By James Slater, Eastside Boxing
Talk about one helluva Dream Fight: Manny Pacquiao Vs. Thomas Hearns - "The Hitman" against "Pac-Man!"
There is little doubt Filipino southpaw and genuine boxing superstar Pacquiao is a fighter who has earned himself a place among the all time greats of the sport. From flyweight up to welterweight, the 31-year-old has dominated and won a major belt and, incredibly, it is while operating as a welterweight that Pac-Man has appeared to be getting even better. Taking care of top names Oscar De La Hoya (albeit a weight drained version), Miguel Cotto and, most recently, the much bigger Joshua Clottey, Pacquiao has more than proven his worth as a 147-pounder. However, what would have happened had the current pound-for-pound king been forced to face a peak Thomas Hearns at the weight he now fights at?
Hearns, who really was a freak of nature at the weight, both in terms of height (6'1") and in punching power, was an utterly devastating fighting machine back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Literally standing his fellow welterweights on their heads in those glory years - with top men/ respectable fighters such as Pipino Cuevas, Randy Shields, Harold Weston and Luis Primera all being stopped - Hearns earned himself a reputation as a fierce customer.
Taking Pacquiao back in time to face this Tommy Hearns, the southpaw dynamo has one tough night's work ahead of him!
First of all, Manny quickly finds out he has an incredibly arduous time coping with the 78" reach Hearns possesses. Having a wingspan of just 67" himself, the 5'6.5" Pacquiao is facing a fighter with measurements like no-one he's met before. Pac's southpaw stance - a stance Hearns has never had much experience against his whole career thus far - allows him to trouble Hearns and work his way inside, though, and Pacquiao is able to get in close and go to work. Tommy's never all that reliable chin looks like it may let him down against the lethal and blurring hands of his rival at times, but despite wobbling, Hearns stays upright.
"The Hitman," no slouch at the inside fighting himself, gets his own body punches to work and his body assault more than rivals Pacquiao's. Hearns hasn't yet learnt how to properly tie up an opponent, though, so Manny is certainly getting in and doing some damage. But enough to get the stoppage?
The fierce battle rages while the two men are warring on the inside, but after a while the action is broken up and the distance between the two fighters again favours Hearns and his spearing left jab; to say nothing of the right cross flying at the smaller man - a right cross that has both crunching power and great accuracy. At the point of the 5th-round, Pacquiao's face is beginning to mark up, especially around the eyes.
Popping Manny's face with combinations at times, being dragged into an inside battle at others, Hearns is both giving and taking shots; but he is mostly doing the former. Pacquiao has great heart, but even he is unable to take too many of Hearns' bombs. Letting the heat of battle go to his gladiatorial head, Pac-Man then engages in one too many brutal exchanges and he pays the price.
In the 8th-round, a "Hitman" right hand buckles Pacquiao's knees, inviting the Detroit man to go for the finish. A desperate and buzzed Pacquiao slings haymakers of his own in an attempt to stay in the fight, and his blend of speed, guts and power sees to it that the already awestruck fans get to see some mesmerising action, but after a few sensational seconds Hearns connects with another huge right hand, putting Manny down.
Pac-Man beats the count, just, but Hearns refuses to let him off the hook. Always a great finisher, Hearns unleashes more hell with both hands and forces the referee to dive in and save Pacquiao from further punishment. Hearns gets the TKO, with Manny still on his feet, in the 8th-round of a fight that elevates both men!
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
The final insult -- Sky Sports
By Wayne McCullough, Sky Sports Blog
Wladimir Klitschko defende his WBO and IBF heavyweight belts in his 'home' country of Germany this past weekend in front of 51,000 fans. He faced American Eddie Chambers, who earned his no 1 contender spot with solid wins last year over Samuel Peter and, most recently, Alexander Dimitrenko.
The question that remained was that at 6ft 1in, was Chambers too small for Klitschko and how would he deal with the 6ft reach advantage from his opponent?
Klitschko has three defeats on his record from 56 fights, 47 by KO, but he was stopped in all three of his losses. Chambers has lost only once back in January 2008 to Alexander Povetkin, who won the 2004 Olympic Gold medal at super-heavyweight. Now he was fighting the 1996 super-heavyweight gold medalist, so how would he fare this time?
Since losing to Lamon Brewster in April 2004, Klitschko has been on form winning 11 straight fights, nine inside the distance. Chambers has rallied off five straight wins and, in his last fight, showed that the height difference between himself and his opponent wasn't a problem when he beat the 6ft 7in Dimitrenko with ease using fast combinations and lots of angles.
Chambers weighed in at 209½lbs, only 9½lbs over the cruiserweight limit, compared to Klitschko who weighed in at 244¾lbs. But maybe Chambers should have dropped the extra weight to fight in the lower division, where he wouldn't have disadvantaged himself.
Effective
It was obvious from the get-go that Klitschko's height and weight advantage were going to be an issue in this fight. He was definitely the bigger, stronger man. As usual he stood up straight with his left hand low and his chin up in the air but he used an effective left jab repeatedly.
Early on Chambers was moving and tried using angles with his jabs. He even tried to sneak some overhand rights to Klitschko's head but Wladimir had the knack of jabbing and getting out of the way.
In the second round, Chambers got close but instead of throwing punches he lifted his opponent up and dropped him to the canvas. Klitschko wasn't happy and with about 30 seconds left in the round, got to his feet and landed a solid overhand right to the head of Chambers, rocking him.
Klitschko came out in the third round but didn't go for the finish. Instead he went back to jabbing even though it was clear he had hurt Chambers the round before. Fast Eddie was moving but wasn't throwing his usual quick combinations. He kept both hands high and blocked a lot of Klitschiko's shots.
Klitschko used his jab as a range finder and sometimes left it extended in his opponent's face which the referee let him get away with. Now and again Klitschko landed hard rights that hurt Chambers but they were sporadic and he didn't follow through to end the fight.
Chambers was trying to go low and counter but Klitschko wouldn't let him. The only real punches coming at Chambers was the jab and right hand but his corner didn't make any adjustment to avoid them.
Klitschko's trainer, Emanuel Steward, wanted Wladimir to close the show from about round number seven but he was still being cautious. After the ninth round, Chambers had to change his right glove. This was maybe a respite for Chambers to give him the push he needed in the final rounds. But it wasn't to be.
Impressive
As the fight got restarted a few minutes later the pattern stayed the same. Klitschko jabbed and Chambers moved. Wladimir wasn't too impressive but a lot of that was down to Chambers not taking any chances.
Going into the 12th and final round Steward told Klitschko: "He's running to survive. There's no way he should be going 12 rounds," adding that he was waiting too long and not throwing enough punches. Klitschko replied: "I will try," with Steward telling him they didn't need another decision win.
Klitschko listened and pushed on the gas forcing Chambers back and about a minute and-a-half into the round a big right hand landed as Chambers moved desperately. With just 14 seconds left in the round a big left hook to the head dropped Chambers and knocked him out cold.
Klitschko got the KO win at 2:55 of the 12th round and, for that one round in the entire fight, he looked exciting and dangerous. The pep talk worked. If Wladimir fought each fight the way he fought in the final round he could bring back the excitement this division needs.
Source: skysports.com
Wladimir Klitschko defende his WBO and IBF heavyweight belts in his 'home' country of Germany this past weekend in front of 51,000 fans. He faced American Eddie Chambers, who earned his no 1 contender spot with solid wins last year over Samuel Peter and, most recently, Alexander Dimitrenko.
The question that remained was that at 6ft 1in, was Chambers too small for Klitschko and how would he deal with the 6ft reach advantage from his opponent?
Klitschko has three defeats on his record from 56 fights, 47 by KO, but he was stopped in all three of his losses. Chambers has lost only once back in January 2008 to Alexander Povetkin, who won the 2004 Olympic Gold medal at super-heavyweight. Now he was fighting the 1996 super-heavyweight gold medalist, so how would he fare this time?
Since losing to Lamon Brewster in April 2004, Klitschko has been on form winning 11 straight fights, nine inside the distance. Chambers has rallied off five straight wins and, in his last fight, showed that the height difference between himself and his opponent wasn't a problem when he beat the 6ft 7in Dimitrenko with ease using fast combinations and lots of angles.
Chambers weighed in at 209½lbs, only 9½lbs over the cruiserweight limit, compared to Klitschko who weighed in at 244¾lbs. But maybe Chambers should have dropped the extra weight to fight in the lower division, where he wouldn't have disadvantaged himself.
Effective
It was obvious from the get-go that Klitschko's height and weight advantage were going to be an issue in this fight. He was definitely the bigger, stronger man. As usual he stood up straight with his left hand low and his chin up in the air but he used an effective left jab repeatedly.
Early on Chambers was moving and tried using angles with his jabs. He even tried to sneak some overhand rights to Klitschko's head but Wladimir had the knack of jabbing and getting out of the way.
In the second round, Chambers got close but instead of throwing punches he lifted his opponent up and dropped him to the canvas. Klitschko wasn't happy and with about 30 seconds left in the round, got to his feet and landed a solid overhand right to the head of Chambers, rocking him.
Klitschko came out in the third round but didn't go for the finish. Instead he went back to jabbing even though it was clear he had hurt Chambers the round before. Fast Eddie was moving but wasn't throwing his usual quick combinations. He kept both hands high and blocked a lot of Klitschiko's shots.
Klitschko used his jab as a range finder and sometimes left it extended in his opponent's face which the referee let him get away with. Now and again Klitschko landed hard rights that hurt Chambers but they were sporadic and he didn't follow through to end the fight.
Chambers was trying to go low and counter but Klitschko wouldn't let him. The only real punches coming at Chambers was the jab and right hand but his corner didn't make any adjustment to avoid them.
Klitschko's trainer, Emanuel Steward, wanted Wladimir to close the show from about round number seven but he was still being cautious. After the ninth round, Chambers had to change his right glove. This was maybe a respite for Chambers to give him the push he needed in the final rounds. But it wasn't to be.
Impressive
As the fight got restarted a few minutes later the pattern stayed the same. Klitschko jabbed and Chambers moved. Wladimir wasn't too impressive but a lot of that was down to Chambers not taking any chances.
Going into the 12th and final round Steward told Klitschko: "He's running to survive. There's no way he should be going 12 rounds," adding that he was waiting too long and not throwing enough punches. Klitschko replied: "I will try," with Steward telling him they didn't need another decision win.
Klitschko listened and pushed on the gas forcing Chambers back and about a minute and-a-half into the round a big right hand landed as Chambers moved desperately. With just 14 seconds left in the round a big left hook to the head dropped Chambers and knocked him out cold.
Klitschko got the KO win at 2:55 of the 12th round and, for that one round in the entire fight, he looked exciting and dangerous. The pep talk worked. If Wladimir fought each fight the way he fought in the final round he could bring back the excitement this division needs.
Source: skysports.com
Coke, Pepsi, Mayweather, Jr. and cancel the clam dip at Manny's house -- The Examiner
By Matt Stolow, Examiner.com
DALLAS, TEXAS - Hopefully this is the first and only story on this blood/urine testing crapola you will get from me. Which I'm sure will make many of my readers ecstatic.
If I understand it correctly, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. asked Shane Mosley to agree to additional stricter testing to make their fight on May 1st. Mosley agreed.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) said yesterday that, basically, that's fine, but we'll do our own testing, but they can deliver their results to us if they want.
What if the NSAC and the rogue Mayweather tests say different things?
If Nevada says the boys are fine, "Let's fight," but the Mayweather tests say "No," somethings not kosher, than what do we do? What do they do? What does anyone do?
I know after wetting his pants from the laughter that Bob Arum will call Manny Pacquiao in The Philippines, who will immediately call his local cable company and cancel his order of the May 1st fight. Hey, it's $60 and a lot of clam dip.
Exactly like the day around 25 years ago that Pepsi-Cola gave all its employees worldwide the day off when rival Coke suddenly announced it was changing its 100 -year-old formula from the original Coke to the new, sweeter, hipper "New Coke."
If the situation occurred, I believe Arum, Pacquiao, and his worldwide fans would be entitled to do something good for themselves and spare no expense because they would have beaten, embarrassed and humiliated Team Mayweather and arch-rival Golden Boy Promotions and all their little people in between at their own game.
Other than actually beating Mayweather, Jr. in the ring, this would be the purest satisfaction and sweetest victory I could imagine.
If you can think of any way that Arum and Pacquiao can rub it further in the nose of Mayweather, Jr. and Golden Boy Promotions, please let me know and I'll report my findings. Please keep it clean!
Otherwise, I'm done writing about blood/urine testing.
Source: examiner.com
DALLAS, TEXAS - Hopefully this is the first and only story on this blood/urine testing crapola you will get from me. Which I'm sure will make many of my readers ecstatic.
If I understand it correctly, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. asked Shane Mosley to agree to additional stricter testing to make their fight on May 1st. Mosley agreed.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) said yesterday that, basically, that's fine, but we'll do our own testing, but they can deliver their results to us if they want.
What if the NSAC and the rogue Mayweather tests say different things?
If Nevada says the boys are fine, "Let's fight," but the Mayweather tests say "No," somethings not kosher, than what do we do? What do they do? What does anyone do?
I know after wetting his pants from the laughter that Bob Arum will call Manny Pacquiao in The Philippines, who will immediately call his local cable company and cancel his order of the May 1st fight. Hey, it's $60 and a lot of clam dip.
Exactly like the day around 25 years ago that Pepsi-Cola gave all its employees worldwide the day off when rival Coke suddenly announced it was changing its 100 -year-old formula from the original Coke to the new, sweeter, hipper "New Coke."
If the situation occurred, I believe Arum, Pacquiao, and his worldwide fans would be entitled to do something good for themselves and spare no expense because they would have beaten, embarrassed and humiliated Team Mayweather and arch-rival Golden Boy Promotions and all their little people in between at their own game.
Other than actually beating Mayweather, Jr. in the ring, this would be the purest satisfaction and sweetest victory I could imagine.
If you can think of any way that Arum and Pacquiao can rub it further in the nose of Mayweather, Jr. and Golden Boy Promotions, please let me know and I'll report my findings. Please keep it clean!
Otherwise, I'm done writing about blood/urine testing.
Source: examiner.com
Ricky Hatton: I will decide when I retire -- Mirror
By David Anderson, Mirror.co.uk
Ricky Hatton claims he will decide when it is time to hang up his gloves.
The Hitman confessed during a drunken stag trip to Tenerife recently that he doubted if he would ever fight again.
However he has now backtracked on his drink-fuelled admission and says he has no plans to announce his retirement.
"There has been a lot of hearsay in recent weeks regarding my retirement, but I urge my loyal fans to ignore the speculation," said Hatton, who has not fought since being sparked out inside two rounds by Manny Pacquiao 10 months ago.
"If, and when, I do eventually decide to retire, the announcement will be made by myself. I feel I have earned the right to do it myself."
Despite Hatton's comments, the speculation over his future will carry on and any comeback has been shelved until the autumn at the earliest because of problems finding a TV date, opponent and venue.
Hatton, 31, who is believed to be four stone over his 10-stone fighting weight, claims he is back in his Hyde gym ticking over.
"I have been spending some time in the gym this week and I think I gave some members of the gym a shock running next to them on the running machines," he said.
"I also partook in a spinning class, which is much harder than I thought."
Source: mirror.co.uk
Ricky Hatton claims he will decide when it is time to hang up his gloves.
The Hitman confessed during a drunken stag trip to Tenerife recently that he doubted if he would ever fight again.
However he has now backtracked on his drink-fuelled admission and says he has no plans to announce his retirement.
"There has been a lot of hearsay in recent weeks regarding my retirement, but I urge my loyal fans to ignore the speculation," said Hatton, who has not fought since being sparked out inside two rounds by Manny Pacquiao 10 months ago.
"If, and when, I do eventually decide to retire, the announcement will be made by myself. I feel I have earned the right to do it myself."
Despite Hatton's comments, the speculation over his future will carry on and any comeback has been shelved until the autumn at the earliest because of problems finding a TV date, opponent and venue.
Hatton, 31, who is believed to be four stone over his 10-stone fighting weight, claims he is back in his Hyde gym ticking over.
"I have been spending some time in the gym this week and I think I gave some members of the gym a shock running next to them on the running machines," he said.
"I also partook in a spinning class, which is much harder than I thought."
Source: mirror.co.uk
Manny Pacquiao show the only thing to upstage breathtaking Cowboys Stadium -- Daily Mail
By JEFF POWELL, Daily Mail
The most fascinating postscript to boxing's hi-tech night in the stupendous Cowboys Stadium came from a legendary Dallas football star.
Michael Irvin, the record-breaking wide receiver who helped the Cowboys win two Super Bowls in the 90s, stepped back awestruck from watching Manny Pacquiao throw more than 1,200 punches in 12 rounds to overwhelm the bigger and seemingly stronger Joshua Clottey in their world welterweight title fight.
'Wow,' said Irvin. 'Wow. This stadium takes your breath away but Manny just blows you over. He's incredible.
'NFL players think we train hard and some of the big guys who tackled me were the hardest men I would ever want to run into. But you wouldn't catch me in the ring with Mr Pacquiao.'
That provoked speculation that if only those giants of the gridiron were not so richly rewarded for playing their version of football, America would boast more than enough heavyweights to break Europe's stranglehold on boxing's flagship division.
'You know,' said Irvin, 'I've never thought about that before now, but it’s true.'
So how would Irvin himself have fared in the ring, since he stands well over 6ft and is still in impressively muscular physical condition?
'Oh, no,' he said. 'Not me. There is no hiding place in there. In a football game I can take a rest when our defence are on the field, when the special teams come on, when I need treatment, when they want my back-up to have a run.
'But in the ring you're on your own for every second of every three-minute round. There's no hiding place. There's no team around you to give you a breather if you're struggling. Manny must train like crazy.'
So he does. Work-outs open to the public and media usually see boxers going through the motions and then signing autographs and giving interviews. In Dallas, just three days before the fight, Pacquiao put in a ferociously intense session which lasted more than two hours. After that, he went off to rehearse with his band in readiness for the concert at which he sang for late into the nigh following his defeat of Clottey.
Irvin declared that he had found a ring idol to succeed the iconic Mexican he admired for many years, saying: 'Millions of people adored Muhammad Ali. Me too. But for me, Julio Cesar Chavez was the greatest of all. It just seemed that he never stopped fighting.'
Indeed it didn't.
Chavez won 107 of his 115 professional bouts. The winning start to his career, 87 before his controversial draw with Pernell Whitaker, is an all-time record.
'I see so much of Chavez in Pacquiao,' said Irvin. 'Until now I would have assumed that Floyd Mayweather Jnr would beat him on size alone if they ever fight. Now I'm leaning the other way.
'It’s not only that Manny throws so much leather. I suspect there is also a matter of confidence. Whatever the rights and wrongs of their dispute over drugs testing, it was Mayweather who brought up the whole issue and blocked their fight. That tells me he may be anxious about the fight.
'So much depends on confidence. We had players in our great Dallas team who became different men once they found true belief in their own ability. Others fell away when the doubts set in.
'If you're faced with a huge challenge the only chance is to walk towards it, not run away.'
For the Pacman and the entire Filipino nation, there are no doubts.
Irvin understands why: 'If you're looking for greatness it is to be found in the athlete who is not only massively talented but works phenomenally hard. That's Manny Pacquiao. That's the wow-factor.'
Tommy Farr
For anyone born into a fight loving family in the early 1940s , it seemed like a miracle when one of the ancient heroes of British boxing came back after no less than 10 years in retirement.
Tommy Farr was a name to conjure with for boys of our generation. We grew up being told of how the great Welshman had not only taken the legendary Joe Louis the full 15-rounds in their world heavyweight title fight before 50,000 fans in New York, but that many Americans in attendance on the night believed he had been robbed of what would have been an astonishing victory.
Although he described his face as 'looking like a dug up road map' at the end of the fight, Farr shared the suspicion he had been cheated by the narrow decision in favour of the Brown Bomber..
After he hung up his gloves in 1940, they made a musical about him based on the widely held belief that he had been robbed against Louis because of his refusal to co-operate with the mobsters who controlled much of US boxing in that era.
A hero indeed.
As youngsters, we were too young to realise that not even fame of that order insured boxers against poverty in later years and that Farr's return to the ring was prompted by financial difficulties.
Even so, the man from the Rhonda Valley won 11 of 15 fights in two years, regaining his old Welsh heavyweight title along the way. His second and last swansong came in 1953 when he was stopped in the seventh round of a final eliminator for the British title by Don Cockell who, equally famously and almost as controversially, was beaten by Rocky Marciano in his bid for the world crown.
It was a long time before they made British heavyweights like that again.
Come on Klitschkos, make the Haye fight happen
David Haye will be undeterred in his pursuit of the Klitschkos, even though the young Ukrainian brother Wladimir kept his share of the world heavyweight titles by knocking out American challenger Eddie Chambers five seconds before the final bell of their Saturday night fight in Dusseldorf.
While Chambers brought to the argument one of Haye's assets into the ring - speed - he was possessed of nothing like the same power.
So Wladimir was able to walk and jab his way into a commanding lead before landing the KO left hook.
The biggest problem for Haye is that both Wladimir and Vitali may be as slow coming to the negotiating table as they are becoming in the ring.
Iron Mike Tyson's other dream takes flight
Far from coming back to complete his dark trilogy with Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson is taking up the gentler pursuit of pigeon racing.
His pigeon lofts in the Catskills were Iron Mike's escape from the mean streets of Brooklyn when he was young. He still owns dozens of the birds and now he plans to race them.
Of the fanciful speculation about a return to the ring, Tyson says: 'I'm never going to fight again. I'm going to fly my pigeons in competition.'
Testing times for Pacquiao-Mayweather
In the wake of the Pacman's latest spectacular, hi bitter rival for the mythical title of best pound-for-pound fighter in the world begins trying to claw back some of the high ground.
Floyd Mayweather Jnr - along with next opponent Sugar Shane Mosley - submitted himself yesterday to the Olympic standard drugs testing upon which he is insisting as a pre-requisite for entering the ring with Manny Pacquiao for what would be the richest fight in boxing history.
Mayweather and Mosley - who has one failed drugs test on his record - have agreed to the United States Anti-Doping Association 'Gold Standard' random blood testing regimen prior to and after their Las Vegas clash on May 1.
Pacquiao, who is volunteering for constant urine testing, insists he will not subject himself to blood sampling demanded independently by Mayweather.
Half the world believes this dispute is a gambit to raise expectations for a November Pacquiao-Mayweather grudge match even higher, the other half that it will prevent that showdown ever happening.
Let us hope the first half are right.
James De Gale ready to go the dozen
James De Gale arrives on the undercard of Kevin Mitchell's WBO interim world lightweight title fight at West Ham's Upton Park on May 15 as a young man in hurry.
After only six professional fights Britain's Beijing Olympic gold medallist is to contest his first championship, for the WBA international super-middleweight title.
Says De Gale: 'I've been sparring 10 rounds and I feel I'm ready to make the step up to the 12-round championship distance.'
Promoter Frank Warren says: 'Very few fighters get to box for a belt so early in their career but James is a special talent.'
So is Mitchell, who is overjoyed at getting his shot at the highly-rated Australian Michael Katsidis in the football ground where he grew up idolising Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst.
'For me,' says Mitchell, 'this is a dream come true.'
THE OCTAGON
Art graduate Dan Hardy's brush with glory
No prizes for guessing the unofficial nickname by which many British fans are calling Dan Hardy as he heads for his date this Saturday night with the best pound-for-pound mixed martial arts fighter in the world.
As a graduate in fine arts from Nottingham Trent University, he is their Picasso of Pain.
No British fighter has ever challenged for a UFC world title before. So Hardy will make history win or lose in Newark, New Jersey. But he also believes he can upset the heavy odds quoted by the bookmakers and become the first British champion by defeating the immaculate Georges St-Pierre
'Georges is a true great,' says Hardy, 'but he has been knocked out once before and I hit harder than anyone he's ever fought.'
The danger is that Canadian stylist St Pierre will keep taking him to ground.
British audiences can see it for themselves, with ESPN transmitting via satellite from UFC 111 from 2 am BST this Sunday morning.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
The most fascinating postscript to boxing's hi-tech night in the stupendous Cowboys Stadium came from a legendary Dallas football star.
Michael Irvin, the record-breaking wide receiver who helped the Cowboys win two Super Bowls in the 90s, stepped back awestruck from watching Manny Pacquiao throw more than 1,200 punches in 12 rounds to overwhelm the bigger and seemingly stronger Joshua Clottey in their world welterweight title fight.
'Wow,' said Irvin. 'Wow. This stadium takes your breath away but Manny just blows you over. He's incredible.
'NFL players think we train hard and some of the big guys who tackled me were the hardest men I would ever want to run into. But you wouldn't catch me in the ring with Mr Pacquiao.'
That provoked speculation that if only those giants of the gridiron were not so richly rewarded for playing their version of football, America would boast more than enough heavyweights to break Europe's stranglehold on boxing's flagship division.
'You know,' said Irvin, 'I've never thought about that before now, but it’s true.'
So how would Irvin himself have fared in the ring, since he stands well over 6ft and is still in impressively muscular physical condition?
'Oh, no,' he said. 'Not me. There is no hiding place in there. In a football game I can take a rest when our defence are on the field, when the special teams come on, when I need treatment, when they want my back-up to have a run.
'But in the ring you're on your own for every second of every three-minute round. There's no hiding place. There's no team around you to give you a breather if you're struggling. Manny must train like crazy.'
So he does. Work-outs open to the public and media usually see boxers going through the motions and then signing autographs and giving interviews. In Dallas, just three days before the fight, Pacquiao put in a ferociously intense session which lasted more than two hours. After that, he went off to rehearse with his band in readiness for the concert at which he sang for late into the nigh following his defeat of Clottey.
Irvin declared that he had found a ring idol to succeed the iconic Mexican he admired for many years, saying: 'Millions of people adored Muhammad Ali. Me too. But for me, Julio Cesar Chavez was the greatest of all. It just seemed that he never stopped fighting.'
Indeed it didn't.
Chavez won 107 of his 115 professional bouts. The winning start to his career, 87 before his controversial draw with Pernell Whitaker, is an all-time record.
'I see so much of Chavez in Pacquiao,' said Irvin. 'Until now I would have assumed that Floyd Mayweather Jnr would beat him on size alone if they ever fight. Now I'm leaning the other way.
'It’s not only that Manny throws so much leather. I suspect there is also a matter of confidence. Whatever the rights and wrongs of their dispute over drugs testing, it was Mayweather who brought up the whole issue and blocked their fight. That tells me he may be anxious about the fight.
'So much depends on confidence. We had players in our great Dallas team who became different men once they found true belief in their own ability. Others fell away when the doubts set in.
'If you're faced with a huge challenge the only chance is to walk towards it, not run away.'
For the Pacman and the entire Filipino nation, there are no doubts.
Irvin understands why: 'If you're looking for greatness it is to be found in the athlete who is not only massively talented but works phenomenally hard. That's Manny Pacquiao. That's the wow-factor.'
Tommy Farr
For anyone born into a fight loving family in the early 1940s , it seemed like a miracle when one of the ancient heroes of British boxing came back after no less than 10 years in retirement.
Tommy Farr was a name to conjure with for boys of our generation. We grew up being told of how the great Welshman had not only taken the legendary Joe Louis the full 15-rounds in their world heavyweight title fight before 50,000 fans in New York, but that many Americans in attendance on the night believed he had been robbed of what would have been an astonishing victory.
Although he described his face as 'looking like a dug up road map' at the end of the fight, Farr shared the suspicion he had been cheated by the narrow decision in favour of the Brown Bomber..
After he hung up his gloves in 1940, they made a musical about him based on the widely held belief that he had been robbed against Louis because of his refusal to co-operate with the mobsters who controlled much of US boxing in that era.
A hero indeed.
As youngsters, we were too young to realise that not even fame of that order insured boxers against poverty in later years and that Farr's return to the ring was prompted by financial difficulties.
Even so, the man from the Rhonda Valley won 11 of 15 fights in two years, regaining his old Welsh heavyweight title along the way. His second and last swansong came in 1953 when he was stopped in the seventh round of a final eliminator for the British title by Don Cockell who, equally famously and almost as controversially, was beaten by Rocky Marciano in his bid for the world crown.
It was a long time before they made British heavyweights like that again.
Come on Klitschkos, make the Haye fight happen
David Haye will be undeterred in his pursuit of the Klitschkos, even though the young Ukrainian brother Wladimir kept his share of the world heavyweight titles by knocking out American challenger Eddie Chambers five seconds before the final bell of their Saturday night fight in Dusseldorf.
While Chambers brought to the argument one of Haye's assets into the ring - speed - he was possessed of nothing like the same power.
So Wladimir was able to walk and jab his way into a commanding lead before landing the KO left hook.
The biggest problem for Haye is that both Wladimir and Vitali may be as slow coming to the negotiating table as they are becoming in the ring.
Iron Mike Tyson's other dream takes flight
Far from coming back to complete his dark trilogy with Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson is taking up the gentler pursuit of pigeon racing.
His pigeon lofts in the Catskills were Iron Mike's escape from the mean streets of Brooklyn when he was young. He still owns dozens of the birds and now he plans to race them.
Of the fanciful speculation about a return to the ring, Tyson says: 'I'm never going to fight again. I'm going to fly my pigeons in competition.'
Testing times for Pacquiao-Mayweather
In the wake of the Pacman's latest spectacular, hi bitter rival for the mythical title of best pound-for-pound fighter in the world begins trying to claw back some of the high ground.
Floyd Mayweather Jnr - along with next opponent Sugar Shane Mosley - submitted himself yesterday to the Olympic standard drugs testing upon which he is insisting as a pre-requisite for entering the ring with Manny Pacquiao for what would be the richest fight in boxing history.
Mayweather and Mosley - who has one failed drugs test on his record - have agreed to the United States Anti-Doping Association 'Gold Standard' random blood testing regimen prior to and after their Las Vegas clash on May 1.
Pacquiao, who is volunteering for constant urine testing, insists he will not subject himself to blood sampling demanded independently by Mayweather.
Half the world believes this dispute is a gambit to raise expectations for a November Pacquiao-Mayweather grudge match even higher, the other half that it will prevent that showdown ever happening.
Let us hope the first half are right.
James De Gale ready to go the dozen
James De Gale arrives on the undercard of Kevin Mitchell's WBO interim world lightweight title fight at West Ham's Upton Park on May 15 as a young man in hurry.
After only six professional fights Britain's Beijing Olympic gold medallist is to contest his first championship, for the WBA international super-middleweight title.
Says De Gale: 'I've been sparring 10 rounds and I feel I'm ready to make the step up to the 12-round championship distance.'
Promoter Frank Warren says: 'Very few fighters get to box for a belt so early in their career but James is a special talent.'
So is Mitchell, who is overjoyed at getting his shot at the highly-rated Australian Michael Katsidis in the football ground where he grew up idolising Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst.
'For me,' says Mitchell, 'this is a dream come true.'
THE OCTAGON
Art graduate Dan Hardy's brush with glory
No prizes for guessing the unofficial nickname by which many British fans are calling Dan Hardy as he heads for his date this Saturday night with the best pound-for-pound mixed martial arts fighter in the world.
As a graduate in fine arts from Nottingham Trent University, he is their Picasso of Pain.
No British fighter has ever challenged for a UFC world title before. So Hardy will make history win or lose in Newark, New Jersey. But he also believes he can upset the heavy odds quoted by the bookmakers and become the first British champion by defeating the immaculate Georges St-Pierre
'Georges is a true great,' says Hardy, 'but he has been knocked out once before and I hit harder than anyone he's ever fought.'
The danger is that Canadian stylist St Pierre will keep taking him to ground.
British audiences can see it for themselves, with ESPN transmitting via satellite from UFC 111 from 2 am BST this Sunday morning.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
Morales primed for return -- ESPN Star
ESPNStar.com
Erik Morales has vowed to be a different fighter when he returns to the ring for the first time in over two years.
The iconic Morales (48-6 34KOs) is on a mission to become the first Mexican world champion at four different weights.
His quest begins in Monterrey as he takes on former WBA lightweight champion Jose Alfaro (23-5, 20KOs) for the vacant WBC Intercontinental welterweight crown.
The 33-year-old Morales, the last man to defeat Manny Pacquiao, has also beaten the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera, Pauli Ayala, Irishman Wayne McCullough, Junior Jones, Carlos Hernandez, Jesus Chavez, Guty Espadas, Jr, Daniel Zaragoza and Kevin Kelly in a glittering career that brought world titles at featherweight, super-featherweight and super-bantamweight.
But he has not fought since August 2007 when he lost a close decision to David Diaz for the WBC lightweight title, despite producing a first-round knockdown.
He announced his retirement after that defeat - which was his fourth in a row.
Morales said: "I'm happy to be here (in Monterrey) and completely ready to face Alfaro.
"Fans will see a different Erik Morales than in my last few fights because now I'm hungry to win this fight and go on towards winning a world title in my fourth division.
"I want to prove to everyone watching that all of the hard work in training camp will result in a great performance in my return to the ring."
Source: espnstar.com
Erik Morales has vowed to be a different fighter when he returns to the ring for the first time in over two years.
The iconic Morales (48-6 34KOs) is on a mission to become the first Mexican world champion at four different weights.
His quest begins in Monterrey as he takes on former WBA lightweight champion Jose Alfaro (23-5, 20KOs) for the vacant WBC Intercontinental welterweight crown.
The 33-year-old Morales, the last man to defeat Manny Pacquiao, has also beaten the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera, Pauli Ayala, Irishman Wayne McCullough, Junior Jones, Carlos Hernandez, Jesus Chavez, Guty Espadas, Jr, Daniel Zaragoza and Kevin Kelly in a glittering career that brought world titles at featherweight, super-featherweight and super-bantamweight.
But he has not fought since August 2007 when he lost a close decision to David Diaz for the WBC lightweight title, despite producing a first-round knockdown.
He announced his retirement after that defeat - which was his fourth in a row.
Morales said: "I'm happy to be here (in Monterrey) and completely ready to face Alfaro.
"Fans will see a different Erik Morales than in my last few fights because now I'm hungry to win this fight and go on towards winning a world title in my fourth division.
"I want to prove to everyone watching that all of the hard work in training camp will result in a great performance in my return to the ring."
Source: espnstar.com
8CN Exclusive: Ana “The Hurricane”Julaton -- 8CountNews
By Lorne Scoggins, 8CountNews.com
Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton joined 8CN to talk about her upcoming bout on March 27th. Ana, (6-1-1, 1KO) will be facing Lisa “Bad News” Brown (16-4-3, 5KOs) for the vacant WBA title. Ana, who has been called the female Manny Pacquiao, currently holds the IBA and WBO super bantamweight titles. Her fight on Saturday night gives her the opportunity to become the first Filipina to be an undisputed world champion. As I spoke to Anna, I found that she's more than just a talented young lady. She also has the endearing personality of a true champion of life outside the ring.
8CN: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us Ana. How you doing?
Ana: I’m good. How are you?
8CN: I’m fine, thank you. You have a big fight coming up with Lisa Brown for the vacant WBA title. I know you've been working hard with Nonito Donaire Sr. in training camp. How are you feeling going into the fight?
Ana: I feel great. I’m actually very excited. We have less than a week to go and I wish that it was happening sooner. I’m really excited; not only about the fight, but also for the exposure we’ll be having for this. I’m excited about having female boxing featured in 90 countries all over the world, and hopefully it will also be shown in the United States regularly, and that’s one of my biggest goals.
8CN: I know that you’re not just interested in promoting yourself, but you’re also interested in promoting female boxing. Talk a little bit about why fans should be interested in female boxing.
Ana: You know, it brings a different light to the game. You have shorter rounds. You have girls that will be more aggressive. They’ll throw more punches because of the shorter rounds, and a lot of these female boxers are very competitive. Whenever you see a fight, it’s very exciting, and they now want to be able to showcase that. Everywhere around the world, female fighting has been showcased as main events, and I think the United States will catch on fairly soon, which will make the sport itself a lot bigger.
8CN: I know you were involved in trying to get female boxing in the Olympics in the past, and now that looks like it’s finally going to happen.
Ana: Yeah, it’s exciting. It’s going to happen in a couple of years. I’m a product of that whole process. I remember going into the amateurs in my first national tournament and I ended up having to fight a girl who had over 60 amateur fights only because she was getting ready for the 2004 Olympics. My whole amateur career was about being able to face off with girls who had 50 to over 80 amateur fights. You always had to be prepared.
8CN: You’ve been thrown in there with the best of them from the very beginning, haven’t you?
Ana: Yeah, it’s been quite a learning experience. (Laughs)
8CN: (Laughs)
Ana: But I’m very thankful for it. I think it’s one of the biggest reasons that I was able to capture 2 world titles in less than 10 fights as a professional. You know, tough training and tough experiences lead to success, so I’d like to go out there and continue on and hopefully be even more successful.
8CN: Tell us about your opponent. What do you know about Lisa Brown?
Ana: Lisa Brown, she’s a world champion and that should say a lot about her. She’s very tough, she’s very experienced, and she’s a southpaw. I’ll be going out there to Canada, which is her hometown. I think it’s something that will bring a lot of excitement to female boxing. You’ll have 2 girls who are at the top of their game go out there and not be afraid and showcase their talent in front of a large boxing audience base. I’m looking forward to the fight and I really can’t wait to go. I’m really thrilled about the whole thing.
8CN: In general, what's the game plan against Lisa?
Ana: You know, the main thing about the game plan is sticking to the game plan and as long as I do that I feel like I’ll do well. (Laughs)
8CN: You have a lot of Filipino fans supporting you. I was in Dallas for the Pacquiao-Clottey fight and…
Ana: (Breaking in) Oh... (Laughs) Oh yeah that was 51,000 people. There must have been parties all over the street...must have been non-stop.
8CN: It was great. I lost count of how many times I heard your name mentioned by fans and journalists.
Ana: Oh really!?
8CN: Oh yeah. You've got a big fan base.
Ana: Wow...
8CN: So this is an opportunity to win your 3rd world title belt. You have all these people looking up to you and looking forward to this fight. How do you deal with that kind of pressure?
Ana: Well the pressure, I kind of feel like that's something that happens in anything that you do. You know, whether your at school, you're at work, or you're at one point in your life where you go through a roller coaster... There are all sorts of different pressures in everything that we do and I kind of feel like that's just the nature of the sport. For me to have this opportunity and to get all this attention, you know I'm going for this world title fight and I can either deal with it or not, and I choose to deal with it because I feel like that's the best route. So for me, I'm fortunate that I have a good team, I have a good surrounding, everyone around me is positive, and we all have the same goals. We're all sacrificing and spending our time, all for the same thing, and I think that helps out a lot. If you want to consider that pressure, I feel that it brings more inspiration for me to go out there and do my best. So with pressure, I take it like a grain of salt. I feel like it's part of the sport and I feel like I'm doing fine.
8CN: There are some other big fights coming up. What's your prediction on Mayweather vs. Mosely?
Ana: Wow...well, I personally got to see Shane Mosley train when I was at the Wild Card. He came down there a couple times with his father to hit the mitts. He's a true athlete, he's very fast, he's very quick, and you can tell he still has a lot of talent despite his age. He's very experienced. With Mayweather, one thing I can say about him is he's a focused guy. He's a focused boxer. If there's a game plan, I feel like he'll stick to it no matter what happens. So I think it's a tough fight. If you're trying to get a prediction out of me, you know, I'm a difficult kind of person because I think whenever you train, it's only a certain amount of the percentage of what's going to show in the ring because it all depends on that day. You can have a good day or you can have a bad day, so I think it kind of depends on the fighter. It's kind of hard for me to say because I'm a fan of both. I feel like Mosley has the athleticism, he has the speed, he has the charisma...I think he has the gifts to go out there and do really well. But I also feel like Mayweather is just so intelligent in boxing that he'll stick to a game plan and sometimes that's the hardest thing to do whenever you're in a fight. So I just kind of feel like it just depends on what kind of day they get. It's hard to say.
8CN: I agree...
Ana: I hope that helps you... (Laughs)
8CN: I agree with you. It could go either way very easily. You talked a little bit about your amateur career. What inspired you to start boxing?
Ana: I'm a martial arts teacher and I teach kids, teenagers, young ladies to help build confidence. Our school is very traditional but they wanted to incorporate something more sports oriented so we chose boxing and in order for me to teach it I had to learn it. My first couple of lessons I had to jump into the ring with a couple of guys and I had to start sparring them. It just kind of took off from there. Everything that's happening right now, it all happened by chance. I feel really blessed that I've had this opportunity and everything happened the way that it did. I definitely didn't think as a child that I wanted to be a boxer. (Laughs) I hated boxing when I was a kid, but it turned out the way it did.
8CN: Who are some fighters who have inspired or do inspire you?
Ana: You know there's a lot of great boxers out there but the ones I'm affected to the most are the ones who have great stories behind them. Like Joe Louis, for him to be so successful at the time when he was boxing, he's one of the fighters I look up to. Manny Pacquiao, of course, is someone I look up to. I feel like he opened a lot for Filipinos across the globe. He was able to put us on the map. And other fighters like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, they all had a story...Alexis Arguello...I kind of like some of the old school boxers. I like the boxers who go out there and try to help people with all the hard work that they do and provide a much more positive environment for everyone. That's the way that I look at boxing. I feel like it's more than just punching and slipping and weaving. I feel like it's a lifestyle and I truly look to those who took boxing in a way where they can create respect in and outside the ring.
8CN: What has been the greatest moment of your career?
Ana: I think the greatest moment is when I won my first world title. My 2 fights prior to that, a draw... Then the next one I had my first loss. That's when I was going out for a title fight in my rookie year as a professional. I had a tough fight. It was a split decision loss, and I was heartbroken from that. I was trying to decide whether I wanted to continue or not but I felt like I wanted to test myself again. That's when I got to fight Kelsey Jeffries who was considered a legend in the sport. She had over 40 wins and I only had 4. It kind of reminded me of my amateur days of just being able to go in there and fight someone with a lot more experience than me. I was considered a 2-1 underdog and when my hand was raised I felt like my life practically changed from then on. I'd say that's one of the biggest highlights of my boxing career so far. I learned a lot in not only with developing a certain boxing style that works for me, but also being around good people and having a good team. And also being able to have a goal in this game because it can be...it's tough, you know? So I feel like it's the greatest moment, but I also feel like it's one of my biggest lessons.
8CN: To all the fans who are looking forward to watching you on Saturday night, what would you like to say to them?
Ana: Thank you so much for all the support. I have fans out there, especially in the Filipino community, in the Bay Area community who rooted for me back in the amateur days, and to this day they're still out there and they're rooting for me. I'm so thankful for that. I'm thankful for everyone up in Canada to give me the opportunity and giving a stage for female fighters out there to go and showcase their talents. I want to say thank you to Orion Sports and Allan Tremblay for putting the fight together and I really look forward to meeting everyone out there. I just want to go out there and bring some excitement and I hope everyone can check it out on March 27th.
8CN: Thank you so much for talking to us. Good luck next Saturday night and God bless you.
Ana: Oh, you too. Thank yo so much.
Contact Lorne: lscoggins@8countnews.com
Source: 8countnews.com
Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton joined 8CN to talk about her upcoming bout on March 27th. Ana, (6-1-1, 1KO) will be facing Lisa “Bad News” Brown (16-4-3, 5KOs) for the vacant WBA title. Ana, who has been called the female Manny Pacquiao, currently holds the IBA and WBO super bantamweight titles. Her fight on Saturday night gives her the opportunity to become the first Filipina to be an undisputed world champion. As I spoke to Anna, I found that she's more than just a talented young lady. She also has the endearing personality of a true champion of life outside the ring.
8CN: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us Ana. How you doing?
Ana: I’m good. How are you?
8CN: I’m fine, thank you. You have a big fight coming up with Lisa Brown for the vacant WBA title. I know you've been working hard with Nonito Donaire Sr. in training camp. How are you feeling going into the fight?
Ana: I feel great. I’m actually very excited. We have less than a week to go and I wish that it was happening sooner. I’m really excited; not only about the fight, but also for the exposure we’ll be having for this. I’m excited about having female boxing featured in 90 countries all over the world, and hopefully it will also be shown in the United States regularly, and that’s one of my biggest goals.
8CN: I know that you’re not just interested in promoting yourself, but you’re also interested in promoting female boxing. Talk a little bit about why fans should be interested in female boxing.
Ana: You know, it brings a different light to the game. You have shorter rounds. You have girls that will be more aggressive. They’ll throw more punches because of the shorter rounds, and a lot of these female boxers are very competitive. Whenever you see a fight, it’s very exciting, and they now want to be able to showcase that. Everywhere around the world, female fighting has been showcased as main events, and I think the United States will catch on fairly soon, which will make the sport itself a lot bigger.
8CN: I know you were involved in trying to get female boxing in the Olympics in the past, and now that looks like it’s finally going to happen.
Ana: Yeah, it’s exciting. It’s going to happen in a couple of years. I’m a product of that whole process. I remember going into the amateurs in my first national tournament and I ended up having to fight a girl who had over 60 amateur fights only because she was getting ready for the 2004 Olympics. My whole amateur career was about being able to face off with girls who had 50 to over 80 amateur fights. You always had to be prepared.
8CN: You’ve been thrown in there with the best of them from the very beginning, haven’t you?
Ana: Yeah, it’s been quite a learning experience. (Laughs)
8CN: (Laughs)
Ana: But I’m very thankful for it. I think it’s one of the biggest reasons that I was able to capture 2 world titles in less than 10 fights as a professional. You know, tough training and tough experiences lead to success, so I’d like to go out there and continue on and hopefully be even more successful.
8CN: Tell us about your opponent. What do you know about Lisa Brown?
Ana: Lisa Brown, she’s a world champion and that should say a lot about her. She’s very tough, she’s very experienced, and she’s a southpaw. I’ll be going out there to Canada, which is her hometown. I think it’s something that will bring a lot of excitement to female boxing. You’ll have 2 girls who are at the top of their game go out there and not be afraid and showcase their talent in front of a large boxing audience base. I’m looking forward to the fight and I really can’t wait to go. I’m really thrilled about the whole thing.
8CN: In general, what's the game plan against Lisa?
Ana: You know, the main thing about the game plan is sticking to the game plan and as long as I do that I feel like I’ll do well. (Laughs)
8CN: You have a lot of Filipino fans supporting you. I was in Dallas for the Pacquiao-Clottey fight and…
Ana: (Breaking in) Oh... (Laughs) Oh yeah that was 51,000 people. There must have been parties all over the street...must have been non-stop.
8CN: It was great. I lost count of how many times I heard your name mentioned by fans and journalists.
Ana: Oh really!?
8CN: Oh yeah. You've got a big fan base.
Ana: Wow...
8CN: So this is an opportunity to win your 3rd world title belt. You have all these people looking up to you and looking forward to this fight. How do you deal with that kind of pressure?
Ana: Well the pressure, I kind of feel like that's something that happens in anything that you do. You know, whether your at school, you're at work, or you're at one point in your life where you go through a roller coaster... There are all sorts of different pressures in everything that we do and I kind of feel like that's just the nature of the sport. For me to have this opportunity and to get all this attention, you know I'm going for this world title fight and I can either deal with it or not, and I choose to deal with it because I feel like that's the best route. So for me, I'm fortunate that I have a good team, I have a good surrounding, everyone around me is positive, and we all have the same goals. We're all sacrificing and spending our time, all for the same thing, and I think that helps out a lot. If you want to consider that pressure, I feel that it brings more inspiration for me to go out there and do my best. So with pressure, I take it like a grain of salt. I feel like it's part of the sport and I feel like I'm doing fine.
8CN: There are some other big fights coming up. What's your prediction on Mayweather vs. Mosely?
Ana: Wow...well, I personally got to see Shane Mosley train when I was at the Wild Card. He came down there a couple times with his father to hit the mitts. He's a true athlete, he's very fast, he's very quick, and you can tell he still has a lot of talent despite his age. He's very experienced. With Mayweather, one thing I can say about him is he's a focused guy. He's a focused boxer. If there's a game plan, I feel like he'll stick to it no matter what happens. So I think it's a tough fight. If you're trying to get a prediction out of me, you know, I'm a difficult kind of person because I think whenever you train, it's only a certain amount of the percentage of what's going to show in the ring because it all depends on that day. You can have a good day or you can have a bad day, so I think it kind of depends on the fighter. It's kind of hard for me to say because I'm a fan of both. I feel like Mosley has the athleticism, he has the speed, he has the charisma...I think he has the gifts to go out there and do really well. But I also feel like Mayweather is just so intelligent in boxing that he'll stick to a game plan and sometimes that's the hardest thing to do whenever you're in a fight. So I just kind of feel like it just depends on what kind of day they get. It's hard to say.
8CN: I agree...
Ana: I hope that helps you... (Laughs)
8CN: I agree with you. It could go either way very easily. You talked a little bit about your amateur career. What inspired you to start boxing?
Ana: I'm a martial arts teacher and I teach kids, teenagers, young ladies to help build confidence. Our school is very traditional but they wanted to incorporate something more sports oriented so we chose boxing and in order for me to teach it I had to learn it. My first couple of lessons I had to jump into the ring with a couple of guys and I had to start sparring them. It just kind of took off from there. Everything that's happening right now, it all happened by chance. I feel really blessed that I've had this opportunity and everything happened the way that it did. I definitely didn't think as a child that I wanted to be a boxer. (Laughs) I hated boxing when I was a kid, but it turned out the way it did.
8CN: Who are some fighters who have inspired or do inspire you?
Ana: You know there's a lot of great boxers out there but the ones I'm affected to the most are the ones who have great stories behind them. Like Joe Louis, for him to be so successful at the time when he was boxing, he's one of the fighters I look up to. Manny Pacquiao, of course, is someone I look up to. I feel like he opened a lot for Filipinos across the globe. He was able to put us on the map. And other fighters like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, they all had a story...Alexis Arguello...I kind of like some of the old school boxers. I like the boxers who go out there and try to help people with all the hard work that they do and provide a much more positive environment for everyone. That's the way that I look at boxing. I feel like it's more than just punching and slipping and weaving. I feel like it's a lifestyle and I truly look to those who took boxing in a way where they can create respect in and outside the ring.
8CN: What has been the greatest moment of your career?
Ana: I think the greatest moment is when I won my first world title. My 2 fights prior to that, a draw... Then the next one I had my first loss. That's when I was going out for a title fight in my rookie year as a professional. I had a tough fight. It was a split decision loss, and I was heartbroken from that. I was trying to decide whether I wanted to continue or not but I felt like I wanted to test myself again. That's when I got to fight Kelsey Jeffries who was considered a legend in the sport. She had over 40 wins and I only had 4. It kind of reminded me of my amateur days of just being able to go in there and fight someone with a lot more experience than me. I was considered a 2-1 underdog and when my hand was raised I felt like my life practically changed from then on. I'd say that's one of the biggest highlights of my boxing career so far. I learned a lot in not only with developing a certain boxing style that works for me, but also being around good people and having a good team. And also being able to have a goal in this game because it can be...it's tough, you know? So I feel like it's the greatest moment, but I also feel like it's one of my biggest lessons.
8CN: To all the fans who are looking forward to watching you on Saturday night, what would you like to say to them?
Ana: Thank you so much for all the support. I have fans out there, especially in the Filipino community, in the Bay Area community who rooted for me back in the amateur days, and to this day they're still out there and they're rooting for me. I'm so thankful for that. I'm thankful for everyone up in Canada to give me the opportunity and giving a stage for female fighters out there to go and showcase their talents. I want to say thank you to Orion Sports and Allan Tremblay for putting the fight together and I really look forward to meeting everyone out there. I just want to go out there and bring some excitement and I hope everyone can check it out on March 27th.
8CN: Thank you so much for talking to us. Good luck next Saturday night and God bless you.
Ana: Oh, you too. Thank yo so much.
Contact Lorne: lscoggins@8countnews.com
Source: 8countnews.com
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Shane Mosley headlines buffet of spring bouts -- Los Angeles Times
By Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times
The wacky world of boxing keeps right on truckin' the next several months. It's a treadmill without an off switch.
Its menu will offer a range from filet mignon to liver and onions. Rest assured that somebody in authority will put ketchup on the filet.
The most palatable should be the May 1 fight in Las Vegas between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley. Mayweather is unbeaten and Mosley, based on his mugging of Antonio Margarito in January 2009, is dangerous.
This will be a competitive fight. Also, with five weeks to go, it is bringing some chuckles.
This fight is happening because the one everybody wanted, Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao, didn't. Mayweather took care of that with demands for blood testing to be done prior to the fight. Pacquiao said no thanks, half the world of boxing fans immediately leaped to the conclusion that the Filipino superstar had something to hide, and an angry Pacquiao responded by suing Mayweather for defamation of character.
This is normal stuff for boxing, where lawyers and liars are key parts of the entourages.
They had a conference call recently with the chief executive of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. His name is Travis Tygart and he said he was thrilled that this fight would be used to pioneer blood testing in boxing. Tygart has entered the boxing world. Think of a poodle surrounded by six coyotes.
Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy, which promotes Mosley and has an operational agreement with Mayweather's promotion company, said the conference call and the action it was announcing were "historic" and a "watershed moment."
Mayweather was deemed the catalyst for the blood testing, the visionary in this medical breakthrough. Floyd Mayweather Jr. becomes Jonas Salk. Can't wait for the movie.
Leonard Ellerbe, Floyd Jr.'s. manager, was asked why Floyd was doing this now. Ellerbe answered: "Why now, or why not now? Things change. Ten years ago, the Internet wasn't around."
That cleared that up.
Tygart and Mosley's lawyer, Judd Bernstein, credited Mosley with voluntarily stepping up to be part of the testing. Voluntarily?
1. Mosley was connected to the BALCO proceedings in 2003 and admitted taking some of Victor Conte's enhancing stuff, though saying he didn't know what it was. Had Mayweather taken the fight with Mosley and then, after all his drug noise over the Pacquiao fight, not demanded testing from Mosley, the fight would have lost all credibility. This wasn't visionary. It was ticket-selling necessity.
2. Mosley hasn't had a fight since January of last year. He is 38 and, if he is like all boxers, needs a payday. If necessary, he would have let them test him for excessive nose hairs.
Left unsaid was that, while it thinks more testing is better than less testing, the Nevada State Athletic Commission sanctions, monitors and controls this fight — not USADA. It has requested from Schaefer that a copy of any and all USADA tests be sent to them directly from the lab.
"One thing we won't do," says Keith Kizer of the Nevada commission, "is help one fighter get a mind advantage over another fighter."
Meanwhile, back to the fights, the usual circus, in quick and chronological order.
— Saturday, in Detroit: Arthur Abraham vs. Andre Dirrell in the continuation of a Super Six Tournament that has become noteworthy for injuries, pullouts, venue changes and an occasional fight. Figure they'll crown a champion along about 2018.
— April 3, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas: Bernard Hopkins, 45, vs. Roy Jones Jr., 41. This is a rematch of a fairly bad fight that took place 17 years go. They should call this promotion: "We Hope They Forgot." No need for Mayweather's medical magic for this one. They'll both have Medicare soon.
— April 10, Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas: Evander Holyfield vs. Francois Botha. Holyfield is 47. He has had 81 pro fights. Shouldn't there be a law against this?
— April 10, Atlantic City, N.J.: Kelly Pavlik vs. Sergio Martinez: Not a lot of politics here. Just two good fighters. Imagine that.
— April 24, Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario: Riverside's Chris Arreola vs. Jersey City's Tomacz Adamek. Many in the Eastern boxing press are upset because Arreola's promoter, Dan Goossen, prevailed and the fight will be in California, rather than in Atlantic City, where they could see it and they say an 18,000-seat arena could be sold out for the popular Adamek. Those of us in the West say, "Nice job, Dan."
— May 22, Staples Center: Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez. Marquez is 35, Vazquez is 32. They have fought three times before, Vazquez winning twice. Almost all of their 25 rounds have been bloody and brutal. They are calling this "Once and Four All." How about: "Enough Is Enough"?
Then, of course, there is May 10, a fight of a totally different kind. It is election day in the Philippines, where Pacquiao is making his second try at a congressional seat.
Many in boxing are concerned that, if he wins, it will be the last we will see of this incredible boxing talent. Not his promoter, Bob Arum, who said recently, "So what if he's a congressman? I figure their congressmen do the same as ours. Nothing."
bill.dwyre@latimes.com
Source: latimes.com
The wacky world of boxing keeps right on truckin' the next several months. It's a treadmill without an off switch.
Its menu will offer a range from filet mignon to liver and onions. Rest assured that somebody in authority will put ketchup on the filet.
The most palatable should be the May 1 fight in Las Vegas between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley. Mayweather is unbeaten and Mosley, based on his mugging of Antonio Margarito in January 2009, is dangerous.
This will be a competitive fight. Also, with five weeks to go, it is bringing some chuckles.
This fight is happening because the one everybody wanted, Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao, didn't. Mayweather took care of that with demands for blood testing to be done prior to the fight. Pacquiao said no thanks, half the world of boxing fans immediately leaped to the conclusion that the Filipino superstar had something to hide, and an angry Pacquiao responded by suing Mayweather for defamation of character.
This is normal stuff for boxing, where lawyers and liars are key parts of the entourages.
They had a conference call recently with the chief executive of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. His name is Travis Tygart and he said he was thrilled that this fight would be used to pioneer blood testing in boxing. Tygart has entered the boxing world. Think of a poodle surrounded by six coyotes.
Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy, which promotes Mosley and has an operational agreement with Mayweather's promotion company, said the conference call and the action it was announcing were "historic" and a "watershed moment."
Mayweather was deemed the catalyst for the blood testing, the visionary in this medical breakthrough. Floyd Mayweather Jr. becomes Jonas Salk. Can't wait for the movie.
Leonard Ellerbe, Floyd Jr.'s. manager, was asked why Floyd was doing this now. Ellerbe answered: "Why now, or why not now? Things change. Ten years ago, the Internet wasn't around."
That cleared that up.
Tygart and Mosley's lawyer, Judd Bernstein, credited Mosley with voluntarily stepping up to be part of the testing. Voluntarily?
1. Mosley was connected to the BALCO proceedings in 2003 and admitted taking some of Victor Conte's enhancing stuff, though saying he didn't know what it was. Had Mayweather taken the fight with Mosley and then, after all his drug noise over the Pacquiao fight, not demanded testing from Mosley, the fight would have lost all credibility. This wasn't visionary. It was ticket-selling necessity.
2. Mosley hasn't had a fight since January of last year. He is 38 and, if he is like all boxers, needs a payday. If necessary, he would have let them test him for excessive nose hairs.
Left unsaid was that, while it thinks more testing is better than less testing, the Nevada State Athletic Commission sanctions, monitors and controls this fight — not USADA. It has requested from Schaefer that a copy of any and all USADA tests be sent to them directly from the lab.
"One thing we won't do," says Keith Kizer of the Nevada commission, "is help one fighter get a mind advantage over another fighter."
Meanwhile, back to the fights, the usual circus, in quick and chronological order.
— Saturday, in Detroit: Arthur Abraham vs. Andre Dirrell in the continuation of a Super Six Tournament that has become noteworthy for injuries, pullouts, venue changes and an occasional fight. Figure they'll crown a champion along about 2018.
— April 3, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas: Bernard Hopkins, 45, vs. Roy Jones Jr., 41. This is a rematch of a fairly bad fight that took place 17 years go. They should call this promotion: "We Hope They Forgot." No need for Mayweather's medical magic for this one. They'll both have Medicare soon.
— April 10, Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas: Evander Holyfield vs. Francois Botha. Holyfield is 47. He has had 81 pro fights. Shouldn't there be a law against this?
— April 10, Atlantic City, N.J.: Kelly Pavlik vs. Sergio Martinez: Not a lot of politics here. Just two good fighters. Imagine that.
— April 24, Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario: Riverside's Chris Arreola vs. Jersey City's Tomacz Adamek. Many in the Eastern boxing press are upset because Arreola's promoter, Dan Goossen, prevailed and the fight will be in California, rather than in Atlantic City, where they could see it and they say an 18,000-seat arena could be sold out for the popular Adamek. Those of us in the West say, "Nice job, Dan."
— May 22, Staples Center: Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez. Marquez is 35, Vazquez is 32. They have fought three times before, Vazquez winning twice. Almost all of their 25 rounds have been bloody and brutal. They are calling this "Once and Four All." How about: "Enough Is Enough"?
Then, of course, there is May 10, a fight of a totally different kind. It is election day in the Philippines, where Pacquiao is making his second try at a congressional seat.
Many in boxing are concerned that, if he wins, it will be the last we will see of this incredible boxing talent. Not his promoter, Bob Arum, who said recently, "So what if he's a congressman? I figure their congressmen do the same as ours. Nothing."
bill.dwyre@latimes.com
Source: latimes.com
Heavyweight division lacking big fights and excitement, says John Ruiz -- The Guardian
By Kevin Mitchell, Guardian.co.uk
On the day boxing's premier attraction, Manny Pacquiao, threatened to walk away from the sport because his mother does not want him to fight any more, the perennial heavyweight contender John Ruiz said the fight game's showcase division is also in a sorry state.
Boxing, he said last night, needs a big fight to bring the excitement back and it has to happen in the heavyweight division, where he resides and where he will challenge David Haye for his WBA belt in Manchester on 3 April.
After his return to the Philippines yesterday, Pacquiao spread gloom in the industry when he confirmed his mother has asked him to stop boxing after a 19-year career in which he has won titles at seven weights. It comes as negotiations are due to resume to get the biggest bout in the history of the sport – Pacquiao against Floyd Mayweather Jr – back on track after it was aborted earlier in the year.
"I'm not obliged to fight him," the 31-year-old WBO welterweight champion told reporters in Manila. "He's the one who needs to fight me."
Meanwhile, Ruiz said the non-event that was Wladimir Klitschko's defence of the WBO and IBF titles in Düsseldorf on Saturday night against the non-punching Eddie Chambers was another big blow for the sport.
"The thing with the Klitschkos is they only fight people they can beat," he said. "They don't go out there and fight people who could actually give them a fight. I've been trying to meet up with them for a quite a while. But that's the way it is in boxing. That's why so many people are staying away from the heavyweight division. Nobody really wants to fight anybody. It's sad. At one point, the heavyweight division was boxing."
To that end, the 38-year-old American is looking to create a stir when he fights Haye. Certainly, the seeds for a good row have been planted.
Ruiz, known as the Quiet Man, is unfazed that Haye is livid with him for failing to come to England in January to promote the fight. Hayemaker Productions paid £15,000 for first-class airline tickets and hotels for Ruiz and his entourage. "I didn't want to break training in Las Vegas," Ruiz said. "I think the fans would rather I was ready for the fight than just turn up for interviews."
Nor does he want to get in a slanging match with a champion whose speciality is the pre-fight wind-up. "He wouldn't say anything I haven't heard already. I've heard it all from A to Z. It's no big deal to me. I'm just ready to fight.
"When you hear the name John Ruiz, you hear nothing but bad news afterwards. It's been like that forever. I don't have the greatest talent in the world, I don't have the greatest [box office] appeal but, at the same time, I have the determination to be the best. That keeps me going. It's been a rollercoaster ride, and it's been kind of tough. I can never get a break. But things are starting to change for me. I'm starting to realise who I am as a person and as a fighter."
At the heart of his new team is Golden Boy Promotions, whom Ruiz joined after many years with Don King. He seems happy with the arrangement.
"Don King doesn't do many fights anymore. Believe it or not, when I was with him, some times I felt like he was against me. That's the reason I signed with Oscar De La Hoya."
Nobody could say there was any quit in Ruiz, from the negotiating table to the ring. Haye has a proper fight on his hands.
Source: guardian.co.uk
On the day boxing's premier attraction, Manny Pacquiao, threatened to walk away from the sport because his mother does not want him to fight any more, the perennial heavyweight contender John Ruiz said the fight game's showcase division is also in a sorry state.
Boxing, he said last night, needs a big fight to bring the excitement back and it has to happen in the heavyweight division, where he resides and where he will challenge David Haye for his WBA belt in Manchester on 3 April.
After his return to the Philippines yesterday, Pacquiao spread gloom in the industry when he confirmed his mother has asked him to stop boxing after a 19-year career in which he has won titles at seven weights. It comes as negotiations are due to resume to get the biggest bout in the history of the sport – Pacquiao against Floyd Mayweather Jr – back on track after it was aborted earlier in the year.
"I'm not obliged to fight him," the 31-year-old WBO welterweight champion told reporters in Manila. "He's the one who needs to fight me."
Meanwhile, Ruiz said the non-event that was Wladimir Klitschko's defence of the WBO and IBF titles in Düsseldorf on Saturday night against the non-punching Eddie Chambers was another big blow for the sport.
"The thing with the Klitschkos is they only fight people they can beat," he said. "They don't go out there and fight people who could actually give them a fight. I've been trying to meet up with them for a quite a while. But that's the way it is in boxing. That's why so many people are staying away from the heavyweight division. Nobody really wants to fight anybody. It's sad. At one point, the heavyweight division was boxing."
To that end, the 38-year-old American is looking to create a stir when he fights Haye. Certainly, the seeds for a good row have been planted.
Ruiz, known as the Quiet Man, is unfazed that Haye is livid with him for failing to come to England in January to promote the fight. Hayemaker Productions paid £15,000 for first-class airline tickets and hotels for Ruiz and his entourage. "I didn't want to break training in Las Vegas," Ruiz said. "I think the fans would rather I was ready for the fight than just turn up for interviews."
Nor does he want to get in a slanging match with a champion whose speciality is the pre-fight wind-up. "He wouldn't say anything I haven't heard already. I've heard it all from A to Z. It's no big deal to me. I'm just ready to fight.
"When you hear the name John Ruiz, you hear nothing but bad news afterwards. It's been like that forever. I don't have the greatest talent in the world, I don't have the greatest [box office] appeal but, at the same time, I have the determination to be the best. That keeps me going. It's been a rollercoaster ride, and it's been kind of tough. I can never get a break. But things are starting to change for me. I'm starting to realise who I am as a person and as a fighter."
At the heart of his new team is Golden Boy Promotions, whom Ruiz joined after many years with Don King. He seems happy with the arrangement.
"Don King doesn't do many fights anymore. Believe it or not, when I was with him, some times I felt like he was against me. That's the reason I signed with Oscar De La Hoya."
Nobody could say there was any quit in Ruiz, from the negotiating table to the ring. Haye has a proper fight on his hands.
Source: guardian.co.uk
For Better or Worse, Things Ain't What They Used To Be -- The Sweet Science
By Frank Lotierzo, The Sweet Science
Sometimes a change takes place and people don't realize until much later that it has. A pattern establishes itself; things go a certain way for a period of time and then they shift. So it is with today’s top heavyweights. They are still being thought of as lazy and unwilling to engage, but that presumption may be lagging six months or even a year behind the reality.
There’s been a definite switch in attitude among the division’s best. Eddie Chambers, Cris Arreola, Tomasz Adamek, John Ruiz, James Toney, Alexander Povetkin, and probably a few other guys will fight anyone, anytime, anywhere. Admittedly, with the exception of Toney, none of the group is a standout fighter (and I realize that Toney isn’t nearly what he once was.) But the heavyweight division has fallen way behind every other division for nearly thirty years, so its mediocrity isn’t a new perception. What’s new is how, after a decade or more of the big guys cautiously being moved into title contention and then being placed in a holding pattern to insure their spot in the ratings, they’re actually willing to risk something in order to establish themselves as worthy challengers. And that mindset was a staple of the seventies and is why it's often referred to as being the Golden-era amongst the modern heavyweights.
Without having to make claims of greatness for either of them, doesn’t everyone look forward to seeing Cris Arreola and Tomasz Adamek lock horns next month? And didn't those of us in the US all feel cheated that we weren't able to see how Eddie Chambers (who earned his title shot by traveling to Germany to take on undefeated Alexander Dimitrenko) would do this Saturday night against Wladimir Klitschko, except on a webcast? Come to think of it, the previously undefeated Dimitrenko himself showed a lot of guts by fighting the crafty and vastly improved Chambers. Even Samuel Peter has to be given some credit for risking everything by fighting Chambers right after his disastrous knockout loss to Vitali Klitschko for the WBC title. Johnathon Banks (who looked very impressive in his losing effort to Adamek) fought Travis Walker, 34-3, on the undercard of Klitschko-Chambers—another somewhat risky venture for a recent cruiserweight. It paid off, in a KO6 win.
Meanwhile, with only nineteen pro fights on his resume, Alexander Povetkin has already beaten Chambers, and taken on opponents whose combined records read 392-86, with only one of them (the tough trial horse Willie Chapman, whom Alexander defeated in his fifth pro fight) having a losing record. That hardly constitutes babying a prospect. If David Tua ever decides that he wants to throw his hat into the ring too, that would make things even more combustible (and I think that it’s probable that it’s something he’ll be forced to do at some point.)
It’s not only the challengers who are willing to fight. I don’t think that either Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko, though both very vulnerable in different ways, has a problem defending his title against the best available competition. It’s easy to ask why Vitali is fighting a stiff like Albert Sosnowski. But you have to bear in mind that he fought someone who appeared to be a legitimate challenger in Kevin Johnson only three months ago; it wasn’t Vitali’s fault that Johnson proved to be a dud. Although I still think that David Haye is a better businessman than he is a fighter, if he actually defends his WBA title against John Ruiz next month, I’ll happily add him to list of heavyweights willing to put themselves on the line in risky fights.
The heavyweights are in danger of being eclipsed by the other weight divisions. It’s as simple as that. Although there’s still a healthy interest in the division in both Germany and Russia , American fans, long accustomed to seeing the belt held by someone from the US, are shifting their allegiance away from the heavyweights. Aside from Haye, it’s hard to regard any of the heavyweights as charismatic. And clearly there’s no single savior who’ll be able to resurrect the division by himself. There’s no Ali or Tyson to capture the non-hardcore fan’s imagination. The match-ups themselves will have to be the gimmick. The pragmatic thing for heavyweights to do - the only genuinely viable option - is to get into the ring and fight. And the message apparently is getting through to the fighters.
Those of us old enough to have been spoiled by what may have been the greatest ever era of heavyweights in the 1970s have to reconcile ourselves to the fact that those golden days are never going to come again. To expect to see an Ali, a Frazier, and a Foreman all simultaneously occupying a place at the top of the heap (with a second line of killers just below them) is a hopelessly optimistic dream. Be glad there’s You Tube.
If the current heavyweights are willing to battle it out among themselves in order to establish supremacy, that’s good enough. You don’t necessarily need great fighters to have great fights, and I can imagine a lot of match-ups between the guys in the top ten that would almost surely provide fireworks.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
Source: thesweetscience.com
Sometimes a change takes place and people don't realize until much later that it has. A pattern establishes itself; things go a certain way for a period of time and then they shift. So it is with today’s top heavyweights. They are still being thought of as lazy and unwilling to engage, but that presumption may be lagging six months or even a year behind the reality.
There’s been a definite switch in attitude among the division’s best. Eddie Chambers, Cris Arreola, Tomasz Adamek, John Ruiz, James Toney, Alexander Povetkin, and probably a few other guys will fight anyone, anytime, anywhere. Admittedly, with the exception of Toney, none of the group is a standout fighter (and I realize that Toney isn’t nearly what he once was.) But the heavyweight division has fallen way behind every other division for nearly thirty years, so its mediocrity isn’t a new perception. What’s new is how, after a decade or more of the big guys cautiously being moved into title contention and then being placed in a holding pattern to insure their spot in the ratings, they’re actually willing to risk something in order to establish themselves as worthy challengers. And that mindset was a staple of the seventies and is why it's often referred to as being the Golden-era amongst the modern heavyweights.
Without having to make claims of greatness for either of them, doesn’t everyone look forward to seeing Cris Arreola and Tomasz Adamek lock horns next month? And didn't those of us in the US all feel cheated that we weren't able to see how Eddie Chambers (who earned his title shot by traveling to Germany to take on undefeated Alexander Dimitrenko) would do this Saturday night against Wladimir Klitschko, except on a webcast? Come to think of it, the previously undefeated Dimitrenko himself showed a lot of guts by fighting the crafty and vastly improved Chambers. Even Samuel Peter has to be given some credit for risking everything by fighting Chambers right after his disastrous knockout loss to Vitali Klitschko for the WBC title. Johnathon Banks (who looked very impressive in his losing effort to Adamek) fought Travis Walker, 34-3, on the undercard of Klitschko-Chambers—another somewhat risky venture for a recent cruiserweight. It paid off, in a KO6 win.
Meanwhile, with only nineteen pro fights on his resume, Alexander Povetkin has already beaten Chambers, and taken on opponents whose combined records read 392-86, with only one of them (the tough trial horse Willie Chapman, whom Alexander defeated in his fifth pro fight) having a losing record. That hardly constitutes babying a prospect. If David Tua ever decides that he wants to throw his hat into the ring too, that would make things even more combustible (and I think that it’s probable that it’s something he’ll be forced to do at some point.)
It’s not only the challengers who are willing to fight. I don’t think that either Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko, though both very vulnerable in different ways, has a problem defending his title against the best available competition. It’s easy to ask why Vitali is fighting a stiff like Albert Sosnowski. But you have to bear in mind that he fought someone who appeared to be a legitimate challenger in Kevin Johnson only three months ago; it wasn’t Vitali’s fault that Johnson proved to be a dud. Although I still think that David Haye is a better businessman than he is a fighter, if he actually defends his WBA title against John Ruiz next month, I’ll happily add him to list of heavyweights willing to put themselves on the line in risky fights.
The heavyweights are in danger of being eclipsed by the other weight divisions. It’s as simple as that. Although there’s still a healthy interest in the division in both Germany and Russia , American fans, long accustomed to seeing the belt held by someone from the US, are shifting their allegiance away from the heavyweights. Aside from Haye, it’s hard to regard any of the heavyweights as charismatic. And clearly there’s no single savior who’ll be able to resurrect the division by himself. There’s no Ali or Tyson to capture the non-hardcore fan’s imagination. The match-ups themselves will have to be the gimmick. The pragmatic thing for heavyweights to do - the only genuinely viable option - is to get into the ring and fight. And the message apparently is getting through to the fighters.
Those of us old enough to have been spoiled by what may have been the greatest ever era of heavyweights in the 1970s have to reconcile ourselves to the fact that those golden days are never going to come again. To expect to see an Ali, a Frazier, and a Foreman all simultaneously occupying a place at the top of the heap (with a second line of killers just below them) is a hopelessly optimistic dream. Be glad there’s You Tube.
If the current heavyweights are willing to battle it out among themselves in order to establish supremacy, that’s good enough. You don’t necessarily need great fighters to have great fights, and I can imagine a lot of match-ups between the guys in the top ten that would almost surely provide fireworks.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
Source: thesweetscience.com
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