Boxing News Thread
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Bronx Murderers Killed A Champ, My Son Ronney Vargas!
You want to see pain, deep emotional pain that will never fully subside?
Look at this dramatic photo of Bronx hot dog vendor German Vargas, 52, who has just learned his undefeated professional boxer Ronney Vargas has been shot dead in the Melrose section of the beleaguered borough.
Look at this distraught father clutching that pair of boxing gloves. This photo, taken by Bryan Pace, is on the cover of the New York Daily News. The caption is equally stirring, referring to the anguished Dad’s weeping cry, “They killed a champ.” Inside is a detailed account of the 20-year-old, three-time Giolden Glove champ’s murder.
The story is reported by friend Mitch Abramson, Kerry Burke and Carrie Melago. The facts are so predictable.
The handsome Vargas, nicknamed “Venezuela,” was with five pals inside a bodega at 3:30 am when they encountered two couples. Remarks were exchanged and evidently the males with the two women felt “dissed.”
According to the dead boxer’s brother, the women flirted with Vargas.
So goes another inner city disaster story, a Bronx Tale that is way too familiar.
The men who felt they were disrespected followed Vargas’ car and cut it off. Vargas got pistol-whipped and then was shot in the chest.
Another one bites the dust.
Vargas, by all accounts, had a marvelous fistic future. Pat Lynch, ticket broker who managed Arturo Gatti, signed the kid up.
When Obama and McCain start debating, it would be great to hear they plan to get the guns off the streets.
But I am sure they won’t even mention the subject. Can’t tick off the gun lobby, the NRA membership and all that.
The two presidential candidates will do nothing and kids like Ronney Vargas will keep getting executed.
And you think we should be upset about the boxing judging in Beijing?
You want to see pain, deep emotional pain that will never fully subside?
Look at this dramatic photo of Bronx hot dog vendor German Vargas, 52, who has just learned his undefeated professional boxer Ronney Vargas has been shot dead in the Melrose section of the beleaguered borough.
Look at this distraught father clutching that pair of boxing gloves. This photo, taken by Bryan Pace, is on the cover of the New York Daily News. The caption is equally stirring, referring to the anguished Dad’s weeping cry, “They killed a champ.” Inside is a detailed account of the 20-year-old, three-time Giolden Glove champ’s murder.
The story is reported by friend Mitch Abramson, Kerry Burke and Carrie Melago. The facts are so predictable.
The handsome Vargas, nicknamed “Venezuela,” was with five pals inside a bodega at 3:30 am when they encountered two couples. Remarks were exchanged and evidently the males with the two women felt “dissed.”
According to the dead boxer’s brother, the women flirted with Vargas.
So goes another inner city disaster story, a Bronx Tale that is way too familiar.
The men who felt they were disrespected followed Vargas’ car and cut it off. Vargas got pistol-whipped and then was shot in the chest.
Another one bites the dust.
Vargas, by all accounts, had a marvelous fistic future. Pat Lynch, ticket broker who managed Arturo Gatti, signed the kid up.
When Obama and McCain start debating, it would be great to hear they plan to get the guns off the streets.
But I am sure they won’t even mention the subject. Can’t tick off the gun lobby, the NRA membership and all that.
The two presidential candidates will do nothing and kids like Ronney Vargas will keep getting executed.
And you think we should be upset about the boxing judging in Beijing?
Slain boxer was 'champ' as kid
Even as a kid, you could tell Ronney Vargas could one day be a star in the boxing ring. Here he is at age 10 with his first trophies.
Vargas at age 12 with boxer Shane Mosley.
Vargas at age 15. A Venezuelan immigrant whose single father raised him and five siblings by running a hot dog cart, Vargas was dedicated, practicing for four hours, taking a break, then going back to the bag for another four hours. He dropped out of Bronx Regional High School to concentrate on living his dream.
His trophies and awards still adorn this wall at the Vargas home.
An autographed photo with a letter of congratulations.
Mourners wrote condolences on photos taped to the wall outside the Vargas home, near a makeshift shrine.
Ronney (Venezuela) Vargas, 20, a junior middleweight who turned professional last year, was pistol-whipped and then shot in the chest in his car in East Tremont.
Neighbors made a memorial at 150th and Wales Ave. to remember the fallen boxer.
His father, German Vargas, 52, was distraught as he held his sons boxing gloves.
Vargas was a three-time Golden Gloves champion.
He had a stellar 8-0 record with six knockouts since turning pro.
"He was a good kid. You don't believe it's real," said Michael O'Connor, who worked with Vargas at the Webster Police Athletic League in the Bronx.
Even as a kid, you could tell Ronney Vargas could one day be a star in the boxing ring. Here he is at age 10 with his first trophies.
Vargas at age 12 with boxer Shane Mosley.
Vargas at age 15. A Venezuelan immigrant whose single father raised him and five siblings by running a hot dog cart, Vargas was dedicated, practicing for four hours, taking a break, then going back to the bag for another four hours. He dropped out of Bronx Regional High School to concentrate on living his dream.
His trophies and awards still adorn this wall at the Vargas home.
An autographed photo with a letter of congratulations.
Mourners wrote condolences on photos taped to the wall outside the Vargas home, near a makeshift shrine.
Ronney (Venezuela) Vargas, 20, a junior middleweight who turned professional last year, was pistol-whipped and then shot in the chest in his car in East Tremont.
Neighbors made a memorial at 150th and Wales Ave. to remember the fallen boxer.
His father, German Vargas, 52, was distraught as he held his sons boxing gloves.
Vargas was a three-time Golden Gloves champion.
He had a stellar 8-0 record with six knockouts since turning pro.
"He was a good kid. You don't believe it's real," said Michael O'Connor, who worked with Vargas at the Webster Police Athletic League in the Bronx.
Chris Arreola Looking For Two More Victims in 2008
By Rick Reeno
BoxingScene.com was advised that undefeated heavyweight prospect Chris "The Nightmare" Arreola (24-0, 21KOs) is probably going to fight two more times in 2008. Right now a return for Arreola is being eyed for the month of September, with another fight coming down in November. The four fight total in 08 will match his 07 output.
Arreola would really like to bang it out with heavyweight contender David Tua (49-3, 42KOs). Arreola's promoter Dan Goossen has tried to make the fight with Cedric Kushner, who has Tua. The fight has been held up for months due to money. Tua is requesting a big number, big enough that it could only happen if one of the two networks stepped in and injected a decent sum for the heavyweight brawl to happen. But when was the last time a network paid a lot of money for a heavyweight fight without one of the boxers being named Klitschko?
Still, Tua is said to be very interested.
"David likes the fight. The only thing is the money," Kushner told BoxingScene.
By Rick Reeno
BoxingScene.com was advised that undefeated heavyweight prospect Chris "The Nightmare" Arreola (24-0, 21KOs) is probably going to fight two more times in 2008. Right now a return for Arreola is being eyed for the month of September, with another fight coming down in November. The four fight total in 08 will match his 07 output.
Arreola would really like to bang it out with heavyweight contender David Tua (49-3, 42KOs). Arreola's promoter Dan Goossen has tried to make the fight with Cedric Kushner, who has Tua. The fight has been held up for months due to money. Tua is requesting a big number, big enough that it could only happen if one of the two networks stepped in and injected a decent sum for the heavyweight brawl to happen. But when was the last time a network paid a lot of money for a heavyweight fight without one of the boxers being named Klitschko?
Still, Tua is said to be very interested.
"David likes the fight. The only thing is the money," Kushner told BoxingScene.
Team Paul Williams Attack Antonio Margarito's Claims
By Rick Reeno
After taking a look at Antonio Margarito's recent statements with respect to a welterweight unification bout with Paul Williams, BoxingScene.com was contacted by Williams' manager/trainer George Peterson, who wanted nothing more than to clear the air.
(To read what Margarito and co-manager Sergio Diaz had to say on the subject, including a lot of background information on Margarito's history with Oscar De La Hoya, click on http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=15431.)
Margarito, and co-manager Sergio Diaz, recently told BoxingScene that after Williams won a unanimous decision over Margarito in July of 2007, Williams turned down their immediate rematch request and they were forced to petition the WBO to place Margarito in mandatory position. I was provided with a copy of the petition letter that was sent to the WBO after Margarito's defeat.
According to Diaz, the WBO turned down their request for an immediate rematch and gave Williams permission to make an optional defense before such a rematch could take place. Margarito says that he waited on the sidelines for months and was forced to take a keep-busy fight against Golden Johnson last November because Williams did not return to the ring until February of this year. Because Margarito feels that he was forced to wait, he now wants to make Williams wait.
Peterson disputes what Margarito and Diaz had to say about last year's events, telling BoxingScene that it was Margarito and his team who turned down an immediate rematch, but he doesn't want to argue about what happened in the past, he wants to focus on making the rematch in the present.
"Who cares who turned down who, or who made who wait - we are ready to fight right now. Rick, we don't want to do this on the internet. They want to do this on the internet. Paul just wants to spank that butt," Peterson said. "If there was one more round in the first fight, Paul would have knocked him out. Paul offered him a rematch and every time Paul fights he asks for Margarito again. We've been asking for Margarito for three-and-a-half years. Margarito never mentions Paul Williams. All he has to do is call Paul's name. He never does that. He avoids that. Paul asks for him all the time. Paul is asking for him right now. "
The history between Margarito and Williams dates back to their infamous sparring sessions from a few years ago. Both fighters have completely different versions of what actually happened, but the gym history was the fuel behind the hype for the first fight. Peterson maintains that Williams was brought in to spar with Margarito for a month, but due to his man-handling of Margarito, he was paid in full and sent home after a week.
"Sergio and [co-manager] Francisco [Espinoza] are great people. They treated us well. Paul was touching him every single day. He couldn't do nothing with Paul. Only one day he was able to touch Paul. They paid him and sent him home after a week because he was beating Margarito up," Peterson said. "They know they can't do anything with Paul Williams and his management knows that too. Why do you think it took so long for the fight to get made the first time? They tried everything to get out of it. Paul was asking for him when nobody under the sun was asking for him. They said he was the most feared welterweight in the world and Paul beat him decisively."
As of late, Margarito has been on a "Golden" hunt, stating his case on why he should land the fight with Oscar De La Hoya on December 6 in Las Vegas. Peterson says Margarito should move on because De La Hoya will never fight him. And, he says Margarito's status at the weight has been built on the shoulders of "eight-round" fighters, which is why he believes that Williams will always give him trouble. Peterson doesn't feel Margarito is able to beat a fighter who can box and doesn't get tired.
"Oscar will never fight him. He needs to get over. It will never happen. Let Oscar go and fight Golden Johnson again. When it comes to a competitive fight, he ain’t going to fight. Paul Williams is a twelve-round fighter. He made Margarito do something that nobody else made him do - back up. Paul ain't no eight-round fighter like [Miguel] Cotto. Cotto is an eight-round fighter. He was fading at the end of the fight with Mosley. But, Cotto was winning the fight with Margarito when he boxed. He was winning until he ran out of gas, and so was [Joshua] Clottey until he got hurt," Peterson said.
"That's what makes him look so dynamic. He fights eight-round fighters and it makes him look like he brings all this pressure. He said he lost the fight with Paul because he started slow, well he started slower with Cotto than he did with Paul. The man is naturally slow. He is slow because he wants to clob people with that wide stance. We wants to put a spanking on him so bad."
A few weeks ago, Williams and his team actually traveled out to Margarito's backyard of California to push for a rematch by holding a press conference event with members of the media. Williams' promoter Dan Goossen offered Margarito a guarantee of $4 million dollars for the rematch, more money than Margarito has made for any of his previous fights.
"Why do you think we went to California? Paul wants to knock him out and his team knows that Paul will knock him out. Margarito has five losses, he's one loss away from being an opponent. One more loss and he's out of the boxing game. He can't take another loss. Paul spanked his butt the first time in the gym, he spanked his butt the second time in the ring and this will be his third whipping," Peterson said.
If Margarito is not able to lure Oscar to the dance, and there is almost no chance of that, he will probably face Clottey in a rematch on November 1. Williams, unless he is able to secure Margarito, will probably fight his mandatory, Michael Jennings. The bad blood between Williams' advisor Al Haymon, and Margarito's promoter Bob Arum, will make the negotiations process very difficult. As they say in the sport of boxing - money fixes everything.
By Rick Reeno
After taking a look at Antonio Margarito's recent statements with respect to a welterweight unification bout with Paul Williams, BoxingScene.com was contacted by Williams' manager/trainer George Peterson, who wanted nothing more than to clear the air.
(To read what Margarito and co-manager Sergio Diaz had to say on the subject, including a lot of background information on Margarito's history with Oscar De La Hoya, click on http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=15431.)
Margarito, and co-manager Sergio Diaz, recently told BoxingScene that after Williams won a unanimous decision over Margarito in July of 2007, Williams turned down their immediate rematch request and they were forced to petition the WBO to place Margarito in mandatory position. I was provided with a copy of the petition letter that was sent to the WBO after Margarito's defeat.
According to Diaz, the WBO turned down their request for an immediate rematch and gave Williams permission to make an optional defense before such a rematch could take place. Margarito says that he waited on the sidelines for months and was forced to take a keep-busy fight against Golden Johnson last November because Williams did not return to the ring until February of this year. Because Margarito feels that he was forced to wait, he now wants to make Williams wait.
Peterson disputes what Margarito and Diaz had to say about last year's events, telling BoxingScene that it was Margarito and his team who turned down an immediate rematch, but he doesn't want to argue about what happened in the past, he wants to focus on making the rematch in the present.
"Who cares who turned down who, or who made who wait - we are ready to fight right now. Rick, we don't want to do this on the internet. They want to do this on the internet. Paul just wants to spank that butt," Peterson said. "If there was one more round in the first fight, Paul would have knocked him out. Paul offered him a rematch and every time Paul fights he asks for Margarito again. We've been asking for Margarito for three-and-a-half years. Margarito never mentions Paul Williams. All he has to do is call Paul's name. He never does that. He avoids that. Paul asks for him all the time. Paul is asking for him right now. "
The history between Margarito and Williams dates back to their infamous sparring sessions from a few years ago. Both fighters have completely different versions of what actually happened, but the gym history was the fuel behind the hype for the first fight. Peterson maintains that Williams was brought in to spar with Margarito for a month, but due to his man-handling of Margarito, he was paid in full and sent home after a week.
"Sergio and [co-manager] Francisco [Espinoza] are great people. They treated us well. Paul was touching him every single day. He couldn't do nothing with Paul. Only one day he was able to touch Paul. They paid him and sent him home after a week because he was beating Margarito up," Peterson said. "They know they can't do anything with Paul Williams and his management knows that too. Why do you think it took so long for the fight to get made the first time? They tried everything to get out of it. Paul was asking for him when nobody under the sun was asking for him. They said he was the most feared welterweight in the world and Paul beat him decisively."
As of late, Margarito has been on a "Golden" hunt, stating his case on why he should land the fight with Oscar De La Hoya on December 6 in Las Vegas. Peterson says Margarito should move on because De La Hoya will never fight him. And, he says Margarito's status at the weight has been built on the shoulders of "eight-round" fighters, which is why he believes that Williams will always give him trouble. Peterson doesn't feel Margarito is able to beat a fighter who can box and doesn't get tired.
"Oscar will never fight him. He needs to get over. It will never happen. Let Oscar go and fight Golden Johnson again. When it comes to a competitive fight, he ain’t going to fight. Paul Williams is a twelve-round fighter. He made Margarito do something that nobody else made him do - back up. Paul ain't no eight-round fighter like [Miguel] Cotto. Cotto is an eight-round fighter. He was fading at the end of the fight with Mosley. But, Cotto was winning the fight with Margarito when he boxed. He was winning until he ran out of gas, and so was [Joshua] Clottey until he got hurt," Peterson said.
"That's what makes him look so dynamic. He fights eight-round fighters and it makes him look like he brings all this pressure. He said he lost the fight with Paul because he started slow, well he started slower with Cotto than he did with Paul. The man is naturally slow. He is slow because he wants to clob people with that wide stance. We wants to put a spanking on him so bad."
A few weeks ago, Williams and his team actually traveled out to Margarito's backyard of California to push for a rematch by holding a press conference event with members of the media. Williams' promoter Dan Goossen offered Margarito a guarantee of $4 million dollars for the rematch, more money than Margarito has made for any of his previous fights.
"Why do you think we went to California? Paul wants to knock him out and his team knows that Paul will knock him out. Margarito has five losses, he's one loss away from being an opponent. One more loss and he's out of the boxing game. He can't take another loss. Paul spanked his butt the first time in the gym, he spanked his butt the second time in the ring and this will be his third whipping," Peterson said.
If Margarito is not able to lure Oscar to the dance, and there is almost no chance of that, he will probably face Clottey in a rematch on November 1. Williams, unless he is able to secure Margarito, will probably fight his mandatory, Michael Jennings. The bad blood between Williams' advisor Al Haymon, and Margarito's promoter Bob Arum, will make the negotiations process very difficult. As they say in the sport of boxing - money fixes everything.
LOL, always entertaining James Toney........
James Toney Even Turned Out 'Neon' Deion's Lights
by T.K. Stewart
James Toney turns 40-years young on Sunday, but that doesn't keep him from reliving the old days. 'Lights Out' claims that "back in the day" (around 1986) he had a minor altercation with football and baseball star 'Neon' Deion Sanders at a Michigan university football camp for promising high school football stars.
"I played football as defensive back and quarterback in high school," said Toney who grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "I weighed 205 pounds to be exact," boasted the former middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight champ, who turned pro in 1988 at a weight of 160 pounds.
"But it wasn't much of a scuffle," said Toney of the dispute with Sanders who would go on to play for five different NFL teams and four Major League Baseball teams.
"We was in football camp and the Michigan camps was one of he biggest camps in the world. We got in an argument over a bed, it wasn't much of an altercation," said Toney who shrugged off the dispute.
"It was two hits -me hittin' him - and him hittin' the floor," he chuckled. But these days, coming off his recent controversial rematch against Hasim Rahman, Toney has other things on his mind.
"The Europeans are scared to fight me," says Toney. "Klitschkos, Valuev, Sergei Liakovich, all these punk bitches are scared to fight me. They got titles but I'm makin' more money than them, that's one thing I can say. I'm makin' more money than these chumps. Hey, the bottom line is they can't beat me inside the ring," said Toney who is never at a loss for words.
"Sam Peter? I already beat him, but they robbed me. Hasim Rahman? Ruiz? Look I beat all the heavyweights in the division. Now I want Wladimir Klitschko or his big sister Vitali. Either or. It doesn't matter because the time is up. I've wasted the last two years but now I'm back and I got the heavyweight division on lock-down. Trust me."
While Toney's career has had numerous stops and starts over the past several years because of injuries and two suspensions for positive steroid tests, he has consistently called for fights against the Klitschko brothers. It's not clear who his next opponent will be, but right now Toney says he'll fight anybody.
"That includes Sam Peter, Klitschkos, Valuev, Maskaev, whoever want it, come get it. I'm comin' for ya' and whoever want it come and get it. I'm the people's champ and that's all that matters."
James Toney Even Turned Out 'Neon' Deion's Lights
by T.K. Stewart
James Toney turns 40-years young on Sunday, but that doesn't keep him from reliving the old days. 'Lights Out' claims that "back in the day" (around 1986) he had a minor altercation with football and baseball star 'Neon' Deion Sanders at a Michigan university football camp for promising high school football stars.
"I played football as defensive back and quarterback in high school," said Toney who grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "I weighed 205 pounds to be exact," boasted the former middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight champ, who turned pro in 1988 at a weight of 160 pounds.
"But it wasn't much of a scuffle," said Toney of the dispute with Sanders who would go on to play for five different NFL teams and four Major League Baseball teams.
"We was in football camp and the Michigan camps was one of he biggest camps in the world. We got in an argument over a bed, it wasn't much of an altercation," said Toney who shrugged off the dispute.
"It was two hits -me hittin' him - and him hittin' the floor," he chuckled. But these days, coming off his recent controversial rematch against Hasim Rahman, Toney has other things on his mind.
"The Europeans are scared to fight me," says Toney. "Klitschkos, Valuev, Sergei Liakovich, all these punk bitches are scared to fight me. They got titles but I'm makin' more money than them, that's one thing I can say. I'm makin' more money than these chumps. Hey, the bottom line is they can't beat me inside the ring," said Toney who is never at a loss for words.
"Sam Peter? I already beat him, but they robbed me. Hasim Rahman? Ruiz? Look I beat all the heavyweights in the division. Now I want Wladimir Klitschko or his big sister Vitali. Either or. It doesn't matter because the time is up. I've wasted the last two years but now I'm back and I got the heavyweight division on lock-down. Trust me."
While Toney's career has had numerous stops and starts over the past several years because of injuries and two suspensions for positive steroid tests, he has consistently called for fights against the Klitschko brothers. It's not clear who his next opponent will be, but right now Toney says he'll fight anybody.
"That includes Sam Peter, Klitschkos, Valuev, Maskaev, whoever want it, come get it. I'm comin' for ya' and whoever want it come and get it. I'm the people's champ and that's all that matters."
Holyfield Believes Money Crippled The US Olympic Team
By Mark Vester
Former four-time heavyweight champion, and 1984 Olympic Bronze Medal winner, Evander Holyfield, sat ringside in Beijing, China to wathc some of the failures of this year's U.S. Olympic boxing team, and says the root cause of their shortcomings can be traced back to money.
Holyfield had predicted three American golds medals this year, but only one fighters is left standing out of nine - heavyweight Deontay Wilder. Holyfield believes that managers are manipulating the amateurs to not concentrate enough on their amateur careers, which saves the managers money when the time comes to pay the fighters in the pro ranks. These days, managers are rushing fighters from the amateur level to the pros. Holyfield himself had 150 wins as an amateur before he joined the pro ranks.
"They didn't do very well, not well at all," Holyfield told Reuters. "We've got to tighten up the amateur program so that in four years we do a whole lot better. The problem is that these days it's all about money. When it's all about money this happens. The guys are just thinking about money. There's a kind of manipulation where the kids are being told 'go and turn pro, gold medals aren't important'. (The managers) don't want the guys winning golds because then they have to pay them more."
"Back in the day, amateur boxing was on TV every weekend in the States. It inspired you to box. When you have a good amateur program it helps develop well-rounded boxers. Look at the pro game now. Why do the championships change hands so quickly? It's because these guys don't know how to fight different styles."
"When you're a pro you avoid the fighters whose style doesn't suit your style, it makes them weak. Amateur boxing is harder than pro, you have to fight everybody in your draw. Without a good amateur grounding, it's the same as missing elementary and middle school and high school. It's your education as a boxer
By Mark Vester
Former four-time heavyweight champion, and 1984 Olympic Bronze Medal winner, Evander Holyfield, sat ringside in Beijing, China to wathc some of the failures of this year's U.S. Olympic boxing team, and says the root cause of their shortcomings can be traced back to money.
Holyfield had predicted three American golds medals this year, but only one fighters is left standing out of nine - heavyweight Deontay Wilder. Holyfield believes that managers are manipulating the amateurs to not concentrate enough on their amateur careers, which saves the managers money when the time comes to pay the fighters in the pro ranks. These days, managers are rushing fighters from the amateur level to the pros. Holyfield himself had 150 wins as an amateur before he joined the pro ranks.
"They didn't do very well, not well at all," Holyfield told Reuters. "We've got to tighten up the amateur program so that in four years we do a whole lot better. The problem is that these days it's all about money. When it's all about money this happens. The guys are just thinking about money. There's a kind of manipulation where the kids are being told 'go and turn pro, gold medals aren't important'. (The managers) don't want the guys winning golds because then they have to pay them more."
"Back in the day, amateur boxing was on TV every weekend in the States. It inspired you to box. When you have a good amateur program it helps develop well-rounded boxers. Look at the pro game now. Why do the championships change hands so quickly? It's because these guys don't know how to fight different styles."
"When you're a pro you avoid the fighters whose style doesn't suit your style, it makes them weak. Amateur boxing is harder than pro, you have to fight everybody in your draw. Without a good amateur grounding, it's the same as missing elementary and middle school and high school. It's your education as a boxer
Jermain Taylor versus Jeff Lacy: Are You Serious?
By Michael Klimes: Am I entering old age prematurely? Let me share my symptoms with you. Recently I became grumpy on two accounts. Firstly I decided upon skewing HBO after they announced Bernard Hopkins and Kelly Pavlik was going to be on PPV. Secondly I was overwhelmed by a new shock as people were and are thinking that Manny Pacquiao fighting Oscar de la Hoya is a fair match up.
Usually the level headed Freddie Roach is spot on in his judgements but he believes Pacquiao can put enough meat onto his frame, move up to the welterweight division and defeat de la Hoya. Some fans even think Pacquiao can knock de la Hoya out!
The best fighter in the world confronting the best former fighter in the world sounds tantalising. Putting two marquee names on neon signs in the fantasy land which is Las Vegas seems brilliant. But inspect the issue forensically and alas it is not so. De la Hoya matured into comfortable junior middleweight years ago and Pacquiao has already shifted five weight classes or thirty pounds from where he started boxing originally. That is remarkable. Asking him to go north two further degrees is crazy. Now a third idea has come to my attention which is almost as stupid, a Jermain Taylor versus Jeff Lacy stand off appears to be in the pipeline. Where did this insanity come from?
The difference between Jeff Lacy and Jermain Taylor is two words: world class. Jermain Taylor has lost his last couple of fights to Kelly Pavlik but he was conquered with a fighting spirit. True, it did not alter the end result but a lot of the time a boxer can gain more in defeat than victory. In the rematch with Pavlik, Taylor demonstrated a technical polish and strategic acumen which has never quite accompanied his athletic gifts. By using nimble feet and clever head movement, Taylor made life tedious for Pavlik. Taylor found a more methodical and mature style that was considerably different from the wild machismo approach of the first bout. Similarly, Taylor is the Zab Judah of the middleweights. He is big, powerful and fast with the psychological short coming his smaller companion suffers from that is a lack of focus which dilutes consistency. However, Taylor’s chances like Judah’s can never be disregarded because of the talent level. Taylor might disintegrate during the second half of a bout but in the first five or six rounds he has the ability to be extremely dangerous and have eye catching moments.
Although Jeff Lacy is only a year older than Taylor at thirty one, a vastness separates them. He is not as preserved as Taylor, was never as athletically formidable and most importantly is not world class. To understand the drubbing which Joe Calzaghe delivered in March 2006, you had to be at the MEN Arena. During the fight, I was “caught in the moment” but reviewing the fight at a later date on tape I realised I had been too bloodthirsty. The fight should have been stopped during the ninth round, perhaps the tenth and should never have gone to a decision. Unfortunately, I had to be honest with myself and admit a brutal euphoria had subdued my rational judgement. Any person who has been to an event of any description involving tens of thousands of people will know that a religious fervour, quite a scary one in fact, erases your individuality. A person becomes part of the gawking masses and engages in mass hysteria intoxicated by far too much emotion. The exhilaration of seeing Calzaghe humiliate Jeff Lacy and the experience of seeing the championship bout in a calmer state showed me the gap between watching a fight in a crowd and seeing it on your own.
Furthermore, Lacy was damaged further by the completely arrogant Gary Shaw. Shaw admitted his camp had utterly underestimated Calzaghe and it was downright callous of him not to have minimised the savage beating his fighter took. Lacy is not and will never be the same again. Hence this is the reason why the bout should not happen. I can understand the argument that Lacy should have the right to have another big fight and earn loads wads of cash. Indeed, he retains the right but at what cost? Considering the evidence is grim. Since losing to Calzaghe, Lacy has only had three fights and all them have been ten round affairs. They have also been very scrappy and he has absorbed a lot of punches to the head. Lacy has a world class chin, resilience and courage but these are the very qualities which can undo a fighter. The eloquent Larry Merchant located the right register when he said during the Lupe Pintor versus Wilfredo Gomez classic, “It is a virtue to be able to take a punch but not too many punches.”
In terms of his career accomplishment Lacy has encountered decent competition in Omar Sheika, Robin Reid, Rubin Williams and Syd Vanderpool. The only really impressive fighter he has faced is Joe Calzaghe. Taylor’s opposition is better as he has fought Bernard Hopkins, Kelly Pavlik, Corey Spinks, Kasim Ouma, Raul Marquez and Winky Wright.
Perhaps I am being over sensitive in my analysis and I am vulnerable to the charge of being over protective. The premise runs that boxers are grown men and can look after themselves. Nevertheless, the amount of boxers who have retired too late, never did or wasted all their career winnings undercuts that argument for me. In my opinion, the fans and the media need to be more proactive in demanding the retirement of certain fighters. Even if a bad fight does go ahead, at least our voices will have been articulated. Getting hurt is part of boxing but it should not be criminally inflicted by horrible mismatches. This is what the WBC Title Eliminator between Taylor and Lacy will be. Taylor will administer the pain and Lacy will soak it up.
By Michael Klimes: Am I entering old age prematurely? Let me share my symptoms with you. Recently I became grumpy on two accounts. Firstly I decided upon skewing HBO after they announced Bernard Hopkins and Kelly Pavlik was going to be on PPV. Secondly I was overwhelmed by a new shock as people were and are thinking that Manny Pacquiao fighting Oscar de la Hoya is a fair match up.
Usually the level headed Freddie Roach is spot on in his judgements but he believes Pacquiao can put enough meat onto his frame, move up to the welterweight division and defeat de la Hoya. Some fans even think Pacquiao can knock de la Hoya out!
The best fighter in the world confronting the best former fighter in the world sounds tantalising. Putting two marquee names on neon signs in the fantasy land which is Las Vegas seems brilliant. But inspect the issue forensically and alas it is not so. De la Hoya matured into comfortable junior middleweight years ago and Pacquiao has already shifted five weight classes or thirty pounds from where he started boxing originally. That is remarkable. Asking him to go north two further degrees is crazy. Now a third idea has come to my attention which is almost as stupid, a Jermain Taylor versus Jeff Lacy stand off appears to be in the pipeline. Where did this insanity come from?
The difference between Jeff Lacy and Jermain Taylor is two words: world class. Jermain Taylor has lost his last couple of fights to Kelly Pavlik but he was conquered with a fighting spirit. True, it did not alter the end result but a lot of the time a boxer can gain more in defeat than victory. In the rematch with Pavlik, Taylor demonstrated a technical polish and strategic acumen which has never quite accompanied his athletic gifts. By using nimble feet and clever head movement, Taylor made life tedious for Pavlik. Taylor found a more methodical and mature style that was considerably different from the wild machismo approach of the first bout. Similarly, Taylor is the Zab Judah of the middleweights. He is big, powerful and fast with the psychological short coming his smaller companion suffers from that is a lack of focus which dilutes consistency. However, Taylor’s chances like Judah’s can never be disregarded because of the talent level. Taylor might disintegrate during the second half of a bout but in the first five or six rounds he has the ability to be extremely dangerous and have eye catching moments.
Although Jeff Lacy is only a year older than Taylor at thirty one, a vastness separates them. He is not as preserved as Taylor, was never as athletically formidable and most importantly is not world class. To understand the drubbing which Joe Calzaghe delivered in March 2006, you had to be at the MEN Arena. During the fight, I was “caught in the moment” but reviewing the fight at a later date on tape I realised I had been too bloodthirsty. The fight should have been stopped during the ninth round, perhaps the tenth and should never have gone to a decision. Unfortunately, I had to be honest with myself and admit a brutal euphoria had subdued my rational judgement. Any person who has been to an event of any description involving tens of thousands of people will know that a religious fervour, quite a scary one in fact, erases your individuality. A person becomes part of the gawking masses and engages in mass hysteria intoxicated by far too much emotion. The exhilaration of seeing Calzaghe humiliate Jeff Lacy and the experience of seeing the championship bout in a calmer state showed me the gap between watching a fight in a crowd and seeing it on your own.
Furthermore, Lacy was damaged further by the completely arrogant Gary Shaw. Shaw admitted his camp had utterly underestimated Calzaghe and it was downright callous of him not to have minimised the savage beating his fighter took. Lacy is not and will never be the same again. Hence this is the reason why the bout should not happen. I can understand the argument that Lacy should have the right to have another big fight and earn loads wads of cash. Indeed, he retains the right but at what cost? Considering the evidence is grim. Since losing to Calzaghe, Lacy has only had three fights and all them have been ten round affairs. They have also been very scrappy and he has absorbed a lot of punches to the head. Lacy has a world class chin, resilience and courage but these are the very qualities which can undo a fighter. The eloquent Larry Merchant located the right register when he said during the Lupe Pintor versus Wilfredo Gomez classic, “It is a virtue to be able to take a punch but not too many punches.”
In terms of his career accomplishment Lacy has encountered decent competition in Omar Sheika, Robin Reid, Rubin Williams and Syd Vanderpool. The only really impressive fighter he has faced is Joe Calzaghe. Taylor’s opposition is better as he has fought Bernard Hopkins, Kelly Pavlik, Corey Spinks, Kasim Ouma, Raul Marquez and Winky Wright.
Perhaps I am being over sensitive in my analysis and I am vulnerable to the charge of being over protective. The premise runs that boxers are grown men and can look after themselves. Nevertheless, the amount of boxers who have retired too late, never did or wasted all their career winnings undercuts that argument for me. In my opinion, the fans and the media need to be more proactive in demanding the retirement of certain fighters. Even if a bad fight does go ahead, at least our voices will have been articulated. Getting hurt is part of boxing but it should not be criminally inflicted by horrible mismatches. This is what the WBC Title Eliminator between Taylor and Lacy will be. Taylor will administer the pain and Lacy will soak it up.