Other than Floyd Mayweather Sr., there probably isn’t a man alive who knows more about Floyd Mayweather Jr. than Leonard Ellerbe.
Arizona Sport’s Historic Day
October 29, 2006 By Leave a Comment
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.
GOLDEN BOY ACQUISITIONS: BAD FOR BOXING?
October 26, 2006 By Leave a Comment
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 promoters, upsetting the economic balance in the marketplace by using Oscar’s considerable ring earnings to offset losses incurred by signing free agent fighters to contracts that make impossible for a rival promoter to be competitive and still make a profit.
Baldomir ready for Floyd
October 25, 2006 By 42 Comments
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.
Ayala Promotions: Honesty and Perseverance
October 22, 2006 By Leave a Comment
Anyone who thinks seriously about our sport’s troubles for a few minutes concludes that promoters are as harmful as they are essential. Corrupt sanctioning bodies, rigged fights, incompetent officials, ruined pugilists; all return to promoters. Meanwhile, would-be reformers crowd barstools and message boards and inboxes with their suggestions. How many changes they would implement if only there were more time, or access, or money.
PAIN PER VIEW: BOXING FANS NEED TO GO COLD TURKEY
October 18, 2006 By 1 Comment
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 straight. It’s the first stop of “The Mike Tyson World Tour,” designed primarily to help pull Tyson out of his spiraling financial hole. The reality is that the pay per view event, which has a suggested retail price of “only $29.95” is an abomination best avoided by true boxing fans.
“I am Sergei Liakhovich; I am Totally Different”
October 15, 2006 By 1 Comment
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 championship fight is something else. Indulge me, then. November 4 is still nineteen days away, but my giddy anticipation wants to begin the countdown this very moment.
OY!
October 11, 2006 By Leave a Comment
Last week I gave you my analysis of the weekend fights and my picks for the winners. For the record I went four for six, but in retrospect I’m kicking myself for not running the table.
One Heavy Light, Two Light Heavies, and a Gigantic Bore
October 6, 2006 By Leave a Comment
As boxing fans, many of us have lost our eagerness to win converts. In this way, we are like the guests who bark at one another on political talk shows. We don’t go for empathy any longer; we talk past our opponents’ arguments, and everyone leaves the debate empty and frustrated.
WEIGHING THE WEEKEND WARS
October 4, 2006 By 1 Comment
This weekend the boxing gods have blessed us with a gourmet buffet of compelling matchups. As promised in last week’s column, our objective today is to break them down and pick the winners. However, I wouldn’t recommend getting a second mortgage to visit your local bookmaker based on these prognostications considering my recent record. Having given fair warning, here are my weekend selections:
“The Venom is Jumping!”
October 1, 2006 By Leave a Comment
PHOENIX, AZ – Large white placards. Those were the most noticeable things in the Chase Field press room last Wednesday afternoon. Though the entire left side of the converted party suite was a wall of glass that looked on one of professional sport’s finest venues, what most wanted attention were the placards at the room’s front.
Before the performance began, these imposing posters supplied a rough outline of what would come. One listed Shannon Briggs’s exploits. Another noted Wladimir Klitschko’s failures. One was a homage to Andrew Golota. The least conspicuous was Sergei Liakhovich’s – whose career appeared to begin with a fight against Lamon Brewster. Yup, Brewster was up there too.
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