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Sunday, 1 November 2009
Relaxed David Haye stays on top of his tallest order
Kevin Mitchell, The Observer
For all the weirdness of fighting someone who was taller at 12 – 6ft 4in – than he is now at 29, David Haye is alarmingly relaxed about the prospect of sharing a ring with Nikolai Valuev in Germany on Saturday night. The south Londoner is either kidding himself or the Russian is in for an embarrassing night of swinging, missing, hurting and losing his World Boxing Association heavyweight title from the stark vantage point of 7ft above the ground.
I suspect, against the odds and perceptions, it will be the latter. Time spent in Haye's company the past week has seen him ease off on the mind games and stunts, which are intend as much to ramp up pay-per-view hits as unsettle the champion, while he settles down to the serious business of staying calm. At no point does he give the impression of being led to the gallows.
"I'm pretty good when it comes to the psychology of boxing," Haye says. "Some guys, a week or two weeks out, you can see a buzz in their faces. They're bouncing around, using up energy. I've been doing it so long, I've trained my mind and body to save the adrenaline for when it counts."
But the trash-talking directed at Valuev has had a strategic purpose too. Haye and his trainer/manager Adam Booth say Valuev does not like to put full purchase on his punches because his arms are so big he would risk wearing himself out. If he gets angry – which has not happened in any of his 51 fights – he might just play into Haye's hands.
"His body movement isn't that quick, but his hands move quickly and he doesn't load up on his punches. So he's got the endurance for 12 rounds. He's just got to push his arms out and they're big, heavy shots. I have respect for what he does as an athlete, someone his size who can hold his technique together, and he can throw 70 to 80 punches a round – for a heavyweight that's a good punch-up. But no matter what he does, I've got a way to beat it."
Booth is certain Haye will not freeze when he looks across the ring in a packed Arena Nürnberger Versicherung and sees not the cardboard cut-out he has been decapitating for the media but a real-life giant. "I don't think he'll be thinking anything," Booth says. "At that stage of the game, he's doing. He has a process that he goes through. It's all about repeating the process, rather than thinking. He enjoys fighting. A lot of fighters get paralysed by their nerves, thinking of the end result. Am I winning the fight? Am I going to win? Dreaming of it. And those emotions stay with in them in the fight. You have to think about what you're doing every second of every round. Because he loves fighting, he stays in the moment.
"I genuinely believe he's only been 70% of what he can be, because of the opponents that he's fought, the injuries that he's had. If he gets anywhere near 100% of what he can be, this fight will be totally one-sided. But that's a massive ask. That's down to David. He has all of the skills."
He has. He also has a suspect chin and, in the past, a tendency to fade in longer fights, notably against Carl Thompson, who stopped him in five rounds in 2004. "Without the Thompson defeat we wouldn't be here today," Booth says. "We owe a lot to Carl and the arse-kicking he gave David."
Haye gave up the clubbing and the girl-chasing. He got married. He is a dad. He has, Booth says, "become a man". "And, if you look at David over the last two or three years, he has got better. He's become a professional and he knows what it's like to operate at that level."
What he does not know is what it is like to fight Nikolai Valuev. But, then again, Valuev does not know what it is like to fight David Haye.
Haye can win, maybe even by a late stoppage. If he pulls that off, and in style, it will be a result to rank alongside some of the great British victories on foreign soil.
David Haye fights Nikolai Valuev on Saturday, live on Sky Box Office HD
Source: guardian.co.uk
For all the weirdness of fighting someone who was taller at 12 – 6ft 4in – than he is now at 29, David Haye is alarmingly relaxed about the prospect of sharing a ring with Nikolai Valuev in Germany on Saturday night. The south Londoner is either kidding himself or the Russian is in for an embarrassing night of swinging, missing, hurting and losing his World Boxing Association heavyweight title from the stark vantage point of 7ft above the ground.
I suspect, against the odds and perceptions, it will be the latter. Time spent in Haye's company the past week has seen him ease off on the mind games and stunts, which are intend as much to ramp up pay-per-view hits as unsettle the champion, while he settles down to the serious business of staying calm. At no point does he give the impression of being led to the gallows.
"I'm pretty good when it comes to the psychology of boxing," Haye says. "Some guys, a week or two weeks out, you can see a buzz in their faces. They're bouncing around, using up energy. I've been doing it so long, I've trained my mind and body to save the adrenaline for when it counts."
But the trash-talking directed at Valuev has had a strategic purpose too. Haye and his trainer/manager Adam Booth say Valuev does not like to put full purchase on his punches because his arms are so big he would risk wearing himself out. If he gets angry – which has not happened in any of his 51 fights – he might just play into Haye's hands.
"His body movement isn't that quick, but his hands move quickly and he doesn't load up on his punches. So he's got the endurance for 12 rounds. He's just got to push his arms out and they're big, heavy shots. I have respect for what he does as an athlete, someone his size who can hold his technique together, and he can throw 70 to 80 punches a round – for a heavyweight that's a good punch-up. But no matter what he does, I've got a way to beat it."
Booth is certain Haye will not freeze when he looks across the ring in a packed Arena Nürnberger Versicherung and sees not the cardboard cut-out he has been decapitating for the media but a real-life giant. "I don't think he'll be thinking anything," Booth says. "At that stage of the game, he's doing. He has a process that he goes through. It's all about repeating the process, rather than thinking. He enjoys fighting. A lot of fighters get paralysed by their nerves, thinking of the end result. Am I winning the fight? Am I going to win? Dreaming of it. And those emotions stay with in them in the fight. You have to think about what you're doing every second of every round. Because he loves fighting, he stays in the moment.
"I genuinely believe he's only been 70% of what he can be, because of the opponents that he's fought, the injuries that he's had. If he gets anywhere near 100% of what he can be, this fight will be totally one-sided. But that's a massive ask. That's down to David. He has all of the skills."
He has. He also has a suspect chin and, in the past, a tendency to fade in longer fights, notably against Carl Thompson, who stopped him in five rounds in 2004. "Without the Thompson defeat we wouldn't be here today," Booth says. "We owe a lot to Carl and the arse-kicking he gave David."
Haye gave up the clubbing and the girl-chasing. He got married. He is a dad. He has, Booth says, "become a man". "And, if you look at David over the last two or three years, he has got better. He's become a professional and he knows what it's like to operate at that level."
What he does not know is what it is like to fight Nikolai Valuev. But, then again, Valuev does not know what it is like to fight David Haye.
Haye can win, maybe even by a late stoppage. If he pulls that off, and in style, it will be a result to rank alongside some of the great British victories on foreign soil.
David Haye fights Nikolai Valuev on Saturday, live on Sky Box Office HD
Source: guardian.co.uk
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Perez captures IBF bantamweight title
AFP
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Colombia's Yonnhy Perez seized the International Boxing Federation bantamweight title, dethroning Ghana's Joseph Agbeko with a unanimous 12-round decision.
Perez emerged from the action-packed bout still unbeaten, improving to 20-0 with 14 wins inside the distance.
He was credited with a knockdown late in the 10th round, sending Agbeko to the canvas when Agbeko had turned away to complain to referee Robert Byrd about a head-butt.
"I didn't see whether it was a head butt or a punch, therefore I had to rule it was from a punch," Byrd said.
Two of the ringside judges scored the bout 117-110 for Perez, while a third saw it 116-111.
Buoyed by the knockdown, Perez poured on the pressure in the last two rounds.
"I knew I was winning the rounds, and I deserved to get the victory," Perez said. "I trained to throw a lot of punches. I know Agbeko likes to throw a lot of punches, so I knew I had to be better conditioned. All the hard work and preparation paid off."
Agbeko, who was making his third defence of a title he won two years ago, fell to 27-2 with 22 knockouts. He said the 10th round was the key to a contest that featured furious action from both fighters from the opening round.
"He head-butted me in round 10 and I didn't think that was fair," Agbeko said. "I thought I was fighting well toward that point. Perez seemed energized and I stayed the same."
Perez called the victory "a dream come true."
"I don?t think he was in good shape. I think he went down to catch his breath," he said of the controversial knockdown. "I felt I was more consistent, more active and I pressed the fight throughout."
On the same card, Mexico's Antonio DeMarco dominated Nicaragua's Jose Alfaro en route to a 10th-round technical knockout in a fight for the World Boxing Council interim lightweight title.
Referee Joe Cortez stopped the fight at the 2:07 mark of the round after DeMarco knocked down Alfaro twice.
Alfaro beat the count both times, but as DeMarco continued to press Alfaro took a knee and Cortez called a halt.
"It's impossible to describe the feeling I have inside me right now," DeMarco said. "This is the second happiest day of my life. Only the birth of my daughter comes first."
The victory put DeMarco in line to challenge unbeaten WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero of Venezuela.
Source: Google
Joseph Agbeko was dethroned with a unanimous 12-round decision
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Colombia's Yonnhy Perez seized the International Boxing Federation bantamweight title, dethroning Ghana's Joseph Agbeko with a unanimous 12-round decision.
Perez emerged from the action-packed bout still unbeaten, improving to 20-0 with 14 wins inside the distance.
He was credited with a knockdown late in the 10th round, sending Agbeko to the canvas when Agbeko had turned away to complain to referee Robert Byrd about a head-butt.
"I didn't see whether it was a head butt or a punch, therefore I had to rule it was from a punch," Byrd said.
Two of the ringside judges scored the bout 117-110 for Perez, while a third saw it 116-111.
Buoyed by the knockdown, Perez poured on the pressure in the last two rounds.
"I knew I was winning the rounds, and I deserved to get the victory," Perez said. "I trained to throw a lot of punches. I know Agbeko likes to throw a lot of punches, so I knew I had to be better conditioned. All the hard work and preparation paid off."
Agbeko, who was making his third defence of a title he won two years ago, fell to 27-2 with 22 knockouts. He said the 10th round was the key to a contest that featured furious action from both fighters from the opening round.
"He head-butted me in round 10 and I didn't think that was fair," Agbeko said. "I thought I was fighting well toward that point. Perez seemed energized and I stayed the same."
Perez called the victory "a dream come true."
"I don?t think he was in good shape. I think he went down to catch his breath," he said of the controversial knockdown. "I felt I was more consistent, more active and I pressed the fight throughout."
On the same card, Mexico's Antonio DeMarco dominated Nicaragua's Jose Alfaro en route to a 10th-round technical knockout in a fight for the World Boxing Council interim lightweight title.
Referee Joe Cortez stopped the fight at the 2:07 mark of the round after DeMarco knocked down Alfaro twice.
Alfaro beat the count both times, but as DeMarco continued to press Alfaro took a knee and Cortez called a halt.
"It's impossible to describe the feeling I have inside me right now," DeMarco said. "This is the second happiest day of my life. Only the birth of my daughter comes first."
The victory put DeMarco in line to challenge unbeaten WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero of Venezuela.
Source: Google
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Ricky Hatton reveals: I could just return to the ring alongside my brother Matthew
By Alex Montgomery, Mail Online
Ricky Hatton is refusing to rule out the possibility of making what would be a remarkable return to the ring.
Hatton is currently promoting his younger brother Matthew’s IBO world welterweight title fight against Lovemore Ndou, the South African champion, in Stoke on November 13.
And he made it clear he will ignore the experts who have advised him to retire, provided he recovers his hunger in the next few months.
Hatton, 31, who quit after losing to Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas six months ago, said: ‘Maybe I will make a comeback. If I get the bit between my teeth, if I find the hunger, then it is possible. Wouldn’t it be something if Matthew and myself were involved at the highest level in the future?
At the moment I am enjoying being a promoter and hopefully producing champions. Matthew taking the title would be a proud moment for us Hattons.’
Source: dailymail.co.uk
Ricky Hatton is refusing to rule out the possibility of making what would be a remarkable return to the ring.
Hatton is currently promoting his younger brother Matthew’s IBO world welterweight title fight against Lovemore Ndou, the South African champion, in Stoke on November 13.
And he made it clear he will ignore the experts who have advised him to retire, provided he recovers his hunger in the next few months.
Hatton, 31, who quit after losing to Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas six months ago, said: ‘Maybe I will make a comeback. If I get the bit between my teeth, if I find the hunger, then it is possible. Wouldn’t it be something if Matthew and myself were involved at the highest level in the future?
At the moment I am enjoying being a promoter and hopefully producing champions. Matthew taking the title would be a proud moment for us Hattons.’
Source: dailymail.co.uk
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Before Manny Pacquiao - Part II
By Kenny Perrault, BraggingRightsCorner.com
In the first segment of "Before Manny Pacquaio" we looked at the careers of Pancho Villa and Luisito Espinosa. We will once again look back at some of the great Filipino fighters that paved the way for Manny Pacquiao.
Gabriel "Flash" Elorde could easily be considered the most popular Filipino fighter of all time until Manny Pacquiao came around. Elorde, a southpaw, began his career in 1951 with a victory over Kid Gonzaga. In just his 18th professional bout Elorde fought and defeated Tanny Campo for the Philippines Games & Amusement Board (GAB) Bantamweight title.
Two fights later he captured the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation title (OPBF) with a split decision victory over Hiroshi Horiguchi. Between 1953 and 1954 Elorde failed to capture the Japanese Featherweight title and twice fought for the OPBF Featherweight belt losing all three fights by decision. He did, however, claim the GAB Super Featherweight title defeating Tommy Romulo. On July 20th, 1955 Flash held a record of 28-8-2 as he stepped in the ring against his toughest opponent to date, Sandy Saddler, (114-14-2) who had fought only 12 days prior to his bout with Elorde, winning by 6th round TKO. With only 12 days between fights Saddler dropped a ten round decision to Flash thus elevating the young Filipino into the featherweight spotlight. The two men would meet again in early 1956 for the world featherweight title. Unlike their previous meeting Saddler would come out on top, with a 13th round TKO victory, after the fight was stopped due to a bad cut suffered by Elorde.
Through 1956-1959 Flash would again capture the GAB Super Featherweight title along with the OPBF and GAB Lightweight titles. Flash would capture his first world title in 1960 when he knocked out Harold Gomes in the 7th round. In 1963 Elorde became the WBC and WBA Super Featherweight champion by winning a decision over Johnny Bizzarro. Flash would go on to defend his Super Featherweight crown many times. He would twice bid for the lightweight world title coming up short on both tries. His last world title fight came in 1967 against Yoshiaki Numata. The fight went the distance of 15 rounds and the judges scored it a majority victory in favor of Numata.
Flash Elorde fought until 1971 and retired with a record of 88-27-2 (33 KOs). Elorde, who was a heavy smoker succumbed to lung cancer in 1985 at the age of 49. In 1993, he became the first Asian inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. His grandson, Juan Martin Elorde, has followed in his footsteps, and he now sports a 9-0 (2 KOs) record.
Diosdado Penalosa better know as "Dodie Boy" began his professional boxing career in 1982, and in that same year he fought for his first title winning the Philippines Boxing Federation (PBF) light flyweight title by scoring a 12th round TKO over Romy Austria.
Two fights later he would capture his second title, this time winning the OPBF light flyweight title with an 11th round TKO over Sung Nam Kim. In only his 12th pro fight Penalosa fought for his first world title facing Satoshi Shingaki for the IBF light flyweight belt. Dodie Boy scored a 12th round TKO in route to becoming a world champion. He defended the title three times before vacating the belt to move up in weight to the flyweight division. His first attempt at a flyweight crown was unsuccessful as he lost a 115 round decision to Hilario Zapata. He would finally capture his first flyweight title in 1987 when he defeated Hi-Sup Shin by fifth round knockout. Unfortunately he would lose the title in his next fight via 11th round knockout at the hands of Chang-Ho Choi. Penalosa would fight once more for a world title and again came up short losing a 12 round decision in 1989. His career would come to an end in 1995 with the record of 31-7-2 (13 KOs). Penalosas's younger brother is the popular Gerry Penalosa.
Ceferino Garcia's professional boxing career began in 1923 with a draw; as a matter of fact, his first three bouts were all scored draws. Garcia began his career in the Philippines but most of his fights were fought on American soil. In 1933 he captured the California Welterweight title, a title he would defend many times. In 1937 he landed his first chance at a world championship fighting for the Welterweight title against Barney Ross. The fight would go the distance of 15, with Ross winning the decision.
The following year Garcia would get a second chance at the Welterweight crown, this time against all time great Henry Armstrong. Much like his first championship fight, Garcia again would lose on the scorecards. Finally, in 1939, Garcia became a world champion, winning the Middleweight title by defeating Fred Apostoli by seventh round knockout. Garcia would go on to defend the title twice, including a draw against Henry Armstrong before losing the title in 1940 to Ken Overlin. Ceferino Garcia would never fight for a title again and ended his career in 1945 with a record of 102-25-12 (67 KOs). He is the only Filipino fighter to ever become the world middleweight champion.
Source: Bragging Rights Corner
In the first segment of "Before Manny Pacquaio" we looked at the careers of Pancho Villa and Luisito Espinosa. We will once again look back at some of the great Filipino fighters that paved the way for Manny Pacquiao.
Gabriel "Flash" Elorde could easily be considered the most popular Filipino fighter of all time until Manny Pacquiao came around. Elorde, a southpaw, began his career in 1951 with a victory over Kid Gonzaga. In just his 18th professional bout Elorde fought and defeated Tanny Campo for the Philippines Games & Amusement Board (GAB) Bantamweight title.
Two fights later he captured the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation title (OPBF) with a split decision victory over Hiroshi Horiguchi. Between 1953 and 1954 Elorde failed to capture the Japanese Featherweight title and twice fought for the OPBF Featherweight belt losing all three fights by decision. He did, however, claim the GAB Super Featherweight title defeating Tommy Romulo. On July 20th, 1955 Flash held a record of 28-8-2 as he stepped in the ring against his toughest opponent to date, Sandy Saddler, (114-14-2) who had fought only 12 days prior to his bout with Elorde, winning by 6th round TKO. With only 12 days between fights Saddler dropped a ten round decision to Flash thus elevating the young Filipino into the featherweight spotlight. The two men would meet again in early 1956 for the world featherweight title. Unlike their previous meeting Saddler would come out on top, with a 13th round TKO victory, after the fight was stopped due to a bad cut suffered by Elorde.
Through 1956-1959 Flash would again capture the GAB Super Featherweight title along with the OPBF and GAB Lightweight titles. Flash would capture his first world title in 1960 when he knocked out Harold Gomes in the 7th round. In 1963 Elorde became the WBC and WBA Super Featherweight champion by winning a decision over Johnny Bizzarro. Flash would go on to defend his Super Featherweight crown many times. He would twice bid for the lightweight world title coming up short on both tries. His last world title fight came in 1967 against Yoshiaki Numata. The fight went the distance of 15 rounds and the judges scored it a majority victory in favor of Numata.
Flash Elorde fought until 1971 and retired with a record of 88-27-2 (33 KOs). Elorde, who was a heavy smoker succumbed to lung cancer in 1985 at the age of 49. In 1993, he became the first Asian inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. His grandson, Juan Martin Elorde, has followed in his footsteps, and he now sports a 9-0 (2 KOs) record.
Diosdado Penalosa better know as "Dodie Boy" began his professional boxing career in 1982, and in that same year he fought for his first title winning the Philippines Boxing Federation (PBF) light flyweight title by scoring a 12th round TKO over Romy Austria.
Two fights later he would capture his second title, this time winning the OPBF light flyweight title with an 11th round TKO over Sung Nam Kim. In only his 12th pro fight Penalosa fought for his first world title facing Satoshi Shingaki for the IBF light flyweight belt. Dodie Boy scored a 12th round TKO in route to becoming a world champion. He defended the title three times before vacating the belt to move up in weight to the flyweight division. His first attempt at a flyweight crown was unsuccessful as he lost a 115 round decision to Hilario Zapata. He would finally capture his first flyweight title in 1987 when he defeated Hi-Sup Shin by fifth round knockout. Unfortunately he would lose the title in his next fight via 11th round knockout at the hands of Chang-Ho Choi. Penalosa would fight once more for a world title and again came up short losing a 12 round decision in 1989. His career would come to an end in 1995 with the record of 31-7-2 (13 KOs). Penalosas's younger brother is the popular Gerry Penalosa.
Ceferino Garcia's professional boxing career began in 1923 with a draw; as a matter of fact, his first three bouts were all scored draws. Garcia began his career in the Philippines but most of his fights were fought on American soil. In 1933 he captured the California Welterweight title, a title he would defend many times. In 1937 he landed his first chance at a world championship fighting for the Welterweight title against Barney Ross. The fight would go the distance of 15, with Ross winning the decision.
The following year Garcia would get a second chance at the Welterweight crown, this time against all time great Henry Armstrong. Much like his first championship fight, Garcia again would lose on the scorecards. Finally, in 1939, Garcia became a world champion, winning the Middleweight title by defeating Fred Apostoli by seventh round knockout. Garcia would go on to defend the title twice, including a draw against Henry Armstrong before losing the title in 1940 to Ken Overlin. Ceferino Garcia would never fight for a title again and ended his career in 1945 with a record of 102-25-12 (67 KOs). He is the only Filipino fighter to ever become the world middleweight champion.
Source: Bragging Rights Corner
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