Boxing News Thread

[heyzel]

Winner of Mosley-Berto a Better Challenge for Manny Pacquiao

Freddie Roach, the esteemed boxing guru who has guided and molded several champions and top contenders, has eyed the winner of the Shane Mosley-Andre Berto slugfest should Manny Pacquiao’s camp fail to strike a deal with Floyd Mayweather. Bob Arum, Top Rank’s big boss and Pacquiao’s promoter, has already expressed interest in having Pacquiao going north the scales to challenge WBA junior middleweight champ Yuri Foreman.

Roach, however, does not discount the possibility of a Pacquiao-Mosley or Pacquiao-Berto matchups, depending on who comes out victorious in their fight on January 30, 2010. Both fighters possess speed, power, and strength that might pose a serious challenge to the current P4P main man and holder of seven weight division titles. Of the two, Mosley comes with vast ring experience while Berto supplies himself with the youth advantage.

Mosley comes to the fight as the WBA Welterweight Super Champion with a 46-5 record, with 39 wins coming by way of knockout. On the other corner, Berto holds the WBC Welterweight championship and comes to the fight with an unblemished record of 26-0, 19 wins by way of knockout. The winner could potentially set himself up with a date with Pacquiao, whose current negotiations with Mayweather are turning bitter from sour.

A fight with either Mosley or Berto is historically significant for Pacquiao. No Asian fighter has unified and became the lineal champion of the welterweight division. As of this writing, Mosley is still the lineal champ, a title espoused to him when he dismantled Antonio Margarito a year ago.

A fight between Pacquiao and the winner of the Mosley-Berto fight will set the stage for a unification fight for three alphabet titles (WBA, WBC, and the WBO belts, the latter currently held by Pacquiao) and a fight for the lineal title in the welterweight house. A victory by either Pacquiao or the winner of the Mosley-Berto fight will dramatically clean the welterweight house with the winner rising as the best welterweight boxer of today.

In addition, if Pacquiao should take this fight and win, he will become the only fighter in boxing’s history to win five lineal (the man who beat the man) championships in five different weight categories. Pacquiao has already won lineal titles in four different weight categories – flyweight (vs. Chatchai Sasakul), featherweight (vs. Marco Antonio Barrera), super featherweight (vs. Juan Manuel Marquez) and light welterweight (vs. Ricky Hatton).

Another reason why a fght between Pacquiao and the winner of Mosley-Berto is a great match for Pacquiao is that he still needs to recuperate from that busted eardrum Cotto served him their last match. Medical and boxing experts believe that March 13 is so soon for the Filipino slugger to fight again, considering that he will be training heavily eight weeks prior to the date.

Whether it is Pacquiao-Mosley matchup or a Pacquiao-Berto showdown, both fights looks to be promising when it comes to all-out action. These three fighters prefer to dish out and go toe-to-toe against any opponent.

A fight with Yuri Foreman may also provide a historical milestone for Pacquiao should he comes out victorious. Eight world titles in eight different weight classes would certainly set the bar higher in terms of boxing achievements.

But while climbing up in weight and slugging it out with the big Belarusian slash Israeli slash Bronx native may be a herculean task to begin with for the Filipino, their styles do not have that meshing factor that would make it a good and exciting fight. Foreman is more of a safety-first boxer with a dismal knockout rate (28.5%, 8 knockouts out of 28 wins). In plain simple language, Pacquiao-Foreman will not provide fight fans with any action.

 

[heyzel]

Pacquiao=Duran...or Does He?

By Coyote Duran

Shortly after my article on my favorite fighters posted, I received a very nice and thought-provoking e-mail from Mr. Mark Salanik. Understandably, Mark is very discouraged by the recent allegations of possible performance-enhancing drug use by THE RING World Junior Welterweight Champion/WBO welterweight titleholder Manny Pacquiao. Mark’s e-mail reads as follows:

Mr. Duran, Hello and a wish all is well. I too, am a huge Roberto Duran fan. I just read your list of favorite fighters, and I have a favor to ask. Please write a story of how Duran was able to move WAY up in weight and carry his punch, and the ability to take one. Remember, his first fights were at about 120 pounds. There is so much talk now about Manny Pacquiao moving up so far in weight, and taking his punch with him. Thee mean and foolsih speculation by the Mayweathers is that steroids must be the reason for his success. Roberto did the same thing years ago. He was dominant at 135, and was great at 147.Who else could have defeated Sugar Ray Leonard in his prime, at welter? He then took a step up to jr. middle to destroy Davey Moore. So, already were talking about nearly 20 pounds of weight betwween championship belts. The move to middleweight saw Roberto give Marvin Hagler, one of the all-time greats, a real run for his money. Then, he beat a HUGE middleweight for a title in 1989. So, we are talking about 25 pounds of championship caliber movement. I think Mayweather has also done some upward movement, and quite well.I think someone with your power to reach a lot of people should point this out. Duran did what some (few, but very influencial)are saying is not possible without cheating.You have already said the same as I am saying, so why not draw the paralel to this ugly situation that we are witnessing with Pacquiao and Mayweather? Thank you, Mark Salanik

Mark’s points are basic, yet solid. However, as differing eras are concerned, you’d be hard-pressed to find exact and total parallels between the fighter who’s arguably considered the best lightweight of all time and the fighter who’s consider by many as the best in the world today. What we’re about to attempt, without any allegations of PED use, whatsoever, is to assess the progress Manny Pacquiao has made during his ascent to present-day success; as Roberto Duran did throughout the course of his career.

LENGTH OF CAREER AND DIVISIONS

In February of 1968, the 16-year old Duran began his career 1 ¼ pounds (a four-round unanimous decision win over Carlos Mendoza) over the bantamweight limit of 118; finally retiring in January of 2002. Duran fought last, at the age of 50, (at a weight of 162) in July of 2001; losing to Hector Camacho via unanimous decision. In 33 years and five months, Duran made stops in ten weight classes (to be technical, including non-contention, stay-busy fights): 122, 126, 130, 135, 140, 147, 154, 160, 168 and 175 (this was for one fight in March, 1999, a ten-round unanimous decision loss to Omar Gonzalez. Gonzalez weighed in at 171).

In January of 1995, the 16-year old Pacquiao began his career at 106 pounds; one pound over the strawweight limit. Pacquiao beat his opponent, Edmund Ignacio, via decision in four rounds. Currently, at age 31 and nearly 15 years later, “Pac-Man” currently competes in the welterweight division but has also made stops in ten divisions (to be technical, including non-contention, stay-busy fights): 108, 112, 115, 118, 122, 126, 130, 135, 140 and the aforementioned 147.

FROM PRO DEBUT TO FIRST MAJOR TITLE SHOT

Duran: Four years, four months
Pacquiao: Three years, 11 months

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AND TITLES WON

Duran may have made stops in ten weight classes (covering title contention, title bouts and non-title bouts) but “Hands of Stone” won significant titles in four of them. In June of 1972, Duran beat Ken Buchanan by 13th round TKO to win the WBA lightweight title; simultaneously winning THE RING’s distinction as World Champion. Over 5½ years and 12 defenses later, in January of 1978, Duran unified the division by defeating Esteban DeJesus via 12th round TKO in their third fight. Duran held the championship for one more year, albeit not defending it, before vacating in order to compete north of 135.

Duran’s next title reign was short but, nonetheless, prolific. On June 20, 1980, Duran beat Sugar Ray Leonard via 15-round unanimous decision for Leonard’s WBC welterweight title. Five months later, on the receiving end of a would-be losing decision, Duran capitulated in the eighth and Leonard regained his strap. Truth be told, Duran couldn’t deal with Leonard’s slick approach so soon after their first match...if five months could really be considered “so soon.” Duran was well-known for his weight gain between fights and Leonard capitalized on the Panamanian’s lack of discipline.

On June 16, 1983, on Duran’s 32nd birthday, he came back to beat a 24-year old Davey Moore via eighth round stoppage for the WBA super welterweight title. One year later, Duran was stripped of the belt when he opted to face Thomas Hearns for “The Hitman’s” WBC 154-pound belt. Duran was brutally knocked out in two.

In February of 1989, Duran beat Iran Barkley via split decision for “The Blade’s” WBC middleweight title. The fight was also awarded THE RING’s “Fight of the Year” award for the same year. This would be Duran’s final significant title win, despite subsequent attempts at sanctioning body distinctions (a wide unanimous decision loss to Leonard for the WBC super middleweight title in December of 1989 and an August 1998 third round TKO loss to William Joppy for the WBA middleweight title). The second fight against Leonard would be the only occasion when Duran lost a belt between the ropes.

Covering title contention, title bouts and non-title bouts, Pacquiao, thus far, has made stops in ten divisions but won significant titles in eight of them. In December of 1998, Pacquiao beat Chatchai Sakasui in eight rounds for the WBC flyweight title; which was also considered the lineal flyweight championship. Two defenses later, in September 1999, Pacquiao was KO’ed by Medgoen Singsurat in three. The loss would mark Pacquiao’s departure from flyweight and, less than two years later, Pacquiao would jump to the junior featherweight division; beating Lehlohonolo Ledwaba for the IBF’s version of the 122-pound strap. After four defenses, Pacquiao met then-THE RING World Featherweight Champion Marco Antonio Barrera in November 2003 and won the belt via 11th round TKO.

Pacquiao would go almost three years without challenging for another significant sanctioning body title until March 15, 2008, when he defeated Juan Manuel Marquez for the WBC super featherweight title and THE RING World Junior Lightweight Championship in a rematch of their first fight (a draw). The common thread between both RING belts is that Pacquiao only defended his featherweight belt against Marquez in their first fight, a division unifier and fought his last 130-pound fight after beating Marquez in their rematch.

Three months later, Pacquiao faced David Diaz for Diaz’ WBC lightweight title; beating the spirited Chicagoan in nine.

Making no defenses of the lightweight strap, and after an eight-round stoppage of Oscar De La Hoya at welterweight, Pacquiao dropped to 140 pounds and knocked out Ricky Hatton for THE RING World Junior Welterweight Championship in May of 2009. Six months later, “Pac-Man” stopped Miguel Cotto in the final round of their fight for Cotto’s WBO welterweight strap. Of the eight belts Pacquiao has won, the only strap lost in the ring was his very first; the WBC flyweight belt.


POWER AND KNOCKOUT PERCENTAGES WITH EACH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AND TITLE WIN (records and knockout ratios relation to wins, not total fights, at the time of each title win)

Duran: WBA lightweight/THE RING World Lightweight Championship, 29-0 (25)/86%, WBC lightweight, 63-1 (52)/83%, WBC welterweight, 72-1 (56)/78%, WBA super welterweight, 77-4 (58)/75%, WBC middleweight, 85-7 (61)/72%

Over 16 years and eight months (from his first to last title wins) and five title wins in four weight classes, Duran’s KO ratio, in relation to his win column, dropped 14%.

Pacquiao: WBC flyweight (lineal flyweight championship), 24-1 (15)/63%, IBF junior featherweight, 33-2 (24)/73%, THE RING World Featherweight Championship, 38-2-1 (29)/76%, WBC super featherweight/THE RING World Junior Lightweight Championship, 46-3-2 (34)/74%, WBC lightweight, 47-3-2 (35)/74%, THE RING World Junior Welterweight Championship, 49-3-2 (37)/76%, WBO welterweight, 50-3-2 (38)/76%

Over 10 years and 11 months (from his first to last title wins) and eight title wins in seven weight classes, Pacquiao’s KO ratio, in relation to his win column, rose 13%.

POWER PERCENTAGE STATISTICS OF PACQUIAO’S ENTIRE CAREER (14 YEARS, 10 MONTHS) VS. DURAN’S CAREER AT 14 YEARS, 10 MONTHS

Duran’s record at 14 years, 10 months: February 1968-November 1982, 75-4 (56), 75% of wins were stoppages.
Pacquiao’s total career: 14 years, 10 months, 50-3-2 (38), 76% of wins are stoppages.

But remember, Duran didn’t stop fighting 14 years and 10 months into his career. His latter title opportunities were spread further apart, as opposed to seemingly having one-after-another, like Pacquiao. Between the Hearns and Barkley fights, Duran fought eight straight ten-rounders; scoring stoppage wins in three of them. Between the Leonard rematch and the Hearns opportunity, Duran fought eight times; four being 10-rounders (Duran lost one to Kirkland Laing). Only one was a 15-rounder; a WBC super welterweight title shot against Wilfred Benitez, who successfully defended the belt via unanimous decision. Only two of these fights were stoppage victories.

Still, even with 72% of his wins coming by way of knockout at the time of his last significant title win, 21 years and one day (Did you get that?...21 YEARS) after his professional debut, Duran was no less exceptional than Pacquiao in carrying his power north.

Now, much has been made of Pacquiao’s carrying of his power throughout the course of his career. The allegations of performance-enhancing drug usage has run rampant in the wake of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s offbeat, offhanded request for Pacquiao to undergo random Olympic-style blood testing in the months up to their proposed and seemingly endangered March 13 meeting. The message boards have gone haywire with speculation, speculation, speculation and it’s done nothing but harm the fight.

Me gathering statistics doesn’t really amount to anything other than my normal attempt at entertaining you and coughing up stats so you don’t have to. But when you examine a little closer, you’ll see that, although Duran and Pacquiao are two very different fighters from two very different eras, they’re not really too different. Of course, the further back in time you go, as a fan, you’ll remember that fighters fought more often. Duran, in his day, might have been considered a throwback for his activity. Today, Pacquiao isn’t so much a throwback as he is an evolution of himself. What makes Pacquiao just a different animal than Duran is his relative lack of excess between fights. Save for allegations of marital infidelity, the guy’s too busy making goofy superhero movies, cutting albums, examining a political future, absorbing commercial endorsements like a sponge and wringing out the money made from them.

And whatever happened to a fighter just building a little muscle to accompany the natural weight gain demands that the human body asks of anyone? It takes a helluva trainer to aid in his fighter’s adjustment in making the overall physical gains. Freddie Roach, grouchy as he may be, regarding the nagging allegations, is a helluva trainer. Like you didn’t already know that.

So why do so many amateur conspiracy theorists feel they’re on the inside track of unsavory and advantageous behavior? Same reason a coyote....I mean, a dog licks its own balls. It can. It’s the thing to do in our day and age. It raises eyebrows and sets forth an irreversible chain of discussion that will never go away no matter how well refuted in the end.

But this still doesn’t cover what Mr. Salanik referred to when comparing both men’s ability to take a punch. Well, really, what’s to cover? Duran, for the most part, had an amazing a chin and it was only really softened when he faced Hearns for the WBC super welterweight title. Hearns, who had ridiculous height and reach advantages, dropped Duran twice, with authority, in the first round before dropping him like a sack of hammers with a right hand against the ropes in the second. The only other guy who really knew how to drop Duran was DeJesus. Not even William Joppy could do it when he faced a 47-year old version of Duran.

Pacquiao was taken out twice within the distance very early in his career; in his 12th fight vs. Rustico Torrecampo (by KO 3) and in his 28th fight vs. Medgoen Singsurat (also by KO 3, although the loss was via a bodyshot).

After considering the aforementioned variables, it’s easy to see the parallels Mark has drawn between both Duran and Pacquiao. It also means Mark just wants the world to, hopefully, echo his own thoughts. Can I say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I believe Manny Pacquiao uses performance-enhancing drugs? Nah. It just doesn’t wash...I mean, unless there’s 100% proof available, I refuse to speculate. Maybe it’s just me but I don’t think it’s the responsible thing to do.

Or is it really a case of Manny Pacquiao squeezing in whatever legacy-enhancing achievements he can before he takes Roach’s advice to retire sooner than later? Perhaps it’s a commentary on the quality of his most willing opposition? Maybe those fighters most capable of beating the pound-for-pound king are the least willing to step up and engage; not confident enough to realize they actually have the tools to succeed.

Or maybe, we should all consider how successful Pacquiao would or wouldn’t be if he extended his career another 19 months and change, from the Cotto fight? Should Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao actually meet and “Money” decisively beats the Filipino, who’s to say the WBO welterweight title won’t be the last strap the latter wins? If not, and Manny faces Yuri Foreman for the WBA super welterweight belt, who’s to say the well won’t run dry if Pacquiao decides to stick around 154 and tries his luck against Paul Williams or Sergio Martinez?

Maybe it all has nothing to do with PEDs. Maybe Manny Pacquiao has a hard time finding opponents who are tougher than him. Maybe he knows how to pick and choose. Maybe no one’s tougher than him. Maybe Pacquiao needs to fight another 19 months and change and prove he’s a truly unadulterated human being after all.

Maybe the speculation will never go away.

 

[heyzel]

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON IN THE SPORT OF BOXING?

By Elisa Harrison





The sport of boxing has had a shady reputation, a negative aura about it that has kept it from being a mainstream sport for many years. The sad part about it is that the problem has very little to do with the guys that step inside the ropes to fight for a living, the problem has all to do with those who are appointed to uphold the integrity of the sport.

There are too many organizations; like the hurricane season in South Florida, if the proliferation continues, the ‘organizations’ are going to run out of letters with which to name themselves. What purpose do these organizations serve? They set rules, I know, but who benefits from these so-called rules? They charge outrageous fees to hand out those shiny belts coveted by most professional boxers, they hold extravagant conventions in far away places, they make promises that they know damn well they won't keep and ultimately I ask you, what real purpose do they serve? How do they protect the fighters? How do they go about correcting some of the blatant problems plaguing the sport? Where is the leadership?

Heads of such organizations have been convicted of serious crimes, and others are either suspected of conducting underhanded, illegal activities or are accused of being in certain promoters' pockets. The rankings system is a disgrace, and most people believe a fighter's ranking can be influenced by under the table money or by exchanging special favors, some of which have been known to be of a sexual nature. It is not unusual to see deceased boxers ranked in high places, while deserving -and live ones- don't even show up on these lists. Actually, more often than not, people who study these rankings end up scratching their heads in disbelief... The only organization that uses a sensible system to rank fighters is the IBO, and most fans don’t even know anything about the organization. Larry Merchant recently demeaned the IBO and his comments were neither fair nor deserved.

The integrity of the Nevada State Athletic Commission is disintegrating faster than a nose diving meteor. It is becoming harder and harder for the NSAC to uphold the aura of respectability it once held in the sport. Fighters are dying under questionable circumstances, while the solid people who have cared enough to recommend and institute changes to protect the safety of the principal players, the boxers, are being tossed worst than yesterday's salad.

The conduct of referee Kenny Bayless, who yelled at a hurt and down on one knee Martin Sanchez, "come on, you got to fight, let's go," was very unprofessional, downright repulsive, and for all we know it has gone unpunished. Since when a referee tells a down fighter that he has to fight, let's go? Bayless never gave the kid a count, even though Sanchez was down on one knee. Bayless failed to do what his job entails, which is to protect the fighter. Has he been suspended? Fined? Fired? Anything??? There is no shame in Nevada...

Dr. Jeff Davidson reportedly refused to go and check on a deteriorating Martin Sanchez several times, even when asked by one of the paramedics; he was too busy watching the fights. Moreover, this is not Dr. Davidson's first blunder, either. Do you remember the brutal knockout Jeremy Williams suffered at the hands of Samuel Peter? In the opinion of many experts, Dr. Davidson failed to safeguard Williams' safety following the scary knockout. Dr. Davidson was too busy giving Showtime’s ghoulish Jim Gray an interview, while the injured fighter sat in his stool, unattended and uncared for. The Commission should be very, very glad Jeremy Williams came through that shameful episode unscathed. By the way, we requested an interview with Dr. Davidson through Marc Ratner, and the camera-happy physician never bothered to return our calls.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Dr. Flip Homansky is bounced from the Commission in favor of a man whose merit stems from a reported hefty contribution he made to the governor of Nevada's campaign. How can these things continue to happen without repercussions?

Dr. Flip Homansky was the talk of the town only a few weeks ago, when he proposed -among other things- a 'severity test' to safeguard boxers. He has had an honorable, solid reputation throughout his many years of loyal service with the Nevada Commission. He is a boxing person, someone who understands the sport, who knows the fighters, a man who cares. However, his good deeds and excellent reputation bought him a ticket to ride into the Nevada sunset, as far away from the commission as possible. What is wrong with that picture?

Dr. Margaret Goodman has been harassed and wrongly discredited by promoters who couldn't come to terms with her concern for the safety of the fighters. Gary Shaw and Bob Arum have been very vocal about not wanting her to work their shows. It brings to mind my phone call to Marc Ratner following the Jeremy Williams incident; when I asked Ratner some basic questions regarding the way Williams was handled following the Peter knockout, he asked me if I was a doctor, to which I replied, 'No sir, but neither are you.' Why hasn't he asked that question of Shaw and Arum, who have successfully dictated which doctors oversee their cards? These promoters have flexed their muscles to drive a caring physician with a conscience and unquestionable integrity out of the sport, forcing her to resign as chief ringside physician this past July. Why didn't the troubled commission back Dr. Goodman's quest to have the commission enforce its own medical rules and regulations? Why bother to have rules and regulations if they are not going to be followed and enforced? What is wrong with that picture?

Let us move down to my home state, Florida, and ask more questions. Why is Warrior's Boxing allowing a convicted felon, a fight fixer, to recruit fighters for their cards? What has the Florida Commission done about what I clearly reported about Mr. Mittleman and his association with Warrior's Boxing? By the way, Pedro Fernandez, the man behind ringtalk.com also wrote about and contacted the Florida State Commission regarding the Mittleman situation and even more serious issues regarding same, all seemingly to no avail. Robert Mittleman should never be allowed to work in any capacity in the sport of boxing, and his probation officer is now aware of the fact that Mittleman has probably violated his probation by continuing to do business as an unlicensed booking agent and as a cheap thug wannabe that gets his jollies by making threats over the phone. What, if anything, has happened with my report? With Pedro's? What is wrong with this picture?

Warrior's Boxing is now run by an attorney, Leo Margules, who has been involved in boxing for many years; he, of all people, should know better than to sub-contract a convicted felon and fight fixer, and now suspected snitch, like Mittleman. But my question goes back to my home state's Commission; what, if anything, has been done to ensure that Robert Mittleman and whomever recruited him at Warrior's Boxing suffer consequences for their indiscretion, which could ultimately be considered a misdemeanor in a court of law?

Last but not least, let’s talk about Vitali Klitschko, the so-called "undisputed" heavyweight champion of the world. Do you remember Lennox Lewis' tenure as undisputed heavyweight champion of the world? Do you remember the harsh criticism Lewis endured? Lennox was never good enough, he never fought the right opponents, he ducked people, he was a disgrace to the sport, he was a weak champion, etc., etc. Those were some of the charges leveled against Mr. Lewis, and if we are to accept any one of them, then what do we say about Vitali Klitschko?

Let’s recap Vitali's present situation; four postponements against Hasim Rahman: jogging injury, thigh injury, back injury, and now a knee injury. Add the fact that in between these suspicious injuries, he had informed the WBC he was fit to fight other contenders, just not Rahman. Is this behavior worthy of a world champion? Why hasn't Vitali Klitschko been stripped? How many shots do you get at knocking down the piñata? Let's face it, the robotic Klitschko remains the 'great white hope' and his indiscretions are being glossed over, time and time again, much to the discredit of the sport. Meanwhile, Hasim Rahman continues to train, to waste his time and his effort waiting, hoping and praying that Vitali can stay 'healthy' enough to fight him one of these days. If Vitali held a regular job, how many times would he have been fired by now? Not even his 'doctorate' would have kept him employed...

Do you remember a few years back when Ener Julio won the WBO light welterweight title over Miami's Randall Bailey? That happened in July of 2000, and when Julio underwent a physical prior to his first title defense, he was diagnosed with cataracts in one eye. As I recall it, he was stripped within a week of the medical exam, and two years went by before the champion had a shot at fighting for his own title again, in what turned out to be a losing effort versus DeMarcus 'Chop Chop' Corley. Why some people are treated different than others? Why do rules apply to some and not to others?

What in the world is wrong with the sport of boxing? It is unlike any other professional sport, unlike any major corporation, unlike any other organized entity. Boxing functions without a governing body, which only contributes to the status quo remaining unchallenged. The lack of accountability is killing the spirit of the sport. Why do boxing people fear much needed change? Why do they fear open scoring, for instance? Or weighing in the same day of a fight? Why fear offering training workshops for referees and judges, which I know they do now, but with passing marks necessary to continue to officiate? (I know of at least one referee who works in the state of Florida who failed one of these training workshops). If that's the case, then what’s the point?

And how about the corners? What formal training do most trainers and so-called cutmen have? What are the qualifications they need in order to get a license? A conscience should be the first qualification, because let's face it, if the referee fails to stop a fight, if the ring doctor fails to stop a fight, the corner is always able to step in and protect their man. How often does that happen?

Ensuring the qualifications of ringside physicians at all times and in all states should also be a primary concern. After all, what good is it to have an optometrist working fights? (Yes, it happened not too long ago in a state that shall remain nameless). Where else can you work and screw things up over and over and over and remain employed? (The judging in the state of Nevada comes to mind). Why is it so difficult to get rid of the Mittlemans of the sport, for example? Is the lack of accountability out of fear or out of indifference?

Perhaps the fans need to take it upon themselves to demand changes and to insist on getting proper value for their money. (Remember the infamous Roycott? It did work!) If a PPV show stinks, don't buy it, it's that simple. If a card reeks, don't attend, it's that simple. Hurt them in the pocket, a strategy that usually makes people re-think their positions. If you agree with me, then why not write the governor of Nevada and let him know that Dr. Flip Homansky should have never been removed from the Commission? Why not let the governor of Nevada know that many eyes are going to be watching his new appointee, who seemingly bought his position although he doesn't have a clue about boxing, and please, if qualifications are the measuring stick, the new good ol' boy can’t touch Dr. Homansky with a ten foot pole.

In closing, I ask, why are we, boxing fans, so complacent? I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time we, as fans, take matters into our own hands...

 

[heyzel]

Antwone Smith: Hot Miami Welterweight Ready To Establish Himself Among The Division’s

Exclusive Interview by Pavel Yakovlev - The welterweight division is currently boxing’s most competitive weight class, featuring stars such as Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Shane Mosley, Miguel Angel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, and Andre Berto. Eventually, this elite group will be challenged by a rising young star from Miami: Antwone "The Truth" Smith.

Currently 17-1-1 (nine kayos), Smith (photo by Joe Gallo) has impressed national television audiences with a series of exciting victories. Recently, Smith scored his biggest career win by kayoing previously unbeaten Henry Crawford in a donnybrook broadcast live by Showtime. It is now clear to the boxing world that Smith will soon emerge as world rated welterweight contender.

Standing 5’7” and exhibiting very good athleticism, durability, and skill, Smith is a boxer-puncher who is not averse to trading punches. Although he can jab, counterpunch and move well on his feet, Smith tends to take the offensive with his hurtful left hook, and to back his foes up by dominating them with punches thrown from every angle.

To this writer, Smith’s willingness to abandon cautious boxing in favor of swinging hard, well-placed blows to the head and body in reminiscent of 1970s boxing great Matthew Saad Muhammad. Older fans will recall that although Saad was capable of winning by jabbing and moving, he preferred to take control with a two-fisted offensive style. Smith’s bouts, like Saad’s, tend to be action packed and intense.

Smith’s recent victory over Henry Crawford (22-0-1 going into the bout) is characteristic of his action packed style. Over the first five rounds, Smith maintained perfect composure despite his opponent’s advantages in height and speed, patiently wearing Crawford down with left hooks to the body..

In the sixth, Smith took total control of the action with a barrage left hooks and heavy rights that badly hurt Crawford, who looked out on his feet for most of the round. After calmly fending off determined counterattacks from the revitalized Crawford in rounds seven and eight, Smith explosively finished the match in the ninth round. Just seconds before the bell, Smith floored Crawford with a hard right. Although Crawford arose, his corner wisely threw in the towel after the round.

The Crawford bout is not the first in which the precocious Smith has exhibited professionalism beyond his years. His past performances show that he has the composure of a seasoned professional.

In 2008, Smith’s mental tenacity and capacity to resist pressure were shown in a dramatic fourth round kayo over Juan Camilo Novoa (13-2; 11 kayos). Against the hard-hitting Nova, Smith took heavy punishment in the first two rounds but never flinched. After turning the tide of the fight in the third round with an intense attack that had Novoa backing up, Smith was in trouble again in the fourth when his dangerous foe connected with a series of big punches. Smith, however, ended matters suddenly by flooring Novoa with a left hook followed by a series of hard right hands. The bout was waived off with Novoa in no condition to continue.

Smith’s mental discipline and physical conditioning are obvious to anyone who has seen him fight. In the ring, Smith seems imperturbable: regardless of the pressure he faces, Smith never shows signs of stress or emotion, and he seems uncannily capable of increasing his mental intensity at will. Smith’s physical conditioning seems extraordinary, as he has constantly shown the capacity to maintain a fast, grueling tempo in the ring without fatiguing, laboring or breathing heavily.

In the words of expert boxing handicapper Evan Young of www.boxingforecast.com, “I’ve been watching him for several fights and can’t help being impressed by Smith in many ways. He’s only 22 but he’s amassed excellent pro experience for his age and behaves like a veteran professional fighter in and out of the ring. He’s not a speed demon or flamboyant in the manner of a Floyd Mayweather nor is he a devastating KO artist, but he is like Marvin Hagler and Bernard Hopkins in that he is special in the less celebrated aspects of the game. Smith obviously has a way to go to reach the heights of those men but so far he does appear to be following their pattern.”

Recently, Smith shared his thoughts with ESB in an exclusive interview.

WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN BOXING?
I didn’t like school very much, so I was focused on sports. I was playing football. Then, when I watched a Tyson fight, and I saw the undercard, I noticed the guys were young. I thought I could do that myself. I was 13 at the time. That was the first time I ever witnessed the sport. I liked what I saw during the previews of the fighters, when they were in the gym, hitting the bags, the mitts, sparring, and I thought I would like that.

DID YOU HAVE ANY BOXING HEROES AS A KID?
None. I had no boxing heroes. The first time I watched boxing was the time I told you about.

WHAT WAS YOUR AMATEUR RECORD? WHAT WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR AMATEUR CAREER?
I was 36-6. I won the Florida Golden Gloves when I was 17.

WHO IS YOUR TRAINER, AND WHAT GYM DO YOU TRAIN IN?
I’m training with Jorge Rubio, who I’ve been with since I started my professional career. I train at the Extreme Boxing Club in Hialeah.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON IN THE GYM WITH YOUR TRAINER, AND WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR TRAINING REGIMEN?
Mostly, we’re working on me staying focused, staying sharp. Conditioning is the most important part of my gym work. Every Wednesday I run on South Beach, on the sand, and on Saturday, I run on the Key Biscayne Bridge, which is almost straight up straight down. I run about four miles per day.

DO YOU REGARD YOURSELF AS MORE OF A BOXER, OR MORE OF A FIGHTER?
Basically I can do both; if my opponent boxes, I can be the aggressive fighter. If he’s fighting, I can be the boxer. I prefer to be the aggressive one, though.

IN WHAT AREAS DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IMPROVING, IN TERMS OF SKILL?
I’m working on learning to throw more punches, in combinations. My style makes that hard, because I’m aggressive, always coming forward. So, I’m learning to put my punches together better as I move in.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR TOUGHEST FIGHT TO DATE, AND WHY?
I would say the Novoa fight, because I dealt with a lot of adversity there. That was the fight I had to dig deep in. I definitely felt the punches; he’s the strongest puncher I ever faced. Basically, I had to keep my cool, and get a hold of myself. I turned that fight around by ending my toe-to-toe slugging with him, and by pulling away and boxing. After that, I was able to hit him as much as he was hitting me. He was lunging at me, and I was able to catch him with the left hook. After that, it was over, because I started putting my punches together.

SOME FANS AND EXPERTS THINK YOU TAKE PUNISHMENT UNNECESSARILY. DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT? ARE YOU TRYING TO SUCKER YOUR OPPONENTS INTO TRADING PUNCHES WITH YOU?
It’s not that I’m trying to sucker my opponents into trading punches. I am a very sharp defensive fighter, but sometimes a fighter has to take punches. There’s no way around it. I’m prepared for it, and I’m ready to win by any means necessary.

AGAINST GUTIERREZ, YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN THE EASY WAY OUT AND WON BY TECHNICAL DECISION AFTER HE HEADBUTTED YOU. INSTEAD YOU, YOU INSISTED ON FIGHTING ON, EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE FAR AHEAD ON POINTS. WERE YOU HOPING TO KNOCK GUTIERREZ OUT?
I don’t want to be known as one of those guys who take the easy way out. That’s not me. I was in control of that fight; I saw no reason to take a technical decision win. But even if the fight had been close, I still would not have taken the easy way out. I fight until the last bell.

WHO IS THE BEST FIGHTER YOU’VE FACED SO FAR IN THE RING?
Joshua Cordero, who I fought when I was 7-1, was excellent. He had good speed, good power, he had everything. He was smart, he could lead, and he could counter. I had to use my mind the entire fight. He was in great shape. He was excellent. I was cut in that fight, I had to work hard to win. That fight was close all the way through.

I AM AMAZED THAT YOU REGARD CORDERO AS YOUR BEST OPPONENT. YOU WOULD PICK CORDERO OVER THE MORE EXPERIENCED GUYS YOU FOUGHT, LIKE CRAWFORD AND GUTIERREZ?
Those other guys had bigger records, but that doesn’t tell you everything. In pro boxing, you need to have backing to make it to the top. Sometimes the best guys aren’t the ones with the backing. Cordero was excellent even though he was only 7-1-1 when I fought him. I don’t know why he didn’t continue his career. He had it all.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HENRY CRAWFORD?
He was pretty good, he had good hand speed, good defense. I lost the first couple of rounds – I always start slow – but as the fight went on, I kept taking advantages of the openings. If he protected his head, I went to the body. If he protected his body, I went to the head. He was stylish.

I’VE SEEN YOU IN ACTION TWICE FROM RINGSIDE, AND I’M IMPRESSED WITH YOUR MENTAL INTENSITY. IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE TRYING TO BREAK YOUR OPPONENTS WILLPOWER DOWN. AM I CORRECT HERE?
Honestly, it’s the opposite…I’m not like that. I consider myself an old school fighter. I’m not in there to play games or to be flamboyant. I stay professional, focused on the job at hand. It’s in my personality to remain cool, to keep my composure

WHAT DO YOU REGARD AS YOUR BEST OR FAVORITE PUNCH? I’M IMPRESSED WITH YOUR LEFT HOOK, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU THROW IT TO THE BODY.
Left hook to the body. Also, any body is my favorite punch.

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO FIGHT IN THE FUTURE?
I’ll leave that up to DiBella.

IS THERE ANYTHING AT YOU’D LIKE TO TELL THE FANS?
Neah, not really. I’m not up for trash talking.

ANTWONE, THANKS FOR THE INTERVIEW. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT THAT YOU’VE TAKEN THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR VIEWS WITH ESB.
My pleasure, and thank you.

 

[heyzel]

Roman Martinez-Ricky Burns WBO 130-Pound Title Fight In The Works

by James Slater - Roman "Rocky" Martinez, the undefeated 26-year-old from Puerto Rico who holds the WBO super-featherweight title, is well known to U.K fight fans. Back in March of last year, the 23-0-1(14) talent came over to Manchester, England to challenge Dagenham's Nicky Cook for the WBO crown "Cookie" had won with a fine points victory over "Amazing" Alex Arthur the previous year. Less than four rounds into the exciting fight, "Rocky" was the new champion..

Since then, Martinez has made one retention of his belt - a 9th-round KO of Colombia's Feider Viloria this past September - and now, according to FightNews, the WBO champ will soon be meeting his number-one contender, Ricky Burns. According to word on FightNews, a purse bid will be called for on January 13th. Can Scotland's Burns, 27-2(7) manage to defeat the defending champ?

27-year-old Burns has been on a roll since suffering what was only his second defeat as a pro; to Carl Johanneson back in February of 2007. Winning 12 fights in a row, and picking up the Commonwealth title as well as defending it a couple of times during this period of success, the tall-for-the-weight (5'10") Burns also earned his#1 ranking with the WBO. Not a big puncher by any means (just those 7 stoppage wins), the Scot is a good boxer-mover who has great stamina, grit and determination, along with reasonably fast hands.

Though Martinez will no doubt be seen by most as the favourite to win, wherever the fight is held, the match-up is a good one and by no means a foregone conclusion. The shorter man at 5'8," Martinez is a good aggressive fighter, yet he was hurt himself a little in the win over Cook. And Burns, with his good chin, has never been stopped as a pro. With his advantages in height and reach, Burns' plan will almost certainly be to outbox his man at range. But can he do it?

His last two stoppage wins aside, Martinez has no eye-catching wins on his record - although wins over Daniel Jiminez and Walter Estrada are decent victories for him. And though Burns will be contesting his first "world" title, he has been in with good men. Burns went the full 12 with Arthur in his only other loss and he has wins over the tough duo that is Graham Earl and Michael Gomez. The fight with Martinez will represent his toughest fight on paper, for sure, but Burns is not a no-hoper in this fight.

If he can keep his confidence, avoid being caught by a big shot early and if he doesn't fade late on (his stamina has never let him down before), Burns has a excellent shot at causing the upset and winning on points. Martinez is extremely dangerous early in a fight, though, and the first four or five rounds will be most intriguing.

Going out on a limb, I go for Burns by a very close decision win

 

[heyzel]

Exclusive Interview - Jameel "Big Time" McCline Speaks On His Forthcoming European To

by James Slater - 39-year-old four-time heavyweight title challenger Jameel McCline (photo by D. M. Warr) is not done fighting yet. Though the 6'6" warrior known as "Big Time" told us his April 2009 fight with the then unbeaten Chris Arreola would be his last, win lose, or draw, the 39-10-3(23) contender now has plans for a boxing tour of Europe. Hoping the tour of "small halls" will culminate with a shot at a world title, the always fan-friendly McCline's ideal scenario would be a meeting with WBA heavyweight champ David Haye.

Very kindly taking the time to speak about his forthcoming tour and other things, the well-spoken Jameel had the following answers to my questions:

James Slater: It's great to speak with you, Jameel. I read you are currently preparing for a boxing tour of Europe, is that correct?

Jameel McCline: Yes, that's correct. We are definitely going to be doing a tour of Europe. I think I will be starting off in Hungary, maybe in Budapest, in February..

J.S: This is exciting news; do you have any idea who you will be fighting in Feb. and where else the tour will take you?
J.M: It is exciting. I had no plans to fight again, but I got a call from Robert (Osiobe?) in Denmark, and he offered me this deal and I thought, why not? I understand I will be fighting a gentleman called Zoltan Petranyi in Hungary. I don't know too much about him.

J.S: Fighting a guy you know nothing about - isn't that risky?

J.M: Well, how do you ever get to really know a guy until you fight him? (laughs). This is a risky sport, period. They'll be sending me some tapes along though, and I'll hopefully have a good look at Zoltan.

J.S: Will the tour take you to my home country, England?

J.M: Yes, the plan is definitely to come and fight in England. I've never been to England before - I've been to a number of European countries, but never England, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm used to fighting in the big arenas, say 30,000 capacity or so, but this [tour] will be the small arenas.

J.S: The last time we spoke (in fact the only time I've interviewed Jameel) you said the Chris Arreola fight of April 2009, would be your exit - win or lose.

J.M: (laughs) Yes, that was my plan, But we all know, things don't always go according to plan in this game.

J.S: And what happened, you found it harder to walk way from boxing than you thought you would? You are still in love with boxing?

J.M: Yes. I had a good number of business deals going - I do international deals quite often - but I love to compete, I love to fight. I also love getting in shape for a fight and I love the feeling I have when I am in shape. The thing you need to understand is, I'm not fighting on because I have to; I'm fighting on because I WANT to. That's a big difference. I'm not beat up like a lot of these guys. I still have a lot to offer. I can beat a lot of these guys. I mean, Ray Austin is currently rated number-one in the world. No disrespect to Ray Austin, but he used to be my sparring partner.

J.S: You would beat Ray Austin, wouldn't you, Jameel?

J.M: Yes, I would. Look, I'm a championship fight fighter - you understand? I'm known for being one of the only guys to have ever fought for all four versions of the world title and not having won it. You name me another guy or two who have ever fought that many times for the title. I've come so close, especially against [Sam] Peter, who I had down three times, and The Giant (Valuev) who I was doing real well against until my knee blew. I still have a lot left to offer, and there is also a lot left to desire.

J.S: So is the plan not just to tour Europe, against guys, no disrespect, who you know you can beat - but for an ultimate shot at a world title?

J.M: Yes, that's the plan. I'm not gonna just fight guys I know I can beat; the ultimate, ideal scenario is for me to either end up as heavyweight champion, or not, as the case may be. But I'd really like a fight with David Haye.

J.S: I was going to ask you about Haye - seeing as you plan to be boxing in England. I read that a Haye fight was a possibility for you as far back as before Haye was WBA champ. Firstly, do you want that fight and was it offered to you before? And secondly, is that a fight you think you can win now?

J.M: That is a fight that has interested me since before Haye was a world champion, but, no, I was never approached with that fight. Now, yes, I would love to fight Haye. You see, my desire is, and always has been, to fight the best - and Haye, with his title, is considered to be one of the best. I'm a competitor, and I always will be.

J.S: Do you rate Haye? I know a lot of U.S fans seem to think he is not the real deal. But what do you think?

J.M: He's a champion right now, and anyone who is a champion is a bad ass in my opinion! But let's see, after eight months or so of hard training, and after some fights in the smaller arenas, maybe I'll land a fight with Haye. The thing is, all the money is in Europe now - there's no money in the U.S like there was before. And, let's face it, there are only really two names at heavyweight - Wladimir and Vitali [Klitschko]. We're all back on the comeback trail, and why not? But the difference, between me and a lot of guys who are coming back is; I'm not hurting. I have a number of business practices going, and I'm not just fighting for money - I'm fighting because I'm a natural competitor. And if I can get myself as sharp as I was against Valuev, as I was against [Mike] Mollo when I fought him in China, I can do a lot of damage!

J.S: Have you been sparring for the tour?

J.M: I've not been doing anything apart from running; I'm an avid runner. I honestly didn't plan on doing anything in boxing until I got the call from Denmark, and then I thought why not? The thing is, win, lose or draw, I always give the other guy in the ring a hard night - a night where he had better be prepared to be knocked around the ring some. I'm 40 this year, I know that - but we can make this [tour] happen. I had no amateur fights, I only started at age 25, and I've never been beaten up. Okay, Wladimir [Klitschko] and [John] Ruiz beat me up a little, but other than that I'm still fresh. I know I can still make a lot of noise.

J.S: You mentioned Ruiz, who is next for David Haye. How do you rate Ruiz' chances against Haye?

J.M: Let me tell you. John Ruiz is one of the most underrated fighters there is - I'd say THE most underrated heavyweight of the last ten years. Let me tell you why: he is incredibly good at making you fight his fight, and then at winning it. Also, he's so tough to stop - the David Tua KO was how long ago? sixteen years? That was The Night of The Young Heavyweights, and I fought on that card. I can't call the Haye-Ruiz fight, but as I say, he [Ruiz] is so underrated.

J.S: Well, it's been great speaking with you, Jameel. You sound in great shape and I look forward to your European tour - especially when you come to the U.K.

J.M: Okay, talk to you soon, my friend.

 

[heyzel]

Bradley – “What about me?” [for a fight with Pacquiao or Mayweather]

By James Harold: Now that the mega-bout between five-time wold champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and seven-division champ Manny Pacquiao appears to be in pieces, World Boxing Organization light welterweight star Timothy Bradley has something to ask the two best fighters in the world, “The real question is what about Tim Bradley.” The 26-year-old World Champion, who is 25-0 with 11 knockouts is arguably the best light welterweight in the world bar the Filipino sensation Pacquiao.

Bradley is coming off of last month’s lopsided, 12-round unanimous decision victory over 25-year-old Lamont Peterson, who lost every round and was floored for the first time in his career by Bradley, despite entering with a record of 27-0, with 13 knockouts.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but now that they’re not fighting each other, you’ve got a gentleman right here, and I’m screaming and I’m waving my hands up in the air saying, ‘Let’s fight!’ You know? ‘Come on, let’s fight!’” commented Bradley, from his home in Palm Springs, Calif.

This would be a great fight for either Floyd Mayweather or P4P King Manny Pacquiao, as Bradley is very much a hot fighter right now, who is highly regarded in the boxing world. His scalp would be a great name to have on both fighters impressive resumes.

When questioned about any future fight he replied “I don’t know how true this is, but this is what I’m reading is that I understand that I guess that Floyd is supposedly trying to get a fight with Paulie Malignaggi. But I’m like, ‘Malignaggi? What about me?’” said Bradley, who looked fantastic from the start to finish against Peterson.

“And then, you’ve got Pacquiao going up to try to make history by winning his eighth title by going up and to face Yuri Foreman?” said Bradley. “I’m like, ‘Who is Yuri Foreman? He just won a world title and he gets a title shot already?’”

Malignaggi, 27-3, five KOs, is a feather fisted 140-pound pure boxing slickster known for his brilliant courage in his loss to a then in-form Miguel Cotto. Foreman, on the other hand, 28-0, eight KOs is a relatively unknown, unexciting fighter, who lacks the power to hurt Manny, beat Daniel Santos in November to become WBA junior middleweight champion.

“I’d go up to 147 pounds to face any of these guys. And I’m a 140-pounder. I’ll do whatever it takes,” said Bradley. Bradley in my opinion deserves a shot at one or both of these great fighters, and any fight that may happen would be an exciting affair.

When asked about a potential fight with the 23-year-old WBA champ, Amir Khan, 22-1, of England, he responded “I’m reading that Amir Khan don’t want to fight, and he’s got a purse bid coming up against Maidana, and that if he has to face Maidana then he’s going to vacate”.

Hopefully this fight can be made for later this year, and with the right promotion and at least a top quality performance, Bradley can become one of the top P4P fighters in the world and make him an instant household name. Bradley posses alot more skills in the sweet science than most of the names being thrown around as future opponents for Money and Manny.

 

[heyzel]

Paulie Malignaggi’s Time to Shine

By Kirk Jackson: Amidst all the controversy that has been surrounding the sport of boxing the past couple of months over the whole steroids issue involving Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and others, the name Paulie Malignaggi has also risen to the surface. Propelled to the front pages of boxing popularity, mainly due to his stance on accusing multi division champion Manny Pacquiao of taking performance enhancing drugs, Paulie now has a golden opportunity in front of him.

Perhaps being more of a household name now than ever before, Paulie can certainly capitalize on this opportunity, as he is one of the fighters in the running to fill in as a replacement for Floyd Mayweather in a bout against Pound For Pound King Manny Pacquiao in March.

The Magic Man would obviously be the underdog if this fight ever materializes, and would certainly have to live up to his moniker if he is to pull off the upset. Paulie Malignaggi does have the ability to defeat Manny Pacquiao, anything can happen in the sport of boxing and Paulie isn’t a pushover. Mr. Malignaggi went the distance with former Junior Welterweight and Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto, and went eleven rounds with former Junior and Welterweight Champion Ricky Hatton. Paulie has also gone up against former Lightweight Champion Juan Diaz in two spectacular fights.

In regards to facing Pacquiao, the Magic Man does possess a good left jab, has the ability to throw fluid combinations, has plenty of heart and has displayed his toughness on plenty of occasions, and can be hard to hit when on the run. Even though he lacks punching power due to a history of having brittle hands, he does to a certain degree, have a style that can present Manny with a few problems. And if nothing else, Paulie is definitely a charismatic figure, and funny enough to at least make the pre fight show very interesting.

Win or lose he can earn a pretty nice payday fighting the Pound for Pound King Manny Pacquiao. Even though some wonder why would Pacquiao’s camp even consider Malignaggi, especially considering the fact most of these performance enhancing drugs accusations stem from Malignaggi himself.

Coming off the recent victory over Juan Diaz, even with out Pacquiao, there are some fights for Paulie out there in the junior welterweight division. There have been talks of Malignaggi facing WBA Junior Welterweight Champion Amir Khan, but if that fight does not manifest, there is also WBC Champion Devon Alexander, WBO Champion Timothy Bradley, IBF Champion Juan Urango, or a list of contenders such as Kendall Holt, or Nate Campbell, that can surely catapult Paulie into a potential championship match up of significance in the future. Whether he can ultimately secure a fight with Pacquiao remains to be seen. The point is, amidst all of this controversy and buzz surrounding him, it’s his time to shine.

 

[heyzel]

Ricky Hatton Linking up with Trainer Joe Gallagher for return?

By James Harold: Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton is reportedly looking for one more fight to bow out to this year. Potential opponents names will be thrown around (with Marquez looking most likely) but on the trainer front, due to the shortcomings of Mayweather Snr. the rumor is that he is considering Joe Gallagher, regarded by many to be Great Britain’s top boxing trainer. Gallagher has allready taken over the gym where Hatton used to train, the Phoenix Camp Gym.

The gym has been renamed ‘Gallagher’s’, but the old school ways of Rickys times there have remained. Gallagher, who already has a business relationship with Hatton, feels he knows how to get “The Hitman” back to the top, stating, “With fighters like Ricky it’s not a case of teaching them new things. It’s about reminding them what they do best.”

In regards to Hatton’s shape, he knows that Hatton is a driven individual once training the camp starts, and he knows the “Hitman” will be focused, but loosing the 50-60 odd extra pounds of weight he seems to be carrying on him will be no easy feat, especially as he will be needing to quickly getting back into fighting shape.

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[heyzel]

Andre Ward – Beyond Boxing

By Thomas Gerbasi

Contrary to popular belief, WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward was not born as a 25-year old with the type of maturity that dwarves that of people 20 years his senior. Like all of us, he was a teenager once, subject to all the ups and downs that come during that period.

He’s well aware that it’s a time when anyone - regardless of race, sex, creed, or economic standing - can make the wrong turn down a wrong path, setting themselves on a downward spiral that could end up in jail or the grave. On Wednesday, Ward spoke to teenagers who made that wrong turn at the Santa Clara County Juvenile Detention Center and the William F. James Ranch in California’s Bay Area.

“I know what it’s like to be 15 and 16 years old and to not know whether you’re coming or going,” Ward told BoxingScene. “Your body’s going through changes, you’re dealing with all kinds of different things, and at times you make wrong choices. So if I can use everything that I’ve accomplished to reach someone, that’s what it’s all about.”

But this was more than just one of those celebrity appearances where a champion shows off his shiny title belt and says ‘with hard work, you can be like me.’ That all starts with Ward, who isn’t one for trivialities or publicity stunts. The Oakland product shatters all preconceptions of how a successful professional athlete acts these days, and in many ways, he makes you think of an era when athletes like Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, Jim Brown, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were not only socially aware, but willing to talk about their views and take a stand for them. Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods he is not, and as far as he’s concerned, this is just the beginning for him.

“This is something I really want to expand and start doing more of,” he said. “I’ve had some outreach and done some cause-related things for the community, but nothing like I really want to. This is just the first step, and I want to use the platform that I have to reach at-risk teens and youth and people who basically feel like they don’t have a chance at life.”

Ward, like many of the teenagers he spoke to this week, was raised by a single parent, but unlike most of them, Frank Ward didn’t let Andre or his brother Jonathan stray. A firm hand and the boxing gym made sure of that. That doesn’t mean it was all “Leave it to Beaver” in the Ward household.

“I lived a very strict lifestyle,” said Ward, who pays tribute to his father (who passed away in 2002) by having his name tattooed on his arms. “My father raised me and my brother by himself. He was a single father and it’s tough. He did the best job that he could and he did a great job. He gave me a great foundation in many areas, and that’s why I’m the man that I am today, but he wasn’t perfect. If he could have done it all over again, and we talked about this, he wouldn’t been as hard and probably would have let my brother and I live a little more.”

By the time Ward was in the midst of high school, he looked to break the cycle of school, homework, and boxing, and it was then that – like most - he started to rebel.

“I really didn’t have a life,” he said. “My life was going to school, coming back, doing my homework, and off to the gym. There was really no life outside of the sport of boxing, so I got to that certain point where I figured ‘hey, I’m getting older now, I want to do some things. I want to see what it feels like to stay out late and go here or do that. Those are the things that I did, and I did have a season, probably three or four years, where I got to see what the world was all about and it’s nothing to play with, I’ll tell you that.”

Looking back now, Ward knows why his dad did what he did, and while he advocates letting the reins go a bit on teenagers, he believes that teaching children how to do the right thing is even more beneficial in the long run.

“You have to let kids live and enjoy themselves – not get in trouble, but you have to let them live a little bit,” he said. “Because he did give me a strong foundation, even when I did go astray, I knew where to come back to.”

Ward, a father of three, is already preparing himself for when his kids hit their teens.

“They’re gonna run around, but the thing is, how long are you gonna let the leash out,” he asks. “I’m not gonna condone anything that’s not right, but at the same time, they’re gonna have to get out in the real world to a degree and they’re gonna be around people who are making bad choices and they’re gonna have to learn to make the right choice in the midst of that. I can’t shelter them. They’re gonna be in high school and they’re gonna go places and do things and they’re gonna see people doing wrong. The question is, will they follow? So we’re just trying to teach them right from wrong.”

It’s that type of common sense, real advice that will make someone sit up and take notice. As I said, Ward is not one to sugar coat things; he will tell you the way he sees it, and that no nonsense approach was a big hit during his presentations (done in conjunction with the charity Knock Out Dog Fighting) on Wednesday.

“It was unbelievable,” he said. “It far exceeded what I thought it was gonna be. Sometimes, not just young men and women who are in juvenile hall, but young men and women in that age group, it’s hard for them to focus for any kind of event, especially because they’re locked up and have other things on their minds. I thought I’d get a warm reception, but it was awesome, and once I had finished, as the young men walked out, they just told me that they were inspired. And for those kids to say that to me, it just inspired me to keep doing what I’m doing.”

The interaction also served to keep Ward grounded. He knows that one bad decision years ago could have altered his world irrevocably, and though his family and faith kept him on the right path, it never hurts to be thankful for having navigated that minefield unscathed.

“It was just a reminder not to get too big for your britches,” said Ward. “You’ve been there before, in that confusing time when you’re trying to figure out who you are as an individual and what you want to do in life, and you’re making mistakes along the way. It brought me back and reminded me that God has blessed me with a tremendous platform and it’s not just about me winning titles and making money. It’s about affecting people around me and affecting change wherever I go.”

This April, the 2004 United States Olympic Gold Medalist returns to the ring to defend the title he won from Mikkel Kessler last November for the first time. His scheduled opponent is former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor, whose scary back-to-back knockout losses to Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham forced his promoter, Lou DiBella, to resign from his post, and have had boxing insiders around the globe calling for the fighter to follow suit. That leaves Ward in limbo, not the ideal spot for him to be in, but as is his custom, he’s taking everything with a cool head.

“It’s a little disappointing,” said Ward of the current situation. “It’s not anything that’s gonna take me off of my focus or anything like that. But you would like to know, especially in a tournament setting, what the next move is gonna be. It really doesn’t matter to me who it is – my focus is at an all-time high, and I feel like the world saw maybe 60-65% of what I’m truly gonna become in this sport, so I’m excited to perform again and get better. It doesn’t matter who it’s gonna be, but I’m anxious to see who the next opponent will turn out to be.”

Whoever does show up in the ring on April 17th will be facing a young man in Ward who is on top of his game, mentally and physically, one who silenced a legion of critics with his one-sided drubbing of Kessler, and one who may become that rarest of boxers – one who can transcend the game and make as big a difference outside the ring as he does inside of it. Now isn’t that a better headline for a sport in need of some good news to kick off 2010?

“I understand the cameras and that people are gonna report on the good things you do, but at the end of the day, I would be okay if no one was there to report on it because it’s truly something that I really want to do,” said Ward of his outside of the ring activities. “Again, I look back at my life and I’m thankful to God and it really humbles me because I really shouldn’t be doing what I’m doing. I’m blessed to be the position that I’m in, and I feel that it’s my duty to stand up and to make a difference. I almost feel greedy or covetous if I was just all about the money or my fame. If I just left it there, I wouldn’t feel like I was completing the job. Along the way, I’m gonna meet a lot of people, people in prominent positions, and even young men in juvenile hall, and I feel like I can say something, so something, or live in such a way that could possibly impact them, and that excites me. The money is part of it, winning titles is part of it, but at the same time, who have you touched along the way? When you hang up those gloves, stop shooting that basketball, running that football, or whatever it is that you do, who have you touched, who have you impacted? That’s my motivation.”

 

[heyzel]

TARVER RESPONDS TO TONEY

By G. Leon

Antonio Tarver told Boxingtalk.com, "It's like I told you earlier today, I'm mapped out my plan and my schedule as far as this year, 2009. I said specifically that I wanted to have a tune-up fight somewhere in the area of cruiserweight. I just threw Danny Green's name out there since he's something of a luke warm topic. I said my goal was to beat James Toney later in the year and now he's pressing me for a fight. My whole thing is this, I told you I would fight you, I told you when I was going to fight. Now he wants to continue coming on the record saying this and that, but he's going get what's on his mind, on his ass. Sooner than later if he keeps talking."

"I'm ready, but I need a tune-up fight. I've been light heavyweight for quite some and I don't want to move up fat and out of shape. I want to put on muscle and gain some strength so when I touch these big boys I can knock them out and drop them. It's not anything I'm going to rush into. If he can't respect that then he could find somebody else to fight. Or he could be patient, wait his turn and he's going to get it."

GL: One of the things that he said to me that stood out was he'd fight you at 190. First of all, do you think he can make that weight? If you believe he can make that weight, wouldn't making the fight at 190 next level out the playing field when you look at his weight for his last five?

Antonio Tarver: "Of course. And that should be taken into consideration, but just because he says he can make 190 doesn't mean I think he can make 190. I don't want to get locked into a camp for James Toney, but a month out he's trying to alter the weight or create other distractions. If he could get down to 190, he needs to start doing that now. Let me get my tune up and we're on. Nothing is standing in between us, but time."

GL: Any new update on the date of your next fight?

AT: "Al Haymon and my team understand that it's my desire to fight no later than mid-March. That's where it's at and that's what we're shooting for."

 

[heyzel]

Dirrell/Abraham: Speed vs Power

By Harlan Davies - On March 6th the second round of the Super-Six tournament will commence with Andre “The Matrix” Ward locking horns with “King” Arthur. From an initial glance, this bout seems to be an inevitable clash of styles that will produce solely two definitive outcomes.

Andre Dirrell (18 wins 1oss 15 kos) is a talent, no doubt. He possesses all the desirable attributes that a trainer would want in young fighter. Physically, he is a tall ecto-mesomorphic super-middleweight standing at 6’2 with a 75 inch reach allowing him to characteristically adopt an outside style that allows him to box, move, jab and counter.. He is supremely-gifted technician with an amateur pedigree coming to conclusion with a bronze medal at the Athens Olympics. He has blurring hand-speed with swift agile movement in the ring which makes a very elusive target; by many he is measured as not only the quickest fighter in the tournament but as one of the quickest super-middleweights of all time. Naturally, with hand-speed comes above average power that may not be show-stopping but still evidently potent.

In Dirrell’s fight with Froch last November he showed the fruits of such speed which made it a very frustrating night for the Nottingham fighter. Froch found it a very difficult to land his bombs throughout the fight with Dirrell’s defence being rarely penetrated but this may where Dirrell’s weakness lies. I was ringside for that fight and it was growingly apparent from the offset that he wanted to box very technically which saw him back-pedalling for the greater part of the 12 rounds. He rarely threw a combination but opting to throw the occasional inquisitive jab, pot shot Froch with counters before slipping and rolling Froch’s own barrage of blows. Carl himself in the post-fight interview commented on Dirrell’s “negativity” which saw Andre be on the wrong end of a split-decision. Maybe the judges had punished him for his lack of aggression. He is a relatively inexperienced fighter who’s only name of note on his record being Froch. There are also question marks which is common with many young, talented fighters over his chin. He was dropped by a counter-right in only his 7th fight against Alfonso Rocha, a tough but below-average fighter and maybe his defensive style is a by-product of this fear of exposing it.

The other fighter that makes up the other half of the equation is Arthur Abraham who is coming off a 12th round knockout of the once formidable task in Jermain Taylor. He is undefeated (31 wins 25 kos), should be supremely confident and will look to emulate his success in March. Going into the tournament people doubted the former IBF middleweight champion’s potential as a super-middleweight against other naturally bigger fighters who surpassed Arthur’s previous opponents in terms of calibre but Arthur helped silence his doubters after opening the tournament with a brilliant KO. Standing at 5’10 Arthur is a stocky and compact 168 pound fighter with an inside style that stalks his opponent with a guard held very high before unleashing deadly combos once the distance had been closed. His hand speed is underrated and he possesses knockout power in each of his fists which is considered the hardest out of the fighters in the tournament. It was proven in the Miranda fight when he broke his jaw that he has a granite chin and innate durability which something that can not be trained into a fighter. The quality of his opposition has been underwhelming by choosing to fight relatively unknowns in Germany which has appropriately raised questions on how he would handle the Kesslers, Frochs, and Wards of the boxing universe.

My prediction? It is a very difficult fight to call with such a Ying-Yang of styles but I predict that Dirrell like Taylor will start off tentatively by moving and keeping Abraham at a distance. Like Taylor Dirrell will look to box Abraham and use his piston-like jab to rack up the points. This course will follow him into the second half of the fight until Abraham’s pressure and power punching will begin to deteriorate Andre’s durability so I can foresee a late stoppage for Arthur. Despite this, Taylor proved in their last fight that a taller fighter with refined boxing skills can deem the shorter fighter’s capabilities ineffective for the whole 12 rounds. I perceive Dirrell as a younger, quicker and fresher version of Jermain Taylor which may see Dirrell pull off an upset if he plants his feet and throws clusters of shots. Then again all it takes is one punch.

 

[heyzel]

The Curious Case of Antonio Margarito

By Mike “Mykers” Boehm - There are undoubtedly certain aspects in boxing that could potentially ruin the sport or a fighter’s reputation. While these situations currently are debated from a day to day basis, one ultimately comes to mind. Antonio Margarito, a great fighter, a great champion…or is he?

There’s no question the illegal hand wrap incident still continues to loom over the ex-champ, but more importantly, was he really a champion? Should Antonio Margarito be allowed to fight again? Since there are so many underlying pieces to the Margarito puzzle, let’s legally unwrap the situation and see if there’s a true champion; one who could potentially and honorably; fight again..

Most fans of Antonio Margarito were all too familiar with his fierce competition, crushing body blows, and granite chin. While he proved to inundate opponents in the ring, his reputation grew tremendously. Margarito saw a continuous rise in his in stocks, and investment that he was proud of. Always a respectable fighter; he continued to dominate competition, and eventually earned his mark in pugilism.

While most of the boxing world felt Margarito was “the next best thing,” his skills and determination would be tested when he fought undefeated Miguel Cotto on July 26, 2008. Many who saw the bout would agree that Cotto took the early initiative, frequently landing a series of punches on Margarito during the early rounds; using his footwork to avoid danger. However, Margarito’s was relentless in his pursuit of Cotto, and began to wear the champ down. During the eleventh round, we saw a devastating combination from Margarito, which sent Cotto to his knee, Cotto beat the count, but Cotto's corner threw in the towel, after he went down voluntarily a second time.

If you’re a Margarito fan, the success was bitter sweet, a “new champion.” A proud Mexican champion actually, one who would remain quite respected. While most fans were eagerly awaiting Antonio Margarito’s next victim, Shane Mosley was coming off a highly impressive victory over Ricardo Mayorga. Not too long after Mosley’s victory, the two agreed to fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on January 24, 2009. While most Margarito fan’s waited anxiously, many would come to find out that “respect, and world champion,” would soon be tested among the boxing community.

On the night of January 24, 2009, no one anticipated the erroneous outcome of the fight. The fight, between Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito was “potentially” perceived to be a knockout fight. That is, one way or another someone is going down. Someone did go down…twice.

The fight started as expected, all the pre-acquisitions finally coming forth at the start of the first round. Shane Mosley was determined, as was Antonio Margarito. Although, Mosley went right after Margarito in the first round. Mosley landed punches that were crisp and clean to the body of Margarito. In Margarito's usual fierce competition, he turned the boxing match into an inside fight. However, with Mosley as clearly the quicker fighter continued to evade punishment.

In the final seconds of round four, we saw Mosley land two right hands that caught Margarito by surprise. Rounds six, was all Shane Mosley. Mosley continued to land punches to the head of Margarito, and soon enough you could see the frustration in Margarito's eyes. In the eighth, Margarito was utterly subdues by Mosley’s barrage of punches that had Margarito in serious trouble. Mosley continued the hot pursuit and almost had Margarito down and out.

Prior to the ninth round, Antonio Margarito’s corner nearly threw in the towel, but with a quick plee from Margarito, he continued. Essentially too little too late; Mosley ended the fight by pinning Margarito against the ropes and unloading. The referee stopped the fight within good measure; as Antonio Margarito was clearly in position to continue.

While this fight was indeed a good one, for Mosley that is; Antonio Margarito seemed to suffer even more than the loss itself. Before the fight, officials found what one doctor described as plaster hidden in the wrapped hands of Margarito; leading to accusations that Margarito may have been trying to cheat. After the suspicious pads were removed from Margarito, they were placed in a sealed box for later review.

Obviously, as we know now, it was good ole “Plaster of Paris” in the hand wraps of Margarito. Because of the situation, Antonio Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo has their licenses temporally suspended by the California State Athletic Commission.

Since these implications are solely reminiscent of the Resto/Colling Jr fight, you simply have to wonder. That is, wonder what kind of punishment Shane Mosley was spared. Aside from Mosley, Did Antonio Margarito use the same tactics against Miguel Cotto? Furthermore, did he ALWAYS use the same tactics against everyone else? Obviously, this situation makes a very difficult case, that only one presumably two men would have the answer to.

The two men, Antonio Margarito, and his trainer Javier Capetillo, surely have had plenty of chances to answer these questions. Although, throwing this over our shoulder; should Margarito be allowed to fight again? My answer is absolutely not!

It’s tough to see a potential great fighter/champion leak slowly through the drain. When all is said and done…Antonio Margarito cheated. There is no argumentable advantage, or for that matter anyway around this. Margarito could have done some serious damage to Shane Mosley. To be honest, I truly believe this is why Margarito lost the fight. His head was not in the game; sensing his dishonesty.

There is no doubt, that Margarito definitely beat Miguel Cotto. However, was that fight as a fraud too? Has Margarito employed the same tactics which he tried to do with the hand wraps in the Mosley fight? Either way, it is a wrong tactic, and all necessary action should be, and will be taken.

Unfortunately, most have waved off this folly as a “miss-understanding.” Since most individuals who have these feeling will argue, until someone’s tongue proves to dry out, it says a lot about their boxing history in general. While this proves to be true in my eyes, I feel they should start waving goodbye to Antonio Margarito.

Antonio Margarito is a great fighter…was a great fighter. No matter how you explain it, Margarito cheated. He could have potentially taken the life of a person, because of his greed. What should be a fair punishment? I’ll agree with most, that ALL hand wraps should be checked and managed by some sort of authority. As for Antonio Margarito in the meantime, it might be wise for him to consider a different profession, or potentially for once legally unwrap his past and address the situation.

 

[heyzel]

Cleverly Furious at Brancalion Postponement

By Daniel Ciminera: Nathan Cleverly’s hopes of winning the the European Boxing Union light-heavyweight European title this month have been scuppered due to Brancalion’s camp postponing yet again! The bout, originally supposed to be on the same card as Khan vs Salita, was postponed until January the 29th and moved to Rovigo, Italy, Brancalion’s hometown when the Italian’s promoters won the rights to the purse and hostage for the bout for the vacant title. While most were expecting Cleverly to come back with the honours, going to Italy and winning is never an easy prospect.

This could be a silver lining as Cleverly’s people are now trying to reschedule the fight for as soon as they can in the UK, though hopes of getting Brancalion into the ring are fading fast here in Wales. Cleverly himself saying “It’s obvious that Brancalion is running scared and his team are doing everything they can to make sure this fight doesn’t happen”.

“Clev” summed up the frustrations surrounding this fight when he stated “I sacrificed my Christmas for this joker” before saying he was going to batter him “worse than Silvio Berlusconi, when I finally get my hands on him” when he was recently bludgeoned with a statue. Meanwhile, Frank Warren, Cleverly’s promoter, has made a formal complaint to the EBU against Brancalion and his people.

Boxrec.com however, have removed the bout from their listings, which is possibly bad news for he fight going ahead at all. This would be a major disappointment for Cleverly, who had planned on taking a European belt before graduating from his degree and onto the world stage later in the year. He has though, moved up to 3rd in the IBF rankings with 2nd and 1st positions being vacant (go figure) so it is thought, by summer, he will probably be the mandatory challenger to unbeaten American Tavoris Cloud’s IBF World Title. A fight I can not wait to see!

 

[heyzel]

Is Nacho Beristain the right man to train Ricky Hatton?

By Liam Santiago: Now that light welterweight king Ricky Hatton is almost certain to make a comeback, many UK boxing trainers are already eyeing the chance to take charge of the Hitman. Joe Gallagher has stated that he would like to train Hatton. Personally, I do not think Joe is the right man for the job. I’m sure he is a lovely guy but I just don’t think he is the man to lead Hatton back to the top.

The man that I believe can put Hatton back on top of the world (if anyone can) is Mexican Nacho Beristain. Yes, his gym is located in Mexico, but maybe Hatton would have to get out of his armchair and get out there. Or even bring Nacho to Manchester. If you pay the money you can bring a trainer anywhere. I could get Freddie Roach to train my Cat for twelve weeks if I coughed up the money. However, I do think Hatton would benefit from a full twelve week training camp outside the UK. He should get away from the distractions and go abroad where he will find his hunger to train again.

Personally, I just believe that Hatton’s fighting style and Nacho’s training style would go together so well. I think Hatton has at least three fights left in him and Nacho could be the man to help him go out at the top. Timothy Bradley, Nate Campbell, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Amir Khan, Junior Witter and Marcos Maidana are just a few of the possibilities. The one fight I do not want to see is Hatton vs Marquez. Marquez is ineffective above lightweight, he should stay there.

If he is to only have one fight more then the fight I want to see Hatton take is Timothy Bradley. Bang. Back to the top at 140 pounds. If he is going to follow my advice (which many fighters do) and have about three more bouts, I think he should fight someone like Junior Witter. Then after knocking him out he should take the Bradley fight. If he wins that he should fight one last big name and bow out of the sport.

*

 

[heyzel]

Amir Khan: “I’m not going to rush into things and fight Bradley straight away”

by Geoffrey Ciani - This past week’s edition of On The Ropes featured two exclusive interviews. Highlighting this episode was the very nice chat with WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan. Here are some excerpts from that interview:

On his recent victory against Dmitriy Salita:
“The performance was good. I was working alongside, for this fight, with Manny Pacquiao and also training with my trainer Freddie Roach. We came up with a game plan and the game plan worked on that night.”

Regarding his mindset following the loss to Breidis Prescott:
“It was quite hard, because when you suffer a defeat some fighters don’t come back the same. Some fighters get disheartened and they just call it a day, and with me, it just pushed me on to do better things and made me a better fighter, really.”

On his victory over Marco Antonio Barrera:
“Coming off the Prescott defeat, I needed to get the confidence back and I think the best fight for me to come back for was against Barrera..”



On winning the WBA championship against Andriy Kotelnik:
“It was a great fight for me. I boxed excellent and I used my brain instead of my heart. I didn’t go in there trying to knock him out and make mistakes, I used my brains all through the twelve rounds and stayed focused.”

On the prospects of facing Marcus Maidana:
“I heard Maidana was my next mandatory and I was going to take that fight. I was very confident in taking that fight, and I spoke to Freddie Roach about that fight, and he was also very confident.”

On a potential match-up with WBO champion Timothy Bradley:
“I think Timothy is a great fighter, especially in the junior welterweight division. I’m not going to rush into things and fight him straight away because I think I still need to build up in this division. I’ve only had two fights in this division, I’m getting stronger, I’m filling in the weight, and I’m getting more seasoned. I think that fight could maybe happen late 2010.”

On sparring with Manny Pacquiao:
“Yeah, we spar together and Freddie says, no one back off. It’s like a fight. So you have to hit each other and hurt him. It’s helped me so much sparring with him. It’s given me so much confidence. After suffering the defeat, I went to LA and sparred with Manny Pacquiao and built my confidence up.”

***

Next up we had a good discussion with undefeated IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud. Here are some excerpts from that one:

On beating Clinton Woods in his last fight to become champion:
“It felt good, but when I became world champion I still felt like it wasn’t enough and I still have a lot of hunger for the game so I’m going out and am going to try to unify the titles.”

On not being able to secure a match with Chad Dawson:
“I’m not disappointed. Chad Dawson, he has to pretty much do what the people running him tell him to do. They’re moving his career the way they want to move it. I’m really not disappointed, all I can say is you can run but you can’t hide.”

On his journey that started with poverty and led him to become a world champion:
“Boxing definitely helped me make it by just staying positive and learning from all the mistakes that other people made around me.”

On his working relationship with former NFL player Alonzo Johnson, his strength and conditioning coach:
“Alonzo Johnson was my amateur coach Alonzo Johnson is the type of trainer that has this hardcore mentality. When he played football, he went 100%--it’s kill or be killed. When I went to the boxing gym, he had that same mentality.”

On becoming the first fighter to stop Julio Cesar Gonzalez:
“I really wasn’t surprised. I didn’t go into the fight thinking about knocking him out. I wasn’t trying to knock him out, I was just giving 100% every step of the way.”

 

[T-Rip]

wow, just watched a great fight. I was getting frustrated watching Miranda throwing the same punch over and he ended paying for it. Karmazin showed heart coming from behind like he did

 

[heyzel]

Marquez Wanted 50-50 Split, Blood Tests For Pacquiao

y Mark Vester

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told Sports Illustrated that he was approached on Thursday by Top Rank for a trilogy bout between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. A shocking demand was made by Marquez. He requested a 50-50 split on the money with Pacquiao. For a guy chasing a Pacquiao trilogy since their 2008 rematch, Marquez found an amazing way to say "no thank you."

In a move we all expected, Marquez, like Floyd Mayweather Jr., made a demand for random Olympic style drug tests. BoxingScene.com reported on December 24 that Marquez would demand random drug tests for a trilogy bout with Pacquaio.

Schaefer told BoxingScene.com, also last month, that Pacquiao would have to take random blood tests for a fight with any Golden Boy Promotions fighter - and that includes Shane Mosley.

Promoter Gary Shaw predicted this would happen during a December interview with BoxingScene. He said back then - "If he doesn't do the tests with Mayweather, I believe the only fights that Pacquiao will be able to get are with fighters who are with Top Rank. All other promoters are going to want to know that they are fighting on level playing field."

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum told SI that he won't even consider any form of testing that is beyond what a state commission requires for any future fight with Pacquiao. He blames himself for making the mistake of even considering random blood testing during the Pacquiao-Mayweather negotiations. Pacquiao will now face another Joshua Clottey, also with Top Rank, on March 13.

"This is beyond stupid," said Arum. "That was my biggest mistake, allowing any of this to happen. I should have said no. We're not revisiting [blood testing]. We're not negotiating with these punks anymore. If Mayweather wants to fight Pacquiao down the road, he will have to go by the testing the state commission asks for. If not, life goes on."

 

[heyzel]

Drug Testing: people are missing the point

By Harold Tackie: A lot has been said in regard to the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight not taking place. There are many who blame Floyd Mayweather for the fight not taking place, saying he is running scared and that he does not really want the fight. Others blame World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and his team for refusing to take the blood tests. I personally fall into the latter category and I will explain why I take this stance as I go through this article.

Many people get confused when they hear Olympic style drug testing and figure it something that is used only in amateur sports. What many fail to recognize is that there are very few amateur athletes who still take part in the Olympics any more. Whether the sport be athletics, football, tennis, swimming, basketball, gymnastics or cycling, it is pretty much professional, paid athletes who participate. Probably the only exception to this is boxing, where the athletes are paid to cover the cost of training and nothing else. They don’t really get sponsorship deals in order to make ends meet. The bottom line is that participating in the Olympics is viewed to be the pinnacle of any athletes career and as such the testing for PED’s is going to be the most thorough in order to ensure the highest levels of fairness and sportsmanship- that is what the Olympic movement is all about.

The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) is the bidy responsible for carrying out these tests and they are said to used the most up to date methods in order to screen for the latest designer PED’s. We are not talking about the anabolic steriods that Ben Johnson got caught with in 1988. We’re talking about Human Growth Hormones HGH that can disappear that can not be detected in urine tests. We are talking about Blood Doping where athletes attempt to increase their red blood cell count in order to be able to carry more oxygen which helps to improve performance.

The only way you can catch athletes who use these methods to, essentially, cheat is to carry out blood tests as they tend to only be detectable by carrying out blood tests. However, it is not enough to just carry out blood tests as these “drugs” can vanish from an athletes system in a matter of hours, especially the highly sophisticated ones.

The only way to insure a high probability of catching people is to carry out random blood testing so that if someone is blood doping or using HGH, they can be caught. Many sports use random body testing from football (soccer), to tennis, cycling, skiing, rugby, athletics, and most have a fairly good success rate.

Boxing, if it is to survive it needs to follow these other sports start using random blood tests as standard. Call me a skeptic, but as much as I would love to believe that all boxers are clean, the reality is probably far from that. Unfortunately, because blood tests are pre-organized and not random, those you may be cheating will not get caught as they can simply stop taking their drug of choice

 

[heyzel]

What will Pacquiao do if random blood tests become standard?

By Jason Kim: The recent mega fight between WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. died out because of the random blood tests for drugs that Mayweather wanted bout fighters to take before the fight. Mayweather says that he just wants an even playing field. The negotiations quickly hit a roadblock over this matter, as typically only urine is checked by the Nevada Athletic Commission, who oversees boxing matches in Nevada.

Mayweather got Pacquiao to agree to take three tests initially. However, Mayweather wanted much more than just three tests. He wanted the tests to be truly random and continuous happening at any time up until the fight. Pacquiao feels that having blood taken from him, even small amounts, weakens him. In mediation, Pacquiao agreed to allow blood tests to be taken 24 days before the fight. Mayweather countered by asking for 14 days before the fight. This is where the mediation fell apart it appears.

Pacquiao is looking to fight former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey next, and unless Mayweather backs down on his request for random blood tests, he can forget about a fight with Pacquiao on March 13th. However, what would Pacquiao do if random blood tests become the boxing industry standard. Of course, it would almost impossible for this to happen, because there would likely be differences in drug testing from state to state in the U.S., and the same would probably go for fights out of the country. But if this were to become the standard, would Pacquiao accept it or would he retire from boxing to save himself the trouble of having his blood tested randomly.

You can understand why it would it would be asking a lot of Pacquiao to have to have blood taken from him, because he feels that it weakens him somehow despite the fact that only minute amount of blood are taken for these tests. But if this became the standard for boxing, Pacquiao would have little choice but to accept them or else find himself in a situation where he might have to retire from the sport.

For a fighter like Mayweather’s perspective, you can understand why he would be concerned about wanting the tests to take place. If you’re not sure if your opponent is using performance enhancing drugs to gain bulk and strength, it can be a little worrisome. Mayweather would like for the tests to be taken so that he can be sure in his mind that his opponent is clean. But on the other hand, the tests are not standard in Nevada, so you can understand why Pacquiao wouldn’t want to have to take them.

So would Pacquiao accept and take the blood tests if they become standard or would he retire to avoid the trauma of having his blood taken from him? It would decision I can imagine. If I were uncomfortable with having my own blood taken, and thought that it weakened me, I would probably have to accept it if I wanted to make a living in the sport.

However, if I had already made a ton of money in boxing, I might retire to avoid being tested so that I could spare myself the mental and physical anguish of having my blood taken. Unless someone was to sit me down and convince me that my fears were all inside my head and not real, I would probably lean towards retirement.