Boxing Blog – TSS Tidbits

In Boxing News: Pacquiao-Morales Fever Heats Up

As Manny Pacquiao vs. Erik Morales inches closer, the enthusiasm of the Filipino boxing fans and boxing press is irresistable. (Before any Mexican fight fans leave angry comments below, that’s simply a reference to the amount of Pacquiao coverage in the boxing press right now and the amount of feeback we are getting from Filipino boxing fans at this site. It has been duly noted by myself in the past that Erik Morales is one of the great warriors in the game and that the Mexican boxing fans are equally passionate.)

As Pacquiao fever continues to heat up, the Philippine Daily Inquirer seemingly articulates the hopes of a nation: With [Pacquiao] in the ring, the hurts and horrors of a blighted nation take the back seat — even if only momentarily. Pacquiao has this aura, if not mantra, to lullaby us to dreamland, if not fantasyland, each time he climbs the ring. Everybody expects him to win even when ranged against the best of the lot, such as Erik Morales, so-called Mexico’s El Terible … Trainer Freddie Roach remains confident. Roach believes that if Manny Pacquiao dots the Is and crosses the Ts, there is no way Erik Morales will victimize the Filipino southpaw for the second time on Saturday night: If we fight correctly, then we can even score a knockout. We are ready to go 12 hard rounds. Speaking of the eminently likeable Roach, he retired as a fighter shortly after his last bout in October 1986, bitter and broke: I hated boxing. I put everything in my life into it and didn’t get much out of it. My biggest payday was $13,000 when I fought Hector Camacho. When I retired, I didn’t have much and I had to get a job as a telemarketer. Well, look at him now says the Pasadena Star News.

Not surprisingly, Erik Morales‘ camp could not disagree more with Roach that Pacquiao’s adjustements the second time around will tip the balance in the Pacman’s favor. Jim Watt – former WBC Lightweight champion – writing for Sky Sports also doubts whether Pacquiao has it in him to change his style enough to reverse the outcome this time around. It is, without doubt, a legitimate viewpoint.

Jesse Cox has an entertaining (and informative) take here at TheSweetScience.com on Zab Judah and Carlos Baldomir. Though hardly central to the column, one passage did catch my eye. Though Judah held the WBC, WBA and IBF belts, after defeating the “undisputed welterweight champion” Baldomir emerged with only the WBC belt. Baldomir, it turned out, had not paid the sanctioning fees to the WBA and IBF. My purse was only $100,000, Baldomir said Sunday after the fight. If I paid each of them the required three percent, I would have come away with nothing. Well, nothing except three belts with which you may barter your way into multiple fights for more money, says Cox … Personally, I find the situation Baldomir found himself in almost comical. Well, comical in a kind of illogical, stupefeying, you-might-cry-if-you-don’t-laugh kind of way. Baldomir fights the undisputed welterweight champion on one of the big networks and (if what he says is actually correct) he must fight for nothing in order to be considered the undisputed champion – after beating the undisputed champion. Yes, I know somebody out there is going to tell me his promoter didn’t do his job, or I’m ill-informed and don’t understand what actually went down. Or maybe it is just the case that I studied at inferior educational insititutions because I’m just not seeing it. I’m sure Baldomir believed he could win, but he was – after all – fighting Zab Judah. Even he must have known it was hardly a slam dunk. I’m not sure anybody can expect Baldomir to have rolled the dice like that or had that type of financial vision. I’m not sure Warren Buffett has that kind of vision.

In an expanded notebook feature, Dan Rafael of ESPN sheds some light on Roy Jones Jr.’s firing by HBO. Jones’ lack of commitment to attending production meetings has long been an issue, and HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg finally had enough: Roy was not able to give us the commitment we needed as a broadcaster. It was an issue of time, effort and preparation. He is still an active fighter. Sounds like Roy Jones Jr. just doesn’t like attending meetings (sometimes of the press conference variety) of any kind, be it as a fighter or as an analyst.

In heavyweight news, doors are opening for Joe Mesi. The undefeated heavyweight, on the verge of resuming his derailed career, is confident he will receive a much-coveted boxing license to fight in the United States after being banned for nearly two years. And apparently Nikolai Valuev hates being called Beast from the East. Can you blame him? My mom and dad named me Nikolai. My family name is Valuev. All the rest is bull, says the big man from the city formerly known as Leningrad.

More Boxing News Links | TheSweetScience.com

In Boxing News: Manny Pacquiao To Change Gameplan

Things continue to heat up in the boxing press as Erik Morales vs. Manny Pacquiao approaches. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reports that Manny Pacquiao’s final workout in Los Angeles was opened to the public and what loomed was a skilled, vicious fighter. It was not exactly a new Manny Pacquiao who awed spectators with newfound skills and techniques, but the Pacquiao they saw was a far cry from the confused, overeager slugger who lost to Erik Morales. Pacquiao was polished, strong and sure as he had his last workout at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card gym. Roach said that this time they will be ready for Morales. Manny thought he could do the same thing to Erik that he did to Barrera, Roach told The Press Enterprise . He learned his lesson, added Roach.

Roach admitted that both he and Pacquiao made a mistake in the first fight: We used the wrong strategy. We didn’t fight well last time. You just can’t walk in and try to knock this guy out like we did the last time. Roach said that Morales can be outboxed easily and that the game plan was to pick up where Zahir Raheem left off – for the Filipino southpaw to use head movement, feint, box and use footwork to expose Morales. The plan is sound, but can Pacquiao really be compared to Raheem in terms of style of fighter? Probably better, however, not to disagree with Freddie. Discussing the glove-controversy hangover from the first fight, Roach told Viva Sports/Standard Today: they (the Morales camp) are assh**** and I don’t care about Erik. I think he’s a jerk and we are going to kick his a** this time.

The Asian Journal reports although it’s obvious that there is no love lost between Pacquiao and Morales, Mexican boxing experts and fans reveal that though they may not exactly love the Philippine boxing champ, they definitely have a lot of respect for him. This is as it should be, and surely most Filipino fans respect Morales. Anybody who doesn’t respect either of these fighters has obviously never seen them fight.

Ricky Hatton will next fight Arturo Gatti, Acelino Freitas, Diego Corrales or Jose Luis Castillo in the United States: I don’t know who it will be yet, it is genuinely still being negotiated but I expect to know by the weekend, Hatton told BBC. Looks like another big payday is on the cards for Gatti. Notably, Hatton added that a fight with WBC champion Floyd Mayweather Jr was still on: as far as I’m concerned a fight with Floyd Mayweather is a done deal for this year.

Writing for the El Paso Times, our own Matthew Aguilar writes that a consolation to El Paso fight fans bummed by the postponement of the Feb. 4 Jose Luis Castillo-Diego Corrales rubber match is that new Castillo opponent Rolando Reyes could be the next Carlos Baldomir.

Ed Schuyler isn’t completely convinced by Nicolay Valuev’s fistic credentials: Whenever the 7-foot, 300+ pound Russian makes his U.S. debut as champion, the fight should be held in a tent, cotton candy should be sold, and the bearded lady should be a round card girl. None of these things will happen – at least I hope not – but you can bet that Valuev will be promoted for his curiosity value. Whether he can fight will not matter to the curious among the general public. There also will be plenty of real boxing fans who want to take a look at someone who makes the Klitschko brothers look medium sized and who would make Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey look like a couple of shrimps.

Not exactly known for guarded understatement, the Mirror in the UK has a column which claims WBO super-middleweight king Joe Calzaghe plans to copy Rocky Marciano – his boyhood hero – and retire undefeated. The Mirror quotes Calzaghe: It would be fantastic if I could retire undefeated and as a reigning champion like Rocky. I know what I want to do and when I knock out Jeff Lacy I’ll be top of the world in the super-middleweights. I will have nothing left to prove at super-middleweight, and I’ll step up to light-heavy and fight Antonio Tarver, who’s considered the best at that weight. I’ll win a title, have a couple of big, fat pay days defending my title and then I’ll retire when I’m 36 or 37 as a two-weight world champion. C’mon, did Calzaghe really say that?

(As always … more Boxing News Links at TheSweetScience.com)

In Boxing News: Manny Pacquiao Looks For Late Stoppage

The boxing writers in the Phillipines are never at a loss for words when a Manny Pacquiao bout is on the agenda, and the last 24 hours have been no different. Erik Morales, reports Tempo, has lined up all-southpaw sparring partners, most of whom were already part of his team leading up to the Mexican’s initial clash with Pacquiao, with the exception of former WBA featherweight champion Freddie Norwood. Norwood has been brought in to help Morales deal with movement, a perceived weakness after his loss to Zahir Raheem. Pacquiao, meanwhile, has said he has a hunch he will be able to take out Erik Morales in the late rounds, considering Morales will likely struggle to make the 130-lb limit. If Morales comes in over by one pound, he pays me $250,000, but the fight goes on, said Pacquiao. Pacquiao added that he felt Morales may tire in the later rounds. Plausible as it sounds, the only flaw with this theory may be that Morales didn’t appear to tire that much in the later rounds the first time they met.

Graham Houston of Boxing Monthly (always worth reading) writes, those who think Erik Morales is finished might get a big surprise when Erik Morales faces Manny Pacquiao. For a fighter such as Erik Morales, motivation is everything. When he lost to Zahir Raheem last September it was one of those fights where he just couldn’t get interested. Against Pacquiao, Morales knows he had better be ready for a 12-round war, and – says Houston – rest assured, he will be.

Bernandez Fernandez reports that according to Zahir Raheem’s manager, Cameron Dunkin, Raheem is like middleweight standout Winky Wright in that most of the top guys in his division would rather duck him than fight him. And why not? Raheem would pose a tough test for anyone, but is not yet enough of a box-office attraction to financially force the bigger draws to the table. A rematch with Morales is Zahir’s biggest fight and best chance to break through in terms of public recognition. We all know it. We’re almost at a point where we have to beat Morales again to prove that the first fight wasn’t a fluke, said Dunkin. In the same column Fernandez reports that Tim Witherspoon is considering a comeback, after some disappointments as a trainer.

British boxing writer Steve Bunce writes that one bout stands out in a series that could signal the renaissance of British boxing – Scott Harrison vs. Joan Guzman. People have been predicting the sport’s re-emergence for five years and Harrison vs. Guzman, says Bunce, is part of an amazing 10-week sequence of 16 major fights involving British boxers on British soil which suggests the renaissance of the fistic art in the UK is well and truly under way. Perhaps the biggest fight on deck in the UK is Joe Calzaghe vs. Jeff Lacy (March 4). That is one to really look forward to.

Heavyweight David Tua has a partial victory in a long-running court battle with his former managers. The High Court in Auckland has found that Tua validly cancelled his contract with Martin Pugh and Kevin Barry in 2003, and does not have to pay them any earnings since then. Tua’s managerial situation turned very messy and his battle with his former management team may be one of the biggest fights of his life, given how much is riding on the outcome.

(As always … more Boxing News Links at TheSweetScience.com)

In Boxing News: Nicolay Valuev Smashes Faces and More

Nicolay Valuev, the new WBA Heavyweight champion, is not a beastly presence, but a thoughtful, teetotal family man says the Guardian’s Big Interview. As I’ve said before, the Big Interview is one of the best sports features available online. This week it provides some insight into a heavyweight champion who very few people in North America know anything about. By all reports, the Russian giant is a down to earth and thoughtful man. Valuev is quoted as saying, this is how I was brought up. Yes, I am a boxer and also a giant man, but a person needs to be interested not only in how to smash someone in the face or how to be a winner or where to look for the flash of a camera. Every person is more, much more, than what people see. To me, a person should be interested in surroundings and in surrounding people, because the human is not an animal. God made him for things other than fighting. I want [my son] to know and understand this, and one day he will. I have no idea if Valuev can actually fight, but – still – I’m impressed.

Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler retained his WBA super middleweight title when Canada’s Eric Lucas quit in the 10th round on Saturday.

As everybody knows by now, a soft tissue injury to his ribs has forced Diego Corrales to pull out of his much anticipated trilogy rubber match with Jose Luis Castillo (originally scheduled for Feb. 4 in El Paso, Texas). Though he is reported to be deeply disappointed, it may be a blessing in disguise for Corrales: Joe Goossen, Corrales’ trainer, said Friday that nine months would have been an appropriate rest period for Corrales and Castillo after the brutal war they fought in May. Goosen was right when he said, we talked it over with Diego and his management and promoters, and the decision was made that if he can’t spar, he can’t fight. That’s the fact of the matter. It’s killing Diego, because he wanted this so badly, but you know how it is when you hurt your ribs. How can you fight like that? An interesting footnote to this story is that Jose Luis Castillo was allegedly still a long way from making weight Benn Schulberg reported on this BLOG: sources told me yesterday that Castillo was weighing around 150 pounds at the time the fight was called off. If that was the case, then he would’ve had a hard time shedding 15 pounds in time to make the lightweight limit.

In his bid to prime up boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, trainer Freddie Roach has ordered changes. Shifts have been ordered in Pacquiao’s fight plan for his rematch with Erik Morales. The Pacquiao camp are remaining tight-lipped about what those changes might be, but Pacquiao is reported to be looking very sharp in the gym. Light-flyweight champion Brian Viloria likes the Pacman in the rematch: I see Manny winning this time and I am looking forward to a third fight … Manny’s in really great shape now and he’s worked on his footwork after seeing what (Zahir) Raheem did to Morales.

Jermain Taylor delivered the first salvo Saturday in what might become a war of words with top middleweight contender Winky Wright. Taylor, holder of three of the division’s four title belts, said he is not impressed with Wright and believes Wright is not a good draw among fans. I feel I’m bigger than Winky, I’m stronger than Winky and it’s a style thing. I don’t see (Wright) giving me any problems. I’m really not that impressed with him, said Taylor. The middleweight champion also questioned Wright’s market appeal: You put Winky out there on a pay-per-view, he wouldn’t sell one. Wrong Jermain, I’d as soon pay to see Winky fight as pay to see you. Your last two fights – your only fights of meaningful significance – didn’t exactly set the pulse racing. In fact, the only guarantee I’m paying to see either of you is if you are fighting each other.

The Independent has an interesting column on English former super middleweight Chris Eubank. Eubank, who is used to rolling with the punches, is now not only the newly crowned ‘most eccentric man in Britain’, but also bankrupt and wifeless. Says the Independent, the taxmen may yet dispossess him of his worldly goods but they can never confiscate his courage. This he showed in the ring in his two battles with Michael Watson, two with Nigel Benn, two with Steve Collins, that blood-curdling scrap with Joe Calzaghe and the final wars with Carl Thompson. He was knocked down, but he got up again in situations when lesser men might have considered timely discretion the better part of any valour. Having spent some time living in the UK at the time, it really surprised me just how big some of these rivalries were and just how much of a character Eubank was. He supposedly used to get out of his Hummer truck and wash his hands in Evian water at gas station forecourts to avoid using the tap. And still controversial, Eubank – for all it brought him – is no great advocate of the sweet science. He admits to a distaste for boxing even before the infamous night when his measured punches put Michael Watson in a coma for 40 days and left him with permanent disabilities. He has called boxing barbaric, and a mug’s game. This is not a reasonable business. You get damaged; you get disfigured; you get used. You are partaking in a tragic form of entertainment. I can hear the slurred speech of many ex-boxers. I certainly don’t want to put my sons through that. Whatever else can be said about him, you certainly can’t deny Eubank truly is an eccentric.

Finally, I’d be remiss were I not to mention the Boston Globe’s column on the renewed visibility of A.J. Liebling’s classic boxing omnibus, The Sweet Science. Truly a must read for all educated boxing fans.

(As always … more Boxing News Links at TheSweetScience.com)

Benn Schulberg brings us the latest news on the condition of Diego Corrales …

Diego Corrales is as tough as they get in this toughest of sports. Joe Goossen told me yesterday that they had to persuade Chico out of fighting with a damaged rib, an injury he received last Friday in sparring. The doctor told him he had to take time off from training, but only after talking to Goossen and his management team did he finally decide to go home to Las Vegas and rest. This all may be a blessing in disguise for Corrales, who was headed into his third war in nine months with Castillo. Now he will get some more time to shake off his last knockout and prepare for the defining fight of his career, that’s if they can reschedule the fight. Sources told me yesterday that Castillo was weighing around 150 pounds at the time the fight was called off. If that was the case, then he would’ve had a hard time shedding 15 pounds in time to make the lightweight limit. We may have had another debacle on the scale, but now I guess we’ll have to wait and see if and when these two warriors will reschedule their trilogy. Castillo’s really more of a welterweight as he proved in failing to make weight in his last fight so let’s just hope that this postponement isn’t a final ending to this remarkable rivalry. According to the doctor who examined Chico, his rib injury should be healed within three weeks, and at that point he will likely be able to resume training, that being contingent on if there’s a fight on his immediate horizon. Showtime claims that Castillo will still fight on February 4 against an unknown opponent so Corrales may have to find another challenger for his lightweight crown or wait a couple more months in hopes of fighting Castillo one last time. We’ll have to wait and see, but for now WWIII is not happening.

In Boxing News: Hopkins-Jones Jr. Can’t Agree Shocker

Knock me over with a feather, Bernard Hopkins‘ planned March 11 farewell fight against Roy Jones Jr. appears to be off. Neither the TV money offered by HBO for the planned boxing pay-per-view event, nor the amounts sites were offering to host the fight – a venue was never chosen – met with the fighters’ expectations, according to boxing insiders. Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Hopkins, said: In the end of the day, it didn’t happen. Hopkins, however, still has one date left on his HBO contract and the Jones Jr. fight could yet still happen. Regardless, it’s hard to care either way about a hollow exercise designed to pad the retirement nest egg of two fighters who should have met 5 years ago when it would have had actual significance for the sport. The same column adds that Roy Jones last week was relieved of his duties as a boxing analyst with HBO.

Erik Morales says Manny Pacquiao better bring his A-game on Jan. 21st if he hopes to have any chance of winning (reference to the brand of gloves completely unintentional): let’s put it up in the ring and see if their fighter (Pacquiao) is good enough to execute what they say they’re going to do to me … That’s going to be me. And everyone in the world knows I don’t back away from a fight. No he doesn’t … which is why the 21st can’t come quick enough for fight fans.

And suddenly everybody wants a piece of Pacquiao. Marco Antonio Barrera has expressed his intention to take on Pacquiao after his match Jesus Chavez fell through.

Robert Cassidy Jr. says yesterday was a day to savor for boxing’s smallest giants. Junior flyweight rivals Michael Carbajal and Humberto “Chiquita” Gonzalez will lead the Class of 2006 into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota. Hank Kaplan, a contributor to TheSweetScience.com was also inducted as an observer. The remainder of the Class of 2006 includes: former lightweight champion Edwin Rosario (deceased) in the modern category; welterweight and middleweight champion Lou Broulliard, light heavyweight champion Jimmy Slattery and middleweight champion Teddy Yarosz from the old-timers category; 19th-century English lightweight champion Jem Carney, in the pioneer category; and joining Kaplan as an observer was publisher Stanley Weston. Other inductees are English promoter/manager Jarvis Astaire, trainer Whitey Bimstein and Italian promoter Rodolfo Sabbatini. The induction ceremony is June 11th.

ESPN’s Dan Rafael has Chris Byrd ranked number 1 in the heavyweight division in his January divisional rankings.

According to a Top Rank press release, Miguel Cotto will defend his WBO junior welterweight title against Gianluca Branco of Italy on a Top Rank championship fight card in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 4, 2006. Heavyweight David Tua continues his comeback when he faces Javier Mora on February 25 at the Hard Rock Arena in Florida. Howard Eastman will face Miami based Colombian Edison Miranda in a final eliminator this spring for the right to challenge IBF champion Arthur Abraham.

(As always … more Boxing News Links at TheSweetScience.com)

In Boxing News: Calzaghe Sees Lacy Flaws

The Western Mail finds Joe Calzaghe in a confident mood ahead of his March 4th showdown with Jeff Lacy (Showtime Boxing): Lacy is a very good fighter, but I’ve seen flaws and the only way he can beat me if he hits the lottery and catches me with a big punch. I’ve got a great chin, but that is his only chance. He can’t out-box me so he’s got to go looking for a lottery ticket. I’ve got the hand speed and tools to beat him, but I’ve got to be careful I don’t get too much of an adrenalin rush. If I keep my range and stay offensive – like I did in the Omar Sheika fight, which was probably my best performance – and use my boxing skills then I should be fine. He’ll be waiting for me to load up with the left, so he can land that big right-hand shot over the top. I’ve been caught with that in the past, so I’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen, but I know he doesn’t like southpaws. I’ve heard it said that I was chicken and I didn’t want to want to fight Lacy, but those things just make me more determined to win. In fact, most of those quotes seem to have been taken from a video interview with Calzaghe that can be seen at BBC (Real Media). The Press Association reports that both both Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton are intent on making 2006 a massive year for British boxing fans by establishing themselves as undisputed world champions.

Cruiserweight Dale Brown has hit back at comments by new undisputed cruiserweight champion O’Neil Bell that the Brown was shying away from a rematch: I was never offered a rematch. People know if I was offered a rematch it would have happened. Brown is unhappy about the comments and insists that he has been campaigning for a rematch ever since their May meeting, which many (perhaps most) felt Brown won.

Robert Mladinich always comes up with unique angles for his columns and today writes about the NBA’s Stephon Marbury, who was in attendance at the Judah-Baldomir card. Among Marbury’s insights on the sweet science, he likes Wright over Taylor in their mooted middleweight showdown: Jermain’s not a fraud, but I pick Winky to outthink him and wear him down. Fighting Winky is like going against North Carolina when they go full court. They turn offense into defense and hold the ball for so long you never know what’s coming next.

John Duddy aims to start where he left off in 2005. But the weekend defeat of World welterweight champion Zab Judah in the Garden at the hands of Carlos Baldomir reminded Duddy of the pitfalls in boxing: I have always said that I have to deal with the next fight and not look beyond it and I know that the Garden fight (in March against Yori Boy Campas) is going to be very big but I have to deal with the February 4 fight first. I watched Judah lose his world title and that just reminded me that you can’t take anything for granted in this business. He didn’t look properly prepared to me and he paid the price.

Speaking of Judah, Bobby Cassidy Jr. examines the fallout from Saturday’s fights at MSG … When three of Don King’s champions lose and a multi-million dollar purse gets snatched from the jaws of victory, the aftershock goes a long way. Cassidy lists seven questions posed by the night of boxing, the first being: Will Zab Judah ever fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.? Though he goes on to answer six of seven (Did Don King actually cause the Johnstown flood is still pending) Cassidy Jr. concedes he is not a rocket scientist, but merely a man among sweet scientists. That being said, he does a nice job of answering some questions that are on the minds of many boxing fans.

Kelly Pavlick reportedly will not be appearing on the Pacquiao-Morales undercard due to a hand injury. Pavlick recently commented on his promoter, Bob Arum’s, remarks that Pavlick suffers from racism in boxing because he is a white fighter: I didn’t want to make it into a racial issue. Mr. Arum took care of that. Everybody can see his point, though. It’s true. You see any article on me, the fact that I’m white is always mentioned. If I’m compared to Tommy Hearns, I’m the white Tommy Hearns. I think so many white fighters in the past have been great white hopes, and they almost always come up short. I think networks might hold back because of that. Taking a different tact, HBO’s Larry Merchant had a unique take on the racism issue: Now, if [Arum] had said no one believes a white guy from the Midwest can fight, you might have to think about it for a while. When’s the last time you saw a white fighter from the Midwest who wasn’t being used as an [easy] opponent to build up someone’s record? If he’d said that, there might be some justifiable skepticism. This guy might be an exception, though. It looks like he can fight, he wants to fight — and he can punch.

(As always … more Boxing News Links at TheSweetScience.com)