Boxing News Thread

[heyzel]

Calzaghe/Jones: If You Could Read My Mind

By “Old Yank” Schneider: Who do you want to win? Who do the sanctioning bodies want to win? Who do the writers want to win? Who does Las Vegas want to win? Who do the “Boxing Gods” want to win? Oh, if I could read your mind… Oh, if you could read my mind…

What does “want” really mean? I “want” a black fighter to win. I “want” a technician to win. I “want” a white hope to win. I “want” a “last man standing” kind of fighter to win. I “want” a “stalk, stun and floor” fighter to win. I “want” an entertaining fighter to win. I “want” a busy fighter to win. I “want” a legend to win. I “want”…

Do you really have a clue what you want?

Yes, damn it; I do know what I want! I want blood! I want power! I want blazing speed! I want ebb and flow! I want skill against skill! I want shots thrown that Compubox has trouble keeping up with! I want to see defense that would make Pernell Whitaker cry! I want to see offense that would make George Foreman cry! I want to see a classic of experience against youth that would make Gene Fulmer and Sugar Ray Robinson cry! I know damn well what I want! I want to see the best fight the best.

I want to see the unmade matches of eras gone by that would make Joe Calzaghe and Roy Jones, Jr. cry. Wait! What? I want WHAT?

Are you kidding me? Yes! I want to see the “fantasy” matches that we thought we’d never see. Calzaghe/Jones is exactly one of those “fantasy” matches I thought was going to pass me by.

Hell yes! It is way past due! But every once in a while boxing comes to those who wait. And waiting is a tough game by anyone’s standards.

The wait will be worth it. Joe Calzaghe is going to prove that he is the virtual fountain of youth that he showed he was against Jeff Lacy, Peter Manfredo and Mikkel Kessler. He will be facing the 39 year old legend Roy Jones, Jr. – a man 3 years his senior. Roy Jones, Jr. is and will always be a legend in the ring. But his time is over. Many would argue that his time was over years ago. I will argue that he has one more great fight left in him, but it will be one great fight lost to one fighter that has always been greater than him, Joe Calzaghe.

The American boxing landscape has always been a myopic landscape – a landscape littered with legends that are the creation of American media and void of legends that have largely passed under the radar. Joe Calzaghe is just such a legend that has been largely “miffed-off” by the American media – passing under the radar. His skills, power, defense, “flash and finish” style largely unnoticed by American fans, will be the keys to this bout. Oh, they have noticed his storied frail hands, but know little more about him than his career from the Lacy bout forward. Americans will be stunned by how easily he handles Roy Jones, Jr. They will look at his performance in total bewilderment – myopic will prove to be an understatement.

If you could read my mind then you would know just how much in solidarity I stand with the fans of Cardiff. Calzaghe will win this one with ease.

 

[MOREBASS]

By “Old Yank” Schneider:

The wait will be worth it. Joe Calzaghe is going to prove that he is the virtual fountain of youth that he showed he was against Jeff Lacy, Peter Manfredo and Mikkel Kessler.

LOL

As if this is some kind of phenomenal achievement. Fuck Joe. And even if he beats Roy, who is some 10 years past his prime, it wont mean much to us fans over here.

Unless he fights Pavlik after. :knockout:

 

[REdRUM]

I'm taking Jones. I don't even think it'll be close. I just don't see much deterioration in Jones' fighting, as opposed to 5 years ago or so, and Calzaghe has NEVER impressed me.

 

[heyzel]

I like roy to but joe has been doing alot of shit talking lately

 

[heyzel]

Oscar Diaz Awakes From Coma after Eight-Weeks

By Mark Vester

NBC affiliate WOAI has reported that Oscar Diaz is out of his coma, opening his eyes and awake for the first time in eight-weeks. He was removed from the ventilator and upgraded from critical to stable condition.

Diaz, 25, has been in a coma since the loss to Delvin Rodriguez (23-2-1, 14 KO) on July 16th at the Municipal Auditorium in San Antonio, Texas. Diaz (26-3, 12 KO) collapsed in the rest period after ten rounds. It was the televised main event on ESPN2’s Wednesday Night Fights. Following the bout, he underwent emergency surgery for severe swelling and bleeding of the brain.

“It's very exciting to see Oscar open his eyes,” says Oscar’s mother Theresa Diaz. “He's a fighter and I believe he will get better

 

[heyzel]

Hatton: "Pacquiao at 140 or De La Hoya at 147 Next"

By Mark Vester

Ricky Hatton is dead set on facing the winner of Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao, taking place on December 6 in Las Vegas. Hatton fights a few weeks earlier, in Las Vegas, against IBF junior welterweight champ Paulie Malignaggi. Last week, De La Hoya said that he was willing to share the services of trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. with Hatton. In order to do so, Hatton would have to train up in Big Bear, California where De La Hoya is setting up camp.

Mayweather Sr. trained De La Hoya for almost eight-years, but signed a contract to train Hatton for Malignaggi, leaving Oscar without a trainer for the Pacquiao fight. Hatton, sensing a De La Hoya fight could happen in 2009, has turned down the offer to train side by side with Oscar in Big Bear.

"I am not looking past Malignaggi, but I have to have one eye on my next fight after that," said Hatton to The Manchester Evening News. "I know I turned round after Mayweather and said I wouldn't fight above light-welterweight again, but the winner of the Pacquiao vs. De La Hoya fight will be the best pound for pound in the world. I would be a liar if I said I didn't want another go at being tbe best. Floyd says he will train me come what may, which is reassuring, but I can't comment on Oscar's plans."

He says if Pacquiao wins, the fight will be at 140-pounds, but if De La Hoya wins, he would be willing to move up to 147-pounds. De La Hoya vs. Hatton is a strange fight, considering that Oscar is Hatton's promoter and Hatton is using Oscar's trainer, and Oscar advised Hatton earlier in the year, as his promoter, to not take fights at 147.

"If Pacquiao wins we could make the fight at light-welterweight, but if Oscar wins, I would have no fears about moving up to welterweight," said Hatton.

 

[heyzel]

Pacquiao v. Marquez Trilogy Talk is Ludicrous, Says Arum

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Top Rank’s Bob Arum, perhaps the most astute promoter in the boxing business says talk about Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao fighting Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton or even Floyd Mayweather Jr “is just ludicrous at this point because the job at hand is the fight with Oscar De La Hoya.”

In an overseas telephone conversation with insidesports.ph, Manila Standard and Viva Sports, Arum pointed out that the December 6 fight against De La Hoya is “far from a tune-up fight.” He said if it was a tune-up fight then you could look at who your next opponent is going to be but this is not a tune-up fight. This is a very tough, very hard fight and addressing the issue of who the next opponent will be is ludicrous at this point.”

Arum said that if Pacquiao is successful in the showdown with “The Golden Boy” there may be “opponents out there far more lucrative and far more interesting than Marquez. Floyd Mayweather Jr may come out of retirement or Ricky Hatton. Who knows, who knows what the future is going to bring.”

Arum emphasized that right now he wants “to focus everybody’s attention on De La Hoya.” When asked about those who claim Pacquiao is avoiding Marquez Arum replied , “that’s all bullshit.”

The Top Rank promoter didn’t close the door to a third fight with Marquez in the future. He said “we will look around after the De La Hoya fight and if we decide that the most lucrative fight, the best fight out there for him (Pacquiao) is Marquez, that’s the fight we are going to make.”

Arum said Pacquiao failed to fly to Las Vegas for a dinner where the promoter received a prestigious award as a inductee to the “Gaming Hall-of-Fame” which includes individuals such as eminent casino and resort hotel owner Steve Wynn and entertainers like the late Frank Sinatra.

Arum said there were fears that Pacquiao was getting the flu and they didn’t want to take a chance and agreed “that was a good idea.” He also said he also supported the appeal of Pacquiao for people to stay away from him during his ten week training grind so he won’t contact any ailment which could set back his efforts to be in the best shape of his life for the De La Hoya megabuck fight.

Eager to get into fighting form as soon as possible Pacquiao who skipped training the previous day and didn’t take the flight to Las Vegas showed up at celebrated trainer Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym (Thursday, Manila Time) . Despite Pacquiao’s appeal for the fans to stay away Dong Secuya of philboxing.com reported that the gym was “teeming with people all morning” but that when Pacquiao arrived shortly after 2:00 p.m. the gym was cleared as Roach had promised earlier.

Pacquiao went through a light workout on the speed ball, did some shadow boxing and worked on the punch-mitts with Roach.

 

[heyzel]

Roy Jones Jr. - The End of a Three-Year Exile in Boxing

By Lyle Fitzsimmons

NEW YORK – A three-year exile to boxing’s backwoods has officially ended.

Former four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr., whose career appeared finished after an abysmal three-fight losing skid in 2004-05, certified a return to relevance Tuesday with the press tour kick-off for his Nov. 8 match with Ring Magazine light heavyweight champion Joe Calzaghe.

The bout, originally scheduled for Sept. 20 before a Calzaghe wrist injury prompted postponement, is again set for Madison Square Garden and will be broadcast live on HBO PPV.

The tour continued in Los Angeles and includes future stops in London and Cardiff, Wales.

“I’m going to be looking right. I’m going to be in pretty good shape. I keep getting better, so however it goes, I’m going to be in the best shape I can,” Jones said.

Now 38, Jones held belts at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight over a 10-year stretch before a precipitous fall from grace in the form of consecutive knockouts by Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson, and a uninspired effort in a subsequent decision loss to Tarver.

He fought twice in the two years following the losing streak – traveling to Idaho and Mississippi to out-point little-known fringe contenders Prince Badi Ajamu and Anthony Hanshaw – then returned to Manhattan for a widely-panned decision over ex-welterweight champ Felix Trinidad in January.

He began campaigning for a date with Calzaghe at the press conference immediately following the Trinidad win, claiming he’d fly to Wales the next morning to get the deal signed.

Calzaghe, meanwhile, has seen his star rise significantly since a lopsided win over St. Petersburg’s Jeff Lacy in a 2006 super middleweight unification bout many experts picked him to lose.

He followed up with successful 168-pound title defenses against Sakio Bika and Peter Manfredo Jr. and another unification with Mikkel Kessler before scoring his biggest win to date, a split 12-round decision over Bernard Hopkins in April to capture the Ring jewelry and consensus acclaim at 175.

The 36-year-old Welshman is unbeaten in 45 career fights, with 32 knockouts.

“I’m going to tell you the truth. I know this is going to be a wonderful fight,” Jones said. “Joe throws enough punches that he’s going to have us all tired. He’s going to start punching about 7 o’clock the night before, and he’s not going to stop until sometime Sunday.”

The two men were rumored close to meeting in 2001 but the fight never materialized, leaving Jones to claim in some interviews that Calzaghe was afraid to face him. Jones held the IBF title at 168 pounds between 1994 and 1996, defending it five times before moving to light heavyweight.

Calzaghe won the WBO crown at 168 in 1997 and defended it 21 times over 10 years before moving up to fight Hopkins in his first United States appearance.

“I followed his career from the amateur days, when he got robbed in the Olympics by the Korean, and I’ve always been a fan,” Calzaghe said.

“Roy is saying how pretty he looks all the time, and I’m not bad myself, and we’ll see who looks prettier after the fight. With Roy, I know he’s going to fight. He has tremendous hand speed like myself. It’s going to be a great fight.”

Jones, who’ll turn 39 in January, is 52-4 with 38 knockouts in 19 years as a pro.

“This is probably one of the bigger fights of my career. You never know a person for real until you do battle with him,” he said. “It took me 39 years to get this cute and this smart, so of course it’s going to effect me, but that’s about the only way. I try to stay in shape just in case somebody does say something or wants to dance

 

[2-0-Sixx]

I'm taking Jones. I don't even think it'll be close. I just don't see much deterioration in Jones' fighting, as opposed to 5 years ago or so, and Calzaghe has NEVER impressed me.

Did you see the latest press conference? Man, Roy looks old as fuck too me. I think he's going to allow Calzaghe to out punch him by sitting on the ropes for long stretches of time.

From yesterday:

 

[REdRUM]

Damn. I'm taking my money off of Roy. I was only going to bet on him if he came in with that fuckin' beard again.

Oh, well.

 

[heyzel]

damn roy looks like he's 50

 

[REdRUM]

Isn't he?

 

[2-0-Sixx]

lol, nah hopkins is 50, roy is liike 47

 

[2-0-Sixx]

Ronald Hearns Destroys Quiroz, Eyes Irish John Duddy For January!

MANCHESTER, NH--Ronald Hearns, son of you know who from Detroit, made short work of punchbag Alexander Pacheco Quiroz stopping the Colombian at 2:10 of the first round of a scheduled 10-rounder at the Verizon Wireless Arena Wednesday night.

Junior middleweight Hearns, 29, calls himself “The Chosen One.” His father, Thomas Hitman Hearns, forbade him to box until he earned his criminal justice degree from American University in Washington, DC, so put the son down as a late starter.

But Hearns, 154, showed he can be an early finisher as he extended his pro record to 20-0, 16 KOs with the quick destruction of the 14-7-1 Quiroz, 155 ½, who now lives in Miami.

Promoter Lou DiBella is trying to make a deal with either HBO or Showtime for a January bout against popular Irish slugger John Duddy.

“Ronald is a great kid and I think he is now ready to step up in competition,” DiBella said. “That will be a great TV fight because there will nothing but action.”

Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin has had sweeter nights but got the job done and pushed his record to 20-0 with a 10th and final round TKO over solid journeyman Sam “Punching Policeman” Hill. An inexperienced referee stopped the bout at the 1:50 mark with Hill standing in a corner as Quillin rained punches on him.

Hill did not appear to be hurt and protested the stoppage.

Hill’s record dropped to 17-9-1. Kid Choc, who fights out of Brooklyn did deck Hill in the fifth round.

Hill has gone the distance with the likes of former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor.

Quillin weighed 161 ½ pounds while Hill’s weight was 159. Hill, a cop in St. Louis, fell to 17-9-1.

It was a pedestrian victory against a reasonably tough veteran but Quillin needs better opposition after 20 pro bouts.

 

[heyzel]

Ronald Hearns-Paul Clavette Lands on Bute-Andrade

Ronald Hearns (20-0-0, 16 KO) is scheduled to lace up the gloves against Paul Clavette (14-1-1, 2 KO) on friday, October 24th at the Bell Centre. Hearns earned a TKO1 victory over Alexander Pacheco Quiroz (14-7-1, 4 KO) last night to set up the October 24th clash. This bout will be the main support to the long awaited IBF Super Middleweight title fight featuring champion Lucian Bute (22-0-0, 18 KO) vs. #1 contender Librado Andrade (27-1-0, 21 KO).

Both bouts will be televised in the Untited States by the Showtime Network as part of the ShoBox: The New Generation series as well as throughout Canada on Canal Indigo and Bell TV. Hearns is an explosive blue chip boxer with knock-out power, as evidenced by his 16 KO's in 20 fights. In Clavette, Hearns will be facing an opponent who has never fell to the canvas in 16 pro fights.

With a combined total of 55 KO's and only 2 losses in the two main bouts, InterBox is poised to make a very positive first impression with Showtime network fans.

InterBox is currently closing out the rest of the card for its October 24th Bell Centre Gala which is set to start at 8 PM.

Rescheduled start time for the Boxing Gala

Due to the semi-final and main event bouts getting underway later than usual, InterBox has rescheduled the Gala to start at 8 PM instead of at 7:30 PM.

 

[heyzel]

Joe Calzaghe - "Pavlik's Started To Get A Bit Brave Now That I've Signed To Fight Jon

18.09.08 - by James Slater - The war of words between the Joe Calzaghe and Kelly Pavlik camps has been going on for some time now. Calzaghe and his father and trainer claim Pavlik is afraid of him, while Pavlik and his father and trainer claim the exact opposite thing. Whatever the truth of the matter may be, it does not look like the unbeaten light-heavyweight king and the unbeaten middleweight boss will be getting it on. A shame indeed, and once again it is the fans who lose out..

With Calzaghe going into what may well be his last fight this coming November 8th, against former pound-for-pound master Roy Jones Junior, and Pavlik having yet another catch-weight fight three weeks earlier, against former Calzaghe foe Bernard Hopkins, it is apparent "The Pride of Wales" and "The Ghost's" paths will never cross in the ring.

Speaking with U.K newspaper The Sun recently, Joe claimed Pavlik never actually wanted a fight with him anyway. Again claiming the big-punching American is afraid of him, Calzaghe said he actually offered Pavlik a fight with him twice in the past, only for the Youngstown man to decline.

"Pavlik is just trying to make a name for himself on my back," Calzaghe told The Sun. "I tried to get a fight with him twice before. We approached him immediately after I beat Jeff Lacy in 2006 but he declined. He fought and beat Jermain Taylor instead and immediately had a rematch with him to dodge me again. It's easy to come out of the woodwork and mouth off when you've already signed to fight somebody else."

Calzaghe claims Pavlik only began running his mouth when he had signed to face Jones, thus knowing a fight with him would not take place.

"It's funny that he's started to get a bit brave not that I've signed to fight Jones," Joe stated. "He didn't even call me out after he beat Gary [Lockett]. When Pavlik beat Gary, he actually didn't say anything to me at all afterwards."

While Pavlik would almost certainly have something to say about these claims, it doesn't look like it will matter; what with both guys signed up for other fights. And if Joe keeps his word and retires after his fight with Jones, the mouth-watering bout will be destined to join the number of other potentially great fights that sadly never happened.

Calzaghe said, on the subject of Pavlik's next fight, that "The Ghost" would likely beat the man he himself got off the floor to out-point in his last bout. But Joe said it won't be easy, or pretty, for Kelly.

"I'm surprised Hopkins has agreed to fight Pavlik as he's getting that old now he didn't even know what corner to walk to when I fought him. Although he fought a very good tactical fight against me, I think he should retire. Pavlik will win the fight, mainly due to his youth, although Hopkins still has the ability to make it very messy. But he is definitely over-hyped and I think Mikkell Kessler would beat him

 

[2-0-Sixx]

Joe Calzaghe - "Pavlik's Started To Get A Bit Brave Now That I've Signed To Fight Jon

STFU Joe!!!!!



Kelly Pavlik Disputes Joe Calzaghe's Fight Claims


By Mark Vester

WBO/WBC middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik has hit back at Joe Calzaghe over comments that were published in The Sun, where Calzaghe claims that Pavlik turned down two prior fight offers and was ducking the fight until Joe signed to fight Roy Jones Jr. on November 8.

"Pavlik is just trying to make a name for himself on my back. I tried to get a fight with him twice before. We approached him immediately after I beat Jeff Lacy in 2006 but he declined," Calzaghe told The Sun. "He fought and beat Jermain Taylor instead and immediately had a rematch with him to dodge me again. It's easy to come out of the woodwork and mouth off when you've already signed to fight somebody else."

Pavlik says Calzaghe is full of it himself, because he was never offered a fight with Welsh champion. Pavlik claims tt was only after he beat Jermain Taylor twice, that Calzaghe began to show any interest.

"Calzaghe's pops keeps throwing shots out," Pavlik said on Steve Bunce's Boxing Hour. "He has Roy Jones and the chances of him getting past Roy Jones are slim. There might not be talk of me fighting Calzaghe if he can't get past Jones. No, they never offered a fight. They did everything but offer a fight with us. They didnt have to take the fight with Jones, it could have been with us."

Calzaghe also that after Pavlik disposed of Gary Lockett in June [Calzaghe's stablemate], he still didn't try to make a fight.

"He didn't even call me out after he beat Gary. And with no disrespect to Gary, he's a totally different kettle of fish to me. When Pavlik beat Gary, he actually didn't say anything about me at all afterwards, "Calzaghe said. "It's funny that he's started to get a bit brave now that I've signed to fight Jones — but you get used to that bulls*** in boxing."

Pavlik says Calzaghe never offered him anything and predicts that Jones will beat Calzaghe. Pavlik faces Bernard Hopkins on Oct. 18.

"After I knocked Gary Lockett out. I see lots of things about Enzo running off his mouth of us. There wasn't talk of Calzaghe until I beat Taylor twice. There is a great chance of Roy Jones beating him. There might not be any talk of me fighting him in the future. I've got to take care of [Bernard] Hopkins. That's my main thing," Pavlik said. "I would like the fight. I've said that on every interview I've said. It is what it is. It would be a great fight. I've got October 18 to worry about."

Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ [email protected]

 

[heyzel]

what ever joe is taking it must be some good shit, cause joe is talking out his mind

 

[2-0-Sixx]

I haven't seen Jackson Osei Bonsu fight except on youtube, but he was recently ranked #10 at 147. Until he lost just recently. He's a big puncher PEEP THE VIDEO AT BOTTOM!

Post Carlos Baldomir Faces Jackson Osei Bonsu on 11/11

The Lotto Arena in Antwerp, Belgium, is booked for November 11 with former EBU welterweight champ Jackson Osei Bonsu scheduled to take on Argentinian Carlos Baldomir. Some sources say this is a WBC eliminator but a fighter coming off a loss into an eliminator is doubtful. But the fight itself appears to be on. [details]


DAMN THIS SHIT IS BRUTAL!!!

 

[heyzel]

damn homie drop like somebody push him backwards