations in their families.
In this new series that saw us debut with Attorney Robert Shapiro, this week, and wanting to follow up that interview with a name that would instantly invoke many thoughts because of The Sopranos success, but to also show that boxing fans truly do come in all walks of life. So if you are thinking of not reading any further: fuggettaboutit…..
BB: I know my first question you have probably been asked countless times since the final episode of The Sopranos went off, but what did you personally think of it?
I thought it was very good. Working with David Chase (Creator), I know the way he operates and he doesn’t tie up loose ends. You don’t know if Tony Soprano lived or died, which I would like to think he lived and it leaves the door open for future things, which personally, I don’t think is going to happen. The music in it had a lot of meaning and the episode had a lot of symbolism from eating an orange, from Uncle Junior with no teeth in his mouth. I really did love it.
BB: Your character Vito Spatafore, which got a lot of airtime was not only was a high ranking Capo, but you were also found out to be a homosexual as well. In my research, I read that you came up with the idea to incorporate it into your character. How did David Chase take to your idea?
Yes, that was my idea from a book I was reading and I thought it would be interesting because it was something you just don’t see in Mob life. It was also a chance to get some challenging acting work in. I brought out to the creators about the book I was reading (Murder Machine by Authors Gene Mustain and Jerry Capeci) which had a gay character in there, which if they were interested in running with it, I wouldn’t mind. That was actually in the middle of season 3. I didn’t hear anything about it until about season 5, when they asked me the name of the book I was reading which talked about the murder of the Acting Boss of the Family, "Johnny Boy" D’Amato back in 1992, that actually happened in Brooklyn, New York, when he was shot from the front several times in a backseat of a car.
BB: Looking back now that your character is in the can, how did you think you did on your portrayal? Finally, how did the different Gay and Lesbian organizations feel about your role since it was a main character on of the most watched TV shows in the history of television?
It’s hard to judge my own performance, but I heard from both people in the community, and gay community, that they loved it, which is very gratifying to hear. In the portrayal of Vito Spatafore, I just really tried to give an honest performance. Many people don’t realize this, but during that entire season, I was in tremendous pain with major hip problems where you actually see me limping around because of it. Since then, I have had double hip replacement surgery and I’m happy to say, I’m feeling much better now and playing racquetball everyday.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) nominated my scenes in The Sopranos for a drama award, but they didn’t win. I was honored by that even without the win.
BB: Researching your acting career, I found a movie (Money For Nothing) that happened to have both James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) and Elizabeth Bracco, Lorraine Bracco’s (Dr Melfi’s) real life sister who also played your wife on The Sopranos. When you finally realized you were going to be on the Sopranos, did you already have some type of rapport with either star going in?
Wow, I didn’t realize that Elizabeth Bracco was in that movie. I didn’t work with James (Gandolfini), but I had a couple of scenes with Michael Madsen. So honestly, since I didn’t work in it that much, we didn’t build rapport from this movie going into The Sopranos because I didn’t see either one of them. However, I did become friends with Benicio Del Toro from the set which really helped me get started in the business. Benicio also directed me in a short film back in 1995, called Submission.
BB: With the huge success of The Sopranos worldwide, I am sure that anyone on the show whether a mainstream character or lesser known maybe recurring role would say it changed their life. With that said, how did it change your life and create opportunities for a hard working actor such as yourself?
The whole point of doing the gay thing was about getting more work of course. Yes, there were many perks that came with being in the show such as having a book published (Meal to Die For), having my own cue stick line and I have a line of cigars coming out soon. It allows me not to have to always sit and wait by the phone as so many actors have to do. I got married a couple of years ago and it afforded me the opportunity to purchase a beautiful house. With having a new family, it takes some of the burden off of me to worry about where the money is going to come in from. The Sopranos for sure was a springboard for me into other things and now when the phone rings, they know I can do the work they would like to offer me and it’s just a matter of fitting them into the schedule.
BB: One other question before we talk about boxing, and I must ask since I am big fan of Ed Wood movies. Looking at your career, you actually played a role in biographical movie about Ed Wood that starred Johnny Depp and Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi (Dracula). What was that set like since the story of Ed Wood is pretty wild?
It was a wild set though I was not on much, but had scenes with Johnny Depp who is a great actor and I really enjoyed doing on the Warner Brothers Set. I actually got the job from the same casting director who cast me in Money For Nothing. I really owe a lot to them.
BB: Let’s now shift our interview to your love for the sport of boxing. First thing that came to mind when I was thinking back on The Sopranos along with boxing is they never if I recall, went to a fight or shot a scene maybe at a fight or a gym. But they did have a picture of Rocky Marciano that was in the office at the Bada Bing Strip Club. Was there ever talk about doing any stories around boxing or a fight that got canned?
Not that I know of.
BB: How long have you followed boxing?
I have followed it since I was a kid and really was a huge Muhammad Ali fan. Over the years, I have read as many books as I can about him and truly respect the man. He actually fought Leon Spinks on my 19th Birthday (Feb 15, 1978) and lost his title as we all know by a split decision to Spinks who amazingly was fighting for the 8th time as a professional fighter. I actually cried as so many did when The Greatest lost. He is a true Muslim who has taken his religion very seriously over the years and standing up for what he believed in always.
BB: Being a New York born and raised guy like you are; what fights did you enjoy seeing at Madison Square Garden over the years?
Believe it or not, as much as I love boxing, I just started getting out to the fights such as Floyd Mayweather, JR. versus Arturo Gatti in Atlantic City, and Wladimir Klitschko versus Calvin Brock at MSG where I was sitting next to Zab Judah who was a real cool character.
BB: Pick three Italian or Italian American fighters that you would rate as the best and why for each?
First would be Jake Lamotta. He was a tremendous competitor in the ring and fearless who was a little crazy, which I am sure he had to be. Rocky Marciano was very exciting even though his career was over by the time I was born. I have seen his old fights and as a kid. I can remember that boxing program he had on TV where he would breakdown a fight and talk to the kids as well. I really enjoy both Arturo Gatti and Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini who are true “Blood and Guts” fighters, but I also like the fighters who are also boxers.
BB: What is your favorite boxing movie and why?
The Setup, filmed in 1949, with acting great Robert Ryan in the lead and Robert Wise as the Director. This was a great film all around and stands the test of time when it comes to boxing movies.
BB: Do you have any funny stories you can share with the readers about any fighters you have met or hung around with?
Funny you ask this. It’s not really a story about boxing, but does kind of involve it. Currently I am kind of involved in spat with this F*&^%$# Jerk off Philly Sports DJ who has been saying bad things about me on WIP Radio. I don’t want to even say his name to give him publicity, (RSR looked it up and the DJ’s name is Howard Eskin so we said it).
The morning Sports DJ named Angelo Caltadi who is a guy on that station said he was a really A#% while he was on the air for what he said about me, which was totally not true and the way he acts. Some other of the DJ’s said they would set us up in a boxing match with 42 ounce gloves on and if I win, which I will, I will donate to his rehabilitation because I will knock him out.
I was in Philly doing some work and at a baseball game where I was invited back to the meet at the hotel. Well, this guy (Eskin) says I was selling pictures in the hotel suite. That is an absolute lie. Yes, I do signings and get paid to do them, but I never charge a fan that comes up say in a restaurant or maybe the owner for a picture. See, this is just principal to me. Attack my acting…you’re entitled to your opinion. Say “Hey Joe” you Fat F@#!,” who cares? But attack my integrity, and no way am I going to put up with that crap. This guy is trying to make a name on this crap and I would love to box him. In fact, I know you guys shoot video for your RSRTV. You guys can come out and film it. I hope he reads this and accepts the challenge.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers, and if so, how do you think it could be accomplished?
Yes, I do 100%. It has never been something I have been asked, but it’s a shame that fighters don’t have one like the NBA, NFL and MLB. The easy answer would be of course for the fighter and the promoter to pay in, but I know it needs a lot more than just this to ensure it was done right so they would be taken care of.
BB: If you had the power right now to change one thing in the sport of boxing, what would that be?
Wow, good one! I would get rid of so many of these organizations because years ago, you knew the champion in a weight class for the most part. Today with it being so diluted, you don’t know who the champion is in just about any weight class. This in my opinion would help the sport and bring more attention to the champions by even the casual boxing fan out there.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
“Be a good person and it will come back to you.”
]]>By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
There’s a fine line between past present and future and perhaps no other sport demonstrates that concept better than boxing. “Andre Berto – The Future Star of the Welterweight Division” by yours truly is a discussion that looks back at last week’s big win over former champ Juan Quintana while asking if the young and undefeated WBC kingpin may be in the best position of all to capitalize on the aging wave of marquee names directly in or around his weight class. As is so often the case outside of the ring troubles threaten to snatch away one of the more talented and popular rising names in our sport, an ongoing problem that has plagued every decade since men began exchanging punches for pay. “Valero Screws up Royally” by OKMike reports on the sudden unfortunate turn of events that has the long arm of the law reaching out at the WBC lightweight champion, one of today’s most electrifying performers and a fighter with a myriad of lucrative big fight options looming. And if a discussion about drama is your game perhaps a visit to the thread “Ringondeaux Hurt, Out of Fight, Dumps Roach” would be a good place to brush-up on Prima Donna 101. OKMike has tapped into the ever-developing soap opera that was the promising career of junior featherweight Guillermo Rigondeaux, a two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist that appeared to have both talent and the world at his feet.
Now in its third week the RSR April 2010 Prediction League is rolling along nicely. Having taken the lead after a brisk start by OKMike, AnthonySullivan looks poised to kick the ball into the net. Not far behind, several league veterans are well positioned to capitalize should there be any upsets over the remaining fifteen bouts on the roster relative to the latter’s bold predictions on the outcomes. Stay tuned. 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, 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
]]>
By Geoff “The Professor” Poundes
If the Super-Six saw itself as a crucible within which to mix a volatile collection of fighters/promoters/ring physicians/fight-fans and hangers-on, then the Arthur Abraham-Andre Dirrell match-up in round two of the tournament will have lived up to everyone’s expectations.
Stranger things have happened in a boxing ring, but not often. Dirrell, now 19-1, 13 KO’s, won the fight flat on his back, his leg twitching spasmodically. When he was dragged to his feet he began weeping like a baby, shouting at once “I got dropped, man” and then “He hit me when I was down!”
He was right the second time. Arthur Abraham, the previously undefeated Armenian, had indeed clocked him while he was on one knee in the corner, courtesy of a pressure-induced slip, causing Dirrell to blink for a second, and then stretch out on the canvas rubbing his head and eyes and writhing as though he’s been harpooned.
The referee Laurence Cole, who had had a poor night up to that point, at least made the right decision – in fact, the only decision he could make – which was to summarily disqualify Abraham and award the fight to the prostrate American.
In the fracas of the aftermath in the ring, Abraham argued somewhat strangely that as he hadn’t intentionally landed a right hand on Dirrell, the fight should have continued after Andre had been allowed some recovery time – but he was surely clutching at straws given that Dirrell, legitimately or otherwise, was behaving as though his senses had been scrambled into the Detroit night.
So the controversy was not about Cole’s decision, but about the legitimacy of Dirrell’s “injuries”. Abraham and his cohorts were in doubt that Dirrell had acted out, in order to steal the win in a fight that he had dominated for nine rounds, but was clearly losing grip off as Abraham stepped things up. Dirrell was dropped heavily in the tenth (a knockdown missed by Cole, but plainly obvious to everyone else), and was under fire in the eleventh when the finish came, just as the cognoscenti were beginning to believe that Abraham’s customary late rally might just yield him yet another knockout.
Much has been made since of Dirrell’s acting abilities, if indeed that was what won him the fight. This scribe’s first impression on the night was that Abraham’s blow was nothing more than a glancing one, that Dirrell had taken several more hefty shots in the fight, and that he was milking it for all he was worth. Replays of the incident appeared to back up that conclusion, as there was a clear pause between impact and effect, which is not unusual in boxing, but Dirrell’s subsequent reactions did not appear those of a man concussed.
Generally, a twitching leg on a knocked out fighter means just that – he’s knocked cold. He’s not in a position to writhe around tearfully holding his head.
Once Dirrell was on his feet, he certainly appeared to be disoriented, and he was shouting a stream of conflicting statements in all directions. Later, his physician was interviewed in the dressing room saying that he was sure Dirrell had suffered a concussion – and yet, Dirrell could plainly be seen behind him on his feet and talking, and he’d just exited the ring under his own steam and walked unaided from ring to backstage. In this scribe’s experience a fighter having shipped the degree of punishment Dirrell’s actions suggested in the ring, would have been on his back, in an oxygen mask, and on his way to hospital.
Of course, Dirrell’s proponents would counter with the argument: why would a guy who had won at least 8 of the previous 10 rounds, including a 10-8 round in the fourth when he dropped Abraham for an 8-count, seek an early exit from the fight, when he only had to stay on his feet for four more minutes to pick up an easy decision. It’s an argument that would hold water, were it not for the fact that in the previous four minutes he had been knocked on the seat of his pants, and was looking tired in the face of his opponents increasing momentum. Abraham’s people were adamant that had the fight continued Arthur would have got to Dirrell, and of course they can point to plenty of occasions in his 32 fight career when he’d done just that.
The truth will never be known, but the question marks will remain over Andre Dirrell for some time to come. For the first nine rounds of this contest he was a revelation, repeating the feat of his fellow countryman, namesake and friend Andre Ward, who had made another super-six European Mikkel Kessler look ordinary in their fight last November. Abraham found himself in with a real technician, and couldn’t get a foothold in the fight as Dirrell put on a display of speed and accuracy.
It may well be that Carl Froch is the main beneficiary of the result, since he has taken a decision from Dirrell, albeit a controversial one. Possibly the two super-six favorites, Abraham and Kessler, have been severely compromised in the tournament and by the two young guns who most felt might have been out of their depth in the competition. Should Froch turn back Kessler later this month, and in light of Kessler’s dire showing against Ward he would be favored to do so, then Froch will become the new leader of the pack as the tourney moves into stage three.
As for Andre Dirrell his next opponent will be Andre Ward, and he’ll have some pressure in the fight to show that he’s deserving of the Abraham win. Ward will have almost certainly taken care of Allan Green by then (they fight in June), and will have his eyes firmly set on maximum super-six points.
Rest assured when all the dust is settled, Arthur Abraham will be looking to drag Andre Dirrell into a rematch to reverse a result that I’m sure he believes was the wrong one. There remains the possibility that such a fight could well be for the unified super-middle title, which is now very much up for grabs.
Over here in the UK we’re reading with increasing alarm about the extra-curricular antics of Joe Calzaghe, who is not taking retirement well, and getting himself involved in all sorts of unsavory incidents. Calzaghe won’t be the first ex-fighter to find life away from the rigorous discipline of boxing hard to stomach, and I shan’t be at all surprised if in a year to eighteen months he steps back into the ring to give the super-six champion a chance at true legitimacy.
]]>
(Today would have been my Dad’s 82nd Birthday. I miss him now as I did on July 2, 1998 when he first left us. Dad, this is an old tribute, but one that stands just as strong for me today. I love and miss you very much. – Love Bradley)
Tribute by "Bad" Brad Berkwitt
Where did 35 years go? Only seven years old, but watching boxing with my late father Alvin in 1975 on a TV with huge rabbit ears, you know the kind where you would have to bend them to get the picture to come in. I can remember that year seeing countless numbers of fights, and it was a time when NBC, ABC, and CBS all had boxing in their schedules.
I long for those days and, with those days, for my father who is the very ink that is on this piece. Let me explain a little about my father because it's so pertinent to my love affair with the sport of boxing. In the course of his 70 years on this earth, he was friendly with many legends in the sport of boxing. Whether it was driving cross country with the late Rocky Graziano from Miami Beach to New York in the 1950s, or almost buying a then Cassius Clay's car on Miami Beach and having him in stitches with his great humor.
Working at the legendary Fontainebleau Hotel on Miami Beach and hanging out with yet another legend in Beau Jack, who owned a shoe shine stand there, or finally, a man I just adored and we lost in 2003, Kid Gavilan. Dad and Kid would sit in the bleachers cheering on a pre "Bad" Brad Berkwitt, then an amateur fighter in the early 1980s. What a great time my father must have had with all these legends, whose spirits, with the exception of Ali who is still alive, are dancing, sticking and moving in every ring throughout the world. In those rings that cemented their legends, and we sure were blessed to be part of their careers as fans.
From 1975-1979, so many fights stick out in my head, but three take the cake for me. First was Earnie Shavers’ heavyweight fight where he annihilated Ken Norton in one round. The second one was Larry Holmes challenging Ken Norton for his WBC Heavyweight Championship. What a great 15th round, and to this day, I still think Norton should have gotten the decision. Then Muhammad Ali dropping a decision to Leon Spinks, who at the time had only 7 professional fights going into their heavyweight bout. We loved Ali so much, and to see him lose broke everyone's heart that night.
The 70's would move into the 80's, and my love would truly blossom with the sport of boxing, when in August 1980, I went into a community center in North Miami Beach, Florida called Allen Park. I was there to sign up for football, but heard a noise that stopped me in my tracks. That noise was coming from the other side of the wall, and I had to find out what it was. To my amazement, there was a gym and young kids my age were working the heavy bags, shadow boxing, and skipping rope. That was it, I was already dating boxing, but now I was in love with her hands down.
I turned to my dad, and to this day, I can remember that conversation some 30 years ago. "Dad, can I sign up for boxing instead of football?" My dad turned to me and said, "Bradley, if this is what you want, and are willing to give it your all, I will always be in your corner." He was in my corner for the next three years and to this day, I can replay fight after fight in my mind of my very enjoyable amateur boxing run.
Three years, and 14 fights later, my stint in amateur boxing would end. In my last fight, which I trained my hind pots off for, I dropped my opponent Ronnie Williams in the second round with a perfect right hand to the jaw, but to my surprise he got back up to finish the fight. In the end, my hand was raised, and my group of friends watching the fight cheered on and on. If you have never been in the ring as an amateur or professional boxer, then it's hard to understand when we say that the noise from the crowd is truly moving to us.
During this period on November 12, 1982, I saw what has become my favorite fight of all-time and of course Dad was with me watching it on HBO. That fight was with Aaron "The Hawk" Pryor against Alexis Arguello. From that winning night in Pryor's life until this day, I consider him my favorite fighter, and have to thank boxing for bringing us together in the last couple of years at various events. Aaron is a class act, and my walls have some wonderful pictures with us together. My interview with him back in 2000 is one of my personal favorites that is highlighted in my book.
1983 also held a significant boxing event in my life, and that was the first time my father and I went to a live boxing match together. Of course, he had been to plenty, but I was getting ready to feel what you only do when sitting ringside for the action. The fight card was held at the old Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Florida.
The main event pitted "Smokin" Mike Perkins against Dorcy Gaymon for the Florida State Cruiserweight Title. Perkins was a stablemate of mine, and was a very nice guy. As I rooted for him, he was able to give the crowd a very exciting fight, but in the end, dropped the decision. As Pops and I left the hotel that night, I was beyond excited about seeing my first professional match, and the funny thing is that I would not see one again for some six years.
The 1980s, as all boxing fans know, had some great, great fights. Dad and I went to watch Leonard vs. Hearns I on closed circuit TV. Both of us wanted Ray to win, and when he finally did, we were with the rest of the group screaming and hollering the KO of Hearns.
On April 15, 1985, I can remember being at Yonkers Raceway with my Uncle Gene watching the closed circuit TV event of Hagler vs. Hearns. In my lifetime thus far, those are the best three rounds of boxing I have ever seen. The one thing that stands out in my mind about this fight to this day is when Hearns’ eyes rolled to back of his head on the knockdown by Hagler.
A little over a year and half later, I was now a full fledged US Navy Sailor, and was attending Boot Camp at Great Lakes, IL, or as we call it "Great Mistakes." I was actually done with Boot Camp, but still was up there going through Apprenticeship Training. We were allowed some liberty, and I can remember at that time, I was a huge Mike Tyson fan. I came back to our barracks to wake everyone up on that November 22, 1986 night, to let them know we had a new Heavyweight Champion on the block and he was one bad boy.
Once training in Great Lakes was done, I was shipped out to my first duty station at NAS Pensacola Florida. I arrived there in December 1986, and took in all the sights. The following year, we had a fight that came years after it was originally was supposed to be made. The fight took place on April 6, 1987, and had Sugar Ray Leonard challenging Marvelous Marvin Hagler for his Undisputed Middleweight Crown. I would go down to the Pensacola Civic Center to watch this fight on closed circuit TV yet again.
Before the fight, I was so sure Hagler was going to win that I placed some side bets, that my measly E-2 paycheck at the time would be strained very hard to pay if I lost.
Well, by the end of the night, the civic center was in shock when Leonard was announced as the winner, and I was one broke “Squid.” But to this day, and after watching the fight many times, I have to be honest, and agree that Leonard did win. My scorecard always comes up the same in rounds, 7-5 favoring Leonard.
1990-1991 were tough years on me because Boxing and I kind of went through a separation, but not a voluntary one. I was stationed in Sigonella, Sicily for these two years, and they showed very little boxing on TV. I would have to depend on the Stars and Stripes and KO along with Ring Magazine for info on the big fights, and now having the Internet to find out results as we all do, I can't imagine ever being without, but we surely didn't have it back then.
As Desert Shield/Desert Storm died down and was pretty much over, I took leave in June 1991, to come home to see my Dad in North Miami Beach, Florida. While home, boxing again took me out on a date, and this time, it was the closed circuit fight which pitted Tommy Hearns vs. Virgil Hill for Hill's Light Heavyweight belt. They were showing the fight at Lorenzo's Italian Restaurant around the corner from Dad's house in North Miami Beach, Florida. We watched the fight with a very lively crowd, but one legend was truly amongst us. It was none other than Angelo Dundee, who dad had known for years.
During a break in the action, Dad went over to Angelo's table and asked him to come over to take a picture with us. That picture, which is one of most favorites with Dad is now on my home office wall with all of the other boxing stuff from over the years.
I think boxing felt bad for me again because I had to come back to my duty station in Sicily, but in July 1991, I was at a fancy nightclub in the city of Tarimino, a resort town in Sicily. While chatting with some other Americans there, they immediately picked up on my New York accent. We started talking at length, and boxing came up. When they could clearly hear I loved the sport, they felt compelled to take me over to meet a buddy of theirs who was sitting in the bleachers, alone, and no one was bothering.
As I approached this man, I can remember him wearing a white dinner jacket, black pants, and he had a gold necklace with a boxing glove on it. In that glove he had the following letters in diamonds, MMH. Yes, he was none other than former Undisputed Middleweight Champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler. He shook my hand, tried to talk to me in Italian because I am half, but don't speak a lick except for the bad words, along with a few greetings.
He felt me out for a while with boxing questions, which I answered, all of them, then I hit him with his record along with losses and rematches of two that he went on to win. He was sold, and we talked the entire night with him showing me pictures of his family back home, and I can remember him saying that Roy Jones, JR. was the next superstar and also that Tommy Hearns was the toughest opponent in his career. As we parted, he signed an autograph card from the club to me that said, To Brad, Hang Tough in Life, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Champ, Actor and Friend.
It was an honor to talk to such a great champion as Hagler, and as I said, boxing took care of me once again.
Skip ahead almost two years later, and I was again ringside in Woodbridge, Virginia for a then young Eric Bottjer show at a place called Total Sports Pavilion. The year was 1993 as I sat ringside watching a completely shot Mitch "Blood" Green being TKO'ed by Bruce Johnson in three rounds. I was back with my love boxing, and it was a fun night.
Fast forward a couple of years, and boxing engulfed me in a way I had thought about as young kid, but not as an adult until I was approached by a website to put my knowledge to computer keys. The year was 1998, and the column "The Berkwitt Files" put my words to a computer screen. Since that time, I have been blessed to be involved with so many different boxers, celebs and people associated with boxing, and at this point of my writing career, I look back on the last ten years very fondly.
I am just honored to have been able to have a book published with so many of the fighters that not only did I grow up on, but so many of you. Those interviews throughout it which mean the world to me, led me to the only title I would have ever chosen and that is, Boxing Interviews of a Lifetime. Each one was just that for me. Boxing is so much more than a sport and not only do I respect it, but as I have said throughout this piece, I LOVE IT. With my dream finally coming true, of owning my own website which went live in July of 2004, with the boxing website Ringside Report which is called throughout the boxing world “The Heart of Boxing”. I proudly along with a great group of writers, will continue to bring the sport of boxing forward for years to come.
Finally, to the Father I lost physically on July 2, 1998. Dad, you instilled in me this true love I have for boxing, and as long as I have a voice, I will always look out for the boxers, and the entire sport of boxing as you did during your lifetime.
From down here on earth, to you up in Heaven above. I loved you then, will love you tomorrow, and for the remainder of my life. Thanks for bringing me into the boxing world.]]>Email bag hosted by Brian Wilbur
Hello RSR readers, I thank you for checking out my mailbag. In this week's mini edition of my mailbag we talk about the action over the weekend (Evander Holyfield's win over Frans Botha and the UFC 112 action), where Holyfield goes from here, and David Haye's credibility in the United States.
I will be back with a full-sized mailbag next week covering the promising fights set for this weekend, primarily Sergio Martinez vs. Kelly Pavlik and Lucian Bute vs. Edison Miranda. I know some might laugh, but as a fan of the heavyweight division I am also looking forward to the Friday Night Fights main event of Tony “The Tiger” Thompson vs. Owen “What the Heck” Beck. Thompson should win handily but Beck has never been in a boring fight that I have seen.
Onto the emails, the first submission is about the somehow still relevant 47 year old heavyweight contender Evander Holyfield.
Holyfield Still Winning
So I was suckered into buying the Evander Holyfield vs. Frans Botha PPV. Sure, call me a fool but I got all nostalgic thinking about the 1990's when Holyfield (and Botha for that matter) were really good heavyweights. The great memories from younger years made this PPV irresistible.
Holyfield didn't look very good early on. I see this fight as almost a clone of Botha's fight with Mike Tyson. Botha did well early on, boxing and using his jab, but then could not keep it up and ended up getting knocked out. Botha, a known steroid user, I guess doesn't have the goods unless he's juicing.
Evander did what he had to do to win just like he did in his prime. He is a warrior still even though he is almost 48 years old. You could clearly tell that he was past his prime in the early sluggish rounds but he never gave up and never stopped adjusting to Botha, until he made the correct adjustment to win the fight. I am not delusional, I don't think Evander can beat a Klitschko or anything, but he would probably knock off a few of the scrubs in the top 10 currently. What do you think?
-Ed
Ed,
I'm sorry you were made a sucker by the promoters of this card! Former great champions already have a built in audience so promoters take advantage of this fact by overcharging. Botha was ancient and past his prime for a heavyweight boxer at 41 years of age, but he had a 6 year age advantage against Holyfield!
Evander though is a modern wonder, keeping his body in the best shape possible. But can he beat some heavyweights in the top ten in his current state as you suggest? Let's look at the Ring Magazine top ten:
C – Wladimir Klitschko
1.Vitali Klitschko
2.David Haye
3.Alexander Povetkin
4.Eddie Chambers
5.Ruslan Chagaev
6.Chris Arreola
7.Denis Boytsov
8.Nikolay Valuev
9.Alexander Dimitrenko
10.Toney Thompson
Out of those guys, Evander has no chance against either Klitschko, Povetkin, Chambers, Haye, Chagaev, Arreola, or Thompson. I am not sure about the completely unproven Denis Boytsov because he has never fought anyone good enough to use as a barometer. I am actually shocked that Boytsov is in the Ring magazine top 10 despite never fighting a top 50 contender. That leaves Dimitrenko and Valuev as possible opponents that Holyfield might be able to beat. I'm not impressed with Dimitrenko, though his size, youth, and jab could present problems for Evander.
As for Valuev, we have already seen that Holyfield can beat Valuev. Evander defeated Nikolay Valuev more definitively than David Haye did as far as I am concerned. Holyfield did not get the nod from the judges like Haye did but clearly proved that he still had the ability to beat a top 10 heavyweight.
What Now For Holyfield?
Just watched Evander Holyfield knock out Frans Botha. That will probably be enough for him to get a fight against either a belt holder or a real contender. Who do you think he fights next? Who should he fight next? I know Bernard Hopkins was calling out David Haye after his win over Roy Jones. Why doesn't he fight Holyfield first in order to prove that he can fight at heavyweight?
-Anthony M.
Anthony,
The rumor is that Holyfield could fight the winner of Danny Williams vs. Sam Sexton. Holyfield's camp also wants a match with one of the Klitschko brothers but that is not going to happen. The Klitschko's have more respect for boxing than to give Evander a title shot.
I actually really like your idea of Evander Holyfield vs. Bernard Hopkins. Both are in their mid to late 40's but are still much better off than other boxers who are in their late 30's. Both guys still have the know how but lack the energy to pull the trigger. I expect a pretty boring fight with a lot of posturing since neither has the ability to throw more than a couple punches per round. Neither has crushing power but both have good chins so a knockout is unlikely.
Still, I see this as a competitive match up even if not an exciting one, as well as one that would be easy to sell due to the name recognition of both men. I am very curious as to how the odds makers would handicap this one. I suspect that Hopkins would be a very slight favorite, maybe -130 to Holyfield's Even odds. Holyfield's size advantage would counteract Hopkins's better current form almost enough to even up the odds.
David Haye's Reputation Stateside
Hey Brian,
Hows things?
Just read your most recent mailbag and in particular the first letter regarding the David Haye. I'm very glad to see here is a guy that is finally getting his due in the States. I have watched David for a while now and have long been of the opinion he is well positioned to go down as a great Heavyweight Champ.
I believe he has the tools to help him achieve this. He has very quick hands for a heavyweight and very accurate hands, see the first 30 seconds of Ruiz fight for an example, he has great foot movement for such a big guy - Ruiz was never able to pin him against the ropes and to get Haye to stand and trade. He has good head movement and that right hand has huge power (his left is no powder puff by the way). Most of all though when I hear him talk, when you look past the PPV selling bravado, you have a guy making big promises that he continually backs up.
He gets criticized for going for the Klitschkos too early but surely a heavyweight who head hunts the biggest and best is something we need? He knows he has the chance to make a huge difference to the heavyweight scene, imagine the impact a smaller, fast, athletic, in-shape heavyweight who looks for the KO first and foremost would have on Boxing. An exciting Heavyweight Champ!!! Imagine such a thing!!!
But behind this growing reputation in the US there are still doubts, well you put it best when you said that “you get the feeling that he is hiding some vulnerabilities, such as a weak chin, poor stamina, or mental lapses. We’ll see in the future if those shortcomings reveal themselves”.
The stamina I understand but his performances since the Carl Thompson loss have shown a marked difference. He forced himself to go into the later rounds for a few fights. He has reigned in his seek and destroy tendency (a bit), as we saw with Valuev. He looked sharp in the final rounds against Ruiz too. His chin reputation has come about due to Thompson beating him which was down to Haye going mad for the KO in early rounds and wasting all his energy. As I've said he has learned. Mormeck put him down but surely the fortitude and ability to get back up and win shows strong legs, great recovery and a rather large set of cajones. Mormeck hits like a freight train let's remember. The chin doubt has always annoyed me slightly as I think it's unfounded or at least built on sand. Lets face it, a KO loss to Vitali does not a chinless wonder make.
To compare Haye's reputation, Adamek gets a lot of credit and some writers still give him more chance against the Klitschkos over Haye (see Mike Plunkett's article dated April 6th). Despite Adamek not being as impressive in cruiserweight or at heavyweight and not putting in the performances. Are we getting in the situation were we are favoring a Frazier rather than an Ali over Foreman? (BTW I am NOT saying Haye is Ali). I'm sure a lot has to do with Adamek getting the exposure in the US. It should be remembered though that whilst Adamek was in the US, Haye went to France and Germany to dethrone reigning champions in their own backyards.
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I really like Haye, watch this space - something very special is coming up.
P.S. He has combos in his arsenal. And sorry for the very very long email.
Cheers,
-Gerard McLaughlin
Gerard,
I am a fan of David Haye for all of the reasons you state. He is an exciting heavyweight for a change who is loaded with raw talent and athletic ability. The thing about Haye going after the best fighters may or may not be just an act, the same way Joe Calzaghe used to call out the best even though he had not intention of taking the chance. Haye is calling out the Klitschko brothers but if you notice, something always comes up. He has already pulled out of a match with Vitali Klitschko. The rumored talks of a fight against Wladimir Klitschko next are all but dead due to Haye having to pay "step aside" money. Strange that some unforeseen circumstance always gets in the way of Haye fighting a Klitschko. I would wait to commend Haye for seeking out the top opponents until he actually goes through with one of those fights.
I said last week that I sense vulnerabilities in Haye's game. You defend Haye against my suspicions and you could turn out to be right. You could also turn out to be correct when you say that Haye is a great heavyweight in the making. I am not nearly as optimistic, but watching Haye try to reach that level will be a lot of fun.
Yes, some writers give Tomasz Adamek more credit and respect than Haye, but I am not one of those writers. I still can't get the one-sided loss to Chad Dawson out of my head when it comes to Adamek. Haye is stronger, faster, and more explosive than Adamek so is probably better suited for heavyweight.
Neither guy can beat a Klitschko in my opinion. Haye upsetting Wladimir would surprise me the least because of his power and fast hands (similar to Corrie Sanders), but I still think it is extremely unlikely. So I am not on the David Haye bandwagon like you are. However feel free to email me again later saying "I told you so" if he ends up beating one of the Klitschko brothers. I still stand by my instincts that Haye has some vulnerabilities waiting to be exposed by the right opponent. Someone like Chris Arreloa or Sam Peter could be tough for him since they have the chin and power to stick around an pressure Haye for twelve rounds.
UFC 112 Recap
I guess BJ Penn wasn't “Invincible” like they were hyping him up to be LOL! At least Anderson Silva did what he was supposed to do. Well I guess he did, although he could have tried a little harder to close the show.
-Shawn
Shawn,
Penn losing to Frankie Edgar was a huge upset. The odds on that fight were 8 to 1 or more in favor of Penn. With those kind of odds, the bookies are basically saying that Penn has no chance of losing so don't bother placing a bet because you'll have to risk 1 million dollars to win 50 cents, or something like that. With an unexpected upset of that magnitude you can almost guarantee a rematch to see if the first fight was a fluke or not.
As for Anderson Silva, the guy needs to fight somebody to get my respect. Yes he can clown no-hopers like Demian Maia, but when is he going to fight someone who can challenge him? Silva is going to have to fight and beat Quentin Jackson, Lyoto Machida, or Shogun Rua if he wants my respect as the best pound for pound MMA fighter.
That is all I have time for this week. Send in your boxing or MMA related emails and I will feature them in next week's mailbag. Thanks all and take care.
]]>
RSR CEO/Publisher, “Bad” Brad Berkwitt’s first book: “Boxing Interviews of a Lifetime” has caused quite a stir and has gotten a reaction rarely seen. The Washington Post did a four page spread on it titled “Book Is Talk of the Boxing World”.
Boxing Writer Julius Stecker called it: “The Best Boxing Book of this Boxing Generation,” and it’s not difficult to see why. Featured within the 450+ pages of exclusive and rare interviews, you find not only discussions with the biggest names in boxing, both past and present, but also entertainers that have had pugilism effect their lives. This is not just for the boxing fan. This is for everyone that wants to learn more about the sport from the eyes of the men that lace up the gloves and courageously step into the ring to the people of the entertainment world that have become addicted to this sport and enthusiastically share their memories.
As you read through the pages, you realize just why this sport has attracted so many celebrities and fans. This is a book that may change your perception on the cruelest game and is a must for your library. Boxing Interviews of a Lifetime comes out of the corner swinging and doesn’t let up until the last page.
]]>
You can now purchase your RingsideReport.com “The Heart of Boxing” T-shirt in sizes (Large – 2XL). Large and Extra Large are $15.95 plus $5.00 for postage along with handling. $20.95 total.
2XL are $17.95 plus $5.00 for postage along with handling. Total $22.95. Overseas orders are the same price for the shirts, but postage and handling varies depending on the country.
You can pay by CASH, CHECK or MONEY ORDER.
]]>
RSR is currently seeking writers to cover the sport of boxing, conduct interviews, attend live professional boxing cards, and get their work out to the world. We are also seeking writers to cover pro wrestling, the MMA, and Entertainment. If you are interested in writing, write well, can write on a consistent basis, meeting deadlines, and have ambition, we want you.
Please email RSR’s Managing Editor, Geno McGahee, who will go over the specifics of the position and consider you for hire.
Click Here To Email Geno About A Writing Position Now On RSR
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Reposted for Archive purposes)
“Sal Richards is one of the most talented performers in the business. His versatility is astonishing!--but I don't think he's a very good dancer; aside from that, he's the best.”---Julie Larosa (Legendary Italian Singer)
"Sal Richards is a true professional on every level. I saw Sal's act years ago in Las Vegas before I knew him and he was very funny. Over the years we have become friends and I was lucky enough to share the stage with him. He is a great guy and a terrific family man.”--Steve Schirripa (Played Bobby Bacala on The Sopranos)
Sal Richards... Talented? Sure... Funny? Without a doubt... Boxing fan? Fuggetaboutit...
Sal Richards a Brooklyn, New York, born guy who transplanted to West Palm Beach, Florida, has been entertaining audiences with gut wrenching belly laughs for close to 50 years now. During those years, he has crossed paths with some of the power house names in both the Comedy World and Movie Business, but not to stop there boxing fans, also many very well known fighters.
During our interview, Sal was very warm and the comedy along with his love of boxing rang through. In this my comeback interview after two years of being out of the business, I can say I had a lot of fun for sure.
Ladies and Gentlemen, RSR brings you “MR Laughs,” Sal Richards....
BB: For the RSR readers, what are you up to today?
Not a darn thing.... (Big Laughs) I am actually involved in a lot of things today. It's funny. Sometimes when you think your career is over, other doors open. Most recently, my cousin Gregory and I put together a Production Company called “Laughing Angel Productions.” About 12 years ago, he decided to come to Atlantic City and video tape my show live while I performed on stage at the Trump Castle. Our idea, then, was to make a DVD out of the show and sell it after my shows. However, after Gregory looked at the footage, he felt we had more than just a show, but an actual documentary. From that point on, he kept shooting me as I performed all around the country. He was able to go around and get different entertainers I knew from over the years like Sid Caesar, Milton Berle, Joe Viterelli, Jerry Vale and Jerry Stiller to name just a few who went on camera to talk about me. Right now, we are waiting for a distribution deal with Champion Entertainment to distribute the documentary “Mr Laughs: A Look Behind The Curtain.” It really is not a documentary to see how funny I am, but takes you deep into my life.
On another front, about a year and half ago, I was in an airport in Los Angeles when my flight was delayed for something like nine hours. I was thinking to myself: What the heck am I going to do until the next flight out? Well, I had my laptop with me and I thought to myself, “Maybe I will write a book.” I was just kidding around, but the book is actually finished and we got with a publisher with a release date of possibly January or February 2010.
I will be appearing this Friday, October 30th, at Lorenzo's Cabaret at the Hilton Garden Inn, on Staten Island.
The RSR readers can visit my website to find out more dates where I am performing which we have a lot of bookings in 2010 thus far.
BB: You were born in Brooklyn, New York, a great place in my mind to grow up. How would growing up there mold your comedy routines over the years?
It, of course, was molded by the environment/people I knew growing up there. I incorporated a lot of that into my act, but an audience member will know right away that my attitude is all Brooklyn and without any doubt, I can say: “Nobody thinks that I am from Omaha, Nebraska.” Growing up in Brooklyn and attending Boys High School on Marcy Avenue and then in 1955, moving to Center Reach Long Island was a culture shock for me. I finished High School at Port Jefferson High School and when I attended school there, many of the kids looked at me like I was kid from the 1955 movie “The Black Board Jungle” (Starred the Late Glenn Ford and Sidney Poitier.) I went out for school plays there and anything I could to let these kids know what I was about.
After doing a lot of plays, they realized I was not that rebel from The Black Board Jungle, but just dressed like one. I wound up going to work at a restaurant called “Charcoal Ovens,” in Commack, Long Island. Guys used to come in and we started hanging out singing Doo Wop. About a year later, we actually started recording Doo Wop records (Baby, Baby & Friendship Ring) as a group called “The Royal-Aires” on a label named Gallo Records. At that time, I really wanted to be a singer and comedy was the furthest thing from my mind.
We played at various spots and the sides were no big hits, but it did get us known a little. However, the group split up, but by that point, I felt the roar of the crowd and the smell of the grease paint, I knew being in front of audience was my business. These various things we discussed helped mold a lot of my comedy over the years.
BB: So with all of that said, how did you get into comedy?
I was working in Long Island with a trio because when the singing group broke up, I still wanted to be on stage and formed a band called “The Club Daters,” which I bought a Base which by the way. I cannot play Base. I actually went around with the band for about three or four years faking playing the Base. We working a place called “The Las Vegas Supper Club” that was located in Syosset, Long Island. We were the intermission band who played before the main act. That evening the MC didn't make it and the boss came over to me and asked would I mind MC’ing the show that evening? I was supposed to bring on the dancer, the singer and the comedian, but the only problem was that the MC was the comedian.
I wound up going out there and did OK. The boss liked what he saw and kept me on for an extra ten weeks as the House Comic and that brought me an extra fifty dollars more a week by doing that which I felt, I had hit the big-time. The rest is history....
BB: Growing up, who were some of the comedians you looked up to?
The guys I admired I used to stand outside in the line during the winter time to go in watch the shows that were shot in New York City were: Red Buttons, Steve Allen, Milton Berle, Abbott & Costello who were my favorites, Danny Kaye and Sid Caesar, who was at the top of my list. Sid was a genius in my book. The irony of looking up to all of these comedians was I used to write to ask for pictures and years later, I wound up being friends with them. I really am honored by this.
BB: You have done television, stage and movies. Talk about each a little and what you like and don't like about them.
Well, to tell you the truth, I really can't say I don't like anything about them. They are all performing for me and as long as you put a camera or microphone on me, I am in my glory.
I like doing movies because you learn a lot and I really did learn to act. To me acting is more or less re-acting is how I do it. You really see all the techniques behind the scenes like the camera men set things up. Many people will watch a movie and say, “that must have been easy to do.” They don't realize that sometimes it takes hours upon hours to shoot a two minute scene. It's not easy. To pick a favorite would be hard, but let's say if I was a big movie star making the millions they do today, then sure, that would be my favorite. But right now, I am making a living doing stand up, so that is my favorite.
BB: If you had to pick only one night in your career where you thought, “Sal, you nailed it tonight,” which one would you pick?
I think it was when I was picked to do the HBO (Home Box Office) Special in 1977 to do a show that was called “The Catskill Comedians Show.” There were other comics that were on the show and it aired, but you know at that time, I really thought I was going to score from that. However, back then, there was not a big group of people subscribing to HBO like you see today. So the exposure was not that great, but what it did later on in years, it got me a lot of work because I had a copy of it and used it for promotion which led to shows like Merv Griffin, Make Me Laugh, and even did TV shows such as Kojak from that era.
BB: Do you think comedy has changed since you first got into it and if so, how?
It has absolutely changed! Many years ago when I started, I couldn't say “ass” on stage and if I did, I would have the owners come over to me and say you cannot say that or “shit.” Today, they are saying words that they are inventing. You have folks that are buying it and going to see it which is all well and good. If that is what they like, that is fine, but if you look at the types of people that are going to these shows, they are very young which I guess, it's their time/era.
What I did notice on some occasions when I went out to Las Vegas to play the Rivera, after doing the comedy club there, I noticed there were a lot of young people who were buying my stuff. I was surprised, but found out that they had never seen anyone doing the stuff like I was doing and it was hip stuff of the day. I really enjoyed that I created a following with the younger audiences who are now, coming out to my shows.
BB: I recently watched your documentary “Mr Laughs: A Look Behind the Curtain” on the net and was very impressed. It made you laugh, cry and really see what happens when one preserves as you did over the years. I heard you say in it that it took many years to get it finally completed. Talk about why it took so long and how it has done since it came out.
First of all, there were timing constrictions. There were times when Gregory or myself couldn't make it all the time. Finances sometimes were an issue because there are a lot of things you have to bring to the table and they all take money which we ran out of one time. Then you factor in the various people we got to comment and appear in the film took time as well. It took longer than we initially expected, but we are very proud of how it turned out.
BB: Where can it be purchased for the RSR readers that want to pick it up?
It can be purchased at Amazon.com and for now, we are selling them at the concerts after the show, but that will change because with the new company picking up distribution of it, they are going to be the ones getting it out there.
BB: One other thing I really enjoyed is your wife Rose Ann in the documentary. She is a very funny lady. Have the two of you ever worked together professionally?
We have not worked professionally, but we have sung together with the first time being at our wedding in 1960. The band that we booked happened to be my Uncle's band, so of course I knew them. I got up and did a couple of songs with them and then, I brought Rose Ann up with me. We did like a Louie Prima-Keely Smith routine kind of doing stuff like “Just A Gigolo” and she flipped around her Tiara around. When we finished singing and walked off so we could dry off a little bit, there were some people standing at the door and they approached my wife and I asked us how much do we get to do a show like this? I said: “Wait a minute, we are the Bride and Groom.” They were actually surprised we were not a professional act.
BB: You co-starred with Steven Seagal in the 1991 movie called “Out for Justice.” What was it like working on that movie?
It was great and was really the first time I really got a co-starring role and what you call, main title billing right at the beginning of the picture. I shot 15 weeks and it was great working with Steven and the late Jerry Orbach who was a friend of mine for many years. We shot between Brooklyn, New York, and California which was how we did it.
BB: I want to throw some names out to you that you have worked with over the years and give me a quick thought off the top of your head...
Al Martino:
A great guy. Al and I were friends for a long time. In fact, when we went out to California he and his wife Judi would have us over to the house and Al would cook for us which was something he was very proud of. I am going to miss him calling me every two – three weeks telling me a new joke that I had already heard. (Big Laughs)
Funny story about Al. When we would go to his home in California for dinner, he took me in his office and had pictures on the wall. Unbeknownst to him, he had a picture on the wall of when he walked into the wedding scene in The Godfather. I am sitting right there next to him with my head turned and you know it's me. Al never knew it. I asked him: “Do you know who this is in the picture?” (Sal breaks into doing Al's voice) I can't believe that is you, I never realized it. I said: “That's because you only looked at yourself in the picture.”
Tommy Lee Jones:
He was a terrific guy. I was supposed to play his sidekick in the movie “Eyes of Laura Mars” and actually auditioned for him and the director, but didn't get the part.
James Woods:
Another great guy. When I am in LA, we play in a friendly poker game and James was there as well.
Steven Seagal:
We had fun shooting the movie.
William Forsythe:
He was a nice guy and cool on the set.
Lainie Kazan:
We have been friends for 25 years and she is really terrific.
Vincent D'Onofrio:
Another great guy. He actually did the narration for us on the documentary.
Harvey Kietel:
He was a regular guy and we talked about the old neighborhood/the people we knew in common.
BB: If you were stranded on a desert island and you could only have one movie and one CD, what would they be?
The Godfather would be the movie. The second studio album that Frank Sinatra did with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1964 called “It Might as Well Be Swing.”
BB: What “words of wisdom” can you impart on the young man or woman wanting to break into the comedy world?
After you go on stage and do a couple of open mic nights/club dates here or there, if you are not hearing any laughter, realize you are in the wrong business. You have to know when it's not working.
BB: Tell the RSR readers how you first started following the sport of boxing?
My father was a boxing fan as was my Uncle. Every Friday or Saturday night, we would watch boxing on TV from Madison Square Garden on an old black and white 10 inch television. I can remember when Rocky Marciano fought Jersey Joe Walcott back in 1953 and my Uncle said we have time, so go down and pick up the paper for me. By the time I came back, Jersey Joe Walcott was knocked out in the first round.
I can remember going to the drive in back then and they showed Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Carmen Basilio. That was a great fight and they had two of them that were very close. I thought to myself, I think I can do that. At that time, I had a friend of mine who was in the Golden Gloves. He told me about it and I saw in the Daily News…the application for the Golden Gloves and decided to sign up for it in 1956.
I fought at Sunnyside Gardens and the guy I fought his name was Kenneth Fox. After the fight, I went home after losing the decision and was beat. My Uncle Louie (An Italian from Alabama) came running in and told me you made the back page of the Daily News. Sure enough, there I was against Fox on the back page of the paper. Many times I have tried to get a copy of it, but it is not meant to be. I fought at 147 pounds. After that fight, I had a few more, but didn't want to get hit in the face anymore.
BB: Who are your top three fighters of all-time and why?
Rocky Marciano - He was the “Man of Steel” in my mind, not Mike Tyson. You could hit him many times and he hit you once, and you were gone. Nobody ever had a bad word to say about him.
Rocky Graziano - I knew Rocky. He was a great guy. The movie about his life “Somebody Up There Likes Me” starred Paul Newman as Rocky and to see what he went through growing up, really touched me. I also liked to see him on TV with the late comedian Martha Raye.
Muhammad Ali – The man just knew how to promote himself and then, back it up. He was not a blow heart and to meet him in person, was a thrill of a lifetime.
BB: Do you have any stories about fighters you have known?
My son Sal, JR., knew Gerry Cooney. When Sal was stricken with Leukemia, he got closer to Gerry. When Gerry fought Ken Norton at Madison Square Garden back in 1981, Cooney invited Sal, JR., to walk him into the ring with his corner men. When Gerry won the fight, he dedicated it to Sal, JR. Later on when Gerry opened up a restaurant, Sal, JR., worked for him while he was actually taking treatment for the Leukemia. He had the spirit of a fighter as well.
BB: If you had to pick one fighter since the day you started following boxing, who do you feel moved the sport ahead the most and why?
Sugar Ray Leonard. He could be knocked out on his feet and come back and knock you out with a left hook. For example, in the first fight with Tommy Hearns he came back to win and had a lot of charisma.
BB: Is there one boxing match in all your years of following the sport that you would say that was the single most exciting fight I have ever seen?
Joe Frazier when he defended his title against George Foreman in Kingston, Jamaica, back in 1973 and Joe was knocked off his feet by Foreman to lose the title. (Sal broke into an impression of Howard Cosell) “Down goes Frazier, Down goes Frazier.”
BB: Who are some of the fighters you follow today?
I loved watching Arturo Gatti because he was a throw back. It's very sad that he died so young.
BB: Do you feel the sport of boxing has moved ahead or backwards since you first started following it?
I think it's gone backwards. Don King is partially to blame because the fix was in because of the big money. Back in the day, they fought and most of the fighters today, do not go to war like the older fighters did.
BB: What is your favorite boxing movie of all-time and why?
Somebody Up There Likes Me. Paul Newman really embodied Rocky in that part.
BB: If you could change one thing in boxing today, what would you change and why?
The judges. (Big Laughs) I am amazed at times when they score a fight a certain way, I am wondering who got the bucks under the table?
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Yes, I do. There are far too many former fighters walking around broke. It's very easy to do and can be set up just like the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) did many years ago for the actors. They got a corporation together and part of our salary went to SAG. The boxers can do the same exact thing. You pay in based on what you make.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
"Live every day as if it was your last".
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Reposted for Archive purposes)
“I really love boxing and have been a fan for a very long time!”--Gregory Abbott
In 1986 an album hit the record stores titled “Shake You Down” and the self titled track hit the musical airwaves as the first single. The singer with the silky smooth ala Marvin Gaye type of voice was Gregory Abbott coming out of your Hi Fi speakers. Armed with amazing vocal chops and matinee idol looks, you had the feeling success was going to come his way. Well, it did when Shake You Down, the single, hit the number one spot in 1987 on the Billboard charts and the album remained on the charts for some 27 weeks.
I can remember being stationed at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida, in 1987, and Shake You Down was played in all the nightclubs. In fact, many a lady hit the floor with their dates and danced to Gregory in the background. I can remember sharing the floor with a lady or two and enjoying the music as well.
Abbott would go on to have a successful singing and writing career over the next twenty-two years that brings him to a place today, that he talks about with a true passion and love for his craft. For the RSR readers, you will also find a truly diehard boxing fan in Gregory who while talking with him, you could hear through the inflection in his voice a sound that only comes from a true boxing fan when they talk about our beloved sport.
Boxing fans come in all walks of society and as RSR always does, we like to bring out the artists in the world of entertainment who more and more, we are finding out have many true boxing fans and Gregory just joined that group.
Ladies and Gentlemen, RSR brings you in his own words, Gregory Abbott…
BB: Let’s catch up the RSR readers on what you have been doing in your musical career today and anything else you may be involved with.
We are currently working on a new record because, for the last two or three years, we have basically just been putting out singles. With that, we are compiling them and adding some songs to put out an album in 2009. Also during this time, I have been writing for film and TV. In the recent Ice Cube movie “Are We Done Yet,” singer Ka’u did a cover of the song I wrote “Shake You Down.” 50 Cent and Tony Yayo have recorded some of my songs as well.
BB: You were raised in Harlem, New York. For an inspiring singer, how did growing up there help mold you for your future success?
I was born in Harlem and lived there all during my childhood. Once I graduated from High School, I left to go to College and Grad School. Growing up in Harlem really exposed me to some great music with all of the acts I grew up on coming through either socially or to perform in the various clubs. During that time, I did a lot of street corner singing and learning how to play different instruments.
Living in Harlem is very vibrant, but also a motivator to do better and to live better for yourself. The funny thing is once you achieve a little success, you want to go back to show others what you have been able to accomplish and help them out. New York City really is a great place to come from.
BB: Who are some of the singers that inspired you when you were growing up?
I really liked a lot of the Philadelphia groups and the ones from Motown as well. Marvin Gaye was a personal friend of mine and very helpful to my career. He would allow me to go into the studio with him and watch him record in the early 80’s. We would go from the studio up to his house because he wanted to learn to play basketball. During this time, he would teach me the good, bad and creative side of the music industry. It really was a fun time for me.
BB: How did you actually get into singing?
I actually started out singing in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Then all through High School, I played in a Caribbean/Latin band where I played the keyboard. My break into the business was actually as a song writer because that is what I wanted to be more so than a singer. A few CBS executives heard my demo tape which I was just shopping around to find some artists to record my songs, but they actually liked my voice, and offered me a record deal.
BB: Your debut album Shake You Down with a song of the same title hit number one on the Billboard charts in 1987, and remained on the charts for some 27 weeks. Being the writer and of course the singer of “Shake You Down,” could you feel in your musical chops that it would become such a big hit that still until this day, is played all the time on the radio?
It’s funny, certain songs you have to pull teeth to come out and others, just flow out so easily. “Shake You Down” came out very easy and the melody and lyrics spelled itself out. I have never really written songs that I say or predict are going to be hits, but you do know when it’s seamless and effortless which always feels just right. The musicians on “Shake You Down” also felt it came out great as well.
BB: If you had to choose one song you performed to say to yourself: “Wow, we (the band and you) really nailed it,” what song would that be and why?
Wow, that’s a good question! I really enjoyed a song I recorded called “Handy Man” (Gregory actually starts to sing a line from it) that James Taylor also sang. It was written by singer Jimmy Jones and songwriter Otis Blackwell.
BB: There are many videos of you on Youtube.com, but I was delighted to see you did a cover of an old standard called “Teach Me Tonight.” Do you like singing this type of music from the 50’s and do you think you would ever do a series of albums or an album like Rod Stewart did with much success of songs from the 30’s 40’s and 50’s when America had some amazing song writers such as the Gershwin brothers and Cole Porter to name just a couple?
Oh yes, I would love to do an album of nothing, but standards. As you mentioned just now, I love the Gershwin brothers and Cole Porter compositions for sure. I am actually in the process now of selecting old standards to cover and my fans from the ones I have done already, really love them. Though the music world is so different today, there are many fans still who love those romantic songs with strings and the big bands that accompanied singers when they did those types of songs. I really enjoy that very much.
BB: With you coming along at the end of the MTV Generation, but still having your video “Shake You Down” on there, do you feel it really helped the song and why do you feel today, MTV is not showing videos of artists that in the 80’s really helped promote a song, artist and album?
I definitely think the video being played on MTV helped. It gave a visual for sure for the new artist to the audience which was very important. It made that marriage between music and film and I just love that. Today, I am heavily involved in doing that by shooting movie shorts with music telling stories vice say just a video.
There are some artists out there that don’t see themselves as visual and would rather focus just on the craft have another opinion of the MTV generation. I liked it.
MTV however is a totally different format and for the most part, plays nothing, but reality television shows. My colleagues and I in the music business discuss all the time how MTV and other related shows have changed. I think what changed is there was less reliance on the record companies then you had in the past. What I mean by that is the influx of technology where any singer, songwriter or producer, with a computer, could afford to produce his own album at home with just a couple of thousand dollars worth of equipment. They didn’t need to go to a record company for a budget and could do it their self along with making the video.
For the record companies, it would generate less of revenue because the artist would bring to them the completed album and finished video which of course, weakened the record company and allowed the internet artist to get their stuff all around the world, not needing the record company to distribute the album anymore.
I think with all of these factors, it affected the economics of MTV and the record companies where in the past; there was a lot of money to be made. This along with society turning towards sort of shock and titillation with these reality shows, what can I say, that’s what are culture has developed into where people like to see the raw and seedier side of human nature and especially celebrities, such as you see on say TMZ.com today.
BB: Your biography is lined with so many awards during your career, but if you had to single out one that you were most proud of, which would you pick and why?
I would go with actually two. The first one being the CEBA (Communications Excellence Aimed at Black Audiences) Award which was for advertising, but it really was for influencing positively the community in terms of helping children. That is the reason I make music because I want to make a positive influence. It’s not about the money anymore, but having fun and influencing people.
The second award would be the Tokyo Musical Award because it was a great lineup of entertainers who performed at the Buddha Khan which is a 60,000 seat arena in Tokyo and was broadcasted to about 2 billion people over NHK TV. It was my first time to Japan and the people were so gracious to me.
BB: Do you have funny stories during your musical career that you can share with the RSR readers?
Oh yes, I really do have one for the readers. My parents grew up loving along with everyone in my neighborhood the great jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. Well one year I was getting four New York Musical Awards and Miles was also there getting some New York Jazz Awards too. I met him backstage and this was the first time I ever met him in person. Till this point, I had only read the press on him. We were able to actually talk for about three hours and he was intelligent, helpful and very witty to me. He really was the coolest dude in the world! I’ll never forget he had on this beautiful leather outfit and these leather alligator shoes. At the end of the event, I was taking pictures with Miles and had these four cumbersome music awards in my hands and by mistake, I dropped them all on Miles’ foot.
His beautiful green leather alligator’s shoes were beautiful as I said, but they were very thin and he went walling backstage from one end to the other. I had to go back to home to tell my Mother who was horrified because she loved Miles and was like, “How could you?” Miles forgave me, but I was horrified and apologized to him over again, eventually even writing him a letter to offer to buy him a new pair of shoes. He forgave me! (One side note to this great story, Miles was, in fact, a huge boxing fan which I found out during my research for this interview.)
BB: At one time, you were related through the marriage of your cousin Diahnne Abbott to one of the most famous actors in the world. That actor is Robert Deniro. Did you do any acting or singing in any of his movies? Do you still stay in touch?
No because I was not into it that way at the time and focusing on my music. However, nowadays I am in contact with Tribeca (Deniro’s company) trying to get some songs into their movies and I do stay in contact with Robert.
BB: In addition to music and writing, you majored in Psychology in College earning your Masters Degree. With the music business being no doubt very crazy at times, how did your degree help you?
Well, it helps a lot both in terms of business and creative levels. On the business level, it helps you read people a little better because as you know, there are a lot sharks out there and you need to have at least a rudimentary ability to read human nature. On the creative level, I see music and songwriting basically as communication and the better you understand yourself and the better you understand human nature, the more you can communicate those complexities and make them simple so they resonate for people in the song. I consider myself a student of human nature and that is where I get my songwriting material by going about my day, watching people and what they do when they handle their joys and other things they deal with in life. Training in Psychology really does help in these types of endeavors.
BB: What are your words of wisdom to the young man or woman who is aspiring to be a singer or a songwriter?
You must learn the basics of your craft first. If you are going to be a songwriter, learn your music theory and instrument very well. If you are lyricist learn the English language and metaphor along with rhyme schemes to communicate. More than anything try to be original and don’t be derivative. Learn from what other people do, but then there is a point where you want to make your own statement by giving it your stamp. Try and use different unusual, but acceptable chord changes, base lines or maybe a lyric said a little bit differently than it normally would be said. Finally, really enjoy the process because if you are looking for quick results and riches, that is not the way at getting good at it. The way to get good at it is to love the craft and grow at it, and then the rest falls in line and will come.
BB: What are some things you can share with the RSR readers that the public doesn’t really know about you?
Wow, that’s a good one! The readers may not know I am a vegetarian and do Yoga and mediate everyday. I still play a lot of basketball when I can and like to ride my bike and do a lot of hiking and boating which I am able to do more of now since I purchased a 40 foot boat with twin engines and named it (Namaste: which means “The Highest In Me Greets The Highest In You.) I also really love boxing and have been a fan for a very long time!
BB: On your last comment, let’s talk about your love for the sport of boxing. How long have you followed the sport?
I have pretty much followed it all my life. But more so in the last ten years for sure…
BB: Who are top three favorite fighters of all-time and why?
Sugar Ray Robinson - He was such a skilled fighter and I always loved that old school style of the fighters from his generation. I would see fights where his hair was still slicked back and in perfect shape at the end of a fight (laughs). Back in the mid to late 80’s shortly before he passed away, I did get a chance to meet him in LA. I can remember as a young kid him driving through Harlem in his Pink Cadillac and at one time, he owned an entire block of businesses I think on 124th and 125th and 5th Avenue.
Roy Jones, JR. - I like him because of his athleticism and his attitude because he never in my opinion beat up a fighter more than he had too. However, don’t get him mad like talking about his mama or something like that or you are in trouble.
Floyd Mayweather, JR. – I like him because he is beyond hard to hit!
I have always admired fighters who show courage in the face of adversity, the one's who dig deep and show the heart of a champion. Since boxers are in the public eye they have an opportunity to provide an example of how the boxing fan might overcome the many adversities in his or her own life.
I admire the guy who, after having been floored, gets up, retreats into defense mode, survives the round, goes back to his corner, listens to his team, remembers his training, realizes what he did wrong, gets back on track, and goes on out there determined not to make the same mistake again. Or, if he loses the fight, goes back to the gym and corrects his weaknesses.
What a great metaphor for life. To me a champion is not only being a good winner, but a good loser as well. The chances of a boxer retiring undefeated are slim to say the least. With odds like that, there's no shame in losing. Aside from instances of shady scoring, that also means admitting defeat and taking your butt whupping like a man, not blaming it on anything and everything, but your performance. It also means respecting your opponent and giving him props for the successful execution of his game plan. I'm not saying it’s easy, but when I see a fighter gracious in defeat; I respect him that much more and I will be watching his next fight cheering him on in hopes of his redeeming himself.
BB: If you had to pick one boxing match you have seen over the years you followed the sport as being your favorite, which one would you pick?
The fight would be between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns back in 1985. That first round was amazing with the amount of punishment they dished out to each other. That would be the single fight for me, but I have to say, I have watched some Arturo Gatti fights where I have thought to myself this guy can take anything in the ring and still keep coming after being on the canvas a couple of times, and looking like a bloody mess.
Also, I loved the fights between Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales as well. They banged at each other over and over again, showing what true warriors are all about with no quit in them.
BB: How about some fights that were considered to be an upset that you really enjoyed?
I can remember when Vernon Forrest was the champion and he defended against Ricardo Mayorga back in 2003. Mayorga bombed Forrest out of there and then at the post fight conference in the ring he lit a cigarette up. This outcome surprised me because I watched Vernon beat Shane Mosley twice before this fight.
BB: Since you brought up Ricardo Mayorga, who do you pick in his upcoming fight with Shane Mosley?
I would have to go with Mosley in that one. Another thing that cracked me up about Mayorga is when he said, “In my country, the women give birth to men.” (Gregory said this in a very funny voice and we both laughed.)
BB: Do you have any funny stories about any of the boxers you ever met?
Not any funny ones, but I met Howard Davis, JR., at the United Nations for an event and we became friendly. He actually is trying to get into music. I met Mike Tyson on a boat that we were on that did a cruise on the Hudson River in New York.
BB: Being a huge boxing fan as you are, have you ever sparred with any boxers?
No, I never sparred with any boxers, but I have with Martial Artists. As you know, I had to do videos and I realized that I cannot get all banged up in my face. I wasn’t going to go in to say, a sweaty Philadelphia gym to spar and say, “Just don’t hit me in the face.” (Huge laughter) I am sure if I said that, they would make an extra effort to hit me in the face.
BB: What is your favorite boxing movie of all-time and why?
I really liked “Million Dollar Baby” with Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank. The uniqueness of a lady being a boxer and the shape Swank got in was very cool and she acquitted herself very well in the movie in my opinion. The story was a great backdrop about how she had to humble herself to get to the larger goal and finally with Clint, Morgan and Hilary, you really have a great ensemble.
Even though you asked for one, I have to mention the recent Rocky installment (Rocky Balboa) where Antonio Tarver played Mason Dixon and from what I am told, this was the first time they used a real boxer against Rocky vice an actor like Carl Weathers or the others he faced. I liked how they choreographed the boxing scenes which they showed on the special features of the DVD and they were really hitting each other.
BB: If you could change one thing in boxing today, what would you change and why?
I would actually like to change two things. First, is about the heavyweight division. They start it at 201 pounds, but these guys are so big today, that they need a better breakdown then having a guy say, 220 take on a guy who is like 260 -270.
Second, I think the boxing commission could be more meticulous about how fighters are treated so the incoming ones can get paid a little better because these guys work hard and could train more not worrying about extra jobs to sustain them. The money the promoters are making in comparison to the fighters is not fair and they need to be monitored more closely.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
I am absolutely for it and think a piece of each boxers purse should go into a fund and help finance boxers in the latter part of their years for stuff like Group Health Insurance. If you look at what we have with AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) you will see we have excellent health insurance which is financed by the money that all of us make.
When I see a story about Gerald McClellan who was a great fighter and he has nothing, which forced his family to go out and solicit for personal donations is sad. He made millions of dollars for promoters and should be taken care of.
In addition, the promoters should pay in a certain percentage as well.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
It’s going to probably sound corny and maybe there are more clever ways of saying it: “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”
Gregory wanted to add the following to our interview:
I would like to invite all of the RSR readers to visit my website http://www.gregoryabbott.com Official Website and they can see all that we are involved with currently. Feel free to email from there and let me know what you want to hear or what you like or don’t like. This is my way to communicate with my fans…
(Interviewers Note: If you want to get any of Gregory’s CD’s personally signed that you can order on his website, you can mail the CD insert to:
The Abbott Shoppe
c/o Grabbitt Music
2340 Powell Street
Emeryville, CA 94608
I was sent his latest CD "Eyes, Whispers, Rhythm, Sex which Rolling Stone Magazine wrote, "Abbott has come out with another infectious, sultry, and seductive album." I totally agree after playing it…
Special thanks to Ms Drew Levister Gregory’s General Manager for helping set up this interview.
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Reposted for Archive purposes)
"His (Muhammad Ali) confidence was unlike anyone’s I have ever seen."--Vanessa Del Rio
When the name Vanessa Del Rio is mentioned, I have no doubt that many thoughts come to the reader’s mind. I’m sure that over half of the male population have seen her many adult movies in the late 1970’s and early 80’s if they are willing to admit it. She gained her success in the many movies that she made, and still to this day, they generate a huge revenue for the adult movie industry which she retired from in December 1985/January 1986.
Well, as you know, RSR tries not to do the obvious interviews. Both Seka and now Vanessa show they are in that elite group of boxing fans who love to talk about their love of boxing and show their support to it.
In this interview, Vanessa had me laughing many times with her New York accent and witty one liners. She truly speaks her mind.
Ladies and Gentlemen, RSR welcomes MS Vanessa Del Rio…
BB: How long have you followed boxing?
I can remember when I was like in the sixth grade going to Catholic School and we had this Franciscan Black Nun who was crazy about Cassius Clay. I can remember her bringing all the news clippings to class and she would be so very excited reading to us about him.
In addition to this, I really followed it when I was dating an ex-fighter back in the early 1970’s named, John Rotondo. He trained up in the Catskill Mountains with the legendary, Cus D’Amato. After that timeframe, I was on and off with watching boxing. However, I always kept up with it through the news.
BB: Who are your top three favorite fighters of all-time and why?
Number one hands down is, Muhammad Ali for the obvious reasons. His confidence was unlike anyone’s I have ever seen. I looked at him as a role model because everything he set his mind to do he always did. He exemplifies what you can do when you put your mind to it and for that, I truly respect him.
I really liked Prince Naseem Hamed. He is so cocky with his pre-fight act and the funny thing is, he pulls it off. I like the skills and showmanship he provides in the ring.
I know you only said three, but I have to add one more. Sugar Ray Leonard. He was just so fast and schooled in the ring. Each time you would see him fight you got your fill of excitement.
BB: Being a fan of boxing for many years, what changes have you seen in the sport?
I think at one point in the late 1980s through the early 1990s, it kind of went down. It now seems to be getting back to when I first started watching it. As of late, there have been so many great matches that I have watched. Brad, you should hear me rooting for the fighters. The neighbors probably think I am nuts, especially when the fight comes on late and they can hear my yelling.
BB: What divisions today do you find the most exciting?
The Heavyweights and the Middleweights.
BB: Would you like to see boxing go back to the days when you had 15-round championship fights vs. the 12 they have today?
I would have to say yes because watching the Mosley vs Delahoya fight, which had that great 12th round, makes me wonder what 13-15 would have brought us. I think we would have seen some really great action in there.
BB: What fighters excite you enough as a paying customer to order their PPV matches?
To be honest , I pay to see them all the time even when the price tag is at $50.00.
BB: Do you think fighters should have a mandatory retirement fund and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Yes I do. Actors have their unions that take care of them when they get older. Boxers put so much into the sport and should have some type of fund when they finally hang up the gloves.
BB: What is the greatest fight you have ever seen and why?
Hands down, The Thrilla in Manilla. I love watching it time and time again, which they show on the Sports Classic TV show here. In this legendary match, you had two men who fought with every ounce of energy they could muster up.
It was a back and forth war, and when I saw Frazier at the end unable to come out for the 15th round, I saw the greatness of Muhammad Ali. He persevered throughout a fight that almost saw him retire in his corner, as well. You have to respect a man like Ali for not giving up in a true rumble, such as this was.
BB: What do you think of females in boxing?
It’s ok as long as they get in there and fight. I actually made a documentary movie in the 1970s about a female fighter named Cathy “Cat” Davis.
They filmed me in the ring boxing and I wasn’t bad with my fists because as I told you earlier, I was friends with that boxer and he taught me a couple of moves.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
“Never Give Up and Never Take No For An Answer”
Vanessa has an official website at
Tell Vanessa Ringside Report sent you over… ***This site is for Adults over the age of 18, so please be responsible In addition, she encourages fans to write her fan club at: Vanessa Del Rio 285 5th Avenue #234 Brooklyn, NY 11215 .]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Reposted for Archive purposes)
"Fame got a hold of him (Mike Tyson), some drugs and of course, women! We are only men, so what I can say? He may be a has been now, but at least he has been!"--Bertie Higgins
The 1980s was such an amazing era when it came to music and the videos that would accompany them. Being able to grow up in that era that was the “Summer of my Youth,” I was blessed in my mind to have this great music that almost 30 years later, is still as loved as when it first came out. I can remember falling in puppy love or what I thought was at least real love, in the eighth grade. On our local radio station Y100, in North Miami Beach, Florida, a song would come on and was a love song for my crush that I went to school with. That song had a great line that went, “We had it all, just like Bogey and Bacall.” The song was “Key Largo” and the artist whose smooth vocal that came out of the speakers was Bertie Higgins.
The track Key Largo was released on the album Just Another Day in Paradise in 1981 and hit the number #8 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and spent 17 weeks in the Top 40. It also went to number #1 on the Adult Contempary Charts. Bertie Higgins became a household name that year and seemed to be on every show in the US and many around the world performing the song he will forever be linked to and in this exclusive interview, he is very proud of that fact.
The hit song Key Largo has allowed Higgins to travel the world and see things that he is still in awe about and with a deep passion, he wants to impart his wisdom onto a younger generation of musicians. In the music world today, there is a lack of great songs in this interviewer’s opinion for the most part, and Higgins is a welcomed voice.
You will hear Bertie in his own words talk about his journey into the musical world, brush with fame, being a truly a proud Papa, and from there, he breaks out the boxing gloves and talks about boxing, a sport he truly loves….
Ladies and Gentlemen, RSR brings you in his own words, Bertie Higgins…
BB: You just came back from a gig in Las Vegas this past weekend. How did that go? Also, let’s catch up the RSR readers on what you have been up to recently.
The gig was at a place called “Texas Station Casino” and went really well. We are almost finished with a new CD for Toucan Cove and distrubuted by Universal. In addition, we just finished our second feature film called “Poker Run” and we are considering starting another one. We have been playing around the world recently and really enjoying it. During the last year, we came off the road to finish Poker Run which screened at the Cannes Film Festival back in May. It did well and is being repersented by a company out of Toronto, Canada called “Cinema Vault.”
BB: Growing up in Tarpon Springs, Florida, do you think that molded the type of music you have done over the years?
Damn if I know! I actually think all creative things come down through the gene pool. My Great-Great Grandfather was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German poet who penned "Faust" and my Grandfather was a painter, Grandmother was a piano player and my Aunt was a Tin Pan Alley songwriter…so I guess it all kind of came together.
During my time in Tarpon, I was always interested in theatrical things at around twelve years old and started out as a drummer. For a period, I played drums for Tommy Roe (Had hits with the songs Sheila and Dizzy). From there, I picked up an acoustic guitar and started writing songs. There were not a lot of opportunities in Tarpon Springs in show business growing up. Nobody really cared what you did or put pressure on you to go to college.
I really knew that music was going to have to be it for me and there was nothing I could do to get away from it because it was all over me. It really was a very interesting time in my life after a few years of college and also serving a couple of years in the Army along with getting married at the age of twenty-three.
BB: What did you do in the Army?
I was in Supply and did about six years between serving on Active Duty and the Reserves.
BB: Doing research for our interview, you have been put in the company of legendary Jimmy Buffett who has also done well for himself over the years. Do you agree with that assessment and where do you see the simlarities between your music?
I don’t agree that Jimmy and I are doing the same type of music, but I guess folks think that because we sing about tropical things in our music. The only thing we would share is that we are both song writers.
BB: Watching a lot of your videos of yours on Youtube.com and seeing your fun personality come out, I am surpised you were not offered a Variety Show. Why do you think you never got the call?
No I was never offered a shot at one. That type of stuff really is right place, right time. I probably shouldn’t have moved back to Florida when I hit with the first project and should have went to Los Angeles, California. I look at my career and tell young people trying to break in to to the music business and ask them, where are you at? They may say Topeka, Kansas and I say: “Get the hell out of there.”
Of course get your musical chops up wherever you may be, but you have to move a market where this an opportunity to have someone walk in and take a look at you. It’s like you can’t be a Sponge Diver and live in Kansas because there are no sponges there. (Bertie was actually a Sponge Diver in Tarpon Springs many years ago).
My plunge was Atlanta, Georgia, where I had connections from my Tommy Roe days and that kind of helped. I was in Atlanta about eighteen months and had the number one song in the nation which was an amazing thing to me and the local musicians were like: “Where the hell did this guy come from?” I was more than ready when I hit and probably should have gone five years early.
Management is so critical to any artist and I am sure you would agree that it’s the same for a boxer. Without decent management, you really can’t do much. Finding good management is very hard because there are so many ripoff artists or folks who claim they have this or that going, but have nothing at all. The critical thing in management is who you know. I think looking back that is maybe what happened to me on the Variety Show thing. Along with some other factors, but with all that said, I have had a good time and seen a lot of things that I have been able to do because of the opportunities that came from performing my music.
BB: Who are some of the singers that inspired you when you were growing up?
Johnny Mathis really blew me away. He had a lot of passion when he sang. I also really like Julio Iglesias who, when he sings, you know he means it from the heart.
BB: What do you enjoy better the singing or songwriting part of the music business?
I am not sure I enjoy any of it anymore. I don’t mean that in a detrimental sort of way, but it’s all hard work. About three years ago, I fell into the film thing with my son Julian who is a film graduate and one of the reasons I came to LA to get him through school and to work with him some. We kind of teamed up on the first two movies we did and I think did something interesting. That’s from the writing of the screenplay to the production of the movie, directing and everything that follows suit. I even took a role in both of the films.
BB: In 1981, you recorded a smash song that appeared on the album Just Another Day in Paradise and has kept you on the airwaves and in fans hearts for 26 years now. That song was “Key Largo,” which had the great line: “We had it all just like Bogey and Bacall.” What was your gut feeling when you laid down that track and the story about this great song?
I really had no clue. Well, OK, I had a little clue. Key Largo was very interestingly recorded. We were playing in a little bar in Augusta, Georgia, called “Smokeys,” and it truly was a gun and knife club where you had blood on the floor from a fight the night before. I had written Key Largo, but at that time, it was a combination of two songs from real life that happened to me. My Producer at the time Sonny Limbo who was working with me, gave me one line, “Here’s looking at you kid” which I didn’t have in the song and we were playing this club which we had to play five times a night.
I thought I had something with this song and went to the club owners and asked them to invest $2000.00 to get it recorded on pure speculation and they wouldn’t do it. I literally borrowed $700.00 from my Mother and took my road band into the studio in Atlanta and cut Key Largo. Now funny thing, it was not cut in one session, but over two or three months. The studio would call and say: “Hey man, we have a cancellation, get your guitar player in here for a couple of hours.”
So with all of that, it really became a serious effort. Then from there, the Publisher of the song Bill Lowery had us cut it in his studio called Southern Tracks in Atlanta which is a great place. The only thing on the track that was not performed by my road band was the four piece string section from the Atlanta Pops Orchestra. Then the label Katz Family Records owned by Joel Katz out of Atlanta who had a distribution deal with Sony and they turned it down four times.
They even offered me $10,000 dollars to buy it for I think BJ Thomas to record and I turned them down. And keep in mind that I was starving to death at that time. I eventually beat him (Joel) up enough that he put out about five-thousand copies to radio and it exploded. You really just don’t know man. You try to dial in and get in front of a live audience and see if they like it which really is my only gauge.
BB: With you singing Key Largo and your line “We had it all, just like Bogey and Bacall” (Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall who were married) and also the song you did called “Casablanca,” I am going to assume that you like Bogart a lot?
I absolutely loved Bogart and thought he was a tremendous actor. And to add on, I loved Bogart’s love story with Bacall.
BB: With Lauren Bacall still being alive, (Humphrey Bogart died of Throat Cancer in 1957 at age 58) has she ever heard you perform the song or have you met her where she talked about it?
I never ran into her in person, but years ago, she was on Broadway appearing in Woman of the Year, I think, and I sent her roses when Key Largo was a top ten hit.
BB: Have you ever done any covers of a song that was made famous by another artist that you also recorded?
Actually on the new album, I did some covers “Stir it Up” by Bob Marley, “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack, who I did a concert up in Montreal with her a few months back.
We also did a new version of Key Largo to celebrate the 26th year anniversary of its release and I thought it was really interesting that the girl who just did it with me as a duet which we just finished man, was the original girl who sang the answer part on the original recording of the song. Her name is Cheryl Wilson and she is one of the top jingle singers in the world today. We paid her fifty dollars to do the little answer thing and at that time…it was her very first time in a studio. I called her and asked her to do the duet with me for the new version of Key Largo and it really turned out terrific.
BB: Since you just covered Key Largo again, how would you compare your voice from the 1981 version to the new one in 2008?
I think it has gotten a little lower and I can’t hit some of those screamingly high notes I hit 15 years ago. But you know what? I think in some ways, it’s mellower and I sing with more confidence today. I can recall singing Key Largo at least 50 times in the studio before I would accept a take. Today, if I don’t nail it in three of four takes, I will just walk out.
When you sing in the studio, it’s a combination of musical accuracy and emotion. You must emote behind the words and live these lyrics as you do in the studio. If you do it too many times in the studio, you lose the feeling in my opinion.
BB: I recently did an interview with another gentleman in your business named Gregory Abbott who had a hit song with “Shake You Down.” During that interview, I asked him about the affect of MTV had on his music which you even more so than him, came at the very start of. Do you think that really helped you achieve the success for Key Largo and how fun was it making your video?
I actually have an interesting story about that. VH1 actually launched Key Largo. MTV was more of the rock wing videos and VH1 was more of the adult contemporary videos. Scott Shannon who was becoming a major player in radio in Secaucus, New Jersey and New York was in Tampa Bay at a station that would not play Key Largo. These P1 stations as they call them are afraid to go out of the box and play something that is say built up from the secondary markets and brought into the big city. Today, a lot of radio consultants are doing programming now, but back then, a lot of independent or groups of radio stations owned corporately had their own Program Director within the confines of their local station as it was in Tampa. Scott wouldn’t play it, but here is what happened.
Andy Warhol’s (American artist and a central figure in the movement known as Pop Art and coined the pharse “15 minutes of fame”) director came down to Tarpon Springs and directed the video for Key Largo. We shot it on 35 MM film against an advance on the royalties of the song and I think it cost us about $35,000 which was fronted by CBS Records.
At that time, VH1 didn’t even exist and I couldn’t figure out at the time, why we were doing a video? We shot it as I said in Tarpon Springs and till this day, I get a lot of questions about the girl in the video. The director actually went over to Tarpon Springs High School and pulled her out of the Senior Class.
So we shot the video. Scott Shannon and I actually became friends. I had a boat at the time and Scott, another DJ and I went out and had a few boat drinks and had a party. When we came back to my house, I gave Scott a three –quarter copy of the Key Largo video as a gift.
About three months later, to my surprise, Shannon is now a VJ at VH1 and one of the very first ones there. They had no programming to speak of and he actually rolled the video of Key Largo at least eight times a day which really drove it home to become a hit.
It really did make the song become a bigger hit and today, it is well into the eight to ten million range in airplays.
BB: How do you feel the music industry has changed since you first came into it?
Same old shit… What’s really changed is the retail market place which really has hit record companies down low. Record companies for years feasted, but now it kind of like a famine for them because they cannot sell product like they used to, with a lot of illegal downloads and you can’t stop them. I think that it’s going to hurt a lot of artists financially. It may deter folks from wanting to get into the business because the money isn’t what it once was. I really think it all relies on the song man because I am a song guy. You just cannot put out a bunch of crap and think it will get airplay and then sell even though I think we both agree, there is a lot of crap out there today. Honestly, throughout the many years music has been around, you will always have crap out there along with the great stuff.
I think personally that the American Song Book is dead! You just don’t have those monster hit songs around today, but occasionally you have a song like John Mayer did called “Daughters” which is just great. It stands above the crowd and will cross all genres of people. Twenty years ago or more, you had a lot of these songs which I call the American Song Book. But today, you have less and less radio programming that cater to that adult contemporary music.
I think the future of the music industry is in downloading and live performances if you can get them.
BB: Do you have funny stories during your musical career that you can share with the RSR readers?
The most funny to me and embarrassing story is this one… I was on cruise ship with Jerry Lewis shooting a remote for the MDA Telethon a few years back. We did a show that I think is on a clip somewhere on the internet. I was sleeping in my cabin with my wife and two children. I started sleepwalking (Laughs) in just a T-shirt and underwear, opened my door, and started down the hall. Keep in mind, all of the cabins had doors that had card locks on them. There was one door that was ajar and I went it in it. Of course, I am sleepwalking and have no clue this is going on, and proceed to get into bed. The next thing I know, I wake up the next morning and there is an older African American man and his wife who sees me in bed with them and they start screaming at me. I wake up and start screaming at them.
Security wound up coming up and I am standing in the hall in my underwear. The old man says to me, you know it’s about two in the morning I am laying in my bed asleep and hear someone open the bathroom door and I check to find my wife beside me while I hear someone pee in the bathroom, then come and get in bed with me which I found really interesting!
For the rest of the cruise, we became the best of friends….. (Big laugh)
BB: Recently along with your son Julian, you have written and also acted in two movies called “The Wrath” and “Poker Run.” Talk about how it was working with him.
Actually, if I could, let me talk about all my children. My oldest son Damian is a DJ who goes by the name “Diesel Boy” who is one of the top three rave DJ’s in the world today. He is doing extremely well traveling all around the world doing his stuff. He was a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and went right into music. Julian is my next oldest, and my daughter Kim works for Southwest Airlines, thank God!
Julian is a very talented Writer/Director for someone who is just 24. I have watched him direct these films and of course, we butt heads a lot. I am pretty hard headed about the creative process just like he is. Then my youngest Aaron just turned 21, and he is a drummer who has been in and out of bands who I am trying now to encourage him to stay with it, so I can get him a deal going while I still can. Those are my children. Julian and I are finishing up work on Poker Run as we speak and have a deadline coming up very soon to get all the extra stuff done. One other note about my son Aaron, he designs all my CD jackets in my studio.
BB: What are your words of wisdom to the young man or woman who is aspiring to be a singer or a songwriter?
First off, never accept the word “NO” from anyone…the hell with them! If this is something you really want and are willing to sacrifice and you must for this profession, then you must go for it. If it’s something you are just given, you will piss it away. The other thing you must know in your heart and soul is that you have talent and are really able to sing with something different to offer.
Songwriting is a craft that you have to work on. You must listen to what is out there and the structure of the song to include the time and stuff like that. Environment is very important as well. Young singers or bands, with guys or gals around twenty-two, get comfortable in a local band when they get a little following, but unless you are in a town that can break it for you, then you have to move to somewhere that will break it for you and that takes a big set of balls sometimes to do it. When you make the move, surround yourself with people of the same feather that are struggling like you and you can feed off creatively. I really feel like in boxing, you must have good people around you.
BB: Do you get into politics at all? If so, what do you think of the Presidential race this year?
Let’s put it this way…. I have done a lot of charitable events over the years as freebies, but it seems when politics got involved in them, things got a little crazy.
Where did all the money go? Currently, I am a little bit disappointed in Barack Obama’s choice for Vice President when he picked Joe Biden.
I thought Hillary Clinton would be more of an electable team with him and I really believe that. Now, I think Obama’s win is in question. I think John McCain could make it in and it worries me because he seems to want to perpetuate the war in Iraq. He appears to have a lot of the same goals as George W. Bush has had which worries me because it’s killing us financially and emotionally. And you know what? We talk about the 4000 plus military members who are dying over there and that is horrible in itself, but how about Mothers and Fathers over in Iraq who have lost children who have just been blown up. I think about them as well because they are people too.
In my mind, I think good politicians enter into the world of politics with the best of intentions, but then get into the circle of it. From there they say: “Oh my God, this is going to really be hard to do.” Every turn they make to pass a bill or legislation, they are opposed at every single turn. My hat is off to them for getting into a very hard profession.
BB: What are some things you can share with the RSR readers that the public doesn’t really know about you?
I really believe in positive thinking and have always felt, if you can see it, you can be it. Never accept no because that means maybe and maybe means you’re dam right!
BB: Let’s now talk about boxing. How long have you followed the sport?
I have followed it for at least 30 years. Going back to Muhammad Ali of course and to be honest, I loved his show business side even more so than the boxing. I thought he was a cute guy who just gave boxing a great look. Just this last week, I was with Bob Halloran who is the Head of sports for all MGM properties. That means all the big boxing matches you see on HBO or other places are his doing. We always talk boxing when we are together in Las Vegas. I always loved Roberto Duran! In fact, with my beard, they used to call me “Elberto Duran.”
BB: Who are top three favorite fighters of all-time and why?
As I said in the last question, Roberto Duran is number one. He was a monster in the ring. He could box and really take a punch. He reminds me of the actor Benico Del Toro, whose always so damn serious in his acting roles like Duran was in the ring. He was just a tough guy.
Muhammad Ali is another. I loved as I said his showman side, but he could box and make a fight a true event.
Finally, John L. Sullivan from everything I read on him sounded really tough and, just think, he fought bare fisted. He was a bad man.
BB: If you had to pick one fighter since the day you started following boxing who you feel moved the sport ahead the most, who would that be and why?
It would have to be Muhammad Ali. He came out of the 1960 Olympics as a Gold Medal winner and had a really nice clean attitude. I don’t feel that is a huge secret. He brought it into the limelight where it should have been. He made some young men want to become boxers based on what they saw him achieve and do.
BB: Is there one boxing match in all your years of following in that you would say that was the single most exciting fight I have ever watched?
I would go with the “Rumble in the Jungle” back in October of 1974 when Muhammad Ali faced then Heavyweight Champion George Foreman. It was a great fight with Ali doing what so many thought was impossible when he won by knocking out Foreman.
BB: Who are some of the fighters you follow today?
I follow Oscar De La Hoya today and kind of drifted away from boxing the last four or five years, but really want to get back into it. My cousin Edward who passed away about three years ago and played congos with me on Key Largo was my inspiration to hang in there with boxing because there was no bigger fan then he was. We both loved Roberto Duran.
BB: Do you feel the sport of boxing has moved ahead or backwards since you first started following it?
Unfortunately right now, I think it’s kind of at a stand still. I have watched it surge up and down for many years. It’s really is a great sport and an athletic sport for what these guys go through taking punishment up to twelve rounds is just amazing. We really need a new star to carry the sport as Muhammad Ali or more recently, Mike Tyson did. Who is it going to be is the big question?
BB: It seems when I do these types of interviews Mike Tyson always comes up. What do you think of him and what do you think happened to him?
When Mike came into the sport, he was a humble man who came in the ring with no shirt or socks on just like fighters from the old days. He had every opportunity to become “that guy” and for a moment he was. Fame got a hold of him, some drugs and of course, women! We are only men, so what I can say? He may be a has been now, but at least he has been!
BB: What is your favorite boxing movie of all-time and why?
I really dug Cinderella Man with Russell Crowe. It ended great and was just a great story.
BB: If you could change one thing in boxing today, what would you change and why?
Honestly, there is nothing about the sport I would change, but what is bothering me is we used to have this monster boxing matches which garnered a lot of attention even with people who didn’t follow the sport. There were so many big boxing matches in Vegas over the years that I saw and loved. We need better promotion in boxing, so there is the thing I would change.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
The problem with boxing is it’s an individual sport and the other sports that have a retirement fund, are team sports. I think the boxing commission should put the boxing fund into place. It’s sad to see many fighters we both loved and watched in such bad shape both financially and physically today. So yes, I would fully support a retirement fund. How do you make it work? What do you think? Do you feel it will ever come to pass?
I think the commissions are corrupt so it would have to be an outside organization that monitors the money going into it. Many people say it needs to be regulated by the Government, but I think a reputable outside group that manages retirement funds could do it. All boxers would pay into it and of course the bigger fighters would have to pay more based on the large amounts of money they are making. I can tell you that for ten years now, I have been vocal about it and asked anyone I have interviewed and I have brought it up on TV along with radio I have done as well. In my heart, I want it to finally be implemented, but the boxers have to also realize how important it really is and get behind it.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
Wow, these are questions I have never been asked before… The saying would be: “Never Quit.” When I die, I will slide 50 feet because I will be running.
Bertie welcomes all of the RSR readers to visit his site
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Reposted for Archive purposes)
“When you are in front of an opponent in the ring or in front of jury, it is just you by yourself.”--Robert Shapiro
Attorney Robert Shapiro is currently the Head of the white-collar defense section at the Law Firm of Christensen, Glaser, Fink, Jacobs, Weil & Shapiro, LLP.
Recently Shapiro was profiled in the New York Times as one of the nation’s most prominent attorneys. His list of high profile cases includes the defense of O.J. Simpson, and Christian Brando (son of legendary actor Marlon Brando), to name just a few.
Shapiro has written and lectured extensively on legal issues and procedures. He is also the Author of the New York Times Bestseller “The Search For Justice.”
If you look up the word passionate in Webster’s Dictionary, you will see a picture of Bob who feels that way towards the sport of boxing and the combatants who put their lives on the line each and every time they step into that coveted square circle. That passion for the sport of boxing rings out in this exclusive interview.
RSR wants to bring the readers not only great interviews with fighters and people who actually are in the boxing business, but to give the readers a different insight that someone like Shapiro can offer in an interview. He is actually the first person in this new series of interviews we will be conducting on RSR and from what you are about to read in his own words, we definitely picked the right person to begin with….
BB: You recently participated in a charity event for Vista Del Mar Child and Family Service Charity that put on a boxing exhibition between you and former child star, Danny Bonaduce from the Partridge Family TV show and the reality show, Breaking Bonaduce. Tell the RSR readers a little bit about the charity and how you did in your boxing match?
The charity event was just great because it raised $750,000 in profit for Vista Del Mar Services, which is both an orphanage and a place for children at risk between the ages of 6 – 18, in West Los Angeles. As far as the fight, I trained really hard for it. In fact, I have been training regularly, but over the last eight weeks, I stepped it up when I found out that Danny Bonaduce was my opponent. It was actually supposed to be just an exhibition where I was just “going to move around” in the words of the Promoter Jackie Kallen with a professional fighter.
Then next thing I know, I am going to face Bonaduce who quite frankly, I never heard of. When I started mentioning it to some people, they said, “are you crazy?” “He is pumped up like crazy, has huge arms while also being strong as an ox and on steroids.” That was a perfect combination for me. (Laughs)
After hearing all of this, I really took this match seriously and actually went into the gym and sparred with some big guys who were much bigger than me. I weighed going into the fight 150 pounds and Bonaduce appeared to weigh about 165 pounds, though he reported he weighed 160 pounds.
I was sparring with guys who were around 180 pounds in the gym and getting hit pretty good which told me, I could take a punch. Going in, I knew he was going to come right after me with those looping overhand rights, which would attempt to take my head off. He actually had fight experience and I hadn’t. My training is solely for my own benefit, which I do privately in my garage where I have a little boxing facility.
When I walked into the ring, I was actually escorted by Mike Tyson, which was very neat. I broke Danny’s nose in the second round and they stopped the round earlier because it was really bleeding. They gave him extra time to recover and then took an applause vote on who the crowd felt had won the fight. I won overwhelming. Jackie (Kallen) came up to the ring at the end and said we both did great and the fight should be a draw. I was fine with that.
BB: How long have you followed professional boxing? What are your earliest memories of the sport?
I have followed boxing since I was kid listening to it on the radio when Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles, and Sugar Ray Robinson, for example, were fighting. As a teenager growing up in Los Angeles, I would go to the Olympic Auditorium and the Hollywood Legion Stadium to watch all of the great local talent.
BB: Many times I have seen you sitting ringside at boxing matches and you seem to really get into the fights. When you are watching the fighters in the ring, what excites you the most?
Well, obviously if it’s a highly competitive fight, such as the Marco Antonio Barrera versus Erik Morales fights are an example. There was just so much action in them. Another example would be, (and) I was at, both heavyweight championship fights with Evander Holyfield taking on Mike Tyson and Holyfield versus Lennox Lewis. At the heavyweight championship fights, there is more excitement in the crowd, then the actual contest itself, at times.
BB: In the last 40 years, what single fighter do you think has moved the sport of boxing forward the most and why?
That one is easy in my opinion and has to be Muhammad Ali who brought showmanship and a new style to the ring that had never really been seen before. His personality in my opinion will never be equaled by anyone in the ring. He truly raised it to an entirely new level.
BB: What single fight do you think truly defined boxing in the last 30 years and why?
I would have to say Sugar Ray Leonard versus Tommy Hearns I (September 16, 1981), which I saw live. In Ray, you had someone who had such a great career, but looked so much smaller than Tommy. Hearns was just so much taller than Ray who I actually was at dinner with a couple a nights ago and to my surprise, is shorter than me. Both Tommy and Ray were at my fight, and when I looked at Tommy today, I was just amazed that someone his height could ever weigh 147 pounds.
BB: Who are some of the fighters you enjoy watching the most and try not to miss?
Up until recently, James Toney because I have been with him in the gym for years and he has helped me out a lot. I love Manny Pacquiao who is one of the most exciting fighters of our time in the smaller weight divisions. Floyd Mayweather, JR., is another fighter I love to watch because I enjoy technical boxing where you see the art of it, which Floyd shows in the ring.
BB: Have you ever represented a boxer in court? If so, how did it turn out?
I have made a rule for myself and that is I want to be a boxing fan that gets along with the fighters and does not have to represent or be against any fighter out there today. Being around it as long as I have, I really do know a lot of the folks involved and consider myself a true boxing junkie.
BB: Being a famed attorney who is not shy to speak out about what he believes in, do you have any advice for a young fighter just turning professional from a legal standpoint, before he signs his first promotional contract?
Not really because honestly I have never seen a boxing contract. I guess if I could say anything it would be to have a good lawyer representing he or she’s best interest.
BB: Do you feel since the time you first started following boxing, to present day, it has moved ahead or back and why?
I feel it has moved backwards, unfortunately. In the days I was listening to it on the radio, they were fighting in open stadiums with huge crowds. Today, the fights are not as competitive as they used to be. There are too many boxing organizations out there which makes it hard for the public to keep track of who the champion really is. It is very hard to get consistently competitive fights because the promoters know that if you get a fighter with one or two losses, they may not be able to generate a big gate because of that.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Yes, I do! Boxing is probably the only sport that on that level that is not regulated in an economic way. You are dealing with men and I guess we have to say women as well, who start in this sport at a very young age. Most of the other athletes generally have a college education to fall back on. Today, you have some kids who come into the sport who are not educated or disadvantaged who come from other countries or from our ghettos in our own country. When they come into boxing, they don’t realize that they have a short life span to ply their trade in the ring. When they are done, there is no residual income coming in to take care of them.
I have never been asked this question before, but to give a response on how to implement I would have to say, the boxing organizations should take a percentage out of the purses and put it into a retirement fund. Not to stop there, the promoters should contribute equally to it.
BB: Do you think being a lawyer is very similar to being a boxer in the sense that you have to be on offense and defense, pick your spots, and close whether in a boxing ring or a courtroom?
They truly are very similar from a mental point of view. First, it’s an individual effort with of course people helping you in your corner while you are fighting or when you are working a case in the courtroom. When you are in front of an opponent in the ring or in front of jury, it is just you by yourself. The atmosphere changes second by second in boxing and question by question in the courtroom.
As prepared as you can be for knowing the facts in the courtroom, or the style of your opponent in the ring, you can be certain that you are going to encounter things that you did not anticipate. You have to be able to adjust and think quickly on your feet in both professions because there is no script for these two endeavors.
BB: If you had the power to change one thing in boxing right now, what would that be?
That’s a great question. I would eliminate the majority of the boxing organizations and have no more than two, maybe three tops.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
“Set your goals high, and try to exceed them.”
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Reposted for Archive purposes)
“I think boxing is an incredible sport and I would like to see it really become regulated because I think it could bring back a lot of the past.” ---Dom Irrera
Comedian Dom Irrera came out of Philadelphia and would embark on a ride of his life that started in the early 1980’s when he was then, just a young comedian doing his standup acts all around the United States in front of growing crowds. In 1989, Irrera got his own HBO special, “One Night Stand” where he hit a Reggie Jacksonesque Home Run. The show was very funny and a huge success earning Irrera a Cable Ace Award, which was a major accomplishment that year because he was up against well established comedians.
Dom did not rest on his accolades. He went back out on the road to find that the exposure that he had received was now packing them in to watch him perform. Over the last 17 years, Irrera has done numerous shows not only domestically, but internationally, with a following that can’t wait for him to come back to countries like Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and many others. In addition to his standup work, he also has appeared on many television shows and not to stop there, has found success in voice over work as well.
Recently I spoke with Comic Genius, Shelley Berman, who told me and I quote, “I think Dom is one of the best comedians we have; fast, original, and funny.”
Well, we can add another line to an already impressive resume for Irrera. That line is “A True Boxing Fan.” And as Dom would say, “I don’t mean that in a bad way.”
Ladies and Gentlemen, RSR brings you Comedian Dom Irrera.
BB: First off, let’s bring the RSR readers up to speed on what is going on in your career.
I’m doing my standup act over all over the world. Currently, I have an animated series for the Nickelodeon Network. I was in an animated movie called “Barnyard,” which is a series that airs in September of this year and we have about 40 episodes of that. Also, I have a Radio Show called “Live from the Laugh Factory” at audible.com that I host every week.
BB: You grew up in an era where standup comedy had legends such as Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen and George Carlin to name just a few. Is there one Stand Up Comedian that you can point your finger at and say they are the reason you got into doing it?
I would have to say Woody Allen even though we are very different in our comedy. I thought his writing was just brilliant. I only met Woody one time at a Knicks game up in the Executive Lounge. He pretty much stopped doing standup in the late 60’s and I listened to his Comedy Albums. So that is where I heard his act. My dear friend the late Rodney Dangerfield helped me out a lot and then even older comedians such as the late Red Buttons.
BB: You have done a lot of voiceover work in your career. Knowing that you do great impressions (dead on Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone from The Godfather) from watching you perform, do you enjoy this work as much as you do your standup routine?
I do enjoy doing voiceover work. The downside of standup is working alone, which is not as much fun as working with a group that you can goof around with. In doing voiceover work, you can work with other people and improvise.
BB: How did you first get into voiceover work?
I think the first thing I did voiceover work on was a Disney movie called “Thumbelina” in 1994, where I voiced one of the toads. From there, I had a series called “Captain Simian & The Space Monkeys,” which didn’t get picked up after the first season, but I went on to do “Hey Arnold,” which was a big hit.
BB: Do you feel standup has changed since you first started in it and why?
It has an ebb and flow to it of course, and sure it has changed a little, but not that much. I feel what is tougher for the young guys and gals is that everything has been said. There is nothing grosser or meaner to be said because it is all out there. Now you have to be just funny and it is very tough out there.
BB: You also have done a lot of television and movie work as well. I want to throw some names out that you worked with and give me your thoughts on them.
Damon Wayans
One of the most talented people I have ever worked with. He is just one of those gut funny people and an old friend. Damon and I came up at the same time doing IMPROV and also had a series together called “My Wife and Kids” that I did some appearances on. He has always watched out for me and I appreciate it very much.
Rodney Dangerfield
He was the guy who gave me my biggest break by putting me on his HBO series Nothing Goes Right. After that, I could actually draw at comedy clubs. Rodney was another fellow comedian that always looked out for me and I will be forever grateful to. He was just a riot. I can recall I would go up to see him and he would have a robe on, but nothing under it. I would say, “Rodney please, I don’t want the horror of your D&^% and Ba$# set in my head before I sit down for dinner. He was a very funny man even when he wasn’t trying to be.
I can remember one time I was working the IMPROV and Rodney was there. I asked him if he was and hungry and he said, “(Dom doing Rodney’s voice) You know what I can go for? A 20 year old girls A@# in my face.” I replied, I guess that rules out Canter's Delicatessen. (The waitresses there were much older). I can remember one of the last times I saw him before he died. He said, (Dom in Rodney’s voice again) “What can I do for you kid?” I said, “Just be my friend.” His reply was, “you’re all right kid…you’re all right.”
Drew Carey
I worked with Drew for a long time. He was a guy who went from a comedian on his way up, to a major TV star. Carey had the right vehicle to showcase his talents. There are so many pricks in the business that it’s nice to see a good guy like Drew make it. When one of those guys such as Drew makes it, instead of resenting it, I am happy for him.
Ray Romano
Another nice guy like Drew who I was happy to see make it.
Robert Townsend
I lost touch with him, but felt like we had something in the movie we did called “Hollywood Shuffle” back in 1987. However, I think he made a big mistake not keeping that group together that worked on the movie. I am not sure what his thoughts were after that, but I feel had he kept the ensemble together, he would have had a couple of more hits with them.
Hey Arnold
(Laughs) Arnold was a kid who kept getting replaced because his voice kept changing since the kids were growing up and their voices would change. Had they gotten a girl to play him, they could have kept the same one like they did with the voice of Bart Simpson, who is voiced by Nancy Cartwright for almost 20 years now.
Oprah Winfrey
She has been very nice to me and is amazingly successful. Oprah has quoted me for such a long time by using my “I don’t mean that in a bad way” and then she would say, “as Dom Irrera says.” I said to myself that is a beautiful “Money Plug” as they call it in the business.
BB: In 1989, your HBO Special “One Night Stand” was a big hit and earned you a Cable Ace Award. Talk about that show and did you know as a boxer does at times in a fight, once it starts, that this is going to be a special night.
You’re right. It is like a boxer who knows. I used to play a lot of basketball and you can just feel when you go onto the court that you are going to be able to shoot that night. I felt the same way when we shot my first HBO special.
BB: How did it feel to win the Cable Ace Award for this show?
It was amazing because I came up out of nowhere and was competing against guys that were all famous. I was sitting there and to be honest, I had a feeling I was going to win, but I would never tell anyone because they would have thought:
Who is this jerk?
BB: Did you have a funny line when you gave your acceptance speech?
Funny thing, I was in the bathroom and I ran up to the stage to accept my award. I only said, “Thank You, I was talking to Garry Shandling in the bathroom, not to be a name dropper.”
BB: If you had to pick one career milestone up until today in your career, which one would you pick?
That is a good question. I don’t think it is one show, but the fact that I perform internationally that I am most proud of. One time, I did not get this TV show and this guy says to me, “You’re too New York and nobody is going to get you.” I replied, “I am from Philly” and he just grunted and walked away. I think the fact that I can perform in say Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and the Bahamas to name just a few, who enjoy my comedy and get me, is something I am very proud of.
BB: Finally, before we get into the boxing, you have a signature line that always cracks me up, which is: “I don’t mean that in a bad way.” How did you come up with it?
You know, I don’t really know how. I don’t even know when I started using it because I never look for a hook. I used to do, “that don’t make me gay,” then “I don’t, do you” and “Bada Boom Bada Bing.” I was actually the first one who did that for my generation. Then The Sopranos started doing it and folks would say, “are you mad about that?” I was like, what am I going to do? Get mad at The Sopranos for talking like a bunch of Italian guys.
BB: When did you first start following boxing?
My father was a professional boxer in Philadelphia. The one thing about boxing is you can’t be a 500 boxer really because there is no career in that for the most part. My analogy here is that in some sports, .500 is not bad, but in boxing, that is not good for your career. So I can say from a very young age, I was aware of it and have followed it ever since.
BB: Growing up in an Italian - American home in Philadelphia in the 50’s and 60’s, was boxing a part of your childhood since Italians have always loved boxing.
As I mentioned about my dad, earlier, sure it was. I can recall them watching the old Friday Night Fights by Gillette. It was really always around me.
BB: Philadelphia during your time there was a hotbed for boxing. Did you ever follow a career of a boxer that came out of there closely?
Yes, I followed Joey Giardello who was very big from the area when I was a kid. With him being Italian and very popular on the local scene, we all used to follow his fight career. He would go on from there, to have a national name when he became the WBC Middleweight Champion in 1963, by winning a unanimous decision over then Champion, Dick Tiger.
BB: Rocky Marciano was a superstar to the Italian community during your childhood. Do you have any recollections of him?
Just what my Uncles used to tell me all the time that he was just relentless in the ring. He would beat the opponent’s arms up so badly which caused broken blood vessels and such, that by the end of the fight, they could not lift their arms up, so he could stop them. This cracks me up about Marciano or even other sports out there. How in the heck can you beat a guy or a team with a computer like they did with that computerized fight years ago that matched Muhammad Ali Vs Rocky Marciano. Even though Rocky won in their analysis, how in the heck do you really know who could have won?
BB: Do you get out to the fights often? If so, which ones have you seen lately and what were your thoughts on them?
I haven’t been out to fights in quite sometime, but I used to go to the forum a lot with the son of a friend of mine who wanted to watch boxing. Today, I watch a lot of the classic boxing they have on ESPN more than the current fights because I just feel that they were more exciting back in the day.
I also always enjoyed watching Vinny Paz and actually used to do a bit about him in my act. I would crack on people who always complained about an ingrown toenail or a pulled muscle and here you had a guy, fighting with a broken neck.
BB: Did you ever see the footage of him training with the halo still screwed into his head?
I sure did and he had gigantic Balls for sure!
BB: What fighter in the last 25 years do you personally feel not only was big in boxing, but transcended the sport as well?
That’s a good question. I would have to say Sugar Ray Leonard even though there were some things about him I didn’t like. He was like Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons with his stardom back then. Leonard fought in a great era in the welterweight division with fighters such as Tommy Hearns, Roberto Duran, and Wilfred Benitez.
I think you have to also mention “Big” George Foreman because as you know, he was villain in his day, then comes back to boxing after a ten year layoff to win the Heavyweight Championship of the World at the age of 45 when he stopped then Champion Michael Moorer, on November 5, 1994, in the tenth round to become the oldest Heavyweight Champion in the history of boxing and a very loved figure this time around not only in boxing, but outside as well.
BB: Do you think the sport has moved forward or back since you first started following it?
I think it has definitely moved backwards. They really need some new blood at the top that are legitimate business men who know how to promote legitimate fights on a regular basis. As big as a promoter as Don King is, there is just too much crap that surrounds him. It’s like Football. You have some element of it that are hoodlums for sure, but the sport as whole is trying to clean itself up. Boxing needs to do that as well, and I think if it were regulated like many have discussed, it would help it out a lot.
Boxing has opened many doors for young men that had it not been there, they might have wound up in jail. I respect the sport for what it does for those young men.
BB: Do you have any funny stories involving boxers you have either met or know personally?
Randall “Tex” Cobb, who is a friend of mine and as you know, fought Larry Holmes in that brutal WBC Heavyweight Championship fight (November 26, 1982) where Tex took a serious beating. That was very hard to watch and in my mind, I wanted him to just go down, but he was too stubborn. That was very hard and I am sure for anyone that is friendly with a boxer to watch.
Are you ready for this? Tex and I used to be bouncers at Doc Watson’s Pub in Philadelphia. It was not a tough club. (Laughs) We used to card medial students. It was like, “Ok Irving, show me your card!” The funniest thing about this job was more people messed with Tex, than me. I guess they figured this little 5’8, 140 pound guy had to be bad because if he wasn’t, why the hell would he be a bouncer?
The truth is that I know nothing outside of a move or two. My Dad taught me in boxing that really helped out in Summer Camp as a kid.
Maybe this story is not that funny, but it sure was strange. Years ago, I was out on the Island (Long) in a bar playing pinball. Well, Gerry Cooney walks over and very lightly pulls me away from the machine and starts playing. He didn’t say a word or even crack a smile. I am thinking to myself, what am I supposed to do? I can’t beat this guy, so do I hit him with a bat and run? I just walked away because there was nothing to really do.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Yes, I do. I think it goes back to what I said before about the sport needing to be regulated like the other mainstream sports. Regulation could do this for sure. I don’t claim to know how to do this because of the fact that is not a sport with unified regulations throughout. But I can offer this which is maybe they can do the same thing we are doing in my industry with SAG (Screen Actors Guild) or AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) where we pay into a fund that puts away money for a retirement.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
Carpediem (Means: the enjoyment of the pleasures of the moment without concern for the future). In the last couple of years, I lost my Mother and sister, and one thing I have learned is to seize the day.
Dom wanted to add the following to our interview:
I think boxing is an incredible sport and I would like to see it really become regulated because I think it could bring back a lot of the past. Being a sports junkie, I respect the art of the sport and I truly want to see it flourish as I know it can.
]]>
Exclusive Interview by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt (Reposted for Archive purposes)
"To this day, I hear or receive emails from people who say they raised their kids on Good Times or I want my little girl to watch Thelma because I liked the way that she was. To hear that, truly is an honor."--Bern Nadette Stanis
About a year ago, I did my last interview for RSR and I would be remiss if I didn’t say, I truly missed doing them. Well, as Austin Powers had to do, I also found my “Mojo” and sought out someone I feel not only would be interesting, but without any doubts, could share a lot with the RSR readers on their career and the sport of boxing that our readers truly love…
In reaching out to Bern Nadette Stanis who played the very popular “Thelma Evans” on the 1970’s comedy sitcom, “Good Times,” which I was able to do through her website, which we will talk about later on in the interview, I found a lady who was not only extremely articulate, but truly passionate about her craft which she has been involved with for many years.
Stanis grew up in Brooklyn, New York, during the 1950’s through the 1970’s and was exposed to many life experiences that only a native New Yorker could really understand. She attended school at the famed Julliard School in New York City with some amazing talents that no doubt, upped her acting chops as well. She remembers those times vividly, and in her voice, you can hear how they still affect her until this very day.
After attending Julliard, a role and a character would come to the small screen via television and would leave an indelible mark for future African American children who may have grown up in the ghetto or the projects, but as “Thelma Evans” and “The Evans Family” always did, they inspired to rise above their surroundings and make a mark in this thing called “Life.”
Bern Nadette Stanis’ last year on Good Times was in 1979 which when you do the math, is almost 30 years ago next year. Almost 30 years later, her character, Thelma Evans, and the show that catapulted her to success has never gone off the air. It’s still as fresh today as it was when I was a young man and watched every episode with my late Father. This is a testament to solid writing and acting without any reservation and sadly, is seldom seen in my personal opinion today on television. Stanis is and will forever be linked with Good Times for her beauty, outlook on life, and love for her family, and in the final analysis, that truly has to be an honor for her I am sure.
Ladies and Gentleman, RSR brings you Bern Nadette Stanis….
BB: You were born in New York City (Brooklyn to be exact) in a very vibrant time in the 1950’s. Talk a little about growing up there and how it shaped your life in years to come.
I think when you grow up in New York City for a long period you learn about reality very early in your life especially if you grow up in a neighborhood that is in the Ghetto. It exposes you to things like a junkie on the corner who may have been a heroin addict who you watched in amazement who goes to the ground, but never falls. Many people used public transportation and I always used it which in turn, allows you to learn a lot about people. Funny thing, no matter how crowded it was on the subway, you never touched anyone or bumped them.
New Yorkers are very observant people and it really does allow you to learn many things about them. It shaped me to be sharp because as I had mentioned, it makes you always look around you to become aware of what is going on and daily, there really is a lot to see.
BB: You attended the prestigious Julliard School in New York City that teaches Dance, Drama, and Music. What was that experience like for you?
It was a wonderful experience for me and you really had to be dedicated to the school. I was elated to even be fortunate enough to get into the school and went for acting. There were a lot of wonderful students in my class who were older than me. Great people like William Hurt and Mandy Patinkin who both went on to very successful careers in our industry. You would just watch people’s body shapes, mannerisms and how things would affect them. Then we had to completely strip down and become someone else.
The late John Houseman was my Director and to have folks like this around you, it allowed me to cut my teeth on the best of them.
BB: In 1974, you landed a role that I would assume not only changed your life, but also you were involved in an amazing TV show that changed many stereo types towards African Americans who lived in the projects growing up. That show was called Good Times.
What was the audition like for you and once over, did you think you landed the plum role of Thelma Evans?
The audition was very interesting because it was my first professional one and there were hundreds of young girls there. We went into a little room where Norman Lear was sitting at a desk and Jimmie Walker (JJ Evans) was standing there. They handed me a script and I asked them would it be OK if I just improvised? They allowed it and both Jimmie and I, had Norman cracking up. From that initial audition, I think Norman thought I would be Thelma, but I still had to go through more auditions. But I do think that first one was the nail for me.
BB: Many people think that just Norman Lear was the creator, but in doing research for this interview, I found that the late Mike Evans (who played Lionel Jefferson on The Jeffersons) was the creator of the show. Talk about both of them and what they brought individually to the show.
Actually, it was Eric Monte and Mike Evans who created the show. From there, they brought it to Norman Lear who developed the show. I always thought Norman Lear was a genius who had his way of putting things together with a golden touch. With hits such as: Maude, All in the Family, Sanford and Son. and The Jeffersons, he really had his hand on the pulse of America at the time and I found that very interesting because most of his characters had a likeable and dislikeable quality to them. He really brought that to the American TV viewers and that was one of his biggest strengths.
As you mentioned, Mike Evans played Lionel Jefferson the son on The Jeffersons and was not really around our show that much. Eric Monte was really around our show a lot more. Mike wrote Good Times which was his family who lived in the Cabrini Green Housing Projects in Chicago. Actually, Ralph Carter who played my little brother Michael Evans was in fact, supposed to be Mike and through his character, told his story.
BB: What do you personally think the impact of Good Times will have on future generations and the children watching it now in re-runs on networks like TV Land?
It really is a staple in America just like the classic “I Love Lucy Show” is. Well, I feel that all these years that black people are really the same in the ghetto and going through these things with nothing much improving for us which is pretty sad in my opinion. This shows that many folks can still relate to issues we acted out on Good Times because we dealt with real life issues and things that hearts and souls and minds to them. Because we did that, it will last forever because all people are basically the same and that particular group in the Ghetto will be the same.
For the children, I think it will affect them positively because as we discussed earlier, I was a product of the ghetto (Brownsville, Brooklyn, NYC) and I rose out of that because of the character and upbringing that my parents instilled in me which was very much like on Good Times. I feel it was God’s position to put me on the show because I experienced so much of that and it was, so real for me. So when I played Thelma Evans, I really played her. So with that, I would say, people are telling their children to look at Good Times because we had our morals, ambitions, and dreams along with situations we had to come together as a family to fight. To this day, I hear or receive emails from people who say they raised their kids on Good Times or I want my little girl to watch Thelma because I liked the way that she was. To hear that, truly is an honor.
BB: I would like to throw out some names of people you have worked with and get the first thought that pops into your mind.
Esther Rolle:
A wonderful person and a joy.
John Amos:
Strong, to the point and disciplined.
Jimmie Walker:
Fun, sensitive and loving.
Janet DuBois:
Sassy!
Ralph Carter:
Academic, precise, a leader and very much a caretaker.
Janet Jackson:
Cute and just adorable.
BB: One final thought that I feel is very relevant to Good Times is Barack Obama being the Democratic Nominee for President of the United States.
Could you ever imagine back in the days you played Thelma and portrayed a strong black woman that we would have a strong and positive African American nominee who would run for President with his chances being so great to also become the President?
Well, honestly, no not back then. You never really thought about it like even though, we were making strides. We were strong enough to do it, but did not know if we could get in. But now, it’s a whole new day and it’s amazing. They say its Obama’s time and I am right there with him.
BB: What performance do you feel was your very best and you can say to yourself, “I really did nail it.”
I would say the episode where James Evans (John Amos) who was my Father on Good Times died.
BB: Do you have any current movie or TV projects on the table as we speak?
I have a movie coming out called “The Adventures of Umbweki.” Also, we have one out on DVD called: “The Engagement.”
BB: Currently you have a new book out called “Situations 101.” Talk to the RSR readers on what it is about and what you hope readers get out of it.
I put together “101 Situations” and my responses to them. They truly are good, bad and ugly. I wanted to bring them to the forefront because a lot of times people skim over things that go on in relationships. They never talk about or they are embarrassed about, or are the only ones going through it and nobody else can identify with them. I found that America is hurting and a lot of people in relationships are hurting because they don’t know how to keep them going. I know this is very hard so I decided to bring some things to the forefront, that maybe we could have seminars everywhere with men and women. If we talk about these things together then I will know how you feel and you will know the same from me.
BB: I hope you laced your gloves up tight…What is your earliest memory about watching boxing on TV?
Watching it with my Dad when Muhammad Ali was still “Cassius Clay.” My Dad would really talk about it and in turn, that got me into the sport of boxing as well. He really was passionate about the sport.
BB: Let’s follow up on Muhammad since you grew up during his rise to superstardom. With that said, I would like to get your thoughts about Ali the man vice the fighter.
I respect him because he really came into his own at a time when America didn’t understand men like that. He was a gorgeous man who was a boxer and had to deal with that. He was articulate and very intelligent which I really admired about him.
BB: Was there a particular fight that you recall that had you out of your chair and thinking I just saw the greatest fight of all-time?
I really enjoyed watching Sugar Ray Leonard and fights that he was involved in. The one that I was really excited about was his first fight with Tommy Hearns back in 1981. It was a tough battle with back and forth action in it.
BB: Have you ever been to a live fight?
I actually went to one of Muhammad Ali’s fights back in the 70’s, but forget which one it was now…
BB: Do you have any funny stories involving fighters you either new or maybe just met over the years?
I was at I think a BET Awards thing or something like that about five years ago, and Muhammad Ali’s daughter Laila was there. We were all sitting outside and I introduced myself to her because I had just met her dad. I told her I just met your Father and he was very nice to me. She then sat for a long while and then said, “Did my dad try and hit on you?” I thought that was funny… and I responded well…..
Then there was Mike Tyson who I met several years back on Rodeo Drive in Beverley Hills, California. He was in his Lamborghini which he had just bought and the salesman was trying to show him how to drive it. There was a big crowd around him and I was introduced to him by someone. He looked at me and said “Oh Yeah” and grabbed me and hugged me. He then gave me the keys to that car, and at that time, I was too scared to take them because I was a coward back then. But today (Laughs), I would take them and come back the next day!
BB: Talking about Mike Tyson, what were your thoughts about him when he was “The Baddest Man on the Planet”?
I felt he was awesome in the ring and very strong. I think when he was satisfied in his heart, he fought at his best and later on, when he was hurt in there and you could tell his heart was not in it, he did not fight at his best.
I can remember when he fought Michael Spinks in 1988. I looked down and then up, and the fight was all over. I was totally surprised by that.
BB: If you had to pick one fighter in your lifetime thus far, who do you feel moved the sport of boxing forward the most and why?
Of course Muhammad Ali, but I want to say George Foreman. I really like him because of his personality and I think that he is a great fighter to have come back at the age that he did and regain the Heavyweight Championship of the World is just amazing. Now that he is not boxing, he still has staying power and I like that.
BB: What fighter’s do you know about today and enjoy watching?
Oscar De La Hoya… He is the one!
BB: What is your favorite boxing movie of all-time?
I loved Rocky and Million Dollar Baby was outstanding.
BB: Do you favor a mandatory retirement fund for all boxers and if so, how would you like to see it accomplished?
Yes, I do. Boxing is a very dangerous sport where one shot can cause permanent damage or even cause a death leaving their family without them. Every time a boxer steps into the ring, they are putting their lives on the line. I think that all the boxers should put a percentage of each purse they make straight into a fund. In addition to that, I feel the Boxing Promoters who make a lot of money on the boxers, should pay into it as well.
BB: Finally, what is the saying you live your life by?
The following saying was told to me by my Father when I was 16 years old and I live my life by it. “Always Be True To Your Heart.”
]]>
Exclusive Interview by Geno McGahee (Reposted for Archive purposes)
“I was given a good talent and I never really took care of it.”—Jack O’Halloran
Most people know Jack O’Halloran from his movie career. His portrayal of the mute super villain “Non” in Superman and Superman II may be his most memorable performance, but before he was fighting the “Man of Steel,” he was in the boxing ring, facing some of the biggest names that the pugilistic world has ever seen. In 1966, the journey would begin, and O’Halloran would destroy Joe Pinto in one round. At a towering 6 feet, 6 inches, and weighing in typically in the 240 pound range, O’Halloran presented an imposing site and was a very promising heavyweight in a time that was considered the golden age for the division.
In his first sixteen professional bouts, he compiled a record of, 15-0-1, 7 KO’s, and had the size and durability to be a force in the division. He would lose a decision to the former European Heavyweight Champion, Joe Bugner, and then went toe to toe with the 2-Time Heavyweight Champion, George Foreman before it was stopped in the fifth round, in a questionable call. At the time of the stoppage, O’Halloran was actually ahead on the scorecards.
In 1971, he would defeat the former World Heavyweight Title Challenger, Cleveland Williams by a ten round decision before facing two of the best fighters of the time, Ron Lyle and Ken Norton. Both were losing efforts, but he did give Norton a run for his money and, in the eyes of many, he won the bout. Amazingly, he would have won the bout had he not let his temper get the best of him in one of the more unusual moments in boxing.
The boxing life of Jack O’Halloran was a mixed bag. At times, he showed greatness, as he did in the Norton fight, as well as a dominant decision over top ten contender, Alvin “Blue” Lewis. At times, he would show up unprepared and lose to unranked an unknown opposition. The defining fight of his career would have been a crack at “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali, which both fighters wanted, but the politics of boxing never allowed. O’Halloran would end his boxing career with a, 34-21-2, 17 KO’s, and would leave the game partially due to a medical condition that may have had something to do with his ebb and flow career.
RSR had the opportunity to speak with Jack O’Halloran. In this first part, we discussed his boxing career, the on again, off again bout with Muhammad Ali, the incident in the Ken Norton fight, and the medical condition that should have probably kept him away from the ring from the beginning.
GM: You began your boxing career in 1966. What got you into the sport?
I was going to play pro football, and there’s a guy that they hired in Philadelphia, and I didn’t like him. I didn’t like things that were going on. Football wasn’t fun anymore. So, Muhammad Ali had just won the title, and I said to my friend, “I can beat him.” I was twenty-three years old and I was a professional athlete, and I couldn’t box amateur. So I had to go right into the pros. I spent six months in the gym training. It was like the beginning of 1966, or late 1965. I had my first fight, I think, in October of 66, in Reading, Pennsylvania with a guy named Johnny Pinto and I knocked him out in 97 seconds of the first round.
GM: How much of a thrill was it to get him out of there so early?
It was pretty exciting. It was an outdoor ring and there were a lot of people from Philadelphia that came up to see the fight. I had trained a long time to do this four round fight career, and then I had a couple more fights in Philadelphia, knocking out a couple, and going the distance with a couple. Then, I think that it was Christmas time…December of 66 that I got into a beef in Philadelphia. I got into a bad street beef, and they sent me up to Boston, and I started training in Massachusetts with Johnny who was a guy that trained Terry Downes and a few other world champions at the Front Street Gym.
I lived in Boston and half of the fights that I had that following year were not even recorded. I used to fight every week, or every two weeks, and there was a guy named Sam Silverman that was Promoting up in Maine and somewhere else in New England and I boxed for a guy down in Boston and they didn’t record fights. Sam Silverman and his partner, Rick Valenti, a well connected guy in Boston and they would say, “Hey, you want to fight…” And in those days, you got paid ten dollars a round, so when you go eight rounds, you get eighty dollars. It was a joke, but because they were the people that I was fighting for. So I would take these fights, and banging guys out…it was like gym work, you know, and learning the trade, and then they go on to never record the fights!
GM: How many fights do you think that you have had, unrecorded?
I remember counting one time, and I had twenty six fights in one year. I think on record, I had fourteen, and things were going well. I was banging guys out of there right, left, and sideways. I was also a street guy…I hung around with a lot of street people. I have a book coming out, which tells the truth about who I really am. My father was a famous guy from New York, called Albert Anastasia. He was murdered in 1957. He was shot in a barber’s chair. My father ran a company known as Murder Incorporated. He was one of the most feared Italians in America. So I hung around with that element, and nobody could really tell me what to do. I was a bit of a smart ass, and the problem was that God had given me a great talent. I can fight eight rounds on a day’s notice. I could do eight rounds on my head. I could fight ten rounds on my head. When I got into my career and I went through a period where I was bouncing around all over the place and I wasn’t paying attention to what I was supposed to be doing, and I wasn’t listening.
It was an era when Ali had taken over boxing and Don King was coming in, and it made it a white/black situation in boxing. A lot of things were either one way or the other, and I wouldn’t play the game. Every time that I wanted to prove a point, I would fight somebody like Manuel Ramos and I would knock him out, and he was ranked like, number one in the world. What I did that nobody knows is that I took a fight in Johannesburg, South Africa, and I fought eleven days before I fought Ramos in L.A.
I went down to South Africa to get off streets and get into shape, and I trained every day, and when I came back to fight Ramos in L.A., I was the way that I should have been for all of my fights. I had knocked Ramos out in the seventh round, and he had never been off of his feet before. Then, nobody would fight me. I went to London, and fought Joe Bugner, and they robbed the fight by a quarter of a point, and they knew it. Again, it was my own fault. I was out drinking the night before. I abused a great talent. I was given a good talent and I never really took care of it.
GM: You did have some decent wins on your record that proved your talent though.
Like I said, I would prove a point to people. I would go out and beat Cleveland Williams, and there was a kid, Terry Daniels, up and coming out of Ohio, and he was supposed to be a world beater and I destroyed him in Houston. I beat Williams and they said to me: “Well, if you beat one more good fighter, you can have the Joe Frazier fight.” I said, you name the fighter and the place and I will show up. Send me a ticket. Now, I beat Daniels who was really never defeated, and they give him the fight with Frazier. Then, Cleveland Williams fights George Chuvalo on the same card, because Chuvalo wouldn’t fight me.
GM: You faced George Foreman in 1970. What are your memories of that bout?
I believe that that fight was in 1969. The Foreman fight…we opened the new garden and I think that I trained three days for the fight. And actually, according to the scorecards, I was beating Foreman. He caught me with a pretty good shot, and they stopped the fight very fast, and he would never fight me again. You know, it really pissed me off. That was the first fight after the Ramos fight. I think that I fought Foreman in February or March of 69.
I then went into a tailspin. I got mad, and just took fights anywhere, and was taking fights on a day’s notice, and I would go the distance with this guy and that guy, and you’re fighting out of town and you’re fighting in other boxer’s back yards, and they robbed a fight from me in England, and I came back and beat Danny McAlinden, and Carl Gizzi, who was the Champion of Wales. He was a hell of a fighter, actually. You know, I would get angry and go into the gym for a few days, and it went like that for a while.
In 1972, I was in New Jersey, and they called me up and said: “Do you want to fight Ken Norton?” And I said, when? They said next week, and somebody had dropped out of the fight and they needed somebody to step in, and I told them to send me a ticket. I was in New Jersey, and I had a lot of indictments for union problems, and I had a lot of problems (laughs) and I said that California is good. So, I got onto a plane and I think that I trained four days and gave Norton the worst beating that he’s ever gotten in his entire life.
GM: If I’m not mistaken, they gave the decision to Ken Norton. Is that correct?
Yes, they gave the decision to Norton, but in the ninth round, people were standing on their chairs and I had cut him up pretty good, and we were standing in the middle of the ring, toe to toe, and they rang the bell three times, and we never heard it. The referee finally separated us, and I was going back to the corner and he ran across the ring and hit me in the back of the head, and drove me into the ring post.
GM: Why didn’t they disqualify him right there?
Well, the commissioner came up to me and said: “If you can’t continue, you just won the fight.” But I was angry as hell and said: “Won the fight? I’ll kill this guy!” I was really kind of peeved and went out in the tenth round and said to myself: “What am I, crazy? This is his hometown…am I out of my mind?” I actually should have knocked Norton out then. I had him hurt several times, and he won the decision, but I won the town. The crowd just went nuts. So, I shook my head, and said, I think that I will stay a while. Bob Byron and his managers came to me and said: “My God! We didn’t think that you could fight that well and so on and so forth.” So I stayed in San Diego, and I knocked out several guys in a row, and then I fought for the California Heavyweight Championship, and took it off Henry Clark, who nobody would fight, and I kept on trying to get a rematch with Norton but he wouldn’t fight me.
GM: So, after Norton refused a rematch, what was next?
I just flopped around out there for a little bit and then I fought a guy named Alvin “Blue” Lewis. Well, they took my license away for six months for organized crime out there, and they called me up to fight Blue Lewis in Detroit, and they were building him up for a title fight. He fought Ali…went thirteen rounds, and he lost to Ali, but he came back won a fight, and they were building him up to a title fight and was ranked like number one in the world, and they said: “Do you want to fight this guy? And I asked if I could get a license, and they checked it and said: “Yeah, we can get you a license.” He was supposed to fight Buster Mathis, SR., but Buster couldn’t get a license.
So, I said OK, and I get on a plane and I go to Detroit and they thought that I wasn’t training because I haven’t fought in a few months. They knew that I had a problem in California. I go out to the Kronk Gym, and Lewis is training there with Emanuel Steward. I was at a gym on the other side of town and Steward had come over to watch me train one day, and he watched me skip rope for an hour, and he knew that they were in trouble (laughs). Then, I got on the speed bag for an hour and that is how I used to get myself into shape, and I ran every day.
So I fought Lewis in 1974, I think…somewhere around there, and I beat him ten out of ten rounds and he never fought well again. He fought two more fights and he retired. I beat him up so bad that it was pathetic.
GM: After the victory over Lewis, there was some talk about you fighting Muhammad Ali. Why didn’t that bout come off?
Ali and I were signed to fight four times. When Ali fought Norton the first time in San Diego, that was supposed to be my fight. I had won five or six fights in a row, and then I won the state title, and Ali and I had talked on the phone. He actually sent me a telegram, arranging with the guys at the sports arena to fight in San Diego. We gave him a hell of a deal and he agreed to it, but Bob Byron and Art Rifkin owned Ken Norton, and they went to Chicago with three million dollars and Herbert Muhammad took the money and they got the fight. Ali cried, and called me on the phone. He said: “I feel so terrible. I don’t know how to tell you this, but one day we will fight.” And this was before I beat Blue Lewis, and he said: “One day, I promise you that we will do it.” In fact, I took him to the hospital the night that he fought Norton and he broke his jaw.
GM: So there is no doubt that Ali wasn’t ducking you. He wanted to fight you, but it was just the politics of the game that stopped it.
Well, yeah. You see, he didn’t have a say. One day you should talk to Gene Kilroy because he was there when Ali called me on the phone and he felt terrible. It all started one day on the phone, when he called and said: “You gotta do me a favor.” I said, I’ll do you a favor…fight me! Ali said: “No, you’re fighting my brother next week, Rahman Ali. He is my brother, and I want you to get him out of boxing. Just hurt him and get him out of the game. He’s an embarrassment.” I said, are you kidding me? He said: “You do me this favor, and I will give you a fight.” So I fought his brother, and I said, I better get back to the gym (laughs). I was shooting pool when he called me in some bar.
I went and fought him and he was very quick. He wasn’t nearly the fighter that his brother was. He was fast and ran around, and they were trying to steal the fight because he was running and holding onto you. My trainer said to me: “They’re going to steal this fight from you.” I wasn’t in any great shape to be fighting the way that I should have been fighting. Like I said, I could walk off the street and go ten rounds. I had a God given talent. So, I told my trainer not to worry about it. He’s not going one more round. The fight is over. He then said: “You better do something.” So I told him not to worry about it and I went out there and hit him so hard that it looked like he wasn’t going to wake up. I was like, oh my God! I went into his dressing room after the fight, and he said: “Oh my God, you hit hard,” and he’s a Muslim and I said, joking around: “What do you know about God?” We had a chuckle.
Ali called me and said thanks, and we were putting together this fight in San Diego, and Norton’s people went and all of a sudden, he was fighting Ali. After I beat Blue Lewis, I was up at Ali’s training camp, and I was going to fight him in Australia and they gave the fight to Bugner. We were set several times, and I just got very despondent and doing a lot of things, and then it was discovered in San Diego, a doctor discovered that I have this disease called Acromegaly, which I shouldn’t have been boxing at all.
GM: What exactly is Acromegaly?
It’s a tumor in the pituitary and it’s like Gigantism…it puts a lot of growth hormone in your body and it drains you. It also causes depression and all this other stuff. So they wanted me to quit boxing and get this fixed, and I said no way. I waited and waited and waited and got it fixed in 1974. I was at a point where I had to get it fixed. I was fighting ten round fights and losing decisions to guys that I should have whupped in the first round. I was bad and I just didn’t give a shit and I went to Florida and lost to a guy named Jimmy Summerville, and I went back and knocked him out.
GM: Was your TKO loss to Summerville a good stoppage?
Well, he was an Angelo Dundee fighter. So, when I went back and knocked him out, Dundee wanted to manage me. I guess it was a time for me to stop, and I wouldn’t stop. So, it got to a point when a doctor friend of mine said: “Either you get this thing fixed, or we will revoke your license.” I went and got it fixed, and I was in the hospital in Boston in 1974, and they performed this laser surgery. They had to drill four holes into my head to bolt me to this machine and I was in the hospital for four to five days, and I checked myself out because I had a fight scheduled with Larry Middleton in Baltimore, Maryland, and I went down and trained two days and I still had the scars on my head from the surgical procedure and still went nine rounds with Middleton. Like I said, I had this ability. I had too much balls for my own good.
In “From the Boxing Ring to Hollywood: Superman Star Jack O’Halloran Speaks to RSR About His Remarkable Life, Part II,” we will discuss the transition from boxing to a successful acting career, an upcoming book, and the Superman Franchise.
]]>
Exclusive Interview by Geno McGahee (Reposted for Archive purposes)
“If Richard Donner had been able to finish Superman II his way, it would have been an incredible film.”—Jack O’Halloran
In 1974, the boxing career of Jack O’Halloran, and the movie career began. In 1975, he played a lead role in the movie “Farewell My Lovely” alongside the established actor, Robert Mitchum. O’Halloran had re-invented himself and found a new and promising career as an actor. His next memorable film was the 1976 blockbuster, “King Kong,” and two years later, he would land the role that most people associate him with. The comic book superhero “Superman” hit the big screen, and the world was introduced to three super villains. “Non” was the strong and silent of the three, never uttering a word, but still is considered by most Superman fans as one of the best villains in the franchise.
In 1980, in Superman II, the evil trio would steal the show and Jack O’Halloran would discover what became his signature role. Only now in 2006, does it come out that there were two versions of this film, and that the original director, Richard Donner had never finished his vision of what the movie could be. Director, Richard Lester ran with the project, and apparently, this made absolutely nobody happy. O’Halloran, despite his dislike for the change went on to make the role memorable and was etching out and very decent second career as an actor.
The action-packed “The Hero and the Terror,” came out in 1988, starring Chuck Norris as the good cop (The Hero), and O’Halloran as “Simon Moon,” a deranged serial killer that has escaped a mental asylum (The Terror). This is arguably the best movie that Norris has ever starred in and it was another role for Jack where he didn’t say a word. The fight scenes were exciting and this was really one of the last great action films of that era. Although not a blockbuster at the cinemas, it made more than its mark with video rentals. This movie and the Superman entries were great movies that most people that were children at that time remember vividly. With the release of the Donner cut of Superman II, the clock is turned back, the movie is fresh, and people my age can relive the magic of the film, while others are introduced to a new perspective of the movie and the characters that made it so special.
There were other movies for Jack, but it seemed that his days in the movies had passed. Just as he had shown in his boxing career, he could never be counted out as he re-invented himself once again as a movie producer. The movie that he produced: “The List” features Wayne Brady and Sydney Tamiia Poitier, the daughter of the legendary actor, Sydney Poitier in a comedy/romantic film. This was the first, but will not be the last movie produced by O’Halloran, and as mentioned in part one, he has authored a book concerning his father and the criminal activity that became such a part of his life, titled: “Dark Legacy.” I was allowed to read it and it is a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it.
In Part II of this interview, we speak more of the upcoming hopeful best seller, his movie career, and his thoughts on Richard Lester, Richard Donner, and the Superman Franchise.
GM: When you sat back and witnessed the comeback of George Foreman, was there every an urge to comeback or was it medically impossible for you to return?
Well, I thought about it a couple of times, but you know, I was doing films. We had just done the Superman movies, and I had a serious back surgery in 1980, but I still got back into good shape again and I went down to San Diego and saw my trainer and was going to give it another shot…but I had a pretty good film career, and even that I didn’t do correctly, but now I’m back doing it big time. I also have an amazing book coming out. The only reason that I am telling you about my father is because it is going to be read about in this book and the book is going to be huge!
GM: I look forward to reading it. What is the name of the book?
It’s called “Dark Legacy” and it presents quite an interesting story.
GM: When will it be released to the public?
The publishing deal will be done probably in the next ten days, and then it will come out for a summertime read, I believe. The book gives a lot of insight to who I am and what I am, and why I played this game of hide and seek in the boxing world. The book is brilliant. The book is going to be bigger than the Godfather. It’s a great story and the book turned out very, very, well. That is why I’m here in California. We have a film that we are putting together and we are just waiting for certain things to finish up, and once the publishing deal is done, everything else will fly like a domino effect. You’re doing this story at the right time because the publicity is going to be astronomical.
GM: Now, your movie career is quite impressive. I remember as a kid going to see the Superman movies and then when I was a little older, seeing The Hero and the Terror with you facing off against Chuck Norris. You have made quite the impression, especially on people from my generation. Can you talk about your movie career?
My first movie was “Farewell My Lovely” with Robert Mitchum.
GM: Were you intimidated by Robert Mitchum, considering the fact that he was an established and respected actor, and you were a boxer coming into a new field?
Oh no. Mitchum and I became best of friends. He was like a father to me. He knew a lot about me because he knew people on the east coast. If I had been in the film business and had played the game like they do out here, I would have won an Oscar for supporting actor for that picture.
GM: To be honest, I have not seen that film, but I will have to check it out.
You have to see the movie. It’s a very good movie. You know, it is a very good film, and I play a lead character. It was my first movie and there I was doing a lead role beside Robert Mitchum. It was kind of cool. That’s the reason that I did it. When they came to me to get into the film business back in the 1960s, I was friends with Steve McQueen when he did the Thomas Crown Affair in Boston, and he said: “Ah man, you gotta come down and we’ll put you in the movie. Come on back to Hollywood with me,” and I said, yeah…yeah, and he kept calling me and he did a picture called “The Towering Inferno,” and his name was Captain O’Hallorhan. He said: “How do you like your name up in lights?” We went round and round and it was good. We had a good time. There were good people, and he became a good friend, but I just kept on saying no.
When I knocked out Manuel Ramos in 68, they offered me the movie, “The Great White Hope,” to play Jess Willard and I turned them down. The guy couldn’t believe that I turned it down. The guy was a joke. I went to FOX and they said we are going to pay you so much per week and you will go to Spain for six months and I said, you want me to leave the country and leave boxing, and I just knocked out the number one or number two ranked guy in the world and you want me to leave boxing to go to Spain and do a movie? You are going to pay me what? I give that away in tips a week. What are you crazy? And I also had a lot of street business. I said, you want me to walk away from my life to go to Spain? It was a deal that was put together by some friends of mine that were trying to get me off of the streets, and I just wouldn’t listen. I was hard-headed. I should have done it, actually. It was kind of foolish of me.
GM: In Superman, I had heard that it was your idea to make your character “Non” a mute. Is that true, and why did you want to have a non-speaking role if it is?
Well, they were talking about how to do the character. He was a mute in the first writing of it, I believe, and then they were talking, and when I was talking to Richard Donner, they didn’t think that I would do a mute.
There was a film that I had really loved called “Gigot” with Jackie Gleason, and he won an Oscar for it. He played a mute, and I thought that it was a brilliant way for an actor to express himself, and to do everything through facial expressions. So I said that I want to play Non as a mute. I liked it. It was a great challenge for me. I think that it was a brilliant idea. They said: “Seriously, you’ll do that?” I said positively.
GM: The Richard Donner cut was recently released. It seems like a much sharper, smarter, and more adult oriented version of Superman II. Why wasn’t the Donner cut completed from your perspective?
You know, it was a really lousy thing that they did. Richard Donner is a great director, and the people running the show were notorious…they were notorious for things that they did as far as ripping people off. They had a deal with Richard Lester. Lester had done a film with the Beatles, and they owed him a movie. So, they knew that they were going to do what they did, because they didn’t bring Donner back. Not only did they not bring Donner back, but they didn’t bring Marlon Brando back. How do you not pay Brando to do Superman II?
You see, people don’t look at that. They think that they fired Donner over some wrong doing, but that’s all bullshit. Donner knew that, before we were finished, that there was a problem because Lester showed up on the set. I had heard the scuttle bug, and I said this is really bullshit that they are doing this to him because Donner is a great director and he gave a lot to the film. If Richard Donner had been able to finish Superman II his way, it would have been an incredible film.
When they came out with the Donner cut, they had to paste things together. When we were doing the films, we had shot one and two together, and they had to stop. We were so much into doing Superman II, we had to go back and finish the first one, because they had a delivery date. They had to deliver the film. That’s why so much of the second one was shot. But they did that purposely. They wanted the footage. Richard Lester is no Donner…please believe me, and Lester’s version of Superman II with all that comedy and crap he put into it was so ludicrous, especially opposed to what Donner was going to do, and people say: “Well, it’s not fair because Lester didn’t shoot the whole film,” but look what he did with Superman III! It was a joke!
They had made a deal with Lester. If they weren’t such clippers, they could have done the deal with Donner, and let him finish, and then gave Lester Superman III. They had no intentions of bringing Brando back either. They use one excuse to cover up another. It was a lousy thing to do. Like I said, Donner really gave his heart and soul, and we all thought that we were going to do like seven Superman movies, like Star Wars have done. Everyone was under that impression, and Donner would have done like four of them. Donner, had he done three, it would have been such a better film.
GM: I can’t see it getting much worse. Superman III and Superman IV were just horrible.
Well, the fourth one was just diabolical. What they did with four was to sell the rights to one film to Canon films. Canon was a sleazy outfit and the reason they allowed it was that they had allowed Christopher Reeve to write the script, and it was a horrible idea.
GM: I don’t think that there could be a worse Super Villain than Solar Man, or whatever it is they called him in the fourth entry.
Why would you take a great subject matter like that and piss on it like that? First, they are not Americans and they didn’t care. Superman is an American deal, and that is why Donner got into it so much. And they made a lot of money off of Superman, the first one, so they certainly had the money to hire Donner or anybody, and to bring Brando back. One of the things that is great about the Donner cut is it’s got all of that Brando footage in it.
GM: In the Donner cut, I really enjoyed how Superman was questioning his father, which you never saw in the Lester cut or anywhere else.
It’s a father-son deal. It was never supposed to be a mother-son deal. It was a father-son deal for God’s sake. So the entire premise of what they did was that they screwed up the entire deal and it’s really, really, really sad. It really made a lot of people angry, and I went back and finished two because that is what you do as a professional. You do what you are paid to do, and you do your job, and you do it the best that you can.
I didn’t get along with Lester. I didn’t like Lester. I didn’t think that he was a good director. Nobody did.
GM: I think that it is obvious now when you compare the Donner cut versus the Lester cut. There is no comparison.
They way to do it is to look at Superman II, Lester’s cut, and then look at the Donner cut right after it, and then you will really see the difference. I can imagine that if Donner had the chance, to do the shots that he wanted to shoot, and to really do that movie the way that he wanted to, it would have been awesome. It would have been awesome, and it would have left the door open for three, but it is such stupid shit that they do. It is really sad. It is so, so, sad.
GM: What do you think of the new Superman movie: Superman Returns, that came out in 2006?
You know, I thought that the kid (Brandon Routh) got away with it, but I think that Bryan Singer is too much of a CGI guy. I think that they ruined and wasted a lot of very good talent. It is very difficult to replace Gene Hackman, but the kid ended up doing a good job as Superman.
GM: I have actually always thought that Gene Hackman, being such a great dramatic actor, was wasted, especially in the fourth entry because they made him so absurd and silly, when he could have nailed the role as a serious villain.
Not only that…but he didn’t finish two. He got mad and he never came back. They had contract problems with him, and they wouldn’t pay him what he wanted. He just didn’t come back. They had to shoot a lot of his stuff with a double from behind. That didn’t help. So, a lot of things that Lester created were really piss poor, but now they do this new film, and they change the costume, which I thought was a bad idea. There was too much CGI. You had great actors in Kevin Spacey and Frank Langella, who didn’t have enough screen time.
There wasn’t enough screen time for Clark Kent as Clark Kent. The kid should have been Kent a lot more, and the storyline sucked.
In “From the Boxing Ring to Hollywood: Superman Star Jack O’Halloran Speaks to RSR About His Remarkable Life, Part III,” we will discuss his experiences in working with Chuck Norris, his career as a boxing manager and trainer, and the product that Hollywood is currently putting out there.
]]>
Exclusive Interview by Geno McGahee (Reposted for Archive purposes)
“I was in there though when there were some great fighters, and I’m glad about that because I beat some great fighters, and nobody can ever take that away from me.”—Jack O’Halloran
Jack O’Halloran has proven that he is a man of many hats and skills. From the boxing ring to Hollywood, he has made his mark, and it didn’t stop there. He would go on to train and manage Frankie Liles, leading him to a world championship before a falling out. It was another great achievement and O’Halloran presents a true American success story. He now focuses on two things that are very important to him: his book release of “Dark Legacy,” which is an amazing read, and his independent movie career, all started with a movie called “The List.”
The plan for O’Halloran, and many independent movie makers, is to take back Hollywood with quality and with a boxing movie on the horizon, there is a lot to look forward to. Considering the way that Hollywood is going with the consistent remakes, the freshness has to come from the independent world and Jack vows to do his part to make the industry what it should be: Quality work.
In this third and final part of “From the Boxing Ring to Hollywood: Superman Star Jack O’Halloran Speaks to RSR About His Remarkable Life,” we discuss the current state of the film industry, the corruption in boxing, as well as his experiences working with Chuck Norris in the action film: “The Hero and the Terror.”
GM: It seems like they are dumbing down movies for this generation. You can’t go to a movie and actually watch a good drama without all of the bells and whistles they seem to keep on pumping us full of.
That is how insulting they are to audiences. That is why I came back into the business. There are a lot of independents that have come back to make movies. A lot of us want to put the creativity back into the industry. I’m actually making a boxing movie. I have a great fight script. We have some neat stuff going on and when you read the book (Dark Legacy), you will realize why that book is going to take me right to the moon, and my whole life is going to change in just a couple of months.
I kind of kick myself in the ass, but I have a record in boxing. I have had one fighter…one world champion that I managed and trained. Frankie Liles, former WBA Super Middleweight Champ in 1994. That was my fighter. The Kronk Gym had thrown him out and they sent him to the Goosens, because he had a long, extended amateur career, and he was a southpaw, and they said that he stunk the joint out and they had Tommy Hearns and a lot of people. So, I was in the gym, and I still go into the gym and train, and I was in Goosen’s Gym and I see this kid, and I watched him for about a week, and I saw something, and I went up and chatted with the kid. I told him that I would make him a deal. I said that if you are willing to listen, I will make you a champion in six months. And he said: “You’re serious.” I said, dead serious.
I moved him into my house and brought a nutritionist down, and we changed his diet and brought his body fat weight down to like seven-eight percent. I put him through an old school training regimen. I got this kid into a shape that he never dreamed of being in. Then we went and we won the title from a kid named Steve Little, and then he defended it several times, beating Michael Nunn…he beat a lot of good fighters.
We were in England, and it was one of the only losses that he had in his career to a kid named Tim Littles. He was ranked number one, and I was there the night that he had lost to Littles, and it was a fluke. He had gotten cut very bad in the first round, and his lip was hanging off, and he fought ten rounds, and I give him a lot of credit. That’s when I really took him under my wing. I got his mouth stitched up by the best plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, and it never broke open again, and then I really got him into shape. And then, when we fought Littles again, I told him exactly what to do and I took him to school, and drew it on a piece of paper for him, and he knocked him out in the third round. It was knockout of the year, and round of the year. But then he got too big for his britches. We had a great fight set up with Roy Jones, JR., and he came back and wanted extra money, and I told him, you know what…see you later.
He fought a couple of times after that, but he could never fight without me. He fought a couple of times and he lost his title, and I had a deal for him to fight in Germany as a light heavyweight and he would have been champion for ten years over there. Frankie Liles would have beaten Roy Jones.
GM: You think so?
I know so. I know for a fact that he would have knocked Roy Jones out.
GM: Now, Roy Jones has proven as of late that his chin might be the best. Do you think that Liles would have taken him out because of that?
I knew about his chin. When he beat Roy Jones as an amateur and I had him to where he could really punch. In the first Littles fight, he couldn’t break an egg. In the rematch, he hit Littles a shot, and had he really stepped into it like I told him to, Littles would have had a hard time ever getting up. There was a lot of money sitting on the table and had he beaten Jones, that would have written the ticket for the rest of his life. It would have went down in the history books, but people are foolish.
I had already achieved what I had set out to do, and made him a world champion. He defended it against some tough fighters and he won handily, and he never got hurt, and he was a foolish kid.
GM: Well, sometimes people get those money signs in their eyes…
Yeah, and they also have those people whispering in their ears. He was a troubled kid before and I straightened him out. I was a little bit tougher than he was, and he would listen, but then he got too big for his britches and made me angry and I told him to piss off. And then, he couldn’t get anyone to manage him because people were scared. They said: “My God, where’s jack?” When they found out that he had left on those terms, they said: “When you get it sorted with Jack, come back and see us.”
You know, it was sad, but I achieved what I wanted to achieve, and the kid had the world by the ass, and he just pissed it away. It happens all of the time. I would have probably had a great chance at being the champion of the world if I had gotten the Ali fight. Ali would have been in a little bit of trouble (laughs). I called him one day and said: For the first time in my life, I will go to camp, and you better bring a gun in that ring! It’s going to be a hell of a night!
GM: This is probably a stupid question, but I am going to ask it anyway. There were some reports that Chuck Norris had taken liberties with his costars in certain fighting scenes. It was said that he had hit a little bit too hard and nearly made it a real fight. Did you experience any of that when you faced him in “The Hero and the Terror?”
No, he wasn’t that stupid. We had some very good fight scenes. I like Chuck. Chuck’s a good guy. It was probably the best picture that he ever did as an actor, and it was sad because that was his last film with Canon and they ran out of money and couldn’t promote it properly. It was really sad. It had a good cast, and the story was good, but they just didn’t have the money to promote it properly.
GM: Were you involved in the fight choreography and did you perform your own stunts?
I did all my own stunts. We both did. We were up on that rooftop duking it out. Yeah, we did all of that together.
GM: You don’t have any fear of heights?
No…we really had a good time. Chuck Norris wouldn’t dare get fresh with me.
GM: We went over this a little bit, but I would like to touch on it a little more. Up to the late 1980s, they were pumping them out like crazy, with the Charles Bronson movies, the Clint Eastwood movies, and the Chuck Norris films, but now, we have been in a dry spell for quite some time. Why don’t they release any good action films anymore?
The problem with Hollywood is that bankers took it over, and they got into these movie stars and these casting people and there are some great actors. Michael Caine done a lot of junk because he just took the money and did it. He is a brilliant actor. When he did something that he liked, he won an Oscar. A lot of people like Jack Nicholson that are not put into the right roles, and it is sad because it is deals that are made by ICM and big ad agencies and they put together a cast factor. Somebody brings a film in, and the bankers get behind it because of the bankable actors, whether they are good for the piece or not. That is the problem with Hollywood, but that is changing. There are a lot of creative people like George Clooney that are getting in to doing movies and are there for the audience. And that’s what we are going to do.
GM: I don’t think that there is any more creativity in Hollywood. You notice that everything is a remake. Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, Black Christmas remake, the Hitcher remake, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory remake. They are just sending out watered down versions of the real film from when it was fresh, wouldn’t you agree?
Yes, they are remaking classics that they have no right touching. They had no right to touch them. To remake The Producers? And my partner is Jonathan Sanger…and to remake a Gene Wilder classic? I mean it’s a good film, but how do you outdo Gene Wilder? They put in Johnny Depp and because of who he is, the picture made a fortune! It wasn’t a great movie. They take liberties like crazy man.
GM: What do you find to be the most difficult profession: boxing, acting, or producing movies?
I enjoy all of them! I didn’t find any of them difficult. I enjoyed boxing, but I’m mad at myself for not doing what I should have done, and taking a liberty with a God given talent that I could have done a lot more with, but you cannot turn the clock back. That’s life. I was in there though when there were some great fighters, and I’m glad about that because I beat some great fighters, and nobody can ever take that away from me.
I fought Ron Stander in Omaha and they poured me into the plane for the fight. I trained one day, went ten rounds and beat the shit out of him, but I didn’t win in Omaha…that’s his hometown. And I knew Ron well. He moved to Rhode Island before he fought Joe Frazier and I would box him in the gym and beat the hell out of him every day. But that’s just the game. You reap what you sow, and I don’t have anyone to blame but myself. I don’t blame anyone. I don’t point any fingers. I was my own worst enemy.
GM: Is there any dirtier business than boxing?
It is only dirty if you allow it to be. The good thing about that is when I had Frankie, and I went to Don King and told him that I wanted a title fight, and he knew who I was, so there was no arguing. He was the promoter for Frankie, but he didn’t think that he was a great fighter and they thought that they were going to fix the fight on me in Argentina where we fought, but he had one ref and I had three. They can only hurt you if you cannot fight. If you have a fighter that can fight and a manager that won’t take any shit, they can’t fix anything on you.
GM: Would you still agree though that there is still corruption regardless of any circumstance?
There’s a tremendous amount of corruption, but there’s a tremendous amount in every sport. Boxing is not the lone ranger. It just gets picked on more than others. What bigger scam is there than professional wrestling? That right there is the biggest scam in the world. The problem with boxing is that these kids don’t fight enough. These big paydays have taken the blood and guts out of it. You have guys that only fight once a year and you can’t learn your trade that way in boxing. Boxing is a different kind of sport than any other sport. When they ring that bell, you are on your own man. There are no time outs or anything like that.
GM: Do you see any chance of boxing rebounding?
Once in a while I do, and I keep threatening that I’m going to find a champion and come back into it, but I just got so much on my plate right now. If I looked around and found a heavyweight, I would give the sport a big shot in the arm, because he would fight every month. I would have him fighting all the time and the public loves that. That’s what stirs it up. I would say, bring on any comer you want. What are you gonna fix? Bring them on! I don’t care who you got…bring them!
GM: Outside of the book “Dark Legacy,” you are working on a boxing movie you said, correct?
We actually just produced a picture called “The List” with Wayne Brady and it’s coming out through Warner Brothers. That’s got a good cast in it…Flex Alexander, and Sydney Poitier’s daughter, and Illeana Douglas. It’s a nice little film. It’s a comedy. That will come out, but they put it on DVD, which sort of perturbed me, but it was a learning lesson.
GM: Thank you very much for your time and is there anything else that you would like to mention?
You are welcome and I would just like to say that we’ve got the boxing picture, and the book, which will be huge. It will keep you up all night…it’s a great read.
Writer’s Final Thoughts
I want to thank Jack O’Halloran for his time and encourage everyone to look for his book “Dark Legacy” this summer. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek and it is a compelling and surprising read.
]]>
By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
Several months ago I wrote an article which detailed my personal discovery of Joan Guzman, a talented and highly successful two-division world champion who had been on the radar for several years. In it I detailed how up to that point I had never really taken the time to fully acquaint myself with the exceptionally talented Dominican, or had sat down to review his accomplishments in the ring. Understanding that he was once again on track to fight for yet another major world championship, I set out to review Guzman and many of his key career bouts in the weeks leading up to his date with ring destiny.
After taking in a dozen of his previous bouts over those few weeks I came away not only more than a little impressed, I considered myself a fan. My summary of him as a fighter had been formed from what I saw in those bouts, bouts I had let slip by in previous years when my focus was elsewhere in the sport; “Talented, accomplished and as I would go on to learn, more than just a little noteworthy, Joan Guzman was a two-division champion I’d sometimes read or heard about but hadn’t really followed. Boasting a perfect record of 29-0, 17 KO’s, and having won titles at super bantamweight and super featherweight, Guzman is considered one of the very best fighters in the world in the lower weight divisions. His natural athleticism, extraordinary reflexes, strong chin and uncanny skill set have allowed him to dominate his opposition. He possesses some of the quickest hands in the business and boasts a defense as tough and impenetrable as Kevlar, the material used to fashion bullet-proof vests. He’s known to rely heavily on his ability to slip shots to set up his own attack, something he does effectively on the inside or from long range”.
That was last year. Since that summary was written Joan Guzman has fought two very controversial bouts to less than scintillating results. In fact it could be stated quite accurately that Guzman’s career has strayed well beyond its originally forecasted path, finding itself today adrift in uncharted waters complicated by the reality that as a serious force in the sport and as a professional, Joan Guzman has lost almost all credibility.
On November 28th 2009 Guzman was set to challenge South Africa’s Ali Funeka for the vacant IBF lightweight title. It was for both fighters a pivotal moment rarely realized among men that make their living fighting for pay; an opportunity for a major world championship and all of the glory and benefits that go along with it. In Funeka’s case it could be viewed as something a little more than just a mere opportunity given the fact that he came within mere inches of winning a world title nine months before in a losing effort, albeit it controversially, to Nate Campbell, for his lightweight titles. In Guzman’s case however, it was more than just a match for a vacant lightweight world title. It was the opportunity to make history as a three-division world champion, the first such ever from the Dominican Republic. It was this march towards history and enhanced legacy that prompted me to brush-up on Guzman so as to get familiar with who he was as this much talked about talent relative to what he was about to accomplish in the sport. Then it all suddenly seemed to unravel.
In their first contest which was televised by cable giant HBO, the long periods of inactivity Guzman had enjoyed leading up to his fateful first meeting with Funeka complicated the challenge presented by the physically imposing South African. Standing a freakish 6’1 with a 72” reach, Funeka was not only difficult to deal with in the tactical sense, his level of talent and power presented a significant risk every time the 5’7 Guzman tried to box inside, his only really hope given his 5-inch deficit in reach. Guzman looked relatively sharp early but was cut badly by a clash of heads. In the middle rounds the momentum took a turn and Funeka established control, bloodying Guzman’s nose and hurting him on at least two occasions. Later in the contest, and after having absorbed a tremendous amount of punishment, a battered and bloody Guzman continued to chance disaster trying to get his punches off in close, finally going for broke in the twelfth, pressing forward and trading shots in the hope of scoring a last-second knockout in order to pull out the win. The bigger Funeka managed to hold him off just enough, pounding him until the final bell. Amazingly, the bout was declared a majority draw, with the one sane card scoring Funeka as the point’s winner with 116-112 tally.
As ludicrous as the result had been in their first contest, Joan Guzman had officially dodged a bullet. At 33 years of age Father Time was close by and looking to collect on dues. When the rematch with Ali Funeka was signed for March 27th 2010, just four months after their first encounter, I wondered if the “Sycuan Warrior” would find a way to make good on the lucky reprieve that the result of the first contest had been, and show up conditioned, focused and minus any accumulated ring rust. However, what ultimately transpired dumbfounded me.
Ali Funeka was expected by many to correct the mistakes made in the first contest and establish his dominance very early in the rematch. Many called for him to finally win the lightweight title he had been denied in his first meeting with Guzman, and before that with Nate Campbell. At the weigh-in a dry looking Funeka raised his arms in anticipation of victory, coming in exactly at the division limit of 135lbs. He had done everything in his power to honor the mandate of the lightweight title, the expectations of fans around the world and to show professional respect to his worthy opponent. But none of that would be forthcoming from Guzman once he stepped onto the scale.
Weighing-in well beyond the light welterweight limit, Guzman tipped the scale at 144lbs, nine pounds beyond the lightweight limit and a weight two divisions above where he should have been for a contracted event and world title contest. Credit to Funeka for not opting out of the opportunity given the surprising weigh-in result, “Rush Hour” opted to move forward with the match with the revised rules deeming that the IBF lightweight title was only up for grabs and available to Funeka if he emerged victorious. For Guzman, a win would only be a win. He would not be entitled to a championship that he failed to make weight for, thus excluding himself the opportunity to become a three-division champion.
He wasn’t just above weight, not even close. He was well beyond weight, a reality that begged the question of why his team didn’t properly monitor or control his progress, and why the fighter himself didn’t ensure professional preparation. However, such questions presuppose that in fact Team Guzman had made an error, a miscalculation on the road to meeting the obligation of making weight, and drying out as much as his opponent.
In the case of Joan Guzman, history paints a telling picture where professional preparation for a significant challenge is concerned. In September 2008, Guzman weighed-in 4lbs. beyond the lightweight limit for his challenge of then-lightweight champion Nate Campbell. Claiming an inability to make the weight and citing dubious health issues, the bout ultimately collapsed.
This latest episode of failure to make weight seems the inverse of the Campbell debacle. Guzman was all too happy to move forward with the contest given his fortification relative to his dried-out opponent. In the bout itself, Guzman managed to edge the game Funeka by split decision, even managing to overpower him at points in close, flooring him along the way. He wasn’t pounded by Funeka the way he had been in the first contest, coming out of it all smiles, his undefeated 30-0-1,17 KO’s, record intact. Another bullet had been dodged, but at what cost?
I don’t believe Team Guzman ever intended to make weight. I believe they were more concerned with staying undefeated and marketable. I believe the whole purpose of the bout was to correct the blemish of the first result and prove the “Sycuan Warrior” superior. In the course of doing this, Guzman’s reputation among the boxing fraternity was immensely damaged. His credibility as a professional is now at the zero-point. He and his team have demonstrated disrespect on many fronts. Disrespect towards those that promoted the event, disrespect towards fans, disrespect to the sanctioning body and of course disrespect to Ali Funeka. By doing all of this, they may have preserved the “zero” associated with the loss column but they have likely cut off valuable avenues for further career advancement, sullied the name of Golden Boy Productions in the process and taken away any perceived shortcuts towards beating Father Time’s agenda to make good on outstanding dues.
Looking back I find it strange that the moment I took the time to acquaint myself with Joan Guzman his career as an upstanding warrior seemed to take a sudden nose dive. If you look back just a few short years ago at his comprehensive disrobing of Humberto Soto in defense of his WBO super featherweight crown, the current WBC lightweight champion was utterly outclassed and routed. Watching that bout, you get a sense of the upright brilliance there once was. In fact, I called that showing an approximate of what Floyd Mayweather, JR., versus Antonio Margarito would have been, had that big money welterweight clash come off as anticipated some five years ago. The “Sycuan Warrior” was simply that smooth, that gifted and that good. Today, with the clock ticking and his undefeated record notwithstanding, Joan Guzman is the nowhere man of boxing, his career and credentials in doubt and his go-forward prospects unknown. And he has nobody to blame but himself.
]]>By Geno McGahee
The Public Challenge
The IBO/IBF/WBO Heavyweight Champion, Wladimir Klitschko, 54-3, 48 KO’s, has done what a champion is supposed to do. He is cleaning out the division, and although you can criticize the current state of boxing, Wlad’s safety first style, and the lack of appeal in the United States, you cannot argue with success. One of the big problems with Wlad is that most of the opponents are not worthy of a title shot, but they are listed by the sanctioning bodies as the best of the worst and end up in the ring and then end up carried out of the ring. None of them have captured the public’s imagination, but there is one guy out there that has made some noise.
Fresh off his WBA Title defense against John Ruiz, David Haye, 24-1, 22 KO’s, has been rumored to be close to striking a deal with Wladimir in a unification bout. They were close to fighting before, only to have it fall through, and the two have a history. Haye’s antics have not impressed or amused “Dr. Steelhammer.” The artwork that he had created featuring himself holding the severed head of Wladimir raised some eyebrows and when he realized that he offended both Klitschkos, he made a tee shirt, featuring both the brothers in a mangled heap with Haye standing above, holding both of their severed heads.
In the prefight psychological warfare, Haye was winning easily, but Wlad has done something that will help his reputation in the states and help boxing as a whole. He called out Haye via video, sent to every boxing publication and youtube, where he used the term “bitched out,” referring to two failed bouts, one with Wlad and one with older brother Vitali. Now the ball is in Haye’s court. Will he accept the challenge and will he take on Wlad in the biggest fight in the heavyweight division since Lennox Lewis – Vitali Klitschko? Most likely yes.
Vitali in Their Sights
The WBC has ordered an eliminator between the “Russian Giant” Nikolay Valuev, 50-2, 34 KO’s, and Odlanier Solis, 16-0, 12 KO’s. This is an incredibly compelling fight. Valuev is the 2-Time WBA Heavyweight Champion, but he is also the most disrespected champion to come along since John Ruiz, remarkably the man that he won the title from in 2005. Valuev has victories over Sergei Liakhovich, Evander Holyfield, John Ruiz (twice), and Jameel McCline, but the public is not sold on him at all. Some contend that Holyfield and Ruiz both beat him, although when you watch the fights (if you can remain awake), you will have a hard time scoring them. Whatever the case, the fights were close and Valuev came out on top. He is a legitimate force in the division.
Solis has a world of potential but there is also concern from his fan base team about his weight. He stands just over six feet tall and has ranged from 247 to 271 in weight. In his last fight, he came in at 268 and stopped Carl Drumond in three rounds. He is a knockout puncher and is showing interest in a title shot. This fight with Valuev is a huge step up for Solis, but if he were able to chop down the giant, it would send a message to the rest of the division. Despite Valuev’s reputation, nobody has been able to make a dent in him. David Haye came the closest to dropping him, but spent most of the fight on the retreat. Solis only knows one way to fight and that is to come forward and come through his opponent.
I’m in the vast minority that consider Valuev one of the top heavyweights in boxing today and a threat to the Klitschko rule. He is enormous and confident. His biggest issue is his inability to step up the tempo, and he tends to allow his opponents to set the pace. Solis is a good fit for Valuev. He should allow the big man to set his range and use his jab. Solis should really check the chin of Nikolay on several occasions but nobody has dropped him yet. This fight is a pick’em at this point. We should either see a Valuev decision win or a Solis KO win. Either way, we have another good challenger emerging to challenge Vitali.
Good Small Man vs. Good Big Man
On April 24th, the former Cruiserweight Champion, Tomasz Adamek, 40-1, 27 KO’s, collides with Chris Arreola, 28-1, 25 KO’s, in a twelve round eliminator. This bout will be featured on HBO and we will either see another former cruiserweight champion emerge as a true player in the heavyweight division or we will see a smaller man beaten down by a powerful and popular brawler.
Arreola has the same issues as Solis. His dedication to the gym is constantly in question. For his title opportunity against WBC Kingpin, Vitali Klitschko, he came in at a high 251. He didn’t have the speed or stamina to push the champion and took a beating. He cried after the fight and stated that he would be back and he was back…and he brought an extra twelve pounds with him. Against the smaller Brian Minto, a 263 pound Arreola used his size to overwhelm and claim victory in four rounds.
The thought here may be to match Arreola against small men…men that he can easily crush. Minto at 218 was easy prey. Adamek at 220 or so, may be seen as the same, but is very skilled and has much more power in his shots than Minto possessed. This will be a very heated match. Arreola, from reports, is apparently in better shape than he has been in in a very long time. Adamek is very motivated to follow in the footsteps of cruisers like Evander Holyfield and David Haye. Don’t miss this fight.
Mismatch of the Year?
The WBC Champion, Vitali Klitschko, 39-2, 37 KO’s, is getting highly criticized for his choice of opponent in this upcoming May 29th defense. Albert Sosnowski, 45-2-1, 27 KO’s, has a good record on the surface, but his opposition has been very weak and one of his defeats came to Zuri Lawrence. Lawrence is a journeyman heavyweight, yet he dominated Sosnowski over eight rounds, winning a clear cut unanimous decision. The biggest win for the Polish challenger was an eight round stoppage of a shot Danny Williams. He is not, on paper, qualified for a title shot…but champions typically take an optional defense against somebody in the bottom of the top ten or so.
Vitali should easily win this fight. Sosnowski’s defense is minimal, his punching power is unremarkable, and he is rather small at 6 feet 2 inches, compared to the champion. Even if he gets inside, can he do any damage to Vitali? Probably not, but there is hope. Kevin Johnson confused and frustrated Vitali. He showed how mechanical he can be and if Sosnowski can take some pointers from Johnson’s performance, maybe he can outwork Vitali and pull a big upset. Don’t bet on it though.
Evander Holyfield…Heavyweight Champion?
It happened, Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield, 43-10-2, 28 KO’s, regained the heavyweight title with a TKO over Frans Botha. You didn’t know Botha was the champ? No, not too many people did. Yes, he was the holder of the WBF Heavyweight Title and you cannot argue that it is one of the top belts, but it may be a bargaining chip for the 4 ½ Time Heavyweight Champion. The ½ is the WBF belt. Maybe I’m giving it too much credit.
Holyfield stated after his victory that he wanted to unify the titles again and become the undisputed champion of the world. At least he didn’t say “or die trying.” The sad truth is that the 47+ year old former champion has nothing left and had Botha came into the fight in any shape other than round, he would have won it. Now, if a 44 year old Botha can control Holyfield, and hit him at will, what would the Klitschkos do? What would David Haye do?
Holyfield has a few options. The most appealing to him and the fans is a rematch with the returning Iron Mike Tyson. It would be a title fight, be a chance for redemption for Tyson, win or lose, and would sell well. Holyfield proved he cannot sell a PPV anymore. The Botha PPV crashed and burned with pitiful ticket sales. Part of the problem was a horrible undercard, but Evander had stated in interviews recently that he could sell a fight and that Tyson would need him to make money…but it’s quite the contrary.
The fear is that one of the top fighters in the division will look at Holyfield as a way to increase their marketability and the older fighter would get seriously hurt. With Evander’s heart and lack of reflexes, he would be a lamb led to the slaughter.
Remaining Factors
There are a few heavyweights right now that you should keep your eye on, even though you have probably dismissed a few of them already. The former WBC Champion, Sam Peter, 34-3, 27 KO’s, was a very exciting heavyweight at one point and was getting compared to Mike Tyson and David Tua, but after losses to Vitali Klitschko and Eddie Chambers and an obvious lack of desire, people gave up on him. Now he’s back, he’s in great shape, and he’s knocking people out with regularity. Peter is pushing for a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko in a fight where he dropped “Dr. Steelhammer” on several occasions before losing a decision. Peter, if he stays focused, he has everything it takes to be a huge factor in the division.
Alexander Povetkin, 19-0, 14 KO’s, will most likely take the million dollars to step aside and allow Haye-Klitschko. Under the tutelage of Teddy Atlas, Povetkin is starting to resemble the Mike Tyson – crouching power-puncher style. This will help him as he goes for the title. Povetkin is a true top contender and a big threat, especially with Atlas in his corner.
Tony Thompson, 33-2, 21 KO’s, will be taking on Owen Beck this Friday night, and should come through with an easy victory. Thompson is still a player in the division and his only recent defeat was a late KO loss to Wladimir Klitschko. It was obvious that Thompson was overwhelmed by the event and did not fight that well. Although he did not fight well, he had some good moments. He is still a player in the division.
David Tua, 51-3-1, 43 KO’s, one of the biggest underachievers in boxing, seems to have his head together and is planning to challenge for the title in the near future. His power and good chin make him a big threat to any fighter and in the mediocre division, Tua could certainly realize his dream.
The top 10’s of the sanctioning bodies can be so strange at times, that I have come up with an RSR’s Heavyweight top 10, which is certainly debatable, but probably more realistic than the sanctioning bodies’ lists.
Champion: Wladimir Klitschko
1.Vitali Klitschko
2.David Haye
3.Alexander Povetkin
4.Nikolay Valuev
5.Tomasz Adamek
6.Chris Arreola
7.Tony Thompson
8.Samuel Peter
9.David Tua
10.Eddie Chambers
Heavyweight boxing has some new life and we are seeing some heavyweights define or redefine themselves. We should have some interesting times ahead of us with the big men of boxing.
]]>By Daniel “Tex” Cohen
We, as people, require categories to live our lives. Americans tend to divide into Democrats and Republicans. The weather outside may range through a theoretically infinite number of degrees, but we still generalize with the terms “hot” and “cold.”
So too does this happen in Boxing. Obviously, the Pound for Pound concept has a tremendous amount of flaws. Yet we still cling to the concept with the clinginess of a college girlfriend.
For all of our belief that we can pinpoint truth in a list or a diagram, our lists and categories often fail. If models and lists were perfect, the banking collapse would have been foreseeable. Sometimes, intuition and guts are the key to pinpointing who should belong at the top of the food chain and why.
This is not to say that the Pound for Pound List is utterly subjective, as a few of my colleagues have claimed. Rather, Pound for Pound lists are supposed to capture the ten best fighters in the world based on specific criteria. Those criteria can change, but they have to be based on whatever is BEST. Pound for Pound lists are NOT about stylistic preferences. Preference is for the car you drive, the city you live in, and the career you choose. Being the “best” is not a preference.
To that end, I have a very, VERY hard time seeing how ANYONE can discount Manny Pacquiao as the Pound for Pound Champion of the world. Emotions often run high when it comes to sports (especially Boxing), but Manny’s resume is the real deal, a long list of hurt game beatings against an awfully tough motley crew of fisticuff artists.
That said, I understand that I’m not immune to emotions, either. I can lose my cool, blow my top, or get down on anyone just like everyone else in the world. And if that’s the case, there is a possibility that I am (GASP!) wrong.
Rather than peg a Pound for Pound winner on a weekly basis, it might make more sense for us to understand the Pound for Pound mindset. To start that little investigation, I draw your attention to the unofficially dominant Pound for Pound list at the legendary Ring Magazine:
1. Manny Pacquiao
2.Floyd Mayweather, JR
3.Shane Mosley
4.Juan Manuel Marquez
5.Nonito Donaire
6.Bernard Hopkins
7.Miguel Cotto
8.Chad Dawson
9.Paul Williams
10.Celestino Caballero
My initial reaction to the Ring list is that it seems to take a comprehensive approach to the rankings. While the list is mostly grizzled veterans who have earned their dues in the fight game, there are a few exceptions overall. The list also excludes anyone who weighs less than a lightweight.
The major criticism to be made of the Ring List (aside from the absence of little men) is that it inflates Nonito Donaire. I happen to like Donaire, but a top five Pound for Pound slot is a hard case to make. If Floyd Mayweather, JR., were designing the list, we all know he would want Donaire off the chart because of his solitary loss.
In fact, Mayweather’s list might look something like this:
1.Floyd Mayweather, JR
2.Ivan Calderon
3.Timothy Bradley
4.Chad Dawson
5.Andre Berto
6.Devon Alexander
7.Andre Ward
8.Carl Froch
9.Yuri Foreman
10.Vanes Martirosyan
Ok, I exaggerated a bit there. However, that joke of a list tells you several important pieces of information. First of all, the top of the list has some pretty good fighters that might b getting served a raw deal. Second, an undefeated record only goes so far when the victories have come against weak opposition. Those ten fighters might be the ten best undefeated boxers in the whole world, but the makeup of the chart is rather unorthodox. Most of those fighters box, but they don’t box the same. We have a few jabbers, a few defensive specialists, a volume puncher or two, and a couple of all –around finishers.
The problem with focusing on defeat counts can run intellectually deep. Anyone who knows anything about Boxing realizes that level of opposition is as important or more important than record in determining greatness and status. Boxing is a sport of moments. A black swan greatly affects the dynamic of a body of work. Undefeated club fighters are usually destroyed when they finally fight someone worthy of recognition.
If we were making P4P List based on level of opposition, we might get something like this:
1.Manny Pacquiao
2.Miguel Cotto
3.Kelly Pavlik
4.Timothy Bradley
5.Paul Williams
6.Vic Darchinyan
7.Juan Manuel Marquez
8.Shane Mosley
9.Antonio Margarito
10.Joshua Clottey
I don’t like that list at first look. I think those are tremendous fighters and are all certainly top 25-50 in the world today, but there are some very important names left off the list and some fighters that appear to have gotten far too much credit. As much as I like Kelly Pavlik, he’s not higher than Shane Mosley.
Then again, shouldn’t a guy get credit for going through packs like this at high speeds?
Mosley hasn’t fought in thirteen months. We haven’t seen Mayweather since September. To give you an idea of how significant that is, Ali Funeka has had three fights since the beginning of last year, while Mayweather and Mosley have had one apiece. Vitali Klitschko has gotten in three bouts.
Here’s a list for those that prefer consistent, significant victories over legitimate opposition:
1. Juan Manuel Lopez
2.Andre Ward
3.Tomasz Adamek
4.Robert Guerrero
5.Wladimir Klitschko
6.Vitali Klitschko
7.Jean Pascal
8.Yuriorkas Gamboa
9.Vanes Martirosyan
10.Kermit Cintron
Some of those guys don’t even belong on the list. Most of the elite fighters in the world take two very important fights in a given year, not three or four. In spite of that, you can still see some top notch fighters heading up the list. We can also see what separates “good” from “great.” Also, we are beginning to see a picture of fringe P4P contenders and why they achieve such a status.
What is not surprising is that these lists tend to focus on balance fight plans rather than power-heavy ones. There are barely any brutes on any of the lists. You might find that strange if you think knockouts are the name of the game, but they’re not. Overall dominance is the important view of Pound for Pounders.
If mathematical power (knockouts) were the main consideration for a P4P List, here’s what we would get:
1.Vitali Klitschko
2.Wladimir Klitschko
3.David Haye
4.Edwin Valero
5.Shane Mosley
6.Marcos Maidana
7.Yuriorkas Gamboa
8.Israel Vazquez
9.Arthur Abraham
10.Antonio Margarito
Some, of course have suspicions about where Antonio Margarito get his power, but that’s a story for a different article.
]]>By Geno McGahee
ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights
What the heck? For you Owen Beck, 29-4, 20 KO’s, fans out there, you will be happy to know that he is going to be featured this Friday against Tony Thompson, 33-2, 21 KO’s, in a 10 round heavyweight match up.
Even though Beck is only 33 years of age, it seems like he has been around forever. He has only lost four times, but he is 5-4 in his last nine fights. He barely picked up a split decision over Andrew Greeley, a fighter with a record of 14-27-2, and was stopped in his last fight against undefeated Manuel Charr. Beck is an active heavyweight, a fighter out of the mold of a Clifford Etienne. He bobs and weaves and tries to work inside. He came close to landing a title shot when he lost a split decision to Ray Austin in a title eliminator in 2005. When he finally got his shot at a title, WBA Champion, Nikolay Valuev sent him packing in three rounds.
Beck is beyond his better fighting years and with Thompson intent on returning to the title picture, this may be a tough outing for “What the Heck.” Thompson got his shot at the IBO/IBF/WBO Champion, Wladimir Klitschko. He would lose via KO in 11. He seemed a little green for the shot and froze, but he is back and expect him to beat Beck rather easily come Friday night.
SHOBOX
A double header comes to Showtime, featuring undefeated Fernando Guerrero, 17-0, 14 KO’s, as he takes on Michael Walker, 19-3, 12 KO’s, in a middleweight collision. Guerrero is rated #12 by the WBO in the middleweight division and is no stranger to SHOBOX. Walker is coming off of two defeats and is looking to cash in with an upset. He will have to survive some power shots from Guerrero in order to accomplish that.
The supporting bout will feature junior middleweight Shawn Porter, 13-0, 10 KO’s, taking on Raul Pinzon, 17-4, 16 KO’s, in what promises to be a shootout.
HBO
The best fight of the weekend features WBC/WBO Middleweight Champion Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik, 36-1, 32 KO’s, taking on Sergio Martinez, 44-2-2, 24 KO’s, for all the marbles. Martinez comes off a hard fought majority decision loss to Paul Williams and was robbed of a victory against Kermit Cintron, in a fight that the judges deemed to be a draw. Martinez can’t get a break, but he plans to make his own against Pavlik.
Pavlik’s star has dimmed as of late. The loss to Bernard Hopkins, the injuries, cancellations, and postponements, made the once popular Pavlik appear to be a dodger. Some contend that he avoids the best the game has to offer. Arthur Abraham and Paul Williams are two fighters that are used as examples.
Pavlik will have his hands full and will try to win by spectacular KO to send a message to Paul Williams, a possible future opponent. If he can destroy a man that Williams had so much trouble with, it will be a big statement.
In the supporting bout, Lucian Bute, 25-0, 20 KO’s, will defend his IBF Super Middleweight Title against Edison Miranda, 33-4, 29 KO’s. Miranda is a power-puncher, but he has never psychologically recovered from the knockout loss to Kelly Pavlik. He has since been dominated by Andre Ward and demolished by Arthur Abraham. Bute is a great puncher at the top of his game. Expect Miranda to leave on his back this Saturday night.
]]>
By Gina L. Caliboso
This Saturday, Colombia’s Edison “Pantera” Miranda, 33-4, 29 KO’s, is set to fight Lucian “Le Tombeur” Bute, 25-0, 20 KO’s.
As most of you fight fans know, Bute is currently ranked #1 among super middleweights and holds the IBF Super Middleweight belt. Even in the midst of the upcoming breakdown of the results in the Super 6 Tournament, the super middleweight division is so filled with talent and Bute can have his pick of fights.
He has selected to fight Miranda and for now, Miranda must prove himself as a viable contender among the top 10 super middleweights. In order to defeat Bute, his fighting chance must turn into a must win-win situation.
Currently ranked #17 among the super middleweight division, Miranda’s losses are keys to his own potential. His record is far more respectable in the quality and caliber of his opponents. With the exception of Bute, Miranda has fought against the best among the super middleweights. Going back to 2006, Miranda’s loss record is nothing to be ashamed of.
As I always look to a fighter’s loss record, Miranda’s loss record reads like a who’s who among super middleweights. See if these fighters sound the least bit familiar.
In 2006, Miranda lost a 12 round unanimous decision to Arthur “King Arthur” Abraham. In 2007, he defeated now Super 6 Middleweight contender Allan “Ghost Dog” Green in a 10 round unanimous decision.
In 2008, Miranda lost to Kelly “Ghost” Pavlik with a 7th round TKO in a WBC Middleweight title eliminator bout. He later decided to fight Abraham for a second time and lost in the 4th round with a TKO. Finally, in 2009, he lost to Andre “S.O.G” Ward in a 12 round unanimous decision for the NABF Super Middleweight and WBO/NABO Super middleweight title belts.
Miranda has fought against 3 of the Super 6 Middleweight fighters and has fought Pavlik, the current WBC & WBO Middleweight champion. No shame in losing to solid championship fighters for a potential belt. Miranda has fought the best in his division, he just hasn’t quite learned to win in a convincing fashion and emerge as the victor on a championship level.
In his first bout against Abraham, Miranda earned an unfortunate accusation of being a “dirty fighter.” For me, a dirty fighter falls under the now infamous DQ of Abraham in his fight against Dirrell. Against Miranda, Abraham had suffered a broken jaw in the 4th round. Later in the 5th round, Miranda was deducted two points for an intentional headbutt. And later, in the 7th round, two points were deducted, followed by another point deduction in the eleventh round. Both deductions were for low blows. Despite the broken jaw and low blows, Abraham won the fight via unanimous decision.
Even with his losses against notable fighters, Miranda has his share of easily defeating opponents in convincing TKO/KO fashion. Following his loss to Abraham, Miranda defeated Willie Gibbs with a 1st round KO and later defeated Green. After his loss to Pavlik, he bounced back to defeat Henry Porras by a 5th round TKO followed by a KO in the 3rd round against David Banks. Miranda’s KO of Banks in the 3rd round made the Best KO List of 2008. I saw it – it’s brutal! The ref continued to count with Banks’ body thrown on the ropes and outside the ring.
In 2008, as he faced and lost to Abraham for the second time, Miranda again defeated his next two opponents, Manuel Esparza with a 3rd round KO followed by a win over Joey Vegas with a 5th round TKO. Now, after his loss to Andre Ward, he defeated Francisco Sierra with a 1st round KO. Strictly by patterns, he takes a loss and wins big. The time just may be due to reel in a major belt and who better than against Bute, the currently #1 ranked super middleweight?
Whether his time is due (and I think it is), Miranda has tremendous fighting instinct. He is a quick starter and tries to establish pace and intimidation in the first round. In his fight against Pavlik, Miranda did not initially back down and Pavlik was struck by surprise by his aggression in the first round. Miranda does, however, have a tendency to be surprised, even bewildered, when he confronts a fighter with as much aggression and fight as himself.
Against Bute on Saturday night, Miranda must put the pressure on. From footage I’ve seen, he has a solid right hand and a left hook. Once in combination mode, he is difficult to stop. He doesn’t back down from the mix and with the exception of getting in trouble in the corner, he makes an imprint with his power shots. Edison is solidly built, always going forward; and immediately puts the pressure on his opponent. In order to defeat Bute, Miranda needs to cultivate his defense, establish his power jab cross combination that will solidly connect against his opponent, and of course, intimidate his opponent by a strong offense.
For now, it’s safe to say that Miranda definitely has his work cut out for him against Bute. Like I believe, his time is due and he’s got the fighting chance that all champions must take and take advantage. One can never know what to expect from him and that is exactly why he makes a dangerous opponent and potential championship title beltholder among the super middleweights.
]]>
By Joe Wilson
Today notes the 25th anniversary of the match-up between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns.
These two world-class fighters stepped into the ring one night at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. There were only three letters to describe that night, and they spelled “WAR.” The buzz leading up to that fight could only produce something “remarkable and special.”
It was the “golden eighties.” That era was the era that produced new boxing fans around the world. Coming off two decades of the greatest fights of Muhammad Ali’s career in the heavyweight division, this offered something new. Out of nowhere came these young fighters who lit up the welterweight and middleweight divisions. These smaller weight divisions dominated the sport of boxing.
It was out of the welterweight division that Thomas Hearns emerged.
He was a devastating puncher who demolished his opponents at will. The only loss he had on his record was the loss he suffered from Sugar Ray Leonard. That fight was his first big fight. He was motivated by that loss and seeked revenge on anyone who stepped in the ring with him. Moving up in weight was his goal.
Hearns aimed at the Middleweight Champion Marvin Hagler. “Hit Man” Hearns called him out on a few occasions. There were public shouting matches between the two. The reason for the fight delay in the beginning was…Hagler’s demand for money. I guess it was all for good reason; after all, he was the Middleweight Champion World.
What was strange about a fight of this magnitude was the build-up. These two fighters did not over hype the fight. They were both somewhat quiet during the promotion of this event. Bob Arum promoted this fight. Going into it, Hagler had defended his world middleweight crown ten times, with nine of them by knockout.
There was talk of this fight back in 1982, when Sugar Ray Leonard retired from boxing with a detached retina. Hearns became Hagler’s most likely big name opponent. Injuries and bad timing also delayed the fight. Remember that these fighters fought for fifteen rounds. Conditioning was always a factor.
Unlike today, very rarely did a fighter show up in that era not being able to fight for fifteen rounds. These fighters took unparalleled punishment throughout the fight and stilled stayed on their feet for fifteen rounds. I just recently read a remark made by Former Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes, where he said “the fighters today do not like to train.” He then said, “Fighters during his era did nothing but train.”
April 15, 1985, was the set date for Hagler and Hearns, the two best middleweights in the world would fight for the WBC, WBA and IBF belts, as well as the moniker “Undisputed Middleweight Champion.” And to top that off, these two fighters did not like each other at all.
It is kind of like the bad blood between welterweight champions “Sugar” Shane Mosley and Floyd “Money” Mayweather,” bout coming up May 1st.
HBO Broadcaster Larry Merchants said it best when describing both fighters, he said, “Hagler is the strongest fighter Hearns has ever fought. Hearns is the best fighter Hagler has ever fought.” The odds catered much to that sentiment. Hagler open up as a slight favorite, but by fight time it was pick’em. Merchants have always used this fight as a measuring stick to judge other action pack fights.
The first round of this fight was one of the most famous openers in boxing history, because of its steady action and ferocious aggression. In the beginning of most fights, Hagler usually starts out slow, but not this fight. He came in very aggressive digging to the body of Hearns. These two fighters fought the first round as if they only had three rounds to fight! Well…who knew?
The second round was just as exciting as the first. Hearns hit Hagler with every power punch he had, and Hagler kept coming forward. Hagler landed clean many times on Hearns, but there were no signs of slowing down or damage to either fighter. These fighters continued to trade blows. I had this fight dead even going into the third round.
Hearns’ world-class trainer and now Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward was very concerned about Hearns’ legs. Steward mentioned his concerns when he noticed Hearns getting his legs massaged and rubbed down before the fight with baby oil. “Something a fighter should never do,” says Steward. He noticed a weakness in Hearns’ legs ending round two.
At the beginning of round three these fighters were up and ready. Once again they battle in the square ring. These two fighters went to war for three rounds non-stop action. It was the most exciting three rounds I had ever witnessed before in a boxing match. Hagler won this fight by knockout and it was this fight that gave him worldwide appeal.
Still today, there are those who watched that fight on April 15, 1985, rank those three rounds as the best ever.
If Mayweather versus Mosley can produce half of what we witnessed against Hagler/Hearns spreaded out over several rounds; we the fight fans will be in for a nice treat.
]]>By Scott Heritage
(Managing Editor’s Note: Scott Heritage is our newest Feature Writer here at RSR and will be covering the world of Mixed Martial Arts. I, along with the entire team, welcome him aboard.)
Chuck Liddell has been confirmed as fighting Rich Franklin at UFC 115 instead of Tito Ortiz. Rumors were circulating several weeks ago that the change had been made although at the time all parties from the UFC denied them. More recently they changed their tune, and Tito Ortiz has for now pulled out of the bout.
What the problem was isn't clear, and neither is the next step for Tito Ortiz. Liddell says the bout will still take place at some point, although this will presumably rest on how he does against Franklin and just what happened to the perpetually injured Tito. Whether Tito finished the full season of The Ultimate Fighter was also speculated upon after he was hospitalized with a staph infection during filming.
Without a victory soon, Ortiz will be staring down the barrel of a recent career which is less than impressive. The last man he finished was Ken Shamrock back in 2006, and before that Elvis Sinosic back in 2001. The days of Ortiz being regarded as a top ten 205lb fighter appear to be permanently over. Tito will always make for a tough fight and remains difficult to finish, but is increasingly looking like a one trick pony with his wrestling and not much else.
The UFC were eager to squash reports of Tito having pulled out of the fight at first, probably because yet another season of The Ultimate Fighter now has no fight between the coaches at the end. Last season the effect wasn't too devastating to the ratings because Kimbo Slice was on offer. Plus there was a genuinely interesting bout on offer between Rampage and Rashad Evans, which is now happening at UFC 114.
This time around it might be more damaging, with Liddell having beaten Tito twice already. What made this fight interesting was largely the fact that many have called for Liddell's retirement after his recent losses. Beating Tito again would have proven that he still has what it takes to be competitive. Fighting Franklin instead will prove or disprove this idea, leaving the third bout between Chuck and Tito a rather empty affair.
Despite this though, UFC 115, which takes place in Vancouver, sold out in half an hour. Not too much should be read into that though, whenever the UFC enters a new territory sell outs are common. Whether they can repeat the feat the next time around is a better measure of how well MMA is being received in the area.
The oddity that was the main event at UFC 112 is still being felt as Dana White decides what to do about what is quickly becoming the Anderson Silva problem. In three fights now, Silva has seemed disinterested and unwilling to fight on any terms except his own. He's still been winning, but that's about the only positive you could take from his fights against Demian Maia, Thales Leites and Patrick Cote.
Speaking to GracieMag, Maia shed a little light on what was going on in the cage between the pair during the fight:
“I just thought it was disrespectful for him to swear at me during the fight, saying things like, ‘You (explicative) momma’s boy, show me your Jiu-Jitsu.’ That type of stuff. I felt it was disrespectful and unnecessary. Aside from that, it was a normal fight.”
“He begged my forgiveness and I feel everyone makes mistakes, that’s normal. I feel something influenced him afterwards and he came up with that statement about me having disrespected him. I never made any strong statements and, even if I had, it would have been to promote the fight, which is normal. The fight ends and the two fighters embrace.”
I must admit that seemingly like everyone else, I missed any interviews with Maia where he was insulting Silva. Sure Maia came out with the usual kind of thing, but it seemed far from insulting and fairly tame by today's trash talking standards. If Silva found Maia insulting, then a fight pitting the champ against the hard talking republican Chael Sonnen can't come soon enough.
Also of note Dana said he would make it up to the fans for the bad main event card of 112, which might mean another free card on the horizon.
On the subject of Silva and Dana, it will be hard for White to keep pushing Anderson as the best pound for pound fighter in the world if he keeps putting on bizarre performances purely because he is bored or doesn't like his opponent. And while he was dominant against Maia, he failed to finish. Georges St. Pierre is arguably just as dominant and Fedor Emelianenko usually always finished his fights.
StrikeForce Nashville is on paper probably the best card of the year so far, even without the drawing power of either Fedor or Bobby Lashley. While most are predicting a rather one sided middleweight title bout between Dan Henderson and Jake Shields, the rest of the main card remains intriguing.
Incidentally, StrikeForce should really work on some better names for their cards than just the name of the city they are taking place in. The UFC event names aren't anything to write home about either, but at least they're also numbered so remembering the events is a lot easier.
Unbeaten King Mo Lawal will sink or swim against the highly rated Gegard Mousasi, while Shinya Aoki will lock horns with Gilbert Melendez. Potentially the winner will become the highest ranked lightweight in the world after B.J Penn was knocked from the top spot by Frankie Edgar. Edgar himself is in with a shout as the best himself, although hasn't consistently faced the same kind of competition that either Aoki or Melendez have.
King Mo has said in interviews that he thinks Mousasi is “beatable” and I tend to agree with him.
Although Gegard is being hyped as the next great light heavyweight and has a decent record, he hasn't taken on the level of competition that the likes of Machida, Shogun or Rampage have. He looked good against a fading Babalu, but struggled against a Sokoudjou who had been exposed a long time ago. Will be beat King Mo?
The oddsmakers say yes but I think it will be a toss up. Mousasi has yet to face a wrestler on the same kind of level as Lawal, and similarly most of Lawal's opponents have had some kind of fatal flaw possibly making him look a lot better than he is at this stage.
April also sees the first WEC pay per view event, which pits former champion and fan favorite Urijah Faber against Brazilian dynamo Jose Aldo. Whether even Faber's horde of fans is willing to pay for something that used to be free is the biggest question surrounding the event, which might be pivotal to the future of the WEC.
]]>RSR is currently hiring boxing writers that enjoy conducting interviews and would like to converse with some of the biggest names in the sport. If you are interested in this position, possess the proper equipment to record phone calls, and have the ambition and dedication to produce, RSR is looking for you. For more information, please contact Managing Editor Geno McGahee.
Email Geno McGahee About This Exciting Position Now
]]>By Jeff Stoyanoff
When David Haye stopped John Ruiz on April 3rd in Manchester it was both expected and an upset. Most observers expected Haye to win the fight, but quite a few also figured that the experienced and cagey Ruiz would make it a most competitive fight. That Haye won was expected. That Haye dominated Ruiz and became the first man in over a decade to earn a stoppage against him? That can accurately be characterized as somewhat of an upset.
Naturally, with the spectacular nature of Haye’s win there will be the all too predictable suggestion that Ruiz was old and shot or perhaps simply overrated as a top fighter. Ruiz has never been blessed with fantastic gifts in the ring. He is not extraordinarily fast nor does he have tremendous power. Yet, Ruiz is an intelligent fighter, an excellent tactician, and he knows how to use those qualities in the ring. If there is a legacy to the career of John Ruiz it is that he was possessed of a special ability to be competitive in fights; a level of competitiveness that belied his natural gifts. For one of the rarest and most glaring times in a long and distinguished career, John Ruiz was overmatched in a fight and David Haye deserves all the credit in the world for that.
Yet, now the conversation will turn to David Haye and the brothers Klitschko. Haye has already made no bones about the fact that he can’t wait to get either (and eventually both) of them in the ring. And, for their part, the Klitschkos seem pretty keen on the idea as well. While it may be wrong to dismiss Haye’s win over Ruiz as merely what should have taken place, it would also be wrong to overlook the fact that either Klitschko is anything less than a giant step up for Haye. And speaking of giants…
Images of Valuev
We certainly got a glimpse of how dangerous it can be to follow David Haye around in the ring. In fact, we got that glimpse about fifteen seconds into the fight when John Ruiz was caught flat footed by a lightning fast right hand from Haye and was promptly deposited on the canvas. It was a shocking display of just how talented Haye can be. From that point on, Haye demonstrated repeated flashes of brilliance as he methodically, yet inexorably dismantled Ruiz over nine one sided rounds. Ruiz gamely continued to take the fight to Haye and was not without some offensive success, but ultimately the speed mismatch was too much to overcome. However, one must wonder if the same active and utterly destructive Haye that decimated Ruiz would be the one that shows up for either Klitschko. The genesis of this question lay not in the conjecture of a potential matchup, but in the certitude of history. Haye often looked befuddled in his fight with former WBA Champion, Nikolay Valuev.
In the first six rounds of the Haye-Valuev fight, Haye threw only 84 punches. The fact of the matter is, Haye was clearly unsure of how to proceed against the taller and longer Valuev. Both Klitschko brothers are far more in line with Valuev than Ruiz in terms of a matchup of styles. It is undoubtedly true that Haye won against Valuev and even staggered him badly in the twelfth and final round. On the other hand, it is also true that both Klitschkos are better fighters than Valuev and present a much greater challenge both offensively and defensively as potential opponents for Haye.
So, David Haye will probably be considered a rightful underdog when he eventually squares off with Wlad or Vitali. The ring records and fighting styles will dictate that. However, this is still a hugely exciting and intriguing potential matchup. There is something in this potential bout that differs greatly from the previous fights involving either Kltischko. David Haye is not just good, he is live; he has something. He has speed, he has power, and he has a big mouth…
The Talking Game
The Klitschko’s are avid chess players; and it shows. They are both cerebral tacticians in and out of the ring. In the ring, both are remarkably disciplined as they patiently set up their opponent before often brutally taking them out sometime in the mid to later stages of a fight. Quite often, the end comes quite awhile after the competitive aspects of the fight have long since been decided. In other words, they don’t feel any urgency to finish a guy as soon as they sense their advantage. Why rush in and run into a checkmate? Or, in boxing parlance, run into a huge shot that can turn a fight. Recently, nobody has been able to avoid their inevitable doom in a match with the Klitschko’s as both of them seem to come out set up their shots and eventually destroy their often beleaguered opponent; the disciplined attack wreaking havoc on overmatched fighters.
But, David Haye is going about things in a different way. Haye has already angered both Klitschkos. The talking seems to be a ploy designed to enrage them and throw them off their deliberate yet devastating game. In a recent interview, Freddie Roach said that the feud between Pacquiao and Mayweather wasn’t simply hype and that Pacquiao really does hate Mayweather. However, Roach quickly cautioned that he needed to steer Manny away from that because fighting angry would severely undermine his chances for success in that fight. Pacquiao being angry would be exactly what Mayweather would want as it would greatly increase the chances that Pacquiao would make mistakes in the ring.
David Haye would no doubt love for the Klitschkos to be angry and make those same mistakes. Haye is the smaller man. He needs the Klitschkos to take chances. He needs them to want to fight not simply box. Haye can’t afford for them to be too disciplined. For all his talent, Haye struggled at times to get going against Valuev and that doesn’t bode well when a Klitschko is throwing punches at you. But, if that discipline slips; if the opponent reaches just a little; leans in and fights a little less tall; opens himself up too early, perhaps the explosive talent of Haye can produce the seismic upset.
The Valero Effect
Much is made of the loss David Haye suffered to Carl Thompson. While it is true that Haye was in fact knocked out in the fight, the loss nevertheless occurred nearly six years ago. Haye is a different fighter now; a decidedly better fighter. Similarly, much is made of perceived defensive lapses by Haye, specifically a tendency to have his hands down even while in the punching range of his opponents. Admittedly, the lack of discipline can get him in some trouble. Haye has been down in two of his last five fights. However, fighters are certainly aware of who they are fighting in the ring on a given night.
A rudimentary search on youtube will yield several rounds against different opponents in the career of Edwin Valero. In the video, Valero is often wild on his punches, his hands are often down, he is regularly squared up to his opponent, and he is routinely off balance. In short, based on those rounds, Valero’s vaunted record to that point looked like a strong case of padding; a case of a talented, but thoroughly undisciplined fighter feasting on inferior opposition. Then, Valero took on Antonio Demarco. Demarco, another rising star, presented a more formidable challenge. Somewhat surprisingly, Valero fought extraordinarily well demonstrating an as yet unseen level of fundamental discipline as he systematically took apart a solid young fighter in Demarco. Valero undoubtedly knew of Demarco’s acumen in the ring and he had an innate understanding of what he could not afford to do in the ring that night. Valero had it in him all along. He just brought it out when he needed it. Despite Haye’s bluster, it seems inconceivable that he would not recognize the abilities of the Klitschkos. Haye will be sharp; he can’t afford not to be. Unfortunately for either brother, they will almost certainly be getting the best version of David Haye they could possibly meet.
Beyond the Wins and Losses
In the end, it really doesn’t matter what happens in a fight between one of the Klitschkos and Haye. The result is secondary because the significance of this fight lay not in the result so much as in the perception of the fans. People are going to wonder just how Haye might fare. They will wonder if the movement will be problematic. There will be a curiosity about how the brothers will deal with the speed and power. And, curiosity will abound about just how much damage Haye can do with his awkward, darting style.
Much has been made of the lack of talent in the heavyweight division. Last year, most of the writers on this site for instance couldn’t even nominate a heavyweight fight of the year. Are the Klitschko’s overrated because they fight in such a weak division? Or, is it that the Klitschko’s are underrated in an all time sense as they have the misfortune of dominating what is only apparently a weak division? Those are hard questions to answer definitively, but, beyond the questions of talent and the dearth of quality fights, what is missing most of all in the heavyweight division in recent years, is wonder.
Haye’s scintillating performance may not prove to be the opening salvo in an ascent that will eventually take him passed the Kltischko’s and to the top of the division, but it doesn’t necessarily have to. The most exciting thing about Haye’s performance is that any boxing fan has to be just a little bit curious. Chris Arreola, Eddie Chambers, Ruslan Chagaev, Kevin Johnson, Ray Austin, Tony Thompson, Sam Peter, and really every Klitschko opponent in the past several years, they all have had a similar feel. They have all been good, solid fighters who earned their chance and deserve our respect. But, none of them made us wonder. The reality is, one way or another they were simply not capable of beating the Klitschko’s and we all knew it. But, Haye is a little bit different. Maybe it’s the speed, or maybe it’s just the brash talking, but the energy he brings is different. There remains ample reason to think he may be in over his head when he steps in against either Wlad or Vitali. But, with the speed and the style and the ego, he does bring one more thing that none of the others could, excitement. One can’t help but wonder and it’s been awhile since we could say that.
]]>
Compiled by Brian Wilbur
This Saturday, April 17th, the Middleweight Championship of the world is on the line. Champion Kelly Pavlik will defend his title against veteran contender Sergio Martinez. Pavlik won his title in 2007 by scoring a stunning knockout of Jermain Taylor. Since his signature wins over Taylor, Pavlik’s career has been up and down but he has managed to hang on to his belts.
Challenger Sergio Martinez just recently rose to prominence as a widely respected contender recently despite being a pro since 1997. Sergio fought the majority of his career in Argentina and Europe, but his greatest success has come in his recent fights in the United States. Martinez offered brutally tough resistance to highly ranked and respected contenders Kermit Cintron and Paul Williams. Martinez came away with a loss and a draw from those two matches, but earned the respect of the fans.
The writers from RSR offer their predictions for this evenly matched, interesting title bout.
Geno McGahee
Sergio Martinez is a wonderful fighter and is just the sort to frustrate a guy like Kelly Pavlik. I'm picking a minor upset here with Martinez winning via unanimous decision, unless we get the same judges that scored his fight with Kermit Cintron. Great fight.
“Bad” Brad Berkwitt
Sergio Martinez by unanimous decision.
Mike Plunkett
I'm leaning towards Sergio Martinez’s slickness, angles and hand speed to see him through the rough spots that Kelly Pavlik will surely put him through when they meet. While I wouldn't be shocked to see Pavlik wear Martinez down and stop him late, I have a feeling that the game Argentinean has just enough experience, moves and guile to edge the bigger champ and take the crown via a close unanimous nod down the stretch.
Gina L. Caliboso
Wow – the rangy sometimes unpredictable Kelly “Ghost” Pavlik will go up against Sergio Martinez – the last fighter to knock down Paul Williams? This is a great match up. Both Pavlik and Martinez have a lot to prove, notably Pavlik because he’s on a comeback for respect. Pavlik avoided Williams for most of last year and Martinez gave Williams a fight in their last meeting. I predict Martinez will defeat Pavlik over 12 rounds, but notwithstanding, Pavlik’s reach and size usually looks good and his inside fighting combinations can have him tasting victory. If Martinez has done any fine tuning since the Williams fight, it’s that he must stay in the fight from the get go and wear down his opponent. He cannot be intimidated by Pavlik at all. Prediction: Martinez over 12 rounds with a split decision.
Eoin Redahan
I can see this being a frustrating night for Pavlik. While Pavlik's power will trouble Martinez, I can see him struggling with the Argentine's speed and wiliness. I'm going to say that Martinez becomes the victim of yet another dubious decision loss.
Jeff Stoyanoff
It is hard to imagine that Sergio Martinez won't have a fair amount of success in this fight. He moves incredibly well and Pavlik, simply put, does not. Martinez should create many of the same angles that Hopkins used to bedevil Pavlik when they fought last year.
Unfortunately, Martinez will likely have to fight at a pace that is hard for any fighter to maintain and he has a noted tendency to fade late in fights. Martinez will surge to a lead on the cards, but, the supremely conditioned Pavlik will begin to break Martinez down as he begins to tire in the second half of the fight. Pavlik by TKO in round 11 or 12.
Brian Wilbur
Martinez is a skilled opponent who has all of the tools to follow the game plan of how to beat Kelly Pavlik laid down by Bernard Hopkins. This will not be easy for Pavlik it all, and kudos to him for taking on such a tough opponent. I am banking on Pavlik learning from his mistakes and improving since the Hopkins fight, and for his size advantage to play a role. Pavlik wins a close unanimous decision but takes significant damage in the process.
Dan “Tex” Cohen
Pavlik vs. Martinez pits a large, stalking power hitter against a snake-like serpent with versatile chops and plenty of volume. Expect a good fight. Some are leaning toward Martinez based on his performances against Kermit Cintron and Paul Williams. I see Kelly Pavlik as a bigger challenge than either of those guys. For one, he hits a helluva lot harder. For two, his punches are based largely on accuracy and advantageous leverage from intelligent countering. Pavlik won't be as open as Williams. The most overlooked X-factor in this fight? The age of Martinez. At 35 years old, you just never know when this guy will lose a step. For a fighter that relies on speed, that's a big deal. Pavlik by close UD or late stoppage.
SJ Jarapa
Kelly Pavlik in 4! Right hook on the chin brings the KO!
Geoff Poundes
I think Martinez will give Pavlik a few problems, but expect Kelly to be too strong over twelve rounds and come out with a unanimous decision.
Final Tally
Kelly Pavlik – 6
Sergio Martinez – 4
]]>
By Geno McGahee
Sergio Martinez Defeats Kelly Pavlik
Sergio Martinez, 45-2-2, 24 KO’s, actually got a fair shake and also picked up the WBC and WBO Middleweight Titles from the powerful Kelly Pavlik, 36-2, 32 KO’s, via unanimous decision by scores of 115-111, 116-111, and 115-112. From the opening round, Martinez used his speed to confuse and outwork Pavlik. In the middle rounds, Pavlik began to take control, using his jab and scored a knockdown with a right hand. In the third part of the fight, Martinez came back and cut Pavlik and took over the fight and left little doubt in the end.
Lucian Bute Destroys Edison Miranda
Lucian Bute, 26-0, 21 KO’s, the IBF Super Middleweight Champion, had little trouble with the powerful Edison Miranda, 33-5, 29 KO’s, in the third round with a great uppercut. The “new and improved” Miranda did present a different look as he kept his left hand extended out and moved around the ring, boxing Bute as he came forward. In the first two rounds, Bute was able to get his punches off while Miranda struggled to find the mark.
In the third round, Bute began landing hard shots on Miranda. Miranda posed and clowned, but a left uppercut would send him to the floor in a heap. Miranda got to his feet but was extremely wobbly and the referee waved it off. Another great performance for Bute.]]>
Today, the CEO/Publisher of Ringside Report, “Bad” Brad Berkwitt celebrates his 42nd birthday. We here at RSR wish him a great one and hope that he will come to have many more.
]]>
RSR would like to welcome our latest advertiser Titanbet.com.
About Titan Bet:
“Titan Bet is BIG sports betting, for the BIG sports enthusiasts. Whether you are a beginner on our site, or an experienced player looking for the perfect sportsbook to suit your needs, we know that you will enjoy the action with us.
As our name implies, we are the giants of sports betting. Titan Bet is the latest addition to the Titan mega-brand, the same entertainment group that produces Titan Poker - the largest poker room on the iPoker network - and Titan Casino. As such, at Titan Bet, you can be sure that quality always comes first.”
For those of you that want to place some money on your favorite fighter or play some on line poker, Titanbet.com is for you.]]>
By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
I’ve said it many times over the years and to a great extent followed the sport as such; boxing is the most difficult of all competitive sports as it is tragedy. “Edwin Valero Arrested on Murder Charge” delves into the ongoing downward spiral of one of the most compelling figures in the sport today. What began as “Valero Screws-up Royally” some weeks back, that initial thread by OKMike directed our attention and begged the speculation on the possible causes behind the dark compulsions and demons that had forced an otherwise set and undefeated marquee name down such a grim path. The latest installment, as brought to you by yours truly, was sadly and almost eerily predictable. “Kelly Pavlik – What Now” reviews the recent bloody defeat of a man not long ago perched atop the boxing world; the curious reasons behind an undeniable loss of career momentum, the ongoing rumors of personal strife and a now-doubtful ring future.
Not unlike the recent middleweight title contest that saw a changing of the guard, the RSR April 2010 Prediction League has had its fair share of shifting momentum and changing of the guard. Having enjoyed a sudden second wind, OKMike has managed to displace AnthonySullivan as the heir apparent, having thoroughly distanced himself from the runner-up position in spectacular fashion. The next round of activity may prove pivotal with the Fight of the Month being the next chapter in the ongoing super middleweight Super Six Tournament. Stay tuned. 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 May 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
]]>
By Geno McGahee
In the 1990s, boxing was good for the heavyweights and for the fans. Lennox Lewis would come along and clean it out and when there were no other worthy challengers, he retired and left a gap. The gap has been filled by the Klitschko Brothers, Wladimir and Vitali.
Vitali actually had the chance to square off against Lewis in 2003. It was a good fight that Lewis was beginning to win when Vitali suffered a serious cut and fell victim to a TKO stoppage in the sixth round. The courageous performance made Vitali the champ when Lewis retired. The WBC quickly placed him into a title match with Corrie Sanders, a fight he won via TKO in 8. He would vacate the title, retire, and then come back and reclaim it from an uninspired and fat Sam Peter.
Vitali has a record of 39-2, 37 KO’s, a 90% KO rate, and fights regularly, but he has not captured the imagination of the American public. It’s a combination of things. One, the opposition is weak. Vitali benefits and is also hurt by the current crop of heavyweights. Secondly, Vitali fights in a safety first style, controlling the fight and battering his opponents until they quit or collapse. Americans were accustomed to Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield…guys like that, that would go in there and go to war, but Vitali presents something different. It’s similar to the style that Lennox Lewis brought, but Lewis seemed to have more of a heart for ring wars.
The younger brother, Wladimir, has a record of 54-3, 48 KO’s, has an 84% KO rate, and fights regularly. He has also not brought in the masses from the states. His last title fight against the capable Eddie Chambers wasn’t even picked up by HBO, which is basically the home for the Klitschko brothers.
A big part of the reason why the Klitschkos are not as popular as they would be in a competitive division is that nobody thinks that they can lose. They don’t leave anything to chance. They work from the distance, and eventually their power shots will land and end the fight. Sultan Ibragimov, the former WBO Champ, that lost his title to Wlad via UD, wanted to fight but he was so much smaller and wasn’t allowed inside. That is the storyline with many of the Klitschko opponents.
The contenders nowadays lack charisma and with the networks not broadcasting any fights, they enter the ring as unknowns and leave the ring as the same. Tony Thompson, Calvin Brock, Eddie Chambers, Kevin Johnson, Sultan Ibragimov, and Chris Arreola have not inspired the fans and did not put up any effort in the ring to stimulate interest. They didn’t have the charisma or the fighting heart to go after the champions, but there is one man that apparently does.
The WBA Heavyweight Champion, David “Hayemaker” Haye, 24-1, 22 KO’s, ruled the cruiserweight division and then made his way up to the heavyweights, taking out Monte Barrett and earning a crack at the gigantic champion at the time, Nikolay Valuev. Although most were disappointed with the performance of Haye, he did come away with a win and put forth an effective game plan. He moved and did enough to win the title. Valuev is a tough opponent for anyone because of his size and courage and Haye was able to use skill and ring smarts to overcome that.
Recently, Haye took on former 2-Time Champion John Ruiz. Ruiz was 3-3 in his last six fights going into the fight with Haye but could have easily been 6-0 and many contend that he was robbed clearly against Valuev and Ruslan Chagaev. Whether he was or wasn’t, Ruiz was only stopped once in 1996 against David Tua. He altered his style and became a puzzle that most could not solve. Ruiz is a gritty brawler that was a very live dog in the Haye fight…but we found out a lot about the British Champion in his first defense.
Very early in the first round, a one-two put Ruiz on the floor and in serious trouble. Over anxious, Haye fouled Ruiz, hitting him with a rabbit punch. Haye’s excitement may cost him, especially if he gets Wlad into trouble. The last thing that he would want would be to lose an opportunity to stop one of the Klitschkos because of a foul.
Haye would stop Ruiz in nine rounds and that has sent a message. Haye is charismatic, quick, and hits very hard. He has gotten under the skin of both Wlad and Vitali with his antics, including presenting artwork with Haye holding both severed heads of the Klitschko brothers.
Prior to his defense against Tony Thompson, Wladimir was confronted by Haye and told that he was fighting nobodies. Wlad agreed to fight Haye but the Brit would pull out due to promotional problems. Haye would then come close to signing with Vitali but would pull out as well and take on Valuev as well.
The point of all of this is to psychological warfare and it worked. Both brothers seem irritated with Haye, especially Vitali. Another part of the reason why the fights fell apart in the first place was the rumored demands of the Klitschkos. With the WBA belt around his waist, Haye has more bargaining power. It is something that both brothers want in the family and now it’s just a question of which one will go for it.
The frontrunner now is Wladimir. It makes more sense for Haye. Wlad has some weaknesses that could be capitalized on and the public would see it as a risky fight. Rumor has it that they will be fighting in the fall, should they be able to seal the deal. Wlad may be forced to face Alexander Povetkin first, a good heavyweight under the guidance of Teddy Atlas, but he is expected to get through that outing. If Haye becomes a reality, there is a chance of step aside money for Team Povetkin to make the fight possible with the winner being forced to face him in their next fight.
David Haye is what this division needs. He’s charismatic, quick, and hits hard with both hands. He has the style and power to possibly upset the Klitschko brothers and reshape the division. The win against Ruiz reinforced what many thought when he moved up to heavyweight. Haye may go on to rule the division.
]]>
By Brian Wilbur
Hello readers, I welcome you to my mailbag, although I wish that the main topic today was not so grim. Various news outlets reported that WBC Lightweight Champion Edwin Valero was arrested in suspicion of murdering his wife. Valero has reportedly admitted guilt already. Words cannot describe how disgusted I am with this maniac. He had the potential to be one of the best boxers of his generation. He was a true phenom with his record of 27-0 with 27 knockouts, most of them being in the first round. His legend was growing by the day despite limited press and not being licensed to fight in the United States.
First he was accused of assaulting his mother and sister. Then he was accused of beating his wife. He was sent to rehab to deal with his issues but clearly the rehab did not help at all. Assuming that justice is served, Valero will spend the rest of his life in a jail cell, ending his could-have-been all time great boxing career.
Unfortunately this sad and revolting news overshadows the brilliant win by Sergio Martinez over Kelly Pavlik to capture the Middleweight Championship of the world. A couple emails this week talk about that fight, Lucian Bute, and David Haye, but mostly I give fans an outlet to voice their anger and frustration at Edwin Valero.
If you have thoughts that you would like to share about this, or any other boxing related news, shoot me and email.
Edwin Valero, WTF!!!
Who the hell kills their wife when they have the world in the palm of their hands? The psychopath just couldn't get his life together. What a douche bag coward. I was once a huge fan of his too.
-Dominick Smith
Dominick,
Valero was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. He had substance abuse problems to go along with an explosive and self-destructive personality. Perhaps he should have been punished more severely for his past behavior and this could have been prevented. The guy has no excuses. He is the scum of the Earth.
Why Do the Most Talented Always Fail?
It's clear this guy is a degenerate who deserves to rot in prison for the rest of his life, or be put to death for his crimes. What a waste of talent. Why is it that the most talented athletes always screw up their lives. Just looking at boxing, guys like Tony Ayala, Ike Ibeabuchi, and to a lesser degree Mike Tyson had all the talent in the world but couldn't keep themselves together mentally and ended up completely screwing up their potentially great careers, and screwing up their lives.
I'll just never understand it. I am heart broken for the family of the victim.
-Eddie
Eddie,
Sports are just as much mental as they are physical. Talent cannot take you to the top. Not even talent and hard work can take you to the top. Some kind of sanity is needed or else you turn out like the creeps and losers that you mentioned above. We are left thinking what could have been.
Can Valero Get Off?
So I know that Valero has allegedly admitted to murdering his wife in the hotel room, but do you think he has any chance of walking away from this? This is Venezuela you know, with maniac Hugo Chavez ruling. Valero might be a big enough star that Chavez allows him to get off by making up an alibi or something. Do you think this can happen?
-Roger
Roger,
God, I hope that Valero does not get away with murder. As much as I would selfishly like to see him fight on, he does not deserve to ever see the sunlight again. Not even Hugo Chavez is evil enough to let Valero get away with murdering his wife (let's hope anyway). We'll wait and see what happens next.
Selfish, Violent, Despicable Act
Edwin Valero and his wife had little kids together. Now they don't have a father or a mother, very sad. How could he do something like this disregarding the impact on his children? Do you think he actually had brain damage from either his motorcycle accident or from fighting? What else could have provoked him to do this? Do you think his wife cheated on him or something? I can't understand...
-Double R
Double R,
No, I don't think he had any type of brain damage. He's just an evil violent human being with anger management issues. I don't care if his wife had cheated on him with every man in Venezuela, there is no excuse or possible reason that he should have resorted to murder.
Wrong About Pavlik vs. Martinez
Hey Brian,
Just wanted to say I told you so about the Sergio Martinez vs. Kelly Pavlik fight. I emailed you a couple weeks ago calling Martinez as a the winner. At the time you did not give a pick but I saw your prediction and you went with Pavlik. Should have listened to me! Martinez is a badass complete fighter. He can box, punch, defend, move, whatever you need. Martinez came out of nowhere. I first saw him when he fought Kermit Cintron, but he is legit!!!
-Richard Tresser
Richard,
You know my instincts told me to go with Sergio Martinez that fight. He had the perfect, smart boxing style to break down and punish Pavlik. I said that in my Team RSR fight pick too. Looking back I totally contradicted myself. I said that the styles match up strongly favored Martinez yet I picked Pavlik anyway.
I think I was too caught up with Pavlik's status as the highly respected champion. Kelly had a slight size advantage and was undefeated at middleweight. I got too caught up in that hype to pull the trigger on picking Martinez even though I analyzed the fight correctly in my head. Good call on your pick Richard. Feel free to send me your fight picks in the future.
Bute Better Than Super Six
Lucian Bute made Edison Miranda look like a chump, knocking him out with one uppercut in the 3rd. He is better than anyone in the Super Six tournament I think. Shame that Showtime did not invite him. Heck, they didn't even invite him as an alternate, going with Allan Green instead. That doesn't make any sense to me.
-Arthur
Arthur,
Bute reminds me a of a young Joe Calzaghe with power. He has a bright future ahead of him. Whoever comes away the winner of the Super Six tournament will have a very formidable opponent in Lucian Bute. Showtime didn't invite Bute because he did not fit into the market that they were trying to tap into allegedly, even though he had the credentials. Since the tournament started Bute has had some of his best victories (wins over Librado Andrade and Edison Miranda). And the reason that Allan Green was chosen as an alternate is because he was available whereas Bute had a fight already scheduled.
So is Bute better than all of the guys in the Super Six? He would definitely have been one of the favorites to win if he had been invited. Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell could give Bute problems with their slick boxing styles. I would confidently pick Bute over Mikkel Kessler, Carl Froch, and Allan Green. A fight with Arthur Abraham would be a toss up in my opinion.
My question is what will Bute do until the Super Six is over when he can prove himself against these top notch fighters? I guess he could try to unify against newly crowned WBO title holder Robert Stieglitz, or seek out solid contenders like Sakio Bika or Jesse Brinkley. Other than that he will simply have to wait.
More On David Haye
Hello Brian,
I was talking about David Haye vs. John Ruiz the other day in your mailbag, I didn't explain much, why I still had doubts. First of all, the fight John Ruiz had prior to the Haye fight, against an unknown fighter was quite poor in my opinion. So I had big doubts about Ruiz before the fight. Even so I did envision Ruiz giving him problem's. One reason was Haye's fight with Giacobbe Fragomeni, who pressured him and gave him problems. I figured that since Ruiz was bigger and would pressure Haye and he's stronger than Fragomeni.
Haye's style somewhat gives the illusion he his in trouble sometimes, I would have thought that if he fought his usual way he would get in to trouble with Ruiz. But he showed up, fought like usual and it even seemed easy. He was breathing hard though after the first rounds which didn't look good. Regarding the Carl Thompson loss I agree with the email from last week's bag (if I understood it correctly) that Haye's knockout loss was more because he ran out of gas than his chin. He didn't seem unconscious or anything he looked more like Wladimir vs Brewster I, completely gassed out. I have a lot of faith in Haye, because I don't think anyone is going to become undisputed Cruiserweight Champion like Haye became if he didn't have a lot of talent, toughness and strength.
So I am very interested in Haye's career and so far he has backed up the big words. But I still think Wladimir will win against Haye. As good as Haye is, I just think Wladimir is better, and much, much stronger. Some of the shots Ruiz was landing made me think Wladimir will land his shots. I know my next statement is a little strange, but I'm starting to think Haye has a better chance against Vitali. Wladimir seems to me to be peaking right now but Vitali is getting older and closer to the end of his career and his last fight was not so impressive than the fight before that saw him having troubles. But one or two fights don't have to mean anything, styles makes fights etc. But I have a strange
feeling Vitali is getting close to the end.
One point in the end because you mentioned that Haye seemed to be ducking Wladimir. That statement get's some strengthening by the latest news. Wladimir calls out Haye, and Haye's trainer answers by saying they like Vitali's belts better than Wladimir, and that they need to fight each other first (the Klitschko brothers). But before that he had constantly called out Wladimir. Either he's trying to annoy them or he's just trying to stay away from them. In my opinion it would be a bad idea for Haye to get more fights in the weight class before Klitschko fight.
-Olafur
Olafur,
I admire David Haye and think he is a good heavyweight fighter, but he is a full step below the Klitschko brothers. Wladimir and Vitali still don't get as much respect as they deserve by many and I just can't understand it. They not only fight and beat top 10 opposition, they dominate to the point where they hardly lose a round. Haye could probably beat 98% of heavyweights out there due to his power and athleticism. David does not necessarily have glaring weaknesses with his size, chin, endurance, or defense, but those are not overwhelming strengths either.
I caught some grief in my inbox for saying that I sense that Haye has some vulnerabilities in his game that have yet to be exposed. When I said that I didn't mean that he was a bum or not worthy of his title belt. What I meant is that I don't see him becoming an all time great Heavyweight Champion who is able to overcome every different style. Haye is not that dominant. I think where my reservations come is that he does not look calm during his fights. Guys like Sergio Martinez, Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins and many others have this calm cool about them when they fight, which makes them appear as if they could fight for 25 rounds if they had to. With Haye he looks tense or nervous and you get the sense that the clock is ticking on his stamina. If he has allowed himself to run out of gas in previous fights then I can see a pressure fighter giving “Hayemaker” issues.
Wladimir Klitschko's jab, size, and offensive arsenal present a huge challenge for all of his opponents. I haven't seen much from Haye that makes me think he can come close to overcoming that. Haye's best chance at beating Wladimir is to try to bum rush him like Corrie Sanders did and score an early round KO before Klitschko has a chance to warm up.
I see your point regarding Wladimir potentially being a tougher opponent for Haye than Vitali despite that notion going against conventional wisdom. We sometimes forget how old Vitali Klitschko is because of his strong performances against much younger contenders. A young energetic fighter can sometimes test the old bones of a superior fighter. Whereas Wladimir Klitschko is in his prime right now and has never been better. His defense has improved tremendously since his last loss, with punching accuracy that always finds openings for huge power punches. If Haye doesn't hurt Klitschko early he will be a sitting duck for those power punches and surely be knocked out.
I heard about Haye's camp asking for the Klitschko brothers to fight each other before fighting him. I hope that Haye was joking because he sounds like a chicken fight-ducker with that attitude, knowing that the brothers will never fight each other.
I will end here folks. Send in your emails for next week. I look forward to hearing from you.
]]>
By Scott Heritage
UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi is now in the books, and the winners and losers of the card will be returning to their respective home countries to either lick their wounds or celebrate their victories.
Anderson Silva retained his title against Demian Maia in the main event, but put on another of his frustrating showboating sessions for most of the fight. Dana White was understandably frustrated with Silva's performance, and made his thoughts apparent in both the post fight press conference and an expletive filled tirade on twitter later on that day.
Before the fight there was talk of Silva moving both up and down in weight, both to welterweight and up light heavyweight and even heavyweight. Having been deemed unworthy to fight Georges St Pierre for the time being by Dana White, Silva's next move is less clear than it was prior to 112.
The most likely next fight for Silva will be a challenge from either Vitor Belfort or Chael Sonnen depending on injuries. Another foray into the 205 pound division isn't out of the question either, but Dana White will obviously be less indulgent to Silva's whims in the near future. If Silva feels he isn't being challenged enough at middleweight, then a permanent move to light heavyweight seems to be the most obvious next move, especially if Shogun beats Lyoto Machida at UFC 113 and he can challenge for the title.
While Silva's antics were the main focus of the middleweight title bout at 112, it also became evident that Maia has work to do to remain in contention. Although his Jiu Jitsu remains on another level to the majority of the division, the rest of his skills have shown to be lacking in recent bouts. Against both Nate Marquardt and Anderson Silva, Maia was more or less pulped on the feet.
Where Maia is heading for the time being is nowhere fast. Numerous contenders get stuck between the champion and the rest of the division, and Maia runs the risk of becoming a high level gate keeper in the future. For the time being there are bouts with the other contenders to keep Maia going. In the long run he will have to hope he can either become more well rounded or that Silva moves on to a different weight class permanently.
Diminutive New Jersey native Frankie Edgar overcame steep odds in defeating B.J Penn and capturing the UFC lightweight gold. He implemented the perfect game plan and at times made the larger Penn look sluggish. His only career loss to date was against Gray Maynard, who has since continued to win and elevate himself into title contention himself.
A rematch between the two seems to be the most obvious match for the UFC to make as his first defense, although reportedly a rematch with Penn is the first order of business. Perennial contender Kenny Florian will also have a vested interest in the outcome of the rematch, having been smashed by Penn already
B.J Penn lost more than just his lightweight title at UFC 112. He also lost a winning streak at 155 pounds that goes right back to 2002. Moving forward Penn will want to get back on the horse as quickly as possible, and is getting another crack at Edgar in the summer.
There was talk of Penn moving up to welterweight after his defense against Edgar, at which time he would have more or less cleared out the division. Those plans will have to be put on hold for now as Penn rejoins the chasing pack for just the second time in his career. Having beaten most of the top lightweights in the division it appears that Penn is being given an instant rematch. Having him pick off other contenders would largely be retreading old ground for the Hawaiian, who has decimated the rest of the division.
It will be interesting to see what the odds are for the rematch. There were rumors of Penn fighting some kind of infection and being on antibiotics during the first fight, although it is difficult to tell whether these kinds of excuses actually have much truth to them. Many losing fighters seem to have some reason why they shouldn't have even taken part in the fight, yet very few ever pull out. From the greasegate incident involving Penn himself to Tito's fractured skull it is difficult to feel much sympathy for someone who fights with a big disadvantage and then tries to justify losing because of it.
Usually the UFC doesn't tend to give immediate rematches, which gives the division a shake up and allows different contenders to present themselves. In this case though there really aren't any new faces coming through the ranks who would be ready for a title shot over the course of a couple of fights. The only other contenders are the twice unsuccessful Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard, who has been winning, but not in the kind of fashion that has fans clamoring to see him fight.
Former welterweight champion Matt Hughes doesn't seem to be too concerned with another title push after his recent losses, and instead seems content to take interesting but winnable fights. The rumor mill has already started that Hughes will eventually fight Dennis Hallman for his next outing, although at his current pace that might not be until next year.
Hallman beat Hughes twice during the early part of his career, both times via submission. Whether Hallman, who has been decidedly average in most respects other than this, can repeat the feat is unlikely. While Hughes is now coming to the end of his career, Hallman also probably has a few to many miles on the clock, and should prove to be easy fodder for the former champion this time around.
As per their recent policies, the UFC signed Hughes to a fairly extensive contract that should see him fighting for the promotion until his retirement. While he isn't that relevant to the division anymore, the worry was that he would jump ship if not kept within the fold, providing rival StrikeForce with another decent draw.
After Hallman the remaining loss on his record that he should be able to erase would be against 'Pele' aka Jose Landi-Jons. Again since that loss Hughes went on to championship glory and hall of fame status as the UFC welterweight champion while Pele had intermittent mixed success largely in the minor leagues. After this though the only losses not avenged on Hughes' ledger are against GSP and Thiago Alves, both of whom should have all the tools necessary to beat him today.
At the age of 42, Renzo Gracie left it a little late to really make much of a run in the UFC, and it was rumored his signing had a lot to do with part of the UFC being sold to the rulers of Abu Dhabi not long ago. In the post fight press conference Renzo talked about dropping down to 155lbs for his next fight, although whether he will be any better suited to the faster pace of lightweight will have to remain to be seen. Takanori Gomi would make for a suitable foe in his next outing, giving him the chance to avenge Raplh Gracie's loss all the way back at Pride Bushido 3. More likely though it would get Gomi back into winning ways and on the road to an eventual rematch with B.J Penn.
]]>
By Gina L. Caliboso
I saved $20. I’m an unemployed combat sports writer and I was fortunate enough to have decided to forgo the opportunity to go a local theatre in Long Beach, California, where the Roy Jones, JR vs Bernard “Executioner” Hopkins fight was going to be broadcast. Thank goodness!
I stayed home on a Saturday night and played a game of chess on my computer. And from what I heard about the fight, I think my chess game was more exciting – and I lost. Veteran Bernard Hopkins beat Roy Jones, JR., in a fight that didn’t have any sort of “oomph” to its billing. More importantly, I wasn’t too hyped for the fight either. I’ve been following boxing for years and yes, call me a boxing ageist, but maybe it’s time for veteran fighter Hopkins to hang up the gloves and just retire.
According to the scorecards, Hopkins’ victory by unanimous decision revealed a one sided fight (Dave Moretti, 118-109, Glenn Trowbridge, 117-110, and Trella, 117-110). There was no belt on the line only a slight redemptive quality to a renewing of former rivals. I don’t see the “rivals” aspect of it since Jones and Hopkins fought one another back in 1993 where Hopkins lost in a 12 round unanimous decision for the then vacant IBF Middleweight title.
I don’t think there can be much payback for a 12 round unanimous decision. A first round KO can redeem maybe, but not a victory by unanimous decision. If Hopkins wanted redemption by beating Jones, JR., I guess he got it.
I think.
Hopkins currently remains ranked #1 among the light heavyweights. Among the top 5 ranked light heavyweights, there is no one that even comes close to giving him any sort of competitive bout. If youth is a consideration, #2 ranked southpaw Chad Dawson, 29-0, 17 KO’s, stands as the youngest at 27. He is set to fight against #6 ranked Canadian Jean Pascal, 25-1, 16 KO’s, later this year in August.
Miami native Glen Johnson, 50-13, 34 KO’s, ranks #3. Rounding out the top 5 light heavyweights, Chris Henry, 25-2, 20 KO’s, ranks #4 and Zsolt Erdei, 31-0, 17 KO’s, ranks #5.
Aside from Hopkins, Dawson, and Johnson, who is who among the light heavyweights? To answer honestly, I didn’t know any of these fighters and this explains why the light heavyweight is exactly that – light with no competition. Among the top 5, I consider Johnson to take over the division should he decide to fight Hopkins. If Hopkins stands determined to stay in boxing, he will have to eventually face Johnson and make the weight class all his own.
Let’s also consider that I and other fight fans like to remember Hopkins when he fought at super middleweight. Hopkins has pulled off some major fights in his career. And some of these fights didn’t necessarily result in a win. Going back to 2005, both of his losses to Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor were hard fought matches.
He lost to Taylor in July 2005 via split decision then got a rematch later in December only to lose in a 12 round unanimous decision. Hopkins then fought only one fight in 2006 against Antonio Tarver that resulted in a 12 round unanimous decision for the IBO and NBA Light Heavyweight titles.
In 2007, he defeated Ronald “Winky” Wright with a 12 round unanimous decision. In 2008, Hopkins fight record went 1-1 with his split decision loss over 12 rounds to retired and undefeated Joe “Pride of Wales” Calzaghe in April followed by a win over Kelly “Ghost” Pavlik in a 12 round unanimous decision.
In 2009, he defeated Enrique Ornelas with a 12 round unanimous decision. But here’s a statistic that sums up the career I just restated, he’s been fighting 12 round fights for the last 5 years. Going back to 2004 against his promoter Oscar De La Hoya, 39-6, 30 KO’s, Hopkins fought his shortest fight with the 9th round KO. That’s a whole lot of boxing, a whole lot of training, a whole lot of recovery. At 45, Hopkins does not need to fight anymore. Hopkins does not need to show anyone he still has it. He always had it. His career reveals he has it. There is no doubt that Hopkins is a champion fighter.
As you can see that night had its high and low for me – the high I saved $20 from not watching the fight and the low being I lost a chess match to my computer on a Saturday night, I can honestly say that overall, there was no need for it. As I just looked at Hopkins’ fight record from the past 4 years, he has beaten and lost to some of the best boxers. There is no shame to his record and I’d like to see his retirement quiet in the memory of his strongest self as a boxer. He has a lot of experience and should possibly become a trainer or promoter.
.
As I observe, Hopkins has the gift of longevity. He can graciously take himself out of boxing at the top of the light heavyweight division. Hopkins may even say that he’s got one more fight in him and he probably has, but there’s no need to fight any more. He is holding onto something, maybe a fight against Johnson to seal in his mind as well as boxing fans that he truly is the top light heavyweight even at 45. Regardless if the bout ever comes to be, Hopkins has a championship career, period.
From Rocky III, the character Apollo Creed says it best about a retired boxer, “Listen, it's quiet isn't it? When you retire it's too quiet.” The veteran Hopkins is fortunate to have such a dubious career that has placed him as one of the best fighters to ever enter a ring. He tactically fought his matches and followed the definition of the sweet science of boxing. I can instantly recall the body shot against De La Hoya back in their bout in 2004. It was beautifully placed and the punch followed textbook execution of the body shot. More importantly, it was the body shot felt by De La Hoya that he could not recover.
I began this article with the fact that I play chess. At his best, Hopkins fought his matches much like a chess match – a psychological and physical awareness of specific moves to gain the advantage and earn a victory. For Hopkins and his boxing, he put everything together as keys to his fighting longevity - his age, his tactics, his knowledge of the sweet science. I like remembering that Hopkins fought every fight that way. I am a fan of Hopkins (except this last fight) and believe Hopkins should just consider retiring and live a life outside of boxing in spite of the quiet – and there would be boxing fans ready to find out just what his next move might be.
]]>
By Geno McGahee
It is hard to believe that the WBC Lightweight Champion, Edwin Valero, is involved in a murder-suicide, where his wife would die from multiple stab wounds, and he would later hang himself in his prison cell the very next day. The world champion was right at the verge of stardom, featured on Showtime, defeating Antonio DeMarco by impressive TKO.
Valero had the impressive record of 27-0, 27 KO’s, but more impressive was just how quickly he would beat his opposition. Out of those 27 victories, 19 of them were first round knockouts. When he stepped up in competition, he would show his versatility, and an underrated defense, slowly beating them until they collapsed. He had all the tools to be the next big thing in boxing and there was a lot of talk of a bout with Manny Pacquiao in the near future.
One of the biggest hurdles to overcome was a brain injury he received in 2001 after a motorcycle accident. He was eventually cleared to fight in 2002, but this would haunt his career. He would fail an MRI when he was set to make his American television debut on HBO’s Boxing After Dark, and could not get licensed in any state. His legend would build though, through the power of the Internet.
Boxing fans would hear the news of a lightweight with a heavyweight punch, blitzing his opponents in the first round. It brought them to Youtube where many of Valero’s examples of destruction were on display and the comparison would be automatically made to the Filipino superstar, Manny Pacquiao. A showdown between the two would be too big for any MRI to prevent and in 2008, Valero was licensed to fight in Texas, in his victory over DeMarco.
The next opponent on the agenda was to be light welterweight, Lamont Peterson, a move closer to a showdown with Manny Pacquiao, the current welterweight kingpin. Valero had been compared so much to Manny because of his southpaw stance, gutsy and powerful style, and ability to draw a crowd. A match between them would have been like two freight trains on a collision course. It is a boxing promoter’s dream and it was on the verge of becoming a reality.
Edwin Valero would state that he only wanted “big fights” and mentioned Juan Diaz and Juan Manuel Marquez. He would challenge Pacquiao through the press, stating that he would not require steroid testing and that he didn’t care how he got the bout, as long as he got it. Any challenge to Pacquiao will get the boxing world turning their heads but when the challenge came from Valero, the boxing world paused. It was another great challenge to Manny as he winds down his career, and Valero’s punching power and timing would certainly make an interesting fight.
In September 2009, Valero reportedly attacked both his mother and his wife, leading to an arrest for assault. Valero would deny the allegations and his mother would come forward and state that it did not happen.
On March 29th, Yennifer Carolina, the wife of Edwin, was admitted into the hospital with bruises and a broken rib that punctured her lung. She would claim that she fell down the stairs. In the past, she had been brought to the hospital for other similar injuries. Valero would create a ruckus at the hospital, threatening the medical staff forcing them to call the police. He would admit that he was an alcoholic and was sentenced to rehab for six months.
On April 1st, it was announced that Valero would be released from rehab and not serve the six months, with the reason being that the process of detoxification doesn’t take that long. The main purpose behind the early release was to capitalize on his boxing career and get him back into the ring where there was a lot of money to be made.
On April 10th, Valero was involved in a drunken hit and run accident. He agreed to pay for the damages and to continue fighting his problems with alcohol and drugs. Valero was self destructing.
It was on April 18th that the shocking news hit the boxing world. Edwin Valero murdered his wife, stabbing her to death. The long history of domestic abuse and the recent spree of criminal behavior should have been a signal that there was something very wrong with the champion. This case is a great example of the problem with wife beaters. Despite the ongoing domestic abuse, Yennifer never filed charges…never made him pay for the beatings. Tragically, this was the next step and what many thought to be the future of boxing disappeared and a life was lost. Valero would admit guilt in the murder.
The next day, April 19th, Valero would commit suicide, hanging himself in his cell with his clothing.
Boxing has been dealt with several blows as of late, tragic deaths that have rattled the sports world. Arturo Gatti reportedly committed suicide, and so too did Alexis Arguello, and now Edwin Valero has taken his own life as well, but the true tragedy here is the loss of his wife and the people around Edwin not reading the signs and just looking at the money to be made from his boxing career.
Edwin Valero will go down in history as a tragedy…a force in boxing that could have been one of the greats and done some fantastic things, but instead, his legacy is that of a murderer, an abuser of women, and a coward. Despite the loss for boxing fans, the human race is better without this menace.
]]>
Boxing product review by “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
Recently Boxing Depot.com sent me a pair of traditional bag gloves made by Lonsdale. My old bag gloves were the red Everlast brand with the thumb enclosed. I was interested in using these gloves because your thumb is actually attached, but a part of it remains out.
The first thing I noticed as I landed my jab, right hand, hooks and body shots to my heavy bag, is that these gloves had a very nice amount of padding. I always wrap my hands as well, but with the older Everlast gloves, my knuckles would still be very red. With the Lonsdale gloves, they were not red at all.
I also liked the Velcro strips that you wrap around and make it tighter around your wrist. The gloves were a medium and they fit just as I hoped they would. The partial coolflex palm is a big improvement for cooling and evaporation.
This is my third week using the gloves and they are holding up and more importantly, my hands have never felt better while I am laying it down on my heavy bag. I highly recommend these bag gloves and give them a rating of 10 out of 10!
Boxing Depot sells the traditional bag gloves by Lonsdale for $44.95.
To purchase your gloves now, click here
By Eoin Redahan
Grandfathers are probably spinning in their graves. “They’re worshipping who now?” they ask, mid-revolution. “A diminutive boxer with a bad moustache and a fear of needles? Whoever heard of a God advertising odor blocking body wash on his website? Of course, things were different in my day: Our deities had thunderbolts, fire, brimstone, and vengeance. This Pacquiao character can’t even knock out a walking punch bag with a peek-a-boo guard. I could give you six reasons why that Filipino fighter isn’t fit to wear the jockstraps of other Gods:”
Reasons
#1 – Lightning bolts
Believe it or not, Manny Pacquiao isn’t the first boxer to have thrown a lot of punches in a round. He threw an impressive 1231 punches against Joshua Clottey but landed only 246. While he landed at will against Miguel Cotto, he did only throw 780 punches when pitted against a more aggressive opponent. No one is questioning that Pacquiao has enviable speed and output, but others have been more prolific. Antonio Margarito once threw 1675 punches in a fight, and Cecilio Espino landed over 600 times against Luigi Camputaro in 1992. Even at super middleweight, Joe Calzaghe threw about 1,000 punches in his bouts against Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler; and featherweight world champion Celestino Caballero recently threw 1250 punches (landing 325).
#2 – Weight a minute
How heavy were you at age 16? I would wager that you were at least 30 pounds heavier in your late twenties, even before the effects of overindulgence became apparent. Many worshippers of the Filipino crooner seem to trumpet Pacquiao’s movement through the weights as an unworldly achievement; yet, in reality Pacquiao is not as far from his natural weight as many people think. Yes, it is impressive, but with all due respect, he did start his professional career as a 16-year-old light flyweight. If he had won world titles at seven different weights starting at featherweight where the caliber of opposition is higher, then this achievements would be almost incomparable. As it is, his multi-weight achievements arguably don’t surpass those of Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Roy Jones Junior, and of course, Sugar Ray Robinson.
#3 – Not by the wobble of his chinny chin chin
Not many Gods have been knocked out in their time, though some have retired due to loss of allegiance. Even the progeny of Gods rarely get knocked out more than once (see Achilles and his pesky tendon). Generally, they like to stay out of the reach of mere mortals in clouds or lofty kingdoms.
While Freddie Roach has tightened up Pacquiao’s defense, he still receives far too much punishment to be considered in unworldly terms, furthermore, the weight-drained knockouts of his earlier years will forever besmirch his perfect record and should disbar him from ignoring people’s prayers and raining plagues on infidels.
#4 – Styles make fights
Pacquiao has looked superb against the less couth brawling types and against weight-drained former greats with kangaroo meat diets; however, he has sometimes struggled when he has come up against slick technicians and classy counterpunchers. Lest we forget, he was out-boxed against Erik Morales in their first bout when the Mexican was past his prime, and it could be argued that he deserved to lose at least one of his bouts against Juan Manuel Marquez. While he was masterful, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, and Ricky Hatton, the latter pair are not exactly renowned for their ring craft and elusiveness.
When Jesus met the devil in the desert, he encountered a wily, colubrine opponent with many tricks and maneuvers; but, in the end, he prevailed through evasiveness and a decent right cross. If Pacquiao is to be considered in the pantheon of boxing Gods, then he too must convincingly beat the best technicians in the game. Surely his credibility must take a hit if he chooses to fight more bangers in Andre Berto and Antonio Margarito instead of Floyd Mayweather, JR?
But would Pacquiao lay a glove on the master craftsman, or would he be humbled in the same manner as Juan Manuel Marquez? Now, if Pacquiao were to prevail in the clash of the titans, then maybe his status could be revised. For the moment though, it seems that both boxers are succumbing to human insecurities and are artfully bobbing and weaving away from facing each other
#5 – Winners and Gods don’t use drugs
Libations, drunken orgies, and infidelities were standard practice for the Greek gods at Mount Olympus. But, despite their vices, they were never accused of using intravenous methods to attain their omnipotence. Similarly, benevolent creators are credited with conjuring performance enhancing drugs, but they never suffered from allegations of personal consumption, and they certainly never cowered in the face of small needles. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the Pac Man. While few believe that he is juicing, his failure to dispel lingering allegations - and his inability to stand up to syringes - have detracted from his aura of invincibility and holier-than-thou persona.
#6 – Manny Miscellany
Point number six comprises an unrelated miscellany of other reasons why Pac fans are wrong to worship their hero with bended knee and obsequious bow:
Look at any pictures of Zeus or the classic depiction of a Judeo-Christian God, and they are endowed with impressive beards. Pacquiao, by contrast, has sprouted a very uneasy looking goatee, having previously gone for the straggly moustache and bowler haircut combination. It is common knowledge that bowler haircuts and incomplete beard lines are completely unacceptable in immortal realms.
Thirdly, it is not unknown for Gods to engage in political campaigns of sorts, but rarely do they have names as cringe worthy as The People’s Champ Movement, nor do they get assimilated into bigger political parties.
Gods tend not to undertake careers in music or film, unless of course they can sing or are portrayed by a noble-faced actor. Gods are also almost never reserves in an army. Moreover, they preside over groveling troops with countless charms clasped close in the vane hope of fortune and divine approval.
And finally, how many Gods do you know that have had mentors? They’re supposed to be the ones doing the mentoring. Freddie Roach has been called a miracle worker on occasion, but perhaps it is taking it too far to suggest that he is a tutor to the Gods?
]]>
By Eoin Redahan
Seasoned film fans will cherish Sam Weisman’s pivotal work, D2: The Mighty Ducks. In this cinematic masterpiece, Team USA hockey defies the odds to defeat the largely evil Icelandic team in the Junior Goodwill Games.
But how did we know the Icelandic team was evil? They played in black of course; they were older, stronger, had terrible accents, and they dabbled in underhanded tactics – a bit like the European fighters in the Super Six.
Unfortunately, the tournament’s European contingent has assumed the aspect of the vanquished villain. Arthur Abraham did his reputation no favors by teeing off on Andre Dirrell’s head while he was on his knees; Carl Froch brawled, bullied, and rabbit punched his way to a controversial split-decision victory (also over Dirrell); and Mikkel Kessler sported a badly sliced-up face to complement his battered reputation.
After shading the first series of bouts, the boxers from the other side of the Atlantic are in desperate need of credibility. But, how likely are they to alter the script and become the heroes of the Showtime showpiece?
Mikkel Kessler
The “Viking Warrior” looked bound for a boxing Valhalla after 11 one-sided rounds against Andre Ward. The Dane who dismantled Librado Andrade and Markus Beyer looked unrecognizable from the plodding one-dimensional fighter that was battered in Oakland. The jab wasn’t snapping and the power shots weren’t landing. Ward’s speed and slick combinations befuddled Kessler into relative inaction. And, to add injury to insult; he was badly roughed-up on the inside.
Ward exposed chinks in Kessler’s armory that had not been breached since the Dane fought Joe Calzaghe. Kessler may be a worthy champion, but he struggles when confronted with genuine hand and foot speed. Both Ward and Calzaghe disrupted his rhythm by out-jabbing and outworking him; and when Kessler couldn’t get his piercing jab off, there didn’t seem to be a contingency plan.
Despite his shortcomings against quick fighters, Kessler remains a formidable opponent. He has a good jab, knockout power, and a good repertoire of punches. Factor in his excellent conditioning, steadfast chin, and a general aura of calm in the ring, and it is not hard to see why he was expected to beat Ward comfortably.
Despite the recent schooling by Ward, Kessler will still be confident of reaching the final four. Neither of his next opponents, Allan Green or Carl Froch, has a style that will daunt him. Both fighters may generate considerable power, but the Dane has no difficulty either taking a shot or trading in the center of the ring. He should have the boxing skills and power to defeat Allan Green comfortably, and should edge a decision victory against Froch, especially with home advantage.
In a similar manner to the match-up against Froch, the outcome of a bout against Arthur Abraham would be largely dependent on who is fighting at home. However, while the outcomes of bouts against Froch and Abraham are difficult to call, it is hard to see Kessler beating either Andre Ward again or Andre Dirrell. If both fighters show the same movement and boss the battle of the jab as they have done in recent fights, then it is hard to see Kessler finding his rhythm against either boxer.
That said, a good fighter doesn’t become a bad fighter overnight, and if Kessler beats Froch, the complexion of his tournament changes once again.
Carl Froch
After his unconvincing victory over Andre Dirrell in October, Carl Froch is in the best position of the European fighters, and seems relieved to be fighting a more predictable boxer in Kessler. He accused Dirrell of running for much of the bout, but Froch himself showed us little apart from good conditioning, decent pressure fighting in the later rounds, and consistent punching around the back of the ahead that went unpunished.
Some fighters seem to take a perverse joy in frustrating the crowd with defensive boxing or spoiling tactics. Froch, however, is often the victim of his own exuberance. Instead of working combinations behind a probing jab, he has the tendency to lunge into single power shots with a dangerously exposed chin. But, perhaps there is a method to this madness. Froch has only been down once in his professional and amateur careers and remains unbeaten as a pro. Whoever fights Froch knows they will probably have to stand and trade with him at some point; history tells us that there is only one winner when that happens.
Despite being in a solid position, Froch must feel slightly anxious about securing the win he needs to progress to the last four. When he fights Kessler in Herning, Denmark, he will be fighting in a much different atmosphere to his recent bout against Dirrell in Nottingham. Kessler’s fervid home support will make it difficult for him to win a close decision, and it is unlikely that Froch’s rabbit-punching and occasional penchant for flurries after the bell will be permitted. And, while Froch had a far better engine than Dirrell, Kessler is well versed in 12-stanza championship bouts. While it should be a close fight, Froch’s indiscipline and tendency to leave his chin out as the first line of defense may well result in the first blemish on Froch’s untainted record.
The proceeding Abraham fight should also provide a fan-friendly tear-up. Both fighters will stand and trade, and while Abraham has a tighter defense and is a cleaner puncher, Froch is bigger and slightly more powerful. If Froch prevails, trickier challenges lie ahead.
Froch has struggled to look good against quicker opponents. Jermain Taylor might have stood in front of Froch, but he constantly beat him to the punch to accumulate a considerable early lead. Froch’s lack of head and foot movement left him easy to hit against Dirrell, and a more experienced fighter than the American would have jabbed and moved his way to a comfortable victory without the theatrics. If Froch were to fight Dirrell again in the U.S. it would be hard to see Froch winning, even with his power advantage. Similarly, Ward has the hand speed, combination punching, and ring savvy, to frustrate Froch. Perhaps this is doing a disservice to the British boxer. He is as tenacious as anyone in the competition, is still unbeaten, and even on an off night he always has a puncher’s chance.
Arthur Abraham
What a difference one fight makes. Against Jermain Taylor, Arthur Abraham made a big statement. He was difficult to hit, showed impressive variety, and ruthless finishing. The step up from middleweight appeared seamless, and most writers had penciled him in as the man to beat.
He was then expected to stalk down the gangling Andre Dirrell and knock him out with a minimum of fuss. It would be safe to say that the ensuing 11 rounds will not feature in a career highlight package for Armenian-born German. His peek-a-boo stance and upright posture were badly exposed with vicious hooks to the body and Dirrell’s inexorable jab.
Abraham was made to look like a plodding overblown middleweight as his opponent put together slick combinations with a surprising amount of power. The fight might have been a grim reflection of Abraham’s limitations as a boxer, but the illegal pot shot that left an unconscious Dirrell twitching on the canvas was a damning indictment of his character. Nevertheless, to garble Shakespeare: One fight does not proclaim the man. He may not be slick and elusive, but at his best he is an excellent pressure fighter and a good counterpuncher with a vicious left hook.
Abraham’s next fight cannot come soon enough. Having secured a knockout victory over Taylor, he is still in a strong position to advance into the latter stages of the competition. He has the stamina and durability to take Froch’s best punches and won’t be drawn into a brawl as other fighters have been. However, the signs are ominous if Abraham does advance. His power may have caused Dirrell some problems in the latter stages of their fight, and he would relish the opportunity to rectify this damaging defeat, but the odds are against him beating the wily Ward or Dirrell. If the hackneyed adage is true, and styles do win fights, then Abraham’s, Kessler’s and Froch’s are ill fitted when confronted with the unorthodox, elusive styles of Ward and Dirrell.
]]>
By Daniel “Tex” Cohen
-The Floyd Mayweather, JR-Shane Mosley Super Fight is heating to a beautiful boil as the Boxing blogosphere gets into it. I’ve seen a wide range of opinions from the experts on this one, and I’m still undecided in how the whole thing will officially unfold. I know Mayweather has an aura of invincibility, but, as Ring Magazine columnist Michael Rosenthal pointed out, every fighter has that same aura until somebody beats him. The question is whether or not that somebody will be Shane Mosley. According to Gerry Penalosa and Manny Pacquiao, he will be.
-I’ll tell you who doesn’t like Mosley in the fight: Las Vegas. Bodog Sports Odds on the bout have Mayweather as -450 favorite and Mosley at +300. For those of you that don’t speak Gamblese, that means you have to toss down four and a half bucks to get one if you’re picking Mayweather to win. However, you get three bucks back for every one dollar you bet on Mosley if he wins. Sportsbook.com has Mayweather at -340 and Mosley at +260. Betus.com is looking at -400 for Mayweather and +300 for Mosley. Maybe the public is sleeping on Sugar Shane a bit.
Even so, I expect those odds to tighten across the board, and I expect the bookies to go cartel and make them a bit more uniform. Otherwise, the house loses money.
And you know what they say about the house…
-Bodog’s odds are the same on Mayweather-Mosley as they are on Amir Khan-Paulie Malignaggi. Khan has gotten a boatload of credit for his winning streak since eating mat against Breidis Prescott in September of 2008. Malignaggi, in the meantime, has gone pretty unloved for almost the same sort of performances over almost the same stretch (don’t write me hate mail; I know Juan Diaz technically won the first fight against the Magic Man, but it was a draw at best for the tough Houstonian slugger). Malignaggi relishes the underdog role, so maybe this is good for him.
-I wonder what the odds are on Manny Pacquiao winning his congressional race.
-While I’m talking about Paulie Malignaggi and Manny Pacquiao, I want to take just a moment to point out a recent Malignaggi quotation regarding Pacquiao’s possible steroid use:
"I know him and I’ve seen him over time. People think I just pull this stuff out of my ass. I’m not a complete idiot that just accuses people of something without having my reasons to believe what it is I’m saying. I’m not hating or taking anything away from him, it’s just how I feel."
Paulie, this is America and everyone is entitled to freedom of speech. But everyone else is entitled to suing the crap out of you if you speak libelously.
Besides, your statement is a little like saying, “I know Paulie Malignaggi and I’ve seen him over time. I’m not just some idiot who just accuses people of committing treason, but I think Paulie Malignaggi probably has. I have my reasons. I’m not hating or taking anything away from him. I just think he’s a terrorist. That’s just how I feel.”
-If Kermit Cintron loses to Paul Williams next month, people will clamor for his retirement. Let me preempt that storm of idiocy by stating that there is NO shame in losing to Paul Williams.
-Wladimir Klitschko is calling out David Haye.
One interpretation of that is that Haye is in his head. The other interpretation is that Klitschko is tired of Haye pulling out fights with guys with the last name Klitschko. Either way, I sure wouldn’t want a six foot six, two hundred forty pound man to be angry with me, but maybe that’s why I’m not a prize fighter.
-Cheers to Danny Green, who just nailed down another early knockout on the heel of his victory over Roy Jones, JR.
I hear Green is a pretty well guy, too.
-Remember Shannon Briggs? That guy that has perennially contended for about ten years? He just knocked somebody out in 28 seconds.
-I CANNOT WAIT for Tomasz Adamek and Chris Arreola to dance this Saturday night. That fight has explosion written all over it. The word on the street in LA is that Arreola is in better shape than ever. I’ll believe it when I see it. As for Adamek, a victory for him would catapult him into the heavyweight top five.
-Speaking of Bradley-Maidana, that one has Fight of the Year written all over it. As RSR message board member OKMike said of the fight, “Boom!” I like Bradley in that one, but I could see it going either way. Credit to Gary Shaw and Richard Schaeffer for making the bout, and credit to both men for taking the fight.
-Has anyone faced harder competition over the last two years than Bradley? Junior Witter, Edner Cherry, Kendall Holt, Nate Campbell, Lamont Peterson, and Carlos Maidana? That’s like a junior welterweight murderer’s row!
-The mighty Miguel Cotto has been training with the irreplaceable Emanuel Steward for his upcoming fight with Yuri Foreman. I like both warriors in this bout. Steward is a great trainer, but he seems to do well with long jabbers (a fact pointed on the RSR message boards by USBAdboy). When it came to Andy Lee and Jermain Taylor, it’s safe to say that Steward had more trouble developing a fight plan. It will be interesting to see how he encourages Cotto to proceed with the much taller Foreman.
-Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez are gearing up and teaming up for a fourth fight in their epic series at the end of next month. Bless these two warriors for the blood and guts they have shown in fighting one another. They are both, hands down, first ballot hall of famers.
-The 25th Anniversary of the legendary Hagler-Hearns three round super fight (perhaps the greatest fight of all time) has prompted plenty of attention from the Boxing world. My esteemed colleague Joe Wilson had some ferocious words about it in a recent piece.
Frankly, if you’re a Boxing fan and you haven’t watched this fight, stop reading my article right now and go look it up.
]]>
By Chris O’Brien
(Managing Editor’s Note: Chris O’Brien is our newest Feature Writer at RSR. I, along with the rest of the team welcome him aboard.)
Chris Arreola will aim to get his bid to win a recognized version of the heavyweight title back on track this Saturday as he faces Polish hard man and former Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World Tomasz Adamek at Ontario's Citizens Business Bank Arena for the lightly-regarded IBF International belt.
Arreola boasts a stunning and explosive record.
Of his 28 victories, 25 have come by way of knockout. He has claimed two victories by disqualification - meaning Arreola has gone the distance only once. That was a six-round unanimous decision win over unknown journeyman Andrew Greeley.
It's Arreola's amazing ability to score knockdowns that has so often seen him hailed as a tremendous prospect. However, having turned 29 in March, the time has come for him to start beating some of the division's bigger names to prove his credentials.
Arreola was beaten for the first time in the biggest fight of his career last September. Though critics have often accused him of looking out-of-shape, he bravely took ten rounds of punishment against Vitali Klitschko before trainer Henry Ramirez threw in the towel.
Vitali utilized his formidable hard jab to retain the WBC crown and, though Arreola was furious that the bout had been stopped, success for the Ukrainian rarely looked in doubt.
It is not only that brutal loss to the elder Klitschko that has blemished Arreola's record, however. It is also somewhat tarnished by the fact that his win record is hardly littered with star turns. Less than three years ago, Arreola was fighting the likes of Cliff Couser (now 26-21-2) and Derek Berry (who retired after the bout at 12-9-1).
Only months before the Klitchko bout, Arreola had to pick himself up off the canvas before beating the largely unheralded Travis Walker.
Certainly, Arreola still has plenty to prove.
In Adamek, he now faces a hugely testing bout. Though Arreola has scored plenty of knockdowns against heavyweight also-rans, the 33-year-old's Pole boasts a granite chin that is well accustomed to taking some huge shots. He was floored twice, however, in the light-heavyweight ranks.
Arreola will take heart from Adamek's inexperience at this level.
He only stepped up to Heavyweight in 2009 - beating former world title challenger, Andrew “The Foul Pole” Golota to win the IBF International crown.
Earlier this year, he defended the belt in front of 10,000 fans in New Jersey against 2009 Pan American Games Gold Medalist Jason Estrada. This bout is Adamek's chance to prove that he belongs with those topping 200+ pounds on the scales.
It's no exaggeration to say that Saturday is potentially a career-defining bout for both fighters.
Success for Chris Arreola would not only leave him with the a "stepping stone" title, but put the fighter in a position to negotiate big pay-days and big name fights in a heavyweight division that doesn't boast too many legitimate contenders.
Victory for Adamek, meanwhile, would underline his ability to compete with some of the bigger heavyweight names. Though he has a sound cruiserweight record, his win against Estrada was hardly a headline-grabber so Adamek too has plenty to prove.
He will be desperate to seize his chance against Arreola.
After years of mediocrity, David Haye's much-hyped win over then WBA Heavyweight World Champion, Nikolay Valuev and his explosive victory over former 2-Time WBA Heavyweight Champion, John Ruiz have leased new life into the division.
The winner of this bout can expect to play a potentially significant role in the revitalized heavyweight ranks, while the loser will be left with a mountain to climb.
It promises to be an intriguing bout this Saturday night – but who will come out victorious?
It's over to you guys!
]]>
By Geno McGahee
Evander Holyfield, 43-10-2, 28 KO’s, has not been in the major spotlight for years, arguably since his 1999 title unifier with Lennox Lewis. Mike Tyson, 50-6, 44 KO’s, has been out of the ring for five years. Despite those facts, the public still wants to see the final bout in an interesting trilogy.
Don King, for everything negative that has been said about him, is one of the best promoters of all time and has been permanently linked with many of the biggest heavyweight showdowns. He promoted Larry Holmes, leading to one of the biggest fights of all time: Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney.
King’s debut into heavyweight boxing came when he put together the fight that every promoter wanted: Muhammad Ali vs. Heavyweight Champion George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle, a historic fight that launched the eccentric promoter to the top of boxing. He would go on to promote more Ali fights, most of the career of Larry Holmes, assume control of Mike Tyson at a time when the heavyweight division was boxing. When Tyson went to prison, King promoted his return against the pathetic Peter McNeeley, but made the fight an event, and the pay per view buys were through the roof. Now King has set his sights on a return to the heavyweight spotlight with the third bout between Tyson and Holyfield.
In 1996, WBA/WBC Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson was looking for an opponent. He gave up the WBC Title, opting not to defend against the number one contender, Lennox Lewis, and sought out easier prey. At this time, Holyfield was seen as a spent force. He was knocked out by Riddick Bowe in the 8th round in a fight where the “Real Deal” just fell apart, collapsing to the canvas, exhausted. Team Tyson felt that he may pose a problem early in the fight but would wear down and fall apart again. To the shock of most, it was Tyson that fell apart late, TKO’d in the 11th round.
An immediate rematch was set and in 1997, the fight that was known as “The Bite Heard Around the World” took place. In their first encounter, Tyson complained about continual head butts and when reviewing the tapes, it backed up his claim. Mills Lane, a man that said that Holyfield was his favorite fighter, was assigned to officiate the rematch, and the head butts were even more prevalent. Tyson, cut over both eyes, resorted to something that shocked the entire sports world and still lives on infamy today. During a clinch, Tyson would bite one of Evander’s ears. He would be warned and then when they mixed it up again, Tyson would find the other ear of Holyfield.
One thing that is often overlooked when examining this fight is that Tyson tried to leave his corner without his mouthpiece. He was prepared to do it then, but they shoved the mouthpiece into his mouth and sent him into round 3. Tyson snapped due to the continual and intentional fouling of his opponent. If you speak to any Holyfield opponent, they will tell you that they were continually head butted. It is a dirty tactic that is used every chance that he gets.
There were rumors after this and after Tyson’s suspension expired that the two would meet up again. There has always been a lot of money in it, but some contend that there is no money in a 2010 or 2011 showdown. Let’s explore some of the reasons.
#1: Evander Holyfield vs. Frans Botha & Mike Tyson vs. Kevin McBride bombed on PPV. Neither can sell anymore.
In those two showdowns, something was missing. The element that was missing was Don King, a man that understands how to tell a story and would have made both fights much more profitable. The Holyfield – Botha PPV didn’t have a chance to do well. The undercard was terrible on paper, the production value was incredibly bad, and the promotion leading up to the fight didn’t turn any heads. Tyson – McBride wasn’t a good sell on paper, but King understands how to sell Tyson, and would have used his magic to make is a success.
With the current heavyweight division in the state that it is in, Tyson – Holyfield III makes all the sense in the world. Wladimir Klitschko cannot sell a fight, despite his dominance over the division. Vitali has the same problem. David Haye has some glimmer of hope, but more people know Tyson and Holyfield and it would sell, and when you place King in the role of the promoter, the PPV buys will be huge.
#2: Roy Jones JR vs. Bernard Hopkins II didn’t sell. They are legends facing off in a long awaited rematch. Why is Tyson – Holyfield III different?
Jones vs. Hopkins in 1993, when they were both in their primes was a boring fight. Now that one is completely shot (Jones) and the other has developed an even more boring style (Hopkins), there was no chance for an exciting fight. Also, the fight meant nothing. Jones was stopped in the first round of his fight prior to Hopkins. Hopkins has been putting the audience to sleep for years. There was no drama and there was no way it would sell.
Tyson – Holyfield III is nothing but drama. What will happen when these two warriors stare across the ring at each other? Holyfield, the WBF Heavyweight Champion, phoned King, according to a source close to Tyson, and inquired as to what were the chances of a third encounter and how soon it would be. King is currently scrambling to convince Iron Mike to come back as soon as possible with one tune up and then into the 3rd showdown with Evander.
The return of Tyson still appears to be on track, but time is of the essence. He is not getting any younger at the age of 43, he needs to return soon. What bodes well for him, which typically doesn’t for most fighters, is the layoff. He has gotten his head straight and now will return rejuvenated. How that translates into trading punches with other heavyweights is still to be determined, but at least now, he will go out with no excuses, which is something that is important to him.
Holyfield has stated that Tyson can only make money by fighting him, but it’s actually the other way around. Holyfield fought the champion, Nikolay Valuev, the world yawned. He took on Sultan Ibragimov, the WBO Title Holder, and the world was once again unimpressed. His fight with Botha wasn’t seen by many, but when word got out that there was a Tyson return, everyone in the world turned their heads. The money is there for a third bout, Don King is organizing it and with the money involved, get ready to see it happen. The clock will be turned back to 1996, a King PPV with Tyson and Holyfield colliding in the main event. I for one, cannot wait.
]]>
By Geno McGahee
Don’t you hate it when HBO and Showtime have boxing on the same night? It’s especially frustrating when both cards are incredibly interesting.
HBO’s BAD
HBO presents a double header with a heavyweight collision that is sure to be exciting. Former Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion, Tomasz Adamek, 40-1, 27 KO’s, has made a splash in the division with a knockout of fellow Polish heavyweight, Andrew Golota, but he is making a very big step up as he takes on the powerhouse slugger, Chris “Nightmare” Arreola, 28-1, 25 KO’s. It is set for 12 rounds for the IBF International Heavyweight Title, but more importantly, this is about making a statement to the Klitschko brothers and moving closer to a title shot. Arreola had his chance and came in out of shape in a losing effort to WBC Champion, Vitali Klitschko. He is now, reportedly, in shape, and looks to redeem himself.
Arreola, despite his lack of dedication to the sport, has made a name for himself. He is a gutsy slugger with power in both hands. He doesn’t quit, often getting hurt and coming back to win. He recently feasted on the smaller Brian Minto en route to a TKO win. The plan for Team Arreola must be to squash a bunch of smaller guys with the hopes of rebuilding his reputation as a menace in the ring. Adamek fits the bill.
Adamek is a better fighter than Arreola all around, but sometimes a good big man can beat a great small man, and how will he deal with the pure strength of Arreola? He will be coming in at around 220 pounds, small for the heavyweight division, while Arreola typically tips the scales at 250, but expect less of him on fight night. I think we will see Arreola between 240-245 entering the ring, which is bad news for Adamek. Adamek will have to move and use his superior boxing ability but I’m not sure he can keep Arreola at bay. Good fight for the fans and for boxing!
In the co-main event, we have Alfredo Angulo, 17-1, 14 KO’s, returns to the ring against Joel Julio, 35-3, 31 KO’s, in a 12 round bout for the Interim WBO Light Middleweight Title. Angulo seemed to take too much of a step in his sixteenth fight when he stepped into the ring with former champion, Kermit Cintron, losing a unanimous decision, but he has rebounded with two knockout wins and now steps into the ring with Julio.
Julio is a big puncher that began his career with a lot of hype, but lost badly to Carlos Quintana and then was stopped by James Kirkland. He has a puncher’s chance come Saturday night and did rock Kirkland a few times before succumbing to the punishment. This should be a fun war with Angulo coming out on top via mid round stoppage.
Showtime
Showtime presents a bout between WBC Super Middleweight Champion, Carl Froch, 26-0, 20 KO’s, and challenger Mikkel Kessler, 42-2, 32 KO’s. It is a second round match up in the Super Six Tournament. Froch won his last fight, a close decision over Andre Dirrell, while Kessler, the initial favorite in the tournament, lost badly to Andre Ward. Froch is a power-puncher and Kessler is aggressive with something to prove. This is two freight trains on a collision course.
Froch vs. Kessler is going to be a battle that probably won’t make to the distance. Either man could take it. A great fight.
]]>
By Scott Heritage
By Jeff Stoyanoff
There may not be a fighter in the world who is harder to rate than Carl Froch. On the one hand, Froch sits with an undefeated record. And, it’s not as though he has not fought anyone of note. Froch holds wins over Jean Pascal, Jermain Taylor, and Andre Dirrell in his last three fights. On the other hand, Froch seems to provide the distinct feeling that his undefeated record is always in jeopardy and that his ultimate exposure is inevitably forthcoming. The manner in which he struggled against Taylor and Dirrell makes it hard for some fans to recognize his legitimacy as perhaps the top Super Middleweight in the world. Still, those struggles were wins and that only makes it more difficult to assess his performance. And, all of this only signifies the beginning of the questions in the case of Carl Froch.
A Win forgotten by Time
In December of 2008, Froch squared off against then undefeated Jean Pascal. Froch won a unanimous decision, but the fight itself was a brilliant two way affair from start to finish that clearly underscored the viability of both men as top fighters. Pascal fought well and enjoyed some success against Froch, but was unable to do enough to stem Froch’s aggression and ultimately lost the decision. It was perhaps the first time we were exposed to a dynamic that has come to dominate Froch‘s career. Pascal was a smooth and fluid athlete and his quickness at times made Froch seem a little slow and lumbering. Yet, there was Froch working away showing just enough speed and skill himself to win many of the exchanges and eventually secure the victory. It was not exactly a headline making win for Froch, but perhaps it should have been considering that Pascal has not lost since.
Subsequently, Pascal has gone on to outbox a budding star in the light heavyweight division in Adrian Diaconu, twice. Diaconu has spectacular power, but he was never quite able to find the range against Pascal despite having 24 rounds in which to do it. Yet, Froch was able to consistently land on Pascal throughout and was able to draw him into exactly the kind of fight he wanted. Pascal, no doubt, would have liked to box more, but Froch would not allow that to happen. The fight was compelling and certainly far from one sided, but Froch clearly did enough to win. Yet, while Froch looked good he also appeared a little vulnerable at times especially in dealing with the speed of Pascal. However, what we didn’t know then was that beating Pascal was far from an easy task and that in winning at all Froch had done even better than we may have given him credit for at the time.
But, Before we Continue our Story; Some Questions about Carl Froch
In April of 2009, Froch met Jermain Taylor for Froch’s WBC Super Middleweight Title. Froch was of course undefeated, but still relatively unknown and thought to be still relatively untested. Taylor, though coming off of a pair of losses to Kelly Pavlik was still a big name and he had appeared to get himself back on track with an easy win over Jeff Lacy in his previous fight in November of 2008.
Taylor came out fast and surged to an early lead. In fact, Taylor was so dominant that he put Froch down for the first and only time in his career in the second round of the fight. This particular fight was so important in terms of how Froch was and is perceived as, for most fans, this was their first look at a fighter that some touted as a future star. On that night, Froch seemed to be far from a budding star. Instead, he was being beaten to the punch consistently by a Jermain Taylor that some already felt was passed his prime. If this was a debut for Froch, the show was not exactly opening to rave reviews. But, Froch wasn’t finished quite yet.
Most fans know the rest of the story of the Taylor-Froch tilt. Froch slowly but steadily came on as the fight progressed. Froch’s surge reached its apex in the twelfth and final round as a flurry of punches finally sent Taylor to the canvas. Ever the game warrior, Taylor rose to his feet and tried to make it out of the round, but Froch had too much momentum at that point and another savage flurry brought a brilliant if not a little frightening end to the bout. Froch trailed on two of the cards by 4 points heading into the final round. Anything less than a knockout and his unblemished record and his title were gone. Froch, to his ultimate credit, delivered. The spectacular ending was something straight out of a Rocky movie, but it didn’t bring an end to the questions about Carl Froch
Taylor had shown a noted tendency to fade in the second half of his fights. Froch had come on, but was it a case of his own strength and aggressiveness wearing Taylor down? Or, did he merely take advantage of Taylor’s conditioning woes? On that night, it was hard to know just where the true answer lay. That night was a pivotal one in the career of Carl Froch. Froch had delivered a spectacular win, but his struggles were very real. And fair or not, it all came against a guy he was supposed to beat. The events of that night all but assured that the win over Pascal was forgotten and that the infrastructure for discrediting the eventual win over Dirrell was set firmly in place.
On Second Thought, maybe that was a Pretty Impressive Win
The doubts that surrounded Froch following his dramatic win over Jermain Taylor became even more pronounced after his disputed win over Andre Dirrell last October. Froch’s victory had not only been somewhat listless, but perhaps worse still, hotly disputed. In fact, Dirrell appeared to have a relatively easy time getting off against Froch and then either moving or holding in order to stifle Froch’s attempts to attack. Froch, for his part, kept up the pressure and Dirrell did appear to wear down as the fight progressed. In the middle rounds, a tiring Dirrell took to holding several times in each and every round as Froch pressured him relentlessly. In a close fight, in which neither man was doing tremendous damage with his punches, it was just the kind of dynamic that can cost you a fight and it seems safe to say that it did cost Dirrell in this one. In any case, some would still say that Dirrell was robbed and that it was a hometown decision for Froch. It would be hard to completely disregard that view. Yet, any impartial view of the fight should lead one to the clear conclusion that, at the very least, it was a close fight that could have been scored for either man; Dirrell didn’t exactly go in and TAKE the title away as perhaps the most famous maxim in boxing commands him to do.
Once again, Froch looked vulnerable. It wasn’t so much that the man was soft as much as the record. After struggling to get passed the talented but unproven Dirrell, it was just hard getting harder and harder to imagine that Froch could remain unbeaten for long against the top competition he was destined to face. Surely, someone would come along and finish what the talented but green Dirrell had started. But, then Dirrell entered the ring for his next fight a few months later and a few things changed.
If Dirrell had shown flashes against Froch, it was sustained brilliance against Arthur Abraham. Dirrell consistently utilized his length and speed to land hard punches against an Abraham that, until that night, had proven to be remarkably difficult to hit cleanly. Dirrell even punctuated his performance by becoming the first man to score a knockdown against Abraham in the fourth round. Abraham did appear to be closing the gap as the fight went in to the last couple of rounds, but a couple of facts simply cannot be argued. Abraham trailed badly on the cards and he had yet to be able to clearly rock Dirrell with any of the single shots he had begun to land.
Similar to the Pascal fight, but even more resounding this time, it seemed that a Froch win had been severely underrated. Dirrell had appeared to box and move so easily against Abraham. In fact, Dirrell was hardly running, he was fighting exquisitely as he landed clean shots against Abraham and then turned him again and again. By the latter stages, Abraham was frustrated by the movement and swollen from the precise punches of Dirrell. Suddenly, one could think back of how well Froch had cut off the ring and forced Dirrell to hold or run. It was easy to recall that Froch had bothered Dirrell with a sneaky jab that threw off his own timing as he set himself to throw. In short, Froch had taken this supremely talented fighter out of his comfort zone and forced him to fight. Dirrell passed opting instead to hold much of the time and it very well may have cost him the decision. The image of Froch borne in the Taylor fight as a talented, but ultimately limited fighter was difficult to shake, but the resume of Carl Froch was bolstered significantly by the subsequent performances of Pascal and Dirrell. As always, it would seem rating a fighter is a work in progress.
“You THINK you know, but you DON’T know, and you NEVER will……”
The reality is, there are many ways to view a given fighter. That is exactly why boxing, perhaps more so than any other sport, seems to produce such heated debate. Every fighter seems to have their proponents who spin results in a way designed to portray them in the most favorable light. While, many of those same fighters have their detractors who spin that same body of work in such a way as to make them seem completely overrated.
Carl Froch is still the only man to beat Jean Pascal. Pascal has looked very good in his recent fights and now he is preparing to step up once again for a shot at the consensus number one at light heavyweight in Chad Dawson. What if he is able to win that fight? How good will the Froch win look then? Yet, Froch went on to struggle mightily with Jermain Taylor who had already lost twice to Kelly Pavlik and would go on to be knocked out by Arthur Abraham. The images of that night raised questions that will follow him the rest of his career. Froch was able to persevere and eventually secure the win in dramatic fashion, but the late comeback couldn’t fully erase the clear struggle of the first several rounds.
Similarly, Froch struggled but gutted out a win over Andre Dirrell. At the time, it looked like more fodder for the “Carl Froch is overrated” campaign, until Dirrell entered the ring and delivered a spectacular performance against the same Arthur Abraham who was thought to be the co-favorite in the Super Six after his destruction of Taylor. Suddenly, Froch’s ability to find a way to win took on a new and decidedly more positive spin. Froch is all over the place offering a veritable smorgasbord of positives and negatives in the ring. As of now however things are looking up, all Froch does is win and, interestingly, so do many of his opponents.
The career of a prize fighter is never set in stone. It is always shifting based on his performances and the performances of those whom he has fought. Ultimately, a boxing career is like a stock market with the perception of that fighter constantly moving up or down. Andre Dirrell, Jean Pascal, and Jermain Taylor are, in essence, stocks in the Froch portfolio. Their performances should and do impact how we view Froch.
But, that is hardly the end of the story. Unfortunately for fight fans, the lack of precision goes beyond the rapidly shifting landscape of who beat who and how they looked doing it. Perhaps Pascal was not really his best at 168. Admittedly, some of his best performances have come since he moved up to the 175 pound limit. How can one know? And, what of the match up of styles? Perhaps Dirrell will forever fight brilliantly against a smaller man like Abraham, but always be uncomfortable against someone of just about equal length such as Froch. None of this means, that Froch can’t fight or that he didn’t do a tremendous thing in winning those fights, but rather that the timing or particular match up may have favored or hindered him in ways we don‘t see right now. Variables impact results. All too often, they are viewed as excuses, but that doesn’t mean that they cease to exist.
And, then there is the last and most difficult variable with which to contend; the fighters are human. Human beings can have off nights, they can be distracted, and they can make mistakes. Conversely, fighters can be particularly sharp on given night or simply particularly focused and ready. Perhaps Jermain Taylor had just such a night against Froch and Froch was still good enough to stop him, who can say for sure?
Of course humans play other sports, style match ups exist in other sports, and mistakes happen in every sport, which all naturally raises the question of just what makes boxing different? Imagine that in football, if a team scored a seventy yard touchdown or longer in the first quarter, the game was over. Such is the brutal and unforgiving world of boxing. In no other sport is a mistake as costly as it is in boxing. Who can say if the performance of a given fighter was really his best on a given night; variable or excuse? And, who can say that a given result is what would have happened every time? Boxing is not a four quarter game with a guarantee of a 60 minute clock; it is not a long regular season where every team plays every other team in a division or league. Boxing is one night; one night with the highest of stakes because it’s sudden death overtime right from the opening bell. One night with no guarantee of another as “next season” in boxing is never promised. More often than not, the better man wins, but one night can leave a lot of questions and a lasting sense of what might have been.
In the end, a fighter will produce a pretty reasonable picture of his abilities in the ring. Most talented fighters manage to have several shots against other talented fighters and the results give some feel for just how good they were. But, the picture is far from perfect. The timing, the match ups, the unseen factors, the six degrees of pugilism, they all shift the picture. The picture is ultimately blurred only to be focused most imperfectly by our own subjectivity. It is the same for every fighter and it never truly ends. How good is Carl Froch? If only it were that simple. It’s not just about him as one has to also figure just how good are his opponents. And, even that is difficult to do because even those appraisals shift based on their performances and those of THEIR opponents. It’s a dizzying task. No wonder most of us just give up and decide what we think and stick with it. After all, it’s easy enough to do, all we have to do is spin the largely ambiguous results to suit our view. Ultimately, the nights that so far define Froch’s career are gone; having disappeared into a clouded mist of varying appraisals of his performance, how he matched up, and human factors that forever complicate the process. All we can know is that he won on those nights. The ample gray area left over simply provides the setting for the endless debate. And, Carl Froch is just one fighter; one fighter who presents just one curious case.
]]>
Compiled by Brian Wilbur
This Saturday, boxing fans will be treated to two interesting and competitive main events. The first bout is between two European juggernauts Mikkel Kessler and Carl Froch, which is apart of the sensational Super Six tournament in the super middleweight division. This is the second fight in the tournament for both men, who are trying to get past the qualification round into the final four.
On a rival network, former Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion Tomasz Adamek will fight in his second match in the “glamour” division. His opponent is rough and rugged contender Chris Arreola. Both of these heavyweights love to slug it out so expect a fun fight while it lasts.
The team of writers at RSR offer their predictions.
Mikkel Kessler vs. Carl Froch
Jeff Stoyanoff
Kessler seemed bothered by the speed of Ward (and Calzaghe if you want to go back that far). Fortunately, he doesn't have that problem with Froch who isn't quite that fast. Unfortunately, Kessler doesn't move well as Dirrell and that should help Froch get his offense going. This should be another fantastic fight with both guys getting some good work done. Kessler by split decision.
Geno McGahee
Carl Froch is going to catch Mikkel Kessler somewhere late in the fight. Kessler wants to be explosive and win by KO, opening him up to Froch and playing right into his hands. Froch by KO in 10.
Gina L. Caliboso
I have been waiting for this match up since the first round when Ward defeated Kessler and Froch defeated Dirrell. I have a new found appreciation for the technical ability of Kessler and the sheer brawl of Froch. In order to win, Kessler must throw in as many combinations and power punches as possible in order to wear down Froch. Kessler has to take the early rounds and maintain ring generalship. By contrast, Froch will brawl and brawl. Prediction: Kessler wins by UD over 12 rounds.
Joe Wilson
This fight will go into the later rounds. I got Kessler winning by TKO in round 10.
Michael “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
Look for Froch to make Kessler's advanced years and dried-out recent form show. "The Beak" by 11th-round TKO.
Dan “Tex” Cohen
Mikkel Kessler is a great fighter. His only losses have come against slicksters. However, Froch has fought two guys who are almost as slick as the two boxers that handed Kessler those defeats. What we have not seen is Froch's chin; I'm betting it's good. If that assumption is wrong, Kessler will really rough him up, but Froch seems like the type of guy who gets by on grit and guts, and those guys can usually take a punch. I'm going with Froch by UD or late knockout.
SJ Jarapa
Carl Froch by a wide margin.
Geoff “The Professor” Poundes
We'll find out in this fight whether Kessler is the real deal, or a manufactured champion. I know that's a harsh statement on a guy who's won 42 fights and will be boxing his 11th world title fight Saturday night, but Kessler's level of opposition has not been up to the mark, and in his two biggest tests, Calzaghe and Andre Ward, he's been found wanting. In the Ward fight he was plain awful, and got his ears boxed off. One thing's for certain, he won't have to go looking for Froch, who appears to be at his happiest when he's proving how granite his chin is. Froch took bombs from Jean Pascal and Jermain Taylor, and barely shifted. I think this will be a tear up, with neither fighter giving ground, and I can see them both hitting the deck at some point in the fight. However, Froch is the stronger man, and will take a close but clear decision over Kessler.
“Bad” Brad Berkwitt
Carl Froch by split decision.
Brian Wilbur
I am a big Kessler fan so I hope he proves me wrong, but that performance against Andre Ward makes me questions Mikkel's current form. Perhaps he has lost what once made him special? The blueprint on how to beat Kessler was put on display by Ward and Calzaghe, and Froch is decent and versatile enough to emulate those tactics. Froch is one of those guys who wins ugly and I expect him to do the same here, beating Kessler on points.
Final Tally
Carl Froch - 7
Mikkel Kessler - 3
Chris Arreola vs. Tomasz Adamek
Jeff Stoyanoff
The question I have in this one is how will Arreola respond when he walks into a strong right hand from Adamek? Because it will happen. I suspect that Arreola will take the shots well. Adamek is fast but pretty stationary which should allow Arreola to pull him into exchanges. This will be a good action fight with both guys landing and taking good shots. Arreola should pound out a surprisingly tight unanimous decision win.
Geno McGahee
Chris Arreola is in good shape according to reports and that's bad news for Tomasz Adamek. Adamek is a better fighter overall, but he is going to be too small to fend off the bigger and stronger Arreola. Expect an exciting heavyweight scrap with Arreola walking through Adamek and stopping him in 8 rounds.
Gina L. Caliboso
My heart is saying Arreola because I met him at Pechanga and I wished him good luck against Adamek. Arreola is also from So. Cal and I’ll always root for the local favorite. (Writer’s Aside: Go Mosley!) But now, here’s my head. If Arreola properly prepared for this fight, improved his conditioning, learned to technically box, he will beat Adamek. Adamek is a solid fighter with only one notable loss against Chad Dawson over 12 rounds. But if it’s one thing about European fighters, expect the unexpected. Arreola must establish his power from the moment the bell rings and take the fight. Prediction: Arreola wins by TKO over 10 rounds.
Joe Wilson
I feel Adamek will get caught exchanging big blows with Arreola in the middle rounds. Arreola catches him with something big and lights out. Arreola wins by KO.
Michael “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
My head says Chris Arreola via late TKO, yet my gut says maybe Tomasz Adamek will find a way to squeak past him. Adamek by decision.
Dan “Tex” Cohen
Arreola irks me. His inability to get in shape is clearly his greatest weakness. Not taking care of yourself is downright dangerous if you are a prize fighter. That makes you self-destructive or stupid. I don't like either trait in the boxing ring, and I know that Arreola is far from self-destructive. He cracked back from trouble against Travis Walker in a way that let us know his survival instinct. If he arrives in shape, he wins. If he weighs 260, Adamek toasts him in a lopsided UD. I'll shrug and bet on Arreola not keeping the weight off. The Pole by UD.
SJ Jarapa
Arreola in 8.
Geoff “The Professor” Poundes
I think Arreola was shown up against Klitschko, and anyone with decent ability will get past him. Were it not for Arreola's 30-40 pound weight advantage I'd say Adamek by late stoppage, but I suspect the big American will be able to lumber through 12 rounds, even if he's going to be punching air. Adamek by wide decision.
“Bad” Brad Berkwitt
Tomasz Adamek by unanimous decision.
Brian Wilbur
Conventional wisdom says that Adamek is not a true heavyweight so Arreola will defeat him with sheer size and power. I'm going to disagree with conventional wisdom this time since I have such a low opinion of Arreola's boxing skills. I say Adamek has the technique and championship experience to out-maneuver the reckless attacks of Arreola. I am assuming that Adamek is smart enough not to get into a brawl with Arreola. Tomasz on points.
Final Tally
Tomasz Adamek - 5
Chris Arreola - 5
]]>
By Joe Wilson
The showdown between WBA Heavyweight Champion David Haye and former 2-Time Champion John Ruiz turned up the volume in the heavyweight division. In what was supposed to be another boring masterpiece of a John Ruiz epic, it turned out to be fireworks.
It was at the fast hands of David “The Hayemaker” Haye, whom gave fight fans plenty excitement while defending his title. This victory over Ruiz was no small task, being that very few fighters have not been able to knock him out. Haye dropped Ruiz four times in this fight, which deserves some applause.
Haye was way ahead on all scorecards going into the round 9. During that round, he continued to punish Ruiz with power shots. It wasn’t long before Ruiz’s corner threw in the towel. They did want to see anymore punishment done to their fighter. Haye defeats Ruiz by TKO in 9th round.
David Deron Haye was born October 13, 1980, in Bermondsey, London, England. He turned professional as a boxer in December 2002, knocking out veteran Tony Booth in two rounds. The same year Haye won 8 consecutive fights, two of them fought in the United States, and he won them all by knockout.
His most notable win, was a four round knockout of The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Lolenga Mock, where Haye had to come off the canvas to get a win. He also had a first round KO over Tony Dowling were he picked up the English title. Haye fights where regularly seen on the BBC Network, which is where his popularity started to grow in the cruiserweight division.
Haye destroyed 39 year old ex-World Champion “King” Arthur Williams in three rounds. He also had a match up with 40 year old ex-WBO Champion Carl Thompson for the IBO belt which turned out to be a bad choice. Haye was hit multiple times to the head by Thompson and his corner threw in the towel resulting to a TKO victory for Thompson in round 5.
In 2005, Haye bounced back by defeating Alexander Gurov for the EBU European title by a devastating KO in just 45 seconds. In January 2006, Haye signed a three year contract with former world champion Lennox Lewis promoter Frank Maloney; with hopes of furthering his world title ambitions.
He retained his European Title with victories over Lasse Johansen by TKO in round 8; Ismail Abdoul in 12 rounds; and Giacobbe Fragomeni by TKO in round nine. In November 2007, he challenged Jean-Marc Mormeck for the WBA and WBC Cruiserweight titles. Haye defeated Mormeck with a 7 round TKO after being knocked down himself in round 4.
It was this victory that confirmed Haye’s arrival as a genuine world class fighter, because Mormeck was ranked number one by The Ring Magazine. This was supposed to be his last fight at cruiserweight, because he had been struggling to make weight. Haye felt that he could only box at 70 to 80 percent of his potential at cruiserweight.
David Haye and Enzo Maccarinelli met in an All-British World Cruiserweight Title fight in March 2008. British trade papers Boxing News produced a pullout special on the bout. It was widely billed as the biggest British fight since Chris Eubanks against Nigel Benn. This match up seemed to be equal in many ways.
Both of these fighters were massive punchers with excellent KO records. A prediction of who would win became a tough question. But, most fans thought it would end quickly. Haye won this fight against Maccarinelli with a stunning TKO in round two. After that win, Haye immediately announced his departure of the cruiserweight division.
David Haye became a former undisputed cruiserweight champion holding the WBA, WBC, WBO and The Ring Magazine cruiserweight titles. Haye decided to vacate these titles to move up to the heavyweight division. His intentions are to become a force in the division emulating the success of Evander Holyfield.
In November 2008, Haye quickly defeated heavyweight journeyman Monte Barrett with a TKO in the fifth round after dropping Barrett in round 3. WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko confirmed he would defend his title against Haye to take place June 2009 at Stamford Bridge in London.
Instead, younger brother, IBF, IBO, and WBO Heavyweight World Champion Wladimir Klitschko agreed to defend his titles with Haye the same date in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. June 3, 2009 Haye pulled out of the fight due to a back injury. The fight was supposed to be reschedule later that summer, but Wladimir moved on to fight another opponent.
Haye then confirmed to meet the “7 foot giant” Nikolay Valuev for the WBA Title in November 2009 in Nuremberg Arena, Nuremberg, Germany. This fight was sky billed as “David and Goliath.” Haye showed no fear of the 7 foot giant. He brought the same courage that David brought when he dropped Goliath.
With the reserved display of accuracy and efficiency, Haye countered Valuev’s missed punches, by jabbing and circling this huge opponent. Haye came close to scoring a knockdown in the final round by throwing a powerful left hand punch that caused Valuev to stumble. Haye won this bout in a twelve round decision.
In his brutal victory over John Ruiz this past weekend, David Haye has definitely stepped up his fight game. He can now play a major role in rejuvenating the heavyweight division. I imagined he got the attention of the Klitschkos after his last bout.
If there is anyone out there, who was wondering who David “The Hayemaker” Haye is? Well, just stay tuned into the heavyweight division, because I have a good feeling, that his name will be heard in many boxing circles. As of now, David Haye has definitely become a major “piece of the puzzle” in the heavyweight division.
]]>
By Geno McGahee
HBO
The WBO Interim Light Middleweight Champion, Alfredo Angulo, 18-1, 15 KO’s, defended his title against a game and fit Joel Julio, 35-4, 31 KO’s, chasing him down and stopping him in the eleventh round of an exciting fight. Julio elected to move and box and attempt to repeat what Kermit Cintron was able to do to Angulo, giving him his only defeat. Julio boxed and moved and was able to get some things done early on, sweeping the majority of the early rounds, but as the fight went on, he slowed down and Angulo never let up.
The second half of the fight, Angulo’s pressure became too much and Julio went into survival mode. Despite the big punch of Julio, he was never able to rattle Angulo. As Angulo walked through his punches, the look of desperation on Julio’s face was more and more evident and the end result became obvious. Julio crashed to the floor in the 11th and when he arose, he had nothing left and the referee saw that and called it. It was a good fight for Angulo.
Tomasz Adamek, 41-1, 27 KO’s, survived some rocky moments to punish Chris Arreola, 28-2, 25 KO’s, en route to a 12 round majority decision by scores of 114-114, 115-113, and 117-111. It was clear that Adamek won the fight and even Arreola admitted that he got beaten, stating that he “looked like Shrek” with his face all puffy and bloody.
Adamek looked very small in the ring at 217 pounds compared to Arreola’s 250, but he used his superior skill and timing to keep the bigger man in line. Arreola had his moments and stunned Adamek on a couple of occasions but he wasn’t quick enough to catch him. At the heavy weight, you have to imagine that Arreola will never take his career as seriously as he should and never live up to his potential. Adamek’s future in the division is still a question mark at the 200+ division, but he shined against the much bigger Arreola.
Showtime
In the Showtime Super Six, super middleweight tournament match, Mikkel Kessler, 43-2, 32 KO’s, became a champion once again, the WBC version, with a unanimous decision win over Carl Froch, 26-1, 20 KO’s. It was a fight fought mostly in the middle of the ring with both men trying to land their power shots and both men accomplished it, but there were no knockdowns. Kessler gets on the scoreboard in the super six and is now regaining ground he lost when he was defeated by Andre Ward in his first showing.
]]>
By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
Over the last several weeks the activity level of boxing, both in the ring and behind the scenes, has picked-up dramatically. We’ve watched the explosive further career development of Yuriorkis Gamboa, enjoyed the latest ring appearance by England’s heavyweight champion David Haye, sat through what amounts to a sparring session between today’s consensus pound-per-pound king and a top-five welterweight, all capped by a thrilling middleweight title encounter and the latest installment of the Super Six super middleweight tournament. In the weeks to come the former pound-per-pound claimant and undefeated Floyd Mayweather JR will make his second ring appearance after returning from retirement when he takes on “Sugar” Shane Mosley and Paul “The Punisher” Williams looks to make former IBF champion Kermit Cintron the 39th notch on the belt that is his already formidable body of career work. Through it all Ringside Report will be there during the build-up and through to the end result providing a pipeline for fans around the world to tap into the sport in a unique and enjoyable way.
The RSR April Prediction League is in top gear and winding down to an exciting conclusion. Two key bouts remain on the roster, one of which is for bonus points, thus creating the potential for a last second upset. The RSR May Prediction League is now posted and awaiting your best efforts at fistic prognostication. Thirty-seven high profile bouts capped by the aforementioned Floyd Mayweather JR/Shane Mosley super fight round out perhaps the best prediction league anywhere on the web. I will be locking the thread on Saturday May 1st at 12pm EST. Take part if you dare. 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
]]>
By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
It’s been two years since David Haye obliterated Enzo Maccarinelli to defend his WBA/WBC/WBO Cruiserweight Titles. It was the type of win that made you want to see more of him as an explosive and compelling ring talent. In particular, I hoped aloud that he would find reason to stay at 200lbs to seek out a big money high stakes unification match with IBF titlist Steve Cunningham, the thinking being he’d be the first cruiserweight to unify all of the titles since Evander Holyfield turned the trick way back in 1988.
I also felt that “the Hayemaker” was in a great position to establish himself as the man in a division long devoid of a true star at a point where perhaps it had the deepest pool of talent in its 30-year history; as the guy who would once again see to it that cruiserweight was on the map. But rarely do those at the top of the sport or behind the scenes proceed as I deem fit, and Haye relinquished his titles in search of bigger money and bigger mountains to climb in the heavyweight ranks.
Looking back, I cannot help but shake my head at David Haye’s stuttered initial campaign as a heavyweight. Endless lip service about taking on and defeating the best available top contenders resulted in an extended period of inactivity followed by a curious choice of opponent; a doubtful match against the shadow of a former contender in a match that raised as many questions as it provided answers. Sometime later, his year-long campaign for a title opportunity against IBF/IBO/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko was signed sealed and all but delivered when Haye suddenly balked and jumped ship under questionable pretenses.
Later a challenge of WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko looked to be the goods when again Haye and his team opted to look elsewhere for a mountain to climb. Shortly after, it was announced that the stalwart Brit would challenge the 7-foot WBA heavyweight titlist, the 50-1 Nikolay Valuev.
In a contest that could be reasonably compared to a shoot out slalom between a 2010 Nissan ZX300 and a 1974 Winnebago, Haye outfoxed and out-maneuvered the lumbering Russian, winning his first heavyweight championship and a second division major world title. British fans around the world cheered and predicted that their man would conquer the heavens while I shook my head, keen to the fact that Haye and his people had openly admitted beforehand that Valuev would be a far easier assignment than either Klitschko, a curious statement, given Haye’s brash words and bravado about conquering the heavyweight division.
Not that it was all bad. You see, I’m a glass half-full kind of guy when it comes to prizefighting. I considered Haye to be 50% chutzpah where others saw him as the guy who would detonate the division’s flotsam, but at the same time I liked the potential upside to Haye’s WBA nest egg, figuring he’d be happy to actually stay busy, ala Joe Calzaghe, playing heavyweight janitor for the Panamanian-based sanctioning body as opposed to actually getting into the ring with a Klitschko. In a very real way, it was the perfect time to correct the tiresome shenanigans that saw Nikolay Valuev and John Ruiz as bi-annual mandatory title challengers, winning and losing to each other every eighteen months or so in exceedingly mundane waltzes that had little to do with time cherished heavyweight competition or honor. The scene was bad enough to make me wish for the heady days of fat, under trained, listless heavyweights of the 80’s who passed the WBA strap around like it was a beach bong. David Haye and his explosive fight-ending power could do more for that present-day heavyweight conundrum policing the WBA’s side of town than perhaps any overhyped mega-event with an elongated safety-first Klitschko, as my thinking went, and recently the world got to see the first chapter of that needing policing actually play out as “The Hayemaker” bludgeoned perpetual mandatory challenger John Ruiz into a 9th- round defeat, becoming the first man to stop “The Quiet Man” in almost fifteen years.
I cannot help but believe that as time goes on the boxing world would be much better served if Haye continued to look to defend his WBA strap as the Klitschko brother move steadily towards the autumn of their respective careers. Vitali, at the advanced for the ring age of 38, has maybe two matches left in him.
Given the elder Klitschko’s current condition, grit and style, I give Haye zero chance against him so the idea of letting Vitali further erode helps his cause. As for Wladimir, I believe that he too now may have slightly passed the crest of his prime and that going forward we will see more and more evidence that the ever cautious IBF/IBO/WBO heavyweight champion is slipping. A year from now Haye would in theory, be more seasoned and confident, two attributes that cannot be understated when a split second and a damn the torpedoes approach could make all the difference for the smaller man.
In the meantime, Haye could do the important work, as I call it, by taking the next invaluable step in ridding the heavyweight division, or more accurately, the borough of the WBA, of further flotsam; dispatching Nikolay Valuev in the mandated rematch. Bouncing Valuev into retirement would be the next needed step, an invaluable step towards correcting the wayward direction of the heavyweight division. By eliminating the threat of Valuev staying in the WBA’s recycle-cycle, or worse, possibly regaining the strap, Haye will have rid the heavyweight of the two biggest impediments of division development over the last half decade or more.
There’s no question that the Klitschko’s have been doing solid and valuable work dispatching the majority of talented contenders dating back to 2006, but being in the position to police and ultimately clean-out the WBA’s humdrum corner of veritable giants is the next best thing, and it is in this regard where to me David Haye is a savior of sorts. Love him, hate him or indifferent to him as a fighter and the emotional clamoring of his passionate countrymen, make no mistake, David Haye is in a unique and most invaluable position to clean matters up for the sport and fans alike.
]]>
By Gina L. Caliboso
On May 8th, Antonio Margarito, 37-6, 27 KO’s, makes his return to boxing against Roberto Garcia, 28-2, 21 KO’s, in a title bout for the WBC International Light Middleweight belt. It’s been a year since Margarito has fought, resulting from the plaster type material laced in his hand wraps, courtesy of his former trainer, Javier Capetillo.
At a press conference here in Los Angeles, Margarito stated, "I didn't know, I don't know anything about what happened." Deny, deny, and deny. It’s all he can and will do because regardless, Margarito now intends to come back fighting into the light middleweight division. As Margarito now comes back fighting, how much of an impact will he have on boxing and what can be learned?
Before his eventual 9th round TKO loss to Sugar Shane Mosley for the WBA Super World Welterweight title back in January 2009, Margarito had fought quality opponents.
As the former WBO Welterweight belt holder, he successfully defended his title four times. In April 2005, he fought and defeated Kermit Cintron with a 5th round TKO. In December 2006, he defeated Joshua “Grandmaster” Clottey in a 12 round unanimous decision. Then, in July 2007, he lost to Paul Williams in a 12 round unanimous decision. Margarito went on to fight Cintron again in April 2008 and earned the IBF Welterweight Title with a 6th round KO.
Margarito then defeated Miguel Angel Cotto in July 2008 for the WBA World Welterweight title with an 11th round TKO. I only included those noteworthy wins and losses. Among the top light middleweights, Margarito faces the same opponents. But here’s also something to consider. Promoted by Bob Arum, Margarito may have an inside track to Manny Pacquiao should fight negotiations with the winner of Mosley – Mayweather break down (and they probably will – AGAIN).
In looking at the light middleweight division, the weight class is packed with former welterweight fighters. The welterweight class has a big gun (or guns) in its division and it’s no surprise that a couple of fighters have smartly chosen to move up in weight. The depth of the division has some great potential matchups. Add Margarito to the mix, Arum has decidedly and smartly chosen to promote his fighter with welcome arms.
As for Margarito, the light middleweight division will pose a good challenge for his comeback. Back in September 2004, he fought against Daniel Santos at the weight of 153 pounds for the WBO Light Middleweight title. Margarito lost the fight in a 10th round TD due to a cut over his right eyebrow caused by an accidental head butt. As it stands, Paul Williams is now ranked #1 among light heavyweights, followed by Kermit Cintron, ranked #2. At welterweight, Margarito lost to Williams and defeated Cintron not once, but twice. Yuri Foreman currently ranks at #3, followed by Cory Spinks at #4, and Miguel Angel Cotto ranks #5. Again, at welterweight, Margarito defeated Cotto back in July 2008.
But here’s where the fight matchups get interesting again now that Margarito is in the division. First, Paul Williams will be fighting Kermit Cintron in August in a non title bout. Second, Yuri Foreman and Cotto plan to fight one another in June for the WBA Light Middleweight title. With the exception of Cory Spinks, the top five ranked light middleweight fighters are gearing up to fight one another. And to point out the obvious, Margarito will potentially have rematches against Williams, Cintron, and Cotto. The depth of the light middleweight division has expanded in one year. I’ll even add that Daniel Santos is ranked #11. Margarito’s current opponent, Roberto Garcia, is ranked #13.
As much as I enjoy matchmaking while looking at the list of fighters within a division, there’s always something that lingers in my mind. With the exception of Garcia, who would be willing to take a fight, or a rematch, against a boxer with questionable integrity that could very well result in the same type of incident from “Assault in the Ring?” In addition, I also think about Cotto. Cotto has just been taking a beating from his opponents and the shadow of Margarito’s cheating makes fighting against him a potential danger. Both Cotto and Cintron have now claimed that Margarito’s victories against them were as a result of “loaded” gloves.
As little or as much as I know about the business of boxing, there is an unwritten code among and about boxers. The boxer enters the ring and at the sound of the bell, it’s every boxer for him/herself for the next 12 rounds. It’s an insult to think that plaster filled gloves were the reason for a victory and it’s a blatant example of a lack of conscience to knowingly (or unknowingly) go into a sporting contest to do whatever it takes to win at the cost of another’s physical well-being. It takes away the sportsmanship and it takes away from the losing opponent because it leads to doubt and fear.
Once in the boxing ring, there is a level of trust as opponents face another. Sadly, Margarito’s reputation, regardless of his trainer’s actions, has left little trust and a lack of faith that he may or may not be on the up and up against his opponents in the present and future.
A boxer can have a license to fight, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that a fighter will get one. The worse kind of punishment has always been a rejection or judgment from your peers and in the case of Margarito, if he can’t get a fight against the best in his division, this perhaps reveals that he has been shut out to a degree, and that his fellow boxers will not tolerate any cheating on his part by putting themselves at risk. Hopefully for Margarito, his boxing ability and KO ability overshadows any of his former cheating reputation. But we’ll just see how much welcome he receives, and if whether his boxing, and not his cheating, will earn his way back into a sport that has been far too forgiving.
]]>
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, this Thursday, April 29th for a night full of great talk about our beloved sport of Boxing.
]]>