Boxing News Thread
- Thread starter heyzel
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Seeger might've been the best but at a smaller weight. Jimenez was coming off an upset win over Anchondo when he fought Gamboa and gave Gamboa some good rounds and work. Edwards had a DQ win over Freddie Norwood (a guy who beat JMM) and then went on to knock Norwood out in the rematch after the Gamboa fight.
He's only 11-0 so obviously he hasn't been fighting world champions yet but he's been in there real good competition that you wouldn't be able to match up most guys 11-0 with.
.. I had uploaded a couple of his fights on megaupload a while back for 2-0. Not sure if the links are still alive. They might be somewhere in this thread.
He's only 11-0 so obviously he hasn't been fighting world champions yet but he's been in there real good competition that you wouldn't be able to match up most guys 11-0 with.
.. I had uploaded a couple of his fights on megaupload a while back for 2-0. Not sure if the links are still alive. They might be somewhere in this thread.
Glad to hear Gamboa kept his fucking hands up! I was going to be severely disappointed if he would've gotten knocked down unnecessarily like his last fight. Hopefully he hasn't created a habit out of keeping his hands down, or else tougher and sharper competition will catch him...
Also the move to 126 was a great idea, I think his team feels that he can get a belt easily at that weight, possibly clear out the division, and then move up in weight as he grows. They must really be setting him up for multi-weight championships and pushing for ATG status.
I'm going to put him up with my top 3 favorite prospects:
James Kirkland
Andre Berto
Yuriorkis Gamboa
Also the move to 126 was a great idea, I think his team feels that he can get a belt easily at that weight, possibly clear out the division, and then move up in weight as he grows. They must really be setting him up for multi-weight championships and pushing for ATG status.
I'm going to put him up with my top 3 favorite prospects:
James Kirkland
Andre Berto
Yuriorkis Gamboa
He probably could beat most of the guys that would actually fight him at feather. With Guerrero & Linares making the move to 130 it really doesn't leave much for Gamboa. Chris John is going to stay in Indonesia and keep fighting bullshit opposition .. and I think he'd smoke Oscar Larios at this point in his Larios' career. I also think he'd swarm Luevano who seems to get dropped or badly hurt in every other fight.
126 is definitely a good weight division for a guy like him to get his feet wet and get some rounds under his belt. My beef before was getting a title in a competitive divison and being babied while having it. That really wouldn't be the case at featherweight because if he does make it to a title there's really not much serious competition out there right now.
126 is definitely a good weight division for a guy like him to get his feet wet and get some rounds under his belt. My beef before was getting a title in a competitive divison and being babied while having it. That really wouldn't be the case at featherweight because if he does make it to a title there's really not much serious competition out there right now.
His opponents have been really good for a guy with 11 fights.
The combined record of his opponents is 196 wins and 34 losses. That's insane for a guy with 11 fights. He's never faced a guy with a losing record or even more then 5 losses on their record.
First fight: 6-1-0
Second fight: 7-0-0
Third fight: 40-11
I think the third fight is the most telling because never ever ever do you see a guy with 2 fights go up against a guy with over 50 fights.
6th fight: 25-1
7th fight: 19-2
8th fight: 7-4
9th fight: 13-1
10th fight: 23-2
11th fight: 27-3
He's fighting guys that have very good records and are no chumps. I don't recall ever seeing a guy facing such quality opponents so early on. Usually guys are matched with a few bums off the street for the first 10 fights or so before taking a challenge.
The combined record of his opponents is 196 wins and 34 losses. That's insane for a guy with 11 fights. He's never faced a guy with a losing record or even more then 5 losses on their record.
First fight: 6-1-0
Second fight: 7-0-0
Third fight: 40-11
I think the third fight is the most telling because never ever ever do you see a guy with 2 fights go up against a guy with over 50 fights.
6th fight: 25-1
7th fight: 19-2
8th fight: 7-4
9th fight: 13-1
10th fight: 23-2
11th fight: 27-3
He's fighting guys that have very good records and are no chumps. I don't recall ever seeing a guy facing such quality opponents so early on. Usually guys are matched with a few bums off the street for the first 10 fights or so before taking a challenge.
"Cotto is Easier Than Pacquiao For Oscar," Says Gomez
By Mark Vester
When I saw the recent comments made by Eric Gomez, vice-president and matchmaker of Golden Boy Promotions, I knew right away that Oscar De La Hoya is making a serious play to fight Manny Pacquiao on December 6 in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao, who began his career at 106-pounds, and last fought at 135-pounds, would meet De La Hoya, a former middleweight champion, at the catch-weight of 147-pounds - if the fight happens.
The other fighter in the running to land De La Hoya is WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, but he needs to first get by Antonio Margarito on July 26. Margarito is a very live underdog and even if Cotto wins, he may get pretty banged up in the process.
Gomez should be embarrassed for trying to sell De La Hoya-Pacquiao by stating that Cotto would be an easier fight because the Puerto Rican champion is "one-dimensional." Gomez must have had a few drinks before he made those comments to the Manila Bulletin.
If Cotto is one-dimensional, what does that say for Gomez's boss Shane Mosley, a Golden Boy partner who was outhustled last year when the "one-dimensional" Cotto switched up his gameplan and outboxed Mosley for the last few rounds of their twelve-round fight. He calls it a very dangerous fight, other people call it a dangerous physical mismatch.
"Manny is tricky," Gomez said. "Oscar’s no longer young and a fight with Pacquiao will be a very dangerous fight for Oscar. Cotto will be an easier fight for Oscar than Manny because Cotto is one-dimensional."
De La Hoya should not be concerned if the Pacquiao fight falls apart, I hear light flyweight champ Ivan Calderon is looking for a big money fight.
By Mark Vester
When I saw the recent comments made by Eric Gomez, vice-president and matchmaker of Golden Boy Promotions, I knew right away that Oscar De La Hoya is making a serious play to fight Manny Pacquiao on December 6 in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao, who began his career at 106-pounds, and last fought at 135-pounds, would meet De La Hoya, a former middleweight champion, at the catch-weight of 147-pounds - if the fight happens.
The other fighter in the running to land De La Hoya is WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, but he needs to first get by Antonio Margarito on July 26. Margarito is a very live underdog and even if Cotto wins, he may get pretty banged up in the process.
Gomez should be embarrassed for trying to sell De La Hoya-Pacquiao by stating that Cotto would be an easier fight because the Puerto Rican champion is "one-dimensional." Gomez must have had a few drinks before he made those comments to the Manila Bulletin.
If Cotto is one-dimensional, what does that say for Gomez's boss Shane Mosley, a Golden Boy partner who was outhustled last year when the "one-dimensional" Cotto switched up his gameplan and outboxed Mosley for the last few rounds of their twelve-round fight. He calls it a very dangerous fight, other people call it a dangerous physical mismatch.
"Manny is tricky," Gomez said. "Oscar’s no longer young and a fight with Pacquiao will be a very dangerous fight for Oscar. Cotto will be an easier fight for Oscar than Manny because Cotto is one-dimensional."
De La Hoya should not be concerned if the Pacquiao fight falls apart, I hear light flyweight champ Ivan Calderon is looking for a big money fight.
DiBella: "Povetkin-Sykes Was a Disgrace To Boxing
By Rick Reeno
Consider yourself lucky if you didn't watch Alexander Povetkin's recent knockout of American-based Taurus Sykes (25-5, 7KOs) at the Olimpyskiy Sports Palace in Chekhov. Povetkin (16-0, 12KOs) knocked him out, with little effort, in the fourth-round. Sykes was brought in by Sauerland Event to provide Povetkin with some work to prepare their fighter for the fall bout with IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.
After the first-round, Sykes appeared to be in survival mode and looking for a way out. Povetkin is not a big puncher and he sent Sykes backwards from punches that barely connected. The third-round saw Sykes go down from a slip while trying to duck low and rush Povetkin. He looked at the ref to begin a count, but the ref ruled it a slip and told Sykes to get up. Sykes just sat there and ref took it upon himself to assist Sykes to his feet.
At the end of the third, Sykes went back to his corner and tried to get his own trainer to end the fight by telling him - "I can't do it." His corner would not throw in the towel and sent him out for the fourth. Within a blink of an eye, Povetkin threw 2-3 punches that were not clean and then you could clearly see him push Sykes down, who at that point took it upon himself to remain on the floor while the ref counted him out.
Promoter Lou DiBella was trying to match Povetkin with Israel Garcia (19-1, 11KOs). According to DiBella, Sauerland was being very cheap with the money, and were only offering $45-50,000 for the fight. Once source estimates that Sykes was paid between $35-45K.
"That fight was a disgrace to boxing. It was a disgrace. It looked like a fixed fight, although it wasn't. I tried to put Israel Garcia in there. I only wanted $75,000 and Sauerland refused to go above $50,000," DiBella said. "Instead they get Taurus Sykes, who only went there to take a check. He was looking to quit from a slip. That's what Sauerland gets for being cheap. The kid wasn't being paid a lot of money so he probably thought 'why take a chance and get hurt,' so he went down. They shouldn't even let Povetkin fight for a title after a disgrace like that
By Rick Reeno
Consider yourself lucky if you didn't watch Alexander Povetkin's recent knockout of American-based Taurus Sykes (25-5, 7KOs) at the Olimpyskiy Sports Palace in Chekhov. Povetkin (16-0, 12KOs) knocked him out, with little effort, in the fourth-round. Sykes was brought in by Sauerland Event to provide Povetkin with some work to prepare their fighter for the fall bout with IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.
After the first-round, Sykes appeared to be in survival mode and looking for a way out. Povetkin is not a big puncher and he sent Sykes backwards from punches that barely connected. The third-round saw Sykes go down from a slip while trying to duck low and rush Povetkin. He looked at the ref to begin a count, but the ref ruled it a slip and told Sykes to get up. Sykes just sat there and ref took it upon himself to assist Sykes to his feet.
At the end of the third, Sykes went back to his corner and tried to get his own trainer to end the fight by telling him - "I can't do it." His corner would not throw in the towel and sent him out for the fourth. Within a blink of an eye, Povetkin threw 2-3 punches that were not clean and then you could clearly see him push Sykes down, who at that point took it upon himself to remain on the floor while the ref counted him out.
Promoter Lou DiBella was trying to match Povetkin with Israel Garcia (19-1, 11KOs). According to DiBella, Sauerland was being very cheap with the money, and were only offering $45-50,000 for the fight. Once source estimates that Sykes was paid between $35-45K.
"That fight was a disgrace to boxing. It was a disgrace. It looked like a fixed fight, although it wasn't. I tried to put Israel Garcia in there. I only wanted $75,000 and Sauerland refused to go above $50,000," DiBella said. "Instead they get Taurus Sykes, who only went there to take a check. He was looking to quit from a slip. That's what Sauerland gets for being cheap. The kid wasn't being paid a lot of money so he probably thought 'why take a chance and get hurt,' so he went down. They shouldn't even let Povetkin fight for a title after a disgrace like that
De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao: This Time it Appears Serious
By Mark Vester
The possibility of a dream bout between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao ahs been mentioned several times in the past, but this time the hype appears to be serious as De La Hoya is taking a good look at Pacquiao being the opponent for his retirement bout, scheduled for December 6 on HBO pay-per-view.
Eric Gomez, vice-president and matchmaker of Golden Boy Promotions, told the Manila Bulletin that De La Hoya is ready to make the fight if Pacquiao is serious about moving up from the lightweight limit of 135-pounds to the welterweight limit of 147-pounds.
"If Manny’s serious, I will consider doing this," was what De La Hoya said, according to Gomez.
He told the paper that De La Hoya, who last fought at 150, can make 147-pounds.
"Oscar can make 147 lbs and that is being discussed," Gomez said. "If the negotiations turn out reasonable, the fight will happen. It can be done. Oscar wants to fight the best and from what we hear, even Manny wants to fight him and it’s going to be a big fight not only for Manny but for Oscar as well."
Several days ago, Roach said that he felt De La Hoya was old and slow, and that Pacquiao would knock him out. De La Hoya and Golden Boy took offense to the comments. Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank told the Bulletin that he advised Roach and Pacquiao to keep quiet while talks are on going. It's being said that Pacquiao will want at least $20 million dollars for such a fight.
"You don’t antagonize the other side while the contract is not yet signed," said Arum. "That was silly and I was told that Oscar was really pissed. We are exploring the situation but we won’t know who, when and where Manny is going to fight until after the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito fight (on July 26). I will see what’s going to be Manny’s financial terms."
"Oscar has other options and I have a lot of thing to go over as well so I will know what’s gonna happen when I get to spend some time with Manny when he gets here next week."
By Mark Vester
The possibility of a dream bout between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao ahs been mentioned several times in the past, but this time the hype appears to be serious as De La Hoya is taking a good look at Pacquiao being the opponent for his retirement bout, scheduled for December 6 on HBO pay-per-view.
Eric Gomez, vice-president and matchmaker of Golden Boy Promotions, told the Manila Bulletin that De La Hoya is ready to make the fight if Pacquiao is serious about moving up from the lightweight limit of 135-pounds to the welterweight limit of 147-pounds.
"If Manny’s serious, I will consider doing this," was what De La Hoya said, according to Gomez.
He told the paper that De La Hoya, who last fought at 150, can make 147-pounds.
"Oscar can make 147 lbs and that is being discussed," Gomez said. "If the negotiations turn out reasonable, the fight will happen. It can be done. Oscar wants to fight the best and from what we hear, even Manny wants to fight him and it’s going to be a big fight not only for Manny but for Oscar as well."
Several days ago, Roach said that he felt De La Hoya was old and slow, and that Pacquiao would knock him out. De La Hoya and Golden Boy took offense to the comments. Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank told the Bulletin that he advised Roach and Pacquiao to keep quiet while talks are on going. It's being said that Pacquiao will want at least $20 million dollars for such a fight.
"You don’t antagonize the other side while the contract is not yet signed," said Arum. "That was silly and I was told that Oscar was really pissed. We are exploring the situation but we won’t know who, when and where Manny is going to fight until after the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito fight (on July 26). I will see what’s going to be Manny’s financial terms."
"Oscar has other options and I have a lot of thing to go over as well so I will know what’s gonna happen when I get to spend some time with Manny when he gets here next week."
Kelly Pavlik-Bernard Hopkins - Will "The Ghost" Become The First Man To KO "The Executioner?"
20.07.08 - by James Slater:
You've got to hand it to Bernard Hopkins. At age 43, the Philly tough guy is showing no signs of avoiding the hard opponents. Okay, you may not like B-Hop's style of boxing, but to take on the unbeaten, pound-for-pound duo of Joe Calzaghe and Kelly Pavlik in successive bouts sure takes some guts. The kind only old-school fighters possess..
Hopkins, 48-5-1(32), has been criticised by many for his spoiling tactics, but surely no-one would dare sniff, even slightly, at the choice of top level competition "The Executioner" has chosen to tangle with just lately. Not only did B-Hop decide to face the unbeaten Jermain Taylor twice in 2005 - losing a contentious split decision in fight one - and then light-heavyweight and pound-for-pound standouts Antonio Tarver and Winky Wright, respectively, after that (beating both), but the veteran then got it on with Joe Calzaghe this year. Despite how aggressively you thought Hopkins boxed against the Welshman, it has to be conceded that the former prison inmate accounted himself well against yet another all-time great.
Now, this October 18th in Atlantic City, Hopkins faces the also unbeaten and extremely dangerous Kelly Pavlik in a catch-weight fight taking place at 170-pounds. What other active fighter can match this quality of opposition in consecutive fights? Make no mistake, win or lose, B-Hop is always willing to take risks and fight the best. But the question is, is the veteran great biting off more than he can chew by agreeing to fight the undefeated, 26-year-old reigning middleweight king?
The talented Jim Amato has already written a fine piece about this scheduled fight, but I could not resist putting forth my opinion of this one also. As hard a puncher as Pavlik is genuinely is, I will be astonished if he succeeds where no other fighter has and stops Hopkins. Not only does the Philly great have a supremely solid set of whiskers, he also has the uncanny ability of shutting down his opponent's best weapons. Sure, this can lead to ugly fights at times, but the same fans who choose to get on Hopkins' case are the very same people who admire the antics of heavyweight boss Wladimir Klitschko. Who is the more boring fighter? I say "Dr. Steel Hammer" gets the distinction by far.
Yet the likeable big man from The Ukraine is just that, likeable. Hopkins, however, despite taking the kind of risks Klitschko would never throw a jab at, is an unpopular fighter. But never mind how many plaudits Hopkins deserves for taking on future great after future great - what are his chances against the murderous-punching Pavlik?
Once again in a fight involving Hopkins, it would be unwise to look for an all-action type of bout, but at the same time 'Nard figures to both test and frustrate "The Ghost" for all twelve rounds. The bout may not be a classic, but you can also rule out a one-sided affair. Indeed, though he will likely lose a decision, B-Hop will also ask Pavlik the kind of awkward questions not too many other fighters currently inhabiting the 160-175 pound ranks are capable of.
A tough fight for both men, Kelly Pavlik will gain praise from the keener observers of the sweet science aspect of the sport they choose to pay to view. Pavlik will win on points in a win that fails to earn him the full admiration it should.
20.07.08 - by James Slater:
You've got to hand it to Bernard Hopkins. At age 43, the Philly tough guy is showing no signs of avoiding the hard opponents. Okay, you may not like B-Hop's style of boxing, but to take on the unbeaten, pound-for-pound duo of Joe Calzaghe and Kelly Pavlik in successive bouts sure takes some guts. The kind only old-school fighters possess..
Hopkins, 48-5-1(32), has been criticised by many for his spoiling tactics, but surely no-one would dare sniff, even slightly, at the choice of top level competition "The Executioner" has chosen to tangle with just lately. Not only did B-Hop decide to face the unbeaten Jermain Taylor twice in 2005 - losing a contentious split decision in fight one - and then light-heavyweight and pound-for-pound standouts Antonio Tarver and Winky Wright, respectively, after that (beating both), but the veteran then got it on with Joe Calzaghe this year. Despite how aggressively you thought Hopkins boxed against the Welshman, it has to be conceded that the former prison inmate accounted himself well against yet another all-time great.
Now, this October 18th in Atlantic City, Hopkins faces the also unbeaten and extremely dangerous Kelly Pavlik in a catch-weight fight taking place at 170-pounds. What other active fighter can match this quality of opposition in consecutive fights? Make no mistake, win or lose, B-Hop is always willing to take risks and fight the best. But the question is, is the veteran great biting off more than he can chew by agreeing to fight the undefeated, 26-year-old reigning middleweight king?
The talented Jim Amato has already written a fine piece about this scheduled fight, but I could not resist putting forth my opinion of this one also. As hard a puncher as Pavlik is genuinely is, I will be astonished if he succeeds where no other fighter has and stops Hopkins. Not only does the Philly great have a supremely solid set of whiskers, he also has the uncanny ability of shutting down his opponent's best weapons. Sure, this can lead to ugly fights at times, but the same fans who choose to get on Hopkins' case are the very same people who admire the antics of heavyweight boss Wladimir Klitschko. Who is the more boring fighter? I say "Dr. Steel Hammer" gets the distinction by far.
Yet the likeable big man from The Ukraine is just that, likeable. Hopkins, however, despite taking the kind of risks Klitschko would never throw a jab at, is an unpopular fighter. But never mind how many plaudits Hopkins deserves for taking on future great after future great - what are his chances against the murderous-punching Pavlik?
Once again in a fight involving Hopkins, it would be unwise to look for an all-action type of bout, but at the same time 'Nard figures to both test and frustrate "The Ghost" for all twelve rounds. The bout may not be a classic, but you can also rule out a one-sided affair. Indeed, though he will likely lose a decision, B-Hop will also ask Pavlik the kind of awkward questions not too many other fighters currently inhabiting the 160-175 pound ranks are capable of.
A tough fight for both men, Kelly Pavlik will gain praise from the keener observers of the sweet science aspect of the sport they choose to pay to view. Pavlik will win on points in a win that fails to earn him the full admiration it should.
Three Stories Later, Allan Green's Voice Is Finally Heard
By Jake Donovan
"There are three sides to the story – yours, mine and the truth."
There have been quite a few sides to the story behind the negotiations gone awry between Allan Green and linear middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik.
One version came out in the form of an ESPN blog entry on Thursday afternoon. In the story, it was alleged that Green turned down a $450,000 payday to challenge for the world middleweight crown in September.
The sources for the story were the two promoters involved; Tony Holden, who promotes Green, and Bob Arum, who has Pavlik. The blogger, ESPN.com senior writer Dan Rafael went on to insult Green and his "neophyte" advisor Greg Leon, who is also the publisher for boxing website Boxingtalk.com.
Naturally, a rebuttal followed mere hours later. Leon first dismissed the story as fictitious and full of holes. A follow-up report dissected the blog piece-by-piece, refuting the claims in the ESPN blog one paragraph at a time.
What was missing in all of this was Allan Green's take.
Welcome to door number three.
"To everyone out there," Green shouts, for all to finally hear, "I did NOT turn down the Kelly Pavlik fight. I wanted the fight then, and I still want the fight now."
It doesn't appear that a middleweight title shot will still be on the table anytime in the near future. Top Rank has already moved forward, announcing late last week that Pavlik will next face Bernard Hopkins in an October 18 catchweight non-title bout to air on HBO PPV.
The deal hasn't been finalized, but there's a better chance of that fight happening than Pavlik defending his crown against Green – or really anyone else at the middleweight limit – anytime soon. The Hopkins fight will be Pavlik's second non-title affair in just three fights since winning the crown from Jermain Taylor last fall.
A Pavlik-Hopkins matchup has already been met with much criticism, including a fantastic piece penned by BoxingScene.com's own Cliff Rold, which published Friday morning (CLICK HERE for full article). What's been lost upon the media is the potential conspiracy theory behind the fight.
With the news of Pavlik-Hopkins landing on October 18 came two separate follow-up stories: the previously scheduled October 11 Shane Mosley-Ricardo Mayorga PPV match was being bumped up two weeks – and downgraded from PPV to regular HBO; and David Haye conveniently suffered a minor arm injury – so minor, the actual injury was never disclosed, yet severe enough for his October 18 HBO bout to be postponed a month or two.
All three stories were mentioned on ESPN.com, yet amazingly nobody bothered to connect the dots. Even from the outside looking in, Green saw the writing on the wall the moment he was told that one brief phone conversation resulted in his deal being pulled off of the table.
"Honestly, it sounds to me like they never wanted the fight," claims Green. "We were told that if Pavlik doesn't fight Paul Williams, then we got the fight. Next thing I know, I'm reading on ESPN that I turned it down. Arum was never told we didn't want the fight. I never said it, my advisor never said it and Tony Holden never said it."
So exactly what was said?
"Greg called me up, and told me that there was $450,000 on the table for the fight. He said he tried to negotiate for more, but didn't believe that any more would be offered for the fight. The way he put it was that I take this fight, and a win makes me a multi-millionaire.
"That conversation lasted about 15 minutes. We agreed it was a good opportunity. Greg got back to Tony an hour after their phone call to Arum, to let him know we'd take the fight."
Only there was no longer a fight to take. Not only did the news not come back in a timely fashion, but not even directly. It wasn't a phone call informing Green that the fight was off, but a third party report.
"A week later – ONE WEEK LATER – I'm reading that we turned down the fight," says Green. "Worse, Dan Rafael never even bothered to get my side. He heard from Arum and Holden, and decided that was good enough. I'm just a scumbag, so who wants to hear or believe what I have to say, right? I may be a primate, but I'm not a monkey."
For the immediate future, he won't even be an active fighter.
Prior to 2008, Green has never went more than five months between fights since turning pro in 2002. More than half of his pro fights have appeared on national television, despite lacking the amateur pedigree that normally accompanies such exposure.
He built up his record through frequent appearances on ESPN2, but it was his 18 second destruction of heavily hyped Jaidon Codrington in 2005's Knockout of the Year that officially put the Oklahoma-based boxer-puncher on the map.
Five fights followed in 2006 before he made his HBO debut against Edison Miranda in early 2007. It was a bout of unbeaten contenders fought at a catchweight of 162 lb, the lightest Green has weighed as a professional. Green scored an eighth round knockdown, but it served as the lone shining moment in an otherwise uninspiring performance, suffering two knockdowns of his own in winding up on the wrong side of a lopsided decision.
Green insisted afterward that the drop in weight resulted in his health being compromised. No sour grapes involved, as the claim was validated a few months later when he underwent surgery to have 85% of his colon removed. He received a clean bill of health, but his career hasn't been quite as blessed, the latest development only adding to his latest woes.
The irony is his perceived reputation has done a complete 180 from where the year began.
With the Rubin Williams fight already set to serve as the first Friday Night Fights telecast of 2008, Team Green was offered an opportunity to face 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward a month later on HBO. The money was significantly better, but Green opted against skipping out on Williams, wanting to honor the fight to which he already committed, hoping that a win would eventually lead to a fight against Ward or someone on that level in the near future.
Green did his part that night, dominating Williams in scoring a virtual shutout. Only the win hasn't led to anything other than turmoil within his team.
The in-house bickering began when Green failed to show up for his scheduled February bout with faded trialhorse Antwun Echols. According to Green, "I gave notice five days beforehand that I wasn't going to take the fight. But for whatever reason, the story became that I just didn't show up at all, without notice."
At the time, Holden was quoted as saying he hadn't heard from Allan in two weeks prior to the fight that never was (Michael Walker wound up filling in for Green on short notice). Holden was unavailable for what we hoped would be comments on several items in this story, as he was on the road promoting a major charity event for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Regardless, it's not a move that Green regrets.
"People pull out of fights all of the time. Everyone was acting like Antwun Echols was this all-time legend, and that it was a career-damaging move not taking the fight. They still came back and offered the Pavlik fight; I guess people got over it."
What they can't get past is who Green has brought on his team, though he doesn't lend any validity to his new advisor being the reason for negotiations falling apart.
"I mean, if Greg was the problem, don't take the guy's phone calls. But to say that's enough to kill the deal is ridiculous. I've never heard of a fight being pulled off of the table over one phone conversation that lasted less than a minute. If people did business like that every day, then nothing would ever get done.
"As far as I'm concerned, Greg did his job. He heard the offer, and wanted to see if more could be made. Call me crazy, but to me that's negotiating. Not just one side saying it's this way or no way at all."
Right now, it's the latter, and everyone's pointing fingers in different directions, though without hearing the full story from all sides. Even more so than watching a $450,000 payday vanish, Green's more disturbed of the assumptions made about his career when all it took was a phone call to clarify.
"The only reason someone would do a story like that is they're a complete idiot. (Rafael) accused me of grossly pricing myself out of the fight, claims in the title that I turned down the fight… where's your proof? Taking an hour to discuss our options before agreeing to the fight is all we're guilty of How anyone can turn that into turning down the fight is beyond me."
In the meantime, we're approaching seven months since Green's last laced 'em up for pay, and nothing on the horizon for the immediate future. The Pavlik fight is still what he most craves, even with Kelly set to face Hopkins. "That's the one fight that really sparked my interest. It's the fight I want, and am still ready to sign the contract if they were ever serious about offering the fight to me."
If not, then it's on to new business. Green's not particular about who he next faces, so long as it's beyond the status quo.
"I can rattle off names – Jermain Taylor, Jeff Lacy, even an Edison Miranda rematch, even though he just lost. But it's not the name that matters, but that the fight represents something. I'm beyond fighting prospects. I'm a contender and want to start fighting for titles, or at least title eliminators, not a fight that only leads to another fight and still leaving me like five fights away from a title shot.
"I missed out on a super middleweight title shot for a middleweight fight; that's the way the game is played today. So put me in a position where something bigger is immediately within reach. No more fighting prospects or ESPN2 fights; that's moving backwards."
Moving in another direction is what for years was known as Team Green. The potential change of scenery doesn't bother him so much as the fact that everyone now knows the reasons why.
"My team isn't like any other," explains Green. "There are members within my team that don't get along. It's no big deal, we deal with it and don't let it become anyone else's business. The problem we have now is that everyone knows our business."
Green insists there will be no hard feelings on his end, though also no regrets.
"I'm not going to apologize for wanting to stand up for myself and not act like a lifeless walking corpse that some expect fighters to be. Writers will claim that someone's boring when they let a promoter do all of the talking for them. The when some of us stand up for ourselves and make our own decisions, we're called rebellious."
The next decision Green makes will apparently be made without longtime promoter Tony Holden.
"Tony and I talked on Friday, and he said he's thinking about moving on. We can still stay friends, just move in different directions, and that'll be that.
"We're still cool as far as I'm concerned. I'm not here to burn bridges, but at the same time when stuff's written about me without my input, I want the opportunity to express my side."
And for others to listen, and get every side of the story before passing judgment.
By Jake Donovan
"There are three sides to the story – yours, mine and the truth."
There have been quite a few sides to the story behind the negotiations gone awry between Allan Green and linear middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik.
One version came out in the form of an ESPN blog entry on Thursday afternoon. In the story, it was alleged that Green turned down a $450,000 payday to challenge for the world middleweight crown in September.
The sources for the story were the two promoters involved; Tony Holden, who promotes Green, and Bob Arum, who has Pavlik. The blogger, ESPN.com senior writer Dan Rafael went on to insult Green and his "neophyte" advisor Greg Leon, who is also the publisher for boxing website Boxingtalk.com.
Naturally, a rebuttal followed mere hours later. Leon first dismissed the story as fictitious and full of holes. A follow-up report dissected the blog piece-by-piece, refuting the claims in the ESPN blog one paragraph at a time.
What was missing in all of this was Allan Green's take.
Welcome to door number three.
"To everyone out there," Green shouts, for all to finally hear, "I did NOT turn down the Kelly Pavlik fight. I wanted the fight then, and I still want the fight now."
It doesn't appear that a middleweight title shot will still be on the table anytime in the near future. Top Rank has already moved forward, announcing late last week that Pavlik will next face Bernard Hopkins in an October 18 catchweight non-title bout to air on HBO PPV.
The deal hasn't been finalized, but there's a better chance of that fight happening than Pavlik defending his crown against Green – or really anyone else at the middleweight limit – anytime soon. The Hopkins fight will be Pavlik's second non-title affair in just three fights since winning the crown from Jermain Taylor last fall.
A Pavlik-Hopkins matchup has already been met with much criticism, including a fantastic piece penned by BoxingScene.com's own Cliff Rold, which published Friday morning (CLICK HERE for full article). What's been lost upon the media is the potential conspiracy theory behind the fight.
With the news of Pavlik-Hopkins landing on October 18 came two separate follow-up stories: the previously scheduled October 11 Shane Mosley-Ricardo Mayorga PPV match was being bumped up two weeks – and downgraded from PPV to regular HBO; and David Haye conveniently suffered a minor arm injury – so minor, the actual injury was never disclosed, yet severe enough for his October 18 HBO bout to be postponed a month or two.
All three stories were mentioned on ESPN.com, yet amazingly nobody bothered to connect the dots. Even from the outside looking in, Green saw the writing on the wall the moment he was told that one brief phone conversation resulted in his deal being pulled off of the table.
"Honestly, it sounds to me like they never wanted the fight," claims Green. "We were told that if Pavlik doesn't fight Paul Williams, then we got the fight. Next thing I know, I'm reading on ESPN that I turned it down. Arum was never told we didn't want the fight. I never said it, my advisor never said it and Tony Holden never said it."
So exactly what was said?
"Greg called me up, and told me that there was $450,000 on the table for the fight. He said he tried to negotiate for more, but didn't believe that any more would be offered for the fight. The way he put it was that I take this fight, and a win makes me a multi-millionaire.
"That conversation lasted about 15 minutes. We agreed it was a good opportunity. Greg got back to Tony an hour after their phone call to Arum, to let him know we'd take the fight."
Only there was no longer a fight to take. Not only did the news not come back in a timely fashion, but not even directly. It wasn't a phone call informing Green that the fight was off, but a third party report.
"A week later – ONE WEEK LATER – I'm reading that we turned down the fight," says Green. "Worse, Dan Rafael never even bothered to get my side. He heard from Arum and Holden, and decided that was good enough. I'm just a scumbag, so who wants to hear or believe what I have to say, right? I may be a primate, but I'm not a monkey."
For the immediate future, he won't even be an active fighter.
Prior to 2008, Green has never went more than five months between fights since turning pro in 2002. More than half of his pro fights have appeared on national television, despite lacking the amateur pedigree that normally accompanies such exposure.
He built up his record through frequent appearances on ESPN2, but it was his 18 second destruction of heavily hyped Jaidon Codrington in 2005's Knockout of the Year that officially put the Oklahoma-based boxer-puncher on the map.
Five fights followed in 2006 before he made his HBO debut against Edison Miranda in early 2007. It was a bout of unbeaten contenders fought at a catchweight of 162 lb, the lightest Green has weighed as a professional. Green scored an eighth round knockdown, but it served as the lone shining moment in an otherwise uninspiring performance, suffering two knockdowns of his own in winding up on the wrong side of a lopsided decision.
Green insisted afterward that the drop in weight resulted in his health being compromised. No sour grapes involved, as the claim was validated a few months later when he underwent surgery to have 85% of his colon removed. He received a clean bill of health, but his career hasn't been quite as blessed, the latest development only adding to his latest woes.
The irony is his perceived reputation has done a complete 180 from where the year began.
With the Rubin Williams fight already set to serve as the first Friday Night Fights telecast of 2008, Team Green was offered an opportunity to face 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward a month later on HBO. The money was significantly better, but Green opted against skipping out on Williams, wanting to honor the fight to which he already committed, hoping that a win would eventually lead to a fight against Ward or someone on that level in the near future.
Green did his part that night, dominating Williams in scoring a virtual shutout. Only the win hasn't led to anything other than turmoil within his team.
The in-house bickering began when Green failed to show up for his scheduled February bout with faded trialhorse Antwun Echols. According to Green, "I gave notice five days beforehand that I wasn't going to take the fight. But for whatever reason, the story became that I just didn't show up at all, without notice."
At the time, Holden was quoted as saying he hadn't heard from Allan in two weeks prior to the fight that never was (Michael Walker wound up filling in for Green on short notice). Holden was unavailable for what we hoped would be comments on several items in this story, as he was on the road promoting a major charity event for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Regardless, it's not a move that Green regrets.
"People pull out of fights all of the time. Everyone was acting like Antwun Echols was this all-time legend, and that it was a career-damaging move not taking the fight. They still came back and offered the Pavlik fight; I guess people got over it."
What they can't get past is who Green has brought on his team, though he doesn't lend any validity to his new advisor being the reason for negotiations falling apart.
"I mean, if Greg was the problem, don't take the guy's phone calls. But to say that's enough to kill the deal is ridiculous. I've never heard of a fight being pulled off of the table over one phone conversation that lasted less than a minute. If people did business like that every day, then nothing would ever get done.
"As far as I'm concerned, Greg did his job. He heard the offer, and wanted to see if more could be made. Call me crazy, but to me that's negotiating. Not just one side saying it's this way or no way at all."
Right now, it's the latter, and everyone's pointing fingers in different directions, though without hearing the full story from all sides. Even more so than watching a $450,000 payday vanish, Green's more disturbed of the assumptions made about his career when all it took was a phone call to clarify.
"The only reason someone would do a story like that is they're a complete idiot. (Rafael) accused me of grossly pricing myself out of the fight, claims in the title that I turned down the fight… where's your proof? Taking an hour to discuss our options before agreeing to the fight is all we're guilty of How anyone can turn that into turning down the fight is beyond me."
In the meantime, we're approaching seven months since Green's last laced 'em up for pay, and nothing on the horizon for the immediate future. The Pavlik fight is still what he most craves, even with Kelly set to face Hopkins. "That's the one fight that really sparked my interest. It's the fight I want, and am still ready to sign the contract if they were ever serious about offering the fight to me."
If not, then it's on to new business. Green's not particular about who he next faces, so long as it's beyond the status quo.
"I can rattle off names – Jermain Taylor, Jeff Lacy, even an Edison Miranda rematch, even though he just lost. But it's not the name that matters, but that the fight represents something. I'm beyond fighting prospects. I'm a contender and want to start fighting for titles, or at least title eliminators, not a fight that only leads to another fight and still leaving me like five fights away from a title shot.
"I missed out on a super middleweight title shot for a middleweight fight; that's the way the game is played today. So put me in a position where something bigger is immediately within reach. No more fighting prospects or ESPN2 fights; that's moving backwards."
Moving in another direction is what for years was known as Team Green. The potential change of scenery doesn't bother him so much as the fact that everyone now knows the reasons why.
"My team isn't like any other," explains Green. "There are members within my team that don't get along. It's no big deal, we deal with it and don't let it become anyone else's business. The problem we have now is that everyone knows our business."
Green insists there will be no hard feelings on his end, though also no regrets.
"I'm not going to apologize for wanting to stand up for myself and not act like a lifeless walking corpse that some expect fighters to be. Writers will claim that someone's boring when they let a promoter do all of the talking for them. The when some of us stand up for ourselves and make our own decisions, we're called rebellious."
The next decision Green makes will apparently be made without longtime promoter Tony Holden.
"Tony and I talked on Friday, and he said he's thinking about moving on. We can still stay friends, just move in different directions, and that'll be that.
"We're still cool as far as I'm concerned. I'm not here to burn bridges, but at the same time when stuff's written about me without my input, I want the opportunity to express my side."
And for others to listen, and get every side of the story before passing judgment.
Pacquiao Believes Roach, He Can Beat De La Hoya
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Manny Pacquiao believes trainer Freddie Roach that he could beat an aging Oscar de la Hoya.
As a result, Pacquiao said he is ready to fight the Golden Boy if the terms are right on Dec. 6.
In an exclusive interview in his suite at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu, Pacquiao said he believes what Roach said during an interview with The Main Event panelists Dennis Principe and this writer over dzSR Sports Radio.
“I believe him [Roach] because he trained De la Hoya for his showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr.,” said Pacquiao. “If he didn’t train De la Hoya, I will not believe him immediately.”
In the Sports Radio interview, Roach revealed that Pacquiao can knock De la Hoya out. “He [De la Hoya] is the bigger guy and does have a good left hook, but he is not the same Oscar of a few years ago. He is just having trouble pulling the trigger. He is a little slower. If Steve Forbes can hit him as easily as he did, I know Pacquiao will knock him out.”
Pacquiao agreed with Roach’s observation that he would have to train for three months because of the styles and to work on a plan on how to beat De la Hoya.
Discussing the financials of a De la Hoya fight, Pacquiao said he expected to do big numbers on pay-per-view of “at least 2 million to 2.2 million [buys]. That’s my estimate.”
Pacquiao’s close friend and confidant Rex “Wakee” Salud said he, too, agreed with Roach, who doesn’t want small fights for the lightweight champ. Salud joined the chorus of fight people objecting to a fight against Humberto Soto, who is also handled by promoter Bob Arum, or World Boxing Association super featherweight champion Edwin Valero, who still hasn’t been cleared to fight in Las Vegas.
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Manny Pacquiao believes trainer Freddie Roach that he could beat an aging Oscar de la Hoya.
As a result, Pacquiao said he is ready to fight the Golden Boy if the terms are right on Dec. 6.
In an exclusive interview in his suite at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu, Pacquiao said he believes what Roach said during an interview with The Main Event panelists Dennis Principe and this writer over dzSR Sports Radio.
“I believe him [Roach] because he trained De la Hoya for his showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr.,” said Pacquiao. “If he didn’t train De la Hoya, I will not believe him immediately.”
In the Sports Radio interview, Roach revealed that Pacquiao can knock De la Hoya out. “He [De la Hoya] is the bigger guy and does have a good left hook, but he is not the same Oscar of a few years ago. He is just having trouble pulling the trigger. He is a little slower. If Steve Forbes can hit him as easily as he did, I know Pacquiao will knock him out.”
Pacquiao agreed with Roach’s observation that he would have to train for three months because of the styles and to work on a plan on how to beat De la Hoya.
Discussing the financials of a De la Hoya fight, Pacquiao said he expected to do big numbers on pay-per-view of “at least 2 million to 2.2 million [buys]. That’s my estimate.”
Pacquiao’s close friend and confidant Rex “Wakee” Salud said he, too, agreed with Roach, who doesn’t want small fights for the lightweight champ. Salud joined the chorus of fight people objecting to a fight against Humberto Soto, who is also handled by promoter Bob Arum, or World Boxing Association super featherweight champion Edwin Valero, who still hasn’t been cleared to fight in Las Vegas.
Letter to James Toney from "Kingpin" Kevin Johnson
James, congrats on your win, although there really isn’t much for you to celebrate. Just another washed up out of shape American heavyweight beating on another washed up out of shape and old American heavyweight. Watching you and Hasim Rahmn exchange love taps for three forgettable rounds nearly sent me into a coma..
" I know that you probably think that your fraudulent win over Rahmn gives you the right to fight for the heavyweight title and opportunity for another lucrative payday, to which I say B.S. You and the rest of the old washed-up, over-the-hill and semi-retired heavyweights need to stop clogging the path to the heavyweight pipeline and get the hell out of the way of the young lions such as myself. Especially since you guys seem to spend all of your time avoiding me and the other top young American heavyweights such as Chris Arreola and Eddie Chambers, while all the while trying to jump the line and get ahead of us for a title shot. You, Rahman John Ruiz, Evander Holyfield and the rest of the lot need to see me before you set your sights on the title.
" Come see me and I will gurantee that you will never see another title fight in your life. I’ll fight you any place, at any time for any price. Call my Promoter Joe DeGuardia of Starboxing or my management team at Tandem Sports and we can make it happen. "
“Kingpin” Kevin Johnson
James, congrats on your win, although there really isn’t much for you to celebrate. Just another washed up out of shape American heavyweight beating on another washed up out of shape and old American heavyweight. Watching you and Hasim Rahmn exchange love taps for three forgettable rounds nearly sent me into a coma..
" I know that you probably think that your fraudulent win over Rahmn gives you the right to fight for the heavyweight title and opportunity for another lucrative payday, to which I say B.S. You and the rest of the old washed-up, over-the-hill and semi-retired heavyweights need to stop clogging the path to the heavyweight pipeline and get the hell out of the way of the young lions such as myself. Especially since you guys seem to spend all of your time avoiding me and the other top young American heavyweights such as Chris Arreola and Eddie Chambers, while all the while trying to jump the line and get ahead of us for a title shot. You, Rahman John Ruiz, Evander Holyfield and the rest of the lot need to see me before you set your sights on the title.
" Come see me and I will gurantee that you will never see another title fight in your life. I’ll fight you any place, at any time for any price. Call my Promoter Joe DeGuardia of Starboxing or my management team at Tandem Sports and we can make it happen. "
“Kingpin” Kevin Johnson
Mexico vs Puerto Rico: A Sweet Science With Bitter Chemistry
21.07.008 - By Vivek Wallace: In the world of sports there's only one thing that parallels the accomplishment of reaching ultimate supremacy in the form of a championship. That one thing is, always has been, and always will be, the passionate feeling relative to defeating an arch nemesis. It often seems that no matter how good or bad a team has been in the past, when faced by a rival, you're guaranteed to see the absolute best that each team has to offer because the premium penchant placed on victory in these wars can be no greater. In the good old days of the NBA there was the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, the Bulls-Pistons rivalry, and countless others. Fans of the NFL may remember some of the great moments of the past in the Cowboy-Redskins rivalry, the Dolphins-Jets rivalries, as well as the Raiders-Chiefs rivalries to name a few. In baseball, arguably the most prominent of them all would be the battle-fest between the RedSox and the Yankees.. But despite the fact that in all of those sports there are literally one group of men waging war against another, the most passionate rivalry involves a sport where there are simply two men involved. Perhaps that's what makes it such an anomaly. The mere fact that you have two men who literally carry the weight of a complete nation on their shoulders who know that as good as they both are, in the end, only one hand can be raised. For all the great things that go into a sports rivalry, this particular intangible is easily the most enticing, signaling an all out war, hence the aptly dubbed title for this occasion, "La Batalla".
The ring-wars between the two nations technically got under way back in October of 1978 when famed Puerto Rican Wilfred Gomez set out to defeat the once-thought-to-be unstoppable Carlos Zarate, who remains the only boxer in history to put together two streaks of 20 or more knockouts. The winner of 55 fights in a row with all but one coming by way of KO, never in a million years did anyone think - despite his greatness - that Wilfred Gomez would be able to pull off the victory. This would be Zarate's first fight in a new weight class four pounds north of his comfort zone, and shortly after the bell rang, standing in the ring under a blazing tropical sun in Puerto Rico's Roberto Clemente Coliseum, he quickly realized that there's no place like home as he suffered his first lost in his pro career in a devastating fashion on foreign sand in the island of Puerto Rico. Over the years, other great Mexican-Puerto Rican wars would later manifest. Among the best of the many would be Benitez-Palomino, Pintor-Gomez, Gomez-Sanchez, and subsequently the Chavez-Camacho shallackin'. Of all the great fights we've seen over the years in this lineage, the one synonymous ingredient was a feverish passion to pay the ultimate homage to ones homeland. And despite that passion to be the last man standing, the paths taken to reach that pinnacle have often been reached in different ways. In what some may view as a relative stereotype, typically, Puerto Rican fighters give you a certain level of overall talent, infused with pride. You see the speed, the pure boxing skills, and often, better than average power. In Mexican fighters we've historically seen the sheer ability to gut it out and win at all cost. Never known to bare the quickest hands in the group, their unrelenting prowess to take a beating while delivering a better one has always been their trademark. Often dispatching an effort that falls short of nothing but literal death in the ring.
For anyone who's ever been in attendance at such an event, they can attest firsthand that nowhere in the world of sports except maybe soccer does any rivalry reach this level of intensity. As we bring this rivalry full circle, nowhere in the sport of boxing has anyone seen two men more fitting for this mantle than the ones about to renew it come Saturday, July 26th, at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas. Trinidad-Vargas, Margarito-Cintron, and a number of others were all great spectacles, but this is arguably the only one - to include the famed De La Hoya-Trinidad showdown - where you pair two men who refuse to fight going backwards and will literally enter the ring with that rather merciless 'stalk-til-they-can't-walk' agenda.
It's a bit early to get into predictions and analysis but regardless of anyones position, the one thing we can all agree upon is the common knowledge that this rivalry could be on the brink of the very best fight it has ever seen. One man describes this showdown as a way to place his name in the book of all-time greats produced from his land, the other views this fight as his professional "consecration". One guy is gracious in victory, the other is rather brash, as witnessed in his infamous arm-raising "get your a** up now!!!" gesture carried out after knocking his last victim to the deck. One man finds his stock on the rise yet again as he has continues to impress, the other understands that this opportunity has evaded him once before, and considering that this isn't baseball, that proverbial 'third-strike' isn't guaranteed to cross his plate before his 'game' is signaled to be over. All of a sudden, center stage is two men who know that their personal legacy could very well be defined by how well they uphold the past legacy their past countrymen initiated in this spectacle. With 5 days remaining until they officially lace up, the anticipation rises, and if you know like I know, come fight night, so will the efforts of these two men.....as if that was humanly possible.
Day 6 is now officially down....5 more to go.
21.07.008 - By Vivek Wallace: In the world of sports there's only one thing that parallels the accomplishment of reaching ultimate supremacy in the form of a championship. That one thing is, always has been, and always will be, the passionate feeling relative to defeating an arch nemesis. It often seems that no matter how good or bad a team has been in the past, when faced by a rival, you're guaranteed to see the absolute best that each team has to offer because the premium penchant placed on victory in these wars can be no greater. In the good old days of the NBA there was the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, the Bulls-Pistons rivalry, and countless others. Fans of the NFL may remember some of the great moments of the past in the Cowboy-Redskins rivalry, the Dolphins-Jets rivalries, as well as the Raiders-Chiefs rivalries to name a few. In baseball, arguably the most prominent of them all would be the battle-fest between the RedSox and the Yankees.. But despite the fact that in all of those sports there are literally one group of men waging war against another, the most passionate rivalry involves a sport where there are simply two men involved. Perhaps that's what makes it such an anomaly. The mere fact that you have two men who literally carry the weight of a complete nation on their shoulders who know that as good as they both are, in the end, only one hand can be raised. For all the great things that go into a sports rivalry, this particular intangible is easily the most enticing, signaling an all out war, hence the aptly dubbed title for this occasion, "La Batalla".
The ring-wars between the two nations technically got under way back in October of 1978 when famed Puerto Rican Wilfred Gomez set out to defeat the once-thought-to-be unstoppable Carlos Zarate, who remains the only boxer in history to put together two streaks of 20 or more knockouts. The winner of 55 fights in a row with all but one coming by way of KO, never in a million years did anyone think - despite his greatness - that Wilfred Gomez would be able to pull off the victory. This would be Zarate's first fight in a new weight class four pounds north of his comfort zone, and shortly after the bell rang, standing in the ring under a blazing tropical sun in Puerto Rico's Roberto Clemente Coliseum, he quickly realized that there's no place like home as he suffered his first lost in his pro career in a devastating fashion on foreign sand in the island of Puerto Rico. Over the years, other great Mexican-Puerto Rican wars would later manifest. Among the best of the many would be Benitez-Palomino, Pintor-Gomez, Gomez-Sanchez, and subsequently the Chavez-Camacho shallackin'. Of all the great fights we've seen over the years in this lineage, the one synonymous ingredient was a feverish passion to pay the ultimate homage to ones homeland. And despite that passion to be the last man standing, the paths taken to reach that pinnacle have often been reached in different ways. In what some may view as a relative stereotype, typically, Puerto Rican fighters give you a certain level of overall talent, infused with pride. You see the speed, the pure boxing skills, and often, better than average power. In Mexican fighters we've historically seen the sheer ability to gut it out and win at all cost. Never known to bare the quickest hands in the group, their unrelenting prowess to take a beating while delivering a better one has always been their trademark. Often dispatching an effort that falls short of nothing but literal death in the ring.
For anyone who's ever been in attendance at such an event, they can attest firsthand that nowhere in the world of sports except maybe soccer does any rivalry reach this level of intensity. As we bring this rivalry full circle, nowhere in the sport of boxing has anyone seen two men more fitting for this mantle than the ones about to renew it come Saturday, July 26th, at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas. Trinidad-Vargas, Margarito-Cintron, and a number of others were all great spectacles, but this is arguably the only one - to include the famed De La Hoya-Trinidad showdown - where you pair two men who refuse to fight going backwards and will literally enter the ring with that rather merciless 'stalk-til-they-can't-walk' agenda.
It's a bit early to get into predictions and analysis but regardless of anyones position, the one thing we can all agree upon is the common knowledge that this rivalry could be on the brink of the very best fight it has ever seen. One man describes this showdown as a way to place his name in the book of all-time greats produced from his land, the other views this fight as his professional "consecration". One guy is gracious in victory, the other is rather brash, as witnessed in his infamous arm-raising "get your a** up now!!!" gesture carried out after knocking his last victim to the deck. One man finds his stock on the rise yet again as he has continues to impress, the other understands that this opportunity has evaded him once before, and considering that this isn't baseball, that proverbial 'third-strike' isn't guaranteed to cross his plate before his 'game' is signaled to be over. All of a sudden, center stage is two men who know that their personal legacy could very well be defined by how well they uphold the past legacy their past countrymen initiated in this spectacle. With 5 days remaining until they officially lace up, the anticipation rises, and if you know like I know, come fight night, so will the efforts of these two men.....as if that was humanly possible.
Day 6 is now officially down....5 more to go.
Alexander Povetkin - Is He Really Ready For Klitschko?
21.07.08 - by James Slater: Unbeaten IBF mandatory contender at heavyweight, Alexander Povetkin looks like being the next challenger for IBF and WBO champion Wladmir Klitschko. Annoyed he had to watch Tony Thompson fight Klitschko first, the 28-year-old Russian contender demanded he get next crack at "Dr Steel Hammer.."
Wladimir shows no signs at all of not wanting the fight, desiring very much to keep his IBF belt and then hoping to go on and unify the others. But is Povetkin even a fighter who is ready to take on Klitschko? Is the man who has only 16 pro wins under his belt ready, or is he rushing things? Sure, Povetkin is the IBF mandatory and he earned the distinction by emerging triumphant in the elimination tourney that also featured Chris Byrd, Calvin Brock and Eddie Chambers - but this doesn't mean he's ready for Klitschko, does it?
Povetkin's resume shows you he has not yet met a single big-puncher. Facing mostly cuties as he's stepped up in competition - see Chambers, Byrd and before that Larry Donald - Povetkin would have been well served if he were working his way towards challenging a slick heavyweight champion, as opposed to a big, stiff-punching monster like Klitschko. Yes, a fighter can only pick and choose so much when it comes to facing certain styles of opponents, but things would be a lot better for Povetkin if he'd at least fought a guy who fights in a somewhat similar way to the champ from The Ukraine.
We know Povetkin can overwhelm relatively small, tricky and not too hard-hitting heavyweights, but can he take a huge heavyweight's shot and can he hold his own with the inside stuff when in with a really big guy? We will find out in the Klitschko fight, but will Povetkin be found out due to meeting the elite too soon in his career? Maybe Povetkin is as good now as he ever will be, and the time is right for him to be taking his big chance. After all, despite his lack of numbers as a pro, the Russian star achieved much and was a very experienced amateur. But has fate served to provide Povetkin with the totally wrong pre-title fight style of opposition?
The way Povetkin fights, he will likely attempt to take the fight to Klitschko and force him to trade and hope he can win in a battle. Pressure fighting having worked for him thus far, Povetkin will see no reason not to try and take the same approach with the heavyweight champion. However, in being a relatively small heavyweight( at least compared to Klitschko) at 6'2" and approx 225-pounds, and having fought a good share of men even smaller then he, will the challenger find it's a whole different story against the mammoth Klitschko?
I really feel Povetkin could badly use a couple more fights - against big and physical heavyweights as opposed to small and crafty ones - before being as prepared as he needs to be for a fight with Klitschko. Sometimes a fighter only gets one shot at the title - he had better make sure he's as ready as he can be going into that one shot
21.07.08 - by James Slater: Unbeaten IBF mandatory contender at heavyweight, Alexander Povetkin looks like being the next challenger for IBF and WBO champion Wladmir Klitschko. Annoyed he had to watch Tony Thompson fight Klitschko first, the 28-year-old Russian contender demanded he get next crack at "Dr Steel Hammer.."
Wladimir shows no signs at all of not wanting the fight, desiring very much to keep his IBF belt and then hoping to go on and unify the others. But is Povetkin even a fighter who is ready to take on Klitschko? Is the man who has only 16 pro wins under his belt ready, or is he rushing things? Sure, Povetkin is the IBF mandatory and he earned the distinction by emerging triumphant in the elimination tourney that also featured Chris Byrd, Calvin Brock and Eddie Chambers - but this doesn't mean he's ready for Klitschko, does it?
Povetkin's resume shows you he has not yet met a single big-puncher. Facing mostly cuties as he's stepped up in competition - see Chambers, Byrd and before that Larry Donald - Povetkin would have been well served if he were working his way towards challenging a slick heavyweight champion, as opposed to a big, stiff-punching monster like Klitschko. Yes, a fighter can only pick and choose so much when it comes to facing certain styles of opponents, but things would be a lot better for Povetkin if he'd at least fought a guy who fights in a somewhat similar way to the champ from The Ukraine.
We know Povetkin can overwhelm relatively small, tricky and not too hard-hitting heavyweights, but can he take a huge heavyweight's shot and can he hold his own with the inside stuff when in with a really big guy? We will find out in the Klitschko fight, but will Povetkin be found out due to meeting the elite too soon in his career? Maybe Povetkin is as good now as he ever will be, and the time is right for him to be taking his big chance. After all, despite his lack of numbers as a pro, the Russian star achieved much and was a very experienced amateur. But has fate served to provide Povetkin with the totally wrong pre-title fight style of opposition?
The way Povetkin fights, he will likely attempt to take the fight to Klitschko and force him to trade and hope he can win in a battle. Pressure fighting having worked for him thus far, Povetkin will see no reason not to try and take the same approach with the heavyweight champion. However, in being a relatively small heavyweight( at least compared to Klitschko) at 6'2" and approx 225-pounds, and having fought a good share of men even smaller then he, will the challenger find it's a whole different story against the mammoth Klitschko?
I really feel Povetkin could badly use a couple more fights - against big and physical heavyweights as opposed to small and crafty ones - before being as prepared as he needs to be for a fight with Klitschko. Sometimes a fighter only gets one shot at the title - he had better make sure he's as ready as he can be going into that one shot