Talk Tough Feb 1 2005

It was another great boxing filled weekend for fight fans. Friday night I was fortunate enough to be invited to Roy Foreman's (George's brother) Boxing Bash 2 party at the Wave Night Club inside Trump Marina Casino in Atlantic City. It was held after the Gatti-Leija weigh-in as a pre-game party for the next night. There were many professional athletes and boxing dignitaries in attendance. From there I rushed over to the Tropicana Casino down the street. I got there right on time for the main event of the Duva Boxing promoted card. Undefeated, Shaun George improved his record to 10-0 with an unanimous decision victory over the more experienced Jermal Barnes (17-8). The judges had it 96-94, 97-93 twice. With this win George picked up the IBC Continental cruiserweight championship belt. Current USBA lightweight champ, Levander Johnson was in attendance and stated, “there is going to be a new world champ in two weeks when I knock out IBF lightweight champ Julio Diaz.” The bout is scheduled for February 11 at the Coors Amphitheater in Chula Vista, California. He also said, “the training went great and I am in the best shape of my life”. This bout will be televised live on Telefutura. (I just hope for his sake that was a Shirley Temple he was drinking.) Future hall of famer, Virgil Hill was also in attendance. He said he is getting ready to fight Valery Brudov for the regular WBA cruiserweight title in March or April. (Current champ, Jean Marc Mormeck is being elevated to “Super Champ” status.)

Saturday night was incredible! Instead of sitting in press row for the Gatti vs Leija card, I was invited to sit ringside in the sanctioning body area with the WBC International Secretary, Rex Walker and the WBC Legal Committee Chairman, Robert Lenhardt. What a view of a brutal fight! WBC super lightweight champ, Arturo “Thunder” Gatti (38-6) stopped former champ “Jesse” James Leija (47-7-2) in the fifth round of a scheduled twelve rounder. The referee, Earl Brown could have easily stopped it after the first of two knockdowns in the fifth. Leija beat the count for the first knock down and got up on shaky legs. Gatti, smelling blood, pounced on his injured prey to finish him off at the 1:48 mark. The 12,599 in attendance definitely got their money’s worth. My bet is the 38 year-old Leija hangs em’ up now after a great career and collecting a very good payday of $700,000. Gatti, on the other hand moves on to a June 11 “Super” fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the Atlantic City Convention Hall. If “Thunder” made $2 million for the Leija bout imagine what he will make for the Mayweather fight. It was a great night for boxing and I was fortunate to have some great conversations with the VIPs of the boxing world: ring judge Steve Weisfeld, Boxing Insider’s Scoop Malinowski, Keith Idec from the Herald News, the “Eastern Beast” John Brown, Lou Duva, Lou Dibella, IBF president Miriam Muhammad, NJ Boxing Commissioner Larry Hazzard, rising ring star Paulie Malinaggi, and my old pal Matthew Saad Muhammad.