QUOTES
“ I don't have any problems with Big Roy at all. He does his thing and I do mine. That's the way business is. No tension with me whatsoever. Not at all. ”
— Alton Merkerson, who is co-training Roy Jones Jr. with Jones' father Big Roy
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“ Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die first.
Anon
**************
"One day Jermain Taylor will be champion. But not this day. He's still got more schooling to do."
Bouie Fisher, about the Hopkins versus Taylor upcoming fight
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CHIEF SCRIBE
Editor in Chief
BOXING SCRIBES JIM AMATO DAVID GONZALEZ CURTIS MCCORMICK ROB MCCINNIS |
LATE GREAT CHAMPS
TRAINING FOOTAGE
SuperFight Ali vs Marciano" Documentary at the Garden
On January 17 at the TD Banknorth
Garden, The Sports Museum will host an exclusive screening of "The
SuperFight: Marciano vs. Ali," a new documentary on the famous 1970
computer-generated bout between Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali.
The film has already won several awards, including a ScreenCraft Award for
Best Documentary (Feature) at the prestigious New York International
Independent Film & Video Festival last month.
Visit the Sports Museum's website for more information and for ticket information.
British Champion Earl's Deadly Round of
Bela-Russian Roulette
By Curtis McCormack
In less than three short weeks, British and Commonwealth Champion Graham Earl will boldly come face to face with the most dangerous European fighter in the talent laden lightweight division, Yuri Romanov, as the two headline Maloney Promotions' exciting fight card from Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham, England on Friday, January 27th. Earl is coming off a riveting performance last summer that saw the Luton man outgun hardened campaigner Kevin Bennett to add the Commonwealth crown to his existing British title but this time Earl may have bitten off more than he can handle. The Eastern European titlist, Romanov has already seen off some of the best men at lightweight that the UK has to offer in the form of Bobby Vanzie and Steve Murray, and the Belarussian spoiler is determined to do the same to Earl in front of a nationwide audience that will watch the highly anticipated contest on Sky Sports. For Graham Earl, this isn't just a bout that will build upon his current # 9 ranking with the WBO and propel him into true world class standing but also a mission to defend the honor of boxing in the United Kingdom.
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Ballroom
Boxing Kicks off 2006 With A Heavyweight Title Fight
Glen Burnie, MD – Ballroom Boxing returns on January 26th, 2006 with an
exciting title fight between two local Heavyweights.
The first show of the eleventh
season will feature a main event battle between Baltimore’s own Brandon
“The Beast” Cabell, 8-1-1(2) and Silver Spring native Tony “The Tiger”
Thompson, 25-1(15) for The Maryland State Heavyweight title. Brandon
Cabell currently holds the previously vacant WBE
Intercontinental Heavyweight title which he captured in a win over Robert
Bellamy in August.
Promoter Scott Wagner has promised fans that the January 26th card will be
one of the most exciting shows the Ballroom has seen since Rahman’s
appearance. “This Heavyweight battle is only the tip of the
iceberg,” says Wagner. “The Ballroom has always been a pioneer
in the club show circuit, highlighting strong up and coming talent.
I guarantee show that fans will see the heart and soul of boxing on the
26th.”
Tickets priced at $35 General Admission (advance), $40 General Admission
(door), $50, and $100 are on sale now. Doors open at 6:30pm, first
bout scheduled to begin at approximately 8pm. For tickets or more
information, contact Michael’s Eighth Avenue, 7220 Grayburn Drive, Glen
Burnie, MD, 21061. 410-766-7474.
http://www.ballroomboxing.com
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Start Your New Year Off With A Bang!
BXF Live! Kicks off 2006 with Maryland's First Show of the New Year!
BXF Live! returns on January 13th, 2006 with an exciting professional card in it Friday night fight series from Boxing Xtreme Fitness.
BXF's first show of the new year will be a preview of what the 2006 BXF Live! season will be able to offer boxing fans. The January 13th card will feature undefeated and prominent new stars from the region. The main event will feature DC's own Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan, (12-0, 10ko's) in an eight round Super Middleweight battle against Philadelphia's Ron Boddie, (15-31-4, 7ko's). Young Baltimore prospect Tyrell Samuels (4-0, 2ko's) will step in as the co-main event in a four round lightweight match against Kevin Carmody, (5-5-1), also from Philadelphia. The double feature of strong regional fighters with extreme potential is a key component of BXF Live!'s philosophy that well matched fights featuring strong fighters provides the most exciting shows for fans. The event will also feature five to six additional undercard bouts.
Although Henry Buchanan has been on a personal roller coaster ride for the last year between public disputes with fellow DC boxing icon, William Joppy, and his own distractions, his performance in the ring has not suffered. Buchanan ended 2005 with five additional wins to his record. His impressive power and undefeated record have made him a target for other area fighters looking for something to prove. Buchanan has taken it all in stride and looks forward to his first fight of 2006 with the January 13th match against Ron Boddie. The fight will not be a walk in the park for Buchanan, as Boddie is a seasoned opponent whose most recent loss to Chad Dawson left him with the desire for a strong desire to make his next fight end with a win of his own. The undercard will feature Wayne Hampton (2-1, 2-1, 2ko's) of Laurel, MD against William McGee (1-1, 1ko) of Reidsville, NC; Derek Sierra (0-3) Laurel, MD against Richard Moore (0-3) of Virginia Beach, VA; John Terry (2-2, 1ko) of Pourtsmouth, VA against Richard Pearson (2-0, 1ko) of Patterson, NJ. Two professional debuts are also scheduled, Brenton Artis of Virginia Beach, VA against Chris Edmond (0-1) of Cleveland, OH and Marcus Key of Virginia Beach, VA against Ron Lewis (0-1) of Syracuse, NY.
Tickets priced at $25, $40, $75, and $100 are on sale now. Doors open at 7:00pm, first bout scheduled to begin at approximately 8pm. For tickets or more information, contact Boxing Xtreme Fitness at (410) 729-7900 or Dave Wilkerson at 443-569-2111.
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WORLD BOXING COUNCIL NEWS
January 3, 2006 - Mexico City.
From WBC President Jose Sulaiman:
THE WORLD BOXING COUNCIL 2005 AWARDS
Boxer of the Year: Floyd Mayweather (United States).
Boxer of the Year Honorary Mention: Jermain Taylor (United States).
Other nominees were: Winky Wright (USA), Thomasz Adamek (Poland), Marco Antonio Barrera (Mexico), and Jorge "Travieso" Arce (Mexico).
Fight of the Year: José Luis Castillo (Mexico), vs. Diego Corrales (USA) I.
Most Dramatic Fight of the Year: Erik Morales (Mexico), vs. Manny Pacquiao (Philippines), I.
Other nominated bouts were: Thomasz Adamek (Poland) vs. Paul Briggs (Australia); Jesus Chavez (Mexico) vs. Carlos Hernandez (El Salvador); Jorge Arce (Mexico) vs. Hussein Hussein (Australia) I.
Most Active Champion of the Year: Jorge "Travieso" Arce (Mexico).
Champion Revelation of the Year: Thomasz Adamek (Poland)
Knockout of the Year: Brian Viloria (USA) vs. Eric Ortiz (Mexico).
The other fight nominated Knockout of the Year was Marco Antonio Barrera (Mexico) vs. Mzonke Fana (South Africa).
Female Boxer of the Year: Laila Ali (USA).
The World Boxing Council will present these awards during the celebration of the NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS to be held in Cancun, Mexico, from January 28 to 31, 2006.
****
The WBC is very proud of the support given to Filipino boxer Alvin Felisilda by the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation, especially OPBF President Frank Quill, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nasser Cruz, and ring official Bruce McTavish, and the Philippines Boxing Commission.
Felisilda was injured in a fight in Kobe, Japan, in November, 2003, and underwent brain surgery, but has recovered and is now ready to support himself. The OPBF provided monthly pension payments to Felisilda during his recovery. Felisilda's manager, Leonil Lazarito, recently corresponded with the OPBF and told them that Felisilda needed a public utility vehicle to use as a taxi, and the OPBF has now purchased one for him.
This is the way that the WBC and its affiliated confederations work in boxing, not only sanctioning fights, but giving service and assistance to boxers in need.
Graham Earl Gets Back To Reality With A Dangerous Fight
By Curtis McCormack
With only New Year's Eve left to celebrate, British and Commonwealth Lightweight Champion Graham Earl is chomping at the bit for January 27th to come around so he can celebrate his holidays all in one go, roughly a month too late. And the Luton man is steaming about having to reschedule the time with his family.
The object of Earl's anger on that date will be world class Belarussian lightweight Yuri Romanov and the double champion knows that he cannot flinch in this clash with the dangerous Brit killer. Neither fighter can afford a loss on the Maloney Promotions card at the Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham, England as the winner of this genuine scrap will go onto meaningful world class fights while the loser will have no where to go.
Graham Earl intends to put a stop to Romanov coming to British shores and beating the top domestic lightweights "He already has the scalps of Bobby Vanzie and Steve Murray sitting on his mantelpiece but he is not going to get mine because if he does then he will be entitled to drape the Union Jack over his mantelpiece as well and claim that he owns our lightweight division," said the iron chinned British and Commonwealth Champion.
Earl went on to add "I have given up Christmas and the New Year and missed taking my family to a Christmas Pantomime; there is no way Romanov will get my scalp to take back to Belarussia!"
This contest has been rescheduled from October 05 due to a rib injury suffered by Earl but the extra preparation time has been a blessing in disguise. Earl's trainer Johnny Eames has said that the British public will see a much fitter, determined and classier fighter in Earl on the 27th of January.
"This time we have been able to concentrate on coaching and technique work, not just getting him fit to fight," said Eames.
This show will also feature what Maloney Promotions believe to be one of the best young stables in British boxing and the London based firm has gone as far as to say that three of the boys on this promotion will go on to become major players on the world stage in the very near future.
Tickets are now on sale for this real lightweight battle, which takes place on January 27th 2006 at the Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham.
For further information contact Maloney Promotions on 020 8692 6313.
All press applications must be received by Monday 23rd January 2006 at Jamesjrussell@btconnect.com.
Stoney - The "Rock" In The Ruiz Corner
By Jim Amato
Norman " Stoney "
Stone has decided for a number of rumored reasons to retire from the
corner of former WBA heavyweight kingpin John Ruiz. Stone has been
vilified on many occasions throughout his association with Ruiz.
Controversial? You bet. Entertaining? Well, I guess that comes down to the
"eye of the beholder" category, yet "Stoney" was usually good copy. It all
came down to drawing attention to your fighter and as a manager, Norman
had the knack..
Let's face it, John Ruiz is a decent fighter and a decent man. What he
lacks is charisma. Enter Norman Stone. Like him or dislike him. Agree with
him or disagree with him...This guy was a mover and a shaker. In my book,
without him, John Ruiz would not be where he is today.
John Ruiz turned pro in 1992. On November 27, 1993, I saw John fight live
in Cleveland. He won a rather boring six round decision over a journeyman,
Carl "Not The Truth" Williams. If you would have told me then that Ruiz
would one day beat Evander Holyfield and be a major player in the
heavyweight division for nearly a decade, I would have laughed in your
face. Hey, guess what? In 1994, he lost a twelve round decision to Danell
Nicholson for the vacant IBO heavyweight title. After reeling off seven
wins, he was then crushed in less then a round by the feared David Tua. At
that point, could anyone honestly see Ruiz ever becoming a champion?
Ruiz hit the big time in 1998 when he halted former champion Tony "TNT"
Tucker. On August 12, 2000, Ruiz was matched with Evander Holyfield for
the vacant WBA title. John lost a highly debatable decision. It set up a
return match that took place on March 3, 2001. On that night, John Ruiz
was crowned "World Champion." In December, he drew with Evander to retain
his crown. Without a doubt, three of the most boring fights I've ever
witnessed!
Nevertheless, as champion, Ruiz did not have a bad run. He beat Kirk
Johnson on a disqualification. This was a fight that most people saw John
losing but I thought he was getting the better of Johnson up until the
stoppage.
Then came his legit loss to a prime time Roy Jones Jr. Lucky for Ruiz,
that Jones decided to go back to the light heavyweight division. Next,
Ruiz "regains" his title with a well deserved points win over Hasim "The
Rock" Rahman. This mat go down as John's best career win.
In 2004, Ruiz halted Fres Oquendo and edged Andrew Golota. In 2005, his
loss on points to James Toney was changed to a "No Contest" because Toney
may have violated the steroid use rules. Ruiz was again re-instated as WBA
champion. Next came the loss to Valuev. Where does Ruiz go next remains to
be seen. He has already expressed his desire for a return engagement.
I'm not quite sure when Norman Stone entered the career of John Ruiz. At
least what I think I see is a manager who did what a manager is supposed
to do. Make as much money for your fighter as you can with the minimal
amount of risk. In my opinion "Stoney" did that. He did not make foolish
matches for John against Lennox Lewis or Vitali Klitschko. He did not put
him in a unification fight with IBF titleholder Chris Byrd, who probably
would have boxed Ruiz silly.
I think "Stoney" helped an under rated, yet over achieving John Ruiz make
a whole lotta of money. Give the man his due, he's earned it !
High Above The Rest
By Christophe Neyts: Worldcupofboxing.Com
At the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin,
Germany, John Ruiz (#7, v900) defended his WBA heavyweight crown against
mandatory challenger Nicolay Valuev (#10, v600).
Ruiz was the better fighter in the opening rounds. But more and more
Valuev used his reach advantage to his benefit. The Beast from the East
rocked Ruiz in the eighth; Ruiz increased the tempo in the last two rounds
but to no avail. Valuev hurt Ruiz in the twelfth. At the end of the fight,
Valuev had won on two scorecards, 116-113 and 116-114. The third judge
scored the fight 114-114.
Valuev thus became the new WBA champ, the highest and heaviest champion in
boxing history. He scores 900 WCup points, upping his WCup total to 1622
points. Valuev wins the heavyweight World Cup, since no heavyweight
fighter has done better this year. Second in the WCup ranking is Wladimir
Klitschko with 920 points, with third-ranked WBO champ Lamon Brewster only
10 points behind (910 pts).
The top-3 of the total ranking remains unchanged: Wladimir Klitschko leads
with 2120 points. IBF titlist Chris Byrd trails by only 20 points. Third
is Vitali Klitschko (2000 pts), who announced his retirement last month.
Valuev, who started the year at rank 54 with 140 starting points, made a
big leap forward, climbing to sixth spot with a total of 1762 points,
Ruiz, meanwhile, falls to eleventh spot with 850 points.
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HILL-BRUDOV WBA, RACHMAN-SOTO IBF CHAMPIONSHIP
BOUTS; ARNAOUTIS, AJAMU, JOHNSTON TITLE FIGHTS; GUILTY, SILVERHAWK BOXING ‘COLLISION COURSE, A NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS’ PAY-PER-VIEW CARD
JAN. 27 AT TROPICANA IN ATLANTIC CITY
Former three-time world champion Virgil Hill of North Dakota and training out of Pleasantville, N.J., and undefeated, No. 1 contender Valery Brudov of Russia meet for the vacant World Boxing Association Cruiserweight championship and International Boxing Federation mini-flyweight champ Muhammad Rachman of Indonesia defends against No. 1 challenger Omar Soto of Mexico City on “Collision Course, A Night Of Champions,” an internationally televised pay-per-view card promoted by Star Boxing in association with Guilty Boxing and Silverhawk Boxing Friday, Jan. 27, at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, N.J and presented by Xyience.
Three other 12-round title bouts join the two world championship fights.
Unbeaten and world-ranked Mike Arnaoutis of Vineland, N.J., defends his North American Boxing Organization junior welterweight championship, world-rated Prince Badi Ajamu of Camden., N.J., defends his World Boxing Council Continental Americas light heavyweight title and former two time world champion Stevie Johnston of Vero Beach, Fla., defends his North American Boxing Council lightweight crown.
Opponents for Arnaoutis, Ajamu and Johnston will be determined.
The five-championship “Collision Course, A Night of Champion” card is televised on a pay-per-view basis in the United States and Canada and has a suggested retail price of $24.95.
SHOWTIME ON DEMAND REPLAY:
SPINKS vs. JUDAH II - February 5, 2005
BRAITHWAITE vs. MORMECK - April 2, 2005
Catch Mormeck & Judah's Impressive Victories at SHOWTIME On Demand
As They Prepare For "Undisputed" January 7, 2006 - LIVE on SHOWTIME
NEW YORK (Dec. 19, 2005) - SHOWTIME On Demand will replay two exciting SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts from 2005 featuring the undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah and WBC/WBA cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeck as they prepare to do battle on the opening telecast of 2006 live on SHOWTIME Jan. 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Judah will defend against mandatory challenger and No. 1 WBC contender Carlos Baldomir while Mormeck will face IBF champion O'Neil Bell for the undisputed world cruiserweight championship.
SHOWTIME subscribers can access Spinks-Judah II from Dec. 26 - Jan. 7 and Braithwaite-Mormeck from Dec. 21 through Jan. 7 in their entirety only at SHOWTIME On Demand.
On Feb. 5, 2005, Judah faced Cory Spinks in his hometown of St. Louis in the pair's second match-up. Judah ruined Spinks' homecoming before a record-setting crowd of more than 22,000 who turned up at the Savvis Center to support their local hero. The building was abuzz as Judah floored Spinks in the ninth, but he beat the count and Judah continued to land punishing blows that forced the stoppage at 2:49.
In the end, Judah won over the raucous crowd with an impressive and determined TKO to vindicate an earlier loss to Spinks and take the undisputed welterweight crown. Now Judah prepares to defend for the second time.
Then-WBA champion Mormeck met Braithwaite, the WBC titleholder, on April 2, 2005 in Worchester, Mass., in a bout that proved to be the preamble to the upcoming undisputed cruiserweight championship fight with Bell. Mormeck made history when he became the first boxer from France in any division to become a unified world champion by scoring a unanimous 12-round decision over the previously unbeaten Braithwaite. In the seventh round, Mormeck dropped Braithwaite with a devastating overhand right to score the bout's only knockdown. Throughout the bout, Mormeck continuously hurt the smaller, quicker Braithwaite.
Now, both Mormeck and Bell have a chance at history when they collide in only the second undisputed cruiserweight unification fight ever. The winner will be the first in the division to unify the titles since Evander Holyfield defeated Carlos DeLeon in 1988. Many are calling this a match-up that will put the cruiserweight division back on the map for boxing fans.
The Jan. 7 cruiserweight unification bout will be the division's third enthralling match-up on SHOWTIME in nine months. The first was Mormeck's win over Braithwaite and the other was Guillermo Jones' upset TKO victory over Braithwaite on Sept. 2.
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Craig Weber To Fight For IBA Title
By Jim Amato
"Raging" Craig
Weber of Perrysville, Ohio will meet old foe Rogelio Castaneda Jr. for the IBA junior welterweight title. The bout is scheduled to take place April
21, 2006 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. This will be the
third time that the two boxers have crossed gloves. Castaneda won their
first fight..
Their second fight which was for the vacant IBA 140 pound title ended in a
controversial draw. Weber's record stands at 21-1-2 and it includes
victories over former champion Frankie Randall and top contender Angel
Manfredy.
After his disputed draw with Weber, Castaneda won the IBA junior
welterweight title by defeating Tomas Barrientes. He has defended it
successfully against Ernesto Zepeda. Rogelio has a repectable 21-10-3
ledger.
Weber will reportedly collect $15,000 for this engagement. With this fight
Craig will get an opportunity to avenge his only career loss and to also
win a piece of a world title. A win over Castaneda could put him closer to
a fight with one of the division's more respected champions like Ricky
Hatton or Miguel Cotto.
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PRESS RELEASE – DECEMBER 16, 2005
WBC ANNUAL NOMINATIONS
FOR THE BEST OF 2005.
The WBC Board of Governors will finalize their votes to select the winners of the yearly awards of the Best in the WBC for the Year 2005.
Following you will find the nominations:
Fight of the Year.
1. Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo I
2. Thomasz Adameck vs. Paul Briggs
3. Erik Morales vs. Manny Pacquiao
4. Jorge Arce vs. Hussein Hussein I
5. Jesus Chavez vs. Carlos Hernandez,
6. Humberto Soto vs. Rocky Juarez,
Boxer of the Year.
1. Floyd Mayweather
2. Winky Wright
3. Thomasz Adameck
4. Oscar Larios
5. Jermain Taylor
6. Brian Viloria
7. Marco Antonio Barrera
8. Jorge Arce
Knock Out of the Year.
1. Brian Viloria’s devastating one punch K.O. over Ortiz,
2. Marco Antonio Barrera, over Mzonke Fana.
3. Jose Luis Castillo, over Diego Corrales
4. Israel Vazquez over Oscar Larios
The Most Active Promoter of the Year.
1. Don King Productions, promoting 11 fights;
2. Top Rank, promoting 7 fights
3. Golden Boy Promotions with 5 fights.
Greatest Boxing Promotion
1. Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo I,
2. Erik Morales vs. Manny Pacquiao
3. Floyd Mayweather vs. Arturo Gatti,
4. Jermain Taylor-Bernard Hopkins I
5. Ricardo Mayorga vs. Michele Picchirillo and
6. Hasim Rahman vs. Monte Barrett.
Revelation Fighter of the Year.
1. Thomasz Adameck, Poland,
2. Brian Viloria, Hawaii
3. Humberto Soto, Mexico
Up-coming Stars of the Year
1. Koki Kameda, from Japan.
2. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., from Mexico
3. Edwin Valero, from Venezuela
4. Rusian Chagaev, Russia
Network of the Year.
HBO, USA,
Wowow, Japan
Man of the Year.
Richard Sturn, MGM, Las Vegas
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December 9, 2005 - Mexico City.
From WBC President Jose Sulaiman:
HASIM RAHMAN TO RECEIVE WBC HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIP BELT ON DECEMBER 20 IN CANCUN
The World Boxing Council ratifies the ceremony of December 20, 2005, in Cancun, Mexico, where Hasim Rahman will be officially confirmed as the WBC heavyweight champion of the world and presented with the green belt.
A purse offer will be held during the ceremony in case that Rahman and James Toney, his first official challenger, do not reach an agreement for the mandatory title bout by December 20.
A split of the purse has been voted to be 60% for champion Rahman and 40% for Toney by the voting of the Board of Governors, which was 26 votes in favor of 60-40%, three votes in favor of 70-30%, and two votes in favor of 55-45%, while two votes were not received.
When the champion or the challenger request the WBC for a change of split of the percentage of a purse offer, the WBC has four considerations in their rules:
a) 70-30% in mandatory defenses.
b) 50-50% in vacant titles or elimination bouts.
c) 60-40% when champion and challenger are stars in star fights, and when both have similar proven marketing value, and
d) 55-45% for champion and interim champion; when there is an appeal, it could be a 55-45% on superstar champion and challenger and superstar fights with the highest marketing value of both.
Vitali Klitschko, the former champion who brought prestige to the heavyweight championship of the world, will receive an Emeritus Champion belt, which makes him automatically a WBC World Ambassador for Peace and Good Will in the World.
The ceremony will be held at Le Meridien Hotel and it will fall into the federal, state and county government efforts to show the world that Cancun is strongly coming back after the devastating effects of Hurricane Wilma.
There will be a very important ceremony in Cancun to honor the attending champions and challengers with Oleg Maskaev, from Kazakhstan, who was voted by the board of Governors as the next official challenger with whom the winner of Rahman and Toney must mandatorily fight next.
Green and Mundine Take Care of Business
By Mark de Mori
www.markdemori.com
Everything ran according to plan on sunday night at Challenge Stadium, in Perth, the undercard fighters took care of their overmatched opposition , hometown hero Danny Green outboxed Kirino Garcia over ten rounds, and Anthony Mundine outclassed Rico Chong Nee, finishing him in style with three consecutive right hands in the third round.
Unfortunately a small group of Mundine haters let their anger get the better of them, throwing whatever they could at Mundine after he put on the best performance of the night, but it may just have been the realisation of many in attendance that Mundine is going to be more than a handfull for their main man Green that really angered them.
So what did we learn last night that we didn’t already know about Green and Mundine?
We found out that Danny can box on the back move for ten rounds using a stiff jab and occasional combination, and that Mundine can come out with guns blazing to finish an oponent instead of jabbing and running. So we saw two guy box totally different to what they have done all their careers, and they both fought opposition that where the exact opposite style wise to what they will face when they finally get it, on sometime in the next six months at a still undecided venue.
Audley Harrison And Danny Williams
By Frank Maloney
This Saturday sees the most exciting heavyweight clash in a British ring since Lennox Lewis' battles with Frank Bruno and Gary Mason. The pairing of ex-British and Commonwealth Champion Danny Williams and the undefeated former Olympic Gold Medallist Audley Harrison has the British fans talking and the boxing writers have been turning up in droves to the individual press conferences of each fighter. I've attended these conferences on alternative days and had the chance to review each fighter's condition, mannerisms and public workouts.
I've always liked Danny Williams and thought at one time that he could have been the man to take over from Lennox Lewis as the leading British heavyweight. But unfortunately, loses to Julius Francis, Sinan Samil Sam and a failed world title bid against Vitali Klitschko have obviously put a dent in that potential, although Danny still believes that he will win a world title due to a dream that his father had.
Danny and I are both from South London and having watched his amateur and pro career, I'd like to think that he can do it but the truth is there's no room for sentiment in boxing.
I studied Danny at Monday's press conference and I saw a man that seems vacant. His eyes were dull and flat while his skin had no glow to it like the glow I would see on Lennox Lewis when he was really biting at the bit for a fight. Although he talked a good game, I'm not so sure that Danny wasn't just talking to give himself courage. His trainer Jimmy McDonnell made some interesting comments about how Audley can't fight for three minutes every round. and he compared Harrison to Lewis in regards to tactics such as holding the opponent behind the head and forcing the head down. I'd have to agree about the Lennox reference, as those were the tactics Lewis used, as he did so very efficiently and got a way with it, too.
If I were to have closed my eyes at the Danny Williams press conference, I might have come away thinking that Danny will beat Audley by knockout. But with eyes open and actually seeing the reality, I'm not so sure.
Mundine-Green
Double Header
The press conference for the Anthony Mundine-Danny Green double header was held today at the Challenge Stadium in Perth Western Australia, the home town of the hugely popular Super middleweight contender Danny “Green Machine”Green.
Both Mundine and Green will be showcased in separate fights on Sunday night, Green against the Mexican hardman Kirino Garcia, and Mundine against the stylish Samoan Rico Chong Nee.
A fight between Anthony Mundine, 24-3 (19 ko’s) and Danny Green, 20-2 (19ko’s), has been putting boxing back on the map in Australia, with nearly everybody having their opinion as to who is the superior boxer.
Mundine entered first and appeared confident as usual even though he is in hostile territory, being the enemy of hometown hero Danny Green. If his confidence wasn’t apparent as he walked in flexing his muscles for the media it definitely was as soon as his infamous mouth opened.
A weekend of World Cup winners
From Worldcupofboxing.Com
In July of this year, Jermain Taylor (#2, v1800) quite unexpectedly won a split decision over Bernard Hopkins (#3, v1600), thus becoming the new "undisputed" middleweight champion of the world. Last Saturday they met again at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las vegas, with not only Taylor's WBC/WBA/WBO titles at stake, but also the middleweight World Cup.
The opening rounds didn't see much action. As the fight progressed, Taylor looked slightly the better fighter. But, as was the case in their first encounter, Hopkins came more and more into the fight from round seven. In the eleventh both fighters upped the pace and landed their biggest shots. Taylor still managed to controll the fight and eventually won on all three scorecards (115-113).
Taylor, who already topped the 160lbs WCup standings going into last Saturday's bout, scores 1600 WCup points and finishes the series with a total of 3784 WCup points. This surely is enough to win both the middleweight World Cup and the World Cup All Weights. Second at middleweight is Arthur Abraham (2060 pts), who can't catch Taylor even if he defeats Kingsley Ikeke (#10, v600) in a fight for the vacant IBF crown this Saturday. Hopkins, a World Cup winner in 2003 and 2004, completes the top-3 with 1800 points.
Taylor also becomes the new number one in the middleweight total ranking, with 4984 points. He moves Ronald Winky right (3600 pts) to second spot. Hopkins remains third with 3300 points.
By Michael Amakor at Ringside
Tucked away in a corner a few miles from Baltimore is Boxing Xtreme Fitness, a well equipped boxing gym quite popular in the area especially since it partners with the University of Maryland and Annapolis boxing clubs to develop young amateur fighters in the MD/VA/DC metro area.
This December 2nd fight card featured some fast and furious amateur action that had the crowd cheering in delight to usher in the professional fighters who meant business by their performances.
The first fight for the professional segment featured a clash between John Terry of Portsmouth Virginia against Rodney Green of Wilson NC in a six round middleweight bout.
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Why Hopkins Will Pull It Out Of His Hat
By Jim Amato
Jermain Taylor won his first fight
with Bernard Hopkins fair and square. Bernard made an error in judgment in
starting too slow. He spotted a young and talented Taylor a head start
that try as he might, Bernard was unable to make up. It cost the ever
proud Hopkins his World's middleweight title. Hopkins is out for revenge
and to regain his former glory. Taylor wants to prove that his first win
was no fluke and that he is "The Man" at 160 pounds.
As Max Schmeling said in leading up to his first fight with the great Joe
Louis, "I see something." I too saw some things that unfolded as the first
Taylor- Hopkins bout moved in to the middle and late rounds. I saw the
things I needed to see to feel that Bernard has a very, very good chance
of regaining his crown.
First of all, I feel that more then ever Bernard is confident he take the
best Taylor has to offer. I'm not quite so sure that Taylor can. He was
stunned on more then one occasion during the "championship" rounds. Taylor
also slowed down a bit and Bernard was clearly outworking the challenger.
In this rematch, I look for Bernard to start quickly and set the pace.
Taylor will try to hang with Bernard and I see the first six rounds being
contested on a fairly even basis. Then I see Taylor trying to surge ahead
but by the end of the tenth, Bernard will have closed the gap.
It will be almost even entering the last two rounds. This is where I see
Bernard forcing the action and getting the best of Jermain. Hopkins will
force Taylor on the defensive and Bernard's aggression and work rate will
push him ahead on the scoring.He may even stop Jermain.
By Michael Amakor
On July 16th, Undisputed
Middleweight Champion of the world Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins
defends his WBA, WBC,WBO and IBF titles against WBC Continental Americas
Middleweight Champion Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor at the MGM Grand
Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on HBO in a fight Labelled Next in
Line.
The Executioner first made me his fan with his thrilling and brutal
stoppage of skilled southpaw Joe "The Sledgehammer" Lipsky in the 4th
round back in 1996, you had to see that knockout as Hopkins suddenly
stepped back and unleashed a blur of vicious uppercuts that absolutely
stopped Lipsky dead on his feets,Hopkins showed killer instinct by
immediately putting together a combination that sent the sledgehammer to
the canvas almost unconscious prompting the experienced Referee - Mitch
Halpern to wave off the fight even before Lipsky’s head had touched the
canvas, Joe Lipsky has not fought again since that knockout.
Another thing that endeared me to Hopkins was his ring entrance, which is
quite tame now, but back in 1996 it was a menacing spectacle to behold, he
usually walked slowly into the ring cloaked in an executioners mask with
an entourage of burly masked bodyguards who carried his swords, battle
axes, and Championship belts right behind him like a funeral procession,
that along with his hard core eloquencial ponitifications was truly
inspiring, I knew after that fight that this guy was on a mission and he
could really bang.
Back then he let the world know that he was not getting the best fights
because no one wanted to fight him, he wanted to fight Roy Jones in a
rematch and urged Don King,to work with his then promoter Butch Lewis who
had labeled him the Hagler of the nineties when signing him up, to get him
career defining fights. He finally got the chance to showcase his skills,
five years later, when he competed in the Don King sponsored Middleweight
unification series by stopping legendary Felix Trinidad in the eleventh
round to become the unified Middleweight King.
By Michael Amakor at Ringside
Regular boxing fans usually seem to tune in only when star professional boxers fight with a seemingly vexing fixation on the heavyweight division, but true boxing fans come out to watch young fighters from all weight classes battle their way from mediocrity into the ranks of championship star contenders.
Keystone Boxing provided just such an event, featuring six of twelve fighters at the very early stages of their professional careers on its fight card at the Showplace Arena in Upper Marlboro Maryland. These 12 fighters were split into four different weight classes and were evenly matched to provide entertaining action. They final results for the evening 4 to 1 in favor of the hometown favorites showcased the depth of talented prospects fighting out of the DC metro area.
Sheldon Defeats the Mechanic
The most interesting fight of the evening was the second bout between flag waving Sheldon Rudolph (3-3,2KOs) of Guyana against undefeated Washington DC prospect Reggie "The Mechanic" Holly (5-0) in a Welterweight showdown.
Round One: The Mechanic lands first with a jab, but it is Sheldon who launches the first assault leading to a brief scuffle that sees Sheldon being wrestled to the canvas, he gets up and becomes more aggressive forcing several clinches as the mechanic tried to slow down Sheldon with punishing jabs and body shots, Sheldon keeps the action lively by trading shots of his own. By mid round you got the sense that Holly was picking his shots as he tried to slow down the rush of a bullying minded Sheldon. I scored the round for Sheldon.
Round 2: Sheldon came out in round two slugging and landing very hard uppercuts that forced the mechanic into the ropes, Sheldon landed a shot that wobbled the mechanic but could not finish him off before running into a bomb himself that stunned him somewhat, he again had the mechanic in trouble again and landed some hellecious body shots to end the round in his favor.
