Former undisputed and two-time World Heavyweight Champion Hasim "The Rock" Rahman (48-7-2, 39 KOs) continues his comeback Saturday night at the Arena Roberto Duran in Panama City, Panama, at the WBA KO Drugs Festival.
Rahman has scored three impressive knockouts since his December 2008 unsuccessful challenge for Wladimir Klitschko's IBF and WBO Heavyweight Championships. He will [...]
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Tim Bradley: 'I Will Sign the Contract' to Fight Devon Alexander
Filed under: WBC, IBF, WBO, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive
WBO junior welterweight champion Tim Bradley (pictured above, at right) of Palm Springs, Calif., told FanHouse moments ago that he will sign the fight contract "over the next couple of days" agreeing to terms for a Jan. 29 , HBO-televised unification bout with southpaw WBC and IBF counter part Devon Alexander (pictured above, at left) of St. Louis, Mo.
"I've got the contract, and I'm going to be signing it over the next couple of days. Finally, now everything is pretty much ready. I'm happy about this fight. Even though I feel like I'm taking this fight on short money, I still want this fight," said Bradley, who is 26-0, with 11 knockouts.
"Devon Alexander and his camp have been doing a lot of talking, and the fight has been a big buzz in the boxing community and in the media," said Bradley, whose clash will take place at a site to be determined. "And, you know, now we're going to see who is truly the best in the world in the 140-pound division. So on Jan. 29, I'm going to be very excited."
Barrios dominates Alcorro
Former junior lightweight titleholder Jorge Barrios rebounded from inactivity stemming from his part in a fatal automobile accident by out-classing journeyman Wilson Alcorro over 10 rounds on Friday in his native Argentina.Barrios (50-4-1, 35 KOs) hadn't fought since last November due to legal issues stemming a January car crash that caused the death of a 20-year-old pregnant woman. The 34-year-old veteran, who was eventually absolved of any wrong doing in the accident, did not appear rusty as he out-boxed and out-worked Alcorro (26-13-3, 17 KOs) in a Telefutura and HBO Plus-televised main event in Corrientes.In the co-featured bout, Argentine welterweight veteran Hector David Saldivia (38-2, 28 KOs) knocked out Brazilian prospect Jailton De Jesus Souza (12-2, 10 KOs) in the third round of their scheduled 10-round bout.
Tyson did 'The Hangover' for drug money
You may want to excuse Mike Tyson if he came off as a lunatic last week during an appearance on ESPNRadio1100 in Las Vegas. After all, he was still recovering from his visit to the dentist that morning. Once known as the "Baddest Man on the Planet," Tyson took part in a classic 25-minute interview. He covered his many highs and lows, and was forthright in admitting that he'd sunk to embarrassing depths during his wild life.
The former heavyweight champ talked about his drug habit, which was still an issue as he prepped for his hilarious cameo in the 2009 blockbuster "The Hangover."
"I was doing that to supply my drug habit. I’m sorry I’m coming at you guys like this," said Tyson (2:30 mark). "I said, ‘Wow, this is going to be really good. We’re going to sell this stuff on 42nd street on bootleg and make a lot of money.’"
The interview also had plenty of light moments. Tyson has slimmed down from well over 300 pounds to 215. He joked about the perils of being overweight.
"It was hard to wipe my butt," said Tyson. "I was sweating like some kind of guy from a moon project or something. It was crazy. All the clothes you see me with now are clothes that I had 15, 20 years ago."
ESPNRadio1100 host Paul Howard asked if Tyson had man-boobs and back fat (0:01 mark).
"Oh man, the back fat! The back fat is when it’s so bad, your ass looks like a board. It’s like boom. The back and ass is one. It’s not like the back goes down and the butt protrudes. No. It’s just straight down. And then girls were telling me I looked great. It had to have been a money deal. It had to be," laughed Tyson.
In this portion of the interview, he even gave commentary on Mel Gibson's recent phone calls to his former girlfriend.
After Briggs debacle, Aussie fans get Green versus Flores
After pulling the upset on Roy Jones Jr., Danny Green was a national hero in Australia. He produced another quick stoppage in his next fight but hero wasn't the word being thrown around in July. Make it heel. Many blamed Green for the 29 second laugher against Paul Briggs. Anyone who'd paid big money to watch Briggs quit, on what still doesn't look like a real punch, had to be infuriated. That fight was moved from Sydney to Perth when the commission Australia's biggest city refused to sanction the bout because Briggs hadn't fought in over three years. There was also the strange coincidence of heavy betting on an early knockout. Check it out for yourself. Is that a knockout punch?
As he was being showered by booes, Green went off after the fight. Now he's trying to make it up by taking on a big challenge in moving up to cruiserweight to face American B.J. Flores Nov. 17 in Perth.
"It has been a tough few months, but I’m focused on the future now and knocking out BJ Flores," Green said. "He is a tough fighter at the top of his game, but I have a point to prove and it’s going to take more than BJ Flores to stop me."
Green (30-3, 27 KOs) has never fought above light heavyweight. You can see the difference in bulk by looking at the press conference staredown. Flores is 6-foot-2 with an 80-inch reach. He's raised his spector a bit with regular appearances on ESPN's Friday Night Fights but Flores (24-0-1, 15 KOs) is in need of a big win too.
"With his size, speed and his power, it’s definitely going to be a big test, I’ve never faced anyone inside a boxing ring that big," said Green. "The most difficult thing about this is not his size, it's his speed coupled with his power and size, not only is he a big unit, he's a fast slick unit."
Because of contractual issues, Flores hasn't fought in 14 months.
Dougie's Monday mailbag
<b>NOVEMBER</b>Hey Doug,Is it just me, or does every weekend in November have a fight for free that's gonna be better than Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito? Why dish out fifty bucks to see Margarito get destroyed when Sergio Martinez-Paul Williams and Carl Froch-Arthur Abraham are both free? Not to mention JuanMa Lopez-Rafael Marquez. How do you think the Pacquiao-Margarito PPV will do in terms of sales? -- Danny<b>I think the Nov. 13 HBO Pay-Per-View will do very well, and I don't say that because I think Pacquiao-Margarito is a better fight on paper than the November bouts you mentioned. The only fight on a regular HBO or Showtime broadcast in November that I'm certain won't outdo Pac-Margz in terms of entertainment is the Andre Ward-Andre Dirrell matchup (Showtime, Nov. 27).However, unlike the other high-profile bouts scheduled in November, Pacquiao-Margarito taps into two separate loyal national followings: Mexico and the Philippines. (Lopez-Marquez taps into two strong national followings -- Puerto Rico and Mexico -- but on a much smaller level. JuanMa is still emerging as a Puerto Rican star, and Rafa has never been a huge draw.) Pacquiao is in his prime as both a fighter and an attraction. Margarito was on the cusp of becoming <I>the</I> Mexican hero following his Miguel Cotto victory and leading into the Shane Mosley fight (as evidenced by the 21,000 that packed Staples Center to witness that showdown). Their "peoples" are going to be backing them up on Nov. 13. That's why Bob Arum is confident that he and Jerry Jones can <I>at least</I> get 70,000 fans into Cowboys Stadium for this fight. The hundreds of thousands of Mexican and Filipino fight fans in the continental U.S. that <I>won't</I> be able to travel Arlington, Texas will be more than willing to pony up $50-$70 to watch the fight live on pay per view. Also, the controversy surrounding the fight due to Margarito's handwrap scandal will spur mainstream media coverage (in the form of condemnation) and fuel strong story lines in HBO's <I>24/7</I> series, which will likely create casual fan interest in the bout. That's my opinion, anyway. To be truthful, I haven't thought much about Pacquiao-Margarito (although the closer we get to the fight the more competitive I think it might be). I'm like you, Danny, I'm just a hardcore fan. I don't follow the sport to root for the guy who shares my nationality or ethnicity, I just want to see a good fight. That's why I'm excited about November, the month that reminds the world that boxing is a major international sport.In the spirit of the recent Top Five lists we've been doing in the mailbags, I'll list the five fights I'm anticipating the most in November:1. Martinez-Williams II (HBO World Championship Boxing, Nov. 20)2. Juan Manuel Marquez-Michael Katsidis (HBO WCB, Nov. 27)3. Froch-Abraham (Showtime Championship Boxing, Nov. 27)4. Pacquiao-Margarito (HBO PPV, Nov. 13)5. Lopez-Marquez (Showtime CB, Nov. 6)Honorable mention: Zab Judah-Lucas Matthysse (HBO Boxing After Dark, Nov. 6), Ward-Dirrell (SHO CB, Nov. 27), Guillermo Rigondeaux-Ricardo Cordoba (HBO PPV, Nov. 13 - Pacquiao-Margarito undercard), Mike Jones-Jesus Soto Karass (Pacquiao-Margarito undercard), and Kelly Pavlik-Brian Vera (Pacquiao-Margarito undercard).(And by the way, folks, I haven't forgotten about presenting a mailbag made up entirely -- or primarily -- of reader Top Five requests. I thought I'd do it for this past Friday's mailbag and this one, but I received so many emails on the Mosley-Mora scoring debate, the Super Six re-scheduling, Angelo Dundee's <I>Best I've Trained</I> feature, and the recent publishing of my and RingTV.com co-editor Michael Rosenthal's pound-for-pound lists that I went with the standard format. But rest assured, the Top Five mailbags are coming.)</b><b>DUNDEE & THE GREATEST</b>Doug,Thanks for the great article on Angelo Dundee. I can still hear him urging Ray Leonard with "You're blowing it son!" before the Sugar Man's dramatic rally against Tommy Hearns. Their 1981 Super-fight was my introduction to the sweet science and I can't think of a better prize fight to sharpen my teeth over. The degree of skill, courage and versatility both fighters displayed that night was breathtaking. Leonard was disarming with his million-dollar smile and flash, but the guy was most determined competitor I've ever seen in the ring and he would cut your balls off to win. It was amazing enough that you had the quartet of Leonard, Hearns, Duran, Benitez and Hagler all fighting within 10 lbs of each other, but we actually got to see them fight each other. (What a novel idea, right?) LOL... these guys were f___ing fearless. They all thought they were the greatest and didn't hesitate to match their skills against their fellow superstars. During an era that boasted several other superstars, Sugar Ray stood the tallest. Seriously, close your eyes and try to picture Floyd Mayweather braving through Hearns's right hand or Leonard prancing around cautiously like Oscar De La Hoya did in the late rounds of his 12 round snooze fest against Felix Trinidad. More so than any other fighter I have been lucky enough to see, Leonard fought in the moment. The spotlight was his time to shine and good luck if you dared to try to push him out of it. There was nothing he couldn't do in the ring and he was a master psychologist, just ask Marvin Hagler.A quick question about Muhammad Ali, where would you place him on your own personal all time pound for pound list? Sugar Ray Robinson is considered to be the best fighter of all time, but could a legitimate argument be made that had Ali not lost three and a half years of his career -- his prime years at that -- he would have challenged Robinson's place in history? Just a thought. -- Tom G.<b>We'll never know how great the prime version of Ali that <I>should have</I> fought from 1967 to 1970 could have been. I think he would have literally been untouchable as well as a dangerous offensive force. However, I'm not sure that had Ali been able to fight during those years he'd have done enough to challenge the revered place in boxing history that Robinson earned with the 200 professional bouts he fought in. Three things to keep in mind when measuring these two ring titans in a pound-for-pound sense: Robinson's activity, their quality of opposition and Sugar Ray's ability to KO world-class (future hall of famers) with one punch. I gotta give the nod to Robinson based on those factors. Even if Ali's license had not been yanked I don't imagine that he would have fought more than 10 to 15 times in that time span. Let's say he could fit 15 bouts in the remainder of 1967 to the first part of 1970. His total would still be way under 100 bouts (76 to be exact). And who would Ali have fought during that time period? He basically cleaned out the heavyweight division from 1964 to early '67. It took his arch-rival Joe Frazier until at least early 1970 to develop into a fearsome pressure fighting force. They still would have made for a great fight, but would Ali have received as much credit for turning back the stern challenge of Frazier as the defending champ (as I believe he would have) as he did dropping a classic decision as <I>The People's Champ</I> returning from exile? It's just my opinion but I don't think Ali would have received much due for beating a young challenger version of Frazier. Don't forget, Frazier had tough fights with Oscar Bonavena on his way up the heavyweight ladder. Heck, Buster Mathis was competitive with Frazier until Smokin' Joe's pressure and killer hook caught up with the big man in the 11th round in their 1968 bout. Ali's other rivals, George Foreman and Ken Norton, were raw prospects in 1968 and '69. So my guess is that Ali would have fought a lot of no-hopers apart from Frazier... and he probably would have taken most of those ham-and-eggers the distance. He just couldn't crack like Robinson (who scored 108 career knockouts). Ali's late 1960s title reign may have looked a lot like Roy Jones Jr.'s light heavyweight reign -- obvious awesome talent wasted on chumps in uneventful fights. I think Ali is arguably the best heavyweight ever but I don't have him in my all-time pound-for-pound top 10.Leonard, on the other hand, always receives that consideration from me, despite only engaging in 40 pro bouts. Why? For the very reasons you so eloquently stated in your email. He was blessed to have great talent and lucky enough to come along during a period when worthy adversaries campaigned at or near his weigh classes -- and God Bless him -- he took advantage of the opportunity. I could make some sort of a comparison with Floyd Mayweather Jr. but why disrespect Leonard's legacy by putting those two in the same sentence?I'm glad you enjoyed the <I>Best I've Trained</I> article on Dundee. Michael Rosenthal and I are looking forward to interviewing Emanuel Steward, Amilcar Brusa, Joe Goossen, Tommy Brooks, Ken Adams, Nacho Beristain, Ronnie Shields and others for this semi-regular feature in the near future.</b> <b>ANGELO DUNDEE</b>Lovin' that article on Angelo. Looking forward to hearing what other great trainers thought of their fighters. Also have you heard anything about Freddie Roach's new book? I'm looking forward to that as well. Thanks Doug. -- Sam<b>I'm glad you liked the Dundee article, Sam. I had a blast talking to Dundee, and believe me, the legendary trainer is a <I>talker</I>. We were on the phone for an hour and a half and only about 40 minutes of the conversation was about the best fighters he trained and the re-opening of the 5th Street Gym. Dundee's got a thousand stories and I heard around 10 of 'em during our interview. He talked about his early days in the sport, when he was happy to carry the water bucket into corners worked by the top old-time trainers (Ray Arcel, Chickie Ferrara, Freddie Brown and others) in New York in the mid-to-late 1940s, as well as his early trips to Cuba when he followed his older brother Chris to the Miami area. He talked about training underrated Cubans of the 1950s and '60s such as Luis Rodriguez (a favorite of mine) and Florentino Fernandez and about forgotten contenders such Bobby Dykes, who trained at the 5th Street Gym. He told me how he met his wife, Helen, who he married in 1952 and adores to this day. He told me about Ali's love of veteran fighters and all "boxing people" and how close The Greatest was to Cus D'Amato and Ray Robinson's circle of family and friends. And he said one of the most satisfying training jobs he ever did was with a heavyweight journeyman from Chicago named Johnny Holman. I could have listened to Dundee talk for five hours straight. I think the book on Freddie Roach you referenced is </I>The Wild Card: Hard-Fought Lessons from a Life in the Ring</I>. It might be out now. If not, it will be soon. Check Amazon.com. All I know about it is that it was co-written with Peter Nelson, who is an excellent writer/journalist. So knowing that and knowing how honest and open Freddie is, I'm fairly certain the book is going to be an excellent read.</b><b>SEVEN QUESTIONS</b>Hey Doug,Slow weekend, perfect occasion for a couple of quick questions:1- Finally we got dates for Stage 3 of the Super Six (I understand why they still do the Stage but let's be honest, it's a bit ridiculous), so where would you rather be on that night, Dirrell-Ward, Abraham-Froch or Marquez-Katsidis? Personally there's not a lot of fights that would keep me away from Marquez-Katsidis.2- Wonder if you saw the Magnificent 7 card, all and all a pretty good card. I'd like to know your take on Nathan Cleverly, I thought he was exciting and fun to watch. He's still young but he's going to have to work on his defence before he gets to the upper echelon, otherwise it might not be a long ride3- Regarding Martinez-Williams, despite the time that Williams will have this time to prepare (same for Martinez), I see Martinez winning. I see William as a great athlete but not a great boxer. I just think that Martinez will make more adjustments than William and be able to win a clear decision (but good fight). I thought William was losing in his last outing and didn't look to good against Cintron.4- Since Cotto is sitting out the rest of the year and Top Rank is going forward with a ppv card on December 4th, any chance Cintron gets the date against Martiroyian?5- Any news on the next Segura fight?6- With the possibility of a fight between British prospects James DeGale and George Groves, can you think of the last time you saw a fight between two legit prospects where none have had more than ten fights.7- 5 highlights of your professional career.as always, have a good week. -- simon, montr al<b>Thanks, Simon. I'll answer in order:1. I'd rather cover Marquez-Katsidis. I don't even have to think about it. Those two lightweights are two of my favorite fighters and favorite people that I've met in boxing. They come to fight and there's no freakin' way that lightweight championship bout won't deliver action and drama. The Super Six fights are quality matchups but there's a good chance that Ward-Dirrell turns out to be a safety first chess match and there's a strong possibility that Froch-Abraham develops into an ugly, mauling affair. 2. I have not seen the Magnificent 7 card. (I know, shame on me.) A friend of mine made me a DVD of the card but the past two weeks have been very busy and I just haven't had an uninterrupted three-and-half hours to spare in order to view it. However, I wasn't surprised to learn that Cleverly took care of business against a fellow RING-rated contender (Karo Murat). I've stated repeatedly in past mailbags that I believe Welshman has world-title potential. I've said it before and I'll state it once more: one day -- probably sooner rather than later -- Cleverly and one of my favorite prospects, Ismayl Sillakh, will face-off in a world title bout and they will make for a hell of fight. 3. I'm expecting another good fight from Williams and Martinez but I'm also leaning towards the middleweight champ from Argentina. Funny how everyone assumes that Williams is such a "great athlete." I think Martinez is a better pure athlete than Williams. He's faster, more explosive and better coordinated. Williams is just a freakishly tall workhorse in my opinion. I don't mean that as an insult, either. It's a compliment. He's got mad heart, he trains his ass off and he gives 100% when he's in the trenches. That hard-working attitude and his height and reach are what make him special. 4. There's very little chance of Cotto-Cintron happening this year. Arum's Dec. 4 PPV will be a "Latin Fury" headlined by Chavez Jr. vs. Alfonzo Gomez. Humberto Soto and Nonito Donaire will probably be on the card. 5. No news on Segura's next bout, but I do know that Giovani had a tough time making 108 pounds. In fact, he was 10 pounds over less than a week from the Calderon fight. Unless it's an immediate rematch with Calderon my guess is that Segura's next fight will be a non-title bout at 112 or even 115 pounds.6. The only high-profile fight between ballyhooed prospects who each had 10 pro bouts or less that comes to mind is a heavyweight showdown between 1992 U.S. Olympian Danell Nicholson (10-0) and amateur KO king Jeremy Williams (8-0). They fought in May of 1993 and the fight (believe it or not) was broadcast live on network TV. Williams blasted Nicholson in two rounds, in case you were wondering.7. Top five highlights of my career (I wouldn't say it's been all that professional, LOL): 1. Co-founding Houseofboxing.com with Gary Randall in 1997. 2. Selling HOB to Marc Robert's Worldwide Entertainment & Sports company for around half a million and splitting the $100,000 that we were paid upon signing with Randall. 3. Co-founding MaxBoxing.com with Randall, Steve Kim and Thomas Gerbasi. 4. Being part of the Edwin Valero-headlined "Lightweight Lightening" pay-per-view broadcast with Barry Tompkins and Bernard Hopkins. 5. Being part of the Hopkins-Roy Jones Jr. HBO-distributed PPV broadcast with Joe Tessitore and Sugar Ray Leonard. (Honorable mention: joining The Ring staff as co-editor of RingTV.com, getting a credential for my first "major" fight in Las Vegas - the 1998 bout between Mike Tyson and Frans Botha at MGM, seeing my first articles published in The Ring - a 1995 short piece on local club promoter Peter Broudy bringing boxing back to The Olympic and a 1997 feature on Shane Mosley, getting the <I>Fight Night Club</I> commentating gig, and being interviewed for my first HBO <I>Countdown</I> show, Countdown to Barrera-Marquez in early 2007.)</b> <b>DAMN, DAMN, DAMN!</b>In the words of Florida Evans from Good Times, that's what I thought when I watched the replay of Mosley-Mora!I watched the fight last week in a movie theater (first time experience and not bad at all) with a group of friends with snacks and non-alcoholic libations flowing. I didn't score the fight but watching and listening to the HBO team, I felt that Mosley won the fight by 2-3 rounds. Although I didn't think it was a Chavez-Whitaker robbery like Lamps thought it was, I left the theater feeling that it was a bad draw nonetheless... I felt Mosley got jobbed.I read your mailbag Monday and Friday and shook my head in disagreement as I just did not see the fight you saw, brother. I thought that Mora was ineffective in backing up, was switching from righty to lefty for no reason and not engaging.Then I saw the replay... wife and kids were out, HBO Latino meant I wouldn't be influenced by the commentary and it was just me and a pen and pad. I had it 116-112 for Mora. I felt he showed more ring generalship, landed the cleaner, easier to score shots and his backward movement allowed him to control the pace of the fight. Mosley I thought, was moving forward but was lacking effective aggression. His feints looked more like seizures and standing straight up with no bend in his knees didn't allow him to cut off the ring effectively.Man I did a complete 180 from last week! Anyway, you and I don't always agree and I wouldn't have it any other way bro, but you were right (not that you're trying to bring anybody over to your side, just helping them understand your side) and a heck of a lot of us (including Dave Schwartz) were wrong. Peace. -- Carlos in Sac<b>Hey, if Dave Schwartz scored the fight for Mosley, Sugar Shane probably deserved the decision. LOL.Don't feel bad about changing your opinion of who won the fight after watching the replay. I've done that more than a few times. I thought Erik Morales edged Zahir Rahim watching it live at Staples but when I watched the HBO broadcast I believe I had the Z-man winning eight rounds. I thought the official scores in the Felix Sturm-Oscar De Le Hoya fight were fine the first time I watched the fight (at Dave's after at least three beers, and I didn't bother scoring the fight). When I watched it at home (alone, and scoring it round by round on a piece of paper) I had it 116-112 for the "Sturminator." I thought Ricardo Mayorga beat Vernon Forrest by a 115-113 tally while covering the fight live, but I scored it 116-112 for the late "Viper" when I watched the replay on TV. I can go on and on and on... Some fights are like that. Who knows? Perhaps if I watch a replay of Mosley-Mora, I'll see the fight you saw the first time around.Anyway, it's nice to hear that you saw a different fight (the one I saw live) the second time around. Not that I was questioning my scorecard, because, honestly, I would be fine if I was the only person on the planet who thought Mora won.</b> <b>LAST WORD ON MOSLEY-MORA</b>Hey Dougie, I was just reading your Friday mailbag, good stuff. Thought it was interesting. I read an article a couple days ago about HBO's call of the fight and it mentioned a couple of the same fights you did and how Lampley called those fights... Spinks-Taylor and Hopkins-Taylor.Anyway, don't know if you saw that same article, but it really laid out the way Lampley and those guys were biased in the fight. Heres a <a href="http://www.theboxingbulletin.com/2010/9/22/1703139/mosley-vs-mora-an-embarrassing ">link</a>.I thought Lampley in particular was really disrespectful to Mora and they need to get some new blood calling the fights there. Anyway, keep up the great work. -- Chang<b>I'll try, Chang. Just to be clear, though, I don't think anybody who scored Mosley-Mora for Mosley (or anyone who can't fathom Mora winning) is <I>wrong</I>. Although I thought both Spinks and Hopkins (in the first bout) won eight rounds vs. Taylor, many boxing writers and insiders that I respect scored those fights for Taylor. I haven't seen the HBO PPV broadcast of Mosley-Mora but I know from talking with a lot of my hardcore boxing friends that Lampley and Merchant were voicing what a lot of people were thinking and feeling while watching that fight. These friends of mine were more impressed with Mosley's workrate and fighting spirit than what Mora was doing, they were frustrated by Mora (who rubs most of them the wrong way to begin with), and they wanted the 39-year-old veteran who has given so much to the sport to knockout the punchless ring general. So for those folks -- diehard fans who buy most PPV cards and frequently pay to see live boxing -- Larry and Jim were simply telling it like it was. That's what most sports fans want from TV commentators.</b><b>THE P4P RATINGS</b>Hey Mike and Dougie, remember i gave you (Mike) s__t a while back for rating Arthur Abraham`s accomplishments ahead of Vitali and Wladimir`s? Wow do i look smart now. I'm just forewarning you about your next big klitschko blunder. Actually I'll give you more than one. First Tim bradley in P4P top ten? ok here we go again, Bradley has beaten (rounds lost by bradley in brackets), Abregu (3), Peterson (1), Campbell (0), Holt (3/4 and knocked down twice), Cherry (1) and Witter (5), with no KO's. Same for wlad: Peter (0 and got ko), Chambers (0 and KO) Chagaev (0 and KO), Rahamn (0 and KO) Thompson (0 and KO) Ibragimov (0) brewster (0 and KO) Austin (0 and KO)... get the pattern yet? ill go back further, Brock (2 and KO), Byrd (0 and KO) Peter (3 and 2 knockdowns). I think right now, you could put Bradley where wlad was after the ray austin win. But the thing is I don't think bradley has the potential to clean out the division or knockout ANYBODY at the top of the fight game. Wlad did and does. Bradley is Arthur Abraham with no power. When he faces an Andre Dirrell (Khan and i Hate amir khan) of his division, he'll get the s__t boxed out of him just like Abraham did. My next point: Andre Ward is good, but not tested enough. get back to me after the dirrell fight, you might be right, but hes not better than wlad right now. difference is wlad ko's his opponents andre doesn't but i agree, hes equally dominant. On to JuanMa Lopez, a top rank fraud. He gets knocked down by Bernabe Conception and gets the ko, wins 7/7 from steven leuvano and gets ko. Loses 5 rounds against a non top 25 or maybe top 50 in his division guy and almost gets knocked out (Mtagwa). Mtagwa showed what he's made of against Gamboa. Good win against way past his prime gerry penalosa. His other wins, Oliver Lontchi, Medina, Figeuroa are total nobodies. Nice KO against ponce de leon. This list is a current pound for pound list though, not a projected list in the next 2 years if all goes according to what you think will happen in those two years. In two years, im comfortable betting wlad will be on the p4p list, however i would not bet a cent on Bradley. Ward and JuanMa have not accomplished enough to be there.they've done more than marquez and are better than marquez right now as well? give me a break. If youre looking for prospects, I'll take a 1-0 luis valero over tim bradley for 5 years down the line. Dougie, Adamek really? other than that, i agree with everything on your list. should say unbeaten and largely unchallenged in 11 bouts. -- Matt<b>Adamek has one loss, a decision to Chad Dawson. He was clearly weight-drained in that bout and he still managed to put Dawson on his ass. Since then he's knocked out former crusierweight champ O'Neil Bell, beat the RING's No. 1-rated cruiserweight, Steve Cunningham, in a fight of the year candidate for the championship, which he defended against then-undefeated prospect Jonathan Banks, who is currently unbeaten at heavyweight, and then he jumps to the heavyweight division where he soundly outworks and outboxes a legit top-10 contender in Chris Arreola. I think the Pride of Poland has paid mad dues and deserves more respect than he gets from most American fans (and media).Other than that, I agree with you that Bradley and Ward have not done enough to merit a top 10 pound-for-pound ranking. Both guys have two or three solid victories over top-10 contenders in their respective divisions, and that's it. Compare what they have done in their weight classes with the track record of a guy like Pongsaklek Wonjongkam. He made 17 alphabet title defenses, defeated a dozen contenders and former/future beltholders, and won THE RING title against a top-rated young undefeated Koki Kameda. There really isn't any comparison. If Wonjongkam was an American welterweight most U.S. boxing writers would be comparing him to the likes of Kid Gavilan and Henry Armstrong...Anyway, I think Bradley and Ward are very talented and promising. If Bradley fights Devon Alexander and wins, I might bump Tomasz Adamek for the Palm Springs native. Ward might also get consideration if he beats Dirrell (it depends on <I>how</I> he beats his good buddy). There are others who are on the cusp of my top 10. Former bantie beltholder Hozumi Hasegawa could get back in if he wins his up-coming featherweight title bout. Chad Dawson could get back in if he beats Jean Pascal in impressive fashion whenever they fight their mandatory rematch. If Pascal beats and dominates B-Hop in December, he'll receive some consideration. The winner of Showtime's four-man bantamweight tournament will probably break into my top 10. I wish Nonito Donaire were fighting Fernando Montiel. If he were to win that fantastic matchup I'd probably give him the same ranking he currently has in the magazine.</b>
TQBR Prediction Game 4.0, Update #3
About the worst thing anyone can do when trying to win the current version of TQBR Prediction Game is to be someone who had won an earlier version of TQBR Prediction Game. Something about being inducted into the Hall of Champions makes just about everyone go on a miserable prediction streak or flat stop playing. Over the past weekend, though, two champs of yesteryear revived some of their glory days... but is a new champ emerging?
Paul Kelly took the lead all by his lonesome by predicting a Daniel Ponce De Leon knockout of Antonio Escalante. But Miggs 88, a Hall of Champions inductee, also predicted a De Leon KO and is a mere 100 points behind him. And another inductee, Pretty Toney, had the most accurate call of the week by predicting De Leon would score the knockout in the 7th round, the closest to the actual KO round, the 3rd. So while we celebrate Paul Kelly's new leaderboard status, it's too early to celebrate him or anyone else as a future champion, as five fights remain. As such, we celebrate old champions this day (Would anyone have picked Carmen Basilio, with the way he fought, to live to be 83? Oh, wait, now that I think about it, it totally makes sense) with the idea that the next champion's day will come.
Most of the rest of us were bamboozled in at least one way. The Shane Mosley-Sergio Mora draw robbed everyone of points, a bitter pill for those of us who thought Mosley deserved the win and probably for some of you who thought Mora did. Meanwhile, 20 of us picked Escalante to 13 people picking De Leon (including Beard of Zeus aka Eugene Dammrod, who broke a five-fight skid). It now feels like my dumbest pick of 2010. I usually can imagine how my picks might lose, but I simply didn't imagine the kind of demolition job De Leon did on Escalante.
The problem for those of us who aren't doing so hot is that, yes, we still have a chance at this thing, but we might have to sit with our shame for a long time. I don't see anything prediction-worthy until Nov. 6, unless there's a sudden grassroots groundswell for a prediction on Oct. 15 for Lucian Bute-Jesse Brinkley and/or Oct. 16 for Vitali Klitscko-Shannon Briggs. Let me know what you think, people.
Until then, here are your standings. As usual, if you see any tabulation errors, notify me and we'll adjudicate:
upcoming boxing matches upcoming professional boxing matches
The Weekend's Boxing Schedule, Featuring Denkaosan Kaowichit, Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam And More
It's a glorious weekend of boxing not because of the quality bouts (although there are a handful) but because three boxers with names like those in the headline, who also matter, are all in action. That's not exactly true; I take it back.�Flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam apparently isn't fighting until Oct. 8, despite ESPN's listing. So it's a lie.�Even worse, this post will be the least clicked-on post in TQBR history because everyone will click away after failing to finish reading that headline, but who cares? It was irresistible.
Also, per friend of the site cguenard, here's a picture of heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko dressed up all silly for Oktoberfest with his gf Hayden Panettiere. Then, for no other reason than because I can, I have inserted a video of Wayne Brady and Mike Tyson reenacting a Bobby Brown song and video. It's at the end of the post, after the rundown of the weekend's boxing schedule.
Morales KOs Limond in six
Erik Morales, the quintessential Mexican fighter, rallied to stop Willie Limond with the most traditional of Mexican punches -- the left hook to the liver -- in the sixth round of a scheduled 12-round main event at Monumental Plaza de Toros in Mexico City on Saturday.Morales (50-6, 35 knockouts) looked bloated and shopworn during the first three rounds of the bout as the 31-year-old Scottish fighter boxed circles around 17-year veteran. Limond (33-3, 8 KOs) exhibited a sharp jab, smart footwork, a tight defense and crisp counter punching while Morales slowly stalked the well-schooled stick-and-move boxer. However, the popular Mexican fighter, who weighed 143 pounds as did his naturally bigger opponent, gradually fought himself into shape with each round. Morales began to cut the ring off in the fourth and time Limond with hard jabs and right hands. He landed three- and four-punch combinations to Limond's body and head when the game Scotsman foolishly stood his ground with the future hall of famer in the fifth.Midway through the sixth Morales landed a perfect left hook to Limond's side that caused him to take a knee. Limond bravely got up on wobbly legs only to get nailed with the same shot to the liver that clearly sent ripples of pain throughout his body as he dropped down to his knee again. Limond got up a second time and was immediately sent back down with yet a third left hook to the body.Referee Jay Nady waved the fight off at 2:46 of the round, correctly ruling that Limond could not continue. "I'm going to get better and better with each fight," Morales promised the live crowd of 54,000 and the millions watching on Televisa in Mexico during his post-fight interview. "I'm really dedicating myself to boxing and I know I can make 135 pounds." If he can indeed make the lightweight limit high-profile bouts with his fellow Mexican legends Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera await him in 2011.
Alvarez takes another step toward stardom
LOS ANGELES -- Victor Ortiz scored an impressive knockout of Vivian Harris, putting the veteran down four times in less than three rounds, on Saturday at Staples Center. Daniel Ponce de Leon looked positively scary in his KO of Antonio Escalante. And Shane Mosley's listless performance in his draw with Sergio Mora was further evidence that he is in decline.Saul "Canelo" Alvarez was the talk of this card, though.Alvarez (34-0-1, 26 knockouts) was nothing short of sensational, becoming the first to knock out Carlos Baldomir since very early in the Argentine's career as 13,591 mostly Mexican and Mexican-American fans roared their approval.And it wasn't just the result, which wasn't terribly surprising given Baldomir's age (39) and the fact he has lost whatever hand speed he once had. It was <i>how</i> Alvarez did it.The 20-year-old from Guadalajara demonstrated maturity beyond his years, patiently outboxing a clever, awkward opponent with far more experience than he has. He displayed a world-class jab to set up powerful, well-timed rights.Baldomir (45-13-6, 14 KOs), reputed to have one of the best chins in boxing, took many of Alvarez's best shots early in the fight but gradually broke down as his baby-faced foe landed more and more telling blows.Then Alvarez gave the crowd exactly what it wanted - a thrilling finish in the third round. He landed one hellacious shot ... then another ... then another and Baldomir started to wilt. Finally, a straight left put the Argentine on his face and ended the fight two seconds before the end of the round as the crowd erupted."I'm very happy, I'm full of emotions to be the first to knock out Baldomir in a big fight," he said through a translator.Again, we shouldn't read too much into a victory over a faded opponent who was never particularly good to begin with. Baldomir was a good test, though, a tough, veteran fighter who was desperately trying to hang on as a contender. And he aced the test.It's becoming more and more obvious that he'll be the next Mexican star, among fans both south of the border and in the United States. He's good looking, he's well-spoken, he's humble, he mixes well with the masses ... and it is becoming more and more clear that he's very talented.Of course, he must continue to win. And one person with considerable knowledge of boxing is fairly certain he will."He hits really hard," Baldomir said through a translator. "I was surprised by his power. No one has hit me like he did. He's definitely going to be a real champion. He's the real deal."<a href="mailto:ringtveditor@yahoo.com">Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com</a>
upcoming boxing matches upcoming professional boxing matches
Vitali?s Retirement Plan
A source with close ties to the Klitschko Brother camp has informed BoxingInsider.com that WBC Heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko is seriously considering retiring from the boxing ring at the end of 2010. This means the October 16 title defense vs. American Shannon Briggs in Hamburg will very likely be the final fight of the Hall [...]
Alvarez takes another step toward stardom
LOS ANGELES -- Victor Ortiz scored an impressive knockout of Vivian Harris, putting the veteran down four times in less than three rounds, on Saturday at Staples Center. Daniel Ponce de Leon looked positively scary in his KO of Antonio Escalante. And Shane Mosley's listless performance in his draw with Sergio Mora was further evidence that he is in decline.Saul "Canelo" Alvarez was the talk of this card, though.Alvarez (34-0-1, 26 knockouts) was nothing short of sensational, becoming the first to knock out Carlos Baldomir since very early in the Argentine's career as 13,591 mostly Mexican and Mexican-American fans roared their approval.And it wasn't just the result, which wasn't terribly surprising given Baldomir's age (39) and the fact he has lost whatever hand speed he once had. It was <i>how</i> Alvarez did it.The 20-year-old from Guadalajara demonstrated maturity beyond his years, patiently outboxing a clever, awkward opponent with far more experience than he has. He displayed a world-class jab to set up powerful, well-timed rights.Baldomir (45-13-6, 14 KOs), reputed to have one of the best chins in boxing, took many of Alvarez's best shots early in the fight but gradually broke down as his baby-faced foe landed more and more telling blows.Then Alvarez gave the crowd exactly what it wanted - a thrilling finish in the third round. He landed one hellacious shot ... then another ... then another and Baldomir started to wilt. Finally, a straight left put the Argentine on his face and ended the fight two seconds before the end of the round as the crowd erupted."I'm very happy, I'm full of emotions to be the first to knock out Baldomir in a big fight," he said through a translator.Again, we shouldn't read too much into a victory over a faded opponent who was never particularly good to begin with. Baldomir was a good test, though, a tough, veteran fighter who was desperately trying to hang on as a contender. And he aced the test.It's becoming more and more obvious that he'll be the next Mexican star, among fans both south of the border and in the United States. He's good looking, he's well-spoken, he's humble, he mixes well with the masses ... and it is becoming more and more clear that he's very talented.Of course, he must continue to win. And one person with considerable knowledge of boxing is fairly certain he will."He hits really hard," Baldomir said through a translator. "I was surprised by his power. No one has hit me like he did. He's definitely going to be a real champion. He's the real deal."<a href="mailto:ringtveditor@yahoo.com">Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com</a>
Friday, October 1, 2010
Agbeko vs. Perez & Darchinyan vs. Mares Presser Quotes & Photos
SHOWTIME� Sports hosted a press conference Thursday at The Conga Room , L.A. Live, to formally introduce and discuss ?BANTAMWEIGHT TOURNAMENT: WINNER TAKES ALL? that begins Saturday, Dec. 11, live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) from Irapuato, �Mexico.
In attendance was Ken Hershman, SHOWTIME Sports Executive Vice President and General Manager, �the four world class boxers who will participate in the two-round, single-elimination tournament to determine the best fighter at 118 pounds ? International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Yonnhy ...
In attendance was Ken Hershman, SHOWTIME Sports Executive Vice President and General Manager, �the four world class boxers who will participate in the two-round, single-elimination tournament to determine the best fighter at 118 pounds ? International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Yonnhy ...
Olympic Boxing At The Commonwealth Games
Olympic Boxing At The Commonwealth Games - Competitors in the 19th Commonwealth Games boxing tournament have around four days to make their weight. The General Weigh-In and Official Draw will be held on October 4, while the boxing will start at the newly constructed Talkatora Indoor Stadium in New Delhi the following day.
Andre Berto's Picks: Sebastian Lujan, Jo Jo Dan, Freddy Hernandez
Filed under: WBA, WBC, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive
Considerations for WBC welterweight (147 pounds) champion Andre Berto are comprised of Mexico City's Freddy Hernandez, Argentina's Sebastian Lujan or Romanian-born Ionut Dan Ion (Jo Jo Dan) of Canada on the Nov. 27 under card of an HBO televised triple-header whose main event will feature WBO and WBA lightweight (135 pounds) titlist Juan Manuel Marquez (pictured above) of Mexico opposite WBO interim king Michael Katsidis of Australia.
Promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Marquez (51-5-1, 37 knockouts) and Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs) are to meet at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Ortiz puts Harris down four times, stops him in three
Victor Ortiz took the first round to feel out opponent Vivian Harris and then unloaded.Ortiz (28-2-1, 22 KOs) put Harris (29-5-1, 19 KOs) down three times in the second round to set up the knockout in the third on the Shane Mosley-Sergio Mora card Saturday at Staples Center.The Ventura, Calif. resident landed a right-hook and then a quick right uppercut to end it 45 seconds into the round. Referee Raul Caiz waved off the fight the moment Harris hit the canvas.Harris, from Brooklyn, N.Y., was coming off a knockout loss to Lucas Matthysse in February.
Small Talk James DeGale
The Olympic gold medalist on wardrobes, vegetables and where to go out in Harlesden
Straight down to business, James: you will fight Carl "Dynamite" Dilks on 18 September. How's training going?
Training's going well. I've been in the gym for the past six weeks, getting fit and feeling nice. I can't wait. It's a British title eliminator, so hopefully by the end of the year I'll be fighting for the British title.
You visited Floyd Mayweather at his gym last year. How was that? He can be a little bit... opinionated sometimes.
That was great, that was amazing. He's one of my idols, so just to watch him train, to watch him spar, was amazing. We talked a few times. He knew I was an Olympic gold medalist. He got a bronze in Atlanta, so there was some respect there, a connection. It was just brilliant to see him.
If he ever gets it together with Manny Pacquiao, who do you think would win?
I'm a Mayweather man, I think he's the best boxer on the planet. It'd be a great fight, obviously, but he's the man.
Where's your Olympic medal now?
My paps keeps that somewhere. I don't even know where it is. He keeps it nice and safe. That's something proper special, so it's tucked away somewhere nice. That rarely comes out. The MBE, though, that's on show. That's in my room.
Did your dad really lock himself in a wardrobe during the Olympic final?
Yeah, he did. It was such a big and important fight, and I think it got to him. He comes to watch me fight sometimes but because it was an Olympic final he couldn't watch it so he went and hid.
You might have been a dancer ? do you still dance a bit?
I dance in clubs when I go out, but not any more than that. I was just following my sister. She was into it first, and now she's a qualified dance teacher. Boxing took over in the end, for me. I'm still good on my feet though so maybe it did help.
You'd be perfect for Strictly Come Dancing, but you turned down a place last year...
In a few years I would definitely do something like that, but the timing wasn't right for me. It's still about the boxing.
Your nickname is Chunky. Isn't that a bit rubbish? I mean, it's not The Hitman, or Bonecrusher, or Hands of Stone, or The Executioner, or The Count of Monte Fisto really is it?
I keep it real. Ever since I walked into a gym at the age of 10 they called me chunky. Everyone in the boxing world knows me as Chunk. They don't call me James, they call me Chunk. I don't mind it. I'm used to it.
You used to get a few boos from the crowd before your fights. Are you more popular now?
Everything's going well now. I started a bit shaky a year and a half ago. I got a couple of boos, but I think I've won people over now. By 2012 I want to be knocking on the door of the world title, or maybe a champion already. They won't be booing then.
What was the last film you saw?
I went to the premiere of The Expendables a while ago. What a film. A really good film that is.
So did you get to meet Sylvester Stallone? Or just Dolph Lundgren?
I didn't actually meet them but I was around them. I got pretty close. I went with Frank Warren. We got invited, I had a hard day in training and it was my little treat.
Were you a Rocky fan?
I loved the Rocky films, yeah. Rocky IV's my favourite, the one with the Russian.
What's the last music you bought/stole using a dodgy file-sharing website?
I was downloading the other night, just random singles. The Fray, a couple of theirs, Omarion, random stuff.
What's the last book you read?
I'm not really a reader, but every Thursday and Friday I read my Boxing News. I read the papers every day, but I'm not really a book reader.
What about food? What's your treat?
I love my food. The worst thing is having to make weight before a fight. It's hard to cut down. Hopefully in 10 years I'll have retired and I'll be able to do what I want. I like steaks, but I love a homemade roast, a nice roast dinner.
What's the world's worst vegetable?
I'm a good boy, I eat up all my vegetables. But if I've got to pick one it'll have to be sprouts. I don't like them, but when they're on my plate I'll eat them.
Cheese or chocolate?
I like cheese on toast, but probably chocolate.
What's your favourite pasta shape?
I like shells, or the spirally ones. Fusilli, yeah, that's the ones.
Where did you go on holiday this year?
In the space of about eight weeks I had three ? Cyprus for five days with my family, and Marbella for four nights, then three weeks later I went to Marbella again for four nights. Short, sharp, in and out, that's the best way. A nice relaxing break.
Do you still live near your parents in Harlesden?
Yeah, I still live in Harlesden. I'm looking for a house now, somewhere more near my gym, Essex way or something like that. I bought an apartment but I'm not good at living by myself so I'm always at home. My mum feeds me, she does my washing, so I'm there most of the time.
Can you recommend somewhere in Harlesden to go out?
In Harlesden? Oh no. No, no, no. Nowhere in Harlesden. You have to wander out a bit. There's a couple of nice places like Kensal Green way and that, still north-west London, but you have to get out of Harlesden. Me? I go out in central London, me and the boys will go out to one of the clubs in town. Mo*vida, somewhere like that.
Can you tell us a joke?
I'm not good with jokes, no. I don't know a joke at all. I like being told jokes, but I can't tell one myself. Sorry.
That's all right, James. Thanks for the chat. Good luck with the fight.
Cheers Small Talk. Bye!
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Erik Morales: Best I've faced
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jbGM71w6DnE?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jbGM71w6DnE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>In his prime, and even as his hall-of-fame career began to wind down, there was no better elite-level warrior than Erik Morales. Few fighters of the past 20 years were as consistently entertaining against the sport's best as the Tijuana native, who produced fight-of-the-year ring wars and instant-classic trilogies with fellow first-ballot hall of famers Marco Antonio Barrera and Manny Pacquiao.Following a 2 -year "retirement," Morales won a hard-fought 12-round decision over former lightweight beltholder Jose Alfaro in a welterweight bout this past March. Sadly, the speed, power and reflexes that aided "El Terrible" in winning his first 41 professional bouts -- a nine-year win streak that included victories over seven titleholders, including Barrera and Junior Jones -- were gone.However, the fierce pride and warrior spirit -- intangibles that made the Mexican star special -- remain, as evidenced by a recent interview Morales (49-6, 34 knockouts) gave RingTV.com after a Los Angeles press conference announcing his second comeback fight against Scotland's Willie Limond (33-2, 8 KOs) in a pay-per-view-televised bout Saturday from Mexico City.Morales, 34, agreed to take part in RingTV.com's <I>Best I've faced</I> series, the periodic feature that asks the most-accomplished fighters of our generation to list the best they've fought in 10 important categories. The former three-division titleholder had a difficult time with the first category, <b>Best Fighter</b>.The obvious choice is either Barrera or Pacquiao, two arguably great fighters who Morales beat in the first bouts of their trilogies but lost the following two fights to each. However, the salty veteran refused to bestow that honor on either man. "El Terrible" takes his rivalries seriously.In this way, Morales is no different from Joe Frazier, who resents Muhammad Ali to this day, or Marvelous Marvin Hagler, who maintains that he won his showdown with Sugar Ray Leonard. "What do you mean by that question, 'Who's the best fighter?'" Morales asked through interpreter Ricardo Jimenez. "Are you talking about the most complete fighter? The best skilled?""All of the above," this writer replied. A second later a fan who attended the press luncheon at downtown L.A.'s El Paseo restaurant blurted out in Spanish: "Come on, Terrible! You know it's Barrera!""Nah, f___ him," Morales told the man.If you believe the animosity between Morales and Barrera was contrived to sell tickets, think again. "Ask the other questions," Morales said after silencing the fan. "We'll come back to this one."Morales was happy to answer the other categories:<b>Best boxer: Junior Jones</b> -- This is a tough question. I faced a lot of good boxers in my career, but I think Jones might be the best. He had very good technique. He threw straight, accurate punches. He could punch too. He hurt me in our fight.<b>Best puncher: Jones</b> -- I really felt it when he connected. I remember freezing for a second in the second round of our fight when he caught me with a right hand.<b>Quickest hands: Pacquiao</b> -- Pacquiao had the quickest hands. Jones was faster with single punches from the outside, but Pacquiao could deliver four or five quick, short punches in combination in the blink of an eye. Both guys had the kind of speed that you couldn't see.<b>Quickest feet: Hector Acero-Sanchez</b> -- He kept running or walking around the ring the entire fight. I never knew where he was going or what he was going to do. I just wanted to fight. It was a frustrating night.<b>Best defense: Acero-Sanchez</b> -- I had a hard time finding him. He kept his gloves up and he never stopped moving in and out and around me.<b>Best chin: In-Jin Chi</b> -- That was one very tough guy. I should have knocked him out with the number of hard punches I landed to his chin, but he just kept coming forward all night. He was strong and he had great conditioning."<b>Best jab: Zahir Raheem</b> -- Everything he did was off his jab. That was his key punch. He was all about the jab, and that jab gave me trouble.<b>Strongest: Pacquiao</b> -- Often guys who are as muscular looking as he is aren't that strong in the ring, but he is strong. Very strong. Chi was physically strong, too. He had the strength to push me around and wrestle with me on the inside, but Pacquiao was more explosive. He is a very powerful man in the ring.<b>Smartest: Raheem</b> -- I never liked the way he fought and I didn't like that fight for me. I knew it would be difficult. I didn't have the best camp for Raheem, but even if I had had a great camp, he would have been frustrating because he's so cagey.When it was time for Morales to answer the <b>Best fighter</b> category he was still clearly uncomfortable with the question. "If you're talking about the toughest opponent I've faced, to be honest, his name was Erik Morales," he said in all seriousness. "When I did things the right way and had proper training, boxing was easy for me, but all too often I did not do that. So, as you know, I had a lot of struggles."Honestly, I had too many tough fights to say one man was tougher than all the rest. I know fans want me to say that it was either Barrera or Pacquiao, but I don't see it that way. That's not how a fighter views things. There are fighters who people have forgotten about or never knew that were the toughest fights, the biggest fights for me at the time I fought them."Jose 'Pepillo' Valdez was the toughest fighter I had ever faced back when I was nothing. That fight [TKO 3 in 1994] was the biggest fight for me when I was just a Tijuana prospect. "Enrique Jupiter (TKO 6 in 1995) was the toughest I faced when I moved on to the next level and was regarded as one of Mexico's best young fighters. I had to beat him in order to show that I was going to go somewhere in boxing."Daniel Zaragoza, the old champion I beat a week before I turned 21, was the toughest fighter I faced when it was time for me to prove that I could be a Mexican star in the United States. He was by far the toughest and most skilled fighter I had faced at the time. By beating him [KO 11 in 1997], I proved that I could fight any style and that I could be a real champ. "Junior Jones (TKO 4 in 1998) was my biggest fight when it was time for me to prove that I could go to the next level, from a champion to one of the fighters rated pound for pound. And from then on it was just tough fight after tough fight. "My fights with Barrera and Pacquiao are among those tough fights, but I don't see them as being any more special than my tough fights with (Wayne) McCullough, (Guty) Espadas, Chi, (Jesus) Chavez, (Carlos) Hernandez and (David) Diaz. I've had so many wars I forget some of them. You or anyone else can probably put together a Top 20 list of my toughest fights."That's why Morales is a modern legend. <a href="http://www.ringtv.com/blog/1070/james_toney_the_best_i_faced/">James Toney: Best I've faced</a><a href="http://www.ringtv.com/blog/1007/de_la_hoya_blog_the_best_i_fought</a>
Boxing In Britain: Adams Relishes Skelton Prizefighter Clash
The World?s only Arab Heavyweight boxer, Hammersmith, London based Iraqi, Ali Adams came face to face with former WBU Heavyweight Champion Matt Skelton ahead of their upcoming meeting at the massively successful Matchroom Sports promoted Prizefighter series, which makes it?s welcome return to York Hall on Saturday the 9th October with Heavyweights IV.
Adams, who is [...]
Adams, who is [...]
Are Klitschkos bound for the Hall of Fame?
The Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali, have their supporters and detractors.Some see them as great heavyweights whose size and abilities would have made them formidable in any era. Others see them as big lugs with boring styles who are lucky they fight during a time with few decent heavyweights.When their careers are over, though, how might they fare in perhaps the most-important arena of opinion -- among the voters for the International Boxing Hall of Fame?Three experts with a keen understanding of boxing history - author Bert Sugar, broadcaster Larry Merchant and writer Cliff Rold - were asked that question and agreed on an answer: The Klitschkos will fare well.All three said the giant Ukrainians will one day be inducted in Canastota, N.Y., although they had different levels of enthusiasm.The most-compelling reason to conclude they are Hall bound is that almost all heavyweight champions in history who were recognized as the best in the world at some point and eligible for the Hall are enshrined. Even those who don't appreciate the Klitschkos' cautious style and question their opponents must admit they've had one of the more dominating runs in heavyweight history.Wladimir (54-3, 48 knockouts), who faces Sam Peter on Saturday in Frankfurt, has more or less ruled the division since he took one of the sanctioning-body belts from Chris Byrd in 2006, a period during which he successfully defended it eight times, added a second title and became THE RING champion.Vitali (40-2, 38 KOs) was at the top of the heap in the mid-2000s before retiring because of injuries and then made a triumphant return after a four-year hiatus, regaining a major title by thumping Sam Peter in 2008.At the moment, it seems, no one can touch them."Floyd Patterson was a good heavyweight, not a great heavyweight, and he's in the Hall of Fame," Rold said. "Ingemar Johansson is in Hall for beating Patterson once. Guys who are recognized as the heavyweight champion get in."Some other heavyweights in the Hall had relatively weak opposition, including Rocky Marciano.The most-dominating heavyweight of the 1950s went unbeaten in 49 fights but many believe the four fellow Hall of Famers he faced - Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore -- were flawed when Marciano fought them.Louis was 37 and badly faded; Walcott was 38 and 39 in their two fights and at the end of a 23-year career; Charles, a great light heavyweight, was not at his strongest in the sport's glamour division, and Moore was 41.No one would question whether Marciano belongs in the Hall but his perfect record, not victories over other great fighters, is most responsible for his induction.The Klitschkos are in a similar situation. The only Hall of Fame-caliber fighter either has faced was Lennox Lewis, who beat Vitali on a cut in 2003. The landscape is barren beyond that, although a peak Chris Byrd and a young Jameel McCline are among Klitschko opponents who were capable."A lack of competition works against [the Klitschkos] as it did against Marciano," Sugar said. "Part of greatness is meeting and beating other great fighters. He faced four great fighters in six fights - Louis, [Archie] Moore, Walcott twice and Charles twice - and they averaged almost 40 years of age."I think Marciano is penalized by that. He was great but he might've been even greater."The Klitschkos have tremendous knockout ratios, Wladimir stopping 84 percent of his 57 opponents and Vitali stopping 90 percent of his.But that's not enough for many fans who crave action. The Klitschkos typically slowly break down and then knock out their opponents, rarely taking serious risks in the process.None of the three experts believes that will stand in the way of their eventual induction, although it could have an impact on whether they go in their first year of eligibility."I think they'll be in the Hall because of their dominance but it might take some time, though," Sugar said. "They sure as hell won't bring a large block of people to see them get inducted. They should give them one plaque and let 'em fight over it. At least then they'll have to fight each other. I was at Wladimir's fight with [Sultan] Ibragimov. The guy in front of me told me to quit snoring because I was keeping him awake. I've never seen a worse fight."They did good. They just didn't do good by the fans."Merchant believes the fact they're brothers also helps their cause.Dozens of brothers have succeeded in the sport, even if only one pair [Tommy and Mike Gibbons] is in the Hall, but no fraternal tandem has dominated a division as these brothers have. That sets them apart."Two guys dominate the heavyweight division for nearly a decade and they came out of the same womb? Is there another story like that in boxing?" Merchant said.Does one have an edge over the other?Some experts believe that Vitali is the better of the two, certainly the tougher, but Wladimir is more accomplished. Thus, the latter probably will garner more consideration by the voters.Wladimir's knockout losses raised serious questions about his toughness - not to mention his chin and stamina -- but he has used his careful, slow-paced strategy to become all but unbeatable.Vitali has been just as dominating, apparently having never been behind in a fight in his entire career. But injuries will have taken a toll on his legacy.Also, they were moved slowly early in their careers, both of which began in 1996."Wladimir is getting to the point where he has so many wins, where he has been dominant for so long without a gap, that it becomes impossible not to put him in [the Hall]," Rold said. "The fact Vitali has gone [most of his career] without losing a round is pretty impressive. If he didn't get hurt, though, I'm not sure Wladimir would've had a chance to become a Hall of Famer because Vitali would've cleaned out the division."... If Vitali had been moved faster and hadn't lost four years, he could've accomplished much more."Of course, they're not finished yet.Wladimir, 34, would solidify his position as a lock to reach the Hall by dominating the division for a few more years. Plus, he might have a few live opponents in his future. David Haye, who wears one of the belts, is deemed a worthy challenger. And undersized Thomas Adamek has some respect.The same holds true for Vitali, although at 39 he is much closer to the end of his career.It seems almost everyone assumes they would beat anyone with the gumption to step into the ring with them. Even if one or both loses, though, they might've already accomplished enough to plan a visit to Canastota."I don't think there's any doubt about it," Merchant said. "They're long-time heavyweight champions. What long-time heavyweight champions aren't in the Hall of Fame? Hall of Fames tend to expand their mandates from the super great to the great to the outstanding to the very good in all sports. Not everybody is a Babe Ruth or a Red Grange or a Johnny Unitas."For heaven's sake, I'm in the Hall of Fame."<a href="mailto:ringtveditor@yahoo.com">Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com</a>
Mora's quest for respect may end with Mosley
<object width='640' height='480'><param name='movie' value='http://images.ringtv.com/7.0.2/swf/video.swf?sa=1&si=7&i=290'></param><param name='wmode' value='transparent'></param><embed src='http://images.ringtv.com/7.0.2/swf/video.swf?sa=1&si=7&i=290' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='transparent' width='640' height='480'></embed></object>Sergio Mora believes he's never received the respect he deserves from the boxing world but with one fight -- his showdown with Shane Mosley on Saturday -- the former junior middleweight titleholder might be able to change that.All Mora has to do is beat Mosley at the site of the former three-division champ's greatest victories -- Staples Center in Los Angeles -- in the highest-profile fight of his 10-year career.Surprisingly, more than a few boxing writers and fans think the 29-year-old East L.A. native can do it. Why?For starters, Mora is 10 years younger than Mosley, who turned pro a couple years before Mora ever laced on a pair of boxing gloves. Many boxing observers believe they witnessed a fading veteran repeatedly fail to pull the trigger against Floyd Mayweather Jr. during Mosley's embarrassingly one-sided decision loss in May. Mora isn't just younger and fresher, he's also the taller man with a quirky boxing style that gives aggressive fighters like Mosley fits. However, these factors point to the possibility that Mora can win the fight of his life and <I>still</I> not receive the credit he so desperately wants. Fans and the media can say he beat an old fighter who has always struggled with boxers.If that happens, he'll be used to it.Mora didn't receive much credit when he outpointed Vernon Forrest to claim a 154-pound title in 2008, and though he defeated ranked fighters Ishe Smith, Jesse Brinkley and Peter Manfredo Jr. on his way to winning the first season of <I>The Contender</I>, his participation in the 2004-2005 reality TV series is regarded as a joke by most boxing people.However, Mora hopes being the first Latino fighter to defeat Mosley -- especially one of Mexican descent on the Bicentennial of Mexican Independence Day -- in the main event of a stacked HBO Pay-Per-View card will sway at least <I>some</I> fans to give him his due."I can't predict whether this fight will earn me any respect," Mora told RingTV.com. "If you look at boxing history, you'll see that respect can be elusive to even great fighters while they are in their primes. Larry Holmes and Marvin Hagler didn't get it until late in their careers. As accomplished as they were it took them a while to garner the public's respect and earn the titles of being the best of their era."I turn 30 in December, so it's starting to get late in my career. I'm lucky I have this opportunity in front of me because I think beating a warrior, a legend like Shane Mosley -- and beating him convincingly -- will let people know that it's my time."Golden Boy Promotions matchmaker Eric Gomez believes fans -- at least those who live in Los Angeles -- will recognize Mora's achievement if he pulls off the slight upset on Saturday."Sergio fighting in his hometown and in this house, the Staples Center, where Mosley had his defining moment when he knocked out Antonio Margarito -- the monster that everyone was afraid of -- I think that's going to make a victory very meaningful," Gomez said. "I know it will mean something to the fans in the arena and to a lot of the fans watching on TV. Will the media give Sergio any credit? I think they have to. If they don't, they have ulterior motives. I don't care if Shane is 39. He's a hall of famer and he always comes back stronger after a loss." Gomez is biased, of course. He not only works for the company that promotes both fighters and Saturday's huge card but he also made the main event. Gomez brought up Mosley's name during a meeting Mora had with Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer about three months ago."We were discussing his future," Gomez said. "Richard wanted to make a fight with the WBC's interim middleweight champ [Sebastian Zbik]. He's based in Germany but we thought we could bring the fight to the States. I remembered speaking to Mosley months ago, before he fought Mayweather, before the [Andre] Berto fight was scheduled, back when he had been inactive. We were going over the names of potential opponents and Mora's name came up. This was before Sergio signed with us. Shane was interested."So I mentioned Mosley as an opponent during the meeting and Sergio loved the idea. That immediately set off the light bulb in Richard's head. He thought Staples Center was the place to do it and he began going through the numbers. Everything happened quickly. I think the fight was finalized one week after that meeting."Mora says he was eager to make up for lost time. He's wanted big fights for many years but he claims The Tournament of Contenders, the promotional arm of the television production company, was unable to deliver significant bouts or even keep him active. "I've been a pro for 10 years, but all the time I've been inactive adds up to almost three years," Mora said. "So I'm fresh and I'm still hungry."Mora sat out all of 2009, thinking he would get a shot at former middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik, who pulled out of two scheduled bouts citing health issues. He was scheduled to fight a still-relevant Kassim Ouma in September of 2007 but the Golden Boy pay-per-view card the bout was on was scrapped when headliner Juan Manuel Marquez had to pull out because of a bad infection in one of his hands. The Marquez main event for the canceled pay-per-view show, against Rocky Juarez, was postponed and placed on a Showtime card later in the year, but Mora's fight with Ouma fell by the wayside.Mora believes the Ouma bout, a pivotal fight in his career at the time, could have been salvaged by a more-experienced and connected promoter. He also feels that Tournament of Contenders executives could have stood their ground more with Pavlik's promoter, Top Rank, and tried to enforce the contracts he signed. Mora got out of his contract with The Tournament of Contenders and signed with Golden Boy last December. He had his first fight under the Golden Boy banner in April, when he stopped journeyman Calvin Green on the undercard of the Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view show in Las Veags.To say that Mora is stoked about going from the opening bout of an independent pay-per-view show to the main event of an HBO-produced pay-per-view event in his hometown would be an understatement. "I finally have a real promotional company behind me, a strong promoter that believes in me," Mora said. "Golden Boy has put their faith in me and given me a major fight. They said here, go for it, sink or swim, and it's up to me to show them that I'm a hell of a swimmer. That's all I've ever wanted. I've just wanted a chance to show my talent but none of the major promoters wanted to give me that opportunity."I was a top amateur. I made it to the 2000 Olympic trials and lost to Jermain Taylor, the guy who made the team and won a bronze medal, but I still couldn't get signed by anyone when I turned pro."That's not entirely true."Golden Boy offered Sergio a contract way back in 2002, when we were doing club shows at the [Irvine] Marriott [in Orange County, Calif.]," Gomez said. "He turned it down because he and his team wanted a signing bonus. I told them what they needed was activity. If you fight a lot, you get your money and you develop as a pro. We offered a signing bonus but they wanted twice that amount."That early career decision is indicative of the part of Mora's personality that turns off both fans and media and is probably one of the reasons he isn't as respected as he would like to be. Mora is talented and bright inside and outside of the ring but he has had an over-inflated opinion of his market value in the past and he sometimes outsmarts himself. Mora turned down a reported seven-figure payday for a shot at then-middleweight champ Jermain Taylor in 2007. And though he redeemed himself to an extent with his title-winning effort over Forrest a year later, he thought he could get out of his rematch clause with the late champion and chose to celebrate his victory rather than return to the gym.Mora was caught off guard when the contract was enforced and Forrest pushed for an immediate rematch. But whose fault was that? He had to lose close to 30 pounds during a five-week camp (seven pounds the week of the fight and two the day of the weigh-in) and was soundly beaten by the veteran. Still, Mora points out that he honored the rematch clause, got in the ring with a potential hall of famer and gave it his best despite being in a listless state."I admit that I shouldn't have taken that victory lap after winning the title and I paid the price," Mora said. "But look what it took to beat me, it took a legend on a night that I was depleted. I think I'm special."Those who think Mora is more lucky than special only fuel his desire to win on Saturday."Detractors motivate me like you wouldn't believe," he said. "They embitter me. I have resentment to all the people who won't give me the credit I've earned, the on-the-wagon-off-the-wagon fans, the boxing writers, the critics, everyone who never game me a chance to do anything in the sport, they are the ones who put this big chip on my shoulder."Gomez thinks Mora's attitude coming into Saturday's fight should mesh well with Mosley's style."Shane's never been in a bad fight, he always makes for good action," Gomez said. "I think he's going to make Mora fight. He's going to dictate the tempo of the bout, which should make for a good one."Perhaps it's not about winning or losing for Mora on Saturday. Maybe he'll get the respect he seeks just by being in a memorable fight.
Hardcore heavyweight pounds full throttle on road to championship
DOVER, Del. – Heavyweight Amir ?Hardcore? Mansour will appear at Bally?s Event Center in Atlantic City, N.J., on Saturday, Oct. 30. Mansour emerged victorious on Aug. 27 at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino when he felled Sam Brown in round two with a right hook, sending Brown crashing to the mat where he lay motionless [...]
Tim Bradley: 'I Will Sign the Contract' to Fight Devon Alexander
Filed under: WBC, IBF, WBO, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive
WBO junior welterweight champion Tim Bradley (pictured above, at right) of Palm Springs, Calif., told FanHouse moments ago that he will sign the fight contract "over the next couple of days" agreeing to terms for a Jan. 29 , HBO-televised unification bout with southpaw WBC and IBF counter part Devon Alexander (pictured above, at left) of St. Louis, Mo.
"I've got the contract, and I'm going to be signing it over the next couple of days. Finally, now everything is pretty much ready. I'm happy about this fight. Even though I feel like I'm taking this fight on short money, I still want this fight," said Bradley, who is 26-0, with 11 knockouts.
"Devon Alexander and his camp have been doing a lot of talking, and the fight has been a big buzz in the boxing community and in the media," said Bradley, whose clash will take place at a site to be determined. "And, you know, now we're going to see who is truly the best in the world in the 140-pound division. So on Jan. 29, I'm going to be very excited."
HBO blows it by not shining spotlight on Pirog
It was bizarre and uncalled for, but it shouldn't shock anyone familiar with the politics of boxing. Dmitry Pirog pulled off a huge upset via what might be boxing's 2010 knockout of the year. Less than five minutes after the young Russian laid out Golden Boy Promotions' golden child, Danny Jacobs, it was the loser who was on camera on HBO and not Pirog. What the heck happened?
Pirog showed up at the press conference with his crew of Russians, including an excellent interpreter, and appeared to have a nice personality with plenty to say.
HBO didn't feel like he was worthy of three minutes immediately after the fight?
Instead, Jim Lampley went immediately into "repair Jacobs' image mode" by providing excuses for the loss and saying all young prospects hit speedbumps along the way. Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole called it reprehensible and says once again HBO came off as a mouthpiece for Golden Boy.
The situation also put Jacobs in a terrible position. Jacobs was asked if the recent death of his grandmother was a big distraction leading up to the fight. He was lucky the feed to the crowd was barely audible otherwise he may have been booed by the 8,383 in attendance at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Jacobs even felt compelled to send out a Tweet a few hours after the fight. He must've heard it came off like he was making excuses for the loss.
Iole said HBO's obligation is to the viewer not Golden Boy.
Pirog got his props during the postfight press conference. He and his crew made several comments. Oscar De La Hoya even joked that the original plan was to celebrate the night by drinking tequila, now everyone would down some vodka in honor of the Russian's huge victory.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Kirkland released from prison
James Kirkland was released from prison in Three Rivers, Texas, today and plans to resume training as soon as possible, said his attorney, Michael Miller.Kirkland, behind bars since he was arrested for possession of a gun by a felon in April of last year, went to a half-way house in his hometown of Austin, Texas. He must stay there for a week, after which he can leave during the day to begin training for his comeback fight.The former junior middleweight contender, who has not fought since March of last year, is expected to fight in early December. One possibility is the Dec. 11 card featuring the Abner Mares-Vic Darchinyan and Yonnhy Perez-Joseph Agbeko bantamweight fights in Leon, Mexico.Kirkland's handlers had hoped he would fight next month but his release was delayed a few weeks. That and the fact he can't leave the half-way house for a week to train properly precluded an earlier fight.Miller said Kirkland (25-0, 22 knockouts) weighs only 172 pounds after taking part in exercise programs in prison."He took part in an abs class," Miller said. "And he took part in a run-walk class. He probably put in 40 miles a week doing that. He usually starts training camp at about 180 pounds so he's in pretty good shape."Miller also is optimistic that Kirkland's legal problems are behind him."He's saying all the right things," Miller said. "He said, 'I get it now. I understand. I was a dumb ass in the past. I'm not going to do it anymore. I have children who look up to me. I have fans I let down.' I've been preaching to him that it's actions and not words that are important, though."He's looking forward to proving his naysayers wrong."Kirkland is a convicted felon (for armed robbery in 2003), which makes it illegal for him to possess a gun.
Peter ready to go back in time for second chance against Klitschko
One fight can make all difference in the careers of the two combatants. That was certainly the case when Samuel Peter met Wladimir Klitschko met in 2005. Peter was the hot prospect while that version of Klitschko had a weak chin and even more shaky mental game. "The Nigerian Nightmare" hammered away and dropped Klitschko down three times but couldn't put the Ukranian down for the count. Working Emmanuel Steward, Klitschko survived and when he was upright, schooled Peter from a technical standpoint and took a unanimous decision. Since then Klitschko has won nine straight fights and risen to undisputed No. 1 big man in the world while Peter has battled his weight, a lack of motivation and poor promotion.
Peter gets the gift of lifetime this weekend with the opportunity to finish what he couldn't five years ago. A fill-in for Alexander Povetkin, Peter battles Klitschko (54-3, 48 KOs) on Saturday in Frankfurt, Germany. He says he won't blow it this time.
"I have a lot to prove. I have a chance to redeem myself from the 2005 fight. It is going to be a great fight. I am getting another chance to prove that I am the best heavyweight champion in all," said Peter. "The loss was a bad mistake. This time I am going to prove that I can become a champion again. I don't have much to say because I know that my gloves will speak for me in the ring."
Peter, who just turned 30, doesn't want to leave it to the judges.
"The victory and my judges I have in my right hand and the judge is my left hook," said Peter (30-3, 27 KOs). "There will not be a decision this time around. This time he will not get up from my left hook. I am ready and I am prepared and I will not need a referee or a judge. This time around anyone I touch will not be standing up. I don't think Wladimir will be able to stand me after four rounds."
The biggest key for Peter is his conditioning. Klitschko has become a brilliant volume puncher who wears down his opponents with an awesome jab. If Peter plans on wailing away like a mad man he can't come in at the bloated 260-plus we've seen him at in the past. His trainer Abel Sanchez says Peter has been dedicated during the eight-week training camp spending much of the time in Big Bear, Ca.
This fight and Vitali Klitschko's October fight will be on American television. Well, sort of. Since HBO bailed on the heavyweight division, the ESPN family of channels is making an effort to latch onto the powerhouse brothers. Expected to be waged in front of 45,000 fans, the fight at Commerzbank Arena, can be seen live on ESPN3.com at 5 p.m. ET. ESPN Deportes will replay the fight at 8 p.m. ET and there will be a replay on ESPN the next day at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Margarito Funds Olympic Boxers Dream
Antonio Margarito steps in to make a dream come true for four young Olympic boxing hopefuls.....proved impossible for the families of the young Olympic hopefuls when their hard work produced less than $300. That is until Antonio Margarito came into the picture.....
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