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Hopkins wants Bute or Dawson next
By Jason Kim: Newly crowned WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KO’s) says he doesn’t care who he faces next – Lucian Bute or Chad Dawson. This comes after beating Jean Pascal (26-2-1, 16 KO’s) by a 12 round unanimous decision last Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Other than a brief struggle in the first four rounds, Hopkins took over the fight from then on and dominated Pascal for the remainder of the bout.
So dominant was Hopkins’ performance that he even took the opportunity to do some push-ups before the start of the 7th round. That had to be more than a little intimidating to Pascal, who by that time looked completely befuddled and was no longer throwing many punches. In winning, Hopkins breaks George Foreman’s record as the oldest fighter to ever win a world title.
Hopkins, 46, broke Foreman’s record from 1994, when Foreman was a ripe 45 when he knocked out Michael Moorer in the 10th round. With the win, Hopkins says he plans on fighting until he’s 50. Of course, Hopkins may increase that number if he’s still fighting well at that point. Right now, there’s really only one interesting opponent for Hopkins at light heavyweight and that’s Dawson (30-1, 17 Ko’s).
If Hopkins can get past Dawson, provided that Hopkins doesn’t bypass the Dawson fight, then Hopkins will be looking to get a fight against IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute after that. Hopkins promoters would prefer that Hopkins get the Bute fight now rather than the Dawson fight. However, it was previously agreed that the Hopkins-Pascal winner would fight Dawson next. It would be asking a lot of Dawson for him to step aside to let the Hopkins vs. Bute fight go ahead first. But perhaps they can give Dawson a step aside fee so that this fight can go ahead.
By Jason Kim: Newly crowned WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KO’s) says he doesn’t care who he faces next – Lucian Bute or Chad Dawson. This comes after beating Jean Pascal (26-2-1, 16 KO’s) by a 12 round unanimous decision last Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Other than a brief struggle in the first four rounds, Hopkins took over the fight from then on and dominated Pascal for the remainder of the bout.
So dominant was Hopkins’ performance that he even took the opportunity to do some push-ups before the start of the 7th round. That had to be more than a little intimidating to Pascal, who by that time looked completely befuddled and was no longer throwing many punches. In winning, Hopkins breaks George Foreman’s record as the oldest fighter to ever win a world title.
Hopkins, 46, broke Foreman’s record from 1994, when Foreman was a ripe 45 when he knocked out Michael Moorer in the 10th round. With the win, Hopkins says he plans on fighting until he’s 50. Of course, Hopkins may increase that number if he’s still fighting well at that point. Right now, there’s really only one interesting opponent for Hopkins at light heavyweight and that’s Dawson (30-1, 17 Ko’s).
If Hopkins can get past Dawson, provided that Hopkins doesn’t bypass the Dawson fight, then Hopkins will be looking to get a fight against IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute after that. Hopkins promoters would prefer that Hopkins get the Bute fight now rather than the Dawson fight. However, it was previously agreed that the Hopkins-Pascal winner would fight Dawson next. It would be asking a lot of Dawson for him to step aside to let the Hopkins vs. Bute fight go ahead first. But perhaps they can give Dawson a step aside fee so that this fight can go ahead.
Mikkel Kessler: “I think that Carl Froch has a good chance of winning the Super Six
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview with Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - Last week’s 125th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with former three time super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (43-2, 32 KOs) who is scheduled to come back on June 4 when he faces Mehdi Bouadla (22-3, 10 KOs). Kessler spoke about his upcoming fight and also provided his views on other aspects of the current boxing landscape, including the Super Six, Manny Pacquiao, Lucian Bute, his future plans, and more! Here is a complete transcript of that interview.
JENNA J: It’s actually time for our final guest of this week’s show and one I’m very proud to have because it’s a long time in the making. We are joined by the former three time super middleweight champion, “The Viking Warrior”, Mikkel Kessler. How are you doing today., Mikkel?
MIKKEL KESSLER: I’m doing very good. I’ve just been training.
JENNA: Excellent. Well good to hear. You’re training for an upcoming fight that you have against Mehdi Bouadla on June 4. How have the preparations been going?
KESSLER: It’s been going very good. I had some good sparring. I had problems with my eyes and it’s been going very good for the sparring rounds. I feel good. I’m ready to fight.
JENNA: Great. Now how did it feel just to get back in there and start sparring after you had that long period of inactivity?
KESSLER: Of course it was a difficult time for me the first couple of rounds because I wanted to see how my eyes reacted, but it reacted very good. I feel very good. Of course it’s been one year and two months since my last fight. It’s going to be hard to come back of course, but I feel ready.
JENNA: Now how do you feel about your opponent Mehdi Bouadla?
KESSLER” He’s a strong opponent. I think it’s a good fight for me as my first fight. I saw some of his videos. He looks strong, physically strong. He’s not my height but he’s a physically strong guy, a little like Abraham with coming forward. So it’s going to be a very good fight.
JENNA: Now Mikkel, your fight with Mehdi Bouadla is actually going to be shown on Showtime as the lead-in to Froch versus Johnson. I’m curious what do you think about that fight and the way that the tournament has progressed since you’ve been out of it?
KESSLER: I think they’re all solid fights in the Super Six. It’s been a great tournament. Of course I’m ashamed that I couldn’t be there all the way, but I think there have been some good fights there. Now Carl Froch and Glen Johnson I think it’s going to a bit of an ugly fight because Johnson doesn’t want to fight as much. Carl Froch wants to fight. I think we’re going to see a hard fight. It’s not the best fight ever, but I think we’re going to see a hard fight and an awkward fight.
JENNA: Okay now even though the Finals aren’t exactly set, you have Andre Ward. He’s already in the Finals and obviously the winner of Froch-Johnson will be there. Who do you expect to win the tournament just seeing what you’ve seen so far?
KESSLER: Of course I fought Ward. I fought Froch. I haven’t fought Johnson. I think that Carl Froch has a good chance of winning the Super Six. Ward is a good fighter. He’s a clever fighter. He knows how to hold the opponent. He knows how to spar his opponent. So it’s difficult to say in the Super Six. It’s a difficult tournament, but I would actually put my cards on Carl Froch.
JENNA: Okay, we’re also on the line with my Co-Host Geoff.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hello Mikkel. It’s a pleasure to have you on the show.
KESSLER: Thank you very much.
CIANI: I’m curious Mikkel, did you see the last fight between Andre Ward and Arthur Abraham and if so what did you think of Ward’s performance in that one?
KESSLER: You know I think Ward is a clever boxer. He punches and he holds. Abraham had a good three first rounds. His first three rounds were good but he doesn’t trust himself much. He doesn’t change his style. When I fought Ward it was difficult for me. This was wrong, this was wrong. I had to go home to the gym and do a lot of other things. I had to change my trainer. You have to change up things and I didn’t think Abraham changed anything. But of course Ward did a good job. It’s how he should do it.
CIANI: Now Mikkel I wanted to get your opinion on another super middleweight, a guy who wasn’t in the Super Six tournament but a lot of people still consider him to be amongst the best in the division and that is Lucian Bute. What do you think of him as a fighter?
KESSLER: I think Lucian Bute is a great fighter. Of course now we have the Super Six. We can have a Super Twenty next time maybe. It’s difficult to say, but Lucian Bute is a great fighter. I just attended one of his fights with Brian Magee. He’s a tough fighter but he hasn’t had the big fights yet so I’m looking forward to that.
CIANI: If you’re successful in your next upcoming fight on June 4, which guy out there would you most like to face? Would you like to face Bute? Or would you like to face the winner of the Super Six? Or maybe somebody else perhaps?
KESSLER: You can call on everyone. I’m not scared of anyone and I’m ready to fight the big guys of course. Bute would be a great fight. Of course the Super Six winner, that was my dream that I was taken out of because of my eye injury. You know whatever comes to me. I don’t know what kind of fight we can make but of course I want to fight the best of the best.
CIANI: Now changing things up a tiny bit here, one of the questions I like to ask the guests on our show is the story behind how they first started using their boxing nicknames, and in your case how did you first start using “The Viking Warrior”?
KESSLER: I have a good friend in the States called Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez who was a world champion also and we actually came up with “The Vikining” because I have a tattoo with a big Viking I got in Denmark. So I tattooed a big Viking on my back and it started from there and he said, “You have to be ‘The Viking Warrior’!” Then it just came one day at a time. In the start they called me “The Hit Man”, but there was “Hit Man” Hearns and all the others so I wanted my own name. So it was Carlos Hernandez who made that name for me.
JENNA: Alright well Mikkel you recently actually turned 32 years old. I mean do you feel like you’re still near your prime?
KESSLER: Yeah, I do. I would have quit when I turned 30. I feel as if I still have it. It’s not like my reflexes are bad or I can’t see the punches anymore. I have had none of that. Everything is working so well for me in the gym. Now I have one gym break. Of course I’ve been training but me and my trainer have been talking to him about my reflexes and my punches and I still got it. The day I go into the gym and I can see this bad, then I will quit. But now I feel I’m in my prime and I have a lot of education inside the boxing ring. I know how to fight the good fighters and the bad. I know how to change my style. So I will still be ready in a couple of years.
JENNA: Well a few times since your last fight with Carl Froch we’ve had Carl on the show and he has insisted that he retired you. He said he never expects a rematch between you and him to happen because of what happened between you and him in the ring. I mean how do you feel about that fight you had with Carl and how much would you like to have a rematch with him?
KESSLER: I would have a rematch with Carl, no problem. I won the fight. He’s a great fighter and a good guy Carl, but it wasn’t him who stopped my career in the Super Six or made me have to pull out because of that fight. I had it actually a little bit with my eye before the Ward fight and it just got worse and worse and worse. So it had nothing to do with Carl Froch. So I don’t think I should retire. I won the fight and I should be in the Finals now in the Super Six.
JENNA: Now you’ve had a great career so far Mikkel, but when you look at your career as a whole what do you think was your toughest fight so far?
KESSLER: I’ve had a lot of tough fights but they are tough in a different way. You know I had my losses, against Ward when I wasn’t there that day. I had Joe Calzaghe. It was my other loss and it was a tough fight, and of course I had Froch. It was a very tough fight because nobody believes in you and everyone says you’re finished and now you have to retire and I came back. So it was a tough time for me and entering the training for the three months before the fight. So it’s difficult to say what’s the toughest but that’s some of the toughest. I had maybe five or six tough fights in my career.
CIANI: Mikkel when you look one division north of you at light heavyweight there is a big rematch happening this weekend between Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal and I’m wondering who do you think is going to win that rematch following their somewhat controversial draw?
KESSLER: They’re too good fighters. Hopkins is getting old but he still knows the game. I think Pascal should win the fight, but Hopkins is a clever guy. He’s intelligent. I can’t say who’s going to win the fight. I don’t know.
CIANI: Now do you have any desire of perhaps moving up to 175 yourself someday soon?
KESSLER: No. I’m a perfect super middleweight so I’m going to stay here.
CIANI: Great. Now I’m wondering Mikkel what do you think of the sport’s biggest star right now, Manny Pacquiao?
KESSLER: Oh he’s a great fighter, a great fighter. Maybe instead of going up to light heavyweight I should go down to Manny Pacquiao. That would probably be better. But of course he’s a great guy and a big name. Pacquiao’s an incredibly fast tough little guy. So of course all the best to him, he’s doing a really, really good job.
CIANI: Now the fight that all the fans want to see is a fight between him and Floyd Mayweather. In your opinion do you think we’ll ever get to see that fight?
KESSLER: I hope so! Like all of you I hope for the fight, but I don’t know why. I read something about some doping tests and I read some other things. I don’t know what’s going on but of course I hope the fight takes place one day and I will be there.
JENNA: Okay Mikkel, well we just have a few more questions before we let you off the line, and I’m curious what do you think is going to be the most important thing to allow you to be victorious on against Mehdi Bouadla on June 4?
KESSLER: The important thing is to take control of the fight from the start. He’s a little guy. He’s going to come forward. He’s going to try to tear me down and to knock me out of course. He’s going to try to do his thing in the ring. I have to not let him do anything. I have to take control of the fight from the first minute I get out of the corner and use my long arms and think about what to do.
JENNA: Okay now you obviously want to have a big 2011. How do you expect this year to end out for you?
KESSLER: I think it’s going to be a great year for me because I can feel I’m back. I can feel I’m hungry. Of course I couldn’t be in the Super Six. I want to show I’m still here. I want to show my fans that I’m still here. I’m back and I still got it! So it’s going to be a great year for me.
JENNA: Great. Obviously we mentioned a few times that you’ve been out of the ring for a long time. What do you miss most?
KESSLER: I miss staying in the ring with all of my fans and of course I’ve been missing all of the good training. Some days, of course, it’s not very nice to go through some hard training but when it goes good all of it is worth it. Of course I miss standing in the spotlight and being there where I want to be.
JENNA: Alright well you mentioned your fans briefly. Is there anything you want to say to them in closing?
KESSLER: I just want to say that I am grateful that they are following me. They are writing some very good things about me and they still trust me. I just want to say thank you for everything to the fans in the world. I’m going to be there. I’m going to be back and I’m going to be more than ready.
JENNA: Arlight Mikkel, well it’s been an absolute pleasure having a chance to speak to you. I wish you all the best of luck and we’re looking forward to seeing you back in the ring.
KESSLER: Okay, thank you very much.
CIANI: Thanks Mikkel. Best of luck.
KESSLER: Okay. Thank you. Take care. Bye.
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview with Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - Last week’s 125th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with former three time super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (43-2, 32 KOs) who is scheduled to come back on June 4 when he faces Mehdi Bouadla (22-3, 10 KOs). Kessler spoke about his upcoming fight and also provided his views on other aspects of the current boxing landscape, including the Super Six, Manny Pacquiao, Lucian Bute, his future plans, and more! Here is a complete transcript of that interview.
JENNA J: It’s actually time for our final guest of this week’s show and one I’m very proud to have because it’s a long time in the making. We are joined by the former three time super middleweight champion, “The Viking Warrior”, Mikkel Kessler. How are you doing today., Mikkel?
MIKKEL KESSLER: I’m doing very good. I’ve just been training.
JENNA: Excellent. Well good to hear. You’re training for an upcoming fight that you have against Mehdi Bouadla on June 4. How have the preparations been going?
KESSLER: It’s been going very good. I had some good sparring. I had problems with my eyes and it’s been going very good for the sparring rounds. I feel good. I’m ready to fight.
JENNA: Great. Now how did it feel just to get back in there and start sparring after you had that long period of inactivity?
KESSLER: Of course it was a difficult time for me the first couple of rounds because I wanted to see how my eyes reacted, but it reacted very good. I feel very good. Of course it’s been one year and two months since my last fight. It’s going to be hard to come back of course, but I feel ready.
JENNA: Now how do you feel about your opponent Mehdi Bouadla?
KESSLER” He’s a strong opponent. I think it’s a good fight for me as my first fight. I saw some of his videos. He looks strong, physically strong. He’s not my height but he’s a physically strong guy, a little like Abraham with coming forward. So it’s going to be a very good fight.
JENNA: Now Mikkel, your fight with Mehdi Bouadla is actually going to be shown on Showtime as the lead-in to Froch versus Johnson. I’m curious what do you think about that fight and the way that the tournament has progressed since you’ve been out of it?
KESSLER: I think they’re all solid fights in the Super Six. It’s been a great tournament. Of course I’m ashamed that I couldn’t be there all the way, but I think there have been some good fights there. Now Carl Froch and Glen Johnson I think it’s going to a bit of an ugly fight because Johnson doesn’t want to fight as much. Carl Froch wants to fight. I think we’re going to see a hard fight. It’s not the best fight ever, but I think we’re going to see a hard fight and an awkward fight.
JENNA: Okay now even though the Finals aren’t exactly set, you have Andre Ward. He’s already in the Finals and obviously the winner of Froch-Johnson will be there. Who do you expect to win the tournament just seeing what you’ve seen so far?
KESSLER: Of course I fought Ward. I fought Froch. I haven’t fought Johnson. I think that Carl Froch has a good chance of winning the Super Six. Ward is a good fighter. He’s a clever fighter. He knows how to hold the opponent. He knows how to spar his opponent. So it’s difficult to say in the Super Six. It’s a difficult tournament, but I would actually put my cards on Carl Froch.
JENNA: Okay, we’re also on the line with my Co-Host Geoff.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hello Mikkel. It’s a pleasure to have you on the show.
KESSLER: Thank you very much.
CIANI: I’m curious Mikkel, did you see the last fight between Andre Ward and Arthur Abraham and if so what did you think of Ward’s performance in that one?
KESSLER: You know I think Ward is a clever boxer. He punches and he holds. Abraham had a good three first rounds. His first three rounds were good but he doesn’t trust himself much. He doesn’t change his style. When I fought Ward it was difficult for me. This was wrong, this was wrong. I had to go home to the gym and do a lot of other things. I had to change my trainer. You have to change up things and I didn’t think Abraham changed anything. But of course Ward did a good job. It’s how he should do it.
CIANI: Now Mikkel I wanted to get your opinion on another super middleweight, a guy who wasn’t in the Super Six tournament but a lot of people still consider him to be amongst the best in the division and that is Lucian Bute. What do you think of him as a fighter?
KESSLER: I think Lucian Bute is a great fighter. Of course now we have the Super Six. We can have a Super Twenty next time maybe. It’s difficult to say, but Lucian Bute is a great fighter. I just attended one of his fights with Brian Magee. He’s a tough fighter but he hasn’t had the big fights yet so I’m looking forward to that.
CIANI: If you’re successful in your next upcoming fight on June 4, which guy out there would you most like to face? Would you like to face Bute? Or would you like to face the winner of the Super Six? Or maybe somebody else perhaps?
KESSLER: You can call on everyone. I’m not scared of anyone and I’m ready to fight the big guys of course. Bute would be a great fight. Of course the Super Six winner, that was my dream that I was taken out of because of my eye injury. You know whatever comes to me. I don’t know what kind of fight we can make but of course I want to fight the best of the best.
CIANI: Now changing things up a tiny bit here, one of the questions I like to ask the guests on our show is the story behind how they first started using their boxing nicknames, and in your case how did you first start using “The Viking Warrior”?
KESSLER: I have a good friend in the States called Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez who was a world champion also and we actually came up with “The Vikining” because I have a tattoo with a big Viking I got in Denmark. So I tattooed a big Viking on my back and it started from there and he said, “You have to be ‘The Viking Warrior’!” Then it just came one day at a time. In the start they called me “The Hit Man”, but there was “Hit Man” Hearns and all the others so I wanted my own name. So it was Carlos Hernandez who made that name for me.
JENNA: Alright well Mikkel you recently actually turned 32 years old. I mean do you feel like you’re still near your prime?
KESSLER: Yeah, I do. I would have quit when I turned 30. I feel as if I still have it. It’s not like my reflexes are bad or I can’t see the punches anymore. I have had none of that. Everything is working so well for me in the gym. Now I have one gym break. Of course I’ve been training but me and my trainer have been talking to him about my reflexes and my punches and I still got it. The day I go into the gym and I can see this bad, then I will quit. But now I feel I’m in my prime and I have a lot of education inside the boxing ring. I know how to fight the good fighters and the bad. I know how to change my style. So I will still be ready in a couple of years.
JENNA: Well a few times since your last fight with Carl Froch we’ve had Carl on the show and he has insisted that he retired you. He said he never expects a rematch between you and him to happen because of what happened between you and him in the ring. I mean how do you feel about that fight you had with Carl and how much would you like to have a rematch with him?
KESSLER: I would have a rematch with Carl, no problem. I won the fight. He’s a great fighter and a good guy Carl, but it wasn’t him who stopped my career in the Super Six or made me have to pull out because of that fight. I had it actually a little bit with my eye before the Ward fight and it just got worse and worse and worse. So it had nothing to do with Carl Froch. So I don’t think I should retire. I won the fight and I should be in the Finals now in the Super Six.
JENNA: Now you’ve had a great career so far Mikkel, but when you look at your career as a whole what do you think was your toughest fight so far?
KESSLER: I’ve had a lot of tough fights but they are tough in a different way. You know I had my losses, against Ward when I wasn’t there that day. I had Joe Calzaghe. It was my other loss and it was a tough fight, and of course I had Froch. It was a very tough fight because nobody believes in you and everyone says you’re finished and now you have to retire and I came back. So it was a tough time for me and entering the training for the three months before the fight. So it’s difficult to say what’s the toughest but that’s some of the toughest. I had maybe five or six tough fights in my career.
CIANI: Mikkel when you look one division north of you at light heavyweight there is a big rematch happening this weekend between Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal and I’m wondering who do you think is going to win that rematch following their somewhat controversial draw?
KESSLER: They’re too good fighters. Hopkins is getting old but he still knows the game. I think Pascal should win the fight, but Hopkins is a clever guy. He’s intelligent. I can’t say who’s going to win the fight. I don’t know.
CIANI: Now do you have any desire of perhaps moving up to 175 yourself someday soon?
KESSLER: No. I’m a perfect super middleweight so I’m going to stay here.
CIANI: Great. Now I’m wondering Mikkel what do you think of the sport’s biggest star right now, Manny Pacquiao?
KESSLER: Oh he’s a great fighter, a great fighter. Maybe instead of going up to light heavyweight I should go down to Manny Pacquiao. That would probably be better. But of course he’s a great guy and a big name. Pacquiao’s an incredibly fast tough little guy. So of course all the best to him, he’s doing a really, really good job.
CIANI: Now the fight that all the fans want to see is a fight between him and Floyd Mayweather. In your opinion do you think we’ll ever get to see that fight?
KESSLER: I hope so! Like all of you I hope for the fight, but I don’t know why. I read something about some doping tests and I read some other things. I don’t know what’s going on but of course I hope the fight takes place one day and I will be there.
JENNA: Okay Mikkel, well we just have a few more questions before we let you off the line, and I’m curious what do you think is going to be the most important thing to allow you to be victorious on against Mehdi Bouadla on June 4?
KESSLER: The important thing is to take control of the fight from the start. He’s a little guy. He’s going to come forward. He’s going to try to tear me down and to knock me out of course. He’s going to try to do his thing in the ring. I have to not let him do anything. I have to take control of the fight from the first minute I get out of the corner and use my long arms and think about what to do.
JENNA: Okay now you obviously want to have a big 2011. How do you expect this year to end out for you?
KESSLER: I think it’s going to be a great year for me because I can feel I’m back. I can feel I’m hungry. Of course I couldn’t be in the Super Six. I want to show I’m still here. I want to show my fans that I’m still here. I’m back and I still got it! So it’s going to be a great year for me.
JENNA: Great. Obviously we mentioned a few times that you’ve been out of the ring for a long time. What do you miss most?
KESSLER: I miss staying in the ring with all of my fans and of course I’ve been missing all of the good training. Some days, of course, it’s not very nice to go through some hard training but when it goes good all of it is worth it. Of course I miss standing in the spotlight and being there where I want to be.
JENNA: Alright well you mentioned your fans briefly. Is there anything you want to say to them in closing?
KESSLER: I just want to say that I am grateful that they are following me. They are writing some very good things about me and they still trust me. I just want to say thank you for everything to the fans in the world. I’m going to be there. I’m going to be back and I’m going to be more than ready.
JENNA: Arlight Mikkel, well it’s been an absolute pleasure having a chance to speak to you. I wish you all the best of luck and we’re looking forward to seeing you back in the ring.
KESSLER: Okay, thank you very much.
CIANI: Thanks Mikkel. Best of luck.
KESSLER: Okay. Thank you. Take care. Bye.
Emanuel Steward: “The whole sport of boxing was on the shoulders of a little Filipino
by Geoffrey Ciani (Interviewed by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - Hall of Fame boxing trainer Emanuel Steward discussed his views on Bernard Hopkin’s history making victory against Jean Pascal in the second edition of a new series of special episodes of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) In addition to discussing the Hopkins-Pascal fight, Steward also touched on a variety of other topics including Chad Dawson’s victory over Adrian Diaconu, a potential showdown between Hopkins and Dawson, Andy Lee’s recent victory against Alex Bunema, Cornelius Bundrage versus Sechew Powerll, the upcoming fight between Julio Cesar Chavez Junior and Sebastian Zbik, and more! Here is a complete transcript of that episode:
JENNA J: Hey boxing fans! This is Jenna J and Geoff Ciani welcoming you to another edition of Sunday Night Conversation with Emanuel Steward. We are fortunate enough to have Emanuel on the line with us right now. How are you doing tonight Emanuel?
EMANUEL STEWARD: I’m doing fine.
JENNA: Well we had quite a fight weekend. The ageless wonder Bernard Hopkins returned to the ring in a rematch against Jean Pascal. What were your thoughts on his performance?
STEWARD: I thought his performance was superb. It was an excellent performance. He did things that he had never done before and it’s not so much just the skill level, but at this stage of his career at 46 he was fighting a strong young fighter in his hometown, and not just a hometown city but it’s more like a hometown country which means everything is really stacked against him. He fought a fantastic fight. I think maybe it’s the best fight that he’s fought since Felix Trinidad. It wasn’t just winning the fight but the way he won the fight by outboxing and actually, which is not typical of Bernard Hopkins’ style, outslugging and outmatching the guy in terms of physical strength and making commitments that he’s never made before in terms of being so offensive. I thought it was his best performance when you look at everything. Even with the fight with Trinidad he still was very cautious. With Oscar he was very cautious. He would play it safe until he felt it was the proper time to execute, but in this fight here he came out in the first round and started applying pressure. The main thing I could see with the way that the fight was going that he was going to win it because you could look at his eyes and see the determination and the focus that he had going into the fight.
JENNA: Alright now Emanuel, you are obviously very familiar with boxing history. Have you seen any fighter like Bernard Hopkins?
STEWARD: Well yes. There has been Archie Moore, there have been a lot of fighters, but for today he stands out. There were a lot of great fighters back then but for today he stands out. I like the fact that he went back to training in Philadelphia old school. I think with the whole environment there at the gym, I think Nazim Richardson did a fantastic job because he and Bernard communicate with the same language. Bernard not only won the fight but he outboxed Pascal. He was so smart. He would sometimes actually throw a real jab where he would actually hit Pascal with his left jab in the, nose, or whatever. He caused damage to Pascal’s right eye early with a jab where his thumb hit him, but it was not something that was on purpose because of the way the way the gloves are designed the thumb is attached to the glove. But nevertheless he landed the jab and sometimes he would be like just feeling with the jab. It looked like he was jabbing but he wasn’t. He was just doing that to find out which way Pascal’s head was going to go before he would shoot the right hand or the left hook and he did a variety of everything, and not just outboxing. He outfought him when it came to the exchanges. He got hurt a couple of times, which I respect him for that. He outmuscled him, and as far as power punches he landed the power punches. He had the stamina, and then he captivated the crowd by doing his pushups or whatever. So he stole the show. I think it was a superb performance.
JENNA: Now Bernard seemingly improved on his first performance. Now Jean Pascal, he didn’t. Why do you think he was unable to make any adjustments the second time around against Bernard?
STEWARD: Pascal still is a, and I don’t like to use this phrase because it’s very degrading to him, but he’s an amateur fighter. He’s one dimensional. He backs back, backs back, and then he runs in and explodes and then he wants to go on a holiday, and he can’t do that. Bernard made him fight consistently. He has never developed a jab, basic fundamental balance, and how to be consistent in a steady flow. Everything is like a big real rush, rush, rush. He’s too hyper. He doesn’t relax and what Bernard did was he was able to sustain himself and hold up with those wild barrages when Pascal would come in, but then he actually stood toe-to-toe with him and got hit in a few of those exchanges. But Bernard made him fight consistently this time. Pascal has to learn how to box and throw combinations so things flow smoothly, be consistent throughout the whole round and not just explode in certain spots, and he needs to learn his basic fundamentals. He doesn’t have proper balance, a jab, or anything. Everything is just a big rush in and charge type of situation. It gets him to a certain point but when you run across a real crafty seasoned old school type of fighter like Bernard, and usually it doesn’t get you that way unless you can just overpower the older fighter, but Bernard held up and this to me was one of his best fights.
JENNA: Alright well Emanuel, as always I’m joined by my Co-Host and Producer Geoff Ciani.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hey Emanuel. It’s a pleasure to have you on the show.
STEWARD: It’s my pleasure to talk to you Geoff.
CIANI: Thanks Emanuel. Now I wanted to congratulate you on your victory. It was the first fight you and Chad Dawson worked together in his fight against Adrian Diaconu. How would you evaluate his performance?
STEWARD: Well, a B. It was not a super performance and both Chad and I have discussed that, but I knew it was going to be very difficult to some degree because Diaconu fought above his norm because of the unbelievable support of almost 18,000 people and about every one of them was behind him. He ended up having a tremendous amount of support based on the Lusican Bute Romanian type crowd in the build up and he had a solid amateur background with over 300 fights. He beat Sergio Martinez and a lot of other top fighters as an amateur. So I knew based on that amateur background and the fact that he would have unbelievable support he was going to be a difficult fight and he would fight above his normal level. Chad fought a good fight. In certain spots I thought Chad should have been more aggressive, but it takes time to change a person. You can’t do that over night. By nature he’s an extremely talented person as we all know, but also he’s the type of a guy from I guess his previous amateur trainers or whatever has been more of a win the fight, don’t worry about taking chances and being too dramatic. Just win the fight and you’ll be okay and then next fight will be a big fight.
So it’s going to take time to change things, but overall I thought under the conditions he was in there he fought a good fight and Diaconu fought the best fight that he fought. So I was satisfied with the victory. I still didn’t trust the judges. I was surprised at the big gap in the scores because everyone, not just me, has experienced the unbelievable one-sided scoring that they have in Montreal. But for that night I think based on the fact that the whole world has been talking so badly about their scoring system and their bias that I think it made them go a little more the other way. They were a little more favorable to the visitors than they normally would have been, but anyway I am glad for the victory. You can’t look great in every fight. I mean Muhammad Ali when he was still Cassius Clay had a tough fight with Doug Jones, but the next fight he was fighting Sonny Liston and he looked great.It will be an interesting matchup between Chad and Bernard because Chad is a different fighter. He’s still a professional style fighter and not the amateur type of fighter that Pascal is.
But the night belonged to Bernard and all I can do is give praise to him. It was his night and I think one of his best nights. It was just showing that if he and Chad fight, which I’m hoping they will, it would be an interesting fight but Bernard right now has become the darling of boxing, especially because of his age factor. It’s interesting that the whole sport of boxing was on the shoulders of a little Filipino guy named Manny Pacquiao, but now we have a new star who’s never been a big live attraction in Bernard Hopkins and he had to go to a foreign country to really become a star, but he is a star now.
CIANI: Now Emanuel it seemed to me that earlier in the fight Chad looked to be, maybe in the first three rounds, he seemed to be a little bit more active and a little bit more aggressive I thought than we usually see him come out. But then at times in the fight there were spots where he seemed to kind of fall into more of an old school Chad style where he wasn’t as active and you were getting on his case to throw more punches. It seems to me looking at Bernard Hopkins these days, that guys who fight in spurts and allow him the time to dictate the pace are the guys that Bernard does best against, whereas a guy like Calzaghe who was very active gave Bernard more trouble. Is that kind of your thinking going into this fight?
STEWARD: Exactly! Bernard right now is fighting very intelligently, very smart, and I agree. For Chad to be effective with Bernard he’s going to have to be a different fighter. He’s got to be busy, utilize his height, and realize that he’s fighting a guy who’s very smart, who may have slipped a little bit in terms of his skill level with age, but he makes up for it with knowledge and he’s extremely relaxed Bernard which makes him very effective. So the Chad Dawson that fought last night would have a tough problem with Bernard. He’s going to have to make a lot of adjustments to beat Bernard and we realize that.
CIANI: Emanuel when you look at Bernard’s victory in becoming the oldest champion, how do you think it compares to when George Foreman beat Michael Moorer?
STEWARD: Well I don’t know. I will let you decide that. George Foreman had lost every round of his fight with Michael Moorer including every minute and second of that round when he knocked out Michael Moorer, but that’s still phenomenal when you look at the age and the fact that he did not have the coordination that Bernard had. You look at that and I would have it equal, but then you look at Bernard going to a foreign country. Bernard still has a lot of his skills intact that George did not have at that age 45. Bernard is much more skillful and much more coordinated, but he was going against a young aggressive guy to some degree who’s physically very rough and then with a really, really strong crowd. Bernard has never fought, he’s not like a guy like say Glen Johnson who’s used to going into hostile situations in other countries and winning. But this is a whole new experience for him in his last two fights. So I would have them both 50-50. I cannot say one performance was more dominant than the other.
JENNA: Emanuel my Co-Host brought up the fact that Dawson is obviously going to be fighting Bernard Hopkins next. How soon do you see that fight actually coming together?
STEWARD: I don’t know. I was with Kerry Davis last night and it will take time to sort itself out, but it’s the only fight in the light heavyweight division. It’s really a division that’s been dead. Basically the controversial decision with Bernard and Pascal created a little excitement, not so much about that fight being such a great fight but it was the controversy of the division that focused a lot of attention on the light heavyweight division which is good. Dawson and Hopkins, strangely as I said on TV during my broadcast, they can end up in Montreal even though both guys are Americans. It could end up being a big attraction there. The only other place I think it would be a big attraction would be possibly in Atlantic City, but right now Bernard is becoming a big star where he’s never been a really big gate attraction and Chad definitely has not been either. Based on Bernard’s performance, and I’m watching him on ESPN and CNN and everything, his next fight is going to be a very big live gate for him, and not just a live gate but a live gate for him. Normally it was the opponent that he fought whether it was De La Hoya, or Pavlik, or whoever, that for the most part brought the live gate. But he’s the star now and I think the fight should take place probably before the end of this year and Bernard feels very good about himself where before it was always suspect that he was dodging Chad Dawson. I think the way he feels about himself now he’s ready to fight anyone and he feels that he could beat a lot of these young fighters out here now.
JENNA: Emanuel, the last time we had you on I asked you about Evander Holyfield. You said you didn’t think he was tarnishing his legacy due to the fact he’s been competitive in his recent fights. Well another former star, Roy Jones Junior, fought just this past weekend getting knocked out cold by Denis Lebedev in the tenth round. Do you think these type of losses Roy’s been getting in the latter part of his career will tarnish what was an all time great legacy?
STEWARD: I think Roy Jones Junior’s losses have probably been the most surprising and dramatic that I can recall in my life in boxing. To be an elite superstar and not just a superstar, but the superstar, I mean to see him go out the way he’s gone out now. It’s very seldom you see a very big legendary fighter whether it’s Ali, Robinson, or whoever, lose by knockout. He’s been knocked out, I don’t mean TKOs, he’s been knocked out—knocked out, four times. It’s definitely going to diminish his reputation. Usually with the great fighters when they lose in the latter part of their careers it really doesn’t affect their legacies. I don’t know in the case of Roy Jones because he’s been knocked out.
In the fight with Tarver, I thought it was a punch that really wound up slipping through the guard because of little small details that I won’t go into at the time when the punch landed. But then to come back and be knocked out by Glen Johnson, and then I think it was Green who knocked him out, and then this knockout which I didn’t see and I don’t want to see. With all of the unbelievable accomplishments he’s had with the dramatic knockouts, and I don’t mean TKOs, I think it’s definitely going to affect his legacy. Kids and boxers like Jean Pascal just idolized Roy Jones and the kids wanted to have Roy Jones shoes and this and that. I think the way that he’s going out has hurt him tremendously. I don’t recall any other big fighter that I’ve ever known to be knocked out like that.
It’s unfortunate because he was so good for boxing. He had probably the biggest impact on kids in terms of styles and attitudes I hate to say. He played basketball the same day of a fight. He had his own recording company. He just did what he wanted. He was a broadcaster. It was like he had the world at his feet and to go out like this here, I was unbelievably shocked when I was in the dressing room with Chad Dawson and me hearing that Roy Jones had been knocked out. You can see Chad like almost starting to cry. He said, “What? That’s my hero. I mean all my life I idolized Roy Jones.” If you lose a fight it’s one thing, but to be knocked out—knocked out!—it’s different, and I think it will hurt his legacy.
CIANI: Emanuel changing things up here a little bit, your fighter Andy Lee had a fight on Wednesday. He won by a virtual shutout on all three of the judges’ scorecards. What are your thoughts on his victory?
STEWARD: I gave Andy a 10 because Bunema after the first round realized that Andy was difficult to get close to and Andy was using his reach and his height very well. He went into a defensive mode and when a fighter goes into a defensive mode it’s very difficult to hurt him and before this fight Bunema was fighting more aggressive with fighters when he was fighting Martinez, and the other fighters, Jermain Taylor, and Karmazin, or whatever. For this fight after he realized that Andy was sharp and he couldn’t get inside he went into a defensive mode, but Andy went ten rounds and that’s what he needs is the working experience.
With all of the good fighters today it’s like if I can’t get my $50,000 or $85,000 or whatever I signed in my contract with my promoter, I can’t fight. I have to wait until I get a TV date, and the promoters have to do that. They have to wait until they get a date. Andy said he wanted to stay busy even at the risk of losing a fight. He’s right now become still become one of the most recognizable middleweights out there probably next to Martinez. Even though his last fight was not a great performance in terms of his skill on TV with McEwan, but nevertheless his name is a name that when you mention the middleweight division that comes up right away. He says he wants to stay busy. For this fight he fought for $5,000 and he wants to fight again in July, and then he wants a fight with Vera in September or October or whenever. There’s a new HBO series or something that may be coming up. He wants to fight Vera on that, and by the time that he fights for the title in March or the latter part of this year, he will be prepared because he has had the fights and will be what we call “fight sharp”.
CIANI: Now I also wanted to ask you about Cornelius Bundrage’s upcoming fight against Sechew Powell and what you think Bundrage needs to do to start getting a little more attention because he’s kind of like the forgotten fighter in your stable yet he’s a world champion?
STEWARD: Well it’s just one of those things that happens. He’s in a division right now which is not that hot except for the hot marquee names and he can’t fight any of them seemingly. If he knocks out Sechew I think he’ll start getting attention, and I feel that he will knockout Sechew because he’s not the same fighter that Sechew knocked out about five or six years ago. He’s a seasoned fighter now. He’s been boxing with some of the top fighters in the world. He’s learned his craft in the gym. He didn’t have a good amateur background. I think physically and mentally he’s too strong for Sechew Powell. I think knocking out Sechew Powell he will eventually get a big super fight because of the division he’s in. All of these guys are trying to break records and want to move up. Sooner or later they’re going to fight him. Then that he has a lot of respect from the organizations, Powell with the IBF, I think this is the key fight for him. I don’t know if HBO is going to show his fight or not once again, but he will get a lot of attention if he knocks out Sechew Powell and I think that from there his career will change.
JENNA: Alright Emanuel, well I just have a couple of more questions before I let you off the line. Recently a program came out involving Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye. It was called “Ringside” and it just seemed visibly that David Haye has been gotten to mentally by Wladimir Klitschko. I’m curious what your perception of that is? I mean David Haye has been quite quiet during the presser tour for this entire fight.
STEWARD: Well I think the closer we get to reality, I mean the fight actually taking place, you’re going to see him become even quieter. I think the reality is setting in. It’s different when you’re speaking about an opponent when you’re by yourself and you’re arrogant and you’re confident. When Haye starts dealing with him up close face-to-face and he can feel the mental strength of Wladimir and the physical size of Wladimir I think the reality is setting in that in every area he is deficient. Wladimir is bigger. He’s faster, which is the big surprise. Wladimir is much faster. We had “Fast” Eddie Chambers who I think is the best heavyweight coming up after Wladimir retires which will probably be in the next year or so. Eddie Chambers basically said that Wladimir beat him not so much just from the size but that he was actually too fast. I think the experience factor, possibly the hometown situation being it’s going to be in Germany where Wladimir’s fought most of his fights. There are too many things going against David. I cannot see him win in any way. They’re looking at just punching power and speed. You can forgot the speed because Wladimir is faster as we will find out and Wladimir has naturally great punching power. But the one thing that Wladimir has not demonstrated in a lot of his fights has been the nasty side of him and you will see that with David Haye. This was the only fight that I know he was going in with that type of attitude since he fought Chris Byrd in the rematch fight because he was very upset with Chris Byrd’s camp and family comments about him not having any heart and not having any stamina. In this fight here he is very agitated and I think I everybody will see a much more aggressive meaner Wladimir Klitschko and it’s very difficult for me to see David Haye going more than four rounds.
JENNA: Alright Emanuel, I want to get your thoughts on an upcoming match that’s going to take place on June 4 on HBO: Sebatian Zbik versus Julio Cesar Chavez Junior, “The Son of a Legend”. What are your thoughts on Chavez as a fighter and his upcoming match?
STEWARD: I think Julio Cesar Chavez has developed into a good fighter. With Chavez Junior, for being a tall fighter which he is physically tall, has become more and more as I have watched his recent fights has become more of a duplicate of his father. He’s fighting more. He’s more of a body puncher now, which makes for an exciting fight but I don’t know if it’s best for him the way he’s physically built. But I think the momentum is with him. His father was one of the greatest fighters ever and one of the greatest fighters that I’ve ever trained and the fact that Top Rank has moved him tremendously well. He’s been busy and had the right fights. I would have to favor him, but he is not the talent of his father and I don’t know if his concentration so much now being a body puncher is going to benefit him physically the way that he’s built. So it’s going to be interesting, but if he does win the fight with this big board and superstar fighters today he’s going to definitely with that name—and he’s a good looking kid whose very charismatic—he will be a big, big star.
JENNA: Now if Chavez Junior actually wins the fight against Zbik Bob Arum has brought up the possibility of Miguel Cotto facing off against him at a catch weight. Would you at all be interested in seeing Miguel Cotto versus Julio Cesar Chavez for the middleweight belt?
STEWARD: Yeah, Miguel would take the fight. It would be a great fight for him with a legendary Mexican and a legendary Puerto Rican and the name “Julio Cesar Chavez Junior” helps a little bit, too. I think it would be a good fight. Originally when they were speaking about the two matching each other about a year ago, I said, oh boy! It’s going to be a pretty rough fight because of the tremendous height difference advantage for Julio Junior, but now that Julio has sat down as we say banging, he has actually become a really tough body puncher which means that he’s fighting the same type of a style that Miguel fights.
In fact Miguel has always reminded me so much of Julio Cesar Chavez Senior when I was training him. I always would comment that training you reminds me a lot of when I was training Julio Cesar Chavez and now to see his son fighting Miguel and Chavez Junior is fighting more like his Daddy now, it means that if they do fight it’s going to be an extremely exciting fight. I don’t think there will be any clinches. There will be a lot of tremendous body punches and it’s a fight that would sell and be very big and it might possibly even come close to one of the record-setting fights believe it or not. Even though Chavez Junior is not a big name so far, but just the name “Chavez” I think would make it be a super fight and a very exciting fight, too.
JENNA: Alright well Emanuel, it’s been a pleasure as always getting your thoughts on this past weekend’s boxing and also your views on a few upcoming fights. Thank you for your time. It was a pleasure for me and Geoff to get those views.
STEWARD: Well it’s been my pleasure. I love sharing my ideas with the public on East Side Boxing.
CIANI: Thanks Emanuel.
STEWARD: Okay, thank you very much Geoffrey.
JENNA: Okay! That was Emanuel Steward once again doing a ‘Sunday Night Conversation’ with us. I want to thank him again for his time. It was a pleasure getting his commentary on this past week’s fights. I would like to thank my Co-Host Geoff, great job as always. For all of the fans listening out there be sure to check out our normal edition of On The Ropes. It will be out later this week and thank you again for tuning in.
by Geoffrey Ciani (Interviewed by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - Hall of Fame boxing trainer Emanuel Steward discussed his views on Bernard Hopkin’s history making victory against Jean Pascal in the second edition of a new series of special episodes of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) In addition to discussing the Hopkins-Pascal fight, Steward also touched on a variety of other topics including Chad Dawson’s victory over Adrian Diaconu, a potential showdown between Hopkins and Dawson, Andy Lee’s recent victory against Alex Bunema, Cornelius Bundrage versus Sechew Powerll, the upcoming fight between Julio Cesar Chavez Junior and Sebastian Zbik, and more! Here is a complete transcript of that episode:
JENNA J: Hey boxing fans! This is Jenna J and Geoff Ciani welcoming you to another edition of Sunday Night Conversation with Emanuel Steward. We are fortunate enough to have Emanuel on the line with us right now. How are you doing tonight Emanuel?
EMANUEL STEWARD: I’m doing fine.
JENNA: Well we had quite a fight weekend. The ageless wonder Bernard Hopkins returned to the ring in a rematch against Jean Pascal. What were your thoughts on his performance?
STEWARD: I thought his performance was superb. It was an excellent performance. He did things that he had never done before and it’s not so much just the skill level, but at this stage of his career at 46 he was fighting a strong young fighter in his hometown, and not just a hometown city but it’s more like a hometown country which means everything is really stacked against him. He fought a fantastic fight. I think maybe it’s the best fight that he’s fought since Felix Trinidad. It wasn’t just winning the fight but the way he won the fight by outboxing and actually, which is not typical of Bernard Hopkins’ style, outslugging and outmatching the guy in terms of physical strength and making commitments that he’s never made before in terms of being so offensive. I thought it was his best performance when you look at everything. Even with the fight with Trinidad he still was very cautious. With Oscar he was very cautious. He would play it safe until he felt it was the proper time to execute, but in this fight here he came out in the first round and started applying pressure. The main thing I could see with the way that the fight was going that he was going to win it because you could look at his eyes and see the determination and the focus that he had going into the fight.
JENNA: Alright now Emanuel, you are obviously very familiar with boxing history. Have you seen any fighter like Bernard Hopkins?
STEWARD: Well yes. There has been Archie Moore, there have been a lot of fighters, but for today he stands out. There were a lot of great fighters back then but for today he stands out. I like the fact that he went back to training in Philadelphia old school. I think with the whole environment there at the gym, I think Nazim Richardson did a fantastic job because he and Bernard communicate with the same language. Bernard not only won the fight but he outboxed Pascal. He was so smart. He would sometimes actually throw a real jab where he would actually hit Pascal with his left jab in the, nose, or whatever. He caused damage to Pascal’s right eye early with a jab where his thumb hit him, but it was not something that was on purpose because of the way the way the gloves are designed the thumb is attached to the glove. But nevertheless he landed the jab and sometimes he would be like just feeling with the jab. It looked like he was jabbing but he wasn’t. He was just doing that to find out which way Pascal’s head was going to go before he would shoot the right hand or the left hook and he did a variety of everything, and not just outboxing. He outfought him when it came to the exchanges. He got hurt a couple of times, which I respect him for that. He outmuscled him, and as far as power punches he landed the power punches. He had the stamina, and then he captivated the crowd by doing his pushups or whatever. So he stole the show. I think it was a superb performance.
JENNA: Now Bernard seemingly improved on his first performance. Now Jean Pascal, he didn’t. Why do you think he was unable to make any adjustments the second time around against Bernard?
STEWARD: Pascal still is a, and I don’t like to use this phrase because it’s very degrading to him, but he’s an amateur fighter. He’s one dimensional. He backs back, backs back, and then he runs in and explodes and then he wants to go on a holiday, and he can’t do that. Bernard made him fight consistently. He has never developed a jab, basic fundamental balance, and how to be consistent in a steady flow. Everything is like a big real rush, rush, rush. He’s too hyper. He doesn’t relax and what Bernard did was he was able to sustain himself and hold up with those wild barrages when Pascal would come in, but then he actually stood toe-to-toe with him and got hit in a few of those exchanges. But Bernard made him fight consistently this time. Pascal has to learn how to box and throw combinations so things flow smoothly, be consistent throughout the whole round and not just explode in certain spots, and he needs to learn his basic fundamentals. He doesn’t have proper balance, a jab, or anything. Everything is just a big rush in and charge type of situation. It gets him to a certain point but when you run across a real crafty seasoned old school type of fighter like Bernard, and usually it doesn’t get you that way unless you can just overpower the older fighter, but Bernard held up and this to me was one of his best fights.
JENNA: Alright well Emanuel, as always I’m joined by my Co-Host and Producer Geoff Ciani.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hey Emanuel. It’s a pleasure to have you on the show.
STEWARD: It’s my pleasure to talk to you Geoff.
CIANI: Thanks Emanuel. Now I wanted to congratulate you on your victory. It was the first fight you and Chad Dawson worked together in his fight against Adrian Diaconu. How would you evaluate his performance?
STEWARD: Well, a B. It was not a super performance and both Chad and I have discussed that, but I knew it was going to be very difficult to some degree because Diaconu fought above his norm because of the unbelievable support of almost 18,000 people and about every one of them was behind him. He ended up having a tremendous amount of support based on the Lusican Bute Romanian type crowd in the build up and he had a solid amateur background with over 300 fights. He beat Sergio Martinez and a lot of other top fighters as an amateur. So I knew based on that amateur background and the fact that he would have unbelievable support he was going to be a difficult fight and he would fight above his normal level. Chad fought a good fight. In certain spots I thought Chad should have been more aggressive, but it takes time to change a person. You can’t do that over night. By nature he’s an extremely talented person as we all know, but also he’s the type of a guy from I guess his previous amateur trainers or whatever has been more of a win the fight, don’t worry about taking chances and being too dramatic. Just win the fight and you’ll be okay and then next fight will be a big fight.
So it’s going to take time to change things, but overall I thought under the conditions he was in there he fought a good fight and Diaconu fought the best fight that he fought. So I was satisfied with the victory. I still didn’t trust the judges. I was surprised at the big gap in the scores because everyone, not just me, has experienced the unbelievable one-sided scoring that they have in Montreal. But for that night I think based on the fact that the whole world has been talking so badly about their scoring system and their bias that I think it made them go a little more the other way. They were a little more favorable to the visitors than they normally would have been, but anyway I am glad for the victory. You can’t look great in every fight. I mean Muhammad Ali when he was still Cassius Clay had a tough fight with Doug Jones, but the next fight he was fighting Sonny Liston and he looked great.It will be an interesting matchup between Chad and Bernard because Chad is a different fighter. He’s still a professional style fighter and not the amateur type of fighter that Pascal is.
But the night belonged to Bernard and all I can do is give praise to him. It was his night and I think one of his best nights. It was just showing that if he and Chad fight, which I’m hoping they will, it would be an interesting fight but Bernard right now has become the darling of boxing, especially because of his age factor. It’s interesting that the whole sport of boxing was on the shoulders of a little Filipino guy named Manny Pacquiao, but now we have a new star who’s never been a big live attraction in Bernard Hopkins and he had to go to a foreign country to really become a star, but he is a star now.
CIANI: Now Emanuel it seemed to me that earlier in the fight Chad looked to be, maybe in the first three rounds, he seemed to be a little bit more active and a little bit more aggressive I thought than we usually see him come out. But then at times in the fight there were spots where he seemed to kind of fall into more of an old school Chad style where he wasn’t as active and you were getting on his case to throw more punches. It seems to me looking at Bernard Hopkins these days, that guys who fight in spurts and allow him the time to dictate the pace are the guys that Bernard does best against, whereas a guy like Calzaghe who was very active gave Bernard more trouble. Is that kind of your thinking going into this fight?
STEWARD: Exactly! Bernard right now is fighting very intelligently, very smart, and I agree. For Chad to be effective with Bernard he’s going to have to be a different fighter. He’s got to be busy, utilize his height, and realize that he’s fighting a guy who’s very smart, who may have slipped a little bit in terms of his skill level with age, but he makes up for it with knowledge and he’s extremely relaxed Bernard which makes him very effective. So the Chad Dawson that fought last night would have a tough problem with Bernard. He’s going to have to make a lot of adjustments to beat Bernard and we realize that.
CIANI: Emanuel when you look at Bernard’s victory in becoming the oldest champion, how do you think it compares to when George Foreman beat Michael Moorer?
STEWARD: Well I don’t know. I will let you decide that. George Foreman had lost every round of his fight with Michael Moorer including every minute and second of that round when he knocked out Michael Moorer, but that’s still phenomenal when you look at the age and the fact that he did not have the coordination that Bernard had. You look at that and I would have it equal, but then you look at Bernard going to a foreign country. Bernard still has a lot of his skills intact that George did not have at that age 45. Bernard is much more skillful and much more coordinated, but he was going against a young aggressive guy to some degree who’s physically very rough and then with a really, really strong crowd. Bernard has never fought, he’s not like a guy like say Glen Johnson who’s used to going into hostile situations in other countries and winning. But this is a whole new experience for him in his last two fights. So I would have them both 50-50. I cannot say one performance was more dominant than the other.
JENNA: Emanuel my Co-Host brought up the fact that Dawson is obviously going to be fighting Bernard Hopkins next. How soon do you see that fight actually coming together?
STEWARD: I don’t know. I was with Kerry Davis last night and it will take time to sort itself out, but it’s the only fight in the light heavyweight division. It’s really a division that’s been dead. Basically the controversial decision with Bernard and Pascal created a little excitement, not so much about that fight being such a great fight but it was the controversy of the division that focused a lot of attention on the light heavyweight division which is good. Dawson and Hopkins, strangely as I said on TV during my broadcast, they can end up in Montreal even though both guys are Americans. It could end up being a big attraction there. The only other place I think it would be a big attraction would be possibly in Atlantic City, but right now Bernard is becoming a big star where he’s never been a really big gate attraction and Chad definitely has not been either. Based on Bernard’s performance, and I’m watching him on ESPN and CNN and everything, his next fight is going to be a very big live gate for him, and not just a live gate but a live gate for him. Normally it was the opponent that he fought whether it was De La Hoya, or Pavlik, or whoever, that for the most part brought the live gate. But he’s the star now and I think the fight should take place probably before the end of this year and Bernard feels very good about himself where before it was always suspect that he was dodging Chad Dawson. I think the way he feels about himself now he’s ready to fight anyone and he feels that he could beat a lot of these young fighters out here now.
JENNA: Emanuel, the last time we had you on I asked you about Evander Holyfield. You said you didn’t think he was tarnishing his legacy due to the fact he’s been competitive in his recent fights. Well another former star, Roy Jones Junior, fought just this past weekend getting knocked out cold by Denis Lebedev in the tenth round. Do you think these type of losses Roy’s been getting in the latter part of his career will tarnish what was an all time great legacy?
STEWARD: I think Roy Jones Junior’s losses have probably been the most surprising and dramatic that I can recall in my life in boxing. To be an elite superstar and not just a superstar, but the superstar, I mean to see him go out the way he’s gone out now. It’s very seldom you see a very big legendary fighter whether it’s Ali, Robinson, or whoever, lose by knockout. He’s been knocked out, I don’t mean TKOs, he’s been knocked out—knocked out, four times. It’s definitely going to diminish his reputation. Usually with the great fighters when they lose in the latter part of their careers it really doesn’t affect their legacies. I don’t know in the case of Roy Jones because he’s been knocked out.
In the fight with Tarver, I thought it was a punch that really wound up slipping through the guard because of little small details that I won’t go into at the time when the punch landed. But then to come back and be knocked out by Glen Johnson, and then I think it was Green who knocked him out, and then this knockout which I didn’t see and I don’t want to see. With all of the unbelievable accomplishments he’s had with the dramatic knockouts, and I don’t mean TKOs, I think it’s definitely going to affect his legacy. Kids and boxers like Jean Pascal just idolized Roy Jones and the kids wanted to have Roy Jones shoes and this and that. I think the way that he’s going out has hurt him tremendously. I don’t recall any other big fighter that I’ve ever known to be knocked out like that.
It’s unfortunate because he was so good for boxing. He had probably the biggest impact on kids in terms of styles and attitudes I hate to say. He played basketball the same day of a fight. He had his own recording company. He just did what he wanted. He was a broadcaster. It was like he had the world at his feet and to go out like this here, I was unbelievably shocked when I was in the dressing room with Chad Dawson and me hearing that Roy Jones had been knocked out. You can see Chad like almost starting to cry. He said, “What? That’s my hero. I mean all my life I idolized Roy Jones.” If you lose a fight it’s one thing, but to be knocked out—knocked out!—it’s different, and I think it will hurt his legacy.
CIANI: Emanuel changing things up here a little bit, your fighter Andy Lee had a fight on Wednesday. He won by a virtual shutout on all three of the judges’ scorecards. What are your thoughts on his victory?
STEWARD: I gave Andy a 10 because Bunema after the first round realized that Andy was difficult to get close to and Andy was using his reach and his height very well. He went into a defensive mode and when a fighter goes into a defensive mode it’s very difficult to hurt him and before this fight Bunema was fighting more aggressive with fighters when he was fighting Martinez, and the other fighters, Jermain Taylor, and Karmazin, or whatever. For this fight after he realized that Andy was sharp and he couldn’t get inside he went into a defensive mode, but Andy went ten rounds and that’s what he needs is the working experience.
With all of the good fighters today it’s like if I can’t get my $50,000 or $85,000 or whatever I signed in my contract with my promoter, I can’t fight. I have to wait until I get a TV date, and the promoters have to do that. They have to wait until they get a date. Andy said he wanted to stay busy even at the risk of losing a fight. He’s right now become still become one of the most recognizable middleweights out there probably next to Martinez. Even though his last fight was not a great performance in terms of his skill on TV with McEwan, but nevertheless his name is a name that when you mention the middleweight division that comes up right away. He says he wants to stay busy. For this fight he fought for $5,000 and he wants to fight again in July, and then he wants a fight with Vera in September or October or whenever. There’s a new HBO series or something that may be coming up. He wants to fight Vera on that, and by the time that he fights for the title in March or the latter part of this year, he will be prepared because he has had the fights and will be what we call “fight sharp”.
CIANI: Now I also wanted to ask you about Cornelius Bundrage’s upcoming fight against Sechew Powell and what you think Bundrage needs to do to start getting a little more attention because he’s kind of like the forgotten fighter in your stable yet he’s a world champion?
STEWARD: Well it’s just one of those things that happens. He’s in a division right now which is not that hot except for the hot marquee names and he can’t fight any of them seemingly. If he knocks out Sechew I think he’ll start getting attention, and I feel that he will knockout Sechew because he’s not the same fighter that Sechew knocked out about five or six years ago. He’s a seasoned fighter now. He’s been boxing with some of the top fighters in the world. He’s learned his craft in the gym. He didn’t have a good amateur background. I think physically and mentally he’s too strong for Sechew Powell. I think knocking out Sechew Powell he will eventually get a big super fight because of the division he’s in. All of these guys are trying to break records and want to move up. Sooner or later they’re going to fight him. Then that he has a lot of respect from the organizations, Powell with the IBF, I think this is the key fight for him. I don’t know if HBO is going to show his fight or not once again, but he will get a lot of attention if he knocks out Sechew Powell and I think that from there his career will change.
JENNA: Alright Emanuel, well I just have a couple of more questions before I let you off the line. Recently a program came out involving Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye. It was called “Ringside” and it just seemed visibly that David Haye has been gotten to mentally by Wladimir Klitschko. I’m curious what your perception of that is? I mean David Haye has been quite quiet during the presser tour for this entire fight.
STEWARD: Well I think the closer we get to reality, I mean the fight actually taking place, you’re going to see him become even quieter. I think the reality is setting in. It’s different when you’re speaking about an opponent when you’re by yourself and you’re arrogant and you’re confident. When Haye starts dealing with him up close face-to-face and he can feel the mental strength of Wladimir and the physical size of Wladimir I think the reality is setting in that in every area he is deficient. Wladimir is bigger. He’s faster, which is the big surprise. Wladimir is much faster. We had “Fast” Eddie Chambers who I think is the best heavyweight coming up after Wladimir retires which will probably be in the next year or so. Eddie Chambers basically said that Wladimir beat him not so much just from the size but that he was actually too fast. I think the experience factor, possibly the hometown situation being it’s going to be in Germany where Wladimir’s fought most of his fights. There are too many things going against David. I cannot see him win in any way. They’re looking at just punching power and speed. You can forgot the speed because Wladimir is faster as we will find out and Wladimir has naturally great punching power. But the one thing that Wladimir has not demonstrated in a lot of his fights has been the nasty side of him and you will see that with David Haye. This was the only fight that I know he was going in with that type of attitude since he fought Chris Byrd in the rematch fight because he was very upset with Chris Byrd’s camp and family comments about him not having any heart and not having any stamina. In this fight here he is very agitated and I think I everybody will see a much more aggressive meaner Wladimir Klitschko and it’s very difficult for me to see David Haye going more than four rounds.
JENNA: Alright Emanuel, I want to get your thoughts on an upcoming match that’s going to take place on June 4 on HBO: Sebatian Zbik versus Julio Cesar Chavez Junior, “The Son of a Legend”. What are your thoughts on Chavez as a fighter and his upcoming match?
STEWARD: I think Julio Cesar Chavez has developed into a good fighter. With Chavez Junior, for being a tall fighter which he is physically tall, has become more and more as I have watched his recent fights has become more of a duplicate of his father. He’s fighting more. He’s more of a body puncher now, which makes for an exciting fight but I don’t know if it’s best for him the way he’s physically built. But I think the momentum is with him. His father was one of the greatest fighters ever and one of the greatest fighters that I’ve ever trained and the fact that Top Rank has moved him tremendously well. He’s been busy and had the right fights. I would have to favor him, but he is not the talent of his father and I don’t know if his concentration so much now being a body puncher is going to benefit him physically the way that he’s built. So it’s going to be interesting, but if he does win the fight with this big board and superstar fighters today he’s going to definitely with that name—and he’s a good looking kid whose very charismatic—he will be a big, big star.
JENNA: Now if Chavez Junior actually wins the fight against Zbik Bob Arum has brought up the possibility of Miguel Cotto facing off against him at a catch weight. Would you at all be interested in seeing Miguel Cotto versus Julio Cesar Chavez for the middleweight belt?
STEWARD: Yeah, Miguel would take the fight. It would be a great fight for him with a legendary Mexican and a legendary Puerto Rican and the name “Julio Cesar Chavez Junior” helps a little bit, too. I think it would be a good fight. Originally when they were speaking about the two matching each other about a year ago, I said, oh boy! It’s going to be a pretty rough fight because of the tremendous height difference advantage for Julio Junior, but now that Julio has sat down as we say banging, he has actually become a really tough body puncher which means that he’s fighting the same type of a style that Miguel fights.
In fact Miguel has always reminded me so much of Julio Cesar Chavez Senior when I was training him. I always would comment that training you reminds me a lot of when I was training Julio Cesar Chavez and now to see his son fighting Miguel and Chavez Junior is fighting more like his Daddy now, it means that if they do fight it’s going to be an extremely exciting fight. I don’t think there will be any clinches. There will be a lot of tremendous body punches and it’s a fight that would sell and be very big and it might possibly even come close to one of the record-setting fights believe it or not. Even though Chavez Junior is not a big name so far, but just the name “Chavez” I think would make it be a super fight and a very exciting fight, too.
JENNA: Alright well Emanuel, it’s been a pleasure as always getting your thoughts on this past weekend’s boxing and also your views on a few upcoming fights. Thank you for your time. It was a pleasure for me and Geoff to get those views.
STEWARD: Well it’s been my pleasure. I love sharing my ideas with the public on East Side Boxing.
CIANI: Thanks Emanuel.
STEWARD: Okay, thank you very much Geoffrey.
JENNA: Okay! That was Emanuel Steward once again doing a ‘Sunday Night Conversation’ with us. I want to thank him again for his time. It was a pleasure getting his commentary on this past week’s fights. I would like to thank my Co-Host Geoff, great job as always. For all of the fans listening out there be sure to check out our normal edition of On The Ropes. It will be out later this week and thank you again for tuning in.
Fair enough, I suppose I should check out some other fights of his. As of right now, how good do you think he does against the top four? Hopkins, Cloud, Dawson & Pascal.
Frank Warren says he's trying to make a Hopkins fight right now...
Hopkins vs Cleverly: Warren Wants a Cardiff Clash
Promoter Frank Warren is hoping to secure WBO light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly a title unification clash with boxing legend Bernard Hopkins.
Cleverly stopped Pole Aleksy Kuziemski in four rounds last weekend in a successful first defence of the WBO crown he inherited following Juergen Braehmer's last-minute withdrawal.
Hopkins made history after outpointing Jean Pascal to claim the WBC and IBO titles in Canada on Saturday night at the sprightly age of 46.
Warren now wants the American, who has racked up 55 victories from 60 fights, since making a losing debut over two decades ago, to face Cleverly in Wales.
Unbeaten Cleverly, who was born the year after Hopkins turned pro, called out the veteran following Saturday's win at the O2, insisting he wanted 'big fights'.
"It would be nice to get it on some time before Christmas," Warren told the BBC, adding that Cardiff's Millennium Stadium would be the ideal venue for the showdown.
"If we could make Cleverly and Bernard Hopkins, that's the home for it.
"Anything's likely at the moment. Nathan is up there with all these guys. He's a fabulous champion and I do believe he's got the beating of most of them."
Frank Warren says he's trying to make a Hopkins fight right now...
Hopkins vs Cleverly: Warren Wants a Cardiff Clash
Promoter Frank Warren is hoping to secure WBO light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly a title unification clash with boxing legend Bernard Hopkins.
Cleverly stopped Pole Aleksy Kuziemski in four rounds last weekend in a successful first defence of the WBO crown he inherited following Juergen Braehmer's last-minute withdrawal.
Hopkins made history after outpointing Jean Pascal to claim the WBC and IBO titles in Canada on Saturday night at the sprightly age of 46.
Warren now wants the American, who has racked up 55 victories from 60 fights, since making a losing debut over two decades ago, to face Cleverly in Wales.
Unbeaten Cleverly, who was born the year after Hopkins turned pro, called out the veteran following Saturday's win at the O2, insisting he wanted 'big fights'.
"It would be nice to get it on some time before Christmas," Warren told the BBC, adding that Cardiff's Millennium Stadium would be the ideal venue for the showdown.
"If we could make Cleverly and Bernard Hopkins, that's the home for it.
"Anything's likely at the moment. Nathan is up there with all these guys. He's a fabulous champion and I do believe he's got the beating of most of them."
Right now I'd pick him to lose 3/4. Pascal being the guy I think he could beat just because he throws a lot and has a good gas tank. I'd give him a maybe chance against Dawson and Cloud (this is mostly based on Cloud being a little more active than a guy in a coma.)
I'd like to see him against someone like Brahemer if he'd ever fight him. Guys like Shumenov, Mack, Henry .. just guys in that bracket. Cleverly, even in fights that he's winning seems too willing to mix it up and that's gonna cost him if he fights someone like Cloud or even a halfway decent puncher.
I'd like to see him against someone like Brahemer if he'd ever fight him. Guys like Shumenov, Mack, Henry .. just guys in that bracket. Cleverly, even in fights that he's winning seems too willing to mix it up and that's gonna cost him if he fights someone like Cloud or even a halfway decent puncher.
I've seen him cracked but never by a big puncher so who knows on that. To be honest, I never thought much of Pascal, the only reason I picked him to beat Hopkins was because of size, speed, and more importantly age. He fought well against Dawson but had life and death against Diaconu in the first fight which a guy at the top shouldn't.
By maybe chance against Cloud/Dawson I wouldn't be surprised if he won but I definitely wouldn't expect it, not right now. The kid had less than 40 or 50 amateur fights, I'd have to consider him and still being in the learning phase of things but I like the kid for whatever reason.
I guess it's like Eddie Chambers. No real reason for me to like him, I just do heh.
By maybe chance against Cloud/Dawson I wouldn't be surprised if he won but I definitely wouldn't expect it, not right now. The kid had less than 40 or 50 amateur fights, I'd have to consider him and still being in the learning phase of things but I like the kid for whatever reason.
I guess it's like Eddie Chambers. No real reason for me to like him, I just do heh.
From the Ring Mag I thought this was kinda funny (the bradley one in particular):
Boxing Tweets you'll never see
@Floyd Mayweather: Made 4 sports bets yesterday and lost them. Had I won, that money was going straight to my accountant.
@TherealBHOP: Boy, am I feeling my age today. I probably should have gone drinking last night, and that BIG MAC was a bad idea too.
@TonyMargarito: Yeah I knew about the wraps. How oblivious do you think I am?
@OscarDelaHoya: I owe everything I have in life to Bob arum
@TimothyBradley: jsyfljsafsaifafbamdbaI;EQKADBjgkjgj Oooops. Sorry about that. I just headbutted my keyboard
Boxing Tweets you'll never see
@Floyd Mayweather: Made 4 sports bets yesterday and lost them. Had I won, that money was going straight to my accountant.
@TherealBHOP: Boy, am I feeling my age today. I probably should have gone drinking last night, and that BIG MAC was a bad idea too.
@TonyMargarito: Yeah I knew about the wraps. How oblivious do you think I am?
@OscarDelaHoya: I owe everything I have in life to Bob arum
@TimothyBradley: jsyfljsafsaifafbamdbaI;EQKADBjgkjgj Oooops. Sorry about that. I just headbutted my keyboard
Schaefer hopes to have Khan’s 7/23 opponent picked this week, Judah and Morales the
By Sean McDaniel: It looks like Marcos Maidana, the WBA light welterweight interim champion, isn’t being strongly considered as WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan’s next fight on July 23rd. Dan Rafael of ESPN is reporting that Dan Rafael is reporting in the news today that he’s looking to wrap up Khan’s next fight this week and is looking to match him with either International Boxing Federation (IBF) light welterweight champion Zab Judah or Erik Morales next.
Maidana and Roberto Guerrero aren’t being mentioned. Judah would be the more dangerous guy compared to Morales, 34, who isn’t a big puncher at light welterweight and doesn’t have Judah’s speed or power. I would be a decision where Khan’s Golden Promotions handlers would be deciding to face him up against an old legend in Morales, who isn’t near what he used to be but who has a fairly decent following, or putting him in with Judah and risk having Khan get knocked out and exposed once again. It seems like a no-brainer. Khan’s chin is vulnerable and Judah hits hard. That alone would seem enough reason for Golden Boy to rule out matching Khan with Judah and opting to put him in with Morales in a fight that would be similar to when Khan fought an old fading Marco Antonio Barrera in the past.
It’s a win-win for Khan, because he gets a guy in Morales who’s not all that dangerous compared to the alternatives of facing Judah or Maidana, but who is well known among boxing fans. Khan would get a name to add to is resume, even if it’s a slightly shot one. If I’m reading this right it’s not going to be Judah that gets the fight with Khan. I see Morales all the way. Because this fight would buy Khan some time before trying to arrange a bout with WBC/WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley later on in the year.
Khan might not have his WBA title by then, however, because Maidana’s team are making noises about Maidana being Khan’s mandatory challenger and that Khan has until September 11th to fight him. I don’t see that happening, so if Maidana’s team are right, we may see Khan lose his belt without fighting Maidana. That would be sad but it’s probably better for Khan not to fight Maidana and risk getting knocked out or badly hurt by him. Morales is much safer, weaker and older than Maidana. Khan is better off taking that fight and then seeing if he can get a bout against Bradley later in the year. Bradley can’t punch and that would be a much safer fight for Khan than taking on Maidana or Breidis Prescott and risk getting knocked out again.
By Sean McDaniel: It looks like Marcos Maidana, the WBA light welterweight interim champion, isn’t being strongly considered as WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan’s next fight on July 23rd. Dan Rafael of ESPN is reporting that Dan Rafael is reporting in the news today that he’s looking to wrap up Khan’s next fight this week and is looking to match him with either International Boxing Federation (IBF) light welterweight champion Zab Judah or Erik Morales next.
Maidana and Roberto Guerrero aren’t being mentioned. Judah would be the more dangerous guy compared to Morales, 34, who isn’t a big puncher at light welterweight and doesn’t have Judah’s speed or power. I would be a decision where Khan’s Golden Promotions handlers would be deciding to face him up against an old legend in Morales, who isn’t near what he used to be but who has a fairly decent following, or putting him in with Judah and risk having Khan get knocked out and exposed once again. It seems like a no-brainer. Khan’s chin is vulnerable and Judah hits hard. That alone would seem enough reason for Golden Boy to rule out matching Khan with Judah and opting to put him in with Morales in a fight that would be similar to when Khan fought an old fading Marco Antonio Barrera in the past.
It’s a win-win for Khan, because he gets a guy in Morales who’s not all that dangerous compared to the alternatives of facing Judah or Maidana, but who is well known among boxing fans. Khan would get a name to add to is resume, even if it’s a slightly shot one. If I’m reading this right it’s not going to be Judah that gets the fight with Khan. I see Morales all the way. Because this fight would buy Khan some time before trying to arrange a bout with WBC/WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley later on in the year.
Khan might not have his WBA title by then, however, because Maidana’s team are making noises about Maidana being Khan’s mandatory challenger and that Khan has until September 11th to fight him. I don’t see that happening, so if Maidana’s team are right, we may see Khan lose his belt without fighting Maidana. That would be sad but it’s probably better for Khan not to fight Maidana and risk getting knocked out or badly hurt by him. Morales is much safer, weaker and older than Maidana. Khan is better off taking that fight and then seeing if he can get a bout against Bradley later in the year. Bradley can’t punch and that would be a much safer fight for Khan than taking on Maidana or Breidis Prescott and risk getting knocked out again.
Dawson hoping Hopkins agrees to fight him
By Dan Ambrose: Former IBF/WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KO’s) is hoping that 46-year-old Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KO’s) agrees to fight him next after hearing news that Hopkins’ promoter Richard Schaefer is looking for a way out of the Dawson fight. In an ESPN interview, Schaefer said that he will “look for contract loopholes” for Hopkins to fight someone else other than Dawson.
The thing of it was that Dawson was supposed to have fought Jean Pascal in a rematch. Dawson had a clause in his contract for his first fight with Pascal stating that he gets a rematch if he loses. But the WBC ordered Pascal to fight a rematch with Hopkins after the two fought to a draw. Dawson was then put on the undercard with the understanding that he would be getting the winner of the Hopkins-Pascal II fight.
But now that Hopkins has beaten Pascal, we’re not exactly sure what’s going to happen next. Hopkins hasn’t said anything about who he’ll be fighting next, but Schaefer’s comments to ESPN seems to suggest that he’s looking to match Hopkins with someone else rather than Dawson.
Dawson said this about the situation: “You’re also a person of your word, so I look forward to facing you later this year.”
It would be a huge disappointment if Hopkins were to fight someone else and leave Dawson out in the cold. Dawson is one of the best fighters in the light heavyweight division right now, and he’s perhaps even the top guy. For Hopkins to bypass that fight for a fight against IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute or against someone else, it seems kind of unfair to Dawson if he was supposed to be the one that Hopkins was supposed to be fighting next.
By Dan Ambrose: Former IBF/WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KO’s) is hoping that 46-year-old Bernard Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KO’s) agrees to fight him next after hearing news that Hopkins’ promoter Richard Schaefer is looking for a way out of the Dawson fight. In an ESPN interview, Schaefer said that he will “look for contract loopholes” for Hopkins to fight someone else other than Dawson.
The thing of it was that Dawson was supposed to have fought Jean Pascal in a rematch. Dawson had a clause in his contract for his first fight with Pascal stating that he gets a rematch if he loses. But the WBC ordered Pascal to fight a rematch with Hopkins after the two fought to a draw. Dawson was then put on the undercard with the understanding that he would be getting the winner of the Hopkins-Pascal II fight.
But now that Hopkins has beaten Pascal, we’re not exactly sure what’s going to happen next. Hopkins hasn’t said anything about who he’ll be fighting next, but Schaefer’s comments to ESPN seems to suggest that he’s looking to match Hopkins with someone else rather than Dawson.
Dawson said this about the situation: “You’re also a person of your word, so I look forward to facing you later this year.”
It would be a huge disappointment if Hopkins were to fight someone else and leave Dawson out in the cold. Dawson is one of the best fighters in the light heavyweight division right now, and he’s perhaps even the top guy. For Hopkins to bypass that fight for a fight against IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute or against someone else, it seems kind of unfair to Dawson if he was supposed to be the one that Hopkins was supposed to be fighting next.
Pacquiao to get $20 million to fight 38-year-old Marquez
By Chris Williams: Manny Pacquiao is going to get a nice fat payday against soon to be 38-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez in their fight catchweight fight in November. The bout will be held at a 144 pound catchweight with Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title being on the line. The fight is pretty much a done deal right now. Marquez has signed the contract and will be getting $5 million plus an upside of the pay-per-view profits.
As was already reported, Marquez can get a huge $10 million rematch with Pacquiao, plus PPV upside, if he beats him in November. Of course, the chances of that happening are pretty slim given Marquez’s age and the weight that the fight will be taking place at. Marquez already proved in the Mayweather fight that he’s painfully slow above 140, which makes this fight incredibly confusing. But if fans are interested in purchasing the fight on PPV, it’s on them.
It was clear that the Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley fight was going to be a horrible mismatch going into the fight, which is exactly what it turned out to be, but that didn’t keep fans from purchasing the tickets in droves thinking it was going to be a competitive fight. I like Marquez as a fighter, but only as a lightweight and preferably as a featherweight or super featherweight. He’s not the same fighter he once was since moving up to lightweight and is much more hittable, as we saw in his struggle to beat Joel Casamayor and the way he got knocked down by Michael Katsidis.
Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz is reportedly going to be bringing the contract for Pacquiao to sign for the Marquez fight. Pacquiao will sign it and we’ll see him face Marquez for the third and likely the final time. I can’t see another rematch. But we’re not even sure that Marquez will make it to the fight. He’s got a fight against David Diaz in July and anything can happen in that fight. Marquez may lose and mess up his fight with Pacquiao.
Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised. Marquez is getting old, just like Mosley, and the rematch with Pacquiao is three years too late and at the wrong weight. Everything favors Pacquiao in this fight and nothing favors Marquez. I’d much rather not see another mismatch and would like to see Pacquiao step it up and face a real welterweight like WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz rather than the old and small Marquez. I’d even settle for seeing Pacquiao fight Andre Berto, even though he was recently beaten. Anyone but Marquez.
By Chris Williams: Manny Pacquiao is going to get a nice fat payday against soon to be 38-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez in their fight catchweight fight in November. The bout will be held at a 144 pound catchweight with Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title being on the line. The fight is pretty much a done deal right now. Marquez has signed the contract and will be getting $5 million plus an upside of the pay-per-view profits.
As was already reported, Marquez can get a huge $10 million rematch with Pacquiao, plus PPV upside, if he beats him in November. Of course, the chances of that happening are pretty slim given Marquez’s age and the weight that the fight will be taking place at. Marquez already proved in the Mayweather fight that he’s painfully slow above 140, which makes this fight incredibly confusing. But if fans are interested in purchasing the fight on PPV, it’s on them.
It was clear that the Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley fight was going to be a horrible mismatch going into the fight, which is exactly what it turned out to be, but that didn’t keep fans from purchasing the tickets in droves thinking it was going to be a competitive fight. I like Marquez as a fighter, but only as a lightweight and preferably as a featherweight or super featherweight. He’s not the same fighter he once was since moving up to lightweight and is much more hittable, as we saw in his struggle to beat Joel Casamayor and the way he got knocked down by Michael Katsidis.
Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz is reportedly going to be bringing the contract for Pacquiao to sign for the Marquez fight. Pacquiao will sign it and we’ll see him face Marquez for the third and likely the final time. I can’t see another rematch. But we’re not even sure that Marquez will make it to the fight. He’s got a fight against David Diaz in July and anything can happen in that fight. Marquez may lose and mess up his fight with Pacquiao.
Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised. Marquez is getting old, just like Mosley, and the rematch with Pacquiao is three years too late and at the wrong weight. Everything favors Pacquiao in this fight and nothing favors Marquez. I’d much rather not see another mismatch and would like to see Pacquiao step it up and face a real welterweight like WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz rather than the old and small Marquez. I’d even settle for seeing Pacquiao fight Andre Berto, even though he was recently beaten. Anyone but Marquez.
Nick Diaz backs away from boxing Jeff Lacy
by Hugh Jasol: In a recent press release, MMA star, Nick Diaz stated that he no longer plans on following through with his rumored fight with former super middleweight world champion, Jeff Lacy. According to the statement, the decision was made because Diaz wants to see “how far he can go in MMA before he does anything in boxing.”
So, Diaz will return to MMA, where he can avoid the embarrassment of being a fish out of water and getting blown away like James Toney did against Randy Couture last year.
Diaz probably realized that his desire to fight the former world champ would only serve as a good way to make publicity, but when the time came to actually fight, a thirty-second KO at the hands of “Left Hook” Lacy would not be a good thing for his reputation.
The MMA star has supposedly had some good boxing training, even going so far as to be aided by Freddie Roach briefly, but there’s no way someone can move right into boxing and handle someone like Lacy. Diaz would’ve had to learn to move like a boxer, react like a boxer, and work around the fact that he won’t have use of fingers to grab, like in the MMA. He would also have to adapt to working with ring ropes instead of a cage. These are skills that it takes a long time to learn and they take a lifetime to master.
If Diaz truly wanted the scrap with Lacy, he could’ve made a compromise. Maybe fight in the cage with one boxing glove, one MMA glove, and maybe allow kicks, but ban take downs. That would’ve been fair to both fighters and it would make sure that the big payday for both fighters could still be realized.
But I don’t think Diaz ever really wanted the fight. He maybe wanted some cheap publicity and made an attempt to get the attention of some boxing fans because, when it came time to put his fists where his mouth was, he went running back to MMA. Now Lacy can focus on fighting some real boxers.
by Hugh Jasol: In a recent press release, MMA star, Nick Diaz stated that he no longer plans on following through with his rumored fight with former super middleweight world champion, Jeff Lacy. According to the statement, the decision was made because Diaz wants to see “how far he can go in MMA before he does anything in boxing.”
So, Diaz will return to MMA, where he can avoid the embarrassment of being a fish out of water and getting blown away like James Toney did against Randy Couture last year.
Diaz probably realized that his desire to fight the former world champ would only serve as a good way to make publicity, but when the time came to actually fight, a thirty-second KO at the hands of “Left Hook” Lacy would not be a good thing for his reputation.
The MMA star has supposedly had some good boxing training, even going so far as to be aided by Freddie Roach briefly, but there’s no way someone can move right into boxing and handle someone like Lacy. Diaz would’ve had to learn to move like a boxer, react like a boxer, and work around the fact that he won’t have use of fingers to grab, like in the MMA. He would also have to adapt to working with ring ropes instead of a cage. These are skills that it takes a long time to learn and they take a lifetime to master.
If Diaz truly wanted the scrap with Lacy, he could’ve made a compromise. Maybe fight in the cage with one boxing glove, one MMA glove, and maybe allow kicks, but ban take downs. That would’ve been fair to both fighters and it would make sure that the big payday for both fighters could still be realized.
But I don’t think Diaz ever really wanted the fight. He maybe wanted some cheap publicity and made an attempt to get the attention of some boxing fans because, when it came time to put his fists where his mouth was, he went running back to MMA. Now Lacy can focus on fighting some real boxers.
Exclusive Interview: Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi Talks About TheInjuries In Box
By James Slater - New York’s Paulie Malignaggi knows all about the injuries side of boxing. A documented five times “The Magic Man” has broken his right hand, and surgery and frustratingly long inactive periods have been endured as a result.
Few if any fighters are fortunate enough to go through a career without a number of injuries, and Malignaggi’s brittle hands have been his personal bugbear.
Here Paulie discusses the injury side of the sport he has become IBF world champion in:
“For me, it’s been hand injuries,” Malignaggi said when discussing the biggest injury problem he’s had in his pro career. “It’s always been a letdown when the hand has broken and I’ve needed surgery. This is a combat sport, so you’re striking your opponent, and if you don’t have especially strong bones in your hands, as is the case with me, you can have problems. I’d say in general, training camp is the more difficult time for a boxer. The typical boxer gets more hurt in the gym than he does in an actual fight. Obviously and unfortunately, retinal injuries can be common in boxing. You can get eye damage in sparring, where you do way more rounds there than you do in the ring. Obviously broken bones, like the nose and the cheekbone, are common too..”
“In any given year, for me myself, I can be out for six months with a broken hand. Other injuries not so long, unless a fighter gets retinal damage - that can end a fighter’s career; it’s real serious. The thing with a broken hand is, I need time out to have surgery, heal and then, when the cast is off, I need two months to get back into top shape for a fight. I can only speak for myself, but fighters can spend a fair amount of time out due to injury.”
“I’ve been forced to try and ignore my hand troubles a number of times in the past. I have brittle bones in my hands and that’s just that. I have trained with a damaged hand and not known it was basically broken until later, at the doctors. I don’t think I’ve ever made the injuries I’ve suffered any worse due to trying to ignore the pain. I’m used to it. But, yeah, I have tried to ignore hand injuries in the past. I’ve also fought on with a broken hand a few times [in an actual fight]. Has that weakened my hand? I don’t think so. My hands have always been brittle. One time, my right hand was so bad ahead of a fight, I couldn’t even turn the ignition in the car. But I just jabbed the guy to death with my left hand. The hand has been hurt or broken so many times now, I’ve lost track. People ask why I have so few KO’s. The reason is the hand problems. Early on, I got quite a few stoppage wins.”
“I’d say retinal injury is the biggest, most fearful injury for a boxer. A fighter can go for an eye test thinking everything’s fine, and then find out he has a problem that can put his career, his livelihood, in jeopardy. As for avoiding injuries in training: for my bones, I take calcium. I also have a strength and conditioning coach. Also, to avoid strains and pulls, you have to make sure you warm up and cool down before and after each and every workout. Also, for more serious things, make sure you take regular checks. Basically, take all the precautions you can when in training.”
By James Slater - New York’s Paulie Malignaggi knows all about the injuries side of boxing. A documented five times “The Magic Man” has broken his right hand, and surgery and frustratingly long inactive periods have been endured as a result.
Few if any fighters are fortunate enough to go through a career without a number of injuries, and Malignaggi’s brittle hands have been his personal bugbear.
Here Paulie discusses the injury side of the sport he has become IBF world champion in:
“For me, it’s been hand injuries,” Malignaggi said when discussing the biggest injury problem he’s had in his pro career. “It’s always been a letdown when the hand has broken and I’ve needed surgery. This is a combat sport, so you’re striking your opponent, and if you don’t have especially strong bones in your hands, as is the case with me, you can have problems. I’d say in general, training camp is the more difficult time for a boxer. The typical boxer gets more hurt in the gym than he does in an actual fight. Obviously and unfortunately, retinal injuries can be common in boxing. You can get eye damage in sparring, where you do way more rounds there than you do in the ring. Obviously broken bones, like the nose and the cheekbone, are common too..”
“In any given year, for me myself, I can be out for six months with a broken hand. Other injuries not so long, unless a fighter gets retinal damage - that can end a fighter’s career; it’s real serious. The thing with a broken hand is, I need time out to have surgery, heal and then, when the cast is off, I need two months to get back into top shape for a fight. I can only speak for myself, but fighters can spend a fair amount of time out due to injury.”
“I’ve been forced to try and ignore my hand troubles a number of times in the past. I have brittle bones in my hands and that’s just that. I have trained with a damaged hand and not known it was basically broken until later, at the doctors. I don’t think I’ve ever made the injuries I’ve suffered any worse due to trying to ignore the pain. I’m used to it. But, yeah, I have tried to ignore hand injuries in the past. I’ve also fought on with a broken hand a few times [in an actual fight]. Has that weakened my hand? I don’t think so. My hands have always been brittle. One time, my right hand was so bad ahead of a fight, I couldn’t even turn the ignition in the car. But I just jabbed the guy to death with my left hand. The hand has been hurt or broken so many times now, I’ve lost track. People ask why I have so few KO’s. The reason is the hand problems. Early on, I got quite a few stoppage wins.”
“I’d say retinal injury is the biggest, most fearful injury for a boxer. A fighter can go for an eye test thinking everything’s fine, and then find out he has a problem that can put his career, his livelihood, in jeopardy. As for avoiding injuries in training: for my bones, I take calcium. I also have a strength and conditioning coach. Also, to avoid strains and pulls, you have to make sure you warm up and cool down before and after each and every workout. Also, for more serious things, make sure you take regular checks. Basically, take all the precautions you can when in training.”