BraggingRightsCorner.com - " Briggs - Liakhovich Exclusive Directory "

“I have never taken acting lessons. I have been acting stupid all my life.”

BRIGGS FINDS A LAST ROUND ANSWER AGAINST SERGEI LIAKHOVICH, BUT.... by Mike Cassell
Briggs admitted that he was not in the best shape for this fight. This was the biggest fight of his life, and he was not in the best shape? What does that tell us? In this writer's mind it says that Rahman is 100% right about American Heavyweights, and that when an opportunity to fight for a title comes along, you should be ready.

IT'S OK SERGEI... by Jim Amato
Shannon set a very slow pace and Sergei seemed to be content to go along with it. Neither boxer seemed to be willing to carry the fight to the other and it made for a pretty dull contest. Still Sergei was doing the better work. He was fighting a smart fight if not an exciting one. This was reflected on the cards as Liakhovich was ahead 106-103 on two cards and 105-104 on the other. Even after the first knockdown, if Sergei would have made it to the bell losing a 10-8 round he still wins a split decision and retains his title. Such a shame for Sergei.

DIAZ GLITTERS LIKE GOLD IN ANGULO WIN... by George Elsasser

Has bothered me from the start how such a complete entity as Diaz can claim a share of the lightweight conglomerate at age 20, and be placed on the back burner, while unproven connected lesser ones are prematurely cloaked and soaked as something special.
But after a stellar performance that glittered like gold - and a maiden voyage under the good ship Don King Promotions - the hint is the now age 23 talent will reap the past due rewards of top quality recognition.

BRIGGS GRABS WBO BRASS RING IN FINAL STANZA... by George Elsasser

Briggs as Yankee Doodle Dandy not exactly a Paul Revere … I mean, that one played to a one if by land, two if by sea, the Brits are coming scenario - here, the Russians already had claimed all four shares of the big boy bauble. On that note, what chance have we got here for Briggs vs. Klitschko, Maskaev, Valuev is anyone’s guess. The bulked up Briggs was huffing and puffing early on but the Belarusian, ahead on all cards or not, never believed enough to quicken the pace.
In closing, think that old Vince Lombardi shout of fatigue making cowards of us all fits somewhere in this one.

BRIGGS KOs LIAKHOVICH AND THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION... by Oleg Bershadsky

In a tedious and excruciatingly painful to watch fight, Shannon Briggs KO’d Sergei Liakhovich to become the WBO heavyweight champion. For Liakhovich this fight was a real disappointment, as he fought a guy who is a bodybuilder pretending to be a boxer and lost. For Briggs this fight is the most fortuitous event in his life, which can be compared to winning the lottery where you win a prize based on luck, while not really deserving it.

PRE-FIGHT QUOTES:

“I’m a fighter. I need to feel my opponent out first before I do something different.”

“I call Briggs ‘Pineapple-Head,’” Liakhovich stated prior to leaving the gym. “Hey, that’s what he looks like.” - Sergei Liakhovich

“I sparred 110 rounds for this fight, and sparred against three guys a day.”

“People are talking about all of these Russian heavyweights. I am the Great Black Hope. Rahman was the last line of defense. Now I am the first line of offense." - Shannon Briggs

“I am going to try to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in government in December 2007. Then, I want to go to law school. Someday, I want to be the mayor of Houston.” - Juan Diaz

“Diaz is a boxer who punches a lot. He is not a hard hitter. He confuses people a lot with the speed of his punches.” - Fernando Angulo

DON KING'S 'RED NOVEMBER' A HISTORY MAKING EVENT IN PHOENIX
The doors to King’s history-making event will open at Chase Field November 4th at 2:30 p.m., and the first of nine scheduled matches will begin minutes later to make sure all seven supporting attractions are completed prior to 7 p.m. local time when the co-featured main events, also televised on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast), will begin with undefeated World Boxing Association lightweight champion Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz (30-0, 15 KOs), from Houston, taking on Fernando “La Fiera” Angulo (18-3, 11 KOs), from Caracas, Venezuela, immediately followed by Liakhovich vs. Briggs.

BRIGGS, LIAKHOVICH, DIAZ AND ANGULO SPEAK OUT ABOUT THEIR NOVEMBER 4TH CHAMPIONSHIP BOUTS
Liakhovich: Well, basically, we read reports that Chuck is supposed to be the expert trainer that knows me. I have a message: Chuck knows nothing about me. In one year, I have changed quite a bit and I am now with a great trainer, Kenny Weldon. What you are going to see in the ring is something that Chuck has no idea about. So they are just fooling themselves by bringing him in. But I understand Shannon Briggs needs to feel that way because he is fighting the best champion out there and it is kind of a scary walk out there. He talks the talk. He has a big mouth. I have major plans, you know, basically (knocking him into) the second row.

Briggs: I am focused on the fact that I am fighting this guy and that is it. I am not really looking pass this. But of course, there is the imagination that runs with itself and says, ‘OK, knock this guy off, get the next guy, and keep knocking these guys off.’ But I am just focused on Liakhovich right now and I am looking forward to November 4.

BRIGGS - LIAKHOVICH PREVIEW: SERGEI INSIDE OF TEN ROUNDS... by Jim Amato

Shannon is a big heavyweight at 6' 4" and around 260 to 270 pounds. He has fairly fast hands and decent boxing skills. I think his chin is a big, big question mark here. I feel Shannon would have fared better in a match against Wladimir Klitschko. To me both of them have shaky chins so it would have come down to who got in the first good shot.

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: LIAKHOVICH TO DEFEND CROWN AGAINST BRIGGS
“My day is coming, and I am going to give my all,” said Briggs, the WBO No. 3 contender (47-4-1, 41 KOs). “I respect Liakhovich. He is the man. I regard him as the true champion because he beat Lamon Brewster, who beat Wladimir Klitschko. I am in a tough fight, but I am going in there to knock Liakhovich out.’’

GET TO KNOW SERGEI “WHITE WOLF” LIAKHOVICH
Shedding a stiff, regimented and basically one-dimensional standup style, Sergei “White Wolf” Liakhovich, from Belarus, has joined Ukrainian brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko as well as St. Petersburg giant Nicolai “Beast from the East” Valuev in becoming a world heavyweight champion.

GET TO KNOW SHANNON 'THE CANNON' BRIGGS

“A lot of guys in my division are in their prime at 34,” said Briggs, who has always been armed with enormous talent and devastating two-fisted power. “Me? They think I am some sort of ancient warrior. But I feel I am just hitting my prime. I have plenty of fight left in me. I feel invigorated.’’

10-01-2006