After 12 great months of prizefighting, we have a decision, most likely considerably less than unanimous, but “You can’t please everyone, so you got to please yourself.” We seen some really great fights this year, and that was just the … [Read more...]
Hopkins and Chambers doing Philly Proud
December 27, 2006 By
It's no secret that Antonio Tarver wants a rematch with Bernard Hopkins, who moved up from middleweight to light heavyweight and beat Tarver via unanimous decision last June in Atlantic City. … [Read more...]
An Open Letter to Mr. Claus
December 24, 2006 By
My Dearest Santa . . . This time of year, I know, is a hectic one round the North Pole. Last night took you into the championship rounds. You … [Read more...]
THE NIGHT “BAD” WAS GOOD
December 20, 2006 By
Last Saturday, HBO’s Boxing After Dark ended its 10th season on a high note with an exciting card headlined by middleweight marauder Edison “Pantera” Miranda’s eye popping KO of tough Philly fighter Willie Gibbs. And in the co-feature … [Read more...]
Jermain Taylor looks to the future
December 20, 2006 By
Edison Miranda can yap all he wants about Jermain Taylor needing to give him a shot at his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization middleweight title belts. But if Lou DiBella has Boxing Organization middleweight title belts. But if Lou … [Read more...]
Hammering Away
December 17, 2006 By
Ours is a fine sport. Those who follow boxing through periodicals, television programs, and websites sometimes need a reminder. So negative about our sport are mainstream-media folks, sportscasters, and some veteran boxing scribes, that fight fans … [Read more...]
FANS WILL BE FILING OUT OF THE EXITS
December 13, 2006 By
I’m against change by nature. I admit it. So naturally I’m opposed to open scoring in boxing. But I feel equally passionate about changes that have, in my mind, hurt other sports, and I just don’t want to see our sport similarly damaged. … [Read more...]
Awards time!!!
December 12, 2006 By
Now that everything important has taken place, thought it would be a good time to dole out some awards - good and bad - for 2006. Some of my awards are typical, some are unique. They're all juicy : Hypocrite of the Year - Diego Corrales: … [Read more...]
Taylor and Ouma Open an Experiment
December 10, 2006 By
There was the undisputed Middleweight Champion of the World, Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor, an offensive fighter of sometimes lax defense fighting in his hometown against a volume puncher whose only chance at victory would be thirty-six minutes … [Read more...]
The future of Jermain
December 6, 2006 By
If either Don King or Bob Arum were promoting Jermain Taylor and said that Taylor has the ability to become one of the top middleweights in history, we would have to take that with a grain of salt. As much as these two master promoters have done in … [Read more...]
The Tijuana Intangible
December 3, 2006 By
From training injuries to accumulated wear on cartilage and scar tissue and tendons, from damage inflicted on a prizefighter to damage a prizefighter incurs while inflicting damage, in boxing there is one constant: No athlete is much more than half … [Read more...]
DELIRIOUS
November 29, 2006 By
If this article is even less coherent than it normally is, it’s because I’ve spent the majority of the last week sleeping all day so I could … [Read more...]
Gil Clancy and Emile Griffith
November 29, 2006 By
Gil Clancy, the 84-year-old Hall of Fame trainer, has been involved in boxing over 60 years. Suffice to say, he has been part of many tremendous fights. … [Read more...]
Frustrated, Fragile, Fearsome
November 26, 2006 By
“I want to unify the titles at 147. It is important to fight at my best weight.” – Antonio Margarito, WBO Welterweight Champion, 18 May 2006. … [Read more...]
ANATOMY OF “THE KNOCKOUT”
November 23, 2006 By
Mia Rosales St. John, aka “The Knockout,” was, along with Christy Martin, the face of women’s boxing in the genesis of the sport’s prominence. Both pioneers were much maligned in those days of the late nineties and early years of the new … [Read more...]
Wright hoping to win an Oscar
November 22, 2006 By
Winky Wright is fighting Ike Quartey a week from Saturday, but according to Richard Schaefer, Wright may be fighting Oscar De La Hoya in the future. … [Read more...]
Pacquiao read for Morales
November 15, 2006 By
Manny Pacquiao was hitting the hand mitts held by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. Those watching at Roach's Wild Card Gym in Hollywood had their eyes - and mouths - wide open. … [Read more...]
GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS, PART TWO: THE BUSINESS OF GOLDEN BOY
November 14, 2006 By
On Thursday we published part one of our interview with Golden Boy’s CEO Richard Schaefer, in which he responded in detail to negative charges made about his company. Schaefer was extremely generous with his time in our interview, even apologizing … [Read more...]
Perhaps a Pacquiao Pamphlet?
November 12, 2006 By
This pound-for-pound thing is beyond me, I admit. It seems to have started nobly enough, years ago, as a way of taking Sugar Ray Robinson’s ample achievements, adding fifty pounds to them, and imagining how our sport’s all-time-greatest pugilist … [Read more...]
GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS , PART ONE: RICHARD SCHAEFER’S REBUTTAL
November 8, 2006 By
THE STORY SO FAR In recent weeks we have run two articles quoting rival promoters that have cast Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) in a negative light. They have been charged with “poaching fighters” nurtured by other promoters, … [Read more...]
Morales is read for for Pacquiao
November 8, 2006 By
Starting with his second loss to Marco Antonio Barrera two years ago this month, Erik Morales has lost three of his past four fights. He has gone from a top 10 pound-for-pound fighter, to needing a victory against Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 18 at Thomas … [Read more...]
Shannon Briggs’s Unlikely Redemption
November 5, 2006 By
Quitter. Underachiever. Asthmatic. For the rest of his life, Shannon Briggs will now only be called one of those things again. That’s because … [Read more...]
BOXING FANS TO FACE TOUGH CHOICES
November 1, 2006 By
A private research company recently designated St. Louis and Detroit, in that order, as the two most dangerous cities in America. Coincidently, the Cardinals and Tigers, Major League Baseball’s representatives from the two cities proved dangerous … [Read more...]
Ellerbe to run Mayweather's corner
October 31, 2006 By
Other than Floyd Mayweather Sr., there probably isn't a man alive who knows more about Floyd Mayweather Jr. than Leonard Ellerbe. … [Read more...]
Arizona Sport’s Historic Day
October 29, 2006 By
Before we go too far, let’s concede this: Sport is not the world’s most important topic. But if you’re reading this column, chances are you believe sport is enough of a topic to deserve some of your time. … [Read more...]
GOLDEN BOY ACQUISITIONS: BAD FOR BOXING?
October 26, 2006 By
A few weeks ago Kathy Duva, the CEO of Main Events, said in this column that Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) was the “Wal-Mart” of the boxing business. Duva stated that GBP was guilty of “poaching” talent nurtured by other … [Read more...]
Baldomir ready for Floyd
October 25, 2006 By
Carlos Baldomir, who is 35, can remember things as far back as 30 years ago, when he was just 5. It was the first time he can recall sitting down with about 50 family members and friends in Santa Fe, Argentina, and watching Carlos Monzon fight. … [Read more...]
Ayala Promotions: Honesty and Perseverance
October 22, 2006 By
Anyone who thinks seriously about our sport’s troubles for a few minutes concludes that promoters are as harmful as they are essential. Corrupt … [Read more...]
PAIN PER VIEW: BOXING FANS NEED TO GO COLD TURKEY
October 18, 2006 By
Mike Tyson returns Friday night in Youngstown, Ohio, at the Chevrolet Centre in a four round exhibition against Corey “T-Rex” Sanders, a 6’6” 300 pound former sparring partner who once stopped Oleg Maskaev, but retired after losing four … [Read more...]
“I am Sergei Liakhovich; I am Totally Different”
October 15, 2006 By
If you live in Las Vegas, or anywhere between Madison Square Garden and Atlantic City, a heavyweight title fight is an interesting spectacle, not a historical event. For those of us who live in boxing’s emerging markets, though, a heavyweight … [Read more...]
