Boxing News Thread

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Feb 3, 2006
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a lot of people have bhop ranked higher on the ATG list. of course some of that is subjective but personally I think hopkins has a better resume and he took on far greater challenges and risks throughout his career.

Most Middleweight title defenses in the history of boxing (20). Fought undefeated Glen Johnon (32-0), undefeated Joe Lipsey (25-0), undefeated Felix Trinidad (40-0), undefeated Kelly Pavlik (34-0), undefeated Joe Calzaghe (44-0), undefeated Jermain Taylor (23-0), 40-1 & #1 contender Howard Eastman, #1 contender William Joppy, #1 contender Keith Holmes, #1 contender Antwun Echols, #1 contender Robert Allen, #1 contender Segundo Mercado, fought lineal light heavyweight champ in Jean Pascal and became the oldest champion in boxing history at age 47, moved up two weight classes and fought the lineal light heavyweight champ in Antonio Tarver at age 41 and that's not including solid wins over Oscar (first & only person to knock him out), Winky, etc.
And he got beat by two of the undefeated guys you want to put on his resume to make him look good. Jermain Taylor beat him two times and Joe Calzaghe beat him. So why are you adding guys that beat Hopkins on his resume?? Hopkins is a bottom feeder..
 
Props: IronLungs420
May 13, 2002
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because they are guys he fought and most believe he won. even having a draw or a close loss is considered when talking about a career especially when they are highly debatable. further it shows the risks hopkins took instead of taking the easy road. further on that those three fights he was over the age of 40.

Whitaker doesn't officially have a victory over Julio Cesar chavez but everyone knows he should have won and by historians its recognized.

You are mentally retarded if you think hopkins is a bottom feeder. Who are these guys on the bottom that he fought? Everyone he fought was a #1 contender, a champion or became a champion.
 
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May 13, 2002
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Genaro Hernández #1 at 130lb
Corrales #1 at 130 and #5 Ring Magazine's p4p list
Castillo #1 at 135lb
Gatti #2 at 140lb
Baldomir#1 at 147lb/Judah # 5 at 147lb
ODLH #3 at 154lb
Hatton #1 lineal champ at 140lb,WBA 147lb champion, and #10 on P4P list
Marquez #1 at 135lb and #2 on Ring Magazine's P4P list catchweight 144lb
Mosley #1 at 147lb and #5 on Ring Magazine's P4P list
Ortiz #2 at 147lb
Cotto #1 at 154lb
This is what I'm talking about man. Floyd's resume is kinda thin, historically speaking. This resume isn't exactly something to do back flips over.
 
Feb 3, 2006
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This is what I'm talking about man. Floyd's resume is kinda thin, historically speaking. This resume isn't exactly something to do back flips over.
And bottom feeding Hopkins resume is better. lol Mayweather resume shits all over it.. Traver, and WW ODLH/Tito are your best wins then your resume is thin my friend.. How can you have a better resume then Mayweather when you got beat by Slappy Joe and Taylor.. lol
 
May 13, 2002
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your credibility already went out the window when u said hopkins isn't an all time great and floyd is a top ten.

and yeah, Tito is a bigger win than any single win on floyd's resume, by far. only fight that is somewhat close is Castillo (and floyd certainly didn't dominate the way hopkins did).
 
Feb 3, 2006
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your credibility already went out the window when u said hopkins isn't an all time great and floyd is a top ten.

and yeah, Tito is a bigger win than any single win on floyd's resume, by far. only fight that is somewhat close is Castillo (and floyd certainly didn't dominate the way hopkins did).
Hopkins is a all time great at 160lb but yet he never beat a all time great or great fighter in there prime at 160lb. So you're telling me Hopkins beating a career 147lber(Tito) at 160lb is a better win then Mayweather moving up to 135lb and becoming the lineal champion by beating Castillo?? And then you want to talk about someone elses credibility. lol.. You're getting dumber every damn day. Hopkins beating a guy moving up 2 division to fight him is a better win, then a guy moving up a division to become lineal champion. SMH I have heard it all now.
 
May 13, 2002
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How was Tito a career welterweight when he dominated at 154 and became a middleweight champion? Tito didn't move up in weight to fight Hopkins. Your logic doesn't compute, yet again. If hopkins wasn't fighting, Tito would have been the unified MW champion, that's the truth.

If you honestly believe beating Castillo (barely) is better than beating Tito I can't help you bro. Tito was pound 4 pound #2 (#1 on some lists), 40-0 and a 7-1 favorite to beat Hopkins and is an all time great.

I guess this brutal beating was at welterweight huh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyKCfL74RqU
 
Feb 3, 2006
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How was Tito a career welterweight when he dominated at 154 and became a middleweight champion? Tito didn't move up in weight to fight Hopkins. Your logic doesn't compute, yet again. If hopkins wasn't fighting, Tito would have been the unified MW champion, that's the truth.

If you honestly believe beating Castillo (barely) is better than beating Tito I can't help you bro. Tito was pound 4 pound #2 (#1 on some lists), 40-0 and a 7-1 favorite to beat Hopkins and is an all time great.

I guess this brutal beating was at welterweight huh?

Felix Trinidad's Greatest Knockouts - William Joppy - YouTube
Tito got outboxed and got beat by Oscar if you want to keep it all the way real. Tito best wins are at 147lb. If I remember correctly Tito did in fact move up to fight Hopkins in a 4 man tournament at 160lb. The arrival of former welterweight and light middleweight champion Félix Trinidad into the middleweight ranks set off a series of unification fights between major middleweight title-holders. The boxers involved in the tournament would be reigning IBF champion Bernard Hopkins, WBC champion Keith Holmes, WBA champion William Joppy, and Félix Trinidad. But you just said Tito didn't move up in weight?

lol. Again you don't know what you're talking about. Now let me show you your double standards. Mayweather TKO's the undefeated lineal 140lb champion, WBA 147lb champion, and #10 rated P4P fighter in Ricky Hatton and that's not a great win? Or what about Mayweather TKO'ing the undefeated 130lb champion and #5 rated P4P fighter in Corrales?? Are those not great wins?? But you want Hopkins to get props for beating a career 147lber in Tito. You are a clown.

FYI, so now William Joppy is a great win, or does the video prove that 160lb was a weak ass division at the time of Hopkins run??
 
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Jul 24, 2005
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Arum wants Donaire vs. Arce at the end of the year in Mexico
October 13th, 2012 | Post Comment

Donaire Arce Donaire vs. Arce Bob Arum nonito donaire jorge arce By Chris Williams: Instead of looking to put his fighter IBF/WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (30-1, 19 KO’s) in with WBC 122 lb champion Abner Mares of WBA champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum instead wants to put Donaire in with another aging fighter in Jorge Arce (61-6-2, 46 KO’s) and Arum wants to make this fight in December if Donaire’s injured left hand is okay by then. Donaire fought 36-year-old Toshiaki Nishioka last night in a painful to watch fight because of how boring it was.

Arum said to Dan Rafael of ESPN “If the hand is OK, I will try to have him fight before the end of the year in Mexico City at the new arena against Arce.”

Arum is obviously thinking of the better money for an Arce-Donaire fight plus a much lesser risk for Donaire, because Mares and Rigondeaux are clearly much better fighters than Arce at this point in Arce’s career and they’re a lot more dangerous for Donaire. This is what you call safe matchmaking 101. Donaire would be at high risk against either Mares or Rigondeaux because they’re not old, and they’re someone that is just going to come and fight defensively like Donaire’s opponent Toshiaki Nishioki did last night in losing by a 9th round TKO to Donaire at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, California.

I don’t think an Arce vs. Donaire fight would be even competitive in the slightest, and that would be sad if HBO says yes to televising this fight. Boxing fans just had to sit through nine rounds of non-action with the Donaire-Nishioki fight last Saturday with boxing fans booing almost nonstop the lack of action. Arum made the huge mistake of thinking that boxing fans actually wanted to see the Donaire vs. Nishioka fight and made it the main event with, believe it or not, the Brandon Rios vs. Mike Alvarado fight as an undercard fight. Unbelievable.

I couldn’t think of a dumber thing to do if I tried. No one cared that Donaire was defending his IBF and WBO super bantamweight straps. All fans cared about was that Nishioka, a guy that few of them had ever seen or heard of before, only fought sparingly in one of the most boring fights on HBO ever. That’s Arum’s baby in putting this fight together, and it’s sad that HBO said yes to it. Anyone with eyes could see that Nishioka was looking like a shot fighter in his last bout against the way past his best Rafael Marquez last October. HBO should have said no to this mismatch and told Top Rank to have Donaire fight someone that is still fighting on a high level.

Arce looked terrible earlier this year in what appeared to be a quit job agaisnt Jesus Rojas in a 2nd round no contest after Arce fell down and grabbed his ear after getting hit with a low blow, a shot to the back and then a cuffing right hand from Rojas. Arce couldn’t continue fighting. But the timing of this came right when Arce was getting pounded by the younger 25-year-old Rojas, and it just looked like Arce wanted a way out of a fight that looked like it going in the wrong direction for Arce. If anything, Arce should fight Rojas again instead of getting picked by Arum to fight Donaire.

An Arce vs. Donaire would be just a money fight and not something that you would expect to be competitive. Unless I miss my guess, we’ll see Donaire giving excuses for why he’s fighting Arce instead of Mares or Rigondeaux, saying he thinks that Arce is the best fighter at super bantamweight, which is what Donaire was saying about Nishioka for weeks despite the fact that he looked more like a faded fighter looking for one last fight.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Rios: I could KO Pacquiao and Marquez just like Alvarado
October 13th, 2012 | Post Comment

Rios Alvarado Rios vs. Alvarado mike alvarado manny pacquiao juan manuel marquez brandon rios By Dan Ambrose: Newly crowned WBO light welterweight Latino champion Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) stopped Mike Alvarado (33-1, 23 KO’s) tonight in then 7th round in a highly competitive fight on HBO. After the fight, Rios spoke with Max Kellerman of HBO and said that he thinks he can KO Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez in the same way that he did with the 32-year-old Alvarado.

Rios said “You see what happened to Mike Alvarado? I think I could do the same thing to them [Pacquiao and Marquez], too. Mike Alvarado’s tougher, and Pacquiao’s an in and out guy, but you know what? Like I always do, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. taught me very well. Break the body down and the head will fall down.”

It’s interesting that Rios chose that time of all times to pump up Chavez Sr. rather than his actual trainer Robert Garcia. It seems like it would have been better to say good stuff about Garcia given that he was the one that helped Rios get ready to beat Alvarado, and not Chavez Sr.

I think Rios is magnifying his victory over Alvarado a little too much, because Alvarado is the same fighter that was on his way to losing to Breidis Prescott last year in November until pulling off a victory in the 10th and final round to win it. If not for that, Alvarado would have lost that fight, and he took a pounding in that bout. In Alvarado’s bout before the Rios fight, Alvarado struggled badly in beating Mauricio Herrera but was able to beat him on size and power in a 10 round war last April.

So, Alvarado is a good fighter, but Rios is making more out of his win than what he should be doing. There’s better fighters in the light welterweight division, and Rios should try and prove himself against the likes of Danny Garcia, Lucas Matthysse, Lamont Peterson and Amir Khan before he starts talking about how he can beat Marquez and Pacquiao.

Rios obviously wants to get a big payday fight against Marquez and Pacquiao, so he’s doing a lot of talking now. He’s well aware that his promoter Bob Arum is interested in making that fight with Pacquiao next after Pacquiao’s fight with Marquez on December 8th. Rios is obviously trying to get the boxing public interested in one of those fights already. I wouldn’t be surprised if Arum whispered in Rios’ ear before or after the fight and gave him advice about mentioning Pacquiao and Marquez when interviewed.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Canelo Says He Will Not Return Until May 4th Cinco De Mayo Weekend

Undefeated Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (41-0-1, 30KOs), the WBC junior middleweight champion, has made it clear that he won't return to the ring until May 2013 - and he hopes to face former three division champion Miguel Cotto, WBA junior middleweight champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. and WBC middleweight king Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez.

"I want to face one of them in May, a month for Mexicans," Canelo said.

In telephone conversation from his home in Los Angeles, Canelo stated that he recently held a meeting with promoter Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions. Canelo, along with his coaches Chepo and Eddy Reynoso, explained their expectations for the May 4th return.

"We basically put on the table that we want to fight against any other champion at 154 pounds - or Cotto, Mayweather and Martinez. We told Golden Boy that we wanted to fight on May 5 [May 4th in 2013] and again on September 15 [September 14 in 2013] - the important dates for Mexicans," Canelo said.

"I will not fight until May and I want one of those opponents or any champion at 154-pound champion. [Martinez] can come down [in weight] or we can agree on 156 pounds. He is a fighter who is not a true middleweight. [Until then I'll] be training and I'll be waiting until that date arrives. In addition - I've worked hard, I've been very active and there is a need to rest your body and relax in order to return even better."


*Great. Yet, another fighter who now only elects to fight twice a year. I certainly understand the business aspect of this decision. But, Canelo, is a guy who hasn't displayed great stamina in any of his bouts and fighting twice a year will not help either. He's too young to be pulling a De La Hoya/Mayweather and this stage of his career. But, when you have the world in the palm of your hands you can practically do as you damn well please. Nevertheless as I've stated several times before I'am a HUGE Canelo fan and I believe he destroys, Cotto, even right now. He'll give Floyd a very challenging fight but I do not trust his stamina over the course of the fight. But, I wouldn't be shocked if he were to put Floyd on his ass somewhere between rounds 3-5.*
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Jackie Kallen: Ronald Hearns Carried Out on Stretcher

October 13th, 2012

By Jackie Kallen


Posted Image

I have been close to Thomas Hearns and his family for over 34 years. So of course I was on hand last night to watch his son Ronald return to the ring after two KO losses in a row. In April he was stopped in the first round against Erislandy Lara in Biloxi. A year before that he was stopped by Felix Sturm in Germany.

This was to have been his comeback fight. At 33 years old, he knows he is on borrowed time. Two severe losses in a row can seriously derail a career. He needed a solid win to quiet his detractors and regain his footing in the Junior Middleweight division. Apparently a match against Derrick Findley seemed like the right move to Team Hearns.

With a 19-8 record, the 28 year-old Findley from Gary,

Indiana must have seemed like a safe choice. He has knocked out less than half of his opponents and has been stopped himself (by Andre Dirrell.) The think tank behind Hearns obviously felt this would be a good match. It turned out to be anything BUT.

It was 2:34 in the second round of the fight when the two boxers started clutching and wrestling. They both fell to a heap in the neutral corner. Findley got up. Hearns did not. With his father looking on in horror and concern, Ronald writhed and moaned on the canvas. The referee Frank Garza waved the paramedics in. They worked on Hearns for several minutes as a hush came over the crowd.

With his arms and legs visibly moving, Hearns was unable to get up. He seemed to indicate that his neck was hurting him. Findley later claimed that he hit Hearns with a hook and “heard his neck pop.” You could tell that the situation shook Findley up. No boxer ever wants to intentionally injure another man. He was very remorseful.

After what seemed like a long time, Hearns was gently placed in a neck brace and carried out on a spineboard. He was taken to Oakwood Heritage Hospital with many family members following behind the EMS vehicle. After a night of tests and exams, Hearns was released. It turned out to be a sprained neck, but nothing life-threatening or debilitating.

That being said, I still believe that Ronald and his advisors need to think things over very intensely. After three KO losses in a row, it might be a sign from the universe that it is time to move on. A fighter’s health and well-being must be the number one priority. The inability to take a good punch can prove to be a major liability.

In the semi-main event, the opposite situation arose. Lanardo Tyner squared off against a tough Bronx fighter named Angel Rios. This guy must have watched a lot of Jake LaMotta fight tapes. He had the same invincible style. You could beat the crap out of him and he just kept coming.

The crowd was on their feet screaming as Tyner threw everything he had at Rios for six rounds. The USNBC champ looked shocked and puzzled as he continued his barrage of punches and seemingly could not shake Rios. In fact, the game New Yorker seemed to thrive on the abuse and just kept coming back for more.

Tyner won the decision, but the fans gave Rios a hero’s ovation. He gave everyone their money’s worth and is a much better fighter than his 9-13 record indicates. He may have been beaten 13 times, but he has never been stopped. I’m not sure that is such a good thing. I would be afraid to look at an MRI of Rios’s head.

Local favorite Tony Harrison continued his winning streak by beating Marqus Jackson from Atlanta. Harrison is now 10-0. Leandre “Blue” White upped his stats to 3-0 by getting the decision nod against Anthony Woods. After the bout, Blue was critical of his lackluster performance, stating that he had a bad cold and had trouble breathing.

The event was a co-promotion between Thomas Hearns and car dealer George Kaltsas. It was held at a hockey arena and although it was unusually cold in there, the Tyner/Rios fight warmed up the room. With so many people yelling and cheering, I’m surprised the ice didn’t melt.
 

CZAR

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Oscar De La Hoya ‏ O @oscard eLaHoya
Breaking news!! I'm willing to do Lucas vs Rios. You heard it from the horses mouth.
Man that would be even more bananas. It would be another fight of the year candidate but Rios would stop Lucas between 6-8 rounds. Very similar to last nights fight. Got Em!!
 
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Jan 12, 2006
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Canelo Says He Will Not Return Until May 4th Cinco De Mayo Weekend

Undefeated Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (41-0-1, 30KOs), the WBC junior middleweight champion, has made it clear that he won't return to the ring until May 2013 - and he hopes to face former three division champion Miguel Cotto, WBA junior middleweight champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. and WBC middleweight king Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez.

"I want to face one of them in May, a month for Mexicans," Canelo said.

In telephone conversation from his home in Los Angeles, Canelo stated that he recently held a meeting with promoter Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions. Canelo, along with his coaches Chepo and Eddy Reynoso, explained their expectations for the May 4th return.

"We basically put on the table that we want to fight against any other champion at 154 pounds - or Cotto, Mayweather and Martinez. We told Golden Boy that we wanted to fight on May 5 [May 4th in 2013] and again on September 15 [September 14 in 2013] - the important dates for Mexicans," Canelo said.

"I will not fight until May and I want one of those opponents or any champion at 154-pound champion. [Martinez] can come down [in weight] or we can agree on 156 pounds. He is a fighter who is not a true middleweight. [Until then I'll] be training and I'll be waiting until that date arrives. In addition - I've worked hard, I've been very active and there is a need to rest your body and relax in order to return even better."


*Great. Yet, another fighter who now only elects to fight twice a year. I certainly understand the business aspect of this decision. But, Canelo, is a guy who hasn't displayed great stamina in any of his bouts and fighting twice a year will not help either. He's too young to be pulling a De La Hoya/Mayweather and this stage of his career. But, when you have the world in the palm of your hands you can practically do as you damn well please. Nevertheless as I've stated several times before I'am a HUGE Canelo fan and I believe he destroys, Cotto, even right now. He'll give Floyd a very challenging fight but I do not trust his stamina over the course of the fight. But, I wouldn't be shocked if he were to put Floyd on his ass somewhere between rounds 3-5.*
canelo is a beast!! no cherry picking, just taking out the best available
 
Feb 3, 2006
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Guerrero-Berto Deal in Place For 11/24, Says DeCubas

Article Link - Guerrero-Berto Deal in Place For 11/24, Says DeCubas
This is a legal waiver. By copying and using the material from this article, you agree to give full credit to BoxingScene.com or provide a link to the original article.


By Rick Reeno

Luis DeCubas Jr., the co-manager of WBC interim-welterweight champion Robert Guerrero (30-1-1, 18KOs), confirmed an earlier report on BoxingScene.com - and states that "a deal is in place" to fight former two-time beltholder Andre Berto (28-1, 22KOs) on November 24th at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. HBO will televise.

Because of an injury, and a fight falling through, Berto has been inactive since last September's TKO victory over Jan Zaveck. Prior to a June rematch with Victor Ortiz, Berto tested positive for norandrosterone, which canceled the planned fight. Berto was later cleared by the California State Athletic Commission.

DeCubas states that both Berto and Guerrero have agreed to have USADA [United States Anti-Doping Agency] regulate a random drug testing protocol.

"We have a deal in place to fight Berto. Robert always said that he's willing to fight anyone and I think it's going to be a great fight. Robert and Andre Berto have agreed to USADA testing. They want to keep the sport clean. I expect a lot of action because both of these boxers come to fight," DeCubas told BoxingScene.com.

"I want to thank [Golden Boy Promotions CEO] Richard Schaefer and Golden Boy for their efforts in securing this great match. After we take care of business on November 24, the sky will be the limit and boxing will have a new superstar."

This past July, Guerrero moved up by two weight divisions to win a twelve round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Selcuk Aydin. Guerrero is a former featherweight, super featherweight and WBO/WBA interim-lightweight champion.

The winner will find himself in a very lucrative position, and certainly a top-tier candidate for a major fight in 2013.


I guess K-9 wanted too much money. I love this fight right here..
 
Jul 24, 2005
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How special is Mayweather’s 43-0 record
October 15th, 2012 | Post Comment


floyd mayweather jr By Babatis Banda: I have heard so many comments about Floyd’s unbeaten record. Some are positive and indicate that the ‘O’, as it is popularly referred to, is indicative of Floyd’s greatness. The negative comments are also in abundance, and they seek to show that Floyd is not the first unbeaten fighter ever. It is true that a number of fighters have hung up their leather unbeaten, and a good example is the warrior Rocky Marciano.

Recently, the former world champion, Mike Tyson in reference to Floyd Mayweather junior said that it was fine to have an ‘O’ for as long as one fought once a year. It is fair also that Tyson realizes that even when Floyd was very active, he never registered a loss. Plainly, Floyd has no reason to punish his body unnecessarily by fighting many times a year when he makes too much money fighting once. What would be the motivation? All this talk to me means that the ‘O’ is an issue and here are my thoughts.

Consider two students. One is so intelligent that he has never failed an exam before. The other may have also excelled, but after repeating some grades or re-writing some exams. At the end of the day, they may both become engineers or doctors or lawyers….you can name it. The fact of the matter is that, just as they have both made it, the other is an exceptional student. If the two went after the same job, who is likely to get it?…….Yes, you guessed right, the one with a better resume, despite having the same qualifications, may get the job.

The reason there are ‘performance records’ in boxing is to grade the boxers. It is the only way boxing as sport grades boxers. Floyd’s ‘O’ weather one likes it or not, is an asset. It is a prized possession and indicative of his achievements in the ring. To those that argue that Floyd’s record means nothing as many other boxers have the ‘O’ must start asking themselves why the same boxers have not excelled to the same level Floyd has. Other than the ‘O’ there must be something else that he does that cements his record, and it is his unmatched boxing skills.
For as long as no any other fighter grosses the amount of cash that Floyd does, and for as long as no any other fighter draws more PPVs than Floyd does, then their ‘O’ is not at the same level with Floyd. It means they are yet to do what Floyd has done. It is like a country that has been to war, it is never OK to lose a war, no matter how many you win thereafter.

While an ‘O’ will not define greatness in itself, it is a definite measure to greatness. Here is what makes Floyd’s ‘O’ different, it is backed by performance. Floyd has beaten champions to become a champion. Floyd has beaten unbeaten fighters and better still, he has never been knocked down, he has never been stopped. Floyd has beaten fighters way stronger than himself by using pure boxing skills.

Of all the active top class fighters, he has taken the least punishment in his entire career because of his well acknowledged defensive skills. All fighters would love to have an ‘O’. Mention one that wouldn’t.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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IN an extraordinary interview, Mike Tyson pulls no punches as he talks about about coming to our shores for the first time, Julia Gillard and why deep down he's really a coward.
What do I call you?

Mike. Just call me Mike, please.

Does anything feel better than winning?

That's a good feeling, but to know that you put in the work and you did it all. Even in a losing bout, knowing that you gave your best and you can improve on that ... that's the greatest feeling.

Having a defeat and then winning again, there's nothing like it. Overcoming adversity is better than even winning.

What's the sweetest win you ever had?

Larry Holmes. Because I remember when I was a little boy in 1980, October 2, Cus (D'Amato) took me and a couple of the other young fighters to close circuit to watch Muhammad Ali fight Larry Holmes. After the fight, we had a 45-minute drive home to Catskill from Albany.


The only thing you could hear in the car was the gas. Everything was dead silent on that trip.

Australia, drugs, sexism and the myth of Iron Mike Tyson


Taylor Auerbach, The Sunday Telegraph


And the next morning Cus was on the phone to Muhammad and Cus was so hurt. He said: "Why did you let that man beat on you like that Muhammad?"

Then he said I have a young black kid who's going to be the heavyweight champ of the world. I'd like you to talk to him, his name is Mike. And I talked to Ali and he said he was sick, he took medicine that made him sick. And I was just a little boy of 15 or 14, but I remember saying this: "When I get big, I'm going to get him for you."

What are your thoughts about Muhammad Ali?

I think he's the greatest fighter of all time. It had nothing to do with his skill. His character as a fighter. He's the kind of man, you've got to kill him to beat him.

He has so much pride and dignity, maybe it's a fault. A guy like me wants to win fights and tell you I'm the best, I'm the champion. Ali wants you to say, it don't matter if you're black, white, if you say "you're my champ, Ali".

Ali will fight to the death for you. There don't have to be no money, just for that alone he'll fight to the death for you. Not many fighters would do that.

Was he a reason behind why you became Muslim?

No, not at all, because he converted to the Nation of Islam and it's a different form of Islam and religion that I practise.

I think he eventually transformed to the orthodox religion, but I just thought of the character of the man, he was a great man.

I loved him . . he looks more like a model than a heavyweight champion. But he's the kind of guy - man, he has to be dead; if he's not dead, you didn't win the fight yet. That's what people don't realise about Ali. They see him running around, but he's very game. His pain threshold is unbelievable, it's inconceivable.

You must have been nervous to talk to him?

I was nervous, but I was very excited because being with Cus, I spoke with a lot of great fighters. I spoke on the phone with a lot of fighters - Johnny Wilson, Tommy Loughran, I talked with a lot of great, legendary fighters with Cus that ain't around no more, like from the '20s.

I just so happened to talk to Muhammad Ali and I was pretty sad because the night before that I'd seen him get shellacked real good and it was just a bad day for all of us. We've never been the same, I remember that day and It was October 2, 1980. I'll never forget it.

Did it hurt you more than some of your own losses?

It hurt me a lot because I'd never seen Ali fight, but I'd heard so many wonderful things from Cus about him.

Cus admired him so much ... I felt so bad for Cus, he didn't talk the whole ride. We all did the same thing, we were scared to mention a f ... ing word because Cus didn't say a word. It sounded just like a funeral.

All you could hear was the goddamn motor.

I've never forgotten that moment in my life, it was like we were all too scared to say a word. We were scared to breathe. It was the most intense moment of my life

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