Exclusive Interview: Antonio Tarver

By G. Leon, BoxingTalk.com

GL: Can you give us some thoughts on your Super Six experience?

Antonio Tarver: "It was a helluva an experience to be so close to the action working with Gus Johnson and Al Bernstein, who I feel is one of the most knowledgeable commentators in the game today. I'm very happy to be a part of this historical moment with the Super Six and all of the fighters involved."

GL: What are your thoughts on the fights and how they played out?

Antonio Tarver: "Personally I felt Dirrell did enough to win the fight. He landed the cleaner shots and he was busier. I feel he shouldn't have moved so much, he should have held his ground more. He had the speed, elusiveness and defense to stand his ground and counter Froch instead of moving and running so much. Once it got late in the fight he got a little sloppy and allowed Froch to do some things. As a champion, I would have never been awarded a decision that was that close. I don't care if I was fighting in Orlando, Florida. Looking at my history, if I got decisions like that I'd be 33-2 right now. Sometimes you have to go take the champions belt, but I think Dirrell did well and showed he belonged in the Super Six. Sometimes losing makes you a better fighter, so hopefully he goes back to work and tightens it all up. I personally think he needs a more experienced trainer to get rid of some of those amatuerish things he does. He fought like a great amatuer the other night. I think he needs some fine-tuning to become a better professional fighter." READ MORE

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When will Golota just go away?

By Eric Raskin, The Ring

When Micky Ward compares his late friend and rival Arturo Gatti to Jason Voorhees, as he does almost every time anyone interviews him, he means it as a compliment. No matter what Ward hit him with, Gatti just wouldn’t stay down. All that “Thunder” was missing was the goalie’s mask.

Another pugilistic “A.G.” from the same era, Andrew Golota, could also conjure up images of Jason Voorhees, but in his case, there’s nothing flattering about the comparison. Golota is more like the Friday The 13th movies themselves than the lead antagonist. We enjoyed his first couple of incarnations, but before long we couldn’t believe they were still cranking out these sequels and we especially couldn’t believe the public still supported them. With the movies, the question was, “How many hundreds of horny teenagers do they have to butcher before moviegoers lose interest?” With Golota, the question was, “How many times does he have to come unglued in the ring before promoters stop trying to bring him back?” READ MORE

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New York Times and Boxing

By Thomas Hauser, SecondsOut.com

There was a time when big fights were chronicled in the New York Times with banner headlines in large type that stretched across the front page.

Those days are long ago. Newspapers across the country are abandoning the sweet science. Like the sport itself, writing about boxing is fading from view. But the Times is America’s newspaper of record. Being slighted by the fabled “gray lady of journalism” cuts particularly deep.

“The Times is important,” says publicist Fred Sternburg. “It’s still the New York Times. If a million people buy a fight on pay-per-view, you’d think that some of the paper’s readers would want to know what’s going on in boxing. But you don’t get that in the Times anymore. The Wall Street Journal covers boxing in greater depth now than the Times.”

“Do we want to be in the New York Times?” Lee Samuels (director of publicity for Top Rank) asks rhetorically. “Of course, we do. Coverage in the Times is contagious. It really gets the word out there. We make phone calls. We send them advisories on everything we do. They’re always welcome at ringside. But except for the occasional big fight, we don’t get any coverage at all. It hasn’t been for lack of trying.” READ MORE

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Thomas Hauser

(Thomas Hauser can be reached by e-mail at thauser@rcn.com. His most recent book (“An Unforgiving Sport”) has been published by The University of Arkansas Press.)

Video: Pacquiao vs Cotto 24/7 Teaser (Face to Face)

Underdog tag fires up Cotto against Pacquiao

GMANewsTV.com

He’s the defending World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion but he’s installed as the underdog against Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao.

Believe it or not, Boricuan bomber Miguel Cotto wouldn’t mind. On the contrary, he cherished that underdog tag for it gives him extra motivation and fire to pull the rug from under the favored Pacquiao when they lock mitts on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas.

According to his chief trainer Joe Santiago, Cotto faced a similar situation back in 2006, against compatriot Carlos "El Indio" Quintana for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight crown. Result: He shamed oddsmakers by hacking out a fifth round TKO win. READ MORE

A clever boxing analyst or an egotistical writer nursing a wounded pride

BoxingNewsWorld.blogspot.com

First of all, let me say that I have a great deal of respect for all boxing writers and analysts out there. They are amongst, if not the most knowledgeable people in the business. They make an already exciting game even more invigorating and enjoyable with their clever insights, bold predictions, and accurate boxing reports. Most of all, they keep us – boxing fans – properly informed.

Hence, I usually believe them when they write opinionated articles about boxers - Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr or anybody else - because, as I’ve said, they know the game more than most people. However, I can’t help but disagree with Manuel Perez of BoxingNews24.com on a particular issue about Manny Pacquiao.

Just days before the Ricky Hatton – Manny Pacquiao fight, Manuel Perez was one of the few boxing writers who were perhaps overly praising Ricky Hatton, saying:

"All of those fighters (Morales, Barrera, and Marquez) were either much too little, or too old to even be considered as competition for Ricky Hatton. I can just imagine would happen if Fahsan 3K Battery stepped in the ring with Hatton, it wouldn’t be pretty. Hatton would literally be lifting him up with punches to the body and head and would probably send him flying out of the ring with a big shot."

He predicted a victory for the Englishman in one of his articles. To quote:

"Given that Hatton is the bigger, stronger, and healthier fighter at 140, I’m picking him to defeat Pacquaio. I think Manny is a great fighter, but he’s more suited for the super featherweight division than the higher weight classes of lightweight and light welterweight division.”

Then after Manny’s spectacular KO of Ricky, he was amongst those few personalities who were quick to say that Ricky was a shot fighter (although in fairness, he had mentioned before the fight that Ricky "is more like a relic of the past still competing against lesser fighters").

“The more I hear about Manny Pacquiao looking for a bout against Miguel Cotto the more I lose complete respect for Manny. First Pacquiao fights a shot and weight drained Oscar De La Hoya, who had to agree to come in at one of Pacquiao’s catch weight requests, then Pacquiao fights another shot fighter in Ricky Hatton, who also looked weight drained", he said.

Now, I’m abit confused. Can a fighter become shot overnight?

If the answer to this question is yes, then Manuel Perez has a valid point. But if it takes numerous boxing rounds or a couple of fights to accurately determine if a fighter is over-the-hill, then he is quite mistaken.

While I’m pondering for an answer, I am also wondering if Manuel Perez is a clever boxing analyst or an egotistical writer nursing a wounded pride.

Marshall N. B.
Boxing Fan

Video: 'She' (Floyd) said some things to get my attention and she got it - Rick Ross

Joe Santiago: Manny Pacquiao is in for a real tough night

By Ben Thompson, FightHYpe.com

Miguel Cotto is obviously at the point of his career where he's at his best. He's going to show everyone that he's at his best. READ MORE

All Time Great Status (Pacquiao/Mayweather) A Comparative Look

By Lou “Cinder” Block, Now Boxing

I have received a ton of biased and even vulgar comments on my previous articles by irate fans, some even questioning my knowledge of the sport. Well to these guys if you ain’t riding Pacman’s wagon you are the enemy and an idiot who does not know boxing. In my recent piece "The only way Pacquiao can win is if Cotto has an off night” I was blasted because of my opinion on the upcoming fight between Cotto and Pacman even being called a “Cotto hugger”. READ MORE

PACQUIAO WATCH: Asia’s best guns for immortality

By Edwin G. Espejo, PhilBoxing.com

FILIPINO boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao is set to leave for the United States Saturday where he will resume training for his November 14 title fight against Puerto Rican Miguel Angel Cotto. Pacquiao will try to wrest Cotto’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown and annex his seventh title in as many weight divisions. READ MORE