Boxing Blog – TSS Tidbits

Rivera defends against Travis Simms on Peter/Toney II undercard

WBA super welterweight champion Jose Antonio Rivera, who has struggled to get his promoter Don King’s attention so that he, a fighter in his prime, can fight his fight, will finally make the first defense his crown against undefeated WBA super welterweight champ “in recess,� whatever that is, “Tremendous� Travis Simms on the undercard of Sam Peter/James Toney II at the Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. on January 6.

Rivera (38-4-1, 24 KOs), hailing from Worcester, Mass., became the WBA 147-pound champ when he beat German boxer Michael Trabant in Berlin in 2003, but a series of bad breaks – Ricardo Mayorga couldn’t make weight when they were supposed to meet – Thomas Damgaard fell out on short notice prior to their bout on April 2, 2005 – followed but a tough split decision loss to up-and-coming Luis Collazo – left Rivera disillusioned with boxing and his state of his career.

After the bout with Collazo, Rivera tired of trying to make a weight he was no longer suited for and decided it was time to move up to 154 to challenge for the super welterweight title. On May 6 of this year Rivera won a lopsided unanimous decision against then-WBA super welterweight champion Alejandro “Terra� Garcia to claim the crown.

Travis Simms (24-0, 18 KOs), from Norwalk, Conn., also has a history with the aforementioned “Terra� Garcia: he gave him first loss to win the championship in 2003. Simms successfully defended his title against Bronco McKart in 2004, but has not fought since.

Scott Harrison and Nicky Cook take off the gloves

Troubled Scott Harrison (25-2-2, 14 KOs) and his challenger Nicky Cook (26-0, 15 KOs), the unbeaten former British, European and Commonwealth champion, are fighting for Harrison’s WBO featherweight title Saturday in London’s Excel Arena, and if their recent telephone conference call is any indication, fists might fly with the same lethal intensity as their words.

Describing the conference call as “bad-tempered,â€? the BBC reports that Cook said, “Scott’s been a good world champion, he’s been there and done it, but now there is a new kid on the block and I’m ready to take over.â€?

Nothing especially bad tempered about that, not as I write from the land of James Toney and Mike Tyson, but then Cook took off the gloves to embrace the No More Mr. Nice Guy stuff for the British press.

“You’ve had your day and you’re just another fighter for me,â€? Cook, from Dagenham, England, told the Glaswegian Harrison, “so you can just shut your noise.â€?

Harrison, out on bail after five long weeks locked up in a Spanish jail on charges of assault and theft, was clearly cruising for bruising when told Cook, “I’ve seen your likes before pal, and I’ll [effing] shut your noise!”

Nicky Cook, , whose major is fighting but who must have minored in getting under other men’s skin, said, “I’m the one who’s calm and collected and you are the one who’s sitting there nervous – I’ve got you rattled.”

Rattled or not, the champion responded to the taunt as though Cook was dead meat about to be served up on a platter Saturday night: “You’re just a typical big mouth and you don’t bother me at all. I’ll shove that phone up your a**. I’ll see you on 9 December.”

“Yeah, I hope I see you too,â€? spat Cook. “Just make sure you turn up!”

Say what you will about the British, but our comrades in arms from across the pond, to their credit, like nothing better than a good fight.

Antonio Margarito/Paul Williams penciled in for next year?

WBO welterweight champion Antonio Margarito (34-4, 24 KOs), fresh off his victory over hardcore Ghanaian Joshua Clottey at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City Saturday night, says he’s ready to takes on all comers in the division, but would especially like to get it on with undefeated mandatory Paul “The Punisher” Williams (32-0, 24 KOs). “If he’s the number one ranked contender,â€? Margarito said, “then I have to fight him next.”

Williams, who has been itching for a title fight and is as deserving as any welterweight without a belt out there, replied, “I don’t need him to tell me I’m next. I couldn’t be any happier being the WBO mandatory and I am in the gym getting ready to put my punishment on him. He likes to fight and everyone knows that I’m all action in the ring,” which should make for a thrilling bout if Margarito/Williams does finally takes place.

Williams’ manager/trainer George Peterson is convinced his man has what it takes to take down Margarito: “That’s a fight that Paul wants and he has been wanting for the longest time. Paul says, ‘Look, I want to be the best. Some say Margarito’s the best welterweight out there, so I want to beat him. I want to punish him.’”

“Boxing fans know that when I come in that ring I give 110% with my fists blazing,” insisted Williams. “I’m going to dish out the punishment to Margarito for sure and do it in my nonstop punching fashion.”

It look like the welterweight division, already the hottest division in boxing, is really starting to heat up.

Unification? Fuhgetaboutit! Nicolay Valuev to meet McCline

WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev (44-0, 33 KOs), 33, aka the Big Russian, aka the crown jewel in Don King’s heavyweight stable, has decided against attempting to unify boxing’s marquee division and will instead defend his crown against perennial contender, and massive overachiever, Jameel McCline (38-6-3, 23 KOs), 36, on January 20 at the St. Jakob-Halle in Basel, Switzerland, the BBC reports.

The seven-foot/300-plus-pound Valuev, who was victorious if less than earth shattering in his last defense in October against Monte “Two Gunz� Barrett, shouldn’t have too much trouble with McCline, who has failed both times he challenged for the title, against Wladimir Klitschko in 2002 and Chris Byrd in 2004.

McCline may surprise everyone and pull a Shannon Briggs, ala his bout with Sergei Liakhovich earlier this month, and score an upset against the Big Russian, but it looks like the plan is for Valuev, who won the WBA title over John Ruiz late last year and is undefeated in 45 fights, to be given a steady stream of relatively easy marks for his next few fights so that before we know it, Valuev will have surpassed Rocky Marciano’s 49-0, his longstanding record at the time of his retirement in 1956.

Now that will be a big cause for celebration.

Winky Wright takes care of business and Ike Quartey in Tampa

The bigger, stronger, younger Ronald “Winky” Wright (51-3-1, 25 KOs) had the homecoming everyone at the St. Pete Times Forum expected Saturday night by totally dominating the smaller, weaker, older Ike “Bazooka” Quartey (37-4-1, 31 KOs), in a fight broadcast by HBO.

The former welterweight champion Quartey, 37, wearing red, green and yellow trunks, ate right jabs all night long, and looked light years away from the fighter who stood so tall in the welterweight division in the mid-1990s. On this night, Ike threw 642 punches over the 12 round bout, landing 174 of them for a 35% connect total. Winky, 35, in light blue trunks, fought as only Winky fights, with a tight defense, perfect concentration and that baffling southpaw stance, and fired off 1001 punches, of which 269 landed for a 38% connect total.

The victorious Wright was credited with two knockdowns in the bout, both of which were questionable, much like the referee in the fight, Frank Santore Jr., the official responsible for the specious calls. The three judges sitting ringside scored the bout 117-110, 117-110 and 117-109, all for Winky Wright.

After the fight, when asked about his increased offensive output against Quartey, Wright said, “I was trying to close the show. Ike’s a tough fighter. He’s tough as nails. He’s got a great chin. Hey, he’s durable. But I wanted to do much standing and delivering to show the crowd that I can punch.� Winky then said that Quartey is a “Great friend, great guy. I didn’t want to hurt him bad.�

Wright did say that he’d next like to the fight the winner of De La Hoya/Mayweather, who he said he hopes, but doesn’t necessarily assume, will be De La Hoya. “I want the winner of my co-promoter and Floyd Mayweather. Oscar is the only great champion I’ve not fought.”

In televised undercard action, former IBF super middleweight champion Jeff “Left Hook� Lacy (22-1, 17 KOs), in his first fight back since his brutal, one-sided defeat at the hands of Joe Calzaghe in March, barely squeaked out a 10 round majority decision over Ukrainian Vitali Tsypko (19-2, 10 KOs). In a fight where Lacy was expected to come out like gangbusters and make a big statement, he controlled the action early, but Tsypko came on enough in the second half and did enough to have maybe have won the bout. But the judges scored it 95-95 and 96-94 twice for Lacy.

Larry Merchant, summing up Lacy’s below par performance Saturday night, said, “Lacy was rated a little higher in the echelon than he belonged, but once he went up against a marquee fighter,� that is Joe Calzaghe, “we saw where he stands.�

Bernard Hopkins’ Plan B includes Welshman Joe Calzaghe

Now that Bernard Hopkins’ return to the ring is officially official, the man in Ex’s sights is none other than the charismatic undefeated super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe.

After destroying Antonio Tarver in June, and after watching Oleg Masakev dismantle Hasim Rahman to win the WBC heavyweight crown, Hopkins flip-flopped on a promise he gave to his late mother that he would quit boxing this year, and is looking for a suitable opponent for his return to active duty.

TSS recently spoke with Maskaev’s manager, Fred Kesch, from his suite at the Peter the First Hotel in Moscow, and asked about Oleg fighting Hopkins if and when he gets past Peter Okhello on Dec. 10.

“I think Bernard is starting to come to his senses and realizing that getting hit by a champion heavyweight is a lot different than he’s used to,� said Kesch. “But you know how it is in the sport. People can say what they want to say and then find every reason in the world not to make it happen. But Bernard’s a fantastic fighter. He’s a credit to the sport. He’s a wonderful motivator and he likes to get things going and he’s been a champion so many years, people look up to him, as we do, but not as a heavyweight.�

If that doesn’t put the kibosh on the Maskaev-Hopkins rumor, it’s hard to know what will, so maybe it’s time to drop the talk of a heavyweight challenge and put Hopkins’ Plan B into effect, namely a fight with Joe Calzaghe.

But first Calzaghe has to get by Peter Manfredo Jr. of Contender fame on March 3 at the Millennium Stadium. Should Joe emerge victorious, he will have matched B-Hop’s record 20 defenses of the crown.

Hopkins, according to icWales, said, “If I can’t make my history, I can stop him making his history.�

“If Hopkins doesn’t want me to break his record,â€? replied Calzaghe, “he should have fought me years ago when he had the chance.

“There are lots of exciting fights out there for me, but the only one that means anything right now is Peter Manfredo, because there are no other fights without beating him.

“But I will say this: I intend to break Bernard’s record, with or without him.â€?

“Anyone can beat a champion,� Hopkins said, but “Very few can beat a legend.�

Danny Williams/Audley Harrison may replace injured Matt Skelton

Due to a hand injury, Matt Skelton (21-1, 18 KOs) has pulled out of his December 9 fight with Audley “A-Force� Harrison (20-2, 15 KOs) at the London Excel Arena in the UK.

Promoter Frank Warren has contacted one-time Mike Tyson conqueror and one-time Vitali Klitschko victim, Danny “The Brixton Bomber� Williams (36-5, 29 KOs), who has split two fights with Skelton, and has offered him another shot at “A-Force� Harrison, who Williams met and defeated in a lackluster affair last December.

According to Ant Evans in SecondsOut.com, Williams has been “training like a dog” and his weight is “under 19stone.â€? One stone equals 14 pounds, so Danny Williams, both a chowhound and fighter at heart, is looking pretty mean and lean at a seemingly semi-svelte 266 pounds. When he fought Skelton the second time he tipped the scales at 21 stone or 294 pounds, so maybe things are looking up for Danny Williams.

Sweden ends 36-year ban on boxing… sort of

Sweden, birthplace of former heavyweight champion of the world Ingemar Johansson and one of the more enlightened countries on the planet, banned professional boxing in 1970 after a study determined that the those who engage on the sport run the risk of suffering “severe and even life-threatening injuries,� and that boxing “had a brutalizing effect on the audience� and “was governed by unsound economic interests,� according to the AP.

That law will run its course by year’s end and the Swedes will now allow boxing “events� to take place, while maintaining the ban on full-fledged professional boxing in Sweden.

The Swedish organizers who sought permission to have fights in their country agreed after much debate to alter the rules of the pro game to make them more similar to amateur boxing — which means fewer rounds, allowing doctors to stop the bouts, and the like.

But the commission turned down a request by Sauerland Event to stage a WBA heavyweight title fight featuring champion Nikolai “The Russian Giantâ€? Valuev in Stockholm in January. The proposed title fight would have been fought under the WBA’s regular rules, where the boxers run the risk of “severe and even life-threatening injuries,â€? etc., so the commission nixed a big fight with big Nic in their home country.

That, however, isn’t the end of story. A boxing event in Goteborg in January featuring former WBO titleholder Armand Krajnc and Sweden’s top female boxer, Asa Sandell, was given the thumbs-up.

Krajnc praised the decision. “It’s nice that there are still sensible people in Sweden,” he told the newspaper Dagens Nyheter. “But this has taken way too long… To be able to finish your career in your own country isn’t bad.”

It’s official: Bernard “The Executioner� Hopkins is back

Bernard “The Executioner� Hopkins, 41, to the surprise of no one, has decided to cut short his retirement (he promised his now deceased mother that he wouldn’t box beyond the age of 40) and return to active duty in the ring. Ex says the boxing needs him, America needs him, and the heavyweight division needs him.

Hopkins retired after his destruction of then-light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver in June, but first began spreading rumors of his imminent return, this time as a heavyweight, after watching WBC heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev wrest the title from Hasim Rahman. If Big O can get by Peter Okhello in Moscow next week, maybe he’ll be able to find time for the hall of fame middleweight with 20 successful title defenses to his credit.

With big Nicolay Valuev the WBA champ, Wladimir Klitschko holding the IBF title, and Shannon Briggs, fresh off his victory over Sergei Liakhovich, in possession of the WBO strap, not to mention the Sam Peter-James Toney rematch looming on the horizon, there are lots of heavyweights out there for Hopkins to choose from, and none of the aforementioned behemoths have ever been in the ring with anyone as skilled, or anyone as small, as Bernard Hopkins.

But Hopkins is Hopkins, a tough hombre by anyone’s standards, and is likely to give almost any heavyweight champ fits with his skills. But does the wily Ex really have a chance against the biggest and baddest the sport has to offer? Can Bernard take a big man’s punch and keep on coming, assuming of course, that one of the big men can land a punch on the elusive Executioner? Or does this strike you as a folly, hubris, a case of too much too late to make a dent in the heavyweight division?