By James Slater, Eastside Boxing
One of the great things about the "Super-Six" tournament, is the way a fighter, even if he loses a bout, is not out of the tournament. Twice now, two favourites to win the Boxing Classic have lost and been criticised for doing so, only to bounce back in their very next "Super-Six" outing. Last night's winner over Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, lost to Andre Ward, yet now he is back amongst the picks to win the tournament. And Andre Dirrell, who dropped a close decision to Froch in a disappointing affair, came back to hand Arthur Abraham his first pro loss.
Former WBC 168-pound champ Froch, who lost in a war with Kessler last night, now has the chance to come roaring back in his own dramatic way when he boxes his third fight in the tourney. And, like a true champion, "The Cobra" has vowed to do just that.
"I'll be back. I'll definitely be back," Froch said. "I'm still in the tournament and will still get the chance to win the [WBC] belt back. I've got to beat Arthur Abraham in my next fight to get to the semi-finals of the tournament.."
And though Froch, now 26-1(20) will almost certainly be an underdog in the eyes of many when he enters the ring against the tough and very dangerous Armenian, no-one can write off the 32-year-old and his chances of doing what Kessler and Dirrell did. But in facing "King" Arthur, will Froch be facing the one man in the whole "Super-Six" tournament who has the best chance of KO'ing him?
The Kessler fight was always going to be a tough one for Froch (indeed, for both fighters), but the Abraham fight, due to the style of the former middleweight champ, looks to be even tougher. Quite simply, though Froch's own punching power and sheer hardness - both mentally and physically - will give him a shot at beating Abraham, I fear for Froch if he holds his hands as low as he did last night. Again and again, Kessler got home with right hands to the head (not with impunity, it must be said), and though Froch took them there is no guarantee he will be able to do so against Abraham.
As former "Super-Six" participant Jermain Taylor can attest, Abraham's right hand to the head is brutal; not only that, but he needs to land just one to get the job done. Chances are, unless he somehow tightens up his less than airtight defence, Froch will get hit by Abraham's best punch. Thus far, Froch's amazing chin has held him in good stead, but how many of Abraham's bombs will he be hit with and how many of them will his beard stand up to?
The possible advantage the fight being held in his hometown of Nottingham may bring him aside (and there is still a chance Froch-Abraham could take place in Germany), Froch appears to have one hell of an uphill battle awaiting him. Sure, this could both inspire and bring out the best in Froch, but another thing that springs to mind is how soon the fight will take place. Set for August 21st, the Abraham fight will come a mere four months after the brutal and draining battle Froch had last night - a fight that is sure to have taken something from him (Kessler too for that matter).
We've already seen two quite amazing comebacks take place during the six months that "Super-Six" has been going, yet if Froch CAN bounce back and defeat Abraham we will be witness to an even greater one.
Interestingly, on the issue of the venue for Froch-Abraham, Froch has made it clear he will not face Abraham anywhere other than his home country.
According to a news article on The Sporting Life, Froch said the following:
"I'm adamant that the next fight, with Arthur Abraham, will be taking place in Britain. I won't be fighting in Germany, it's as simple as that. It would mean me pulling out of the tournament if they forced me to fight in Berlin.
"I want to get that straight from the start: it has already been agreed that I will fight back at home. It has been agreed with Ken Hersham (of Showtime)."
We will have to see what happens, because promoter for Abraham, Wilfred Sauerland, very much wants the fight to take place in Germany and says any agreement Froch had was merely for the bout to take place in Europe.
It sure would be a shame if Froch were pushed into making good his threat of pulling out of the tournament.
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Sunday, 25 April 2010
“Money, Bragging rights, or is it, just the timing is right” -- PhilBoxing
By Gary Todd, PhilBoxing.com
When Shane Mosley stepped through the ropes to ruin Floyd Mayweather’s post fight celebrations, on the night of his comeback fight against Juan Manual Marquez, did he think he would say enough to entice Mayweather into a showdown, sometime down the track? I would say no. No doubt, Mayweather was pissed, but he would get over it. Anyways, he had come back to fight Pacquaio, not Mosley. It was all about the Filipino, the fight, his own legacy, and the millions he could make along the way.
With the Pacquaio fight on hold, who else could he fight? Margarito, Cotto?
Mosley was like a mosquito, who bit in to him, which gave him, an itch he had to scratch.
At 39 years old, Mosley has done it all, with massive fights against Oscar De La Hoya, in 2000, and 2003, he has won multiple world championships in 3 weight divisions. He was a boxing superstar. Shane Mosley [Won 46. Lost 5. with 39 wins by way of ko.] He has had a great career.
When Mosley stepped through the ropes to sting Mayweather, he looked like a desperate man. A man with no place to go. He couldn’t fight Margarito, or Cotto.
Since 2000, after the De La Hoya fight, at welterweight, Mosley has lost in big fights to Vernon Forest, and Winky Wright, and Miguel Cotto, and he has beaten De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas, Luiz Collazo, Ricardo Mayorga, and Antonio Margarito in his last outing in January, 2009.
When I watched him in New York against Cotto, I thought I saw him grow old in the ring that night, and I hoped he would retire.
Cotto beat him up to the body and won the fight with his jab.
As Mosley was recuperating from the Cotto fight, Mayweather had taken Ricky Hatton to school, with an unbelievable display of power and punching perfection, knocking him from pillar to post in the 10th round.
After 39 fights, and dominating in every weight division since 1996, he announced his retirement to the stunned media, straight after the Hatton press conference. As he left the room, I asked him if he would be back. He didn’t say a word, just smiled, and winked at me.
Mayweather didn’t need to come back. “Money’s” got plenty.
With this fight just one week away, the works been done, the media and the fans have had a tremendous build up, even likening the fight to the legendary fights of Hagler v Hearns, and Leonard v Duran. Me, I wouldn’t go that far. If this fight was fought in 2006, then maybe?
THE FIGHT.
Mosley is a slow starter, which could be a big mistake for him against Mayweather. If he does that, Mayweather is a master of slowing down the fight to his tempo, then raising it, while countering as he needs to. The double jab will be a big factor in this fight, as I see Mayweather fighting long, with the full jab coming in, followed with the left hook. Mosley drops his right hand, way too much, leaving himself open to the hook. I feel Mayweather will also go to Mosley’s body and just box and move all night.
For Mosley to win, he has to start fast, pressurize Mayweather, and throw his half jab, then straight right hand, wide left hook, then try and land the power punching over hand right. If he can do this, he could win this fight.
A lot of people are talking about the two fighters speed, and power, and how they will each react to it.
MY PREDICTION.
For me, this fight will be decided on not just speed, and power, but timing, and while I agree, both fighters have speed and power, only one of them still has timing and that’s Floyd Mayweather Jnr. This fight is about money, bragging rights, but for me, it's about the timing is right. Mayweather on points.
Source: philboxing.com
When Shane Mosley stepped through the ropes to ruin Floyd Mayweather’s post fight celebrations, on the night of his comeback fight against Juan Manual Marquez, did he think he would say enough to entice Mayweather into a showdown, sometime down the track? I would say no. No doubt, Mayweather was pissed, but he would get over it. Anyways, he had come back to fight Pacquaio, not Mosley. It was all about the Filipino, the fight, his own legacy, and the millions he could make along the way.
With the Pacquaio fight on hold, who else could he fight? Margarito, Cotto?
Mosley was like a mosquito, who bit in to him, which gave him, an itch he had to scratch.
At 39 years old, Mosley has done it all, with massive fights against Oscar De La Hoya, in 2000, and 2003, he has won multiple world championships in 3 weight divisions. He was a boxing superstar. Shane Mosley [Won 46. Lost 5. with 39 wins by way of ko.] He has had a great career.
When Mosley stepped through the ropes to sting Mayweather, he looked like a desperate man. A man with no place to go. He couldn’t fight Margarito, or Cotto.
Since 2000, after the De La Hoya fight, at welterweight, Mosley has lost in big fights to Vernon Forest, and Winky Wright, and Miguel Cotto, and he has beaten De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas, Luiz Collazo, Ricardo Mayorga, and Antonio Margarito in his last outing in January, 2009.
When I watched him in New York against Cotto, I thought I saw him grow old in the ring that night, and I hoped he would retire.
Cotto beat him up to the body and won the fight with his jab.
As Mosley was recuperating from the Cotto fight, Mayweather had taken Ricky Hatton to school, with an unbelievable display of power and punching perfection, knocking him from pillar to post in the 10th round.
After 39 fights, and dominating in every weight division since 1996, he announced his retirement to the stunned media, straight after the Hatton press conference. As he left the room, I asked him if he would be back. He didn’t say a word, just smiled, and winked at me.
Mayweather didn’t need to come back. “Money’s” got plenty.
With this fight just one week away, the works been done, the media and the fans have had a tremendous build up, even likening the fight to the legendary fights of Hagler v Hearns, and Leonard v Duran. Me, I wouldn’t go that far. If this fight was fought in 2006, then maybe?
THE FIGHT.
Mosley is a slow starter, which could be a big mistake for him against Mayweather. If he does that, Mayweather is a master of slowing down the fight to his tempo, then raising it, while countering as he needs to. The double jab will be a big factor in this fight, as I see Mayweather fighting long, with the full jab coming in, followed with the left hook. Mosley drops his right hand, way too much, leaving himself open to the hook. I feel Mayweather will also go to Mosley’s body and just box and move all night.
For Mosley to win, he has to start fast, pressurize Mayweather, and throw his half jab, then straight right hand, wide left hook, then try and land the power punching over hand right. If he can do this, he could win this fight.
A lot of people are talking about the two fighters speed, and power, and how they will each react to it.
MY PREDICTION.
For me, this fight will be decided on not just speed, and power, but timing, and while I agree, both fighters have speed and power, only one of them still has timing and that’s Floyd Mayweather Jnr. This fight is about money, bragging rights, but for me, it's about the timing is right. Mayweather on points. * * *
Gary Todd is an international author with his book, “Workouts From Boxings Greatest Champs
” Look out for his follow up “Workouts from Boxings Greatest Champs VOLUME 2” Coming out across the world on May the 4th, 2010. www.pennantbooks.com. and also at www.amazonbooks.com Mayweather, Pacquaio, Tyson, Cotto, Hearns, Duran, and many more.
” Look out for his follow up “Workouts from Boxings Greatest Champs VOLUME 2” Coming out across the world on May the 4th, 2010. www.pennantbooks.com. and also at www.amazonbooks.com Mayweather, Pacquaio, Tyson, Cotto, Hearns, Duran, and many more.Source: philboxing.com
Floyd Mayweather Sr. back as son's trainer? Court date looms for Roger Mayweather -- Grand Rapids Press
By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press
LAS VEGAS -- Eleven years ago, in a training camp in the California desert where Floyd Mayweather prepared for his third championship fight, his father said he easily could walk away from training a budding superstar if his son’s work ethic ever deteriorated.
“As long as it stays like this,” he said proudly, as his son rat-a-tat-tatted the speed bag, “we can do this forever.”
With the arrival of another fight week, featuring Mayweather in a dangerous showdown Saturday against Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather Sr. -- who indeed did walk away from his job a year after that 1999 remark, to be replaced by his brother Roger -- is playing a bigger role than at any point since.
How prominent that role ultimately becomes won’t be evident until the next training camp, after a totally different fight, pitting the State of Nevada vs. Roger Mayweather.
Pending that resolution, the differences between the late 1990s and the early 2010s are stark enough.
Remote training camps long ago were abandoned in favor of a Las Vegas base, as was any thought of borrowing space in someone else’s gym.
Security personnel, once nonexistent in the Mayweather camp, have multiplied to cover all corners of Mayweather Boxing, inside and out. They congenially stop anyone they don’t recognize at the entrance. Even someone who has covered the Mayweather camp before there was such a thing has his credentials challenged.
Inside, the reason for the ramped-up security becomes clearer.
People mill around at all edges of the gym, more than for any previous Mayweather camp, all of them to participate in the periphery of boxing greatness. No one gains admission without advance approval, and no one granted such approval can take photographs without yet another level of security clearance.
Several camp members come early to perform preparatory routines. Hand-wrap specialist Rafael Garcia, among the first to arrive, meticulously tears thin tape strips. One man brings in the equipment bag and lays out workout clothing. Another ices drinks.
Roger Mayweather typically is among the last to arrive. Even the fighter himself pulls his silver Cadillac Escalade -- a modest choice, by his standards -- into his reserved space at the gym entrance before his uncle appears.
The fighter, during the hand-wrapping ritual, sticks a piece of licorice in his mouth and hands another to his son, Koraun. Throughout the workout, the rare emotion Mayweather shows will be a beaming smile whenever the oldest of his four children appears.
HBO cameras and microphones follow every move, and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has been here five or six times -- they’ve lost count here -- for blood and urine testing, neither of which happened at the earliest Mayweather camps.
But on fight week, the focus falls solely on boxing, regardless all the attendant hubbub.
They all know the unspoken fight that looms.
Roger Mayweather, who turned 49 Saturday, faces trial in five weeks on an assault charge involving a female boxer he once trained. He vehemently denies wrongdoing.
A conviction could put him in prison for a decade. Given his six-month incarceration in 2006-07 on a similar charge, the legal situation is ominous.
At his place of business, he seems unconcerned, although that surely is not the case.
Floyd Mayweather trains as hard as ever, through the hypnotic handpad work with his, the blurring speed-bag sessions, the graceful rope-skipping drills. During a half-hour’s uninterrupted work on the heavy bag, his father watches intently, rarely speaking, though when he utters the words “Feint, feint, walk, touch,” his son obligingly double-feints, takes a sidestep and fires a body shot.
This is the work that Floyd Mayweather Sr., 11 years ago, said would keep him in his job as long as his son wanted him.
There has been no discussion of what happens if things go wrong for Roger Mayweather at trial, although the general assumption is that Mayweather Sr. would resume the role he walked away from during a dispute with his son in 2000.
Mayweather Sr. skirts the issue, merely pointing at his son and cryptically saying he will do whatever is asked, that he’s set for life -- primarily through his six years training Oscar De La Hoya -- and that fulfilling any duty his son requires wouldn’t be about money.
This fight week, one thing is certain.
Work ethic might be the only thing that hasn’t changed.
E-mail David Mayo: dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo
Source: mlive.com
LAS VEGAS -- Eleven years ago, in a training camp in the California desert where Floyd Mayweather prepared for his third championship fight, his father said he easily could walk away from training a budding superstar if his son’s work ethic ever deteriorated.
“As long as it stays like this,” he said proudly, as his son rat-a-tat-tatted the speed bag, “we can do this forever.”
With the arrival of another fight week, featuring Mayweather in a dangerous showdown Saturday against Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather Sr. -- who indeed did walk away from his job a year after that 1999 remark, to be replaced by his brother Roger -- is playing a bigger role than at any point since.
How prominent that role ultimately becomes won’t be evident until the next training camp, after a totally different fight, pitting the State of Nevada vs. Roger Mayweather.
Pending that resolution, the differences between the late 1990s and the early 2010s are stark enough.
Remote training camps long ago were abandoned in favor of a Las Vegas base, as was any thought of borrowing space in someone else’s gym.
Security personnel, once nonexistent in the Mayweather camp, have multiplied to cover all corners of Mayweather Boxing, inside and out. They congenially stop anyone they don’t recognize at the entrance. Even someone who has covered the Mayweather camp before there was such a thing has his credentials challenged.
Inside, the reason for the ramped-up security becomes clearer.
People mill around at all edges of the gym, more than for any previous Mayweather camp, all of them to participate in the periphery of boxing greatness. No one gains admission without advance approval, and no one granted such approval can take photographs without yet another level of security clearance.
Several camp members come early to perform preparatory routines. Hand-wrap specialist Rafael Garcia, among the first to arrive, meticulously tears thin tape strips. One man brings in the equipment bag and lays out workout clothing. Another ices drinks.
Roger Mayweather typically is among the last to arrive. Even the fighter himself pulls his silver Cadillac Escalade -- a modest choice, by his standards -- into his reserved space at the gym entrance before his uncle appears.
The fighter, during the hand-wrapping ritual, sticks a piece of licorice in his mouth and hands another to his son, Koraun. Throughout the workout, the rare emotion Mayweather shows will be a beaming smile whenever the oldest of his four children appears.
HBO cameras and microphones follow every move, and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has been here five or six times -- they’ve lost count here -- for blood and urine testing, neither of which happened at the earliest Mayweather camps.
But on fight week, the focus falls solely on boxing, regardless all the attendant hubbub.
They all know the unspoken fight that looms.
Roger Mayweather, who turned 49 Saturday, faces trial in five weeks on an assault charge involving a female boxer he once trained. He vehemently denies wrongdoing.
A conviction could put him in prison for a decade. Given his six-month incarceration in 2006-07 on a similar charge, the legal situation is ominous.
At his place of business, he seems unconcerned, although that surely is not the case.
Floyd Mayweather trains as hard as ever, through the hypnotic handpad work with his, the blurring speed-bag sessions, the graceful rope-skipping drills. During a half-hour’s uninterrupted work on the heavy bag, his father watches intently, rarely speaking, though when he utters the words “Feint, feint, walk, touch,” his son obligingly double-feints, takes a sidestep and fires a body shot.
This is the work that Floyd Mayweather Sr., 11 years ago, said would keep him in his job as long as his son wanted him.
There has been no discussion of what happens if things go wrong for Roger Mayweather at trial, although the general assumption is that Mayweather Sr. would resume the role he walked away from during a dispute with his son in 2000.
Mayweather Sr. skirts the issue, merely pointing at his son and cryptically saying he will do whatever is asked, that he’s set for life -- primarily through his six years training Oscar De La Hoya -- and that fulfilling any duty his son requires wouldn’t be about money.
This fight week, one thing is certain.
Work ethic might be the only thing that hasn’t changed.
E-mail David Mayo: dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo
Source: mlive.com
Judd Burstein: 'Jesus Christ' Couldn't Win Manny Pacquaio's Case -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
The path of attorney Judd Burstein was laid by his mother Beatrice, who was a judge in New York, and his father Herbert, a former labor lawyer. With the exception perhaps of permitting their son to attend Woodstock -- "They should never have let me go" -- Burstein's parents were fairly strict, even as they allowed room for expression and growth.
A 56-year-old New York-based trial lawyer, Burstein's past clients have included boxers Manny Pacquiao, Oscar de la Hoya and Lennox Lewis, and promoters Don King and Lou DiBella.
Among Burstein's current charges are WBA welterweight (147 pounds) champion Shane Mosley, who is involved in a libel and defamation of character suit against BALCO founder Victor Conte; and Golden Boy Promotions' CEO Richard Schaefer against Pacquiao in the latter's defamation of character filing that also names as defendants de la Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Sr., and Roger Mayweather, the latter of whom trains boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In this, his second Q&A with FanHouse, the 56-year-old Burstein admits that he sometimes pushes the envelope when trying a case and dealing with the press.
FanHouse: Picking up where we left off in the last interview, can you discuss how you could go from suing to representing Don King?
Judd Burstein: You know, I have such a bizarre relationship with Don King, of whom I've grown to be very fond. And I think that I've learned some lessons about over-lawyering from dealing with him.
I don't know if some of the positions I took for boxing clients in relationship to King were, in retrospect, were necessarily the right decisions. Or I may have been overly-assuming that Don King was looking to screw somebody.
That wasn't always the case. It was almost an insult to King.
So given your relationship with Don King, have you amended your previous statement about him?
Yes, I have. 'Don King has been a cancer in boxing, and I've been the chemotherapy.' But today, I would add, that 'When he finally hired me, I helped the cancer go into remission.'
Have you ever been told or do you think that you push the envelope with some of your methods and strategies?
I think that it's a lawyer's job to push the envelope. I know that people thought that my recent comments to the New York Daily News reporter pushed the envelope. But I felt that the threat that I made, which was only to his career, of course, was the product of almost two years of trying to get this guy to write a fair story about Shane Mosley.
I've never dealt with a reporter who, if he did get around to calling me, called me with like 15 minutes left before the deadline when it was something that he had been working on all day and could have called me earlier.
I felt that, at that point, he already had slanted everything that he wrote. He just can't write anything that is remotely fair. Although the statement that I made about him was extreme, it was the result of what I believe was a reporter going one step too far, yet again.
What can you say about Shane Mosley's case against Victor Conte?
All of that is off the table for discussion, although I've already said that my dog could win that case for Shane.
Can you shed light on what it is like to be representing Richard Schaefer in a case against a former client of yours, Manny Pacquiao, and how you reconcile that?
That's a fair question. There are very strict ethical rules that govern when a lawyer can represent someone against a former client. I'm paraphrasing, but, the rule is that the cases can't, in any way, be related.
I represented Manny Pacquiao when he was fighting, I think, at 126 pounds, only on the issue of whether or not he had been defrauded and was entitled to get out of a contract with Murad Muhammad. And this happened five years ago.
Manny Pacquiao is now suing Richard Schaefer for things that were supposedly said in 2009, which bares absolutely no relation to my representation of Manny back in 2005. But I will say this: There are lots of cases in boxing that I turn down not because there are the ethical rules for lawyers barring it, although that is sometimes the case.
But it's been because I generally don't believe in suing former clients.
Are there any conditions under which you would sue former clients?
I make an exception for people who I do not believe treated me in an equitable manner. And I don't really want to go into the details, but I don't think that Manny Pacquiao treated me in an equitable manner. That was, to me, the reason I felt no bar to representing someone against him.
People have come to me and asked me, 'Would you sue Don King?' And I've said, 'No.' I mean, not that I couldn't. I just, you know, I think that Don, when we were together, was treating me fairly. And there's no reason for me to then go after him. It just makes me uncomfortable.
Are there others that fall under the same situation as Don King?
On a friendship basis, there are guys like Lou DiBella, Gary Shaw, who I would never sue in a million years. Not that I couldn't, but I just wouldn't. It just goes against what I believe I would do to somebody.
In my mind -- and I don't want to use the phrase, 'double-cross' -- but when somebody breaches the relationship on their end, then I then would say, 'Okay, all bets are off.' Other than that, it would be going against what I believe to be the ethical rules concerning my conduct as a lawyer.
Can you comment on Manny Pacquiao's case against Richard Schaefer?
The cases that I've really focused on are the cases against Richard and Oscar, because we're working together on this. I don't think that Jesus Christ could come down off of the cross and win Manny's case against Richard and Oscar.
You're saying that Manny's case has no roots or legs to stand on?
It's a shockingly stupid case. Suing two people for only expressing an opinion, and it's not that anyone else hasn't expressed similar opinions. That's an opinion that half of the people in boxing have expressed. And they [Schaefer and de la Hoya] never said, as a fact, that Pacquiao was using performance enhancing drugs.
What they said was ...given a whole host of factors that are public, that, you know, this is why they have an opinion. And the opinion is only that there's a reason to ask questions about Manny. This is America. They have a right to express their opinion.
On the other hand, I think that Manny has been very, very poorly advised. And I think that it's a shame. I think that he's throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars down the tubes on a case that can't be won and that is then going to make him look terrible when he loses it.
But if, as you say, it's such an open and shut ruling for Richard and Oscar, why would someone with the reputation of a Daniel Petrocelli -- who got a conviction against O.J. Simpson on that civil suit -- why would he take on a case such as this?
Let me say this, because I try not to develop adverse relationships with other lawyers. So let me say this about my view of Daniel Petrocelli's ethics and talent: He dresses very well.
What is your reaction concerning Shane Mosley's recent retaliatory statements about Floyd Mayweather and his security guards, implying steroid use on their part?
I don't think that it makes a difference. I think that it's a lot about nothing.
But didn't you laugh at Shane's statements and think that they were funny?
I did think that it was funny. And knowing Shane well enough, I know that he was just fooling around with them on it. You know, frankly, Shane doesn't care. Shane believes that if the guy [Mayweather] were cheating that he'd still win. So it doesn't make a difference to him.
But I will tell you that, I mean, those guys, those security guards, they do look like they could be on steroids. Floyd had better hope that you can't, you know, go and get a bad test just through osmosis.
Are you now a boxing fan and absorbed by the culture?
I have always been a huge boxing fan. Going back to the days before pay-per-view, and, going to closed circuit events to see Muhammad Ali and to see Larry Holmes and to see Sugar Ray Leonard. I was just always in love with boxing.
And boxing is the only area of business in my life that I've actually gone out and pursued and had dinners with people and stayed in touch with people. I mean, you can't get me to have lunch with people in New York. It's a joke. I'm not interested. And I don't need to schmooze people to get business.
But I loved the sport of boxing, and I made an effort to get into it. There are things that I love about it and there are things that I hate about it. I think there are some really good people in the sport, and there are some really terrible people in the sport.
I think that it's going through a transition period now, in terms of the new stars that are going to be coming in. But, at it's best, while an incredibly cruel sport at times, it has a unique beauty to it, in terms of, you know, conditioning, courage, skill, speed, and all of those factors.
It can be a real thing of beauty. And I don't necessarily think that a great fight has to be a fight that ends in a knockout. You can just look at two guys who are spectacular fighters engaged in a tactical battle and who maybe the casual fan won't appreciate it. But the more knowledgeable fans really get what that's about.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
The path of attorney Judd Burstein was laid by his mother Beatrice, who was a judge in New York, and his father Herbert, a former labor lawyer. With the exception perhaps of permitting their son to attend Woodstock -- "They should never have let me go" -- Burstein's parents were fairly strict, even as they allowed room for expression and growth.
A 56-year-old New York-based trial lawyer, Burstein's past clients have included boxers Manny Pacquiao, Oscar de la Hoya and Lennox Lewis, and promoters Don King and Lou DiBella.
Among Burstein's current charges are WBA welterweight (147 pounds) champion Shane Mosley, who is involved in a libel and defamation of character suit against BALCO founder Victor Conte; and Golden Boy Promotions' CEO Richard Schaefer against Pacquiao in the latter's defamation of character filing that also names as defendants de la Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Sr., and Roger Mayweather, the latter of whom trains boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In this, his second Q&A with FanHouse, the 56-year-old Burstein admits that he sometimes pushes the envelope when trying a case and dealing with the press.
FanHouse: Picking up where we left off in the last interview, can you discuss how you could go from suing to representing Don King?
Judd Burstein: You know, I have such a bizarre relationship with Don King, of whom I've grown to be very fond. And I think that I've learned some lessons about over-lawyering from dealing with him.
I don't know if some of the positions I took for boxing clients in relationship to King were, in retrospect, were necessarily the right decisions. Or I may have been overly-assuming that Don King was looking to screw somebody.
That wasn't always the case. It was almost an insult to King.
So given your relationship with Don King, have you amended your previous statement about him?
Yes, I have. 'Don King has been a cancer in boxing, and I've been the chemotherapy.' But today, I would add, that 'When he finally hired me, I helped the cancer go into remission.'
Have you ever been told or do you think that you push the envelope with some of your methods and strategies?
I think that it's a lawyer's job to push the envelope. I know that people thought that my recent comments to the New York Daily News reporter pushed the envelope. But I felt that the threat that I made, which was only to his career, of course, was the product of almost two years of trying to get this guy to write a fair story about Shane Mosley.
I've never dealt with a reporter who, if he did get around to calling me, called me with like 15 minutes left before the deadline when it was something that he had been working on all day and could have called me earlier.
I felt that, at that point, he already had slanted everything that he wrote. He just can't write anything that is remotely fair. Although the statement that I made about him was extreme, it was the result of what I believe was a reporter going one step too far, yet again.
What can you say about Shane Mosley's case against Victor Conte?
All of that is off the table for discussion, although I've already said that my dog could win that case for Shane.
Can you shed light on what it is like to be representing Richard Schaefer in a case against a former client of yours, Manny Pacquiao, and how you reconcile that?
That's a fair question. There are very strict ethical rules that govern when a lawyer can represent someone against a former client. I'm paraphrasing, but, the rule is that the cases can't, in any way, be related.
I represented Manny Pacquiao when he was fighting, I think, at 126 pounds, only on the issue of whether or not he had been defrauded and was entitled to get out of a contract with Murad Muhammad. And this happened five years ago.
Manny Pacquiao is now suing Richard Schaefer for things that were supposedly said in 2009, which bares absolutely no relation to my representation of Manny back in 2005. But I will say this: There are lots of cases in boxing that I turn down not because there are the ethical rules for lawyers barring it, although that is sometimes the case.
But it's been because I generally don't believe in suing former clients.
Are there any conditions under which you would sue former clients?
I make an exception for people who I do not believe treated me in an equitable manner. And I don't really want to go into the details, but I don't think that Manny Pacquiao treated me in an equitable manner. That was, to me, the reason I felt no bar to representing someone against him.
People have come to me and asked me, 'Would you sue Don King?' And I've said, 'No.' I mean, not that I couldn't. I just, you know, I think that Don, when we were together, was treating me fairly. And there's no reason for me to then go after him. It just makes me uncomfortable.
Are there others that fall under the same situation as Don King?
On a friendship basis, there are guys like Lou DiBella, Gary Shaw, who I would never sue in a million years. Not that I couldn't, but I just wouldn't. It just goes against what I believe I would do to somebody.
In my mind -- and I don't want to use the phrase, 'double-cross' -- but when somebody breaches the relationship on their end, then I then would say, 'Okay, all bets are off.' Other than that, it would be going against what I believe to be the ethical rules concerning my conduct as a lawyer.
Can you comment on Manny Pacquiao's case against Richard Schaefer?
The cases that I've really focused on are the cases against Richard and Oscar, because we're working together on this. I don't think that Jesus Christ could come down off of the cross and win Manny's case against Richard and Oscar.
You're saying that Manny's case has no roots or legs to stand on?
It's a shockingly stupid case. Suing two people for only expressing an opinion, and it's not that anyone else hasn't expressed similar opinions. That's an opinion that half of the people in boxing have expressed. And they [Schaefer and de la Hoya] never said, as a fact, that Pacquiao was using performance enhancing drugs.
What they said was ...given a whole host of factors that are public, that, you know, this is why they have an opinion. And the opinion is only that there's a reason to ask questions about Manny. This is America. They have a right to express their opinion.
On the other hand, I think that Manny has been very, very poorly advised. And I think that it's a shame. I think that he's throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars down the tubes on a case that can't be won and that is then going to make him look terrible when he loses it.
But if, as you say, it's such an open and shut ruling for Richard and Oscar, why would someone with the reputation of a Daniel Petrocelli -- who got a conviction against O.J. Simpson on that civil suit -- why would he take on a case such as this?
Let me say this, because I try not to develop adverse relationships with other lawyers. So let me say this about my view of Daniel Petrocelli's ethics and talent: He dresses very well.
What is your reaction concerning Shane Mosley's recent retaliatory statements about Floyd Mayweather and his security guards, implying steroid use on their part?
I don't think that it makes a difference. I think that it's a lot about nothing.
But didn't you laugh at Shane's statements and think that they were funny?
I did think that it was funny. And knowing Shane well enough, I know that he was just fooling around with them on it. You know, frankly, Shane doesn't care. Shane believes that if the guy [Mayweather] were cheating that he'd still win. So it doesn't make a difference to him.
But I will tell you that, I mean, those guys, those security guards, they do look like they could be on steroids. Floyd had better hope that you can't, you know, go and get a bad test just through osmosis.
Are you now a boxing fan and absorbed by the culture?
I have always been a huge boxing fan. Going back to the days before pay-per-view, and, going to closed circuit events to see Muhammad Ali and to see Larry Holmes and to see Sugar Ray Leonard. I was just always in love with boxing.
And boxing is the only area of business in my life that I've actually gone out and pursued and had dinners with people and stayed in touch with people. I mean, you can't get me to have lunch with people in New York. It's a joke. I'm not interested. And I don't need to schmooze people to get business.
But I loved the sport of boxing, and I made an effort to get into it. There are things that I love about it and there are things that I hate about it. I think there are some really good people in the sport, and there are some really terrible people in the sport.
I think that it's going through a transition period now, in terms of the new stars that are going to be coming in. But, at it's best, while an incredibly cruel sport at times, it has a unique beauty to it, in terms of, you know, conditioning, courage, skill, speed, and all of those factors.
It can be a real thing of beauty. And I don't necessarily think that a great fight has to be a fight that ends in a knockout. You can just look at two guys who are spectacular fighters engaged in a tactical battle and who maybe the casual fan won't appreciate it. But the more knowledgeable fans really get what that's about.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Big stage awaits unbeaten teen -- Las Vegas Review-Journal
By STEVE CARP, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
He might be only 19 years old, but Saul Alvarez is ready to take a big step in his professional boxing career.
Golden Boy Promotions has Alvarez, a welterweight from Guadalajara, Mexico, who is 31-0-1 with 23 knockouts, slotted to fight in one of the main undercard bouts on the card headlined by the welterweight showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Garden on Saturday. Alvarez will face Jose Miguel Cotto in a scheduled 10-round bout that will be televised on the HBO pay-per-view portion of the card.
"It's very important that I perform well because this is my first time fighting in Las Vegas and I want to make a good showing," Alvarez said through an interpreter. "I'm facing the best fighter I have ever fought."
Alvarez, who is nicknamed "Cinnamon" because of his red hair and freckles that give him the appearance of a Latino Huckleberry Finn, has become something of a teen idol in Mexico. In his five-year professional career, he has generated crossover appeal with women, and word is some of his female fans have taken off their tops and flung them at the ring.
"Yes, I have seen that," Alvarez said sheepishly. "But people are starting to recognize me, and I've been getting endorsement offers. Movies and television, too."
Alvarez began boxing at age 13 when he found his way into Jose "Chepo" Reynoso's gym in Guadalajara. Two years later, Alvarez turned pro, saying he needed to face stiffer competition in order to improve.
"I'm pleased with the progress I've made, but I still have a lot of work to do so I can be the best fighter possible," Alvarez said. "This fight (against Cotto) will be my biggest challenge."
Cotto, the older brother of former world welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, is 31-1-1 with 23 KOs.
■ CLOSED-CIRCUIT TICKETS -- In addition to pay per view on HBO, the Mayweather-Mosley fight will be available in Las Vegas on closed-circuit TV. The MGM Grand, Mirage, Mandalay Bay, Bellagio, Luxor, Monte Carlo and Circus Circus will show the fight.
Tickets are $50 and are on sale at each property's box office as well as through Ticketmaster and online at mgmgrand.com and ticketmaster.com.
■ HOLYFIELD-BOTHA NUMBERS -- The Nevada Athletic Commission released figures for the April 10 Evander Holyfield-Frans Botha heavyweight fight at the Thomas & Mack Center, and the numbers weren't good for Crown Boxing promoter Frank Luca.
According to the NAC, only 1,173 tickets were sold, producing a live gate of $58,695. There were 1,000 complimentary tickets distributed, and 6,975 tickets went unsold. Luca announced after the fight that the attendance was 3,127.
The gate barely covered rental of the Thomas & Mack, which according to director Daren Libonati was $50,000. The commission said that Holyfield earned $150,000 and Botha $100,000 for the fight, which Holyfield won by technical knockout in the eighth round of their scheduled 12-round bout.
■ CHARLES SETBACK -- Just when broadcaster Nick Charles appeared to be winning his eight-month battle with bladder cancer, he suffered a setback with the cancer spreading to his lungs.
Once again, Charles, 63, will have to take time away from the microphone, where he has been working on Showtime's fight cards, to deal with his health issues.
Charles was in Las Vegas in February, working the Top Rank card at the Las Vegas Hilton that Nonito Donaire headlined. But in March, when he went to his doctors for a checkup, Charles learned the cancer had spread.
He is about to begin another round of chemotherapy in an attempt to stop further spread of the cancer. He said he hopes to return to work this summer.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.
Source: lvrj.com
He might be only 19 years old, but Saul Alvarez is ready to take a big step in his professional boxing career.
Golden Boy Promotions has Alvarez, a welterweight from Guadalajara, Mexico, who is 31-0-1 with 23 knockouts, slotted to fight in one of the main undercard bouts on the card headlined by the welterweight showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Garden on Saturday. Alvarez will face Jose Miguel Cotto in a scheduled 10-round bout that will be televised on the HBO pay-per-view portion of the card.
"It's very important that I perform well because this is my first time fighting in Las Vegas and I want to make a good showing," Alvarez said through an interpreter. "I'm facing the best fighter I have ever fought."
Alvarez, who is nicknamed "Cinnamon" because of his red hair and freckles that give him the appearance of a Latino Huckleberry Finn, has become something of a teen idol in Mexico. In his five-year professional career, he has generated crossover appeal with women, and word is some of his female fans have taken off their tops and flung them at the ring.
"Yes, I have seen that," Alvarez said sheepishly. "But people are starting to recognize me, and I've been getting endorsement offers. Movies and television, too."
Alvarez began boxing at age 13 when he found his way into Jose "Chepo" Reynoso's gym in Guadalajara. Two years later, Alvarez turned pro, saying he needed to face stiffer competition in order to improve.
"I'm pleased with the progress I've made, but I still have a lot of work to do so I can be the best fighter possible," Alvarez said. "This fight (against Cotto) will be my biggest challenge."
Cotto, the older brother of former world welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, is 31-1-1 with 23 KOs.
■ CLOSED-CIRCUIT TICKETS -- In addition to pay per view on HBO, the Mayweather-Mosley fight will be available in Las Vegas on closed-circuit TV. The MGM Grand, Mirage, Mandalay Bay, Bellagio, Luxor, Monte Carlo and Circus Circus will show the fight.
Tickets are $50 and are on sale at each property's box office as well as through Ticketmaster and online at mgmgrand.com and ticketmaster.com.
■ HOLYFIELD-BOTHA NUMBERS -- The Nevada Athletic Commission released figures for the April 10 Evander Holyfield-Frans Botha heavyweight fight at the Thomas & Mack Center, and the numbers weren't good for Crown Boxing promoter Frank Luca.
According to the NAC, only 1,173 tickets were sold, producing a live gate of $58,695. There were 1,000 complimentary tickets distributed, and 6,975 tickets went unsold. Luca announced after the fight that the attendance was 3,127.
The gate barely covered rental of the Thomas & Mack, which according to director Daren Libonati was $50,000. The commission said that Holyfield earned $150,000 and Botha $100,000 for the fight, which Holyfield won by technical knockout in the eighth round of their scheduled 12-round bout.
■ CHARLES SETBACK -- Just when broadcaster Nick Charles appeared to be winning his eight-month battle with bladder cancer, he suffered a setback with the cancer spreading to his lungs.
Once again, Charles, 63, will have to take time away from the microphone, where he has been working on Showtime's fight cards, to deal with his health issues.
Charles was in Las Vegas in February, working the Top Rank card at the Las Vegas Hilton that Nonito Donaire headlined. But in March, when he went to his doctors for a checkup, Charles learned the cancer had spread.
He is about to begin another round of chemotherapy in an attempt to stop further spread of the cancer. He said he hopes to return to work this summer.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.
Source: lvrj.com
Mayweather eager to pad his legacy -- Las Vegas Review-Journal
By STEVE CARP, Las Vegas Review-Journal
You need not be a boxing fan to know that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a special talent.
Just look at the record, and pay attention to the right side of the ledger.
Mayweather is 40-0, and that 0 looms bigger and bigger with each fight the 33-year-old, six-time world champion takes on. But as he prepares for what many believe is his biggest test yet when he faces Shane Mosley on Saturday in a 12-round welterweight showdown at the MGM Grand Garden, Mayweather's focus isn't on perfection.
"I don't think about the 0," Mayweather said. "I think about winning. Everything takes care of itself if you win."
Several fighters went through their careers unscathed, most notably heavyweight Rocky Marciano, who was 49-0 during a career which spanned 1947 to 1955. More recently, super middleweight and light heavyweight Joe Calzaghe left the sport 46-0. However, Calzaghe, who retired in 2008, is considering a return to the ring.
Yet Mayweather, a student of boxing history, claims he's not obsessing over finishing his career without a blemish.
"Of course it's a great thing to be undefeated," Mayweather said. "But I don't consciously think about it when I'm preparing for the next fight."
His father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., said: "No one wants to lose their 0. I'm sure he thinks about it, and it motivates him. Fortunately for my son, it's so far, so good, and I don't see anyone taking that 0 away from him."
His son is quick to point out that some of boxing's legendary figures did not go undefeated.
"Sugar Ray Robinson lost. Muhammad Ali lost," Mayweather said. "They're still great fighters, aren't they?"
On the HBO reality television series "24/7," Mayweather recently boasted he was better than Ali and Robinson. He stood by his statements of a week ago.
"Why not?" he said. "I take my hat off to them. I've got respect for Sugar Ray Robinson. I've got respect for Muhammad Ali. But I'm a man like they're men. I put on my pants just like they put on their pants. What makes them any better than I am? Because they fought a thousand fights?
"In my era, it's totally different. It's pay per view now, so things change. It's out with the old and in with the new. Like I said, Muhammad Ali is one hell of a fighter. But Floyd Mayweather is the best. Sugar Ray Robinson is one hell of a fighter. But Floyd Mayweather is the best."
Mayweather likes to say about his legacy that 40 fighters all had a game plan to defeat him and none have succeeded. He doesn't see why 38-year-old Mosley, who is 46-5 with 39 knockouts, would be any different.
"Shane's talented," said Mayweather, who has 25 knockouts. "But I'm gifted. God-gifted. I don't have to shut nobody up. They can say what they want to say. I fight for me and my family."
And his legacy.
Mayweather is considered one of the greatest defensive fighters of all time. His ability to avoid getting hit and effectively counterpunch has allowed him to remain perfect in the ring. His recent 21-month hiatus from boxing didn't seem to hurt him. He was flawless in beating Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19 at the Grand Garden.
But Mayweather has had a couple of close calls during his 15-year career. His 2007 win over Oscar De La Hoya was a 12-round split decision. His rematch against Jose Luis Castillo in 2002 that he won by unanimous decision had him winning by just two points on two of the judges' scorecards.
Yet he remains undefeated, and he doesn't allow thoughts of "What if?" to creep inside his head.
"I take every fight seriously," Mayweather said. "Shane Mosley is a solid welterweight with great accomplishments. But I have been fighting these kinds of fighters my whole career without much appreciation. No one gives me credit for who I have fought during my career.
"From early to now, look at the opponents I have faced and see where they were when they faced me in the ring."
But when Mayweather was asked to rate his best performances, he declined.
"I don't rate myself," he said. "I just go out and do my job. I'm a harsh critic of myself. I always think I could have done better."
Yet he believes facing Mosley on Saturday will grow his legacy rather than merely preserving it.
"Every fight at this point is about enhancing it," Mayweather said. "I've done a lot of things in this sport. I've done a lot of things that a lot of fighters weren't able to do in this sport and didn't do in this sport.
"Shane Mosley's been around this sport for a long, long time, and he's done some things in this sport. I think with Shane Mosley, it's going to enhance my legacy."
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.
Source: lvrj.com
You need not be a boxing fan to know that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a special talent.
Just look at the record, and pay attention to the right side of the ledger.
Mayweather is 40-0, and that 0 looms bigger and bigger with each fight the 33-year-old, six-time world champion takes on. But as he prepares for what many believe is his biggest test yet when he faces Shane Mosley on Saturday in a 12-round welterweight showdown at the MGM Grand Garden, Mayweather's focus isn't on perfection.
"I don't think about the 0," Mayweather said. "I think about winning. Everything takes care of itself if you win."
Several fighters went through their careers unscathed, most notably heavyweight Rocky Marciano, who was 49-0 during a career which spanned 1947 to 1955. More recently, super middleweight and light heavyweight Joe Calzaghe left the sport 46-0. However, Calzaghe, who retired in 2008, is considering a return to the ring.
Yet Mayweather, a student of boxing history, claims he's not obsessing over finishing his career without a blemish.
"Of course it's a great thing to be undefeated," Mayweather said. "But I don't consciously think about it when I'm preparing for the next fight."
His father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., said: "No one wants to lose their 0. I'm sure he thinks about it, and it motivates him. Fortunately for my son, it's so far, so good, and I don't see anyone taking that 0 away from him."
His son is quick to point out that some of boxing's legendary figures did not go undefeated.
"Sugar Ray Robinson lost. Muhammad Ali lost," Mayweather said. "They're still great fighters, aren't they?"
On the HBO reality television series "24/7," Mayweather recently boasted he was better than Ali and Robinson. He stood by his statements of a week ago.
"Why not?" he said. "I take my hat off to them. I've got respect for Sugar Ray Robinson. I've got respect for Muhammad Ali. But I'm a man like they're men. I put on my pants just like they put on their pants. What makes them any better than I am? Because they fought a thousand fights?
"In my era, it's totally different. It's pay per view now, so things change. It's out with the old and in with the new. Like I said, Muhammad Ali is one hell of a fighter. But Floyd Mayweather is the best. Sugar Ray Robinson is one hell of a fighter. But Floyd Mayweather is the best."
Mayweather likes to say about his legacy that 40 fighters all had a game plan to defeat him and none have succeeded. He doesn't see why 38-year-old Mosley, who is 46-5 with 39 knockouts, would be any different.
"Shane's talented," said Mayweather, who has 25 knockouts. "But I'm gifted. God-gifted. I don't have to shut nobody up. They can say what they want to say. I fight for me and my family."
And his legacy.
Mayweather is considered one of the greatest defensive fighters of all time. His ability to avoid getting hit and effectively counterpunch has allowed him to remain perfect in the ring. His recent 21-month hiatus from boxing didn't seem to hurt him. He was flawless in beating Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19 at the Grand Garden.
But Mayweather has had a couple of close calls during his 15-year career. His 2007 win over Oscar De La Hoya was a 12-round split decision. His rematch against Jose Luis Castillo in 2002 that he won by unanimous decision had him winning by just two points on two of the judges' scorecards.
Yet he remains undefeated, and he doesn't allow thoughts of "What if?" to creep inside his head.
"I take every fight seriously," Mayweather said. "Shane Mosley is a solid welterweight with great accomplishments. But I have been fighting these kinds of fighters my whole career without much appreciation. No one gives me credit for who I have fought during my career.
"From early to now, look at the opponents I have faced and see where they were when they faced me in the ring."
But when Mayweather was asked to rate his best performances, he declined.
"I don't rate myself," he said. "I just go out and do my job. I'm a harsh critic of myself. I always think I could have done better."
Yet he believes facing Mosley on Saturday will grow his legacy rather than merely preserving it.
"Every fight at this point is about enhancing it," Mayweather said. "I've done a lot of things in this sport. I've done a lot of things that a lot of fighters weren't able to do in this sport and didn't do in this sport.
"Shane Mosley's been around this sport for a long, long time, and he's done some things in this sport. I think with Shane Mosley, it's going to enhance my legacy."
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.
Source: lvrj.com
Tomasz Adamek defeats Cris Arreola by majority decision -- Los Angeles Times
By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times
The long-stagnant heavyweight division sprang to life Saturday as Riverside's Cris Arreola and Poland's Tomasz Adamek engaged in a compelling battle of slugging versus boxing, with the lighter Adamek edging out a majority decision.
Adamek was awarded a 115-113 advantage by judge Barry Druxman, a 117-111 score by Joseph Pasquale and judge Tony Crebs scored the bout 114-114.
Adamek (41-1) delivered a swollen face with his precision blows on Arreola's head, even as the Southern Californian's relentlessness and brawn proved impressive in the entertaining clash in front of 6,256 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario.
Arreola (28-2) hurt Adamek in the rounds he won, stunning the former two-division champion with an uppercut in the 10th, and twice in the fifth round, backing up the Pole with a hard left and right.
In the end, Arreola said he agreed with the decision, applauding as the final score was read.
"I had him in the fifth round," Arreola said. "I hurt my left hand in the fifth, but I kept going, but it hurt real bad. He has a hard head."
Arreola also said he endured some head butts and joked he "feels like … Shrek now."
Adamek's superior boxing ability allowed him to connect on 70 more punches than Arreola, snapping a scoring left to the face and consecutive combinations in the first and repeating the effort often through exchanges that elicited roars from a crowd thrilled not to be subjected to another one-sided Klitschko-involved bout.
"This was the toughest fight I've ever had," Adamek said in his third bout as a heavyweight after previously winning world light-heavyweight and cruiserweight belts. "This is why I feel I can be world champion."
Adamek dedicated the bout to his country's president and 95 others who perished in an airline crash this month.
Arreola consistently fought like he knew he could take the other guy's best punch, charging ahead in the second and hitting Adamek in the head with some big punches.
Adamek withstood the 33-pound weigh-in disadvantage by landing quick combinations, ducking out immediately afterward as Arreola charged forward in the third.
Adamek was showing pride in taking Arreola's punches until the fifth, when Arreola flung a left that sent Adamek reeling backward and clearly left him on guard. A big right by Arreola again backed up Adamek, but the ex-champ rallied by the bell with a good combination.
The scoring deserved questions. Judge Pasquale surprisingly differed with his peers in the sixth and 10th and Druxman surprisingly gave Adamek the first five rounds. Most ringside reporters had the fight scored as a draw, or a narrow margin either way.
The crowd booed Adamek before the sixth when he took an extended break to adjust his left shoe after being battered.
Arreola, vowing a renewed focus on fitness would help him better chase down Adamek, fulfilled his promise and forced the action, even if Adamek would meet him with scoring combinations at times. Arreola's faith in his chin was on display, and he even took to dancing a bit at the height of his success in the 11th.
In the co-main event, Coachella's Alfredo Angulo produced a superb effort in a tough WBO interim junior-middleweight fight against Colombia's Joel Julio, dropping Julio with a straight right he leaned into in the 11th round for a technical knockout triumph. Julio's right jaw and nose were belted by the blow, and when he struggled to get up, referee Raul Caiz Sr. stopped the bout at the 1:39 mark.
The three judges each had Angulo (18-1, 15 knockouts) ahead on their scorecards at the stoppage, although Angulo said afterward he thought he was trailing, and Julio said he believed he was winning.
"I made a mistake and I paid for it, but I was going to get up," Julio (35-4) said. "It was only one more round.
"They stopped the fight because this was [Angulo's] backyard."
Angulo disagreed: "If the referee let him continue, it'd be the same result."
Angulo started as the aggressor, sticking Julio with jabs, and delivering a hard combination and tough hook that backed up the Colombian. Angulo showed little bother to a nice combination by Julio in the second, backing him up again with a straight right.
Julio scored more in the third, and the fourth had moments of a slugfest, as each delivered one of their finest rights. Julio was showing more swagger, smiling at the bell after a scoring left.
Angulo's right eye started swelling in the fifth, and Julio landed a stinging left, but Angulo's determination remained strong.
The fight appeared dead even after six, as Angulo belted Julio on the ropes, flinched through a sensational exchange of combinations, then ended the round with two hard blows to Julio's body and two more to the head.
The pair swapped rounds again in the seventh and eighth, but Angulo's power edge defined the action, as he rocked Julio early in the eighth.
Julio sustained a cut over his right eye in the ninth, and started to look less energized after a nice left by Angulo and more scoring combinations. Julio's fresher 10th was muted by the deciding blow.
Earlier, Covina lightweight John Molina knocked out Mexico's Jose Antonio Izquierdo in the second round to improve to 20-1 with 16 KOs, saying "the internship is over, now I want to get to the top."
lance.pugmire@latimes.com
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
Source: latimes.com
The long-stagnant heavyweight division sprang to life Saturday as Riverside's Cris Arreola and Poland's Tomasz Adamek engaged in a compelling battle of slugging versus boxing, with the lighter Adamek edging out a majority decision.
Adamek was awarded a 115-113 advantage by judge Barry Druxman, a 117-111 score by Joseph Pasquale and judge Tony Crebs scored the bout 114-114.
Adamek (41-1) delivered a swollen face with his precision blows on Arreola's head, even as the Southern Californian's relentlessness and brawn proved impressive in the entertaining clash in front of 6,256 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario.
Arreola (28-2) hurt Adamek in the rounds he won, stunning the former two-division champion with an uppercut in the 10th, and twice in the fifth round, backing up the Pole with a hard left and right.
In the end, Arreola said he agreed with the decision, applauding as the final score was read.
"I had him in the fifth round," Arreola said. "I hurt my left hand in the fifth, but I kept going, but it hurt real bad. He has a hard head."
Arreola also said he endured some head butts and joked he "feels like … Shrek now."
Adamek's superior boxing ability allowed him to connect on 70 more punches than Arreola, snapping a scoring left to the face and consecutive combinations in the first and repeating the effort often through exchanges that elicited roars from a crowd thrilled not to be subjected to another one-sided Klitschko-involved bout.
"This was the toughest fight I've ever had," Adamek said in his third bout as a heavyweight after previously winning world light-heavyweight and cruiserweight belts. "This is why I feel I can be world champion."
Adamek dedicated the bout to his country's president and 95 others who perished in an airline crash this month.
Arreola consistently fought like he knew he could take the other guy's best punch, charging ahead in the second and hitting Adamek in the head with some big punches.
Adamek withstood the 33-pound weigh-in disadvantage by landing quick combinations, ducking out immediately afterward as Arreola charged forward in the third.
Adamek was showing pride in taking Arreola's punches until the fifth, when Arreola flung a left that sent Adamek reeling backward and clearly left him on guard. A big right by Arreola again backed up Adamek, but the ex-champ rallied by the bell with a good combination.
The scoring deserved questions. Judge Pasquale surprisingly differed with his peers in the sixth and 10th and Druxman surprisingly gave Adamek the first five rounds. Most ringside reporters had the fight scored as a draw, or a narrow margin either way.
The crowd booed Adamek before the sixth when he took an extended break to adjust his left shoe after being battered.
Arreola, vowing a renewed focus on fitness would help him better chase down Adamek, fulfilled his promise and forced the action, even if Adamek would meet him with scoring combinations at times. Arreola's faith in his chin was on display, and he even took to dancing a bit at the height of his success in the 11th.
In the co-main event, Coachella's Alfredo Angulo produced a superb effort in a tough WBO interim junior-middleweight fight against Colombia's Joel Julio, dropping Julio with a straight right he leaned into in the 11th round for a technical knockout triumph. Julio's right jaw and nose were belted by the blow, and when he struggled to get up, referee Raul Caiz Sr. stopped the bout at the 1:39 mark.
The three judges each had Angulo (18-1, 15 knockouts) ahead on their scorecards at the stoppage, although Angulo said afterward he thought he was trailing, and Julio said he believed he was winning.
"I made a mistake and I paid for it, but I was going to get up," Julio (35-4) said. "It was only one more round.
"They stopped the fight because this was [Angulo's] backyard."
Angulo disagreed: "If the referee let him continue, it'd be the same result."
Angulo started as the aggressor, sticking Julio with jabs, and delivering a hard combination and tough hook that backed up the Colombian. Angulo showed little bother to a nice combination by Julio in the second, backing him up again with a straight right.
Julio scored more in the third, and the fourth had moments of a slugfest, as each delivered one of their finest rights. Julio was showing more swagger, smiling at the bell after a scoring left.
Angulo's right eye started swelling in the fifth, and Julio landed a stinging left, but Angulo's determination remained strong.
The fight appeared dead even after six, as Angulo belted Julio on the ropes, flinched through a sensational exchange of combinations, then ended the round with two hard blows to Julio's body and two more to the head.
The pair swapped rounds again in the seventh and eighth, but Angulo's power edge defined the action, as he rocked Julio early in the eighth.
Julio sustained a cut over his right eye in the ninth, and started to look less energized after a nice left by Angulo and more scoring combinations. Julio's fresher 10th was muted by the deciding blow.
Earlier, Covina lightweight John Molina knocked out Mexico's Jose Antonio Izquierdo in the second round to improve to 20-1 with 16 KOs, saying "the internship is over, now I want to get to the top."
lance.pugmire@latimes.com
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
Source: latimes.com
Tomasz Adamek Out-Boxes Chris Arreola For Majority Decision -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Polish-born former light heavyweight (175 pounds) and cruiserweight (200 pounds) champion, Tomasz Adamek, of Jersey City, earned his 10th consecutive victory, and only his third as a heavyweight by majority decision in defense of his IBF International crown against Chris Arreola in Saturday night's HBO-televised main event at Citizen's Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.
The 33-year-old, 6-foot-2, Adamek improved to 41-1, with 27 KOs against the 6-4, 29-year-old Arreola (28-2, 25 KOs), of Riverside, Calif, who represented Adamek's most difficult challenge to date.
Joe Pasquale and Barry Druxman had it for Adamek, 117-111, and, 115-113, while judge Tony Crebs had it even at 114-114.
FanHouse had it for Adamek, 116-112.
"It was a tough fight. Chris Arreola prepared very good. He had good conditioning, but I was smarter, and I was faster, and that's how I won," said Adamek, who was out-weighed, 217-to-250, by Arreola, a man who tipped the scales at a career-high, 263-pounds for his last bout. "I was never hurt. I'm too quick. I have a tough chin."
Adamek had dedicated Saturday's bout to the 96 passengers and crew who died in last Saturday's plane crash in Russia near Smolensk, including Polish President, Lech Kaczynski, and several political, military and religious leaders.
Arreola was coming off of December's fourth-round knockout of Brian Minto (34-3, 21 KOs), whom he stopped for the first time in the latter's career. In September, Arreola, himself, was KO'd in the 10th-round by WBC champion, Vitali Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs).
Arreola was gracious in defeat, agreeing that the judges scored the fight correctly.
"First of all, I want to thank all of the Polish fans who came out to see the fight. You guys are great fans, and you have a great fighter in Tomasz Adamek," said Arreola. "And all of my Mexican fans, you have to give it up for Tomasz Adamek. He's a great [fighter.] But I came out and I blew my opportunity."
Adamek suffered his only loss in February 2007, when he was dethroned as WBC light heavyweight (175 pounds) champion by Chad Dawson.
"I didn't plan for this guy to beat my a**, but he beat me, man, he beat me," said Arreola. "He did what he wanted to do in the ring, and you know, everybody's got to be proud of him, and my hat's off to him."
Arreola said that he fought with an injured leftt hand in the fifth round, but fought on. He showed no signs of pain, however, until the 10th round, when his straight right hand landed on the crown of Adamek's head.
"It started earlier in the fifth round, but I kept going and going. But then, finally, in the 10th round, I hurt it really bad," said Arreola. "But in all honesty, man, he was the better fighter tonight, and he fought his gameplan to perfection."
Adamek debuted in boxing's largest division with October's fifth-round knockout of former world heavyweight title contender, Andrew Golota (41-8-1, 33 KOs), whom Adamek dropped in the first, and, fifth rounds, despite being out-weighed, 214-to-256.
"My dream is to win a championship in a third weight category, and I know that I will," said Adamek, who was a career-high 220 for his last fight, a Feb. 6, 12-round, unanimous decision over over former U.S. Olympian, Jason Estrada.
"My boss will enter into negotiations for a title fight, so, tomorrow, I'll think about that. But tonight, I won," said Adamek, who was out-weighed, 237-to-220.5, by Estrada. "I'm happy. And I want to thank all of the people who came to watch my fight. Thank you to everybody."
Adamek's 10-bout run includes six knockouts.
Arreola vs. Adamek
Round 1: The 6-foot-2 Adamek weighed in at 217 pounds -- 33 pounds less than the 250-pound, 6-4 Arreola. Adamek comes forward, jabbing lightly to the body. Arreola reaches with a jab and lands. Adamek tags Arreola twice to the body. Arreola backs up, which is not what he should be doing. Arreola reaches and misses with a right. Adamek clinches. Adamek jabs to the body. Tentative round by both fighters. Arreola misses with a right. Arreola fires three times to the body. Arreola moves in behind his jab. Adamek lands a right as does Arreola. A left lifts Adamek. Adamek jabs nicely. Adamek closes with a nice combination. Adamek's round, 10-9.
Round 2: Arreola still gives ground as Adamek paws with his jab. Arreola steps forward with his jab but they fall short. A left hook counters Adamek, and they trade right hands. Adamek's speed is apparent. Arreola tries and misses an overhand right over the jab. Arreola lands a nice right to the head, but Adamek comes back with his own. Adamek doubles on the jab. A nice, long right lands for Arreola, and another. Arreola's hard jab moves Adamek. The power of Arreola is apparent. Adamek lands a three-punch combination and moves away. A left hand by Arreola snaps back Adamek's head. Arreola's round, 10-9; Even, 19-19.
Round 3: Adamek stands his ground and lands three jabs. Adamek continues to out-speed Arreola, ending with a nice right to the body. Arreola lands one of two attempted jabs but takes a right. Arreola takes a one-two over his jab. Two jabs land for Arreola but Adamek moves away. Adamek's jab and a followup right land. Adamek clinches. A left lands for Adamek. Arreola is following. Arreola lands a left hook that moves Adamek, but Adamek gets off more. Arreola lands a nice left hook to the body, but Adamek, yet again, closes by out-working him with a three-punch combination. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 29-28.
Round 4: Adamek continues to get in and out, getting off and moving away. Arreola comes on with a nice right that may have hurt Adamek. Adamek takes another right hand. Adamek jabs and come with a three-punch combination. A nice right hand swivel's Arreola's head. A doluble-left hook lands for Adamek. Adamek is without his mouth piece, yet remains elusive. Adamek beats Arreola with a four-punch combination, but he takes three right hands before the bell, moving backward. Adamek may be shaken, even as he won the round. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 39-37.
Round 5: Adamek may be tempting fate by dropping his hands, even as Arreola's right eye is red and may be bleeding. Adamek continues to double and triple jab to the head and also to reach Arreola's body. Adamek wins an exchange against the slower Arreola. Adamek jabes twice but takes a right that forces him to clinch. Arreola clubs with two right hands that appear to hurt Adamek and have him trying to clinch. Adamek drives home a right cross but takes a left. Adamek clinches. Arreola's round, 10-9; Adamek 48-47.
Round 6: Adamek gets a respit as his corner is allowed about an extra minute to repair the sole of his apparently dislodged left shoe. Arreola presses, but Adamek moves away, jabbing as he goes. Adamek lands a one-two and escapes harm. A left hand lands for Arreola, who then, takes a three-punch combination. A right hand over the top lands for Adamek. There is a low blow warning given to Adamek. Adamek lands a left to the body and moves away. Referee says Arreola's left eye was cut by a head butt. Arreola steps up the pressure and lands through Adamek's combination, driving a right uppercut home in a neutral corner. Arreola's round, 10-9; Even, 57-57.
Round 7: Arreola's pressure is starting to pay off. Adamek peppers three shots to the body, but Arreola jabs and loads up and misses the right. A short left lands for Adamek, but he takes a right. Arreola's jab finds it's mark, as does a left over Adamek's left. A lull in the action. Arreola takes a left uppercut. Arreola may have given the round away based on inactivity, as Adamek closes strong. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 67-66.
Round 8: Adamek out-landed Arreola, 15-7, in round No. 7. Another clash of heads. Adamek fires a four-punch combination to the body and clinches. Adamek is out-landing Arreola, but not hurting him. He's simply out-working the larger man. A nice left-right jiggles Arreola's midsection. Arreola isn't getting off in close. Arreola jabs three times, missing twice, and also, failing to follow up with a right. Adamek is content to jab from a distance. A left hook lands for Adamek, as does a jab to the body. Inactivity, yet again, has allowed Adamek to pocket another round. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 77-75.
Round 9: Flurries and movement have given Adamek the edge over the larger man. Adamek takes a hard right early. He looks shaken, but he bravely continues to out-land Arreola, even though the blows are light but crisp. Another three-punch combination to the body by Adamek. Adamek clinches. Adamek jabs and moves away, then, lands an overhand right to the eye of Arreola. a nice jab to the body by Adamek, who then clinches. Adamek is simply out-boxing Arreola. Adamek's jab splits Arreola's guard. Arreola stops and stands in the final seconds, frustrated that Adamek won't stand and fight. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 87-84.
Round 10: Adamek has out-landed Arreola, 22-5, in power shots over the last three rounds. Arreola lands a solid hand that hurts Adamek. Another right hand shakes Adamek again. Referee warns for head butts. Adamek clinches. Still another right hand lands, forcing Adamek to clinch. Arreola winces as if he hurts his right hand and he backs off. arreola jabs and moves forward, landing a left-right combination. Arreola has stopped throwing the right hand,having hurt it on the top of Adamek's head. A jab lands for Arreola, but no right hand follow up is there. Adamek steps in and lands a right hand. Adamek fires a left and a right, but Arreola finally throws a left-right combination. Arreola's round, 10-9; Adamek, 96-94.
Round 11: Arreola shakes Adamek early with his right hand, pushing, apparently through the pain. Arreola has indicated to his corner that it is his right bicep, not his fist, that is hurting. Arreola catches Adamek with a right-left combination. A left hook lands for Arreola, who then backs off apparently in pain. Adamek steps in and lands to the body, but later, takes a left uppercut from Arreola. Adamek lands a three-punch combination. Arreola's right eye is cut, as is his left. Adamek surges late with a number of shots, and, enthusiastically raises his right hand skyward triumphantly. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 106-103.
Round 12: Adamek is on his bicycle to start the round and circles and jabs. Arreola lands a left, but Adamek fires a one-two over the top. Adamek digs three times to the body and clinches. Arreola can't catch the smaller man. A right hand over the top lands for Adamek, who then clinches. Adamek ducks under a right hand and clinches. Adamek fireds a right over the top and moves away. They clinch. Adamek will not engage over the final 28 seconds, even as Arreola beckons him forward. Bell sounds, both fighters raise their hands as if in victory. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 116-112.
ADAMEK WINS A MAJORITY DECISION, 117-111, 115-113, AND, 1114-114, RESPECTIVELY, ON THE CARDS OF JOE PASQUALE, BARRY DRUXMAN, AND, TONY CREBS.
FanHouse has it for Adamek, 116-112.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Polish-born former light heavyweight (175 pounds) and cruiserweight (200 pounds) champion, Tomasz Adamek, of Jersey City, earned his 10th consecutive victory, and only his third as a heavyweight by majority decision in defense of his IBF International crown against Chris Arreola in Saturday night's HBO-televised main event at Citizen's Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.
The 33-year-old, 6-foot-2, Adamek improved to 41-1, with 27 KOs against the 6-4, 29-year-old Arreola (28-2, 25 KOs), of Riverside, Calif, who represented Adamek's most difficult challenge to date.
Joe Pasquale and Barry Druxman had it for Adamek, 117-111, and, 115-113, while judge Tony Crebs had it even at 114-114.
FanHouse had it for Adamek, 116-112.
"It was a tough fight. Chris Arreola prepared very good. He had good conditioning, but I was smarter, and I was faster, and that's how I won," said Adamek, who was out-weighed, 217-to-250, by Arreola, a man who tipped the scales at a career-high, 263-pounds for his last bout. "I was never hurt. I'm too quick. I have a tough chin."
Adamek had dedicated Saturday's bout to the 96 passengers and crew who died in last Saturday's plane crash in Russia near Smolensk, including Polish President, Lech Kaczynski, and several political, military and religious leaders.
Arreola was coming off of December's fourth-round knockout of Brian Minto (34-3, 21 KOs), whom he stopped for the first time in the latter's career. In September, Arreola, himself, was KO'd in the 10th-round by WBC champion, Vitali Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs).
Arreola was gracious in defeat, agreeing that the judges scored the fight correctly.
"First of all, I want to thank all of the Polish fans who came out to see the fight. You guys are great fans, and you have a great fighter in Tomasz Adamek," said Arreola. "And all of my Mexican fans, you have to give it up for Tomasz Adamek. He's a great [fighter.] But I came out and I blew my opportunity."
Adamek suffered his only loss in February 2007, when he was dethroned as WBC light heavyweight (175 pounds) champion by Chad Dawson.
"I didn't plan for this guy to beat my a**, but he beat me, man, he beat me," said Arreola. "He did what he wanted to do in the ring, and you know, everybody's got to be proud of him, and my hat's off to him."
Arreola said that he fought with an injured leftt hand in the fifth round, but fought on. He showed no signs of pain, however, until the 10th round, when his straight right hand landed on the crown of Adamek's head.
"It started earlier in the fifth round, but I kept going and going. But then, finally, in the 10th round, I hurt it really bad," said Arreola. "But in all honesty, man, he was the better fighter tonight, and he fought his gameplan to perfection."
Adamek debuted in boxing's largest division with October's fifth-round knockout of former world heavyweight title contender, Andrew Golota (41-8-1, 33 KOs), whom Adamek dropped in the first, and, fifth rounds, despite being out-weighed, 214-to-256.
"My dream is to win a championship in a third weight category, and I know that I will," said Adamek, who was a career-high 220 for his last fight, a Feb. 6, 12-round, unanimous decision over over former U.S. Olympian, Jason Estrada.
"My boss will enter into negotiations for a title fight, so, tomorrow, I'll think about that. But tonight, I won," said Adamek, who was out-weighed, 237-to-220.5, by Estrada. "I'm happy. And I want to thank all of the people who came to watch my fight. Thank you to everybody."
Adamek's 10-bout run includes six knockouts.
Arreola vs. Adamek
Round 1: The 6-foot-2 Adamek weighed in at 217 pounds -- 33 pounds less than the 250-pound, 6-4 Arreola. Adamek comes forward, jabbing lightly to the body. Arreola reaches with a jab and lands. Adamek tags Arreola twice to the body. Arreola backs up, which is not what he should be doing. Arreola reaches and misses with a right. Adamek clinches. Adamek jabs to the body. Tentative round by both fighters. Arreola misses with a right. Arreola fires three times to the body. Arreola moves in behind his jab. Adamek lands a right as does Arreola. A left lifts Adamek. Adamek jabs nicely. Adamek closes with a nice combination. Adamek's round, 10-9.
Round 2: Arreola still gives ground as Adamek paws with his jab. Arreola steps forward with his jab but they fall short. A left hook counters Adamek, and they trade right hands. Adamek's speed is apparent. Arreola tries and misses an overhand right over the jab. Arreola lands a nice right to the head, but Adamek comes back with his own. Adamek doubles on the jab. A nice, long right lands for Arreola, and another. Arreola's hard jab moves Adamek. The power of Arreola is apparent. Adamek lands a three-punch combination and moves away. A left hand by Arreola snaps back Adamek's head. Arreola's round, 10-9; Even, 19-19.
Round 3: Adamek stands his ground and lands three jabs. Adamek continues to out-speed Arreola, ending with a nice right to the body. Arreola lands one of two attempted jabs but takes a right. Arreola takes a one-two over his jab. Two jabs land for Arreola but Adamek moves away. Adamek's jab and a followup right land. Adamek clinches. A left lands for Adamek. Arreola is following. Arreola lands a left hook that moves Adamek, but Adamek gets off more. Arreola lands a nice left hook to the body, but Adamek, yet again, closes by out-working him with a three-punch combination. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 29-28.
Round 4: Adamek continues to get in and out, getting off and moving away. Arreola comes on with a nice right that may have hurt Adamek. Adamek takes another right hand. Adamek jabs and come with a three-punch combination. A nice right hand swivel's Arreola's head. A doluble-left hook lands for Adamek. Adamek is without his mouth piece, yet remains elusive. Adamek beats Arreola with a four-punch combination, but he takes three right hands before the bell, moving backward. Adamek may be shaken, even as he won the round. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 39-37.
Round 5: Adamek may be tempting fate by dropping his hands, even as Arreola's right eye is red and may be bleeding. Adamek continues to double and triple jab to the head and also to reach Arreola's body. Adamek wins an exchange against the slower Arreola. Adamek jabes twice but takes a right that forces him to clinch. Arreola clubs with two right hands that appear to hurt Adamek and have him trying to clinch. Adamek drives home a right cross but takes a left. Adamek clinches. Arreola's round, 10-9; Adamek 48-47.
Round 6: Adamek gets a respit as his corner is allowed about an extra minute to repair the sole of his apparently dislodged left shoe. Arreola presses, but Adamek moves away, jabbing as he goes. Adamek lands a one-two and escapes harm. A left hand lands for Arreola, who then, takes a three-punch combination. A right hand over the top lands for Adamek. There is a low blow warning given to Adamek. Adamek lands a left to the body and moves away. Referee says Arreola's left eye was cut by a head butt. Arreola steps up the pressure and lands through Adamek's combination, driving a right uppercut home in a neutral corner. Arreola's round, 10-9; Even, 57-57.
Round 7: Arreola's pressure is starting to pay off. Adamek peppers three shots to the body, but Arreola jabs and loads up and misses the right. A short left lands for Adamek, but he takes a right. Arreola's jab finds it's mark, as does a left over Adamek's left. A lull in the action. Arreola takes a left uppercut. Arreola may have given the round away based on inactivity, as Adamek closes strong. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 67-66.
Round 8: Adamek out-landed Arreola, 15-7, in round No. 7. Another clash of heads. Adamek fires a four-punch combination to the body and clinches. Adamek is out-landing Arreola, but not hurting him. He's simply out-working the larger man. A nice left-right jiggles Arreola's midsection. Arreola isn't getting off in close. Arreola jabs three times, missing twice, and also, failing to follow up with a right. Adamek is content to jab from a distance. A left hook lands for Adamek, as does a jab to the body. Inactivity, yet again, has allowed Adamek to pocket another round. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 77-75.
Round 9: Flurries and movement have given Adamek the edge over the larger man. Adamek takes a hard right early. He looks shaken, but he bravely continues to out-land Arreola, even though the blows are light but crisp. Another three-punch combination to the body by Adamek. Adamek clinches. Adamek jabs and moves away, then, lands an overhand right to the eye of Arreola. a nice jab to the body by Adamek, who then clinches. Adamek is simply out-boxing Arreola. Adamek's jab splits Arreola's guard. Arreola stops and stands in the final seconds, frustrated that Adamek won't stand and fight. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 87-84.
Round 10: Adamek has out-landed Arreola, 22-5, in power shots over the last three rounds. Arreola lands a solid hand that hurts Adamek. Another right hand shakes Adamek again. Referee warns for head butts. Adamek clinches. Still another right hand lands, forcing Adamek to clinch. Arreola winces as if he hurts his right hand and he backs off. arreola jabs and moves forward, landing a left-right combination. Arreola has stopped throwing the right hand,having hurt it on the top of Adamek's head. A jab lands for Arreola, but no right hand follow up is there. Adamek steps in and lands a right hand. Adamek fires a left and a right, but Arreola finally throws a left-right combination. Arreola's round, 10-9; Adamek, 96-94.
Round 11: Arreola shakes Adamek early with his right hand, pushing, apparently through the pain. Arreola has indicated to his corner that it is his right bicep, not his fist, that is hurting. Arreola catches Adamek with a right-left combination. A left hook lands for Arreola, who then backs off apparently in pain. Adamek steps in and lands to the body, but later, takes a left uppercut from Arreola. Adamek lands a three-punch combination. Arreola's right eye is cut, as is his left. Adamek surges late with a number of shots, and, enthusiastically raises his right hand skyward triumphantly. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 106-103.
Round 12: Adamek is on his bicycle to start the round and circles and jabs. Arreola lands a left, but Adamek fires a one-two over the top. Adamek digs three times to the body and clinches. Arreola can't catch the smaller man. A right hand over the top lands for Adamek, who then clinches. Adamek ducks under a right hand and clinches. Adamek fireds a right over the top and moves away. They clinch. Adamek will not engage over the final 28 seconds, even as Arreola beckons him forward. Bell sounds, both fighters raise their hands as if in victory. Adamek's round, 10-9; Adamek, 116-112.
ADAMEK WINS A MAJORITY DECISION, 117-111, 115-113, AND, 1114-114, RESPECTIVELY, ON THE CARDS OF JOE PASQUALE, BARRY DRUXMAN, AND, TONY CREBS.
FanHouse has it for Adamek, 116-112.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Adamek beats Arreola by majority decision in Ontario -- Los Angeles Daily News
By Robert Morales, Los Angeles Daily News
ONTARIO - Dan Goossen and Kathy Duva, the respective promoters of Chris Arreola and Tomasz Adamek, agreed this week that the loser of Saturday's showdown between the heavyweight contenders would not be out of the title picture.
But a victory was probably more necessary for Arreola than for Adamek because Arreola already lost one bid for a championship when he was stopped after 10 rounds by Vitali Klitschko last September.
Adamek could afford a loss more because the former light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion only had two heavyweight fights going in.
Well, after 12 thrilling rounds, Adamek won a majority decision, much to the chagrin of thousands of Arreola fans at Citizens Business Bank Arena who roundly booed the decision. Tony Crebbs scored it even, 114-114; Barry Druxman gave it to Adamek, 115-113; and Joseph Pasquale had Adamek winning, 117-111.
Arreola's face did appear more battered than Adamek's. He was also cut over the left eye with an accidental head-butt.
There were no knockdowns.
"I agree with the decision," Arreola said. "Adamek did what he wanted, I did what I wanted. I thought I had him in the fifth round (when he sent Adamek reeling with a stiff jab).
"He head-butted me a lot. I got buzzed by his head-butts. He beat me. I hurt my hand in the fifth round, my left hand. But I kept going. After the ninth or 10 th, I hurt it real bad again."
Adamek dedicated this fight to Polish president Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria and several other of the country's high-ranking politicians who lost their lives in a plane crach April 10.
"This was for me the toughest fight I ever fight," said Adamek, who had hundreds of Polish fans in the stands. "This is why I believe I can be world champion."
Through nine rounds, the fight appeared very close, although Arreola had twice sent Adamek reeling with tremendous jabs.
Adamek (41-1) had fought plenty through six rounds, but he spent much of rounds 7, 8 and 9 running quite a bit. He landed punches, but his antics caused Arreola to stop and shake his head as if to say, 'Come on."
Arreola (28-2) came charging at Adamek in the 10 th and landed several hard punches to the head. An uppercut seemed to make Adamek's eyes go funny, but he stayed on his feet. Adamek fought back gallantly, but it was Arreola's round.
Arreola stunned Adamek again in the 11 th round, but Adamek - showing uncanny mettle - definitely won the second half of the round over an Arreola that appeared very tired.
At round's end, the hundreds of Polish fans and thousands of Arreola's fans cheered wildly as they were being treated to a rare spectacular fight in what used to be boxing's bread-and-butter division.
The first two rounds appeared very close, but Adamek seemed to be the clear winner in the third round. He would land a clean right cross, then quickly get out of harm's way. Adamek landed a couple of crisp jabs and a short left hook. Arreola countered with a right-left combination, but it was not enough to steal the round.
Arreola came back and seemed to win the fourth round, although it was close. He landed a couple of hard punches early in the round, but Adamek came back and landed three shots to the face of Arreola. Arreola was not fazed, but Adamek was boxing well.
Arreola sent Adamek reeling across the ring and into the ropes with a Larry Holmes-type left jab midway through the fifth round. Arreola went after Adamek, but wasn't able to do much more damage. Adamek, showing significant courage, came back in the tail end of the round to land a couple of solid blows.
Arreola again hurt Adamek with two telephone-pole jabs in the sixth, sending Adamek stumbling in reverse and Arreola's fans into a frenzy. Adamek, however, retailiated with a nice combination to the head.
Adamek was warned for hitting low in the round, and Arreola sustained a cut near his left eye as the result of an acccidental head-butt.
Arreola wasn't able to get much going in the seventh round and Adamek landed a clean left hook to the head. It didn't bother Arreola, but it scored.
robert.morales@presstelegram.com
Source: dailynews.com
ONTARIO - Dan Goossen and Kathy Duva, the respective promoters of Chris Arreola and Tomasz Adamek, agreed this week that the loser of Saturday's showdown between the heavyweight contenders would not be out of the title picture.
But a victory was probably more necessary for Arreola than for Adamek because Arreola already lost one bid for a championship when he was stopped after 10 rounds by Vitali Klitschko last September.
Adamek could afford a loss more because the former light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion only had two heavyweight fights going in.
Well, after 12 thrilling rounds, Adamek won a majority decision, much to the chagrin of thousands of Arreola fans at Citizens Business Bank Arena who roundly booed the decision. Tony Crebbs scored it even, 114-114; Barry Druxman gave it to Adamek, 115-113; and Joseph Pasquale had Adamek winning, 117-111.
Arreola's face did appear more battered than Adamek's. He was also cut over the left eye with an accidental head-butt.
There were no knockdowns.
"I agree with the decision," Arreola said. "Adamek did what he wanted, I did what I wanted. I thought I had him in the fifth round (when he sent Adamek reeling with a stiff jab).
"He head-butted me a lot. I got buzzed by his head-butts. He beat me. I hurt my hand in the fifth round, my left hand. But I kept going. After the ninth or 10 th, I hurt it real bad again."
Adamek dedicated this fight to Polish president Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria and several other of the country's high-ranking politicians who lost their lives in a plane crach April 10.
"This was for me the toughest fight I ever fight," said Adamek, who had hundreds of Polish fans in the stands. "This is why I believe I can be world champion."
Through nine rounds, the fight appeared very close, although Arreola had twice sent Adamek reeling with tremendous jabs.
Adamek (41-1) had fought plenty through six rounds, but he spent much of rounds 7, 8 and 9 running quite a bit. He landed punches, but his antics caused Arreola to stop and shake his head as if to say, 'Come on."
Arreola (28-2) came charging at Adamek in the 10 th and landed several hard punches to the head. An uppercut seemed to make Adamek's eyes go funny, but he stayed on his feet. Adamek fought back gallantly, but it was Arreola's round.
Arreola stunned Adamek again in the 11 th round, but Adamek - showing uncanny mettle - definitely won the second half of the round over an Arreola that appeared very tired.
At round's end, the hundreds of Polish fans and thousands of Arreola's fans cheered wildly as they were being treated to a rare spectacular fight in what used to be boxing's bread-and-butter division.
The first two rounds appeared very close, but Adamek seemed to be the clear winner in the third round. He would land a clean right cross, then quickly get out of harm's way. Adamek landed a couple of crisp jabs and a short left hook. Arreola countered with a right-left combination, but it was not enough to steal the round.
Arreola came back and seemed to win the fourth round, although it was close. He landed a couple of hard punches early in the round, but Adamek came back and landed three shots to the face of Arreola. Arreola was not fazed, but Adamek was boxing well.
Arreola sent Adamek reeling across the ring and into the ropes with a Larry Holmes-type left jab midway through the fifth round. Arreola went after Adamek, but wasn't able to do much more damage. Adamek, showing significant courage, came back in the tail end of the round to land a couple of solid blows.
Arreola again hurt Adamek with two telephone-pole jabs in the sixth, sending Adamek stumbling in reverse and Arreola's fans into a frenzy. Adamek, however, retailiated with a nice combination to the head.
Adamek was warned for hitting low in the round, and Arreola sustained a cut near his left eye as the result of an acccidental head-butt.
Arreola wasn't able to get much going in the seventh round and Adamek landed a clean left hook to the head. It didn't bother Arreola, but it scored.
robert.morales@presstelegram.com
Source: dailynews.com
Brähmer punishes Plotinsky -- FightNews
By Karl Freitag, FightNews.com
WBO light heavyweight world champion Jürgen Brähmer (36-2, 29 KOs) dominated #8 rated Mariano Nicolas Plotinsky (16-4, 8 KOs) and got the stoppage in round five on Saturday night’s “Universum Champions Night” event at the Sporthalle Hamburg. Brähmer floored Plotinsky at the end of round one and battered Pliotinky mercilessly until the bout was waved off by referee Paul Thomas at 2:36 of the fifth. It was Brähmer’s second successful world title defense.
In an all action female world title fight, undefeated WBA, WBO and WIBF flyweight champion “Killer Queen” Susi Kentikian (27-0, 16 KOs) won a controversial split decision over previously unbeaten WIBA titleholder Nadia “The Beauty Beast” Raoui (11-1-1, 3 KOs). Kentikian was ahead 96-94, 96-95 on two cards, Raoui was ahead 96-94 on the other card.
Amateur world champion “Golden Jack” Culcay moved to 3-0 with 2 KOs as a pro with an impressive first round demolition of late sub Sylvestre Marianini (8-22-3, 2 KOs) in a jr middleweight bout. A barrage of punches prompted the stoppage at 2:27.
Olympic gold medalist Rakhim Chakkiev (5-0, 5 KOs) continued his rapid rise with an explosive 82-second annihilation of Slavomir Selicky (15-7-1, 6 KOs) in a cruiserweight clash. Selicky was remained on the canvas some time.
In a shocker, journeyman jr middleweight Jurijs Boreiko (17-21-1, 13 KOs) stopped previouly unbeaten Arthur Matern (4-1, 3 KOs). Boreiko floored Matern hard at the end of round two and Matern remained on his stool when the next round began.
In a clash of heavyweight prospects, Christian Hammer (6-1, 3 KOs) won a six round unanimous decision over (6-2, 3 KOs) by scores 58-56, 59-57, 58-56.
Unbeaten welterweight Antonio Moscatiello (8-0, 7 KOs) needed just 71 seconds to demilish Yacine Medjou (4-5-2, 2 KOs).
Source: fightnews.com
WBO light heavyweight world champion Jürgen Brähmer (36-2, 29 KOs) dominated #8 rated Mariano Nicolas Plotinsky (16-4, 8 KOs) and got the stoppage in round five on Saturday night’s “Universum Champions Night” event at the Sporthalle Hamburg. Brähmer floored Plotinsky at the end of round one and battered Pliotinky mercilessly until the bout was waved off by referee Paul Thomas at 2:36 of the fifth. It was Brähmer’s second successful world title defense.
In an all action female world title fight, undefeated WBA, WBO and WIBF flyweight champion “Killer Queen” Susi Kentikian (27-0, 16 KOs) won a controversial split decision over previously unbeaten WIBA titleholder Nadia “The Beauty Beast” Raoui (11-1-1, 3 KOs). Kentikian was ahead 96-94, 96-95 on two cards, Raoui was ahead 96-94 on the other card.
Amateur world champion “Golden Jack” Culcay moved to 3-0 with 2 KOs as a pro with an impressive first round demolition of late sub Sylvestre Marianini (8-22-3, 2 KOs) in a jr middleweight bout. A barrage of punches prompted the stoppage at 2:27.
Olympic gold medalist Rakhim Chakkiev (5-0, 5 KOs) continued his rapid rise with an explosive 82-second annihilation of Slavomir Selicky (15-7-1, 6 KOs) in a cruiserweight clash. Selicky was remained on the canvas some time.
In a shocker, journeyman jr middleweight Jurijs Boreiko (17-21-1, 13 KOs) stopped previouly unbeaten Arthur Matern (4-1, 3 KOs). Boreiko floored Matern hard at the end of round two and Matern remained on his stool when the next round began.
In a clash of heavyweight prospects, Christian Hammer (6-1, 3 KOs) won a six round unanimous decision over (6-2, 3 KOs) by scores 58-56, 59-57, 58-56.
Unbeaten welterweight Antonio Moscatiello (8-0, 7 KOs) needed just 71 seconds to demilish Yacine Medjou (4-5-2, 2 KOs).
Source: fightnews.com
Kentikian Wins Highly Controversial Decision Over Raoui, Brähmer Dominates Plotinsky -- Eastside Boxing
Eastside Boxing
Susi Kentikian (27-0, 16 KOs) won a controversial split decision over Nadia Raoui (11-1-1, 3 KOs) at the Sporthalle in Hamburg, Germany tonight. Kentikian was out punched and out landed in most of the rounds by Raoui's clean effective shots. The judges scored the fight 96-94, 96-95 for Kentikian and 96-94 for Raoui. East Side Boxing scored the fight 97-93 for Raoui.
WBO light heavyweight world champion Jürgen Brähmer (36-2, 29 KOs) stopped Nicolas Plotinsky (16-4, 8 KOs) in five rounds in the co-main event. Brähmer floored Plotinsky at the end of the first round and battered his completely overmatched opponent for the rest of the fight until the bout was waved off by referee Paul Thomas.
Jack Culcay improved his record to 3-0 with 2 KOs with a first round KO of Sylvestre Marianini (8-22-3, 2 KOs).
Olympic gold medalist Rakhim Chakhiev (5-0, 5 KOs) knocked out Slavomir Selicky (15-7-1, 6 KOs) in the first round.
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Susi Kentikian (27-0, 16 KOs) won a controversial split decision over Nadia Raoui (11-1-1, 3 KOs) at the Sporthalle in Hamburg, Germany tonight. Kentikian was out punched and out landed in most of the rounds by Raoui's clean effective shots. The judges scored the fight 96-94, 96-95 for Kentikian and 96-94 for Raoui. East Side Boxing scored the fight 97-93 for Raoui.
WBO light heavyweight world champion Jürgen Brähmer (36-2, 29 KOs) stopped Nicolas Plotinsky (16-4, 8 KOs) in five rounds in the co-main event. Brähmer floored Plotinsky at the end of the first round and battered his completely overmatched opponent for the rest of the fight until the bout was waved off by referee Paul Thomas.
Jack Culcay improved his record to 3-0 with 2 KOs with a first round KO of Sylvestre Marianini (8-22-3, 2 KOs).
Olympic gold medalist Rakhim Chakhiev (5-0, 5 KOs) knocked out Slavomir Selicky (15-7-1, 6 KOs) in the first round.
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Adamek Gets Majority Win Over Arreola -- The Sweet Science
By Michael Woods, The Sweet Science
Another week, another reason to laud the judges. What a stunning streak they're on, seven days after they got it right in the Sergio Martinez-Kelly Pavlik rumble. After a tight main event between Cris Arreola and Tomasz Adamek at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, Californa on Saturday night, the judges turned in cards of 114-114, 115-113, 117-111, and declared Adamek, decisively not the hometowner, the winner.
The Pole used a brain-based strategy, as he strafed Arreola, and hustled out of range as much as possible, enroute to the win. Adamek got buzzed sveral times, and the Arreola fans thought an edge in power shots would give their guy the nod.
Arreola (age 29; from Riverside, CA; 28-1 with 25 Kos entering) weighed 250 1/2 pounds, while Adamek (age 33; from Poland, living in New Jersey; ex light heavy and cruiserweight champion; 40-1 with 27 KOs entering) was 217.
Tony Crebs, Barry Druxman and Jerry Pasquale were the judges, and Jack Reiss was the referee in this HBO Boxing After Dark feature attraction.
In the first, we saw Adamek would be throwing jabs and following with rights to the soft midsection. A left hook touched Arreola, and then Arreola did the same. Adamek had Arreola looking a little tentative and backing up more than some would've expected. In the second, Adamek landed a combo and an Arreola counter scored. Movement worked for Adamek; he popped a jab, stepped left, rinse and repeat. In the third, Adamek's gameplan, get off, and get out, was on target. Adamek was buzzed early in the fourth, but he won the last three quarters. In the fifth, Adamek got wobbled with a minute left. Was being the smaller man getting to him? FYI The rubber sole on the bottom of Adamek's right boot was coming off, and was taped on after the round. Adamek's lack of bigtime pop in this weigh class hurt him by now, as Arreola just didn't fear the Pole's launches. Adamek got back in it in the seventh and eighth. Arreola showed frustration when the Pole scooted out of range, instead of tracking him down and bullying him. Harold Lederman saw it even through eight, while TSS-EM had Adamek ahead a few points. Side note: people think Arreola comes in too heavy, his people say yes he's big, but physique is overrated. I think he carries too much weight up top, that he's top heavy, and I think it affects his balance.
In the ninth, once again the absence of an Arreola effective jab stood out. At the end of the round, he pouted because Adamek wasn't standing and trading. Useless, and immature. The game is boxing, not fighting, and Adamek was outboxing Arreola, and he pouted, instead of tweaking his strategy, and upping his aggression. In the 10th, Arreola, his left eye swollen, hurt the Pole with a right. But then he threw it again, and winced. The ref asked him if he was OK, and he nodded yes. "We need these last two rounds," Arreola's corner told him. A right tickled the Pole to start the 11th. Adamek came back in the last two thirds, probably stealing it. Arreola's face looked a mess, as a cut dripped on the bridge of his nose. His corner asked him how his hand was, if he could go one more round, and he said yes. In the 12th, Adamek scored some combos, Arreola wanted that home run ball. No dice. We'd rely on the cards. Both men raised their hands, indicating a belief that they'd won. Lederman saw it 116-112, same card as mine.
The stats: 197-631 for Adamek, 127-532 for Arreola. "I'm faster, I'm smarter, and I win," he said in English. He said Arreola never hurt him. He said he wanted a title crack next, but didn't name a target. Arreola said the judges got it right, and admitted the Pole got the better of him. He said he hurt his left hand around the fifth. "He was the better fighter tonight and he fought his gameplan to perfection," the loser said.
In the TV opener, Alfredo "Perro: Angulo (17-1 entering; from Mexicali, Mexico, living in LA; age 27; 153 3/4, 167 tonight; ) met Colombian Joe Julio (age 25; 153 1/4, 166 tonight; ) in a defense of his WBO interim junior welterweight crown. Word was rampant coming in that Angulo was having waaay too much trouble making weight. He was almost two hours late for the weigh in, and blamed traffic for the tardiness. We would see how much energy he had in his tank, or if he wasn't fibbing when he said making weight was no large feat for him.
In the first, Perro came out warm, and winging it. Julio stayed in motion, moving to his left. He looked to drop a hook on the Mexican. Julio's jab didn't have much pop, so Angulo didn't fear stalking the challenger. Angulo clanged with a right cross at the 50 second mark, his best blow to that point. In the third, Julio boxed better. He was first more, and made Angulo back up some. The Colombian's confidence was soaring. The middle rounds unfolded much the same way. We wondered if Angulo could or would do a better job cutting off the ring, if Julio's energy would lag. Angulo was a step behind much of the time, but it's not as if Julio's ring generalship was so stellar that he'd necessarily be impressing the judges. Neither man impressed in the accuracy department, so who knows what the judges were seeing.
In the seventh, Julio kept the feet moving for the better part of the round. He ate the occasional right, but nothing he couldn't shrug off. In the ninth, a cut formed over Angulo's right eye. It came from a punch, for the record. Julio had a slice underneath his right eyebrow, but neither slice looked to be too worrisome. Angulo hustled more in the tenth, advancing quickly at Julio. A right hand in the 11th dropped Julio, and he stood up, but he was wobbly. Ref Raul Caiz waved the bout to a halt. The time of the stoppage was 1:39.
The finishing sequence: Angulo feinted a jab, Julio threw his own slow jab, and Angulo came over the top with a crackerjack right. It landed on the nose, mouth and chin.
Angulo went 167-880, a sad percentage, to Julio's 175-762, almost as bad.
Source: thesweetscience.com
Another week, another reason to laud the judges. What a stunning streak they're on, seven days after they got it right in the Sergio Martinez-Kelly Pavlik rumble. After a tight main event between Cris Arreola and Tomasz Adamek at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, Californa on Saturday night, the judges turned in cards of 114-114, 115-113, 117-111, and declared Adamek, decisively not the hometowner, the winner.
The Pole used a brain-based strategy, as he strafed Arreola, and hustled out of range as much as possible, enroute to the win. Adamek got buzzed sveral times, and the Arreola fans thought an edge in power shots would give their guy the nod.
Arreola (age 29; from Riverside, CA; 28-1 with 25 Kos entering) weighed 250 1/2 pounds, while Adamek (age 33; from Poland, living in New Jersey; ex light heavy and cruiserweight champion; 40-1 with 27 KOs entering) was 217.
Tony Crebs, Barry Druxman and Jerry Pasquale were the judges, and Jack Reiss was the referee in this HBO Boxing After Dark feature attraction.
In the first, we saw Adamek would be throwing jabs and following with rights to the soft midsection. A left hook touched Arreola, and then Arreola did the same. Adamek had Arreola looking a little tentative and backing up more than some would've expected. In the second, Adamek landed a combo and an Arreola counter scored. Movement worked for Adamek; he popped a jab, stepped left, rinse and repeat. In the third, Adamek's gameplan, get off, and get out, was on target. Adamek was buzzed early in the fourth, but he won the last three quarters. In the fifth, Adamek got wobbled with a minute left. Was being the smaller man getting to him? FYI The rubber sole on the bottom of Adamek's right boot was coming off, and was taped on after the round. Adamek's lack of bigtime pop in this weigh class hurt him by now, as Arreola just didn't fear the Pole's launches. Adamek got back in it in the seventh and eighth. Arreola showed frustration when the Pole scooted out of range, instead of tracking him down and bullying him. Harold Lederman saw it even through eight, while TSS-EM had Adamek ahead a few points. Side note: people think Arreola comes in too heavy, his people say yes he's big, but physique is overrated. I think he carries too much weight up top, that he's top heavy, and I think it affects his balance.
In the ninth, once again the absence of an Arreola effective jab stood out. At the end of the round, he pouted because Adamek wasn't standing and trading. Useless, and immature. The game is boxing, not fighting, and Adamek was outboxing Arreola, and he pouted, instead of tweaking his strategy, and upping his aggression. In the 10th, Arreola, his left eye swollen, hurt the Pole with a right. But then he threw it again, and winced. The ref asked him if he was OK, and he nodded yes. "We need these last two rounds," Arreola's corner told him. A right tickled the Pole to start the 11th. Adamek came back in the last two thirds, probably stealing it. Arreola's face looked a mess, as a cut dripped on the bridge of his nose. His corner asked him how his hand was, if he could go one more round, and he said yes. In the 12th, Adamek scored some combos, Arreola wanted that home run ball. No dice. We'd rely on the cards. Both men raised their hands, indicating a belief that they'd won. Lederman saw it 116-112, same card as mine.
The stats: 197-631 for Adamek, 127-532 for Arreola. "I'm faster, I'm smarter, and I win," he said in English. He said Arreola never hurt him. He said he wanted a title crack next, but didn't name a target. Arreola said the judges got it right, and admitted the Pole got the better of him. He said he hurt his left hand around the fifth. "He was the better fighter tonight and he fought his gameplan to perfection," the loser said.
In the TV opener, Alfredo "Perro: Angulo (17-1 entering; from Mexicali, Mexico, living in LA; age 27; 153 3/4, 167 tonight; ) met Colombian Joe Julio (age 25; 153 1/4, 166 tonight; ) in a defense of his WBO interim junior welterweight crown. Word was rampant coming in that Angulo was having waaay too much trouble making weight. He was almost two hours late for the weigh in, and blamed traffic for the tardiness. We would see how much energy he had in his tank, or if he wasn't fibbing when he said making weight was no large feat for him.
In the first, Perro came out warm, and winging it. Julio stayed in motion, moving to his left. He looked to drop a hook on the Mexican. Julio's jab didn't have much pop, so Angulo didn't fear stalking the challenger. Angulo clanged with a right cross at the 50 second mark, his best blow to that point. In the third, Julio boxed better. He was first more, and made Angulo back up some. The Colombian's confidence was soaring. The middle rounds unfolded much the same way. We wondered if Angulo could or would do a better job cutting off the ring, if Julio's energy would lag. Angulo was a step behind much of the time, but it's not as if Julio's ring generalship was so stellar that he'd necessarily be impressing the judges. Neither man impressed in the accuracy department, so who knows what the judges were seeing.
In the seventh, Julio kept the feet moving for the better part of the round. He ate the occasional right, but nothing he couldn't shrug off. In the ninth, a cut formed over Angulo's right eye. It came from a punch, for the record. Julio had a slice underneath his right eyebrow, but neither slice looked to be too worrisome. Angulo hustled more in the tenth, advancing quickly at Julio. A right hand in the 11th dropped Julio, and he stood up, but he was wobbly. Ref Raul Caiz waved the bout to a halt. The time of the stoppage was 1:39.
The finishing sequence: Angulo feinted a jab, Julio threw his own slow jab, and Angulo came over the top with a crackerjack right. It landed on the nose, mouth and chin.
Angulo went 167-880, a sad percentage, to Julio's 175-762, almost as bad.
Source: thesweetscience.com
Angulo stops Julio in 11th round -- Associated Press
By GREG BEACHAM, The Associated Press
ONTARIO, Calif. — Alfredo "Perro" Angulo stopped Joel Julio with a right cross midway through the 11th round to retain the WBO interim 154-pound title Saturday night.
Angulo (18-1, 15 KOs) dramatically ended a highly competitive fight with one perfect blow to Julio's chin, sending his Colombian opponent tumbling to the canvas. Although Julio (35-4) shakily got back up and wanted to keep fighting, referee Raul Caiz stopped the bout at 1:39 of the 11th.
"Joel never hurt me," Angulo said. "I know he has power, but it is really hard to hit Perro."
Angulo earned his third straight victory after his only defeat against Kermit Cintron last May, while Julio lost for the third time in four bouts despite causing plenty of trouble for Angulo in a fight filled with damaging blows by both boxers.
Julio was furious afterward, saying Angulo was favored because he lives in California.
"I made a mistake, and I paid for it, but I was going to get up," Julio said, mistakenly claiming he was ahead on the judges' scorecards. "I would have fought on. There was only one more round. Angulo was tired. They stopped the fight too early. I don't like what's going on. I don't like it at all. They're doing this because I would have won by decision."
Angulo was narrowly ahead on all three judges' cards, and The Associated Press had Angulo leading 96-94 entering the 11th. The punch statistics were remarkably even, with Julio throwing 118 fewer punches but connecting with a higher percentage.
Angulo landed a big right hand in the second round for the fight's first damaging punch, but Julio put Angulo on his heels in a dominating third round. Angulo rallied even while Julio caused swelling near Angulo's right eye with a big left hook in the fifth.
Angulo was slightly more aggressive than the counterpunching Julio, consistently attacking and peppering the Colombian with combinations, including a nasty series of blows in the eighth round.
After Angulo opened a cut near Julio's right eye in the middle rounds, he repeatedly attempted to finish off Julio but was unsuccessful until Julio missed with a left hand that left him open for the final punch.
A day earlier, Angulo showed up nearly two hours late to the undercard weigh-in, receiving a hefty fine that went straight to Julio. Angulo still made weight with a quarter-pound to spare.
"I care about the fight, not the money," Angulo said. "All that's important is that I perform and win for people who came to see Perro."
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Source: google.com
ONTARIO, Calif. — Alfredo "Perro" Angulo stopped Joel Julio with a right cross midway through the 11th round to retain the WBO interim 154-pound title Saturday night.
Angulo (18-1, 15 KOs) dramatically ended a highly competitive fight with one perfect blow to Julio's chin, sending his Colombian opponent tumbling to the canvas. Although Julio (35-4) shakily got back up and wanted to keep fighting, referee Raul Caiz stopped the bout at 1:39 of the 11th.
"Joel never hurt me," Angulo said. "I know he has power, but it is really hard to hit Perro."
Angulo earned his third straight victory after his only defeat against Kermit Cintron last May, while Julio lost for the third time in four bouts despite causing plenty of trouble for Angulo in a fight filled with damaging blows by both boxers.
Julio was furious afterward, saying Angulo was favored because he lives in California.
"I made a mistake, and I paid for it, but I was going to get up," Julio said, mistakenly claiming he was ahead on the judges' scorecards. "I would have fought on. There was only one more round. Angulo was tired. They stopped the fight too early. I don't like what's going on. I don't like it at all. They're doing this because I would have won by decision."
Angulo was narrowly ahead on all three judges' cards, and The Associated Press had Angulo leading 96-94 entering the 11th. The punch statistics were remarkably even, with Julio throwing 118 fewer punches but connecting with a higher percentage.
Angulo landed a big right hand in the second round for the fight's first damaging punch, but Julio put Angulo on his heels in a dominating third round. Angulo rallied even while Julio caused swelling near Angulo's right eye with a big left hook in the fifth.
Angulo was slightly more aggressive than the counterpunching Julio, consistently attacking and peppering the Colombian with combinations, including a nasty series of blows in the eighth round.
After Angulo opened a cut near Julio's right eye in the middle rounds, he repeatedly attempted to finish off Julio but was unsuccessful until Julio missed with a left hand that left him open for the final punch.
A day earlier, Angulo showed up nearly two hours late to the undercard weigh-in, receiving a hefty fine that went straight to Julio. Angulo still made weight with a quarter-pound to spare.
"I care about the fight, not the money," Angulo said. "All that's important is that I perform and win for people who came to see Perro."
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Source: google.com
Adamek earns majority decision over Arreola -- Associated Press
By GREG BEACHAM, The Associated Press
ONTARIO, Calif. — Not even 12 rounds of bone-crunching punches from Chris Arreola could knock Tomasz Adamek off his path to a heavyweight title shot.
And along the way, Adamek and Arreola might have punched a little life back into the heavyweight division.
Adamek overcame Arreola's power and size advantage to win his 10th straight fight Saturday night, earning a majority decision in Arreola's backyard.
Although Adamek (41-1, 27 KOs) repeatedly was staggered by Arreola, who weighed 33 1/2 pounds more than the former light heavyweight and cruiserweight, Adamek rallied with smarter strategy and punching flurries that left Arreola's eyes and face swollen and discolored by the final bell. Hundreds of fans from Adamek's native Poland cheered the decision, while Arreola's fans booed — even while Arreola said he agreed with the judges.
"This was for me the toughest fight I ever fought," said Adamek, who reluctantly crossed the nation from New Jersey for this high-risk showdown. "This is why I believe I can be world champion."
Adamek lost his WBC light heavyweight title to Chad Dawson in 2007 before moving to cruiserweight and then to heavyweight, where he hopes to earn a date with one of the Klitschko brothers.
A rematch with Arreola could be an easy sell to the fans who filled Citizens Bank Business Arena with raucous cheers amid flags of Poland and Mexico. Competitive heavyweight bouts have become a rarity, yet these fighters showcased the thrill of an even matchup in boxing's erstwhile glamour division.
Arreola (28-2), from nearby Riverside, appeared to be close to stopping Adamek in the middle rounds, but hurt his left hand twice. Adamek, who scoffed at the notion he was in trouble, was more aggressive and accurate in the final rounds.
Judge Barry Druxman scored the fight 115-113 for Adamek, while Joseph Pasquale favored him 117-111. Judge Tony Crebs and The Associated Press scored it a 114-114 draw.
Adamek threw 99 more punches than Arreola and connected with a larger percentage, also throwing more power shots. Although Arreola's power seemed more damaging, Arreola's swollen face indicated Adamek had done plenty of damage himself.
Despite repeatedly bringing his home fans to their feet, Arreola lost in his second bout since getting stopped by Vitali Klitschko in his first world title shot last September.
"Adamek did what he wanted, and I did what I wanted," Arreola said. "I thought I had him in the fifth round. He head-butted me a lot. I got buzzed by his head butts. He beat me. He did what he wanted to do in the ring. I hurt my hand in the fifth round, but I kept going."
Although Adamek weighed in at 217 next to the 251 1/2-pound Arreola on Thursday, he claimed the size discrepancy would make no difference. He pointed out that if he hopes to win a heavyweight title, he must fight bigger men — even if he has to do it on the other side of the country from Newark, N.J., where he draws thousands of fans to his bouts at the Prudential Center.
Yet Arreola's power clearly impressed Adamek in the first two rounds, and Adamek replied with speed and counterpunching. Arreola kept pressing forward and eventually rocked Adamek with a series of blows in the fifth round, starting with a nasty jab. Arreola hurt Adamek with a big left hand in the sixth, but Arreola also appeared to get cut in a clash of heads.
With both of his eyes swelling, Arreola finally caught up to Adamek in the 10th, repeatedly staggering Adamek backward with combinations. But Arreola got out of trouble and did impressive work in the final two rounds to earn the win.
Although Adamek's camp heard tales of fans stuck in Europe by Iceland's volcanic eruption, several hundred Polish fans followed Adamek to suburban Los Angeles, most dressed in red-and-white shirts and scarves. Arreola's fans booed whenever the Polish fans sang their national anthem or began an organized cheer, and Adamek's supporters responded similarly.
Yet the arena observed a ceremonial 10-count in honor of Polish president Lech Kaczynski, who died along with his wife and 94 others in a plane crash two weeks ago. Adamek had dedicated the fight to their memory.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Source: google.com
ONTARIO, Calif. — Not even 12 rounds of bone-crunching punches from Chris Arreola could knock Tomasz Adamek off his path to a heavyweight title shot.
And along the way, Adamek and Arreola might have punched a little life back into the heavyweight division.
Adamek overcame Arreola's power and size advantage to win his 10th straight fight Saturday night, earning a majority decision in Arreola's backyard.
Although Adamek (41-1, 27 KOs) repeatedly was staggered by Arreola, who weighed 33 1/2 pounds more than the former light heavyweight and cruiserweight, Adamek rallied with smarter strategy and punching flurries that left Arreola's eyes and face swollen and discolored by the final bell. Hundreds of fans from Adamek's native Poland cheered the decision, while Arreola's fans booed — even while Arreola said he agreed with the judges.
"This was for me the toughest fight I ever fought," said Adamek, who reluctantly crossed the nation from New Jersey for this high-risk showdown. "This is why I believe I can be world champion."
Adamek lost his WBC light heavyweight title to Chad Dawson in 2007 before moving to cruiserweight and then to heavyweight, where he hopes to earn a date with one of the Klitschko brothers.
A rematch with Arreola could be an easy sell to the fans who filled Citizens Bank Business Arena with raucous cheers amid flags of Poland and Mexico. Competitive heavyweight bouts have become a rarity, yet these fighters showcased the thrill of an even matchup in boxing's erstwhile glamour division.
Arreola (28-2), from nearby Riverside, appeared to be close to stopping Adamek in the middle rounds, but hurt his left hand twice. Adamek, who scoffed at the notion he was in trouble, was more aggressive and accurate in the final rounds.
Judge Barry Druxman scored the fight 115-113 for Adamek, while Joseph Pasquale favored him 117-111. Judge Tony Crebs and The Associated Press scored it a 114-114 draw.
Adamek threw 99 more punches than Arreola and connected with a larger percentage, also throwing more power shots. Although Arreola's power seemed more damaging, Arreola's swollen face indicated Adamek had done plenty of damage himself.
Despite repeatedly bringing his home fans to their feet, Arreola lost in his second bout since getting stopped by Vitali Klitschko in his first world title shot last September.
"Adamek did what he wanted, and I did what I wanted," Arreola said. "I thought I had him in the fifth round. He head-butted me a lot. I got buzzed by his head butts. He beat me. He did what he wanted to do in the ring. I hurt my hand in the fifth round, but I kept going."
Although Adamek weighed in at 217 next to the 251 1/2-pound Arreola on Thursday, he claimed the size discrepancy would make no difference. He pointed out that if he hopes to win a heavyweight title, he must fight bigger men — even if he has to do it on the other side of the country from Newark, N.J., where he draws thousands of fans to his bouts at the Prudential Center.
Yet Arreola's power clearly impressed Adamek in the first two rounds, and Adamek replied with speed and counterpunching. Arreola kept pressing forward and eventually rocked Adamek with a series of blows in the fifth round, starting with a nasty jab. Arreola hurt Adamek with a big left hand in the sixth, but Arreola also appeared to get cut in a clash of heads.
With both of his eyes swelling, Arreola finally caught up to Adamek in the 10th, repeatedly staggering Adamek backward with combinations. But Arreola got out of trouble and did impressive work in the final two rounds to earn the win.
Although Adamek's camp heard tales of fans stuck in Europe by Iceland's volcanic eruption, several hundred Polish fans followed Adamek to suburban Los Angeles, most dressed in red-and-white shirts and scarves. Arreola's fans booed whenever the Polish fans sang their national anthem or began an organized cheer, and Adamek's supporters responded similarly.
Yet the arena observed a ceremonial 10-count in honor of Polish president Lech Kaczynski, who died along with his wife and 94 others in a plane crash two weeks ago. Adamek had dedicated the fight to their memory.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Source: google.com
Kelly Pavlik and the Hard Road of Boxing -- SecondsOut
By Thomas Hauser, SecondsOut.com
Most professional fighters have struggled with demons. That’s one of the things that impelled them to become fighters. They’re faced with the constant reality of being punched by men trained in the art of hurting. And if a fighter becomes The Man, it seems as though everyone wants a piece of him.
Kelly Pavlik has been a fighter through much of his childhood and all of his adult life. No matter how many challenges he confronts in and out of the ring, there’s always another dragon to slay on fight night.
Pavlik moved into the spotlight three years ago when he knocked out Edison Miranda in seven rounds. On September 29, 2007, he duplicated that feat against Jermain Taylor to become middleweight champion of the world. A victorious rematch against Taylor and third-round demolition of mandatory challenger Gary Lockett followed.
Pavlik was the pride of Youngstown, Ohio. There was talk of his being the successor to Arturo Gatti as Atlantic City’s flagship fighter. But boxing is an insecure business. There’s no such thing as security in boxing.
On October 18, 2008, Pavlik went up in weight to fight Bernard Hopkins. If he’d won, it would have elevated him to superstar status. Instead, he suffered the first loss of his career. And even though he was still middleweight champion of the world, things weren’t quite the same.
In most sports, an athlete can lose and come all the way back within a short time frame. Boxing is different. Every loss impacts significantly on a fighter’s career.
Pavlik’s first fight after losing to Hopkins was in Youngstown against Marco Antonio Rubio on February 21, 2009. The Chevrolet Centre was sold out.
“That’s the first time I ever saw Kelly nervous before a fight,” Michael Cox (a Youngstown police officer, who’s Pavlik’s friend and one of his cornermen) said afterward. “He didn’t want to disappoint all those people and he knew that he needed to put on a dominating performance.”
Pavlik knocked Rubio out in nine rounds.
Promoter Bob Arum wanted Kelly’s next fight to be in Cleveland. But the eight-percent city tax on top of a five-percent state athletic commission tax made that impractical. Thus, Arum began planning for a June 27th date in Atlantic City against Sergio Mora.
But there was a problem. Pavlik’s promotional contract with Top Rank ran until May 31, 2010. One of the clauses provided that, if Kelly won a world championship, Top Rank would be entitled to promote his next five fights. The Pavlik camp took the position that, once those five fights were held, the contract would terminate even if that occurred before May 31, 2010. Pavlik-Mora would be Kelly’s fifth fight subsequent to winning the title.
Arum said that Team Pavlik’s interpretation of the contract was ridiculous. Moreover, he maintained that he was entitled to a seven-month contract extension (through December 31, 2010) because of time that Kelly had been unable to fight due to injury.
Pavlik-Mora fell through. Then Kelly signed a contract extension that unites him with Top Rank through May 2011. After that, Arum closed a deal for an early-October bout between Pavlik and Paul Williams, but a staph infection that began in Kelly’s left hand forced postponement of Pavlik-Williams until December 5, 2009.
Even then, Pavlik-Williams was in doubt. At a September 29th press conference announcing the new date, dead skin was flaking off Kelly’s hand. Eventually, the fight was canceled. That led to the sort of bombastic idiocy that plagues boxing; to wit, claims that Pavlik was ducking Williams. The truth was more serious than that.
In early March, while Kelly was playing basketball, the skin over a knuckle on his left hand (where he’d received a cortisone injection several months earlier) burst and began oozing pus. A doctor prescribed antibiotics, but the infection persisted, even after surgery to clean the area out. Further tests revealed the presence of MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), a sometimes fatal infection that resists most antibiotics.
Pavlik was given new medication and had an allergic reaction to one of the antibiotics, which coincided with an overdue visit to a hand specialist in Cleveland.
“As he was looking at me,” Kelly later recalled, “I got the shakes and the shivers and I started swelling up. My face was turning purple. The doctor said, ‘Look, we’ll worry about the hand afterward. Go upstairs to the infectious specialist now.’”
Kelly’s temperature rose to 104.5 degrees. His heart rate was 150 beats per minute. His blood pressure was rapidly dropping.
Kelly was hospitalized for four days. After two surgeries on his left hand, he needed physical therapy to regain full use of his finger.
“The kid was injured,” Arum said afterward. “He couldn’t make a fist. It wasn’t some fear of Paul Williams. To hear morons talk like that when they have no basis for what they’re saying really makes me sad.”
But in Youngstown, Pavlik isn’t just a regular guy. If he’d left home and moved to a large urban area where he isn’t a local hero, he could enjoy relative anonymity. Loyalty to and a comfort level with Youngstown have kept him where he is. That makes him a standard bearer for the entire city and a packhorse for other people’s hopes and dreams.
The media acknowledges few boundaries and shows little respect in covering an athlete’s personal life. Nobody dissects the private lives of sports writers. Nobody writes about how many drinks a reporter had at the bar before filing his story or how many pancakes an overweight scribe ate at breakfast.
“It’s been a tough year,” Mike Pavlik said as 2009 drew to a close. “First, Kelly had his health problems. Then there was a turn in the way some of the newspapers wrote about him. There were a lot of rumors. We went day to day, not knowing what to expect. I don’t care that much about the boxing part of it. I’ve come to understand that the boxing business is a terrible business. It’s the selling of human flesh. People don’t even care about what you’ve done for them lately. It’s all about what you can do for them now. I don’t care that much about what other people say. But I care a lot about Kelly’s feelings and the young man inside.”
“It has been a hard summer and fall; for Kelly and for all of us,” Mike Cox added. “It’s very hard to watch someone you care about have to struggle and go through this craziness. The rumors and stories got completely out of control.”
“I honestly wouldn’t wish fame on anybody,” Kelly said. “There are a lot of perks that come with it. I’m well aware of that and I’m thankful for it. But there’s a lot of bad and a lot of stress that comes with fame, too.”
On December 19th, Pavlik returned to the ring and scored a fifth-round knockout over journeyman Miguel Espino in Youngstown. That raised his record to 36-and-1 with 32 knockouts.
Then Kelly made a decision to address some of the personal issues in his life.
Many fighters don’t take care of themselves the way they should. They train for eight weeks and then, between fights, let themselves go. But the work ethic of a good fighter is far more demanding than the work ethic required of most conscientious men and women. And that work ethic extends to a fighter’s lifestyle. He might fight as few as two or three times a year. But the truly great fighters are always on the job. The demands of their trade would overwhelm ordinary people.
“I realized that I’d worked too hard for too long and come too far to let it all slip away from me,” Kelly said. “I decided to do what I had to do to make things right.”
On April 17th in Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Pavlik’s journey through boxing placed him in the spotlight again; this time against Sergio Martinez.
The 35-year-old Martinez is a remarkable phenomenon. Born in Argentina, he moved to Spain and now lives in Oxnard, California. The first time he stepped into a boxing gym, he was 20 years old. Two years later, he turned pro.
Over the years, Martinez had compiled a 44-2-2 record with 24 knockouts. The blemishes on his ledger are deceiving. One of the draws came 12 years ago in Sergio’s third pro fight. The other was last year against Kermit Cintron in a bout that virtually everyone in attendance thought he won.
As for the losses, Martinez was stopped by Antonio Margarito ten years ago. And last December, he was on the short end of a majority decision after a hotly-contested encounter with Paul Williams. No less an authority than Kelly Pavlik thought that Sergio won that fight.
Pavlik-Martinez was a crossroads bout for both men and Kelly’s first big test since losing to Hopkins. Sergio was confident, ready, and strong; a superbly-conditioned athlete; fast with a solid chin, and a southpaw to boot.
“Kelly will have to be at his best to beat Martinez,” Jack Loew (Pavlik’s trainer) said. “And he will be. Ever since we signed for this fight, I’ve heard people say that Martinez is the wrong style for us. He’s too fast; he’s a left-hander. Let me tell you; Kelly hits harder than anyone Martinez has ever fought. And Kelly has never lost to a lefthander; not in the amateurs or the pros. I don’t care what Martinez does. He doesn’t have enough to beat us.”
“Southpaws that move are tough,” Pavlik acknowledged. “Martinez is a dangerous fighter. But a lot of the time, he’s off-balance. He leaves himself open to get hit. And he’s not as fast as people think he is.”
Pavlik looked good in the days leading up to the fight. There was a glow about him that hadn’t been there since his first outing against Jermain Taylor almost three years ago. He’d been eating better than ever before; no red meat, very little fat. Even his voice sounded different.
“This is a huge fight for me to prove a lot of things to a lot of people,” Kelly said.
The belief was that he’d done what he had to do outside the ring to get back on track in it.
“Kelly has been very motivated and focused,” Michael Cox said. “He really dedicated himself in training camp. There was no complaining. He did everything he had to do. He knows that his star has fallen, and he’s determined to make the next part of his career even better than the first part. He’s aware that, the same way the Miranda fight set the stage for what followed, this fight will go a long way toward determining what happens in the next part of his career.”
“Kelly fought so hard for so long that it took a lot out of him,” Mike Pavlik added. “The last few months, I’ve see a burning desire in him that I hadn’t seen in a while. He wants to fight again.”
Pavlik arrived at Boardwalk Hall and entered his dressing room at 8:30 on Saturday night. The arena was the scene of his greatest triumph (seizing the championship from Jermain Taylor) and also his loss to Bernard Hopkins.
The members of Team Pavlik unpacked their bags. No one had brought Kelly’s socks. There was a call to the hotel, asking a friend to bring them over.
Light conversation between Kelly, his father, and Jack Loew followed. The Cleveland Browns and the upcoming National Football League draft were the first subject of discussion.
“I don’t think they gave [recently traded quarterback] Brady Quinn a fair chance,” Mike Pavlik offered.
“He had nothing to work with,” Loew added.
The conversation turned to Tiger Woods.
“I thought sex therapy was to teach you how to do it; not how to stop…There’s a new DVD out. Tiger Woods talks about his best 18 holes.”
HBO production coordinator Tami Cotel came into the room and asked if she could check Kelly’s weight on an HBO scale. At three o’clock the previous afternoon, each fighter had weighed-in officially at 159-1/2 pounds. Martinez now weighed 167. Kelly stepped on the scale. Since the weigh-in, he’d gained 18 pounds.
The conversation resumed. Kelly fired a series of one-liners about a Youngstown legend named Bear Cabelli, who has a reputation for being tougher than the average guy.
“Bear Cabelli is so tough that he sleeps with a pillow under his gun…Bear Cabelli is so tough that he won a stare down with the sun…Bear Cabelli is so tough that he slammed a revolving door shut…Bear Cabelli is so tough that he killed two stones with one bird…When Bear Cabelli puts milk on his Rice Krispies, he’s so scary that Snap, Crackle, and Pop shut the f**k up.”
Loew began taping his fighter’s hands. When he was done, Kelly did some light stretching exercises and shadow-boxed briefly in the center of the room.
There was a quiet moment.
“How do you feel?” Mike Pavlik asked his son.
“Good.”
At ten o’clock, Kelly put on his trunks, socks, and shoes. Top Rank photographer Chris Farina, who was in the room, memorialized the moment.
“I’m glad I’m not a fighter,” Mike said. “I don’t want anyone taking photos of me when I’m getting dressed.”
Referee David Fields came in and gave Kelly his pre-fight instructions.
At 10:22, Lucian Bute vs. Edison Miranda (HBO’s first televised fight of the evening) began. Miranda is a different fighter from what he was when he fought Pavlik. Back then, the Colombian was a feared and ferocious puncher. A disputed loss to Arthur Abraham was the only blot on his record. He has now lost five of his last 12 fights.
All eyes turned toward a television monitor in a corner of the room.
“Miranda is shot,” Jack Loew said.
“He doesn’t even fight back anymore,” Mike noted.
Round one ended. Loew began gloving Kelly up.
Kelly kept an eye on the television monitor. “Bute is a sneaky fighter,” he said. “And he’s a good body puncher.”
Miranda was knocked out in the third round.
Loew warmed Kelly up on the pads.
“Remember, back him up…Tight punches…Don’t reach with the right hand…He might come out firing to make a point. If he does, fire back…If he turns, turn with him…That’s it…Be patient. You’ll catch him.”
Then it was time for battle. “What’s meant to be will be,” Mike Pavlik said.
Every fight is a self-contained drama. Pavlik-Martinez played out in three distinct acts.
Rounds one through four saw Sergio circling elusively, darting in and out as Kelly moved forward. During those rounds, Martinez out-landed Pavlik 61-to-38 and opened a small cut on Kelly’s left eyelid. It was not unlike a matador sticking banderillas into a bull.
In round five, the tide turned. Pavlik had kept the pressure on and it started to pay dividends. Over the four middle rounds, he out-landed Martinez 75-to-57, punctuated by a right hand to the top of the head in round seven that put Sergio down. It was more of a balance shot than a hurting one. Still, it gave Kelly a 10-8 round. After eight stanzas, he was ahead by a point and had taken control of the fight.
In round nine, Martinez regained control. A straight left-hand opened a gash over Pavlik’s right eye. Sergio was all over him like a swarm of bees.
From that point on, the challenger put a beating on the champion. Kelly’s face was a gory mask with blood streaming down both cheeks. Over the final four rounds, he absorbed 112 punches while landing only 51.
This writer scored it 115-112 in favor of Martinez. The three judges turned in similar cards.
Sergio fought a magnificent fight. But several self-inflicted wounds contributed to Kelly’s defeat.
First, Pavlik didn’t use his advantage in weight as effectively as he could have. He was neglectful of Martinez’s body for long periods of time and was too passive when he got in close. He should have leaned on Sergio, pumped punches into his side, and roughed him up. Instead, he landed only 22 body blows.
Second, Kelly tired down the stretch. Part of that was due to the demands of the fight. And part of it was because, while he worked hard and lived a disciplined life in the months leading up to April 17th, Martinez had worked hard and lived a disciplined life in the years leading up to the fight. There’s a difference.
If a fighter hasn’t taken care of his body properly for several years, he can’t put everything together in three-and-a-half months. Not if he’s fighting Sergio Martinez.
There was a rematch clause in Kelly’s contract for the fight. If he chooses to exercise it, in order to beat Martinez, he has to use the conditioning that he has developed so far, this year, as a platform to build on. He can’t backslide and start over again from square one.
A better cutman would also help. For most of Kelly’s career, Miguel Diaz was in his corner. But according to a source in the Pavlik camp, Diaz demanded excessive fees for fights after Pavlik-Hopkins. That and a reported personality conflict led to Miguel being let go. There are other excellent cutmen in boxing. Sid Brumback (who was in Pavlik’s corner against Martinez) has not yet proven himself to be one of them.
Against Martinez, the cutwork in Kelly’s corner was ineffective and the flow of blood was a factor. A big one.
“I was having a hard time seeing,” Pavlik said in his dressing room after the fight.”
Kelly was sitting on the same chair he’d been on a little more than an hour earlier when Jack Loew gloved him up.
His body was streaked with blood.
Mike Pavlik stood by his son. The preceding hour had been particularly painful for Mike. He hadn’t just watched Kelly lose an athletic competition. He’d seen his son get beaten up.
Kelly bowed his head.
“Sh*t! I hate losing.”
“It’s part of the game,” Mike said. “Nobody stays champion forever.”
“A f**king punching bag. That’s what I was tonight.”
“I’m still proud of you.”
Kelly shook his head.
“For eight rounds, I fought a good fight. The last four rounds, I was a f**king punching bag. They should have put ‘Everlast’ on my forehead.”
“Not many people in history have been middleweight champion of the world,” Mike told his son. “Hold your head high.”
One at a time, family members and friends came over to Kelly, offering hugs and words of consolation. Then he rose from his chair, dressed without showering, and started for the door with Mike at his side.
“I’m going to the hospital to get sewn up,” he said. “I’ll see you guys back at the hotel.”
Thomas Hauser can be reached by e-mail at thauser@rcn.com. His most recent book (“An Unforgiving Sport”) was published by the University of Arkansas Press.
Source: secondsout.com
Most professional fighters have struggled with demons. That’s one of the things that impelled them to become fighters. They’re faced with the constant reality of being punched by men trained in the art of hurting. And if a fighter becomes The Man, it seems as though everyone wants a piece of him.
Kelly Pavlik has been a fighter through much of his childhood and all of his adult life. No matter how many challenges he confronts in and out of the ring, there’s always another dragon to slay on fight night.Pavlik moved into the spotlight three years ago when he knocked out Edison Miranda in seven rounds. On September 29, 2007, he duplicated that feat against Jermain Taylor to become middleweight champion of the world. A victorious rematch against Taylor and third-round demolition of mandatory challenger Gary Lockett followed.
Pavlik was the pride of Youngstown, Ohio. There was talk of his being the successor to Arturo Gatti as Atlantic City’s flagship fighter. But boxing is an insecure business. There’s no such thing as security in boxing.On October 18, 2008, Pavlik went up in weight to fight Bernard Hopkins. If he’d won, it would have elevated him to superstar status. Instead, he suffered the first loss of his career. And even though he was still middleweight champion of the world, things weren’t quite the same.
In most sports, an athlete can lose and come all the way back within a short time frame. Boxing is different. Every loss impacts significantly on a fighter’s career.
Pavlik’s first fight after losing to Hopkins was in Youngstown against Marco Antonio Rubio on February 21, 2009. The Chevrolet Centre was sold out.
“That’s the first time I ever saw Kelly nervous before a fight,” Michael Cox (a Youngstown police officer, who’s Pavlik’s friend and one of his cornermen) said afterward. “He didn’t want to disappoint all those people and he knew that he needed to put on a dominating performance.”
Pavlik knocked Rubio out in nine rounds.
Promoter Bob Arum wanted Kelly’s next fight to be in Cleveland. But the eight-percent city tax on top of a five-percent state athletic commission tax made that impractical. Thus, Arum began planning for a June 27th date in Atlantic City against Sergio Mora.
But there was a problem. Pavlik’s promotional contract with Top Rank ran until May 31, 2010. One of the clauses provided that, if Kelly won a world championship, Top Rank would be entitled to promote his next five fights. The Pavlik camp took the position that, once those five fights were held, the contract would terminate even if that occurred before May 31, 2010. Pavlik-Mora would be Kelly’s fifth fight subsequent to winning the title.
Arum said that Team Pavlik’s interpretation of the contract was ridiculous. Moreover, he maintained that he was entitled to a seven-month contract extension (through December 31, 2010) because of time that Kelly had been unable to fight due to injury.
Pavlik-Mora fell through. Then Kelly signed a contract extension that unites him with Top Rank through May 2011. After that, Arum closed a deal for an early-October bout between Pavlik and Paul Williams, but a staph infection that began in Kelly’s left hand forced postponement of Pavlik-Williams until December 5, 2009.
Even then, Pavlik-Williams was in doubt. At a September 29th press conference announcing the new date, dead skin was flaking off Kelly’s hand. Eventually, the fight was canceled. That led to the sort of bombastic idiocy that plagues boxing; to wit, claims that Pavlik was ducking Williams. The truth was more serious than that.
In early March, while Kelly was playing basketball, the skin over a knuckle on his left hand (where he’d received a cortisone injection several months earlier) burst and began oozing pus. A doctor prescribed antibiotics, but the infection persisted, even after surgery to clean the area out. Further tests revealed the presence of MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), a sometimes fatal infection that resists most antibiotics.
Pavlik was given new medication and had an allergic reaction to one of the antibiotics, which coincided with an overdue visit to a hand specialist in Cleveland.
“As he was looking at me,” Kelly later recalled, “I got the shakes and the shivers and I started swelling up. My face was turning purple. The doctor said, ‘Look, we’ll worry about the hand afterward. Go upstairs to the infectious specialist now.’”Kelly’s temperature rose to 104.5 degrees. His heart rate was 150 beats per minute. His blood pressure was rapidly dropping.
"I’m not a medical man," Mike Pavlik (Kelly’s father) said afterward. “But he was really close to the edge that day."
Kelly was hospitalized for four days. After two surgeries on his left hand, he needed physical therapy to regain full use of his finger.
“The kid was injured,” Arum said afterward. “He couldn’t make a fist. It wasn’t some fear of Paul Williams. To hear morons talk like that when they have no basis for what they’re saying really makes me sad.”
Meanwhile, the once-adoring local media was turning on Pavlik. In today’s culture, athletes lose their privacy. Some, like Floyd Mayweather Jr., revel in that and act in a way that’s calculated to make their personal life a public spectacle. Others, like Kelly, don’t. They just want to be regular guys.
But in Youngstown, Pavlik isn’t just a regular guy. If he’d left home and moved to a large urban area where he isn’t a local hero, he could enjoy relative anonymity. Loyalty to and a comfort level with Youngstown have kept him where he is. That makes him a standard bearer for the entire city and a packhorse for other people’s hopes and dreams.
Larry Holmes (another fighter who stayed close to home) recently noted, “Fighters are human beings. Just because we’re fighters doesn’t mean that we don’t have feelings. And sometimes, people forget that.”
But in Pavlik’s case, there were reports of heavy drinking and blaring headlines in The Vindicator (Kelly’s hometown newspaper): “Pavlik Fights Off Rumors About His Personal Life,” one headline read. Among the rumors: “Pavlik was pulled over for a DUI. He was arrested for carrying a gun. He stabbed someone.”
As Kevin Iole wrote on Yahoo.com, “The rumor mill has worked overtime in Youngstown. Pavlik’s career has taken a hit. A whisper campaign has suggested that he’s hanging with the wrong crowd; that he’s on the verge of financial collapse.”
“It’s been a tough year,” Mike Pavlik said as 2009 drew to a close. “First, Kelly had his health problems. Then there was a turn in the way some of the newspapers wrote about him. There were a lot of rumors. We went day to day, not knowing what to expect. I don’t care that much about the boxing part of it. I’ve come to understand that the boxing business is a terrible business. It’s the selling of human flesh. People don’t even care about what you’ve done for them lately. It’s all about what you can do for them now. I don’t care that much about what other people say. But I care a lot about Kelly’s feelings and the young man inside.” “It has been a hard summer and fall; for Kelly and for all of us,” Mike Cox added. “It’s very hard to watch someone you care about have to struggle and go through this craziness. The rumors and stories got completely out of control.”
“I honestly wouldn’t wish fame on anybody,” Kelly said. “There are a lot of perks that come with it. I’m well aware of that and I’m thankful for it. But there’s a lot of bad and a lot of stress that comes with fame, too.”
On December 19th, Pavlik returned to the ring and scored a fifth-round knockout over journeyman Miguel Espino in Youngstown. That raised his record to 36-and-1 with 32 knockouts.
Then Kelly made a decision to address some of the personal issues in his life.
Many fighters don’t take care of themselves the way they should. They train for eight weeks and then, between fights, let themselves go. But the work ethic of a good fighter is far more demanding than the work ethic required of most conscientious men and women. And that work ethic extends to a fighter’s lifestyle. He might fight as few as two or three times a year. But the truly great fighters are always on the job. The demands of their trade would overwhelm ordinary people.
“I realized that I’d worked too hard for too long and come too far to let it all slip away from me,” Kelly said. “I decided to do what I had to do to make things right.”
On April 17th in Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Pavlik’s journey through boxing placed him in the spotlight again; this time against Sergio Martinez.
The 35-year-old Martinez is a remarkable phenomenon. Born in Argentina, he moved to Spain and now lives in Oxnard, California. The first time he stepped into a boxing gym, he was 20 years old. Two years later, he turned pro.
Over the years, Martinez had compiled a 44-2-2 record with 24 knockouts. The blemishes on his ledger are deceiving. One of the draws came 12 years ago in Sergio’s third pro fight. The other was last year against Kermit Cintron in a bout that virtually everyone in attendance thought he won.
As for the losses, Martinez was stopped by Antonio Margarito ten years ago. And last December, he was on the short end of a majority decision after a hotly-contested encounter with Paul Williams. No less an authority than Kelly Pavlik thought that Sergio won that fight.
Pavlik-Martinez was a crossroads bout for both men and Kelly’s first big test since losing to Hopkins. Sergio was confident, ready, and strong; a superbly-conditioned athlete; fast with a solid chin, and a southpaw to boot.
“Kelly will have to be at his best to beat Martinez,” Jack Loew (Pavlik’s trainer) said. “And he will be. Ever since we signed for this fight, I’ve heard people say that Martinez is the wrong style for us. He’s too fast; he’s a left-hander. Let me tell you; Kelly hits harder than anyone Martinez has ever fought. And Kelly has never lost to a lefthander; not in the amateurs or the pros. I don’t care what Martinez does. He doesn’t have enough to beat us.”
“Southpaws that move are tough,” Pavlik acknowledged. “Martinez is a dangerous fighter. But a lot of the time, he’s off-balance. He leaves himself open to get hit. And he’s not as fast as people think he is.”
Pavlik looked good in the days leading up to the fight. There was a glow about him that hadn’t been there since his first outing against Jermain Taylor almost three years ago. He’d been eating better than ever before; no red meat, very little fat. Even his voice sounded different.
“This is a huge fight for me to prove a lot of things to a lot of people,” Kelly said.
The belief was that he’d done what he had to do outside the ring to get back on track in it.
“Kelly has been very motivated and focused,” Michael Cox said. “He really dedicated himself in training camp. There was no complaining. He did everything he had to do. He knows that his star has fallen, and he’s determined to make the next part of his career even better than the first part. He’s aware that, the same way the Miranda fight set the stage for what followed, this fight will go a long way toward determining what happens in the next part of his career.”
“Kelly fought so hard for so long that it took a lot out of him,” Mike Pavlik added. “The last few months, I’ve see a burning desire in him that I hadn’t seen in a while. He wants to fight again.”
Pavlik arrived at Boardwalk Hall and entered his dressing room at 8:30 on Saturday night. The arena was the scene of his greatest triumph (seizing the championship from Jermain Taylor) and also his loss to Bernard Hopkins.
The members of Team Pavlik unpacked their bags. No one had brought Kelly’s socks. There was a call to the hotel, asking a friend to bring them over.
Light conversation between Kelly, his father, and Jack Loew followed. The Cleveland Browns and the upcoming National Football League draft were the first subject of discussion.
“I don’t think they gave [recently traded quarterback] Brady Quinn a fair chance,” Mike Pavlik offered.
“He had nothing to work with,” Loew added.
The conversation turned to Tiger Woods.
“I thought sex therapy was to teach you how to do it; not how to stop…There’s a new DVD out. Tiger Woods talks about his best 18 holes.”
HBO production coordinator Tami Cotel came into the room and asked if she could check Kelly’s weight on an HBO scale. At three o’clock the previous afternoon, each fighter had weighed-in officially at 159-1/2 pounds. Martinez now weighed 167. Kelly stepped on the scale. Since the weigh-in, he’d gained 18 pounds.
The conversation resumed. Kelly fired a series of one-liners about a Youngstown legend named Bear Cabelli, who has a reputation for being tougher than the average guy.
“Bear Cabelli is so tough that he sleeps with a pillow under his gun…Bear Cabelli is so tough that he won a stare down with the sun…Bear Cabelli is so tough that he slammed a revolving door shut…Bear Cabelli is so tough that he killed two stones with one bird…When Bear Cabelli puts milk on his Rice Krispies, he’s so scary that Snap, Crackle, and Pop shut the f**k up.”
Loew began taping his fighter’s hands. When he was done, Kelly did some light stretching exercises and shadow-boxed briefly in the center of the room.
There was a quiet moment.
“How do you feel?” Mike Pavlik asked his son.
“Good.”
At ten o’clock, Kelly put on his trunks, socks, and shoes. Top Rank photographer Chris Farina, who was in the room, memorialized the moment.
“I’m glad I’m not a fighter,” Mike said. “I don’t want anyone taking photos of me when I’m getting dressed.”
Referee David Fields came in and gave Kelly his pre-fight instructions.
At 10:22, Lucian Bute vs. Edison Miranda (HBO’s first televised fight of the evening) began. Miranda is a different fighter from what he was when he fought Pavlik. Back then, the Colombian was a feared and ferocious puncher. A disputed loss to Arthur Abraham was the only blot on his record. He has now lost five of his last 12 fights.
All eyes turned toward a television monitor in a corner of the room.
“Miranda is shot,” Jack Loew said.
“He doesn’t even fight back anymore,” Mike noted.
Round one ended. Loew began gloving Kelly up.
Kelly kept an eye on the television monitor. “Bute is a sneaky fighter,” he said. “And he’s a good body puncher.”
Miranda was knocked out in the third round.
Loew warmed Kelly up on the pads.
“Remember, back him up…Tight punches…Don’t reach with the right hand…He might come out firing to make a point. If he does, fire back…If he turns, turn with him…That’s it…Be patient. You’ll catch him.”
Then it was time for battle. “What’s meant to be will be,” Mike Pavlik said.
Every fight is a self-contained drama. Pavlik-Martinez played out in three distinct acts.
Rounds one through four saw Sergio circling elusively, darting in and out as Kelly moved forward. During those rounds, Martinez out-landed Pavlik 61-to-38 and opened a small cut on Kelly’s left eyelid. It was not unlike a matador sticking banderillas into a bull.
In round five, the tide turned. Pavlik had kept the pressure on and it started to pay dividends. Over the four middle rounds, he out-landed Martinez 75-to-57, punctuated by a right hand to the top of the head in round seven that put Sergio down. It was more of a balance shot than a hurting one. Still, it gave Kelly a 10-8 round. After eight stanzas, he was ahead by a point and had taken control of the fight.
In round nine, Martinez regained control. A straight left-hand opened a gash over Pavlik’s right eye. Sergio was all over him like a swarm of bees.
From that point on, the challenger put a beating on the champion. Kelly’s face was a gory mask with blood streaming down both cheeks. Over the final four rounds, he absorbed 112 punches while landing only 51.
This writer scored it 115-112 in favor of Martinez. The three judges turned in similar cards.
Sergio fought a magnificent fight. But several self-inflicted wounds contributed to Kelly’s defeat.
First, Pavlik didn’t use his advantage in weight as effectively as he could have. He was neglectful of Martinez’s body for long periods of time and was too passive when he got in close. He should have leaned on Sergio, pumped punches into his side, and roughed him up. Instead, he landed only 22 body blows.
Second, Kelly tired down the stretch. Part of that was due to the demands of the fight. And part of it was because, while he worked hard and lived a disciplined life in the months leading up to April 17th, Martinez had worked hard and lived a disciplined life in the years leading up to the fight. There’s a difference.
If a fighter hasn’t taken care of his body properly for several years, he can’t put everything together in three-and-a-half months. Not if he’s fighting Sergio Martinez.
There was a rematch clause in Kelly’s contract for the fight. If he chooses to exercise it, in order to beat Martinez, he has to use the conditioning that he has developed so far, this year, as a platform to build on. He can’t backslide and start over again from square one.
A better cutman would also help. For most of Kelly’s career, Miguel Diaz was in his corner. But according to a source in the Pavlik camp, Diaz demanded excessive fees for fights after Pavlik-Hopkins. That and a reported personality conflict led to Miguel being let go. There are other excellent cutmen in boxing. Sid Brumback (who was in Pavlik’s corner against Martinez) has not yet proven himself to be one of them.
Against Martinez, the cutwork in Kelly’s corner was ineffective and the flow of blood was a factor. A big one.
“I was having a hard time seeing,” Pavlik said in his dressing room after the fight.”
Kelly was sitting on the same chair he’d been on a little more than an hour earlier when Jack Loew gloved him up.
His body was streaked with blood.
Mike Pavlik stood by his son. The preceding hour had been particularly painful for Mike. He hadn’t just watched Kelly lose an athletic competition. He’d seen his son get beaten up.
Kelly bowed his head.
“Sh*t! I hate losing.”
“It’s part of the game,” Mike said. “Nobody stays champion forever.”
“A f**king punching bag. That’s what I was tonight.”
“I’m still proud of you.”
Kelly shook his head.
“For eight rounds, I fought a good fight. The last four rounds, I was a f**king punching bag. They should have put ‘Everlast’ on my forehead.”
“Not many people in history have been middleweight champion of the world,” Mike told his son. “Hold your head high.”
One at a time, family members and friends came over to Kelly, offering hugs and words of consolation. Then he rose from his chair, dressed without showering, and started for the door with Mike at his side.
“I’m going to the hospital to get sewn up,” he said. “I’ll see you guys back at the hotel.”
Thomas Hauser can be reached by e-mail at thauser@rcn.com. His most recent book (“An Unforgiving Sport”) was published by the University of Arkansas Press.
Source: secondsout.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)