|
Editor's Note: According to the California Athletic Commission's
investigation, now we know...
PLASTER
OF PARIS? WE NEED TO KNOW... by Francisco Guzman
When Antonio Margarito beat the then undefeated
Miguel Cotto, most were blown away. Margarito took some hard shots from Cotto,
sometimes getting his head knocked around like a pinata, but he still kept
coming. The first sign of trouble for Cotto came in the 2nd round,
when Margarito hit him against the ropes, drawing blood from his nose. What
became more evident was the way Cotto's face looked with each passing round. By
the end of the fight Cotto's face looked a mess; he was bleeding from his
nose, mouth and by the left cheekbone, below and above his eye.
===Editor's Note - For more on plaster of Pairs click
here===
---
For more on Mosley vs
Margarito visit our
Exclusive Directory
-
ORLANDO CANIZALES, LENNOX LEWIS
AND BRIAN MITCHELL ELECTED TO INTL. BOXING HALL OF FAME,
ALONG WITH LARRY MERCHANT AND BOBBY GOODMAN...
The International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum announced
today the newest class of inductees to enter the Hall.
Living inductees include bantamweight champion Orlando
Canizales (USA), heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis (UK),
junior lightweight champion Brian Mitchell (South Africa),
matchmaker/publicist/promoter Bob Goodman (USA), promoter
Akihiko Honda (Japan), journalist Hugh McIlvaney (UK) and
broadcaster Larry Merchant (USA).
"We're extremely excited about the Class of 2009 and
very much looking forward to honoring the 20th class of
inductees," said Executive Director Edward Brophy.
BRITISH BOXING LEADING THE WAY..
by Mark Urban
British boxing seems to be going from strength to
strength, and a a time when there seems to be a worrying lack
of young American talent on the horizon, is this the time for
British boxing to fill the void? You only need to look at some
of the upcoming fights to realize just how high profile
British boxing has become.
Arguably top of the bill is the mouth-watering bout between
Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton and the current pound for pound
fighter on the planet Manny Pacquaio. Two very exciting
fighters who give their all and mean big box office money for
everyone involved. In what could be one of the fights of the
ages, with the winner potentially fighting Floyd Mayweather,
this is sure to have the crowd on the edge of it's seat from
the very first bell. This contest will take place on the 1st
of May 2009.
A FEW MATCH UPS FOR THE FAITHFUL... by Ricky Ray Taylor
Taking a peek at what fights are scheduled in the weeks to come it
looks like APRIL is gearing up for a rather active and quite
interesting month! So, I decided to break down a few match
ups for the faithful...
DON KING FILES PROTEST ON BEHALF OF MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA; CLAIMS 'TAINTED
VICTORY'...
Promoter Don King has filed a protest with the British Boxing
Board of Control, World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Association on
behalf of Marco Antonio Barrera claiming his accidental clash of heads with Amir
Khan during the first round of their match should have resulted in the fight
being ruled no contest.
"TYSON" ... A review by
Ricky Ray Taylor
A few days ago I had the privileged opportunity to sit
through a preview of James Toback's new soon-to-be-released documentary
entitled, "TYSON."
Through "TYSON'S" 90-minute run-time I sat quietly, both perplexed and befuddled
at how the most brutal boxer of my lifetime - a
man whose mere presence in the ring would wreak fear from mandatory opponents could have allowed life to humble him.
Have I seen average folk been beaten down by life into a defenseless shell
before? Yes. Did I think it would ever happen to Iron Mike Tyson? No. Never.
HAROLD LEDERMAN: A WORTHY
RECIPIENT OF THE BOXING WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA'S SAM
TAUB AWARD ...
by Kenny Perrault and Elisa Harrison
It never ceases to
amaze us how the guy whose face remains a blank to most fans,
is often called upon to clarify the most difficult calls
and/or situations that present themselves during the course of
a broadcast. With his experience as a judge and his overall
knowledge of the game, Harold always comes through with the
right answer, setting the "visible crew" straight,
embarrassingly so sometimes. Do you see something wrong with
that picture? I do.
Why HBO's reluctance to make Lederman a bona fide part of the
"visible team?" Surely is not a budget issue,
after all, look how much money they paid Roy Jones, Jr., a guy who
at least half of the viewing audience couldn't even
understand? Should I go on? With Merchant removed from
most shows, the "visible team" needs new blood, energy,
someone with a brain who is not afraid to call it as he sees it, and I
can't think of a better man to provide all of the above
coupled with experience and integrity. (Please note that when
we say energy we are not referring to Kellerman's
histrionics).
MEDICAL EXPERT: DEALING WITH CUTS... by Dr. Margaret Goodman
Twenty-three stitches to close a cut above Robert
Guerrero's eye should have dispelled debate regarding referee Jon Schorle's
second-round stoppage of the Guerro-Daud Yordan fight on March 7 in San Jose,
Calif. But the discussion continues.
After clearance by the ring physician, Guerrero told Schorle he could not see
because of blood in his eye and the fight was ruled a no-decision.
For those who wonder about that outcome and other fights that ended because of a
cut' including the hotly debated Marco Antonio Barrera-Amir Khan match-up on
March 14...
FRUITS OF OUR FOREFATHERS... by Stephen Jones
The heavyweight greats from the 70's were a direct product inspired by the
passing greats of the hungry 60's, a time when famished fighters were literally
starving and had a shack full of little mouths to feed. This set the standard
for a legendary set of fighters who we all have the greatest respect for.
The 70's set such a high standard that the next generation had to be almost
jet propelled to outdo them. Unfortunately one thing that came from the 70's
greats was great cash demands. The fighters were not food hungry anymore but
were demanding high purses that were being satisfied in a reflection to the
way they performed.
FRANCESA AND KELLERMAN WOULD BE EGO MANIA... by Phil Mushnick
Kellerman, in his three years with 1050, made sure to quickly
dissolve his most charming and appealing moments through his steady
self-portrayals of a commercial radio alpha male.
And he doesn't play well with others. Brian Kenny, Kellerman's
colleague and pal from ESPN's national TV side, was brought in by 1050
to co-host with Kellerman, but departed, 11 months later, an ex-pal.
At 10 a.m., yesterday, the start of Kellerman's slot, 1050
announced that he'd left by mutual agreement. That came days after
Kellerman's 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. show was shortened by an hour.
VERNE
GAGNE AND AGING PRO ATHLETES: STUDIES FOCUS ON BRAIN
DAMAGE... by Kevin Featherly
The researchers have examined the brains of seven dead
professional athletes, including professional wrestler
Chris Benoit, who at age 40 killed his family and himself
after struggling with severe dementia. While alive, all of
the athletes, including former NFL Hall of Famer Mike
Webster, were diagnosed with Alzheimer's-related symptoms.
n each case, researchers said, the men actually suffered
from a condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy
(CTE), which has similar symptoms as Alzheimer's. But its
cause is far different, repeated concussion injuries to the
head leading to brain damage.
MINNESOTA
FIGHTERS ARE READY TO SHINE... by Kenny Perrault
I could go on and keep writing about
all the downfalls of 2008 in Minnesota boxing, but instead
I'll switch my attention to 2009, a year that has already
gotten off to a good start. Joey Abell, Caleb Truax, and
Wilshaun Boxley have already racked up two wins a piece.
And this weekend a lot of attention will be focused in New
York, where two Minnesota fighters hope to shine some light
on us. Zach Walters travels to Buffalo, New York, to meet
former super middleweight champion Byron Mitchell. It's not
certain how much gas Mitchell has left in the tank. He's
36-years old and this will only be his third fight since
2003. It really is a must win fight for both fighters. Also
fighting in New York this weekend is Matt Vanda, who will
clash against 'Irish' John Duddy at the famous Madison
Square Garden. Duddy is the obvious favorite, but that
means nothing to the "Predator" who always comes to fight.
It would be great if both Walters and Vanda got wins this
weekend but I won't be holding my breath, more like
crossing my fingers.
MARTIN
WADE'S NEW YEAR'S PAD WORK - PART 2 OF A 2 PART SERIES...
by Martin Wade
Word is Chris Arreola and David Haye are both jockeying to
get in the ring with either one of the "Brothers Champion"
Vladimir and Vitali Klitschko. Why the hurry? In my
opinion I believe they should fight one another to
establish a clear consensus challenger to the throne. I
understand it's a promoter's job to maximize earnings
while minimizing punishment, but if you step a kid up too
soon, (see David Reid), you stand the chance of damaging
him. After both brothers had setbacks, we (in the US)
seemed to endorse this myth that it is so easy to repeat
the trick. We are now in our 4th year since both brothers
were so called "exposed" and they're still here. All
of the fighters that exposed them were bludgeoned by the
other brother.
MARTIN
WADE'S NEW YEAR'S PAD WORK - PART 1.... by Martin Wade
"...That is why we root for Pacquiao, because on some level
we see a guy that like Leonard (1979-1981) and Oscar (mid to late 90's) is
passionate about defining a legacy. A guy who won't fill big fight documentaries
with trips to acupuncture specialists, and gripes. Oscar, in his heyday,
represented a form of revenue sharing, for boxing new names were enhanced simply
by association with him. But there are some (fighters) we as fans can't trust to
'pay it forward' because they attach too much self esteem (thus fear) to the
ZERO..."
WHEN
IS A REASON FOR A LOSS REALLY AN EXCUSE? ... by Dr.
Margaret Goodman
Whenever a fighter loses, excuses abound. When it is a star
like Oscar De La Hoya, who was a 2-1 favorite over Manny
Pacquiao, no one wants to accept that the Golden Boy could
have lost to someone who began his professional career at
106 pounds.
But, with a record of 3-4 in his last seven fights, should
we be surprised that the 35-year-old De La Hoya might have
finally hit the wall? Or are over-training, making weight
too early or fighting in the wrong weight class legitimate
defenses?
MARTIN WADE'S MARCH PAD WORK - PART
TWO...
March 21 Klitschko vs. Gomez: The big man, fresh off of taking
Samuel Peter's lunch money is doing the right thing by staying
busy. That the broadcast will be an afternoon feed from ESPN is
also encouraging, look for the network to give this fight the
championship treatment. Gomez, the "Black Panther," was a very
solid cruiserweight and thought to be an interesting interloper
to the division a couple of years ago. The same intrigue that
surrounds David Haye used to surround the Cuban so I look for the
cocky Gomez to bring his deep skill set to the afternoon
festivities. Klitschko is a year older and if Gomez can come in
shape and use movement and angles this fight could get
interesting. Meanwhile, baby brother can't seem to get anything
put together with David Haye or Chris Arreola.
MARTIN WADE'S MARCH MADNESS
WORK OUT PAD WORK - PART ONE...
Did the Contender just come and go this season with the impact of a pair of 20 ounce "Winning"
gloves? Who the hell is Troy Ross?
After hearing Hatton was in shape, word is he's around 165 lbs., this
according to Bob Arum. Mr. Arum, I'll have you know that Ricky is
usually around 180 lbs. this soon before a fight, so he has been
cutting his beer intake down. Ricky may have won the darts
showdown with Manny Pacquiao but the Pacman will throw the
straighter darts on May 2nd.
Felix Trinidad called out
Kelly Pavlik... Jesus when are they going to develop a pill for
this?
Were you a great fighter 10-15 years ago?
Do you still see that fighter when you look in the mirror?
Does your team tell you that you can still beat current champions?
Try
REALIZINE!
PAULIE
SPADAFORA, 'THE PITTSBURGH INTRIGUE' ...
by
Ricky Ray Taylor
Perhaps it's a shocker that an undefeated (41-0) world Lightweight Champion has
a name that escapes some of the newbies in our sport.
If Spadafora's name sounds foreign to many out there - it
should. Since capturing the IBF Lightweight title in '02,
Spaddie has averaged one fight a year. Yet, for us
die-hards we're quite familiar with "The Pittsburg Kid."
Or perhaps he should be named "The Pittsburg Intrigue..."
And "why" you ask hasn't this undefeated terror in the Lightweight ranks etched
a comfortable notch on our PPV tubes by now? Well, where do
we start?
BOXING ISSUES WILL PUT A LOT ON PLATE FOR CALIFORNIA'S NEW
ATHLETIC COMMISSIONER... by Lance Pugmire
The California State Athletic Commission is expected to
name a new executive officer at its April 14 meeting in Los
Angeles, and the leader will immediately have some major
issues to deal with.
The Times has learned from a source connected to the executive
officer search who is not authorized to speak publicly that
the field of candidates includes former New York athletic
commissioner Ron Scott
Stevens, current assistant executive officer
William Douglas,
boxing refereePat Russell
and retired attorney
Ron Arnold.
OSCAR DE LA
HOYA, YOU WILL BE MISSED.... by Jeff Mayweather
I was fortunate, or maybe unfortunate, (depending on how you look at it), to fight Oscar
de la Hoya in the ring. He defeated me via 4th round TKO. I'm
too far removed from that event to go into details of it but,
I was asked after the fight how good I thought he was and I
said, "He has potential to be great but he's not there yet."
Oscar would go on to make the things that I said about him appear as though I knew a
little something about what they call "special fighters." De
la Hoya was young, handsome and well spoken; he played all the
right cards. It was almost as if his career was scripted; his
rise was fast and furious as he became the darling of the
American public. He captured the American Dream by winning the
Gold Medal in the Barcelona (Spain) Olympics, but he also
captured the hearts of the entire world, not only the United
States, when he dedicated his win to his mother who was
diagnosed with cancer, and he had promised he would bring home
the Gold for her. Unfortunately she passed away, but he
fulfilled a promise and whenever you saw that young kid
holding up his gold medal, pointing it to the sky as if to say
Mom I did it, it was priceless!
"THE GOLDEN BOY" RETIRES...
Famed boxing champion and future Hall of Fame fighter Oscar de la
Hoya, one of the most decorated pugilist in the history of the
sport, retired as a professional today during a noon press
conference in Nokia Plaza LA Live in downtown Los Angeles.
"After heartfelt discussions with my family
and my closest friends, it is with deep gratitude and
appreciation that I announce my retirement from professional
boxing," said De La Hoya, who retires from the ring with a
39-6, 30 KOs record.
"THRILLA IN MANILA" ... by Martin Wade
Is this a review? Hell, I don't know, but I will say this; what I'm
about to write is from the perspective of a true child of the
70's and a diehard Ali fan. My earliest memory of boxing was
watching Wide World of Sports with my father (AKA my mamma's
husband) in the mid 70's. I was drawn in to the bombast and
braggadocio Ali, and as I grew into a self-absorbed, vain
teenager I felt it was my birthright to verbalize how I too
was more "pretty" than my rivals. I had no way of
understanding that historically Ali had normalized a nasty
protocol of personally demeaning a rival through words. Maybe
Ali, in his cruelty unknowingly invented trash talk to aid
future competitors in the art of processing anxiety and fear.
I too may have a slew of Joe Frazier's in the darkest
recesses of my past because only in my late 20's through
veracious reading and discovery did I begin to grasp the true
power (for good and evil) of words. The documentary 'Thrilla
in Manila' clearly illustrates how even in the most brutal of
worlds words can cut deeper than Everlast and leave wounds
that not only demean Joe Frazier but cast shame on a large
number of onlookers who delighted in the spectacle...
MAY'S MATCHES OFF TO A DEVASTATING
START...
by Ricky Ray Taylor
The month of
May began with one of the most
devastating KO's in the history of PPV boxing. Although the local coroner
wasn't notified beforehand that either one of these warriors may be paying him a
visit - perhaps someone should have given him a heads up. RICKY HATTON
may be better off staying on his side of the pond for a bit.
So be it.
MANNY PACQUIAO is now
the undeniable king of the ring and we're all licking our chops for
FLOYD MAYWEATHER, Jr. to step to the plate. With
JUAN
MANUEL MARQUEZ standing in Floyd's way - anything can happen.
In the
meantime here are some fights to lick our chops to in the month of May...
FLOYD MAYWEATHER RETURNS TO THE SWEET SCIENCE...
Sixteen months after one of the greatest fighters ever
to grace the sport of boxing had his last fight and subsequently announced
his retirement, the former six-time world champion and 2007 Boxing Writers
Association of America Fighter of the Year, Floyd "Money" Mayweather announced his return to the sweet
science at a press conference today in Las Vegas.
"When I
made my decision to retire last year, I felt like it was time for me to go
as I had been boxing my whole life and felt like I had done all that I could
do," said Mayweather, whose success and popularity in and out of the ring
made him a household name and one of the sport's biggest attractions. "But
after I had time to rest, enjoy life with my family and friends, I started
to miss the competition and my fans. I am ready to return to boxing and
give people another dose of the Mayweather experience."
TIMOTHY BRADLEY RELINQUISHES WBC
TITLE...
"The WBC believed in me and
recognized my victories, advancing my ratings accordingly.
Because of your support I was able to challenge Junior Witter
for the WBC title last year and defend it and unify it, and
for that I will always be grateful. It is important that
unified champions should be encouraged thus eliminating the
title confusion that permeates the sport or the media that
cover it and the fans who follow it.
"However, because the WBC has
issued an edict to choose between titles, it is with a heavy
heart that I relinquish my WBC title and allow the contenders
below me to challenge for it.
"I will always cherish my reign
as WBC super lightweight champion and I hope to have the
opportunity to fight for that honor again."
FORMER
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION DIES...
Greg Page, a former heavyweight boxing champion who
suffered a severe brain injury in a 2001 fight, has died at
his Louisville home. He was 50.
Wife Patricia Page, said she found the one-time World Boxing
Association champion in his bed Monday morning, adding that
the former champion died of complications related to
injuries he suffered in the fight.
Page won a $1.2 million settlement in 2007 with Kentucky
boxing officials over the lack of medical personnel at the
fight. Boxing officials also agreed to establish a medical
review panel for the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling
Authority to check the health conditions of people
involved in the sport who may be at risk for injury.
Page was 42 and had a 58-16-1 career record going into
the $1,500 fight against Dale Crowe at Peels Palace in
Erlanger, Ky., near Cincinnati. Crowe was 24 and an
up-and-coming boxer. Page went down after 10 rounds and
didn't get up.
Patricia Page stated on Monday that funeral arrangements
were pending.
EDDIE CHAMBERS WINS DECISION OVER A DISAPPOINTING SAMUEL PETER... by Larry
Flores
In ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California, "Fast" Eddie Chambers (33 wins with 18 KOs and only 1 loss) lived up to his nickname by out
speeding an overweight, out of condition Samuel 'The Nigerian
Nightmare' Peter (30 wins with 23 KOs and 2 losses) over
12 rounds. The only nightmare for a totally under
trained
Peter was whether he would have enough stamina to finish the
fight.
Making his first appearance since surrendering his
WBC
Heavyweight title to Vitali Klitschko while sitting on his
stool in October 2008, a clearly out of shape Peter could not
keep up with Chambers' fast hands and defensive skills.
Weighing a rotund, SUMO-like 265 pounds, the heaviest of his
career and 13 pounds more than in his loss to Vitali Klitschko
five months earlier, Peter simply could not match his
opponent's punch output.
CHAMBERS BESTS PETERS VIA MAJORITY DECISION... by George Elsasser
Last noche's ESPN FNF "after dark" offering pitted heavyweights Sam
'Nigerian Nightmare' Peters
and 'Fast Eddie' Chambers in a ten round main event bent on
the winner moving up in the respective rankings.
Chambers enters IBF #3, below #1 Alex
Povetkin and #2 Chris Arreola, while Peters last seen at IBF
numero cinco - then the opening bell, with both in a safety
first approach - Chambers out of respect for the Peters
celebrated punching power and Peters arriving at blivet
sized 265 pounds.
My unofficial card had it all square at
57-57 after six stanzas - and saw it all Chambers over the
backside - difference in the two was the Chambers superior
boxing skills that saw effective rapier-like left jab
setting up occasional straight right hands.
DIRRELL STAYS UNDEFEATED, YORGEY KNOCKS OUT HEARNS IN "BATTLE OF UNBEATENS"
...
Undefeated super
middleweight Andre Dirrell
outclassed Derrick Findley and Harry Joe Yorgey
outfought Ronald Hearns in a battle of unbeaten junior
middleweights en route to impressive victories on a
special Saturday edition of ShoBox: The New Generation
on SHOWTIME.
Dirrell, of Flint,
Mich., who is ranked No. 1 in the World Boxing Organization
(WBO), No. 3 in the World Boxing Council (WBC) and No. 7 in
the International Boxing Federation (IBF), won by sixth-round
TKO to improve to 18-0 with 13 knockouts. Findley, of Gary,
Ind., who couldn't answer the bell for the seventh, fell to
13-3 with 8 KOs.
Yorgey (22-0-1, 10
KOs), of Bridgeport, Pa., triumphed by ninth-round knockout.
In a terrific action fight, he registered three knockdowns,
the last coming at 2:59 of the ninth. Hearns, of Detroit,
scored one knockdown but suffered his first defeat. He is 21-1
with 17 KOs.
KOLLE CLAIMS MINNESOTA STATE TITLE...
by Kenny Perrault @ ringside...
The Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota hosted "High Stakes"
Saturday night featuring Anthony "The Bullet" Bonsante
against Andy "Kaos" Kolle for the Minnesota middleweight
title. Both fighters threw punches with bad intentions from
the opening bell. The taller Kolle looked to keep Bonsante
at the end of his jab while Bonsante worked his way on the
inside trying to rough Kolle up. Both Kolle and Bonsante
landed flush shots in rounds one and two giving me the
impression this fight was not going to go the distance and
they didn't disappoint. In the third round Kolle landed a
crushing straight left hand that sent Bonsante hard to the
canvas face first. It looked at first as if Bonsante was out
cold but he some how regained his footing before referee
Mark Nelson reached the ten count. However he was on shaky
legs and when asked if he was okay continue Bonsante said
no. With the win Andy Kolle picks up the Minnesota state
middleweight title and improves his record to 18-2 (13 KOs)
while Anthony Bonsante drops to 32-11-3 (18 KOs).
~~VISIT KOLLE - BONSANTE EXCLUSIVE PHOTO GALLERY~~
by Kenny
Perrault~~
DUNNE WINS WBA CROWN IN DUBLIN...
In front of 9,000 screaming fans at a packed 02 Arena in Dublin, Ireland, local hero Bernard Dunne upset the odds in a big way by taking the WBA Super Bantam title from Panamanian southpaw Ricardo Cordoba in once of the most competitive and ferocious fights in a very long time.
Cordoba won the first frame with good counter hooks and straight lefts as Dunne studied the champion. Dunne had a better second round as he largely kept away from Cordoba's power shots except for a few lefts while getting in a few good lead right hands of his own.
The third was Cordoba's round for all but the last thirty seconds as the champion began to come forward and Dunne struggled to adjust until the challenger uncorked a perfect counter left hook that caused Cordoba to reel all the way across the ring before he crumpled along the ropes.
The Panamanian got right back up, beating the count but was on shaky legs as he vigorously traded shots with Dunne until the bell rang ending the third frame.
EURO NEWS... by Per Ake Persson
Hamburg, Germany - Susianna Kentikian retained the WIBF
and WBA female flyweight titles with a ten round unanimous decision over
outclassed American challenger Elena Reid. It was scored 100-90 twice and
100-91. Reid had her day back in 2004 when she looked very unlucky to only get a
draw with then female star Regina Halmich, who was commentator for Pro Sieben on
this show. Off this showing it looks time for "Baby Doll" to do something else
than boxing as the aggressive Kentikian dominated every round.
WBO I/C middleweight champ Sebastian Zbik knocked out Spanish challenger Ruben
Varon in the fourth with a left hook to the body. The bigger, stronger German
dominated the contest but Varon, down in the second as well, showed a big heart
in defeat.
Heavyweight Sebastian Koeber hurt Belgian Jean Claude Bikoi in the second and
forced a standing eight count but didn´t land the finisher until the tenth
round. The German dominated most of the rounds except the seventh and eighth but
didn't impress. His right hand is very powerful though and saved the day for
him.
Russian light heavy Igor Michalkin outscored Nigel Benn look alike (in style of
fighting too) Jose Tavares from France over six.
BUTE RETAINS IBF STRAP; HALTS ZUNIGA IN FOUR... by George Elsasser
Saturday's Showtime card from Montreal,
Canada saw IBF s/middle champ Lucian Bute in a successful
defense when halting challenger Fulgencio Zuniga in stanza four
of a serious mismatch.
Bute had all the advantages of a 6' 2" versus
5' 10" height and reach edge while working from the southpaw
side - the game Colombian, not a big banger, but more an
established no quit career club fighter, never had the chance
of solving the puzzle on this outing.
Bute kept Zuniga at bay with quicker hands,
and repeatedly peppered his opponent from both sides - but the
big round four finis began with a sizzling left hand to the
solar plexus, that had Zuniga pausing before dropping to the
canvas in pain.
LUCIAN BUTE
DEFENDS IBF TITLE WITH TKO WIN OVER FULGENCIO ZUNIGA...by
Larry Flores
Romanian born Lucian Bute
defended his International Boxing Federation (IBF) Super
Middleweight title with a TKO victory over Colombian challenger
Fulgencio Zuniga on SHOWTIME's ShoBox: The New Generation series on Friday, March 13th, from Montreal, Canada.
The undefeated champion, now
making Canada his home, displayed his superiority over his
challenger from the beginning. At 6' 2" Bute appeared much
bigger, stronger and certainly faster than Zuniga, who is 4
inches shorter than the champion. The size difference was very apparent, although their weight was
almost identical. After easily out pointing the Colombian over
the opening three rounds with his overall better boxing skills
and punching power, the champion made it an early evening in the
fourth and final round to the delight of his hometown fans.
BUTE ROCKS ZUNIGA WITH DEVASTATING TKO...
International
Boxing Federation super middleweight champion Lucian Bute made his third
successful title defense with a devastating fourth round TKO victory over
Fulgencio Zuniga Friday night on SHOWTIME’s
ShoBox: The New Generation from the Bell Centre in Montreal.
The adopted hometown hero dominated from start to brutal finish, landing a
powerful left hook to the body that sent the Colombian Zuniga (22-4-1, 19 KOs)
to the canvas early in the fourth. Zuniga barely got up to beat the referee’s
“10 count,” and once he did he was met with an onslaught of punches from the
naturally bigger Bute (24-0, 19 KOs). Against the ropes and defenseless to
Bute’s repeated combinations, the referee ended the championship bout at 2:25 of
the fourth round.
The Montreal resident, by way of Romania, was cheered wildly by the 12,153
largely Bute supporters as fireworks exploded in the Bell Centre, home of the
NHL’s Montreal Canadians. Friday’s fight was promoted by Interbox.
WILDER VICTORIOUS OVER GREEN
JR. ... by Bill Stephens
Deontay Wilder raises his hand in victory after a win over Richard Green Jr.
in the main event at The Reunion. Richard "Big Fella, head Swella" Green was
unable to start round 2 due to a possible broken hand. The first round
provided a nice exchange of hard hitting action from both fighters. Wilder
had the size and reach on Green, while the "Big Fella" Green is known for
his power punches. Green was in serious pain as the ring side doctors cut
the tape from the hands after the fight. Meanwhile the 6' 7" Deontay "The
Bronze Bomber" Wilder seems to be on the road to superstardom. Wilder was
the only member of the Olympic team to win a medal in 2008. He is managed by
Shelly Finkel and Jay Deas, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, and sponsored
by Deal with Everlast.
In the co- main event Adrian "The Problem" Broner, (7-0-1) defeated Eric
Ricker, (1-2- 1) by decision in a six round bout. The fight was a rematch
from the December fight that ended in a no contest. Ricker gave Broner a
tough fight in front of Broner's hometown fans in Cincinnati. The evening
was a great start of the boxing year for R&R Promotions and co-sponsor
Golden Boy Promotions.
AMIR KHAN DEFEATS MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA IN FIVE...
2004 Olympic silver medalist Amir Khan (20-1,
15 KOs) scored a five round technical decision over the
legendary Marco Antonio Barrera, AKA "Baby Faced Assassin,"a former three-division world champion (65-7, 42 KOs) on
Saturday night at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, England.
In the opening round, Barrera suffered a deep cut on the
hairline from an unintentional headbutt that bled into his
left eye.
Doctors looked at the cut in the fourth round, but
the bout was not stopped at that point (which would have
resulted in a no decision). The bout was then stopped the
following round, sending the verdict to the scorecards,
which had Amir Khan ahead 50-44, 50-45, 50-45.
ARTHUR ABRAHAM RETAINS HIS IBF MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE VIA UNANIMOUS DECISION... by Per Ake
Persson
IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham retained the title with
a unanimous decision after an exciting, tougher than expected fight against
American LaJuan Simon in the headliner of Sauerland Event's show at the
Sparkassen Arena. It was scored 117-110, 118-109 and 117-110 - a scoring that
looked generous to the champion. Simon was down in the third but appeared to be
more of a push than anything else. The Philadelphian worked very hard but wasn't
so effective while Abraham for long spells just covered up. It was rumored and
later confirmed that "King" Arthur had to lose eight (8) kilos in two weeks to
make the middleweight limit. Still, Abraham's aim is to unify the middleweight
titles and then move up to super middleweight.
KIRKLAND, ORTIZ SPARKLE; GUERRERO-YORDAN A NO DECISION...
by George Elsasser
Last noche’s HBO "After Dark" triple header showcased
legitimate jr. middleweight prospects James Kirkland and Joel
Julio auditioning for better things with the winner likely
upgrading from prospect to contender level.
Not often when the pre-fight promises live
up to its hype, but this one was a barn-burner hot enough to
have the local firefighters readying to douse the flames
before the joint would burn down.
Opens with Kirkland out of the gate as if
jet-propelled - a port side punching machine that had Julio
being out worked before battling back late in the opening
stanza - continues with the super conditioned Kirkland
setting a pace that would eventually wear down his opponent
come the halfway mark.
Julio came prepared, and landed picture
perfect right hand counters that found the mark, but not a
single bomb would keep this Kirkland pugilistic mailman from
his appointed rounds.
KIRKLAND OVERPOWERS JULIO, ORTIZ STOPS ARNOUTIS, GUERRERO vs JORDAN A "NO CONTEST" ... by Larry Flores
Kirkland, the NABO Light Middleweight champion, was too strong
and applied relentless pressure to totally overwhelm his opponent from the
opening bell. In his usual “search and destroy” aggressive style, the
winner’s body attack and unending pressure prevented the Colombian native from
mounting any attack of his own. As round one was coming to an end, a
strong left hook by Kirkland opened a cut just outside Julio’s right eye.
The winner maintained his relentless attack on a constantly retreating Julio in
the following two rounds, and by the third round Kirkland’s smothering offensive
display clearly had a tired Julio in a survival mode. Only near the end of
the third round did the loser mount any offense of his own, connecting with a
few combinations that had no affect on Kirkland.
JAMES KIRKLAND
CRUSHES JOEL JULIO... by Frank Gonzalez Jr.
Kirkland proved way too much for Julio to handle. In the first round,
Kirkland was like a tornado, blasting Julio and chasing him around the ring.
Julio’s supposed better boxing skills didn’t matter in the face
of the storm of Kirkland’s aggression. After a ruthless barrage of punches, Julio suffered
a cut over his right eye that proved a real handicap as the
fight continued.
Kirkland continued
to chase Julio around the ring in the second. Somehow, Julio
started to find a little rhythm from the outside and managed to
tag with a few clean shots, including a straight right, right into
Kirkland’s face. A
moment later, Julio landed a good shot to the body.
Kirkland didn’t even
seem to notice.
Kirkland adjusted
his tempo, and focused on following his corner’s instructions
to double up on his jab, use more feints and move his head
more. Kirkland got hit
with the cleaner shots but he was still the bully in the
ring. Punch-stats notwithstanding...
DELVIN
RODRIGUEZ NIPS ALVAREZ BY UNANIMOUS DECISION, RETAINS USBA
STRAP... by George Elsasser
Friday night's ESPN welterweight scrap
between Delvin Rodriguez and Shamone Alvarez for the USBA
minor league strap, proved closely contested, with the
defending Rodriguez getting the unanimous decision by virtue
of a stanza eleven knockdown.
Had there been no Rodriguez 10-8 round,
this one would have resulted in Rodriguez retaining although
not winning the fight - reflective scores were Rodriguez
115-112, 114-113, 114-113 - without them two 114-113 scores
it would have been a majority draw.
Still, the draw would have seen Alvarez
earning a return bout - but not to be - Shamone’s strong
finishing stanza twelve saw Rodriguez hurt late and ready for
the cleaners - and seeing the final numbers, if not a KO, a
10-8 with a knockdown would likely have seen Alvarez the
winner via split decision.
ADAMEK SCORES THRILLING KNOCKOUT;
LORENZO GETS BACK ON TRACK IN IBF ELIMINATOR ON SHOBOX: THE
NEW GENERATION...
The 26-year old Banks, fighting out of Emanuel Steward's
Kronk Gym in Detroit, Mich., was seeking the world renowned
gym's first world title in 25 years.
Banks opened with four solid rounds behind an impressive jab
and a powerful right hand. Showing his class and
ability in his first world title fight, Banks had his eye on
the prize.
But with the raucous Polish-American crowd in attendance,
Adamek took control in the sixth with lethal combinations to
the body and the head.
"I changed my tactic," said Adamek after the fight, "and
began to land body punches that changed the fight. I
have a lot of respect for the right hand of Johnathon Banks
but my trainer (Andrzej Gmitruk) told me to be patient, not
to rush in and my time will come."
Following a big right from Banks in the eighth round, the
iron-chinned Adamek answered with a textbook right hand of
his own that sent Banks sailing into the ropes and down to
the canvas. The one punch all but ended the fight.
JOHNSON DECISIONS JUDAH; SMITH IMPRESSIVE IN WIN OVER PREVIOUSLY
UNBEATEN GONZALEZ... by Larry Flores
Glen 'The Road Warrior' Johnson
once again gave notice that he's a fighter to be reckoned with
in the Light Heavyweight division. In ESPN's February 27th
Friday Night Fights' main event from Hollywood Florida's
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Johnson easily defeated Brooklyn's Daniel Judah by a clear, unanimous 10-round
decision. Displaying the same tenacity, body punching and
incredible punch output that have characterized his fights,
Johnson left no doubt as to his superiority over the once well
regarded Judah. The loser's sub par performance has relegated
him to a non-threatening stepping stone for up and coming
fighters.
JOHNSON ALIVE AND WELL;
SCHOOLS JUDAH VIA UNANIMOUS DECISION... by George Elsasser
Last nite's ESPN FNF offering from Hollywood, Florida
featured former IBF L/heavy champion Glen Johnson in the main event versus
club fight level Daniel Judah.
"Danny Boy" Judah, the big brother of far more talented
welter Zabba-Dabba Judah was the ideal tester for the now age 40 veteran of 62
kept appointments - and all went as choreographed.
The old "Road Warrior" proved up to the task answering the
opening bell with knockout on the mind - late in the stanza it's a decoy left
jab to the body quickly followed by a power right hand and Judah is seen
without legs as he falls backward into the ropes for a standing eight.
Bell comes to the rescue and from that point on it's all
Johnson on offense and Judah on defense - the Judah portside advantage never
entered into the fight for the most part, as he was usually seen up close and
personal to Johnson while playing the peek-a-boo survival game.
MUNROE DEFEATS MARTINEZ AGAIN FOR EUROPEAN TITLE...
Friday night at the Metrodome in Barnsley, England, promoter Frank Maloney put
on a fight card headlined by European super bantam champion Rendall Munroe's
dangerous defense against Kiko Martinez in a rematch.
Martinez ruthlessly attacked the southpaw champion in the
early rounds, forcing Munroe to weather the storm and bide his time until the
hard punching Spaniard started to slow down.
GAMBOA RIGHT HAND A WINNER, PRESCOTT WINS VIA DQ 10...
by George Elsasser
When first hearing the February 20 ESPN FNF was coming to us
from the Nova Southeastern campus in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, a few thoughts vied
for center stage in my already battered mind.
Was only a week ago, the ESPN venue was Sunrise, FL, no
more than a seven iron from Lauderdale - and the three favored sons in charge,
Santore- Kimmons- Ass-oblivious-imenios worked a version of the 3-stooges
comedy team of yesterday. They collectively butchered the assignment to the extent
the Florida commission was expected to send them on a temporary leave of
absence. Wrong!
The only saving grace prior to last noche's ring action was in seeing referee
Santore missing in action - thus, the expectations was this one would be a
2-team version of Moe & Larry with Curly taking leave.
MOLINA IN A BREEZE OVER
CAMACHO... by George Elsasser
ESPN visited the old Roseland Ballroom at midtown Manhattan
for its Friday the 13th offering - maybe it was the bright lights that
motivated underdog Carlos Molina - or it was the yesteryear popular dance hall
that lulled favorite Alexis Camacho into a fight version of a slow two step
instead of a expected jitterbug.
Round after round it was Molina the busier and more
accurate - and Camacho behaving more like a shot veteran unable to get
anything off, instead of a 27 year old that had arrived with a glittering 17-1
with 16 via the KO route.
So, it finally closed after ten lopsided stanzas to the
tune of Molina 100-90, 98-92, 97-93 - my unofficial agreed Molina 99-91 in
points and 9-1 under the round by round method of scoring.
MACK NIPS
HENRY VIA SPLIT DECISION; GUERRERO OUTWORKS ROSADO... by
George Elsasser
The ESPN FNF twin-bill showcasing rated
light heavyweight Chris Henry and undefeated middleweight
rookie Fernando Guerrero batted .500 with veteran Yusaf Mack
upsetting Henry and Guerrero besting Gabriel Rosado.
The action opened with Guerrero, a
Dominican transplant now calling Salisbury, MD home
displaying the better skills than a tough Philly gamer
Gabriel Rosado in a pier sixer that went the full eight
rounds.
URANGO CLAIMS IBF JR.
WELTER STRAP IN ROMP OVER NGOUDJO... by George Elsasser
The ESPN FNF offering between Juan Urango and Hermann Ngoudjo for the vacant IBF Jr. Welter bauble was
billed as a classic boxer vs. puncher affair - then the
opening bell and the Urango power punching caught the eye.
Ngoudjo displayed heart in going the
distance - but a nasty stanza three saw the lighter punching
local via Cameroon down twice - first trip courtesy of a
Urango left uppercut and then again from a finishing right
hand.
The scoring went lopsided for the port
side Colombian bomb thrower to the unanimous tune of
120-106, 118-108, 116-110 - it also translated to three
scoring judges favoring the puncher over the boxer, also
known as beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
JOE CALZAGHE RETIRES UNDEFEATED!
Former super-middleweight
champion Joe Calzaghe retired from boxing Thursday after winning all his 46
professional fights. "I've got no other goals to go for," he said. "That's why I
am calling it a day."
Calzaghe held the WBO super middleweight world title for more than 10 years. He
unified the title against Mikkel Kessler in April 2007, before moving up to
light heavyweight to fight Bernard Hopkins and Jones.
"It was a difficult decision to make but I have achieved everything I wanted to
achieve in boxing," he said. "I've been world champion for eleven years,
unifying the super middleweight division, going to America and winning light
heavyweight titles against great fighters like Hopkins and Roy Jones.
"I had a long think with my family. My children wanted me to give up, plus my
mum. That's why I decided to call it a day and will go on to do something else."
Calzaghe said he was tempted to fight three more times to match Rocky Marciano's
record of 49 wins from 49 fights, but said he lacked the hunger. And there will
be no comeback, he pledged. Calzaghe's last loss, at the age of 17, was against
Adrian Opreda, a Romanian, at the European Amateur Championships in 1990, in
Prague. Calzaghe insists that night shaped his future."
My decision is to retire," he said. "I've been boxing for 25 years and, like I
said, I've achieved everything I want to achieve.'
THE CHAMPION.... by Bill Stephens
After eighteen years in the ring, the undefeated World Super Middleweight
Champion calls it quits with nothing more to prove. Joe Calzaghe leaves the
ring at the age of 36 undefeated, with 45 wins (32 KOs) and the longest
reigning Champion in boxing history. How many boxers can accomplish this? Joe
Calzaghe is still young enough and has enough money to devote his time to
commercial interests and his many charities.
Thank you Joe Calzaghe for holding the Championship with class and grace and
bringing two decades of your unique style to the boxing fans. There will never
be another Italian Dragon.
Enjoy your retirement Champ! The Pride of Wales will be missed...
Questions? Comments? Post them in BRC's new Message Board...
1-2009 |
