with Jim Amato
with Jim Amato
Amato is a native
of Cleveland, Ohio. He is a longtime avid fan of the Browns and Indians.
Although he enjoys baseball and football his true passion is boxing.
Jim began covering fights in 1992 reporting on the Roberto Duran-Ken Hulsey
fight in Cleveland for Boxing Illustrated. He has since contributed articles to
Boxing World, Boxing Times, Heavyhitters, Cleveland's East Side Daily newspaper,
The Neutral Corner and the IBRO Journal. He has also had articles posted on
several on line boxing sites.
Jim is a member of the Boxing Writers Association Of America
(BWAA) and is also a member of the International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO), that
was founded by Hall Of Famer Ralph Citro. Boxing notables Hank Kaplan and Harold
Lederman are among IBRO's members.
Jim is on the Publicity Committee for the American Association For The
Improvement Of Boxing (AAIB) that was co-founded by Steve Acunto and the late
Rocky Marciano. He is a member of the Ohio State Former Boxers And Associates
and the Trumball County Of Ohio Legends Of Leather, President Sal Marino.He is
also a past member of the Society For American Baseball Research (SABR).
Email - jimsboxing@zoominternet.net
"IT IS WHAT IT IS"; Thoughts On Boxing...
Although 2010 has gotten off to a slow start things will be heating up as spring approaches. Some predictions... (more
RUBEN CASTILLO; He Should Have Been A Champion
What If; Joe Frazier- Ron Lyle?
WHY DURAN WOULD HAVE GOT PAST PACMAN
By Jim Amat
MARVIS FRAZIER; THE LOST SON...
By Jim Amato
“Flesh of my flesh. Blood of my blood.
GOODBYE TO GATTI THE GREAT - By Jim Amato
Arturo is probably my favorite boxer active today. What tremendous fights he has given boxing fans.
ALEXIS
ARGUELLO; "Talk Softly But Carry A Big Stick"
By Jim Amato
One of the best pure punchers of my generation was Alexis Arguello.
HAYE SHOULD "EARN"
HIS DAY !
By Jim Amato
I was glad to hear Wladimir Klitschko say after his impressive but...
"IRISH"
FRANKIE CRAWFORD
By Jim Amato
He was a world class featherweight in the late 1960's and early
70's.
THE COURAGE OF
SCOTT LEDOUX
By Jim Amato
Scott LeDoux was a heavyweight contender in the 1970's and 80's.
AARON
"SUPERMAN" DAVIS
By Jim Amato
He may be one of the most overlooked champions of the 1990's. He
had style and skill.
AMOS "BIG
TRAIN" LINCOLN
By Jim Amato
He was born in 1936 and he embarked on a professional boxing
career in 1954.
BRITAIN'S "GOLDEN BOY"; BILLY WALKER
By Jim Amato
May 31, 2009 - Over the years the British Empire has tried to produce a...
MARVIN JOHNSON;
ASK NO QUARTER, GIVE NO QUARTER
By Jim Amato
May 31, 2009 - One of the most exciting fighters of the 1970's ...
Cleveland's Pablo Ramos
By Jim Amato
The city of Cleveland produced
HOWARD "KAYO"
SMITH
By Jim Amato
When a fighter earns the nickname "Kayo", it's safe...
RAFAEL HERRERA; A Fine
Champion
By Jim Amato
He was born to humble beginnings on January 7, 1945
Frazier - Quarry I:
Nearly Forty Years
By Jim Amato
On June 23, 1969 at New York's Madison Square Garden,
Boxing: Almost
Champions
By Jim Amato
April 12, 2009 - The 1970's spawned such great and dominant
DUDDY TO
FACE BILLY LYELL
By Jim Amato
"Irish" John Duddy will put his undefeated record on the line
BIG EARNIE; THAT MAN COULD SWING!
April 4, 2009 - Possibly the best heavyweight to ever come out of the state of Ohio was Earnie "The Acorn" Shavers.
Kuniaki
Shibata: He Made Salvidar Surrender
By Jim Amato
Greg Richardson: The Pride Of Youngstown
By Jim Amato:
February 25, 2009 - He was grace and artistry in the ring. He was one of the best pure boxers of his era.
CALZAGHE RETIRES; COULD HE HAVE BEAT JOHN CONTEH?
By Jim Amato
MARCH
8, 1971...THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH
By Jim Amato
By Jim Amato
CHRIS
JOHN AN INVISIBLE CHAMPION
By Jim Amato
Indonesia's Chris John is an undefeated world champion. He
has held that status since 2003.
January 6, 2009 - Rafael Pineda was really a good fighter, a former champion who most fans remember as being outclassed by a prime Pernell Whitaker (who wasn't back then). In reality Pineda was a contender from the late 80's to 2004. Rafael was a dangerous fighter ! More
December 27, 2008 - He was a classy boxer/puncher from New Jersey who appeared destined for greatness. Harold "the Shadow" Knight took a glossy 19-0 record into the ring in an attempt to win a world title. It would be his only chance... More
JOE ALEXANDER ; NO "REGULAR JOE"
December 22, 2008 - He had less then twenty professional fights but for anyone who followed the heavyweight division in the 1970's, they will not forget Joe Alexander. In twelve victories he scored ten knockouts. This guy could bang ! More
December 13, 2008 - In the talent laden heavyweight era of the 1970's...A few notable fighters have slipped through the cracks. One such fighter was Massachusetts native, John "Dino" Denis. He was as game as they come and he battled some of the best of his era. More
In many sports a participant is subject to pain. It goes with the territory. The nature of the beast so to speak. To me there can no greater obvious damage to a participant then in boxing. If you are a boxer and happen to be matched with a superior opponent you must try to summon the courage More
THE BEST OF
BENITEZ; NO HOPE FOR "MO"
November 23, 2008 - I was always a fan of Wilfred Benitez. I mean
anyone who could win a world title at the age of seventeen has to be considered
October 27, 2008 - This article was a long time coming. Over the years through my friends in the Youngstown area I have learned a lot about the rich boxing history in that region. I was familiar with Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini but I knew little about his dad Lenny Mancini who passed on the "Boom Boom" moniker to his son.More
MY
CONVERSATION WITH KELLY PAVLIK
By Jim Amato
I first met Kelly Pavlik at a banquet outside of Youngstown, Ohio several years ago. At the time I think Kelly had about five or six pro bouts. I knew he had been a good amateur but it wasn't until a few years later that I realized...
DREAM FIGHT: PIPINO CUEVAS
-VS- ARMANDO MUNIZ
By Jim Amato
When I think of some of the best fighters in recent years who never won a title. I can not help but think of...
October 8, 2008 - The I.B.H.O.F. has released their ballots for the 2009 June inductions. There are 45 names on the Modern ballot and fifty on the Old Timers ballot. A few names I did not see on there were Danny "Little Red" Lopez, Lupe Pintor, Eddie Booker and Alfredo Escalera. UNBELIEVABLE ! More
October 6, 2008 - This should be a no brainer. I mean just look at their records. Antonio Tarver has met the best that the light heavyweight division has had to offer. He beat most of them too. More
September 24, 2008 - Although he won only one more fight then he lost in his career Tom "The Bomb" Bethea was once ranked among the world's leading middleweights and light heavyweights. Bethea turned pro in 1967 and won nine of his first eleven bouts. He then suffered a KO loss to Leon Washington. More
WHY ISN'T PINTOR IN THE HALL OF FAME?
By Jim Amato
This is a story that you may say is regrettable...
By Jim Amato
September 19, 2008 - Bernard Hopkins did not win the night he faced a fresh, legitimate challenger in young but talented Jermain Taylor.
September 18, 2008 - He will always be remembered as " Buster's Dad" but Billy Douglas was quite a fighter in his own right. Billy was born in 1940 and turned pro in 1967 just three days before his 27th birthday. There was no fanfare for this native of...
September 4, 2008 - It took place on June 22, 1996 in Atlantic City. It was a bout for the vacant International Boxing Council version of the middleweight title. It was not the title at stake that the fans were interested in. It was the match up...More
September 3, 2008 - It is with great sadness to report that former middleweight contender Rocky Castellani passed away August 31st. More
August 30, 2008 - Indonesia's Chris John is an undefeated world champion. He has held that status since 2003. Still he is hardly ever mentioned in boxing columns or wire reports. I've never seen him on anybody's pound for pound rating lists. He has boxed professionally for a decade now but he has become an invisible champion. More
August 27, 2008 - OK all the hoopla is almost over. On August 30th we will be "treated" to another edition of the WBA heavyweight title. Ho hum...It will be the spectacular rematch between Nicolay Valuev and John Ruiz. Their first fight was a real donnybrook ( yawn ). More
SEATTLE MIDDLEWEIGHT FRASER SCOTT
August 26, 2008 - Fraser Scott was a tough middleweight out of Seattle, Washington. He turned pro in 1968 and in slightly over a years time ran up a record of 17-0-1. His biggest victory was a two round, cut eye stoppage of former junior middleweight champion Denny Moyer. More
ALFREDO ESCALERA: HALL OF FAME?
August 24, 2008 - He turned professional in 1970, fighting in the clubs of New England, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. In his eighth pro contest he was trading shots with a fella named Edwin Viruet. He suffered his first pro defeat that night. No shame in that. More
GEORGE CHAPLIN A FORGOTTEN CONTENDER
He was one of the better heavyweights of the 1980's. He is probably also the most overlooked when remembering that decade. Baltimore's George Chaplin was able to hang with some of the best heavyweights of that era. Chaplin turned professional in 1976 and reeled off seven straight victories. More
MANNY WAS IN NEED OF OSCAR'S GREED
August 16, 2008 - Years ago I worked with an older gentleman who always said, " Don't worry about it. It will all come out in wash " Well after much haggling and reams of print written about a proposed Oscar De La Hoya - Manny Pacquaio fight, it has " all come out in the wash. " More
NEW JERSEY MIDDLEWEIGHT MIKE TINLEY
August 15, 2008 - He was one of the best fighters to come out of New Jersey in the 1980's. He was a viewer favorite during the popularity growth of ESPN boxing. Mike Tinley held his own with some of the best middleweights of the decade. Tinley turned professional in 1981 and quickly...More
KELLY MAY KISS
THE CANVAS BUT HE WILL KO HOPKINS
By Jim Amato
MOSLEY vs MAYORGA WHAT'S ALL THE FUSS?
I'm having a very difficult time getting all worked up about the upcoming Shane Mosley - Ricardo Mayorga bout. What's all the fuss about ? Does anyone really think that Mayorga is going to step up in this one ? Talk about smoke and mirrors. Mayorga may be one of the most over hyped fighters of the last twenty years. More
WHAT IF ? HEAVYWEIGHTS ; MICHAEL MOORER -vs- JAMES TONEY
This is a fight that would have made sense if it was put together. Each boxer has ties to the state of Michigan. It probably didn't happen because by the time Toney became a heavyweight, Moorer's star had diminished due to his one round kayo loss to David Tua. A loss two years later to Eliseo Castillo pretty much took Moorer out of the elite class. Toney's knockout of Evander Holyfield made him a major player in the division. He still remains so More
In the late 1960's and throughout the 1970's there was a smooth Italian born boxer who fought...
THE TOP TEN DOMINANT RULERS SINCE 1965
July 30, 2008 - Greatness, like beauty is really in the eye of the beholder. Since 1965 I've followed the careers of so many wonderful fighters. Over the past couple of decades it has become increasingly more difficult to judge a fighters true worth. With so many titles and weight classes involved sometimes More
BOOK REVIEW: MUHAMMAD ALI ; My View From The Corner by Ferdie Pacheco
July 20, 2008 - I had just finished Angelo Dundee's new book, " My View From The Corner ". It was a very enjoyable book and as expected much was written about the great Ali. Since I am in the long process of unpacking after a recent move, I happened to stumble upon Dr. Ferdie Pacheco's book on Ali. I've had this book for a number of years but I had never got around to reading it. More
PAVLIK - HOPKINS : IT MAY BE TOUGHER THEN YOU THINK
July 18, 2008 - I have considerable mixed emotions about this fight. First off I feel that from a Team Pavlik stand point, it is a good move. If the aging lion with marquee value wants another fight, why not cash in ? If they don't someone else will. A win over Hopkins, especially a KO will really sweeten the pot for a Calzaghe showdown later on. BUT ... More
July 14, 2008 - After looking at the career and record of Terry Mims, I can't help but wonder how he would have fared if he would just had stayed in the cruiserweight division. Mims who is from Cleveland had 29 fights in a career that spanned from 1977 to 1989. He ended up with a losing record but sometimes records are deceiving. More
COULD JERRY QUARRY HAVE WON A PIECE OF THE HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE IN THIS ERA?
Tough 1960's and 70's heavyweight Jerry Quarry has been almost immortalized these days. He was the heavyweight who came along at the wrong time. The Ali - Frazier era. Joe and Ali each beat Jerry twice, but Jerry had his share of big wins over top contenders. Floyd Patterson, Thad Spencer, Buster Mathis Sr., Mac Foster, Ron Lyle and Earnie Shavers all suffered defeat at the hands of Jerry. You could argue strongly that Quarry was among the four best heavyweights of his day. If four titles were available back then one may safely assume Jerry would have at least won a piece of one of them. More
This native of the Philippines did a lot of his fighting in Hawaii where he was a popular draw. He began his professional career in 1971 and won his first eight contests. Then in 1972 he was matched with former world's featherweight champion Kuniaki Shibata. More
STURM BEATS GRIFFIN: IS HE ON KELLY'S SHORT LIST ?
By Jim Amato
Everyone is wondering who will be Kelly Pavlik's.
More
MANNY PACQUAIO -VS-
DAVID DIAZ
By Jim Amato
The eyes of the boxing world will be focused on Manny Pacquiao next Saturday
June 30, 2008 - The city of Chicago has produced its share of outstanding professional fighters. One of them was a tough as nails lightweight who campaigned in the late 1970's and early 1980's. His name was Johnny Lira and he fought his way into the top echelon of the lightweight rankings. More
The eyes of the boxing world will be focused on Manny Pacquiao next Saturday in his quest to win the lightweight title. To some, Manny winning this fight and a piece of the lightweight crown is a forgone conclusion. Many feel that Manny is the best boxer pound for pound active today. More
Two of the strongest middleweights More
When you're a professional heavyweight and you win forty of forty eight fights, chances are you could fight a little. Oregon's Terry Hinke could fight. Although he would never reach the heavyweight " A " list, he was good enough to do well against some fairly good competition. More
Although it is not etched in stone, it is beginning to look like the proposed Joe Calzaghe - Roy Jones Jr. bout will be made. The projected date is in November. The ramifications of this fight could have an immense impact on the current state of the sport. Will Roy win and reclaim his mantle of greatness ? More
June 19, 2008 - I recently learned that one of Japan's first great boxers, Mitsunori Seki passed away. He was the victim of a brain hemorrhage at the age of 66. Seki was good enough to challenge for a world title no less then five times during the 1960's. More
June 10, 2008 - The Philippines have been getting a lot of boxing press lately through the success of favorite son Manny Pacquiao and deservedly so. The Philippines have produced many great fighters like Flash Elorde and Ceferino Garcia. One such fine fighter and former two time world champion from the Philippines has been largely forgotten through the passages of time. His name was Erbito Salavarria. More
DREAM FIGHT: CARLOS MONZON -VS- GENE FULLMER
June 6, 2008 - Two of the strongest middleweights to ever lace up the gloves square off for a battle of the ages. Carlos Monzon of Argentina. Tall, lean but deceptively strong with a thudding left jab and a thumping right cross. Gene Fullmer of Utah. Barrel chested and bull strong. Awkwardly aggressive but effective, especially on the inside. This should be a real crowd pleasing affair. More
KLITSCHKO vs HAYE : MR.HAYE MAY GET
BLOWN AWAY !
By Jim Amato
I recently caught a clip of cruiserweight champion David Haye calling out heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko at a shopping mall...
May 25, 2008 - One of the better middleweights of the 1970's died recently. Tony Licata was a victim of a heart attack at the age of 56. The smooth boxing Licata turned professional in 1969 and was undefeated in his first 52 fights. ( 49-0-3 ). During that streak he defeated the likes of Mike Pusateri, Luis Vinales, Jose Chirino, Art Hernandez, Denny Moyer, Emile Griffith, Cubby " Top Cat " Jackson, Mike Baker and Vinnie Curto. More
May 22, 2008 - Every now and then a fight is made and you get an electric feeling of anticipation. You can envision the fight taking on so many different scenarios that you have trouble projecting a winner. There is almost one certainty. This fight should keep you glued to the edge of your seat. More
ERNIE TERRELL A GIANT IN THE SHADOW OF ALI By Jim Amato
Who was the second best heavyweight around during the first title reign of Muhammad Ali ?
May 16, 2008 - I started following boxing with the emergence of Cassius Clay in the early 1960's. Whether you liked Clay or not he must be given credit for revamping the business of boxing. He was to boxing what the Beatles were to music. Clay who would later become Muhammad Ali changed the face of the sport. More
COULD CONTEH HAVE BEAT CALZAGHE?
April 26, 2008 - Today with so many governing bodies and organizations around it has become very hard to take someones claim of " world champion " seriously. I mean there is the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, IBA and God knows how many more will pop up in the future. Split titles are not anything new to boxing but in days gone by it was a lot less complicated. More
April 20, 2008 - Joe Calzaghe is still undefeated ( 45-0 ) and now has Ring Magazine's endorsement of being the " best " light heavyweight in the world after slapping an aged Bernard Hopkins enough to win a split twelve round decision. Disappointed ? I know I was. What was projected to be a candidate for " Fight of the year " turned More
In a career that spanned from 1956 to 1975, ...
September 21, 2007 - It is not fun growing old. I am a product of my past. A victim of my era so to speak. I constantly bump heads with the young fans of today. They glorify Hopkins, Tito, De La Hoya, Roy Jones Jr. and Mosley. Even from a decade or so before it's all about Holyfield, Whitaker and a guy named Mike Tyson. More
September 9, 2007 - What's all the excitement about ? Maybe I'm missing something here. Is the cagey Don King really going to sell this fight to the public and get away with it ? It sure does look like it. Hats off to " The Don ". He's going to pull off another one. More
September 8, 2007 - The Trumbull County, Ohio Legends Of Leather Boxing Club will honor Lenny " Boom Boom " Mancini on October 28th. The late Mr.Mancini is the father of the popular Ray " Boom Boom " Mancini. Lenny was quite a fighter himself. Legends Of Leather President and co-founder, Sal Marino expects a good turn out for the banquet. More
September 1, 2007 - Fighting Harada is a legend in his native Japan and deservingly so. He beat Pone Kingpetch to win the flyweight title. He lost it back to the talented Kingpetch and then moved up to bantamweight. Not once but twice he outscored Brazil's great Eder Jofre for the title. Those were the only fights Jofre ever lost. The legacy of Harada had been forged. More
August 31, 2007 - Bill Coleman wanted to be boxer. He wrote about his aspirations while in High School in 1979. He did embark on an amateur career and he won the 1986 South Dakota 132 pound Golden Gloves title. As the saying goes, " Life comes at you fast ". Soon Bill was working his way up the corporate ladder and raising a family. Nevertheless the boxing bug never left Bill. More
August 29, 2007 - I like Rocky Juarez but I think Marquez is the better fighter. Never count Rocky out though because of his power. I didn't know that Ouma-Mora was made. Good strong test for Sergio who I have always felt was a bit over rated. Ouma's a former champ and a world class boxer. If Mora can beat him it will silence a lot of his critics. I'm sticking with Ouma. Bojado-Forbes really gets my interest. I always felt Bojado was a can't miss prospect but up to now I was wrong. Forbes is a stern test for him . Bojado is strong and he hits hard but Forbes is about as slick as they come. A real pro. I'm on the fence on this one. More
August 27, 2007 - Nino Benvenuti may be considered among the best amateur boxers of all time. He had a great professional career too. His first loss was on a highly disputed decision to Ki Soo Kim. He would win two out of three in a legendary middleweight trilogy with the highly respected Emile Griffith. Eventually though his star would diminish. More
August 27, 2007 - What better series to start with then George Foreman and Joe Frazier. If there was ever a better example of styles make fights, I missed it. As great as Joe was and believe me he was great... More
August 13, 2007 - It should have happened. It could have happened. Ken Norton and Ron Lyle, two have the best heavyweights of the " Glorious 70's " era could have created quite a stir if they would have met. By 1973 Ron was an upcoming, undefeated prospect while Norton was already a contender due to his win over clever Henry Clark. In February of 1973 Lyle made his Madison Square Garden debut and was taken to school by veteran tough guy Jerry Quarry. One month later Norton shocked the world when he broke Muhammad Ali's jaw and scored a well deserved upset decision. More
August 12, 2007 - There is a line in an old Phil Collins song. It goes ; " Just when I thought I had made it, you walked back into my life. " Shane Mosley is one of my favorite fighters. How could you not like him ? He was a very under rated lightweight champion. Maybe an all time great at 135. He's defeated " Golden Boy " De La Hoya twice and he also has two wins over Fernando Vargas at higher weights. BUT two men seem to have his number. Winky Wright was just too big for Shane. Then there was Vernon " The Vipor " Forrest who defeated Mosley on two occasions. Well guess what Shane...The Vipor's back and he's lookin' good. More
August 4, 2007 - A very good fighter from the state of Ohio passed away recently. Roy Dale, a middleweight from Cincinnati who boxed fifty professional contests from 1969 to 1980 has died at the age of 58. Dale won nine of his first ten fights but in fight # 11 he was stopped Philadelphia's Richie Kates. No shame there. Kates would go on to meet WBA light heavyweight champion Victor Galindez in two brutal title fights.
Over the course of his career Roy Dale would meet top shelf opposition like Miguel DeOliveira, Tom Bogs and Juan Carlos Duran. In 1973 he met reigning world's middleweight champion Carlos Monzon in a non-title fight. The great King Carlos halted Dale in the fifth round.
Roy ended his career with a very respectable 31-19 record. May he rest in peace. End
(August 2, 2007) - September 29th, 2007...Will this be the day that puts Youngstown, Ohio back on the fistic map ? Undefeated knockout artist Kelly " The Ghost " Pavlik of Y'town meets world's middleweight champion Jermain Taylor who is also unbeaten. This is the fight at 160 pounds that the fans wanted to see. Kudos to the management of the fighters and the promoters for putting this together. It reminds me of the old days where a true champion meets the real # 1 challenger. The Calzaghe - Kessler bout at 168 pounds serves the same purpose. More
July 26, 2007 - I thought Francisco " Panchito " Bojado was a real blue chip prospect when he started his pro career. He was a true " heavy handed " fighter in the mold of Matthew Hilton and he had some boxing ability. He put me in mind of a young Fernando Vargas. Somewhere along the line his career sputtered. Now he has the Golden Boy team behind him and big things are expected of him. Will he be able to deliver ? More
July 21, 2007 - There was a good little southpaw out of Thailand in the early 1970's named Venice Borkhorsor. He won the flyweight title and then met Rafael Herrera for the bantamweight title. It was a WAR ! Borkhorsor built up a big lead but Herrera came on down the stretch to pull out a disputed decision and retain his title. Herrera looked like the loser as his eyes were battered and almost closed. As my friend Ted " The Bull " Sares refers to these kinds of fights...It was a " Closet Classic ". Borkhorsor would later challenge Rodolfo Martinez who had dethroned Herrera. Venice lost what was considered a close but legitimate decision to the under rated Martinez.. Herrera and Martinez were fine fighters who bridged the gap between all time greats Ruben Olivares and Carlos Zarate in the bantamweight division. They are often overlooked historically because of this but they were very capable champions in their own right. In fact Herrera held two wins over the outstanding Olivares. Quite an accomplishment. It's too bad because of a few year difference we missed potential " Super Bouts " between Olivares and Zarate or could you imagine a prime Ruben versus Wilfredo Gomez ? Such a shame... End
July 15, 2007 - Arturo is probably my favorite boxer active today. What tremendous fights he has given boxing fans. The trilogy with Mickey Ward and his wars with Wilson Rodriguez and Gabe Ruelas, etc... He is a warrior in every sense of the word. More
July 5, 2007 - One of the toughest and most respected middleweight contenders of the 1940's passed away recently. Pete Mead died on July 2nd. He was 83 years old. Mead began his 56 fight professional career in 1942. In 1946 he made his first of several appearances at New York's Madison Square Garden with a six round decision over Tommy Merrill. More
July 1, 2007 - He was a hard banger and a crowd pleaser who battled some of the best welterweights of his era. Eventually he would move up to 154 pounds and win a world title in that division. He thrilled crowds in his home state of Texas and would also become a popular draw on the West Coast. His name was Oscar Albarado and they called him " Shotgun ". More
June 27, 2007 - If...Felix Trinidad does decide to return to ring wars, how much impact will he have on the current state of the game ? He has not fought in over two years and that was a disappointing shutout loss to Winky Wright. Before that Bernard Hopkins took him to school. What makes him think he can be a factor now ? I know his return would generate a lot of dollars. More
June 21, 2007 - If a fighter had " future champ " stamped on his forehead, Mike Nixon did. He was a smooth boxer with a good punch. He had solid skills and a lot of heart. He was a real crowd pleaser. For all the attributes Mike had he lacked one thing...The ability to take a good punch. He was stopped six times in his thirty seven bout career. In fact he stopped in three rounds by Larry Davis in his pro debut in 1970. Mike was a raw eighteen year old kid at the time and he showed the grit and determination to come back and win thirteen in a row. In 1971 he was halted in nine by George Davis. In 1972 he was kayoed twice by Art Davis. Mike learned to stay away from guys with the last name of Davis. More
June 16 2007 - He was a buzzsaw southpaw out of the Philippines who made his mark in the early seventies. He was a boy wonder who could punch like hell. That power would make him a two time world champion. He was born in November of 1952 and turned pro in 1966. Do the math...He won his first twelve professional contests but then lost a pair of decisions to Roger Boy Pedrano. Although he won most of his fights after that, an occasional loss spotted his record. More
June 11, 2007 - He was the best referee of my time and were some great ones. Men like Mills Lane and Joe Cortez among others. Arthur Mercante was the cream that rose to the top. Now he has written a book titled " Inside The Ropes ". It is a recollection of Mercante's travels through the landscape of boxing. More
June 10, 2007 - The State of Ohio has turned out many outstanding boxers. Champions like Joey Maxim, Ezzard Charles, Johnny Kilbane, Ray " Boom Boom " Mancini, Aaron Pryor and the hard punching Harry Arroyo. Top contenders like Earnie Shavers, Ray Anderson, Billy Wagner and a fighter who should have been a champion named Jimmy Bivins. More
June 6, 2007 - Back in the early and mid 1970's, northeast Ohio had three world class light heavyweight contenders campaigning for a world title shot. Ray Anderson of Akron would be the one who was fortunate enough to receive a shot at the brass ring. The other two, John Griffin and Billy Wagner of Cleveland fell short of their title fight dreams but they did wage two memorable wars against each other. More
June 6, 2007 - The saying goes that " you are only as good as your era " . OK...Where does that leave Mr. Bob Foster ? He is now considered one of the greatest light heavyweights of all time. Is it justified ? Was he just a champion at a time when the contenders were pretenders ? Should he suffer from the stigma of , " Right place, right time " ? I hardly think so and here is why... More
May 28, 2007 - He turned professional in 1958 and ten years and one day after his pro debut he became a world champion. Nevertheless it was a long road for Argentine defensive wizard Nicolino Locche. By the time he met Paul Fuji in Tokyo, Japan for the World Boxing Association Light Welterweight title, Locche had amassed over one hundred fights. He halted the pained and frustrated Fuji in the tenth round to capture the crown. More
May 21, 2007 - Roberto Duran is my favorite fighter of all time. Because of this fact I thought I may be a little bias in my opinion of the book " Hands Of Stone ". Would I over rate it because the subject was Duran or would I be too harsh and expect too much ? All I know is when it hit the shelf, I had to have it. Although time is not a luxury for me these days I was going to make time to read this book. I'm glad I did. More
May 19, 2007 - Pernell Whitaker is being inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in a few weeks. This is an honor he richly deserves. His storied amateur career along with his " Who's Who " list of boxers he met in the professional ranks surely entitles him to this honor. What a career he had ! More
May 9, 2007 - He was to be the heir apparent to the retired Muhammad Ali. He was a big strong heavyweight who could box. Yes Larry Holmes was the holder of the World Boxing Council's version of the heavyweight title. Larry had been embarrassed though in the amateurs by Duane Bobick. Yes as a pro he was undefeated. He beat an aging , slow and ponderous Earnie Shavers to qualify for a shot at the WBC title. Larry then defeated Ken Norton to win the vacant WBC championship. Still many thought of Larry as nothing more the Ali's sparring partner who was in the right place at the right time. More
May 2, 2007 - " Out with the old, in with the new ". How many times have we heard that phrase in our lifetimes ? Or " the young eat the old " ? The aging champion, however great he may have been must step aside for Father Time. There will always be a young lion poised and ready to take his place. As great as Muhammad Ali was the ravages of time saw him lose to a novice named Leon Spinks and then get savaged by his heir apparent Larry Holmes. It was sad to see but no less demoralizing then watching the Brown Bomber , Joe Louis getting belted by a champion in waiting named Rocky Marciano. More
May 1, 2007 - He was from Parma, Ohio and he only had twenty one fights in a career that spanned from 1971 to 1979. Still he fought tough completion and he fought well enough to be ranked by the " Bible Of Boxing ", Ring Magazine. More
April 24, 2007 - This Saturday at The Foxwoods in Connecticut there will be a lightweight unification fight between WBO title holder Acelino Freitas and WBA kingpin Juan Diaz. Freitas of Brazil was a long time WBO Super Featherweight champion. He failed to win the WBO lightweight title in his first attempt when he was halted by the dangerous Diego Corrales in 2004. The now 31 year old Freitas claimed the vacated WBO crown in 2006 with a split decision over the slick Zahir Raheem. More
April 21, 2007 - Ruslan Chagaev's victory over Nickolay Valuev to capture the WBA version of the title could be the start of a chain reaction that may change the whole landscape of the heavyweight picture. There was immediate talk of a rematch with Valuev but nothing more has been said. There have been rumors of Chagaev meeting former WBO titleholder Sergei Liakhovich but as of right now they are just that, rumors. Current WBO champion Shannon Briggs is set to take on Sultan Ibragimov. WBC title claimant Oleg Maskaev will put his title on the line against dangerous Samuel Peter. The IBF champion and the boxer regarded by most as the best heavyweight in the world, Wladimir Klitschko will defend against previous conqueror Lamon Brewster. It will be very interesting to see which four are left standing after the smoke clears. More
April 19, 2007 - There is a point in the career of almost every world class fighter in which he must test his skills against the elite of his profession. It is when they find out if they have what it takes or are they going to fall short of the mark. Recently Peter Manfredo Jr. failed in his baptism under fire when he faced the talented Joe Calzaghe. There will surely be other fights for young Manfredo and maybe he will again face a stern test in what could be a career defining fight. More
April 17, 2007 - He was born in 1936 and he embarked on a professional boxing career in 1954. He won twenty five of his first twenty nine fights on his way to establishing himself as a top prospect by 1962. The imposing 6' 2" Amos Lincoln was nicknamed " Big Train " and he looked like he was going to become a force to be reckoned with for some time. More
April 12, 2007 - You would think that a boxer who won his first 52 bouts would get some recognition. Especially if he won 50 of those fights by knockouts. Quite an impressive streak that Rodolfo " Gato " Gonzalez started in 1959. Nevertheless there would be many turns ahead for Rodolfo on the road to stardom. More
April 6, 2007 - I won't vote for Virgil Hill when he finally becomes eligible for induction into the Hall Of Fame .Granted there are lesser boxers inducted but that doesn't make it right. Adding another less then " great " fighter just compounds the problem that has evolved. Over the years the International Boxing Hall Of Fame has become lax in their criteria for induction. More
April 2, 2007 - On May 19th in Memphis, on the under card of the Jermain Taylor - Cory Spinks middleweight title fight there will be a battle to see who is next in line for a title shot. Undefeated Kelly Pavlik of Youngstown, Ohio will take on once beaten Edison Miranda of Columbia. The survivor should be the next opponent for the winner of Taylor - Spinks. If you're looking for fireworks, Pavlik - Miranda should provide them. More
March 8, 2007 - There are certain dates that will stick with you as long as you live. Your birthday, the birthdays of family members, anniversaries, the day that you got your divorce ( s ), etc...Happy and important days that mark milestones in your life. More
The " Super Middleweight '" division with a 168 pound weight limit was conceived by the International Boxing Federation in 1984. February 27, 2007 - On March 28th of that year rugged Murray Sutherland pounded out a fifteen round decision over Ernie Singletary in Atlantic City to become the first champion of this bastard weight classification. . The World Boxing Association began to recognize the weight class in 1987. The World Boxing Council followed suit in 1988. Somewhere along the line the lightly regarded World Boxing Organization also gave this division its blessing. In all fairness the creation of the 168 pound class has some merit. The jump from middleweight ( 160 ) to light heavyweight ( 175 ) is a serious challenge. A few have accomplished the feat but other great middleweights like Carlos Monzon and Marvin Hagler avoided the issue. More
February 22, 2007 - I really can not remember ever rooting for Oscar De La Hoya to win a fight. He was the Olympic " Golden Boy " who was turning professional and was going to become the next Sugar Ray Leonard. The hype, the ever present smug smile were just too much for me to take. Things just seemed to come too easily for Oscar. Yes he rang up his winning streak and even captured the WBO junior lightweight title in 1994. Four months later he stopped Jorge Paez to win the WBO lightweight title. He beat the stuffing out of Lorain, Ohio's Carl " Stuff " Griffith but by 1995 Oscar had yet to meet a serious challenge. More
February 2, 2007 - The name Sidney Walker would not be very familiar to most fight fans. Mention the name Beau Jack and you would get a much different reaction. They are one and the same. Beau Jack was one of the most exciting fighters of the 1940's and early 50's.
Sidney Walker was born on April 1, 1921 in Augusta, Georgia. He began his professional career in 1939 fighting out of South Carolina. Later Beau Jack boxed often out of the New England area. By the time he invaded New York in 1941 he sported a 27-4-2 record. He scored a knockout win in a fight at Ebbets Field and his next bout was at Madison Square Garden. It would be the first of twenty seven appearances Beau Jack would make at that famous venue. A testimony to his popularity over the years. More
December 21, 2006 - He may be one of the most overlooked champions of the 1990's. He had style and skill. He won 49 of 55 bouts and a piece of the welterweight title. He knocked out 31 but he himself was never stopped. His name was Aaron Davis and they called him " Superman ". More
December 21, 2006 - I had the great treat of watching replays this weekend of Lennox Lewis vs Shannon Briggs and Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Arturo Gatti.Within the realm of these bouts I saw and respected two things. Tremendous talent and equally tremendous courage. More
December 13, 2006 - He came within an eyelash of upsetting the great Larry Holmes and winning the heavyweight championship of the world. For the better part of the 1980's he was ranked in the top ten. By the time his career ended he had crossed gloves with no less then eight men who at one time held the moniker, world champion. More
December 3, 2006 - Not too long ago one of my favorite writers, Ted Sares asked me if I could come up with some bouts as he described them as " closet classics ". I came up with a few for Ted. Here recently I was making a tape for a friend. One of the bouts was the 1969 light heavyweight title fight between Bob Foster and Andy Kendall. I have a mint copy of this fight and what a war it was while it lasted. More
December 2, 2006 - Ike " The President " Ibeabuchi scored his twentieth and last victory on March 20, 1999. It was an impressive knockout stoppage of unbeaten, future WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Chris Byrd. Twenty one months earlier he had handed David Tua his first defeat. Ike was a serious heavyweight contender but then he took a detour to prison.
In March of 1999 Lennox Lewis drew with Evander Holyfield in a battle to unify the WBA, WBC and IBF titles. They met again eight months later with Lewis getting the decision. Lennox was now the undisputed champion. More
November 25, 2006 - Bob Foster won the light heavyweight championship of the world on May 24th, 1968. He would dominate the division until 1974. Only once during that time did Bob lose possession of his title. Well in reality it was taken from him. The World Boxing Association in their divine wisdom stripped Bob of his title recognition. In their eyes the winner of a bout between long time contender Jimmy Dupree and Venezuela's Vincente Rondon would be declared the new WBA champion. Needless to say Mr. Foster was not happy about this situation and it was not wise to make Bob angry. More
September 24, 2006 - The 1970's spawned such great and dominant champions such as Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Bobby Foster, Monzon, Napoles, Cervantes, Duran, Olivares, Arguello and Zarate. In review of their fine accomplishments and the feats of some other fine champions of that era, several very capable boxers fell short of their dreams of becomining a champion. Let's take a look t some of these proud warriors. The " Almost Champions "... More
September 22, 2006 - It is somewhat of a shame when the question comes up , who was the greatest fighter to come out of Mexico ? The answer is usually Julio Cesar Chavez. Some say Salvador Sanchez. Others may say Ruben Olivares. These three are truly legendary fighters. To me one other outstanding boxer from Mexico is Carlos Zarate.
Zarate began his career in 1970 and won his first fifty two fights. Fifty one by knockout. Amazing !!! A lot of Zarate's early opposition may have been, in the words of Greg Haugen when he questioned Chavez's fine record were over a bunch of Mexican taxi drivers. Well I don't know if I'd go that far but Carlos beefed up his record but he was also learning his trade and learning it well. More
September 20, 2006 - I thought that this would be easier then doing the Top 20 of All Time list. How wrong I was... Personal favorites played havoc in trying to make objective decisions. In stark reality, it made the job much harder.
To me the top five were fairly easy. Duran was # 1, no doubt in my mind. The murderous punching Bob Foster was # 2. The dominant Carlos Monzon was # 3. I placed Jose Napoles at the # 4 slot and Eder Jofre at # 5. It was a tough choice to pick Eder over one of my personal favorites, Ruben Olivares who came in # 6. More
September 19, 2006 - One of my favorite writers and fellow International Boxing Research Organization members Ted Sares came out with his Top Twenty Pound For Pound Of All Time list. This was a list that has been requested from all IBRO members by Director Dan Cuoco. It is so IBRO may compile the members choices and come up with a composite list that may reflect who were the Top Twenty of All Time.
Try this...It was very, very hard to do. So many great fighters. So many personal favorites. It made it very difficult to be objective. More
September
18, 2006 - In recent weeks it has come to light that Ohio's Craig Weber
will meet the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez on September 17th in Phoenix,
Arizona. Craig has earned this fight with a decision win over Angel
Manfredy and a knockout over former champion Frankie Randall. Will he
defeat Chavez and end J.C.'s " Adios Tour " ? That remains to be seen. I
honestly feel that Craig is a formidable opponent for the once great
Chavez.
It was not that long ago that another young Ohio boxer was making a name
for himself in the welterweight division. His name was Ken Sigurani and
he hailed from hard core boxing mecca of Youngstown, Ohio. Nicknamed "
The Cobra " he was a slick boxer who knew his way around a boxing ring.
More
September 17, 2006 - Let's see ...Since there is no " true " champion today, who would be the best to enter into a " mythical " eight man tourney ?
Well all four recognized ABC champions should be included so you have Wladimir Klitschko, Sergei Liakhovich, Oleg Maskaev and Nickolay Valuev.
Who would fill out the dance card ? To me Sam Peter would have to be included after his close loss to Klitschko and his win over James Toney. Undefeated Calvin Brock has a clear claim for being added. More
September 11, 2006 - Some very interesting battles are coming up. On September 15th in London highly touted Junior Witter meets veteran DeMarcus Corley for the WBC 140 lb. title. Witter is a very talented fighter but I hope no one is selling Corley short. He's been in with some of the cream of the division. To the best of my knowledge there is no US television. More
September 9, 2006 - Masao Ohba could very well have become one of the greatest " little guys " in boxing history. He was only 23 years old and just entering the prime of his career when he tragically passed away.
His pro career started in 1966. He went 15-1-1 before losing a decision to Susumu Hanagata in 1968. He came back to win nine straight fights including a win over Bernabe Villacampo that led to a meeting with Berkreck Chatvanchai for the WBA flyweight title. Ohba would win the title in thirteen rounds. Later he would win a close decision over Betulio Gonzalez, a boxer who has a legitimate claim to the Hall Of Fame. More
September 4, 2006 - According to SHOWTIME, WBO heavyweight champion Sergei Liakhovich will defend his crown against former linear heavyweight title holder Shannon Briggs on November 4th.
Briggs was respectful enough to recognize the Sergei is " the man who beat the man ". He feels Sergei is the true champion because he beat Lamon Brewster who beat Wladimir Klitschko. Although Briggs won a highly disputed decision over George Foreman years ago, that win made him the " man " at that time. Foreman had defeated Michael Moorer who had beaten Evander Holyfield who had stopped Mike Tyson. Eventually Briggs was halted by Lennox Lewis giving Lennox a clear claim to being a linear champion. More
September 2, 2006 - Clinton Woods retained his IBF light heavyweight title and gained sweet revenge with a controversial decision over Glencoffe Johnson.
Very close match with the scoring as 115-112 and 116-112 for Woods. Johnson received one vote at 115-113.
Is Woods the best light heavyweight in the world ? Well he beat Johnson who split a pair of fights with Antonio Tarver. Bernard Hopkins beat Tarver but has " retired ". Tarver and Johnson have both knocked out Roy Jones Jr. Please don't forget that Woods was badly outclassed by Jones in a 2002 title bout. More
September 2, 2006 - I enjoy watching all different types of fighters. I appreciate the art and finesse of a clever boxer like Willie Pep. I enjoy the rock-em- sock-em style of a Joe Frazier. There were men with great jabs like Larry Holmes. I was dazzled by the hand speed of Sugar Ray Leonard and more recently by Joe Calzaghe. I was in awe of the power of a Earnie Shavers or Julian Jackson. I was in even more awe of men with the granite jaws who could absorb the power shots like George Chuvalo and Tex Cobb did . More
August 25, 2006 - Arturo Gatti was probably the warrior of this era. Some of his battles, win or lose are becoming legendary. Rewind now back to early 1970's to the mid 80's. There was a boxer, a champion who was Gatti before there was a Gatti. If anyone recalls Bobby " Schoolboy " Chacon they have to remember his blood and guts wars with Rafael " Bazooka " Limon and Cornelius Boza Edwards. He was a fine boxer but in many cases his heart over ruled his head and he decided to slug instead of box. It may have cost Bobby some fights but the fans sure got their money's worth. The got a lot highlight clip memories too. More
August 22, 2006 - One of the better boxers to come out of Cleveland, Ohio in the 1970's was welterweight Bobby Hayman. He lost eight of thirty fights but almost all his losses were to contenders.
Hayman turned pro in 1969 and in his second fight he lost a six rounder to future title challenger Johnny Gant. He then lost to and drew with Teddy Cooper. He then lost a decision to future top ten rated Roland Pryor. Bobby then put together a ten fight win streak that included a rubber match victory over Teddy Cooper. Two wins over tough Frankie Steele. He also defeated Juan Ramos and Primus Williams. More
August 10, 2006 - Former two time junior welterweight champion Eddie Perkins will be inducted in to the World Boxing Hall Of Fame on October 14th.
The list of boxers Eddie met in his career is impressive. Perkins crossed gloves with Jose Napoles, Dulio Loi, Nicolino Locche, Carlos Hernandez, Kenny Lane, Adolph Pruitt, Paul Armstead, Paolo Rosi, Frankie Ryff, Joey Lopes, Roberto Cruz, Clyde Gray, Angel Espada, Rocky Mattioli and Armando Muniz. He also met two top Ohio boxers, Cleveland's Cecil Shorts and Youngstown's talented L.C.Morgan.
Eddie won 75 of 99 fights and he was only stopped once by Alfredo Urbina. Does he deserve to be inducted ? You bet ! [End]
August 5, 2006 - My opinion on this fight is that Oleg really didn't deserve this shot. There are more deserving heavyweights out there. Maskaev has a 32-5 record with with 25 KO's. One of those were against Rahman in 1999. He knocked Hasim clear out of the ring. Very impressive.
Oleg had suffered knockout losses to Oliver McCall and David Tua before he halted Rahman. After that victory he stopped three more times by Kirk Johnson, Lance Whitaker and a 312 pound Corey Sanders. More
July 30, 2006 - Live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on September 2nd, James Toney will meet Sam Peter in a pivotal heavyweight bout.
Added to the under card will be an IBF featherweight title fight between the defending champion Erik Aiken of Marysville, Ohio and challenger Robert " The Ghost " Guerrero. More
July 29, 2006 - He was born Richard Ihetu in his native Nigeria in 1929. He died forty two years later in Nigeria. In between he established himself as one of the best pound for pound fighters of the 1960's. He was known to the boxing world as Dick Tiger. It was a very fitting moniker for the man who crowned world champion on three occasions.
Dick turned professional in 1952 after a brief amateur career. Within three years he established himself as the best middleweight in Nigeria.
It was off to England in 1955 to try and broaden his horizons. He lost his first four fights on English soil. Hardly the stuff of legends right ? Tiger would not be discouraged. By mid-1956 he was starting to put together some impressive wins. He stopped future world champion Terry Downes in 1957. More
July 26, 2006 - It was a forgotten name from the glorious late 60's and early 70's. Now he is going to be inducted into the California Boxing Hall Of Fame on August 19th. His name is Hedgemon Lewis. Congratulations Hedgemon, a very deserving inductee.
Hedge is now just a footnote in welterweight championship history. He was once recognized as world champion by New York State Athletic Commission after he whipped favorite son Billy Backus a few times. The real champion of that era was the great Jose " Mantequilla " Napoles. Lewis twice met Napoles for world honors losing the first fight on a very close verdict. In the return match Hedge was halted in nine rounds. More
July 24, 2006 - Arturo Gatti was a talented fighter. He could box and he could bang. He was good enough to be a world champion. He was one of the most courageous boxers I've ever seen. His wars with Mickey Ward are the stuff of legend.
There were limitations though. Angel Manfredy and Ivan Robinson beat him. Joe Hutchinson almost beat him. Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. totally outclassed him. Nevertheless Arturo always bounced back. Good matchmaking and being an HBO house fighter sure didn't hurt.
Last Saturday welterweight title holder Carlos Baldomir gave Gatti a whipping, pure and simple. Arturo as always took his lumps like a man. Now I hope Arturo will swallow the lump in his throat whenever he thinks of retiring and do what may be best for him. Retire...
He has nothing left to prove. He is admired by most boxing fans. He has a warrior's heart but now the skills have diminished. He is left with only his shield. The sword is now gone.
In the words of the great Joe Frazier, it may be " time to hang the gloves on the wall and go boogie. " [End]
July 17, 2006 - He lost fifteen of forty professional fights but his record reads like a Who' Who of the middleweight and super middleweight divisions at that time. Make no mistake about it, Cleveland's Sanderline Williams was a world class boxer.
Williams turned pro in 1982 and won fourteen of his first fifteen fights. He then suffered consecutive losses to Dwight Walker, Lindell Holmes and Herol Graham. Sanderline got back on the winning track with eight straight victories including a big win over dangerous Dwight Davison. More
July 15, 2006 - For Tony " Tyger " Hanshaw it could very well be " Showtime " ! The undefeated prospect from Mansfield, Ohio has been entered into Showtime's eight men super middleweight tourney. Tony fights August 4th against Mexican champion Esteban Camou who sports an 18-1 record with eleven knockouts. The winner of the tourney will probably land a lucrative shot against a top contender. More
July 14, 2006 - On July 27th Youngstown, Ohio's undefeated middleweight contender Kelly Pavlik may be strongly tested. He's 27-0 with 24 knockouts but he has yet to meet a " world class " opponent. Enter Bronco McKart.
McKart is a 6' southpaw with 54 fights under his belt. Pavlik's trademark is power but McKart has never been knocked out in his pro career. Bronco has also won 31 contests by knockout. This should be no walk in the park for Kelly. More
June 24, 2006 - One of the best pure punchers of my generation was Alexis Arguello. He was aptly nicknamed " The Explosive Thin Man ". He was tall and rail thin but his punch could stop an opponent dead in his tracks.
It's hard to believe that Alexis was stopped in the very first round of his pro debut in his native Managua, Nicaragua. He would rally to win three straight then lose again. Hardly the makings of a legend. More
July 5, 2006 - It is scheduled for August 5th at New York's Madison Square Garden. A match between two former welterweight champions trying to regain their past glory at 154 pounds. Ike Quartey will meet Vernon Forrest in a pivotal bout. The winner could put himself in line for a title shot. The loser may want to consider retirement. More
July 3, 2006 - I just read that current WBA cruiser weight titleholder Virgil Hill may defend his title against come backing Thomas " Hitman " Hearns. On June 3rd, 1991 Hearns outpointed Hill to win the WBA light heavyweight title that he held at the time. It was one of only five losses Hill has suffered in his 55 pro fights. His other losses were to Dariusz Michalczewski, Roy Jones Jr. and twice to Jean Marc Mormeck.
A case may be made for Hill being a future Hall Of Famer. He holds two wins over Frank Tate. He also has two victories over Fabrice Tiozzo including a spectacular one round blitz. He's defeated Donny LaLonde, Adolpho Washington, Marvin Camel, Marcos Geraldo, Leslie Stewart, Bobby Czyz, James Kinchen and Henry Maske.He won his first title in 1987 and almost twenty years later he is still a major player.
Thomas Hearns is a legend but he has had only two fights in the last six years. Virgil has stayed active and effective. I understand Virgil wanting to avenge a loss and maybe pick up a nice payday. I understand Tommy wanting to recapture his past glory. In sensible reality though this fight does not make sense. Hearns has done nothing to warrant a title shot at this stage of his career. I hope this fight does not come off for the fan's sake and Tommy's. [End]
June 29, 2006 - Bob Foster won the light heavyweight championship of the world on May 24th, 1968. He would dominate the division until 1974. Only once during that time did Bob lose possession of his title. Well in reality it was taken from him. The World Boxing Association in their divine wisdom stripped Bob of his title recognition. In their eyes the winner of a bout between long time contender Jimmy Dupree and Venezuela's Vincente Rondon would be declared the new WBA champion. Needless to say Mr. Foster was not happy about this situation and it was not wise to make Bob angry. More
June 23, 1969 at New York's Madison Square Garden Joe Frazier met the popular Irish Jerry Quarry for the New York State recognized heavyweight title. Back in the day the New York State Boxing Commission wielded quite a bit of power. Commissioner Edwin Dooley wasted little time stripping Muhammad Ali of his heavyweight title when Ali refused induction into the Armed Forces. The World Boxing Association did the same and they set up a tournament to determine a new champion. Eight top contenders were selected. Unbeaten Joe Frazier was one of them. Joe's management declined the invitation. The eventual winner of the tourney was Jimmy Ellis who defeated Jerry Quarry in the finals. More
Champion Ingemar Johansson vs Sonny Liston was a fight that very well could have happened. After Ingo shocked Floyd Patterson to win the title in 1959, he was the " man ". At this time Sonny was just beginning to establish himself as a heavyweight to be reckoned with. By the time Floyd and Ingo met again in June of 1960, Sonny had defeated Nino Valdez and Cleveland Williams twice. One month after Patterson - Johansson II Sonny stopped the clever Zora Folley. Then two months later he outscored the classy Eddie Machen. There was little doubt that Sonny Liston would have to be dealt with. More
June 8, 2006 - I see big things for Miguel Cotto therefore I feel he will defeat Paulie Malignaggi in their upcoming fight. Cotto is one of the best body punchers in the business. Paul is fast and Cotto will be troubled by his speed. Nevertheless I see Cotto's devastating body attack slowing Paul and eventually breaking him down. Cotto by decision or late round KO. More
June 6, 2006 - Bob Foster could not carry the weight well over 175 yet he called out Frazier and Ali. He did it for the glory. Think of all the great fights that would NOT have happened if Tiger, Griffith, Rodriguez, Leonard, Hearns, Duran, Arguello, Olivares, Gomez, Chavez and so many others had decided not to move up. More
June 2, 2006 - The middleweight division is second only to the heavyweights in glamour and prestige. "The Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey, Ketchel, Greb, Walker, Zale, Robinson, and Basilio have all graced this legendary division. Two boxers who have been elevated to the mantle of greatness in this class were Carlos Monzon and Marvin Hagler yet each boxer had failed to do the one thing that may have cemented their ultimate link with the Gods of boxing. It also denied the fans of the two potentially exciting battles. More
May 28, 2006 - Back in the late 1970's and early 80's there was a pretty good heavyweight out on the West Coast. His name was Marty Monroe.
Marty was from Los Angeles and he turned pro in 1974. In 1976 he beat another up and coming heavyweight named Randy Mack. In 1977 he defeated tough Joe Gholston. In 1978 he defeated Leroy Boone.
In 1980 Marty would lose a decision to the rough and rugged Scott Ledoux. Marty bounced right back with impressive stoppage victories over Lynn Ball and Eddie " The Animal " Lopez. Marty was now a force to be reckoned with.
In 1981 Monroe would meet the streaking Greg Page. At this time Page was considered one of the best heavyweight prospects in the game. Greg proved to be too much for Monroe halting a game Marty in the sixth round. That might have been the best performance in the career of Greg Page.
Marty would layoff for two years and then return to win two fights. He ended his career in 1983 with a very respectable 25-2-1 record. He scored sixteen knockouts and was stopped only once. [End]
May 18, 2005 - Who was the best Italian born and raised heavyweight of my time ( 1965 to present ) ? Was it Lorenzo Zanon who gave Jerry Quarry and Ken Norton trouble before being stopped ? Zanon also unsuccessfully challenged Larry Holmes for the title.
Was it Francisco Damiani who defeated Teofilo Stevenson as an amateur ? The same Damiani who as a professional was just a few rounds away from winning the WBO version of the heavyweight title. Damiani was outboxing the highly regarded Ray Mercer for eight uneventful rounds. In the ninth round Mercer connected with a smash to Damiani's nose that ended the fight and crowned Mercer as the WBO champion. More
May 13, 2006 - Ricky Hatton remains unbeaten and is now the new W.B.A welterweight champion by virtue of a close but unanimous decision over defending titleholder Luis Collazo. If the Hatton people were expecting a " walk in the park " they were surely surprised.
The first round was all Hatton as he floored Collazo with a left hook early and dominated the round. Collazo proved to be a gutsy warrior as he came back in the second round and from that point on it was a see saw contest.
Collazo surprised a lot of people in being able to stay with Ricky on the inside. He had a good jab as he doubled and sometimes tripled it. Hatton was Hatton...Walk through the storm swinging away. They each landed great shots throughout the battle.
The scoring...115-112 ( twice ) and 114-113. HBO also had it 114-113 for Hatton. A very entertaining fight.[End]
(May 13, 2006) - May 17th in Sydney, Australia Danny Green and Anthony Mundine meet in an important super middleweight bout. There is a lot of bad blood here. It seems like a good match up. This one has really peaked my interest.
On May 18th Ricky Quiles a boxer with ties to Lorain, Ohio will meet former champion Julio Diaz for the " Interim " IBF lightweight title. I never fully understood this " interim " thing. It used to be called a box off for the # 1 contender spot. Anyway Lorain had two other lightweights challenge for the lightweight title in recent years. Carl " Stuff " Griffith challenged Oscar De La Hoya for the WBO lightweight title. He was stopped in three. Carl's brother Mike had an unsuccessful challenge against Paul Spadafora. More
May 11, 2006 - Poor Floyd Patterson. Everyone loves him but not everyone respects him as a fighter or champion. You rarely here his name tossed about when the topic of all time great heavyweights is brought up. What a shame !
Who is to blame for the heartbreaking oversight ? People tend to forget that Patterson thrashed Archie Moore much more impressively then Marciano did the night he became the youngest man ever to win the heavyweight crown . Still when a " Dream Match " between Marciano and Patterson is talked about, Floyd is quickly dismissed... Simply put, Rocky had the PUNCH and Floyd did not have the whiskers. More
May 9, 2006 - There are times when a young, promising boxer comes along that you make a decision to jump on the bandwagon or just end up disliking him. You might think he's the next Benny Leonard or that he is an over hyped average fighter at best.
When Vinny Pazienza burst on the scene I was not on the bandwagon. He was loud, boastful and to a point abrasive. He did work his way up the lightweight ladder toward a title shot. He beat one of my favorites, ex IBF lightweight champion Harry Arroyo. He then defeated Greg Haugen to win the title. The rugged Haugen regained the title from Vinny and Pazienza moved into the 140 lb. class. He was defeated by Roger Mayweather, Hector Camacho and Loreto Garcia in attempts at the junior welterweight title. More
May 6, 2006 -Oscar De La Hoya is the new WBC Junior Middleweight champion by way of a one sided thrashing of loud mouth Ricardo Mayorga.
Oscar floored Mayorga in the first and dominated the rest of the way. Oscar floored Mayorga again in the sixth and a follow up barrage prompted referee Jay Nady to jump in and stop it at 1:25 of the sixth.
Was Oscar that good or was Mayorga over rated ? This win sets Oscar up for several potential lucrative paydays. Of course a bout Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be the cash cow. He could go after the winner of Jermain Taylor-vs-Winky Wright. How about the winner of Shane Mosley-vs-Fernando Vargas II ? De La Hoya has some unfinished business with both. [End]
April 29, 2006 - I look for an exciting fight while it lasts. Part of me wants to see Oscar get kayoed so I don't have to see that phony smile anymore. The other half of me wants Oscar to take the arrogant, loud mouth Mayorga to school. I still see Oscar winning this fight. De La Hoya is a very good technical boxer. He will pick Mayorga apart. He just needs to be careful and not get caught by Mayorga who is a dangerous boxer especially in the early rounds.
Let Mayweather Jr. - De La Hoya happen. Talk about a money machine. I think this will be Oscar's Waterloo. If they box at 147, I give Floyd his best shot as Oscar will be weakened. At 154 Oscar has a better chance because of his strength. Even at a catch weight of say 150, I still feel Floyd is on top of his game. Speed frustrates Oscar. Mosley and Sturm gave De La Hoya fits. Floyd will too. [End]
April 24, 2006 - History in any sport can embrace you or deny you. You may be admired by the masses or reviled. Winning or losing is not always the issue. In using a terrible but sometimes relevant cliche, " It's not if you win or lose, it's how you play the game ".
That
cliche so rightfully applies to the recent Wladimir Klitschko-Chris
Byrd, IBF heavyweight title fight. Chris Byrd, a smallish heavyweight by
today's standards has had a nice run as IBF titleholder. When he
recently met up with previous conqueror Wladimir Klitschko he suffered a
terrible drubbing. His title is now gone and it is very doubtful he'll
regain it.
All I can say is hold your head up high Chris Byrd. If guts and ameness
claimed titles, you be a champion for the ages. I admired your courage.
You fought like a champion and lost like a man. That is the highest
compliment I can pay to you. [End]
April 23, 2006 - Wladimir Klitschko is a fine boxer for a big man but he lacks what his brother Vitali had. An iron constitution. This is a trait that Sergei proved he had when he fought and beat a very tough boxer named Lamon Brewster.
If they fight, Sergei is going to out gut Wlad. He will enforce his will on Wlad. Klitschko is a front runner. Once he reaches a " danger" point, he has a tendency to abandon his fight plan. In essence he panics. He loses focus and he allows his skills to diminish under duress. This is why he lost to Corrie Sanders and Brewster. He could handle Chris Byrd because Byrd posed no serious danger of hurting him. A bold Wladimir Klitschko is a hard fighter to beat. Hurt him and take away that boldness he becomes a rather ordinary boxer. Sergei can and will do this to him. Sergei has the tools and has been tested under fire. Sergei will win this match. [End]
April 22, 2006 - Although I know that in boxing you should take nothing for granted, I just can't see Sergei losing to Kevin McBride. Hey beating Tyson at this stage of his career should not get you a title shot but it worked for Danny Williams so, why not ? I would have rather seen McBride-Valuev. That may have set a combined weight record for a heavyweight title fight. More
On April 4th former WBC super welterweight champion Eckhard Dagge of Germany died of cancer. He was 58 years old.
Eckhard was an accomplished amateur who won 66 of 80 contests. When he was not picked for the 1972 Olympic team in Munich, he decided to turn pro in 1973. He won his first thirteen fights beating the likes of Matt Donovan, Denny Moyer, Manuel Gonzalez and former world champion Billy Backus. He lost his first fight in 1974 to future world champion Jose Manuel Duran. Dagge was stopped in round eleven. This was for the European 154 pound title. A year later Dagge halted Duran in a rematch to claim the EBU crown. More
April 4, 2006 - I'm not a Mayorga fan. He's loud, abrasive and somewhat limited in his ability. He is not nearly as polished as Oscar. Part of me wants to see De La Hoya give Mayorga a beating worse then Tito did. One thing Mayorga can do is punch. He is also strong and has an awkward, wild swinging style. For a controlled boxer like Oscar, Mayorga's unpredictability could cause him some problems. The other part of me would like to see Oscar get flattened and wipe that arrogant, smug smile off his face. De La Hoya looks very focused for this fight. He also envisions a few more mega paydays if he wins. Plus I really think that he strongly dislikes Mayorga. I've got to go with Oscar but it could be interesting. I am really looking forward to this one. [End]
April 1, 2006 - Sergei Liakhovich is the new WBO Heavyweight champion by virtue of a well earned unanimous decision over Lamon Brewster.
After twelve action paced rounds the scoring was ; 115-113, 115-112 and 117-110 all in favor of the new champion, Sergei Liakhovich.
This will have to be considered as a major upset. For now though, Sergei has put himself in a position for a major payday and a chance to prove he is the best heavyweight in the world. He made a lot of believers tonight. What an outstanding performance.
Hats off to my friend Kenny Weldon, the trainer of Sergei. He has told me since I met him what a good fighter Liakhovich was.
I believe Kenny...I believe ! [End]
March 31, 2006 - I recently did a piece on the classy former WBC bantamweight champion, Greg Richardson out of Youngstown, Ohio.
I just came across a flyer for a 1994 match between Greg and an upcoming kid named Marcos Antonio Barrera. Greg was now a former world champion. Barrera was 30-0 with 21 knockouts. Richardson's name would look very good on Barrera's list of opponents. For Greg, a win over the red hot Barrera would propel him back into the ratings. More
March 30, 2006 - I had the great pleasure of talking to one of my favorite boxing people, Kenny Weldon. This Saturday in my hometown of Cleveland, Sergei Liakhovich will attempt to take the WBO heavyweight title from Lamon Brewster. Kenny is Sergei's trainer.
This was not conducted as a formal interview or anything like that. It was just Kenny and I shooting the bull. I enjoy talking to Kenny. He's seen it all. We talked about " Old Bones " Joe Brown, the great lightweight champion. We talked about Benny Leonard, possibly the greatest lightweight ever. We also talked about Sergei and his date with destiny. More
March 27, 2006 - I see why Bernard Hopkins is going after Antonio Tarver's light heavyweight championship. He has nothing to lose. His legacy has already been written. I just can not see him winning this fight. In fact I fear he may be stopped. Tarver is a big, strong light heavyweight with serious power. Ask Roy...He is also a southpaw and knows how to use all these gifts to his advantage. He is well trained and well schooled. More
March 25, 2006 - The British produced some quality heavyweights during the 1950's and 60's. Of course " Ol' " Enry ' Cooper comes to mind. There was rugged Joe Erskine and Wales gave us Dick Richardson. Later Billy " The Golden Boy " Walker would emerge. One of the best was Brian London who would twice fight for world title honors. More
March 23, 2006 - ESPN showcased many fine young boxers in the early 1990's. One among them was Lorain, Ohio lightweight Carl " Stuff " Griffith. Carl turned professional in 1988 and won twelve of his first fifteen fights. In 1990 he stepped into contender status with a decision over former IBF lightweight champion Harry Arroyo.
In 1991 Carl lost to future junior welterweight champion Jake Rodriguez. He bounced right back to outscore former lightweight king Livingstone Bramble and solid journeyman Roger Brown. In 1992 he drew with tough Ricky Meyers and then won a decision over highly regarded Mike Evgen. Slowly but surely Carl was moving up in the ratings. More
March 21, 2006 - I don't get too excited over PPV cards. They are usually a rip off. There is one coming up April 8th that has peaked my interest.
Zab Judah puts his IBF version of the welterweight title on the line against undefeated superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. Despite the fact that Judah lost a portion of the title in his last fight to Carlos Baldomir, this bout will provide a stern test for Mayweather. In my opinion Floyd is the best boxer pound for pound in the world today. More
March 12, 2006 - He lost his professional debut in 1962 but he would go on to later win the bantamweight title and be a major force for several years. Jesus " Chuchu " Castillo rebounded from that initial loss to win fourteen straight. As he moved up in competition he suffered an occasional loss but he was also beating some good fighters like Jesus Hernandez and Lenny Brice.
In 1967 Castillo challenged and defeated Jose Medal for the Mexican title. He then defeated the rugged Bernardo Caraballo. In 1968 he continued his march to a title shot with wins over Joe Valdez, Jesus Pimentel and a two round kayo of Evan Armstrong. On December 6th at the Forum in Inglewood, California Chuchu finally got his title shot. He met the slick boxing Lionel Rose. After fifteen rounds Rose, who was knocked down in the tenth round was awarded a split decision. The verdict sparked a full scale riot in protest of Castillo not being proclaimed the new champion. More
March 4, 2006 - I don't like crow. It don't taste very good. I ate a lot of crow tonight. Enough to last me the whole year, thank you. Old Joe Calzaghe did what I thought was unimaginable. He beat the hell out of an ever game Jeff Lacy. Folks this fight was not even close. Joe jumped on Lacy and had command throughout. He even knocked Lacy down for good measure in the final round but could not finish him off. Props to Lacy for staying propped up at the final bell. The final scores were 119-107 ( twice ) and 119-105. Yes friends, Joe was that dominant. More
March 1, 2006 - Back in the early and mid 1970's, northeast Ohio had three world class light heavyweight contenders campaigning for a world title shot. Ray Anderson of Akron would be the one who was fortunate enough to receive a shot at the brass ring. The other two, John Griffin and Billy Wagner of Cleveland fell short of their title fight dreams but they did wage two memorable wars against each other. More
February 22, 2006 - Hank Kaplan is a wonderful man. I had the great pleasure of meeting Hank at the IBHOF in June of 1998. Since that time we have stayed in periodic contact. I was introduced to Hank through a mutual friend, Jim Borgen of Warren, Ohio. Through Jim I learned just how much Hank Kaplan has done for the sport of boxing.
Hank Kaplan is to boxing what John Madden is to football. I mean that as the ultimate compliment. Hank may just be the most respected person in boxing today. He was elected President of the World Boxing Historian's Association in 1958. I was all but four years old ! More
You want to read a good book ? Then I highly recommend picking up a copy of " Cinderella Man " by Michael C. DeLisa. I've seen the movie with Russell Crowe as James J. Braddock. I liked it so much that I went out and bought the DVD. Guess what ? I liked this book even better.
Mr. DeLisa did an outstanding job of following the life and career of a true American hero. What I liked the most about this book was it was not just about Jim Braddock. The author detailed much information on the careers of Max Baer, Max Schmeling and Joe Louis. Also the struggles for promotional rights in the Big Apple and the whole boxing empire.
Although the gutsy Mr. Braddock is center stage, in reality this is a history book. It is a valuable addition to boxing lore. It is certainly worth having. [End]
February 16, 2006 - He may have been the second best middleweight in the world in the late 1970's through the mid 80's. The " Hagler Era ". he was twice defeated by the Marvelous one in title fights but no one other then Hagler could seem handle him.
Mustafa Hamsho was born in Syria in 1953. He turned professional in 1975 sometimes fighting under the moniker of Rocky Estafire. He lost his first pro fight in Binghampton, N.Y. to Pat Cuillo. After eight bouts it would have been hard to foresee Hamsho as a future contender as his ledger stood at 4-2-2. Mustafa would go on to win his next 27 bouts and firmly establish himself as a legitimate title threat. More
February 4, 2006 - I'll be very honest with you. When this fight that will take place February 25th was made , I was pretty excited about it. Yes I know it is a fight that should have been made years ago but it wasn't so I'll take it now.
With that said I hope these two ancient warriors don't go into slow motion mode and bore the hell out of the paying viewers. For some reason I don't think that is going to happen. Call it pride. I believe both boxers feel a part of their legacy is on line. I'm hoping that pride will kick in and the boxers will give all they have left. If that is the case then it should be a very exciting affair. This is a real good style match up here. More
February 3, 2006 - This was a young man that had world champion written all over him. He had all the potential in the world to have become a boxing superstar. He did achieve the status of world title holder due to the fragmented title system of the day but I thought he would have accomplished so much more. Only Tony Ayala Jr. in that era disappointed me more. What a great fighter Matthew Hilton could have been. More
January 30, 2006 - The city of Cleveland produced a world class light heavyweight in the late 1970's and early 80's who today is in a battle to beat paralysis. Pablo " Paul " Ramos was a ranked contender and met some of the division's best. There will be a fund raising dinner for Paul on February 10th. More
January 28, 2006 - There are certain boxers from my past that in retrospect would be champions today. One such boxer was tough enough to be nicknamed " Bad ". He was Bennie Briscoe from Philadelphia and brother you better bet he was just that, " Bad ". He was probably the most feared middleweight of his era and it was a tough time just be a middleweight in Philly. If you were bad there, you were bad everywhere. More
January 17, 2006 - Youngstown's undefeated middleweight contender Kelly Pavlik was slated to meet dangerous Juan Luis Zertuche on the undercard of the Erik Morales-Manny Pacquiao rematch. A hand injury has forced Kelly to withdraw from the fight. Zertuche will now meet either Anthony Thompson or Fernando Zuniga.
The injury for Kelly, another in a long line of past setbacks may work in Kelly's favor this time. Maselino Masoe and Felix Sturm are meeting for the WBA middleweight title. Veteran Howard Eastman is facing off against Edison Miranda. The winner will meet IBF boss Arthur Abraham. With negotiations breaking down for a match between Jermain Taylor and Winky Wright, there is a good chance that a healed Kelly may meet either Taylor or Wright. It is most likely that Kelly will take on Wright. We'll have to wait and see how this scenario unfolds. Hopefully Kelly will catch a break. [End]
January 17, 2006 - The 140 pound weight class continues to remain the most exciting weight class in boxing. Zab Judah's loss of his 147 pound title by upset to Carlos Baldomir may have stalled Zab's proposed bout with WBC 140 titleholder Floyd Mayweather Jr. Now the WBC has named Junior Witter as the mandatory challenger for Mayweather's title. If Floyd decides to stay at 140, a bout with the dangerous Witter could be a thriller. Witter was supposed to have met Italy's Gianluca Branco in a title eliminator but Branco opted for a shot at WBO title claimant Miguel Cotto.
If Mayweather Jr.-Witter and Cotto-Branco come off, it will keep the 140 pound division among the most thrilling weight classes today. Still waiting to see what IBF / WBA champion Ricky Hatton is going to do next. The fight everyone wants to see at 140 is Mayweather Jr. - Hatton. The fight everyone wants to see at 147 is Mayweather Jr.- Judah. Hopefully one or both of those fights will happen in 2006. We'll see... [End]
January 12, 2006 - It was a long time coming as boxing's foremost historian Hank Kaplan will be honored this summer as he enters the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. He is among a dozen deserving inductees that will be enshrined on June 11th in Canastota. More
January 11, 2006 - Last weekend's upset wins by Carlos Baldomir over Zab Judah and O'Neil Bell over Jean Marc Mormeck just got me warmed up. This could be a VERY good year for boxing fans, at least over the next four or five months.
Next up, the rematch between Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao on January 21st. The first one was a thriller. I see no reason that this bout will be any different. So what if Morales lost to Zahir Raheem recently. Manny has a totally different style then Raheem. Morales will look much better in this fight. Will he win ? This one is a real " pick em " contest. More
January 4, 2006 - He was one of the best heavyweights of his era and possibly one of the best heavyweights to have never claimed the title. He fought the best of the late 1950's and 60's with a high degree of success.
Eddie Machen was born on July 15, 1932 in Redding, California and he entered the punch for pay ranks in 1955. Eddie won all eleven of his bouts during his maiden year including a knockout over highly regarded Howard King.
In 1956 Eddie added eight more victories and established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division. He twice defeated Julio Mederos and also won two bouts against the dangerous Nino Valdes. Eddie closed 1956 with a points victory over tough Johnny Summerlin. More
December 22, 2005 - Superfights..It is a very over used term these days. Some of the PPV "superfights" of today would have been nice Saturday afternoon feature bouts on ABC's Wide World Of Sports in my day. There were several bouts from the late 1960's to the early 1980's I wish would have been made. These are bouts that actually had been rumored in the making or someone's wishful thinking. If some of these bouts had taken place it could of altered the history of boxing forever. More
December 17, 2005 - On November 18, 1921 Johnny Dundee won on a fifth round disqualification over George " KO " Chaney to become the first recognized champion of the junior lightweight division.He would lose and then regain the title in a pair of 1923 fifteen rounders against Jack Bernstein. Dundee would lose the title for good in 1924 via a ten round points loss to Steve " Kid " Sullivan. In 1925 Sullivan would lose the title to Mike Ballerino. Later that year Ballerino would be stopped by Tod Morgan. More
December 14, 2005 - Carlos Ortiz vs. Wilfred Benitez for the all-time Puerto Rican jr. welterweight championship. What a match up! Ortiz who turned pro in 1955 lost only two of his first 32 bouts. Johnny Busso, who he defeated in a rematch and Kenny Lane. Among the notables he defeated were Tommy Tibbs, Joe Lopes, and Dave Chamley. In his rematch with Lane the world's 140 pound title at stake and he halted Lane in the second round. He successfully defended his crown twice against Battling Torres and Duilio Loi before losing the title to Loi in a rematch. In their rubber match Loi won again ending Carlos' tenure at 140 pounds. He would win the lightweight title in 1962 and establish himself as a Hall of Famer. In 70 career bouts he was stopped only once, in his final fight. More
December 11, 2005 - Two middleweight fights yesterday may have shifted the balance in this long boring division. With all due respect to Bernard Hopkins, his long tenure as champion featured few exciting battles. Add to that the both his razor close losses to new titleholder Jermain Taylor were about as thrilling as a John Ruiz fight. More
December 10, 2005 - For me the year 1972 marked some very important milestones. Especially the magic month of June.In the first three weeks of that month I became a candidate for the draft by turning eighteen. I graduated from High School and I took on my first bride. To be honest with you the most exciting day of the month was the 26th. On that date in Madison Square Garden, Roberto Duran captured the lightweight championship of the world by stopping the vastly talented Ken Buchanan. At that moment a star was born. More
December 7, 2005 - One of the best potential match ups in the mid 1970's that never took place would have been a light heavyweight unification bout between W.B.A. titleholder Victor Galindez of Argentina versus W.B.C. title claimant John Conteh of England.
After world champion Bob Foster was given a gift draw over Argentina's Jorge Ahumada in June of 1974 Bob no longer looked like an unbeatable force at 175 pounds. In fact it was becoming obvious that father time was eroding "Bad Bob's " skills. Then the W.B.C. wanted Bob to defend against top ranked John Conteh. The W.B.A. told Bob to put his title on the line against Victor Galindez. If Bob fought Conteh the W.B.A. would probably strip him of the title. If he met Galindez the W.B.C. would have likely taken their recognition away from him. In his frustration Bob decided to just hang them up, thus leaving the title vacant. More
December 5, 2005 - Damn I had a bad weekend. First it was trouble at my job. Next was trouble with the little woman. Then to top it all off, Bernard Hopkins loses another decision to Jermain Taylor. It's almost enough to make a grown man cry ! More
December 3, 2005 - George Horowitz, the CEO of Everlast Worldwide Inc. recently passed away. I recall receiving the company's fine merchandise catalogs and always in the first few pages were photos of Mr. Horowitz. He would smiling and posing with famous fighters. Sure he was promoting his products but there always seemed to be something very genuine about George.
I've always heard nothing but good things about George Horowitz. He was very respected within the boxing community and he will be missed. God bless.
Mr. Horowitz succumbed to kidney cancer. I have seen this terrible disease first hand. I lost my mother to liver cancer in 1990. In 1991 I lost a very good friend to throat cancer after a long and courageous fight. Very recently my fiancé successfully turned back breast cancer. Early detection was the key. Breast cancer is a leading killer of women today over forty. Please try to emphasize to your mother, sister, wife, daughter, etc...to go in for their yearly check ups. It truly is the difference between life and death. [End]
December 1, 2005 - What happens when the unstoppable force meets the unmovable object ? Let me re-phrase that. What would have happened if Joe Frazier and Ron Lyle would have hooked up in the mid 1970's ?
It is too bad that this fight was never made. It was discussed on occasions but to the best of my knowledge no serious talks ever took place. What a shame. This would have been a thrill a minute battle for the fans. Each boxer had the tools and the style to offset the others skills. More
November 21, 2005 - The date is August 1, 1975. At the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Two of the top middleweight prospects are meeting in a rematch of a May 19th bout in Binghampton, N.Y. On that occasion Mike Nixon, the brother-in-law of Jerry and Mike Quarry beat Mike Rossman. The loss that night to Nixon was the first of Rossman's budding career. He vowed to avenge that. The return saw nip and tuck action all the way with Rossman boxing well behind an educated left jab but Nixon came on some in the middle rounds. Although Rossman was probably in front, Nixon was closing the gap quickly. More
November 16, 2005 - The 1960's spawned many great fighters. Dick Tiger, Jose Torres, Emile Griffith, Luis Rodriguez and Carlos Ortiz just to name a few. One of the best of this era was a 5' 3" southpaw from Mexico City named Vincente Saldivar. He ruled the featherweight division for three years and then retired. He decided to come back and two and a half years after he gave up his crown, he re-claimed it.
This boxing legend was born on March 5, 1943. He started his professional career in 1961 and quickly showed that he was a budding star. Saldivar won his first sixteen fights and scored thirteen knockouts. He suffered his first loss in December of 1962 when he was disqualified in a bout against Baby Luis. More
November
14, 2005 - He was born Eligio Sardinias Montalbo on January 6, 1910 in
Cerro, Havana, Cuba. He launched his professional boxing career in 1927
and would participate in over 150 bouts in a career that ended in 1938.
He was nicknamed the " Cuban Bon Bon " and during the 1930's he was one
of the best drawing cards in New York. His flashy personality and even
flashier style in the ring made him a real crowd pleaser.
More
November 13, 2005 - He has walked away from the most prestigious prize in all of sports. I was shocked but Vitali Klitschko is his own man and for whatever reasons he had, the decision has been made.
How good was Vitali Klitschko ? Where will he fall when rating him against the other great heavyweights of all time ? It will be quite difficult to judge with the abrupt end to his career. Vitali had only 37 fights. He won 35 with 34 stoppage wins. The numbers are impressive. Let's look at the quality of his opposition. More
November 12, 2005 - Jermain Taylor won his first fight with Bernard Hopkins fair and square. Bernard made an error in judgment in starting too slow. He spotted a young and talented Taylor a head start that try as he might, Bernard was unable to make up. It cost the ever proud Hopkins his World's middleweight title. Hopkins is out for revenge and to regain his former glory. Taylor wants to prove that his first win was no fluke and that he is the " Man " at 160 pounds. More
November 5, 2005 - Jeff Lacy defended his IBF Super Middleweight title with an impressive two round stoppage of the capable Scott Pemberton. This was a bout where Jeff Lacy needed to make a statement, and he did. It was loud and clear. He made it known through his actions and not his words that he is the " Man " at 168 lbs. Sorry Joe... More
October 30, 2005 - The last great fighter to come out of the tough town of Mansfield, Ohio was the talented and vastly under rated former I.B.F. light heavyweight champion, Prince Charles Williams.
Almost forgotten is a fighter from the area who peaked not long before Williams was to make his mark. He only had 21 fights in his four-year career but he made himself a presence in the jr. welterweight and welterweight divisions. More
October 28, 2005 - All I can say is " Holy Smokes " ! If this is a preview of things to come then the upcoming year in boxing should be a good one. Three tentatively scheduled bouts could create a lot of fan interest and some serious fireworks.
For starters former champions Shane Mosley and Fernando Vargas are rumored to be on a collision course on February 25th. I find this to be a very intriguing match up that I wish would have taken place a few years ago when both were on top of their game. Still it should be interesting and the winner will be in line for a nice future payday while the loser may have to consider retirement. This is truly a " crossroads " match for two fine boxers. I always felt Shane was the better of the two but if Mosley has slowed down too much and is forced to go to war with Vargas then to me that increases Fernando's chances of winning. More
October 26, 2005 - I recently attended the Trumbull County ( Ohio ) Legends Of Leather Awards Banquet in Niles, Ohio. This year it was in honor of the outstanding ex-welterweight and middleweight contender Tony Janiro of Youngstown. It was a nice turn out and guests of honor Tracy Janiro Zingaro who is Tony's grand daughter and her husband Michael were presented with a beautiful portrait of Tony painted by Legends Of Leather member John Lees. More
October 21, 2005 - What if...Two of the greatest bantamweights from Mexico would have clashed in their prime ? Let's start with Olivares fresh off his second victory over the ever rugged Chu Chu Castillo. That avenged his only career defeat up to that time in his illustrious career. He also reclaimed the bantamweight title that he had originally won by stopping the game and talented Australian Lionel Rose. Now let's take the unbeaten Carlos Zarate who had just stopped the previously undefeated Alfonso Zamora in four breathtaking rounds. Although this was an over the weight match, Zarate, the WBC champion and Zamora, the WBA titleholder were for all intents and purposes meeting for bantamweight supremecy.Olivares-Zarate...Who would have won ? More
October 18, 2005 - I tried to forget about it but I couldn't. Last Saturday's "Contender" rematch show on ESPN left a very bad taste in my mouth. Anthony Bonsante is a talented boxer from Minnesota. He is what you would call a fringe contender. He is a busy and effective boxer with a good jab and quick hands. He lost twice to Peter Manfedo Jr. and he was also flattened by Jesse Brinkley. On this night he would square off again with Brinkley. More
October 17, 2005 - It is hard enough to get excited about today's heavyweight division. With that in mind it seems almost unimaginable to get stirred by a match between two British battlers. Hey guess what ? There is a match coming up on December 10th in London for British bragging rights that may also have a bearing on the overall heavyweight picture.
Undefeated Audley Harrison takes on "Tyson Tamer" Danny Williams. Although the yet to be tested Harrison has had only nineteen fights to thirty seven for Williams, at 33 he is older then the 32 year old Williams. More
October 8, 2005 - He just may be the most popular Japanese fighter of all time. In a career that lasted a little over a decade he squeezed in 63 pro contests. He was the winner of 55 of those. He won world championships in two weight divisions and he came very close to becoming a three weight class titleholder. Please remember this was back in the day when there were only eight weight classes and one champion per division. He is the only man to beat the legendary Eder Jofre and he turned the trick twice. His name was Masahiko but in boxing circles his nickname was " Fighting ". That should tell you something about his aggressive whirlwind style. He was " Fighting " Harada. More
October 4, 2005 - OK...You're Roy Jones Jr. and you just got your butt whipped by Antonio Tarver again. You managed to go the distance but in doing so you sacrificed any chance you had of winning. Tarver is just a tough nut for you to crack. He's a tall, rangy southpaw with good power but you already knew that. You remembered the shot he caught you with in the second fight. You were not going to get hit with that shot again. No way that was going to happen. So you decided to fight a safety first fight. This was a fight Roy Jones could have won...should have won. Tarver is a very, very good fighter but if Roy would have gambled a bit. If he would have jumped into the foray with both hands blazing. Who knows what would have happened. More
September 25, 2005 - Wladimir Klitschko's gutsy decision victory over the feared Sam Peter proved three things. One, that Wlad could survive against a proven puncher. Two, that Sam Peter is not a fluke. He's just a little rough around the edges. Three, this fight was just the beginning of a series of upcoming heavyweight match ups that are sure to shake up and shape the heavyweight division going into 2006.
Next up, Lamon Brewster defends his W.B.O version of the heavyweight title against Luan Krasniqi. On paper big, bad Brewster should win but with heavyweights anything can happen. If Lamon does win, he's been called out by previous victim Wladimir Klitschko. After Wlad's win over Peter, this would be an attractive match up. What if Krasniqi pulls the upset ? Wlad-Krasniqi would probably draw very well in Germany. More
September 24, 2005 - I like Sugar Shane Mosley. He has been good for boxing. He was a fine lightweight champion who jumped right to welterweight and defeated the "Golden Boy", Oscar De La Hoya. He has had his ups and downs since. The losses to Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright. Another win over De La Hoya. More
September 23, 2005 - If a fighter did not have heart and courage he would never step into a ring. The boxer's mind is a fragile item. Case in point, Roberto Duran. He was and still is my favorite boxer. Therefore you can understand how I felt when he uttered the now infamous "No Mas" ! My God, not Roberto. Not Duran. He later came back. He did not quit against Benitez or Hagler. He took his whoopin' like a man against Hearns. No excuses. He sucked it up and came back to upset Barkley. He was battered from pillar to post by William Joppy. He could have quit but he didn't. Finally a compassionate referee intervened. Corrales could have gave up against Castillo but he didn't. He ended up winning. What I am trying to say here is that courage is already woven into the fabric of every fighter. At times though the mind out rules the spirit. Sometimes for the best, sometimes not. One more example...Buster Douglas was considered a "dog" after he gave up against talented Tony Tucker. Yet this is the same Douglas who got up off the canvas and whipped the " baddest man on the planet", Mike Tyson. Yet in his next fight the "dog" was to have returned when he was humiliated by Evander Holyfield. Go figure !!!
Did Leavander Johnson have too much courage for his own good ? Probably, and now his family and friends live with the horror of his passing. Still we all admire his tenacity and his will to overcome all obstacles. His courage... [End]
September 17, 2005 - Back in the late 60's a heavyweight from Fresno, CA. named Mac Foster had reeled off something like 25 straight KO's. It was even rumored that he had flattened Sonny Liston in a sparring session. He rose to the #1 spot in the heavyweight rankings behind champion Joe Frazier.
They matched Mac with the popular long time contender Jerry Quarry. What happened ? Jerry took Mac to school. He out boxed Mac and put on a counter punching clinic. Foster was felled in the sixth round.
Fast forward thirty five years. Sam Peter is today's Mac Foster. He is a tremendous hitter with a ferocious reputation. Will Wladimir Klitschko play the role of Jerry Quarry ? At one time Wlad was considered a better prospect then big brother Vitaly. Then the chin gave in and now fans wonder if he can put it all back together.
This should be a very interesting match up. Wladimir is quite nimble for a man of his size. He has a quick and accurate jab. He also packs a pretty good wallop in that right hand of his. Peter is very strong and has amazing power. Nevertheless he has yet to meet a fighter the caliber of Wladimir.
Sam Peter has to be afforded a puncher's chance but on paper, as long as Wlad's chin does not cave in Peter may come up on the short end in this one. [End]
September 16, 2005 - I've had the great opportunity to read many books. Most of which were related to boxing, baseball and football. One of my favorite books is Jimmy Cannon's "Nobody Asked Me, But...". Although less then half the book is devoted to my three sports, the 90 or so pages that were are to me, priceless. I still have the worn paperback edition and it will not leave my collection until I find a nice hard back copy somewhere. They didn't make writers like Jimmy Cannon any more, or so I thought. More
September
13, 2005 - One of sports most well liked respected sportscasters Chris
Schenkel has passed away. He was 82 years old. Closely associated with
ABC's Wide World Of Sports broadcast series, Mr. Schenkel was a main
stay for many sports including boxing. He called many fights and at
times he co-anchored bouts with Howard Cosell. Mr. Schenkel's pleasant
but informative delivery as well as his gentlemanly demeanor led to
broadcasting career that spanned six decades. Among his many
broadcasting highlights was his call of 1958 NFL Championship Game in
which the Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants in a great game
that may have been the start of the NFL's television popularity.
God bless...May he rest in peace. [End]
September 5, 2005 - Why is Byrd fighting Williamson ? This contender lost a technical decision to Wlad Klitschko and was flattened by Joe Mesi. This was the same Joe Mesi who was pushed to the limit by Monte Barrett and Vassily Jirov. I would imagine how Mesi must feel with his career on the verge of a medical KO and then seeing someone he left prone on the canvas getting a title shot. It would be enough to make a grown man cry. More
September 4, 2005 - Local heavyweight contender Ray Austin took a big step up the rankings ladder by outscoring highly regarded Owen Beck. At one time Beck was grouped with Calvin Brock and Sam Peter as the best prospects in the division. A loss to Monte Barrett dropped Beck's stock a bit. Still Beck was supposed to get by late substitute Austin who had stepped in for an injured Sergei Liakhovich. Austin made the best of his new found situation. Ray hurt Beck in the first round and got his respect. Beck would be competitive throughout but Austin rocked him again in the eleventh. The scoring went 115-113 and 117-111 for Austin while Beck received a 115-113 vote. Austin has drawn with Lance Whitaker and Larry Donald and with his split decision win over Beck he may be on the verge of cracking the top ten. More
September 3, 2005 - The World Boxing Hall Of Fame has announced their inductees for 2006. Among those to be enshrined is Youngstown, Ohio's Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini. Ray was a TV boxing icon in the 80's. After running up a nice win streak that included a decisive decision victory over the very respected Jose Luis Ramirez, Ray received a title shot against the legendary Alexis Arguello. More
August 28, 2005 - In recent weeks it has come to light that Ohio's Craig Weber will meet the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez on September 17th in Phoenix, Arizona. Craig has earned this fight with a decision win over Angel Manfredy and a knockout over former champion Frankie Randall. Will he defeat Chavez and end J.C.'s " Adios Tour " ? That remains to be seen. I honestly feel that Craig is a formidable opponent for the once great Chavez. More
August 20, 2005 - Youngstown, Ohio's unbeaten middleweight sensation Kelly Pavlik has been added to an August 26th fight card in Houston, Texas. The card which is being held at the D+I Colonial Ballroom is to be shown on Telefutura. I have yet to learn who Kelly's opponent will be or if his bout is slated to be televised. Pavlik is 25-0 with 22 KO's. More
August 14, 2005 - Craig Weber, the Pride of Perrysville, Ohio has been slated for the fight of his life. If all goes well Weber will the great former champion Julio Cesar Chavez. The bout has been penciled in for September 17th in Phoenix, Arizona as part of the Chavez Farewell Tour. This sends me the message that Chavez is very confident of victory. Big mistake ? I think so. Craig's only loss was to the rugged Rogelio Castaneda. Weber went on the score a major upset win over former title challenger Angel Manfredy. He then drew with Castaneda in a return match. In his last fight Craig stopped former world title challenger Frankie Randall. Ironically it was Randall who defeated a youthful Chavez' and halted his impressive win streak back in the 1990 . Weber is a tough, tough kid. This will be no walk in the park for Chavez. I really like Craig's chances in this one. [End]
August 11,
2005 - The Sugar Ray Robinson- Jimmy Doyle fight took place in my
hometown of Cleveland on June 24, 1947. They fought at the famous but
now gone Cleveland Arena. Doyle was a good fighter who ended up with a
very respectable 41-8-3 record. He had thirteen KO's to his credit. On
March 11, 1946 Jimmy fought the brutal punching Artie Levine. Sugar Ray
Robinson stated that Levine was one of the hardest punchers that he had
ever faced. Levine halted Doyle in the ninth round. Doyle suffered a
head injury that threatened to end his career. Jimmy returned to the
ring and reeled off five straight victories to lead to his ill fated
bout with Robinson. Ray had wanted to call off the fight because he had
a dream that he killed Doyle in the ring. He was eventually convinced to
go on with the fight. There was some speculation that Doyle never fully
recovered from the injury he received in the Levine bout.
If there was any doubt that Doyle was not a legitimate contender his
victory in 1945 over Youngstown great Tommy Bell should prove his merit
as a world class fighter. [End]
August 7, 2005 - Jeff Lacy sealed the deal when he halted a dead game Robin Reid. Reid was down four times and it will into the record books as a seventh round triumph for the undefeated Lacy who moves to 20-0. Now the stage has been set for Lacy, the IBF champ to meet long time WBO titleholder Joe Calzaghe in November. This is a fine match up and a long overdue chance for world wide recognition and respect for Calzaghe who will bring a 39-0 record to the table. More
August 6, 2005 - I miss Lennox Lewis. I never really liked him so obviously I was not a fan. Still I find myself missing his presence among today's heavyweights. Why ? Simple, with Lennox you knew who the real champion was. No ands, ifs or buts about it. When Lennox did briefly lend his title to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, he stopped both in rematches to regain his crown. He did not need the W.B.A.'s blessing as their champion. Did anyone really think that John Ruiz would beat him ? More
August 3, 2005 - That Roy spent a great portion of his first fight with Antonio Tarver with his back plastered against the ropes. He took quite a bit of punishment in that fight. More then in any other fight up to that point in his career.
Even though he probably won the first round of the Tarver rematch, Roy looked worried and a bit confused. Before the second round ended Roy looked shell shocked. More
W.B.C. featherweight champion Injin Chi has been forced to pull out of his August 20th defense against # 1 contender Rocky Juarez of Houston, Texas. Chi pulled a hamstring while jogging. The unbeaten Juarez will meet an opponent to be named for the interim title. The winner will have to face Chi later this year.
Houston's former middleweight and light heavyweight titleholder Reggie Johnson is making a comeback after a two year hiatus. A proposed match with the talented Derrick Harmon is not likely to materialize. Reggie is slated to fight on August 27th in Louisiana against a yet to be named opponent. Johnson is returning as a light heavyweight and will be trained by another product of the Houston boxing scene, the former world title challenger Maurice "Termite" Watkins. Termite won 62 of 70 bouts in his fine professional career. He lost a fifteen round decision to Saoul Mamby for the W.B.C. junior welterweight championship in 1980. He also lost to Alfredo Escalera and Howard Davis Jr. In all Watkins only lost five pro fights and he was never stopped ! [End]
July 24, 2005 - Bernard Hopkins did not win the night he faced a fresh, legitimate challenger in young but talented Jermaine Taylor. I give Bernard credit for taking on such a tough challenge in the twilight of his career. Here's my thing, even if Bernard would have clocked Taylor with the first punch he landed, I still feel that there were several middleweights in my time ( 1965 to Present ) that may have been able to handle Bernard.
Though no fault of his own, Bernard came along at a time when serious challengers were few and far between. Yes he beat every challenger put before him and I agree he did not duck anyone. My question is, who did he really beat ? Trinidad who we later found out thanks to Winky Wright, was lacking in the skills department. De La Hoya who was just in with a bigger, stronger man. Oscar was probably at his best at 147pounds. More
July 20, 2005 - What was the worst thing that could happen to stall the upswing of Winky Wright's career ? Answer ; Jermain Taylor beating Bernard Hopkins for the undisputed middlweight championship of the world. After Winky terrorized Felix Trinidad, he seemed like the only one capable of giving Bernard a fight. Enter Jermain Taylor.
Taylor's win will lead to a rematch that is being rumored to take place in October. Say Bernard wins that one, more then likely there will be a rubber match. If Bernard wins the third fight he may move up to 175 pounds to challenge Antonio Tarver. He will also be calling out Roy Jones Jr. If this scenario takes place, Winky will be in a wheel chair before he gets his well deserved crack at the middleweight crown. More
It is one
of the best boxing books I have read this year. Hats off to author Brad
Cooney on his book "Let's Talk Boxing". The book is mainly made up of
informative interviews with boxing notables like Larry Holmes, Chuck
Wepner and Freddie Roach. Beyond that Brad offers his knowledgeable
insight and opinions to sport of boxing. It is a well written and
thought out book. The chapters move quickly from one interview to
another, helping to keep the reader's interest.
It's witty and to the point. My favorite interviews were with a very
candid Larry Holmes and an always hilarious Chuck Wepner. Freddie Roach,
one of today's best trainers was a very interesting character.
All and all this is a must read for boxing fans.
[End]
(July 10,
2005) - Unbeaten Kelly Pavlik is now supposed to take on Columbia's
Fulgencio Zuniga on July 30th.
According to BoxRec.com, Zuniga sports a 17-1-1 record. he's a big
hitter with 16 KO's, eight in the first round and five in the second
round. In June of 2003 he met Daniel Santos for the W.B.O. light
middleweight title and lost a twelve round decision. In his last fight
on April 8th of this year Zuniga drew with Jose Luis Zartuche in an
I.B.A. middleweight title contest.
It looks like Kelly may be meeting a live body this time. Although not
his fault, the big fights have just not materialized for Kelly.
Injuries, good competition not willing to meet him and of course Ike
Quartey dropping out of their proposed bout have helped to stall Kelly's
promising career. Hopefully a win over Zuniga will lead to matches with
name opponents like Antwon Nichols, Robert Allen or former champion
William Joppy. [End]
(July 9, 2005) - This bout is actually being discussed and rumor has it that both boxers are interested. I am not sure but I am assuming that the bout will be fought at 147 pounds.
A very interesting proposed match up. Floyd is on a roll and Mosley trying to come to terms with his four losses. two each to Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright. Still you must remember that Shane has twice defeated De La Hoya. Floyd is the best young fighter I've seen since a prime Roy Jones Jr. and before that Sugar Ray Leonard himself.
Two things that Shane brings to the table that may trouble Floyd are his tremendous strength and his hand speed, especially in close. Shane is probably pound for pound one of the strongest boxers active today. If they fight at 147, this will be a great advantage for Shane. If Mosley could bull his way inside, he still has the ability to get off quick combinations to the head and body. Also Shane is a pretty good banger to the body.
Floyd has a great defense. He is extremely hard to hit solidly and nearly impossible to hit with two power punches in a row. The boxer who has had the most success against Floyd was Jose Luis Castillo in their first fight at 135 pounds. Why ? Pressure, pressure, pressure. If you give Floyd room he'll box your ears off. If Mosley pressures Floyd to ropes, uses his strength and lets his hands go, he has a legitimate chance of winning. I just wonder if Shane still has enough confidence in his abilities. [End]
July 8, 2005 - The cruiser weight divsion brings up some interesting scenarios. First of all I DETEST all these weight divisions. When I first started following boxing, there were the original eight standard weight divisions. Then eventually, the 140 and 130 pound weight classes were accepted. Now it has become ridiculous !
I guess at
this time you may be able to justify a 200 pound division.This "bastard"
division has been under scrutiny from its inception as the 190 pound
weight class.Later it was bumped up to 200 pounds. In my opinion there
have only been two recognizable cruiserweight champions, Evander
Holyfield and Dwight Muhammad Qawi. There epic first fight when Vander
dethroned Quwi was a fifteen round classic.For the most part though the
cruiserweight division has been a colorless weight class.
These heavyweights today are MONSTERS ! When I was growing up, Sonny
Liston was a BIG heavyweight at 212. Big heavyweights after Sonny were
usually on flabby side. Guys like Buster Mathis who was an under rated
boxer did not possess a cut physique. If you doubt Buster Senior's
talents, get a tape of his bout with rugged George Chuvalo. Buster
showed in that bout that he was a world class fighter. Even "Big" George
Foreman in his first career was a tight and ready 220 to 225 pounds.
Again small by today's standards. The Joe Frazier who beat Ali in the
March 8th, 1971 "Fight Of The Century" weighed less then 210 pounds.
Later you had talented but over weight boxers like Tony Tubbs, Tim
Witherspoon and James Broad. Today these big guys like Lennox Lewis and
the Klitschko brothers are around 250 pounds of rock solid muscle. Kenny
Norton was an extremely well built heavyweight in his day but by today's
standards he would be considered a small heavyweight.
So yes, I think the 200 pound division is very viable in this day and
age. [End]
June 29,
2005 - I like Taylor. He beat Ohio's talented Anthony Hanshaw to win a
trip to the Olympics. Hanshaw's pro career has stalled for a variety of
reasons but he was a great amateur. As a pro he is undefeated and holds
a win over highly regarded Kingsly Ikele.
Anyway...My first impression when this fight was made is that Taylor was
being rushed. No way is he ready for a seasoned fighter like Hopkins.
Then I started thinking. Hopkins did not rush to a rematch with Trinidad
after Tito blasted out Ricardo Mayorga. Hmmm...
Then after Tito was outclassed by the crafty Winky Wright, the decision
was made by Hopkins to go after the light heavyweight crown if he beats
Taylor. That tells me he would rather not spend an evening in the ring
with Winky.
More
June 25, 2005 - Sorry...I just could not get over this one. I tried but but I could not come to terms with it. When it was first announced that Barry McGuigan was being inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in Canastota, New York in 2005 I was a bit surprised. Obviously to me there were more deserving potential inductees. Then it hit me. Hit me like a ton of bricks. How could McGuigan be inducted while Danny "Little Red" Lopez is still on the outside looking in ? More
June 12, 2005 - So long Mike Tyson. It has been one hell of a ride. Still after your non performance against Kevin McBride, I wouldn't pay to see you fight Laila Ali. With his victory is Kevin McBride the new "baddest man on the planet" ? I hardly think so. This win may have put him a couple of notches ahead of 70's heavyweight Claude "Humphrey" McBride on the every heavyweight who ever fought list. My advice to Mike is a quote from "Smokin' Joe Frazier himself when he retired after his second KO loss to George Foreman. "It's time to hang the gloves on the wall and boogie". So go boogie Mike. You've left your mark on boxing. Any more losses like the one to McBride will just diminish your place in history. Remember Frazier came back for one unmemorable draw with Floyd "Jumbo" Cummings. I hope there will be no more come backs for Mike Tyson. [End]
June 7, 2005 - Ricky Hatton's stoppage of Kostya Tszyu was a shocker to me. Although I respected Hatton as a fighter and a legitimate contender, I did not consider him a legitimate threat. Kostya grew old over night. It has happened to so many great ones who just find the night where they step into the ring and have nothing left. It happened to Carlos Ortiz when he faced Ken Buchanan. It happened to Vincente Saldivar when he was thrasher by Eder Jofre.
In hindsight it is so clear now to see that if it went past five or six rounds that the youthful Hatton would take over. Kostya had a VERY long layoff due to injuries. When he did comeback he was sensational in halting the highly regarded Shambra Mitchell in three rounds. This fight never taxed Kostya's stamina. Against the youthful Hatton he may have been ill prepared for a war of attrition.
Give Hatton his due. This almost put me mind of when John H.Stracey took apart the great but aged Jose Napoles to win the welterweight title back in 1976. In my mind a prime Napoles would have defeated Stracey. John was in the right place at the right time.
So was Ricky. [End]
June 3, 2005 - UNBELIEVEABLE...That is all I can say. Rumor is that Don King has not given up on Andrew Golota even in the wake of his dismal showing against Lamon Brewster. Somehow after being blasted out in less then a round by Brewster in an attempt to win the lightly regarded W.B.O. belt, Andrew has put himself in line for a shot at the W.B.A. version of the heavyweight title. Say what ??? More
June 2, 2005 - He came from a fighting family and by the time his boxing career ended in 1971 he was the most beloved British boxer of all time. Only once did he challenge for the World's title but he dominated the British heavyweight scene for over fifteen years. His popularity soared even more after retirement and eventually the Queen of England knighted him. Sir Henry Cooper was more than just a British fighter. He was a fine example of what British boxing is all about.
Henry's professional career started in September of 1954 and he proceeded to win his first nine fights including an eight round points win over Joe Bygraves. In Henry's tenth bout he lost the first of many bouts due to an eye cut to Uber Bacilleri. He would later avenge that loss. More
(May 23, 2005) - 1967...Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali is stripped of his heavyweight title for refusing to be drafted into the U.S. Armed Forces. In the blink of an eye the W.B.A designated the top eight contenders to fight off to determine a "new" champion. Former titleholders Floyd Patterson and Ernie Terrell were joined by Thad Spencer, Karl Mildenberger, Oscar Bonavena, Jerry Quarry and Jimmy Ellis. The last invitee, Joe Frazier turned down the invitation. His wily manager Yancey "Yank" Durham envisioned bigger things. Joe's spot was taken by Leotis Martin. More
May 22, 2005 - Lamon Brewster's one round blitz over Andrew Golota to retain his W.B.O. heavyweight title did a lot to hopefully spark a dull period in heavyweight history. Since Lennox Lewis stepped down the division has been in a state of turmoil and confusion. Sure the title was still split up when Lennox was around but most sane boxing fans knew who the real champ was.
Now the fans are left to wonder who the new "baddest man on the planet" is. A lot of people seem to favor Vitali Klitschko, the W.B.C. titleholder. Elusive Chris Byrd is the I.B.F. claimant. John Ruiz is again the W.B.A.'s top dog even though he was whipped handily by James Toney. When Toney did not pass his drug test the W.B.A. did what they had to do, re-instate Ruiz as champion. Golota drew with Byrd and lost a very controversial verdict to John Ruiz. Then Brewster bombs out the Golota in :58 seconds and guess what ? There's a new sheriff in town. More
May 19,
2005 - On August 20th in Chicago there will be a doubleheader of major
importance. Former junior middleweight champion Fernando Vargas returns
to the 154 pound division where he hopes to battle his way back into
title contention. With an outstanding record of 26-2 and at the age of
27, Vargas still has a lot of time to make an impact. Losing to Trinidad
and De La Hoya, two of the best fighters in recent memory is nothing to
be ashamed of. Vargas is a warrior in the true sense of the word. I
believe he will again become a major player.
The co-feature has the potential to be a strong candidate for " Fight Of
The Year ". Undefeated Rocky Juarez of Houston, Texas will challenge
W.B.C. titleholder In Jin Chi. This will not be an east night for Rocky.
Juarez was a Silver Medalist in the 2000 Olympics. He is a talented and
very popular boxer. He is also a dangerous puncher.
In Jin Chi lost his first recorded pro fight in 1991. Ten years later he
challenged Erik Morales for the W.B.C. featherweight title and he lost a
decision. In 2003 he met Michael Brodie for the vacant crown and the
bout was judged a draw. In a 2004 rematch Chi stopped Brodie in seven
rounds to win the W.B.C. title. His bout with Juarez will mark his third
defense.
Chi is tough, very tough but for Rocky to go play with the big boys in
the 126 and 130 pound weight divisions he must win this fight. No easy
task but if he does win it will be interesting to see how he matches up
against Morales, Barrera, Pacquiao and Marquez.
Stay tuned...[End]
May 18,
2005 - Dale Brown is a tough guy. He's thirty three years old. He has
lost three fights but they were all career defining fights. He was
stopped by Vassily Jirov in an attempt to win the I.B.F. cruiserweight
title. Then he was kayoed in eight rounds by Wayne Braithwaite for the
N.A.B.F. title. He then was halted by Jean Marc Mormack in eight rounds
when he challenged for the W.B.A. version of the cruiserweight title.
He is going to face O'Neil Bell this Friday with the I.B.F. version of
the cruiserweight title on the line. This will more then likely Dale's
last chance at the brass ring. Brown is a legitimate contender but I
feel he will fall short one more time. Bell is a big, strong and gifted
athlete. Brown gets by on his toughness and tenacity. Bell gets by on
his athletic ability and his skill.
It should be an interesting and entertaining fight. In the end I see
Bell pulling out a hard earned decision, possibly a late round stoppage.
[End]
May 18,
2005 - On June 4th in Manchester, England I.B.F. junior welterweight
champion Kostya Tszyu will defend his title against the popular Ricky
Hatton. This one has WAR written all over it. When this fight was first
talked about I was leaning toward Hatton. Kostya had a very long layoff
due to injuries and Ricky was moving up steadily in the rankings. To me
it looked like a case of the young giving way to the old. Kostya had his
run, now it would be Ricky's turn. Then Kostya looked great against
Sharmba Mitchell. All of the sudden Tszyu did not look old and ready to
be taken. It was time to think this fight through again.
Hatton is very strong and he throws a lot of punches. He will force
Kostya to use those old legs probably more then he would like. Hatton is
not a defensive genius and I see Kostya landing some hurtful counter
punches. Tszyu is a smarter boxer then he is given credit for. He has a
very useful jab and if he establishs that punch early it could be the
key to victory. The jab can keep Ricky off balance and keep him from
setting up properly. In his haste to get past the jab he may resort to
lunging a bit and that will create even more openings for Kostya's
counters.
I look for Tszyu to fight a smart and patient fight. I see him forcing
Hatton in to making a lot of mistakes and then making him pay. Hatton is
a rugged kid and it will be a chore to take him out of there but in the
end I look for Tszyu to wear him down and stop him in the later rounds.
Next up for Kostya, hopefully the winner of Arturo Gatti and Floyd
Mayweather Jr. Although Arturo Gatti is one of my favorite fighters, I
look for Floyd to win that one. Tszyu-vs-Mayweather Jr., now there's
another story...[End]
May 17, 2005 - I just learned that there is a very good possibility that Perrysville, Ohio favorite Craig Weber will meet former world champion Frankie Randall sometime in July. The bout will be held at Cleveland, Ohio's Gund Arena. The projected date is either July 8th or July 15th.
Weber has not fought since he drew with Rogelio Castaneda Jr. on December 10th of last year. Craig was attempting to avenge his only career loss that came at the hands of Castaneda Jr. in 2003. Craig's big win came on April 16, 2004 when he outfought world class Angel Manfredy over ten thrilling rounds. Weber who will turn 31 this August sports a 19-1-2 record with ten knockouts. More
May 16,
2005 - There is a real strong possibility that Andrew Golota will soon
be named heavyweight champion of the world. I wonder what Lennox Lewis
who destroyed Andrew a few years back thinks about that. Did I hear
somebody say "comeback" ?
Lamon Brewster is a game fighter. He is strong and he has a pretty good
chin. He's got some power too but other then that he is rather ordinary.
Remember Wladimir Klitschko was slapping Lamon around nicely until a
Brewster bomb caught Wlad's china chin.
Brewster and Kali Meehan then labored through twelve forgettable rounds.
In his next bout Meehan was slaughtered by Hassim Rahman.
Golota has the tools and the better track record as far as quality
opposition. I'll go with Golota in ten.
[End]
May 15,
2005 - Winky Wright made it look easy and in the end it was all quite
boring. The only thing that held my interest was waiting for Felix
Trinidad to land the punch that would pull out a victory. That blow
never landed. Instead Winky's jab landed with almost sickening
regularity. He shut down the vaunted offense of Trinidad and hammered
out a one sided decision victory.
The scores reflected how dominant Winky was. They were 120-107 and two
cards with 119-108.
I had picked Tito. How wrong I was. I knew Winky would be troublesome
but I felt he lacked the power to hold Trinidad off. What Winky Wright
did was put on a boxing clinic.
I remember when Wright was going to meet Sugar Shane Mosley. I respected
Winky but I did not feel he was in the same class as Shane. Wrong again
! Winky dominated Shane and then beat him again in a return match.
What I'm trying to say here is that Winky is the real thing and it will
be very interesting to see him pitted against the winner of Bernard
Hopkins and Jermaine Taylor.
As for Tito. Well I think he should continue to box. This was just a
poor style match up for him. There are quality boxers out there that
Trinidad would fare well against and there are money matches to be made.
I am curious to see what the future holds for Tito if he decides to box
on. [End]
May 2,
2005 - Well James Toney has finally freed us of the clutches of John
Ruiz. I see that John has decided to retire. We'll see. In a lot of
these cases money talks and bullshit walks. If John does decide to stay
retired here is a little retrospect on his career. No John was far from
exciting. He gave a new meaning to the phrase "Winning Ugly". But...He
won.
He was a major player in the heavyweight picture for a long time. He
beat a lot of fighters that on paper he should have lost to. Holyfield,
Kirk Johnson, Fres Oquendo and Andrew Golota come to mind.
More
April 30,
2005 - Well James Toney won a well deserved decision over John Ruiz and
with it came the recognition as heavyweight champion by the W.B.A.
Who's next on Toney's dance card ? More then likely it will be I.B.F.
titleholder Chris Byrd. I hope that James plans to get back into the
ring real soon. I'm afraid of what weight he may come in at for his next
bout.
Although David Tua is no longer a major player because of inactivity I
doubt if he would be considered for another title shot. Just in case
Toney may be looking for a "safe" defense before meeting Byrd, he better
not have Tua's name on that list.
Tua has become a slow and somewhat ponderous heavyweight. The thing is
Toney like to fight off the ropes. If Tua gets James on the ropes it
could get ugly. That scenario puts me in mind of Ken Norton's fight with
Earnie Shavers. Norton tried fighting off the ropes and Shavers missed
some punches but when he connected...Well Kenny never made it through
the first session.
James, please stay away from Tua.
[End]
April 30, 2005 - On the undercard of Toney-Ruiz ,DeVarryl Williamson stayed in contention by blasting out faded ex-prospect Derrick Jefferson in two rounds. Williamson can hit but he is not a big heavyweight compared to some of the monsters roaming the ratings. His chin is a question mark. Joe Mesi flattened him and Jefferson hurt him .Still he kept himself in line for another decent match and payday.
Larry Donald came off his dominant win over Evander Holyfield only to draw with Ray Austin. This is a fight that Larry should have won if he was pushing for a title shot. Ray Austin is no cream puff but for Donald needed to win this fight to futher his hopes for a crack at the crown. [End]
April 30,
2005 - FINALLY...The reign of John Ruiz has ended. A large, 233 pound
former middleweight champion outboxed and outslugged an always game John
Ruiz to take a unanimous twelve round decision. The scoring was 116-111
(twice) and 115-112.
I gave Ruiz rounds three, four and six but there were a couple of other
close rounds. Ruiz was down in the seventh but a replay showed that
James stepped on his foot. It still went as a 10-8 round for Toney. It
really did not matter in the end. Ruiz was outclassed. Toney was the
superior boxer and that is why he won. Still this was no walk in the
park for Toney. Although he won by a comfortable margin, he got roughed
up by Ruiz in there. [End]
April 29, 2005 - On May 7th we may have the opportunity to witness a very strong candidate for "Fight Of The Year". On that date the murderous punching Diego Corrales takes on the granite jawed Jose Luis Castillo. Something has got to give.
For Corrales to win he has to fight a disiplined fight. In other words he must approach this fight with a degree of controlled anger. He must land his jab and his power shots and then avoid being drawn into an exchange or a "shootout". Castillo's boxing ability is not going to draw comparisons to Willie Pep. Basically he is a methodical plodder who is very adept cutting off the ring. It is up to Diego to avoid getting pinned and pummeled.
I just don't think Corrales will be able to. We'll see... [End]
April 26, 2005 - Let's see...We are being led to believe that on May 21st in Chicago there will be a contest for the heavyweight championship of the world. Jack, Joe and Rocky must be spinning in their graves ! On that date Lamon Brewster will defend his bogus W.B.O. heavyweight title against long time challenger Andrew Golota. Many in the boxing community feel that Golota will emerge victorious. Many thought that Andrew did enough to beat I.B.F. titleholder Chris Byrd and W.B.A. pretender John Ruiz. Poor Andrew fell just short in those matches.
This will be Andrew's fourth crack at the crown. Lennox Lewis derailed him in his first attempt. Let's say that Golota beats Brewster. That win along with his close battles with Byrd and Ruiz could make a strong case for Golota being the best heavyweight around today. Vitali included ?
Think about this, Andrew Golota. This is the same fighter who looked like a deer in the headlights against Lennox Lewis. The same Andrew Golota who was savaged by mean old Mike Tyson. Hell he even lost to Michael Grant !
Now tell me, how are we supposed to take this seriously ? [End]
April 25, 2005 - With the results in from last Saturday night's exciting ESPN-PPV card, we can now look forward with much anticipation to some possible future match ups.
How about Antonio Margarito defending his WBO crown against the respected former champion Shane Mosley ? Margarito was surprisingly awesome against Kermit Cintron scoring a decisive fifth round kayo. Mosley looked fairly sharp in his return to the welterweight class as he outpointed the formidable David Estrada. More
April 20,
2005 - I just had the absolute pleasure of viewing "Ring Of Fire"; A
documentary on the great career of former world champion Emile Griffith.
The main focus was the effect the death of opponent Benny "Kid" Paret in
the final chapter of their exciting trilogy. In reality it was more then
that. It showed what a great fighter and even greater man Emile Griffith
was and is. I think that it has been forgotten what a superb boxer Emile
Griffith was. He was one of the best welterweights and middleweights of
all time. His record is a "Who's Who" of boxing. What a roster of top
shelf competition he met.
After watching this show I had to wonder how great Emile may have
become. Even after the Paret tragedy Emile compiled an impressive list
of titles and opponents. To me there is no doubt that Emile lost that
"killer instinct" after the Paret incident. In watching the early part
of the broadcast you came to realize that Emile never really had it at
all. It had to be instilled in him. I honestly believe that never in
Emile's wildest dreams could he see the gloom that awaited him. This is
a man of honor and loyalty. The people that really know him like Gil
Clancy, Howie Albert. his family, etc...They conveyed the the deep
emotions and feelings of this proud but yet humble man.
The ending was fitting, emotional and finally a closing of a sad but
real novel.. Hopefully the final chapter was read and finished. The book
I hope is now closed. Paret's son and Emile have bared their souls to
the world. I hope now that Emile feels absolved of any wrong doing and
grief. He is too good of a man to feel otherwise.
[End]
April 17, 2005 - Very sorry to hear that the the WBA lightweight championship bout between Juan Diaz and Ebo Elder will not take place April 23rd. Juan suffered a bad cut during a sparring session that forced the fight to be postponed. Hopefully this bout will be re-scheduled and not cancelled out completely. This had the makings of a real barn burner.
Also Youngstown, Ohio's Kelly Pavlik was forced to pull out of his upcoming bout with comebacking Ike Quartey.I have yet to receive the exact details why. A real shame for Pavlik. This by far would have been the best test for Kelly and his budding career.
FIGHT CALLS...
I like Kermit Cintron. Antonio Margarito is a mean dude but I think that Cintron is ready to pass his first big test.
If Sugar Shane Mosley has ANYTHING left he should beat this good young prospect and move toward a shot at the welterweight title.
I'm going to pick Calvin Brock. I'm not saying he is future of heavyweight boxing. Still he must be considered a great prospect. He will be truly tested by McCline. More
April 16, 2005 - Many regard Tyson's scheduled opponent Kevin McBride as somewhat of a joke. As big as he is ( 6'6"-250+lbs. ), They word is that he is EXTREMELY slow. If Tyson has retained two weapons in his arsenal it is power and hand speed. Teddy Atlas who is a boxing analyst for ESPN and who worked with Tyson decades ago called this a one round fight in Tyson's favor. Teddy knows his stuff. On a more interesting note there has been talk of a possible third meeting between Tyson, should he beat McBride and Evander Holyfield. Say what ? More
April 14,
2005 - Actor Ryan O'Neal has been named this years Grand Marshal for the
16th Annual International Boxing Hall Of Fame Parade Of Champions on
Sunday, June 12th.
O'Neal is an outstanding choice for the honor. I remember when he was
associated with a top notch welterweight of the late 1960's and early
70's, Hedgemon Lewis. In two title attempts against the legendary Jose
Napoles, Lewis lost a close, controversial decision. Hedgemon was
stopped in their rematch. Lewis also failed in an attempt to dethrone
Napoles' conqueror John H. Stracey. Lewis was recognized as world
champion by the state of New York after he twice defeated the rugged
Billy Backus. Lewis also held future champion Carlos Palomino to a draw.
Hedgemon also had some memorable battles with Ernie "Red" Lopez.
Lewis went on to become a trainer and he worked along side of the great,
late Eddie Futch. [End]
April 12,
2005 - Promoter Bob Arum announced that Christy Martin and Lucia Rijker
will finally meet on July 30th at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in
Las Vegas. Each boxer will be guaranteed $250,000. The winner will get
an additional $750,000.
This bout should have taken place years ago but I guess it's better late
then never. I would have picked Rijker a few years ago and I'll stick
with Lucia now. She is the better technical fighter. Christy might be a
little stronger but I believe her best days are behind her. You can
never count Christy out though because she is as game as they come. Plus
you're talking about a million dollars here. Add in the fact that
neither one is really that fond of the other and they both have a
tremendous amount of pride.
Well as you can see both boxers should be highly motivated. It should be
an interesting and exciting fight.
[End]
April 11, 2005 - Arturo is probably my favorite boxer active today. What tremendous fights he has given boxing fans. The trilogy with Mickey Ward. His wars with Wilson Rodriguez and Gabe Ruelas. He is a warrior in every sense of the word.
As much as I like Arturo I feel he has bitten off more then he can chew by taking on Floyd Mayweather Jr. To me Floyd is the most naturally talented boxer since a young Roy Jones Jr. and Sugar Ray Leonard. He is that good ! Whatever Gatti can do, Floyd can do better. Every match up, jab, hand speed , power, defense and ring generalship all favor Floyd. This is not a knock against Arturo who can be quite a clever boxer when he chooses to. Gatti also has some sting to his punches and is better defensively then he is given credit for. He just does not do these things as well as Floyd. I have to give Gatti the edge in heart because of his proven track record against world class opposition. Floyd has been in with some good hitters like Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castiilo but he has yet to be tested like Arturo.
How do I see the fight coming out ? I'm sad to say it but I see Mayweather winning it and winning it big. I see him busting Gatti up early with his jab and sharp counterpunches. He may even knock Arturo down but I doubt if he'll be able to keep the gutsy Gatti on the canvas. Midway through the fight there will be some wild exchanges as Floyd may get careless in his eagerness to put Arturo away. Finally Floyd will settle down and get back to his game plan. He'll go back to chopping Arturo up with stinging, rapid fire combinations forcing the referee to intervene and save Gatti from himself. I look for this to happen between rounds seven and nine.
It will be a nice payday and swan song for the most exciting boxer of this era, Arturo Gatti. [End]
April 11,
2005 - There are some great match ups in store in the weeks to come.
Let's start with April 23rd on ESPN-PPV. Antonio Margarito and Puerto
Rican sensation Kermit Cintron meet for the WBO 147 pound title. Mr.
Margarito is one BAD dude. Just ask Mr. Lujan who's still waiting for
his ear to completely re-attach itself to his head. This is a big step
for Cintron but there is something special about this kid. He's still a
little rough around the edges but he is big, strong and he hits hard.
Although my head says Margarito, my heart says to go with Cintron. I've
just got this feeling that Kermit's a future superstar.
On April 30th on HBO John Ruiz puts his WBA heavyweight title on the
line against James Toney. My pick is Toney who I feel will take control
in the middle rounds and then dominate. It won't be easy though because
Ruiz is a rugged individual and he will hang tough.
On May 5th on FoxSports, Julio Gonzalez and Montell Griffin, two former
light heavyweight titleholders will meet in an IBF title eliminator.
Griffin is boxing on memory these days. Gonzalez is reaching his peak.
Still Montell should not be taken lightly. If Julio is on top of his
game he should win handily.
Then on May 7th on Showtime, The potential Fight Of The Year...Jose Luis
Castillo-vs-Diego Corrales in a bout that should be subtitled "Someone's
Gotta Go". I'll be amazed if this bout goes the twelve round distance.
Who will win ? I have to go with the chin. Castillo has the better
whiskers. [End]
April 6, 2005 - I spent last week in the Houston, Texas area visiting family. While there my son Mike and I ventured over to the town of Galena Park.
We visited the gym called the Galena Park Boxing Academy. The owner of the gym is the reknown trainer Kenny Weldon. It was a chance meeting at a gas station between my son and Kenny that led to my hooking up with Ken. I was planning to fly down to Houston a few weeks after they met.I got Ken's number from my son and called him. He invited us to visit the Academy when I arrived in town.
Kenny Weldon is a friendly, good hearted individual. At first meeting him you would not guess that he was a former world rated featherweight. Other then a slightly reshaped nose and the fact that he still looks fit and trim you would be hard pressed to figure out his former occupation. Truth be known Kenny Weldon has been boxing as long as he can remember. What he has done through his thirty eight years of training fighters at Galena Park is to pass that valuble,vast knowledge he has to boxers young and old. More
April 4, 2005 - The professional career of Canton, Ohio's Ronnie Harris is often overlooked. A lot was expected of him and to many he failed to deliver. In retrospect Ronnie may be one of the best middleweights the state of Ohio has ever produced.
One of the first important wins in Ronnie's career came in May of 1972 when he outpointed Cleveland's Bobby Haymon. One year later he won another important contest with a decision over highly regarded Roland Pryor. Three months later Ronnie defeated Leon Washington in ten.
The year 1974 saw Ronnie progressing nicely in the ratings. He scored decision wins over Chu Chu Garcia, Frank Davila and in Las Vegas over Peter Cobblah. In 1975 Ronnie must have found a KO punch as he won three of four contests by the knockout route. More
March 30, 2005 - It has to happen. The time has finally come. The long and boring title tenure of John Ruiz is about to end.
On April 30th in New York's Madison Square Garden, Ruiz will take on James Toney. The W.B.A. heavyweight title that Ruiz has held for several unexciting years will be on the line. Except for a short period of time after Roy Jones Jr. slapped him silly and "borrowed" the title, Ruiz has claimed to be king. Roy decided to give up the "title" to return to the light heavyweight division. Ruiz was able to again "reclaim" the championship. During the time that Ruiz has claimed a piece of the heavyweight pie has anyone really taken him seriously ? Was John ever really acclaimed to be the best heavyweight in the world ? It is very, very doubtful. Does anyone really think that Ruiz could have defeated Lennox Lewis ? Vitali Klitschko ? Hell even speedy but light hitting Chris Byrd is probably held in higher regard then Ruiz. More
March 224,
2005 - With all the recent hoopla for the respected Bernard Hopkins and
his adding to the legacy of great Philly fighters...
Well here goes. The great city of Philadelphia has produced an array of
world class middleweights over the years. Hopkins has brought great
pride to the long line of Philly middlewights who came before him. Tough
guys like Stanley " Kitten " Hayward, Eugene " Cyclone " Hart, Bobby "
Boogaloo " Watts, Willie " The Worm " Monroe and possibly he toughest of
them all, " Bad " Bennie Briscoe.
When people talk of Hopkins now they compare him to Stanley Ketchel, Harry Greb, Sugar Ray Robinson and his more recent contemporaries, Carlos Monzon and Marvin Hagler. Did someone forget a classy and fine middleweight named Rodrigo Valdes ? More
March 20, 2005 - Superfights.. It is a very over used term these days. Some of the PPV "superfights" of today would have been nice Saturday afternoon feature bouts on ABC's Wide World Of Sports in my day.
There were several bouts from the late 1960's to the early 1980's I wish would have been made. These are bouts that actually had been rumored in the making or someone's wishful thinking. If some of these bouts had taken place it could of altered the history of boxing forever.
In January of 1973 big George Foreman disrupted the plans of an Ali-Frazier rematch. George gave Joe as one sided a whipping a you'll ever see. One month later a "washed up" Jerry Quarry derailed the Ron Lyle express to the championship. Then in March Ken Norton broke the hearts of Ali fans while cracking the jaw of the "Greatest". More
March 16,
2005 - The day the bout between Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao was
announced I just felt that Erik was going to come out on top. Why ? At
that time I'm not sure. Just a gut feeling I guess. I knew that Erik had
just lost a legitimate decision to Marco Antonio Barrera. I knew that
Manny had nearly put Juan Marquez out early and then had to settle for a
disputed draw. I remembered how Manny had so savagely taken apart
Barrera and stopped him. With all that on the plate it would seem most
logical to pick Manny to defeat Morales. Still my immediate reaction was
to choose Morales as the probable winner.
It has been several weeks and I have had ample time to reconsider my
decision. Guess what ? I still feel the same way. Here's why.
Manny's a fast starter. He may be the quicker handed and harder puncher.
With all this considered the first few rounds will be very tough for
Erik. In Morales favor though is that he is very adept in using his
height and reach and with that in mind I see him surviving those crucial
rounds with guts and guile. The key in all of this is that Erik has a
proven major league chin.
If Erik survives the early fireworks he will establish his jab. Then he
will start landing effective counter right hands that will put some pain
on Pacquiao. Remember too that Morales is a pretty effective infighter.
If he is drawn into some trench exchanges he has proved that he could
hold his own.
In the final breakdown I see Manny winning early on and then Morales
coming on to close out the show by decision or a possible late round KO.
[End]
March 11,
2005 - It looks like June 25th will be the date on which W.B.C. 140 lb.
champ, Arturo Gatti takes on the vastly talented Floyd Mayweather Jr.
This bout could do two things for Gatti. A win would probably secure a
spot for him in the Hall Of Fame. A loss wound more then likely end his
fabulous career. One thing is for sure, Arturo will have himself a nice
payday. No boxer today deserves it more then Gatti. He is a fighter from
the old school type who paid his dues with his own blood and a heart the
size of Canada.
What are Arturo's chances of winning ? In my opinion slim to none. As
talented as Gatti is he will be facing a man who may be the best boxer
pound for pound in boxing today. Mayweather is a fistic marvel in the
mold of a young Sugar Ray Leonard.
Whatever Arturo can do well, Floyd can probably do better. Gatti is a
crafty boxer when he chooses to be but there's no way he'll outbox
Floyd. Gatti carries some power but Floyd is the sharper hitter with the
much quicker hands. This should give Floyd the edge in most exchanges.
Floyd is a master at defense while Arturo tends to get hit quite often
Also Arturo has a tendency to cut. That could be a real problem against
a sharpshooter like Floyd.
The big edge for Gatti is his tremendous courage. This is not to say
that Floyd lacks it. Floyd has not been put in the countless situations
that Gatti has been in. Time and time again Arturo has answered the
call. I feel certain that against Mayweather he will again have to call
upon all his will and raw courage. The question is, will it be enough to
pull out a victory ? [End]
March 10,
2005 - If the proposed match between the king of the middleweights
Bernard Hopkins and undefeated Jermaine Taylor does come off, who will
win ? I'm sure the odds will favor Bernard but there will probably be a
good share of Taylor money out there. What the odds may reflect comes
down to the age old question. Is the aging champion taking on one fight
too many ?
Bernard is in fine physical condition. In fact he is a marvel at his
age. Although he was not impressive in his recent win over Howard
Eastman, he got the job done. Jermaine Taylor is the best prospect out
there but is he ready for Bernard ?
I am surprised that Bernard has not fought a return match with Felix
Trinidad. It is a mega-buck match against a boxer he has already
defeated and would likely beat again. The aura of Trinidad's power would
still generate a lot of fan interest. I'm assuming that Bernard's train
of thought is, if he beats Taylor and Trinidad gets by Winky Wright fan
interest in Hopkins-Trinidad II will be even higher.
Jermaine Taylor has the youth and ability to throw a monkey wrench into
a possible Hopkins-Tito rematch. On many occasions throughout the
history of boxing a once great boxer becomes old overnight. It has
happened to the best of them. Taylor may be less of a threat to Bernard
then Father Time itself. I was hoping that the management of Taylor
would steer clear of Bernard for another year or so. I'm sure that
Jermaine feels he would not be a true champion unless he beat a still
very much respected Hopkins.
If the fight does take place in the near future I would have to pick
Hopkins. He has not shown any evidence of slowing down. If he is able to
fight at the level he was at for Eastman, I believe he carries too much
boxing knowledge for Jermaine to overcome.
[End]
March 7,
2005 - Winky Wright is a pro. He is a true artist in the ring. He is a
man who has paid his dues and now he will be paid in return.
Coming up soon Winky will face the ever dangerous Felix "Tito" Trinidad,
the pride of Puerto Rico. How will he fare against one of the hardest
hitters in boxing today ? Will Winky be able to derail the long
anticipated rematch with Trinidad and his nemesis Bernard Hopkins ?
Although Winky's getting a nice slice of pie for meeting Tito, he also
knows that a win over Trinidad woud mean a true windfall of monetary
wealth. I have no doubt that Winky will train for this battle like he's
never trained before Hopkins showed that Tito is beatable. The question
is, can Wright emulate the Hopkins fight plan and offset the tremendous
talents of Tito ?
Winky has many assets like his strength, stamina, boxing ability, chin
and most of all heart. Still even with all these attributes Winky lacks
the one thing that will prevent him from winning. The big punch.
At some point in the fight, I'll say about the fourth round Tito will
realize that Winky can't really hurt him. From that point on Winky will
need all his guts, savvy and guile to last the distance.
My head says that Tito will win by a late round kayo. My heart says
Winky hears the final bell but takes real going over in the last three
rounds as Felix cements the verdict.
[End]
February 23, 2005 - The death of Jimmy Young at the age of 56 was a sobering piece of information for most of us who grew up watching the great heavyweights of the 1970's. I have written articles on Ali, Shavers, Lyle, Quarry, Ellis, etc...but never Jimmy Young. Why ? Well that is a very good question that oddly enough answers itself. As formidable a contender as Jimmy was, he was if nothing else forgettable.
I do not intend that as a harsh statement. It is ironic though that it may be the truth. Young was first overshadowed by the Ali, Frazier and Foreman era. Then later by the Norton and Larry Holmes period. He was so close and yet so far. He had two shots at the championship and came out on the short end of two controversial decisions. Then just like that he went from contender to trial horse to also ran. More
February
17, 2005 - We've read about it in newspapers and in magazines.
Throughout the 80's it was hot boxing news. The crash and burn career of
former champion Aaron Pryor made headlines for a decade. Now the whole
story is out in a book titled, "FLIGHT OF THE HAWK." Pryor tells all
about his ups and downs in and out of the ring. After reading this book
you'll realize that Aaron's toughest battles were not against Alexis
Arguello but against the demons of the street.
co-written with Marshall Terrill, Pryor doesn't sensationalize his
plight with crack cocaine that led to his demise as a fighter and a
person. He is painfully candid as he takes you from his humble
beginnings and leads you through his successful amateur career. The
bitter losses to Howard Davis in the 1976 Olympic Trials that led to
Davis to a gold medal and media stardom. The book continues with Aaron's
rise form paltry purses to contender status. His championship victory
over Cervantes and eventual classic showdowns with Arguello. Then comes
the fall from grace and the story of how his addiction robbed him of his
superb talent.
In this book we see that Aaron is now a champion in another sense. To
squander his millions and lose sight in one eye, Pryor now lives with
the realization of what could have been. Still Aaron has stood up and
defeated his most bitter rival, crack cocaine. With this victory he did
not regain a championship but he did recapture something more valuable,
his dignity. [End]
February
12, 2005 - As the month of February closes, HBO will showcase Miguel
Cotto defending his W.B.O. 140 pound title against "Chop Chop" Corley.
The junior welterweight division is red hot right now and the hard
hitting Cotto is right in the thick of it. With the upcoming Kostya
Tsyzu-Ricky Hatton fight being a sell out. Also the tremendous interest
in a possible Arturo Gatti-Floyd Mayweather Jr. battle, there is some
SERIOUS money to be made.
Cotto has been a star on the rise for a while now. One would have to be
blind not to see the tremendous talent in this young man. Now though the
time is getting close to see if Miguel can lay claim to being the BEST
in his weight class.
After the Corley bout, assuming he wins he will probably be matched with
the winner of Tsyzu-Hatton or the Gatti-Mayweather Jr. winner. That's if
that fight does come off. Floyd has some legal issues to tend to first.
Corley is no cream puff but at this stage of their respective careers
Cotto should emerge victorious. After that we'll just have to wait and
see what the future holds for Miguel.
[End]
February
9, 2005 - It's such a shame that Leotis Martin couldn't get by the
injury to his eye after his upset win over Sonny Liston. Although
Liston's best days were behind him, he was still a force to be reckoned
with. Martin's win over Sonny was clean and decisive. He was in line for
a title shot and he deserved it. It's too bad he didn't get it.
If he would have, I doubt if he could have beat Joe Frazier or Jimmy
Ellis. Martin was stopped in nine rounds by Ellis in the first round of
the W.B.A. elimination tourney to find a successor to the defrocked
Muhammad Ali. Ellis then beat Oscar Bonavena and Jerry Quarry to capture
the W.B.A. title. Frazier was the New York State titleholder but was
more highly regarded then Ellis. I think Martin's style was made to
order for Joe and Frazier would have beat him.
Frazier and Ellis settled their differences in February of 1970 with Joe
winning by KO. Thirteen months later Joe would be in a Madison Square
Garden ring facing the comebacking Muhammad Ali in the " Fight Of The
Century ". [End]
February
8, 2005 - The Barrett-Beck fight reminded me of a similar scenario back
in 1968. A streaking heavyweight prospect out of Michigan named Al
"Blue" Lewis took on veteran Leotis Martin.Lewis took an early lead but
the cagey Martin waited him out. Lewis tired, made some mistakes and
Leotis came on to stop "Blue" in the ninth round.
Martin would decision Lewis in a return match and then finished his
career in late 1969 scoring an upset KO over former heavyweight king
Sonny Liston. The victory made Martin the #1 contender for Joe Frazier
or W.B.A. titleholder Jimmy Ellis. Leotis never received a title shot
because he was forced to retire due to a detached retina. This was back
in the days before the procedure to repair the eye were around and later
would save the careers of Sugar Ray Leonard, Earnie Shavers and many
others.
Lewis had a fine career himself. He even met the then comebacking
ex-heavyweight king Muhammad Ali in Dublin, Ireland in 1972. Ali halted
Lewis in round eleven. [ENd]
February
1, 2005 - I think the press is selling Howard Eastman short. I'm not
saying he's going to win but he HAS earned this shot. I hope that
Bernard is not taking Eastman too lightly. He is a deserving challenger.
Age IS a factor. Father time catches up with all of us. Bernard is no
exception. He has to realize that he is pushing it. If I was him, I
would have pressed for the mega-million rematch with Trinidad.
Instead he opts for Eastman and now Felix is going to meet Winky Wright.
Guess what ? Winky has the style and therefore a legitimate chance to
upset Tito. I think a Hopkins-Wright match up draws peanuts compared to
a Hopkins-Trinidad II PPV card. Who knows ? Eastman just may be in the
right place at the right time.
Just think ...What if Eastman and wright pull off upsets ? Who in the
hell would pay to see Eastman-VS Wright ???
[End]
January
28, 2005 - I like Cory Spinks in his upcoming rematch with Zab Judah. It
was razor close last time. I think this time Cory will solve the Zab
puzzle.
Judah may be the slightly harder hitter but I think Cory has the better
chin. Judah's a flashy type of fighter. I just think Cory is the better
all around technical boxer. I feel he learned some of Zab's weaknesses
in their intitial battle and he will exploit them in the return match.
I really don't anticipate a knockout even though they both hit the deck
in their first encounter. I'll go with Spinks on a unanimous decision
with a few points to spare. [End]
January 24, 2005 - There is a world class light heavyweight among us who is hardly talked about. The 175 pound world has revolved around Roy Jones Jr. and now the men who defeated him, Glencoffe Johnson and Antonio Tarver. What about a fine fighting machine named Julio Gonzalez ? This former W.B.O titleholder is ready to make some noise in 2005 !
Julio sports an impressive 37-2 record and he has met the cream of the division. Julio turned pro in the late 90's but emerged as a contender in 2001 when he outscored the brutal punching Julian Letterlough over twelve rounds at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus, Ohio. Five months later Julio was in the ring facing the legendary Roy Jones Jr. for the UNDISPUTED light heavyweight title. Although Julio lost the verdict by a wide margin he showed he was a top caliber contender. More
January
23, 2005 - Although was behind on points against Vitali when they
fought, I thought Lennox was coming on. Despite the cut, I think Lennox
was enforcing his will and would have eventually stopped Vitali around
the tenth.
Up to this point Vitali has emerged as the #1 man since Lewis retired.
Let's say Lewis does come back and beats Vitali again. That will set the
division back at least five years. Will Lennox hang around to fight Byrd
and/or Ruiz ? If Lennox beats Vitali and re-retires, the confusion in
the heavyweight division will be worse then it is now. If Lennox boxes
on and beats back the challenges of titleholders Ruiz, Byrd or who ever
holds the other titles and then retires. Well... Lennox will have put
the division back ten years and create a state of total chaos.
Lennox has defeated the best heavyweights of his era in Holyfield and
Tyson. He avenged his two career losses to McCall and Rahman. He is
considered an all time great. Why gamble away all that success ?
Do we want to see Lewis pummeled like the great Duran was by William
Joppy or see Lennox humiliated like Sugar Ray Leonard was by Hector
Camacho ? Do we really want to see Lennox battered like an old Ali was
by Larry Holmes ? I know I surely don't look forward to those possible
scenarios.
I hope Lennox reconsiders coming back and that he proudly rests on his
laurels as he awaits his rightful induction in to the Hall Of Fame.
[End]
January 16, 2005 - I've always been at a loss on where to rank Bernard Hopkins among the past middleweight greats. Although no fault of his own, he was not challenged by the most talented lot of boxers in his era.
With Bernard's dominant KO win over Felix Trinidad and then later his stoppage of Oscar DeLaHoya...Well it's hard to argue that Bernard deserves consideration to be ranked among the top middleweights of all time.
I feel blessed that in MY time, that would be from 1965 to present. I have lived in the era of some great middleweights. Giardello, Tiger, Emile Griffith and "King" Carlos Monzon were truly magnificent fighters. Later there was the "Marvelous One", Marvin Hagler. How would Bernard fared against Hagler ? More
January
11, 2005 - I can't wait for the upcoming Morales-PacMan battle. I see a
lot of people jumping on Manny's wagon. They figure he destroyed Barrera
and Marco beat Erik, etc...
Well to me styles make fights. This fight takes me back to a bout
several years ago between a feared puncher named Andy Ganigan (Pac)
versus Alexis Arguello (Morales). Alexis had all the physical
advantages, height, reach, etc...He weathered Ganigan's early storm. He
eventually broke him down and won by a KO. I believe in the sixth round.
Morales is great but he is no Arguello and I know Pac is a cut above
Ganigan. I just see the battle between Arguello and Ganigan as a
blueprint to a Morales victory. That is why I am picking Erik.
[End]
January 8,
2005 - There are strong indications that Don King is going to match
Vitali Klitschko against former champion Hasim "Rock" Rahman sometime in
May. Rahman may be the best fighter Vitali has yet to face.When
motivated Rahman can be a very dangerous adversary.This could be the
hardest fight of Vitali's career. On the other hand an impressive win by
Vitali against one of the two men who defeated Lennox Lewis may draw
Lewis out of retirement.
I like Rahman's chances especially if he is in peak condition. I hope he
trains hard because more then likely this will be his last shot. Still
it makes me worry a bit about a Rahman victory when I remember "Rock"
was defeated by John Ruiz.
Nevertheless if this fight does come off it should give us a better
gauge in determing if Vitali is the real thing.
[End]
January 7,
2005 - Former multiple world champion Hector Camacho Sr. age 42 has been
arrested in connection of the theft of computer equipment in Gulfport.
When police went to Camacho's hotel room in Biloxi, Miss. they found an
amount of the drug Ecstasy. Camacho was taken into custody.
The one time "Macho Man" was still an active fighter. His last fight was
in March of 2004. In his prime he has lost only to the best boxers of
his generation. His first loss was to rugged Greg Haugen. He was then
defeated by Julio Cesar Chavez, Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya.
Along the way he has defeated Sugar Ray Leonard, Vinny Pazienza and
Roberto Duran on two occasions.
Hector also holds victories over Edwin Rosario, Howard Davis Jr., Boza
Edwards, Freddie Roach, Rafael Limon, Jose Luis Rameriz and Ray "Boom
Boom" Mancini. We are talking about possible Hall Of Fame credentials
here.
Hector lost on a seventh round technical decision to Chris Walsh in
April of 2003. His overall record is 78-5-2 with 38 KO's. He has never
been stopped. [End]
January 6, 2005 - I was so glad to see that Bobby "Schoolboy" Chacon was FINALLY inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. Long overdue my friends ! This guy was a warrior before Evander Holyfield. This guy was GUTS before Arturo Gatti and Mickey Ward. Hey guess what ? He was a pretty damn good boxer too. His ninth round KO of another great, Danny "Little Red" Lopez was just the start of an outstanding career. He sure had his ups and downs but his memorable wars with Boza Edwards and Rafael "Bazooka" Limon should have been his key to unlock the gates of the Hall Of Fame. Welcome Bobby ! [End]
January 6, 2005 - Being from Ohio and also being a big fan of his, I found this information to be very interesting. Dean Martin was born on June 7, 1917 in Steubenville, Ohio as Dino Crocetti. As a teenager he boxed as an amateur and a prizefighter. At times he would win $ 10 to $25 in some matches boxing as " Kid Crochet ". Somewhere along the line he suffered a broken nose that he later had a surgical procedure to repair.By 1940 he changed his name to Dean Martin and the rest is history ! [End]
January 3, 2005 - Bob Foster has to be considered one of the most explosive hitters of all time. To me that is a very rational statement. If you lived in the Bob Foster era you knew the aura that he brought into the ring with him. If they feared him they might have a chance of surviving. If you were dumb enough to be brave you usually walked out of the ring with your head in your hands.
Bob has three KO's that would fit into any highlight reel. The crushing title winning KO of the great Dick Tiger. The two round massacre of the terrified Vincente Rondon. Add to that the brutal one punch dispatch of a very talented Mike Quarry and your talking about power personified.
Think about this. Foster took only two rounds to drill Rondon into dreamland. This was the same Rondon who traveled the ten round route with Earnie Shavers who was later proclaimed as the "Puncher Of The Century". What does that say about "Bad" Bob ? I think most of the light heavyweights who fought him would say OUCH !!! [End]
January 3, 2005 - Saoul Mamby at the age of 57 has embarked on a comeback. The former W.B.C. 140 pound titleholder recently won a decision over Thundluang Sitjanaat who reportedly had an 11-1 record. They fought as junior middleweights.
It was Mamby's 85th fight in a career that began in 1969. He has now fought in five different decades. I know Roberto Duran has accomplished that feat. I'm not sure if anyone else has.
Mamby first challenged for a world title in 1977 when he lost a fifteen round verdict to Saensak Muangsurin in Bangkok, Thailand. On February 23, 1980 in Seoul, South Korea, Mamby halted Sang Hyun Kim in the fourteenth round to capture the W.B.C. crown. After five defenses he lost the title to Leroy Haley. Among his defenses was a KO win over the great Esteban DeJesus. He failed in attempts to regain the crown against Haley and Billy Costello.
The list of champions and top contenders that Mamby has met in his long and distinguished career is astounding. Roberto Duran, Antonio Cervantes, Buddy McGirt, Maurice Blocker, Gary Hinton, Javier Castillejo, Jorge Vaca and Rene Arrondondo. Add in swapping leather with top notch fighters like Ronnie Shields, Monroe Brooks and Edwin Viruet and you've had quite a ride !
To top it off Mamby was only stopped once in his career. That was on August 13, 1993 when he lost in the first round to a then up and coming Derrell Coley. [End]
January 1, 2005 - To me Muhammad Ali was the best heavyweight I've ever seen. He had tremendous hand speed and an outstanding jab.When he returned to boxing after his enforced three year layoff he was not nearly as fast with his feet or his hands as in his youth. He had filled out physically and was now much stronger. He was no longer a boy but now a full fledged man. Even though his hand and foot speed had diminished he was still too fast for most of his contemporaries. He was also punching much harder. If Oscar " Ringo " Bonavena were alive today he could testify to that.
Ali had great upper body strength and was able to match muscle with some of the strongest boxers of his era like Liston, Foreman, Lyle and Norton. What stood out the most for Ali and ended up being part of his demise after his boxing career ended was his ability to take punishment. He not only had a tremendous chin but the heart of a lion to go with it. This enabled Ali to weather the bombarding attacks of Frazier, Shavers, etc...
Even past his prime he always seemed to be able to find a way to win. In Frazier III, Norton III, Jimmy Young and Leon Spinks II, Ali just got by on guts and guile.
To me the best of Ali would have beaten the best of Holyfield, Lewis, Louis, Tyson or Vitali. Any of the past heavyweight champions and top contenders. He vary may well have been " The Greatest Of All Time " !!! [End]
December 30, 2004 - He was a celebrated Olympic hero and undefeated as a professional until losing an extremely debatable verdict in Korea. Nino came to New York and captured the American fans with his suave, arrogant demeanor. He took two out of three against the great Emile Griffith and he was the middleweight champion of the world. More
December
28, 2004 - He was my first boxing idol in the late 60's. He was only a
few years older then me and he was the LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD
!!! This wasn't a version of a split title. This was the UNDISPUTED
title. In his first title shot as a mere teenager he lost a close
decision to Carlos Teo Cruz. The man who had dethroned the great Carlos
Ortiz. Mando met Cruz in a return bout and he captured the crown on an
eleventh round stoppage. He later lost the title on cuts to Hall Of
Famer Ismael Laguna. Mando bounced back beating the likes of Raul Rojas
and Sugar Ramos. Mando met Pedro Carrasco for the W.B.C. title and was
blatantly disqualified. He then beat Carrasco in a rematch to claim that
title. He also defended successfully against Carrasco in their rubber
match.
The fast life finally caught up to Ramos and he lost his crown to
unheralded Chango Carmona. He was then stopped by Tury "The Fury" Pineda
and after a few ill fated comeback attempts, Mando retired.
Roberto Duran is my favorite fighter of all time. At 135 lbs. Roberto
may have been the best, EVER... Still I would have loved to see Duran in
his prime-vs-Ramos in his prime. It would have been a very interesting
battle. [End]
December 23, 2004 - Since this is the holiday season you may have some time off of work to relax and watch a few movies. There are several classic boxing movies that are available at your local video store to fill a void left by a lack of live boxing action.
I'm going to list some of my favorites that you may find entertaining. "Gentleman Jim", the story of James J.Corbett is my personal favorite. Errol Flynn is great as Corbett and Ward Bond is even better as John L.Sullivan.Next up would be Paul Newman as Rocky Graziano in "Somebody Up There Likes Me".Then Robert DeNiro in the story of Jake LaMotta titled "Raging Bull". More
December 21, 2004 - The first month of the upcoming New Year will feature some interesting bouts. On January 21st in Houston, Texas youthful Juan Diaz will defend his W.B.A. lightweight title against rugged veteran Billy Irwin. This will be on ESPN 2. No walk in the park here for the youngster. Irwin is a tough customer.
On the same day Julio Diaz will put his I.B.F. 135 pound title on the line versus the crafty Leavander Johnson at a site yet determined. Hopefully if Juan and Julio win they will meet in a unification battle.
On January 22nd in Miami, Floyd Mayweather Jr. will take on unheralded Henry Bruseles in a 140 lb. contest televised on HBO. On January 29th HBO travel to Atlantic City, New Jersey as Arturo Gatti defends his W.B.C. Super Lightweight title against the respected Jesse James Leija. Jesse earned this crack at the title by upsetting Francisco Bojado. If Mayweather Jr. and Gatti both win it is very likely that they will face each other next sometime in the Spring. [End]
December 20, 2004 - There were many who thought he was going to be the next Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali. He was a tall, smooth boxing heavyweight with a world of potential. His professional career began in 1964 and before long he was mixing it up with some of the best fighters in the world.How's this for starters ? His pro debut was a four round decision loss to the rugged Joey Orbillo !
Less then two months later he pounded out a ten round verdict over future title challenger Manuel Ramos. The following year he whipped tough trialhorse George "Scrapiron" Johnson. In 1966 he fought a No Decision bout with Amos "Big Train" Lincoln and he lost a decision to highly regarded Zora Folley.The year 1967 saw Henry establish himself as a force in the heavyweight division by winning on points over Bill McMurray, Steve Grant on two occasions, Fred Lewis, Eddie Machen and Roger Rischer. More
December 19, 2004 - Although I thought the Glencoffe Johnson-Antonio Tarver was a dandy, I'm in the general agreement that the FIGHT OF THE YEAR was Marcos Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales III. What a treat it was to see two, established and consummate professionals ply their trade with the utmost pride for millions to witness. This was high drama at its best. This was boxing as it should be. If you were not entertained to the utmost degree by this fight, you may want to re-think what your favorite sport really is.
This fight was as territorial as you can get. This was a televised street fight with a degree of class. This fight could have very easily taken place in an alley. This was WAR. Me or you. No mercy. Barrera and Morales take each other to another level. I would welcome, no better yet I would almost pray for a fourth fight.
Usually a trilogy between two boxers should be enough to determine who is the better man. Over the years there have been some great three bout series. Ali-Frazier, Ali-Norton, Benvenuti-Griffith, Bowe-Holyfield, etc... I feel and I think that many fans would agree that there is still some unfinished business between these two outstanding warriors. How about it fellas, one more time ? [End]
December
18, 2004 - I hate draw decisions but a case can be made for a draw
verdict in the Glencoffe Johnson-Antonio Tarver fight. It was that CLOSE
! Johnson was always moving forward forcing the fight. At times Tarver
was effective landing his southpaw jab. Antonio also landed his fair
share of wicked body blows. I had Johnson ahead at the middle of the
fight but Tarver came on and really close the gap.
Johnson got a split decision. HBO's Larry Merchant had Tarver a winner.
The two boxers stated that they would be willing to do it again. I hope
that they do. It was a good, hard fought and evenly contested match
between two boxers at the top of their game. THIS was the kind of match
the public wants to see. [End]
December 17, 2004 - It's too bad Tyson's knee gave out against Danny Williams. I'm not much for excuses after a fighter loses but this was legit. You could see him grab the knee. Up until then Tyson was on his way to a KO victory. After that...It was all downhill for Mike. Such a shame.
If Mike would have won he probably would have met Vitali Klitschko. I'm not sure if he could beat Vitali but damn it would have generated a lot of fan interest. Why doesn't Mike try to get a bout with WBO titleholder Lamon Brewster ? This is a guy that matches up well style wise for Tyson. The WBO title is better then no title at all. If nothing else it adds another bargaining chip to Tyson's already solid fan appeal.
How about
Tyson-vs-the comebacking Corrie Sanders ? That has the makings of a real
shootout. Someone HAS got to go out in that one. Corrie can't box a lick
but he can punch like hell and he showed against Vitali that he's as
game as they come.
I'd love to see John Ruiz fight Tyson but that will never happen. Shades
of Tua-Ruiz !!! [End]
December 13, 2004 - During the 1970's and 80's the great State of Ohio produced many a fine heavyweight. Michael Dokes and Tony Tubbs won fragments of the heavyweight crown. Although he never won a piece of the title, Earnie Shavers was probably the state's most popular big man. There were others like rugged Ted Gullick and the lanky, smooth boxing Mike Koranicki. More
December 10, 2004 - Let's put the Michael Moorer KO victory over hard luck Vassily Jirov in it's proper light. First and foremost, it kept Moorer on the fringe of the ratings. He may well get a nice $ fight in the near future. For Jirov who has lost heartbreakers to James Toney, Joe Mesi and now Moorer...Well, it's back to the drawing board. He may want to seriously consider going back down to cruiserweight.
The victorious Moorer is the same Moorer who was clocked by David Tua and who was outscored recently by Eliseo Castillo. He is still a viable contender ? Since he lasted a few more seconds against David Tua then John Ruiz did, does that qualify him for a shot at Ruiz and the W.B.A.title ? What ever happened to David Tua ? Can John Ruiz really consider himself the " champion " without squaring things with Mr. Tua ? Good God , what if Danny Williams BEATS Vitali Klitschko ? That will set the heavyweight division back a few years. I hope Lennox Lewis does not return but I have a gut feeling that he will. Here is what 2005 may have in store. If Vitali gets by Danny Williams we will have Vitali, Ruiz, Chris Byrd and Lamon Brewster as recognized heavyweight titleholders. Ho, hum...
I see that Ruiz has called Vitali out. Funny I simply do not recall Ruiz clamoring for another go around with Tua. [End]
December 7, 2004 - He crossed gloves with three world champions and did battle with several top contenders. In the mid and late 70’s he was considered one of the best young heavyweights in the world. Stan Ward would for the better part of five years would be in and out of the heavyweight top ten but never received a title shot. For all of his hulking size, Stan lacked two important assets needed to compete with the top echelon heavyweights. He lacked the big punch and a solid chin. More
December
4, 2004 - Jermain Taylor was baptized into the middleweight elite as he
scored a lopsided decision over former titleholder William Joppy. Joppy
was down in the fifth round but gutted it out until the final bell. How
about Robert Allen for Jermaine's next foe ?
As for Joppy, well there is nowhere to go but down. He had his day in
the sun but maybe he ought to call it a career.
[End]
December 4, 2004 - Jose Luis Castillo retained his lightweight crown with a close but unanimous decision over the talented Joel Casamayor. Joel used his speed to hold the upperhand in the early going but Castillo's constant pressure wore Casamayor down and Castillo pulled it out down the stretch.
Jeff Lacy had to work hard to win a close but unanamous verdict over hard luck Omar Sheika. Sheika held his own for eight or nine rounds but the powerful Lacy just took the play away from Omar with some savage shots.This was clearly no walk in the park for Lacy who proved he had a good chin and the heart of a champion.
Heavyweight prospect Samuel Peter cleaned up on veteran Jeremy Williams in the second round. Sam needs to step up the competition. How about matching him with two time loser Dominick Guinn ? [End]
December 3, 2004 - I'm sure now. Rocky Juarez is the real deal. One beautiful left hook to the nose ended the night for former champion Guty Espadas Jr. in round two. OUCH !!! Also a BIG upset. Huge Serguei Liakhovich outfought one time " can't miss " heavyweight prospect Dominick Guinn. Some hard shots traded in this one. I thought Dominck was close to being out on his feet in the last round. Guinn's once bright star is doing a quick fade. He had his unbeaten streak broken not too long ago by Monte Barrett and now this defeat. It's back to the drawing board for Dominick. [End]
December
2, 2004 - This Saturday on the undercard of the fine match up between
lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo and his formidable challenger
Joel Casamayor there is another title bout. This one has received much
less press but it could very well be just as exciting as the main event.
" Joltin' " Jeff Lacy will put his super middleweight crown on the line
against rugged Omar Sheika. Jeff picked no patsy for this defense.
Sheika is strong and he is a very hard puncher.
Mr. Lacy though just may be one of the strongest fighters pound for
pound campaigning today. He also packs a pretty good wallop himself.
Jeff is no Sugar Ray Leonard when it comes to boxing skills but he has
the fundamentals down. Jeff seems to improve with every outing and I
like the fact that he is not afraid to test his abilities against
quality opposition. Sheika is no stiff and if he lands a few of his
bombs we'll be able to see if Jeff has that final main ingredient that
makes a true champion, a chin.
Jeff stood up well against the power of Vanderpool. Will he be able to
withstand the hammerlike blows of Sheika or will he wilt when Omar lands
on his whiskers ? We'll see Saturday night.
All I can say is " bombs away ". It should be a good one.
[End]
November 28, 2004 - I can't believe Barrera pulled it out. I really thought that his best days were behind him. It was a terrific fight. A definite candidate for Fight Of The Year !!! I wouldn't mind seeing these two go at it a fourth time. One of the most evenly matched series between two great fighters in history.
Barrera's style just seems to negate the natural height and reach advantages that Morales has. This is not to say that Erik didn't land his fair share of punishing blows. It looked like Morales suffered damage to his nose early on and this may have effected his breathing. Stiil there were times as the fight progressed that it appeared that Erik was going to gain the upper hand.
Marco fought a patient, intelligent and controlled battle. He refused to be rattled by the Morales offensive and deserved a hard earned verdict.
How about it, one more time ? [End]
November 27, 2004 - As I began to follow this great sport, Japan's " Fighting " Harada was already becoming a legend. He had won and then lost the World's Flyweight championship to Pone Kingpetch. He then moved up to bantamweight and dethroned the seemingly unbeatable Eder Jofre to win that title. To prove it was no fluke , he again defeated the great Jofre. Harada was the " King ".
Enter Lionel Rose... When this Australian entered the ring to face Harada he was a prohibitive underdog. Very few gave him a legitimate chance. Yet that night Rose put on a boxing clinic. He raked Harada throughout the match. He followed his fight plan perfectly. He counterpunched Harada silly.
Rose would wear a shaky crown. Many thought that he was the loser in his defense against the very capable Jesus " ChuChu " Castiilo. The verdict in Rose's favor created riots.
He lost
his crown to an all time great, Ruben Olivares. This was a one sided
loss yet in defeat Rose proved his gameness.
Although he fought his way back to a title fight. He was defeated by
Numata in a challenge for 130 pound title. After that he drifted into
boxing oblivion.
The Lionel Rose that beat " Fighting 'Harada was a great fighter. As the saying goes; " One fight does not make a fighter" . Oh, that is so true... But in Rose's case is it ? [End]
November 25, 2004 - In watching the broadcast of the recent Winky Wright-Shane Mosley contest, HBO showed highlights from the recent heavyweight card that featured wins by Chris Byrd, "Rock" Rahman and John Ruiz. It also showed highlights of Larry Donald's one sided decision victory over Evander Holyfield. This fight prompted the NYSAC to level an indefinite suspension on Holyfield. HBO commentators Larry Merchant and Roy Jones Jr. praised the action of the commission. I'm not so sure.
Something needs to be done to protect the fighters. I could not agree more. I just did not feel that the NYSAC went about it in a proper manner. Even if the suspension is upheld, what is to stop Evander from boxing in a state that does not honor the ruling ? Aaron Pryor did this when he fought in Wisconsin some years back. Some states are not that strongly regulated. More
November 23, 2004 - One of the top fighters in the light heavyweight division during the 60’s was Roger Rouse. Roger twice failed in gallant attempts at winning the world championship. He also represented the Untied States as a middleweight in the 1956 Olympics at Melbourne, Australia. He was eliminated in the quarter final round. Roger turned professional in April of 1958 and went undefeated in his first thirteen bouts. He suffered his first defeat in 1960 to Babe Simmons. He was inactive in 1961 and in his only bout of 1962; he lost to Sid Carter. More
November 21, 2004 - There may have never been a more talent rich period in the heavyweight division then from 1968 to 1978. With Muhammad Ali (a.k.a. Cassius Clay) on the sidelines due to his draft case, other big men emerged. They would compete with each other on an almost equal basis for the next decade. Joe Frazier had risen to the top of the heap but the level below him would remain as mainstays in the ratings for years to come. Jimmy Ellis, Jerry Quarry, Oscar Bonevena, Floyd Patterson, George Chuvalo and Henry Cooper would eventually give way to Ron Lyle, Joe Bugner, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers and Jimmy Young. All time great champions like George Foreman and Larry Holmes also made their mark and Ali re-emerged to reclaim his throne.
Lost among the giants of that time period was a fine heavyweight from Venezuela named Jose Luis Garcia. Although Jose never challenged for the world championship he did meet three who did. He also met three world champions in a career that never seemed to reach its full potential. More
November 16, 2004 - I CAN NOT believe the actions of the New York State Athletic Commission in suspending Evander Holyfield's right to box in N.Y. and for the most part, anywhere in the United States if their bogus ruling is upheld. HELLO...Did they happen to see that a fat and rusty Riddick Bowe is again plying his trade ? Did they notice that Tony "THE DUD" Tubbs is still slinging leather ? Sure I'd like to see Evander retire but it has to be HIS choice unless he fails the medical exam. If Mike Weaver wanted to box again, I doubt if he would be blocked from returning to ring wars. Butterbean fights whenever he feels like it. Are you going to tell me he's in better shape then Evander ? What makes Holyfield more shot then Tyson? You know it wasn't that long ago that Evander outfought Hassim Rahman. Now Rahman is being touted as a future title challenger after his KO win over Kali Meehan. Michael Moorer looked pretty pathetic after David Tua starched him in one round a while back. I don't recall a mission to revoke his right to fight. Enough is enough already. A man must do what a man must do. Evander is MAN enough to make his own decisions. If the N.Y.S.A.C. is going to proceed with their actions, they better suspend a lot of other fighters too. You should not be able to just pick and choose a high profile boxer to make the commission look good !!! [End]
November
14, 2004 - After last nights dismal performance against a mediocre Larry
Donald, one would hope that Evander Holyfield would retire. In his
previous fight he got the hell beat out of him by a blown up super
middleweight named James Toney. The writing is on the wall and picture
is very plain to see. Still Evander chooses to fight on. So be it.
With this in mind I see only one logical fight for Evander. That would
be a third match with Mike Tyson. Although Tyson was upset by Danny
Williams his last time out, he looked to be in great shape. In my eyes
the problem with his knee led to Mike's demise. In a fight with
Holyfield there would be a huge revenge factor for Mike. Holyfield
stopped him fair and square in their first battle. The second match was
of course the night Mike munched on Vander's ear. Tyson would love to
beat Holyfield and erase the stigma of those two setbacks
For a third match with Tyson I believe the great pride of Holyfield
would again kick in. He may be able to deal with a loss to Ruiz, Toney
and even Donald, but NOT Mike Tyson. In his mind Evander feels that he
will always be the master of Mike Tyson.
I really do believe that there would be decent fan interest for this
bout so each would make a nice payday in the twilight of their historic
careers. The winner could still hang on for the hope of one more shot.
The loser, well... That's another story.
[End]
November 11, 2004 - An interesting bout has been added to the Don King Saturday night boxing show. DaVarryl "Touch Of Sleep" Williamson will take on former titleholer Oliver "The Atomic Bull " McCall.
In his last fight Williamson was holding his own against Wladimir Klitschko until an accidental head butt produced a cut over Klitschko's eye forcing the action to be halted after five rounds. The fight went to the scorecards and Klitschko got the nod even though Willamson had Wlad on the canvas once.
It was a moral victory for Williamson and it somewhat absolved him of his one round kayo loss to Joe Mesi.
McCall has lived off his upset KO victory over Lennox Lewis for years. He's a tough guy but he's been out of the mainstream for quite some time. The winner of this fight will remain a fringe contender. The loser might as well pack the gloves away. [End]
November 10, 2004 - 2004 is closing out with a real bang. Based on this years multitude of upsets and action battles, in will end up being quite an historic twelve months. The two KO losses by Roy Jones and Oscar's loss to Hopkins were the big stories. So was Winky's upset over Shane Mosley and Arturo Gatti's quick win over Leonard Dorin. There is still more to come.
There is the big heavyweight showdown with John Ruiz facing Golota. There's Chris Byrd in against Jameel McCline. Evander Holyfield boxing Larry Donald and Hassim Rahman meeting Keri Meehan. Then there is Shane Mosley trying to avenge his loss to Winky Wright.
A couple more interesting bouts have been added. On December 9th former Heavyweight champion Michael Moorer takes on former cruiserweight champion Vassily Jirov. On December 18th Antonio Tarver and Glencoffe Johnson, the "Jones Jolters" will clash to see who is the world's best fighter at 175 pounds.
These are two interesting pair ups. Jirov has hung tough with James Toney and Joe Mesi. Moorer's best days are behind him, BUT...If he's in shape and his fragile chin holds up, he's has a chance. Jirov is not a big puncher and he will be the smaller guy. Moorer is a decent boxer and a sharp hitter. If Michael is not in shape the gritty Jirov may wear him down. I've got to go with Tarver over Johnson. Tarver is riding the wave right now. Johnson's a formidable opponent but Tarver has the edge in most departments. It will take a very busy and gutsy Johnson to pull the upset. [End]
November 9, 2004 - We have all heard of Ali, Frazier and Foreman. Of Tyson and Holyfield. The lighter weight classes have produced the likes of Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard. Who will ever forget Duran, Pryor and Arguello?
What about the "near misses"? The ones who in this day of multi- fractured titles would almost surely have garnered a piece of championship pie.
Let's start with the big boys. Jerry Quarry failed in his first title try losing a debatable decision to underrated Jimmy Ellis. In his final title shot he was out gunned by "Smokin" Joe Frazier. He would later lose a rematch to Frazier as well as two bouts to Muhammad Ali. More
November 8, 2004 - In all the hoopla of the big heavyweight card next weekend and then Winky-Shane II. Followed by Vitali-vs- The Tyson Trouncer, a very important fight has been lost in the shuffle. Olympian Jermain Taylor, the heir apparent to Bernard Hopkins faces a severe test.
Taylor takes on former titleholder William Joppy. Outside of Hopkins and Felix Trinidad a good arguement came be made in Joppy's behalf that he has been the third best middleweight in the world over the last five or six years. A few years back Trinidad exposed Joppy's chin as Felix won in five rounds. Recently Joppy was outclassed and outbrawled by Hopkins.
Nevertheless Joppy remains a formidable contender and a true test for the unbeaten Taylor at this stage of his budding career. Give Taylor and his management credit for being willing to let their prospect take on a live body. Granted Joppy is getting a little long in the tooth but he keeps himself in pretty good shape and he has a wealth of boxing knowledge behind him.
How will it go ? Well with everything lining up toward a Hopkins-Trinidad rematch, Taylor can put together a couple of solid wins and make himself the guy to fight for the Bernard-Felix winner. A win over Joppy and another top flight middleweight could give Taylor some valuble experience while waits for the smoke from Tito's second try to clear.
Although I respect Joppy, I have to go with Taylor. I just hope Jermaine and his camp did not underestimate Joppy. That could be a very costly mistake ! [End]
November 6, 2004 - Roberto Duran WAS my idol. When he whipped Leonard in Montreal, well... That goes right up there in the important date column with the birth of my kids and March 8, 1971 when Joe whipped Ali's ass.
With that said, you can fully understand my disappointment when Roberto said "No Mas" during Leonard-Duran II. Still there was this feeling that it wasn't a complete victory for Leonard. Who knows what was going on in Roberto's head when he uttered those now famous words ? It left the door open for a rubber match that would take place years later.
It was so different when Hearns nearly tore Roberto's head off that June night in 1984. Up to this fight only the great Esteban DeJesus had put Duran on floor. Tommy CREAMED him. It was utterly unbelieveable. To see Roberto flat on his stomach at the feet of the towering Hearns was humbling to Roberto and his fans. Roberto had just gone fifteen tough rounds with the "Marvelous One", Marvin Hagler.Leonard had been unable to put him down in either of their contests. Who would have thought that Roberto would be so easily dispatched ? They didn't call Thomas Hearns the "Hit Man" for nothing.
I don't recall Roberto ever pushing hard for a return match with Tommy ! Could you really blame him ? [End]
November 5, 2004 - Poor Floyd Patterson. Everyone loves him but not everyone respects him as a fighter or champion. You rarely here his name tossed about when the topic of all time great heavyweights is brought up. What a shame !
Who is to blame for the heartbreaking oversight ? People tend to forget that Patterson thrashed Archie Moore much more impressively then Marciano did the night he became the youngest man ever to win the heavyweight crown . Still when a " Dream Match " between Marciano and Patterson is talked about, Floyd is quickly dismissed... Simply put, Rocky had the PUNCH and Floyd did not have the whiskers. More
November 1, 2004 - What can you say about someone who fought on somewhat even terms with Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles, Jersey Joe Walcott and Archie Moore ? Oh that's not enough for you ? How about crossing gloves with Joey Maxim, Gus Lesnevich, Melio Bettina and Anton Christofordis ? Want more ? OK... There's Billy Soose, Teddy Yarosz and the great Charley Burley. Want even more ? Throw in Harold Johnson, Lloyd Marshall, Coley Wallace and Lee Savold. Oh, did I forget to mention Tami Mauriello ? He was at one time the TOP contender for the World's Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight titles. In fact he was considered the "Interim Heavyweight Champion " while Joe Louis was serving during World War II. That in itself was quite an honor. Until Louis returned home, Jimmy was "The Man " ! He fought from 1940 to 1955 and he NEVER side stepped an opponent. He fought them all. Every tough SOB from his era, and by God there was a slew of the them. He has earned his belated but rightful place at the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. [End]
October 28, 2004 - I see that Arturo Gatti is going to defend his W.B.C. Super Lightweight crown January 29th in Atlantic City against Jesse James Leija. I see this as a safe match for Gatti against recognizable and respectable opponent. Leija once held a portion of the junior lightweight title.
Leija bounced back into contention with a thrilling, come from behind upset win over Francisco Bojado. I once thought that Bojado was a can't miss prospect. He's a brutal puncher who is very strong and has a good chin. He lacks focus and determination though. He can be outboxed and his defense is has many holes in it. Leija gutted it out in the early rounds and then came back to expose Bojado's weaknesses.
Gatti is a whole different animal for Leija. Although Arturo does not pack Bojado's punch. He is a much better boxer. He can also slug in trenches when he needs to. Leija is a gamer and he'll hang tough early. I look for Gatti to take over around the fifth round and coast to a decision win or a late round stoppage.
A Gatti win could set up possible match with the winner of Tzsyu-Mitchell or Floyd Mayweather Jr. Now there is something to look forward to in 2005 ! [End]
October
25, 2004 - I thought Tyson was whippin' Danny Williams butt until his
knee gave out. I don't think Tyson will ever be champion again but I
thought that he looked well conditioned and ready against Williams.
Freddie Roach had Mike looking lean and mean. Based on his condition and
the way he looked up until the knee went out, I feel Mike should give it
another try. God knows the $$$ is there !
I don't feel that beating Tyson should have moved Williams into a title
shot !
There were challengers more deserving. Look at Monte Barrett. He lost a
very close fight to Joe Mesi then came back and upset Dominick Guinn.
What does he get ? He gets to play trial horse to upcoming Owen Beck.
That's B--- S--- !!! Monte is more qualified to fight Vitali then
Williams. So are several others. Old and tired Evander Holyfield is more
qualified then Williams. He has to beat Larry Donald to " get in line" ?
Figure that one out. Hell anymore if you win two or three good bar
tussles...You might qualify for a title shot.
Well look at it this way, Ali had his Jean Pierre Coopman, so why can't
Vitali. [End]
October
24, 2004 - There are some pretty interesting fights coming up to close
out the wild and wacky year of 2004. This year has seen legends Mike
Tyson, Roy Jones, Oscar DeLaHoya and Marco Antonio Barrera fall from the
ranks of Gods. Will they regain their former status or just fade into
boxing history ? Barrera will have a chance to re-enter the pound for
pound sweepstakes when he meets arch rival Erik Morales on November
27th. I look for another classic in this their third encounter. Erik is
on a roll and I predict him to win by a late round stoppage.
On November 6th Kostya Tszyu finally returns for a rematch with Sharmba
Mitchell, a very formidable opponent. Tszyu's been out due to injuries
for quite some time. I smell a possible upset here. I hope not because I
would love to see Tszyu and Floyd Mayweather Jr. hook up in 2005. It was
hardly noticed on the big November 13th heavyweight card featuring Ruiz-Golota,
Byrd-McCline, Holyfield-Donald and Rahman-Meehan that Monte " The
Spoiler" Barrett had been added. Monte who upset Dominick Guinn not too
long ago will take on another unbeaten and highly touted prospect in
Owen Beck. Beck is a definite comer but Monte's a big step up in class
for him.
I can't get too excited about the December 11th match up between the
world's best heavyweight, Vitali Klitschko and the Tyson tamer, Danny
Williams. I would have rather seen Vitali meet W.B.O. titleholder Lamon
Brewster in a partial elimination fight. It would have also given Vitali
a chance to avenge his brother's loss to Brewster.
[End]
October 17, 2004 - The first fight between defending champion Dwight Qawi and challenger Evander Holyfield may have been the best cruiserweight bout since the inception of that bastard division. That was back when championship matches were REAL fights that were scheduled for 15 rounds. It was a brutal give and take affair. Dwight applied constant pressure while Evander boxed in controlled flurries. The fight had several changes in momentum and was fought at a furious pace. For sustained action it was one of the best fights I've ever seen at ANY weight ! Qawi deserved his recent induction into the Hall Of Fame. His only setbacks during his championship prime were to all time greats Michael Spinks at 175 and Holyfield at cruiser. More
October 16, 2004 - I just watched a replay of Hopkins-Trinidad I . No way that I can see Tito winning a rematch. Bernard is the better boxer and the bigger, stronger guy. See for yourself. Bernard is a NATURAL 160 pounder and he was CUT. Tito at 160 looked soft. I know that a fighter's built does not always make a difference. In this case though, with all things being considered somewhat equal...Hopkins edge in strength is a major factor.
The more I see of Bernard, the more I like him. I've said that I would pick Monzon, Tiger,Griffith, Giardello, Leonard, Hearns and Hagler to beat Bernard. This is something we will never know. I'll say this now, Bernard could have competed with any of them. He's that good ! [End]
October 15, 2004 - Talk about seeing ghosts or revisiting your past. I grew up watching these fine men lay it on the line against the BEST in the world. What wonderful memories I have of their game and heroic efforts. More
October
10, 2004 - Tito looked even more awesome watching it the second time
around on HBO. Once Trinidad realized he take Mayorga's best shots, he
just busted him up. A real power punching clinic. Mayorga was dead game
but simply overmatched. Mayorga moved up TWO weight divisions for this
fight. Smart move ? In hindsight, no but... a GREAT payday and now a
probable retirement.
Talk about a shooting star ! Mayorga came out of nowhere and KO's "Six
Heads" Lewis for a piece of the welterweight title. Then he bombs out
Vernon Forrest, the man who defeated Shane Mosley who beat DeLaHoya.
Then Ricardo beats Forrest again ! It looks like he's going to be around
for a while. He's high on everyone's Pound For Pound list.
Next thing you know he is outboxed and upset by the clever Cory Spinks.
Then the Trinidad debacle and just like that, it's over. So sad but
that's boxing. [End]
October 6,
2004 - It is with sadness to report that boxing legend Ralph Citro has
passed away at the age of 78. Ralph's contributions to boxing have been
numerous and he received recognition for his efforts a few years ago
when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in
Canastota, N.Y.
Ralph earned a reputation as a top flight cut man throughout his
association with the sport. Nevertheless Ralph's contributions go far
beyond that.He began the publication Computer Boxing Update in 1984 and
it evolved into today's standard for the upkeep of boxing records. Ralph
had Computer Boxing Update until 1993. Then he took over as Director of
the International Boxing Research Organization ( I.B.R.O. ).
I became a member of I.B.R.O. around 1994. I had never met Ralph but
I've talked to him on numerous occasions. To me I.B.R.O. is boxing's
best kept secret. Ralph worked hard to give I.B.R.O. a rock solid
foundation. Ralph handed over the directoship to the very capable Dan
Cuoco in the year 2000. Dan has done an excellent job. I'm sure Ralph
was very proud.
My sympathy goes out to Ralph's family. He will be fondly remembered and
sorely missed by the boxing community.
[End]
October 3,
2004 - Let's move on... Tito's sensational win over Ricardo Mayorga has
been entered into the boxing record books. There may have been a little
more added excitement then was anticipated. In short, it was great
fight. Still it went pretty much the way most people thought it would.
Just like the Hopkins-DeLaHoya affair. It was the opinion of most that
after those two fights the two men left standing would be Hopkins and
Tito. Of course it is now expected for these two to sign a contract to
meet in a much anticipated rematch. This may very well take place.
Nevertheless there is another big fight coming up that may have some
bearing on the current situation.
On November 20th Winky Wright meets Sugar Shane Mosley in a rematch.
Wright upset Shane to take his W.B.A 154 pound title and now the proud
Mosley wants it back. If Hopkins-Trinidad II can not be made for any
reason, it is possible that the winner of Wright-Mosley II will be in a
position to fight either Bernard or Trinidad. Who do I pick in the
Wright-Mosley rematch ? To answer that I would like to take a quote from
an interview I had with former I.B.F. lightweight champion Harry Arroyo.
Harry's view on his title losing bout to Kronkster Jimmy Paul. " Jimmy
Paul was a good fighter, not a great fighter. There are some styles of
fighters that are made to lose to another fighter. Jimmy Paul's style
was made to beat me. I think if I fought him ten times, Jimmy would win
ten times. Not because he is a better fighter, but because of his
style."
To me Harry said it all. Winky totally shut down Mosley in their first
meeting. I really do not see anything changing this time around. Winky's
got Shane's number. It's all about the styles.
[End]
September 27, 2004 - Oscar and Roy are now yesterday's news. It's time to focus on Tito-vs-Mayorga. If Tito has anything left he should be able to establish his jab early. If he does, it's just a matter of time before he catches the wild swinging Mayorga coming in with the right hand. The only way I see Mayorga winning is if he jumps on Trinidad early ( ala Glecoffe ) and takes immediate control. Who knows how much Tito has left after such a long layoff ? I've said all along that I thought Mayorga was a VERY dangerous opponent to pick to begin a comeback. Yet if Tito is the fighter he used to be, I can see a possible early round sensational KO win for Tito. If Tito is not 100%, well it could be a very long night. We've already seen two legends fall recently as Oscar and Roy have been exposed as mere mortals. Tito and his fans should take nothing for granted. [End]
September
24, 2004 - I wonder what the upcoming fight plans are for Matt Vanda and
Tony Bonsante ? I thought Vanda lost to Sam Garr and then he was soundly
trashed by Velardez. He needs to do something NOW to salvage his sagging
career fortunes. There was talk of Matt meeting Michael Lerma or
possibly former champion Yuri Boy Campas. A win over either would help
re-establish Matt as a viable prospect. Matt is game but does not seem
to be a big banger. He has decent boxing skills but there are definite
holes in his defense.
I thought Bonsante looked great taking apart an OLD Tony Ayala Jr. He
lost to Manfredo Jr. but showed me he has some definite skills. I know
that he is closing in on his mid-30's. I'd like to see him get one more
shot at a ranked fighter. Tony might be a good test for Fernando Vargas
if and when he embarks on the comeback trail.
[End]
It all
went according to the script. The younger, faster boxer taking it to his
older, slower foe. Try as he might the upstart could not do any serious
damage to his aging but stronger adversary. As the rounds wore on it was
becoming obvious to all that youth would not be served on this night.
Once again the aged champion would outsmart and outlast Mother Nature at
least for one more night. Youth took his punishment in a manly fashion
as his body was raked and ravaged by savage blows. Finally the old,
proud champion landed the finisher. It was drilled into his foe's tender
liver and rendered him helpless. Then it was over. The game challenge
had ended. The torch had not passed but had remained firmly in the grasp
of the King of the middleweights...Bernard Hopkins.
Pavlik Impressive On On Hopkins- DeLaHoya Undercard.
Kelly "The
Ghost" Pavlik of Youngstown, Ohio scored a nice win by halting Carlton
Holland in just two rounds. It was great exposure for the unbeaten
Pavlik to fight and win in impressive fashion in front of the multitude
of media at ringside.
The semi-main event to Oscar and Bernard was a very dull twelve round
decision win for Juan Manuel Marquez over Orlando Salindo.
In an upset, Kofi Jantuah starched Marco Antonio Rubio in just 33
seconds ! [End]
INSIDE BOXING (September 17, 2004) - I just had the pleasure of reading an article in Sports Illustrated. It was a " Where Are They Now " piece on the great Marvin Hagler.
After reading the article I began to wonder what we will be reading about Bernard Hopkins and Oscar DeLaHoya ten, fifteen even twenty years from now. How will history view their impact on boxing ?
The answer to that question is hinged on the result of a ring battle this coming September. This will be more then a boxing match. This fight will shape our final perception of both winner and loser. A Hopkins victory will go a long way in the argument that he is among the best of all time. If Bernard loses he will then be considered overrated. A champion who had the benefit of competing when the middleweight division was void of serious talent. More
The Best Boxing Book You May Ever Read ?
Charley Burley
has been called the best boxer who never fought for a world championship.
Many experts like the late Ray Arcel and Eddie Futch rate him among the best
boxers pound for pound of all time, bar none. It is said that Sugar Ray
Robinson himself may have avoided him.
In Allen S. Rosenfeld's literary masterpiece on Charley Burley, these issues
and many others are brought to light. Burley is the main focus of this book
but Rosenfeld has included many supporting characters to make this as much a
boxing history book as it is a biography of Burley.
More
September 8, 2004 - It is now being said that the WBO is demanding Brewster to fight either James Toney or Lance Whitaker. I'd love to see Toney-Brewster because I think J.T. wins that one. My question is, what has "Goofi" done lately ? I'd have to say that Vander is more qualified for a title shot then Whitaker. I'd like to see a guy that's EARNED it be rewarded with a crack. At least a shot at the WBO version. How about a guy like Monte Barrett ? [End]
September 6, 2004 - The last thing I expected after seeing Lamon Brewster unexpectedly struggle with unheralded Kali Meehan was that Evander Holyfield may be in line for ANOTHER title shot. Say what ??? Is that because James Toney who trounced Vander's aging butt is fighting for the even more bogus then the WBO...the IBA heavyweight crown ? Will Riddick Bowe steamroll a couple of stiffs and be ranked # 1 by either or both organizations ? Mike Tyson is surely in a position to challenge following his loss to Danny Williams. This could set up Holyfield-Bowe IV or Holyfield-Tyson III or the fight we always wanted to see and may get to a decade to late, Tyson-Bowe. Good God is Buster Douglas coming back too ? [End]
INSIDE BOXING (August 28, 2004) - The heavyweight division of the late 60's and early 70's was one of the most talent laden and competetive of all time. It gave us Ali and Frazier. Foreman, Norton, Shavers, Quarry, Lyle and Ellis. The list is almost endless. Bonavena, Middleton, "Blue" Lewis, Mac Foster, Buster Mathis, Chuvalo, Thad Spencer, Leotis Martin...
In the late 70's former Olympian Duane Bobick emerged as a legitimate contender.Although kayoed by Teo Stevenson in the Olympics, Duane was guided through the pro ranks by "Smokin' Joe Frazier himself. More
Let us make believe that it is 1984 again and the management of Ray Mancini decided NOT to defend his W.B.A. lightweight title against Livingstone Bramble. Instead they opt to unify at least part of the championship against cross town rival Harry Arroyo, the I.B.F. title holder. The bout would be held in their home town of Youngstown, Ohio and be televised live nationally. The whole city of Youngstown and its surrounding areas are buzzing with excitement and anticipation. The TV executives predict a bonanza rating since both boxers are proven crowd pleasers. In the days preceding the FIGHT, there is electricity in the air. The city is divided in its loyalty. Mancini seems to be the fans favorite, but Arroyo has a faithful contingent too. The fight has been a sell out for weeks and the local betting has been heavy. This is a bookmaker's dream and Mancini's going off as an 8 to 5 favorite with decent action on the Arroyo short end. Mancini, short, muscular and aggressive with bread and butter left hook -VS- Arroyo, tall and lean with a stiff jab and a stiffer right cross. What a match up! Alas this possible scenario never took place. Why? Who is at fault, if anyone? Did one boxer avoid the other as has been hinted? Did Ray or his management plan on a payday against Arroyo after a victory over Bramble or is it possible Harry was never in their plans? More
(July 30, 2004) - Tyson looked great in training. Freddie Roach who is one of the best trainers in the game today had Mike looking in peak condition. Mike looked great in the first...WHAT HAPPENED ??? Think about this... A few years back Mike Tyson put such a hurt on Andrew Golota, that the Polish pug walked away from the sport. Then Golota comes out of nowhere and gives I.B.F. titleholder Chris Byrd the fight of his life. Now Golota is slated to meet W.B.A. title bearer John Ruiz. A few years ago Tyson could have beat Byrd and Ruiz in the same night. Now he has been humiliated by Danny Williams. This is the same Danny Williams who probably would have struggled to beat "Dangerous" Danny McAliden, a relic from the early 70's. Good God I hope now that Mike hangs them up. [End]
INSIDE BOXING (July 24, 2004) - Just recently Juan Diaz brought a world title to his hometown of Houston. Juan's victory over Lakva Sim allowed the twenty year old to claim the W.B.A. lightweight title.
On the undercard another favorite son of Houston qualified himself as the # 1 contender for the I.B.F. featherweight title. Ricardo "Rocky" Juarez took a hard fought decision over the talented Zahir Raheem. Although the referee took a ridiculous amount of points away from Raheem, I still had Rocky as the better man despite the padded point total. More
INSIDE BOXING (July 19, 2004) - Hedgemon Lewis... A friend of mine on the West Coast sent me some information about an awards banquet that was going to be held in Commerce, CA. this August. There was quite an impressive list of former boxers slated to attend the ceremonies. Many of my favorites like Mando Ramos, Danny Lopez and Bobby Chacon. Then a name from the past popped up on the guest list. It was a forgotten name from the glorious late 60's and early 70's. The name was Hedgemon Lewis. Hedge is now just a footnote in welterweight championship history. He was once recognized as World Champion by New York State after he whipped favorite son Billy Backus a few times. The real champion of that era was the great Jose " Mantequilla " Napoles. Lewis twice met Napoles for world honors losing the first fight on a very close verdict. In the return match Hedge was halted in nine rounds. Lewis would later challenge the man who beat Napoles, John H. Stracey and again fail to capture crown. Lewis also had a series of exciting bouts with the popular Ernie Lopez and he held recent International Boxing Hall Of Fame inductee Carlos Palomino to a draw. Hedgemon Lewis WAS Sugar Ray Leonard before there was a Sugar Ray Leonard. Lewis had grace, style and flash. What Hedge didn't have was Ray's strength and power. Hedge's whiskers were not the best but he was skillful in avoiding punches. Ray Leonard had nothing on Lewis when it came to pure boxing ability. [End]
INSIDE BOXING (July 16, 2004) - The boxing community lost a true warrior when Henry Hank of Detroit recently passed away. He was born in 1935 and began his long professional career in 1953. In less then two years he was fighting the likes of Virgil Akins.
By 1959 Henry was good enough to mix it up with the best middleweights and light heavyweights in the world. Fighting men like Holly Mims, George Benton, Jesse Bowdry, Hank Casey, Randy Sandy and Gene Armstrong.
In 1961 Henry beat Joey Giardello. They met again in 1962 with Joey turning the tables. The rematch was voted the Fight Of The Year by Ring Magazine for 1962. More
INSIDE BOXING (July 11, 2004) - When Craig Weber of Perrysville, Ohio upset Angel Manfredy recently, he probably became the state's top prospect. While Perrysville is located between Cleveland and Columbus, the state's boxing hotbed is Youngstown and its surrounding areas. Kelly Pavlik recently kayoed Pedro Ortega in Struthers, Ohio to move to a perfect 21-0. Big fights are right around the corner for Pavlik. Kelly credits sparring with ex Y'town contender Ken Sigurani in preparing him for Ortega. Kenny met both Julio Cesar Chavez and Hector Camacho Sr. in his fine career. There are a couple of heavyweights from the area who are making some noise. Chris Koval is a 240 pound powerhouse who is currently 19-1. He has a possible Madison Squre Garden battle lined up for October. First he must get by 300 pound "Big " Joe Lenhart in Akron on August 5th. Heavyweight Brian Minto recently moved to 17-0 by halting Kevin Tallon. Among the lighter weight prospects are Durell Richardson who is the nephew of former bantamweight king Greg Richardson. He is currently 4-0. Another good young local prospect is Davey McBride who is 5-2. [End]
INSIDE BOXING (July 8, 2004) - How do they keep turning out such great fighters ? Jose Torres, Felix Trinidad and now Miguel Cotto and Kermit Cintron. Puerto Rico has put their stamp on the fistic map !
In the forty years I've followed the great sport of boxing I've seen two lightweights that were not only Puerto Rican standouts but in my opinion among the greatest lightweights of all time.
I am speaking of former champions Carlos Ortiz and the late Esteban DeJesus. Who would have won if these two fine fighting machines had met in their primes ?
Carlos Ortiz dominated the lightweight division in the mid and late 60's. He was extremely strong and powerful for his weight. He was also more clever then ever given credit for. He was a solid puncher with a sturdy chin.
Only the vastly talented Ismael Laguna was able to give Carlos problems at his peak.
Then you have Esteban DeJesus. If there was ever a fighter who fought at the wrong time it was Esteban. If only Roberto Duran had not been around... More
INSIDE BOXING (July 3, 2004) - I see former champion Michael Moorer just lost to Eliseo Castillo. The unbeaten Castillo is a good prospect and a win over a former champ at this stage of his career will look good on his resume. I'm glad Moorer has said he would like to continue his career despite the loss to Castillo. This loss along with his highlight film KO loss to David Tua a while back should send some kind of message to Michael. The writing is on the wall but obviously he's on a different page. Oh well...
I guess in a way I'm happy he will continue. I can see one more BIG payday for Michael. Can you spell TYSON ?
If Tyson beats Danny Williams, a fight with Moorer makes sense.
Tyson would be facing a man that defeated the Holyfield, who twice humiliated Tyson. He would be facing a southpaw with good boxing ability, a stiff punch and a soft chin. I also believe that Moorer would train hard for this fight. I think that there would be a lot of fan interest.
I also feel that the end result will be a Tyson KO victory. Then Moorer should retire. He'll be a little richer and he can sit back and be proud of a respectable career.
When Moorer was at his peak as a light heavyweight, he was a BAD man. I truly believe he could have been an all time great if he would have stayed at that weight. I fully understand why he moved up to mix with the big boys... $$$. When the smoke clears after Tyson-Moorer, if it ever takes place. The fight I would like to see then would be...Tyson-vs-Tua. Damn, someone has got to go in that one.
Can you spell EXCITEMENT ? [End]
(July 1, 2004) - Thomas Hauser's book on Muhammad Ali has always been my favorite book on the " Greatest ". When I received a copy of Hauser's book " A Year At The Fights ", I looked forward to reading it.
Upon finishing this book, I have mixed emotions. Hauser is an intelligent man and a very good writer. He has really done his homework when researching certain portions of this book.
It has over 250 pages but it seemed much longer. I guess that is the point I am trying to make here. I had trouble at times keeping my interest in several chapters. In somes cases the chapters seemed to be long winded and quite frankly they became boring.
I tired of reading about his crusade against the seemingly corrupt New York State Athletic Commission. Also the power shifts at HBO were of little interest to me. I do not feel that the core of fans who would possibly purchase a book on boxing would have a big interest in these subjects.
When Mr.Hauser
discussed fights and fighters I was much more in tune with the book. There
were some interesting pieces on the highly misunderstood Bernard Hopkins.
There were also nice features on some of my favorites like Gil Clancey,
Eddie Futch and Jimmy Lennon Jr.
Hauser makes a great case for the wonderful contributions to boxing by the
late Bill Cayton. As a collector of fight films myself, I feel the sport
owes a tremendous debt to Mr. Cayton.
I wish Thomas
Hauser would have condensed the book by about one hundred pages. I think it
would have been much more appealing. I also understand that would have been
impossible to do in explaining the very important details in some chapters.
Hauser's work in this book could be compared to a good boxer who over
trained for a bout. When it was time for the fight, he had left his best
work in the gym. [End]
INSIDE BOXING (June 18, 2004) - Pipino Cuevas has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. I struggled with this for a while. Did he really deserve to get in ? There are so many deserving former boxers that you can make a strong case for.
After wrestling with the matter of Pipino's induction I was able to come to terms with it. Why ? Because during his tenure as champion he was a Holy Terror !!! That is why !
He did not just win fights. He broke bones. He was a devastating puncher with a wrecking ball left hook. He left a trail of fractured jaws, etc... In a word, he was awesome !
Then Tommy Hearns exposed his chin and Roberto Duran followed suit. Herman Montes ended the legend but give Pipino his due. During his prime he was feared ! More
INSIDE BOXING (June 16, 2004) - The history of great boxers to come out of the fine state of Ohio is rich and glorious. Many came well before my time. Jimmy Bivins and Johnny Risko. Joey Maxim, Paul Pirrone and the great Ezzard Charles. Need I go on ?
In my time that stretches back some forty years, this state has produced a fine array of talent in several weight classes.
Let's start with James "Buster" Douglas who re- wrote the definition of "upset" when he creamed Mike Tyson. Michael Dokes and Tony Tubbs will forever be in the record books as heavyweight titleholders. More
INSIDE BOXING (June 12, 2004) - The recent high profile media coverage given to former foe Oscar DeLaHoya may be leading Ike Quatey back into the ring.
Quartey who once proudly held the W.B.A. welterweight crown must envision some hefty paydays if he can fight his way back into contention. One has to wonder what effects a four year layoff will have. How much of his skills have eroded ?
Ike is fondly remembered for his wars with DeLaHoya, Fernando Vargas and Jose Luis Lopez. Many felt Ike did enough to get the verdict over Oscar. He even had the " Golden Boy " on the deck. A furious finish by Oscar may have salvaged the victory for him.
Quartey's battle with Lopez was one of the best welterweight brawls I've seen in years. A draw decision given in a true give and take affair in which I felt Ike did enough to earn the verdict. More
INSIDE BOXING (June 10, 2004) - A tenative date of July 3rd has been set for a bout between rising Cuban heavyweight, Eliseo Castillo and ex-world champion Michael Moorer.
It is now being circulated that W.B.A. heavyweight titleholder John Ruiz is negotiating to defend against Jameel McCline. I thought McCline was supposed to fight the I.B.F. pretender Chris Byrd. Go figure...
Vitali Klitschko is trying to lure Lennox Lewis out of retirement. I hate to say it but I think that it will happen. I think that Lennox feels he has some unfinished business with Vitali. I hope Lennox opts to stay retired. His legacy is secure. Why take a chance of tarnishing it ? If Lennox remains retired look for Vitali to defend against Monte Barrett or believe it or not, Evander Holyfield. James Toney who soundly whipped Holyfield has been cleared to resume training. Where does he fit in to the big picture ?
Where the hell is David Tua ??? I'd still love to see Tyson-vs-Tua.Somebody's gotta go in that one ! I'll pick Tua. He has the better whiskers. It would be a thriller while it lasted !
With Corrie Sanders deciding to un-retire, I say match him with Lamon Brewster for Corrie's old W.B.O. crown. [End]
INSIDE BOXING (June 4, 2004) - The Rubber City of Akron has probably never produced anything resilient then a boxer named Doyle Baird. Rugged and balding, he was often compared to Carmen Basilio in looks and his swarming style. After a fine amateur career he turned professional in 1966 under the wing of Don Elbaum. More
INSIDE BOXING (May 31, 2004) - Although he ended his career losing almost as many bouts as he won. At one time in the mid-60's heavyweight James J. Woody was considered a fine prospect.
He was a southpaw from the Bronx who had his first professional fight in 1964. He reeled off ten straight wins against better then average competition. He twice defeated Lou Hicks and also the giant James J. Beattie a couple of times. He also won a duet from Everett Copeland and outscored Tony Doyle. More
(May 30, 2004) - I am picking up a strange vibe. It's almost a Deja Vu thing. I remember years ago Mike Tyson boasting that he could beat any man on the planet.
Now, although it has not been said in so many words. Tyson has been calling out fighters in the lightheavyweight division. Tyson was possibly going to fight Roy Jones Jr. but Roy got sideswiped by Antonio Tarver. Now Mike has called out Tarver and predicts an early KO. No shit...
Has the losses to Lewis and Holyfield chased Tyson away from the true big guys? Maybe if Mike beats Tarver and or Jones...He'll move up to take on blown a up cruiserweight like Vassily Jirov. Maybe those wins would qualify Mike to challenge for a piece of the heavyweight crown. Hey Mike...Watch out for James Toney !
INSIDE BOXING (May 29, 2004) - Monte Barrett is good copy. He is a classic over achiever who has made many a boxing writer eat their words. He has held his own with some of the best. He's won a few and he's lost a few more. Still he finds himself smack dab in the title picture. Go figure...
The story around town is that Monte is the leading candidate for a crack at Vitali Klitschko's crown. WHAT !!!
OK I know he fought a life and death struggle with Joe Mesi and he upset Dominick Guinn. That's great but the thing is that Vassily Jirov did better versus Mesi then Monte. Shouldn't he get a crack at the crown ? Better yet, Jirov was soundly whipped by James Toney. Where does Toney fit in ?
I could live with a Toney-Barrett elimination contest. That makes more sense to me.
Hey guys, how about trying to unify the titles ?
Byrd is going to defend against Jameel McCline. Ruiz may take on Hasim Rahman. Ho hum...
I'd rather see Vitali against W.B.O titleholder Lamon Brewster. At least there is a revenge factor there.
Then you still have names like Tyson, Holyfield, Moorer and geez... Possibly Riddick Bowe. Will we be treated one day to Golota-Bowe III ?
Good God. I hope George Foreman does come back. At least he has charisma. You know what ? I honestly think if he can get in fair condition, he could still be a factor in the division.
Is Big George that good ? Is the division really that bad ?
MESI SITUATION - Don't get me wrong, I like Joe Mesi. In the words of Bobby Czyz he's "bright, white and polite". He's also has the "connections and the complexion'. (Quoted by ??? ). I don't think he will ever win a piece of the crown. The best case scenario for him would be to fight Lamon Brewster for the W.B.O. version. He might have a 50-50 chance there. As much as I dislike referring to John Ruiz as a "champion", I still see him finding a way to beat Mesi. The same way he found to beat Vander, Kirk Johnson, Rahman and Oquendo. I'm not a big Chris Byrd fan but Chris would box Joe's ears off. Don't even think about Vitali or Wlad !!! Hell I think Golota would beat Mesi. The fight I'd like to see...Mesi versus Tyson. Joe's style is made for Tyson. Even an old Tyson. Like I said, I hope I'm wrong. I wish Joe all the luck in the world. He'll need it ! [End]