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Jul 24, 2005
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Exclusive Interview: Shane Mosley

Mosley is currently the top dog in the welterweight division. His impressive destruction of Antonio Margarito earlier this year left no doubts about it. In recent weeks and months, Mosley has made his intentions clear—he still wants to take on the best in the division, whether it is a fight with Floyd Mayweather, a fight with Manny Pacquiao, a rematch with Miguel Cotto, or a battle with any of the other top contenders in the 147 pound weight class. I was recently afforded the opportunity to have a nice chat with the welter weight champion. Here is what he had to say:

Q: You were in attendance for the Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez bout. What is your evaluation of Mayweather’s performance?

A: Well, I really couldn’t evaluate it because he fought a junior lightweight and the lightweight champion. I couldn’t tell if he actually improved or anything because he was so much bigger than the guy, but from what I had seen he looked like he has his speed back, he looked pretty sharp, but look at the opponent he was facing..

Q: After the fight you actually challenged Floyd Mayweather and many observers, according to what I have read, noted that Mayweather appeared intimidated by you. Did you get that impression at the time?

A: Well, I’ve always known that Floyd is intimidated by me. I mean, I see him out at different places and he’s intimidated, he doesn’t really want to fight me. He would much rather fight guys that he could handpick and get victories from and basically just get money. He can make money fighting Marquez, make money fighting (Manny) Pacquiao, and make money fighting the Ricky Hattons of the world, but when is he going to get in there with a welterweight again? With a real welterweight? I mean, there’s myself—the number one welterweight—and there’s (Miguel) Cotto,(Joshua) Clottey, and (Andre) Berto. We have four welterweights that he hasn’t fought.

Q: After you challenged him, a week later, Mayweather wished you good luck in your career which seemed to indicate he’s not interested in fighting you. He also mentioned that he challenged you twice, and he claims that you turned him down back in 1999 and again in 2006. Did you really turn him down?

A: Like I said, he’s really a liar. He likes to lie a lot. In 1999 there’s a film where he’s fighting in Michigan when he was fighting at 130 and I was fighting at 135, and I asked him, like when HBO does the prefight analysts talk to the fighters before they fight. I talked to him, and hopefully it’s recorded somewhere—I think it was on FX—I asked him, “Are you planning on coming up to lightweight to fight me?” And he said, “No,” He had no intention of coming to lightweight to fight me, he wanted t beat Carlos Monzon’s record. He didn’t want to come to lightweight. That’s when I jumped from lightweight to welterweight to fight Oscar De La Hoya. That was the first incident that he’s talking about, so he turned me down in 1999.

Now, the other time he’s talking about is when I fought three times—one, two, three, back-to-back-to-back—and they tried to rush me to fight him right away, like two or three months later. I said, give me a month, and we’ll do it like, I think it was in January—I said, “We’ll do it in January”. They wanted to do it in like November or December, and I said, “Give me a month and we’ll do it in January or February.” They didn’t want to do that. So they chose to fight Oscar De La Hoya. I said, “Go ahead and fight Oscar, and if you beat Oscar, then let’s get busy. Let’s do this.” He beat Oscar—he didn’t want to fight me.

He’s been turning me down. I hate when he continues to say, “Oh, he turned me down because of a tooth ache”. Yeah. I got head butted in that fight that and my tooth was loose that night. They asked me to fight Mayweather and I said, “Give me an extra month, and I’ll fight him.” He didn’t want to fight me, which was cool. He could go and fight Oscar because that’s more money. Okay. That’s cool, but after that fight if you win—fight me. He didn’t want to do that. He chose to retire or fight somebody else. I’m getting tired of that lie! They need to wipe that lie out of there. The reporters and stuff, they keep saying it, so that lie needs to be talked about.

Q: Now Shane, on a recent edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio, I actually had a chance to speak with Floyd Mayweather Senior and I asked him who he thought would pose the toughest challenge to his son from 147 down, and he said, “Shane Mosley”. Style-wise, why do you think Floyd Senior views you as the biggest threat to his son?

I’m the biggest threat to anybody at the welterweight division. Nobody can beat me. He knows that. All the fighters know that. It’s just the writers and some of the fans that don’t really know. They’re undecided. I’m really pound for pound the best. I am the best, right now. They can’t beat me. Floyd can’t beat me, Manny Pacquiao can’t be me—I am the best at welterweight. That’s why I have to go up to junior middleweight and fight people up there because welterweight is my division. They can’t beat me. I’m the King of that division.

Q: Now changing things up a little bit, I’m just curious, what are your thoughts on the upcoming fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto?

A: I think that’s going to be a lot better than the fight with Mayweather and Marquez. I know that Manny Pacquiao is real fast with movement, but I think Cotto tells a lot of the truth in this matter, that he is a real welterweight. He’s a real welterweight, he’s fought real welterweights, he’s been in the ring and he knows how to fight. He knows how to fight smaller guys better. He beat Zab Judah, who was a good southpaw, and he beat Carlos Quintana who is a southpaw and he beat them down. He knows how to fight smaller southpaws, so I think it’s going to be a good fight. It should be interesting.

Q: If a fight between you and Floyd does not materialize, would you be interested in taking on the winner of Pacquiao-Cotto?

A: Of course. Right now I gave Richard Shaffer the instructions to find somebody that wants to fight, and that’s sad because I’m the welterweight champion. I’m the number one guy. I told him just let me know what date I have, and I’ll show up, and let me know who is going to be in the ring so I can prepare. I don’t care.

Q: In your last fight, you looked spectacular in your winning effort against Antonio Margarito in a fight a lot of people thought you were going to lose. This was the first time you ever worked with Nazeem Richardson in your corner. Can you tell us a little bit about your experiences working with Richardson and what he was able to bring to the table in terms of helping your prepare for that fight?

A: Well me and Nazeem share the same views about boxing and the fight game. He’s truly a student of the sport, just like I am, so we clicked very well. We’ll go over different things and it’s like me watching myself outside the ring. It’s a perfect match for me and I really like everything he does.

Q: What are your thoughts on the entire controversy with the plaster of Paris found in Margarito’s gloves, and do you think this has overshadowed your victory in any way?

A: I think it definitely overshadowed the victory. Not to mention that, everybody that fought Margarito, Larry Merchant and others have said that he has an iron chin, never been knocked out, never really been knocked down or anything, and he walks through everybody. He walked through Cotto, he walked through Clottey and those guys were hitting him. In the first round, I hit him, and he backs up. Everybody knew my punching power. I have good punching power. They say, okay well he was hitting guys and stopping these different guys, but they couldn’t hit him and stop him, which I did. I should get credit for that.

Q: Throughout most of your career, you were trained by your father and you two obviously had a very close relationship.

A: We still do.

Q: That’s good. That’s great to hear, but do you think in some ways, though, that sticking with your father as a trainer for so long may have limited your growth as a fighter?

A: No. I think that sometimes people get a little stale. Sometimes in the fight game, you need someone to remind you. Both of us could be stale. I got stale, he got stale, and mentally, we were doing the same routines over and over again, but if you bring somebody else in that taught the game, too, it kind of makes you remember different things. Like, oh yeah, I remember, I used to do that and I used to do this, and it brings you back to life. That’s what’s happening to me, I’ve been brought back to life.

Q: Your fight with Margarito was almost a year ago now. Do you regret not having taken a “stay busy” fight now that so much time has passed since then?

A: I don’t know what “stay busy” fight was out there for me.

Q: Fair enough. Now you’re one of the few modern fighters who always dared to be great by wanting to prove yourself against the very best. When fighters like Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright were both stuck on the outside looking in, you gave them opportunities and you also demanded immediate rematches after each of those losses. What keeps you so driven to want to continue fighting the best, even now?

A: I love to fight. I think what’s been driving me is the doubt—the doubt of people thinking that I’m not the best, the doubt that different people have when discussing legendary fighters and I’m not put out there on that plateau like I was one of the best. I want the world to know that I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to clean the whole division out—all of the division! Until it is recognized that I am the best in this era, this is my era.

Q: To date, what would you consider the proudest moment of your career?

A: The proudest moment was winning my first title against Philip Holiday. Even though I was sick that night, I still won. That was one of the proudest days of my life, because it was something I accomplished that I wanted to accomplish as a kid, as a boy—being the lightweight champion of the world.

Q: I recently had a chance to speak with Sugar Ray Leonard, and I asked him about how he first started using the “Sugar” moniker and asked him what he thought of other fighters, like Ray Robinson and yourself, who also shared the same nickname. Ray Leonard said of you, “Shane carries the torch well”. I was wondering if you could tell the fans how you first started using the “Sugar” name, and perhaps you could also share your thoughts on fighters like Leonard and Robinson?

A: Well, the name was given to me. I never chose the name and said, “I’m going to be Sugar Shane”. It was given to me in the gym when I was younger. I think I was ten years old when I got the name. They used to call me “Little Sugar” because they said I fought like “Sugar Ray”. Sugar Ray Leonard, I fought like Sugar Ray Robinson, I was on my toes, moving, I was a classic fighter even back then. So when they announced me—even when I fought Oscar when I was twelve or thirteen—they announced me as “Sugar Shane Mosley”.

All through my whole life, that’s been my name. Sugar Ray told me yes, when I fought Margarito I carried the name very well and lived up to the moniker, and he was very proud of me. I met Sugar Ray Robinson a couple of times before he passed away, and talked to his wife. This was back, I was probably fourteen, and I said, “Yeah, my name is Sugar, too. I’m Sugar Shane”. His wife said, “Well you got to be good to be a ‘Sugar’. You got to train hard”, and I said, “Well I am”, and it went on from there even back then.

Both of these fighters had a great impact on my career. Sugar Ray Leonard, definitely. Sugar Ray Robinson with the movement, the charisma, the hidden power, and the speed, the flashiness of Sugar Ray Leonard, the movement and the charisma, as well. Sugar Ray Leonard, I probably followed a little more because that was more my era. I started boxing around 1979-1980, and Sugar Ray Leonard was in there fighting with guys like Roberto Duran at that time. I just loved—loved, loved, loved—the movement, the style, and the charisma of these guys.

Q: Shane, do you have any major regrets in your career, and if so what are they?

A: No regrets. I love what happened in my career, and I’m very happy and fortunate that there’s a lot of people in this world who were probably as good as I was and just didn’t get the proper break or the right break. I didn’t get my break until I fought for the world title when I was 23-0 with 22 knockouts. Some people never get that chance to showcase their skills. I’m just happy and fortunate that I’m still fighting right now, I’m still world champion. I’ve been fighting for thirty years now, and I’m still a threat and still the best in this era.

Q: One of the questions I have to ask you is, if you weren’t a boxer what do you think you would be?

A: If I wasn’t a boxer, there’s one thing that I wanted to do, but I knew I was too short, and that was be a basketball player. I love to play basketball. The other thing probably would have been an accountant, because I love dealing with numbers and math. I guess also anything dealing with outside work. I’m an outside/outdoors type of person.

Q: Shane, before all is said and done and you ultimately retire from professional boxing, what is it you would like to accomplish?

A: Well, I want to beat everybody in the division. I want to be proclaimed the best. I want to win the ‘pound-for-pound’ belt. After I finish that, then I would like to raise my son to be the next world champion and have the name live on. That would be my next goal: Training him and giving him all the tools that I have.

Q: Off topic, I am curious what your thoughts are on the fact that the long awaited rematch between Roy Jones Junior and Bernard Hopkins has finally been signed and how you see this fight going down?

A: I think it’s great for the sport. I mean, Roy Jones was definitely one of the best in this era and some consider him the best. Throughout the mid-90s, Roy Jones and Bernard, as well, were two of the best. They are two Hall of Fame fighters. It will be a great fight, and hopefully these guys can get what they want to out of this rematch.

Q: Now Shane, before I let you go, is there anything else you would like to say to all of your fans out at East Side Boxing?

A: Thanks for being great fans. Continue to watch, I’m only getting better and better in my older age. I think I’m getting younger, so stay tuned. I’m going to have three fights next year, scheduled, and I’m going to take care of business. Hopefully, in January, April, and November I’ll be fighting, and maybe Mayweather will be one of them.

***

I would like to thank Sugar Shane Mosley for his time and wish him the best of luck in all future endeavors both inside and outside the ring. As a boxing fan, I sincerely hope Mayweather steps up to the plate and accepts Mosley’s challenge. This is a fight the fans deserve
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Sergiy Dzinziruk Wants A Fight With Cory Spinks

by James Slater - There is no doubting the talent unbeaten Ukrainian Sergiy Dzinziruk possesses. There is also no doubt about how dangerous a proposition he is for any of the other name fighters in today's 154-pound weight class. The WBO light-middleweight champion with the 36-0(22) record has been wanting a big, breakthrough type fight for a while now, but talked of match-ups between he and guys like Paul Williams didn't materialise..

Now, though, the 6'0" 33-year-old has called out another top U.S fighter - IBF 154-pound champion Cory "The Next Generation" Spinks. As reported by FightNews.com, Dzinziruk has put his name forward regarding the October 31st date that fellow southpaw Spinks is due to fight on.

"I've conducted conversations with representative of Cory Spinks," Dzinziruk told FightNews. "I've offered him a unification fight on October 31st in Las Vegas. I know that he has not found an opponent. I am ready to fight him and his managers are ready to make this fight."

Dzinziruk has left his former handlers Universum, and he is looking at signing with a new managerial outfit - of which he says there are plenty out there interested in working with him. An American debut is just the thing the man named "Razor" needs, and Spinks would be an attractive enough opponent to be sure.

Due to his problems getting himself a big fight, Dzinziruk has been inactive since his impressive points win over Joel Julio back in November of last year. If 31-year-old Spinks, who has also been far from overly active as of late (just one fight this year so far, and just one fight last year - one win, one loss) agrees to the fight it will be interesting indeed to see how the tall and intimidating Dzinziruk copes with his speed and slipperiness.

Spinks, 37-5(11) has been stopped just once as a pro, by Zab Judah down at welterweight, and since then he has campaigned at either 154 or 160-pounds. He took the IBF 154-pound belt from Roman Karmazin, defended it once, and then moved up to challenge middleweight king Jermain Taylor in that unforgettably dull May 2007 fight. Then, Cory dropped back down to defend his IBF light-middleweight strap, but was upset by veteran Verno Phillips. Then, in his last fight back in April, Spinks regained the IBF belt with a close points win over Deandre Latimore.

Will Spinks take the risky fight Dzinziruk has offered him? Or will the former world welterweight ruler take a pass? "Razor" has to know that time is slowly but surely running out on him at age 33. He wants this fight, he is willing to take the fight on American soil; the rest, it seems, is up to Spinks.

Who would win? Either way, a close, high quality and likely engrossing fight would take place. Let's hope it happens
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Danny Williams Close To Retirement, Says He Has Had Too Many Wars

by James Slater - If Danny Williams is as intelligent a guy as he seems to be, he will not fight again. Looking pretty awful last Friday night, when he was decked, hurt badly and ultimately defeated by Carl Baker in his first outing in the "PrizeFighter" tournament, the 36-year-old was embarrassed. Losing for the eighth time as a pro, Williams appeared shot. All those people who admire Danny and care about his future health (and he does have many loyal and respectful supporters) will be heartened to know that the big man has seemingly seen sense and is indeed close to announcing his retirement from boxing..

According to a new article in The South London Press, Williams looks set to announce his retirement.

"That guy [Baker] wouldn't have lasted a round with me a few years ago," Williams said. "I just think I've got old overnight. I've had historic fights with Vitali Klitschko, Mike Tyson and Matt Skelton - so many hard fights. I've had too many wars and it was only a matter of time before they caught up with me. I think that moment was October 2nd."

Danny, one of the bravest fighters in his weight class when sufficiently motivated, is right to feel proud of his battles with Klitschko, Tyson and Skelton. How he kept getting up from the sledgehammers "Dr Iron Fist" cracked him with I'll never know. The same goes for the way Williams ate Tyson's bombs before coming on to actually win that fight. It's a definite fact that the Brixton man has earned at least a small place in boxing history, and retirement, if he does choose it, has been more than earned.

Danny hasn't quite made up his mind, but it seems he will realise that fighting on would be futile.

"I'm going to consider my options," William said to The South London Press.

I think fight fans everywhere will agree he has no option but to hang 'em up.

If he does decide to fight no more, Williams will go out with a more than respectable 41-8(31) record. A former British and Commonwealth champion, Danny also goes into the record books as a world title challenger. Wins over good men like Mark Potter (in that amazing performance by Danny, when he somehow fought through the pain of a dislocated shoulder to KO Potter!), Kali Meehan, Michael Sprott, Tyson, Audley Harrison, Scott Gammer and John McDermott also look very good on "The Brixton Bomber's" record.

A pro since October of 1995, Danny Williams can now put his feet up!
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Zab Judah and Joel Casamayor headline "Road to Redemption

Former world champions Zab Judah and Joel Casamayor headline “Road to Redemption,” a nationally and internationally televised double main event card Friday, Nov. 6, at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. In the double main event Judah of Las Vegas, Nev., meets Ramon Montano of Las Vegas in a welterweight bout while Casamayor of Las Vegas takes on an opponent to be determined in a 10-round super lightweight fight. In the special attraction on the card presented by former world champion Fernando Vargas current World Boxing Council/United States National Boxing Championships light heavyweight title-holder Ron Johnson of Las Vegas faces Ray Smith of Little Rock, Ark., in an eight-round bout..

Also on the card are featherweight Salvador Sanchez, nephew of the legendary featherweight champion Salvador Sanchez, and undefeated welterweight Joseph Judah, brother of Zab.

The 31-year-old Zab Judah, originally from Brooklyn, N.Y, has a record of 37-6 with 25 knockouts and was the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation welterweight champion as well as the World Boxing Organization and IBF junior welterweight champ.

Zab Judah, a southpaw, has fought the best, including Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto, Cory Spinks and Micky Ward.

The 27-year-old Montano, originally from Sonora, Mexico, has a record of 17-7-2 with two knockouts. The slick-boxing Montano recorded a second-round knockout in his most recent win.

The 38-year-old Casamayor, originally from Cuba, has a record of 36-4-1 with 22 knockouts and was the WBC lightweight champion as well as the WBA super featherweight champ.

Casamayor, a southpaw, also has fought numerous luminaries, including Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo and Juan Manuel Marquez.
Johnson, who turns 23 the day of his fight against Smith, has a record of 11-1 with three knockouts. Johnson, originally from Cleveland, won the WBC/USNBC title in his most recent bout Aug, 29, taking a unanimous decision over Billy Bailey.

The 28-year-old Smith has a record of 9-4 with three knockouts.

Sanchez, from Mexico, has a record of 16-3-2 with eight knockouts and is the spitting image of his late uncle, regarded as one of the best featherweights of all time.

After a somewhat rocky start to his career, Sanchez now is fighting more like his uncle as well, winning 14 of his past 15 bouts. This will be his first fight in Las Vegas.

His opponent, Rodrigo Aranda of Las Vegas, has as a record of 8-11-2 with two knockouts.

The 23-year-old Joseph Judah of Brooklyn, N.Y., has a record of 4-0 with one knockout.

His opponent, Delaney Howard of Cleveland, has a record of 5-1 with three knockouts.

Sanchez-Aranda is a six-round bout while Joseph Judah-Howard is a four-round fight.

Four other Southern Nevadans also will be on the nationally and internationally televised pay-per-view card: unbeaten lightweight Sharif Bogere, welterweights Ryan Ellul and Ricardo Calazada and super lightweight Anthony Lenk.

Bogere meets an opponent to be determined in an eight-round bout, Ellul faces Calazada in a four-round bout and Lenk takes on Martin Vierra of Phoenix in a four-round bout.

The 20-year-old Bogere, originally from Uganda but now a resident of Henderson, Nev., has a record of 12-0 with seven knockouts and is regarded as one of the best lightweight prospects in the world.

The 24-year-old Ellul of Las Vegas has a record of 4-1 with one knockout.

Calazada of North Las Vegas has a record of 1-0 with no knockouts.

The 21-year-old Lenk of Las Vegas has a record of 5-1 with three knockouts.

The 22-year-old Viera has a record of 5-2-1 with two knockouts
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Diaz-Malignaggi II - A Rematch That Has To Happen?

by James Slater - The recent August fight between Juan Diaz and Paulie Malignaggi sure got a lot of people talking. Due to the controversial unanimous decision victory that Diaz was awarded with in his home state of Texas, fans everywhere debated who really should have won - "The Baby Bull" or "The Magic Man." This interest and debate seemed to have made a rematch, in some place other than Texas, a sure thing. However, only recently it was reported how Diaz and his team pulled out of negotiations for a return fight, and it appeared as though there would be no part-two after all..

But yesterday, "The Bible of Boxing's" on line web site reported how Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy told them that the two fighters' teams have returned to the negotiating table, and that the rematch is now once again close to being made.

"I'm trying to finalize it," Schaefer told Ring on line. "I think one of the most talked-about fights on the internet is Diaz-Malignaggi II. I think people really want to see it."

Well, is that true or not; do you guys really want to see a rematch?

August 22nd's fight was a good fight, and there was plenty of appealing action and lots of punches thrown. One of "The Magic Man's" more fan-friendly fights in quite a while, there was no booing in this one (not even when the result was announced - including a quite ridiculous 118-110 vote for Diaz - because, of course, the Texas fans were simply happy that their man won).

And a rematch, suggested to take place in a neutral site (either Chicago or Las Vegas) would almost certainly do good numbers for its intended broadcaster HBO (After Dark). But is this fight one that simply HAS to happen? Let's be fair, for justice to be done, Malignaggi should get another crack at Diaz. The decision in August, while far from one of the worst in boxing, sure was a dodgy one - made even worse by that crazy 118-110 tally.

What other options are there for the two fighters in case the return does fail to materialise? Quite simply, none that are as appealing (to the fans) or as easy to make as this fight. Sure, Diaz has mentioned how he'd like to fight Ricky Hatton if he returns, and Malignaggi could maybe get a title fight with IBF 140-pound ruler Juan Urango. But with the iron being as hot as it is right now due to the debate over who won in August, no fight makes more sense for either guy than a rematch.

There will no doubt be problems to be worked out as the two sides work to thrash out a deal - such as what weight the fight will take place at, who the three judges will be, and who gets the bigger percentage of the purse money.

But hopefully this can and will be done. To answer the question: yes, this rematch is one that has to take place. As the robbed Malignaggi said after the first fight; fighters work too hard to get treated so badly.

A rematch would give Malignaggi a shot at making things right. A rematch would give Diaz a chance to silence all those people who say he was given a gift.

Both warriors need to settle things in the only place that matters.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Edison Miranda Teams Up With Joe Goossen; Miranda and Quezada Headline Oct 22 Show

Edison ‘Pantera’ Miranda wants to show how serious he is in reaching the next level: moving out of his home in Puerto Rico and enlisting the services of one of the most respected and dedicated trainers in the world today. So, that’s just what Miranda has done by moving to Van Nuys, CA (2 blocks from the gym) and jumping into a dedicated and hard-working training regime with Joe Goossen. Together for three months, both Joe and Edison are extremely pleased with the progress and the high prospects for the future..

Miranda (32-4, 28 KO’s) has had a bright career thus far but came short each time he fought the big fights. His losses have come to current world champions Arthur Abraham (twice, albeit the first one being very controversial) and Kelly Pavlik as well as top ranked gold medalist Andre Ward. These three fighters have only one loss between them. Miranda clearly has had enough talent to get him to the big fights, but there was always something missing to win them. This led to seeking out one of the most experienced coaches in the sport to mend this shortcoming.

“In just two months, I’ve added a whole new dimension to my knockout power” said Miranda. Joe has taught me things that I simply have never been taught before. It’s all coming so natural to me, and I feel like a new and much improved fighter. I believe Joe is the final part to fulfilling my dream of becoming a world champion.”

Miranda joins a long list of world-class champions that have trained under the watchful eye of Joe Goossen including world champions such as Diego Corrales, Joel Casamayor, Michael Nunn, Gabriel and Rafael Ruelas, and Shane Mosley.

“Miranda has an athleticism that I never knew existed.” Goossen said about his new protégé. “He always looked dangerous to me, but I never looked at him as a world class athlete. So, when I started working with him in the gym, I found an athlete in hiding. He has exceeded all expectations for whatever I set before him and is possibly the quickest study I’ve ever had. I believe Miranda now has what it takes to become a champion and dominate his division.”

Goossen added “When people come in the gym and see Edison they have a hard time computing that this is the same Edison Miranda they have seen so many times on TV. He is a completely changed fighter, and everyone is eager to see him display his new skills.”

Miranda’s next fight will be against Francisco Sierra (20-2, 19 KO’s) on October 22nd at the Tachi Palace in CA.


Edison Miranda and Manny Quezada Headline Oct 22 Show At Tachi Palace

Los Angeles, CA (October 6, 2009) – World rated super Middleweight contender Edison “Pantera” Miranda and #4-rated WBC heavyweight contender Manny “El Toro” Quezada top a star-studded cast of boxers who will face formidable opposition on the next Goossen Tutor Promotions boxing event at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, CA on Thursday night, October 22, 2009.

A 28-year old native of Colombia, Miranda (32-4, 28 KO) recently signed to a promotional agreement with Goossen Tutor and Warriors Boxing and will make his debut under its banner when he takes on Mexican super Middleweight Champion Francisco “Panchito” Sierra (20-2, 19 KO) for the NABO Super Middleweight Championship in the scheduled 12-round main event.

After stopping Howard Eastman in the seventh round of an IBF Middleweight Title Elimination bout for his 26th straight win to start his career, Miranda sustained his first loss when he dropped a hard-fought decision to World Champion Arthur Abraham. After impressive wins over contenders Willie Gibbs and rising star Allan Green, he was stopped in seven by Kelly Pavlik in a WBC Middleweight Title Elimination bout. Miranda then moved up to super middleweight and won his first two bouts before losing to Abraham again. He bounced back with another pair of victories before dropping a 12-round decision to NABF and NABO Super Middleweight titleholder Andre Ward in his most recent outing back in May.

In joining Ward as a member of the Goossen Tutor stable of boxers, Miranda (now ranked #9 by the IBF and WBC), looking for that last piece of the puzzle to get him over the top, has put his day-in, day-out boxing future in the hands of renowned trainer Joe Goossen, who has guided the likes of Michael Nunn, Rafael and Gabriel Ruelas, Joel Casamayor and Diego Corrales to World Championships.

“I am extremely excited to have my first fight with Joe being for a title,” Miranda said through an interpreter. “Dan Goossen is one of the most successful promoters in the business and his brother, Joe, one of the top trainers. I now have a great team with Warriors and my managers to guide me toward my dream of being a World Champion, and I look forward to making a big impression with the fans at the Tachi Palace.”

In a scheduled 10-round Heavyweight Attraction, local favorite Manny Quezada (28-4, Wasco, CA) will square off with Nicolai “Stone Man” Firtha (16-6-1, 7 KO, Akron, OH).

Quezada, 31, vaulted up to #4 in the WBC heavyweight rankings by virtue of his first-round destruction of Travis Walker in the third defense of his WBC CABOFE belt in his last ring appearance back in July at Tachi. “El Toro” has certainly enjoyed performing in the friendly confines on Tachi, as he has been victorious in 15 of his 16 efforts there—including his last 13 straight bouts.

“The Tachi Palace is like my second home,” said Quezada, who lives 45 minutes north of the casino. “It definitely feels that way when I fight there. So I am excited about being back and I can’t wait. It’s fun, for sure hearing my local fans cheering for me.

“I get really motivated fighting there. Everybody knows me there and the fans get me ready when I come out. I know times are tough right now and I am thankful that they come out and support me and I won’t let them down. I’m going to be ready to fight and make sure they can enjoy themselves that night.”

Featured on the undercard will be a pair of undefeated boxers from the Goossen Tutor stable -- Philadelphia-bred heavyweight Malik Scott and another local attraction, junior Welterweight Mike Dallas, Jr., of Bakersfield, CA.

The 28-year old Scott (32-0, 11 KO) recently inked a multi-year extension to continue on with Goossen-Tutor as his promoter and Joe Goossen as his trainer. Idle since last December when he decisioned Raphael Butler, Scott got himself back into boxing condition by sparring with stablemate Chris Arreola during preparation for his World title confrontation with Vitali Klitschko.

Dallas Jr. (10-0-1, 2 KO) is coming off the biggest victory of his young career. On the Andre Ward-Shelby Pudwill undercard in Temecula, CA three weeks ago, the 22-year old Jackie Kallen-managed gladiator went toe-to-toe with New Yorker Vincent Arroyo in a battle of unbeatens and emerged with a unanimous decision win. No stranger to Tachi, he has won all five of his bouts contested there and will look to take another step in his progression up the junior Welterweight ranks.

One other local bout has Bakersfield’s Ephraim Martinez (2-0) opposing Hugo Ramos (2-3-1, 1 KO, Palm Springs, CA) in scheduled four-round super bantamweight action.

“We’ve put on some terrific, competitive shows for our great fans at the Tachi Palace & Casino over the years, but this one ranks right up there with the best of them,” Dan Goossen exclaimed.

“In Edison Miranda and Manny Quezada we have a pair of exciting, hard-hitting contenders who will be in line for World Championship shots in the very near future with victories. Malik Scott is another young heavyweight with great promise as his perfect record shows, and needs to go out there and let the fans see the power he’s capable of delivering. And Mike Dallas, Jr. passed a big test his last time out and will return to his fighting home to entertain his fans. I believe we’ll see KOs in virtually each fight on Oct. 22.”
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Denis Boytsov: "2010 will be my year

Reigning WBA Intercontinental heavyweight champion Denis Boytsov faces at Rostock the USAmerican Jason Gavern (18-5-3, 8 KOs). Boytsov (23) is currently rated WBA # 5 and WBO # 6.

This Saturday will be your first bout with live TV coverage on ZDF. Is this something special?

Denis Boytsov: “Not really. It shows me that people love my style of boxing. But inside the ring I don´t see any cameras. I just see the fists of my opponent.”

For the past five years you have been living in Hamburg. How is life in this city, in this country?

Denis Boytsov: “People in Hamburg are very friendly. Here you have a lot of water and a lot of churches. It´s a very beautiful city. Russia is my homeplace, but I really love Hamburg. For me it´s the capital of heavyweight boxing right now. The Klitschko’s also live and train here, Ruslan Chagaev – and me..”

What´s your next goal?

Denis Boytsov: “To beat Jason Gavern. But my biggest goal is, to become a world champ. Next year will be my year. In 2010 you´ll see a boombastic Boytsov. I hope I´ll get a world title fight. Universum is working for me in order to realise this dream. They did it with the Klitschko’s, they did it with Chagaev. Hopefully they will achieve it with Denis Boytsov. I am happy here. But I am just 23 years. I know that my time will come.”

You and Vitali Klitschko share the same coach. How is the relationship to Fritz Sdunek?

Denis Boytsov: “To me he is like a father. I like to work with him very much. I learn a lot of him. The Klitschkos, Michalczewski, Grigorian, Erdei, Balzsay - he worked with big champions. For me he is the greatest coach on this planet
 
Jul 24, 2005
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SHOWTIME Sports Announces New Reality Series "Fight Camp 360: Inside The Super Six Wo

NEW YORK (Oct. 7, 2009)—SHOWTIME Sports, in conjunction with NFL Films, is producing a new reality series that will give fight fans unprecedented access into the lives of the participants in the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Dubbed FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic, the series will focus a powerful spotlight on the groundbreaking tournament from the kickoff press conference in July 2009 through the Final tournament bout slated for 2011..

The series premieres on Saturday, Oct. 10 on SHOWTIME® (10:30 p.m. ET/PT).

The tournament format, created by SHOWTIME Sports in association with five world-class boxing promoters, is a unique concept to boxing and one that has been lauded by industry experts and the sports media since its announcement. Likewise, FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic is unlike any other reality program in boxing.

There will be six episodes following the fighters not just in training camp, but during the intense moments leading up to their respective fights, in their corners during each bout and in the aftermath of every win, loss, or draw as the fighters recede from the limelight and begin to prepare for their next bout.

“The round-robin nature of this tournament lends itself to a story arc and fight progression that has never before been seen in boxing,” said SHOWTIME Sports General Manager Ken Hershman. “This series will set itself apart by chronicling each man through that progression. No one knows where each story will lead, but our cameras will be there every step of the way.”

“Add in NFL Films breadth of experience and its trademark storytelling ability, and this series becomes exponentially more unique and compelling,” said Hershman.

The debut episode of FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic will also take viewers behind the intrigue and the politics to reveal how the unprecedented boxing tournament came together.

The series is voiced by Bill St. James with music by NFL Films award-winning composer David Robidoux.

On Saturday, Oct. 17, the Super Six World Boxing Classic kicks off with Group Stage 1 bouts between Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor and Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell (SHOWTIME, 8 p.m. ET/PT). Group Stage 1 continues on Saturday, Nov. 21 with Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward.

Below are the air dates and times for FIGHT CAMP 360° -- Episode 1:

Saturday, Oct. 10 - 10:30 p.m. SHO (premiere)

Monday, Oct. 12 - 11:30 p.m. SHO2

Tuesday, Oct. 13 – 10 p.m. SHO2

Wednesday, Oct. 14 – 11 p.m. SHO2

Thursday, Oct. 15 – 10 p.m. SHO2

Thursday, Oct. 15 – 10:40 p.m. SHO

Friday, Oct. 16 – Midnight SHO

Saturday, Oct. 17 – 6:40 p.m. SHO

Note: all times ET/PT

Episode 1 will be available at SHOWTIME On Demand beginning Oct. 12.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Now It's Monte Barrett To Face Odlanier Solis

by James Slater - Originally, unbeaten U.S heavyweight Kevin "King Pin" Johnson was supposed to have met unbeaten Cuban big man Odlanier Solis on Saturday night in New York. However, the intriguing clash of unbeaten talent fell apart due to Johnson getting an offer to face WBC heavyweight king Vitali Klitschko on December 12th instead (that fight, by the way, looks almost a done deal).

So, with Johnson out of the Madison Square Garden bill that is topped by Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa defending their world titles against selected opposition, Solis needed a replacement. Fres Oquendo entered the picture, having been supposed to face Solis earlier in the year (only for the Cuban defector to pull out of that fight). Now, according to Dan Rafael over at ESPN.com, "Fast" Fres has also pulled out of the October 10th bout, due to his having to attend a court case that has to do with some legal issues he has..

So now, just three days before the fight, former world title challenger and dangerous puncher Monte "Two Gunz" Barrett steps in to fight Solis. It will be interesting to see how the change of opponent (X3) affects the 29-year-old Olympic gold medallist, and it will also be intriguing to see how severely 38-year-old "Two Gunz" can test the 14-0(10) hope.

Inactive since his exciting but losing effort against David Haye last November, Barrett, 34-7(20) was at one time this year supposed to fight Kevin Johnson - now he gets to fight the man "King Pin" took a pass at. Barrett is sure to be rusty when he enters the ring on Saturday evening, but, being a bigger puncher than Oquendo certainly, and Johnson possibly, he could give "La Sombra" a whole lot of trouble.

Indeed, an exciting fight should take place when the two heavies contest the WBC International title held by Solis. Not yet having been in with as seasoned and well experienced a puncher as Queens, New York's Barrett, the younger man by nine years may have his chin examined in his biggest pro bout to date. No, we don't know how much the five knockdown TKO loss at the hands of "The Hayemaker" took out of Barrett, but if he comes in in good shape (he always has done in the past) and if he's really up for the fight, who knows?

Remember, before he lost to Haye, Barrett had looked awesome in destroying the huge Tye Fields. Nobody is comparing the gifted Solis with "Big Sky," naturally, but the 1st-round win did show how fast and hard a puncher Barrett can be. Factor in how lazy and overweight Solis has looked in some of his fights and you never know, "Two Gunz" could score the upset.

In taking the fight on such short notice, it's to be assumed Barrett was in the gym and is in decent condition. If he's been working as hard as can be and if he's been just waiting for the phone to ring offering him a big fight, the superb amateur who has yet to impress in the paid ranks could get a nasty shock.
 
May 13, 2002
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COOL SHIT! Bernard Hopkins tune up fight on FREE TV. He also mentioned previous he is donating his purse to charity...





Bernard Hopkins vs Ornelas Dec 2 on Versus

From ESPN:

When light heavyweight stars Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones struck an agreement late last month to meet in a rematch in the first quarter of 2010, part of the deal was that Jones be allowed to go through with an already agreed upon bout and that Hopkins could take an interim bout if he wanted.

Hopkins has decided to do just that.

The former light heavyweight and middleweight champion will face Enrique Ornelas in a scheduled 12-round light heavyweight fight in Philadelphia on Dec. 2, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com Thursday.

Versus will carry live coverage of the fight, Schaefer said.

The bout will take place on the same day that Jones meets Danny Green in a cruiserweight bout in Australia. Jones and Hopkins both need to win their bouts to preserve their planned fight next year, a rematch of Jones' unanimous decision to win a vacant middleweight title 16 years ago and long before both became legends.

"Since it's on the same day that Roy Jones is fighting in Australia, it will be an interesting Wednesday," Schaefer said. "By the time Bernard enters the ring, we will know if Roy Jones pulled it off because of the time difference."

Schaefer said he and John Wirt, CEO of Square Ring, Jones' promotional company, have talked about trying to working something out so Versus can combine a same-day tape delay of Jones' fight with the live telecast of Hopkins-Ornelas.

For Hopkins (49-5-1, 32 KOs), the match with Ornelas (29-5, 19 KOs) will mark homecoming.

He will fight Ornelas at the 10,200-seat Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University in his hometown of Philadelphia. Hopkins hasn't fought in Philadelphia since defending the undisputed middleweight championship against Morrade Hakkar at the Spectrum in 2003.

"It is going to be the total opposite of the last time he fought in Philly when he fought Hakkar, who ran like he was in a track meet," Schaefer said. "Ornelas does not run at all. He comes to fight and will be right there."

Schaefer said Golden Boy is planning a news conference on Wednesday in Philadelphia to formally announce the fight.

"This is a homecoming for Bernard, something he's wanted to do," Schaefer said. "Bernard has wanted to fight in Philadelphia again before he retires. This is clearly not about the money for him. If it would have been about the money he would have waited another month and fought on HBO. He wanted to fight again in Philadelphia and this was the perfect opportunity. He also hopes everything goes well and it sharpens him for the super fight with Roy Jones.

"For both guys, Bernard and Roy, there is much at stake. If you fight guys who have nothing to lose it makes them that much more dangerous."

Hopkins, who turns 45 in January, wanted the tune up before facing Jones because he hasn't fought since last October, when he easily outpointed middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik in a nontitle bout at 170 pounds.

Ornelas, the brother of super middleweight contender Librado Andrade, has fought as a middleweight and super middleweight, so he'll be moving up in weight to face Hopkins. Ornelas, 29, is 4-3 in his last seven bouts, but he's coming off a fourth-round knockout victory against Roberto Baro on July 30 and has faced some quality opponents, including former junior middleweight titlist Bronco McKart (twice), Sam Soliman and Marco Antonio Rubio.

Should Hopkins and Jones, who turns 41 in January, both win on Dec. 2, they'll meet on HBO PPV early next year under a deal that will see them split everything 50-50 -- unless there is a knockout. In the event of a knockout, the winner will receive 60 percent of the revenue.

Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Dirrell: "Froch's Title Reign Will Become Vapor

(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).
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Alexander Povetkin vs Damon Reed Next Friday

by James Slater - Wanting to remain sharp as he awaits his earned shot at IBF and WBO heavyweight ruler Wladimir Klitschko, unbeaten Russian star Alexander Povetkin will box journeyman Damon Reed in Baltimore next Friday (Oct. 16th). The 30-year-old will be having his second fight of 2009, last having boxed his way to a ten round UD win over former Olympian Jason Estrada back in April. Now trained, of course, by Teddy Atlas, Povetkin is taking no chances at all in fighting 37-year-old Reed, 44-13(31)..

Yes, Reed, nicknamed "Dangerous," can punch, but never has he beaten a top quality foe. A pro since 1995, Reed has met some good fighters, but he has lost to all of them; quite often being KO'd or stopped. Herbie Hide destroyed him in less than a minute way back in 1998, while more recently, Kali Meehan, Roman Greenberg and Monte Barrett all halted him. Reed was taken out by "Two Gunz" in just 2-rounds in February of last year, and since then the 37-year-old has fought just once - forcing former welterweight Buck Smith (yes, that's right, the same Buck Smith who fought and defeated Britain's Kirkland Laing in 1990, and the same Smith who has had an amazing 226 pro fights!) to retire after a round down at cruiserweight.

Reed hammered Smith to defeat in April of this year, and he will now face a man who will arguably be the best fighter he has ever fought as a pro. Povetkin can't be blamed for taking no risks while keeping trim for his date with "Dr. Steel Hammer," but if it's work he wants, he may be unlucky next Friday night. Stopped a total of 7 times in his 13 losses, Reed could well go home early on Oct. 16th. Unless Povetkin purposely goes easy on his man as he tries to get some rounds in.

But, should he indeed take that approach, Povetkin could run the risk of being nailed by a lucky shot. And, his average record aside, Reed can punch, as his 31 KO's prove. At his best and coming out looking to take care of business, Povetkin, 17-0(12) could certainly be expected to get the job done inside 4 or 5 rounds.

Povetkin-Klitschko promises to be a good and interesting fight, even though most fans seem to think Wladimir will win when they meet next year. It would be a real shame if a meaningless tune-up fight turned into disaster for the 30-year-old and ruined (or at least took the shine off) his shot at world glory. Rest assured, this will not happen next week.

Look for Povetkin to win as he pleases next Friday. Reed, not short on courage, will surely give it a go, but he really does look utterly doomed.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Juan Carlos Salgado Arrives On The World Stage With One Helluva Bang! Stops Jorge Lin

10.10.09 - by James Slater - Talk about a huge shock! Last night, in Tokyo, Japan, 24-year-old Mexican puncher Juan Carlos Salado utterly wrecked Golden Boy Promotion's latest signing Jorge Linares, destroying "The Golden Boy" inside a round to take the previously unbeaten Venezuelan's WBA super-featherweight title.

A candidate, surely, for upset of the year award, Salgado-Linares was all over at just one-minute and 13-seconds of the opening round. The new champion sent the favourite crashing to the mat twice, and in so doing improved his unbeaten, but until yesterday largely untested record to 21-0-1(15). Far bigger name and would-be star of the future Linares fell to 27-1(18). Some big plans sure were upset last night..

The talented Linares, also aged 24, was defending the WBA 130-pound belt for a second time, and before his reign at super-feather, the Japan-based boxer had reigned as the WBC 126-pound champion. A pro since 2002, Linares has to his name wins over guys like Oscar Larios and Whyber Garcia (both wins coming inside the distance). Snapped up, to much fanfare, by Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy outfit, Linares was in no way expected to even struggle last night; let alone get annihilated. Once again, the great sport of boxing was shown to be a sport in which anything can happen, and that any fighter has a shot at winning.

This is not to suggest Salgado is a no hoper. Far from it. A pro since March of 2003, the Mexican has beaten some decent fighters, and he had also stopped a good number of his victims on the way to last night's world title challenge; the first of his career. The draw came back in November of 2005, when Berman Sanchez of Nicaragua held him to a tie in Puerto Rico. On something of a roll in a return to the ring that followed the near year-and-a-half layoff he took in June of 2007, Salgado had won two in a row before tackling Linares, his second return fight by 1st-round KO.

But never had the new champion met anyone anywhere approaching the class of Linares, and in shocking him as he did, and so quickly, Salgado has surely set himself up for some big fights and big pay days. Sure, the Mexican warrior may have caught Linares cold and got lucky, but in no way should his great victory be downplayed. Will there be a rematch? As Salgado was not Linares' mandatory, the ex-champ may well be able to get a quick return, seeing as how he granted Salgado a shot in the first place.

But will Linares want another fight with the man who has just ran over him? It sure would be interesting to hear what Oscar De La Hoya, the original "Golden Boy," has to say about last night's events and what the fighter he promotes will do in the future
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Vassiliy Jirov: Eye of the Tiger

By Coach Tim Walker – In 2003 he resembled a potential world beater having posted wins over Dale Brown when he was undefeated and Julian Letterlough when he had only lost to Julio Gonzalez. Brandishing an exciting and enthusiastically earned 31-0-0 record crested with 27 knockouts he quickly became a fan favorite for his ability to take nearly as much pain as he dished out. During that time the former IBF champ was the face of the much maligned cruiser-weight division and based on his success few could argue that he wasn't a world beater. Vassiliy "The Tiger" Jirov brought truth to the saying, “If you trap a cat in a corner he will come out fighting!”

It was true and then he ran into James "Lights Out" Toney. Toney had flipped the power switch off on many boxing careers and intended to do just that against Jirov. In an amazingly entertaining and technical bout Toney was a split second faster on the trigger and a bit slicker in the ring as the action went back and forth for twelve rounds. Toney floored him in the final 20 seconds of the last round on his way to a unanimous decision win.. It was awesome to watch!

Possibly feeling the effects of the Toney bout Jirov, in his next two ring-meetings, was pitted against competition intended to rebuild his mystique, re-establish his confidence and reground his career, and though he won both bouts by knock out he was a little off pace. At this the boxing community grumbled a bit. Maybe it was that grumbling that fueled his decision to campaign in the heavyweight ranks. Many felt the move up was a mistake from the onset, including this writer.

It was never a question of his heart or his talent for that matter. He has plenty of both. You don't beat Antonio Tarver, Julio Gonzalez and Troy Ross on your way to Olympic gold by chance. It's not by luck or a wish upon a star that a foreign fighter wins the Val Barker Trophy at the 96 Atlanta Olympics (awarded to the Olympic's outstanding boxer). The same Olympics that produced Floyd Mayweather Junior, Wladimir Klitschko, David Reid, Daniel Santos and was highlighted by Cuban legion Felix Savon.

What was in question? Jirov's size. He didn't have the overall muscle mass or physical build of a natural heavyweight nor did he work himself physically into becoming a heavyweight similarly to how Evander Holyfield and Roy Jones Junior had previously done. He just announced it and started fighting at heavyweight.

The mishandling of that decision came like thuds on a heavy bag. In his next two bouts he did not fare well. He lost a close somewhat controversial unanimous decision to “Baby” Joe Mesi and then endured a monumental dwindling in the overshadowing of former world heavyweight champion Michael Moorer. The two previous losses were substantial but the loss to Moorer, who is not a large heavyweight by definition of modern standards, was a preview of a violent future had chose to remain in the heavyweight division.

Jirov who continued campaigning at heavyweight had not yet accepted the reality that much of the boxing world saw clearly. It was simple, Jirov did not belong in the heavyweight division. Everyone knew it except him. Maybe he needed just a little more convincing before he believed it.

In July 2005 he battled fringe contender Orlin Norris to a draw. This is where I feel his star dimmed. As a cruiser-weight he was formidable but as a heavyweight he was less than stellar and offered little threat to any serious heavyweight.

In the wake of the draw he finally accepted his reality and moved back to the cruiser-weight division but maybe just a little too late. He had fallen too far off the public's radar. A fighter who was accustomed to being the darling of major fight venues was now consigned to relative obscurity within lesser venues.

Was he still as significant to the sport as he once was? Questions we hoped he would quickly answer now that he was back at cruiser-weight. The answers came slowly.. A nine month layoff then a fight in Idaho. An even greater layoff of 15 months then a fight in North Dakota. Then, like Panthera Tigris escaping to the bush, Vassiliy the Tiger was gone.

But the Panthera Tigris stays concealed only as long as he wants to and now Jirov is back.

In a few days (October 17) the Tiger makes his resurgence to the ring. He will take on Dominique Alexander (18-7-1 KOs 9) in Phoenix and more important than the opponent, the location, the ring size, the gloves or any other fight attribute is the weight, it will be an 8 round cruiser-weight bout. To the powers that be, you got this one right. The competition level has never been as high or its fighters generally as well known as they are in the cruiser-weight division right now and for lack of a better way of saying it, Vassiliy is not a heavyweight. He is finally back in the right weight division, now it only remains to be seen if too much time has passed and if he still has the eye of the tiger.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Euro Boxing Roundup: Felix Sturm To Sign With Arena

By Per Ake Persson: Bild in Germany writes today that WBA middle champ Felix Sturm is looking into an offer from Arena Box Promotion for six fights, each worth 2,5 millio EUR with a two million EUR signing fee. All in all the offer is worth 17 million EUR if Felix continues his winning ways. Sturm says it´s a very interesting offer. It should be noted that while Sturm claims to be out of the contract with Universum the Hamburg based promotion company disagrees and claims a valid contract with options for more..

P 3 Boxing in Finland announced today the program for its show October 24 in Helsinki. As previously reported Russian jr welter Denis Shafikov headlines and the opponent will be Mexican Fernando Trejo, who steps in at relatively late notice. In other fights Swedish heavy Attila Levin will face Portugese slugger Humberto Evora while Russian welter Roman Seliverstov will take on Mexican veteran Cosme Rivera. Another interesting fight is between middleweights Niko Jokinen and Cliff Soukka from Sweden - both have unbeaten records and have this far looked good in their respective careers. Russian heavy Vladimir Tereshkin, formerly with Spotlight Boxing, jr welter Edis Tatli, jr light Tuomo Eronen and jr middle Mika Joensuu are also on the bill.

WBA bantam champ Anselmo "Chemito" Moreno defends the title November 7 in Agde, France, against Frederic Patrac. Moreno won the title in Germany and this is his second defence in France. "Chemito" is one to watch closely: a slick southpaw, a good boxer and he always look like he can do more. Patrac, all due respect - a solid performer and ex EBU champ - looks like he is out of his depth in this one.

WBF middle champ Kresnik Qato defends the title against Austrian Gogi Knezevic October 24 in Dessau. This SES promotion is headlined Francois Botha´s defence of the WBF heavyweight title against Willi Fischer. WBF European co-ordinator Olaf Schroeder manages Botha, Fischer and Knezevic and is the matchmaker for SES so regardless of who wins we know who really won.

WBA lightheavy champ Gabriel Campillo appears to be set to again defend the title against Beibut Shumenov - this time reportedly sometime in January in Reno, Nevada. While the parties are on surface are in agreement with strict orders not to comment to anyone the story behind is quite interesting. In short: Campillo beat Shumenov in Kazachstan in August on a close majority decision - close enough for some to argue that Shumenov had won. According to the WBA supervisor on site Campillo delivered his doping test in accordance with the rules. Weeks later Shumenov and his team claim after Campillo had gone public with the fact that he hadn´t been paid that the champion had violated the drug testing rules and thus hadn´t been paid - and wouldn´t be paid either. Both parties then threatend with legal action - if they actually did take any is not known. But here is the problem: Campillo could have sued for the money and won but before the case had been closed in the courts it could possibly have taken a few years - after all what happend happend in Kazachstan. Instead we get a rematch with Campillo finally paid for the first fight
 
Jul 24, 2005
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The Mayweather Effect!

By Robert Jackson: With the performance on September 19th of this year behind us, 12 rounds and 1M PPV buys later Money Mayweather's return shows Pacquiao (and everybody else) how its done! While Mayweather was taking care of his business other fighters near or around his weight class were jockeying for bargaining position to be a part of a big event in the 147lb division which may lead to a showdown with Mayweather.

During the summer Shane Mosley strolled into the Wild Card Gym for a sit down with Freddie Roach regarding a fight against Pacquiao, conceding to a 140lb weight and monetary conditions which were alleged to be a 65/35 split in Pacman's favor. Let's not forget that previous to this overture Mosley turned down a reported $3M+ payday to face contender Paul Williams..

Mosley also entered the ring during Mayweather's post-fight interview with HBO's Max Kellerman and challenged "Money May" to a fight.

As of early October Williams has secured and finalized a fight against once beaten middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik scheduled for December 5th in Atlantic City NJ. Williams also chided Mosley for calling out Mayweather saying " you called Mayweather out, now I'm calling you out". Not stopping there Williams also called out Mayweather and Cotto.

Prior to September 19th Freddie Roach predicted a boring fight between Mayweather and Marquez while also proclaiming that the fight would be a dismal failure. Freddie also speculated that he saw weaknesses in Mayweather's fight game that Pacquiao would exploit when the time came. After 9/19/2009 Freddie Roach released another proclamation "Manny doesn't need Floyd, Floyd needs Manny"!!

Top Rank boss Bob Arum also proclaimed any fight between Money Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, would be handled monetarily with a 65/35 split in Pacman's favor, that was then!! In early October Arum 'the promoter that he is' suggested that Mayweather take a fight with Shane Mosley. What happened to the 65/35 split??

Mosley still looking for a big fight after failing to secure 2 December dates on HBO is currently in negotiations for a fight against WBC 147lb Champ Andre Berto, scheduled for early 2010.

Berto WAS supposed to rematch Luis Collazo, the two met earlier this year in a FOY type fight with a controversial win being awarded to Berto. The WBC has put the purse bid for Berto/Collazo II on hold seeing greener pastures if Mosley/Berto is made.

Luis Collazo is now in need of a dance partner for a fall bout, any takers??

Joshua Clottey who lost a controversial decision to Miguel Cotto earlier this year has signed on the dotted line for a December matchup on the undercard of Pavlik/Williams against Puerto Rico's Carlos Quintana who also has a loss to Cotto. Prior to signing for this bout Clottey was in the running for a December 26th fight against Shane Mosley.

Kermit Cintron former IBF 147lb Champion will be facing Juliano Ramos in Puerto Rico just a 'stay busy' fight that if won dominantly enough MAY put him (and Clottey as well) in the Mayweather derby should Mayweather be unable to come to terms with Bob Arum and Team Pacquiao. Mayweather has since said he will not WAIT for the Pacquiao/ Cotto winner!!

Former Mayweather opponent Zab Judah returns to the ring on November 26th to restore his standing in the 147lb division, Judah will be taking on Mexico's Ramon Montano. Judah pulled out of a matchup against the older brother of Ricky Hatton, Matthew Hatton which was supposed to be televised on the undercard of the Mayweather/Marquez PPV.

All this activity is in and around the 147lb division where Money May has returned to make his presence felt. That's not to say that the division or boxing was dead during Mayweather's absence on the contrary this activity along with the SUCCESS of the Mayweather/ Marquez bout has made PBF once again the centerpiece of the 147lb division.

The scurrying and bustle surrounding the division says to this writer that Mayweather's return has set the wheels of boxing turning faster, because prior to his return most of these fights weren't on the horizon. All many boxing fans had to look forward to this fall was

Pacquiao/Cotto and Showtime's Super 6 Tournament which will kick off later this October.

Mayweather's return brings the DRAMA seen only during HBO's 24