| I learn more about the history of boxing in the great city of Cleveland everyday. Talking to knowledgeable people in the area like Jerry Fitch, Gene Glen, Tom Huff, Jim Borgen and Sal Marino, well...I just learn something new all the time.
Cecil Shorts was a wonderful welterweight who fought out of Cleveland in the 1950's and 60's. Born in 1938, Cecil turned pro in 1956 and won his first ten bouts. Among those wins were decisions over Larry Boardman and soon to be Hall Of Famer Eddie Perkins. Cecil lost his first bout in 1958 dropping a decision to Rudy Sawyer. He was then stopped in two rounds by Perkins in a rematch. Cecil bounced back to win three straight including a split decision victory over Benny " Kid " Paret. He was then halted by another Hall Of Famer, the crafty Luis Rodriguez.
Cecil had an up and down career against some of the best welterweights in the world. In 1960 he lost to Phil Moyer but defeated tough Vince Martinez. In 1961 Cecil suffered a KO loss to Gomeo Brennan and a decision defeat to Mick Leahy. He came back to beat the capable Isaac Logart but was then taken out in eight by Virgil Akins. Shorts lost a decision to rugged Jorge Fernandez but then got a points verdict over Billy Collins.
Shorts did not fight in 1962 and when he returned in 1963 he was stopped by Chuck McCreary. Next came a ninth round disqualification loss to Akron's Fate Davis. A 1964 return match with Davis saw Cecil on the short end of the decision. Cecil had one more fight winning a six rounder over Doug McLeod and then retired.
In all Cecil had 33 fights posting 21 wins and a draw. He lost eleven fights. He registered nine knockouts while he was stopped six times. He met four men who held world titles. Eddie Perkins, Benny Paret, Luis Rodriguez and Virgil Akins as well as several contenders. The city of Cleveland should be proud of the accomplishments of Cecil Shorts.
Jim Amato |
| JOEY GIAMBRA ; Was He A Champion Without A Title ?
For a decade ( 1952-1962 ) Joey Giambra was a mainstay among the middleweight elite. Still he never received a shot at the middleweight title. In fact he received his only title shot at the tail end of his career battling for the newly created junior middleweight division. He was not successful. Nevertheless in his prime he was as good as any middleweight contender in the world.
Joey turned pro in 1949 and went undefeated in his first seventeen fights. His first loss was to tough veteran Johnny Ceserio in 1951. He then reeled off ten straight victories before losing a 1952 decision to the great Joey Giardello. Giambra would come right back to beat Giardello in a rematch.
Giambra then won nine straight before losing to the clever Bobby Dykes. Joey had five more wins before dropping a verdict to Carl " Bobo " Olson. Giambra then went unbeaten in his next ten bouts including two wins over the rugged Rocky Castellani and a victory over Philadelphia's tough Gil Turner. Joey then lost a points call against rough Rory Calhoun.
Giambra would not be denied and he would rally to win seventeen straight including revenge victories over Calhoun and Giardello in their rubber match. Throw in a win over Ralph " Tiger " Jones. In 1961 he was outpointed by Yama Bahama. In 1962 he dropped one to Farid Salim. Joey would bounce back again to score a kayo over the dangerous Florentino Fernandez. That led to a bout with Denny Moyer for the newly introduced junior middleweight division title. The cagey Moyer won the judge's votes and the title.
In 1963 Joey reached the end of the line losing decisions to Luis Rodriguez and Joe DiNucci. In all he had 77 fights and he walked away a winner 65 times. He scored 31 knockouts and remarkably considering the competition he faced, Giambra was never stopped. He was truly an " uncrowned champion ".
Jim Amato |
| There was a thread on one of my favorite fan sites boxingBB.com It asked, who was the greatest junior middleweight of all time ? I thought it was a very interesting question. There are a lot of knowledgeable people on the boxingBB boards. Below is my response. I'd like to hear if any one else has any comments. I know Murph who is a major part of boxxingBB had commented on it.
I'd have to put Hearns first. He did what NO ONE else could do. He flattened Roberto Duran. Mc Callum who was a great fighter I would have as # 2. After that it is pretty hard to put in order. Despite the KO loss to Julian Jackson, Terry Norris had a nice run at 154. It was good to see some one mention Ralph Dupas and Joey Giambra. Denny Moyer was a good one too. So was Freddie Little. Japan's Koichi Wajima should be rated high as he was a force in the division for quite sometime and was crowned champion on three occasions. Of course Winky Wright should be up there too. Sugar Ray Leonard did defeat a very tough Ayub Kalule and Wilfred Benitez had some good wins at 154. De La Hoya's best career win came at 154 when he halted Fernando Vargas. Some that " Coulda' been " were John Mugabi, Tony Ayala Jr. and Matthew Hilton. I was never a fan of Gianfranco Rosi. Man he was involved in some real ugly fights. He was so boring he made John Ruiz look like Henry Armstrong ! |
| Cuban Great ; Kid Chocolate.
He was born Eligio Sardinias Montalbo on January 6, 1910 in Cerro, Havana, Cuba. He launched his professional boxing career in 1927 and would participate in over 150 bouts in a career that ended in 1938.
He was nicknamed the " Cuban Bon Bon " and during the 1930's he was one of the best drawing cards in New York. His flashy personality and even flashier style in the ring made him a real crowd pleaser.
After racking up a series of victories in his native Cuba, " The Kid " invaded the US in 1928 knocking out Eddie Enos in three rounds in Mineola, N.Y.He would go on to fight at all the popular New York spots like Ridgewood Grove and the St. Nicolas Arena.
On November 30, 1928 at Madison Square Garden the Kid drew with rugged Joey Scalfaro. In 1929 he beat Bushy Graham and Vic Burrone. Then on May 22, 1929 the Kid outscored the great Fidel LaBarba. Kid Chocolate continued to win fights and among his victims were Gregorio Vidal, Al Singer and Dominick Petrone.
The year 1930 saw the Kid enter the ring for a match with Jackie " Kid " Berg. The energetic and quick Chocolate was hard pressed to last against his aggressive adversary. Berg won a split decision. Three fights later, the Kid was outhussled by Fidel LaBarbra. So what happens ? Kid Chocolate is matched with Batttling Battalino for the featherweight title. On December 12, 1930 at Madison Square Garden, Battalino got the verdict in a bout that many felt could have gone to Kid Chocolate.
Finally on July 15, 1931 the Kid finally won a world title. At Baker Field in Philadelphia the Kid halted the rugged Benny Bass in seven rounds to win recognition as the worlds junior lightweight champion. In November he moved up in weight to take on the lightweight champion Tony Canzoneri. It was a great fight witnessed by over 19,000 fans at Madison Square Garden. This time the Kid came up on the short end of a split decision.
Chocolate would win nine straight after his setback to Canzoneri against some tough guys like Davey Abed, Lew Feldman and Johhny Farr. On July 18, 1932 Kid Chocolate would meet Kid Berg in a return match. Again Berg was able to pull off a close decision at the Garden.
The Kid again put together an impressive win streak including a fifteen round win over Fidel LaBarba that gained him the New York State Athletic Commission featherweight title.
On November 24, 1933 Kid Chocolate suffered a severe career setback when he was blasted out in the second round by Tony Canzoneri. One month later the Kid lost his junior lightweight title to Frankie Klick.
His career was on the decline but he was still winning more then he lost. There was a draw with tough Tommy Paul in 1934. Later that year he was clearly outpointed by Petey Hayes. In 1935 he lost a decision in Caracas, Venezuela to Simon Chavez.
In December of 1936 the Kid would drop a points call to Phil Baker.He would then win over twenty fights through 1938. He was held to a draw by Bernie Friedkin and Orville Drouillard but managed a degree of vengence when he was awarded a well deserved decision over Phil Baker in Cuba in 1938.
After 1938 the ever popular Kid Chocolate retired . He had met some of the best of his day. He was " Mantequilla " which means " Smooth as butter " long before the great Jose Napoles was given that nickname.
In comparing Kid Chocolate's style to more contemporary boxers , I would say the smooth boxing Ismael Laguna and the extremely clever Wilfred Benitez fit the bill.
Kid Chocolate was grace personified . He was surely in a class by himself.
Jim Amato |
| Jose Manuel Ibar Urtain ;
A major player in the heavyweight title picture in the early 1970's. The native of Spain turned pro in 1968. He was the rage in Europe winning his first 30 fights by knockout including a win over Peter Weiland to capture the European heavyweight title. Finally rugged German Jurgen Blin took Urtain the fifteen round route but lost the verdict. Urtain's first loss was by a low blow disqualification to Alfredo Vogrig.
On November 10, 1970 Urtain met the ever popular Brit Henry Cooper in London. " Ol' Enry " withstood Urtain's early aggression and then used his masterful left hook to halt Urtain in the ninth. Urtain's was extremely strong but his boxing limitations were now exposed.
In 1971 Urtain was held to a draw by veteran journeyman Mariano Echevarria. In his next fight Jose was stopped by the clever Gregorio " Goyo " Peralta. To his credit Urtain came back to regain the European title by blasting out Jack Bodell in two rounds.
In 1972 Urtain was out slicked by the clever Joe " King " Roman over ten rounds. The " King " used this win as a springboard to getting a 1973 title shot against George Foreman. That ended in one disastrous round for Roman. Next Urtain would lose hi European title in a rematch with Jurgen Blin.
Urtain would come back and beat Vincente Rondon, a draw in a rematch with Roman and a KO over Richard Dunn. Then he would be stopped by Rocky Campbell and Alberto Lovell. Those losses pretty much ended Urtain's run as a viable contender.
Alfredo Evangelista became Spain's # 1 heavyweight taking Urtain out in 1976. In his last shot at glory in 1977 Urtain met Jean Pierre Coopman for the vacant European title. It was over in four and so was Urtain's career.
Jose ended up with a respectable record of 56-11-4. He had 42 stoppage victories. I have the tape of his loss to Henry Cooper. Although outclassed in the end the clever Cooper, Urtain was better then I expected. I do believe with high profile trainers and quality sparring partners he could have gone to another level. The best comparison I can make is that he was an Oscar Bonavena in the rough. Too bad he never got the polish.
Jim Amato |
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DREAM FIGHTS...You hear and read about them all the time. How would Ali have done against Dempsey, Louis or Marciano ? How would Roy Jones Jr. have fared against Bobby Foster ? Could Bernard Hopkins hold his own with Marvelous Marv ?
Interesting scenarios and I'm sure we all have our opinions. We as fans are entitled to these opinions. My how they differ. We will never know if Sugar Ray Robinson could have beat Sugar Ray Leonard or if Willie Pep could have outslicked Salvador Sanchez but damn it sure is fun to argue about it ! With that said I'd like to venture into who would have won if Alexis Arguello and Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez would have met at 130 pounds ?
This would have pitted the dynamite punch of the "Explosive Thin Man" against the granite chin of Chavez. Make no mistake, Julio was one tough hombre. In his prime punches seemed to bounce off him like rubber balls. The fact is , he never faced a hitter like Arguello at that stage of his career. To many Arguello seemed stiff and wooden. Watch him, I mean really watch his fights. He was a master at positioning himself. He was always able to move himself into a position to counter. He was far from fast and flashy but he was economical in his movements. He always seemed to be in the right place at the right time to plant his power punches. During his era he ranked right up there with Bob Foster for pound for pound one punch kayo power.
Could the Arguello punch dent the Chavez chin ? A very interesting question. If Julio could absorb the power of Arguello, could Alexis handle the pressure of Chavez ? Julio was not a one punch kayo artist. He was in fact a calculating destroyer. A student of the kill the body, the head will die theory. If you let Julio get into his game he became quite a handful. So with all things considered, how would this fight have played out ?
Two things I feel have to be mentioned in Arguello's case that could be important in ensuring his victory. One is that he had a devastating jab. Surely not a fast one like Ali or Larry Holmes but it carried some serious sting to it. The other tool that Alexis had the would be to his benefit was a very powerful uppercut on the inside. A punch he used well to thwart the aggressiveness of Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini. The jab and the uppercut would be major keys for Alexis in keeping Chavez from being effective inside. At 130 pounds Alexis may have been the best of all time. He won the title from the highly respected Alfredo Escalera and then defended successfully against him. Fight fans still talk about those two memorable wars. Alexis would beat Rafael"Bazooka" Limon, Bobby Chacon, Rolando Navarette and Boza Edwards. All of them would later claim a piece of the title after Alexis moved up to the lightweight division and started his reign of terror there. All things considered I'd have to take Alexis over Chavez on points.
Jim Amato
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| Sharkie’s Machine
By Frank Gonzalez Jr.
May 11th, 2008
“Upstart Tim Bradley Takes WBC Title from Junior Witter”
Congratulations to young Timothy Bradley (22-0, 11 KO’s), who went to Nottingham England as the WBC’s #1 contender and took Junior Witter’s (36-2-2, 21 KO’s) WBC Super Lightweight Title by a Split Decision victory. The twilight zone official scores were 115-113 for Witter, 114-113 and 115-113 for Bradley. I had it a blowout for Bradley.
Bradley must have made one hell of an impact on the WBC with his recent Decision wins over Donald Camarena and Miguel Vasquez. Maybe it was his TKO 5 win over Nasser Athumani in April of last year because I can’t figure what justifies Bradley being ranked number one by the WBC.
Bradley’s never beaten any of the top ten contenders. How did Bradley manage to pass over Ricky Hatton, Devon Alexander, Jungbum Kim, Souleymane M’Baye, Demetrius Hopkins, Lovemore N’Dou, Lamont Peterson, Colin Lynes and Randall Bailey all of whom comprise the top of the WBC’s Super Lightweight rankings, none of whom he’s fought?
As an American, I don’t get to see too many of Junior Witter’s fights, the last one I saw was a long time ago, when Zab Judah floored him en route to beating him convincingly (by UD 12) back in 2000. Since then, Witter’s beaten De Marcus Corley (by UD 12, to win the vacant WBC title) and Vivian Harris (KO 7), both of whom had quality but have been past their best days for some time. He also beat Lovemore N’dou (by UD 12) and Andreas Kotelnik (by UD 12) in 2005.
What I saw from Witter on Saturday wasn’t very impressive. With all of his assets, he never put any offense together and seemed reluctant to show any aggression, even after being downed in the sixth. His whole approach was to run, counter and clinch. That don’t win rounds, especially when those counter punches are rarely thrown and when they are, they don’t land.
In the first round, Witter scored a left, switched from orthodox to southpaw, and landed a nice counter after Bradley landed a right. Witter looked big and Bradley looked small. I gave the first round to Witter, since he landed the better punches.
After that, Bradley did more scoring in every round and scored a knockdown in the sixth, with an overhand right that cracked Witter on top of his temple. Bradley did a good job pressuring Witter to make it a fight, while Witter was content to pose, paw his jab and clinch when Bradley got too close. Witter’s best punch of the fight was a left cross that happened to be the only clean punch he landed in the seventh round.
This was a very technical fight that saw Witter and Bradley dance around the ring, feeling each other out for way too long. Throughout the fight, the commentators kept saying that the fight was close but all I saw was Witter pawing his jab, backing up, clinching and slipping. What I rarely saw him do was throw any punches.
This was a dream fight for fans of technical boxers but hardly an entertaining fight in my estimate. Outside of the sixth round knockdown, there was hardly an exciting moment in this one. I prefer boxer/punchers or sluggers than to watch two technical boxers—unless they’re aggressive or at least fairly busy, they can get real boring, real fast. To Bradley’s credit, he provided most of the action.
Witter looked intimidated by the more determined Bradley. Bradley missed a lot of shots but he landed at least five times more than Witter did in any round save the first. There were rounds where Witter landed less than five punches.
For years I’ve been hearing how Witter wants to fight Ricky Hatton, who has made it clear that he will not fight Witter because, ‘he doesn’t like him.’ Did he like Floyd Mayweather Jr.? I don’t think so. I can’t imagine why Hatton wouldn’t want to fight Witter, especially after what I saw Saturday, when Timothy Bradley, the kid from out of nowhere, who is suddenly ranked number one by the WBC over a host of more deserving fighters, managed to go to Witter’s turf and win just about every round on my scorecard over Junior. Witter showed no power, no offense and no urgency to win, even after being floored in the sixth round.
For Witter, this loss could be a big step down. Witter has good boxing skills but for some reason, he was offensively anemic Saturday. I’d love to see him fight Ricky Hatton. It is the most logical match up for both of them at this point. It would definitely sell tickets. Witter can use some redemption after this lack luster performance against Bradley. Ricky’s a brawler, Witter’s a boxer, the one thing this fight wouldn’t be is boring.
For Bradley, this is the beginning of a promising career. I hope his handlers don’t put him in the, ‘Juan Diaz regimen’ by keeping him away from real challengers and milking the title for two years or more before defending it against a top notch, deserving fighter.
Now that Bradley is a “World champion” he should fight the best guys in the division and not hand picked has-beens or worse. Bradley has good boxing skills, instincts, stamina, pretty fast hands and showed good ring smarts. I’d like to see him fight Randall Bailey or Demetrius Hopkins but Ricky Hatton is the top guy in the division and is the top contender in the WBC now that Bradley is the champion. Bradley vs. Hatton would be an interesting clash of styles.
Too bad boxing isn’t based on anything that resembles a merit system. If it was, Bradley wouldn’t have been the WBC top contender until beating the top guys in the division and proving his worthiness of that status. It should be that in order to become the top contender, you’d have to fight all the top ten guys in the division and beat them in order to EARN a shot at a World Title.
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Comments can be sent to dshark87@hotmail.com
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| Point/Counterpoint: The Braves' Season is Done
By At Homeplate Staff
Saturday, 10 May 2008
The Braves' Season is Over - Daniel Paulling
I grew up watching the Atlanta Braves. It is a family tradition to cheer for them. That makes it all the harder to say this: Their 2009 season is over. Yes, over. I know the second week of May is early to write off any team, because injuries happen and teams get on streaks. But I’m here to tell you the Braves won’t be playing in the postseason, despite being only one game out in a competitive NL East.
Pitching wins. We all know that. Heck, even Joe Morgan knows that. The Braves are just short of it. Let’s just check out the starting rotation. John Smoltz missed time in spring training (don’t believe the joke that he didn’t want to dial it up) and the start of the year and currently because of his bum shoulder. The situation is so bad that he will likely return to the bullpen when he comes back. Mike Hampton is an injury waiting to happen, as soon as that strained pectoral heals up. (I’m cheering for Hampton, because of all the injuries. I’m just being realistic.) Tom Glavine looks finished, while Jo-Jo Reyes and Chuck James are just five-inning pitchers.
And with those starters leaving early, that leaves a weak bullpen exposed. The team lost ace relief pitcher Peter Moylan (90.0 IP last season with a 1.80 ERA) for the entire season. Rafael Soriano’s elbow isn’t getting any better, despite his receiving good news concerning his ligaments. Who knows when Mike Gonzalez will return or what to expect from him when he does?
I’m sure many of you are thinking that the Braves are only one game out in a winnable NL East. And that’s true. Too bad they can’t always play the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres every game. The Braves have struggled against the better teams and are just shining right now against the lower teams in the division. Of course, this could all change if the Braves go out and acquire a quality starter and upgrade a weak bullpen at the trade deadline.
Don’t Count The Braves Out Yet – Jonathan Leshanski
I never write off the Braves lightly. In fact I usually wait until they are mathematically eliminated before I breathe that sigh of relief, but I certainly understand exactly where you are coming from. Sure they have had some key injuries, but this team has weathered that storm before. In the past they have replaced those players either from their minor league system or managed to come up with pieces via trade or free agency.
Admittedly the minor league system doesn’t have a lot of top Major League ready talent at the moment but the Braves could trade from strength and deal part of their top flight offense to create a bit of balance. Considering how undistinguished the NL East has been so far that wouldn’t exactly condemn this team to a finish behind the Mets and Phillies.
But their injuries have hurt their chances - especially if Smoltz really returns to the bullpen as everything seems to indicate. But Mike Hampton will be back as will Tom Glavine and the team could attempt to salvage guys like Matt Morris and Derrick Turnbow in order to shore up the pitching. It might not be great, but it could be workable.
Of course the Braves’ GM John Schuerholz usually finds a solution that is better than workable. This guy has worked magic since 1990 leading the Braves 14 playoff appearances in that time. He built this team to compete this year and he did it knowing that the pitching might be tenuous. Therefore it’s not hard to believe he has a plan.
And if bludgeoning the other team with offense doesn’t seem workable I wouldn’t be surprised if he manages to cobble together some sort of pitching staff. As long as the Mets and Phillies keep on stumbling the Braves can stay in the hunt.
It’s way too early to write off Atlanta.
Courtesy of AtHomePlate.com |
| The 2008 All Cheap Team
By Daniel Paulling
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Every year, I assemble the All Cheap Team. It is a 25 man roster that earns less than Alex Rodriguez’s annual salary, which stands at $28 million this year. Because it became too easy in the past, I added another rule: No player can earn more than $1 million. This may be my best team yet. (Note: All salaries come from ESPN.com’s salary database.)
Starting Rotation
SP Felix Hernandez (540K)
SP Matt Cain (950K)
SP Cole Hamels (500K)
SP Adam Wainwright (687,500)
SP Jair Jurrjens (390K)
6th Fausto Carmona (457,800)
Total: $3,915,300
Pitching wins championships. With this assembled staff, it looks like a dynasty could be in the making. Hernandez and Cain both have blazing fastballs and the ability to strike out hitter after hitter. A postseason contender could ride these power arms to a World Series championship, a la the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. Add in Hamels, Wainwright, and Jurrjens, and this team has five legitimate aces. Carmona is the team’s long man and spot starter.
Bullpen
CL Jonathan Papelbon (775K)
RP Joba Chamberlain (390K)
RP Bobby Jenks (550K)
RP Carlos Marmol (430K)
RP Rafael Perez (406,700)
RP Chad Billinglsey (415K)
RP Jeremy Accardo (392,200)
Total: $3,358,900
It may seem odd to go with an eight-man bullpen (those seven plus Carmona), but most of these guys have short stamina. If a starter were to get pulled in the early portions of the game, then several of these guys would have to throw. That is where the depth comes in. Papelbon is just as good as any closer in the major leagues, while Chamberlain, Marmol, Perez, Billingsley, and Accardo are setup men good enough to be closers on top-notch contenders. Jenks is another power arm that shuts out the opposition.
Lineup
RF Shane Victorino (480K)
2B Howie Kendrick (432,500)
SS Hanley Ramirez (439K)
DH Prince Fielder (670K)
1B Adrian Gonzalez (875K)
LF Ryan Braun (455K)
CF Jeff Francoeur (460K)
C Brian McCann (966,666)
3B Ryan Zimmerman (465K)
Total: $5,243,166
There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it: This is almost the perfect lineup. The guys at the top have the ability to get on base and steal bases; guys like Ramirez, Fielder, Gonzalez, and Braun have the power to knock them in; and Francoeur, McCann, and Zimmerman are capable of hitting 80 home runs combined, while putting up a good collective batting average. No pitcher in his right mind would want to face them. And no manager would know how to write the order.
Bench
C Russell Martin (500K)
SS Troy Tulowitzki (750K)
OF BJ Upton (412,100)
Total: $1,662,100
With a 13-man pitching staff and nine players in the everyday lineup, that leaves three open spots on the bench. One of these spots belongs to a catcher, but Martin is definitely a quality backup. Combine that with Tulowitzki, who should have the body size to play all four positions in the infield, and Upton, who can roam all the outfield positions and play in the infield.
In Summation
The pitching staff is both top-heavy and deep. The rotation should feature four guys with sub-4.00 ERAs and an amazing bullpen. Combine that with a killer lineup, and that should make up for the lack of a bench. So, is this team better than A-Rod? I’d bet so.
Total: $14,179,466
Courtesy of AtHomePlate.com |
| Who's Jack Loew ? Well if you've been watching the rising star of current middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik you would remember Jack in Kelly's corner. Jack Loew is the man that nurtured Kelly and brought him into boxing's center stage. Now training in Youngstown's Southside Boxing Club are two more promising Jack Loew proteges. They are amateurs Chris Hazimihalis and Wesley Triplett. Chris is 22 years old and sports a 24-6 record. He recently won the Cleveland Golden Gloves 141 pound championship.
Triplett is a 6'6" super heavyweight with a 5-1 record and an abundance of raw talent. Both were competing in the National Golden Gloves Championships held in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Thanks to my friend and " Y'Town " connection Jim Borgen for the " scoop ". |
| By Michael Amakor
The world of boxing was thrown into mourning following the announcement that the legendary Diego "Chico" Coralles had expired on May 7th 2007 AD in Las Vegas Nevada. Corrales died from the multiple injuries he sustained after the motor cycle he was riding crashed into the rear of a car ahead of him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
His professional record remains frozen at 45 fights with 40 wins including stopping 33 of his opponents inside the distance, he lost five fights and his dare devil aggression even in the face of defeat prevented any draws in his career. Mouths still widen in amazement when it was discovered that he was only 29 years old.
One of the toughest fighters to ever lace up a pair of gloves, he first captured the IBA Continental Super Featherweight Title in 1997, he went unbeaten in eleven successive fights afterwards before seizing the highly coveted IBF Super Featherweight Title from Roberto Garcia in 1999. He defended his IBA and IBF successfully against Derrick Gainer and Angel Manfredo along the way before suffering a defeat at the hands of Floyd Mayweather in a battle for supremacy in the division. In that fight he had all his cannons loaded and ready to fire but they elusive Mayweather beat him to the punch and landed the first strikes that sent Corrales to the canvas five times, forcing camp Corrales to throw in the towel despite his violent protestations.
Undeterred, he went unbeaten in his next four fights before cuts forced a stoppage in hostilities with Joel Casamayor in the sixth round. He recovered and avenged that loss in a rematch after 12 hard rounds which was doubly rewarding to him as he captured the vacant WBO and IBA Super Featherweight Titles.
In his very next fight he stepped up in weight and brutalized the once invincible Acelino Freitas, forcing the previously undefeated and proud reigning champion to quit the fight at the end of the tenth rounds, and Corrales added the WBO Lightweight crown to his already sizeable collection of championship trophies.
In his very next fight he engaged the dangerous WBA King Jose Luis Castillo in another battle for supremacy in the Lightweight Division. The Corralles vs Castillo war of 2003 was a slugfest of monumental proportions and will forever stand in the annals of the sweet science as an epic story of courage and dogged tenacity as Chico virtually snatched victory from the jaws of defeat after multiple flash knockdowns to return fire and savagely stop Castillo against the ropes in the 10th round. Boxing scribes, fans and historians have variously declared that saga, the fight of the year and the round of the year for 2003, and it will certainly rank as one of the top ten fights of the decade.
Seemingly drained from these bloody and brutal campaigns he lost his next three fights including the rematch to Castillo to the despair of his teaming mass of fans. He promised to go back to the drawing board for another campaign despite the rumbles for him to hang up his gloves or to take an extended vacation from the squared circle.
His mind perhaps filled with thoughts of another victorious return to the ring and the sound of his adoring fans clouded his vision for a split second before he collided with the vehicle ahead of him, and now we are mourning our departed warrior king, but no matter what the coroner says, Corrales lives on because I just hit the rewind button to relive the 10th round yet again.
Punch in Peace Chico
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(Not only that -- but he all but called him 'The Black Primo Carnera'!)
"The truth is Harry Wills might have been the most overrated hvy in history," said Bos recently. "He was Primo before Carnera."
Whoa...what do you folks think? Has Johnny "The Wizard Of" Bos laid a "pipe bomb", a "stink bomb", or...a "smart bomb" here?
*Bizzy On Bombs (and Bos)*
(2008)
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It's "grab a hankee time", I know folks...
( It has been rescheduled for July 5th )
*Bizzy On Boxing*
(2008)
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| Remembering Diego “Chico” Corrales
By Matt Yanofsky
One year ago today, the boxing world lost one of its legendary warriors as Diego Corrales died at age 29 following a motorcycle crash in Las Vegas, Nevada. Shortly after the crash, Las Vegas police revealed that Corrales’ blood alcohol level was nearly 3 times the legal limit during the time of the accident.
Corrales was the perfect example of how a fighter may have a chin made out of glass and still have steel-like heart and rock solid toughness. Although weak legs do to being weight drained was often the case, Chico became accustomed to coming off the canvas while inside the squared circle. This included five trips to the canvas against Floyd Mayweather, three in his trilogy with Joel Casamayor and once against Acelino Freitas among others. While always doing his best to get up and continue fighting is impressive, nothing comes close to what he did exactly three years ago today.
On May 7th, 2005, Corrales, The WBC Lightweight champion, put his title on the line in a unification bout with WBO kingpin Jose Luis Castillo. The fight was expected to be an action bout, but what actually happened couldn’t have been predicted. From the opening bell, Corrales and Castillo traded shots and refused to take a step back as the fight was extremely competitive. This was until a turning point in the 10th round as many fans were thinking about the famous saying that goes “all good things must come to an end”.
Castillo dropped Corrales with a picture perfect left hook just 25 seconds into the tenth round, sending him onto the canvas. Corrales, who intentionally spit out his mouth piece, arose to his feet at the count of 8 then received a brief break as the mouth piece had to be cleaned off. When the action continued, Corrales was on queer street as Castillo continued to tee off before scoring another knockdown. Corrales, who this time intentionally removed his mouth piece with his glove, got up at the count of 9 and then received a point deduction for delaying the fight due to his mouth piece antics.
After another brief time out to again clean the mouth piece, Corrales trainer Joe Goosen said “you gotta f****n get inside on him now” although Goosen probably figured at this time his fighter was going to be stopped shortly. As the Adidas catchphrase says “impossible is nothing”, and Corrales would be the perfect example of why.
Seconds after action returned, Corrales came out of nowhere and sprung back to life to stun the iron-chinned Castillo with a straight right hand. Corrales then threw a barrage of hooks and had Castillo out on his feet. Referee Tony Weeks jumped in to stop the contest at 2:06 of the 10th round of what went on to become fight of the year and to some, the greatest of all time. This would also be the last fight Corrales won.
On October 8th 2005 only 5 months after their thrilling war, Jose Luis Castillo missed weight for their rematch by 3.5 lbs. While many fighters would refuse to take the bout with an opponent who missed weight, Chico went on with the fight but lost by fourth round knockout. A third fight was scheduled for June 3rd 2006 however, Castillo again missed weight, this time by 4.5 lbs. Corrales was advised by his promoter, trainer, and manager not to take the fight and this time the bout was cancelled. Although there was no 3rd fight, Corrales’ body was still badly damaged as making the 135 lb limit at 6 feet tall was a grueling task for him.
Tides ended up turning for Corrales, as he was the one to miss weight prior to losing his titles in a split decision to Joel Casamayor on October 7th, 2006. Corrales, who said he didn’t even think he could make 140, had plans to move up to 147 lbs in the near future. It is extremely rare that a fighter moves up two weight classes and those who do definitely take on soft opposition to test out the waters. This was not the case with Chico.
Corrales shocked the boxing world once again by announcing he would be taking not only perhaps the most rugged, but also one of the most avoided welterweights in Joshua Clottey. Corrales weighed in at 149 lbs and walked into the ring on fight night at much healthier looking 160 lbs but unfortunately bit off more then he could chew. Corrales fought hard and landed some clean shots but was unable to move his opponent. Clottey, who was the much bigger and stronger man, dominated Corrales and dropped him twice before winning a wide unanimous decision.
Corrales’ heart may not have been enough to bring him to a title at 147 lbs as many expected his career was finished but the boxing world will never know. While Corrales didn’t exactly have a clean criminal record, he was always known as a family man. Corrales leaves behind a wife, six children, millions of fans, and a warrior’s mentality which may go unmatched forever. |
| I have started three new web sites on Multiply. Sites on the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns and the Minnesota Twins. I would like to invite everyone to become members and contributers to any or all of these sites. The links are listed in the Amatoboxing link section. Thank you...JA |
| EDDIE MACHEN ; He Met The Best
He was one of the best heavyweights of his era and possibly one of the
best heavyweights to have never claimed the title. He fought the best of the
late 1950's and 60's with a high degree of success.
Eddie Machen was born on July 15, 1932 in Redding, California and he
entered the punch for pay ranks in 1955. Eddie won all eleven of his bouts
during his maiden year including a knockout over highly regarded Howard
King.
In 1956 Eddie added eight more victories and established himself as a
force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division. He twice defeated
Julio Mederos and also won two bouts against the dangerous Nino Valdes.
Eddie closed 1956 with a points victory over tough Johnny Summerlin.
Machen opened 1957 with a pair of wins over the clever former light
heavyweight champion Joey Maxim of Cleveland. He also defeated Bob Baker and
closed the year with a kayo over Tommy " Hurricane " Jackson. Eddie was now
a leading contender for Floyd Patterson's heavyweight title.
It was in 1958 that the fortunes of Eddie Machen's career began to
take a turn. He opened the year by battling to a draw with the slick Zora
Folley. Then came the bout that shocked the boxing world. Eddie traveled to
Sweden to meet Ingemar Johansson. the fight would last only 2:16 but it
would thrust Ingo into a title fight against Patterson and leave Eddie on a
long waiting list. Ingo would upset Floyd to win the crown and then
Patterson would roar back to regain it. That would set up a rubber match
that Floyd would win. From the time Eddie lost to Ingo and the conclusion of
the Patterson-Johansson trilogy, two and a half years had passed.
After the loss to Ingo, Eddie won seven straight and then was matched
again with Zora Folley. This time Zora got the verdict. Machen rebounded
with three more wins including Alex Miteff and Alonzo Johnson among his
victims.
On September 7, 1960 Eddie stepped into the ring to face the feared
Sonny Liston. To many Liston was the " Uncrowned Heavyweight Champion " and
a bout with Patterson was being called for by the fans and press alike. Only
Eddie stood in Sonny's way.The bout took place in Seattle and Eddie gave the
brutish Liston all he could handle. In the end Sonny took a unanimous
decision despite losing three points for low blows. Nevertheless, Eddie's
game showing won him the admiration of boxing fans. Despite the win over the
highly ranked Machen, Sonny would have to wait two more years to get
Patterson into the ring with him.
Eddie would come back to win three in a row but then he was upset over
ten rounds by the cagey Harold Johnson. Machen would regroup and put
together a streak of ten wins and one draw. The draw was with the murderous
punching Cleveland Williams. Among the boxers Eddie beat during this streak
were Mike DeJohn, Brian London, Doug Jones and Bert Whitehurst. This finally
led Eddie to the ghost that had long eluded him, Floyd Patterson.
By now it was 1964 and Eddie returned to Sweden, the place of his
disasterous loss to Johansson to face Floyd. This was one of of Patterson's
best career performances as won a hard fought decision over Machen. Still
Eddie had done well enough to qualify for a title fight.
On March 5, 1965 Eddie met tall, lanky Ernie Terrell for the " vacant
" World Boxing Association title. Cassius Clay, a.k.a., Muhammad Ali had
been stripped of his title by the WBA. The Terrell-Machen battle was not a
good pairing of styles and after a rather boring fifteen rounds, Terrell was
awarded the championship. Eddie would close 1965 by drawing with Elmer Rush.
Machen would open 1966 with back to back decision losses to Karl
Mildenberger and Manuel Ramos. He would the outfight the tough Joey Orbillo.
Next Eddie would show flashes of his former greatness and pull off a major
upset with a points win over top prospect Jerry Quarry.
Two fights after the upset of Quarry, Eddie would meet another
streaking prospect, 1964 Olympic champion, Joe Frazier. This time Lady Luck
looked the other way for Eddie and he was halted by " Smokin' Joe " in the
tenth round.
Machen was now relegated to the role of a trail horse. In 1967 he
dropped a decision to up and coming Henry Clark. In his last professional
fight, Eddie was stopped in three by hard hitting Boone Kirkman.
In all Eddie had 64 pro fights. He won 50 of them. He took out 29
opponents. He fought champions Liston, Patterson, Johansson, Terrell,
Frazier, Maxim and Harold Johnson.He also did battle with top contenders
like Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams, Alex Mitiff, Mike DeJohn, Willie
Besmanoff, Doug Jones, Tommy Jackson, Nino Valdes, Karl Mildenberger, Jerry
Quarry, Bob Baker, Bert Whitehurst, Howard King, Henry Clark, Julio Mederos,
Joey Orbillo, Brian London, Wayne Bethea and Boone Kirkman. That is very
impressive !
Eddie Machen was only forty years old when he left this world. It was
only five years after his last fight but he left a legacy that will live
forever.
Jim Amato |
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* Note - This piece here...is just tremendous. It is by our own "EZ-E"...- B.B
"The Champ Nobody Knew"...
The Champ entered the room. He was never known to be sociable or friendly. He wasn't a "nice guy", much less a gentleman. He hated his opponents, his opponent’s handlers, even his opponent’s families. When the final bell rang he wouldn't shake hands nor embrace. He was mean, real mean and, on that day, The Champ was again on a mission, but of a different nature.
In the corner of the room was a bed, a deathbed. On it lay a man stricken with a virus, the AIDS virus. The Champ recognized the man. Why? Because they were once enemies, bitter enemies. The Champ approached 'his enemy' and as he did so he smiled, an unusual loving smile, never seen before by most, not even by his closest associates.
He sat down by his former conqueror, the only man to defeat him while still at 135lbs in the Lightweight division, where The Champ was KING! First he uncustomarily shook his 'opponent's' hand and sat on his bed, the deathbed. Then The Champ did another thing that was 'out of character’; he embraced 'the enemy’, a long embrace and then to top it off, he kissed him, not once, but twice..
Back then the virus, AIDS, was still quite mysterious, a "taboo" of sorts, not too much was known about the dreaded disease. But The Champ was, as he was always known to be, fearless and HE WAS on a mission. A mission of love. The Champ was Roberto Duran and the 'enemy' he was affectionately embracing in his arms was Esteban "Vita" DeJesus.
Esteban had often been unofficially crowned "The Second Best Lightweight In The World" during most of Duran's reign, this when Roberto was KING! Growing up in Carolina a city in the metro San Juan area, in the tough Saint Just sector with trouble, crime, diversity of vice, weapons and drugs always only an arms length away, especially the drugs, lots of it, it was dangerously tempting to all, even young boxers like Esteban.
He was an outstanding amateur and we all knew he was "special", a "can't miss" prospect. If only he could stay away from .... “them”.... and .... “that”.... and .... from “those”.... he couldn’t miss. To begin with he did, not always, but "almost always". Almost isn't always enough. Too bad. Esteban won his first 25 fights in a row. No surprise to the fans on the Island of Puerto Rico after all, he was a "couldn't miss" prospect and now a local hero. Then his manager Don Goyo Benitez, yes, Wilfred's dad, accepted a sizeable purse from Caracas promoter Rafi Cedeno, to face the reigning WBA World Featherweight Champion, Venezuela's hero Antonio Gomez in a non-title affair. It was Esteban's 4th fight in three months in Venezuela, completely dominating the previous three, including future 5-time world title challenger and national hero as well, Lionel Hernandez. The Venezuelan fans wanted revenge. Don Goyo was advised by promoter Jose "Pepito" Cordero to pass up on the offer, saying that he would need a score a knockout to win. Don Goyo didn't take 'sound advise' not then, not ever. He said that promoter Cedeno promised to give DeJesus a re-match if he lost by decision. "Besides", Goyo said, "It's Christmas. Tengo que comprar regalos" or "I have presents to buy". Esteban lost a hotly disputed, controversial decision. He upon his return showed us the Venezuelan press clippings of the fight. A ROBBERY, they basically said. Well, Esteban never got his re-match that Don Goyo said was "promised", whether true or not, we'll never know. Cedeno, Don Goyo and Esteban are no longer with us.
"Vita" than racked up 7 more wins and was offered another non-title fight with the newly crowned Lightweight World Champion, a sensational young fighter that was already being compared to "Hammerin' Homicide" Henry Armstrong, because of his non-stop ferocious style. Roberto "Manos de Piedra" Duran. Roberto was a huge favourite, but Esteban was still considered a "can't miss" prospect in his native Puerto Rico, something the outside world didn't know... but were soon about to find out. How soon?? We'll... past the halfway point of the first round Esteban placed a picture perfect left hook on Duran's ever-sneering lips and floored The Champ for the very first time in his life. Esteban then went on to take a unanimous verdict. Esteban would later capture the WBC version of the 135lb division, losing it to Duran. They were to fight once more in the coming years, Duran scoring a late round KO's over a bye then often addicted, detoxed and addicted and detoxed and.... DeJesus. All of which is common knowledge here and throughout most of the boxing fraternity especially back then.
Esteban would eventually be sentenced to a life term of imprisonment for a murder committed while under the influence in a traffic altercation. While in prison he would discover two life-changing things. First he discovered Jesus and became a devout born again Christian. And... he also discovered that he had AIDS.......
As The Champ held his respected 'adversary' they playfully talked of a future rematch when Esteban got well, and about the time in their 2nd fight when Esteban deposited "Manos De Piedras" on his 'nalgas' [his butt] for the 2nd time, again in the very first round!! I don't believe there was a dry eye in the room. I know mine weren't. Some fought them back ...or tried to. I didn't try. I wanted to cry. Crying never felt so good. Never!
The Champ bid his farewell to the 'enemy' he always said he respected most with another firm but gentle and uncharacteristic hug and kiss. He waved to all and stepped outside. As he asked us to please send for the future widow, his eyes were noticeably watery and full, he gave her a generous offering of love and left as the press and cameras present followed. They were following The Champ, a true Champ.
Thank you Champ for the lesson of noble love.
By Earnest Morales
*Bizzy On Boxing*
(2008)
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| Marvis Frazier - The Lost Son
The camera rolls and the highlight clip begins. It shows a young, undefeated but green Marvis Frazier dancing while taunting heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. In the blink of an eye Holmes unloads a right hand sucker shot that sends Marvis backward and into a sprawled position on the canvas. Marvis showing he is a true Frazier gamely arises. Quickly Holmes pins him in a corner and pummels him unmercifully till the ref intervenes. The look on Frazier's face isn't so much a look of pain. It is a bewildered, shellshocked look like Ken Norton had after Gerry Cooney had worked him over in a corner. A look that said "What the hell hit me ?"
Now fast forward to another highlight clip. A not quite ready for prime time Mike Tyson is waiting in his corner to do battle with Marvis Frazier. This is considered a good test for Tyson at this stage of his budding career.
The bell sounds and within seconds Tyson is on top of Marvis forcing him into a corner. Then Mike connects with one of the most vicious uppercuts of all time. The punch appears to nearly lift Frazier's head clear off his shoulders. The follow up is needless, Marvis is done.
Today when the name Marvis Frazier is mentioned those two film clips come to mind. Holmes and Tyson both destroyed him. Marvis was just the over hyped son of " Smokin' Joe ". How wrong this is. Truth be told, Marvis Frazier was a very capable fighter.
Marvis boxed not slugged his way to over 50 amateur wins. He was considered the best U.S amateur heavyweight until suffering a shocking one punch, one round kayo loss to James Broad. The kayo punch pinched a nerve in his neck and shelved his career. Corrective surgery started Marvis on the road to his professional career.
Many blame father Joe for changing Marvis from a boxer to a puncher. To try and mold Marvis into his unique slugging style. A style he was not really suited for. They said Marvis was too small to slug with the big brutes of the division. There may be some truth to this. Still Marvis enjoyed some success against much bigger and competent foes.
He would meet Broad in a rematch at the professional level. This was not the fat, sloppy looking Broad most of us remember. This was a big but trim and in shape James Broad. It went ten rounds and Marvis using speed, great defense and accurate punching beat him fair and square.
Marvis would also outspeed and out hustle a bigger and talented Joe Bugner. Joe was no slouch. He had traveled 27 rounds in two fights with Muhammad Ali. Bugner had also gone twelve rugged rounds with Papa Joe.
After the Holmes debacle Marvis won a tough decision over Bonecrusher Smith. In a gutsy performance Marvis got off the canvas to win a close verdict.
Mike Tyson put the exclamation point on the career of Marvis. The son of Joe never really got his just due. How would he have done if he boxed as a cruiserweight ? How would he have fared against the likes of Holyfield, Qawi or DeLeon in this bastard division ? It is a shame that we will never know.
Please remember Marvis as more then a whipping boy for Holmes and Tyson. Remember him for more then just being Joe Frazier's boy. Instead remember Marvis for his talent and his courage. Remember him as a fighter.
Jim Amato
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| BIG BUSTER MATHIS ; Has History Been Unkind To Him ?
At one time Buster Mathis Sr. of Grand Rapids, Michigan was the best
amateur heavyweight in the world. This was in 1964 after he had twice
defeated another promising amateur named Joe Frazier. He was on his way to
the 1964 Olympics Games in Tokyo but an injury sidelined him. Frazier took
his place as an alternate. Joe won the Gold Medal and the rest is history.
Where does Buster Mathis stand in the annals of heavyweight history ?
Did he ever get the respect that he may have deserved ? He was a good enough
prospect to have Cus D'Amato guide his professional career. He was a a very
big man for his era and was surprisingly fast and agile for a big man.
At the beginning of his pro career the 300 pound Mathis shedded weight
and subdued opponents. In his fourth fight he would outpoint a rugged
customer named Bob Stallings. In his sixth fight he would halt Chuck Wepner.
Buster was built up like most prospects at that time were. His record
is spotted with journeymen like Charlie Polite, Mike Bruce, Everett
Copeland, Sonny Moore...After 23 straight victories he was matched with old
foe Joe Frazier for the New York State recognition of the heavyweight title
that had been taken from Muhammad Ali.
This time Joe would have more rounds to work over and wear down Big
Buster. Finally in the eleventh round Buster went down and Joe had a piece
of the heavyweight pie.
After the loss to Frazier, Mathis put together a nice five bout win
streak. He beat Mel Turnbow, James J. Beattie, Amos " Big Train " Lincoln,
Dick Wipperman and James J. Woody. That was pretty respectable opposition at
that time. This led to another shot at the big time. A match with the
brawling Canadian contender George Chuvalo.
The bout with Chuvalo would be the highlight of Buster's fine career.
If anyone ever doubts that Buster was a world class heavyweight, get a hold
of the film of this fight. Mathis was the master of Chuvalo throughout the
twelve round contest.
The win over Chuvalo put Buster right back in the thick of the
heavyweight picture.By this time the once 300 pound Mathis was tipping the
scales around 235. Six weeks after the Chuvalo triumph, Buster would take on
the erratic but always entertaining Jerry Quarry. On the night they fought
Quarry was nothing short of brilliant. It was a boxing clinic and Buster was
soundly defeated. At this point Buster took some time off after a high
profile loss.
It would be well over two years before Buster would re-enter the ring
and his opponent would be none other then the comebacking Muhammad Ali.
Buster had ballooned to over 250 pounds and although game to the core he was
totally outclassed by Ali and lost a twelve round decision. This would
finish Buster as a serious contender.
Buster would defeat the undefeated Claude McBride but in his next bout
he was savaged by another unbeaten prospect named Ron Lyle. That would be
the end of Buster's career.
Big Buster only lost four of thirty four fights. He lost to Frazier,
Quarry, Ali and Lyle. Does that make him all bad ? The Buster Mathis that
defeated George Chuvalo was one of the best heavyweights of the late 1960's.
Jim Amato |
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