The Sweet Science
Sergio Martinez caught the boxing world’s attention late last year when he nearly mugged NABO welterweight champion, Paul Williams, in a twelve-round instant classic. His gritty performance, clever counterpunching and total grace in defeat overshadowed Martinez’s inability to commune with his newfound fans in the post fight ring interview.
Most didn't give Martinez a shot against the Punisher. Paul was considered too strong and too busy for Martinez. In the first round things looked bad. Martinez went down awkwardly from a looping Williams left. But he got it together, took his time and found his range. Lightning struck. The Argentine walloped Williams with a stupid left that sent the Punisher across the ropes. Game on! Martinez would lose a close one (let's give Paul his due and say tie goes to the local guy) but he had earned his breakthrough moment.
I spoke to Martinez not long after the fight. He had just arrived back to the U.S. from visiting friends and family in Spain and Argentina. He bore no ill will toward the judges or Williams, and he seemed completely satisfied with his performance and confident about his future in the ring. What I learned about Martinez is that he gets it, and now more importantly, he gets the big fights. He faces middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik tonight at boardwalk Hall Atlantic City. It's unclear how well he will hold up to Pavlik’s straight rights. They say a good big man always beats a good little man. Martinez and Pavlik will test that hypothesis in what is surely one of the trickier fights of the year to call.
JJ: What have you been up to since your fight with Paul Williams?
SM: I was visiting family. It’s been eight years since I spent Christmas and the New Year with my mother and my brothers.
JJ: And where are they?
SM: They are in Argentina. In Spain I have my other house. I am living here in Oxnard where I spend more time but I have friends in Spain that I went to visit for the last fifteen to twenty days.
JJ: How’s Oxnard? (Laughter)
SM: The gym! Where I’m 100% focused on my training. There are a few places with beaches that I go to when I need to relax. There’s not a lot, but the little there is…is very pretty.
JJ: Tell me about your fight with Paul. Did you think you won?
SM: With Paul Williams I thought it was very close, and I thought a draw would have been fairer. I knew I was going to be dealing with being the visitor and to win as the visitor I needed to do more in the fight.
JJ: How would you rate William’s skills?
SM: He’s a great boxer. I think this could have been his best fight. He showed he’s one of the greats. If not, he wouldn’t have been able to hang with me.
JJ: Would you like to fight him again?
SM: Yes, it would be great to fight again and leave no doubt…for him or for me.
JJ: What were you thinking when you knocked him down in the first?
SM: When he got knocked down, well, I knew he wasn’t a machine. I knew I needed to stay busy and keep working because I knew I could knock him out.
JJ: Did it surprise you that you were able to hit him so easily?
SM: No, because in all of the fights that I saw he always got hit a lot. What surprised me was how well he recovered every time he got hit so hard.
JJ: What did you learn from that fight?
SM: The most important thing is that I’m at a high level and at any moment I can give another great performance against another great boxer.
JJ: Let’s talk about it. What are your upcoming plans…will it be Pavlik?
SM: Yes. It’s already set. It’ll be in Atlantic City.
JJ: Let’s talk honestly about that fight. He is taller and weighs more. What’s your strategy?
SM: I’m always going to trust my style because it’s the one that has taken me this far. I’ll have to be well prepared as always, but to be at that level, I will have to do more. Like for example with the Williams fight I was well-trained – actually extremely well-trained – so for Pavlik it will be the same. It’s going to be a tough fight. A tough fight for me and a very tough fight for him. More than anything if the two give the best that each can give, Pavlik with his strength and me with my speed and technique, it will be a great show.
JJ: What do you weigh now?
SM: 175. I’m trying to gain a little more.
JJ: Is that all red wine from Spain?
SM: No. I have never tasted alcohol! It’s exercise and weight training. I know it’s going to be a lot of work between now and the fight.
JJ: What has been your toughest fight to date?
SM: Paul Williams
JJ: You fought Antonio Margarito and you know the story. Do you think they should license him to fight again?
SM: It’s a tough one. I’m not really up to speed on that one. I think we can only ask for justice. They have to really analyze the case and decide what is best and come to a decision that is fair to Margarito, but that is fair to others too.
JJ: In all of your fights who would you say has hit you the hardest?
SM: One of my first fights in England in 2003…a guy named Richard Williams.
JJ: If you could fight with anyone from the past who would it be?
SM: That’s a tough one. It would probably have to be one of the greats. Marvin Hagler. Sugar Ray Leonard. Thomas Hearns. It would have to be one of those three. They would be hard fights, but it would also have been an honor.
JJ: Why did you become a boxer?
SM: I was a soccer player and I decided to switch. Soon after I discovered with boxing that I would have to be self-sufficient. I always had a lot of confidence in myself. I liked boxing because I could do big things on my own.
JJ: What food can’t you stay away from during training?
SM: Meats and typical Argentinean ‘asados.’
JJ: Do you have kids are you married?
SM: Single, no kids.
JJ: Are you watching the Super 6?
SM: I’ve recorded them all.
JJ: Who wins?
SM: Arthur Abraham has the hardest punch. But technically, I like Dirrell and Ward the best.
JJ: Floyd/Mosley?
SM: I say Mayweather. He’s faster.
JJ: Floyd/Pacquiao?
SM: Also Floyd. I think he’s the best fighter in these times.
JJ: Are you learning English?
SM: Yes, a little. In my free time I'm trying to learn and read books.
JJ: Thanks Sergio. I wish you the best.
SM: Thank you.
Source: thesweetscience.com
Saturday 17 April 2010
Hardship shapes Miranda's ring career -- Montreal Gazette
By HERB ZURKOWSKY, The Gazette
Where might Edison Miranda be, in life and his professional boxing career, had he defeated Arthur Abraham that fateful night in Germany, in September 2006, and captured the International Boxing Federation middleweight title? Miranda, always known for his punch, fractured Abraham's jaw in the fourth round. A round later, the ringside physician recommended the fight be stopped. Instead, referee Randy Neumann gave the champion five minutes to recover from a head-butt and then, during a span of seven rounds, deducted five points from Miranda for butts or low blows.
In a sport renowned for controversy and corruption, this was the ultimate act of duplicity. Requiring a knockout, Miranda instead lost a unanimous decision. It was the first defeat of his career after 26 victories, all but three by KO, and was a harbinger of the future. Miranda would lose three of his next nine.
"Bitter? That's not me, although they robbed me in Germany," the Colombian native, through an interpreter, told The Gazette during a lengthy interview this week.
"Everything that happened, all the people saw. But now, I'm not thinking about what happened or could have been. That's in the past. What could have happened doesn't exist. My opportunity is now."
Tonight at the Bell Centre, Miranda, a man who has overcome obstacles his entire life, will attempt one of the biggest - capturing the IBF super-middleweight title from undefeated hometown hero and favourite Lucian Bute,
25-0 with 20 KOs. The 12-round main event is scheduled for 10:15 p.m.
For the 29-year-old challenger, who sports a 33-4 record with 29 KOs, it could well be his last opportunity at boxing prominence. The 168- pound division is one of the hottest, and liveliest, in the sport. Miranda can't afford another loss if he hopes to remain a player in the category.
But what happens inside the ring pales in comparison with the harrowing life Miranda was forced to endure growing up in the port city of Buenaventura, located on the economically challenged southern coast of Colombia.
Born to a girl only 14 at the time, Miranda was abandoned after only one month, given to caretakers responsible for his upbringing. Constantly neglected, Miranda believed he would benefit more on his own and escaped at age 9.
Through casual conversations around town, he found his uncle working at a construction site, demanding he be taken to his mother. Proving the legitimacy of his claim via a two-inch long circular birthmark on his leg, Miranda was taken to her - only to again be deserted, although his mother married and had more children. Miranda never knew his father.
"Just because I appeared in her life doesn't mean she should stop feeding her kids because of me," he said. "She must have thought I was crazy. I hadn't showered and had no (decent) clothes."
With nowhere to turn, Miranda decided to live and run the streets of Colombia. He slept under trees, a construction-site tarpaulin serving as his blanket. Food? Sometimes he cooked a dead animal he found on the roadside over an open fire. Or he somehow chased down a lizard. Or simply ate out of garbage cans. Four days was the longest he went without food.
He never attended school, learning to read and write, he claimed, through a drug addict who befriended him and taught him the alphabet. Miranda read newspapers, combining letters into words, and then read the Bible daily. His faith and belief of God carried him through difficult times.
"I believe, had my mother not abandoned me, I wouldn't be here. I'd be dead. Of all the people I grew up with, only one is alive. I saw people lost to drugs and alcohol. Or they ended up being killed. It's true. I had no childhood.
"It hurts me a lot. I'm fighting for a title, yet there's no one around me (in Montreal) that has my blood. There are people that love me, but they don't have my blood. I can go out at 1 a.m., but nobody will call and ask me when I'm coming home. My only family is God."
At age 12, Miranda worked a plantain field. The next year, he became a fulltime construction worker and, at 14, was a cattle butcher. His dream was to box, knowing that would be his only means of escape. Miranda launched an amateur career at 15, winning all but four of 132 bouts while capturing four Colombian national titles.
He turned pro in 2001, with the promise of going to the U.S. to fight top middleweights. Instead, Miranda was victimized by an unfair contract, fighting mostly in Colombia and the Dominican Republic for small purses. Often, he never made a penny, settling instead for food and accommodation. It wasn't until May 2005, signing with Warriors Boxing Promotions, that he made his debut in Florida.
"I thought he was joking when he told me his story.
I couldn't believe it," said his manager, Steve Benbasat.
"I realize how resilient he was to recover from it. This is a kid who's really hungry to make it in life. You can see the passion in his eyes.
"I've learned a lot from him. In rough times - business or personal - I equate his story. It becomes a reality check. If he can overcome his tragedies, I can overcome whatever I'm going through."
Miranda has taken his lumps in the ring - he lost a rematch against Abraham, stopped in the fourth; was knocked out by Kelly Pavlik and was outclassed by Andre Ward last May - but also is the only one to defeat top contender Allan Green.
"I feel very proud of my life. I always believe God has something for you. He never gives you too much to handle - just enough," Miranda said. "God will give me the win (against Bute). God has a destiny for me, plans for me, and it begins Saturday."
hzurkowsky@thegazette.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
Source: montrealgazette.com
Where might Edison Miranda be, in life and his professional boxing career, had he defeated Arthur Abraham that fateful night in Germany, in September 2006, and captured the International Boxing Federation middleweight title? Miranda, always known for his punch, fractured Abraham's jaw in the fourth round. A round later, the ringside physician recommended the fight be stopped. Instead, referee Randy Neumann gave the champion five minutes to recover from a head-butt and then, during a span of seven rounds, deducted five points from Miranda for butts or low blows.
In a sport renowned for controversy and corruption, this was the ultimate act of duplicity. Requiring a knockout, Miranda instead lost a unanimous decision. It was the first defeat of his career after 26 victories, all but three by KO, and was a harbinger of the future. Miranda would lose three of his next nine.
"Bitter? That's not me, although they robbed me in Germany," the Colombian native, through an interpreter, told The Gazette during a lengthy interview this week.
"Everything that happened, all the people saw. But now, I'm not thinking about what happened or could have been. That's in the past. What could have happened doesn't exist. My opportunity is now."
Tonight at the Bell Centre, Miranda, a man who has overcome obstacles his entire life, will attempt one of the biggest - capturing the IBF super-middleweight title from undefeated hometown hero and favourite Lucian Bute,
25-0 with 20 KOs. The 12-round main event is scheduled for 10:15 p.m.
For the 29-year-old challenger, who sports a 33-4 record with 29 KOs, it could well be his last opportunity at boxing prominence. The 168- pound division is one of the hottest, and liveliest, in the sport. Miranda can't afford another loss if he hopes to remain a player in the category.
But what happens inside the ring pales in comparison with the harrowing life Miranda was forced to endure growing up in the port city of Buenaventura, located on the economically challenged southern coast of Colombia.
Born to a girl only 14 at the time, Miranda was abandoned after only one month, given to caretakers responsible for his upbringing. Constantly neglected, Miranda believed he would benefit more on his own and escaped at age 9.
Through casual conversations around town, he found his uncle working at a construction site, demanding he be taken to his mother. Proving the legitimacy of his claim via a two-inch long circular birthmark on his leg, Miranda was taken to her - only to again be deserted, although his mother married and had more children. Miranda never knew his father.
"Just because I appeared in her life doesn't mean she should stop feeding her kids because of me," he said. "She must have thought I was crazy. I hadn't showered and had no (decent) clothes."
With nowhere to turn, Miranda decided to live and run the streets of Colombia. He slept under trees, a construction-site tarpaulin serving as his blanket. Food? Sometimes he cooked a dead animal he found on the roadside over an open fire. Or he somehow chased down a lizard. Or simply ate out of garbage cans. Four days was the longest he went without food.
He never attended school, learning to read and write, he claimed, through a drug addict who befriended him and taught him the alphabet. Miranda read newspapers, combining letters into words, and then read the Bible daily. His faith and belief of God carried him through difficult times.
"I believe, had my mother not abandoned me, I wouldn't be here. I'd be dead. Of all the people I grew up with, only one is alive. I saw people lost to drugs and alcohol. Or they ended up being killed. It's true. I had no childhood.
"It hurts me a lot. I'm fighting for a title, yet there's no one around me (in Montreal) that has my blood. There are people that love me, but they don't have my blood. I can go out at 1 a.m., but nobody will call and ask me when I'm coming home. My only family is God."
At age 12, Miranda worked a plantain field. The next year, he became a fulltime construction worker and, at 14, was a cattle butcher. His dream was to box, knowing that would be his only means of escape. Miranda launched an amateur career at 15, winning all but four of 132 bouts while capturing four Colombian national titles.
He turned pro in 2001, with the promise of going to the U.S. to fight top middleweights. Instead, Miranda was victimized by an unfair contract, fighting mostly in Colombia and the Dominican Republic for small purses. Often, he never made a penny, settling instead for food and accommodation. It wasn't until May 2005, signing with Warriors Boxing Promotions, that he made his debut in Florida.
"I thought he was joking when he told me his story.
I couldn't believe it," said his manager, Steve Benbasat.
"I realize how resilient he was to recover from it. This is a kid who's really hungry to make it in life. You can see the passion in his eyes.
"I've learned a lot from him. In rough times - business or personal - I equate his story. It becomes a reality check. If he can overcome his tragedies, I can overcome whatever I'm going through."
Miranda has taken his lumps in the ring - he lost a rematch against Abraham, stopped in the fourth; was knocked out by Kelly Pavlik and was outclassed by Andre Ward last May - but also is the only one to defeat top contender Allan Green.
"I feel very proud of my life. I always believe God has something for you. He never gives you too much to handle - just enough," Miranda said. "God will give me the win (against Bute). God has a destiny for me, plans for me, and it begins Saturday."
hzurkowsky@thegazette.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
Source: montrealgazette.com
Pavlik has much to prove vs. Martinez -- New York Post
By George Willis, New York Post
He's not a drunk. He's not a carouser, and he certainly is not afraid to fight anybody. Those are just a few things Kelly Pavlik of Youngstown wants to prove tonight when he defends his middleweight championship against Sergio Martinez of Argentina at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
The 12-round bout is part of a doubleheader to be televised by HBO. The broadcast begins in Canada with undefeated Lucian Bute defending his super middleweight title against Edison Miranda of Puerto Rico.
Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs) is looking to rebound from a difficult 2009 when he battled a staph infection in his hand that caused him to pull out of at least two proposed bouts with Paul Williams. There were also reports of Pavlik having a drinking problem and not being fully dedicated to boxing.
Pavlik and his trainer Jack Loew insist those reports are either false or exaggerated. Pavlik likes to drink a beer and shoot pool with his friends in Youngstown while not in training, and it was the complications from the staph infection, not fear, that forced him to pull out of the bouts with Williams.
"I had a bad 2009," Pavlik said. "[Now] I can't lose or my reputation goes way down. My job right now is to go out there and beat Sergio Martinez, and beat him convincingly, and keep fighting those types of fights to get the kind of recognition I want."
Despite his health problems, Pavlik fought twice in 2009, defeating mandatory challengers Marco Antonio Rubio in February and Miguel Angel Espino in December. But in many ways, Pavlik still is trying to regain his reputation after being dominated by Bernard Hopkins in a non-title bout in October 2008. Pavlik won just one round on one scorecard that night; two rounds on another.
Pavlik says that was just "a bad night," but, that coupled with the cancellations of two proposed bouts with Williams, has some wondering if we already have seen the best of Pavlik. Martinez, a junior middleweight champion, is viewed as a worthy opponent, after losing a majority decision to Williams last December.
"I wanted to fight Williams and they said I was lying," Pavlik said. "The doctors had to prove that I wasn't lying. So the next best fight out there was Martinez. Other than Paul Williams, his is the biggest name in the division and the biggest fight for me to take."
Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs) is fast on his feet and punches from all angles, an awkward style that could frustrate Pavlik.
"This is one of the best fighters quality-wise I've ever promoted and the best fighter to come out of Argentina since Carlos Monzon," said Manhattan-based promoter Lou DiBella.
Loew said he has not seen Pavlik look as good as he did during training camp and doesn't expect Martinez's style to be too much of a riddle.
"He's awkward and punches from different angles, which sometimes helps him and sometimes that could leave him wide open and get caught coming in," Loew said. "But he's somebody you've got to respect."
**
The boxing world continues to mourn the loss of Arthur Mercante Sr., who died last Saturday. A member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Mercante was the third man in the ring for the legendary first fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden in 1971. It was one of more than 140 world championship fights Mercante worked.
"He was a man who carried himself with such grace and class both inside and outside the ring and was an inspiration to me my entire life," said ring judge Julie Lederman. Mercante was 90.
george.willis@nypost.com
Source: nypost.com
He's not a drunk. He's not a carouser, and he certainly is not afraid to fight anybody. Those are just a few things Kelly Pavlik of Youngstown wants to prove tonight when he defends his middleweight championship against Sergio Martinez of Argentina at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
The 12-round bout is part of a doubleheader to be televised by HBO. The broadcast begins in Canada with undefeated Lucian Bute defending his super middleweight title against Edison Miranda of Puerto Rico.
Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs) is looking to rebound from a difficult 2009 when he battled a staph infection in his hand that caused him to pull out of at least two proposed bouts with Paul Williams. There were also reports of Pavlik having a drinking problem and not being fully dedicated to boxing.
Pavlik and his trainer Jack Loew insist those reports are either false or exaggerated. Pavlik likes to drink a beer and shoot pool with his friends in Youngstown while not in training, and it was the complications from the staph infection, not fear, that forced him to pull out of the bouts with Williams.
"I had a bad 2009," Pavlik said. "[Now] I can't lose or my reputation goes way down. My job right now is to go out there and beat Sergio Martinez, and beat him convincingly, and keep fighting those types of fights to get the kind of recognition I want."
Despite his health problems, Pavlik fought twice in 2009, defeating mandatory challengers Marco Antonio Rubio in February and Miguel Angel Espino in December. But in many ways, Pavlik still is trying to regain his reputation after being dominated by Bernard Hopkins in a non-title bout in October 2008. Pavlik won just one round on one scorecard that night; two rounds on another.
Pavlik says that was just "a bad night," but, that coupled with the cancellations of two proposed bouts with Williams, has some wondering if we already have seen the best of Pavlik. Martinez, a junior middleweight champion, is viewed as a worthy opponent, after losing a majority decision to Williams last December.
"I wanted to fight Williams and they said I was lying," Pavlik said. "The doctors had to prove that I wasn't lying. So the next best fight out there was Martinez. Other than Paul Williams, his is the biggest name in the division and the biggest fight for me to take."
Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs) is fast on his feet and punches from all angles, an awkward style that could frustrate Pavlik.
"This is one of the best fighters quality-wise I've ever promoted and the best fighter to come out of Argentina since Carlos Monzon," said Manhattan-based promoter Lou DiBella.
Loew said he has not seen Pavlik look as good as he did during training camp and doesn't expect Martinez's style to be too much of a riddle.
"He's awkward and punches from different angles, which sometimes helps him and sometimes that could leave him wide open and get caught coming in," Loew said. "But he's somebody you've got to respect."
**
The boxing world continues to mourn the loss of Arthur Mercante Sr., who died last Saturday. A member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Mercante was the third man in the ring for the legendary first fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden in 1971. It was one of more than 140 world championship fights Mercante worked.
"He was a man who carried himself with such grace and class both inside and outside the ring and was an inspiration to me my entire life," said ring judge Julie Lederman. Mercante was 90.
george.willis@nypost.com
Source: nypost.com
Tony Thompson KOs Owen Beck in Fourth Round -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Southpaw, heavyweight contender, Tony Thompson, Washington, D.C. scored a fourth-round knockout of Owen Beck, of Nashville, Tenn., on Friday night at the Omni New Daisy Theater, in Memphis.
In victory, the 38-year-old Thompson scored his third straight knockout, improving his record to 34-2, with 22 stoppages, dropping Beck to 29-5, with 20 knockouts.
Thompson floored Beck in the first round with a right hook.
Thompson was coming off of December's ninth-round knockout over Chazz Witherspoon (26-2, 18 KOs), Philadelphia, Pa.
In July of 2008, Thompson was knocked out in the 11th-round by Wladimir Klitschko (54-3, 48 KOs), the present WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight champion.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Southpaw, heavyweight contender, Tony Thompson, Washington, D.C. scored a fourth-round knockout of Owen Beck, of Nashville, Tenn., on Friday night at the Omni New Daisy Theater, in Memphis.
In victory, the 38-year-old Thompson scored his third straight knockout, improving his record to 34-2, with 22 stoppages, dropping Beck to 29-5, with 20 knockouts.
Thompson floored Beck in the first round with a right hook.
Thompson was coming off of December's ninth-round knockout over Chazz Witherspoon (26-2, 18 KOs), Philadelphia, Pa.
In July of 2008, Thompson was knocked out in the 11th-round by Wladimir Klitschko (54-3, 48 KOs), the present WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight champion.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Shane Mosley, attorney Judd Burstein use video to fight back against BALCO founder Victor Conte -- New York Daily News
By Teri Thompson and Nathaniel Vinton, New York Daily News
A 360-degree roundhouse punch is an interesting thing to see.
It's a curious move, given that Burstein oversees Mosley's $12 million defamation complaint against Conte, in which he claims Conte lied when he told reporters in 2008 that Mosley knew precisely what he was getting when he bought $1,850 worth of steroids and EPO from BALCO.
First Mosley claims a grand juror informed him he took EPO, but then he is pressed as to whether he knew before that he was taking EPO.
"Is it your testimony that you didn't know you were taking EPO until the grand jury told you you were taking EPO?" asks Conte's attorney, Tom Harvey.
"I didn't know what it was, like, that it was basically wrong to actually take whatever it was," Mosley says, then shrugs, thinks, mumbles, and reconsiders the question. "I must of had to known I was taking EPO. I guess I had to have."
Burstein, who first brought the complaint in April of 2008, posted the two videos on YouTube and entitled them "Shane Mosley on EPO - The Truth." He says the new clips bring more context to his client's previous video EPO admission, which Conte posted on YouTube on Thursday after a failed settlement conference in Manhattan.
In the new clips Harvey asks Mosley if he knew the substance he was injecting was EPO prior to his 2003 appearance before the grand jury investigating Conte's BALCO doping ring.
"If I recall, I told the grand jury I was taking EPO, but they informed me to what, you know, what it was, whatever, I recall telling them that," Mosley said.
"But prior to going to the grand jury you knew you were taking EPO, right," asks Harvey.
"Yeah," says Mosley.
The declaration would seem to undercut the entire basis of Mosley's lawsuit, which claims Conte libeled Mosley in 2008 when he told the Daily News that Mosley "knew precisely what (he was) using" and that "it was all explained up front and there was no deception."
Burstein has promised to post the rest of the depositions online. He also promised to get revenge on the Daily News reporter who wrote about the first video, which Conte released on YouTube after the failed and hostile settlement conference.
"Nate, there will come a day when I have an opportunity to do serious harm to your career," Burstein wrote in an e-mail. "You may not know at the time that it was me, but when you end up with your job lost and reputation destroyed, I (will) call to tell you it was me."
As in his testimony before the BALCO grand jury in 2003, Mosley was asked in the deposition about a trip he took that summer from Los Angeles to BALCO's office in Burlingame, Calif. with his then-trainer Darryl Hudson. At that meeting, Mosley bought $1,850 of steroids and EPO, and was taught how to inject EPO in his abdomen.
A transcription of another section of the deposition – not yet posted online, but reviewed by the Daily News, has Mosley again making an admission that seems to torpedo his own claim that Conte never explained what the drugs were.
HARVEY: "Who explained what the EPO was?"
MOSLEY: "Victor Conte."
HARVEY: "And who did he explain what the EPO was, who was his audience?"
MOSLEY: "Myself, Darryl Hudson, and –"
HARVEY: "This third gentleman?"
MOSLEY: "The third gentleman."
The third gentleman would be Conte's BALCO partner, James Valente. Mosley then testifies that Conte explained to Hudson and Mosley that EPO injections could be dangerous.
Leaving New York after the failed settlement talks, Conte made note of those other witnesses.
"What Shane Mosley seems to have forgotten," Conte says, "is that there were three eye-witnesses in the room with him while he was knowingly injecting performance-enhancing substances."
Source: nydailynews.com
A 360-degree roundhouse punch is an interesting thing to see.
Attempting to turn the tables on BALCO founder Victor Conte in a nasty legal fight, attorney Judd Burstein has posted a YouTube video of his own client, boxer Shane Mosley, admitting under oath last year to knowingly using performance-enhancing drug erythropoietin
, or EPO
, in advance of a 2003 fight against Oscar De La Hoya.
, or EPO, in advance of a 2003 fight against Oscar De La Hoya.It's a curious move, given that Burstein oversees Mosley's $12 million defamation complaint against Conte, in which he claims Conte lied when he told reporters in 2008 that Mosley knew precisely what he was getting when he bought $1,850 worth of steroids and EPO from BALCO.First Mosley claims a grand juror informed him he took EPO, but then he is pressed as to whether he knew before that he was taking EPO.
"Is it your testimony that you didn't know you were taking EPO until the grand jury told you you were taking EPO?" asks Conte's attorney, Tom Harvey.
"I didn't know what it was, like, that it was basically wrong to actually take whatever it was," Mosley says, then shrugs, thinks, mumbles, and reconsiders the question. "I must of had to known I was taking EPO. I guess I had to have."
Burstein, who first brought the complaint in April of 2008, posted the two videos on YouTube and entitled them "Shane Mosley on EPO - The Truth." He says the new clips bring more context to his client's previous video EPO admission, which Conte posted on YouTube on Thursday after a failed settlement conference in Manhattan.
In the new clips Harvey asks Mosley if he knew the substance he was injecting was EPO prior to his 2003 appearance before the grand jury investigating Conte's BALCO doping ring.
"If I recall, I told the grand jury I was taking EPO, but they informed me to what, you know, what it was, whatever, I recall telling them that," Mosley said.
"But prior to going to the grand jury you knew you were taking EPO, right," asks Harvey.
"Yeah," says Mosley.
The declaration would seem to undercut the entire basis of Mosley's lawsuit, which claims Conte libeled Mosley in 2008 when he told the Daily News that Mosley "knew precisely what (he was) using" and that "it was all explained up front and there was no deception."
Burstein has promised to post the rest of the depositions online. He also promised to get revenge on the Daily News reporter who wrote about the first video, which Conte released on YouTube after the failed and hostile settlement conference.
"Nate, there will come a day when I have an opportunity to do serious harm to your career," Burstein wrote in an e-mail. "You may not know at the time that it was me, but when you end up with your job lost and reputation destroyed, I (will) call to tell you it was me."
As in his testimony before the BALCO grand jury in 2003, Mosley was asked in the deposition about a trip he took that summer from Los Angeles to BALCO's office in Burlingame, Calif. with his then-trainer Darryl Hudson. At that meeting, Mosley bought $1,850 of steroids and EPO, and was taught how to inject EPO in his abdomen.
A transcription of another section of the deposition – not yet posted online, but reviewed by the Daily News, has Mosley again making an admission that seems to torpedo his own claim that Conte never explained what the drugs were.
HARVEY: "Who explained what the EPO was?"
MOSLEY: "Victor Conte."
HARVEY: "And who did he explain what the EPO was, who was his audience?"
MOSLEY: "Myself, Darryl Hudson, and –"
HARVEY: "This third gentleman?"
MOSLEY: "The third gentleman."
The third gentleman would be Conte's BALCO partner, James Valente. Mosley then testifies that Conte explained to Hudson and Mosley that EPO injections could be dangerous.
Leaving New York after the failed settlement talks, Conte made note of those other witnesses.
"What Shane Mosley seems to have forgotten," Conte says, "is that there were three eye-witnesses in the room with him while he was knowingly injecting performance-enhancing substances."
Source: nydailynews.com
Stieglitz a falcon in the ring -- FightNews
FightNews.com
Promoter Ulf Steinforth sees WBO world champion Robert Stieglitz (37-2, 23 KOs) as a clear favorite in Saturday’s world title defense against unbeaten Universum boxer Eduard Gutknecht (18-0, 7 KOs). “Robert has been with me for nearly ten years and his development parallels that of our SES boxing stable. Since our inception 10 years ago, we have worked continuously to advance. Four world champions speak for themselves. Robert Stieglitz came to me as a ‘young bird’ with good abilities and with hard work, willingness to learn and great fights he’s won the world championship. Now he’s my stable’s falcon – strong, fast, patiently waiting and he punches at just the right moment. A falcon in the ring, and once he catches his prey he doesn’t let go. He’ll prove this against Gutknecht and retain his championship belt in his second title defense!” The bout takes place Saturday at the famous Bordelandhalle Hall in Magdeburg, where hometown favorite Stieglitz has fought many times before. It will be the seventh time two Germans have fought each other for a world title.
Source: fightnews.com
Promoter Ulf Steinforth sees WBO world champion Robert Stieglitz (37-2, 23 KOs) as a clear favorite in Saturday’s world title defense against unbeaten Universum boxer Eduard Gutknecht (18-0, 7 KOs). “Robert has been with me for nearly ten years and his development parallels that of our SES boxing stable. Since our inception 10 years ago, we have worked continuously to advance. Four world champions speak for themselves. Robert Stieglitz came to me as a ‘young bird’ with good abilities and with hard work, willingness to learn and great fights he’s won the world championship. Now he’s my stable’s falcon – strong, fast, patiently waiting and he punches at just the right moment. A falcon in the ring, and once he catches his prey he doesn’t let go. He’ll prove this against Gutknecht and retain his championship belt in his second title defense!” The bout takes place Saturday at the famous Bordelandhalle Hall in Magdeburg, where hometown favorite Stieglitz has fought many times before. It will be the seventh time two Germans have fought each other for a world title.
Source: fightnews.com
Montreal's Bute confident ahead of his super-middleweight bout with Miranda -- The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
MONTREAL — Lucian Bute sounded cool and confident his super-middleweight belt will stay in Montreal following his bout with hammer-fisted Colombian Edison Miranda on Saturday night.
The two opponents faced off for the final time at a weigh-in Friday in advance of their showdown at the Bell Centre. Both boxers tipped the scales well under the 168-pound limit.
Bute (25-0, 20 KOs), the local product who is making the fifth defence of his IBF world title, weighed in at 167.2 pounds. His challenger Miranda (33-4, 29 KOs), who is making his second attempt at a world championship crown, came in at an even 167 pounds.
"I'm not nervous, I did everything I had to do to be well-prepared for this fight," said Bute, 29. "Miranda is a hard puncher but my speed and my skills will be my advantage to stay world champion. The belt will stay in Montreal and I can't wait for (Saturday)."
"Respect his power, and don't go testing it just for fun," was the advice of Bute's trainer Stephane Larouche in going in against yet another power puncher. "He's more enthusiastic than ever, he knows this is just the beginning of big fights to come."
In Montreal for the event will be U.S.-based cable giant HBO for the first time to televise the bout as part of a special double-header with a middleweight showdown in Atlantic City between Kelly Pavlik and Sergio Martinez of Argentina.
"He seems to have all the skills," said Luis Barragan, director of Programming for HBO Sports which first featured the flashy southpaw in his last fight - a convincing fourth-round knockout of the usually durable Librado Andrade.
"We had to see if the spotless record for a Canadian fighter was for real or if it was just padding. Watching him though we see what his real skills are."
As many as 14,000 are expected to show up for the Bell Centre show on a night when the Montreal Canadiens will be on the road playing Game 2 of their opening-round series versus the Washington Capitals.
"I'm very relaxed and well prepared," said Miranda, who will be making his second fight under the tutelage of famed Los Angeles based trainer Joe Goosen. "I'm way better and tomorrow you will see the change. I'd say I'm 35 per cent better than what I was."
The usual trash-talking Miranda has been unusually quiet during the weeks leading up to the fight, but was quite intense during the stare-down with the champion.
"I had to give him a message, the world knows me," said Miranda. "I'm not the type of fighter that Bute has knocked out before, I'm a warrior. I'm going in there to take the title, and whatever my trainer wants me to do, I'll do. I'm going to take the title home, I don't know how, but I know I will."
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Source: google.com
MONTREAL — Lucian Bute sounded cool and confident his super-middleweight belt will stay in Montreal following his bout with hammer-fisted Colombian Edison Miranda on Saturday night.
The two opponents faced off for the final time at a weigh-in Friday in advance of their showdown at the Bell Centre. Both boxers tipped the scales well under the 168-pound limit.
Bute (25-0, 20 KOs), the local product who is making the fifth defence of his IBF world title, weighed in at 167.2 pounds. His challenger Miranda (33-4, 29 KOs), who is making his second attempt at a world championship crown, came in at an even 167 pounds.
"I'm not nervous, I did everything I had to do to be well-prepared for this fight," said Bute, 29. "Miranda is a hard puncher but my speed and my skills will be my advantage to stay world champion. The belt will stay in Montreal and I can't wait for (Saturday)."
"Respect his power, and don't go testing it just for fun," was the advice of Bute's trainer Stephane Larouche in going in against yet another power puncher. "He's more enthusiastic than ever, he knows this is just the beginning of big fights to come."
In Montreal for the event will be U.S.-based cable giant HBO for the first time to televise the bout as part of a special double-header with a middleweight showdown in Atlantic City between Kelly Pavlik and Sergio Martinez of Argentina.
"He seems to have all the skills," said Luis Barragan, director of Programming for HBO Sports which first featured the flashy southpaw in his last fight - a convincing fourth-round knockout of the usually durable Librado Andrade.
"We had to see if the spotless record for a Canadian fighter was for real or if it was just padding. Watching him though we see what his real skills are."
As many as 14,000 are expected to show up for the Bell Centre show on a night when the Montreal Canadiens will be on the road playing Game 2 of their opening-round series versus the Washington Capitals.
"I'm very relaxed and well prepared," said Miranda, who will be making his second fight under the tutelage of famed Los Angeles based trainer Joe Goosen. "I'm way better and tomorrow you will see the change. I'd say I'm 35 per cent better than what I was."
The usual trash-talking Miranda has been unusually quiet during the weeks leading up to the fight, but was quite intense during the stare-down with the champion.
"I had to give him a message, the world knows me," said Miranda. "I'm not the type of fighter that Bute has knocked out before, I'm a warrior. I'm going in there to take the title, and whatever my trainer wants me to do, I'll do. I'm going to take the title home, I don't know how, but I know I will."
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Source: google.com
Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Martinez Face Off At Weigh-In -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
ATLANTIC CITY -- When Kelly Pavlik entered the Paladium Ballroom at Caesar's Palace for Friday afternoon's weigh-in for his WBO and WBC middleweight (160 pounds) title defense against southpaw, WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) champion, Sergio Martinez, the room full about 450-to-500 or so of his partisan fans erupted with the chants, of "Kelly!, Kelly!"
Pavlik responded by removing his warmup top and pumping his left index finger into the air in unison with the screams of the crowd.
With that, it appeared as if the emotion was back in Pavlik for the first time since September of 2007, when his seventh-round knockout dethroned Jermain Taylor as undisputed champion in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall.
The 27-year-old Pavlik (36-1, with 32 knockouts) will return to the Boardwalk Hall on Saturday night against the 35-year-old Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs), who, like Pavlik, weighed in at 159.5 pounds.
"It's been a long, tough road, but he's back. The old Kelly Pavlik is back. That's the last time I've seen him this pumped up was when he fought Taylor here," said Pavlik's trainer, Jack Loew, of the Youngstown, Ohio, native.
"He's at 100 percent -- no injuries, the weights good. We had a great training camp, and there will be no excuses on Saturday night," said Loew. "Those people you saw today are just a few of our fans from Youngstown. And on Saturday night, you're going to see a whole lot more of them, and they're going to see Kelly get in there and do his thing."
Pavlik will be after the fifth defense of his crown, with the past four being comprised of a decision over Taylor in their return bout, and stoppages of Gary Lockett, Marco Antonio Rubio, and, Miguel Espino, respectively, in the third, ninth, and, fifth rounds.
Pavlik clearly aims to make it a short night against Martinez, with whom he was animated during their post-weigh-in staredown.
Seeming to indicate that he had more heart than his opponent, Pavlik first emphatically pounded his right fist at his own chest three times, then poked his right index finger in that of Martinez's before repeating the process on himself, yet again.
But Martinez did not back down, and, in fact, was as animated as was Pavlik.
Spurred on by the booing crowd, Martinez -- his face inches from Pavlik's -- gave the "throat-cutting gesture" to the champion.
"When I looked into his eyes, I saw that he was tired. I think that he had to lose too much weight for this fight," said Martinez of Pavlik, who still was five pounds over the 160-pound limit on Thursday -- nearly 24 hours earlier. "I think that he had a tough time with it, and I think that, in the fight, that will come out."
Pavlik's out-of-training weight was as high as 190, said Loew, who admitted that making the limit "was tougher" this time than most -- "probably the toughest since we fought Bronco McKart" in July of 2006.
Loew expects Pavlik to weigh as much as 175 pounds by the time he enters the ring against Martinez, whose promoter, Lou DiBella, nevertheless, believes Martinez can overcome the disadvantage in size.
"I think that my guy looked ripped and that he's strong and very much in shape for this fight. I think that if Sergio doesn't get tagged, then he's got a great chance to win," said DiBella.
"But Kelly looked like he just got out of a sauna. He looked kind of dried out," said DiBella. "The things is, though, he's got 32 hours to put all of that weight back on, and that's a lot of time for him to get a lot bigger."
Pavlik expects to wear down his opponent on the way to earning the 33rd knockout of his career.
"I'm going to go to the body, but you've got to be careful with a southpaw -- just leaving yourself open and reaching for that body. But the time will present itself. We had some very decent sparring patners that were slick fighters and who had hand speed and they moved. We caught them with some body shots," said Pavlik.
"I think that Sergio gets tired because of what he naturally does in the ring. He moves, he moves, he moves, and wastes a lot of energy. He ducks down, swings around. And the thing is, after a while, he'll slow down, stop, and he'll get in the middle of the ring and punch with you," said Pavlik.
"But at that point, he'll be in there with a natural middleweight," said Pavlik. "And when you're trying to shake those punches where you're getting hit on the shoulder when you're moving, there's going to be a big difference, and I'll catch up to him and I'll stop him."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
ATLANTIC CITY -- When Kelly Pavlik entered the Paladium Ballroom at Caesar's Palace for Friday afternoon's weigh-in for his WBO and WBC middleweight (160 pounds) title defense against southpaw, WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) champion, Sergio Martinez, the room full about 450-to-500 or so of his partisan fans erupted with the chants, of "Kelly!, Kelly!"
Pavlik responded by removing his warmup top and pumping his left index finger into the air in unison with the screams of the crowd.
With that, it appeared as if the emotion was back in Pavlik for the first time since September of 2007, when his seventh-round knockout dethroned Jermain Taylor as undisputed champion in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall.
The 27-year-old Pavlik (36-1, with 32 knockouts) will return to the Boardwalk Hall on Saturday night against the 35-year-old Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs), who, like Pavlik, weighed in at 159.5 pounds.
"It's been a long, tough road, but he's back. The old Kelly Pavlik is back. That's the last time I've seen him this pumped up was when he fought Taylor here," said Pavlik's trainer, Jack Loew, of the Youngstown, Ohio, native.
"He's at 100 percent -- no injuries, the weights good. We had a great training camp, and there will be no excuses on Saturday night," said Loew. "Those people you saw today are just a few of our fans from Youngstown. And on Saturday night, you're going to see a whole lot more of them, and they're going to see Kelly get in there and do his thing."
Pavlik will be after the fifth defense of his crown, with the past four being comprised of a decision over Taylor in their return bout, and stoppages of Gary Lockett, Marco Antonio Rubio, and, Miguel Espino, respectively, in the third, ninth, and, fifth rounds.
Pavlik clearly aims to make it a short night against Martinez, with whom he was animated during their post-weigh-in staredown.
Seeming to indicate that he had more heart than his opponent, Pavlik first emphatically pounded his right fist at his own chest three times, then poked his right index finger in that of Martinez's before repeating the process on himself, yet again.
But Martinez did not back down, and, in fact, was as animated as was Pavlik.
Spurred on by the booing crowd, Martinez -- his face inches from Pavlik's -- gave the "throat-cutting gesture" to the champion.
"When I looked into his eyes, I saw that he was tired. I think that he had to lose too much weight for this fight," said Martinez of Pavlik, who still was five pounds over the 160-pound limit on Thursday -- nearly 24 hours earlier. "I think that he had a tough time with it, and I think that, in the fight, that will come out."
Pavlik's out-of-training weight was as high as 190, said Loew, who admitted that making the limit "was tougher" this time than most -- "probably the toughest since we fought Bronco McKart" in July of 2006.
Loew expects Pavlik to weigh as much as 175 pounds by the time he enters the ring against Martinez, whose promoter, Lou DiBella, nevertheless, believes Martinez can overcome the disadvantage in size.
"I think that my guy looked ripped and that he's strong and very much in shape for this fight. I think that if Sergio doesn't get tagged, then he's got a great chance to win," said DiBella.
"But Kelly looked like he just got out of a sauna. He looked kind of dried out," said DiBella. "The things is, though, he's got 32 hours to put all of that weight back on, and that's a lot of time for him to get a lot bigger."
Pavlik expects to wear down his opponent on the way to earning the 33rd knockout of his career.
"I'm going to go to the body, but you've got to be careful with a southpaw -- just leaving yourself open and reaching for that body. But the time will present itself. We had some very decent sparring patners that were slick fighters and who had hand speed and they moved. We caught them with some body shots," said Pavlik.
"I think that Sergio gets tired because of what he naturally does in the ring. He moves, he moves, he moves, and wastes a lot of energy. He ducks down, swings around. And the thing is, after a while, he'll slow down, stop, and he'll get in the middle of the ring and punch with you," said Pavlik.
"But at that point, he'll be in there with a natural middleweight," said Pavlik. "And when you're trying to shake those punches where you're getting hit on the shoulder when you're moving, there's going to be a big difference, and I'll catch up to him and I'll stop him."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Manny Pacquiao comes to Apollo Theater in Def Comedy Jam stint -- Examiner
By Michael Marley, Examiner.com
I really can't believe my luck.
That standup guy Manny Pacquiao, often referred to as the Richard Pryor or Aaron Pryor of Filipino comedy, is showing his show buiness versatility.
Evidently, Pacman got tired of crooning in dingy karaoke bars where all the drunks kept yelling for "My Way" and the Floyd Mayweather song, "Melancholy Baby."
So Pacquiao has crossed over to the Land Of Funny and giving it a real go as a comic.
Do not confuse his standup with Ricky Hatton's unique brand of laydown comedy.
Which reminds me that, come May 9, Hatton will be celebrating a one year anniversary of he wowed them in Las Vegas with his IHOP pancake platter impression in the ring against Da Pacman.
Anyway, latest word is that Steve Harvey and all those cats better be on the lookout as Pacquiao is coming to play on Def Comedy Jam at famed Harlem, NYC, African American showplace Apollo Theater.
Man, if that doesn't dent Mayweather's humungous ego, nothing will. Imagine, Pacman trodding the same stage that such Mayweather Family idols as Soul Brother Number One James Brown did, wow...
Thanks to the humorous folks at Funny Or Die for the video laughs.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
I really can't believe my luck.
That standup guy Manny Pacquiao, often referred to as the Richard Pryor or Aaron Pryor of Filipino comedy, is showing his show buiness versatility.
Evidently, Pacman got tired of crooning in dingy karaoke bars where all the drunks kept yelling for "My Way" and the Floyd Mayweather song, "Melancholy Baby."
So Pacquiao has crossed over to the Land Of Funny and giving it a real go as a comic.
Do not confuse his standup with Ricky Hatton's unique brand of laydown comedy.
Which reminds me that, come May 9, Hatton will be celebrating a one year anniversary of he wowed them in Las Vegas with his IHOP pancake platter impression in the ring against Da Pacman.
Manny Pacquiao's #1 Music Video - watch more funny videos
Anyway, latest word is that Steve Harvey and all those cats better be on the lookout as Pacquiao is coming to play on Def Comedy Jam at famed Harlem, NYC, African American showplace Apollo Theater.
Man, if that doesn't dent Mayweather's humungous ego, nothing will. Imagine, Pacman trodding the same stage that such Mayweather Family idols as Soul Brother Number One James Brown did, wow...
Thanks to the humorous folks at Funny Or Die for the video laughs.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
Wladimir Klitschko: “Haye bitched out twice from me and my brother” -- Eastside Boxing
By Geoffrey Ciani, Eastside Boxing
This week’s edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio featured exclusive interviews with reigning IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, Hall of Fame boxer Carmen Basilio, and reigning WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto. Highlighting this week’s episode was the exclusive interview with Wladimir Klitschko, who recently stopped American contender “Fast” Eddie Chambers by twelfth round knockout. Here are some excerpts from that interview:
On his performance against “Fast” Eddie Chambers:
“I feel great about my last performance and there was another title defense and Eddie Chambers is actually much better than people think. He was a great contender, he was very fast. His nickname is “Fast Eddie” and he was really fast. I should say that eventually I did make the final shot that was very important to win this fight by KO. I think that Eddie Chambers was really just trying to survive actually in the late rounds and as we in the heavyweight division say, ‘You have to pay attention every second of the fight because only one punch can make the final decision and the fight’s going to be over very fast’ so that was exactly what happened in the fight with Eddie and I hope he’s doing well. I think that he’s probably going to beat any other contender in the division because of his amazing boxing skills.”
On Emanuel Steward urging him to go for the knockout in the later rounds of the Chambers fight:
“We saw also one week before my fight with Pacquiao, he was running after a guy for twelve rounds and he couldn’t really finish him because if a person doesn’t want to get knocked out, you can chase him forever. In the last two rounds, actually the last three rounds—the 10th, 11th, and 12th rounds—I was really trying to catch Eddie and I couldn’t. When Emanuel was in the corner raising his voice and saying, ‘Come on! Do it!’, I was actually arguing with him. I said, ‘Dude, I will try! You know, just relax. Don’t push me too much, relax. I know what I’m doing. I’m trying.’ In the last two rounds, the 11th and 12th, I was really chasing Eddie and eventually stopped him in the 12th..”
His views on trainer Emanuel Steward:
“I also recently talked to Emanuel, and I said, ‘Emanuel, something is amazing about your professional courier. You took Lennox Lewis, as an example, at his worst and you brought him to his best. The same thing is kind of happening with me. We started to work when I lost, and then we actually got the titles and got the Ring Magazine championship getting back the respect from my opponents that I lost in ’04.’ It is amazing to see what Emanuel is able to do and what a coach he is. I think he is a genius in the ring. He is a genius in the ring, and I definitely enjoy to work with him because it’s great work. It’s not just the relationship between an athlete and a coach like between a dog and the owner of a dog. You’re just getting commands and you do what your coach is telling you to do. That’s going to not work with me and Emanuel, so we’re creative. We respect the experiences that each of us has inside and outside of the ring and it’s just such enjoyable work.”
Regarding his next fight:
“Hopefully David Haye is going to be my next opponent. We’re working on this right now. In boxing there’s a lot of things in negotiations with the promoters and to find a site to get the deal first, so hopefully we’ll get David Haye as another unification fight. That’s the only the title, the WBA title that David Haye has, the Klitschko brothers don’t have. So we have all of the titles but the WBA. So I’m looking forward to getting David Haye in the ring and fight him, and I wish and I hope that this year it is going to happen.”
His views on David Haye as a fighter:
“David Haye says a lot about the Klitschkos being boring. Have you seen his fight with Nicolay Valuev? It was twelve rounds, it was decision win, but he was scared to death and I don’t understand why you can be scared to death from Nicolay Valuev. It’s actually absurd for saying it, but this man is a giant. I mean, he’s huge and in certain ways a freak show, and he’s as slow as an elephant. David Haye was just dancing around and trying not to be hit and winning the fight on points.”
Regarding Haye’s victory over John Ruiz:
“So with John Ruiz, I have to give respect to John Ruiz because it was like another title shot, and he had really a lot of title shots, but it was his ninth loss—let’s face it. But David Haye did well, he won the fight. I am very thankful to David that he won the fight because I would be very upset if he had lost the fight, and now we can talk about our fight. He bitched out twice from me and from my brother Vitali, and I think he owes it to the fans to get in the ring with one of the Klitschko brothers and fight—and not just speak and show the cartoons with decapitated bodies and blood and whatever else he presents himself as a clown. I think he owes it to the fans that he has to fight one of the Klitschko brothers. Not to talk, let’s make it and not bitch out again.”
His views on the upcoming mega fight between Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather:
“Well, to be honest with you I would love to see Floyd Mayweather against Manny Pacquiao. I would love to see that fight. I know I’m not really answering your question, but I think that fight would be really exciting. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Who’s going to win in this fight between Mayweather and Mosley? I think, yeah, well…each of them could lose or could win. Am I really excited about this fight? It could be a good fight, but Pacquiao-Mayweather could be a better fight.”
***
Andre Berto
We also had the chance to speak with Andre Berto fresh off his title defense against Carlos Quintana. Here are some excerpts from what Berto had to say:
Regarding his eighth round stoppage over Carlos Quintana:
“I feel I was alright. I was a little rusty. I had to get in a groove a little bit and actually I injured my arm in like the second round. In the second round I injured my arm so I was pretty much fighting with one arm. My overall performance was just okay.”
On whether he was surprised he was able to knock Quintana out:
“No, because I thought I had the power to do it. He’s a crafty guy, like a lot of people seem to forget, he’s a crafty southpaw and those are always the worst ones to fight. He also has a win over Paul Williams, so I knew he was going to be crafty but I knew if I was able to land a few solid punches on him that he was going to notice it and I was going to be able to slow him down.”
On the decision to pull out of his January fight with Sugar Shane Mosley:
“You know, it was a tough situation with the decision that I made. I mean it was for a good reason. I lost a few family members in the earthquake.”
Regarding how he thinks he would have done against Sugar Shane Mosley:
“Oh, I think I would have done good. I mean, you had seen the other night it wasn’t my best performance, because like I said, I was a little rusty, but my speed and my power and me just imposing that type of pace early on in the ring. I was just going to get stronger as the rounds continue to go and I it probably would have caused a little problem for Shane—to have somebody in there just as fast as he is, just as strong as he is, but young and to continue bringing that pace. I think the fight was going to be a little difficult for him.”
His views on the upcoming May 1 clash between Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather:
“Realistically, I think Floyd is going to outpoint him. I see that at the beginning of the fight, Shane Mosley is going to be there and he’s going to impose his will, he’s going to impose his strength and the speed, but I think after a couple of rounds Floyd will pretty much figure him out once Shane slows down a little. That’s when Floyd is really going to get into his rhythm and start picking him apart a little bit and just do what he does and come out with the victory.”
Regarding who he would prefer to fight, Mosley or Mayweather:
“Oh man, it doesn’t matter, either one of them. I mean Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, or (Manny) Pacquiao, you know it would just be an honor to be in the ring with those guys. These guys are future Hall of Famers. I grew up at the gym watching these guys and mimicking a lot of these guys, so I’d be honored just to be in the same ring with them so it doesn’t matter at all.”
On how he believes he would match-up with Manny Pacquiao:
“I believe it would be a very entertaining fight because, unlike with Joshua Clottey and a lot of people, I would definitely let my hands go. It’s definitely going to be an entertaining fight. I mean have the hand speed, I have the power, and as the action gets turned up I get turned up. I think that’s the thing with Manny Pacquiao that a lot of people really just don’t understand. Manny Pacquiao has a lot of energy, he has really great legs, but then again, you have to fight fire with fire. He lacks defense. He’s easy to hit, but he sets a pace that’s a little too much for his opponents and he’s incredibly strong, also, so he always tend to outwork and outpunch his opponents, but if I get in the position I know it will be an entertaining fight because I know I’ll be able to touch him whenever I wanted to touch him and get in there with some power and I think it will be able to stop a lot of that jumping around and stuff. It would be an entertaining fight.”
***
To read the entire transcript of the Carmen Basilio interview please CLICK HERE
If you missed last week’s special edition of On the Ropes, be sure to tune in and listen now!
***
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***
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Source: eastsideboxing.com
This week’s edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio featured exclusive interviews with reigning IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, Hall of Fame boxer Carmen Basilio, and reigning WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto. Highlighting this week’s episode was the exclusive interview with Wladimir Klitschko, who recently stopped American contender “Fast” Eddie Chambers by twelfth round knockout. Here are some excerpts from that interview:
On his performance against “Fast” Eddie Chambers:
“I feel great about my last performance and there was another title defense and Eddie Chambers is actually much better than people think. He was a great contender, he was very fast. His nickname is “Fast Eddie” and he was really fast. I should say that eventually I did make the final shot that was very important to win this fight by KO. I think that Eddie Chambers was really just trying to survive actually in the late rounds and as we in the heavyweight division say, ‘You have to pay attention every second of the fight because only one punch can make the final decision and the fight’s going to be over very fast’ so that was exactly what happened in the fight with Eddie and I hope he’s doing well. I think that he’s probably going to beat any other contender in the division because of his amazing boxing skills.”
On Emanuel Steward urging him to go for the knockout in the later rounds of the Chambers fight:
“We saw also one week before my fight with Pacquiao, he was running after a guy for twelve rounds and he couldn’t really finish him because if a person doesn’t want to get knocked out, you can chase him forever. In the last two rounds, actually the last three rounds—the 10th, 11th, and 12th rounds—I was really trying to catch Eddie and I couldn’t. When Emanuel was in the corner raising his voice and saying, ‘Come on! Do it!’, I was actually arguing with him. I said, ‘Dude, I will try! You know, just relax. Don’t push me too much, relax. I know what I’m doing. I’m trying.’ In the last two rounds, the 11th and 12th, I was really chasing Eddie and eventually stopped him in the 12th..”
His views on trainer Emanuel Steward:
“I also recently talked to Emanuel, and I said, ‘Emanuel, something is amazing about your professional courier. You took Lennox Lewis, as an example, at his worst and you brought him to his best. The same thing is kind of happening with me. We started to work when I lost, and then we actually got the titles and got the Ring Magazine championship getting back the respect from my opponents that I lost in ’04.’ It is amazing to see what Emanuel is able to do and what a coach he is. I think he is a genius in the ring. He is a genius in the ring, and I definitely enjoy to work with him because it’s great work. It’s not just the relationship between an athlete and a coach like between a dog and the owner of a dog. You’re just getting commands and you do what your coach is telling you to do. That’s going to not work with me and Emanuel, so we’re creative. We respect the experiences that each of us has inside and outside of the ring and it’s just such enjoyable work.”
Regarding his next fight:
“Hopefully David Haye is going to be my next opponent. We’re working on this right now. In boxing there’s a lot of things in negotiations with the promoters and to find a site to get the deal first, so hopefully we’ll get David Haye as another unification fight. That’s the only the title, the WBA title that David Haye has, the Klitschko brothers don’t have. So we have all of the titles but the WBA. So I’m looking forward to getting David Haye in the ring and fight him, and I wish and I hope that this year it is going to happen.”
His views on David Haye as a fighter:
“David Haye says a lot about the Klitschkos being boring. Have you seen his fight with Nicolay Valuev? It was twelve rounds, it was decision win, but he was scared to death and I don’t understand why you can be scared to death from Nicolay Valuev. It’s actually absurd for saying it, but this man is a giant. I mean, he’s huge and in certain ways a freak show, and he’s as slow as an elephant. David Haye was just dancing around and trying not to be hit and winning the fight on points.”
Regarding Haye’s victory over John Ruiz:
“So with John Ruiz, I have to give respect to John Ruiz because it was like another title shot, and he had really a lot of title shots, but it was his ninth loss—let’s face it. But David Haye did well, he won the fight. I am very thankful to David that he won the fight because I would be very upset if he had lost the fight, and now we can talk about our fight. He bitched out twice from me and from my brother Vitali, and I think he owes it to the fans to get in the ring with one of the Klitschko brothers and fight—and not just speak and show the cartoons with decapitated bodies and blood and whatever else he presents himself as a clown. I think he owes it to the fans that he has to fight one of the Klitschko brothers. Not to talk, let’s make it and not bitch out again.”
His views on the upcoming mega fight between Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather:
“Well, to be honest with you I would love to see Floyd Mayweather against Manny Pacquiao. I would love to see that fight. I know I’m not really answering your question, but I think that fight would be really exciting. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Who’s going to win in this fight between Mayweather and Mosley? I think, yeah, well…each of them could lose or could win. Am I really excited about this fight? It could be a good fight, but Pacquiao-Mayweather could be a better fight.”
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Andre Berto
We also had the chance to speak with Andre Berto fresh off his title defense against Carlos Quintana. Here are some excerpts from what Berto had to say:
Regarding his eighth round stoppage over Carlos Quintana:
“I feel I was alright. I was a little rusty. I had to get in a groove a little bit and actually I injured my arm in like the second round. In the second round I injured my arm so I was pretty much fighting with one arm. My overall performance was just okay.”
On whether he was surprised he was able to knock Quintana out:
“No, because I thought I had the power to do it. He’s a crafty guy, like a lot of people seem to forget, he’s a crafty southpaw and those are always the worst ones to fight. He also has a win over Paul Williams, so I knew he was going to be crafty but I knew if I was able to land a few solid punches on him that he was going to notice it and I was going to be able to slow him down.”
On the decision to pull out of his January fight with Sugar Shane Mosley:
“You know, it was a tough situation with the decision that I made. I mean it was for a good reason. I lost a few family members in the earthquake.”
Regarding how he thinks he would have done against Sugar Shane Mosley:
“Oh, I think I would have done good. I mean, you had seen the other night it wasn’t my best performance, because like I said, I was a little rusty, but my speed and my power and me just imposing that type of pace early on in the ring. I was just going to get stronger as the rounds continue to go and I it probably would have caused a little problem for Shane—to have somebody in there just as fast as he is, just as strong as he is, but young and to continue bringing that pace. I think the fight was going to be a little difficult for him.”
His views on the upcoming May 1 clash between Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather:
“Realistically, I think Floyd is going to outpoint him. I see that at the beginning of the fight, Shane Mosley is going to be there and he’s going to impose his will, he’s going to impose his strength and the speed, but I think after a couple of rounds Floyd will pretty much figure him out once Shane slows down a little. That’s when Floyd is really going to get into his rhythm and start picking him apart a little bit and just do what he does and come out with the victory.”
Regarding who he would prefer to fight, Mosley or Mayweather:
“Oh man, it doesn’t matter, either one of them. I mean Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, or (Manny) Pacquiao, you know it would just be an honor to be in the ring with those guys. These guys are future Hall of Famers. I grew up at the gym watching these guys and mimicking a lot of these guys, so I’d be honored just to be in the same ring with them so it doesn’t matter at all.”
On how he believes he would match-up with Manny Pacquiao:
“I believe it would be a very entertaining fight because, unlike with Joshua Clottey and a lot of people, I would definitely let my hands go. It’s definitely going to be an entertaining fight. I mean have the hand speed, I have the power, and as the action gets turned up I get turned up. I think that’s the thing with Manny Pacquiao that a lot of people really just don’t understand. Manny Pacquiao has a lot of energy, he has really great legs, but then again, you have to fight fire with fire. He lacks defense. He’s easy to hit, but he sets a pace that’s a little too much for his opponents and he’s incredibly strong, also, so he always tend to outwork and outpunch his opponents, but if I get in the position I know it will be an entertaining fight because I know I’ll be able to touch him whenever I wanted to touch him and get in there with some power and I think it will be able to stop a lot of that jumping around and stuff. It would be an entertaining fight.”
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To read the entire transcript of the Carmen Basilio interview please CLICK HERE
If you missed last week’s special edition of On the Ropes, be sure to tune in and listen now!
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Source: eastsideboxing.com
Kelly Pavlik Bringing Lunch Bucket To Martinez Fight -- The Sweet Science
By David A. Avila, The Sweet Science
“I’m anxious to get in there and do my thing,” Pavlik said.
The no nonsense middleweight from Youngstown is blue collar all of the way.
The tall hard-punching Ohio middleweight has stuff to prove and knows he can regain instant credibility if he can beat southpaw slugging Martinez.
Martinez, who trained in nearby Oxnard, California for this fight, lost an exciting decision to feared prizefighter Paul “The Punisher” Williams last December in a battle that many people felt was the Fight of the Year in 2009. The left-hander’s ability to box and punch with effectiveness has quickly gained him fans in the U.S. though he also fought to a draw against Kermit Cintron a year ago. In both fights arguments arose on whether American judges were objective enough.
Pavlik sees Martinez as very dangerous.
“He’s awkward and punches from different angles, which sometimes helps him and sometimes that could leave him wide open and get caught coming in,” said Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs) about his title challenger Martinez. “I didn’t see anything overly impressive. But he’s somebody you’ve got to respect. You can’t go in there face-first.”
After suffering an infection to his right hand that just wouldn’t heal, Youngstown’s hometown hero was forced to cancel several fights including world title fights with Sergio Mora and Paul Williams. The cut not only left a scar on his hand, but caused another to his career as a fearless champion. That probably affected Pavlik most of all.
“It was a frustrating 2009 and there wasn’t much we could do about it,” said Pavlik, who captured the middleweight world championship in 2007. “It was a little upsetting to hear what people were saying (about the cancellations of the Williams fights) but I couldn’t pay too much attention to that. I wanted to fight Williams and they said I was lying. The doctors had to prove that I wasn’t lying and we couldn’t make the fight happen. So the next best fight out there was Martinez.”
Although Martinez has yet to beat an elite fighter on American soil, his back and forth battle with Williams in December and his draw against Cintron last February not only gained him respect among peers, but drew raves from fans who felt the Argentine had won both contests. Even Pavlik agrees with fans.
“I thought Martinez won the fight to be honest with you,” said Pavlik during a telephone press conference call. “What Martinez did against Paul Williams I think Martinez has really made a name for himself.”
Pavlik’s trainer Jack Lowe believes his fighter has turned the corner on the injury bug.
“People are going to see the best Kelly Pavlik they’ve seen in a long time,” Lowe said.
Other world title fight
Canada’s Lucian Bute (25-0, 20 KOs) defends his IBF super middleweight world title against Colombia’s Edison “La Pantera” Miranda (33-4, 29 KOs) on Saturday in Montreal, Canada. The fight will also be shown on HBO.
Bute has led a boxing revival in Canada that has helped regularly fill arenas with 18,000 fans as he did in two fights against California’s Librado Andrade in October 2008 and November 2009.
In his first battle with Mexican-American Andrade he survived a knockdown with the help of a referee’s long count in the last round with seconds remaining, but in the rematch he regained his reputation with a fourth round stoppage via a well-placed body shot. Hence, Bute now faces Miranda a murderous puncher for a fifth title defense since grabbing the belt in October 2007.
Other notes
Lorraine Chargin, 79, a boxing promoter passed away last week from cancer at her home in Cambria, California. She was one of the few female promoters in the business and had learned much of her craft from another female promoter Aileen Eaton while working at the historic Olympic Auditorium. She was married to famed boxing match maker Don “War a Week” Chargin and both handled Don Chargin Promotions that still exists. Lorraine Chargin was known for her take-charge, no-nonsense attitude and for her generosity to those in need. She was honored by the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007 for her contributions to boxing. “We will never forget her,” said Bill Caplan who has known the Chargins for decades.
A fight between WBO junior welterweight titleholder Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley of Palm Springs and Argentina’s big punching Marcos Maidana is being negotiated, said Cameron Dunkin who manages Bradley. Maidana recently beat undefeated Victor Cayo and Victor Ortiz in back-to-back junior welterweight fights. HBO is interested in matching the Argentine with undefeated Bradley who was unable to lure a name opponent. Maidana is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Bradley by Gary Shaw Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions. No site nor date has been determined.
Shawn Porter (13-0, 10 KOs) faces Colombia’s Raul Pinzon (17-4, 16 KOs) in a junior middleweight bout in Salisbury, Maryland tonight. Porter trains at the Wild Card Boxing gym in Hollywood and was recently seen sparring with former amateur star Donyil Linvingstone. He also was a sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao when that fighter was preparing for Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto. Porter’s fight will be televised on Showtime.
Riverside’s Josesito Lopez was scheduled to fight undefeated Mike Dallas on April 24 on the under card of Chris Arreola and Tomasz Adamek, but due to a an injury it has been moved to another date. Henry Ramirez, who trains both Arreola and Lopez, said that Lopez will now be fighting on May 8 at the Home Depot Center in Carson. Dallas is still the opponent on the Goossen-Tutor Promotions card.
Chicago’s David Estrada (24-6, 15 KOs) won by technical knockout of Orlando Lora (26-1-1, 18 KOs) of Coachella on Saturday at the Agua Caliente Casino. Estrada, a veteran of many significant fights including those with Sugar Shane Mosley, Kermit Cintron, and Armando Velardez Jr., had too much experience for Lora who lost his first fight as a professional. Estrada’s win places him back in contention for another welterweight world title shot.
IBO cruiserweight world titleholder Danny Green (28-3, 25 KOs) of Australia defends his title against former super middleweight world champion Manny Siaca (22-6) of Puerto Rico on Wednesday April 15. Green’s last fight was a first round stoppage of Roy Jones Jr. in a cruiserweight match. Green is also a former light heavyweight world champion.
Jason Gavern (19-7-3) the fighting policeman upset Bakersfield’s Manny Quezada (29-5, 18 KOs) by split decision in Lemoore, California on Thursday. Quezada was poised to make a world title bid but was tripped up by Gavern who is an experienced fighter. Gavern has sparred with Chris Arreola and James Toney.
Former bantamweight world champion Cristian Mijares (39-6-2) won by split decision over Francisco “Panchito” Arce (30-6-2) in a 12-round fight in Durango, Mexico on Saturday. Arce, the younger brother of Jorge Arce, can’t seem to win the big fight though he always comes close.
Junior featherweight world champion Marcela Acuna (34-5) of Argentina defeated Mexico’s Maria Villalobos (6-3) by unanimous decision in Buenos Aires on Saturday after 10 rounds.
IBF welterweight titleholder Jan Zaveck (29-1, 17 KOs) stopped Argentina’s Rodolfo Martinez (36-4-1, 13 KOs) with seconds remaining in the 12th and final round. The fight took place in the champion’s country Slovenia last Friday.
Source: thesweetscience.com
Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik
has a tough job ahead of him when he defends against Argentina’s Sergio Martinez on Saturday. But that’s the way he likes it.
has a tough job ahead of him when he defends against Argentina’s Sergio Martinez on Saturday. But that’s the way he likes it.“I’m anxious to get in there and do my thing,” Pavlik said.
The no nonsense middleweight from Youngstown is blue collar all of the way.Pavlik’s bringing his lunch bucket again when he fights Argentina’s Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs) on Saturday April 17, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The Top Rank promoted title fight will be shown on HBO along with another world title fight. We’ll talk about that later.
The tall hard-punching Ohio middleweight has stuff to prove and knows he can regain instant credibility if he can beat southpaw slugging Martinez.
Martinez, who trained in nearby Oxnard, California for this fight, lost an exciting decision to feared prizefighter Paul “The Punisher” Williams last December in a battle that many people felt was the Fight of the Year in 2009. The left-hander’s ability to box and punch with effectiveness has quickly gained him fans in the U.S. though he also fought to a draw against Kermit Cintron a year ago. In both fights arguments arose on whether American judges were objective enough.
Pavlik sees Martinez as very dangerous.
“He’s awkward and punches from different angles, which sometimes helps him and sometimes that could leave him wide open and get caught coming in,” said Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs) about his title challenger Martinez. “I didn’t see anything overly impressive. But he’s somebody you’ve got to respect. You can’t go in there face-first.”
After suffering an infection to his right hand that just wouldn’t heal, Youngstown’s hometown hero was forced to cancel several fights including world title fights with Sergio Mora and Paul Williams. The cut not only left a scar on his hand, but caused another to his career as a fearless champion. That probably affected Pavlik most of all.
“It was a frustrating 2009 and there wasn’t much we could do about it,” said Pavlik, who captured the middleweight world championship in 2007. “It was a little upsetting to hear what people were saying (about the cancellations of the Williams fights) but I couldn’t pay too much attention to that. I wanted to fight Williams and they said I was lying. The doctors had to prove that I wasn’t lying and we couldn’t make the fight happen. So the next best fight out there was Martinez.”
Although Martinez has yet to beat an elite fighter on American soil, his back and forth battle with Williams in December and his draw against Cintron last February not only gained him respect among peers, but drew raves from fans who felt the Argentine had won both contests. Even Pavlik agrees with fans.
“I thought Martinez won the fight to be honest with you,” said Pavlik during a telephone press conference call. “What Martinez did against Paul Williams I think Martinez has really made a name for himself.”
Pavlik’s trainer Jack Lowe believes his fighter has turned the corner on the injury bug.
“People are going to see the best Kelly Pavlik they’ve seen in a long time,” Lowe said.
Other world title fight
Canada’s Lucian Bute (25-0, 20 KOs) defends his IBF super middleweight world title against Colombia’s Edison “La Pantera” Miranda (33-4, 29 KOs) on Saturday in Montreal, Canada. The fight will also be shown on HBO.
Bute has led a boxing revival in Canada that has helped regularly fill arenas with 18,000 fans as he did in two fights against California’s Librado Andrade in October 2008 and November 2009.
In his first battle with Mexican-American Andrade he survived a knockdown with the help of a referee’s long count in the last round with seconds remaining, but in the rematch he regained his reputation with a fourth round stoppage via a well-placed body shot. Hence, Bute now faces Miranda a murderous puncher for a fifth title defense since grabbing the belt in October 2007.
Other notes
Lorraine Chargin, 79, a boxing promoter passed away last week from cancer at her home in Cambria, California. She was one of the few female promoters in the business and had learned much of her craft from another female promoter Aileen Eaton while working at the historic Olympic Auditorium. She was married to famed boxing match maker Don “War a Week” Chargin and both handled Don Chargin Promotions that still exists. Lorraine Chargin was known for her take-charge, no-nonsense attitude and for her generosity to those in need. She was honored by the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007 for her contributions to boxing. “We will never forget her,” said Bill Caplan who has known the Chargins for decades.
A fight between WBO junior welterweight titleholder Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley of Palm Springs and Argentina’s big punching Marcos Maidana is being negotiated, said Cameron Dunkin who manages Bradley. Maidana recently beat undefeated Victor Cayo and Victor Ortiz in back-to-back junior welterweight fights. HBO is interested in matching the Argentine with undefeated Bradley who was unable to lure a name opponent. Maidana is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Bradley by Gary Shaw Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions. No site nor date has been determined.
Shawn Porter (13-0, 10 KOs) faces Colombia’s Raul Pinzon (17-4, 16 KOs) in a junior middleweight bout in Salisbury, Maryland tonight. Porter trains at the Wild Card Boxing gym in Hollywood and was recently seen sparring with former amateur star Donyil Linvingstone. He also was a sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao when that fighter was preparing for Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto. Porter’s fight will be televised on Showtime.
Riverside’s Josesito Lopez was scheduled to fight undefeated Mike Dallas on April 24 on the under card of Chris Arreola and Tomasz Adamek, but due to a an injury it has been moved to another date. Henry Ramirez, who trains both Arreola and Lopez, said that Lopez will now be fighting on May 8 at the Home Depot Center in Carson. Dallas is still the opponent on the Goossen-Tutor Promotions card.
Chicago’s David Estrada (24-6, 15 KOs) won by technical knockout of Orlando Lora (26-1-1, 18 KOs) of Coachella on Saturday at the Agua Caliente Casino. Estrada, a veteran of many significant fights including those with Sugar Shane Mosley, Kermit Cintron, and Armando Velardez Jr., had too much experience for Lora who lost his first fight as a professional. Estrada’s win places him back in contention for another welterweight world title shot.
IBO cruiserweight world titleholder Danny Green (28-3, 25 KOs) of Australia defends his title against former super middleweight world champion Manny Siaca (22-6) of Puerto Rico on Wednesday April 15. Green’s last fight was a first round stoppage of Roy Jones Jr. in a cruiserweight match. Green is also a former light heavyweight world champion.
Jason Gavern (19-7-3) the fighting policeman upset Bakersfield’s Manny Quezada (29-5, 18 KOs) by split decision in Lemoore, California on Thursday. Quezada was poised to make a world title bid but was tripped up by Gavern who is an experienced fighter. Gavern has sparred with Chris Arreola and James Toney.
Former bantamweight world champion Cristian Mijares (39-6-2) won by split decision over Francisco “Panchito” Arce (30-6-2) in a 12-round fight in Durango, Mexico on Saturday. Arce, the younger brother of Jorge Arce, can’t seem to win the big fight though he always comes close.
Junior featherweight world champion Marcela Acuna (34-5) of Argentina defeated Mexico’s Maria Villalobos (6-3) by unanimous decision in Buenos Aires on Saturday after 10 rounds.
IBF welterweight titleholder Jan Zaveck (29-1, 17 KOs) stopped Argentina’s Rodolfo Martinez (36-4-1, 13 KOs) with seconds remaining in the 12th and final round. The fight took place in the champion’s country Slovenia last Friday.
Source: thesweetscience.com
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