Promoter Frank Warren "Doesn't See Haye Even Making A Dent" In Either Klitschko Brother -- Eastside Boxing

By James Slater, Eastside Boxing

Like him or not, you have to admit that U.K boxing promoter Frank Warren speaks his mind. Known for not always saying good things about fighters, even the men he has worked with, Warren has come out swinging at WBA heavyweight champ David Haye; at least that's the way the things Warren has had to say will most likely be interpreted by Haye and his fans.

Speaking with Mail online, Warren began by saying something that practically everyone agrees with - how a Haye-Nikolai Valuev rematch, which has been talked about, is a very bad idea indeed!

"If Haye beats [John] Ruiz, then Sauerland [promotions], who he's signed a deal with, will enforce a rematch with Valuev," Warren told Mail online. "I think that would be a disaster for boxing, but the rematch clause is there in the contract. It was a dreadful fight the first time around, I don't care what anyone says.

"Either guy could have been given the decision, it was the most boring fight ever."

Though Warren is absolutely correct when he says a Haye-Valuev II would be bad for boxing, it is questionable whether or not the promoter would be saying all the negative things he is saying about Haye's winning performance from last November if he was promoting the charismatic Londoner. Some experts, after all, lauded the way Haye showed patience, stuck to a game-plan and outboxed the giant to win on points.

Still, though some did admire Haye's maturity and boxing skill, we don't want to see a part-two; as Warren states. What we do want is for Haye to face one or both of the Klitschko brothers. Warren is most doubtful Haye would have much of a chance against either man if he does fight them, however.

"The only way for Haye to get to fight one of the Klitschkos is to pay Valuev to step aside," Warren said. "Valuev will then meet the winner. I don't know about Haye being the saviour of the heavyweight division - I want to see him fight the Klitschkos first. The Klitschkos would be too big and too strong for Haye. I don't see him beating either of them.

"I don't see Haye even making a dent. If Monte Barrett can put Haye on the floor then the Klitschkos certainly can."

It's likely a good number of readers of this web site will also agree with what Warren has had to say about Haye and his chances against Waldimir and Vitali. Most fans do seem to think the brothers would be too strong for the former cruiserweight king. But that's the thing: we all want to find out for sure! Haye has done so much talking about what he will do to the Klitschkos, we NEED to see if he can back it up.

Needless to say, if Haye can do so; Warren, and a good many other experts, will have to admit that they were very wrong about the reigning WBA heavyweight champ and his talents. But will we ever get to see the fights? Certainly not if John Ruiz beats Haye on Saturday night in Manchester. And it seems more and more fans are beginning to feel this could happen.

Source: eastsideboxing.com

Tua - all the way -- New Zealand Herald

By Steve Deane, New Zealand Herald

David Tua cruised to a comfortable points victory over Friday Ahunanya in Auckland last night but the dreary performance would have done little to promote his world title prospects.

Nigerian Ahunanya carries the moniker "The 13th"'. As in Black Friday. But Good Friday - a day when everything is shut and not much happens - would be more appropriate.

Ahunanya hardly fired a shot. His strategy seemed to consist of backing on to the ropes, taking a few body shots and then slipping away to make the stalking Tua track him down all over again. Occasionally he offered a stiffish jab, but little more.

Tua went about his work efficiently enough to take a unanimous points victory, but his foe was slippery enough to avoid serious punishment.

Ahunanya had been inactive for more than two years before this fight. Some would say that stretch remains unbroken.

But after the fight, he presented a different view.

"I did what I had to do, I thought I won the fight," he said.

His trainer Luis Tapia agreed.

"This is bad for the sport," Tapia said. "We won every round, Friday won every round."

That opinion was at odds with the score cards. One judge gave Tua every round (120-108) and the other two did not score it as even close.

More than 18 years have passed since Tua marked his professional debut with a 37-second demolition of American Ron Humes in Virginia.

Today, he is is a vastly different physical and mental specimen from the 19-year-old who stepped on to the pro stage in such devastating fashion.

But some things haven't changed. He hasn't lost his power, nor seemingly much of his speed. But neither has he grown the extra 30cm that would enable him to fight on more even terms with the likes of Ahunanya.

Last night's fight asked an important question of Tua. Was his effort against Shane Cameron a one-off, a case of an ageing lion roused into one final roar by a yapping hyena?

Or is his continuation, as he likes to call it, the real deal?

It's probably for real, but last night's snore fest will have added a dose of reality to the world-beater tag he took by dealing to Cameron.

The next question for Tua is whether he can sustain the sort of momentum needed to push him into the frame for a title shot at WBO champ Vladimir Klitchko.

He went into last night's fight ranked third by the WBO. But the near seven months that have passed since his demolition of Cameron did little to keep his name in the title shot frame.

Last night's victim, Ahunanya, was unranked. The victory was little more than was expected of Tua, and will have simply kept him treading water.

Tua needs to get busy against some higher-calibre opponents.

On the politics side, not much has changed. Tua is committed to two more fights for Maori TV. The lack of pay-per-view revenue means those contests will probably be small-beer affairs.

Another option for Tua is to hit the road and fight overseas, but he has shown a reluctance to do that, pulling out of a planned February fight with former champion Bruce Seldon.

So once again it is a case of watch and wait. The clock is still ticking for the 37-year-old Tua.

But last night's effort at least suggested his time isn't about to run out any time soon.

Source: nzherald.co.nz

Meeting of influential promoters nets few answers for boxing's woes -- Sports Illustrated

By Chris Mannix, SI.com

NEW YORK -- Those who love boxing are the ones hurting it the most. It's true. Just ask them.

On Tuesday afternoon, six of the most influential men in the sport -- promoters Lou DiBella, Dan Goossen, Gary Shaw, Kalle Sauerland and Mick Hennessy and Showtime exec Ken Hershman -- gathered with two dozen or so media members in a private room on the second floor of the Renaissance Hotel in Times Square. They were there to discuss the Super Six World Boxing Classic, Showtime's fledgling tournament that will eventually anoint the new face of the 168-pound weight class.

It began civilly enough. Hershman championed the competitiveness of the tournament thus far, a stretch punctuated by Andre Dirrell's controversial DQ win over former middleweight champ Arthur Abraham on Saturday. He cited the record viewership for Abraham-Dirrell (which was boosted by Showtime's free preview weekend, upping the number of available homes from 18 to 55 million) and the Congressional bill-thick stack of publicity for the tournament that sits on his desk.

"The interest," Hershman said, "is ratcheting up."

No discussion of the Super Six, however, can pass without talking about the health of the sport. And for the promoters, that's when the gloves came off.

Like wolves they attacked each other. Golden Boy was a particularly popular target. The promotional heavyweight -- which was not represented in the room -- was blasted for putting on the putrid Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones Jr. card this Saturday, a $50 pay-per-view that isn't worth 50 cents. The fight was attacked. The undercard was attacked. The promoters were attacked.

"You expect people to tune in for three hours to watch that s---?" DiBella said.

"That undercard," Shaw said, "is a disgrace."

Even Hershman got his hands dirty. When asked about HBO's counterprogramming the Super Six with fights of its own, a visibly irritated Hershman called HBO's decision "intentional" and "regrettable" and said it was "unfortunate that [HBO] feels so threatened by this tournament that they think [counterprogramming] is their answer. Why don't you put on better fights instead of worrying about what we're doing?" HBO responded with a statement denying any counterprogramming, saying its goal was to "provide the best possible boxing matchups with the best fighters in the world."

But as their indignation grew, so did their hypocrisy. Because before any matchmaker can level accusations, each needs to take a long look in the mirror.

Consider: Sauerland Event and Top Rank blew the best middleweight title showdown in years when they nickel-and-dimed each other out of an Abraham-Kelly Pavlik match. More than 10,000 energized fans filled Newark's Prudential Center for Tomasz Adamek's win over Jason Estrada in February. So, of course, Adamek's next fight, against Goossen-controlled Chris Arreola, is 3,000 miles away in Ontario, California.

Then there is Don King, who could be the most subversive force in boxing today. DK has had a particularly unsettling stretch: He has buried prospect Devon Alexander, sabotaged a light heavyweight title fight between Glen Johnson and Tavoris Cloud, blown up an exciting cruiserweight match between Steve Cunningham and Matt Godfrey and priced lumbering heavyweight Nikolai Valuev right out of a fight with Vitali Klitschko, one of the only heavyweight fights out there that could generate any real interest.

In an effort to line their pockets with a little bit of extra change, promoters -- who have grown fat with the riches of casino money -- have hamstrung the sport with their own shortsightedness. It's not the rise of MMA that has hurt boxing, a thinking many have come to adopt. It's boxing itself.

"MMA didn't take boxing and put it in the shape that it's in," DiBella said. "We did. Sometimes I'm the first to mention MMA to other promoters and they say, 'Shut your mouth,' and they are right. We have to worry about our own sport. We have to make sure we are providing compelling entertainment. In our sport, we shove s--- down people's throats, and they are supposed to be interested in it?"

There are signs of progress. On April 10, DiBella will put on an HBO card headlined by explosive welterweight champion Andre Berto, who will defend his title against former titlist Carlos Quintana. A solid undercard featuring a matchup between former junior featherweight champion Celestino Cabellero and featherweight prospect Daud Yordan and a look at highly touted prospect Guillermo Rigondeaux strengthens the show. And as puzzling as the decision to move Adamek-Arreola out of New Jersey is, it's an explosive matchup between two quality heavyweights.

The Super Six will move forward, too. In April, Carl Froch will defend his title against Mikkel Kessler. And in June, Andre Ward will defend his belt against Allan Green.

You can't fill a crater with one shovelful of dirt. And as brilliant an idea as the Super Six is, it can't fill the hole boxing has dug by itself. It needs help. And the promoters are the only ones who can provide it. They talked a lot during the two-hour meeting in Manhattan. Now it's time to go out and back it up.

Source: sportsillustrated.cnn.com

I'll KO Kessler and King Arthur -- The Sun

By GAVIN GLICKSMAN, The Sun

CARL FROCH is looking forward to piling the misery on Arthur Abraham after taking care of Mikkel Kessler.

The Cobra puts his WBC title on the line against Kessler in his second Super Six outing on April 24 in Denmark.

Kessler, still reeling from dropping his WBA crown to Andre Ward, knows another defeat in the super-middlweight tournament will leave him staring into the abyss.

And Froch is confident he will end the Dane's hopes of reaching the semi-finals before taking care of Abraham, who lost his unbeaten record to Andre Dirrell on Saturday night.

The Nottingham puncher said: "I've got another headline fight against Abraham straight after Kessler, so I've got the makings of becoming massive.

"And that's exactly what I want — I want the recognition.

"I fancy doing a number on King Arthur quite easily. No disrespect to him as he's tough, strong and can bang a bit, but he's quite a small man.

"He's a middleweight who's stepped up and as far as I'm concerned he's not really a boxer — he's a fighter and a brawler.

"I've always coped with fighters and brawlers quite easily, so I think I'll knock him out."

Froch expects Kessler to come out with all guns blazing when they collide in Herning next month.

But he believes the Viking Warrior is past his best following his unexpected loss to Ward last November.

The undefeated 32-year-old added: "If he loses, Kessler will still go to his final group stage fight in the Super Six, but he's pretty much in the last chance saloon.

"He's fighting for a world title and has been given a gift horse really, so I think he's going to take the bull by the horns and give it a really, really good go.

"He'll be trying to take the title off me, so it's my job to make sure he doesn't. I'm expecting him to bring his A-game and be quite ferocious.

"But I'll do what I have to do to win. If that means outboxing and sticking my jab in his face, I will do.

"If it means standing in front of him and going toe to toe in a real battle, as everyone knows I can, I will.

"Ideally, I want a fight, I don't want to get hit. I want to keep low and use my boxing skills.

"But if it comes to it later on in the fight, I'll stand in front of him and trade blow for blow."

Froch already has two points on the board following his split decision over Dirrell in October.

The Cobra endured a frustrating night against the American but is determined to silence his remaining critics by knocking out Kessler.

He said: "Regardless of how it goes, I'm going to get the win. I'll be looking for the stoppage because I want the bonus point.

"As far as I'm concerned, three points will secure my place in the semi-finals of the Super Six - and that's very, very important to me.

"I'd like to get Kessler out of there, so I'm predicting a late stoppage."

Source: thesun.co.uk

Andre Dirrell: 'I Executed Perfectly' -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Accused of "Running scared," following October's split-decision loss to WBC super middleweight (168 pounds) champion, Carl Froch (26-0, 25 knockouts), former Olympic bronze medalist, Andre Dirrell, had something to prove entering last Saturday's group stage No. 2 bout with unbeaten, former, middleweight (160 pounds) king, Arthur Abraham, before Dirrell's partisan fans at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena.

Not only was Abraham's peek-a-boo defense perceived to be impregnable, but he was coming off of a 12th-round knockout of former undisputed world middleweight titlist, Jermain Taylor, was after his ninth knockout in his past 10 fights, and his third straight stoppage victory.

But it was the 27-year-old Dirrell who emerged the signature performance of his young career, flooring the 30-year-old Abraham for the first time his career in the fourth round with a long, counter-left hand, slicing a cut beneath his right eye with a seventh-round, left hook, and frustrating the Armenian-born fighter into a bout-ending, 11th-round foul.

Abraham (31-1, 25 KOs) lost his first, professional bout by disqualification at 1:13 of the 11th, as Dirrell rose to 19-1, with 13 knockouts in their Showtime-televised, Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic bout.

Dirrell spoke to FanHouse in this Q&A about the fight, the future of the tournament, and the victory's impact on his career.

FanHouse: During the immediate moments after the fight, I understand that you were under the impression that you had been knocked out?

Andre Dirrell: Yes, I did. I did. I heard the commotion, and then, I saw my brother jump into the ring. So I didn't know what had happened once I saw that. But I knew that I was low in that corner, I just didn't realize that I was on a knee. I remember the doctors asking me where I was, but I didn't remember any of the punches or anything like that.

I just figured that I was just in the corner and got caught. I remember the fight. I remembered, like, certain rounds of the fight, like, seven rounds of the fight. I thought that it was a lot closer than when I finally watched the tape. But there was so much commotion that I couldn't even think. I couldn't think of nothing.

When you get hit, like I had gotten dropped as an amateur, and you just hear the whole crowd, and you're like in a dream. So I got up, heard a bunch of commotion, a bunch of people were around. My head was hurting really bad. And I just couldn't focus. My mind wasn't on anything but what had happened.

I'm thinking that I had gotten dropped and I'm hearing the crowd going crazy, so I was think that was pretty much it.

FH: Who was the first person who told you that you had in fact been declared the winner?

Dirrell: My big brother, Willie, he's one of the corner men. And he was like, 'Andre, you won, man, you did your job. You did what you were supposed to do.' And I was like, 'What?' And he was like, 'You dropped him, man. And he got disqualified, man. You was whuppin him, man.' That's all that I kept hearing was that he got disqualified.

FH: So can you tell me about the experience of watching the replay of the fight on tape?

Dirrell: I watched the whole fight. I couldn't stand watching the end. I could not stand watching the end. But as I watched the fight, I was executing perfectly. I was using all of my abilities that I had and the abilities that he couldn't handle to beat him in that fight.

Like I said, I was in training camp, and it was a hard training camp. I knew exactly what I had to work on, and I believe that I executed perfectly. It was a beautifully executed fight -- the way that a boxer is supposed to beat a brawler. I saw that I was given round after round. There were very few flaws.

I was even surprised by my performance. I didn't see holding and I didn't see running. I just utilized the ring well. I thought that it was a beautiful fight, man. It was a beautiful master piece leading up to the disqualification.

FH: Whom did you watch the fight with?

Dirrell: My fiance, Alaia Zamora, was with me watching it. I was still anticipating waiting the whole time until the punch had come. It was explained to me when I got hit, where I got hit at, but I still didn't expect it to be the way that it was. I thought that I had gotten hit in the temple, because my temple was very sore.

My head was hurting really bad like I said, and my jaws were hurting. And when I watched the fight, I actually saw that I had slipped, went to get back up, and so I'm more or less up on all fours, looking down. And then he brings the hook in and connected right on my jaw. I believe that my mouth was open a little bit.

And I hated watching it. I didn't even want the camera on me. I hated watching it. It wasn't a good feeling.

FH: How so?

Dirrell: I really believe that he took my shine. Even if people say that I was acting, or taking a dive, even if so, and that was 100 percent true, he brought that disqualification on himself. He did that. A lot of people are judging my character when they should be judging his.

Everybody thought that Arthur Abraham was a nice guy who walks around and smiles all day. Even me, I thought that he had a great personality and seemed like a good guy to be around. But when you're in a losing situation, how do you handle yourself then?

When your backs against the ropes, how do you handle yourself then? He showed it. And it's really tough for me to digest. I just wanted that legitimate win, being that I had lost to Carl Froch, and I wanted to bounce back and show the world that that loss didn't affect me mentally.

And I did that, but I didn't get the glorified things that I should have. I didn't get that in-ring interview. I didn't get to go to a post-fight press conference. It was just tough for me to swallow. It's tough for me to swallow right now, it really is. No matter how good that I looked, I wish that I could have finished that fight legitimately.

I watched the tape twice, and I've watched it for the last time. I'm not going to watch it again, and that's a guarantee. I looked at it and I saw where I was on the canvas. I watched me throw a jab on the way down. My legs slipped, and I slid down. He backed up a bit off of that punch, looked at me the whole time, came up and just stared and really just hit me.

After being on the ground for 1.2 seconds. It was a shot that he felt that he had to take, and we all know that he wouldn't done that if he was leading on the score cards. It wouldn't have happened.

FH: Was there a moment in the fight where you knew that you were in complete control?

Dirrell: It was pretty much the first round, as awkward as it sounds. I know that he's a slow starter, but at the same time, I knew that his ability to handle pressure wouldn't be that heavy. I pretty much knew that if I stuck to my game plan that it was going to be pretty easy.

Once I felt him out in the first couple of rounds, I figured that he would start to feel the pressure. I was pretty confident from the first round on.

FH: What particular punches do you believe had the most effect?

Dirrell: I honestly believe that it was the straight punches. A lot of times I wouId throw the straight left down to the body, and turn out, and that was confusing because he never knew whether I was going to throw to the top or the bottom, or to the body or the head. And most of the straight lefts that I shot to the body, I would come right back around to the top with a looping left hook.

That would get right around his defense, and that started to confuse him down the line. So the straight punches were pretty much the most effective punshes for me because they set up everything else.

FH: Were there any punches that you felt he was concerned about as far as potentially being knocked out?

Dirrell: I honestly believe that the left hand would have knocked him out and was hurting him the most and was the most effective as far as power punches go. And I believe that once he felt my power, that he knew that if I landed the right shots, that I could take him out.

I didn't throw enough uppercuts in the fight, and I wish that I had. Because a lot of the punches that he threw were those leaping, looping punches. That's when I would step to the side. For example, when I dropped him the first time, I stepped to the side of his looping punches and came right over the top with the left hand, I could have done that a lot of times in the fight.

But for the most part, I was just keeping my composure and boxing and not looking for the knockout, and that's how the big punches landed. So, there was a possibility, even after the stoppage, that I could have stopped him in around the 11th or 12th round.

FH: Is there any consolation that you thrilled your home crowd?

Dirrell: It really felt awesome, man. It was the best feeling in the world. I haven't had a home fight in a long time. The one that I had before in Flint, that was the beginning of my professional career, but it was nothing compared to this. I knew that my crowd was going to bring out the best in me, and I knew that I would feed off of the crowd's energy.

I knew that it was going to be my best performance yet. I haven't heard a single fan tell me that it wasn't my best performance -- everyone that I've talked to. I didn't run, and I didn't grapple, I moved just enough. Slight movements made the biggest difference.

Running would have just built his confidence, but being right there in his face, giving him small turns and coming back with punches, that was going to confuse him. I did just that, and I truly believe that I did everything that I didn't do in the Froch fight.

FH: Where are you reading or hearing that you took a dive or whatever?

Dirrell: The European fans. I've already gotten like 250, more than that in requests on Twitter. And they're still coming in. You have a few guys telling me that I was acting. And I'll tell them, 'Well you let the strongest guy at 178, or 168, and, 160 hit you while you're on the floor and let's see just how you act?'

I fed into one because it was very blatant and it was just blatantly disrepectful. But the rest of them, I ignored them.

FH: What does it say about you and Andre Ward that you beat the two guys who were perceived favorites in Kessler and Abraham?

Dirrell: We were supposed to b e the underdogs, but I said it before that this tournament was made for us. We're the two, superior boxers, we're the fighters that people want to see the most of and see what we can bring to the table. They want to see if we can handle the pressure, and we've answered all of the questions.

Because we're so talented, and because we're so young, and because we're in our prime, then, this tournament has to be focused on us. They just want to see if we can cut it or not. There's no oen I've ever faced in sparring or boxing period that hits as hard as Abraham did.

Abraham is the hardest-hitting guy I've ever faced, period. Mikkel Kessler speaks for himself, more than 40 fights. They wanted to see how well we could do, and we answered all of those questions. From this moment on, the fans will pay close attention to us when we fight.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

David Tua wins unanimous points decision -- Stuff

 By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE, Stuff.co.nz

David Tua's comeback remains very much alive after a hard-fought but deserved points decision over Friday Ahunanya in west Auckland on Wednesday night.

Tua got good reward for being the constant aggressor in the fight although he couldn't land his trademark knockout with Ahunanya fulfilling his promise of durability.

Tua landed constant shots although struggled to get through the tight defence of the big Nigerian for the killer blow.

The card gave it to Tua 109-119, 109-117 and 108-120 for a unanimous decision.

Tua holds on to his WBO Asia Pacific and Oriental heavyweight belts.

This was seen as a dangerous fight for Tua but he was rarely troubled.

He was busy throughout, he went hunting Ahunanya and he ultimately gained a comfortable win.

This was a clean fight with Australian referee Gary Dean reduced to being another spectator at the sold out venue at Trusts Stadium.

Tua might be disappointed at failing to floor his opponent but his corner had spoken of the value of getting some rounds in and he certainly got that.

He worked hard with his right, particularly to the body of Ahunanya and he also managed to score with his hook occasionally.

Coming on top of his two-round demolition of Shane Cameron last October this was a solid performance from the New Zealand heavyweight.

The win left Tua's record at 51 wins (43 by KO), a draw and three losses.

The big question is where to from here for a 37-year-old fighter who still has major ambitions for a world title but is stalled by a prohibitive deal with Maori Television.

There could be calls for a rematch which would be an easy option given the persistent struggles to provide opponents.

But pressure will be for his global promoter Cedric Kushner to work around this and come up with a worthy opponent.

Kushner believes Hawaii remains a workable venue and wants to see Tua in action again within two months. But the search now starts in earnest to find a willing and credible fighter who will help manoeuvre Tua into a better position to a tilt at a title.

One that could provide a pay-per-view audience in the lucrative United States market would also help.

Tua earned $200,000 for this win - peanuts in global terms.

But this latest result will have done Tua no harm in terms of his important WBO ranking which is No 3 on a list headed by champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Ahunanya is left with a his sixth loss from 33 fights and after two years in the wilderness it will be interesting to see if he can rebuild his career from here at the age of 38.

Earlier, Tua's sparring partner Israel Garcia won an ugly fight on the main undercard event at Trusts Stadium in west Auckland tonight.

Garcia's Australian opponent Brett Smith was disqualified in the third round of their scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout for persistent fouling.

Referee Lance Revill warned Smith several times as the outclassed Australian struggled to stay with Garcia, at one stage virtually rugby tackling him.

Smith, in appalling shape after being called up late to make the fight, was no match for Garcia who appeared to be toying with the Australian who was fighting outside of his country for the first time.

Ad Feedback Garcia was well toned and well in charge, showing the sort of form that seemed to justify his desire to fight Shane Cameron.

It was a disappointing end to the preliminaries.

The other heavyweight contest on the undercard saw giant American Clarence Tillman win a split decision against rugged Wellington fighter Leamy Taito.

They fought over four rounds with Taito producing a gallant effort despite being seriously out-sized.

Tillman entered the ring at 130.2kg compared to Taito at 108.1kg.

The difference was too much in the end although Taito did trouble Tillman in the final round.

Source: stuff.co.nz

Bernard Hopkins relishes chance to send Roy Jones Jr. into retirement -- Las Vegas Sun

By Brett Okamoto, Las Vegas Sun

When Roy Jones Jr. suffered a first-round TKO loss at the hands of Danny Green in December, there were some who believed it no longer made sense for him to take on the still highly dangerous Bernard Hopkins in 2010.

Among those with that line of thinking was Hopkins's head trainer, Naazim Richardson.

"I didn't think the fight (Hopkins vs. Jones) was going to happen," Richardson said. "I picked Danny Green by knockout, so I didn't think it was going to happen. Then when (the knockout) came to terms, I really didn't think it was going to go on."

But despite the quick loss to Green — which has become somewhat controversial after Jones's camp complained Green used illegal hand-wrapping procedures — Hopkins still saw value in fighting Jones, whom he lost to in 1993.

And even though his own trainer didn't agree with him, Hopkins made his stance clear — he wanted to fight Roy Jones Jr.

"He said, 'I'm going to fight Roy Jones,'" Richardson said. "And I was like, 'Why?' I'm telling people, and I told Bernard, I would not take this fight.

"But I support Bernard. He's the man who put in all this work all those years, and if a man like him hasn't earned the right to pick a fight that he wants to fight, who has in this sport?"

With rumors of bad ticket sales and limited fan interest leading up to Saturday's main event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, it's become clear this fight possibly is more for the fighters than for the public.

For Jones (54-6, 40 KO), it's a (possibly) final chance to prove he still can compete at the highest level in the sport he once stood at the top of.

For Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KO), it's a chance to beat the guy who ruined his first world title shot 17 years ago.

"To me, in 17 years you learn to get immune to it. It doesn't get my blood pressure up high or anything like that," Hopkins said. "But that's because I'm a true veteran and I'm not trying to waste energy answering questions on whether I like him or not in the days before the fight.

"When you've been around the game, everything is controlled until that bell rings. But around Friday after the weigh-in, you'll start to see it bubbling up."

After losing to Jones in 1993, Hopkins went on to win a middleweight world title and successfully defend it 20 times, the most in boxing history.

He took out the likes of Glen Johnson, Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Tarver, Winky Wright and Kelly Pavlik.

He got past the disappointment of losing his first shot at a world title.

But then the opportunity finally came to make a rematch that fell apart so many times in the past because of conflicts over financial splits and suddenly the loss became something Hopkins needed to vindicate before the end of his career.

"Bernard had really come to terms with the Roy Jones fight," Richardson said. "He really found peace in the fact that two of the guys that destroyed Roy (Tarver and Johnson), he destroyed them. So he was comfortable that, 'I can retire knowing that I put it to bed.'

"Then when the talk came up about it and started to line up, he went back into the fight and he was interested in it."

So, 17 years and 71 combined fights later, Hopkins will get his chance to write not only the final chapter to his rivalry with Jones but possibly also to his opponent's storied career.

If Hopkins does send Jones into retirement Saturday night, he says his emotions will be exactly how Jones' probably were in 1993 — no remorse.

"I've been brought up kind of different," Hopkins said. "Where I come from, I don't love my enemy. When you conquer your enemy based on him trying to conquer you, I can't have love for you. If you don't like me, I don't like you.

"If you try to do something to me and your gun jams and now you're asking me for mercy, not because you changed your mind but because your tools didn't work, I got to kill you right there. I got to lay you in the ground."

Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com. Also follow him on twitter: LVSunFighting.

Source: lasvegassun.com

Harrison hits out at Haye -- Sky Sports

Sky Sports

Audley Harrison says David Haye needs an early knockout against John Ruiz as he is not in good enough shape to go the distance, while also claiming 'The Hayemaker' is not a big name in the heavyweight division.

Harrison fights Michael Sprott for the vacant European title on April 9 at Alexandra Palace, just six days after Haye defends his world title in Manchester.

Haye fights veteran American Ruiz on April 3 at the MEN Arena, live on Sky Box Office, but Harrison thinks he may have underestimated his opponent.

The former Olympic champion has seen Haye in training and does not think he is in good enough shape to go the distance, so needs an early KO to retain his WBA title.

"I watched a training session of David Haye from Sky Sports and his timing is off. He's also carrying excess weight," said Harrison.

Long night

"I know David very well and mark my words, if he doesn't blast out Ruiz early, which is possible, then it'll be a tough night. Golden Boy have also signed Ruiz, so they are in with the winner and out with the winner.

"But it's a funny old game and if it doesn't go well for David on Saturday night then who knows what the future holds for him."

Prizefighter winner Harrison thinks he can get a world title shot if he claims the European strap, but he would not be going after Haye if he did.

Instead, California-based Harrison says he would want to fight Wladimir Klitschko or his brother Vitali, claiming that Haye is not a big enough fight for him.

"The heavyweight division is desperately looking for marquee names and, no disrespect to David Haye, but no one in the US is talking about David Haye," added 38-year-old Harrison.

Klitschkos

"They're all talking about the Klitschkos and no one is giving David Haye any play as a world champion so the guys I want to fight are the Klitschkos.

"If you get a chance against David Haye then people will say 'you now have to beat the Klitschkos', so if I beat Sprott, I want the Klitschkos.

"The fight with Sprott is obviously huge for me because when I get revenge and lift the title it puts me straight in line for a shot at the world title.

"People are talking about me fighting David Haye at Wembley but, with all due respect to David, outside of the UK no one is talking about him - it's the Klitschkos they see as the real heavyweight champions so dethroning one of them is what I really want."

Source: skysports.com

David Tua decisions Friday Ahunanya

Boxing News World

New Zealand’s pride David Tuamanator’ Tua scored a unanimous decision victory over tough Nigerian Friday ‘The 3th’Ahunanya to retain his WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Oriental heavyweight belts just a couple of minutes ago at the Trusts Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand.

Tua improved his records to 51-3-1 with 43 knockouts.

38-yr old Ahunanya suffered his sixth career defeat.

- Marshall N. B., marx7204@lycos.com

David Haye set to unveil HAYEMAKER MAGAZINE before Ruiz showdown -- Eastside Boxing

Eastside Boxing

Renowned for his exploits in the boxing ring, Britain’s world heavyweight champion David ‘The Hayemaker’ Haye has recently discovered that the pen is every bit as mighty as the sword – or glove. The current WBA world heavyweight king has put his name and distinctive touch to HAYEMAKER MAGAZINE, a commemorative, 192-page, glossy sports magazine, to be released on Saturday, April 3rd. Fight fans can get their hands on the exclusive magazine at the Manchester Evening News (M.E.N) Arena, moments before Haye steps into the ring to defend his belt against mandatory challenger John Ruiz..

“Hayemaker Magazine has been a project I’ve been working on for the last five or six weeks now,” explains Haye, editor and creator.

“Originally, I just wanted to produce a beefed-up fight programme that I could present to fans as a homecoming gift in Manchester. I wanted to give them lots of exclusive pictures and accounts, and loads of never-before-seen access.

“That eventually snowballed into a 192-page sports magazine and a definitive look back at my career to date. I couldn’t be happier with the finished product.”

Not content with just focusing on his own life and career, Haye also found the desire to reach out and include fellow sportsmen and women in his pet project.

“I wanted the magazine to focus on my career to begin with, but then also liked the idea of focusing on other sports stars,” explains Haye.

“I know what makes me tick and why my career has been a success. I’ve always wanted to know how my sporting peers got to the top, though. I basically got in touch with all the guys I wanted to talk to and find out more about.”

In the space of a month, Haye had met up with and interviewed England football captain Rio Ferdinand, former Olympic sprint champion Linford Christie and England rugby ace Danny Cipriani, as well as fellow world champion boxers Amir Khan and Carl Froch.

“I don’t pretend to be some kind of expert or have any history of interviewing people,” adds Haye. “I’m usually the one being interviewed, after all.

“Despite that, I really enjoyed the process and loved talking to these guys. We would sit and chat for over an hour and I seemed to be able to get these stars to open up and talk about stuff they normally keep to themselves. They didn’t feel threatened by me and we could just talk as one sportsman to another.”

Haye’s interviews and photoshoots with Ferdinand, Christie, Cipriani, Khan and Froch all feature in volume one of Hayemaker Magazine, alongside additional interviews with UFC star Georges St-Pierre and leading boxing prospect George Groves.

Hayemaker Magazine also features an exclusive account of Haye’s harrowing trip to Senegal, West Africa, as well as a definitive, behind-the-scenes look at his last four professional bouts.

“I always need some kind of project to work on before a fight,” says Haye. “Anybody that knows me will tell you that I’m always looking for direction and something to take my mind off the fight ahead.

“If you stay wrapped up in the fight too much, you’ll only drive yourself crazy. I needed something like this to keep my mind working in a productive way during training camp.

“Thankfully, it’s all finished now and I hope my fans enjoy the final product as much as I do. It was really fun interviewing, writing and spreading all the features out.

“Now my full attention is on spreading John Ruiz out across the ring canvas on April 3rd.”

*** Hayemaker Magazine (limited edition) is officially released on Saturday, April 3rd and can be purchased at the M.E.N Arena or online at www.hayemakermagazine.com. Further details can also be found at http://www.hayemakermagazine.com/.

*** David Haye’s WBA world heavyweight title defence against John Ruiz takes place on Saturday, April 3rd in Manchester and will be screened live and exclusively on Sky Box Office.

Source: eastsideboxing.com

Ruiz laughs off Haye's attacks -- ESPN

ESPN.co.uk

John Ruiz laughed off David Haye's verbal onslaught before insisting that he intends to do his talking in the ring on April 3.

WBA heavyweight champion Haye, who is never shy of dishing out insults before taking on an opponent, has labelled Ruiz as "boring" and the "cure for insomnia".

Ruiz, who insists that these barbs have not affected him, is not participating in the war of words. Instead, he is concentrating on his strategy for the fight, which he feels will counter Haye's preferred approach.

"If that's the worst thing he can say about me, then I'm very shocked because people say he really likes to talk," Ruiz said. "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 because come Saturday, I'll be ready to do my talking in the ring.

"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."

Ominously for Ruiz, Haye insists that his punches are carrying more menace than at any other time in his career. "The way I'm punching, Ruiz will have had to have improved his punch resistance tenfold to go the distance," he said.

Ricky Hatton echoes Haye's belief that the fight will not span the full 12 rounds. "Ruiz a bit on the slow side and David won't have trouble stopping him. If he can carry on like he's going, David can be a mega-star in the heavyweight division. I'd pay for a ticket to watch him," Hatton said.

"He can fly the flag for British boxing with his great personality, exciting style and his will to finish a fight early by always going for the knockout."

Source: espn.co.uk

David Haye v John Ruiz: American aims to outwork heavyweight weaknesses -- Telegraph

By Gareth A Davies, Telegraph.co.uk

A stifling style has enabled the canny character to survive almost against top-class opposition, ten of whom have been world champions.

Ruiz is brazen about what he needs to implement in this fight, admitting from his training camp in Manchester that he plans to outpunch and outlast David Haye in Saturday's WBA heavyweight world title showdown at the MEN Arena.

Conventional wisdom would suggest that is his best option against Haye, who must look to stop Ruiz by the middle rounds, both for his own preservation, and to match his fistic statements with his criticisms of others in the slumbering division, notably the Klitschko brothers, who appear intent on winning 'bore' draws.

Ruiz, who has a 44-8-1 record, but has lost three of his last six contests, has been placed as a long underdog, but that must be seen in relation to his experience as both a heavyweight, and at this level.

It will be the 11th time that the American has fought for a world title - he has held the WBA crown twice - with two of those last three bouts being against Russian man-mountain Nikolai Valuev. Both of those contests, were lost, marginally, on points.

Haye, once the undisputed world cruiserweight champion, has had only three heavyweight contests.

Ruiz has also been on the wrong side of world title decisions against Ruslan Chagaev, Roy Jones Jr and Evander Holyfied, but is confident that his plan of bombarding Haye, who is 23-1, with more than 50 punches a round will pay off.

"That is the kind of pace I need to set,” Ruiz said.."If I don't set that kind of pace then I might as well pack my bags now and go home. That is my game plan, to fight him and stay on him and make sure that he is in for a long one here.”

"I'm American. They consider me the last hope, I guess. The last hope to bring a title back home. I am going to rise to that challenge. I love a challenge and I think this is a great opportunity for me.

"I am excited. I feel blessed and honoured to have had a wonderful career and still be in there. I know for sure that I have more to prove, and I think in this fight it is going to show."

David Haye v John Ruiz is live in HD on Sky Box Office on Saturday night

Source: telegraph.co.uk

HAYE'S ON THE ROAD TO RUIZ -- Mirror

By David Anderson, Mirror.co.uk

BOXING WAR OF WORDS ON EVE OF BIG FIGHT

John Ruiz has taunted David Haye, claiming: "Is boring the worst thing you can say about me?"

Ruiz had steeled himself for a barrage of abuse from WBA heavyweight king Haye after his verbal attacks on Nikolai Valuev when he dismissed the Beast from the East as a "smelly, hairy circus freak".

But the American challenger says he laughed when he heard the best insult Haye could come up with was to call him a "cure for insomnia".

The former two-time world champ sees this as a victory in the mind games between the fighters and can't wait to get in the ring with him at Manchester's MEN Arena on Saturday.

"If that's the worst thing he can say about me, then I'm very shocked because people say he really likes to talk," said Ruiz.

"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 because come Saturday, I'll be ready to do my talking in the ring."

Ruiz, 38, first won the WBA crown when he beat the legendary Evander Holyfield nine years ago when Haye was still an amateur.

This will be the Quiet Man's 55th fight at heavyweight and he feels Haye, who has had just three fights at this weight, has never come up against someone of his pedigree.

"This is a test for him because he's going to realise this is a heavyweight fight here against a guy who comes to fight," he said.

"He's got a fight on his hands. 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."

Mandatory challenger Ruiz stepped aside in November so that the Londoner could take the title from Valuev and he feels this has worked to his advantage.

He lost twice to the giant Russian and did not fancy his chances of getting a decision in Germany if they had fought a third time.

"I congratulate David for winning the title," said Ruiz, who beat Turk Adnan Serin in seven rounds on the undercard that night in Nuremberg. "It gives me an opportunity to fight someone else other than Valuev, "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."

While Haye is motivated by the desire to fight the Klitschkos, Ruiz, who is an inch shorter than the champ at 6ft 2ins, is driven by the ambition of joining an elite band of fighters who have been three-time world champs.

"I could join some of the great names," he said.

RUIZ RECORD

Wins 44 (30 by KO)

Defeats 8 (1 by KO)

Draws 1

Ko win % 56

Rounds boxed 322

Age: 38 Height: 6ft 2in

Reach: 78 inches

Born and lives in Massachusetts, USA

Haye to win with 1st round KO 12-1; Ruiz to be counted out at any time 4-7; Haye to win on points 9/4; Ruiz to win by KO 13/2; Ruiz to win on points 10/1.

Freephone: 0800 44 40 40

Source: mirror.co.uk

Williams-Cintron a go -- Augusta Chronicle

By Scott Michaux, The Augusta Chronicle

Aiken world champion boxer Paul "The Punisher" Williams will take another crack at getting in line for a welterweight title shot, this time by going through another former welterweight world champ Kermit "The Killer" Cintron.

Williams and Cintron will hold a press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday to announce a 12-round fight at super welterweight (154 pounds) on May 8 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The venue is where Williams won the WBO welterweight belt in 2007 against Antonio Margarito. The fight will be televised on HBO.

Williams and Cintron (32-2-1, 28 KOs) are no strangers to negotiations, having once planned to fight for the welterweight title in 2007 before the plan was scuttled by the Cintron camp due to injury.

Williams (38-1, 27 KOs) is coming off a majority-decision win over world junior-middleweight champion Sergio Martinez in December - a fight that was arranged after middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik backed out of a scheduled fight in Atlantic City, N.J.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the winner of Williams-Cintron could position himself for a shot at unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. - who fights welterweight champ Shane Mosely the week before in Las Vegas. If Mayweather loses, he can invoke a rematch clause against Mosely.

A less likely option would be for the Williams-Cintron winner to get a shot at Manny Pacquiao should he fail again to strike a mega-fight deal with Mayweather Jr.

Source: chronicle.augusta.com

Shades of past rivalries in Jones-Hopkins rematch -- ESPN

By Graham Houston, ESPN.com



When Bernard Hopkins meets Roy Jones Jr., it won't be the first clash of aging stars. Fights such as this one have a strange fascination.

Saturday's return bout echoes the long-delayed rematch between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns outdoors at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in June 1989.

Almost eight years after their first, epic meeting for the welterweight title in the same arena, Leonard, 33, and Hearns, 31, were squaring off in a 12-round championship bout at 168 pounds. Promoter Bob Arum billed the fight as "The War," with Leonard guaranteed $13 million, Hearns $11 million.

Hopkins, who lost the initial meeting against Jones in 1993, feels that Jones should have agreed to terms for a rematch long ago.

Back in 1989, Hearns had similar sentiments.

"I've waited eight years for a rematch," Hearns said at a news conference to announce the fight. "To me, Ray Leonard is less than a weasel to make me wait this long."

Leonard was a 4-1 on favorite in the betting.

Although neither Leonard nor Hearns was as good as they had been eight years earlier, they provided a stirring spectacle, "in many ways better than their 1981 encounter" as noted by Michael Katz in the New York Daily News.

Hearns knocked down Leonard in the third and 11th rounds and looked sure to avenge his defeat in the 1981 contest, but Leonard came blazing back to hammer and hurt the Detroit Hit Man in a dramatic 12th and final round to salvage a draw.

If Hopkins and Jones give the fans a similarly entertaining fight, everyone will be happy.

The combined age of Hopkins and Jones is 86, but two years ago, a 44-year-old Jeff Fenech and 49-year-old Azumah Nelson fought in a 10-rounder in Melbourne, Australia, 16 years after the second of their junior lightweight title bouts.

The aging rivals, now weighing in the 150-pound range, put up a spirited fight, won narrowly by Fenech.

Hopkins-Jones could be called a curiosity attraction -- but not as curious as Fenech versus Nelson.

Source: espn.go.com

A massive night for Kiwi boxing -- Yahoo! Xtra Sports

By Mike Kilpatrick, Yahoo! Xtra Sports

Yahoo!Xtra Sports will be covering the David 'Tuamanator' Tua v Friday 'The 13th' Ahunanya bout and the undercard from the Trusts Stadium in Waitakere tonight.

It's a massive opportunity for the Tuamanator to show he's worthy of another world title shot and promises to be a better contest than his fight against Shane Cameron last time around.

Here's the full rundown on the card:

Bronwyn Wylie (61.2kgs) v Christina Tai (59.5kgs)
Lightweight contest, 4 x 2 minute rounds

Thai boxer Bronwyn Wylie has experience in the martial arts ring but has only had one boxing bout - and that was against tonight's opponent Christina Tai.

Wylie won that bout after neither fighter could get a knockout in the four rounds. But that bout was in May last year and since then Tai has had another couple of fights.

She lost to Susie Ramadan in August, but then won against Michelle Preston at the end of January.

Wylie is ranked 23 in the world and her 100 per cent record will get a tough workout against the 28th ranked Tai, who has a professional record of won four, lost six.

Tip: Wylie to keep her record, just, after the four rounds.

Clarence Tillman (130.2kgs) v Leamy Tato (108.9kgs)
Heavyweight contest, 4 x 3 minute rounds

Kiwi Leamy Tato, at 5ft 10in, is dwarfed alongside the giant American Clarence Tillman at 6ft 5in.

But Taito is a MMA and Cage combatant champion and won his only previous boxing bout against Ben Naqasima in October last year.

He also represented the Junior Kiwis when he had his fights on a league field rather than a ring.

Tillman has lost three of his last five fights but beat Junior Pati by TKO in his last fight earlier this month - and Pati is ranked higher than Tato.

The Las Vegas fighter has won only three of his eight bouts, but is still ranked 249th in the world.

Tip: Tato may go the distance, but he's not going to win.

Jameson Bostic (84.4kgs) v Oscar Siale (84.2kgs)
Cruiserweight contest, 6 x 3 minute rounds

Southpaw Kiwi Oscar Siale is ranked fourth in New Zealand and won his last 10 fights until he lost to the higher ranked undefeated Samoan Vaitele Soi at the end of January.

Bostic hails from Brooklyn, New York and is ranked even higher than Soi was when he beat Siale - so it's going to be a major shock if the Kiwi can inflict Bostic's fifth defeat in 24 fights.

Bostic has fought five times in New Zealand previously and has won every time, including his last bout which was just 20 days ago against the lowly ranked Wilhelm Schwalger.

Tip: Bostic to take the win before the sixth round.

Areta Gilbert (83kgs) v Robert Berridge (79.8kgs)
Cruiserweight contest, 6 x 3 minute rounds

This all-Kiwi clash between Robert 'The Butcher' Berridge and Areta Gilbert shapes up nicely.

Berridge has gone up a couple of weights to fight Gilbert and so gives away a bit in height and weight.

The Butcher is undefeated in three fights after winning his first two via knockout. His last fight was against journeyman Faimasasa Tavui in July last year which he won by unanimous decision.

Gilbert lost his only previous fight, but that was against a much higher ranked opponent in Shane 'Chopper' Chapman, currently ranked second in New Zealand and 126th in the world.

The 22-year-old has dropped a few kilograms since that December fight and will be looking to take out his more experienced opponent.

Tip: Gilbert to take the win in a bit of a shock

Brett Smith (102.9kgs) v Isreal Garcia (118kgs)
Heavyweight contest, 8 x 3 minute rounds

Brett Smith is the original Aussie bad boy (apparently) and is facing up against David Tua's current sparring partner Isreal 'King Kong' Garcia.

Smith's record isn't the best, with 13 wins in 21 fights and has lost four of his last six fights.

He did win last time out against the lower ranked Brian Fitzgerald earlier this month, but that first round TKO was his first fight in over two years.

Garcia has been punished by Tua in their sparring sessions and boxed for 12 rounds against the Tuaminator, the man who punches harder than anyone else, he says.

King Kong has lost his last two fights, being TKO'd in the second round last time and losing in the third the time before that. But those fights were against boxers in the top 20 in the world and therefore no disgrace.

Tip: Garcia's Kiwi connection will have the home crowd cheering him and he'll take the win by points.

David Tua (108.7kgs) v Friday Ahunanya (104.1)
Heavyweight contest, 12 x 3 minute rounds
Referee: Garry Dean
Winner takes the WBO Asia Pacific heavyweight title and the WBO Oriental heavyweight title

This is a massive fight for David Tua. The Tuamanator destroyed Shane Cameron last time out and will want another big fight to push for another world title shot.

The revelation that the WBO are keeping a very close eye on this fight with a view to a possible world title fight in New Zealand will surely motivate Tua even more.

Tua has had more first round knockouts than any boxer, barring Mike Tyson, and his 50 wins, three losses and one draw in 54 fights is an impressive record.

Friday 'The 13th' Ahunanya has a record of 24 wins, five losses and three draws in his 32 fights and has won four out of his last five.

His last fight, against Alonzo Butler in 2008, went the distance and if Ahunanya has any hope of making more of his career he needs a massive win tonight.

Tip: But it's not going to happen. Tua has too much to lose and will win before the eighth round by TKO.

So what are your picks for tonights card? Leave your comment and you can prove you know much more about boxing than me!

And remember, check back in after 7pm for live coverage from the Trusts Stadium.

Source: nz.sports.yahoo.com

Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield And...John Ruiz? -- The Sweet Science

By Ron Borges, The Sweet Science

The great fear in heavyweight boxing is that David Haye turns out to not be what people hope he is. Or, putting the boxing boot on the other foot, that two-time WBA champion John Ruiz does turn out to be what they fear he is.

No one fears the 38-year-old former champion in the way they feared Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield. Not like they did an aging and well-faded but still dangerous Joe Louis or Muhammad Ali. They don’t so much fear what he can do to an opponent as they fear what he can make an opponent do to himself. While that is a form of fear, it’s not a terribly marketable form of it.

Stylistically awkward, tougher to negotiate than 20 miles of detours and armed with a chin that refuses to turn on him (or turn his lights out), Ruiz is what heavyweight boxing doesn’t need at the moment. He’s a problem.

Through various maneuverings, legal threats and sheer perseverance, Ruiz has survived nearly 20 years as a professional prize fighter and Saturday will try to use all he has learned while wending his way to two tours as WBA champion to undress, frustrate and ultimately defeat the young British champion David Haye, who is everything Ruiz is not.

Ruiz’s nickname is “The Quiet Man.’’ The bellicose David Haye will never be called “The Quiet Man.’’ He is not a big puncher. Haye has 19 KOs among his 22 victories. He is not a particularly striking physical specimen. Haye looks like Holyfield on steroids. (Aside: Is that an oxymoron? Just asking.)

But for all that Ruiz is not there are several things he is and that is why HBO never wanted to stage a heavyweight tournament while he was a belt holder and why everyone with a stake in heavyweight boxing is petrified about what could happen Saturday night at MEN Arena in Manchester, England.

Ruiz is dogged. He is also tough in an old-fashioned way. He is willing to absorb punishment to wear you down. He is, according to Holyfield, far stronger than outsiders understand and punches harder than you might imagine. Hasim Rahman found that out with one body shot and refused to let his hands go the rest of the night, losing a fight the world concluded he would easily win.

Incredibly, he’s also one victory away from joining Ali and Holyfield as three-time heavyweight champions. Did you ever think there would be a reason to put those three names in the same sentence when the subject was heavyweight boxing champions?

The latter is a measure of Haye’s problem. Ruiz will not go quietly into that good night of fistic retirement. No one can quite believe he’s still around but the fact is he’s had more heavyweight title fights than Jack Dempsey or Rocky Marciano, has not been close to being stopped since the night David Tua caught him with an unexpected punch seconds into their match and laid him low and has learned both how to avoid taking dangerous risks while wearing down an opponent until he becomes mentally sapped and simply concedes winning isn’t worth the trouble.

Truth be told, that short night with Tua was the spawning ground for the stab-and-grab style that made Ruiz a two-time champion but also the enemy of fight fans and cable television executives because of its unpleasant viewing experience. Yet for all his stylistic disappointments, Ruiz fights in the way that works for him and most of the time he imposes that style on his opponents, forcing them to engage in a wrestling match most of them can’t win rather than a boxing match he can’t win. That is a skill in itself, although neither a pleasing one nor one that is much appreciated these days.

Case in point was that Ruiz could easily have been given the victory against Nikolai Valuev to make him a three-time champion when they squared off in Germany several years ago because while he didn’t do a lot he did more than the giant from Russian. That night the highly partisan German crowd in Berlin booed the announcement that Valuev had been given that decision and rightfully so. Ruiz won the fight. He just didn’t get the win.

None of that means he can beat Haye, who is younger, faster of hand and foot, more powerful and cocksure of himself. Many boxing experts, including the great trainer Freddie Roach, are urging him to come out and attack Ruiz from the opening bell, looking to stun him early and take him out in the kind of spectacular way that would create a big-money unification fight with one of the Klitschko brothers.

The Klitschkos presently hold three of the four major belts, with Haye having snared the WBA title from Valuev in a lackluster performance in which he was unexpectedly docile but he is still widely seen as the man most likely to pump life back into the long dormant heavyweight division.

He failed to do it against Valuev, staying on the outside and landing his jab and then tying up the bigger but ponderously slower Valuev in a safety first approach Ruiz would have been proud to call his own because it tied Valuev in knots while also tying a title belt around Haye’s waist, which in the end is still the first goal of boxing.

But if Haye tries a similar approach against Ruiz he will be booed out of the arena and may find himself enveloped in a cocoon of horror, as Peter McNeely might put it. Then again, attack Ruiz too wildly and he may get countered the way Holyfield did when Ruiz dropped him for one of the few times in Holyfield’s career or the way he stunned Rahman and Kirk Johnson, basically convincing both it was easier to submit and quit fighting than risk repeating the pain of what they’d felt.

If Ruiz’s hand is raised it is not 100 per cent sure than even his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, will be thrilled about it because De La Hoya, in the best tradition of Don King, also has the American promotional rights to Haye. You don’t have to be P.T. Barnum to know which of the two is more promotable.

In a sense, De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions wins no matter which fighter does but it wins big if Haye looks spectacular. It wins control of the WBA title if Ruiz wins but what then? The Klitschkos want no part of the problems he represents, they being more interested in risk reward ratios than most insurance companies. That is especially true of young Wladimir, who is easily daunted by someone who would fight him like a heavy drapery, as Ruiz would.

So while there are many things to be unsure of about Saturday night’s Haye-Ruiz heavyweight duel one thing is as clear as a bell. If when the last one sounds they raise the hand of John Ruiz and name him heavyweight champion for the third time a lot of people in boxing will have seen their worst fears materialize…for the third time.

Source: thesweetscience.com

DAVID HAYE WON'T LET DREAM GO -- Daily Star

By Kevin Francis, DailyStar.co.uk

DAVID Haye aims to keep on living the dream when he makes the first defence of his WBA world heavyweight title on Saturday.

‘The Hayemaker’ meets American John Ruiz at Manchester’s MEN Arena – and he has no intention of relinquishing the title he always knew he would win.

He said: “I told everybody since I was a kid that I would become world ­heavyweight champion.

“When you have a dream like that, you go for it, and once you achieve that dream there is no way that you want to let it go.”

Haye knows that Ruiz will present a vastly different kind of ­proposition than giant Russian Nikolai Valuev, the man from whom he gained the title in ­November.

And he said: “In that fight the fear was a 23st, 7ft 2in Russian freak and now the fear is losing to Ruiz.

“But that won’t happen. I have got to get my head straight and cannot underestimate John Ruiz. I have got to be on my game.”

The 29-year-old certainly looks in tremendous shape and he said: “I need to be, too. Ruiz has great ­experience of the ­heavyweight division.

“He knocked down ­Holyfield, who was never knocked down in 24 rounds with Lennox Lewis and 14 rounds with Mike Tyson.

“I have seen him try to break people’s arms and he is a rough ­character.

“He has only been stopped once in 50-odd fights and that was early in his career.

A full house is expected and Haye said: “People in Manchester appreciate good boxing.

“It is a treat for them to have the world heavyweight champion.”

The Haye-Ruiz fight will be screened live in HD by Sky Box Office on Saturday night.

Source: dailystar.co.uk

David’s dodge to see Lennox -- The Sun

By PAT SHEEHAN, The Sun

TEN years after gatecrashing the London Arena to see Lennox Lewis retain the world heavyweight title, David Haye is the main attraction.

Haye, now 29, will be tracked by spotlights as he walks to the ring to defend his WBA title against Johnny Ruiz in front of a sell-out crowd at Manchester's MEN Arena on Saturday.

But things were different when he and some mates got into the now-defunct London venue to watch Lewis destroy Frans Botha in two rounds.

Haye said: "One of my pals paid for a ticket. He went in and opened a fire exit so we could all bundle in although a security guard was trying hard to stop us.

"We all ran round him and disappeared into the crowd before meeting up by ringside where I did a bit more blagging. I sat there just feet from the apron, a £500 ticket for nothing.

"We got there as Lennox was coming to the ring. He was a massive idol of mine. To watch him despatch Frans Botha like that was brilliant.

"Back then I would never have thought in a million years I would be the next Briton defending the heavyweight title over here. I feel proud about it.

"Botha was known as a tough guy and a durable opponent, similar to Ruiz, who always gave people a really hard night's work.

"I'd love to put on the same sort of performance as Lennox did that night and blast him out of there in a couple of rounds.

"I'm not sure Ruiz is as easy to blast out as all that. Adam Booth my trainer has made sure I can go 12 hard rounds if need be.

"But the way I'm punching, Ruiz will have had to have improved his punch resistance 10-fold to go the distance."

Bookies have Haye as favourite but he is taking no notice of the odds.

He said: "In the heavyweight division, one punch can settle it all. You can come unstuck if you don't prepare right.

"Lennox overlooked Hasim Rahman and Oliver McCall and look what happened."

Lewis retired in 2003 after stopping Vitali Klitschko. The giant Ukrainian is now WBC champion and in Haye's sights as he dreams of unifying the world heavyweight title.

Source: thesun.co.uk