Boxing Blog – TSS Tidbits

In Boxing News: James Toney Big, Beautiful … and Sexy?

In heavyweight boxing news, Hasim Rahman and James Toney stuck to trading insults at the press conference Tuesday to promote their fight scheduled for March 18 in Atlantic City (HBO). Rahman and Toney had to be separated after running into each other in Cancun, Mexico in December, when the World Boxing Council was holding an awards ceremony there. He tried to slap me, but he missed and scratched me like a little woman, Toney said. He’s going to get his payback. It will go four to five rounds. I’m not going to play with him. Rahman countered: The worst thing you can do is stand in front of me. Undaunted, the heavy-looking Toney – always one to try to get the last word no matter what he weighs – quipped, I had to drop some weight in Cancun. I looked at myself in the mirror – ‘Dang, who’s having a baby? Even while I was big, I was still beautiful and still sexy. Somebody called me a Buddha last fight, but this Buddha will kick your (butt). Weight doesn’t mean nothing – it’s skills. You chip at the Rock long enough, the Rock falls apart.

Ricky Hatton – Floyd Mayweather Will Happen

The Press Association in the UK reports that Ricky Hatton is ready to throw his best-laid plans out of the window and jump straight into a career-defining super-fight with Floyd Mayweather. Ray Hatton – Ricky’s father and manager – told PA Sport: The Mayweather fight has been on the cards ever since Ricky beat Kostya Tszyu – and if someone came along and said ‘Here is the Mayweather fight’ we would take it. We are very close to finalising a deal for his next fight now, but what we do know is that Ricky is going to be fighting in America in either April or May. Roger Mayweather, meanwhile, told BBC Sport: The fact Floyd’s fight against Judah is off means a fight against Hatton is much bigger now and much easier to make. Floyd wants it, but he isn’t going to fight in front of Hatton’s home crowd. Roger Mayweather also said Floyd may fight WBC welterweight titlist Carlos Baldomir before facing Hatton. All credit to Carlos Baldomir and what he accomplished against the under-prepared Zab Judah, but that one has blow-out written all over it. As for Hatton, Roger Mayweather had one last parting shot: I’m confident Floyd will beat anyone in the world. Hatton’s going to be a punch bag because he’s got no defence. He’s a tough guy and takes risks. But against Floyd, those risks are going to cost him.

Zab Judah Needs To Grow Up

Looking back at the weekend fights at MSG, Benn Schulberg gives some props to the cruiserweight co-feature: Judah’s supposed celebratory homecoming began after one of the greatest cruiserweight fights in history … After putting on his own unique, sub-par version of the rope-a-dope in which he took heavy shots to the head and body for the first half of the fight, O’Neil “Supernovaâ€? Bell came back with a vengeance to knockout Jean-Marc Mormeck in the tenth round of their unification fight. Though Schulberg was not completely overwhelmed himself, I know there were some readers who were unhappy with George Kimball’s ringside assessment. (Kimball was underwhelmend by Bell-Mormeck.) Regardless, those of you who emailed us, please take note that there were some of us at TheSweetScience.com who did appreciate Bell and Mormeck’s efforts. Schulberg also has some cautionary advice for Zab Judah: just days after basking in his self-righteous glory, he’s left not to prove his greatness, but rather to salvage both a sense of dignity and a promising career that is in serious danger of being permanently derailed. He is Brooklyn’s finest no more, at least until he demonstrates that he’s capable of being a man deserving of champion adulation.

Scott Harrison Says Bring It On

The Glasgow Herald says Joan Guzmán’s peripheral status in Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Gloves stable has ensured Stateside interest for a defining fight in Scott Harrison’s quest for eventual unification and distinction at super-featherweight. The two will meet on March 25th in Scotland. While Frank Maloney, Harrison’s promoter, has questioned the wisdom of the Scot agreeing to face Guzman, Harrison remains confident: Why should I move up in weight to avoid someone like Guzman who I am well capable of beating? [Guzman's] got a great record, but who has he fought? No one compared to the guys I have fought. I don’t think he is in my league and he’ll find that out on 25 March. I can’t see why anyone is getting nervous about this fight on my behalf. Frank is always nervous about my fights, but I’m not worried about it.

Arum on Pavlick

Our own Rick Folstad says that promoter Bob Arum could open an umbrella concession in Death Valley and somehow make it rain. Right now, Arum is selling undefeated middleweight Kelly “The Ghostâ€? Pavlik , a white kid in a sport dominated by minorities. Arum calls Pavlik a “banger,â€? one of those rare punchers who comes along once every few years. And Arum himself isn’t pulling any punches: Here’s the problem. The (Jermain) Taylor people will not fight at this point against Kelly Pavlik because they’re afraid of him. He presents a real danger. He has tremendous knockout power, and in boxing, if you have a champion, you try to keep him away from a puncher. Which makes it a tough fight to put together. So what do you do? If an entity like HBO stops rolling over and giving spots to the Sam Solimans of the world, guys who are pretty decent fighters but can’t punch or anything … They’re talking about Taylor fighting Sam Soliman on HBO. Well that’s ludicrous.

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

In Boxing News: Is Taylor-Wright Really Off?

Winky Wright’s proposed middleweight title fight against Jermain Taylor is off, and according to promoter Lou DiBella, most likely for good. Monday afternoon, St. Petersburg’s Wright rejected DiBella’s offer of $3-million to meet Taylor, the WBC/WBA/WBO champion, this spring on HBO. Lou DiBella said: Winky is not worth 50-50; there’s no promoter that would disagree. Winky is a stinker who can’t sell a ticket and except for (serious) boxing fans, no one gives a rat’s a– about him. Somebody should tell Lou that if that is indeed the case, then it is doubtful that there is anyone outwith the serious boxing fans who give a fill-in-the-blank about Jermain Taylor either.

O’Neil Bell credited his superior fitness for his victory over Jean-Marc Mormeck in their cruiserweight unification tilt on Saturday night: It was a war of attrition and who was in better shape. He (Mormeck) started folding in the fifth or sixth rounds. I kept the pressure on. The man is supposed to be a bull and he was backing against the ropes. It certainly did appear that Bell was in excellent shape and that Mormeck’s relative inactivity over the last year came back to haunt him, as his mouth was open beginning in the early rounds.

Dave Moretti and Paul Smith, two of the three judges in the first Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales encounter, have been reappointed to the rematch between Morales and Pacquiao. The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Monday also appointed Kenny Bayless to referee the bout.

One of the toughest fights of Scott Harrison’s professional career will be officially announced today when the undefeated Joan Guzmán of the Dominican Republic is named as the challenger for Harrison’s World Boxing Organisation version of the world featherweight title in Glasgow on March 25. The jury is still out on Harrison. His name has come up in the past as a possible opponent for Mexican kingpins Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera, but the rugged Scotsman has struggled at times with lesser fighters. Joan Guzman should provide a good measuring stick for guaging where Harrison really fits in. The Glasgow Heralds says Harrison’s insistence that he face Guzman – against the advice of his promoter, Frank Maloney – confirms Harrison’s status as a pugilistic throwback in an era of political puppeteering.

Bernard Fernandez reports that Emanuel Steward has raised $60,000 for his Save Kronk project, but a compromise of sorts has been reached. Although the Kronk is one of nine city-owned rec centers that closed on Jan. 2, the famous basement gym is still operational. We can always open another gym, but there’s something special about the original. When you think of Detroit, it’s hard not to think of Kronk, said Steward.

In heavyweight news, Danny Williams and Matt Skelton – who are set to meet – are both looking towards a crack at Nicolay Valuev. Williams, for one, thinks the Beast from the East is there to be taken: I’d say he is the worst of the current champions and I would agree that he’s more of a freak than anything else. From what I’ve seen of him, he does not punch as hard as you would expect for such a big man.

(More Boxing News Links at TheSweetScience.com)

In Boxing News: Baldomir Outfoxes Judah

After watching from ringside on Saturday night, George Kimball writes that Zab Judah was outboxed, outfoxed, but, mostly, outhustled by Carlos Baldomir. After doing a lot of talking about Floyd Mayweather prior to the Baldomir bout, Judah – with the loss – fell out of contention for an anticipated April date against the Pretty Boy that might have earned him millions. Judah complained post-fight of having to make promotional appearances in the lead up to the fight because his promoter, Don King, was not doing his job. Judah went on from there, but it’s hard to see how Judah’s conspiracy theory adds up, despite Don King’s past form. It is also ironic that Judah should complain about the demands of promoting the fight in his hometown when it was he who expressed surprise that Cory Spinks would defend his title in St. Louis – Spinks’ hometown – when the two met in a rematch in Feb., 2005. Judah believed that he could take advantage of the distractions Spinks would suffer due to fighting in his hometown and, sure enough, Judah knocked Spinks out to win the undisputed welterweight title. Apparently the lesson was lost on Judah. Not to mention the one about concentrating on what’s immediately in front of you instead of worrying about the future. As it stands, Judah is no longer the welterweight champion and the Mayweather showdown appears to have gone up in a puff of smoke too. Though reportedly the first person to call Zab Judah on Saturday night after he had blown his big payday against Floyd Mayweather was Mayweather himself.

A final note regarding Baldomir’s shock upset of Judah: Marc Lichtenfeld, in his excellent column on Judah and his lack of preparation – Just Desserts – says that for once boxing got it right, with the fighter with the lesser name getting the decision even though he was fighting in the name fighter’s backyard. With the win, Baldomir is now the WBC welterweight champion. However, the WBA and IBF belts are apparently now vacant, because either – depending on who you believe – Baldomir did not pay the sanctioning fees to the WBA and IBF or because the Argentinean was unranked by those sanctioning organizations (or both). So, if I have this straight, Baldomir beats the undisputed champion of the world – who holds three belts – but he only emerges with one title belt. Sorry to split hairs here, but even though the judges got it right, once again the sanctioning organisations muddy the waters. I’m sure there’s a perfectly bureaucratic explanation for the non sequitur, but the bottom line is it’s yet another example of why boxing is often seen as the ugly stepsister of mainstream sports.

In the co-feature on Saturday night O’Neil Bell stopped Jean-Marc Mormeck in a bit of a slugfest. The victory makes Bell the first undisputed cruiserweight champion since Evander Holyfield in the late 80’s. Bell wore down Mormeck, the WBA/WBC champion, finally chopping him down with just 15 seconds left in the 10th round. Mormeck, now 31-3, rolled over to his back and remained there for several minutes after the 10-count, gathering his wits. After the fight Bell said, I had to break him down methodically. I had to take him mentally, and then take him physically.

Erik Morales says he hates talk, but he is hearing a lot of it lately and some of it is coming from his father and former trainer. Morales and his father, Jose, split after an Morales’ loss to Zahir Raheem. I knew this was going to happen sooner or later. So it happened. I know he has been talking to the press and saying some things that I don’t really understand, said El Terrible.

Jack Mesi, Joe Mesi’s father and manager, says they are looking foward to 2006, but the Buffalo heavyweight will not be rushed as he plots his comeback in the heavyweight division: It will take Joe a year to recover, timing wise and strength wise. Joe’s very athletic and he works like a dog, so we’ll see. He’s a real clean liver and he has no physical problems. His weight is an issue. I’m guessing he’s 260 (pounds), maybe 270 at the top end now. But Joe’s real smart on nutrition and he knows how to get the weight off safely and get into shape. The plan is for Mesi to fight again in March against a “tune-up” type of opponent.

In other heavyweight news, Shannon Brigss is pursuing a fight with Samuel Peter. There’s been talk that the two will meet in the not- to-distant future. But that’s not good enough for Briggs, who has a fight Jan. 27 against Chris Koval in Miami. Briggs says he will not stop hounding Peter until the two meet in the ring: All I want is to knock out Peter’s front two teeth.

(More Boxing News Links at TheSweetScience.com)

In Boxing News: Judah Ready, Bell Has Plenty

Tonight Zab Judah faces Carlos Baldomir on Showime (9pm). George Willis of the NY Post says Judah understands 2006 could be the year he becomes a star, the year he takes his place among boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighters, the year he goes from making decent money to crazy money. I’m focused and I’ve got my mind right. I know what I want to do. There’s not a boxer in my division or in boxing that’s going to do what I’m going to do in 2006 given the right opportunities, said Judah. Judah also told Showtime in the buildup to the fight that he has already signed a contract to face Mayweather, but it is Mayweather who is stalling (Audio Link). Referring to Baldomir, Judah said he respected his opponent’s record, especially his five straight wins coming into the bout, but ended by asking Baldomir: I got all of Brooklyn behind me, what you got?

The highly anticipated co-feature on tonight’s Showtime card pits O’Neil Bell against the rugged Frenchman Jean-Marc Mormeck. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a column on Bell’s relationship with his trainer James Plenty: James Plenty was a short-timer as a pro fighter and a lifer as a boxing prop, having trained a succession of fringe pugs and near misses. The other was 23, a career 1-1 fighter who was 50-50 to go either way. O’Neil Bell, the UPS driver turned fighter, was as blank a canvas as could be found in the splatter of this sport.

In the buildup to the Jan. 21st showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales, Pacquiao continues to get a lot of press in his native country. However, Morales remains unimpressed: They say they’re going to be more aggressive. Well, good luck to them. The problem is they have me in front of them and I don’t back down. They talk and talk. Let’s see if they can execute all those things they talk about.

The Associated Press reports that, Judd Bernstein, a lawyer who has sued Don King several times – and cost him millions of dollars – has moved to the other side of the ring and gone to work for the boxing promoter. The switch has left Burstein happily praising a man he had once villified as a cancer on boxing. No need to make any comment beyond what Burnstein himself surmises: This is a business where nobody’s going to win awards for conduct. It is a world where loyalty is almost a four-letter word. It’s a sport I love but it’s a cesspool.

Kevin Iole, in the Las Vegas Review Journal, sheds light on the steroid policy in Nevada and says toughening the steroid policy would make boxing and fighting fairer and safer for all. Iole also reports that the doctor who attempted to tamper with the scales as Jose Luis Castillo weighed in for his bout with Diego Corrales had his cornerman’s license revoked this week by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

(More Boxing News Links at TheSweetScience.com)

In Boxing News: Mayweather In Spring For Judah?

Writing for the El Paso Times, our own Matt Aguilar says this should be the year boxing fans find out the truth about Zab Judah. If Judah beats Carlos Baldomir on Saturday as expected, look for the man they call “Super” – says Aguilar – to meet another super-talent in boxing’s three-division champ Floyd Mayweather, probably this spring.

Dan Rafael of ESPN says that the undisputed cruiserweight championship fight between Jean-Marc Mormeck and O’Neil Bell is the reason Showtime bought Saturday’s doubleheader, which is headlined by Judah vs. Baldomir. Both Mormeck and Bell believe a victory Saturday would be a springboard to the more lucrative heavyweight division. Mormeck even singled out a prospective opponent: It is kind of a dream to go up to heavyweight. If I would have to choose someone to fight, it would be Lamon Brewster because he is really strong. The Philadelphia Inquirer has an interesting column on Philly cruiserweight Steve Cunningham, who appears on the non-televised portion of Showtime’s Saturday night card.

Something that will likely go largely unnoticed is the announcement that US cable channel Showcase Networks is launching its first interactive TV application for Microsoft Windows XP Media Centre in the first quarter of this year. I see a lot of debate amongst boxing fans about the role of video on demand etc. and the role technology might play in the future of professional boxing. This is something to keep an eye on.

The BBC reports that Ricky Hatton will map out his fight plan for 2006 by the end of January. Ray Hatton, Ricky Hatton’s father and manager, said win or lose, America wants Hatton. The casinos have been calling us. They know he’ll put bums on seats in Las Vegas, New York or Atlantic City. Hatton has been widely linked with fights against Arturo Gatti and lightweight Diego Corrales, with Floyd Mayweather being Hatton’s ultimate target, possibly before the end of 2006.

In a telephone conference call, trainer Freddie Roach admitted there were some tactical lapses when Manny Pacquiao met Erik Morales the first time: I don’t think we fought a great fight the first time. Manny was overanxious and a little left-hand hungry. There are definitely adjustments that can be made to fight a much better fight this time. We’re also studying the tapes of Morales’ loss to Raheem. He had trouble with Raheem’s speed and Manny has that type of speed. Ring magazine editor-in-chief Nigel Collins concurs: I think the Zahir Raheem fight showed how vulnerable Morales is to movement. If Manny can use his legs to dart in, score, and then get out, he can win. Bob Arum, Morales’ promoter, added some intrigue when he said Morales fought Pacquiao a certain way and he may change and fight him a different way.

Despite Matt Skelton missing a schedule press conference, the war of words in the UK between Skelton and Danny Williams continues.

(More Boxing News Links at TheSweetScience.com)

In Boxing News: Racism Against White Fighters in Boxing?

Here’s an eyebrow-raiser. Bob Arum says Kelly Pavlik has not been able to crack the starting lineup on boxing’s two largest networks – HBO and Showtime – at least in part because he’s white. Pavlik has never fought on HBO, nor on one of Showtime’s main cards. Pavlik has fought on ShoBox, a minor-league version of Showtime Boxing designed for up-and-coming fighters. Pavlik also has fought on ESPN. There is a perception with boxing network guys, with boxing people, that if you are a white guy, you can’t fight, Arum said Wednesday. Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports, doesn’t seem to agree: It is a disgraceful and undignified remark by a disturbed man. That is pretty much all we have to say. It is sad. This has nothing to do with race. Is it just posturing by a promoter doing his job, or might there be something to this?

Robert Mladinich reports that four days before his showdown with undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah at Madison Square Garden on January 7, Argentinian Carlos Baldomir exuded mucho confidence as he worked out before the media at the Church Street Gym in downtown Manhattan. It is an honor for me to be fighting at Madison Square Garden. I am happy that Judah is confident, but after two or three rounds I will rip his head off. He is in for a surprise. It may not all be false bravado, as by all accounts, Baldomir is coming to make a fight of it. Joey Knish runs down the other fight of note on Saturday’s card, O’Neil Bell v. Jean-Marc Mormeck.

Previewing the potential Mayweather vs Judah matchup, the Press Assocation in the UK points out only three men in boxing history – Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns – can claim to world titles at five or more different weights, yet all have taken advantage of the proliferation of alphabet titles to do so. The PA compares the achievements of these modern day pugilists to the great Henry Armstrong: there is no clearer way to put such modern day achievements in perspective than by comparison with the great American multi-weight champion of the 1930s, Henry Armstrong. Armstrong was a human buzz-saw who battled his way up from abject poverty and shrugged off three defeats in his first four professional contests to establish himself as one of the greatest fighters in history. Mayweather, says the PA, still has some way to go to match the man they called ‘Homicide Hank’.

For the gamers out there, Electronic Arts announced today that Oscar De La Hoya will serve as cover athlete and spokesman for EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 3. Not much more I can say given I don’t game myself, but good to see the Golden Boy teaming up with EA.

(More Boxing News Links at TheSweetScience.com)

In Boxing News: Wright-Taylor, Mayweather, Valuev & More

Winky Wright will fight champion Jermain Taylor within the next four months, reports Tampa Bay Online today. Lou DiBella, Jermain Taylor’s promoter, said, we are looking to fight Winky next. We’re not running away from anybody. We will make him an offer and it will be up to Winky to accept it. In keeping with the usual cut and thrust of negotiations, Winky Wright is holding out for a 50-50 purse split: We will see what [the offer] is. If it’s good, then cool. If it isn’t, we ain’t doing it. I can’t pay bills with belts. If the money is right, we can do it. This fight needs to happen for the good of everybody concerned, and it now appears it will, posturing aside. (Fingers crossed.)

The World Boxing Council chose Floyd Mayweather as its boxer of the year on Tuesday, one of several annual awards announced by the WBC. Jermain Taylor received honorable mention and Corrales vs. Castillo I was voted fight of the year.

Tim Smith of the New York Daily News says that although Judah-Baldomir is the main event, the real fight of the night will occur between Jean-Marc Mormeck and O’Neil Bell. Bell is using the Holyfield ‘Six Degrees of Separation’ angle and his underdog status to help fuel him for his match against Mormeck, says Smith.

Nice column on the late Eddie Futch at itv.com. ITV says Eddie Futch is perhaps the greatest boxing ‘teacher’ the game has ever known. A list of his pupils seems to support the claim: ITV lists Bob Foster, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, Alexis Arguello, Michael Spinks, Marlon Starling, Riddick Bowe and Joe Frazier amongst the fighters Futch trained. Futch, of course, may be best remembered for his part in the Thrilla In Manilla.

Since Nicolay Valuev defeated John Ruiz, readers of TheSweetScience.com have been looking for info on the giant heavyweight. Today Robert Mladinich interviews Showtime’s Steve Farhood and trainer John Scully (both who have seen Valuev close up) about the new WBA champion. It’s worth checking out to see what Farhood and Scully have to say about The Beast from the East.

Speaking of the readers of the this website, there are clearly readers of TheSweetScience.com who are interested in mixed martial arts, kick boxing etc. as well as boxing … so today Luca De Franco provides an account of some kick boxers who have tried their luck in the sweet science. He even asks the readers to contact him and let him know if you would like to see a match between a kick boxer and a boxer. Luca – put me down as a NO.

(More Boxing News Links at TheSweetScience.com)