Boxing Blog – TSS Tidbits

Middleweight Freddie Cuevas fought Jermain Taylor/John Duddy

Freddie Cuevas (27-9-1) announced his retirement Tuesday night, ending an 11-year middleweight career that included a 12-round loss by decision to Jermain Taylor in 2003.

The 37-year-old Cuevas, who was laid off by the by a Chicago phone company earlier this year, never fought for a world title but served as a fan favorite in his hometown.

His final bout took place on one of boxing’s grandest stages, Madison Square Garden, on June 10 against the young John Duddy. Unfortunately for Cuevas the bout didn’t go his way with his corner calling it off because of cuts.

Cuevas spent a year and a half helping to train former NBA star Kendall Gill at Chicago’s JABB Gym. Gill won all three of his fights, two by technical knockout and one by decision, in 2005 before officially retiring from boxing this spring.

Nikolai Valuev/Monte Barrett weigh-in at Sears Tower

Fight officials already gathered how tall Nikolai Valuev (44-0, 32 knockouts) was on Wednesday – he’s 7-feet even for those who didn’t already know.

In what seems to have become one of the most empty gestures in heavyweight boxing, they weighed the Russian giant Thursday in front of the Sears Tower on the corner of Wacker Drive and Jackson Street. In case anybody wondered, he still outweighs his opponent by a 100 pounds.

The champion tipped the scale at 3e8 pounds while World Boxing Association challenger Monte Barrett (31-4, 17 KOs) came in at 229. The two will battle as Saturday night’s main event at Allstate Arena on Chicago’s northwest side in Rosemont, Ill.

As though the weight difference wasn’t bad enough, Valuev will have little room for Barrett to maneuver around him. The ring will measure a tight 18 feet wide inside the ropes, limiting Barrett’s chances of dodging the 10-ounces of Everlast leather wrapped around Valuev’s massive fists, which have earned a 72.7-percent knockout rate for Valuev.