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| JAMES 'BUSTER' DOUGLAS: A CLASS ACT By Bill Stephens
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-'Buster' Douglas over Mike Tyson- Where were you on that day, Feb 11, 1990? I stood at midnight in a Cincinnati Radio station working the overnight shift. As I was doing my meter readings the Associated Press news line came across. "'Buster' Douglas upsets Mike Tyson in Tokyo, Japan, to become the new heavyweight Champion of the World." Those words hit me hard as I stood in amazement. Who is Buster Douglas? From out of nowhere the new Undisputed Heavyweight Champion emerged. One announcer calling the fight called it the biggest upset in Heavyweight boxing history. Another announcer corrected him, saying, "it’s the greatest upset in boxing history." James 'Buster' Douglas accomplished what no man had done before, not only defeating 'Iron' Mike Tyson, but knocking him down for the count. The odds didn’t even exist, as only one betting parlor took action on the fight. A short reign as WBA, WBC, IBF Champion until defeated that same year in October by Evander Holyfield. A couple of unsuccessful comeback attempts retired James 'Buster' Douglas for good. The former champ has been involved in many charity events in the Columbus, Ohio, area and has even had success in acting. A movie about the life of James 'Buster' Douglas is scheduled for release in 2010. Long overdue, if you ask this Ohio reporter. Once upon a time, a relatively unheard of boxer from Columbus Ohio made boxing history. James Buster Douglas, a class act. Courtesy of BraggingRightsCorner.com | | |
Cookin' In The Corner With Kenny! On the heals of the release of his new instructional video series...I present to you a new column from none other than world-class trainer KENNY WELDON. (How many copies did his original series of VHS tapes sell? Try only over THREE MILLION! The largest-selling Boxing instructional video-series of ALL-TIME!) So you want to ask a world-class Boxing Trainer a question folks? Well now might be you're opportunity. And Kenny Weldon serves it up "RARE" and "WELL-DONE". Perhaps you have a question about one of the noted fighters he's trained, such as: Mike McCallum; Evander Holyfield; Pernell Whitaker; Meldrick Taylor; Sergei Liahkovich; Vinny Pazienza; etc, etc, etc? Maybe you have a 'technical' question? Hey, maybe you just want to know what Kenny himself ate before a fight or currently eats for breakfast (the answer is LIBERALS and 'TREE-HUGGERS'!) Submit two or three questions to me -- and I'll filter one of them to throw into Kenny's AMATOBOXING "Mailbag". This is for MEMBERS ONLY. The question deemed to be the best one out of the bunch? Well...that question will receive the honor of being the "WEL-DON Steak". Does the sender "win" anything? NO! You've just been honored by a highly-noted world-class trainer you JACKASS! That should be plenty enough -- wear it with PRIDE! ( * And Kenny oughta make you do a hundred push-ups for asking such an asinine question! ) Submit the questions to me personally; they call me "Bizzy"... *Bizzy On The BBQ* P.S - If Kenny calls your question stupid? "BOO-HOO". Perhaps he'll give one of his little treats to munch-on and toughen you up a little: Charcoal Briquettes!
| Oliver-Lopez: Sudden Lightening at the Roxy  Mike Oliver, 22-0, met Reynaldo Lopez, 28-5-2, at the Roxbury in Boston on April 7, 2008, and was heavily favored to remain undefeated. For all practical purposes, Oliver, out of nearby Hartford, was the home town fighter. Lopez was coming off a one punch blow out loss to Daniel Ponce de Leon and a UD loss to talented Cristian Mijares, Fighting for 15 years, some thought he might be ring worn and made to order for the speedy Oliver.
Though he seemed tight and tense, Oliver won the first two rounds with his superior speed. The third started out slowly with some roughhousing and then the fighters engaged in an exchange in a neutral corner. Oliver missed with his shots and Lopez threw a long left that caught Oliver flush at the 1:22 mark and sent him to the canvas face first. He barely beat the count and when the referee saw that he was helpless, the action was immediately halted.
Out of the blue, Reynaldo Lopez had pulled off a hugh upset derailing the Oliver Express and resurrecting his own career--and all this was done in the friendly confines of his opponent’s home area..
This was the very essence of an upset in every meaning of the word and was affirmed by the silence of the shocked crowd. And it was particularly difficult for me to witness as Trainer John Scully is a great personal friend.
Now, the challenge will be to overcome this adversity and get back on track. If anyone can do it, Mike and John can. As for Lopez, he gets another shot at a good pay day and deserves every penny.
Courtesy of www.eastsideboxing.com |
| Inspiration: Diosbelys “The Oriental Kid” Hurtado  Hurtado is fighting like a jazz musician at a rock concert… -- HBO color commentator George Foreman
It really can’t be measured but you recognize it when you see it. On any number of occasions, I saw fighters win against great odds seemingly inspired to go beyond their self-imposed limitations--to stretch parameters of possibilities beyond the norm.
Hurtado, known as "The Oriental Kid," began his professional career in 1994, and in 1997 challenged WBC welterweight title holder Pernell Whitaker. He was 20-0 at the time while Pernell was 39-1-1.
An inspired Hurtado started fast and dropped the champ with a right to his jaw which had been exposed by a sharp body shot only five seconds into the fight. Whitaker’s wide smile perhaps belied what was ahead.. Hurtado proceeded to fight with uncommon savvy and courage hitting the champion with two shots for every one he received and never backing down. He also threw lead rights and combinations from awkward positions confusing Pernell and forcing him to attack. This was a masterful strategy because it took him out of his defensive game. In addition to his effective hit-and-run tactics, the Cuban did more than his fair share of roughhousing which shook up the champ.
In the eight round, Hurtado again shocked everyone but himself as he launched a fast left to jaw that dropped Whitaker to one knee. In an act of theatrics, Whitaker grabbed the sides of his head and shouted an agonized "no!" but Arthur Mercante Junior would have none of it and administered his second eight-count. Whitaker was now behind and the crowd sensed major upset.
Point deductions resulted for both fighters as the roughhousing continued into the late rounds. This Cuban was turning out to be one tough customer.
Going into the eleventh stanza, most thought (and correctly so) that Whitaker needed a stoppage to win. Ronnie Shields said, "You need a knockout to win the fight." Then, with 1:23 remaining in the 11th round, Whitaker proved his worth as a champion. He let go a vicious left that that snapped Hurtado’s head and sagged his legs. For all practical purposes, the fight was over.
With memories of Paret-Griffith lurking, the totally gassed challenger got snagged between the second and third strands of rope and "Sweet Pete" unleashed nine or ten murderous overhand lefts. Whitaker, with the WBC welterweight title and a mega pay day with Oscar De La Hoya at stake, had pulled it out. Hurtado, who was leading on all three judges' cards by 93-92, 94-92 and 96-91, was fortunate to come out of that fight without serious damage (or worse). Many, including the HBO commentators, made quite a point over the helpless Cuban taking too many unnecessary shots as he absorbed one potentially lethal power punch after another with no way to defend himself. It was as if Whittaker was pounding nails into a piece of wood. These were monster shots the accumulation of which could well have caused permanent damage.
Still, Hurtado amazingly went on an 8 fight winning streak and seemingly has suffered no lasting effects from the fight. In fact, just 5 months later he iced Mexican bomber Jaime Balboa, 64 (KO 58)-23-1. He retired in 2004 but has since mounted a comeback and is 39-3-1, winning two recent fights in Spain against very poor opposition..
For his part, Whitaker also fought with inspiration, but it almost came too late, for the Cuban warrior came razor close to winning the title in a major upset. Indeed, the Hurtado fight would prove to be the last official win of his career.
Whitaker fought many formidable foes such as Jose Luis Ramirez, Freddie Pendleton, Jorge Paez, Oscar De La Hoya, Tito Trnindad, James “Buddy” McGirt and Hall of Famers Julio Cesar Chavez and Azumah Nelson, but none ever fought with more inspiration than “The Oriental Kid” on January 24, 1997 at the Convention Center in Atlantic City.
Courtesy of www.eastsideboxing.com |
 
vs. Salvador Sanchez Julio Cesar Chavez 5'8" 130.lbs 5'8" 130.lbs Age: 25 Age: 25 44-1-0 w/32 KO's 107-7-1 w/86 KO's Referee: "Elegant" Elmo Adolph ( * It's official -- He's out of retirement for this series ) Venue: AmatoBoxing Arena Listen to these reviews... "After their mildly disappointing 'Dreamfights #3', *Bizzy On Boxing* Productions has delivered an absolute BARN-BURNER of a 'Dreamfight' here!" - B. Bizzack "FIVE-STARS!" - B.Bizzack "Ring The Bell!" *Bizzy On Boxing* (2008) 
The Standing Eight Count- Oscar’s “Homecoming” By Dave Wilcox On May 3rd, this Saturday night, Oscar De La Hoya and his Golden Boy Productions are bringing their latest “Oscar” show to the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. For the first time since his split decision loss to Sugar Shane Mosley in 2000 at the Staples Center, Oscar is fighting in front of his hometown fans in a promotion being billed as “Homecoming”. Former IBF Super Featherweight World Champion and “Contender” alumni Steve Forbes will be the opponent for Oscar in what most people are calling a tune-up bout for “The Golden Boy”. The tentative plan is for De La Hoya to beat Forbes and then move on to a lucrative rematch against Floyd Mayweather in September of this year. “Pretty boy” Floyd won a unanimous decision over De La Hoya in their first dance last year. The Pay-Per-View buys for their first scrap were a record 2.15 million which shattered the previous record of 1.99 million for the 1997 bout between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. The previous record for non-Heavyweight bouts was 1.4 million for the 1999 fight between De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad. With those numbers a rematch is inevitable. Of course the first fight was so boring, I wouldn’t expect numbers quite as high this time around. The fight this Saturday between De La Hoya and Forbes will not be on Pay-Per View, it will be shown Live on HBO. The last time Oscar was in a non PPV event was back in 2001 when he destroyed everybody’s favorite punching bag Arturo Gatti in 5 rounds. Everyone I’ve spoken to on the bout against Forbes feels this is an easy fight for Oscar and only a tune up for the Mayweather rematch. During his media conference call earlier this week, Oscar tried to convince everyone this fight is more than just a tune up. “I’ve been training since January for this fight and we’ve been taking the necessary steps to be ready for this fight, and ready I am” said De La Hoya. “Mayweather, Sr. has taken me to another level” “Mayweather brings out the best in me and I’m not sure what I would have done without him” Oscar of course is referring to Floyd Mayweather Sr. who is back as head trainer for Oscar following his Freddie Roach experiment. “Freddie Roach is a tremendous trainer, he is by far one of the top two or three trainers in the world, but me and Floyd have this connection and we work real well together.” Oscar would go on to say. The day before Oscar’s conference call, Steve Forbes had one of his own. “I know I’m the underdog, but I’m here and I’m excited.” “I’m looking forward to being there and being 100%” said Forbes. “Oscar is strong and can punch very hard.” I’m going to push the pace, I’m prepared to go 12 hard rounds.” “I’m a marathon guy, I’m a decision fighter.” If the knockout comes, that’s great, but that is not my game.” “I’m going to use my skills and get the points.” While listening to Steve Forbes talk it almost sounded as if he was trying to convince himself that he had a chance against De La Hoya. Steve is a very nice guy and I wish him well in this one, but in this scribe’s opinion, I give him very little chance on Saturday. He has the same style as Mayweather without the speed, power and flamboyance of Floyd. The Home Depot Center is expecting a sell out of around 28,000 people on their Soccer field this Saturday. It should be a wild night in Carson with all of Oscar’s Homers. Yours truly could also be labeled as an Oscar Homer. Being a Southern California resident myself, I have to support my guy. I know I’ve spent many a night on a barstool..Errrrrrrrrrrrr I mean dinner table defending his manhood. Oscar De La Hoya fights are an event, and I’m darn happy that this event is in my backyard. I’ll be Ringside this Saturday covering the action. See my ringside report on Ringsports.com The Particulars: The 35 year old De La Hoya comes into this bout with a 38(30 ko)-5( 1 ko) and no draws. He stands 5’ 10.5” and has a reach of 73” Steve Forbes is 31 years old and brings a nice record of 33(9 ko)- 5 (0 ko) and no draws. He stands 5’ 7.5” and has a 68 reach. Random Boxing thoughts I hear that the Unified Cruiserweight Champion, David Haye is trying to entice Wlad Klitschko to give him a shot at the Heavyweight title. My first thought was this is a bad idea. After a few moments of deep thought, I changed my mind. After all, could it be any worse than the Ibragimov fight or the upcoming Tony Thompson fight? At least Haye has a unified belt and some power to test the alleged soft whiskers of Wlad. I can’t help but wonder if we have seen the last of the Great Bernard Hopkins in a meaningful fight. After his decision loss to Joe Calzaghe, I don’t see another opponent that could motivate him or pay him enough to come out of retirement. The only chance would be if lighting struck and Roy Jones was able to upset Calzaghe. At this point, a Jones victory against anyone credible is a stretch. (don’t tell me about Trinidad, he was washed up and about three weight classes to high) I will miss “The Executioner” he is one of the last of the old school fighters. If there was ever a guy built for 15 round fights, it was him. Speaking of Felix Trinidad, I just heard that he turned down a potential bout with Jermaine Taylor. He claimed a fight against Taylor wouldn’t motivate him to train hard. All I can say is thank you for being boring Jermaine because I don’t want to continue to see the once great Trinidad continue to embarrass himself. I would hate to put him in the Evander Holyfield posse of guys who can’t say retire. Isn’t it about time that Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. stops making me pay $50.00 dollars on PPV to watch him in fights against nobodies? How about a live opponent Jr.? I don’t mind a guy learning his craft over time, but for crying out loud, get off my PPV because my lovely wife is ready to kick me out of the house. Pay-Per View is like crack. I can’t stop using it and it is depleting my bank account. Keep Punching Courtesy of keeppunching.com
The Upset Arguably, there is nothing more thrilling than an upset. For some, it means shocking disappointment; for others, it is sudden and pleasant surprise. Kirkland Laing shocked Roberto Duran but himself was later shocked by Buck “Tombstone” Smith. Lloyd Honeyghan did it to Donald Curry. Buster Douglas’s KO of Mike Tyson was perhaps the greatest upset in boxing history. George Foreman‘s KO of Michael Moorer in 1994 was one for the ages, but then Moorer turned the tables on Vassiliy Jirov tens years later. Louis Monaco stopped Kevin McBride in 1997, but McBride himself stopped Mike Tyson eight years later. More recently, Brian Vera pulled one off against a heavily Andy Lee..
Which brings us to the under card of the recent Jesse Feliciano-Andrey Tsurkan bout at the Utopia Paradise Theatre in the Bronx. Home town guy Jon “The Fighting Marine” Schneider, 7-1-1, was scheduled to fight Clarence Moore, 4-3-1. The Marine had shut out Moore in a 4-rounder in 2007 and was heavily favored to do it again. Hell, what was a guy from West Virginia doing in the Bronx in the first place?
A glance at their respective level of opposition would indicate, however, that Moore had fought the better fighters and, for the most part, in their own home towns. All of Schneider’s fights have been in the friendly environs of New York City. Moore was also coming in at 7 fewer pounds reflecting perhaps how determined he was to avenge his earlier loss. He also had far more quality rounds under his no longer ample belt
Still, the stage was set for a Schneider blow-out and, with a disproportionate amount of hoopla, the fans were anticipatory and excited for this televised 6-rounder to begin.
The local favorite won the first round easily impressively, but in the second, he walked into short uppercut followed by a left hook. Stunned badly, he was stopped in his tracks and unable to tie up Moore. He then was met by a volley of wild shots until a vicious uppercut got in and positioned him for the end. Moore quickly followed up with another equally malefic uppercut which sent The Fighting Marine to Jarhead Heaven at the 2:48 mark of the second round.
The crowd was silence and stunned at the sudden turn of events, while Moore himself seemed shocked as tears of joy welled up in his eyes. Schneider sat on his stool, dejected and wondering what had just occurred while being consoled by trainer and former Champion Lou Del Valle.
This had been a thriller for as long as it lasted; heck, this had been an upset pure and simple, and now all the pre-fight hype didn’t amount to spit. A 33 year old cruiserweight named Moore out of Charleston, West Virginia saw to that. Courtesy of www.eastsideboxing.com
Vs. Carlos Monzon Mike McCallum 6'0" 160.lbs Age: 25-30 6'0" 160.lbs Age 25-30 Record:83-3-9 W/59 KO's Record: 49-5-1 W/36 KO's Referee: Mills Lane or Elmo Adolph Venue: AmatoBoxing Arena "Let's get it on!" *Bizzy On Boxing* (2008)
Sharkie's Machine: Andre Dirrell Over Tony Hanshaw by TKO in Five!  By Frank Gonzalez Jr., photo by Tom Casino / Showtime- May 2nd, 2008 - Friday night in Santa Ynez California, Super Middleweight contender Anthony Hanshaw (21-2-1, 14 KO’s), made his return to the ring since losing a decision to Roy Jones Jr. in July of last year. Hanshaw gave a good account of himself against Jones until getting floored in the eleventh round. After a long lay off, this was an opportunity to bounce back and work his way back towards the limelight of the division.
Former Bronze Medal Olympian from Flint Michigan, Andre Dirrell (15-0, 10 KO’s) is unbeaten, but a recent lack luster performance against Curtis Stevens, where he did too much running and too little exchanging for the likes of the crowd, who booed constantly throughout the fight. When it was over, Dirrell said he didn’t care about the crowd. He needed a dramatic win to win back the crowd and to reinforce the notion of his marketability..
Hanshaw was the best fighter Dirrell’s ever fought and he did a good job of looking good, while winning the fight with fast hands and clean punches.
Hanshaw looked good as the first round saw him chase Dirrell into the corner ropes and let the leather fly. Dirrell was leaning into the ropes and at one point, his knee and glove touched the canvas during the exchange. The ref broke them and declared, “No knock down!” What? Technically, it was a knockdown. The replay clearly showed it was a knockdown, that’s the way it goes. Hanshaw outworked and out-landed Dirrell to easily win the first round.
Hanshaw was aggressively throwing punches; Dirrell was going backwards and slipped onto his ass. The ref said, “No knockdown.” Hanshaw pressed, always looking to cut off the ring and land power shots in close. Dirrell landed some nice counters and showed good hand speed, particularly with his jab, which was very effective. Dirrell switched often from conventional to southpaw and was starting to change the tempo of the fight. A straight left direct to the face of Hanshaw made that point late in the round.
Ronnie Shields (Hanshaw’s trainer) implored him to stay in his face and in close.
In the third, Dirrell was circling the outer ring, keeping his distance, popping his jab and an occasional combo and he was scoring well. Hanshaw looked slower and was less effective as Dirrell surged and attacked him at a weak moment and Hanshaw almost went down. Dirrell was beaming with confidence as he boxed outside and sought to counter the wild punching Hanshaw. Dirrell did a good job and then, started to showboat and the crowd booed. Dirrell showed some good ambidextrous boxing skills.
Hanshaw pressed forward in the fourth and Dirrell circled backwards around the ring. Dirrell’s hand speed won him the bulk of the exchanges. Hanshaw got rocked by a Dirrell left right combo. Dirrell got aggressive and smelled the blood and cracked Hanshaw, who went down on his seat in the corner. Upon review, it wasn’t a knock down; it was a push that felled Hanshaw. The ref was quick to call that a knockdown though. Disgusting.
Dirrell was cocky in the fifth round, jukin’ and jiving until Hanshaw came in to brawl. Dirrell quickly caught Hanshaw and landed a series of punches that saw Hanshaw wobble backwards into the ropes as the ref stepped in and stopped it. It was over. Dirrell won by TKO 5.
Congratulations to Andre Dirrell, who showed quality and beat Hanshaw in the manner that should spring board him to some big fights in the near future. Dirrell showed he’s ready. Not only is he a smart fighter with good timing but he’s got speed, power, footwork and the kind of ego that can sell tickets—especially now that he redeemed himself for the Curtis Stevens fight.
During the post fight interview with Steve Farhood, Dirrell showed some humility behind his bold persona. He said he’d go back to the gym, watch the tapes and see whatever he’s still doing wrong and get better. He says he wants to be a champion and Friday night, he looked the part. He definitely has something special. Lets hope it don’t take too long before he gets a shot at a quality contender, like Jean Pascal, Allan Green, or even Sakio Bika. One fight I’d like to see is Andre Dirrell vs. Andre Ward.
Consider that Dirrell took out Hanshaw in five. Roy Jones Jr. went the distance with Hanshaw to win a Decision. If Roy wants to fight anymore 168-pounders, Dirrell would be deemed too dangerous. But as a style match up, I like it. Jones’ unconventional style vs. Dirrell’s quick hands and mobility would be interesting.
Having two losses is not the end of a career. All is not lost for Anthony Hanshaw; he’s still a very tough fighter and can get better if he stays busy. Anymore long layoffs will wreck his career. He needs to work on throwing straighter punches to erase his defensive flaw—being open to straight punches that counter his wide ones. I always wanted to see him fight Jermain Taylor or Arthur Abraham. There are plenty of guys who he’d match up well against, like Librado Andrade, Edison Miranda or even Jeff Lacy. Slick boxers are not going to advance the cause of Anthony Hanshaw. Besides, Hanshaw vs. other slugger types will make for some great entertainment.
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Comments can be emailed to dshark87@hotmail.com
Courtesy of www.eastsideboxing.com
Throughout history, Boxing has always seemed to (almost miraculously) have a smooth and seamless transition between the eras of it's 'mega-stars'. The types with the proverbial 'crossover appeal', and that almost 'transcend the sport'. I won't even go back to the days of Dempsey-to-Louis here, let's just use the more recent past as example... From Ali to...Leonard. From Leonard to...Delahoya. From Delahoya to...Chavez Jr.? In looking at the above, one will notice a common theme, and some almost dare-I-say prerequisites required in order to be ordained as "The Chosen One". #1 - They must be VERY young, as in a minimum of under-25. #2 - They must be handsome. #3 - They must have Olympic pedigree, i.e, Gold Medals. Well, Chavez doesn't have the third (the 35-0-1 w/29 KO's Culican, Mexico native in fact has basically ZERO amateur exp. and has been 'learning on the job') and he's not even American for that matter either. But he is young, handsome, has name recognition, and he also happens to have a HUGE Mexican and Mexican-American fanbase already. So much so, that by 2007 -- the only way you could see young Julio was by Pay-Per-View! Okay, so the kid has definite mega earning-potential, but does he have some actual talent and ability? Some real potential? Well, by god...I think he does. How much? The jury is still out on that, and I don't have a real honest and accurate 'gauge' on that yet. But given Chavez Jr. all but non-existent amateur background and precocious youth, I have to say I have been fairly impressed by his development and improvement. When I first saw this kid at 18 -- he could not box-a-lick. And worse yet, at 6-feet tall and 130 pounds -- his build and physique was worse than that of most junior high kids. ( And the baby-faced lad also probably had less facial hair than your average one too! ) Simply put, the kid looked like he had absolutely no business whatsoever even being in a professional prizefighting ring. But that slowly (but steadily) began to change, and fast forward a few years and low and behold the six-footer has filled-out to 154 pounds, and will almost certainly finish his career at 160, if not even higher. And by god -- I think I even see a few whiskers as well! Julio Cesar Chavez Jr...future Undisputed Middleweight World Champion and torch-bearer/poster-boy for Pro Boxing 2009+ and "A.D" as in = "After Delahoya"??? I don't know guys...whadda' ya' think? *Bizzy On Boxing* (2008)
Forbes gets Golden By Moncayo Blackbull Photo: Eric Van Dyke/InsideBoxing.com View more photos Carson, CA (IB-February 27, 2008) - On May 3rd former world champion Steve Forbes will step into the ring in what can be called the biggest opportunity of his boxing career. Forbes, 33-5 became world champion on December 3, 2000 when he stopped John Brown in the final round of the championship bout for the IBF super featherweight title. The two would rematch nine months later with Forbes successfully defending his crown with a unanimous  decision. In a scheduled title defense, Forbes defeats a game David Santos but loses the title due to not being able to make the required weight. Since his days as a champion, Forbes has demanded fights with champions and top ten contenders only to have the door shut in front of him, until recently. In 2006 Forbes entered the ESPN Contender series and fought his way to the championship coming up short in the contest. Since the Contender series, 2 prospects or so called contenders challenged Forbes thinking they would use him as a stepping stone to glory. In both cases, they failed. In Forbes’ last contest he defeated a once promising fighter Francisco “Panchito” Bojado in a ten round bout. And prior to that fight, he soundly schooled Demetrius Hopkins in a contest where Forbes was the victim of this sport’s bias judging. As a result of these fights, Forbes now finds himself in the fight of his career. Oscar DeLaHoya looking forward to a rematch against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September has elected to take a “tune up” fight before hand. You know, to keep him sharp and on queue for Mayweather. Not a bad strategy at all, in looking for an opponent, DeLaHoya settled his sights on Forbes. Why Forbes? Well Forbes has the credentials, a former world champion, an active fighter and a decent current fighter, but I have a sneaky suspicion there is a little more to the selection of Forbes. You see, both Bojado and Hopkins are Golden Boy protégés, the careers of both fighters were severely damaged by Forbes and Golden Boy Promotion will not be able to immediately capitalize on Bojado and Hopkins. Instead Golden Boy will have to further invest in building up the future contenders and hope they pass the test next time they are tested. I think DeLaHoya might have a little vengeance on his mind, I think DeLaHoya might want to open up a can of “Whip - @$$” on Forbes. After all if his fighters could not do it, then he’ll have to administer the beating himself. You have read the stories and opinions of many pencil pushers on how DeLaHoya is done and should retire etc. When the truth of the matter is DeLaHoya continues to sell and fill arenas. DeLaHoya continues to provide opponents with large paydays. In today’s day of mismatches and fighters afraid to fight any opponent with a strong pulse, DeLaHoya will continue to be a breath of fresh air to the boxing fans. Forbes now steps up to the plate, will he continue to be a thorn in DeLaHoya’s side by defeating or making DeLaHoya’s performance look sub-standard. How Forbes fairs in this contest surely will have a significant impact on the upcoming rematch between DeLaHoya and Mayweather Jr. The key is will the value be good or bad, beneficial or detrimental. The contest against Forbes was officially announced yesterday and will be held at the Home Depot Stadium in California, with tickets going on sale next Tuesday, March 4. DeLaHoya said this fight is not about money but about giving back to the boxing fans. 20,000 out of the 32,000 tickets will sell under $75. Courtesy of www.insideboxing.com
 Article by David Martinez - Boxing Historian, Photo of Peter Jackson Let me bring you a feature story that you will probably not read anywhere regarding, all together, the five best black heavyweights at the turn of the 20th century. I got the idea when I overheard some mutual friends talking about the best black baseball players that never got the chance to play in the major leagues, and had to settle for playing against each other in the old negro league. I have rated many boxers in many categories throughout my 48 years of boxing. On this Web site alone you will find that I have rated the best heavyweights, the best lightweights, the best Mexicans fighters; and now I will personally rate the best black heavyweights in a time period when only one of them, Jack Johnson, had the opportunity to fight for the heavyweight championship.
Before Johnson came onto the scene, I must acknowledge Peter Jackson. He was a true pioneer in the brass knuckle days, and the first black heavyweight that set the stage for the top recognition of the black boxers, and that was before the turn of the 20th century. Racial prejudice was the only thing that kept Jackson from his chance to win the heavyweight championship. In a ten year span, 1882-1892, when which Jackson was in his prime, the heavyweight champion was John L. Sullivan, who stated that he would never fight a Negro for his crown. Sullivan lost his coveted belt, in 1892, to James J. Corbett. A year prior to that fight, in 1891, Jackson fought Corbett to a grueling 61 round draw, in a bout that lasted over four hours. Jackson would never fight Corbett once he held the title, and lost to another future heavyweight champion, Jim Jeffries, seven years after the Corbett fight, in a bout that virtually ended his career. At the peak of his career, Jackson, “aka” The Black Prince, was considered by many boxing experts (even to this day) to be one of the most complete heavyweights ever. Jack Johnson #1) After the turn of the 20th century, I rate Jack Johnson the best at that time, and in his prime he was truly the top heavyweight. Johnson was a master defensive boxer, and well ahead of his time among any of the great boxers, black or white, in his era. He won the heavyweight championship when he was 32 years old; Ali was 22, and Joe Louis was 23. He was the central figure in the most dramatic fight in heavyweight boxing history; his July 4, 1910, bout with Jim Jeffries caused more national repercussions than any thing ever seen in the sport. Johnson fought the best in his time, and lost the championship to Jess Willard on a controversial knockout. The late Nat Fleischer, Ring Magazine founder, said Johnson was simply the best heavyweight champion ever. That is my opinion, as well. Harry Wills #2) Harry Wills is probably the most underrated heavyweight that never won the title. He was ranked many times as a top contender for Johnson’s belt, but they never fought. He also was ranked the number one contender when Jack Dempsey was champion, but they never fought. Wills was forced to fight continuously against many of the best black fighters in his era such as Sam Langford, Sam McVey, and Joe Jeannette; but in a career that spanned six heavyweight champions, not once did he get
a title shot.
Wills was known as The Black Panther, and was a big six-foot, three inches, and 220 pounds. Although many of his early bouts were unrecorded, I found his ring record to be 65 wins, 8 losses, 2 draws, 47 knockouts, with 25 no-decisions and 3 no-contests. His best punch was a right cross which was so powerful that, in his 47 wins by KO, those bouts only lasted an average of three rounds. Had he been given the opportunity to fight for the title, I truly believe Willis would have changed the history of boxing and would have been the second black heavyweight champion. Sam Langford #3) Sam Langford, was recognized by the late Nat Fleischer, Ring magazine founder, as the seventh best heavyweight of all time, and in a recent issue of Ring Magazine, he was rated number two on their all time list of best punchers. Langford was known as the Boston Tar Baby, and he was not a big heavyweight in stature, being only five foot, seven inches, and 185 pounds. His career spanned a quarter of a century, from 1902 to 1926, with 164 wins, 38 losses, 37 draws, 117 knockouts, 48 no-decisions and 3 no-contests. Langford was truly considered by many boxing historians, including myself, as good as any heavyweight during the first 15 years of the 20th century. Joe Jeanette #4) Joe Jeanette was actually a look-alike in style to Sam Langford, was not big by heavyweight standards at five foot ten inches and 190 pounds. His ring record was most impressive: 79 wins, nine losses, 6 draws, 66 knockouts, with 62 no-decisions, and 1
no-contest. He is best known for his quote to Jack Johnson, in which he repeatedly said “that Jack forgot about his old (black) friends after he became champion and drew the color line against his own people.” Jeanette had fought Johnson seven times prior to Johnson winning the title, and held his own with one win, one loss, one draw, and four no-decisions. He also fought Langford 15 times, and held a 15 round decision over future light heavyweight champion Georges Carpentier. His most memorable fight was in 1909 against Sam McVey, in which he overcame 27 knockdowns to win by knockout in 50 rounds, a fight that lasted three-and-a-half hours, and was recorded as the longest fight of the 20th century. Sam McVey #5) Sam McVey (or as some refer him to, McVea), was actually a Mike Tyson look-alike in many ways. He was compact, had a powerful physique, with tremendous punching power and he stood 5 foot ten inches, at a solid 215 pounds. His ring record was 65 wins, 15 losses, 11 draws, 47 knockouts, with 1 no-decision, and 4 no-contests. At one point in his career, from 1906 to 1912, he had a stretch of 38 victories, 2 losses, and 3 draws, with an incredible 32 knockouts in 43 bouts, with the two lone losses only to Joe Jeanette. Early in his career, with less than ten fights under his belt and before he was even 20 years old, he fought Jack Johnson three times and lost all three. Johnson was 26 years old and had over forty fights to his credit. The two would never fight again after Johnson won the world heavyweight championship in 1908. Although boxing historians will agree that his 50 round bout with Jeanette in 1909 was a classic, and it was, McVey’s best winning performance was on June 29, 1915 against Sam Langford. He won a 12 round decision, in which McVey had Langford on the verge of a knockout in the 8th round, in a thrilling fight from start to finish. In closing, from Peter Jackson to the five I have mentioned above, ironically each one of these men at one time in their famed careers held what was called during their era the “World Colored Heavyweight Championship.” Courtesy of dmboxing.com
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| Name: | | Tommy Amato | | Genre: | | Rock | |
| | | | Members: | | Tommy Amato, Beau Coup, Andy Gerome | | Origin: | | Cleveland, Ohio | | | | | | Website: | | N/A | Tommy Amato is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, where he began playing in club bands at age 15, covering as many as 50 songs each night. After his gigs, Amato would hang out at the local recording studio until dawn, where he soon became a session commodity. In 1980, childhood pal Neil Geraldo convinced Amato to come to Los Angeles. By 1984, Amato was a permanent resident playing with countless artists from Savoy Brown to Warrant. In spite of Amato’s advanced polyrhythmic pyrotechnic skill, he attributes his unique, energetic drumming style to a heavy left hand and a fat groove. As a teenager carving his way in Cleveland’s club scene, a manager once told him to “lead the band” - advice which he continues to follow. His favorite drummers include Bill Bruford, Billy Cobham, John Bonham and Tony Williams, who ultimately inspired Amato to play the classic yellow Gretsch kit that he still uses on frequent occasion. In 2001, Tommy was found to have Lymphoma cancer. He spent the year undergoing chemo and radiation treatments until he was 99.9% disease free. He was told that there was a chance of it returning in 9 years. 2002 was a great year for Tom, but in May of 2003 the cancer returned stronger and this time in a new area. The 2004, just before he underwent a bone marrow transplant and intensive chemo treatment, Tommy’s former Cleveland bandmates, with the support of the Agora and RCS Corp., producer Julie Matthews pulled together a benefit concert that raised nearly $20K for the Tommy Amato Cancer Fund. Tom, with the love and support of his family and friends is feeling much better and he returns to Cleveland on October 2nd to return the favor for his good friend, drummer Randy Castillo, who passed away from the same disease. Funds raised for the 2005 concert will be allocated to Castillo’s family in the name of the Tommy Amato Cancer Fund.
| Courtesy of the Cleveland Agora website
Lee Roy Murphy, known as “Solid Gold,” was one of the greatest amateur fighters to come out of Chicago with a record of 157-17 and the 1979 Light Heavyweight National Golden Gloves title. I saw him fight many times in the amateurs and can attest to his brilliance. Only President Jimmy Carter’s senseless boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics prevented him from reaching his true amateur acclaim and a likely Gold Medal..
Turning pro in 1980, he ran off 24 straight wins before suffering his first defeat. In 1984, he won the IBF cruiserweight title with a dramatic 14th round KO of Marvin Camel in Montana. After icing Young Joe Louis in the twelfth stanza in another drama packed fight two months later, the undefeated champion was scheduled to meet Zambian Chisanda Mutti at the Stade Louis II in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Mutti was a tough customer who had fought at a high level from the very start of his career. In fact, he fought rugged Tony Sibson for the vacant British Empire middleweight title in only his fourth professional outing. Only two of his 35 career opponents had a losing record.
This October 19, 1985 shootout would end up being a closet classic, and because of the way it ended, a cult classic as well.
The Fight
The first seven rounds involved incredible seesaw action with both fighters exchanging bombs that had dreamland printed all over them. Neither dominated for sustained periods of time and the fight was a classic ebb and flow war of attrition. The number of punishing head shots both received was frankly alarming. Moreover, both warriors were fast becoming exhausted. Mutti used vicious jab-hook-cross combos that quickly served notice he would not be an easy mark.
By the eighth stanza, the crowd was up and roaring in disbelief at the all-out action which featured both jackhammer power and wicked speed. Both guys teed off on each other as the momentum continually shifted. Both displayed a total disdain for defense as they concentrated on launching bombs that had uncommon accuracy. First, one landed a menacing three-punch combo and then the other countered with a lethal straight right. It was as if their respective faces were magnets for the rattling shots. It didn’t take an aficionado to know that the damage being inflicted would impact their future.
In the ninth, Mutti decked Murphy with a volley of vicious shots begun with a left that turned Murphy’s back to him. It appeared he would be taken out forthwith, but somehow, some way, he survived the round.
In a brilliant recent account, here is what fellow writer Lee Groves had to say:
“But Murphy was too strong for Mutti to hold off for long. A one-two and a double right snapped Mutti's head after which the champion moved in for the kill. But Mutti again turned the tables when a hook and a right to the temple made Murphy slump into the ropes. Both men stood on the precipice of victory and defeat simultaneously, each just a punch or two away from ending the fight, and as the bell rang, Mutti had trouble finding his corner while Murphy trudged toward his. With three rounds remaining, this already action-packed bout was building toward an unforgettable crescendo.” 1
In the eleventh, Murphy returned the favor with a series of savage rights that sent Mutti to the canvas. Now it was Mutti’s turn to make it to the bell. Going into the championship rounds, both had been down and both were now ready for the taking.
The fight turned into something else in the twelfth when both fighters exchanged several bombs in a neutral corner and then threw lightening fast rights simultaneously. Both landed simultaneously with full force and impact. Both men fell together in a heap hanging on to each other with Mutti landing atop Murphy before sliding to the floor. Glancing at Murphy who was struggling to get up in a corner (and keeping tabs on the progress of both), referee Larry Hazzard began the count over Mutti. Murphy, badly hurt, barely made it up by the seven count. Incredibly, Hazzard proceeded to count out Mutti at the 1:53 mark. Mutti stayed down a full three minutes. Behind on the scorecards at the time, Murphy had retained his title in what can only be described as a surreal fight.
Neither fighter would ever be the same after this grueling fight. “Solid Gold” would lose his title by TKO to tough Ricky Parkey a year later. Mutti would go 2-4-1 before retiring in 1989. But for 12 rounds on October 19, 1985, in Monte Carlo, Monaco, these two would provide fireworks the likes of which have seldom been witnessed in the square circle.
1. Lee Groves, “Closet Classic - Lee Roy Murphy vs. Chisanda Mutti.”
MAXBOXING.COM. March 25, 2008.
http://www.maxboxing.com/Groves/Groves032508.asp
Visit Ted Sares at www.tedsares.com and watch for his new book due out in the fall (2008). Courtesy of www.eastsideboxing.com
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 If they meet, it will give new meaning to the phrase “Mega Fight.” Let’s just call it “Machismo Explosivo.” This fight involves two tough as nails guys meeting in a clash of titans. One is from boxing crazy Puerto Rico; the other from boxing crazy Mexico.
Miguel “Junito” Cotto is 32-0 and slaughtered his last opponent. Antonio Tony Margarito, 36-5, brutalized his last foe. Both have excellent KO percentages and both can render tremendous punishment (Cotto over Carlos Quintana and Margarito over Sebastian Andres Lujan).
Margarito can take you out with one body shot (Cintron) or one head shot (Golden Johnson), but most of all, he is an incoming pressure fighter who uses an incredibly high punch volume to break his opponents down in savage and relentless fashion. When he is good, he is great. When he is bad (Clottey and Santos), he is, well pretty bad. Still, while Tony favors brawling, he also can box well when necessary. And his chin may be the very best in boxing.
Cotto also can dispatch an opponent with one body shot (Mohamad Abdulaev) or one head shot (Kelson Carlos Pinto). He is more consistent and has pretty much (though not entirely) shaken off the weak chin rap. More importantly, he has become a far better boxer improving almost imperceptibly in each outing. He now has better movement and uses the jab much more effectively. He is quickly becoming a complete package and that spells trouble for anyone who fights him.
He Also has fought the better opposition and has beaten former world champions Sugar Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, DeMarcus Corley (TKO5), Randall Bailey (TKO6), Carlos Maussa (TKO8), and Cesar Bazan (TKO11). He also has beaten previously undefeated contenders Carlos Quintana (TKO5), Paulie Malignaggi (W12), Ricardo Torres (KO7), and Kelson Pinto (TKO6), as well as contenders Muhammad Abdulaev (TKO9), Victoriano Sosa (TKO4) and Lovemore Ndou (W12).
Cotto reminds of Jake LaMotta with his incoming moves and savage body work, wearing down his prey until they are ready for the kill. Margarito favors a faster kill, and is equally menacing. He too knows how to work the body. Both employ legal assault and battery in their tool chest.
Cotto has been hurt a few times, but managed to recover. If Margarito hurts him, he will not let him off the hook.
Still, if and when they meet, one thing needs to be kept in mind. Cotto savaged the man (Quintana) who soundly beat the man (Paul Williams) who beat the man (Margarito). Given this fact and his steady improvement, I favor Cotto, but only by a razor thin margin--and a draw would not surprise.
Courtesy of www.eastsideboxing.com |
| The Case for Benn, Collins, and Eubank in the Hall
 14.04.08 - By Ted Sares: The British press hates a winner who's British. They don't like any British man to have balls as big as a cow's like I have. -- Nigel Benn
I‘ll fight him [Roy Jones] in a phone box in front of two men and a dog. --Steve Collins
Not being born to parents who were accountants was probably my biggest mistake --Chris Eubank
When you think of these three guys, you sometimes think of words like peacock, controversy, arrogant and celebrity (particularly insofar as Chris Eubank was concerned). These were trademarks outside the ring, but in the ring, they provided uncommon excitement and entertainment..
Unfortunately, for two, Nigel Benn and Eubank, their career defining fights ended with tragic results and tend to detract from their entire body of work. As one writer stated, “One man’s finest hour was the end of another man’s life as he knew it." Let's look at that work now and see how their accomplishments stack up insofar as being prospective inductees into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Nigel Benn (1987-1996)
Benn conjures up words like fury, rage, and ferocity. These were his trademarks in the ring. Unfortunately, his career defining fight against Gerald McCllelan ended with tragic results.
Nigel "The Dark Destroyer" Benn, a Middleweight and Super Middleweight boxing Champion, 42 - 5 - 1 with 35 KO's (three of his defeats came at the end of his career), was born in Liford, England the son of Barbadian immigrants. As an amateur, he had a fine record of 41 wins and 1 loss. His pro KO percentage was an excellent 83%.
Ostensibly an orthodox fighter, he was a ballsy and brash bomber and is still considered to be one of the hardest punchers of all time, but when he fought at the top level, he sometimes and inexplicably became somewhat unglued. Still, the ferocity and velocity of his punches unmatched and were launched with evil intentions, the purest of rage, and often punctuated with a whirlwind of deadly hooks and uppercuts from all angles. With Nigel, the thing was his excitement and unpredictability. You knew what to expect...or maybe you didn’t.... which made him so exciting. He would come out bombing and winging and try to ice his opponents in short order usually knocking them out, but his "take no prisoner" strategy sometimes meant that he himself would be stopped. Some even called him one of boxing’s bad boys, and labeled his style as downright dirty. I refer to it as “win at all cost."
Nigel presented an unabashedly snarling mien and personified the aura of a person you would not want to meet in a dark alley. In short, he was one tough guy!
His quality of opposition was excellent. Aside from the hapless Winston Burnett (who would finish with 20-98-3), Benn fought boxers with mostly decent records in his early years, a departure from the norm. Guys like Reggie Miller, Abdul Umaru Sanda, Darren Hobson, Nicky Piper, Jamaican Anthony Logan, Kid Milo, Canadian Dan Sherry, Puerto Rican Jose Quinones, American Sanderline Williams, Congolese Mbayo Wa Mbayo, David Noel, and Argentinean Hector Lescano all came in with winning records.
He then stepped up to a higher level. He did battle with South African Thulani Malinga (twice), Italian and former WBC Super Middleweight champion Mauro Galvano (twice), former world champion Chris Eubank (twice), Juan Carlos Gimenez Ferreyra (46-6-3 coming in), Vincenzo Nardiello (26-3), tough Michael Watson (21-1-1 coming in) and, of course. World champion Steve Collins (twice). While the names here might not resonate as much with an average American boxing fan as they do with one in Europe or the UK, they should strike an intimate chord with all serious boxing fans regardless of location.
Steve Collins (1986-1997)
Among his early victims were Sam Storey (for the Irish Middleweight Title), rugged Tony Thorton and Kevin "Killer" Watts (for the USBA Middleweight Title.) He lost to Mike McCallum in 1990 for the WBA Middleweight Title in a close fight I attended. He then rebounded with 5 straight victories including wins over tough Eddie Hall and Dan Morgan. He dropped a razor thin and controversial MD to Reggie Johnson and a close UD to Sumbu Kalambay.
A discouraged Collins finally won the WBA Penta-Continental Middleweight Title in 1993 by KO win over South African Gerhard Botes. A year later he garnered the WBO Middleweight Title by a KO over the very capable Chris Pyatt in South Yorkshire, England. He would go on to win 15 straight to close out his career (the last 5 by stoppage). More importantly, during this streak, he fought and beat Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn twice. Benn, who had been though a grueling battle with Gerald McClellan, quickly got the message that his punching power was not good enough to stop concrete-chin Collins. Due to some brain scan issues, Steve found himself stepping into Ray Close’s shoes to meet Chris Eubank and he proceeded to beat the great English fighter twice. By the time he accomplished this remarkable feat, he was the reigning W.B.O. Middleweight champ, a fact still overlooked to the present day.
In all, he would successfully defend his new Super Middleweight title 8 times before retiring in1997 with a TKO win over Craig Cummings, 34-2, in 3 rounds. Curiously, he had begun his career in 1986 with a 3 round TKO over one Julio Mercado in Lowell, MA. Amazingly, he had book-ended his career with 16 in the beginning and 15 at the end with the TKO as icing on the cake. His final professional record was 36-3 with 21 KO‘s.
The quintessential professional, Steve was a road warrior having fought in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, Northern Ireland, France, Italy, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, the Meadowlands Arena in New Jersey and in and around the Boston area. More to the point, he was an extremely tough, seasoned, iron-chinned, determined and talented fighter who had long paid his dues training in the Boston area. He was considered to be one of the toughest pound-for-pound fighters of the late 90's having never been stopped in a high profile career.
Chris Eubank (1985-1998)
With one of the best physiques in boxing and arguably the best chin, he strutted like a peacock before each fight, but once the bell sounded, he was all business. He fought at five different weights on five different continents, and prior to losing his first bout, had a long and impressive unbeaten streak at 41-0-2..
“Simply the Best,” as he was known, finished with a slate of 45 (KO 23)-5 (KO 1)-2.
His level of competition was high from the start. In fact, he beat rugged Eric Holland in only his fourth bout. Having fought the likes of Renaldo Dos Santos, Nigel Benn (twice), Michael Watson (twice), Graciano Rocchigiani, Henry Wharton, Tony Thornton; Lindell Holmes, Dan Schommer (whose only career defeat was at the hands of Eubank) and Carl “The Cat” Thompson (twice), he fought simply the best.
Fighting from long range, he relied on awkward movement and superior reflexes, using quick sneaky shots and jarring uppercuts. Sometimes having stamina issues, he showed great heart at the end of his career, ironically winning over fans who would have nothing to do with his earlier arrogant persona.
But it was the second Watson fight that really did in Eubank, as he was never the same after that incredibly dramatic ending. Totally gassed, decked, reeling and ripe for the picking, he throws a vicious right uppercut from Hell that puts the gallant Watson down. never recovered in the break between rounds. That he was able to come out for the next (and final) round is a testament to his courage (or perhaps to the courage of his corner). At any rate, the results were tragic.
These fighters represented the cream of the crop during a great era of fighters in the UK, often fighting each other. Whether they get into the International Boxing Hall of Fame remains to be seen, but if the don’t, it will not be because of their lack of providing incredible excitement and indelible memories for boxing fans throughout the world. They will not soon be forgotten by boxing aficionados.
What do you think?
Courtesy of www.eastsideboxing.com |
* This here is a bit shocking folks... - B.B * 
Charlton Heston "I don't know what kind of firearm you were using there in the second half son, but those arms just weren't-a-firing. You just aren't going to retain The Ring World Championship with output like that. and you sure-as-heck ain't gonna ever become The NRA Light Heavyweight Champ. And as far as those crazy bullets you were spewing out afterwards? Somebody should have put a silencer on that gun. I'm afraid to say the following son: In this case here, N.R.A stands for Not Representing America." ( Heston's Card = 115-112 Calzaghe ) 
Chuck "The Rifleman" Connors "I'm afraid Heston is right there kiddo -- you were just firing blanks towards the end. Yes, the 'welshy' fires nothin but blanks all the time -- but he fires alot of them. Kinda puts a little 'hitch in the ol' giddyup'. I think we need to get you a new rifle, cuz' that one the other night just didn't have enough ammunition and 'rounds' in it." P.S - Good job on the acting though son. You might just have a future there." ( Connors Card = 115-112 Calzaghe ) 
Burgess Meredith "Ya' should have went for the DQ kid!!! You should have went for the D.Q! After you got up from that low blow, you should have just started firing downstairs on both Calzone and ol' Cortez! That is what "separates the men from the boys, not to mention the 'boys'-from-the-man as well! The Brit wouldn't have been able to take it Bernie, but ol' Cortez reminds me of referee Dick Steele; he's "fair but he's firm", and he probably wouldn't have even flinched." ( Meredith's Card = 114-113 Calzaghe ) 
Ray Charles "Calzaghe by two! P.S - I sure enjoyed the fight much more than that National Anthem rendition!" ( Charles Card = 115-113 Calzaghe ) 
Gen. George "The Hitman" Patton "You guys are being way to soft on this fellow. All this shooting off of his 'air pistol' and disgraceful garbage-talk of "not losing to a white guy" and low and behold what happens? The pitiful disgrace ends up letting a slap-happy Welsh/'Wop' with a Red-Rider BB-gun win the war in the final stages! 'Executioner'??? What is this guys method of execution? Like ol Connors said, it sure-as-hell ain't by 'firing squad'! Let me guess son...hanging? As in -- "hanging" onto the guy and groping him like that pitiful and repugnant Puerto Rican heavyweight Ruiz!!!??? 'EXITED-cutioner' as far as I'm concerned." ( Patton's Card = 114-113 Calzaghe ) 
Uncle Sam "I'm afraid you filed your W-2 early...and incomplete. Therefor your W-2 did NOT equal a W-12. 10-40? All I can say is that it looked like the "B.H over-40" could have used a squirt of WD-30 the other night. As for the interview? How about a "WTF", a "STFU", and an "XYZ" zip-it! P.S - You can't write-off Morrade Hakkar as a 'dependant' there son." ( * Sam doesn't keep score...or so he would like you to believe. ) 
Jesse Jackson "There was clearly an outrageous injustice done the other night to Mr. Bernard Hopkins. I hereby proclaim him "Rainbow Coalition Champion", and our staff of lawyers are looking into this matter here -- I can assure you. P.S - Why didn't I protest and boycott this fight like I would have in the event that Calzaghe - and not Hopkins - had made those racial remarks? Because I'm a hypocritical jackass with a set of double-standards, that's why." ( Jackson's Card = 120-107 Hopkins....* Who the hell let this guy into the blog??? - B.B * ) 
Johnnie Cochran "If that glove does-not-hit...you must-a-quit, Bernard." ( Cochran's Card = Usually the 'race one', but even he had Calzaghe winning here by a score of 114-113. ) 
Jim Lampley "I had my card filled out before the fight, and shockingly enough -- I stand by it: 120-108 Joe Calzaghe. As a matter of fact, I was so focused on kissing Joe's ass and humping his leg, that I almost missed that knockdown! Well, I suppose I kind of 'vetoed' Jackson's vote, eh? But then again, what do I know? I'm just an overly-verbose and hyperbolic blowhard that likes to smoke weed, drink whiskey, and engage in 'boxing matches' with 20-something year-old lingerie models." * Bizzy On Bernard * (2008)
"Blessed is the truth???" While recently in transit in Seattle over the weekend, I was startled at the amount of traffic that "appeared to come out of nowhere, and for no apparent reason." Was it a bad accident? Another 'impromptu' drill for the much-dreaded 'dirty bomb'? "Man...what is the deal with all this TRAFFIC," I muttered to nobody in particular upon my feet touching pavement. "It's the Dalia Lama, dude..." replied a guy in a tattered t-shirt that looked as if he hadn't shaved in a week, and smelled like a Pink Floyd concert. "Hey...fair enough I suppose...," was my bewildered reply. Well, turns out 'his holiness' was indeed in Seattle over the weekend, and that was in fact the reason for all the traffic. But after watching that (Saturday) night's fights, I was left asking myself the following... ...Why couldn't he have maybe been in Atlantic City instead, namely in the corners of one Alphonso Gomez and Kermit Cintron? On second thought, perhaps 'The Lama', The Pope, Buddah, and David Copperfield would have been of no service to the above-mentioned over-matched foes. In fact, I think there are probably only two guys that would have been of much help to them... "Smith & Wesson". And I'm not even sure if they would have been enough... These two fights - quite simply - were just painful to even watch. One (Cintron) was 'painfully game', and the other (Gomez) more akin to 'dead game'. And without-a-doubt -- in the WRONG 'game'. I actually thought that while Cotto would win, Gomez would give the stone-faced and stone-fisted Boricuan a "pretty good go". Boy was I wrong. While the first round was somewhat competitive, from that point on, the obvious came to light: This...was an absolute MISMATCH, and one of startling proportions. The difference in class between these two cannot be understated; it was a bit like watching USC blast some division-2 school like "Appalachian Valley" to the tune of about 98-0. I thought that Gomez - while a 'B-level fighter' - would manage to give the elite Cotto a good and honest scrap by (mainly) virtue of grit and toughness. Well...Gomez certainly has that, but the separation in class was just simply far to wide. Gomez not only took on the look of a 'C-level fighter', but a 'Y-level' one as well. As in: 'Y-the-F*ck' is this guy in the same ring as Cotto??? Gomez was simply no match for the world-class (and perhaps worlds best?) Welterweight, and the onslaught was thankfully called to a halt in the 5th. As for the other Welter bout (Margarito-Cintron) I liked Margarito to win, but at 3-1...I kind of liked Cintron. I thought he had a chance here. Simply put...Cintron -- had NO chance. After a fairly even and competitive first round, the outcome became (painfully) obvious in the second round. "He's absolutely done. He has no chance here," was the comment made to my Father on the phone at that time, one of which he immediately agreed with. Cintron was dolling out some blows and punishment of his own to be certain, but they were having no affect on the granite-chinned and machine-like relentless Margarito, and you could just SEE the handwriting on the wall; not too mention you could also (painfully) see Cintron reactions to the VISCIOUS body-punishment Antonio was dishing out. It was obvious in not only his face, but his (crouched over and at times passive) body-language. Before long, things started to become expectantly (yet frighteningly) brutal and one-sided. No other way to really put it folks: Cintron...was just simpl | |
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