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Freddie Roach Concerned Cotto Will Fight Dirty Vs. Pacquiao, Will Demand Strict Refer
by James Slater - Ace trainer Freddie Roach has admitted he is somewhat concerned Miguel Cotto may resort to dirty tactics when the going gets tough in the eagerly awaited November 14th fight between the Puerto Rican and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. The trainer of "Pac-Man" has come out and said how Cotto has in the past used low blows to his advantage - a case in point being his win over Zab Judah back in 2007, when Cotto was docked a point for landing low punches.
Of course, Cotto denies being a dirty fighter, and it's likely many fans will agree with him and claim Roach is complaining over nothing. But Freddie is simply looking out for his fighter, and he said, in an interview with The Philippine Daily Enquirer, that he will demand strict and fair refereeing takes place in Las Vegas next month..
"Cotto tends to get dirty when the going gets tough in most of his fights and I don't want that to happen," Roach told the publication. "I will make sure the referee will be very strict about it. Cotto stops his opponents' momentum with that kind of blow. In that [Zab] Judah fight he had five low blows."
Cotto will no doubt be very angry when he hears what Roach has had to say, but he may also see Freddie's concern as a sign that Team-Pacquiao are apprehensive about just how difficult and tough a fight the Filipino superstar will get on November 14th.
Roach went further, and was openly worried about the possibly biased approach referee Joe Cortez (a frontrunner to land the job in November) may show towards Cotto - "Fair But Firm" being Puerto Rican himself of course.
"Joe Cortez is Puerto Rican and he's in the running as one of the referees," Roach said. "I don't want him letting Cotto get away with stuff like that. We're going to make an issue out of it first."
Hopefully, Roach's anxiety will prove unnecessary. We all want to see a fair fight next month, and in all likelihood this will be what we get. Cotto may have thrown some low blows in his time, but what fighter hasn't? And remember, before Pacquiao's fight with Ricky Hatton, Roach said he was concerned about how Ricky may use his shoulders and his elbows to gain the upper hand. In the end, there turned out to be no cause for any concern. Okay, Pacquiao flattened Hatton quickly, thereby perhaps preventing "The Hitman" from resorting to dirty tactics, but it's doubtful Hatton would have gone down that road anyway. And Cotto shouldn't either.
You can't fault Roach for looking out for his fighter, but moaning about possible low blows weeks before the fight is perhaps going too far.
by James Slater - Ace trainer Freddie Roach has admitted he is somewhat concerned Miguel Cotto may resort to dirty tactics when the going gets tough in the eagerly awaited November 14th fight between the Puerto Rican and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. The trainer of "Pac-Man" has come out and said how Cotto has in the past used low blows to his advantage - a case in point being his win over Zab Judah back in 2007, when Cotto was docked a point for landing low punches.
Of course, Cotto denies being a dirty fighter, and it's likely many fans will agree with him and claim Roach is complaining over nothing. But Freddie is simply looking out for his fighter, and he said, in an interview with The Philippine Daily Enquirer, that he will demand strict and fair refereeing takes place in Las Vegas next month..
"Cotto tends to get dirty when the going gets tough in most of his fights and I don't want that to happen," Roach told the publication. "I will make sure the referee will be very strict about it. Cotto stops his opponents' momentum with that kind of blow. In that [Zab] Judah fight he had five low blows."
Cotto will no doubt be very angry when he hears what Roach has had to say, but he may also see Freddie's concern as a sign that Team-Pacquiao are apprehensive about just how difficult and tough a fight the Filipino superstar will get on November 14th.
Roach went further, and was openly worried about the possibly biased approach referee Joe Cortez (a frontrunner to land the job in November) may show towards Cotto - "Fair But Firm" being Puerto Rican himself of course.
"Joe Cortez is Puerto Rican and he's in the running as one of the referees," Roach said. "I don't want him letting Cotto get away with stuff like that. We're going to make an issue out of it first."
Hopefully, Roach's anxiety will prove unnecessary. We all want to see a fair fight next month, and in all likelihood this will be what we get. Cotto may have thrown some low blows in his time, but what fighter hasn't? And remember, before Pacquiao's fight with Ricky Hatton, Roach said he was concerned about how Ricky may use his shoulders and his elbows to gain the upper hand. In the end, there turned out to be no cause for any concern. Okay, Pacquiao flattened Hatton quickly, thereby perhaps preventing "The Hitman" from resorting to dirty tactics, but it's doubtful Hatton would have gone down that road anyway. And Cotto shouldn't either.
You can't fault Roach for looking out for his fighter, but moaning about possible low blows weeks before the fight is perhaps going too far.
Dirrell: "I'm going to expose Froch like a Page 3 pinup in The Sun"
Dirrell: "Froch's Title Reign Will Become Vapor"
BIG BEAR LAKE, CALIF. (October 10, 2009) – Undefeated No. 1 super middleweight contender and American Dream “The Matrix” ANDRE DIRRELL had a few words for his opponent Carl Froch before breaking camp in Big Bear Lake, Calif. and boarding a plane for England today. Dirrell is just seven days away from his first world title fight, challenging Froch for his World Boxing Council (WBC) super middleweight championship belt, in a battle of undefeated gladiators.
“When I get finished with Froch he'll have a look in his eyes as vacant as the title he won when Joe Calzaghe gave it up rather than waste his time with such a trivial defense," said Dirrell. “He wants me to stand up to the plate? I'm going to be slamming him with line drives and home runs from both sides of the plate like Mickey Mantle. Boxing and the U.K. will be thanking me for relieving them of Froch's greenhouse effect. I'm going to punch holes in that gasbag. His title reign will become vapor. If you ask me, Mr. Froch sounds more than a little worried about fighting me. I suggest he wear a diaper under his trunks so he doesn't embarrass himself in front of his fans while walking into the ring next Saturday. I said it before and I'll say it again, he can kiss my Yankee Doodle.
Undefeated WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (25-0, 20 KOs), of Nottingham, England, and unbeaten, 2004 Olympic U.S. medalist Andre Dirrell (18-0, 13 KOs), of Flint, Mich., stage their 12-round showdown at Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England, on Saturday, Oct. 17, live on SHOWTIME® (8 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast
Dirrell: "Froch's Title Reign Will Become Vapor"
BIG BEAR LAKE, CALIF. (October 10, 2009) – Undefeated No. 1 super middleweight contender and American Dream “The Matrix” ANDRE DIRRELL had a few words for his opponent Carl Froch before breaking camp in Big Bear Lake, Calif. and boarding a plane for England today. Dirrell is just seven days away from his first world title fight, challenging Froch for his World Boxing Council (WBC) super middleweight championship belt, in a battle of undefeated gladiators.
“When I get finished with Froch he'll have a look in his eyes as vacant as the title he won when Joe Calzaghe gave it up rather than waste his time with such a trivial defense," said Dirrell. “He wants me to stand up to the plate? I'm going to be slamming him with line drives and home runs from both sides of the plate like Mickey Mantle. Boxing and the U.K. will be thanking me for relieving them of Froch's greenhouse effect. I'm going to punch holes in that gasbag. His title reign will become vapor. If you ask me, Mr. Froch sounds more than a little worried about fighting me. I suggest he wear a diaper under his trunks so he doesn't embarrass himself in front of his fans while walking into the ring next Saturday. I said it before and I'll say it again, he can kiss my Yankee Doodle.
Undefeated WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (25-0, 20 KOs), of Nottingham, England, and unbeaten, 2004 Olympic U.S. medalist Andre Dirrell (18-0, 13 KOs), of Flint, Mich., stage their 12-round showdown at Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England, on Saturday, Oct. 17, live on SHOWTIME® (8 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast
So, Now Who'll Start Favourite When Yuriorkis Gamboa and Juan Manuel Lopez Clash
by James Slater - As fight fans are aware, Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa were both in action last night at Madison Square Garden, and both men won and kept their respective world titles as a result. Fans will also surely have read how the plan is for the Puerto Rican super-bantamweight and the Cuban featherweight to meet up in a genuine super-fight some time next year.
But because of a combination of WBO 126-pound champion "Juanma's" lethal one-punch KO power and WBA featherweight champ Gamboa's slack attention towards defence, most fans pretty much felt Lopez would win the battle of the two unbeaten stars. However, after last night's action, this perception may no longer apply. Hurt badly and forced to hold on in the final seconds of his tougher than expected points win over the pretty much unheralded Rogers Mtagwa, southpaw Lopez, 27-0(24) was taken the 12-round distance for the first time and he also looked vulnerable for the first time in an otherwise dominant career
Gamboa, on the other hand, once again showed how fast and powerfully accurate he can be, as he knocked down and then stopped Panama's Whyber Garcia in the 4th-round. Weight problems on the part of Lopez may or may not have had a great deal to do with it, but there is no doubt Gamboa looked the superior fighter last night. This begs the question: who will start favourite - in the opinion of the fans as well as the odds makers - when the two exciting young fighters meet?
It's possible, according to promoter Bob Arum, as quoted by Newsday.com, that the two potential superstars could meet in their next fight. 26-year-old Lopez blamed his struggle to make weight for last night's less than impressive (though hugely entertaining) victory over the man from Tanzania, and said he plans to move up to 126 right away. And for his part, Gamboa, 16-0(14) said he needs no further fights to get himself ready for Lopez.
"I don't think Juan Manuel Lopez is better than me," 27-year-old Gamboa said. "I don't need no warm-up fights. I think I should be carrying the card. I am the better fighter."
And you know what, he may well be. Sure to cause much debate, that will not be settled until the two warriors meet, opinions on who will win look sure to be heard from everywhere from now on. One thing can be agreed on, though - the featherweight battle will in no way be a dull or less than thrilling affair; with the fighting styles of the two men that would be impossible! Also, if the hype machine Bob Arum has at his command does its job correctly, Gamboa-Lopez will be absolutely huge.
Maybe, as he claims, "Juanma" will be a better and stronger fighter up at 126-pounds. Or maybe, as he claims, Gamboa is the better, more precise puncher and the better overall boxer. There's only one place to find out, and that's in the ring. What better ring than the one inside the very venue the two sizzling punchers won in yesterday?
Juan Manuel Lopez Vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa - 12-rounds for the WBA featherweight title - live from Madison Square Garden. What could be better!?!
by James Slater - As fight fans are aware, Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa were both in action last night at Madison Square Garden, and both men won and kept their respective world titles as a result. Fans will also surely have read how the plan is for the Puerto Rican super-bantamweight and the Cuban featherweight to meet up in a genuine super-fight some time next year.
But because of a combination of WBO 126-pound champion "Juanma's" lethal one-punch KO power and WBA featherweight champ Gamboa's slack attention towards defence, most fans pretty much felt Lopez would win the battle of the two unbeaten stars. However, after last night's action, this perception may no longer apply. Hurt badly and forced to hold on in the final seconds of his tougher than expected points win over the pretty much unheralded Rogers Mtagwa, southpaw Lopez, 27-0(24) was taken the 12-round distance for the first time and he also looked vulnerable for the first time in an otherwise dominant career
Gamboa, on the other hand, once again showed how fast and powerfully accurate he can be, as he knocked down and then stopped Panama's Whyber Garcia in the 4th-round. Weight problems on the part of Lopez may or may not have had a great deal to do with it, but there is no doubt Gamboa looked the superior fighter last night. This begs the question: who will start favourite - in the opinion of the fans as well as the odds makers - when the two exciting young fighters meet?
It's possible, according to promoter Bob Arum, as quoted by Newsday.com, that the two potential superstars could meet in their next fight. 26-year-old Lopez blamed his struggle to make weight for last night's less than impressive (though hugely entertaining) victory over the man from Tanzania, and said he plans to move up to 126 right away. And for his part, Gamboa, 16-0(14) said he needs no further fights to get himself ready for Lopez.
"I don't think Juan Manuel Lopez is better than me," 27-year-old Gamboa said. "I don't need no warm-up fights. I think I should be carrying the card. I am the better fighter."
And you know what, he may well be. Sure to cause much debate, that will not be settled until the two warriors meet, opinions on who will win look sure to be heard from everywhere from now on. One thing can be agreed on, though - the featherweight battle will in no way be a dull or less than thrilling affair; with the fighting styles of the two men that would be impossible! Also, if the hype machine Bob Arum has at his command does its job correctly, Gamboa-Lopez will be absolutely huge.
Maybe, as he claims, "Juanma" will be a better and stronger fighter up at 126-pounds. Or maybe, as he claims, Gamboa is the better, more precise puncher and the better overall boxer. There's only one place to find out, and that's in the ring. What better ring than the one inside the very venue the two sizzling punchers won in yesterday?
Juan Manuel Lopez Vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa - 12-rounds for the WBA featherweight title - live from Madison Square Garden. What could be better!?!
Odlanier Solis Delivers Most Impressive Performance Yet In Halting Monte Barrett In T
by James Slater - Despite weighing-in at a whopping 271-pounds, the heaviest weight yet in his pro career, unbeaten Cuban heavyweight hope Odlanier Solis put on what is arguably his most impressive display thus far last night on the big Madison Square Garden show. Halting the experienced and always dangerous Monte Barrett inside just 2-rounds, the big 29-year-old who captured Olympic gold as an amateur got the job done a whole lot quicker than rival heavyweight contender David Haye did last year.
It may not mean too much, after all "Two Gunz" was a late replacement last night, he was coming back after a near year-long layoff, and the 38-year-old did take plenty of stick in his 5-round TKO loss to "The Hayemaker." Nevertheless, "La Sombre's" second-round win at the one-minute and 54-second mark looks good on paper.. If we do keep the Solis-Haye comparison going, we can also throw in the fact that Solis defeated the Londoner as an amateur. Solis, at approx 270, is a lot heavier than Haye, but at 6'1" he is the shorter man. It's possible neither guy would have much of a chance against the Klitschkos, but Solis is apparently shooting for a shot at one of the two world champs.
Haye, of course, gets WBA boss Nikolai Valuev next, and should he win, down the road a "revenge" type fight between he and the Cuban defector would be interesting indeed. The weight issue has to be dealt with by Solis, though. As talented as he is, Solis doesn't appear to have matched Haye's work ethic in the gym. Last night against Barrett, stamina never came into play, and Solis had no problems having to carry all that weight into the later rounds. But will coming in too hefty catch up with the 15-0(11) contender one day?
As for Barrett, who fell to 34-8(20), his career must now be over. A good, gutsy warrior who fought some of the best in his time, the New Yorker has taken more than enough hurt in the ring and his losses have grown lately. Coming back admirably to face Solis at short notice, "Two Gunz" again gave it a go, but his punch resistance is no longer capable of taking the kind of left hands Solis cracked him with last night.
For Solis, it's a case of onwards and upwards. For Barrett, it's surely a case of enjoy your well earned retirement
by James Slater - Despite weighing-in at a whopping 271-pounds, the heaviest weight yet in his pro career, unbeaten Cuban heavyweight hope Odlanier Solis put on what is arguably his most impressive display thus far last night on the big Madison Square Garden show. Halting the experienced and always dangerous Monte Barrett inside just 2-rounds, the big 29-year-old who captured Olympic gold as an amateur got the job done a whole lot quicker than rival heavyweight contender David Haye did last year.
It may not mean too much, after all "Two Gunz" was a late replacement last night, he was coming back after a near year-long layoff, and the 38-year-old did take plenty of stick in his 5-round TKO loss to "The Hayemaker." Nevertheless, "La Sombre's" second-round win at the one-minute and 54-second mark looks good on paper.. If we do keep the Solis-Haye comparison going, we can also throw in the fact that Solis defeated the Londoner as an amateur. Solis, at approx 270, is a lot heavier than Haye, but at 6'1" he is the shorter man. It's possible neither guy would have much of a chance against the Klitschkos, but Solis is apparently shooting for a shot at one of the two world champs.
Haye, of course, gets WBA boss Nikolai Valuev next, and should he win, down the road a "revenge" type fight between he and the Cuban defector would be interesting indeed. The weight issue has to be dealt with by Solis, though. As talented as he is, Solis doesn't appear to have matched Haye's work ethic in the gym. Last night against Barrett, stamina never came into play, and Solis had no problems having to carry all that weight into the later rounds. But will coming in too hefty catch up with the 15-0(11) contender one day?
As for Barrett, who fell to 34-8(20), his career must now be over. A good, gutsy warrior who fought some of the best in his time, the New Yorker has taken more than enough hurt in the ring and his losses have grown lately. Coming back admirably to face Solis at short notice, "Two Gunz" again gave it a go, but his punch resistance is no longer capable of taking the kind of left hands Solis cracked him with last night.
For Solis, it's a case of onwards and upwards. For Barrett, it's surely a case of enjoy your well earned retirement
Israel Vazquez Makes Successful Return With 9th-Round TKO Over Angel Priolo, But Stru
by James Slater - Israel "Magnifico" Vazquez made a successful return to the ring last night in Los Angeles fighting for the first time since the third of his brutal battles with Rafael Marquez. That 12-round war came in arch of 2008, and in taking on the little-known Angel Priolo yesterday, many people felt the 31-year-old former champion was entitled to a relatively easy fight. 35-year-old Priolo of Colombia, who was 30-7(20) coming in, had lost his previous six outings, all but one by stoppage, and he had fought a good number of his recent fights down at the 118-pound range.
But, perhaps due as much to ring rust as the possibility that he is a faded fighter due to all the hard battles he's been involved in, Vazquez had a tough time last night.. Fighting up at featherweight, and coming back after having had retinal problems, Vazquez once again had to dig deep to win, and he won in exciting fashion. Improving to 44-4(32), the Mexican great suffered a nasty-looking cut over his swollen left eye, and the action was far more competitive than a good number of people felt it would be
Finally, after an admirable effort by the Colombian, "Magnifico" stopped his man with three knockdowns in the 9th-round, forcing referee Pat Russell to halt the bout at 2-minutes and 10-seconds of the round. So, on one hand Vazquez again thrilled his many fans, but on the other he looked as though his days as a world champion have perhaps gone.
There's no doubting how we should give the 31-year-old a break; after all he was fighting for the first time in well over a year-and-a-half. Vazquez was bound to be rusty and his timing was bound to be at least a little off. But had Vazquez not got the stoppage in the 9th as he did, he may have had to have settled for a very close points win. At the time of the stoppage, Vazquez was up by a score of 78-74 on one card, and the fight was all even at 76-76 on the other two cards of the judges.
The thought of a Vazquez loss reared its head in the fight for another reason; the cut. The ringside doctor came to look at the nasty cut in the intermission between the 7th and 8th rounds, but decided to let the fight go. A number of fights have been stopped on lesser cuts.
It's good that the popular and respected Vazquez won, even though he didn't get the easy tune-up he had perhaps hoped for (but then again, does Vazquez ever look for an easy fight!?!) but there are many questions now regarding his future. Will he look to a fight with Juan Manuel Lopez, who surprisingly struggled last night with Rogers Mtagwa? Or will Vazquez look for a fourth fight with rival Marquez? Both fights will likely be tough ones for the man who has been a pro since 1995.
by James Slater - Israel "Magnifico" Vazquez made a successful return to the ring last night in Los Angeles fighting for the first time since the third of his brutal battles with Rafael Marquez. That 12-round war came in arch of 2008, and in taking on the little-known Angel Priolo yesterday, many people felt the 31-year-old former champion was entitled to a relatively easy fight. 35-year-old Priolo of Colombia, who was 30-7(20) coming in, had lost his previous six outings, all but one by stoppage, and he had fought a good number of his recent fights down at the 118-pound range.
But, perhaps due as much to ring rust as the possibility that he is a faded fighter due to all the hard battles he's been involved in, Vazquez had a tough time last night.. Fighting up at featherweight, and coming back after having had retinal problems, Vazquez once again had to dig deep to win, and he won in exciting fashion. Improving to 44-4(32), the Mexican great suffered a nasty-looking cut over his swollen left eye, and the action was far more competitive than a good number of people felt it would be
Finally, after an admirable effort by the Colombian, "Magnifico" stopped his man with three knockdowns in the 9th-round, forcing referee Pat Russell to halt the bout at 2-minutes and 10-seconds of the round. So, on one hand Vazquez again thrilled his many fans, but on the other he looked as though his days as a world champion have perhaps gone.
There's no doubting how we should give the 31-year-old a break; after all he was fighting for the first time in well over a year-and-a-half. Vazquez was bound to be rusty and his timing was bound to be at least a little off. But had Vazquez not got the stoppage in the 9th as he did, he may have had to have settled for a very close points win. At the time of the stoppage, Vazquez was up by a score of 78-74 on one card, and the fight was all even at 76-76 on the other two cards of the judges.
The thought of a Vazquez loss reared its head in the fight for another reason; the cut. The ringside doctor came to look at the nasty cut in the intermission between the 7th and 8th rounds, but decided to let the fight go. A number of fights have been stopped on lesser cuts.
It's good that the popular and respected Vazquez won, even though he didn't get the easy tune-up he had perhaps hoped for (but then again, does Vazquez ever look for an easy fight!?!) but there are many questions now regarding his future. Will he look to a fight with Juan Manuel Lopez, who surprisingly struggled last night with Rogers Mtagwa? Or will Vazquez look for a fourth fight with rival Marquez? Both fights will likely be tough ones for the man who has been a pro since 1995.
YURIORKIS GAMBOA TO FACE BERNABE CONCEPCION ON JANUARY 23RD
http://fighthype.com/pages/content5907.html
Pretty big test for Gamboa, Concepcion is a pretty dope fighter, very risky. Should be a war while it lasts.
http://fighthype.com/pages/content5907.html
Pretty big test for Gamboa, Concepcion is a pretty dope fighter, very risky. Should be a war while it lasts.
Jamie Moore-Julio Cesar Chavez Junior A Possibility For The Near Future
by James Slater - British promoter Frank Maloney, now thankfully recovered from his recent heart attack, has been working extremely tirelessly in trying to get his fighter, the crowd pleasing Jamie Moore, a crack at the WBC light-middleweight title. European champion Moore, who faces a tough test in Ryan Rhodes later this month, very much wants a crack at the belt currently held by Sergio Martinez, but his promoter has told Sky Sports how he may wind up facing Julio Cesar Chavez first - possibly in a final eliminator for the WBC title or maybe in a fight that will contest the interim version of the green belt..
Of course, all this is reliant on southpaw Moore, 32-3(23) getting past Rhodes, 42-4(28) on the 23rd of this month, but Maloney says he will suggest to U.S promoter Bob Arum that Moore and Chavez Jr. meet in an elimination or interim title fight.
Maloney first explained to Sky Sports how hard he's been working to get Martinez to face 30-year-old Moore; to no avail.
"I was very close to getting Martinez over here," Maloney said. "A couple of months ago talks were held with his promoter Lou DiBella, but after good signs early on, they didn't want to come to England and face Jamie. The offer was fantastic and Jamie was willing to take the fight for chump change. I can't see how Martinez had ever earned the money that was on the table.
The WBC belt is the most prestigious and the one Jamie wants to get his hands on more than anything."
So, having hit an apparent road block with Martinez, Maloney will now try and get the Moore-Chavez Junior fight made in the meantime. Definitely a great action fight on paper, Moore going against the son of a boxing legend would surely do good business T.V-wise. However, Maloney understands how there would be little chance of the fight taking place in the U.K.
"I'm going to Las Vegas where I am going to suggest to Bob Arum that Jamie fights Chavez Junior in a final eliminator, or even for an interim title," Maloney explained. "It will be hard to bring Chavez Junior to England because of the T.V business he does in the United States and in Mexico, but I am so confident "Mooresy" has his measure we would travel.
"If he doesn't beat Rhodes though that will all become no more than a dream."
Maloney says no way is Moore looking past the accomplished Rhodes, and nor should he be. But providing he gets the job done on October 23rd, that fight with Chavez Junior would be one step closer to being made. But would the Mexican star take the fight?
The unbeaten Chavez Junior, by the way, is next set to fight against Troy Rowland on the under-card of the huge Cotto-Pacquiao bill on November 14th.
by James Slater - British promoter Frank Maloney, now thankfully recovered from his recent heart attack, has been working extremely tirelessly in trying to get his fighter, the crowd pleasing Jamie Moore, a crack at the WBC light-middleweight title. European champion Moore, who faces a tough test in Ryan Rhodes later this month, very much wants a crack at the belt currently held by Sergio Martinez, but his promoter has told Sky Sports how he may wind up facing Julio Cesar Chavez first - possibly in a final eliminator for the WBC title or maybe in a fight that will contest the interim version of the green belt..
Of course, all this is reliant on southpaw Moore, 32-3(23) getting past Rhodes, 42-4(28) on the 23rd of this month, but Maloney says he will suggest to U.S promoter Bob Arum that Moore and Chavez Jr. meet in an elimination or interim title fight.
Maloney first explained to Sky Sports how hard he's been working to get Martinez to face 30-year-old Moore; to no avail.
"I was very close to getting Martinez over here," Maloney said. "A couple of months ago talks were held with his promoter Lou DiBella, but after good signs early on, they didn't want to come to England and face Jamie. The offer was fantastic and Jamie was willing to take the fight for chump change. I can't see how Martinez had ever earned the money that was on the table.
The WBC belt is the most prestigious and the one Jamie wants to get his hands on more than anything."
So, having hit an apparent road block with Martinez, Maloney will now try and get the Moore-Chavez Junior fight made in the meantime. Definitely a great action fight on paper, Moore going against the son of a boxing legend would surely do good business T.V-wise. However, Maloney understands how there would be little chance of the fight taking place in the U.K.
"I'm going to Las Vegas where I am going to suggest to Bob Arum that Jamie fights Chavez Junior in a final eliminator, or even for an interim title," Maloney explained. "It will be hard to bring Chavez Junior to England because of the T.V business he does in the United States and in Mexico, but I am so confident "Mooresy" has his measure we would travel.
"If he doesn't beat Rhodes though that will all become no more than a dream."
Maloney says no way is Moore looking past the accomplished Rhodes, and nor should he be. But providing he gets the job done on October 23rd, that fight with Chavez Junior would be one step closer to being made. But would the Mexican star take the fight?
The unbeaten Chavez Junior, by the way, is next set to fight against Troy Rowland on the under-card of the huge Cotto-Pacquiao bill on November 14th.
Looks like that card just got better, although I haven't seen such a blatant duck (Lopez ducking Caballero) in quite some time! Acting like a biotch! I'm losing respect for Lopez, it's embarrassing.
Lopez vs Luevano, Gamboa vs Concepcion Double For Jan
By Mark Vester
According to Ivan Rivera, president of Puerto Rico Best Boxing, co-promoter of WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez, says the fighter will likely face WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano on January 23 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico. Rivera says the co-feature will likely be WBA "regular" featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa taking on Filipino Bernabe Concepcion. The doubleheader is Top Rank's continued plan to build the mega-clash between Juanma and Gamboa. HBO will televise both fights.
"Everything indicates that it will be Steve Luevano. The first reason is because he is also with [Top Rank] and it is a much better deal. And second because [Juanma] had always talked about gaining weight after the fight with [Rogers] Mtagwa. For a long time, Juanma has had a difficult time getting down to 122," Rivera told El Nuevo Dia.
Rivera says the next fight for Juanma would not be against Gamboa, at least as the plans stand right now. If he beats Luevano, Juanam's next bout would possibly be a unification with WBC featherweight champion Elio Rojas, from the Dominican Republic, in June at Madison Square Garden. The fight will be positioned around the time of the Puerto Rican Day parade; another step by Top Rank to build Lopez's popularity in the New York area.
Juanma received 20 stitches on his face from last weekend's war with Mtagwa. Rivera thinks Junam might have to stay away from the gym for 30 to 45 days.
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Caballero Fumes Over Lopez Snub, Blasts Juanma
HOLLYWOOD, FL
After WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez barely survived a 12 round war with huge underdog Rogers Mtagwa Saturday night in New York City, it was no surprise that Lopez’ team began scurrying for the door when it came to the proposed unification bout with WBA / IBF champion Celestino Caballero.
“I’m not surprised at all,” said a disappointed and angry Caballero. “Everyone knows that Lopez and his team don’t want any part of me, and him almost getting knocked out by an old man with 12 losses just confirms that he will continue to fight opponents who either can’t punch, can’t move, or can’t be stronger than he is..”
Most boxing observers expected that the highly-anticipated unification bout would be signed and announced following the Lopez-Mtagwa match, but Lopez’ life and death struggle in defense of his title has made Bob Arum and Top Rank, Lopez’ promoters, look for less threatening opposition, and Arum has even claimed that Caballero turned down an offer for the fight, something Leon Margules, Executive Director of Seminole Warriors Boxing, says is a lie.
“We were never even presented an offer for the fight,” said Margules. “I want this fight, Celestino wants this fight, and the fans want this fight, so we are willing to do whatever it takes to make it. But I know after Saturday night, the odds of getting this fight done have dwindled considerably.”
Meanwhile, Caballero hopes one last plea to Lopez will turn the tide and give fans a 122-pound superfight in 2010.
“JuanMa, I saw in Primera Hora that you said that you want to fight me, but that your promoters don’t want it,” said Caballero. “I’ll take you at your word on that, but if that’s true, you need to let Top Rank know that you’re the champion and you’re the boss. You’re the one in the ring doing the fighting, so if you’re the man you say you are, tell your manager and promoter that you won’t fight anyone but me next. If you do, I promise I won’t punish you for 12 rounds; I’ll just take you out in five or less.”
Lopez vs Luevano, Gamboa vs Concepcion Double For Jan
By Mark Vester
According to Ivan Rivera, president of Puerto Rico Best Boxing, co-promoter of WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez, says the fighter will likely face WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano on January 23 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico. Rivera says the co-feature will likely be WBA "regular" featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa taking on Filipino Bernabe Concepcion. The doubleheader is Top Rank's continued plan to build the mega-clash between Juanma and Gamboa. HBO will televise both fights.
"Everything indicates that it will be Steve Luevano. The first reason is because he is also with [Top Rank] and it is a much better deal. And second because [Juanma] had always talked about gaining weight after the fight with [Rogers] Mtagwa. For a long time, Juanma has had a difficult time getting down to 122," Rivera told El Nuevo Dia.
Rivera says the next fight for Juanma would not be against Gamboa, at least as the plans stand right now. If he beats Luevano, Juanam's next bout would possibly be a unification with WBC featherweight champion Elio Rojas, from the Dominican Republic, in June at Madison Square Garden. The fight will be positioned around the time of the Puerto Rican Day parade; another step by Top Rank to build Lopez's popularity in the New York area.
Juanma received 20 stitches on his face from last weekend's war with Mtagwa. Rivera thinks Junam might have to stay away from the gym for 30 to 45 days.
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Caballero Fumes Over Lopez Snub, Blasts Juanma
HOLLYWOOD, FL
After WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez barely survived a 12 round war with huge underdog Rogers Mtagwa Saturday night in New York City, it was no surprise that Lopez’ team began scurrying for the door when it came to the proposed unification bout with WBA / IBF champion Celestino Caballero.
“I’m not surprised at all,” said a disappointed and angry Caballero. “Everyone knows that Lopez and his team don’t want any part of me, and him almost getting knocked out by an old man with 12 losses just confirms that he will continue to fight opponents who either can’t punch, can’t move, or can’t be stronger than he is..”
Most boxing observers expected that the highly-anticipated unification bout would be signed and announced following the Lopez-Mtagwa match, but Lopez’ life and death struggle in defense of his title has made Bob Arum and Top Rank, Lopez’ promoters, look for less threatening opposition, and Arum has even claimed that Caballero turned down an offer for the fight, something Leon Margules, Executive Director of Seminole Warriors Boxing, says is a lie.
“We were never even presented an offer for the fight,” said Margules. “I want this fight, Celestino wants this fight, and the fans want this fight, so we are willing to do whatever it takes to make it. But I know after Saturday night, the odds of getting this fight done have dwindled considerably.”
Meanwhile, Caballero hopes one last plea to Lopez will turn the tide and give fans a 122-pound superfight in 2010.
“JuanMa, I saw in Primera Hora that you said that you want to fight me, but that your promoters don’t want it,” said Caballero. “I’ll take you at your word on that, but if that’s true, you need to let Top Rank know that you’re the champion and you’re the boss. You’re the one in the ring doing the fighting, so if you’re the man you say you are, tell your manager and promoter that you won’t fight anyone but me next. If you do, I promise I won’t punish you for 12 rounds; I’ll just take you out in five or less.”
Caballero would probably put Lopez on his ass, but I still would like to see the fight.
Why didn't they have a Concepcion vs Luevano rematch though? That last one ended kind of gay. Well, I guess with a name like Bernabe, you're bound to do some dome shit. Reminds me of this one time where a Filipino guy came into my work and his name was Beethoven. LOL. :dead:
Why didn't they have a Concepcion vs Luevano rematch though? That last one ended kind of gay. Well, I guess with a name like Bernabe, you're bound to do some dome shit. Reminds me of this one time where a Filipino guy came into my work and his name was Beethoven. LOL. :dead:
Will The Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Super-Fight Happen? Bob Arum And Freddie Roa
by James Slater - Simply put, it's the fight everyone interested in the sport of boxing wants to see; Manny Pacquiao Vs. Floyd Mayweather Junior - the battle for pound-for-pound supremacy. Since even before "Money's" short-lived retirement, the fans have been asking what would happen if the man who took his spot at the very top of the sport were to face him in the ring.
As natural a fight as the great ones that defined previous eras when it comes to the lower weight classes, Pacquiao-Mayweather could be as big, and as great, as Ray Leonard-Tommy Hearns, Julio Cesar Chavez-Meldrick Taylor and many other classics you could mention.. But - and it's a question that is a tough one to ask - will this particular mega-fight actually take place?
Depressingly, two men who know more than most with regards to this question - in "Pac-Man's" promoter Bob Arum and his trainer Freddie Roach - seem to think the fight is a long shot to go ahead.
In a recent interview with The Ring, Arum said the following:
"I don't think [Pacquiao-Mayweather] will happen within the next year because of all of Mayweather's posturing, the trash talk. That impedes any realistic negotiations. It would just be too difficult."
Arum has also gone on record as saying the demands Mayweather seems unwilling, maybe incapable, of backing down from will also make the fight a no go. "Money" wants a 60-40 split in his favour, as does "Pac-Man." Arum says no way will Floyd get the lion's share of the purse, as he is not the draw; Manny is. Of course, we can cross our fingers and hope the two fighters agree to take an even 50-50 split, but it doesn't look likely.
Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, joins Arum in doubting whether the must-see fight will actually get to be seen.
"It seems like there's a lot of things working against this fight ever happening," Roach told The L.A Times recently. "It makes sense. It would be a great fight, but it seems there's a lot of distractions around it. I don't think it's going to happen."
As maddening as the thought of never getting to see this potentially unforgettable fight is, we must try and stay at least a little optimistic. Remember, there was once talk that the much sought after Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight would not go ahead due to arguments over the purse split. In the end, sanity prevailed and both sides realised how important the fight was and came to an agreement. As financially huge as Pacquiao-Mayweather would be, surely egos can be put aside, at least for a time?
One thing that must be said, however, is that Miguel Cotto, as great as HE is, is being done a disservice by all the talk of whether or not a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will happen due to the money issue. It could well be that the 2010 mega-fight doesn't happen, but due to an entirely different reason: Cotto defeats Pacquiao on November 14th!
If that did happen (and a number of good judges feel it might) all this talk about Pacquiao-Mayweather would probably become irrelevant. All talk then would shift towards Cotto Vs. Mayweather. Would that be a super-fight that could be made
by James Slater - Simply put, it's the fight everyone interested in the sport of boxing wants to see; Manny Pacquiao Vs. Floyd Mayweather Junior - the battle for pound-for-pound supremacy. Since even before "Money's" short-lived retirement, the fans have been asking what would happen if the man who took his spot at the very top of the sport were to face him in the ring.
As natural a fight as the great ones that defined previous eras when it comes to the lower weight classes, Pacquiao-Mayweather could be as big, and as great, as Ray Leonard-Tommy Hearns, Julio Cesar Chavez-Meldrick Taylor and many other classics you could mention.. But - and it's a question that is a tough one to ask - will this particular mega-fight actually take place?
Depressingly, two men who know more than most with regards to this question - in "Pac-Man's" promoter Bob Arum and his trainer Freddie Roach - seem to think the fight is a long shot to go ahead.
In a recent interview with The Ring, Arum said the following:
"I don't think [Pacquiao-Mayweather] will happen within the next year because of all of Mayweather's posturing, the trash talk. That impedes any realistic negotiations. It would just be too difficult."
Arum has also gone on record as saying the demands Mayweather seems unwilling, maybe incapable, of backing down from will also make the fight a no go. "Money" wants a 60-40 split in his favour, as does "Pac-Man." Arum says no way will Floyd get the lion's share of the purse, as he is not the draw; Manny is. Of course, we can cross our fingers and hope the two fighters agree to take an even 50-50 split, but it doesn't look likely.
Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, joins Arum in doubting whether the must-see fight will actually get to be seen.
"It seems like there's a lot of things working against this fight ever happening," Roach told The L.A Times recently. "It makes sense. It would be a great fight, but it seems there's a lot of distractions around it. I don't think it's going to happen."
As maddening as the thought of never getting to see this potentially unforgettable fight is, we must try and stay at least a little optimistic. Remember, there was once talk that the much sought after Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight would not go ahead due to arguments over the purse split. In the end, sanity prevailed and both sides realised how important the fight was and came to an agreement. As financially huge as Pacquiao-Mayweather would be, surely egos can be put aside, at least for a time?
One thing that must be said, however, is that Miguel Cotto, as great as HE is, is being done a disservice by all the talk of whether or not a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will happen due to the money issue. It could well be that the 2010 mega-fight doesn't happen, but due to an entirely different reason: Cotto defeats Pacquiao on November 14th!
If that did happen (and a number of good judges feel it might) all this talk about Pacquiao-Mayweather would probably become irrelevant. All talk then would shift towards Cotto Vs. Mayweather. Would that be a super-fight that could be made
Al Bernstein talks about Froch-Dirrell, Abraham-Taylor and more
Exclusive Interview with Al Bernstein by Geoffrey Ciani - With the start of the Super Six super middleweight tournament just around the corner, I was recently afforded the opportunity to have a nice chat with Showtime’s boxing analyst Al Bernstein. Here is what he had to say:
Audio:
Q: Al, what are your thoughts on the format of the Super Six super middleweight tournament?
A: You know, I think it’s pretty cool. It’s kind of modeled after the World Cup a little bit. It’s in three stages, initially, and then the four fighters that emerge from those three stages with the most points—with two points for a win, one extra point for a stoppage, and one point for a draw, and of course no points if you lose—whoever emerges, the four fighters with the most points will then fight in the semi-finals single elimination and then we’ll have the championship match. I think it’s a pretty good format. It’s never been done in boxing that way before and it’s rare that you get to participate in something that’s never been done in sports, and that’s got me kind of excited.
Nothing in this world is perfect, and I’m sure somewhere somebody probably is looking at this and saying, “Oh, I’d do it differently”, and I get that, but I think is a pretty good format and I think it will serve everybody well, and they’ve done a lot of things to try and ensure as much as they can that nobody has an advantage. And of course, the key element to that is the five promoters and six fighters are all agreeing to what’s happening, so to me that speaks volumes..
Q: So you don’t think that maybe this was set up a little too ambitious for its own good where, it seems to me that, one or two injuries suffered along the way might have a negative impact on this event?
A: Well, it could, but I think the way—I’m guessing, and I’m not the person that set it up, obviously Ken Hershman did for Showtime and all the other executives there and plus all the promoters and their people. They had to all give a meeting of the minds to this. I think part of the key to this is everybody wanted something that was ongoing enough to make it worth everyone’s while both financially and in terms of having a series of fights that were secured, that were there, that were going to be meaningful fights, and that’s why I think it’s done over an eighteen month period.
Of course, there is the possibility of injury, there is the possibility of a number of things. I think with those incidences, they’re hoping that common sense always prevails. If somebody gets cut, you can always postpone the second stage for that fighter a little bit. Or if it’s an ‘injury’ injury, that is just impossible, that won’t heal for a year or two years, then clearly, probably they’ll have to think about replacing that fighter. I know they all understand that’s a possibility, but you hope that that won’t happen. Another point is, they have to get through the first three stages, but once you get to that, you got the single elimination semi-finals. So yes, like with anything, there are potential pitfalls, but I think they needed to make it where enough people fought enough people to create a body of work that would make this seem like it makes sense.
Q: Would it be fair to say that you think that the format that they are using, that they were able to get this done which is a good thing for boxing fans, it might have been more difficult maybe to do, let’s say, an eight man single elimination tournament?
A: My guess is yes. I wasn’t involved in any of the negotiations, and I’m speculating, but I suspect maybe yes. The charm of this and the part that I think is fun for boxing fans is, the super middleweight is probably the deepest division in boxing or one of the two or three, and we have six fighters who if you tossed their names in a hat, any of the match-ups are really interesting and each would be a big main fight if you just decided to make it. So I think that that’s the charm of this, that we’re going to see these people in different configurations, and a single elimination would not have done that and I think that’s part of it. I’m suspecting that that was part of the allure for the boxers and their promoters and certainly for the network, and I think ultimately will be for the fans.
Q: Now speaking of the fighters, the six participants in the tournament, in your view are these the best six super middleweights in the world or do you think that other guys like maybe (Lucian) Bute and some others may have deserved inclusion?
A: I think it’s just like the NCAA tournament. You know, they keep expanding that tournament, pretty soon it will be 183 teams. No matter what, there’s always somebody that feels they can be in. Listen, you mentioned two people. Bute is a champion, Allan Green is very talented, so I am sure that they feel like they could be included in this, and there are many considerations I’m sure in making these matches. For instance, people could look at Andre Dirrell and say well he’s not as battle-tested as some of these other people who could have been included in the tournament, but he’s undefeated, he’s an Olympian, and he has cache to be in the tournament. Jermain Taylor, while he’s jumping up from middleweight has some losses, but he just had a fight in which he was eighteen seconds away from beating one of the super middleweight champions.
So you can make arguments back and forth about it.I think this six, whether you can make a case for somebody else being better than one of them, these six represent very interesting contrasting dynamics among fighters both in and out of the ring. Three Americans, a couple of Olympic champions, three international champions who each bring with them a certain fan base, and all six of these men bring with them different kinds of fighting styles.
Q: I would like to get your opinions on some of the individual match-ups coming, particularly in this first round. Since I recently had the chance to speak with Carl Froch on the On the Ropes Boxing Radio Program, I’d like to start with the bout between him and Andre Dirrell.
A: Yeah, you know, this is an intriguing match-up. Andre Dirrell is, I think he would even admit even though he’s a confident young man and I see where he just predicted that he and Mikkel Kessler will be in the finals of this tournament, although everyone thinks they can win this tournament. They really do. He might be one of the most athletically gifted fighters among the six, maybe the most. He’s also the most untested, and I think even he would admit that. At this juncture, we just don’t know how he’s going to perform against top level competition. Carl Froch who gets a home game in this first one, and everyone will fight on their home turf so ultimately everyone will get that benefit, but he is also supremely confident and as tough as they come. He has a tremendous chin, all kinds of defensive liabilities, but they get negated by his power and his chin and his aggressiveness.
This will be Andre Dirrell’s coming out party as a pro fighter. We’re going to find out volumes about Dirrelll. Can he box effectively over twelve rounds, which I think is what he’s going to need to do. He’s never done that yet. We’ve never seen him in a fight where he has boxed effectively over the entire fight. He’s been in with competition where he can afford to languish on the inside, try to throw power punches with them, he switches back and forth pretty effectively, but has often done that switching right in front of fighters. That’s the kind of stuff he cannot get away with against Carl Froch, but he has all the speed and he has deceptive power, so it’s his physical gifts against the experience and the power of Froch.
Q: Next up, we have also this weekend the fight I am actually most interested in seeing in these first round match-ups is Jermain Taylor versus Arthur Abraham. Your thoughts?
A: It’s an intriguing fight and they set up almost exactly like the Taylor-Froch fight did. Arthur Abraham does not get off to blazing starts for the most part. He has that shell-like defense that is almost impossible to penetrate. He will often give away rounds early in the fight before he comes out of that shell to throw very quick and powerful combinations. We know Jermain Taylor wins early rounds, shows power, but once we get to round eight, it’s the same old story with Jermain. He has difficulties. Now he’s been down in Houston, Texas, training hard, changing some of his training regiment and his diet and trying very hard to solve the problem that is his stamina. Arthur Abraham I’m sure believes that he will own this fight after round six, seven, or eight, and I’m sure that’s a big part of what he’s going for. Arthur Abraham is either almost unbeatable or he is a fighter that a really good boxer can completely control if they don’t get hit with those big bursts of counterpunching that he comes out with.
Q: The final first round match up happens next month and that one is between Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward. Your thoughts on that one?
A: You can look at it a couple of different ways. Andre Ward might have gotten the toughest draw in the first round, because I think most people believe that Mikkel Kessler—even though there’s really no way to tell who’s going to win this tournament because so many things can happen over an eighteen month period—but he’s probably going in the favorite and is probably universally considered the best super middleweight at this point, but by how much of a margin is obviously up for debate. So Andre Ward, the 2004 Olympic Champion drew a tough guy in his first match. Now he gets him at home, fighting in front of his home fans in Oakland and some would argue that it’s better to start out with the toughest opponent and he’s doing it on his home turf. He’s doing at a time, Andre Ward, when he is peaking as a fighter. People believe that his career has been a slow steady build over four years and he is now fighting the best he’s ever fought. Kessler, at age 30, has had nagging injuries but got in a very good performance as a tune-up just a month or so ago against Gusmyr Perdomo and looked very good. This fight, I think, pits the two fighters who are the most solid in terms of their technique in the boxing ring. They are both very sound fundamentally and I think it’s going to be a very good match.
Q: You’ve given your thoughts on the first round match-ups. I’m curious, which first round match-up do you think will be the most entertaining for the fans?
A: Boy, that’s an interesting question. You could make the case for Abraham-Taylor for a couple of different reasons. Jermain Taylor’s been involved in very exciting fights in recent time and you get the feeling that in that fight they will be engaging each other. Jermain Taylor’s a good boxer-puncher but he’s not the kind of guy that moves around the ring and runs around the ring so they will definitely engage. Now, Ward-Kessler you can make the case, and by the way all the rings will be 20x20 in this tournament which I think is a wonderful feature because it means everybody’s going to have the same size ring. So if you’re a boxer and you want to move, or if you’re a slugger then you want to get to the guy, it’s all the same, it’s kind of right in the middle of sizes of ring that we would have. So I think Kessler and Ward are also two fighters who, while we may see more movement potentially from Ward, I think those fighters are going to engage as well, so that one would be the second one. Then Froch and Dirrell I think will be a very interesting fight. The only thing that could make that third on the list is if Andre Dirrell is forced to turn it into the Andre Dirrell international track meet. If he’s forced to do that, and it’s the only way for him to win and survive, maybe he’ll do it. Other than that, that could also be a wildly exciting fight.
Q: Do you think it’s likely that the winner of this tournament will survive throughout without suffering a loss on his record?
A: That’s a really good question. I got to be honest with you I haven’t thought much about that. Could somebody win five matches, straight? I’m thinking no. I think that would be a monumental feat and if it happens, and it’s interesting you bringing this up, if somebody was to go through and win five matches in this competition I think it would be one of the more remarkable achievements in boxing maybe ever. That would be a staggering achievement. It would be hard for me to imagine somebody doing it, but if they could, that would be miraculous.
Q: Who do you think is the man to beat that would make the biggest statement in this tournament?
A: Well, you can look at it two different ways. The man to beat, I think, is Mikkel Kessler. I really believe that only because he has fought at the highest level of competition, he has every skill, he is both a boxer and a puncher, and he’s of an age where he’s not shopworn so I think you probably have to say he’s the man to beat. As far as who would make the biggest statement, the biggest statement to win this would be made, probably, by Andre Dirrell, because he’s coming in as the most untested. And if Andre Dirrell were to win this tournament, he and Andre Ward would probably be making the biggest statement because they are the youngest. But then you can make the case for Jermain Taylor, too, because a lot of people don’t expect him to win and he’s probably the biggest underdog in this tournament. I think you can pick amongst the Americans as to who would make the biggest statement, only because I think it’s fair to say they are probably not considered the favorites in this.
Q: Now changing things up a little bit here Al, I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about how you first became interested in boxing?
A: Oh boy! When I was young, I just thought it was a fascinating sport and I used to sit, when I was eight or nine years old and we had transistor radios—which is dating myself—I would lay in bed without my parents knowing and have the transistor radio on and listen to the radio call of the Ingemar Johansson-Floyd Patterson fights. And I became a huge Floyd Patterson fan. I read his book and that lured me to boxing, and I would sit with my dad then and watch the Friday night fights that were announced by Don Dunphy, and the biggest thrill—the biggest thrill that I’ve had as a boxing announcer—was when Don Dunphy asked for me to be the one to present him with the award that Ring Magazine gave out at their seventy-fifth anniversary when he was selected as the greatest boxing announcer of all time. Don and I, after I interviewed him, in 1985 on the Top Rank boxing series he became a mentor to me. So that was a brilliant, a big thrill. I got involved then, and that was a time in boxing where there were so many larger than life personalities and so many great matches and I fell in love with Floyd Patterson, and then my favorite boxer, Sugar Ray Robinson and so it was just a time when I became enthralled with the sport.
Q: Now as I understand it, you have recently been inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, and if I’m not mistaken, you received more votes than any non-boxing inductee. How does it make you feel to be awarded with such an honor?
A: That was wonderful. The induction is October 24 out in Los Angeles, and that was very pleasing to me that vote total because it kind of demonstrated to me that, for the most part, all those people were happy to have me in felt like it was appropriate. That was very, very gratifying. I’m really thrilled about it. Next year will be my thirtieth year as a broadcaster of boxing, which is amazing to me. It just seems like it’s flown by. I’m really honored by this and it’s great. You hope that people in any industry that you’re in, and I consider myself a broadcaster first and then a boxing person second, and I’ve done other sports as well, of course, but boxing is the sport that has put me on the map and it’s the one that I’m most closely identified with. For a boxing body like the Hall of Fame to recognize my contribution is just great.
Q: Now you mentioned Sugar Ray Robinson before as one of your favorite fighters and if I’m not mistaken, you were also awarded with another honor—The Sugar Ray Robinson Award. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
A: Yeah, they haven’t given this award, I guess, since they gave it to Ray Robinson’s widow many years ago. So that blew me away because Sugar Ray Robinson is boxing to me. He’s the greatest boxer that ever lived. If you could construct a boxer from the ground up, he’s exactly the person you’d end up with. His style and finesse were amazing and so for any award with his name on it to be given to me, is just, it’s going to be a great weekend and I’m so excited about it. I’m just at the point where when you’ve been in this for a long time and you reach a certain point at a certain age, you can kind or appreciate these things a little bit better and put them in perspective. It’s just very, very nice.
Listen, I’ll be the first to say, the style of broadcasting I adopted which was the right style for me and serves me and my audience the best. And they way I comported myself on the air and what I’ve been about, it’s not always the most attention way of going about it. I don’t want it to be the most attention getting way. I don’t want to blend in and have no one ever remember I was on a broadcast, that’s for sure, but I never, ever, ever want to be bigger than the broadcast I’m on, and if it’s not a broadcast of an event I don’t ever want to have people think that I dominated the subject so much that they didn’t get information or get anything else out of it. My style of doing it, especially when you juxtapose it to the style of broadcasting that’s become in vogue in the last fifteen to twenty years is a little different. I came at this as a newspaper man from the beginning, so because of all that, I’m not always the guy gets the awards first or gets the attention first, so I appreciate it when these things happen.
Q: Now I’m just curious, who are some of the other commentators past or present that have had a profound influence on you or that you have the greatest respect for?
A: Well, you know, I’ve been one of those people that has done both analysis and play-by-play, so for me, everybody’s in play. I started out as an analyst, but in the mid-80s at ESPN I also started to do play-by-play I’ve alternated back, I’ve done both, mostly analysis, but I’ve done hundreds and hundreds of shows as a host, so I’ve learned from both sides. In the play-by-play department the early men I worked with, Sal Marchiano and Sam Rosen at ESPN were tremendous influences on me and if you listen to my style as a play-by-play man, it is kind of an amalgam of what those two men did. And the third influence on me, for the most part, was Barry Tompkins who was my partner for many years at ESPN. Those three men, I just gravitated to the different things that they did and they’re big influences on me. I’ve worked with other great play-by-play men like Bob Papa who has great technical skills and Steve Albert, who I worked with for the beginning part here at Showtime who is just wonderful, and my current partner Gus Johnson who I think brings several dimensions to the sport that people are going to really appreciate as he continues to do it. But those first three men I probably took my style a little bit more from them.
In terms of analysis, I don’t know that I emulated anybody because I think when I got into it there wasn’t a person who was coming at it, even though I boxed some as an amateur, that’s clearly not the reason I was on the air. I was on the air because of covering the sport and so I had to mix in being half journalist and half analyst and try and make that style work for everybody where I was certainly doing analysis of the strategy but was also throwing in anecdotal material that was important, and I believe that’s the way to do it, anyway. But the analysts that I’ve admired and I’ve loved were Gil Clancy who was a great mentor of mine, loved his work. He and Angelo Dundee were a wonderful team along with Tim Ryan.
The current analysts that I enjoy the most, to be perfectly candid, are Steve Farhood who’s on our network as well and Dave Bontempo and I think part of the reason is they approach this a lot of the way I do. And the name I left out, God help me, was Don Dunphy even though I talked about him before. His pristine way of doing boxing, and he often easily did it alone in the early days. And his brevity and his punctuation of action was just remarkable. So those were the men that I think that in a lot of ways, and I probably left a few names out and I’ll hate myself in the morning, but those are the names that I think of.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to say to all the fans out at East Side Boxing?
A: Well, I’ll tell you, as a general comment you mentioned the fans. I really appreciate the way I’ve been treated by just about everybody. I’ve done a lot of things over the years, a lot of appearances, a lot of speeches, even some musical performing and I’ve been out there with boxing fans I think much more than most of the television announcers who, for the most part, just stay to their TVs. I’ve done many, many, many things in public and I’ve been out there with boxing fans and the treatment I’ve received from them has been really, really excellent. And this gives me the chance to just thank them. And your site, which does a great service for boxing like so many of the other sites that helps promote the sport, and now the sport is talked about mostly on the internet. And the other final comment I’d make is, it’s all about respect for the boxer. I’ve guided my career and everything I’ve done in boxing based upon always give the boxer as much respect as you can. You may be forced to say that something he’s doing isn’t working in the ring or even comment negatively about somebody’s behavior if you absolutely have to, but the bottom line is you never want to disrespect a boxer because it’s the toughest job in the world and they as athletes are people to be admired
Exclusive Interview with Al Bernstein by Geoffrey Ciani - With the start of the Super Six super middleweight tournament just around the corner, I was recently afforded the opportunity to have a nice chat with Showtime’s boxing analyst Al Bernstein. Here is what he had to say:
Audio:
Q: Al, what are your thoughts on the format of the Super Six super middleweight tournament?
A: You know, I think it’s pretty cool. It’s kind of modeled after the World Cup a little bit. It’s in three stages, initially, and then the four fighters that emerge from those three stages with the most points—with two points for a win, one extra point for a stoppage, and one point for a draw, and of course no points if you lose—whoever emerges, the four fighters with the most points will then fight in the semi-finals single elimination and then we’ll have the championship match. I think it’s a pretty good format. It’s never been done in boxing that way before and it’s rare that you get to participate in something that’s never been done in sports, and that’s got me kind of excited.
Nothing in this world is perfect, and I’m sure somewhere somebody probably is looking at this and saying, “Oh, I’d do it differently”, and I get that, but I think is a pretty good format and I think it will serve everybody well, and they’ve done a lot of things to try and ensure as much as they can that nobody has an advantage. And of course, the key element to that is the five promoters and six fighters are all agreeing to what’s happening, so to me that speaks volumes..
Q: So you don’t think that maybe this was set up a little too ambitious for its own good where, it seems to me that, one or two injuries suffered along the way might have a negative impact on this event?
A: Well, it could, but I think the way—I’m guessing, and I’m not the person that set it up, obviously Ken Hershman did for Showtime and all the other executives there and plus all the promoters and their people. They had to all give a meeting of the minds to this. I think part of the key to this is everybody wanted something that was ongoing enough to make it worth everyone’s while both financially and in terms of having a series of fights that were secured, that were there, that were going to be meaningful fights, and that’s why I think it’s done over an eighteen month period.
Of course, there is the possibility of injury, there is the possibility of a number of things. I think with those incidences, they’re hoping that common sense always prevails. If somebody gets cut, you can always postpone the second stage for that fighter a little bit. Or if it’s an ‘injury’ injury, that is just impossible, that won’t heal for a year or two years, then clearly, probably they’ll have to think about replacing that fighter. I know they all understand that’s a possibility, but you hope that that won’t happen. Another point is, they have to get through the first three stages, but once you get to that, you got the single elimination semi-finals. So yes, like with anything, there are potential pitfalls, but I think they needed to make it where enough people fought enough people to create a body of work that would make this seem like it makes sense.
Q: Would it be fair to say that you think that the format that they are using, that they were able to get this done which is a good thing for boxing fans, it might have been more difficult maybe to do, let’s say, an eight man single elimination tournament?
A: My guess is yes. I wasn’t involved in any of the negotiations, and I’m speculating, but I suspect maybe yes. The charm of this and the part that I think is fun for boxing fans is, the super middleweight is probably the deepest division in boxing or one of the two or three, and we have six fighters who if you tossed their names in a hat, any of the match-ups are really interesting and each would be a big main fight if you just decided to make it. So I think that that’s the charm of this, that we’re going to see these people in different configurations, and a single elimination would not have done that and I think that’s part of it. I’m suspecting that that was part of the allure for the boxers and their promoters and certainly for the network, and I think ultimately will be for the fans.
Q: Now speaking of the fighters, the six participants in the tournament, in your view are these the best six super middleweights in the world or do you think that other guys like maybe (Lucian) Bute and some others may have deserved inclusion?
A: I think it’s just like the NCAA tournament. You know, they keep expanding that tournament, pretty soon it will be 183 teams. No matter what, there’s always somebody that feels they can be in. Listen, you mentioned two people. Bute is a champion, Allan Green is very talented, so I am sure that they feel like they could be included in this, and there are many considerations I’m sure in making these matches. For instance, people could look at Andre Dirrell and say well he’s not as battle-tested as some of these other people who could have been included in the tournament, but he’s undefeated, he’s an Olympian, and he has cache to be in the tournament. Jermain Taylor, while he’s jumping up from middleweight has some losses, but he just had a fight in which he was eighteen seconds away from beating one of the super middleweight champions.
So you can make arguments back and forth about it.I think this six, whether you can make a case for somebody else being better than one of them, these six represent very interesting contrasting dynamics among fighters both in and out of the ring. Three Americans, a couple of Olympic champions, three international champions who each bring with them a certain fan base, and all six of these men bring with them different kinds of fighting styles.
Q: I would like to get your opinions on some of the individual match-ups coming, particularly in this first round. Since I recently had the chance to speak with Carl Froch on the On the Ropes Boxing Radio Program, I’d like to start with the bout between him and Andre Dirrell.
A: Yeah, you know, this is an intriguing match-up. Andre Dirrell is, I think he would even admit even though he’s a confident young man and I see where he just predicted that he and Mikkel Kessler will be in the finals of this tournament, although everyone thinks they can win this tournament. They really do. He might be one of the most athletically gifted fighters among the six, maybe the most. He’s also the most untested, and I think even he would admit that. At this juncture, we just don’t know how he’s going to perform against top level competition. Carl Froch who gets a home game in this first one, and everyone will fight on their home turf so ultimately everyone will get that benefit, but he is also supremely confident and as tough as they come. He has a tremendous chin, all kinds of defensive liabilities, but they get negated by his power and his chin and his aggressiveness.
This will be Andre Dirrell’s coming out party as a pro fighter. We’re going to find out volumes about Dirrelll. Can he box effectively over twelve rounds, which I think is what he’s going to need to do. He’s never done that yet. We’ve never seen him in a fight where he has boxed effectively over the entire fight. He’s been in with competition where he can afford to languish on the inside, try to throw power punches with them, he switches back and forth pretty effectively, but has often done that switching right in front of fighters. That’s the kind of stuff he cannot get away with against Carl Froch, but he has all the speed and he has deceptive power, so it’s his physical gifts against the experience and the power of Froch.
Q: Next up, we have also this weekend the fight I am actually most interested in seeing in these first round match-ups is Jermain Taylor versus Arthur Abraham. Your thoughts?
A: It’s an intriguing fight and they set up almost exactly like the Taylor-Froch fight did. Arthur Abraham does not get off to blazing starts for the most part. He has that shell-like defense that is almost impossible to penetrate. He will often give away rounds early in the fight before he comes out of that shell to throw very quick and powerful combinations. We know Jermain Taylor wins early rounds, shows power, but once we get to round eight, it’s the same old story with Jermain. He has difficulties. Now he’s been down in Houston, Texas, training hard, changing some of his training regiment and his diet and trying very hard to solve the problem that is his stamina. Arthur Abraham I’m sure believes that he will own this fight after round six, seven, or eight, and I’m sure that’s a big part of what he’s going for. Arthur Abraham is either almost unbeatable or he is a fighter that a really good boxer can completely control if they don’t get hit with those big bursts of counterpunching that he comes out with.
Q: The final first round match up happens next month and that one is between Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward. Your thoughts on that one?
A: You can look at it a couple of different ways. Andre Ward might have gotten the toughest draw in the first round, because I think most people believe that Mikkel Kessler—even though there’s really no way to tell who’s going to win this tournament because so many things can happen over an eighteen month period—but he’s probably going in the favorite and is probably universally considered the best super middleweight at this point, but by how much of a margin is obviously up for debate. So Andre Ward, the 2004 Olympic Champion drew a tough guy in his first match. Now he gets him at home, fighting in front of his home fans in Oakland and some would argue that it’s better to start out with the toughest opponent and he’s doing it on his home turf. He’s doing at a time, Andre Ward, when he is peaking as a fighter. People believe that his career has been a slow steady build over four years and he is now fighting the best he’s ever fought. Kessler, at age 30, has had nagging injuries but got in a very good performance as a tune-up just a month or so ago against Gusmyr Perdomo and looked very good. This fight, I think, pits the two fighters who are the most solid in terms of their technique in the boxing ring. They are both very sound fundamentally and I think it’s going to be a very good match.
Q: You’ve given your thoughts on the first round match-ups. I’m curious, which first round match-up do you think will be the most entertaining for the fans?
A: Boy, that’s an interesting question. You could make the case for Abraham-Taylor for a couple of different reasons. Jermain Taylor’s been involved in very exciting fights in recent time and you get the feeling that in that fight they will be engaging each other. Jermain Taylor’s a good boxer-puncher but he’s not the kind of guy that moves around the ring and runs around the ring so they will definitely engage. Now, Ward-Kessler you can make the case, and by the way all the rings will be 20x20 in this tournament which I think is a wonderful feature because it means everybody’s going to have the same size ring. So if you’re a boxer and you want to move, or if you’re a slugger then you want to get to the guy, it’s all the same, it’s kind of right in the middle of sizes of ring that we would have. So I think Kessler and Ward are also two fighters who, while we may see more movement potentially from Ward, I think those fighters are going to engage as well, so that one would be the second one. Then Froch and Dirrell I think will be a very interesting fight. The only thing that could make that third on the list is if Andre Dirrell is forced to turn it into the Andre Dirrell international track meet. If he’s forced to do that, and it’s the only way for him to win and survive, maybe he’ll do it. Other than that, that could also be a wildly exciting fight.
Q: Do you think it’s likely that the winner of this tournament will survive throughout without suffering a loss on his record?
A: That’s a really good question. I got to be honest with you I haven’t thought much about that. Could somebody win five matches, straight? I’m thinking no. I think that would be a monumental feat and if it happens, and it’s interesting you bringing this up, if somebody was to go through and win five matches in this competition I think it would be one of the more remarkable achievements in boxing maybe ever. That would be a staggering achievement. It would be hard for me to imagine somebody doing it, but if they could, that would be miraculous.
Q: Who do you think is the man to beat that would make the biggest statement in this tournament?
A: Well, you can look at it two different ways. The man to beat, I think, is Mikkel Kessler. I really believe that only because he has fought at the highest level of competition, he has every skill, he is both a boxer and a puncher, and he’s of an age where he’s not shopworn so I think you probably have to say he’s the man to beat. As far as who would make the biggest statement, the biggest statement to win this would be made, probably, by Andre Dirrell, because he’s coming in as the most untested. And if Andre Dirrell were to win this tournament, he and Andre Ward would probably be making the biggest statement because they are the youngest. But then you can make the case for Jermain Taylor, too, because a lot of people don’t expect him to win and he’s probably the biggest underdog in this tournament. I think you can pick amongst the Americans as to who would make the biggest statement, only because I think it’s fair to say they are probably not considered the favorites in this.
Q: Now changing things up a little bit here Al, I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about how you first became interested in boxing?
A: Oh boy! When I was young, I just thought it was a fascinating sport and I used to sit, when I was eight or nine years old and we had transistor radios—which is dating myself—I would lay in bed without my parents knowing and have the transistor radio on and listen to the radio call of the Ingemar Johansson-Floyd Patterson fights. And I became a huge Floyd Patterson fan. I read his book and that lured me to boxing, and I would sit with my dad then and watch the Friday night fights that were announced by Don Dunphy, and the biggest thrill—the biggest thrill that I’ve had as a boxing announcer—was when Don Dunphy asked for me to be the one to present him with the award that Ring Magazine gave out at their seventy-fifth anniversary when he was selected as the greatest boxing announcer of all time. Don and I, after I interviewed him, in 1985 on the Top Rank boxing series he became a mentor to me. So that was a brilliant, a big thrill. I got involved then, and that was a time in boxing where there were so many larger than life personalities and so many great matches and I fell in love with Floyd Patterson, and then my favorite boxer, Sugar Ray Robinson and so it was just a time when I became enthralled with the sport.
Q: Now as I understand it, you have recently been inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, and if I’m not mistaken, you received more votes than any non-boxing inductee. How does it make you feel to be awarded with such an honor?
A: That was wonderful. The induction is October 24 out in Los Angeles, and that was very pleasing to me that vote total because it kind of demonstrated to me that, for the most part, all those people were happy to have me in felt like it was appropriate. That was very, very gratifying. I’m really thrilled about it. Next year will be my thirtieth year as a broadcaster of boxing, which is amazing to me. It just seems like it’s flown by. I’m really honored by this and it’s great. You hope that people in any industry that you’re in, and I consider myself a broadcaster first and then a boxing person second, and I’ve done other sports as well, of course, but boxing is the sport that has put me on the map and it’s the one that I’m most closely identified with. For a boxing body like the Hall of Fame to recognize my contribution is just great.
Q: Now you mentioned Sugar Ray Robinson before as one of your favorite fighters and if I’m not mistaken, you were also awarded with another honor—The Sugar Ray Robinson Award. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
A: Yeah, they haven’t given this award, I guess, since they gave it to Ray Robinson’s widow many years ago. So that blew me away because Sugar Ray Robinson is boxing to me. He’s the greatest boxer that ever lived. If you could construct a boxer from the ground up, he’s exactly the person you’d end up with. His style and finesse were amazing and so for any award with his name on it to be given to me, is just, it’s going to be a great weekend and I’m so excited about it. I’m just at the point where when you’ve been in this for a long time and you reach a certain point at a certain age, you can kind or appreciate these things a little bit better and put them in perspective. It’s just very, very nice.
Listen, I’ll be the first to say, the style of broadcasting I adopted which was the right style for me and serves me and my audience the best. And they way I comported myself on the air and what I’ve been about, it’s not always the most attention way of going about it. I don’t want it to be the most attention getting way. I don’t want to blend in and have no one ever remember I was on a broadcast, that’s for sure, but I never, ever, ever want to be bigger than the broadcast I’m on, and if it’s not a broadcast of an event I don’t ever want to have people think that I dominated the subject so much that they didn’t get information or get anything else out of it. My style of doing it, especially when you juxtapose it to the style of broadcasting that’s become in vogue in the last fifteen to twenty years is a little different. I came at this as a newspaper man from the beginning, so because of all that, I’m not always the guy gets the awards first or gets the attention first, so I appreciate it when these things happen.
Q: Now I’m just curious, who are some of the other commentators past or present that have had a profound influence on you or that you have the greatest respect for?
A: Well, you know, I’ve been one of those people that has done both analysis and play-by-play, so for me, everybody’s in play. I started out as an analyst, but in the mid-80s at ESPN I also started to do play-by-play I’ve alternated back, I’ve done both, mostly analysis, but I’ve done hundreds and hundreds of shows as a host, so I’ve learned from both sides. In the play-by-play department the early men I worked with, Sal Marchiano and Sam Rosen at ESPN were tremendous influences on me and if you listen to my style as a play-by-play man, it is kind of an amalgam of what those two men did. And the third influence on me, for the most part, was Barry Tompkins who was my partner for many years at ESPN. Those three men, I just gravitated to the different things that they did and they’re big influences on me. I’ve worked with other great play-by-play men like Bob Papa who has great technical skills and Steve Albert, who I worked with for the beginning part here at Showtime who is just wonderful, and my current partner Gus Johnson who I think brings several dimensions to the sport that people are going to really appreciate as he continues to do it. But those first three men I probably took my style a little bit more from them.
In terms of analysis, I don’t know that I emulated anybody because I think when I got into it there wasn’t a person who was coming at it, even though I boxed some as an amateur, that’s clearly not the reason I was on the air. I was on the air because of covering the sport and so I had to mix in being half journalist and half analyst and try and make that style work for everybody where I was certainly doing analysis of the strategy but was also throwing in anecdotal material that was important, and I believe that’s the way to do it, anyway. But the analysts that I’ve admired and I’ve loved were Gil Clancy who was a great mentor of mine, loved his work. He and Angelo Dundee were a wonderful team along with Tim Ryan.
The current analysts that I enjoy the most, to be perfectly candid, are Steve Farhood who’s on our network as well and Dave Bontempo and I think part of the reason is they approach this a lot of the way I do. And the name I left out, God help me, was Don Dunphy even though I talked about him before. His pristine way of doing boxing, and he often easily did it alone in the early days. And his brevity and his punctuation of action was just remarkable. So those were the men that I think that in a lot of ways, and I probably left a few names out and I’ll hate myself in the morning, but those are the names that I think of.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to say to all the fans out at East Side Boxing?
A: Well, I’ll tell you, as a general comment you mentioned the fans. I really appreciate the way I’ve been treated by just about everybody. I’ve done a lot of things over the years, a lot of appearances, a lot of speeches, even some musical performing and I’ve been out there with boxing fans I think much more than most of the television announcers who, for the most part, just stay to their TVs. I’ve done many, many, many things in public and I’ve been out there with boxing fans and the treatment I’ve received from them has been really, really excellent. And this gives me the chance to just thank them. And your site, which does a great service for boxing like so many of the other sites that helps promote the sport, and now the sport is talked about mostly on the internet. And the other final comment I’d make is, it’s all about respect for the boxer. I’ve guided my career and everything I’ve done in boxing based upon always give the boxer as much respect as you can. You may be forced to say that something he’s doing isn’t working in the ring or even comment negatively about somebody’s behavior if you absolutely have to, but the bottom line is you never want to disrespect a boxer because it’s the toughest job in the world and they as athletes are people to be admired
The Resurrection of John Duddy
By Dan Fitz-Simons - You’d never guess from the lack of media coverage that John Duddy was back as a middleweight contender. Indeed, Duddy’s almost nonchalant defeat of Michi Munoz at the Garden last week hardly raised an eyebrow among boxing aficionados. That could be a mistake. The once over-hyped “Derry Destroyer” won every round without being seriously threatened. More importantly, his piston-like left jab, one of the best in the middleweight division, was still evident, as was Duddy’s superb conditioning and stamina. However, it took the first three rounds for John to shake off the ring rust he had accumulated since his only career loss to Billy Lyell six months ago.. Duddy suffered a bloody nose from Munoz in the first round, but aside from that minor injury, he appeared unscathed. By the middle rounds the old spark had returned, and Duddy again became an offensive-minded slugger with a snap in his punches.
Duddy’s victory over Munoz has pushed his record up to an impressive 27-1(17 KOs). At the age of 30, he is in his prime and believes he still has plenty of gas in the tank. However, the question remains as to whether or not he can he still go the distance as he did with Campas, Smichet, Eastman, and Vanda. Nevertheless, Duddy has gotten over the split-decision loss to Lyell, explaining that he was distracted and depressed by his legal battle with Irish Ropes, his upcoming wedding, and too many different training sites under the tutelage of Don Turner and Pat Burns. Duddy has always been smitten by the Big Apple, and New Yorkers in turn have remained loyal to him. Indeed, it’s hard not to like the smiling Irishman with the easy-going personality, who is constantly upbeat, fights clean, and seldom utters a disrespectful word against opponents.
Duddy’s fans are happy to see Harry Keit back in his corner. They want their old brawler back, even if it means a risky defense and facial cuts. No more fancy dancing, just a loud smack to the opponent’s head. Many believe that Burns tried to turn an aggressive slugger into a defensive boxer. The result was a loss to Lyell with Duddy fighting as though he was in a straight jacket. But with Keit back in John’s corner, his fans are expecting slugfests with someone going down. One New Yorker who is excited about having Duddy back at the Garden is Top Rank promoter, Bob Arum. The Derry man has crowd appeal which translates into large purses. Duddy is a sharp puncher, who fights frequently and always shows up in top condition; the fight crowd instinctively senses action. There’s also Irish determination combined with an iron jaw. It would take an anvil to keep Duddy down on the canvass.
Ironically, Duddy’s future seems to have brightened after his one loss. There’s talk of an event in Cancun in December with Duddy and Chavez Jr. on the same card. If John and Julio both win, they fight one another in the Garden on St. Patrick’s Day; the winner getting a shot at the title. Neither Duddy nor Chavez Jr. is at Pavlik’s level, but they’re both crowd pleasers, and a brawl between them would draw a huge gate. Young Julio gets down-right mean when cornered, and the contest could easily escalate into a war. If the Chavez Jr. prospect falls through there’s also Neil (“Sinky”) Sinclair. Duddy was supposed to fight the Irish light-middleweight champion last summer, and Frank Warren might still be tempted to match-up the two Ulstermen. Irish fans paying big Euros would flock into Belfast by the bus load. Whatever happens, Duddy is back with a lucrative future and a contract that tells him how much he earns, and that’s good for the sport of boxing. Welcome back John
By Dan Fitz-Simons - You’d never guess from the lack of media coverage that John Duddy was back as a middleweight contender. Indeed, Duddy’s almost nonchalant defeat of Michi Munoz at the Garden last week hardly raised an eyebrow among boxing aficionados. That could be a mistake. The once over-hyped “Derry Destroyer” won every round without being seriously threatened. More importantly, his piston-like left jab, one of the best in the middleweight division, was still evident, as was Duddy’s superb conditioning and stamina. However, it took the first three rounds for John to shake off the ring rust he had accumulated since his only career loss to Billy Lyell six months ago.. Duddy suffered a bloody nose from Munoz in the first round, but aside from that minor injury, he appeared unscathed. By the middle rounds the old spark had returned, and Duddy again became an offensive-minded slugger with a snap in his punches.
Duddy’s victory over Munoz has pushed his record up to an impressive 27-1(17 KOs). At the age of 30, he is in his prime and believes he still has plenty of gas in the tank. However, the question remains as to whether or not he can he still go the distance as he did with Campas, Smichet, Eastman, and Vanda. Nevertheless, Duddy has gotten over the split-decision loss to Lyell, explaining that he was distracted and depressed by his legal battle with Irish Ropes, his upcoming wedding, and too many different training sites under the tutelage of Don Turner and Pat Burns. Duddy has always been smitten by the Big Apple, and New Yorkers in turn have remained loyal to him. Indeed, it’s hard not to like the smiling Irishman with the easy-going personality, who is constantly upbeat, fights clean, and seldom utters a disrespectful word against opponents.
Duddy’s fans are happy to see Harry Keit back in his corner. They want their old brawler back, even if it means a risky defense and facial cuts. No more fancy dancing, just a loud smack to the opponent’s head. Many believe that Burns tried to turn an aggressive slugger into a defensive boxer. The result was a loss to Lyell with Duddy fighting as though he was in a straight jacket. But with Keit back in John’s corner, his fans are expecting slugfests with someone going down. One New Yorker who is excited about having Duddy back at the Garden is Top Rank promoter, Bob Arum. The Derry man has crowd appeal which translates into large purses. Duddy is a sharp puncher, who fights frequently and always shows up in top condition; the fight crowd instinctively senses action. There’s also Irish determination combined with an iron jaw. It would take an anvil to keep Duddy down on the canvass.
Ironically, Duddy’s future seems to have brightened after his one loss. There’s talk of an event in Cancun in December with Duddy and Chavez Jr. on the same card. If John and Julio both win, they fight one another in the Garden on St. Patrick’s Day; the winner getting a shot at the title. Neither Duddy nor Chavez Jr. is at Pavlik’s level, but they’re both crowd pleasers, and a brawl between them would draw a huge gate. Young Julio gets down-right mean when cornered, and the contest could easily escalate into a war. If the Chavez Jr. prospect falls through there’s also Neil (“Sinky”) Sinclair. Duddy was supposed to fight the Irish light-middleweight champion last summer, and Frank Warren might still be tempted to match-up the two Ulstermen. Irish fans paying big Euros would flock into Belfast by the bus load. Whatever happens, Duddy is back with a lucrative future and a contract that tells him how much he earns, and that’s good for the sport of boxing. Welcome back John
If anyone is going to get their head knocked off, it will be Haye!
By Dan Hunter - This week we had the embarrassing spectacle of watching David Haye desperately trying to impress us, and I imagine, intimidate Nicolay Valuev, by, errm, wait for it; knocking the head off of a life-size cardboard cutout of the said 7´2´´ WBA heavyweight champion. That followed further unwanted revelations about Valuev´s personal hygiene, further comments about how Valuev is ´´the ugliest man he has ever scene`` and so on and so forth.
What was the stunt with the cardboard meant to achieve? Scare the living daylights out of Nicolay Valuev? Unlikely. Prove to everyone how dangerous and nasty David Haye is? Unlikely..
Actually, the only thing it did prove is how slight and small Haye looks in comparison with even a cardboard cutout of the ´´Beast from the East.``
Apparently these stunts are intended to ´´wind Valuev up.``
And to think I once considered David Haye to be that rarest of creatures; a boxing intellectual.
Wind Valuev up? What for? Is Haye a complete idiot?
Nicolay Valuev stands 7´2´´ tall. He weighs 320 lbs. That's just under 23 stone. So far he has built a professional record of 50 wins (34 ko´s) against one split decision defeat, against the talented but troubled Ruslan Chagaev.
So far, despite his enormous size, he has never killed anyone in the ring. He has never beaten an opponent into a coma.
Why is that, do you wonder? Is it because despite his great size, Nicolay is at heart a peaceful, gentle giant, someone who sees boxing as a sport and not as a game of life and death? Maybe. You may well argue it is because Valuev doesn't punch his weight.
Well thank God he doesn't!
Because if he did, I don't think the human skull could withstand the impact.
Doesn't David Haye think he has enough of a task on his hands just trying to beat Valuev?
Lets face it, we all know Haye´s battle-plan, and it ain't rocket science. Like a man with a bag of money who walks into a Vegas casino and puts the lot on the spin of a roulette wheel, Hay is hoping to land a kayo punch on Valuev´s jaw.
Oh, and by the way, in Valuev we have a fighter who has never even been staggered, never mind floored in his 16 year career.
But, of course, David Haye, with just two bouts as a heavyweight under his belt, is the man to do it.
Does Haye even have a plan B? If the roulette wheel lets him down and the knockout doesn't materialize, surely he cant just think he can run away from Valuev all night and expect to pick up points, can he?
At some point he is going to have to get involved in some exchanges. And that is when we the truth will reveal itself. If Haye´s chin can stand up to the best Valuev has to offer, then and only then might we actually have a fight on our hands.
But how can a chin that let him down against Monte Barrett (rocked several times) Jean-Marc Mormec (down in the fourth) and Carl Thompson (kayoed by in 5) stand up to any blow from an enraged Valuev?
(And come fight night he may well be homicidal!)
By the way, Valuev is a converted southpaw. He is left handed. So even his jab is going to hurt.
I used to be a big fan of David Haye. I thought he was great for boxing in general, and fantastic for the heavyweight division in particular.
Not anymore.
The stunt he pulled with the Klitchko´s and the T-shirt with the severed heads was crass and stupid, and he followed that by pulling out of his world title fight the week before with a ´´bad back``.
Classy.
His behavior leading up to this fight has been a real turn-off. And frankly, he is acting like a man who is scared to death.
I wonder what odds bet365 will give me on Haye developing lumbago in early November.
By Dan Hunter - This week we had the embarrassing spectacle of watching David Haye desperately trying to impress us, and I imagine, intimidate Nicolay Valuev, by, errm, wait for it; knocking the head off of a life-size cardboard cutout of the said 7´2´´ WBA heavyweight champion. That followed further unwanted revelations about Valuev´s personal hygiene, further comments about how Valuev is ´´the ugliest man he has ever scene`` and so on and so forth.
What was the stunt with the cardboard meant to achieve? Scare the living daylights out of Nicolay Valuev? Unlikely. Prove to everyone how dangerous and nasty David Haye is? Unlikely..
Actually, the only thing it did prove is how slight and small Haye looks in comparison with even a cardboard cutout of the ´´Beast from the East.``
Apparently these stunts are intended to ´´wind Valuev up.``
And to think I once considered David Haye to be that rarest of creatures; a boxing intellectual.
Wind Valuev up? What for? Is Haye a complete idiot?
Nicolay Valuev stands 7´2´´ tall. He weighs 320 lbs. That's just under 23 stone. So far he has built a professional record of 50 wins (34 ko´s) against one split decision defeat, against the talented but troubled Ruslan Chagaev.
So far, despite his enormous size, he has never killed anyone in the ring. He has never beaten an opponent into a coma.
Why is that, do you wonder? Is it because despite his great size, Nicolay is at heart a peaceful, gentle giant, someone who sees boxing as a sport and not as a game of life and death? Maybe. You may well argue it is because Valuev doesn't punch his weight.
Well thank God he doesn't!
Because if he did, I don't think the human skull could withstand the impact.
Doesn't David Haye think he has enough of a task on his hands just trying to beat Valuev?
Lets face it, we all know Haye´s battle-plan, and it ain't rocket science. Like a man with a bag of money who walks into a Vegas casino and puts the lot on the spin of a roulette wheel, Hay is hoping to land a kayo punch on Valuev´s jaw.
Oh, and by the way, in Valuev we have a fighter who has never even been staggered, never mind floored in his 16 year career.
But, of course, David Haye, with just two bouts as a heavyweight under his belt, is the man to do it.
Does Haye even have a plan B? If the roulette wheel lets him down and the knockout doesn't materialize, surely he cant just think he can run away from Valuev all night and expect to pick up points, can he?
At some point he is going to have to get involved in some exchanges. And that is when we the truth will reveal itself. If Haye´s chin can stand up to the best Valuev has to offer, then and only then might we actually have a fight on our hands.
But how can a chin that let him down against Monte Barrett (rocked several times) Jean-Marc Mormec (down in the fourth) and Carl Thompson (kayoed by in 5) stand up to any blow from an enraged Valuev?
(And come fight night he may well be homicidal!)
By the way, Valuev is a converted southpaw. He is left handed. So even his jab is going to hurt.
I used to be a big fan of David Haye. I thought he was great for boxing in general, and fantastic for the heavyweight division in particular.
Not anymore.
The stunt he pulled with the Klitchko´s and the T-shirt with the severed heads was crass and stupid, and he followed that by pulling out of his world title fight the week before with a ´´bad back``.
Classy.
His behavior leading up to this fight has been a real turn-off. And frankly, he is acting like a man who is scared to death.
I wonder what odds bet365 will give me on Haye developing lumbago in early November.
