Boxing News Thread
- Thread starter heyzel
- Start date
Mosley Listed as 8-1 Favorite Over Mayorga
Yep… Definitely Pay-Per-View Worthy
John Chavez
7/15/2008
8-1 odds usually signify bouts created in order to build up or rejuvenate a fighter’s career. For the most part, these aren’t the type of odds boxing fans usually see when it comes to HBO Pay-Per-View main events.
2-1 is quite common as is 3-1.
Occasionally you might see 4 or 5-1 but 8-1 is quite a stretch.
While in many instances the professional line-maker can tend to go overboard one way or another depending on the popularity of the fighter, the line for this bout is pretty much spot on. Being that the Ricardo Mayorga-Shane Mosley bout is taking place at 154 pounds, I wonder if there's an opening line on whether “El Matador” will actually be able to make the weight without the usage of illegal diuretics?
I have no official play on this fight as I don’t plan on wagering anything on it let alone purchasing the Pay-Per-View.
Yep… Definitely Pay-Per-View Worthy
John Chavez
7/15/2008
8-1 odds usually signify bouts created in order to build up or rejuvenate a fighter’s career. For the most part, these aren’t the type of odds boxing fans usually see when it comes to HBO Pay-Per-View main events.
2-1 is quite common as is 3-1.
Occasionally you might see 4 or 5-1 but 8-1 is quite a stretch.
While in many instances the professional line-maker can tend to go overboard one way or another depending on the popularity of the fighter, the line for this bout is pretty much spot on. Being that the Ricardo Mayorga-Shane Mosley bout is taking place at 154 pounds, I wonder if there's an opening line on whether “El Matador” will actually be able to make the weight without the usage of illegal diuretics?
I have no official play on this fight as I don’t plan on wagering anything on it let alone purchasing the Pay-Per-View.
Alexander Povetkin: "Sykes in My Way of Klitschko
There is a lot at stake for me,” Povetkin said at today´s press conference at the ITAR-TASS offices in Moscow. “I need to win to get the Klitschko fight. And I will allow nobody to take that away from me. A victory over Sykes is all that matters to me now.”
Povetkin revealed how much he is looking forward to the appearance in front of his home fans in Chekhov. “The whole preparation here has been a lot of fun. It is great to fight in front of my local fans in the Olympic Sports Palace. Fighting here is like a dream coming true for me.”
The White Lion stated he will not take Sykes lightly. “I watched the tape of Sykes´ fight against Hasim Rahman,” he said. “He is a tough opponent and very uncomfortable to box.” Sykes (25-4, 7 KOs) is eager to make something happen himself. “I am happy to be here,” he stated. “But I am not just filling the void ahead of the Klitschko fight. I came here to win. And I am very confident I will do just that.”
There is a lot at stake for me,” Povetkin said at today´s press conference at the ITAR-TASS offices in Moscow. “I need to win to get the Klitschko fight. And I will allow nobody to take that away from me. A victory over Sykes is all that matters to me now.”
Povetkin revealed how much he is looking forward to the appearance in front of his home fans in Chekhov. “The whole preparation here has been a lot of fun. It is great to fight in front of my local fans in the Olympic Sports Palace. Fighting here is like a dream coming true for me.”
The White Lion stated he will not take Sykes lightly. “I watched the tape of Sykes´ fight against Hasim Rahman,” he said. “He is a tough opponent and very uncomfortable to box.” Sykes (25-4, 7 KOs) is eager to make something happen himself. “I am happy to be here,” he stated. “But I am not just filling the void ahead of the Klitschko fight. I came here to win. And I am very confident I will do just that.”
Klitschko-Peter, Tarver-Dawson To Bust Mosley-Mayorga
By Mark Vester
The HBO pay-per-view on October 11, headlined by Shane Mosley vs. Ricardo Mayorga, looks like it's going to take a beating that Saturday night. Showtime has lined up one of the biggest doubleheaders to go head to head with a fight that has absolutely no business on pay-per-view television.
On tape delay from Germany will be the anticipated heavyweight showdown between WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter and the returning Vitali Klitschko. One of the most important fights in the heavyweight division. The outcome will shape the direction of the heavyweight division.
In the main event will be the live broadcast of Antonio Tarver defending his IBF light heavyweight title against unbeaten Chad Dawson, who recently vacated his WBC belt to make the bout. Tarver has always been regarded as a one-hit wonder who lives off his knockout win over Roy Jones Jr. This will be his chance to prove people wrong. Dawson struggled is his last fight with Glen Johnson, he receives a second chance to rise to the occasion with the fighter he's been calling out for a while
By Mark Vester
The HBO pay-per-view on October 11, headlined by Shane Mosley vs. Ricardo Mayorga, looks like it's going to take a beating that Saturday night. Showtime has lined up one of the biggest doubleheaders to go head to head with a fight that has absolutely no business on pay-per-view television.
On tape delay from Germany will be the anticipated heavyweight showdown between WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter and the returning Vitali Klitschko. One of the most important fights in the heavyweight division. The outcome will shape the direction of the heavyweight division.
In the main event will be the live broadcast of Antonio Tarver defending his IBF light heavyweight title against unbeaten Chad Dawson, who recently vacated his WBC belt to make the bout. Tarver has always been regarded as a one-hit wonder who lives off his knockout win over Roy Jones Jr. This will be his chance to prove people wrong. Dawson struggled is his last fight with Glen Johnson, he receives a second chance to rise to the occasion with the fighter he's been calling out for a while
Book explores tortured life of Emile Griffith
“Nine . . . Ten . . . and OUT! The Two Worlds of Emile Griffith”
by Ron Ross
268 pages. $16.95. DiBella Entertainment.
Available at Amazon
Book review by Chris Cozzone
Word is, author Ron Ross turned down several book deals when looking for the right publisher for his bio on Emile Griffith, because most publishers wanted to make a big deal out of the former champ’s sexuality.
Unfortunately, that is exactly what this book does.
That’s the bad news—but it’s also the good news, because it’s, obviously, part of the story the former champ, through Ross, needed to tell.
The title itself, “Nine . . . Ten . . . and OUT! The Two Worlds of Emile Griffith” does nothing but draw attention to the fact that one of the greatest fighters of the modern era was living a tortured double life, somewhere between gay and bisexual (you decide, if you think it’s important enough to come up with a label that would, essentially, contradict the book’s mission.)
There’s a lot more to this book than a coming out statement, however. Past the somewhat flamboyant cover that is based on a 1965 Ring Magazine cover, Ross pens a tale that is not only tasteful and well crafted, but bears the champ’s stamp of approval.
For all of Ross’ imaginative prose (“Bummy Davis vs. Murder, Inc.” was even better), it’s Griffith’s direct vernacular that bumps this book up from contention to champ status.
Confesses Griffith:
In a few sentences, Griffith, through Ross, sums it all up—his life, this book—his prison of loving a man, and killing one.
In 1962, Griffith took on former champ Benny “Kid” Paret in a rubber match for the world welterweight championship. The fight was close until round twelve, when Griffith knocked Paret out—he never regained consciousness and died nine days later.
Griffith was traumatized by killing Paret, who’d provoked the champ at the weigh-in the day before, calling him “maricon”—Spanish for “faggot.”
The fight became the basis of the documentary Ring of Fire, but this book goes far beyond Griffith’s search, and need, of forgiveness.
Ross rightfully reveals Griffith as a beautiful human being—a loving, sensitive soul who, despite developing himself into the perfect fighting machine in the ring, garnering six world titles between welter and middleweight, cared for everyone he met, even if that person was at the end of his gloves.
The breadwinner of a family of more than 17, by blood and otherwise, the Virgin Islands-born Hall-of-Famer fought for 19 years—15 of those haunted by the ghost of Paret.
Forty or so years after his time, Griffith, through his story, continues to add warmth to a sport that remains, at times, too macho for its own good.
“Nine . . . Ten . . . and OUT! The Two Worlds of Emile Griffith”
by Ron Ross
268 pages. $16.95. DiBella Entertainment.
Available at Amazon
Book review by Chris Cozzone
Word is, author Ron Ross turned down several book deals when looking for the right publisher for his bio on Emile Griffith, because most publishers wanted to make a big deal out of the former champ’s sexuality.
Unfortunately, that is exactly what this book does.
That’s the bad news—but it’s also the good news, because it’s, obviously, part of the story the former champ, through Ross, needed to tell.
The title itself, “Nine . . . Ten . . . and OUT! The Two Worlds of Emile Griffith” does nothing but draw attention to the fact that one of the greatest fighters of the modern era was living a tortured double life, somewhere between gay and bisexual (you decide, if you think it’s important enough to come up with a label that would, essentially, contradict the book’s mission.)
There’s a lot more to this book than a coming out statement, however. Past the somewhat flamboyant cover that is based on a 1965 Ring Magazine cover, Ross pens a tale that is not only tasteful and well crafted, but bears the champ’s stamp of approval.
For all of Ross’ imaginative prose (“Bummy Davis vs. Murder, Inc.” was even better), it’s Griffith’s direct vernacular that bumps this book up from contention to champ status.
Confesses Griffith:
“I keep thinking how strange it is . . . I kill a man and most people understand and forgive me. However, I love a man, and to so many people this is an unforgivable sin; this makes me an evil person. So, even though I never went to jail, I have been in prison almost all my life.”
In a few sentences, Griffith, through Ross, sums it all up—his life, this book—his prison of loving a man, and killing one.
In 1962, Griffith took on former champ Benny “Kid” Paret in a rubber match for the world welterweight championship. The fight was close until round twelve, when Griffith knocked Paret out—he never regained consciousness and died nine days later.
Griffith was traumatized by killing Paret, who’d provoked the champ at the weigh-in the day before, calling him “maricon”—Spanish for “faggot.”
The fight became the basis of the documentary Ring of Fire, but this book goes far beyond Griffith’s search, and need, of forgiveness.
Ross rightfully reveals Griffith as a beautiful human being—a loving, sensitive soul who, despite developing himself into the perfect fighting machine in the ring, garnering six world titles between welter and middleweight, cared for everyone he met, even if that person was at the end of his gloves.
The breadwinner of a family of more than 17, by blood and otherwise, the Virgin Islands-born Hall-of-Famer fought for 19 years—15 of those haunted by the ghost of Paret.
Forty or so years after his time, Griffith, through his story, continues to add warmth to a sport that remains, at times, too macho for its own good.
So I heard James Tony weighed in at about 220 for his rematch against Rahman tomorrow, which is good. The loser of this fight has agreed to retire from the sport for good. It will be on the Best Damn Sports show at 7pm pacific time
:::::::
:::::::
A Sense Of Urgency Across The Dial Tonight
By Jake Donovan
The two televised cards offered tonight couldn't be more opposite. FoxSports (11PM ET/8PM PT, Temecula, CA) offers a rematch between two very vocal thirty-something heavyweights who weren't very entertaining the first time around and haven't looked any better since then as both face the twilight of their respective careers.
ESPN2's Wednesday Night Fights telecast (10PM ET/7PM PT, San Antonio, TX) features a crossroads match between a pair of lean, humble twenty-something welterweights with only four losses between them, and very little wear and tear at a point in their careers when most fighters would be entering their prime.
Yet both fights carry the same theme – loser leaves town.
The win or go home label is a given for Hasim Rahman and James Toney, both of whom have seen better days and realize that long gone are the days when they could skimp on training and squander countless opportunities, with the belief that another is right around the corner.
The lesson doesn't appear to be lost on Toney (70-6-3, 43KO), who by all accounts has taken this fight more serious than any other in recent memory. Titles in four separate weight classes over a 19-year career (though his heavyweight trinket was repo'd after his post-fight urinalysis turned up dirty) have secured him a spot in the Hall-of-Fame, but it's been easy to lose sight of what he truly brings to the table thanks to subpar performances – and conditioning – over the past few years.
That it took top heavyweight Samuel Peter two tries to convincingly defeat him is a clear indication of how resourceful Toney is in the ring, though it now takes a lot more than natural talent and an old bag of tricks to keep his career afloat. Of his last six fights, the only conclusive win he boasts is over divisional trial horse Dominick Guinn, three years ago.
A draw over Rahman and pair of losses against Peter (the first one controversial; the rematch, not so much) left him winless for well over a year before struggling to a split decision over Danny Batchelder in his most recent fight, fourteen months ago. Only that win was riddled in scandal, with both fighters failing their post-fight drug test, resulting in each receiving a one-year suspension.
Now a month away from his 40th birthday, Toney is at the end of his career, perhaps having already used up all nine lives. Even by today's dismal heavyweight standards, another loss – or uninspiring performance – all but signals the end of his legendary career.
At least he has the Hall of Fame to look forward to; as it stands today, the only way Hasim Rahman (45-6-2, 36KO) gains entry is with proof of paid admission.
Not that he hasn't had his chances to do more – the right hand heard 'round the world in his first fight with Lennox Lewis seven years ago earned the Baltimore native the sport's most prestigious prize, the linear heavyweight championship. Gone was the bad taste left behind from his tainted stoppage loss against David Tua, and his one-punch knockout loss a year later against Oleg Maskaev, a fighter for whom he admittedly did little to prepare.
The plan was to march toward a multi-million dollar showdown with Mike Tyson, but instead had to first rematch Lewis. Overplaying his hand, Rahman opted to settle for a more favorable split on the pay-per-view upside rather than a flat, guaranteed purse. The move proved costly, as he lost out on millions, as well as his title after Lewis flattened him in four.
It's been more bark than bite ever since, as the closest he came to reclaiming old glory was being named champion by default. Next in line for then-titlist Vitali Klitschko, Rahman went from mandatory to interim champion to full-fledged titlist after Klitschko repeatedly pulled out of scheduled fights before announcing his retirement in late 1995. Rahman ridiculed him in the press, during his chase and even after his departure from the game.
Yet for all of his talk of making history, Rahman would achieve it for all of the wrong reasons, having not won a single title defense over two reigns as champion. His 2006 draw against James Toney was his first fight since the comedy of errors in chasing Vitali. The next title fight was his last, once again falling victim to a come-from-behind knockout against Oleg Maskaev in their August '06 pay-per-view headliner.
He enters the Toney rematch riding a four-fight win streak against pedestrian opposition, though his conditioning has progressed from disgusting to somewhat tolerable. He doesn't have quite as much mileage as Toney – three years younger, and four years less as a pro. But given that Toney's legacy has long ago been secured, a loss would be far more damaging to Rahman's career.
Toney has been a pro for more years than Oscar Diaz and Delvin Rodriguez combined, yet both are on the verge of forever being lost in the welterweight shuffle.
For all of the hype once surrounding his career, all that Diaz (26-2-1, 12KO) has accomplished is failing miserably to live up to his potential. A loss to Ebo Elder in 2004 removed some of the new penny shine from his career, but the damage was easily reversible. A good start was his ShoBox televised win over Al "Speedy" Gonzalez less than a year later, the biggest among an eight-fight win streak that was capped with a close but clear decision win over Chris Smith on ESPN2 two years ago.
Then disaster struck.
An upset stoppage loss to Golden Johnson marked a period of nearly two years he would go without a win before emerging victorious in a tune-up this past May. In between the two bouts was a 45-second cut-induced annulled bout with Juan Manuel Buendia, a bout that, had it actually went some rounds, could've very well served as his own "last chance" moment.
Buendia went on to lose his very next fight against Jose Soto Karass. Ditto for Golden Johnson, who exactly one year after the career-resurrecting win over Diaz, was blitzed in less than a round by Antonio Margarito.
Diaz is still standing, but perhaps on borrowed time, even at the tender age of 25.
Delvin Rodriguez (22-2-1, 13KO) is in a similar position, but is believed to still possess far greater upside. The highly touted prospect and favorite son of the ESPN2 fight circuit has managed to pick up the pieces following a meltdown against Jesse Feliciano in their March '07 Friday Night Fights headliner.
It was a bout in which Rodriguez was in full control before running out of gas as the rounds went on. Feliciano turned up the heat, to which the transplanted Dominican simply had no answers. Three knockdowns in the eighth round would end his night, as well as the 10-fight win streak he had in tow.
Such a knockout loss could prove to be a career-altering one, but Rodriguez has since proven his mettle. He returned just five months later, pummeling Keenan Collins before their bout, also on The Deuce, was stopped after just two rounds due to a cut.
Referee Eddie Claudio originally insisted the cut was caused by a headbutt, resulting in a no-contest. The replays clearly showed a punch produced the plasma, a fact not lost on the New York State Athletic Commission, who reviewed the fight and eventually changed the official verdict to a knockout win for Rodriguez.
A lack of available TV dates left him on the shelf until this past February, when he would prove to be the clock that struck midnight on the Cinderella story of Troy Browning, easily outpointing the previously unbeaten 40-year old over their ten round bout.
Still, the pair of rebuilding wins merely brought Rodriguez back to where he was prior to the Feliciano debacle – on the rise, but also on the outside looking in on a loaded welterweight landscape. If he is to advance, it will have to come on the road as he travels to Diaz' hometown of San Antonio for tonight's ESPN2 main event.
To a lesser degree, Rahman also concedes hometown advantage, as he travels to the Pechanga Resort and Casino, a common location for a Goossen-Tutor-promoted event on FoxSportsNet, with Toney of course a longtime favorite of the LA-based promoter.
But who's closer to home matters little in these bouts. Once the bell rings, it's do or die for all four combatants.
Desperate times often call for desperate measures. Hopefully for fight fans, such desperation translates to plausible in-ring action during an otherwise thin boxing week – one that could prove to be the last time two of tonight's combatants ever again find themselves in a meaningful fight.
:::::::
:::::::
A Sense Of Urgency Across The Dial Tonight
By Jake Donovan
The two televised cards offered tonight couldn't be more opposite. FoxSports (11PM ET/8PM PT, Temecula, CA) offers a rematch between two very vocal thirty-something heavyweights who weren't very entertaining the first time around and haven't looked any better since then as both face the twilight of their respective careers.
ESPN2's Wednesday Night Fights telecast (10PM ET/7PM PT, San Antonio, TX) features a crossroads match between a pair of lean, humble twenty-something welterweights with only four losses between them, and very little wear and tear at a point in their careers when most fighters would be entering their prime.
Yet both fights carry the same theme – loser leaves town.
The win or go home label is a given for Hasim Rahman and James Toney, both of whom have seen better days and realize that long gone are the days when they could skimp on training and squander countless opportunities, with the belief that another is right around the corner.
The lesson doesn't appear to be lost on Toney (70-6-3, 43KO), who by all accounts has taken this fight more serious than any other in recent memory. Titles in four separate weight classes over a 19-year career (though his heavyweight trinket was repo'd after his post-fight urinalysis turned up dirty) have secured him a spot in the Hall-of-Fame, but it's been easy to lose sight of what he truly brings to the table thanks to subpar performances – and conditioning – over the past few years.
That it took top heavyweight Samuel Peter two tries to convincingly defeat him is a clear indication of how resourceful Toney is in the ring, though it now takes a lot more than natural talent and an old bag of tricks to keep his career afloat. Of his last six fights, the only conclusive win he boasts is over divisional trial horse Dominick Guinn, three years ago.
A draw over Rahman and pair of losses against Peter (the first one controversial; the rematch, not so much) left him winless for well over a year before struggling to a split decision over Danny Batchelder in his most recent fight, fourteen months ago. Only that win was riddled in scandal, with both fighters failing their post-fight drug test, resulting in each receiving a one-year suspension.
Now a month away from his 40th birthday, Toney is at the end of his career, perhaps having already used up all nine lives. Even by today's dismal heavyweight standards, another loss – or uninspiring performance – all but signals the end of his legendary career.
At least he has the Hall of Fame to look forward to; as it stands today, the only way Hasim Rahman (45-6-2, 36KO) gains entry is with proof of paid admission.
Not that he hasn't had his chances to do more – the right hand heard 'round the world in his first fight with Lennox Lewis seven years ago earned the Baltimore native the sport's most prestigious prize, the linear heavyweight championship. Gone was the bad taste left behind from his tainted stoppage loss against David Tua, and his one-punch knockout loss a year later against Oleg Maskaev, a fighter for whom he admittedly did little to prepare.
The plan was to march toward a multi-million dollar showdown with Mike Tyson, but instead had to first rematch Lewis. Overplaying his hand, Rahman opted to settle for a more favorable split on the pay-per-view upside rather than a flat, guaranteed purse. The move proved costly, as he lost out on millions, as well as his title after Lewis flattened him in four.
It's been more bark than bite ever since, as the closest he came to reclaiming old glory was being named champion by default. Next in line for then-titlist Vitali Klitschko, Rahman went from mandatory to interim champion to full-fledged titlist after Klitschko repeatedly pulled out of scheduled fights before announcing his retirement in late 1995. Rahman ridiculed him in the press, during his chase and even after his departure from the game.
Yet for all of his talk of making history, Rahman would achieve it for all of the wrong reasons, having not won a single title defense over two reigns as champion. His 2006 draw against James Toney was his first fight since the comedy of errors in chasing Vitali. The next title fight was his last, once again falling victim to a come-from-behind knockout against Oleg Maskaev in their August '06 pay-per-view headliner.
He enters the Toney rematch riding a four-fight win streak against pedestrian opposition, though his conditioning has progressed from disgusting to somewhat tolerable. He doesn't have quite as much mileage as Toney – three years younger, and four years less as a pro. But given that Toney's legacy has long ago been secured, a loss would be far more damaging to Rahman's career.
Toney has been a pro for more years than Oscar Diaz and Delvin Rodriguez combined, yet both are on the verge of forever being lost in the welterweight shuffle.
For all of the hype once surrounding his career, all that Diaz (26-2-1, 12KO) has accomplished is failing miserably to live up to his potential. A loss to Ebo Elder in 2004 removed some of the new penny shine from his career, but the damage was easily reversible. A good start was his ShoBox televised win over Al "Speedy" Gonzalez less than a year later, the biggest among an eight-fight win streak that was capped with a close but clear decision win over Chris Smith on ESPN2 two years ago.
Then disaster struck.
An upset stoppage loss to Golden Johnson marked a period of nearly two years he would go without a win before emerging victorious in a tune-up this past May. In between the two bouts was a 45-second cut-induced annulled bout with Juan Manuel Buendia, a bout that, had it actually went some rounds, could've very well served as his own "last chance" moment.
Buendia went on to lose his very next fight against Jose Soto Karass. Ditto for Golden Johnson, who exactly one year after the career-resurrecting win over Diaz, was blitzed in less than a round by Antonio Margarito.
Diaz is still standing, but perhaps on borrowed time, even at the tender age of 25.
Delvin Rodriguez (22-2-1, 13KO) is in a similar position, but is believed to still possess far greater upside. The highly touted prospect and favorite son of the ESPN2 fight circuit has managed to pick up the pieces following a meltdown against Jesse Feliciano in their March '07 Friday Night Fights headliner.
It was a bout in which Rodriguez was in full control before running out of gas as the rounds went on. Feliciano turned up the heat, to which the transplanted Dominican simply had no answers. Three knockdowns in the eighth round would end his night, as well as the 10-fight win streak he had in tow.
Such a knockout loss could prove to be a career-altering one, but Rodriguez has since proven his mettle. He returned just five months later, pummeling Keenan Collins before their bout, also on The Deuce, was stopped after just two rounds due to a cut.
Referee Eddie Claudio originally insisted the cut was caused by a headbutt, resulting in a no-contest. The replays clearly showed a punch produced the plasma, a fact not lost on the New York State Athletic Commission, who reviewed the fight and eventually changed the official verdict to a knockout win for Rodriguez.
A lack of available TV dates left him on the shelf until this past February, when he would prove to be the clock that struck midnight on the Cinderella story of Troy Browning, easily outpointing the previously unbeaten 40-year old over their ten round bout.
Still, the pair of rebuilding wins merely brought Rodriguez back to where he was prior to the Feliciano debacle – on the rise, but also on the outside looking in on a loaded welterweight landscape. If he is to advance, it will have to come on the road as he travels to Diaz' hometown of San Antonio for tonight's ESPN2 main event.
To a lesser degree, Rahman also concedes hometown advantage, as he travels to the Pechanga Resort and Casino, a common location for a Goossen-Tutor-promoted event on FoxSportsNet, with Toney of course a longtime favorite of the LA-based promoter.
But who's closer to home matters little in these bouts. Once the bell rings, it's do or die for all four combatants.
Desperate times often call for desperate measures. Hopefully for fight fans, such desperation translates to plausible in-ring action during an otherwise thin boxing week – one that could prove to be the last time two of tonight's combatants ever again find themselves in a meaningful fight.
