Andre Berto ready again after crisis in Haiti -- Miami Herald

BY SANTOS A. PEREZ, Miami Herald

Eleven months ago, Andre Berto stepped into the ring at Hard Rock Live Arena in Hollywood, ready to defend his welterweight title against Juan Urango and enhance his stock in the talent-rich welterweight division.

Berto defeated Urango and retained his World Boxing Council belt, but instead of keeping a busy fight schedule, he has remained inactive. The lengthy separation between fights finally ends Saturday night when Berto makes the fourth defense of his title against Puerto Rico's Carlos Quintana at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise.

A vital reason for Berto's inactivity stems from the earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12. Born in Miami to Haitian parents, Berto became deeply involved in the earthquake relief effort, forcing the postponement of his bout against Shane Mosley on Jan. 30.

``I was training for the biggest fight of my life,'' Berto said. ``We tried to stay in the routine a couple of more days. As soon as [the earthquake] happened, it affected me greatly.''

Berto had reason to worry: His sister lives in Haiti, and the family didn't know of her whereabouts for days. They finally received news that she and her daughter were safe.

But the joy of learning of his sister's survival turned to despair when Berto's uncle and his family died as a result of the earthquake.

HOMEWARD-BOUND

Although Berto, 26, grew up in Miami and later moved to Winter Haven, he never disconnected from his Haitian roots. Before the earthquake, Berto made humanitarian trips to the island nation, especially visiting children in schools and orphanages. Not surprisingly, Berto flew to Haiti soon after the postponement of his fight with Mosley.

``It was just a different place from what I had seen before,'' Berto said. ``You smelled a lot of pain, smelled the death. There was a just a lot of tragedy.

``Everybody was in a frenzy, scattered around. Schools crushed to the ground. The children we went to see [in previous trips] were gone. But, at the same time, I saw a lot of strength. [People] were still trying to make something out of nothing. I saw people singing Haitian spirituals and hymns. Hope was also present.''

After his return from Haiti, Berto found a new fight date and opponent. With Mosley choosing to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 1, Berto will fight Quintana, a Puerto Rico native and former welterweight champion.

``It's been a while since I've been in the ring, but I've had tremendous sparring,'' Berto said. ``We are ready to go.''

Berto's promoter, Lou DiBella, said he understood Berto's decision to withdraw from the Mosley fight.

``Before the earthquake, he was in great shape. It was a good time to get Mosley,'' DiBella said. ``Andre wasn't prepared mentally after the earthquake. With your sister and niece missing, you are obviously not going to be completely focused. Once he was ready, he wanted a big fight. We got him the best welterweight available. This is the fight that can vault him to an attractive fight.''

Berto (25-0, 19 KOs) said he won't be consumed by the Haiti crisis once he gets in the ring against Quintana (27-2, 21 KOs). But Berto knows that Saturday's fight will provide a platform to assist Haiti. In fact, the card is billed as ``Fighting for Haiti,'' and proceeds will benefit the Haiti earthquake relief effort.

``Everything happens for a reason,'' Berto said of his inactivity and his new opponent. ``I believe everybody's been reading and hearing what's been happening for months.

``There is also anticipation because I have been gone for a while.''

HOPKINS WINS BIG

Bernard Hopkins avenged his 1993 loss to Roy Jones Jr. with a lopsided decision late Saturday against the Pensacola native in Las Vegas.

Hopkins (51-5-1) was the busier puncher in the 12-round light-heavyweight bout. The fight was marred by repeated fouls, as Hopkins twice fell to the canvas after Jones (54-7) hit him with punches behind the head and once from a shot below the belt. Hopkins, 45, also hit Jones, 41, with a punch below the belt.

Two judges scored the fight 117-110 for Hopkins; the third had Hopkins winning 118-109. Jones beat Hopkins for a middleweight crown in 1993.

sperez@MiamiHerald.com

Source: miamiherald.com

Blistering Haye Ruins Ruiz -- SecondsOut

By Andrew Wake, SecondsOut.com

“Bring on the Klitschkos” was the message sent out by WBA heavyweight champion David Haye after he pulverised two-time belt holder John Ruiz at the M.E.N Arena in Manchester on Saturday night (April 3).

The exciting Englishman was due to face IBF/WBO king Wladimir Klitschko in June of last year but the bout was scrapped after he suffered a back injury in training but with another impressive performance to add to his 12 round decision over Nikolay Valuev the big Ukrainian brothers will have to sit up and take notice.

Ruiz had only over been stopped once in a career spanning 55 fights and almost 18 years, that came when David Tua flatterned him in one round back in 1996, but a blistering Haye dropped the American four times before trainer Miguel Diaz threw in the towel at 2.01 of round nine.

The first round started with Ruiz stalking but he walked on to Haye’s rapid fire one-two and crashed to the mat. The Chelsea, Massachusetts-native was up at the count of eight but his legs were like jelly.

Within seconds Ruiz was down again. A right hand had him reeling and two clubbing shots behind the back of the head forced him to take a knee. The knock down was still counted by referee Guillermo Perez Pineda but he also chalked a point off Haye’s slate for rabbit punching.

At this stage it seemed like it was going to be an early night for David and the vociferous crowd at the sold out arena chanted “easy, easy!”.

Bravely Ruiz, dubbed “The Quiet Man”, trudged out for the second round but continued to miss with his lunging jab while Haye, working calmly off the back foot, picked his shots carefully before stepping in with a booming right that rocked Ruiz’s head back.

Ruiz, who said that he would consider his future in the sport if he lost tonight, had his best spell in the fourth round when he continually clipped Haye with his jab but never used any footwork to force the champion in the corner and make it the kind of up close brawl he is famous for.

And Haye made Ruiz suffer again in the fifth and sixth sessions, dropping him with two more solid rights. Once more Ruiz complained that he’d been fooled but the reality was he was being outclassed and just looking for sympathy from the referee.

At this stage the challenger’s corner were telling him that they were considering pulling him out but Ruiz tried his hardest to keep going in the seventh and eighth rounds despite not being able to live with Haye’s blurring hand speed.

But when the fusillade continued in the ninth, and with Ruiz’s face a mask of blood, Miguel Diaz indicated he had seen enough by waving the white towel of surrender.

With a record 24 wins against only one defeat, a boisterous personality and good looks, Haye is set to become the poster boy of an otherwise drab heavyweight division. But in order for him to establish himself as the best fighter he has to beat the best and that means beating one of, if not both, Klitschko brothers.

“Everyone said that John Ruiz wasn’t an exciting fighter but I believe I’m the most exciting heavyweight in the world and even against John Ruiz I made it exciting,” said Haye afterwards.

“All you gotta do is look at their (The Klitschkos) last couple of performances, they we’re pretty boring. Eddie Chambers came in looking grossly out of shape and so did Chris Arreola and that’s a disgrace to boxing. You need to come in like an athlete like myself.

“I’ve got agility, punch variety, I think I’ve got it all and I can prove it against the best guys. If hit them two (Vitali and Wladimir) with the same shots I hit John Ruiz they’d both go over.

Source: secondsout.com

David Haye gives hope to heavys -- Boston Herald

By Ron Borges, Boston Herald

MANCHESTER, England - David Haye gave boxing’s heavyweight division a blessing on Easter weekend. He gave it the blessing of hope.

The 29-year-old WBA champion may not prove to be the solution to the sorry state of that bankrupt division, but his dominating destruction of two-time champion John Ruiz on Saturday night at soldout MEN Arena at least provided the division something to look forward to.

Despite the rising tide for prize fighting around the world after a long period of decline and then dormancy, the heavyweight division has lagged in the doldrums since the retirement of Lennox Lewis, the sporting equivalent of endlessly sagging real-estate prices. While the smaller weight classes are again flourishing, the heavyweights have been lightweights for so long one had to wonder if a savior would ever arrive.

Haye may be that guy. If he is, then it will be not only because he possesses tremendous knockout power in his right hand and a willingness to throw it, but that he also has charisma, charm, bombast, unusual athleticism for a big man, a desire to be tested by the heavy metal of the division and an air of calamity that wafts around him.

The latter comes not only from the justifiable threat of what he can do to another man but also from his somewhat suspect chin. His ability to stay upright when assaulted by boxing’s biggest men remains a question, and with chin questions comes the edge of danger fans salivate over.

Saturday, he sent Ruiz crashing to the canvas twice in the first round with massive right hands, and it seemed unlikely the 38-year-old former champion would survive. Somehow he not only did, but to Haye’s utter amazement, pressured his way back into the fight.

Then - BOOM! - Ruiz was down in the fifth round from another right hand and then - BOOM! - he was down again in the sixth, delivered to the canvas in the same manner. Each time he got up slower than the previous time, his nose bent and bleeding, his face turning a blotchy purple even as he steadfastly continued to come forward trying to make a fight of it.

Haye’s confidence restored, Ruiz had no chance, a fact that began to be dawn on his corner after a bloody seventh round. Ruiz asked for one more chance and his resume said he deserved it. When he survived well enough, they gave him another round and this time Haye finished him off with a fusillade of blows that bent him over the ropes and ended his challenge at 2:01 of the ninth round.

With that concussive ending the heavyweight division was lifted up by a new personality. Former HBO Sports president Seth Abraham always used to say there were two sports of boxing. There was boxing and there was heavyweight boxing, an entity and a business unto itself.

That business has been in a recession bordering on depression since its last glorious days of Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe and Lewis. It has been more than a decade since they were in their heyday and the division has been ceded to a parade of Eastern European-born goliaths like the Klitschko brothers, Nikolai Valuev, Oleg Maskaev, Ruslan Chagaev and a group of American imposters.

The Klitschkos - Vitali and Wladimir - remain the best of what is a sorry lot, two brothers with technical skills and punching power, but little appeal in the U.S. market and an apparent aversion to facing anyone they think might be a danger to them.

Haye appears to be such a man. He is 24-1 with 22 knockouts, and was the former undisputed cruiserweight champ before moving up to heavyweight four fights ago.

Haye has repeatedly challenged the Klitschkos, but they argue he also backed out of agreements to fight them.

Haye admitted his next fight might have to be a Valuev rematch because he had to agree to that to get his title shot, but he quickly added, “Do I prefer that? No. I would like to fight who the people want me to fight.”

rborges@bostonherald.com

Source: news.bostonherald.com

Pacquiao not retiring even if he wins election -- Manila Bulletin

By JOSEPH JUBELAG, Manila Bulletin

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is not retiring from boxing this year or even if he wins the congressional election in May, Pacquiao’s adviser said Sunday.

Michael Koncz, the Canadian adviser of Pacquiao, said the Filipino boxing idol is not yet keen on retiring from boxing after his victorious fight with Ghanian Joshua Clottey last March.

Pacquiao, who is running for congressman in Sarangani in the May elections, has been asked by his mother Dionisia to consider retirement from boxing and instead concentrate on his family’s businesses.

“Even if Manny wins as congressman he can still do boxing — at least two fights a year,” Koncz said.

He added that Pacquiao could not just leave boxing if he can still have the capability to fight because it’s his livelihood.

“Imagine the money he would lose in his every fight at least a minimum of $15 million if he stops boxing,” Koncz said.

Asked about the possibility of Pacquiao’s fight with Floyd Mayweather, Koncz said it was Mayweather who was making all the excuses to avoid a match with Pacquiao.

He said Mayweather should not impose his conditions and terms for Manny to follow in their boxing match.

He said their camp could possibly look for other fighters in the higher middleweight division to match up with Pacquiao.

Koncz was accompanying Pacquiao in his political campaign in Sarangani.

The Filipino boxing sensation and his wife Jinkee joined the procession of the Station of the Cross during the Good Friday at his hometown in Kiamba, Sarangani.

Source: mb.com.ph

Daud Yordan to Enter World Ring in Sunshine Showdown -- Jakarta Globe

By Wimbo Satwiko, Jakarta Globe

After a long wait, Daud “Cino” Yordan gets his chance to make a name in the world boxing scene.

Daud will fight Celestino Cabalerro for the interim World Boxing Association featherweight title in Sunrise, Florida, on Saturday. The bout is part of the undercard for the World Boxing Council welterweight title fight between champion Andre Berto and Carlos Quintana.

Daud, the interim holder of the World Boxing Organization featherweight crown, has been waiting for his big break and is eager to show his best in Florida.

“I’ve been dreaming of such a fight, and it has finally come true. I’ll never let this chance slip from my grasp,” Daud told the Jakarta Globe on Sunday.

“Cabalerro is a tough fighter. He may be the toughest opponent I’ve faced in my career, but I’m not afraid and I won’t take a step back. I am confident.”

The 22-year-old Indonesian earned the WBO Asia-Pacific Youth featherweight title when he knocked out Reman Salim in 2007.

Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions saw Daud’s potential and signed him to a five-year contract in 2008. He made his Las Vegas debut soon after, turning heads when he defeated Antonio Mezza by unanimous decision.

Last year, Daud took the interim WBO Oriental featherweight crown after knocking out Robert Allanic in two rounds. He was scheduled to fight Oscar Larios for the WBO featherweight title, but the bout was called off after Larios lost to Takahiro Aoh.

Daud, who defended his WBO Oriental crown against Ricky Sismundo in August, is scheduled to leave for Florida today with trainer Damianus Yordan and manager Pino Bahari.

He has a 25-0-0 career record with 19 KOs, while the 35-year-old Cabalerro is 33-2-0 with 23 KOs.

In other news, Fernando David Saucedo of Argentina has been confirmed as Chris John’s next opponent, Chris’s assistant manager Tony Priyatna said.

Saucedo (38-4-3) will travel to Bali for the May 22 bout, in which Chris (43-0-2) will defend his WBA world featherweight title.

Source: thejakartaglobe.com

DAVID HAYE IS READY FOR WAR WITH THE KLITSCHKOS -- UK Express

By Niall Hickman, Express.co.uk

DAVID HAYE is ready to go to war with the Klitschko brothers after delivering more thrills and spills in nine rounds against John Ruiz than some fighters produce in an entire career.

David Haye put veteran American Ruiz on the seat of his pants four times before his corner mercifully pulled him out of the fight in the ninth round after shipping another ­fusillade of lightning-fast blows.

While Haye’s threshing-machine hand speed is a thing of great beauty, there was also plenty of beast in the ring at the packed MEN Arena in Manchester on ­Saturday night as Ruiz took blow after blow.

Haye, who became only the second fighter to stop Ruiz in 18 years in a successful first defence of his WBA heavyweight title, will now look east to the twin threat provided by the Klitschkos, Wladimir and Vitali.

“I believe I am the best and I will fight the Klitschkos, no problem,” said the brash, confident Haye.

“Whether they will fight me remains to be seen. But I would take them on in a heartbeat.”

After this performance he will have the money-men purring. Haye has real star quality, evidenced by the 20,000 sell-out crowd who watched him overcome one of the dullest fighters the sweet science has served up in recent years.

With Nicolay Valuev seeking a rematch in October we may have to wait for a showdown with the Ukrainian Klitschkos but this was a night when Haye rubber-stamped his heavyweight credentials, even though Ruiz wobbled him at least once with stinging blows of his own.

The first round was pure theatre as Haye spread Ruiz, 38, all over the canvas in the first minute with a crashing blow to the forehead.

Former world champion Ruiz got up only to be felled again, although this time the over-eager Haye was docked two points for hitting his opponent on the back of the head.

It looked like being a quick night but Ruiz showed remarkable recovery skills and even won the fourth round as Haye took a breather.

It was to be a false dawn for Ruiz as Haye detonated a combination to drop him in the fifth round and again in the sixth.

By the eighth Ruiz, his left eye almost completely closed, had nothing left to give and when he shipped another dazzling left-right-left combination in the ninth his corner threw in the towel.

Haye said: “I was fairly pleased but at the same time I took too many shots myself, which I am not happy about. I got cut in sparring four weeks ago so I couldn’t do any sparring after that, which meant my timing was definitely not as good as it could and should have been.

“With proper sparring I would have timed my best punches a lot better, but at the same time how many people have dropped John Ruiz four times?”

Haye’s trainer and mentor Adam Booth admitted he was none to happy with the amount of shots his fighter took, but was never in any doubt whose hand would be raised at the finish. “I’m never happy when David gets hit and he got hit far too often, but I can hardly complain,” said Booth. “He got the job done, as I always knew he would, even though the lack of sparring was obviously not ideal.

“We owe the WBA a lot for getting us a shot at Valuev’s title last year, but we will sit down and discuss what is the next logical step. We won’t be rushed into anything.

“Ultimately it is up to David. He is his own man and he makes the decisions. Does he want to fight the Klitschkos? Of course he does.”

Haye is certainly a live threat to the Klitschkos’ dominance of the blue-riband heavyweight scene since Lennox Lewis’s retirement, and a showdown with either would be a mouth-watering occasion.

Critics will argue that, in Ruiz, he blew away a veteran who had lost three of his previous six fights. But he still retained a formidable chin and, as such, Haye’s achievement in stopping him should not be underestimated.

There are bigger fish out there and unlike the unfortunate granny who was tagged and curfewed for the crime of selling one to a schoolkid, Haye will be lauded, as opposed to locked up, if he does land a shot at either of the Klitschko behemoths. If and when he does, hang on to your hats.

Source: express.co.uk

Hopkins, Jones could be near retirement -- ESPN

By The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS -- Even after thrashing Roy Jones Jr. in a lopsided unanimous decision, Bernard Hopkins looked like a beaten man.

The wizened, weathered champion felt like one, too, after taking two shots behind the head and another below the belt. Sure, he had earned a bit of ice-cold revenge on his biggest remaining rival in boxing, but at what cost?

"I started seeing spots," said Hopkins, who made a record 20 middleweight title defenses before becoming every larger-weight fighter's nightmare matchup well into his 40s. "My head is killing me still."

The final rounds Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center had an air of finality about them, culminating in the sight of two longtime greats punching themselves into exhaustion.

Hopkins' business partner is among those who hope the fight will persuade the 45-year-old fighter to consider retirement -- and the bout's brutal result might send Jones into retirement as well. Although Hopkins still has the savvy to survive against nearly any opponent despite his diminished power, the 41-year-old Jones appeared to have little left except a propensity for punching Hopkins behind the head and below the belt.

Hopkins appeared to get little enjoyment out of avenging his 1993 loss to Jones -- and he subsequently collapsed in his dressing room, finally overwhelmed by Jones' questionable blows and nearly a quarter-century in his brutal sport.

Nobody really took much joy from this long-overdue bout near the end of two impressive careers -- certainly not the frustrated Jones, who got another confirmation of his skills' departure, and not even many of the half-full arena's fans, who booed sporadically and got excited only by various dirty blows.

A few years ago, the matchup would have been a heavily anticipated meeting. In 2010, everyone was simply grateful Hopkins didn't seriously hurt Jones -- and that Hopkins apparently was fine after a precautionary trip to the hospital.

Boxers are infamous for not knowing when to retire, and these two champions are threatening to test the patience of friends, families and fans who worry they won't realize it's time to go.

"They might think I'm crazy, but I want David Haye next, and to win the heavyweight championship of the world," Hopkins said before he collapsed.

Although Hopkins has never been seriously outclassed in a fight, he hasn't knocked out an opponent since 2004, and even Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schafer was willing to publicly suggest his friends would like Hopkins to go out on top, rather than horizontally.

After all, Oscar De La Hoya, Hopkins' partner in Golden Boy, pulled the plug on his own career after Manny Pacquiao worked him like a heavy bag two years ago.

"For Bernard, it could be a good ending," Schaefer said. "He got his revenge, and he waited 17 years to end it. It could be something which as a friend I would advise him to consider. ... I think it's time for his friends and family to have a serious talk with him."

Most observers agree Jones has been in precipitous decline since his mid-30s, and the loss was the sixth in 11 fights for the former pound-for-pound champion. Hopkins didn't have the punching power to seriously hurt Jones, who was stopped in the first round of his previous bout, but Schaefer and others agreed Jones might not be so lucky against a harder-hitting foe.

"I'll go home, talk to my team, and if we decide to call it a day, we call it a day," Jones said, refusing to apologize for his tactics in a fight filled with veteran wiliness. "Bernard is a defensive fighter, and I had to try to make it happen."

If the bout was these veterans' final fight, at least it contained some entertainment value -- even if it was mostly derived from Jones' questionable tactics. A shot behind Hopkins' head during a clinch in the sixth round sent Hopkins, who has been legitimately knocked down in just one fight in his career, to the canvas on his knees for nearly 3 minutes.

Hopkins eventually shook it off and finished the final 10 seconds of the round with the fight's most impressive work, punishing Jones on the ropes in a flurry that kept going well after the bell.

"I was just really mad," Hopkins said. "I have a lot of respect for Roy, but he was trying the whole night to get me to retaliate with some of those punches he was throwing.

The late hits and the ensuing scuffle involved security guards and resulted in Jones' son apparently jumping into the ring and then getting thrown out of the building by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

On weary legs that finally gave out in the dressing room, Hopkins finished the bout with brute persistence. If it turns out to be his final fight, he at least left the ring upright.

"I kept pressing," Hopkins said. "I'm a scrappy Philly fighter. I might not please everyone, but that's the way I fight."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

Source: sports.espn.go.com

David Haye's dazzling power has the Klitschkos ducking for cover -- Daily Mail

By Jeff Powell, DailyMail.co.uk

David Haye put the old-time razzle-dazzle back into heavyweight boxing, electrified a sell-out crowd in Manchester and captivated millions watching on television.

That he could deliver on his promise of such pyrotechnical brilliance and heart-stopping drama after being deprived of his final month of sparring by an eye cut in training made this performance all the more astonishing.

The one problem is that his blitzkrieg of an heroic John Ruiz may startle the fighting daylights out of the two big brothers based in Germany, whose collection of belts Haye needs to complete his crusade for world domination.

Negotiations with Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko have been fractious, to say the least, since the wielder of the Hayemaker came thundering up from cruiserweight to menace the giants of the prize-ring.

Those talks threaten to become yet more protracted after a wild, bloodsplattered night in the MEN Arena ended in revelations that the Klitschkos are likely now to switch their attentions to Nikolai Valuev, the Russian goliath who Haye defeated to win his WBA championship.

A re-match clause in the contract with Valuev already presented one obstacle to Haye's ambition of unifying the heavyweight titles in time to retire before his 31st birthday, 18 months hence. Another potential brake to that schedule was applied as German promoter Chris Meyer identified Valuev as an opponent-in-waiting for Vitali Klitschko, who has signed already for one other fight this year.

Does Haye want to box Valuev again? 'No, not unless I have to.' Does he want to be kept waiting another 12 months for a tilt at one or other of the Ukrainians who were monopolising the heavyweight scene until he came along? 'No, not if I can help it.'

Do we want to see our charismatic Londoner chance his powerful arm against the regimented Klitschkos as soon as possible? A thousand times yes. Make that 90,000 times if either of those fights takes place at Wembley Stadium.

Is Haye ready for those challenges, as the pundits keep asking? Too right, he is. This is Haye's time in the bright lights. However, if the Klitschkos take a detour through Valuev it will be in keeping with their pattern of making megamoney against minor opponents.

Not that it would be that easy to blame them. Haye's power and, above all, speed of punching reduced Ruiz to a crimson pulp and would present a painful problem to any boxer on the planet. Factor in the intelligence he applies to changing his strategy to deal with differing opponents and he becomes a nightmare to face.

The hit-and-run athleticism which bemused the 7ft 2in Valuev was followed against the 6ft 2in Ruiz by the assertion of a piston-like jab, damaging combinations and a neck-snapping introduction of upper-cuts from both hands. He is more than capable of varying his tactics again - changing angles and working to the body, for example - against the 6ft 7in Klitschkos.

The brothers may want to punish Haye for his insults - and it would be impudent to suggest that two such fighting specimens are running scared - but nobody in their right mind would really look forward to sharing a ring with him in this form.

Haye, meanwhile, 'thoroughly enjoyed' making his contribution to a big sporting Saturday in Manchester. So did 20,000 fight fans, much more so than the majority of the 75,000 who joined Haye at Old Trafford around lunchtime.

Haye stands at the pinnacle of a crop of his exciting countrymen who are taking British boxing to another level.

The gang of Chelsea players who went on to the MEN in the evening saw Haye make a mockery of their claims, as the new favourites for the title they crave, that their 'high intensity' football won the important day.
Real intensity was the pressure appl ied on Rui z and only hi s extraordinary courage carried him as far as the ninth round.

The Hispanic-American charged from the first bell in an attempt to nip in the bud Haye's predictable opening onslaught. For his pains, he was sat straight on his backside by a straight left followed by a straight right.

Ruiz overcame his surprise to regain his feet by the count of eight. Soon after rising, he was on his way down again. This time a flurry of blows ended with a rabbit punch to the back of his neck and although the referee went ahead with that count, he then deducted two points from Haye for a 'deliberate foul'.

So we had the curiosity of an 8-7 score in Haye's favour that round.

The second and third were more orthodox. Haye dominated with that stiff jab setting up the big hits, busting Ruiz's nose in the process.

Blood was flying everywhere in the fourth as Ruiz mounted his version of the Charge of the Light Brigade, running into the guns to fire enough shots of his own to win his only round of the fight.

Even that modest success served mostly to answer a couple of our last, lingering questions about Haye. A Ruiz left hook re-opened the eye cut as a reminder of the training problems which brought him to the ring a few pounds too heavy and gulping for air at times. A Ruiz right hook wobbled Haye but he maintained his equilibrium. If that chin is made of crystal then the glass has become tempered with age.

Ruiz went down for the third and fourth time in rounds five and six as Haye pounded him with viciously accurate punches. Never before in his 45-fight career had this former two-time world champion taken a beating like this. How he kept coming forward in the seventh and eighth, through the fog in his brain and the red mist which filled the air every time he was hit, only this proud man and his maker can possibly know.

It was his courage which enabled Haye to put on his spectacle, just as a matador needs a brave bull.
Mercifully, a recent change of management put a wise trainer in the Ruiz corner. As Haye let fly again in the ninth, the experienced Miguel Diaz waved a white towel and referee Guillermo Perez called a halt.

Ruiz, as he turned towards probable retirement at 38, doffed his trademark cloth cap to Haye. The champion saluted the size of his opponent's heart.

The home fans hailed a genuine star. The X Factor? Forget un-reality television. In the very real world of prizefighting, Haye has the Wow Factor.

He would have to pay more attention to defence against the the long-jabbing Klitschkos but although he was occasionally caught too easily by Ruiz he is what he claims to be: 'The most exciting heavyweight in the world.'

He adds: 'If I can get one of them to Wembley I'll fill the place.' Fighting like this, he could fill it two or three times over.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Jones-Hopkins flop made Clottey-Pacquiao look like King Kong-Godzilla -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

You can't say that the beyond dreadful Roy Jones-Bernard Hopkins rematch, a terrible idea since its inception, was not holiday appropriate.

Their fight at Mandalay Bay, and I use the term fight rather loosely, got right into the Easter theme on Holy Saturday.

Jones, 41, and the 45 year old BHop combined to lay an egg, a Golden (Boy) egg in Las Vegas.

Every man, woman and child who checked into the host hotel-casino was given free tickets for this bum offering which is, I guess, how they were able to announce having just over 6,000 in attendance.

The crowd, another term I use loosely, spent most of the night jeering and booing. Credit ref Tony Weeks for staying awake for the full, tedious 36 minutes.

The first five rounds were sleep inducing and the balance of the bout was spotty and lethargic. Hopkins threw himself to the canvas three times, claiming rabbit punches and low blows. Weeks did take one point away from Jones in the sixth round for a punch behind Bernie's old, gray head.

Who won, oh yeah Hopkins by a 117-110 twice and 118-109 scores. As if that mattered...

"It was horrible," veteran boxing agent-matchmaker Johnny Bos said. "It made Joshua Clottey-Manny Pacquiao looks like King Kong versus Godzilla.

"Hopkins kept throwing himself to the floor and Jones can't let his hands go anymore. It was one of the worst fights ever and the undercard was even worse than the main event which doesn't really seem possible."

Much as I hate to accuse another boxing writer of good taste, I commend Las Vegan Kevin Iole, the Yahoo scribe, who publicly announced that he would skip covering this one from ringside.

I guess the end result proves Iole's good taste.

As for me, I quit while I was ahead. I thoroughly enjoyed David Hayemaker Haye's "coronation" from the United Kingdom as he starched another oldie, 38 year old John Ruiz, in nine rounds.

And then I went to bed, sleeping completely through the snoozefest in Vegas.

Good career choice, I must say.

How bad was it, you ask?

While Hopkins, on his way to either the hospital or a retirement home, called for a bout against Hayemaker, Richie Rich Schaefer had other ideas.

Hit by a lightning bolt of honesty, the Golden CEO said it was time for Hopkins to retire.

But, Sir Richard, we knew that BEFORE this bomb, didn't we?

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com

Is heavyweight champ Haye a "Pacquiao Man" or a "Mayweather Man" on blood tests? -- Examiner

By Matt Stolow, Examiner.com

He's not the second coming of Cassius Marcellus Clay/Muhammad Ali.

But all in all, he's not that bad. He can fight more than a little bit. OK, nobody human or otherwise looks good against John Ruiz. That is the one thing Ruiz is good at.

David Haye has gotten his mandatory WBA heavyweight title defense out of the way and now he gets to make some serious jack and get some well-deserved publicity in America.

Let's hope he's not even thinking of a rematch with hulking 7'2, 320 lbs. Nikolai Valuev from whom he won the title.

Let's hope Ruiz doesn't file a stupid protest of Saturday's fight to get an immediate rematch with Haye.

I'm talking about either of those two white brothers of the Ukranian Klitchko family. The first closest to a pen and a fax machine wins. I don't care.

We (Americans) don't have time for "The Hayemaker" to pull a "Riddick Bowe" and go visit the Pope against the late Eddie Futch's wishes.

Decisions such as that are why Bowe is trying to get licensed to fight at Indian Reservations /casinos across America for chump change as we speak here.

Next to fighting, what Haye does best, maybe better, is promote himself.

But all we need is for him to sign to fight a Klitschko next and America, its fame, glory, charms and riches, are Haye's to be had.

No Big Ugly Bear like Sonny Liston to get past first. Just come and get the money against either old Klitschko.

Don't sign with Golden Boy Promotions! Oh, he already did that.

Don't get involved with these ridiculous blood/urine tests Golden Boy and Floyd Mayweather are using to hold up a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight and embarrass everyone's new heavyweight friend, Jerry Jones.

I don't know where Haye stands right on the blood right now, but already being signed with Golden Boy frightens me.

Even though Haye has signed with Golden Boy, maybe he'll think like Manny Pacquiao or Freddie Roach and the crew at the Swingin' Wild Card and not try to save the world, boxing, the dolphins and just stick to his next fight.

Haye is the first breath of fresh air heavyweight boxing has seen in many years and he simply has to say he's a "Pacquiao Man" or a "Mayweather Man" so America will know if boxing has a chance for a comeback or if it's going to go even lower in public approval.

Talk to him, Manny.

Source: examiner.com