Talk Tough 7-10-04

INSIDE BOXING (July 10, 2004) - Former IBF lightweight champ, Paul Spadafora (37-0) will take on former Costa Rican lightweight champ, Francisco Campos (17-0), July 17 at the Chevrolet Amphitheater in Pittsburgh, PA. This will be Spadafora’s second attempt at the highly competitive junior welterweight division (all this while he has attempted murder charges hanging over his head).

Star Boxing Promotions will be promoting an entertaining heavyweight card July 23 at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. The main event will feature Nigeria’s undefeated David Defiagbon (21-0) vs Uzbekistan’s Oleg Maskaev (28-5) in a 10 round bout. In the co-feature, NY’s Vincent Maddalone (21-1) takes on Pennsylvania's Brian Minto (15-0) in another evenly matched 10 rounder. The card will be televised live on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights 9pm EST.

WBC light welterweight champ, Arturo Gatti (37-6) faces former WBA lightweight champ Leonard Dorin (22-0-1) July 24 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Many boxing insiders are expecting a fight of the year candidate from these two warriors. On the undercard Francisco Bojado (16-1) faces his toughest challenge to date in former WBC super featherweight champion, Jesse James Leija (46-6-2) for the WBC Continental Americas light welterweight belt. Up and coming heavyweights Calvin Brock (21-0) and Dominick Guinn (24-1) will be featured in separate bouts.

Shane Mosley (39-3) gets another shot at jr middleweight champ, Winky Wright (47-3) November 20 at the Mandalay Bay Casino, Las Vegas. (Personally I think it will be the same as last time. Wright is as fast and as talented as Mosley but much stronger. I think Shane was a great lightweight champ but he got too cocky and jumped up one to many divisions. )

I want to finish with a boxing riddle. (With no disrespect intended to Dan Rafael from USA Today.) How can Oscar De LaHoya be ranked 7th by USA Today’s pound for pound list if he lost twice to Shane Mosley who lost twice to Vernon Forrest who lost twice to Ricardo Mayorga who lost to Cory Spinks who is only ranked 10th pound for pound. Don’t get me wrong, I think Oscar is a great fighter and a future Hall of Famer but I think some people are blinded by his golden persona. He has only beaten one big name in the last five years and that was Fernando Vargas. He got a gift decision over Felix Sturm and still wants to fight Bernard Hopkins? I think he is moving up too far like one of my other favorite boxers, Shane Mosley. I sincerely hope he doesn’t get hurt too bad September 18.