Joe Calzaghe Apologises For Cocaine Use; Criticises Newspaper's Reporting Tactics -- Eastside Boxing

By James Slater, Eastside Boxing

As is currently being reported all over the internet, former two-weight world champion and all-time great Joe Calzaghe has admitted to how he has taken cocaine since retiring from the ring with an unbeaten 46-0 record. Huge U.K newspaper The News of The World, in an exclusive that has stunned the Welshman's fans, today revealed how the former super-middleweight and light-heavyweight champion has used the drug since retiring after his November 2008 win over Roy Jones Jr..

The paper also reports how the 38-year-old has "bad-mouthed" fellow boxers such as Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan and Naseem Hamed (however, as you will see when reading on, the allegations about Joe "laying into" other fighters are pretty much a case of over blowing the facts).

Talking on his official website, Calzaghe has apologised for, and is regretful of, his "occasional" use of cocaine. Joe also is critical of the way The News of The World "secretly" filmed him in order to get their story.

According to the BBC, Calzaghe speaks of how some of the things he said whilst being in the company of the undercover reporters were "not meant seriously." Feeling he has been the victim of underhanded tactics by the paper he may be, but Calzaghe is also full for regret for the way he has set a bad example.

"I very much regret my occasional use of cocaine in what have sometimes been the long days since my retirement from the ring," Calzaghe said. "I am fully aware of the bad example it sets to other people and I apologise. It is not a major problem in my life but it is something I am actively addressing.

"Many of the other conversations reported to have taken place simply involve men joshing or shooting the breeze over a drink. While some statements are untrue or exaggerations I am, naturally, sorry for any embarrassment their publication may cause to entirely blameless third parties."

As to the "Bad-mouthing" Calzaghe gave Hatton, Khan and Hamed; this aspect of the paper's report is, in my opinion, nothing more than a cheap shot. The "bad" things Joe said about his fellow boxers are as follows:

"The main thing is your health. Look at Ricky Hatton for instance. You know he was knocked out really badly the last fight, knocked out two fights ago, and the reality is he's done himself a lot of damage. Regardless of when he fights again, and he says he's going to fight, he's been knocked out by a nobody hasn't he, because his punch resistance has gone as far as I'm concerned."

You can see that, aside from being off-the-mark when he refers to either Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr as being a "nobody", that Calzaghe has said nothing about Hatton that has not been said by many other people in the recent past.

On Naseem Hamed:

"Naseem, he's living in London now. Obviously he had that episode didn't he, where he went to prison (for leaving the scene of a car crash). He's quite big, he's only like five foot two. He's quite a size now."

Again, no earth shattering revelations here.

On Amir Khan:

"He's not exceptional. If he fights against a tall guy he'll be knocked out again. He can't fight a puncher."

Wow! Isn't this the same thing a number of fight fans and experts have said a number of times in recent months?

Okay, Calzaghe's cocaine use is a shocker, and his image will definitely take a blow. But why must the newspaper try to make Calzaghe out to be a man who has "laid into" his fellow boxers, when clearly he hasn't.

Source: eastsideboxing.com

The Quiet Man talks! -- Sky Sports

By Tim Hobbs, Sky Sports

John Ruiz is on the brink of boxing history.

While David Haye is the first British heavyweight to fight for a world title at home in 10 years, the man from Massachusetts can join an elite band and become a three-time world champion.

He has a new trainer in his corner but at 38, this will be his 11th time contesting the WBA belt, his 55th professional bout in total.

Haye has called him 'the cure for insomnia', so skysports.com's Tim Hobbs spoke to the Quiet Man and found a fighter still very much alive...

You say this has been your longest training camp ever? Just when did you start preparing for David Haye?

JOHN RUIZ: If I started right after the (Adnan) Serin fight (November 7), took a couple of weeks off then got back into the motions with Miguel Diaz. We're enjoying this, I'm at a time on my life right now where I feel confident and at peace and we're enjoying the game actually.

You have a new trainer in Miguel Diaz. Does that mean you have been doing things differently?
RUIZ: Not really. It's the same strategy as always; we train hard and focus on getting into shape, making sure we're ready to fight - that's the one thing we always bring to the table. Miguel has got me turning my punches, he's got me doing plenty of things nowadays, so I am going back to my older days when I used to be a boxer-puncher. I used to be a bit of a brawler, but now he's brought me back to basics, boxing and throwing some good combinations.

Is there anything different about John Ruiz the man, then?
RUIZ: I see a new me every time I look in the mirror, I feel the energy. I've reached a point in my life where everything is going great. I've got a great team and a wonderful family and I'm getting support from everyone else and I'm just looking forward to the fight. I feel like I still have something to give in the sport. I feel great, I feel like I've stepped into the fountain of youth. I feel a lot younger, less weary and more determined to become heavyweight world champion

This will be your 11th world-title fight? Are you going into this with the feeling you have nothing to lose, everything to gain?
RUIZ: I look back on my career and the only thing I say to myself is I'm satisfied and happy with everything I've achieved. its been a rollercoaster ride but not too many guys can say they've been a world heavyweight champion, but I have... twice. I'm proud of that and I feel blessed that I get the opportunity to become a three-time world champion. To do that I would join some of the great names in the sport and it is certainly something I would be proud of.

It has been a long and illustrious career with plenty of highs and lows. Would you like to turn the clock back and change anything?
RUIZ: I feel comfortable with what I've done. I know it's been a tough ride and a hard road, but I will always be glad the way it worked out. There's a few things that probably could've gone right for me, but I'm just looking back and looking back at the positive side of it all and I know I have experienced and achieved more than some people have. I don't consider myself as someone maybe with a lot of talent, but I do consider myself as someone with a lot of determination.

What about David Haye? He likes to get under his opponents' skins with a few choice words. What do you make of him?
RUIZ: Well, he's not going to say anything I haven't heard before. At the same time I congratulate him for winning the title; it also gives me an opportunity to fight someone else other than (Nikolai) Valuev, because it seems like I couldn't get a break with that guy. This time with Haye I think it's better fight for me. I know he might be a better opponent than Valuev, but trust me, this is a better fight for me.

This will only be his fourth fight as a heavyweight, your 55th. Do you think that experience will tell when you get in the ring?
RUIZ: This is a test for both of us. It's a test for me to let the world know that I'm still around, still here and that I've still got the will to become world champion. And this is a test for him because he is going to realise this is a heavyweight fight here against a guy who comes to fight. He's going to have a tough fight on his hands and he has to overcome that. People say he hasn't faced a real heavyweight yet, so it is a bigger test for him.

This is clearly nothing new to you, but do you still get nervous, or is it a question of been there, seen it, done it?
RUIZ: Lately I've been feeling more relaxed before a fight and I've never really been used to this but sometimes you have to accept it. I'd rather get nervous going into a fight, but maybe I've been in this sport so long and now I realise it's just basically a question of just going in there and fighting.

Boxing in Britain is nothing new to you either, but it is 14 years since you last fought over here? What memories do you have of fighting over here?
RUIZ: I won my first title over there against Derek Roddy, which will always hold special memories for me. I had six fights in the UK which I managed to win and they weren't against easy guys, they were tough guys. So I am glad to have the opportunity to go come back to England for a while - it will be a pleasure for me.

What can Sky Box Office viewers and more importantly, David Haye expect from John Ruiz when that first bell sounds?
RUIZ: He has got a fight on his hands - that's the first thing he can expect. We know he likes to move around a lot and at times take things easy, but we want to throw him off the groove, let him know that basically he's going to have to throw enough punches to keep me away from him. Twelve rounds is a long time to be running around and that means I know I am going to get my opportunity.

And finally, he has called you a 'cure for insomnia'. Does that sort of criticism keep you awake at night?
RUIZ: If that's the worst thing he can say about me, then then I'm very shocked because people say he really likes to talk... but come on! If this is what he has to do to get motivated and get in fight mode, then he'd better do as much talking as he needs to. Come April 3, I'll be ready to do my talking.

Source: skysports.com

American heavyweights too lightweight for world champion David Haye -- The Guardian

By Kevin Mitchell, Guardian.co.uk

Bernard Hopkins, the 45-year-old Philadelphian who lost to Joe Calzaghe two years ago, did more than put an intolerable strain on the fight fraternity's ability to accommodate nonsense when he called out the WBA world heavyweight champion David Haye last week. He confirmed the widespread view that boxing in America is on life support.

Hopkins fights the 41-year-old shadow of Roy Jones Jr in Las Vegas next weekend in what is being sold (on pay-per-view, believe it or not) as the settling of a 17-year-old score for Hopkins and the extension of his damaged legend for Jones but what is, in reality, a pension bout for both of them.

It hardly matters who wins this terribly late rematch – Hopkins will knock out Jones and possibly do him serious damage. But it does matter when an old fighter thinks he can challenge a champion 16 years younger and four stones heavier than him, a scenario that would have been considered improbable as well as disrespectful in the sport's heyday.

Boxing has not been in such poor shape in the United States in living memory. And nowhere is the dearth more apparent than among the heavyweights.

Haye has business of his own against an at least credible opponent, the seasoned American John Ruiz, in Manchester on Saturday night. He was amused when informed of Hopkins's outlandish suggestion.

"He's just saying that for publicity for his own fight," he said. "I wouldn't take it too seriously."

But he is taking Ruiz seriously, even though the quiet man from Boston will not be remembered as among the best former champions of a poor era.

"You've got to respect what Ruiz has done. In the last 10 years of heavyweight boxing he's been in there and given a good account of himself. He knocked Evander Holyfield down. Mike Tyson couldn't do that. Even Lennox Lewis in 24 rounds couldn't do it. Ruiz doesn't get much respect but he's an effective heavyweight."

It is not exactly how they described Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali or Joe Frazier. It might be the sort of bad joke they would put on a lousy fighter's gravestone: Here lies Canvasback Casey, an effective heavyweight.

But that is how it is in what has been the lodestar of the fight game for at least 100 years. There is nobody in America working at or beyond 15 stones who would make more than adequate sparring partners for the fine champions they produced throughout the 20th century. It is not that ludicrous to suggest even Tyson could come back and not look out of place.

Haye, whose talent shines through in his power and electric movement, says the skill levels are not evident any more. "That's what's wrong with heavyweight boxing. You've got guys like Ruiz, just mauling, coming in with their head down and fighting ugly to get the win. I'm not going to let him do that. I'm going to make him fight my way, fight exciting."

That is to be seen. It is hard to imagine the one-dimensional Ruiz, at 38, changing habits he has accrued in 54 contests stretching back to 1992.

Haye's mission, he says, is to unify the title and that can be done only by fighting the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali, who own the other bits of it. "One of them, both of them, whoever I can get my hands on," is how he put it. "I'd fight them on the same night if possible."

Wladimir ended the pathetic challenge of Eddie Chambers for his WBO and IBF belts in Düsseldorf last weekend with a left hook to the temple that left the overweight peacenik sprawled across the bottom rope. And "Fast" Eddie was reckoned to be the best of America's depleted heavyweight stock.

Klitschko rocked him in round two but did not finish him. He had him going in the seventh but had another attack of compassion. Haye was so uninterested he did not interrupt his training to watch it but he caught the last round on YouTube. As Haye put it: "He's afraid to engage. Chambers looked like a typical overweight American heavyweight who just turned up to collect his pay cheque."

He added: "People talk about my fight against [Nikolai] Valuev as being not the most entertaining of fights but look at the differences: he was a foot taller than me and seven stones heavier. What the hell is Wladimir's excuse, fighting the way he did against someone who is six foot, completely out of shape and has not got any punch power anyway?"

If Haye thinks little of the Americans, they do not exactly have him on a pedestal. "I tell people I'm fighting the champion," Ruiz said earlier in the week, "and people ask me, David Who?"

Haye is not bothered. "It would be nice to crack America," he says, "but I need the opponent to do that. If Eddie Chambers is the best American heavyweight they can dig up, it's a very sad state of affairs."

That it is. Of the top 10 contenders gunning for the titles held by Haye and the Klitschkos, three are Americans and two of those, Chambers and Tony Thompson, have both lost badly in world title challenges – to Wladimir Klitschko. There are three Russians on the list, a Nigerian, a Pole, a Ukrainian and a Cuban.

Those are tough numbers for American fight fans to swallow. For the time being Europe is once more the home of boxing.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Erik Morales Defeats Jose Alfaro: But How Far Can The Comeback Go? -- Eastside Boxing

By James Slater, Eastside Boxing

In the days leading up to last night's return bout, Mexican legend Erik Morales vowed he would quit the ring for good if he could not defeat Jose Alfaro. Well, in coming back after a two-and-a-half year layoff, "El Terrible" proved he has at least something left at age 33. Winning a hard-fought, exciting battle with the former WBA lightweight champion, the former three-weight titlist prevailed by a UD: the scores were 117-111, 116-112,116-112..

Morales, who weighed-in at around 148-pounds for his return, is now 49-6(34). 26-year-old Alfaro of Nicaragua, who had also promised a win and fought hard trying to get one, is now 23-6(20).

No-one really knew what to expect going into last night's WBC intercontinental welterweight bout held in Monterrey, Mexico. Many felt Morales - who complained after his last fight back in 2007, against David Diaz, that he had pains in his head due to the punches he'd taken in the lightweight points loss - was running the risk of being badly hurt or embarrassed by returning to the ring.

This was not the case last night (although the win was a far from easy one for Morales, and at times the action was quite brutal, with both men trading furiously) and Morales proved he still has some fire in his belly. But what does the future hold? No doubt, having successfully cleared the hurdle of his initial comeback bout, Morales will fight again pretty soon. But though the beloved warrior, who looked a little "chubby" as a welterweight, showed he has enough left to remind his fans of the incredible ability he once had, his talk of meeting Manny Pacquiao in a fourth fight still disturbs.

Beating the smaller Alfaro is one thing (but, to be fair, some people did tip the younger man to get the win last night), but how will Morales cope with an elite welterweight or light-welterweight? Craving his place in the history books, and feeling he can get it by becoming the first Mexican boxer to win world titles at four different weights, Morales will possibly have one more fight against a good opponent, before going for a title.

As popular as he is, Morales is likely to get his chance; but who against? "El Terrible" also spoke of a fight with countryman (and WBO lightweight champ) Juan Manuel Marquez. But Morales looks to have a hard time ahead of him if he's to make 135-pounds, and Marquez looks set to face Juan Diaz in a return of their great fight next in any case.

On the whole, Morales deserves credit for last night's fan-friendly victory (has this guy ever been in a bad fight!) but the fears his admirers felt when his return was first announced are still there.

Source: eastsideboxing.com

Sharkie's Machine: Arthur Abraham Battered in DQ’d Loss to Andre Dirrell in Super Six Tournament -- Eastside Boxing

By Frank Gonzalez, Eastside Boxing

Kudos to the Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO’s), who put it all together in his match up against ‘former’ IBF titlist, “King” Arthur Abraham in Showtime’s Super Six Super Middleweight Tournament. We always hear that styles make fights and this fight was testimony to that. Dirrell has shown good boxing ability against all the scrubs he faced since he turned pro, fighting as a prospect, which he still was when he was selected as one of the ‘six best’ Super Middleweights in boxing to be in this tournament.

Frankly, I don’t understand how any of the three American’s in this tourney got their spots. This is no disrespect to any of them but lets be honest, Jermain Taylor, a fading former Middleweight titlist who lost two of his last three and two relatively untested prospects in Andre Dirrell and Andre Ward? Sure, Ward showed himself to be masterful in his beating of legit contender Mikkel Kessler but Dirrell was unimpressive and looked down right scared in his first “fight” against Carl Froch. With Jermain Taylor’s departure from the tournament, Allan Green (29-1, 20 KO’s), who’s won his last six fights, will be replacing him.

Had this tournament included IBF titlist Lucian Bute and his former nemesis Librado Andrade, then maybe add Andre Ward for his pedigree and impressive win over the always dangerous Edison Miranda, then the winner of this tournament would be the closest thing to the true Champion at Super Middleweight.

Consider that Lucian Bute is not in this tourney and he’s arguably one of the best in the division. Librado Andrade of Mexico was a higher ranked fighter who also deserved invitation. In effect, whoever does win the Super Six Tournament will not be the Champion of the division unless he immediately fights and beats Bute (if Bute retains his title by then).

Initially, I had Dirrell pegged as the weakest among the six contestants of this tournament, particularly after the way he ran and slipped and ran and complained to the ref in his first bout against Carl Froch. I thought he lost a close one in that ugly fight against Froch, who didn’t look so super himself that night. Froch is very much like Abraham in that he’s not going to dance your dance but take you into the deep waters and then try to drown you late. Froch couldn’t put the run, hold and run Dirrell down that night but was the better “fighter” and squeaked off with his first pair of points in the tourney.

If there were any doubts about Andre Dirrell’s qualifications for even being in this Super Six Super Middleweight Tournament—I’d say he proved his worthiness Saturday night in his hometown of Detroit, where he faced the favorite to win the tournament in “King” Arthur Abraham. Dirrell easily won the first few rounds. In the fourth, Abraham managed to land a big shot that Dirrell countered with an equally big straight left that sent Abraham to the canvas for the first time in his career. Dirrell proceeded to put on a boxing clinic, shutting Abraham out until midway into the ninth round, where Abraham started landing more than just a few shots. In the tenth, Abraham finally landed one of his big power shots that sent Dirrell to the canvas.

But alas, Lawrence Cole was the referee and somehow, he didn’t see it as a knockdown but as a slip from tangled feet. Upon further review, their feet didn’t tangle and it was in fact, a clean punch that floored Dirrell. “Officially,” there was no knockdown. But anyone who saw the replay saw that there was. Boxing should use Instant Replay. What’s right is right. These fights are too important to be subject to a bad call by a referee, who’s usually only human.

The discounted knockdown of Dirrell seemed the prelude to Abraham finally catching Dirrell, ending the fight and retaining his status and dignity after being battered, cut badly over his right eye and out worked by his under rated opponent all night.

At the start of the eleventh round Abraham was in search and destroy mode. He clearly needed a knockout to win and time was running out. As he pressed Dirrell towards the ropes, Dirrell slipped in the corner and while he was down, Abraham threw a right hand to Dirrell’s face while he was already down from the slip.

After that illegal punch connected, Dirrell looked fine but then suddenly, fell back, eyes closed and his legs seemed to jiggle in an eerie way. Dirrell appeared to be out cold and was unresponsive for a while. That’s a disqualification foul and referee Lawrence Cole did his job and disqualified Abraham on the spot.

After a moment of concern, Dirrell was conscious but crying and talking as if he’d lost by knockout. He was informed by the ref that he had won because Abraham was disqualified for hitting him while he was down. It was shades of Roy Jones Jr. vs. Montell Griffin, where Jones threw two big shots that KO’d Griffin while he was down on a knee.

This strange ending cast a strange shadow on the brightest outing of Andre Dirrell’s pro career. This was a fantastic performance by Dirrell, who showed no fear whatsoever against arguably the toughest man in the tournament. Dirrell used all his assets of speed, mobility and boxing ability to control the tempo of the fight while out working and out scoring Arthur Abraham round after round, making him miss and lose his composure. Abraham is a slow starter so I wasn’t surprised to see him lose the first few rounds but as the rounds wore on, the situation remained as Dirrell controlled the show, landed the cleaner shots and made Abraham miss, rendering him ineffective.

It was a disappointing ending (a DQ) because Abraham is the kind of guy who tends to knock guys out at the end of a fight. But it was a great fight for Dirrell, who fought a fearlessly and was truly the better man overall Saturday night.

There were some interesting comments during the post fight interview with Abraham, who insisted that Dirrell was ‘acting’ and wasn’t really knocked out at all. Abraham even suggested that it was okay to hit a man who is down. Surely he knows better. It’s always interesting to see how undefeated fighters behave after their first loss. Abraham saying Dirrell was acting like he was knocked out was a dumb accusation to make even if it’s true, because nobody told Abraham to hit a man while he’s down in the first place. He might’ve gotten away that in Germany but not when you’re the visiting athlete here in the USA. An example being how Abraham got robbed for a knockdown in the tenth, compliments of American referee Cole’s possible ‘lack of vision.’

It was interesting how that nasty gash over Abraham’s eye stopped bleeding after the doctor came to look at it and pressed a cloth over it for about ten seconds in the ninth round. What was on that cloth? Cole twice told the doc and his assistant they could look at it but not treat it. So much for technicalities.

Before last night, I suspected that Andre Dirrell was a talented, athletic boxer who was skittish and afraid to mix it up with punchers, as he demonstrated vs. Froch. After what I saw Saturday night against Abraham, Dirrell became a true contender when he gave all he had and showed no fear. If he continues to fight this way, things are going to get even more exiting as this tournament continues. Last week I can’t imagine I’d ever say this but this new fearless Dirrell is a fighter I cannot wait to see fight again.

* * *

Comments can be emailed to dshark87@hotmail.com

Source: eastsideboxing.com

Dirrell schools Abraham -- Eastside Boxing

Eastside Boxing

DETROIT (March 28, 2010) — Andre Dirrell turned the Super Six World Boxing Classic upside down and handed previously undefeated Arthur Abraham his first loss on an 11th-round disqualification Saturday in a fight at the Joe Louis Arena during a Free Preview Weekend on SHOWTIME® that ended in bedlam with family, friends, officials and team members of both camps in the ring.

Referee Laurence Cole stopped a Group Stage 2 bout in which Dirrell (19-1, 13 KOs), of Flint, Mich., had performed magnificently at 1:13 of the 11th after Abraham (31-1, 25 KOs) connected with a sweeping right hand while Dirrell, who had slipped in Abraham’s corner, was down on one knee.

At the time of the disqualification, Dirrell was ahead by the scores of 98-91 and 97-92 twice. He was taken from the ring to the hospital for observation.

By winning, Dirrell became the fourth hometown fighter to triumph in as many tournament fights. He scored the bout’s lone knockdown in the fourth round, although Abraham, who was bleeding from the right eye, thought he had scored a knockdown in the ninth that the referee missed.

With the victory in the first of three Group Stage 2 fights, Dirrell earned his first two points in the tournament. Abraham remains the tournament leader with three points.

Until he was knocked unconscious from the late hit, Dirrell had boxed beautifully, switching effectively from orthodox to southpaw throughout.

But Abraham, a notorious slow starter, was rallying. He said the foul was unintentional.

“He did not go down. I shouldn’t be DQ’d for this,’’ the favored Abraham told SHOWTIME’s Jim Gray in the ring afterward.

Later, at the post-fight press conference, Abraham added, “I was not looking at his feet. I was looking at his eyes.

“If you are a professional boxer, you look for every opportunity to knock out your opponent. You do not wait for him to recover. But I wish Andre Dirrell well and hope he is OK.’’

Group Stage 2 bouts in the Super Six World Boxing Classic resume on Saturday, April 24, and Saturday, June 19, on SHOWTIME.

Undefeated Carl “The Cobra’’ Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) of Nottingham, England, will defend his WBC 168-pound title against former WBA 168-pound champion Mikkel “Viking Warrior’’ Kessler (42-2, 32 KOs) of Denmark on SHOWTIME (9 p.m., ET/PT, same-day delay) from MCH Arena, in Herning, Denmark, on April 24 while undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) 168-pound champion Andre Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland, Calif., will make his first title defense against world-ranked contender “Sweetness” Allan Green (29-1, 20 KOs), of Tulsa, Okla., on June 19 on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from the Oracle Arena in Oakland.

SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC SCOREBOARD

Record Fighter Points

1-1 Arthur Abraham 3

1-1 Andre Dirrell 2

1-0 Carl Froch 2

1-0 Andre Ward 2

0-1 Mikkel Kessler 0

0-0 Allan Green 0

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING announcers Steve Albert, Al Bernstein and Antonio Tarver called Saturday’s action with Jim Gray reporting from ringside. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins with Bob Dunphy directing.

Saturday’s bout, which was co-promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, and Sauerland Event, will re-air:

DAY CHANNEL

Monday, March 29, 10 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME 2

The fight will be available On Demand beginning Tuesday, March 30.

SHOWTIME Boxing Schedule: ShoBox: The New Generation returns next Friday, April 2 (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) when promising, undefeated Cuban junior middleweight Erislandy Lara (10-0, 6 KOs) faces veteran Danny Perez (34-6, 17 KOs) in the 10-round main event at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. In the co-feature of a Golden Boy Promotions-promoted event, Puerto Rican featherweight standout Carlos Velasquez (11-0, 9 KOs) meets Alejandro Perez (14-2-1, 9 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight match.

In a battle of unbeaten super middleweights in the ShoBox main event Friday, April 30, at the UCI Center in Chicago (11 p.m. ET/PT), Marcus Johnson (18-0, 14 KOs) will be opposed by Derek Edwards (25-0, 13 KOs) in a 10-round match. Edwin Rodriguez (13-0, 9 KOs) takes on Kevin Engel (17-2, 14 KOs) in an eight-round 168-pound clash in the co-feature.

The fourth installment in what perhaps has already been the greatest boxing trilogy of all-time: Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez, will take place in the main event of “Once And Four All’’ on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday, May 22, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. “Magnifico’’ Vazquez (44-4, 32 KOs) of Huntington Park, Calif., by way of Mexico City, leads Mexico City’s Marquez (38-5, 34 KOs) in the epic series, 2-1, winning the last two. In a tremendous collision of undefeated bantamweights, Yonnhy Perez (20-0, 14 KOs) will defend his IBF title against Abner Mares (20-0, 13 KOs).

For information on all SHOWTIME Sports telecasts, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries from its events and complete information on the Super Six World Boxing Classic, please visit the website at http://www.sports.sho.com

Source: eastsideboxing.com

King Arthur Abraham gets DQ'd and Andre Dirrell gets two points -- Eastside Boxing

By Paul Strauss, Eastside Boxing

Steve Albert described the night perfectly when he said it had spirit, emotion and drama. Andre Dirrell boxed beautifully. He kept Abraham off balance, and had a glove in his face, or one digging into his body most of the night. Andre jabbed well both from the orthodox and southpaw stances. He also hooked off of the jab, and drove straight shots to the belly, and used angles to land hooks behind the King's elbows. Abraham complained several times about Dirrell's punches being low, but most of the time Referee Lawrence Cold wasn't buying it. By the end of the fight, Abraham's face clearly showed evidence of that Dirrell's were landing. The King was cut above the right eye, and both cheeks were swollen and bruised.

The disqualification came in the eleventh round as the result of a deliberate right hand punch thrown and landed by the King after Andre Dirrell had slipped to the canvas on one of the advertising logos. In the post-fight interview, the King tried to get viewers to believe Dirrell wasn't really down/, implying the punch was legall. After watching the replay, it was obvious to even his royal highness that that explanation wasn't going to work, so he changed tactics. He then tried to make viewers believe that he didn't know Dirrell was down when he threw the punch! That too seemed like a lame excuse, because Dirrell was literally sitting on the canvas when Abraham intentionally threw the illegal punch. Referee Cole had no choice but to disqualify the undefeated leader of the super six tournament.

Consequently, Abraham leaves without any points and a tainted reputation. Ringside announcer Antonio Tarver described the situation correctly when he said Dirrell came back well after his controversial SD loss to Carl Froch by sticking to the game plan for this fight; although, he did have a couple of lapses when he let Abraham trap him on the ropes. However, Tarver explained Dirrell used his hand speed and elusive foot speed to frustrate Abraham, and to move way out front on points. Dirrell also accomplished something no had up to that point, and that was to score a knockdown of the powerful Armenian in the second round. Dirrell may have deserved a second knockdown in a later round when he landed a punch that caused Abraham to fall into the ropes. However, things evened up later, because Abraham landed a clean right hand shot to the jaw of Dirrell, which put him down. Referee Cole chose to waive it off, because he correctly saw where Abraham's left foot got behind Dirrell's right foot, causing Andre to trip.

At one point in the fight when Dirrell was controlling the fight, Referee Cole chose to stop the action and walk Abraham over to a corner where two ringside physicians coudd examine the cut over his right eye. The two doctors seemed to take an unusually long period of time to decide if Abraham should be allowed to continue. Not only that, one of the two physicians was actually treating the cut by applying pressure? Thankfully their actions did not figure into the eventual outcome of the fight.

The illegal right hand punch thrown by Abraham landed squarely to the left side of Dirrell's chin. There was bit of a delayed reaction and grimace by Dirrell. He then collapsed to his left and then on to his back. His eyes were closed and his legs twitched as if he might be going into convulsions. Bedlam resulted, and many people climbed into the ring. For several moments the situation seemd tense, but once Andre sat up, things began to calm down a bit.

Once Andre regained consciousness, and stood up, he seemed terribly distraught. It became apparent that he thought he had been knocked out and therefore lost the fight. After several minutes passed, it seemed that it was finally registering to him that he had won the fight on disqualification.

King Arthur totally missed out on his objective to win over fans in the USA. Not only was he totally outclassed, he disgraced himself in the eyes of many for intentionally throwing a very dangerous illegal punch out of frustration. Things do not bode well for this fighter, who before the bell rang to start tonight's action, was considered one of the favorites to win it all. Now he's been knocked down, soundly outboxed and disqualified. In the process, he has alienated himself to many. He thought he got booed a lot tonight upon entering the ring. Wait until next time he fights in the USA. If Carl Froch gets by Mikkel Kessler, he might remove the King's chances of ever making that happen anyway. Yes, it definitely was a night filled with spirit, emotion and drama.

Source: eastsideboxing.com

Kimball Chronicles: DQ In Detroit-Dirrell Wins After Illegal Blow By Abraham -- The Sweet Science

By George Kimball, The Sweet Science

DETROIT --- Handily leading in their fight, Andre Dirrell handed Arthur Abraham his first defeat when referee Laurence Cole disqualified the German for an intentional foul at 1:13 of the 11th round last night at the Joe Louis Arena. The win in the opening act of Stage Two of Showtime’s World Boxing Classic came after Dirrell, off balance, slipped and fell with his knees tucked beneath him on the canvas, only to have Abraham knock him ass over teakettle with a right hand.

Dirrell remained on the canvas for several frightening and tension-filled moments before the official outcome was announced. Even as the ringside physicians, Drs. Higham Admed and Peter Samet, attended Dirrell, it was not immediately clear what might have been going through Cole's mind. Despite the flagrant nature of Abraham's foul, members of Dirrell's posse, including his brother Anthony, had by then spilled into the ring and joined a throng. With nearly fifty people in the ring and no decision rendered, a few bottles landed in the ringside seats. It wasn't clear whether they had been thrown by Abraham's disaffected German supporters or by partisans of Dirrell who feared that the Flint native was about to get shafted.

In the end, depite Abraham's protests ("He is not a boxer; he is an actor," the former IBF champion complained of DIrrell), justice was served. The outcome was fitting not only because of the flagrant, and seemingly deliberate, nature of the foul, but because Dirrell, a 2-1 underdog, had fought the fight of his life before his home-state audience and had so dominated the previously unbeaten Abraham that only a knockout could at that stage have beaten him anyway.

Abraham's game plan, if he had one, seemed curious from the outset. For several rounds he allowed himself to be cuffed around by Dirrell's high-energy attack without offering much in return. Even when Abraham was taking many of the punches with the gloves with which he covered his face, he was plainly absorbing much of the shock from the blows, and on several occasions DIrrell was able to penetrate the shield to land straight down the middle.

For three rounds Abraham never put two punches together, and when he finally did it proved his first undoing. He charged at Dirrell and tried to throw a wild left, but the American simply shoved his arm out of harm's way and came over the top to deck him with a chopping left, scoring what proved to be the first knockdown of Abraham's career.

If Abraham was increasingly frustrated, he pulled out all the stops in his bag of gamesmanship in an effort to slow down the process. When Dirrell opened the sixth with a punch to the midsection, Abraham protested to Cole that he had been hit low, and even though the referee had made no acknowledgement when it happened, he cut Abraham some slack and allowed him time to recover.

By the seventh Abraham had been cut above the right eyelid, and attempted to pick up the action. At this point the real question was whether Dirrell could sustain the same high-energy pace over the final third of the bout, and whether Abraham could summon a reservoir of power with which to turn the tide.

In the ninth round Cole called time and brought the doctors in to check Abraham's cut, and in the tenth Abraham appeared to have scored a knockdown when Dirrell went down from a right hand to the face, but Cole ruled that the punch had come when the fighters had their feet entangled and disallowed the knockdown.

A wise man once said "Be careful what you wish for; you might just get it." Abraham's German promoters had bellowed long and loud when they learned that the Michigan commission intended to use local officials in the Super Six fight, and appeared to have gotten their way when the WBC decided to sanction Dirrell-Abraham as a title eliminator, bringing neutral judges into play. (Only Frank Garza was from Michigan on the international trip that included Anek Hongtongkam of Thailand and Guido Cavelleri of Italy. Even more ominously, they got Cole. Just two weeks earlier, after the WBO had nominated Cole to work the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey bout, that choice was overruled by Cole's home state commission, owing to his erratic history in big fights.)

Earlier in the bout Dirrell had gone down in the Abraham corner following a shove. Cole had summoned a towel from the Germans and given a quick swipe at mopping up the sweat, but he must have missed some of it. As Dirrell ducked away from an Abraham punch in the 11th his feet slipped literally out from beneath him, leaving him in the exposed position in which he sat when Abraham uncorked the punch that ended the fight.

It was sweet redemption for Dirrell, once he revived. Having dropped a controversial split decision to Carl Froch in England during Super Six first round action, the American not only had his own back to the wall in the Showtime series, but Abraham with a win could have assumed a commanding position. Now it's a whole new ball game.

Dirrell, the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, saw his record improve to 19-1 with the biggest win of his career. Abraham, 31-1, may have some good performances left in him before this thing is over, but having watched the way Dirrell undressed him at the Joe, it seems unlikely that his fellow Super Six participants will be intimidated in the future. 
 


* * *
Any lingering suspense over the outcome of Ronald Hearns’ co-featured bout pretty much evaporated the moment well-traveled journeyman Marteze Logan was substituted as the opponent. Once Logan (26-43-2) was cut above the left eye early in the sixth there appeared a sight chance that the crowd might be spared three more minutes of it, but the ringside physician bravely waved the opponent in, and both men finished on their feet. Fighting in the building his father once called home, Hearns fils improved to 24-1 as he swept the cards of judges Scott Dexter, John Parish, and Gerard White in a 60-54 rout.

Fighting outside Europe for the first time, Sauerland Events’ 22 year-old German middleweight Dominick Britsch made an impressive America debut at the JLA, stopping West Virginian Matt Berkshire in less than two rounds. Britsch hammered Berkshire to the canvas with a pair of hard lefts to the body. Berkshire struggled to his feet, but no sooner had referee Ansel Stewart administered his count than the opponent signaled his distress by bending over double, and Stewart stopped it at 1:52 of the second. Britsch is now 18-0, Berkshire 10-2-1.

Lateef Kayode, the undefeated (11-0) Nigerian cruiserweight trained by Freddie Roach, exploded to put Chris Thomas (17-10) down with two big right hands in the fourth. Thomas regained his feet, only to be taken into protective custody by referee Ron Cunningham at 1:43 of the round.

The Showtime audience was at least spared the disconcerting performance of ring announcer Kara Ro, who managed to go through her recitation of the first eight undercard bouts at the Joe without once supplying the scores or identifying the judges. The Michigan Boxing Commission claimed that Ms. Ro was stonewalling the information at the behest of promoter Gary Shaw, who had directed her not to reveal the scoring information.

“I don’t know anything about that,” was Shaw’s non-denial denial. “All I’m trying to do is move the show along.”

Dirrell’s 2004 Athens teammate, the troubled Ron Siler (1-1), also appeared on last night’s card. Fighting for just the second time as a pro (his debut was delayed on several occasions by run-ins with the authorities), Siler was floored by substitute opponent Vincente Alfaro (1-!) in the fourth round on route to dropping a unanimous decision: 39-36 twice (Parish and White) and 38-37 (Dexter).

Detroit super-middle Darryl Cunnningham advanced to 19-2 with a unanimous decision over Illinois veteran Pat Coleman (29-17), with all three judges scoring a 40-36 whitewash, while Detroit-based, Yemen-born middleweight Brian Mihtar (13-1), outpointed Ugandan veteran Robert Kamya (17-11) in another shutout. (60-54, three times).

In earlier action, Detroit middleweight Purnell Gates (18-1) pulled out a split decision in his four-rounder against Grand Rapids journeyman Chris Grays (9-19). Parish (40-36) and White (39-37) scored it for Gates, with Dexter (39-37) favoring Grays.

Keego Harbor (Mich.) heavyweight Rich Power remained unbeaten at 11-0, but he had to climb off the floor following a first-round knockdown by opponent Ray Lopez (1-1) to do it. Once he righted the ship, had trapped Lopez in a neutral corner and was pounding away without resistance when Stewart stopped the bout at 1:06 of the third.

Yet another six-rounder on the card saw undefeated Detroit welter Vernon Parks (20-0) outpoint Colombian Oscar Leon (28-12), 60-53 on all three cards.

* * *

JOE LOUIS ARENA, DETROIT

March 27, 2010

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS: Andre Dirrell, 167 1/2, Flint, Mich DQ over Arthur Abraham, 168, Berlin, Germany . (11)

Darryl Cunningham, 166, Detroit, Mich. dec. Pat Coleman, 165, Rockford, Ill. (4)

HEAVYWEIGHTS: Rich Power 229, Keego Harbor, Mich. TKO’d Ray Lopez, Holland, Mich. (3)

CRUISERWEIGHTS: Lateef Kayode, 198 1/2, Nigeria TKO’d Chris Thomas, 193, Chicago, Ill. (4)

MIDDLEWEIGHTS: Ronald Hearns, 158 1/4, Southfield, Mich. dec, Marteze Logan, 157 3/4m , Covington, Tenn.

Dominick Britsch, 158 1/2, Neckarsulm, Germany TKO’d Matt Berkshire, 158 1/2, Morgantown, W.Va. (2)

Purnell Gates, 156, Grandville, Mich. dec Chris Grays, 160, Grand Rapids, Mich. (4)

Brian Mihtar, 157, Sanaa, Yemen dec. Robert Kamya, 156, Kampala, Uganda (6)

WELTERWEIGHTS: Vernon Paris, 140, Detroit dec. Oscar Leon, 144 3/4, Cartagena, Colombia (6)

JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS: Vincente Alfaro, 121, Minneapolis, Minn. dec, Ron Siler, 121, Cincinnati, Ohio (4)

Source: thesweetscience.com

Dirrell beats Abraham on DQ in 11th -- NBC Sports

Associated Press Sports

DETROIT (AP) -Andre Dirrell was less than six minutes away from a dominating unanimous decision win before chaos erupted.

Instead, Dirrell beat Arthur Abraham on a disqualification for an intentional foul at 1:13 of the 11th round on Saturday night in the second stage of the Super Six World Boxing Classic.

Dirrell (19-1) slipped when he was hit by a glancing blow to the chin in the corner. While Dirrell was sitting down, Abraham hit him across the chin with a right hand and Dirrell couldn't continue.

"I was not looking at his feet, I was looking at his eyes," Abraham said through an interpreter. "I didn't see if he was down."

During the confusion after Abraham's illegal punch the ring filled with people, including, Dirrell's brother, Anthony.

He tried to rush to check on his brother, who was down in the opposite corner, and had to be restrained.

I just wanted to see if my brother was all right," Anthony Dirrell said. "I apologize for my actions. But I was just worried."

Dirrell seemed disoriented and unsure that he won the fight. He was sent to the hospital for a brain scan. Anthony Dirrell said his brother was OK, but promoter Gary Shaw said Dirrell didn't really know where he was as he was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital.

Andre Dirrell was comfortably ahead when the fight was stopped.

Italy's Guido Cavalleri scored it 97-92, Michigan's Frank Garza 98-91 and Thailand's Hanek Hongtonhkam had it 97-92

It was Abraham's first loss in 31 career fights.

"He executed a perfect game plan and I'm proud of him and I just want to hug him and kiss him," said Dirrell's trainer and uncle, Leon Lawson Jr. "But it was blemished."

There was also controversy after the fight about whether Dirrell should have a steroid or doping test. Abraham's camp said that if Dirrell didn't have such a test, he should be disqualified.

Shaw was angry that Abraham's people talked about the steroid and doping test before expressing any concern about Dirrell's condition.

Both fighters had a lot of support at Joe Louis Arena. Dirrell is from Flint, about 60 miles north of Detroit. The Armenian-born Abraham drew a large contingent of Armenian-Americans from the Detroit area, who carried a large flag.

Dirrell dominated the fight with his mobility and hand speed, landing strong punches to Abraham's head and body throughout the fight.

Dirrell knocked Abraham down with about 30 seconds left in the fourth with a right hand. Abraham got back to his feet and took a standing eight count. Dirrell landed a couple of more blows before the round ended.

Dirrel opened a cut by Abraham's right eye in the seventh.

It appeared that Abraham knocked Dirrel down with a straight right in the 10th, but it was called a slip by the referee.

Abraham began to rally in the eighth round, but Dirrell was able to avoid the slugger's heavy blows. At one point in the round Dirrell used the rope a dope tactic to duck most of the most dangerous punches and continue to frustrate Abraham.

Dirrell bounced back with a strong ninth round, in which the action was halted for a couple of minute for a cut to Abraham's head caused by a head butt.

I was getting my chances and in the eighth and ninth round, he was clearly down and the referee didn't count," Abraham said.

Dirrell got two points for the win and moves into a second place tie with Carl Froch and Andre Ward in the tournament standings.

Abraham is still in first place with three points because of his knockout of Jermaine Taylor in the first round. Dirrell is now 1-1 in the tournament.

He lost a decision to WBC world champion of England Carl Froch in Froch's hometown of Nottingham, England.

The next fight in the series on June 19, in Oakland between Ward and Allan Green - who replaced Taylor in the tournament. Both Ward and Green were in attendance on Saturday night.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: nbcsports.msnbc.com

Abraham DQ spoils excellent performance by Dirrell -- The Ring

By Michael Rosenthal, The Ring

Arthur Abraham turned a brilliant performance by Andre Dirrell into an ugly scene in the second phase of the Super Six World Boxing Classic on Saturday night in Detroit.

Direll was dominating his extremely frustrated opponent through 10-plus rounds when he slipped to one knee and Abraham hit him in the chin with a vicious left, knocking temporarily unconscious and sending him to the hospital shortly after the fight ended.

The American won the fight by disqualification at 1:13 of the round – Abraham’s first loss -- but was so disoriented immediately afterward that he couldn’t grasp what had happened.

Broadcaster Jim Gray asked him in the ring whether he knew what happened and he responded, a grimace on his face and anguish in his voice: “I got dropped, man.” His handlers then yelled, “No, no, no, you won.” And, after thinking a moment, he said: “I got hit when I was down, I got hit when I was down.”

He was then whisked to his dressing and a doctor said he would be taken immediately to a hospital.

“I was concerned that there might be some bleeding in his brain,” the doctor said in Dirrell's dressing room. “He was very confused. He said his legs were very weak. There was a long period of time that he really didn’t have a sense of where he was or what was going on.

“… We’re concerned enough to make sure. We’re being very careful about this, to make sure there’s no bleeding in his brain or something like that. So we’re taking him to the hospital.”

Abraham (31-1, 25 knockouts) was the one who was confused during the fight.

Dirrell (19-1, 13 KOs) obviously learned from his loss to Carl Froch in his first Super Six fight, in which he boxed well but lost on the scorecards because he didn’t throw enough punches. On Saturday, against a more-highly regarded foe, he blended beautiful boxing with very effective aggression to win the majority of the rounds.

Abraham even went down in the fourth round – from a straight left – for the first time of his career and suffered a nasty cut above his right eye.

The Armenian was so frustrated that he was reduced to swinging wildly – and amateurishly -- in the middle and late rounds in a desperate attempt to salvage a victory, although he did seem to be cutting off the ring as the end neared.

And he would’ve needed a knockout to win: Dirrell, from nearby Flint, was leading on the scorecards 98-91, 97-92 and 97-92 with a round and a half to go.

“I know he win on points. I wanted only KO, no more,” Abraham said in his broken English.

Indeed, it seemed as if Dirrell was emerging as one of the best fighters in the world before our eyes when it all came crashing down in the middle of the 11th round.

Dirrell, who had slipped on ring decals at least one other time, was near one corner when his foot went out from under him and he dropped to one knee. His head was down when Abraham, looking directly at him, landed a hard left flush on the chin.

Dirrell, in a somewhat delayed reaction, fell onto his side and lay unconscious for several moments. Television analyst Antonio Tarver said the fighter’s legs were trembling, as if he were about to go into convulsions.

He was able to get to his feet after several minutes but was obviously confused, as he walked around the ring and ranted while his handlers tried to explain what had happened.

Abraham claimed afterward that he did nothing wrong even after watching the foul on a monitor and accused Dirrell of acting.

“He wasn’t on the ground,” he said through an interpreter. “I shouldn’t be disqualified for this.”

He added after seeing the replay: “I couldn’t see. He’s a good actor.”

No one who saw the fight will agree with that. Obviously, Dirrell was hurt badly. Just as obviously, he dominated a fighter who many experts considered one of the favorites to win the compelling 168-pound tournament.

Hopefully, Dirrell will be fine and we’ll remember his performance and not the unfortunate ending.

Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com

Source: ringtv.com

One boring bout -- Toronto Sun

By STEVE BUFFERY, Toronto Sun

RAMA, Ont. — The world junior featherweight clash between Sarnia’s Steve Molitor and Takalani Ndlovu of South Africa on Saturday night offered up all the excitement of a barn raising.

The bout, for the vacant IBF title, resembled more of a chess match than a brawl, though the southpaw Molitor, who lost the title to Panama’s Celestino Caballero in 2008, threw enough clean shots, most via right-left combinations, to earn a unanimous decision.

The win improved Molitor to 32-1 while Ndlovu dropped to 30-6.

It said something about the fight that fans began pouring out of the Casino Rama Entertainment Centre before the 12th and final round started. Ndlovu, 32, was game, but brought little to the table, while Molitor, 29, was hesitant to let the leather fly.

The fight got off to an exceptionally slow start, with both boxers feeling each other out and hardly throwing any punches, prompting a number of nasty comments from the crowd.

The two combatants began to open up a bit in the third, but there still was precious little action, and the boos began to rain down.

Ndlovu got the better of the Canadian in the third and fourth rounds, but Molitor picked up the action in the fifth, nailing the South African with some clean shots including a sharp left-right combination to the body and the head, though Ndlovu answered with a solid straight right.

The fighters began to loosen up in the middle rounds, with Molitor getting off more combinations. Ndlovu walked into a left-right combination thrown by Molitor in the eighth.

Molitor landed the best punch of the night, a left to the chin, in the 10th and landed a few clean shots in the final two.

American fighter Ana (The Hurricane) Julaton was marketed prior to Saturday’s WBA super bantamweight title fight against Toronto’s Lisa (Bad News) Brown as the face of women’s boxing — a female boxer with super model looks, a million-dollar smile and two world titles.

Brown was essentially an afterthought.

One thing’s for certain now. Julaton won’t be doing any photo shoots for a while.

By the end of her 10-round bout against Brown, who earned scores of 99-92, 99-91, 100-90 for a unanimous decision, blood was flowing from under both of Julaton’s eyes and covered he face and top. The Filipino-American, whose record dropped to 6-2-1, walked into straight lefts and rights throughout the fight and answered basically with a smile. Sadly, the smile was her most effective weapon. The two-time world champion possessed superior hand speed, but no defence and no power and was dominated by Brown, who improved to 17-4-3.

In the fifth round, referee Rocky Zolnierczyk ordered Julaton into a neutral corner to be checked by a ring side physician after a nasty cut opened under her left eye. Always smiling, Julaton attempted to give Brown a friendly tap on the gloves when the fight resumed, but Brown answered with a left to the head, to which Julaton replied with another smile. By the end of the sixth, a cut had opened under Julaton’s right eye and by the end of the seventh, blood was pouring out.

Toronto’s Neven Pajkic is never going to set the world on fire, but he was good enough to take away the Canadian heavyweight title away from Brampton’s Greg Kielsa.

The Serbian-Canadian earned a unanimous decision, basically by out-working the more experienced Kielsa. Pajkic scored repeatedly with left and right combinations, while Kielsa, a lumbering fighter at the best of times, seemed reluctant to let any big punches fly.

The 32-year-old Pajkic, who didn’t start boxing until he was 26, improved to 12-0, while Kielsa, a former Olympian for his native Poland, dropped to 11-1.

Pajkic hurt Kielsa in the second round with a flurry and had the Brampton fighter against the ropes, but couldn’t finish him off. He continued to carry the bout to the southpaw Kielsa, who did land the occasional solid left. Pajkic staggered Kielsa with a flurry again in the fifth, before Kielsa slowed his opponent with a solid left hook, though as the fight went on, the former champion appeared to lose his will to engage. Each time Kielsa threw a combination, Pajkic answered with his own. By the seventh round, Kielsa sported a mouse under his left eye.

steve.buffery@sunmedia.ca

Source: torontosun.com

Maidana Body Shot KOs Cayo; "ScaleHater" Guzman Beats Funeka -- The Sweet Science

By Michael Woods, The Sweet Science

Marcos Maidana gave Victor Cayo a "man, you are for real and this is a little bit harder than I thought it would be" look after the fifth round in the main event of HBO's Boxing After Dark card, which unfolded at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The next round, the WBA's interim lightweight titleholder Maidana gave him the business, in the form of a right hand to the breadbasket, and that was the end of the road for Cayo, who gave a fine account for himself, and will surely be asked back.

Cayo has a loosy goosey style, and it worked wonder for a spell, but he may want to consider some remedial tutoring. His defense alternates between haphazard, appalling, and nonexist. The ending came at 1:38, for the record.

Maidana (27-1 entering, with 26 KOs; age 26; from Argentina) weighed 140 pounds, while Cayo (from the Dominican Republic; age 25; 24-0 coming in) was also 140.

In the first, Cayo didn't come out with excess respect. He looked relaxed, and confident. He let his hands go, and jetted after he unloading. Maidana looked like Cayo's hand speed surprised him somewhat. He got more rugged in the second, but Cayo went on the offensive with a minute to go. A left hook at the bell, though, sent Cayo down, and he got up at 9 1/2. He was backing up, as the bell rang, and got tagged. Was he still groggy after the rest period? In the third, Cayo looked clear headed. He put combos together, then dropped his hands, same as before. The knockdown didn't make him too fearful of Maidana. This is the kind of guy who gives his corner a heart attack...In the fourth, ref Joe Cortez warned Maidana for hitting behind the head. Cayo slips, and ducks, and dips his head a lot, so it didn't look like it was intentional. Both men were in bombs away mode in the fifth. Jabs were nowhere to be found...

In the sixth, Cayo ate some heavy shots, but did he raise his hands, tighten his guard? That's not his way...It was a body shot, however, which spelled Cayo's ultimate doom. A right hand to the gut, a Jack Ruby special, sent Cayo to the mat, and he was unable to beat the count.

In the TV opener, Joan Guzman "ScaleHater" Guzman scored a split decision victory over Ali Funeka, in a rematch from their November scrap. The cards read 114-113 (F), 114-113 (G), 116-111 (G), and none of the cards were out of the realm. That 2009 battle resulted in a draw, which many folks thought Funeka deserved. Guzman drew bad buzz Friday, when he weighed 144 pounds, or nine pounds over the lightweight limit. The fight was on iffy terrain, as it wasn't clear if the vacant IBF crown title would be on the line, or indeed even if Funeka would sign off on the bout. Funeka (age 32; from South Africa; 135 at the weigh in, 143 1/4 on fight night; 30-2-3 entering) okayed the tussle, after Guzman gave up some dough, if Guzman (29-0-1 entering; living in Brooklyn; born in the DR; age 33; 148 1/4 on fight night ) didn't weigh more than 150 pounds the morning of the bout.

Guzman didn't order in room service on Friday night, and hit that mark, so the bout went ahead. The IBF title, however, would not be his for the wearing if he were to win, since he wasn't anything close to a lightweight before, let alone during the event.

Guzman told the HBO crew that he was three pounds over the limit on Friday early, and in fact apologized to Max Kellerman for fibbing. He told Max that he simply couldn't sweat off the poundage as he'd been accustomed to.

Guzman looked sharp, moving slickly, getting in and getting out. Funeka was patient, looking to walk Guzman down, and hammer him with his long right in the first. Funeka pumped the jab to set up the right, and mixed in hooks for good measure early on. Guzman played cutie pie in the third; he ducked and slipped, but didn't really throw much. It looked like Guzman could take the best Funeka could throw, at least early on, before stamina might be an issue...But he looked like he was pretty beat after four, so maybe stamina would become an issue sooner rather than later.

Blood sprung from Guzman's nose, off a left, in the sixth. In their first fight, this occured, and he panicked. Not this time...A roundhouse right by Guzman dropped Funeka at 1:30, in answer. Guzman exploded on the body, and then went back to the well with a bombs away right to the head.

To start the seventh, Funeka stepped it up. He closed the distance, and didn't try to let his reach advantage work for him. Instead, he crowded Guzman, and that strategy tweak paid off in a winning round. Last time, Guzman faded...was he doing the same in the eighth? In round nine, Guzman looked more energized. He simply moved much better and more often than in their first tangle. That, and with the extra weight, he wasn't as prone to getting buzzed by Funeka's power tosses.

Through nine, Harold Lederman saw Guzman up 5-4, and TSS didn't have a problem with that. Funeka looked like he was at times too respectful of Guzman's pop; often, he'd hurl the jab, and then neglect to follow up. He didn't look like a man who could be down on the cards in the 11th. Would he get a little loco on the 12th? Guzman still had his legs in the last round, and why wouldn't he, since he didn't have to torture himself to get to 135 as his foe did? Funeka fought the 12th much as he had the other 11--too cautiously. We'd go to the cards.

Guzman went 139-512, while Funeka, an extra $25,000 in his pocket, was 199-761.

Source: thesweetscience.com

Dirrell defeats Abraham by bizzare disqualification -- 15Rounds

By Marc Abrams, 15Rounds.com

Andre Dirrell fought the most polished fight of his career and and even had the most satisfying result but he deserved to win with the flare that he demonstrated over the balance of his eleven beat down of Arthur Abraham as Dirrell was awarded the victory via disqualification as Abraham knocked Dirrell out cold while Dirrell was on the ground during the eleventh round of their Super Middleweight clash at The Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

Dirrell was brilliant throughout as he befuddled Abraham with quick combinations to the body and head. Dirrell kept up the boxing skills that Abraham had no answer for as the German contined to come in with his hands up eating punches. In round four, Dirrell landed a left off the ropes that sent the former IBF Middleweight champion to the canvas for the first time in his career. Abraham shook it off and sporadically would get through with one shot at a time.

Every time it seemed that Abraham was changing momentum, Dirrell would use his athleticism to land some solid combionations on Abraham. In round seven, a nasty cut opened over the right eye brow of Abraham which seemed to spur the visitor on.

In round ten, Abraham landed a big right that sent Dirrell to the canvas for which referee Laurence Cole ruled that it was a slip as the fighters’ feet were close but replays showed that it should have been ruled a knockdown. That was a foreshadow of the craziness to come.

In round eleven, Abraham landed a big right that was combined with Dirrell slipping on the ring and Dirrell went to his knee. While Dirrell was prone on the ground, Abraham wound him and drilled Dirrell with a vicious right that knocked Dirrell out with Dirrell’s legs beginning to tremble and Cole waved the fight off immediately at 1:13 of round eleven.

After order was restored in the ring, Dirrell believed he was knocked out and therefore he left the ring and to the hospital while Abraham thought Dirrell was acting.

Dirrell of Flint, Michigan is now 19-1. Abraham of Berlin is now 31-1.

Source: 15rounds.com

Dirrell Wins By DQ; Abraham Slugged Him While He Was Down -- The Sweet Science

By Michael Woods, The Sweet Science

Andre Dirrell lay on his back, quivering, barely conscious, after getting tagged with a Arthur Abraham right hand in the eleventh round. But Abraham's bomb didn't result in him getting his hand raised in the main event of a Showtime Super Six scrap in Detroit, because he threw it after Dirrell had slipped, and was on one knee.

Instead, Dirrell was declared the winner by ref Laurence Cole, and quite rightly so. Abraham, having been sent to the mat in the fourth, punched downwards. He was lucky, really, to leave the arena without getting attacked by a mob.

Dirrell seemed emotional and confused right after, while speaking to Jim Gray. Abraham, through an interpreter, said he should not have been disqualified, denying that Dirrell was down. "He's a good actor," Abraham said, after a replay showed that Dirrell was obviously down on a knee. He won no fans by motioning to Cole just about every round that Dirrell was striking him low.

Source: thesweetscience.com

Freddie Roach talks Mayweather-Mosley, drug testing, and more with Jim Rome -- The Examiner

By Chris Robinson, Examiner.com

In a recent edition of Jim Rome is Burning, world renown trainer Freddie Roach dropped by to discuss a myriad of topics ranging from his own career as a fighter, his fighter Manny Pacquiao’s bout with Joshua Clottey, the upcoming Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley bout and more.

Roach also went in depth about the recent Olympic style drug testing fiasco that prevented a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout from ever becoming a reality. Mayweather insisted that both fighters should have put themselves through a strenuous testing process which including blood testing but the two men were unable to come to terms. During the interview Roach went in depth about Pacquiao’s mental state following giving blood and how it affects him.

Roach is going to be in Las Vegas the weekend of April 10th to oversee the 4th professional fight of his latest prospect, Lightweight Jose Benavidez and the following month he has a huge assignment as his charge Amir Khan will be defending his WBA belt against Paulie Malignaggi in New York. As far as Roach’s future with Pacquiao it is still uncertain as to what will happen as the WBO Welterweight champion has been talking retirement amidst an upcoming political push.

In his own words this is what Roach had to say about everything, from his relationship with Pacquiao, thoughts on Mayweather and Mosley, and more…

Reflecting on his time in Dallas during Pacquiao’s victory over Joshua Clottey…
“Great audience, great venue. Cowboys Stadium was the part of the trip probably. The thing was that I told Jerry Jones he had a lot of guts for building that place. I asked him ‘how are you going to pay for it?’. Pacquiao fought a good fight and he did what he was supposed to do. He won every round. I like Joshua Clottey, he’s a real nice guy and a real gentleman, but you have the world title in front of you maybe once in a lifetime and you have to die trying to win that. He was just content with going to distance. I think once he realized how fast Pacquiao was in the first round he just didn’t want to get knocked out and just wanted to go the distance.”

Pacquiao playing around with the two-handed punch…
“I did have a concern because he does like to play a little bit and he did play when he did the double punch. He’s always told me that he wanted to do that at least once in the fight and I told him ‘Don’t do it!’. He laughed and he had a big smile on his face and I said ‘The sonofagum did it’. He wanted to get that out of his system I hope.”

His relationship with Manny Pacquiao…
“The thing is that I don’t hang out with him and don’t go out to socialize with him too much. I want to keep that separation between trainer and fighter. I learned once in my life when I got to close to my fighter and we became friends and I told him to do something and he laughed and not take me seriously. [That was] my first champion Virgil Hill. I told him ‘I mean it, get to work’. But we became too close and it affected our working relationship.”

Putting his foot down…
“The thing is that I do have to put my foot down sometimes. In the last camp he came to the gym and everyone was tired and sleep and I asked them what was wrong. He said that they were singing karaoke until 2 AM. I got the bunch together and I told them all off and I told them we were here for a fight and we were here for training camp. I said curfew is at 9 o’clock and I said to head security ‘What were you doing?’ and he said ‘I was signing’. I just said ‘Oh my god’. [Pacquiao] was very quiet for two days. He iced me for two days. It worked itself out. I heard that he was more interested in finding who ratted him out.”

Does Roach believe Mayweather vs. Pacquiao will ever happen?
“I believe so. The thing is, Mayweather is a good fighter and I just believe he came up with these excuses because he wasn’t ready for Pacquiao yet. He only had one fight in two years and I think he needed more time. He’s got another fight coming up of course and after that all of the rust will be gone if he beats Mosley. He’s in a tough fight though. The thing is Shane has a little bit of trouble for boxers and I think it’s a good fight for Mayweather. I think he will win on points. Then he will be sharp and ready for a guy like Pacquiao.”

His thoughts on drug testing…
“The thing is that we have never flunked a test before. We have tested before and after every fight. If we were on steroids we wouldn’t pass. It’s not like there isn’t testing and it’s not like they just test you some times. If you are in a title fight they test you every time and the commission has been doing that for a long time. The Olympic style drug testing they couldn’t guarantee that they wouldn’t do it the day before the fight. That’s an issue because Manny Pacquiao doesn’t like giving blood. I told him that that they can do urine, saliva, hair test, and any test in the world that would show exactly the same thing as blood. You see when he gets cut he doesn’t handle it well. He doesn’t like blood. I would but the thing is that everyone knows that he blames when he lost to Morales the first time because he had to give blood the day before the fight. I lose him for about three days. He’s not as strong. I’m not sure about that. He just feels that it’s in his head that it affects him for like three days and then he starts feeling better after that.”

His thoughts on Mayweather’s mission to clean up the sport…
“I think that Mayweather is going to let the commission do their job just as they always do. He said that he wants to clean the sport up but I don’t think steroids are that used in boxing to be honest. It’s part of our life and the society that we live in today. Again, let the commission do their job and we aren’t going to let Mayweather run the show, that’s for sure. That’s giving the first two rounds away. Why would I do that? The next thing you know he’ll be saying we are fighting with 16 ounce gloves or in two minute rounds. We’re going to go with what the commission says and I’m sure there is going to be a tradeoff between Manny dropping the lawsuit and him dropping the drug test.”

His own career and knowing when to call it a day…
“Eddie Futch, my coach, told me to retire five fights before I did. I fought five more times and I lost four of the five so he’s probably right. I might not have Parkinson’s disease if I did. I was just really frustrated. I put my whole life into it and I wanted to be a world champion. I cried that day when he told me it was over and it was just hard to realize that. It’s hard to swallow. It’s something I chose and something I did but I am happy.”

Source: examiner.com