There’s irony in every Bernard Hopkins controversy. No one, that is, means exactly what he says. Hopkins talks and talks and sees what sticks in his admirers’ collective craw. He plays them like umbrage-tuned fiddles. Except that he doesn’t, not quite, because for all their hectoring, his fans rarely care enough to buy tickets.

That is why a man who calls himself legendary had to travel to Canada to find his first packed house in ages. His opponent sold tickets. And so his opponent, the champion, got the benefit of most every doubt. Welcome to life.

Saturday at Quebec City’s Pepsi Coliseum, American Bernard Hopkins likely did enough to win his challenge for the Ring magazine’s light heavyweight championship against Quebec’s Jean Pascal. But the judges saw things differently, scoring the fight a majority draw: 113-113, 114-114 and 114-112 (Hopkins). Since that last card cannot act as a tiebreaker, Pascal remained the champion, and Hopkins’ effort to break George Foreman’s record as the oldest man to win a title fell a spot short.

My card? I had Pascal retaining his title a conventional way: 115-113. An odd tally, that. How did I get it? I gave Pascal rounds 1, 3, 8, 10 and 12. Hopkins won rounds 2, 4, 6, 7 and 11. I had rounds 5 and 9 even. And rounds 1 and 3 went to Pascal 10-8 because he scored knockdowns in both.

You agree? I don’t care. You disagree? I still don’t care. The fight was excellent. It was entertaining the entire way, even when it wasn’t entertaining – because of what that implied – and there’s something else: My scorecard for a Hopkins fight affects my identity not in the slightest.

Pascal-Hopkins I was much better than most believed it would be. Hopkins was much more fun to watch than even he believed he would be – as evidenced by his smile in the final round.

I hope they do it again. And unless Hopkins can suddenly locate 10,000 new fans to complement his usual draw, I hope they do it again in Quebec City.

Let me guess. You hate Canada now. Very well. But realize, as you rail against Canadian injustice, that your hatred of Canada says much more about you than it says about that land of polite, decent people who happen to support boxing in a way that makes American prizefighters envious. And don’t pretend for a moment you weren’t more enticed by the moments before a Hopkins fight, Saturday, than you have been in years.

Oh, the electricity in that building; like a celebration of our sport. And Hopkins’ approach in round 1 was perfect for it. He expected overenthusiasm from a young, emotional opponent. And how do you foil such an action fighter? With a backwards step, of course.

Forward-pressing guys like to get you lined-up and throw themselves at you, regardless of consequence. You hit them, they hit you, whatever. Pascal wanted to make contact with Hopkins, and make it on his terms. Once Hopkins showed the mien of a man willing to engage, making his own forward presses, Pascal should come forward, and when he did, like all action guys before him, he’d get his weight wrong-shifted. Then he’d be vulnerable.

But then you noticed Pascal had an interesting counter to that. He’d imagined correctly beforehand how a man of Hopkins’ experience and craft would undermine a forward-press from a younger man. The solution Pascal hatched was novel.

He would show Hopkins all the enthusiasm expected from the first punch in his combo. But it would be a punching feint, as it were; the first punch wouldn’t be much at all. Hopkins would relax or counter. Then Pascal would blast him with the committed part of his combination – the second punch.

Hopkins looked fragile in those opening 12 minutes, make no mistake. His body softer than before, his legs not set sturdily beneath him, Hopkins went down three times in the opening four rounds. The last was called a push. The first, caused by a right hand to the back of Hopkins’ left ear in round 1, was properly called a knockdown. The second, from a short left hook that caught Hopkins coming off the ropes in the third, was indisputable.

Didn’t stop Hopkins from disputing it, though, did it? Nah. He stood, blamed a wet spot on the canvas, said he’d slipped, even checked the mat for moisture with his boot. Irony everywhere.

But by round 6, Hopkins had Pascal completely solved. With left hooks to the body and right crosses, Hopkins put Pascal in a place that frightened the champ. Pascal responded honorably if not effectively. Then instead of chasing Pascal’s unconsciousness, Hopkins sensed Pascal’s weakness and decided to clown around.

Not exactly the way Foreman set the record against Michael Moorer.

The ending to the fight was wonderful, though. Both men traded like maniacs. Rounds 10, 11 and 12 could have gone to either.

After the final bell sounded, Hopkins began to campaign for his victory. He protested a bit too much – almost like Marvin Hagler dancing after his final round with Sugar Ray Leonard. It was for the judges, you figure. The cards they returned, really, were fine. Hopkins’ reaction was the usual. But he’d have made a more sympathetic figure of himself if he had tried harder for a knockout in the sixth, seventh and eighth rounds.

Anyway, he now has a chance to be an even older man when he beats Pascal in a rematch. I think he will if the fight happens. Still, he just made a far more compelling spectacle against Pascal than others have.

Should Bernard Hopkins retire? Not unless Chad Dawson does first.

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com. Additionally, his book, “The Legend of Muhammad Ali,” co-written with Thomas Hauser, can be purchased here.

Last Tuesday, Bernard Hopkins walked through Quebec City’s airport wearing a hunting cap with ear flaps, his face exposed the way it was never exposed when he used to make his ring walks wearing an executioner’s mask. Perhaps it’s a sign of age that “The Executioner,” whose 175-pound body is all muscle, tapered down to a twenty-seven inch waist, had refrained from wearing costumes in some of his recent fights. While he once complained that he didn’t receive the respect or recognition he deserved, while he once needed to rely on a killer’s finery to hype the killer inside him, Hopkins is now one of the most recognized and revered fighters in boxing. Of course, Hopkins still talks tough, and as he strutted into the city that would soon deny him a historical win, he exclaimed, “Saturday night you will see something unique. A 45-year-old man in a young man’s body is an amazing thing.” Hopkins, a master of his anatomy and a master of his art, knows his boxing history, partly because he has fought and beaten many of its modern legends; Roy Jones, Jr. (the second time around), Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad, have been felled by this executioner’s sharp axe. Going into his fight with Jean Pascal, Bernard Hopkins was well aware that a victory would break George Foreman’s miraculous record and that he’d become the oldest man in history to win a title.

For his ring walk into the Colisee Pepsi, Hopkins wore a ski mask, the Canadian version of an executioner’s hood, but when the mask was lifted his eyes appeared calm. And why not? He was coming into the fight with 51 wins, and in his 5 losses he had never been stopped, hardly hurt. He was the notoriously crafty fighter who knew every trick inside the ropes and many tricks outside the ropes, the sign of a veteran who has been there and done that. He had won titles in three weight divisions and reigned supreme in the middleweight division for an impressive ten-year stretch. And waiting for him in the ring was Jean Pascal, hardly a household name. The number in Pascal’s win column was half the number on Hopkins’ ledger, and Pascal’s only big win was against Chad Dawson, who appeared lackluster and frustrated when the two met in August. But Pascal had two advantages going into the fight. He is an awkward, often unorthodox fighter and Hopkins has been troubled by such fighters in his past. The second advantage: youth. Pascal is 28, seventeen years younger than Hopkins, which is the equivalent of two boxers’ lifetimes.

Before referee Michael Griffin signaled the fighters to the center of the ring, Pascal stayed in his corner, getting his face greased, stretching against the ropes, as if he had all the time in the world. Intentional or not, this cocky display suggested a young man’s ignorance about the passage of time. The elder Hopkins was ready to get things started, a seize-the-day mentality that comes from knowing time doesn’t hang around. Finally, instructions were given, gloves were touched on the second attempt and the time keeper rang his bell, starting the clock’s inevitable tick forward.

For the first three rounds, it looked like the inevitable would finally take place; that is, for three rounds Bernard Hopkins looked a little too old, a little too vulnerable against the younger man. Round 1 saw Pascal moving around the large ring, a home court advantage that favored the more fleet-footed Canadian, landing one crisp left, then another and then a big right hand that seemed to bother Bernard. In the final seconds, Pascal hit Hopkins with a right behind the head, the part of the head Hopkins offered him, and the older man went down for only the second time in his career. It had been sixteen years since Hopkins tasted the canvas, and it had to taste bitter, but Hopkins got up immediately, unhurt, unfazed and smiled like it was all sweet, just another day at the office. In Round 2, Pascal moved confidently, keeping his distance, now and then jumping into Hopkins’ territory and landing looping left hands. Pascal stayed with the left in Round 3 and connected with a shorter punch that put Hopkins down. Again, Hopkins quickly stood. Again Hopkins smiled, unfazed. With thirty seconds left a street fight broke out and Hopkins landed some hard shots before the bell rang

Three rounds down and Hopkins was five points down. Another knockdown and the fight would pretty much be over on the scorecards if it went the distance. But between rounds, having tasted some bitterness of his own served by Hopkins, Pascal’s young face revealed much. His eyes looked concerned. He had a welt under his right eye. He certainly wasn’t smiling.

The fight changed in Round 4. As if injected with water from the fountain of youth, Hopkins came out hard and stayed busy. He launched a body attack, he kept the fight rough, and while he slipped to the canvas for a moment, Hopkins mostly stood tough and tall. Round 5 was all Hopkins. He kept the tempo his tempo, a seasoned jazz player’s slow and steady rhythms instead of a kid’s hip-hop rush, and continued to punish Pascal downstairs, knowing the dividends a long-term investment might pay. When the fifth ended and Hopkins went back to his corner, Nazeem Richardson told his fighter, “We will put small shots underneath. We’re not going big. He’s going big and that’s why he’s going to get tired.” Sage words from an experienced trainer. And a round later, after Hopkins won the sixth, Richardson quietly declared, “This is the round we go to work.” The halfway point was over, and the long night for Pascal that Hopkins had promised before the fight, was indeed starting to look long.

The work was body work. Hopkins didn’t look like the older man anymore. The younger man had stopped fighting and it was Hopkins moving forward, Hopkins landing body shots, Hopkins mocking his opponent, face forward, chin out, Hopkins being Hopkins, fearless. There were moments when Pacal got in the pocket and traded, but only moments. In Round 9, Hopkins moved from ground work to head work, landing a vicious right that stunned Pascal and tattooed more doubt behind Pascal’s eyes. The round ended with a good exchange, but the ninth was clearly Hopkins’. This time Nazeem’s assessment was even more succinct. “This kid is bullshit.”

Round 10 was close with Pascal pushing the fight, hoping to get the crowd back on his side, but Hopkins landed some hard lefts at round’s end. Round 11 was a good one for both fighters, Hopkins resuming his forward motion, Pascal willing to trade more, Hopkins going upstairs and down. With one round left, Pascal’s corner was worried, admonishing their fighter that he needed the last round. But it was Hopkins who came out strong in Round 12, his legs still alive, his eyes still clear, and Hopkins stayed busy, as he’d stayed busy since the fourth, especially impressive because Hopkins has never been known for his work rate. In a reversal of age, it was the old fighting hungry and the young man holding onto the old. Pascal had his moments, and there were flurries of action, but Hopkins was the aggressor. Hopkins took the twelfth.

I’m not a fan of punch stats, which often don’t tell the true story of a fight, but this fight’s stats were impressive if only because they quantified the youthful exuberance of a 45-year-old man, who many predicted, including myself, would turn old on this cold Canadian night. Young Jean Pascal threw 353 punches. Old Bernard Hopkins threw 445. As for the numbers that truly counted, I had the fight scored 115 to 112 for Hopkins, who dominated from the fourth round on. History, it seemed, was about to be made and Hopkins would become the oldest man to win a title.

Then the scores were announced. First a teaser, 114 to 112 for Hopkins. Then two dampeners. 113-113 and 114-114. A majority draw. One of the draw judges is Canadian. The other is Belgian—a country where forty percent of the people speak French. This wasn’t quite home-cooking since the fight was close, but if the boxing public is the true barometer of winners and losers, I believe Hopkins will have his hand raised, if only figuratively, by the fans. While the crowds’ boos that followed the decision could be interpreted as disappointment that their Canadian son had not won, the better read is that the boos were aimed at the judges, who snatched history from a veteran’s gloves.

There’s a famous poem by Andrew Marvell titled To His Coy Mistress about an experienced man who convinces a young woman, partly through flattery, partly through scare tactics, to seize the moment with him, to carpe the diem, but the poem really speaks to the reality of mortality right from its first hypothetical phrase, Had we but world enough and time. Hopkins has seemingly been everywhere and fought everyone and, by boxing’s standards, he’s been fighting forever. But forever runs out for mortal men. Not so tonight. In an impressive performance, Hopkins did not look old. He did not look ready to retire. He surprised us once again in a surprisingly entertaining fight. Hopkins was disgusted with the decision, but he was also stoical. He has seen it all in boxing and he knows the disappointments and dangers of this hurting business. “I had the guy beat up. I dominated the fight. Look at his face and look at mine. I’m too dangerous for anybody. It was a robbery. He should get some good shots in on an old guy. But you don’t see Pascal jumping around happy.”

The poet Marvell ends his poem by comparing time to a winged chariot hurrying near, a chariot that inevitably runs all men down. On this Saturday night, the inevitable was put on hold; Bernard Hopkins continues to outrun time’s chariot. The tough man who started fighting in the tough streets of Philadelphia, who learned life lessons in prison, who had the strength to break the statistics of recidivism, who had the stamina to forge a long career in a profession that quickly cuts men down, and who had the talent and perseverance to become a champion and stay a champion, continues to give time a run for its money.

A conference call with Bernard Hopkins is a lot like his career. It goes on forever, which is one way of saying he has been at it longer than anybody ever imagined.

The unabridged Hopkins added volumes in a call last week and plans to deliver on the filibuster’s promises Saturday in Quebec City with another defiant stand against time and Jean Pascal.

“Walking away because of my age would be a disservice to what I bring to boxing,’’ said Hopkins, who has already made history and wants to make more by becoming the oldest ever to win a major title, the World Boxing Council’s light-heavyweight crown.

Not talking, instead of walking, would be the bigger disservice. It’s hard to know what Hopkins can still do as a fighter. Let’s just say that it would have been a service to boxing if he had not fought and beaten Roy Jones, Jr., in his last outing. Hopkins-Jones was bad enough to be irrelevant, which is something that Hopkins-Pascal is definitely not.

I suspect nobody knows that better than Hopkins, who at 45 and within a month of turning 46 will be 38 days older on Saturday than George Foreman was when he beat Michael Moorer for a heavyweight title in 1994. In beating a younger man, there was newfound respect, relevance and pop-like stardom for Foreman among generations that knew him more for a hamburger grill than Muhammad Ali.

Hopkins likes to talk about going old-school. In taking on a fighter near his prime, however, Hopkins isn’t pursuing anything old, or even nostalgic. He’s battling to stay current, determined to prove he still belongs in the middle of the ring instead of in a commentator’s seat at ringside, wearing a tux and an ear-piece.

In part, that means pressure, which has always been there for Hopkins, yet inevitably builds with the time he has so famously been able to manage but will never stop.

“Even if I lose, I’m still young,’’ said Pascal, who is defending the WBC title for the first time. “I can do it again. But Bernard, if he loses, that’s going to be the end. This is it for him.

“He is going out there with all pressure. Even if I’m the champion, it doesn’t matter because he’s the legend. He’s got the legacy. He has to back it up, his history.’’

He also has to back up his words. He is as good at that as just about anybody. The conference call stand-up is one way. He talks, talks and talks, forcing himself to live up to all he says. It’s self-imposed, perhaps. It’s a little bit like former Indiana Pacers shooter Reggie Miller. He needed Spike Lee as an antagonist, as motivation. Lee was always there, in a prime seat in the NBA playoffs, to heighten Miller’s energy and focus.

In conference calls, Hopkins finds his audience of antagonists. Real or imagined, one thing is always certain: The more there are, the better.

“I must say, the naysayers, I thank them because they have been a big part of me proving that I can do it,’’ said Hopkins, who went on to say “thank you, thank you, thank you.’’

I don’t count myself as a Hopkins naysayer, although I’m sure he’d argue right now. I like him, mostly for what he says. Yeah, there is some recklessness in his words. His racial remarks often come off as gratuitous, especially if it is just seen in print.

In person, Hopkins mixes outrage with comedy and uses a tone that says he is willing to talk about it. He has long been condemned by some colleagues for screaming at Joe Calzaghe that he would never let “a white boy beat him.’’ But he made the remark seconds after he told British writers that the “UK has better health care than America. Then again, you all drink a hell of a lot more than we do.’’

Much of what Hopkins does is theater, pure shtick.

But his date with Pascal appears to be serious. It is taking on the dramatic look of a potential last stand. Can he beat the younger man? Sure. But I don’t see how. I don’t think he has even a fraction of the hand speed possessed by the quick Pascal.

Then again, I’ve always been wrong about Hopkins. I picked Felix Trinidad in 2001. Hopkins won. I picked Kelly Pavlik in September, 2008. Hopkins won. The judges gave Joe Calzaghe a victory by split decision in April, 2008. On my card, Hopkins and Calzaghe fought to a draw.

I might be wrong all over again. But another conference call would be good consolation.

“When it’s over with, who else are you going to ask a question for two seconds and get a 10-minute answer?’’ said Hopkins, who was only wrong about the 10 minutes.

More like 60.

Through out the 1950 Cuba was undergoing their Revolution, in the early 1960’s they imposed an embargo that is still in operation today with America. Since those days they have developed the world’s top amateur Boxers, we only got to see them unfortunately every 4 years at the Olympics. The odd one got out and turned professional like Joel Casamayor who went on to become a 2 weight world champion, nothing else of note made an impact on the pro scene. That was until late in 2006 when it was revealed that three 2004 Olympic Gold medallist’s had defected whilst in a training camp in Venezuela. One of those was Heavyweight Odlanier Solis who’s quickly torn his way through sixteen opponents knocking out twelve of them. Tomorrow Solis 30, will take on Ray Austin 28-4-4(18) in Miami in a WBC title eliminator, the winner becoming Vitali Klitscko’s mandatory challenger, assured of a shot in 2011.

Hello Odlanier, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – You are fighting Ray Austin and the winner becomes Vitali Klitschko’s WBC mandatory. What are your thoughts on Austin and this fight?

Odlanier Solis – My thoughts are very simple: I will blow away Ray Austin and then go on, beat Vitali Klitschko and finally become the first ever Cuban heavyweight champion of the world. I have been waiting for a long time to get my hands on Klitschko who decide to run away and hide as long as he could. I thank the WBC and my promoter Ahmet Oener for giving me the chance to finally fight for the world title. I know that I have to beat Austin to get there so that’s what I’m gonna do on Friday in Miami.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your training for this fight? Where has it been, how has it gone & who have you sparred with?

Odlanier Solis – I had a good training camp in Miami. I sparred with a young German fighter named Erkan Teper who is very fast and moves well. I also had some more seasoned and experienced partners like Larry Donald. Unfortunately, he had to return home after a couple of days because I hit him too hard. But I give him props for coming to Miami to work with me. We had some other guys there as well. The camp was alright and I thank my coach Pedro Luis Diaz and all the other people around like Ahmet and Jose Perez who organized everything perfectly.

Anson Wainwright – Obviously you want to fight one of the Klitschko’s in 2011, what do you think of both of them?

Odlanier Solis – Honestly, I don’t care about them. I don’t care about any of my opponents. I know that I am the best heavyweight fighter in the world today and I also know that I only have to focus on myself and what I do in the ring. When I step into the ring and fight my own fight it doesn’t matter who stands in the opposite corner. I’ll simply run over every opponent who faces me.

Anson Wainwright – Could you tell us about team Solis, who is your trainer, manager & promoter? Also what gym do you train at most of the time?

Odlanier Solis – As I said before, my trainer is Pedro Luis Diaz. He is a very experienced coach and I have known him for a long time. He was our national team coach back home in Cuba. In the last years he also made himself a name at the pros and I cannot imagine a better trainer. He organizes everything for me and I thank him for all the hard work and effort. Ahmet Oener is my promoter since I started my professional career. He brought me to where I am right now. Before I even signed with him he told me that I would become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. We’re both on the same page on that and we are ready to go all the way together. Then there is Jose Perez who is taking care of a lot of things for me. He is working closely with Ahmet. Those are the most important people around me right now. I live and train in Miami.

Anson Wainwright – What was it like growing up in Havana as a kid and how did you first get involved in Boxing?

Odlanier Solis – I started boxing when I was quite young. We didn’t have many different choices in Cuba. If you wanted to mean something and be somebody you had to get involved in sports. When I first entered a boxing gym the coaches immediately told me that this is what I was born to do. They saw something special and made me work hard to exploit my talent in the best possible way. So I got hooked to it.

Anson Wainwright – You had a fantastic amateur career, you won gold in the 2004 Olympics and won the World Championships three times. Can you tell us about some of your other amateur credentials? What current pro’s did you fight and how did you do? Also what was your record?

Odlanier Solis – It would be far easier if you asked me who I didn’t beat… I basically won every title there was to win and never lost an important tournament. I am a seven-time Cuban national champion, three-time Pan-American champion, winner of the World Cup and the Nation’s Cup, Junior World Champion… what else do you want to know? I beat guys like Sultan Ibragimov, Alexander Alexeev, David Haye… and whoever entered the ring with me.

Anson Wainwright – In the 2001 World Championship final you stopped current WBA champion David Haye. Can you tell us about that fight? did you drop him etc?

Odlanier Solis – Haye was a decent fighter. I remember that he connected with a nice uppercut early in the fight. He provoked me with that. But then I took control, did what I have to do and gave him the beating of his lifetime. The referee stepped in and prevented him from getting knocked out.

Anson Wainwright – You also beat Felix Savon two out of three. He is widely thought of as one of the Greatest Heavyweights to ever fight. Tell us about those fights? How good was he?

Odlanier Solis – Savon is a legend. Of course, it was a special thing for me to beat him. But then again he is just another name on the list. I know what I have to do in the ring. And I do it in the best possible ways. I am not afraid of big names and the respect I feel for a person will never stop me from beating up my opponent when we face in the ring. Once I step to the ropes I just do what I have to do. That’s all.

Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do away from Boxing? what are your hobbies & Interests?

Odlanier Solis – I hang around with my friends and family a lot. I am rather a calm guy. Oh, and I love fishing.

Anson Wainwright – I’m sure you’ve heard it said many times but some people have asked about your weight. Last time you fought at 268. Your only 6’1, what is your answer to that? Presumably you still feel in great condition?

Odlanier Solis – I don’t understand why people are worrying about my weight so much. To me the most important thing is how I feel and how I move in the ring. I am a heavyweight fighter so I don’t have to enter the ring at a certain limit. As long as I got the power to go twelve, fifteen or even thirty rounds I don’t care how much I’m carrying around. Just look at me fighting and tell me afterwards if I’m carrying too much weight and if I look to be in shape or not. My coach always says: At the amateurs my body looked better on photos but now I have more punching power. Amateur boxing and professional boxing are too different things. You need more power at the pros because every shot can be decisive. I trust in my team and in my ability and I believe that now I am bringing the full package: Speed, technique, stamina and power. Just watch me fight and ask that same question again after that fight.

Anson Wainwright – Several other Cuban Heavyweights have turned pro since you have including Mike Perez, Luis Ortiz, Yasnay Consuegra etc what are your thoughts on those guys?

Odlanier Solis – I don’t care about other fighters. When I meet them I chat with them but I don’t talk about boxing. It doesn’t matter to me. The guys you mentioned were looking up to me when I was the amateur champion. I fought Luis Ortiz a couple of times at the amateurs and beat him at will. The other two were still too young. I think I’m sort of an idol for them. I’m happy for them that they want to try their luck at the pros but they won’t have any chance to win a title – at least not as long as I am around…

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans who are looking forward to seeing you in action against Ray Austin?

Odlanier Solis – Watch the fight, enjoy the show and support me on my way to finally ending the reign of the Klitschkos!

Thanks for your time “La Sombre”

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Midweek Musings – Word is Pacquiao will now fight on 7 May and not as originally thought 16 April, he’ll be in with one of Berto, Mosley or Marquez…Top Rank has shows on 19 February (Montiel-Donaire) & 26 February, 12 March (Cotto-TBA), 19 March (Lopez-TBA) & now the Pacquiao card, also mentioned is a possible early June showdown between JuanMa & Gamboa if both win interim fights, that looks a pretty solid first half of the year for them…No such line up as yet from Golden Boy, I look forward to seeing them fill there dance cards in the coming weeks…On 18 February Fernando Guerrero will take on Saul Roman on ESPN in his hometown of Salisbury, Maryland where he’s fiercely popular…I’m looking forward to seeing Jean Pascal – Bernard Hopkins this weekend. There’s lots of intrigue in this fight, will youth prevail or will the old man once again spring the surprise? He couldn’t could he?…Over the past month we’ve had some cracking fights Marquez-Katsidis, Soto-Antillon & Khan-Maidana this weekend in Germany we could get our fourth in as many weeks with Marco Huck against Denis Lebedev, it pits two heavy handed Cruiserweights who don’t like to take a backward step, unless someone goes to sleep early it looks like a barnburner…Finally congratulations to World ranked Lightweight Brandon Rios, his wife gave birth on the 2 December to a little girl, Mia Guadalupe who weighed 6.1, he says he’ll be back at the Palms in Las Vegas on 26 February against one of the Miguel’s either Acosta for the WBA title or Vazquez for the IBF crown.

If there are any fighters you would like to hear from you can contact me on elraincoat@live.co.uk

“I was teaching him boxing because he got beat up one day at school. I was teaching him how to defend himself.”

In that sense, Denis Douglin’s boxing career was born from a mother’s love for her child.

When her son was just eight year’s old, Saphya Douglin, introduced him to the sweet science. She began bringing him to work with her at the since-closed Rivera Boxing Gym in Brooklyn, where she worked as a personal trainer.

“Denis used to run around in the gym, not wanting anything to do with boxing,” she said. “But then he’d see all the other little kids in there and they were enjoying the sport, so he decided it was something he wanted to do.”

While he ultimately committed to the sport, Denis’s relationship with boxing was anything but love at first sight.

“I hated it at first,” he admitted. “I didn’t like the training. But it’s definitely something I’ve learned to love.”

And since those times in Brooklyn some ten-plus years ago, the two have embarked together on a fistic endeavor that has led to Douglin’s emergence as one of the highest touted junior middleweight prospects in boxing.

Under his mother’s tutelage, Douglin stormed through the amateur ranks, racking up New York, New Jersey, and National Golden Gloves titles.

Now residing in Marlboro, New Jersey and nicknamed “Da Momma’s Boy” for obvious reasons, Douglin owns an undefeated record of 11-0 with seven kayos.

After starting his career 7-0 with four kayos, Douglin began a descent in weight from middleweight to junior middleweight, a move to which he attributes his recent string of knockouts.

In his last four fights, although pitted against tough, veteran opposition — who have shared the ring with the Paul Williams and Yuri Foremans of the world — Douglin stopped them all, three of them inside two rounds.

The humble southpaw describes himself as a boxer-puncher who can outbox his counterparts and overwhelm them with meaningful high-volume punching. Douglin likes to throw his punches in bunches and keeps his foot on the gas pedal.

“I try and go in there and let my hands go,” Douglin said. “I try to throw as many punches as I can to get my opponent out of there.”

While “Da Mamma’s Boy” has battered six of his first eleven opponents into submission in two rounds or less, he is well aware of the dangers of getting into slugfests early in fights.

“I’m trying to be a little smarter in my first rounds. I’ve been coming out in first rounds throwing bombs, which leaves myself open,” he said. “We’re trying to work on being a little more calm, working more behind my jab, but after I work behind my jab, I’m still trying to drop a bomb and get him out of there.”

And on Friday night in Monroeville, PA — a small suburb just outside of Pittsburgh — the opponent Douglin will be trying to “get out of there” is West Virginia’s Matt Berkshire.

“I don’t know much about him,” he said. “He’s 11-2 and a right-handed fighter.”

At this stage in his career, Douglin doesn’t need to know much about his opponents. Combine Douglin’s work-ethic with his mother’s demands, and there is little to no chance that Douglin will ever enter a fight unprepared.

Further, the twenty-two year old Douglin frequently works alongside and spars with a world champion, surely drawing inspiration and gaining confidence from those experiences.

“Frankie [Edgar] is full of heart. He’s a small guy, but he keeps coming at you,” Douglin said of the UFC Lightweight Champion and frequent sparring partner. “Every time we spar he comes with something different, something new. I always have to make adjustments. He’s great, it’s been great work for me.”

When Friday’s fight concludes, Douglin will have fought six times this calendar year. While his activity rate seems relatively high, if Douglin and his mother had it their way, they would have fought twice as much this year.

Next year his mother would like to see him fight a “minimum of once a month.”

Douglin would have fought at about that pace this year if not for multiple last-minute fall-outs.

“It’s definitely a little frustrating when you have a date and you’re training towards that date and then you find out two weeks before the fight that the opponent pulled out or something went wrong and now you’re not fighting on the card,” Douglin said of his hard luck. “But I have a goal and that goal is to become a world champion, so nothing can get me unfocused.”

If all goes according to plan on Friday and Douglin finishes 2010 with a 12-0 record, the mother-son duo can look toward achieving their goals set for 2011.

Atop the list for both of them is gaining more exposure.

“My goal for the new year is that he is televised and has a big fight,” Saphya said. “And for us a big fight is not necessarily money — it means exposure for people to recognize that this is a diamond in the rough, that this is a person who can fight, that this is the next Mayweather or even bigger than that.”

Douglin agreed, echoing his mother’s statement.

“Hopefully my managers get me on TV a little more and get a little more exposure because I think my story is great and my style is great,” Douglin said. “I think it’s what boxing needs.”

Also on Douglin’s 2011 wish list: a fight with James Kirkland.

“I want to fight the best. I don’t want to be one of those fighter’s who just have a padded record,” he said. “I want to fight the best fighters out there. I really want to fight James Kirkland.”

But before the ball drops in Times Square and even before Christmas gifts are exchanged in ten days, Douglin has business to attend to in the form of Berkshire.

While Douglin is confident that he can adapt and adjust to overcome any obstacles that may be thrown his way, one constant in Douglin’s game plan is his mother in his corner.

During the fights, Douglin’s strategy is not overly-complex. It’s worked well for him so far.

“I come out in the first round, I see what my opponent has by letting my hands go and seeing how he responds to that,” he said. “Once I see what he does, in the second round and so on I’m able to go on and take over and take advantage of his mistakes.”

Between rounds is where his mother takes over, alerting him to his opponent’s flaws, enabling her son to make the necessary adjustments to succeed.

“My first question is always, “Are you okay?” she said. “But after that, then I start to tell him the things that I saw that he can capitalize on. I also tell him what I think he should do more of.”

Her mother first, coach second approach in the corner has a calming effect on Douglin, who gets the constant reminder that they are in this together.

“The advice that my mother gives me in-between rounds, it’s a relaxed feeling,” Douglin said. “She knows exactly how to get in touch with my emotions and bring the best out of me. It’s like going home in-between rounds.”

And with that said, all opponents of Douglin’s are effectively the road team, no matter where the fight takes place. With his mother in his corner, Douglin will always have home ring advantage.

The Super 6 has been plagued and beset by several injury’s, postponements and various other things. To Showtime’s credit they have always had an answer and managed to keep the general theme of the tournament going along. What they were hoping to achieve from the start was that one elite guy would prevail and introduce himself as a Superstar to the Mainstream possibly with crossover appeal. They are still on course for that and that star could be Andre “S.O.G” Ward. After impressively winning gold at the 2004 Olympics for America at Light Heavyweight he turned professional, initially at 160. He soon realized that wasn’t in his best interests and promptly moved up to Super Middleweight. Though he kept his unbeaten record he wasn’t particularly impressive and many believed he wouldn’t be as successful as he had in the amateurs. All this spurred Ward on, he quietly got on with his job progressing daily under the expert tutelage of trainer Virgil Hunter. Having beaten noted puncher Edison Miranda in May 2009, Ward had served notice of his intent to make a run for title glory. That chance came with the invention of Ken Hershman’s “Super 6” he was first matched with vastly more experienced Mikkel Kessler, also the pre-tournament favourite. He dually won a technical decision when the fight was stopped in the eleventh due to cuts whilst along way ahead. A Star was born that night in hometown of Oakland in Northern California since then he’s beaten both Allan Green & Sakio Bika barely losing a round. Next up is a Semi Final fight with German transplant Arthur Abraham. It remains to be seen if it will be his star that is still shining come the competion’s end next year but so far he’s certainly doing a fantastic job. Here’s what the loquacious Ward had to say.

Hello Andre, welcome to 15rounds.com

Thank you

Anson Wainwright – Firstly congratulations on your most recent win when you beat Sakio Bika. What are your thoughts on that fight and how happy were you with your performance?

Andre Ward – Well I wasn’t happy with it. But at the end of the day you want to go in there and perform. You always want to have the ideal setting, you want to look good. Everything be nice, neat and tight. But this isn’t a reality, it’s not a reality in life, it’s not a reality in Boxing. But that being said, now that I’ve had time to think about it. I’m pleased we won and we won ugly, we were able to find a way. I retained my belt and I move on in this tournament.

Anson Wainwright – You injured i believe your hand in the last fight and had a few cuts from headbutts from Bika, how are they healing up?

Andre Ward – Actually the injury happened prior to the fight, probably 2 weeks, 2 and a half weeks out. I had to take anti inflammatory. I just kept my eye on it. As I say we were 2, 2 and a half weeks from the fight so pulling out wasn’t an option. I just dealt with it. The individual who wrapped my hands Jacob Duran did a great job of making sure my hand was protected the night of the fight with the smaller gloves and everything. I had no problems the night of the fight but it is inflamed. I’m in the process of getting checked out. I’m getting an MRI. I should be doing that soon and get the results back shortly after. As far as the cuts, there fine. I think it looked worse on TV. The worst cut, was glued shut no stitches whatsoever and is healing just fine.

Anson Wainwright – Your next fight is against Arthur Abraham, what are your feelings on that fight? He hasn’t looked that impressive in his last two fights?

Andre Ward – I’ve only watched a few rounds of his fight with Carl Froch. Everybody pretty much knows the blue print on how to beat Arthur Abraham. He’s not real active, I don’t know if he’s afraid, getting tired. I don’t know. But he’s going to be the same Arthur Abraham. Having a game plan is one thing and executing it is another that’s what I have to do. I’m not taking Arthur light, he’s coming off a DQ which is disappointing. He’s coming off a loss when he could of won another title. He could of been a two division champion but he fell short so I know he’s disappointed. He’s after the WBA belt and my job is not to let him win this title. That’s all I’m focused on. His previous loses and how he looked that goes out the window because he has a fresh start and I have to make sure he stays in his place.

Anson Wainwright – Do you have a time frame for that fight?

Andre Ward – I haven’t really got a solid date. My promoter is waiting to see what happens with my hand. Hopefully in the next week we can lock something down.

Anson Wainwright – Could you tell us what the Super 6 has meant to you because it seems looking from outside that it has been magnificent for you really putting your name out there on the global stage?

Andre Ward – I think it’s been great, I mean Showtime has done an exceptional job with the tournament it’s self, dealing with adverse situations with injuries and so on an so forth as well as just the promotion of the Super 6, Fight camp 360, you name it. They’ve done a tremendous job and I take my hat of to them. Some people have had some negative things to say about the Super 6, we all want things neat and tidy in order all the time but things happen it’s a reality of life guys get hurt and pull out but there ability to bounce back and deal with this stuff and I’m talking about Showtime is incredible. As well as the promoters involved. Personally the further I get into the tournament, the deeper I go I’m appreciating the Super 6 more and more. From the stand point of the promotion people who don’t really watch Boxing have watched Fight camp 360 and that’s caused them to want to watch the fight and just to get the reaction from the fans and not even Boxing fans just regular people who come up and say I saw you on Fight camp with your family and I’m pulling for you. It means a lot. Obviously the winner of the Super 6 and I want that to be myself, this is going to catapult their career to another level. It’s been an awesome thing to a part of. There’s still work to be done, a lot of work to be done but thus far I’m very pleased with this.

Anson Wainwright – You’ve been with your trainer Virgil Hunter ever since you first became involved in Boxing. Could you tell us a little about the relationship you have?

Andre Ward – Virg is awesome, from a trainer stand point he’s very innovative, he thinks outside the box and he’s just got an innate ability to motivate, just through his hard work, his faith. He produces winners, he had several fighters that were winners before I came along and he’s done a great job you can’t argue with a guy who’s a gold medalist and world titlist. I’m pleased with Virg, he’s more than just a coach to me he’s my godfather and I’m just thankful to have a guy like that in my corner. Especially in this day in age when you know fighters and trainers they don’t necessarily mesh all the time. Sometimes there switching trainers every couple of years. For me to have a strong foundation like a Virgil Hunter is just an awesome thing. I know that it benefits my career all around.

Anson Wainwright – You won a Gold medal for America at the 2004 Olympics that must of been a tremendous honour, could you describe what it was like to achieve that goal?

Andre Ward – You know what winning a world title is awesome, tremendous thing to do to accomplish but it’s a business in the professional ranks. But representing your country on a stage like the Olympic games. Nothing will ever surpass that, it will always be in my life, in my heart. Everyone can relate to the Olympics, everyone may not relate or understand professional ranking and professional Boxing. The Olympic games is something that always gets people’s attention. Not only did I compete but I won the highest prize. I don’t think anything I accomplish as a pro with surpass that or be dear to my heart as that. I’m just thankful I had the opportunity, I’m thankful I have the opportunity to tell my kids and share that experience with them, it’s really surreal. In that category in Olympic style Boxing I’m in the record books with the likes of Cassius Clay and some other tremendous people, Hall of Famers in professional sports. I’m just thankful to be a part of it.

Anson Wainwright – In Late 2009 you beat Mikkel Kessler as an underdog, to win the WBA Super Middleweight title how did winning that fight compare to winning the Olympic gold medal?

Andre Ward – Like I just mentioned the Olympics is a special place for that but there’s also a place for winning my title. It’s one thing to be a gold medalist but you know how it is people will think I can’t do it as a professional. Can he adjust his style and win a world title. So to do it against a guy like Mikkel Kessler that meant the world to me. It’s one thing to win a vacant belt, it’s one thing to beat a guy who’s not supposed to be champion but to beat a seasoned guy who’s the real deal like Mikkel Kessler that just made me a better fighter. I know I belong at the top of the class of the 168 division and in the world.

Anson Wainwright – If you win your next fight with Abraham you will meet either Carl Froch or Glen Johnson in a unification fight. What goals do you have in Boxing?

Andre Ward – I want all the belts at 168 and I’m prepared to put in the work to go get it. It’s going to be a lot of work. There’s still a lot of work in the division but I’ve always wanted to be a multi division champion and after the Super 6 and possibly a Bute match, I’d love to go to Light Heavyweight and conquer some new things and win some titles at Light Heavyweight and even Heavyweight. I know it sounds crazy, I’m at Super Middle but I think at the right time, right scenario later in my career 31, 32 like a Roy Jones build yourself up, put 25 pounds of muscle on. I think it could be done but it would be a one time deal. There’s no way I could consider fighting at Heavyweight (Long term) that’s just not reality. But in the right situation later in my career my body can fill out and I’m able to put some extra muscle and end my career on that note.

Anson Wainwright – What weight do you walk around at between fights?

Andre Ward – I can’t tell you that! Ha-ha I can’t reveal. I don’t talk about my weight or what I walk around. I’m comfortable at this weight. I have no problem coming down to 168 at this point.

Anson Wainwright – Could you tell us about the rest of your amateur career, what other titles and honours did you win? What was your amateur record?

Andre Ward – My amateur record was 115-5, before I was an open Senior I won multiple National titles, Silver Gloves, Junior Olympics titles. Once I became an open senior, you turn 17 and you can basically fight anyone 17-35. That’s the real deal when you turn 17, when I became an open class fighter I won the US Championships in Colorado Springs and that was a big boost for me because I wasn’t seeded, I wasn’t a big name at the time as an amateur. I drew one top seed after another, night in and night out and I was able to overcome each night and looked up and I was in the finals on ESPN and I was able to win. That was like my first National Title. That gave me a lot of confidence to go on and progress and win another US men’s National Title. At the same time Virg and I were very strategic. We didn’t want to burn ourselves out over a three year span. There’s a lot of guys who had three, four hundred fights and it may work for them but we always felt like we want to be fresh for when the Olympic trials came around. That’s why I only had 120 fights in a ten year career. We were very strategic what tournaments we went to leading up to the Olympic trials and even after we won it was just imperative we didn’t burn ourselves out. We didn’t want to fight guys 3 or 4 times over that 3 year span, we were going to have to face in the trials. We wanted to beat them guys one time for all the marbles. That was our strategy and it worked out, if it didn’t people would of said we were crazy, but fortunately it worked out. We got it done at the Olympics.

Anson Wainwright – What do you like do with your time away from Boxing? What are you hobbies & Interests?

Andre Ward – I spend a lot of time with my family, right now I’m on a field trip with my son. These are things I love to do, spend time with my wife, 2 boys and my daughter. Just taking trips, traveling. My Church, the Christian community is important to me and my wife. We worship, we pray our god we serve, I have great family and friends there. I try to watch as many fights up close and personal as I can. I’m a football fan, I’m a Basketball fan. I always support the hometown teams. We have the 49er’s and the Raiders and I like both, that’s kind of an oxymoron. Technically I’m not supposed to do that! I like the Golden State Warriors they play in the arena I fight in when I’m home the Oracle Arena. I know several of the guys on the team. I support the San Francisco Giants & Oakland A. I’m a sports fanatic.

Anson Wainwright – The Bay area in Northern California is doing very well at the moment along side you there are Nonito Donaire & Robert Guerrero. What are your thoughts on the scene at the moment?

Andre Ward – Those guys are doing great. I take my hat off to them. Robert is a three time world champion and Nonito, the best is yet to come. He gets better and better. I’m just happy I’m able to pull my weight cos those guys are really good fighters. When all is said and done there going to be great fighters. I’m happy to be in there company. It’s kind of cool that the world can see the talent we have in Northern California. We will continue to do this because we all work hard and are humble men and family men that’s a big part of it.

Anson Wainwright – Who was your Boxing hero growing up?

Andre Ward – Roy Jones Jnr. He’s the guy I respected, I love to watch him even as a young man 9,10 years old I loved the way he was outside the ring and how he took care of business inside it. He was unorthodox, I appreciate there was something different about Roy. His career may be on the downside but he still has my support I love the guy. He’s one of my hero’s.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans out there?

Andre Ward – Continue to stay tuned. I don’t take my fans lightly, I want to continue to give you my all fight in and fight out.

Thanks for your time Andre, much appreciated.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Weekend Musings – Well so much for Amir Khan not having a chin, he proved that not only does he have a chin but he has a huge heart, he was running on empty from the tenth. It remains to be seen if that fight with bring him on further as a fighter or if that showed some of the frailties in his game. I mean Maidana though he’s a heavy handed guy and very tough, he’s not a top draw fighter. That’s what it’ll take to beat Khan though at this stage. Khan verses the winner of Bradley-Alexander would be great in the second half of 2011. As for Maidana I’m sure he’ll be given the chance to perform again after that Herculean effort…Not sure what to make of Victor Ortiz he had his fight with Lamont Peterson won in the third, he took his foot of the gas and didn’t seem to know what to do…Mmm there’s a surprise Joan Guzman missed weight again, what’s so frustrating is that he’s undoubtedly a very talented guy he just doesn’t have the discipline that he needs…Showtime’s Bantamweight tournament got of to a good start with Abner Mares winning a split decision over Vic Darchinyan who’s not the same bad ass at 118 as he was at 112 or 115 & Joseph Agbeko readjusted and won the rematch against Yonnhy Perez…Congrats to Cristian Mijares who won the IBF 115 title, he was one of Boxing’s best little men around 2007/2008 until he ran into Darchinyan and then lost twice to Nehomar Cermeno. After going 0-3 he won 4 and got a title shot and beat Juan Alberto Rosas in Torreon…In Britain, James Degale backed up his boasts looking sensational picking apart tough as the come Paul Smith. Full credit to Degale he’s come a long way since he debuted when he looked very amateurish still, now he looks the top prospect in Boxing for my money…There were also wins for Kell Brook, Nathan Cleverly, Tony Bellew & Matthew Macklin. Brook did as he pleased with over matched Philip Kotey stopping him in the second. Hopefully he steps up, he’s ready for it in 2011, it may be a way a way but a Khan-Brook clash would be brilliant scrap. Cleverly struggled with the late change of opponent and failed to impress but still got the job done over Nadjib Mohammedi. He’s looked like he was one of Britain’s top fighters over the past year and this will likely be a good learning curve. Bellew went life and death going down twice in the first two rounds against power punching Ovill McKenzie, after stopping McKenzie in 8, Bellew hinted he may look to move up in weight. In European Middleweight action, Macklin looked ordinary and had to dig deep to get it done against useful Ruben Varon. It seems Macklin needs a really big fight that will inspire him next.

If there are any fighters you would like to hear from you can contact me on elraincoat@live.co.uk

It’s the first time I’ve ever done a film review and I felt compelled to do so as it was about the heavyweight championship of the World, it’s a title that has many stories behind it and possibly more so than any weight division in our glorious sport that is the noble art!

This film which one an award at the Waterford film festival tells the story of the 1937 heavyweight championship fight between the Cinderella man James J Braddock the unlikely lad who came off of the bread line to win the title worth the most bread, the heavyweight championship of the whole wide World…. the richest prize, and his defence against the first black man to challenge for the title since Jack Johnson over some twenty years previously, Louis had it all to do to help heal the wounds Johnson had inflicted on white America’s face and restore some credibility to the black American, Louis had a task indeed and in finally being able to challenge for the coveted prize had to take a massive pay cut in doing so, taking only ten percent of the purse on offer to finally clinch a challenge at the champion!
However it is in many respects the most important period in the history of the World’s heavyweight championship.

I’m not as I have stated in the first instance a film reviewer as such, so I’m no Barry Norman or Jonathon Ross both respective and respected film reviewers over here in Britain with the t v show that naturally reviews films! funnily enough small World that it is, it’s the aforementioned Ross whose brother Tony who actually directs this very film your about to read about!
Playing the part of Braddock is Tony Longhurst, who pretty much like the man he portrays has had to endure many an hardship in getting this film together, and in many respects as been as Cinderella as Braddock ever was, even having his own two ugly sisters to contend with along the way in the shape of his health and wealth suffering in finally overcoming many an obstacle to realise his goal in getting this originally his idea finished, and unlike Cinderella it’s been far from a fairytale ending!

So to the film…..
Filmed completely in black and white to obviously capture the atmosphere ala Raging Bull of a bygone period, the mood is captured by the various 1930’s musical scores played throughout that compliment the visuals.

The film begins with each fighter being introduced to the crowd and each respective protagonist’s ring walk is filmed separately as though your watching the fight as it would have happened all those years ago, this is cleverly done and gives the viewer the feeling of actually being there in the tunnel leading to the ring….also chucked in with the announcement’s are various radio excerpt’s that have been faithfully reproduced, the action doesn’t just concentrate on the fight, naturally it skip’s back and forth to both fighters before they make that fateful walk to the ring and there own destiny’s and tells the story behind the fight, the deal and the dealing’s behind it for one of the most historic fight’s in the division’s history, taking in the training camps of both men to the bout’s of soul searching between the two and there respective right hand men, ‘you were beautiful Jimmy’ Braddock’s told during one scene of his championship victory over Max Baer, another sees an angered James scream at the equally annoying fight reporter Sam Stone who make’s many an appearance throughout the film, with that most classic of remarks in the fight game ‘what about friendship?’

Longhurst’s portrayal of Braddock is amazing and much better than that of Russell Crowe‘s version of the former champ, he not only look’s like the former champ facially but even talks like him, it’s obvious a lot of attention to detail has been paid in the making of this flick, even to the way each fighter fall’s to the canvas on each knockdown, just has it happened at the time to even the handy patchwork of plaster’s to Braddock’s battered post fight countenance!
The one liner’s are well put together, one time Braddock’s manager tells the champ ‘I wouldn’t be Joe Louis tonight for all the whiskey in Ireland!’ and one such remark ‘the World’s not ready for a black champion’ set’s the scene and of the racial tension still lurking after Jack Johnson’s reign of terror on white America some decades earlier, to Louis mentor who boldly states to the challenger ‘They must be on welfare, Lord knows what all those black people have sacrificed to come see you’ the comment haunt’s Louis during one crisis during the fight and helps spur him on to victory, how very Rocky you might think but this is about real life not reel life!

The fight scenes are nicely choreographed as the crowd can be heard and not seen, it captures the fight through the fighter’s eyes and the loneliness of the ring as both Braddock and Louis square off against each other, it reproduces the feeling of just you and the other guy, it’s very well done and the fight scenes are realistic and faithful to what actually happened that fateful night in June of 37!

I won’t tell you how it end’s, you’ll have to watch it yourself but I can’t recommend this film enough has it is a welcome addition to one’s film library and what with Christmas just around the corner, I’d recommend you buy this film for the fight fan in your life, Ten Percent? Ill give it ten out of ten, however all in all this is a brilliant portrayal of life back in a bygone era to the props, the clobber {cockney idiom for dress} to the clobber {in the ring} the racial tension and the acting more so that of Longhurst who play’s Braddock, to the politics involved all leading to the climax, the fight and of the time a black man regained the heavyweight championship of the World for his race…. the human race.

If your interested in purchasing your copy then if you go to www.amazon.co.uk you can purchase it there or alternatively you can contact Tony Longhurst himself to purchase this film by emailing him at tony_longhurst@hotmail.co.uk or tenpercent@hotmail.co.uk
The film is priced £7.99 plus £2.50 postage and packaging.

Let us not dwell on a way to fix this broken sport we love. But let us not be remiss, either, in mentioning the trouble of Saturday’s fantastic prizefighting. Once again, if you loved boxing, you had to watch two matches on delay. Digital video recording was mandatory.

Ah, but that’s boxing! we say. Well let us stop, and say, instead: It is ridiculous that in a year that saw our sport go dark for whole months at a time, two of the last three Saturdays had HBO and Showtime cumulatively stacking nine fights, in a five-to-four arrangement, atop one another – ensuring nobody saw more than half of them live.

Shame on all counterprogrammers.

Now we move on. Saturday did bring fantastic prizefighting, didn’t it? Showtime took the first innovative concept in ages – “Super Six World Boxing Classic” – shortened it to four fighters, and introduced “Winner Takes All,” a bantamweight tournament. From the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash., then, Mexican Abner Mares decisioned Armenian Vic Darchinyan by split scores of 115-111, 114-112 and 111-115, advancing to the finals where he’ll face Ghana’s Joseph King Kong Agbeko, who decisioned Columbia’s Yonnhy Perez by unanimous scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113.

In Texas, at least, Showtime’s event began first. So I watched that one. Meanwhile, down the dial on HBO, a place my DVR grows more familiar with whenever there is counterprogramming, England junior welterweight Amir Khan narrowly escaped decimation by Argentina’s Marcos Maidana, at Mandalay Bay, decisioning him by scores of 114-111, 114-111 and 113-112.

The evening was, in its way, a tribute to the late Jay Larkin, who introduced through Showtime the concept of “great fights, no rights.” Larkin succumbed to brain cancer in August, but his spirit lived, Saturday.

On HBO, you saw in one frame the alternative approach. Seated a few rows back was promoter Oscar De La Hoya, greatest beneficiary of HBO’s star system. Beside him sat Saul Alvarez, star-system hopeful. And in the ring Amir Khan, star-system contender, plied his craft. All three looked strikingly handsome, their perfect skin in hues of gold, snowflake and cinnamon, respectively.

Showtime, meanwhile, took four, 118-pound men from various non-English-speaking corners of the Earth and matched them for intriguing fights. None was pretty as the HBO stars, none was as big, none was as celebrated. But all four had that desperate sort of desire that cares little about matchmaking, promotion or biography.

Abner Mares’ victory was the more suspenseful of the “Winner Takes All” semifinals. He went against Vic “Raging Bull(y)” Darchinyan and disarmed him. Down in the second round and penalized a point for low blows in the fourth, Mares nevertheless gained a victory that I scored 115-112 in his favor.

Say this for Darchinyan, though: He’s much better than his awkward approach looks. Ask Mares – after you ask Cristian Mijares. Both Mares and Mijares placed their chins in the exact spot Darchinyan’s hybrid left hand goes when he leaps forward with it, and both were knocked backwards by it. Behind Darchinyan’s scowl and bluster, in other words, there’s real science there.

But it was not enough. Darchinyan may be a great fighter when he can intimidate an opponent. When he is unable to do it, though, he is only a bit above average. He did not have Mares intimidated for a moment, Saturday. Round 6 even saw Mares nudge referee Robert Howard out of the way so he could get on Darchinyan once more. Not the sort of thing Darchinyan was accustomed to seeing from an opponent in the 17th minute.

Mares will make an interesting challenger for Joseph King Kong Agbeko, who conclusively avenged his loss to Yonnhy Perez from 14 months before – in a fight that merited more consideration than it got. In fact “More Consideration Than He Gets” might be a fitting nickname for Agbeko, since “King Kong” is apparently on his birth certificate.

Agbeko is a small fighter from Africa, and that has to be some of the reason nobody realizes what a gem he is. He’s a reminder that the style Floyd Mayweather Sr. taught his son mustn’t be insipid. Agbeko kept his lead hand low, Saturday, and pot-shotted Perez with right hands. But Agbeko did not then leap forward and hold, or hop backwards with his left elbow high. Instead he showed some of boxing’s best legs, gliding side-to-side, forward-and-back.

As a matter of fact, trainer Freddie Roach might want to borrow Agbeko to teach Amir Khan how to move laterally like a professional. Khan, whose hand speed impressed everyone but Marcos Maidana, skipped sideways and burned energy like a 12-year-old lad in a youth-boxing clinic. He also got clocked numerous times by Maidana’s blind right hands.

That’s how a fight that was supposed to continue Khan’s introduction to America turned into what Oscar De La Hoya exuberantly tweeted was “Fight OF the decade.” Despite hopes, Khan is not the next Ricky Hatton; he lacks Hatton’s charisma and work rate. Imagine for a moment what would have happened had Maidana endeavored to bully his way into a prime Hatton’s wheelhouse the way he got to Khan.

Now stop. If you didn’t open by imagining Hatton and Maidana collectively tossing referee Joe Cortez over the top rope, first, try again.

If Khan was not quick or powerful enough to dissuade Maidana, put me in the camp that doesn’t think he can beat Timothy Bradley – the likely winner of next month’s fight with Devon Alexander. And if Khan cannot beat Bradley, he probably won’t fight him. And HBO’s 140-pound round-robin will stall.

Which returns us to the difference between the networks. The winner of Showtime’s bantamweight tournament will not be a household name, but he will be a world champion. The winner of HBO’s unofficial junior-welterweight tournament likely will not be crowned – but he’ll be a household name anyway.

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com. Additionally, his book, “The Legend of Muhammad Ali,” co-written with Thomas Hauser, can be purchased here.

LAS VEGAS — There is no advantage in hype, at least not at opening bell. Amir Khan has all of it. Marcos Maidana has none of it.

Maidana, an Argentine farm boy who can punch like a mule, is the son of a gaucho and about as anonymous as one in the hours before he faces Khan, whose good looks and versatile collection of agile skill have some anointing him as Manny Pacquiao’s heir apparent.

If this was a horse race, Maidana’s advertised chances Saturday night at Las Vegas Mandalay Bay would be about as good as a Clydesdale pulling a keg-filled wagon in six furlongs against Secretariat. It’s not. It is 12 rounds, thirty-six scheduled minutes and every second a chance for Maidana to unload a kick that damaged one prospect’s career with doubts that have yet to be eliminated.

Victor Ortiz still bristles at suggestions that he surrendered in June, 2009 to Maidana, who was more anonymous then than he is now. A few days ago during a conference call, Ortiz would not answer questions about whether he wants a rematch with Maidana. No answer needs no translation. Of course, he does. A complete rehab of his prospects can’t be complete without one.
For Khan, the good news is that Ortiz is there, on the Golden Boy-promoted and HBO-televised card against Lamont Peterson. Khan won’t have to look far to know what can happen if he lets the hype blind him to the imminent danger posed by Maidana.

Khan, a British silver medalist at the 2004 Olympics, is the latest Pied Piper for the UK media, which is about to stage its biggest invasion of Vegas since Ricky Hatton.

“A mini-England,’’ Khan said of beer, Union Jacks and more rounds of beer that he expects will transform Mandalay Bay into another colony for one night.

By the way, Hatton was a good example of what hype can do. Likable and entertaining, Hatton also was overrated, a fact proven first by Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and then Pacquiao in crushing stoppages. The guess here is that Khan, the British-born son of Pakistani immigrants, has more physical skills than Hatton and is smarter than Naseem Hamed. In boxing terms, Khan has the skill and instinct to be the UK’s best since heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis.

But Maidana stands in the way. For fans and often media with a short memory, the Argentine’s chances at an upset have been ignored, mostly because of a lousy performance against DeMarcus Corley, who hurt him with an uppercut.

But that performance was a lesson, says Maidaina trainer Miguel Diaz, a fellow Argentine with as much horse sense as anybody in any corner. The Argentina connection is coincidence perhaps, yet impossible to ignore. Khan’s quickness, precise jab and budding relationship with Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach are considered insurmountable.

Khan can just do more things. If that sounds familiar, think back to Atlantic City a few weeks ago. Paul Williams was feared, had speed, energy and all of the hype against Sergio Martinez, another Argentine. But with one big punch, Martinez made himself a contender for Fighter of the Year with a stunning second-round stoppage. Sometimes, upsets come in bunches.

If there is a weakness in Khan, it is his vulnerability to the big punch, which Maidana possesses two-fold, right and left. Breidis Prescott exposed that vulnerability in 2008 with a KO within a minute of opening bell. Sparring with Pacquiao and listening to Roach are the double-edged lesson in the plan to resurrect Khan and transform him into the fighter who was the talk of the 2004 Games in Athens.

Until opening bell Saturday night, however, the only sure thing is that the hype is back. The guess in this corner is that Maidana is too. That might not be enough against a fully-restored Khan. But for everybody talking about Khan as the next Pacquaio, or against Pacquiao or against Mayweather, beware.

Beware of Maidana.

Turkey isn’t known for it’s Boxing, infact they’ve they’ve never produced a professional Boxing World champion. They have high hopes that Selcuk Aydin can become there first. So far he’s been impressive going 20-0(15). He comes with excellent amateur pedigree that saw him regularly medal in European competion, even competing for his country in the 2004 Olympics. However he lived up to his monicker of “Mini Tyson” when he was involved in an altercation with the referee of one of his fights in 2005, he was ultimately suspended for several years prompting him to punch for pay. After debuting in late 2006 he stayed busy in Europe, where he has had all but one of his fights to date. Aydin 27, is currently WBC Champion Andre Berto’s mandatory. He’s what the power punching Welterweight had to say.

Hello Selcuk, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – You have a fighting coming up on the 17 December in Miami, do you know who you’ll be fighting yet?

Selcuk Aydin – We have slightly changed the schedule. I will not fight on December 17th in Miami but on December 18th in Germany. Turkish TV covers my fights and for them it’s better if I fight in Europe because of the different time zones. I am training in Miami though and will certainly be back to fight here as well very soon but for the moment it makes more sense for me to fight in Europe. It’s only a stay-busy fight anyways. I don’t know who my opponent will be. But whoever it will be I will do my best to knock him out.

Anson Wainwright – Back in June you fought Ionut Dan Ion that was a very close fight that you won. What can you tell us about the fight & how happy you were with your performance?

Selcuk Aydin – I was not happy with my performance in that fight. I did what was necessary to win the bout but I wanted to show my fans in Istanbul a better performance. There were lots of things before that fight which didn’t go according to plans so I was not at one hundred percent the day of the fight. Because the fight was in Turkey I got distracted and lost focus. I wanted to knock my opponent out but I didn’t fight a good fight. It felt like I couldn’t pull the trigger that night although I did enough to win. After the fight I was criticized in the Turkish media and I apologized for a rather poor performance. Still I won a championship bout against a decent opponent. I gave ‘Jo-Jo Dan’ the chance to make himself a name through me. But I will be more than happy to take that away from him again. I have offered him a re-match and I promise in case we ever meet again inside the ring I will be better prepared and I will simply crush him.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team, who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym do you train at?

Selcuk Aydin – To me the most important people in my corner are my brother Yalcin Aydin and Vedat Alyaz who is a personal friend and important part of my team. The presence of these two is important for me to feel comfortable. Ahmet Oener is my promoter and manager. I am with him since I signed my first professional contract and I thank him for bringing me to where I am. Ahmet is one of the best promoters in the world today. He is successful in Germany and the USA and basically the only promoter who is doing big shows in Turkey. I also have people supporting me in Turkey foremost Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu who is a very influential person and experienced manager. Currently I am living in Miami where I work with my trainer Ismael Salas. He is a great coach and I appreciate the chance to work with him.

Anson Wainwright – Your mandatory to Andre Berto what do you think of him as a fighter? What can you tell us about the situation with when you will get a WBC title shot?

Selcuk Aydin – As you said I am the mandatory opponent for Berto. I have waited for this chance for a long time. All my life I wanted to prove that I am the best. To do so you have to beat the best. That is why I want to fight Berto who holds a title which should belong to me by now. He is a good fighter but he is not good enough to beat me. He hasn’t fought anybody as tough as me in his career so far. I have watched a couple of his fights. He’s fast and has a good technique but he didn’t impress me with his performances lately. And I blame Berto for making me wait for this fight for one and a half years. He did all he could to avoid me and I will make him pay for that once we meet in the ring. I heard that the WBC will call for purse bid shortly and Ahmet told me that the fight will take place before March 31st. I will fight him anywhere anytime. And I will strip the belt from him.

Anson Wainwright – Many boxers have tough upbringings and that’s how they first get into Boxing, what was your youngers days like?

Selcuk Aydin – I could not say that I had a hard childhood home in Turkey. I have a great family who has always supported me and my father has always told me: If you want to do something you better do it right. I recall one time when I was very young and skipped training to hang out and play with some friends. When my father heard about that he said to me: Don’t tell me you want to become a boxer if you don’t want to go to training. If you are not willing to sacrifice you will not go anywhere. From that day on I went to the gym everyday. And that is what brought me to where I am.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us how you first got into Boxing in Trabzon, Turkey, your country isn’t known for pro Boxers?

Selcuk Aydin – When I was in the first grade I always passed a boxing club on my way to school. One day I told my father that I want to go and train there. He tried to convince me to join a football or basketball team instead. Those sports are far more popular in Turkey than boxing. But I felt that I am a fighter. I wanted to prove that I am the best. That is hard to do in a team sport. Fighting was always part of my nature. So I convinced him that I wanted to become a boxer and he took me to the gym and accompanied me and my brother every single day. There were some decent fighters at the gym. When I saw them I wanted to be like them. I worked hard, improved and became the best fighter in the gym. After that I saw the best Turkish amateurs and wanted to be like them. So I worked hard, improved and became the best fighter in Turkey. Now I look at the best boxers in the world and I am working hard to improve and become better than all of them.

Anson Wainwright – You had a good amateur career twice winning medals at the European Championships, what can you tell us about your amateur days? What pro fighters did you fight and what was your final record?

Selcuk Aydin – I have had close to 400 amateur fights and lost only about 20. And even when I lost to somebody I surely gave all of my opponents the hardest time in the ring. Not many of the guys I fought at the amateurs became good pros. Maybe a handful. I can’t give you names because I don’t care a lot about my opponents. I only care about myself and my performance. One name I recall is Frankie Gavin from the UK. He cost me my world amateur championship title. I have always been better than him but because of stupid politics he got a win over me he didn’t deserve. I was so fed up with amateur boxing that I turned professional immediately while he went on to become world champion. I should have won that title. I heard that he is pro now, too. I hope to meet him in the ring someday to get revenge for the amateur title he stole from me.

Anson Wainwright – The was a moment in your amateur career when you had an incident with a referee, what is your side on what happened?

Selcuk Aydin – There are rumors about me hitting referees which are simply untrue. I never hit a referee. I may have pushed one but that’s all. I cannot stand injustice. And in amateur boxing very often politics influence decisions and fight results. When I fought Frankie Gavin the way he ran away from me and only clinched when he should have been fighting just made me furious. I chased the guy through the ring and was clearly the aggressor in the fight. Still he led on points and I couldn’t understand that. I screamed at him that he should fight like a man and I unloaded my frustration but I didn’t hit a referee. I was suspended because of political reasons. The AIBA president at that time was from Turkey. His opponents wanted to get rid of him and they chose me as sort of sacrificial lamb. Because of the suspension I couldn’t go to the world championships so I decided to turn pro.

Anson Wainwright – What do you enjoy doing when your not Boxing? What are your hobbies and Interests?

Selcuk Aydin – The most important thing to me is my family and my friends back home in Trabzon. After my fights I love to go home and just enjoy myself. When I’m at training camp – in Germany, the USA or wherever – I keep in touch with them through the internet. I think it’s great that we live in a time where we have the chance to communicate with people from all over the world so easily.

Anson Wainwright – What fighters did you like growing up and what fighters do you enjoy watching today?

Selcuk Aydin – As I said before I always looked up to the people who were close to me. I didn’t want any so called ‘big fights’ back home in Turkey. I saw the guys in our gym and later the guys in the Turkish national team and did my best to get to and above their level. One fighter who I respect and looked up to for most of my amateur career was two-time Olympic gold medallist Mario Kindelan from Cuba. He is a special boxer.

Anson Wainwright – What did you think of Manny Pacquiao’s performance against Antonio Margarito? How do you see a fight going between him and Floyd Mayweather?

Selcuk Aydin – I respect Pacquiao for his performances and the way he dominates his opponents. He is not the technically best boxer I have ever seen but he is very focused, very disciplined, hard working and a true fighter. He takes the fight to his opponents which is why he dominates them and wins. You have to give him props for how determined he is and for his professional attitude. I don’t know how a fight between him and Mayweather would end but I don’t care about the whole discussion either. Mayweather doesn’t seem to be interested in fighting Pacquaio because he’s afraid of losing. I would fight Pacquaio immediately if I got the chance but I know that I have to prove myself against top opponents before I can even think about a big fight like that. That’s why I want to take on Andre Berto first. By the way, I honestly think Berto shouldn’t call out Pacquiao before he has fought any notable opponent. I know that I am not considered a big name in the USA. But I would certainly give Berto a hell of a fight. An if he wants a shot at Pacquiao he should fight and beat me first. On the other hand, when I beat him and one or two other big names in the USA I might be ready to take on Pacquiao myself. I could not say how a fight between me and him would end. I know that even Selcuk Aydin is capable of losing a fight – as is Manny Pacquiao. The one thing that I can promise is that I would not surrender to anybody, I will accept every fight and give every opponent the fight of their lifetimes.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans?

Selcuk Aydin – All you boxing fans out there, watch out for Selcuk Aydin. 2011 will be my year. I lost some focus last year because I didn’t get the big fight I wanted. Now I remember how my father told me if I want to do something I should do it right. I am ready and willing to sacrifice and I will show the world what Selcuk Aydin is all about. I also want to thank all my friends and fans back home in Turkey as well as in Germany where I have always been welcomed very warmly and treated nicely by everybody. I will beat Berto, bring his green and gold world championship belt home to Turkey and dedicated it to all the people who supported me over the years.

Thanks for your time and good luck with your upcoming fight.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Midweek thoughts- Seems like the Top Rank show in Anaheim “In Harm’s Way” went down a storm. Nonito Donaire was stunning demolishing teek tough Wladimir Sidorenko. Soto-Antillon went to war with each other, hopefully Brandon Rios gets in on the act, any combination of those guys is can’t miss…Just thinking wouldn’t it be fun to see those three fight Robert Guerrero & Michael Katsidis. Those are the sorts of fights that would bring a load of interest to the Lightweight division and be great on Showtime or HBO After Dark. Just another reason to want to see Top Rank & Golden Boy end there feud…Ricky Burns defended his title successfully, he later admitted he felt something was missing. Sometimes you have to live by the old adage “Win and look good next time”…I like Amir Khan to win and win in a big way Saturday, can’t help wondering what happens if Maidana lands a bomb though… Word is WBO World Champion Juergen Braehmer and WBA Beibut Shumenov will meet in a Light Heavyweight World Championship Unification showdown January 8, 2011 at the Ice Mansion in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

Tomasz Adamek is set to make another appearance Thursday night at Newark’s Prudential Center. The Poland native, now fighting out of Jersey City, has made a second home at “The Rock”, and The Ring Magazine number four rated Heavyweight will bring his usual raucous crowd to pack the arena when he faces off against tough brawler Vinny Maddalone (33-6 24KO).

The Queens native will certainly have his hands full as he is the next target on Adamek’s path to possible future bouts with one of the Klitschko brothers. Already some murmuring around the boxing community about Vitali Klitschko’s camp talking with the Adamek camp about a potential 2011 date, Adamek is not one to take any opponent lightly and look towards the next one.

The task for Maddalone will include the 11,000 red and white clad fans, and a fast heavyweight who seems to never be in the same spot. Maddalone acknowledges this and will try to use a high pressure offense to force Adamek to do just that. Adamek’s boxing style is one where he moves in at the right time to let off combination’s and then back out, the heavy handed Maddalone figures his best shot at winning this bout is to land something big and force the champion to slow down and allow him to use a high pressure style to knock him out.

Is Maddalone excited for this bout? You bet he is, agreeing with most experts that Adamek is the more skilled and heralded fighter, this is his chance to really leave his mark on the sport. And he’ll be damned if he doesn’t go out in a brawl.

Adamek (42-1 27KO) will head into this fight doing what he does best, adapt to the style of the fighter brought against him and use his abilities to get the victory. Trainer Roger Bloodworth says it best about this contest “This fight is heart vs. heart. Two guys who are going to leave everything they have in the ring. Everyone watching this fight is in for a real treat.”

And with a win come Thursday night, Adamek is almost all but assured a shot at one of the Klitschkos.
Promoter Main Events also has lined up an undercard featuring highly touted prospect Sadam “World Kid” Ali, Patrick “The Machine” Majewski and “Marvelous” Tarvis Simms.

Ali (10-0 6KO) will try to continue to impress as he squares off against iron chinned journeyman Manuel Guzman (7-9 3KO) in an eight round welterweight contest. Guzman’s record is not impressive, but in his last bout knocked out Adrick Butler in the second round. Ali is riding a three fight knockout streak, alongside his perfect record, and will aim to maintain that.

Majewski (14-0 9KO), an undefeated Atlantic City based Pole, will also use the crowd to his favor as he faces off against knockout artist Eddie Caminero (7-3 7KO). Majewski got a late start to his pro career at the age of 26, but remains unbeaten and hopes to grab more high profile fights in the future. All of Caminero’s victories have come by way of knockout, the latest being in the fourth round, so he provides a tough challenge to Majewski, in a similar way that Maddalone will to Adamek in the main event.

Tarvis Simms (25-1 11KO) returns to action after a fourteen month layoff when he heads into the Prudential Center to fight Willis Lockett (12-10 5KO) in a six round super middleweight fight. Simms’ journey in boxing has been a roller coaster ride thus far. The 39 year old fighter also got a late start to his pro career at 26 following an excellent amateur career which saw him win the 1993 National Golden Gloves Championship, as well as earn a victory over future world champion Jermaine Taylor along the way.

Boxing politics interfered with Simms path to a world championship, which led to a lack of fights. But Simms remained undefeated until October 2009, when he dropped his first fight to title contender Allan Green by decision. However, a determined Simms returns after signing a multi-fight deal with Main Events, and even at his age, is concentrating on obtaining the goal of becoming world champion.
Other match ups on the card include Newark’s own Angel Concepcion (3-0) against Lekan Byfield, who will be making his professional debut at Light Heavyweight. Gabriel Rosado (14-5 8KO) will square off against Jose Medina (12-8 5KO), Rosado scored an impressive victory over former world champion Kassim Ouma earlier in his career.

Jersey City’s Raymond Biggs Jr. (9-0 6KO) will have his clean record challenged by Philip McCants (8-1-1 3KO) who is on a run of six straight victories himself. Also, Philadelphia’s Bryant Jennings (4-0 2KO) will face Randy Smith, who is also making his debut, in a four round heavyweight fight.
Those that can’t make it to the area can order the bout on pay per view for $29.95.

Tomorrow night, Newark New Jersey’s Prudential Center will once again transform into “Little Poland” as thousands of Polish fight fans will flock to 165 Mulberry Street to watch Tomasz Adamek square off against New York’s Vinny Maddalone.

But before the legions of Polish fans witness Adamek do battle with Maddalone, they’ll have the opportunity to cheer on another Polish-born, New Jersey-based boxer.

Welterweight prospect Patrick Majewski will look to add another win to his already perfect record when he faces off against Lawrence, Massachusetts’ Eddie “Thunder” Caminero in a bout scheduled for eight rounds.

Majewski (14-0, 9 KO) was born in Radom, Poland, but now resides in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where six of his fourteen professional bouts have taken place.

In his last bout in October, the Polish-transplant defeated New Mexico’s Joseph Gomez (17-3-1, 8 KO) by seventh round stoppage in Kissimmee, Florida.

Majewski first hurt Gomez with a devastating left hook in the fourth round. Three rounds later, Majewski hurt his counterpart again and didn’t let him off the hook. Referee Frank Gentile stepped in and saved Gomez from absorbing further punishment, stopping the bout at the 1:50 mark of round seven.

But even after an impressive performance against tough opposition, Majewski and his team knew there was plenty of room for improvement.

“I made many mistakes my last fight,” Majewski said. “So my trainers — we tried to work on the leg movement, more head movement, and of course, more speed.”

Majewski will have a chance to showcase his sharpened skills against Caminero in front of an expected crowd of over ten thousand fans.

Caminero (7-3, 7 KO), who practices his trade under the watchful eye of “Irish” Micky Ward, has proven he is a rugged competitor who can out-will and out-punch his opponents.

In his last two bouts, Caminero scored upset victories over two seperate opponents, who prior to the bouts, sported a combined record of 14-1.

Caminero’s most recent fight took place in August in Brooklyn, New York against crowd favorite, and previously unbeaten fighter, Joe Smith, Jr.

The Massachussets native served as nothing more than a moving heavy bag for Smith in the opening round, as Caminero found himself with his back against the ropes, standing on unsteady legs.

Caminero was able to gather himself and survive the round, however, and by the third round, he began a relentless campaign against Smith’s body, which visibly took its toll on the taller Smith.

With blood dribbling out his mouth and the fourth round about to come to a close, Smith signaled to his corner he could no longer continue. Earlier in the round, Smith suffered a broken jaw courtesy of the heavy-handed Caminero, who notched his second straight victory.

Majewski is well aware of Caminero’s stubbornness inside the ropes, but is confident that his preparation leading up to this fight will result in a victory tomorrow night.

“I know that he’s tough, but I’m tough too,” said Majewski. “I’ve been training hard for this fight and I’m going to bring my work into the ring.”

Tomorrow night will mark the third time Majewski will fight at the Prudential Center and the second time he will fight on the undercard of an Adamek-headlined event. He knows there will be thousands of fans decked out in Poland’s colors of red and white who will be cheering his name. He also knows he cannot let the crowd become a distraction against a heavy-handed opponent like Caminero.

“It is a big feeling [to fight in front of the Polish fans], I’m really excited to fight over there,” Majewski said. “But during the fight you really have to focus on your opponent — don’t really worry about the crowd or the fans.”

Majewski, who turns 31 later this month, knows that one loss may result in a significant setback to his career and doesn’t plan on letting Caminero play spoiler.

With regards to his approach towards his fight tomorrow night, Majewski said, “Focus on your opponent then worry about the fans. Then after the fight we can celebrate together.”

Thoughts on select fights from last week

Javier Fortuna vs. Victor Valenzuela

Last Wednesday at BB King’s in New York City, two unbeaten prospects crossed paths in a bout that was scheduled for eight rounds.

Passaic, New Jersey’s Victor “Viper” Valenzuela squared off against the Dominican Republic’s Javier Fortuna, who was making his American debut.

Before the fight, Valenzuela sported an 8-0 record, with only one of those wins coming by knockout, while Fortuna entered the bout 12-0 with 9 knockouts.

For that reason, I was confused as to why Valenzuela was willing to fight fire with fire from the opening bell. Fortuna and Valenzuela forewent any use of a jab and began trading wild power punches — an exchange that would clearly favor the heavier-handed Fortuna.

Ultimately, a minute into the first round, Fortuna KO’d Valenzuela in a Sergio Martinez-esque fashion. Valenzuela scarily collapsed and just like that Valenzuela’s “O” had to go. His record and confidence both took a hit as he fell to 8-1, 1 KO, while Fortuna shined in his American debut, improving to 13-0, 10 KOs.

Crazy part about the KO is the fact that Martinez’s trainer, Gabriel Sarmiento, is also Fortuna’s trainer. Further, like Martinez, he was discovered and brought to the United States by advisor Sampson Lewkowicz and is also signed to DiBella Entertainment.

—

Alex Perez vs. Doel Carrasquillo

That same night, I was also impressed by Newark, New Jersey’s Alex Perez, who
successfully navigated past tough journeyman Doel Carrasquillo in an eight round welterweight bout.

The fight marked the unbeaten Perez’s first bout since inking a deal with DiBella Entertainment.

Unlike Fortuna, Perez (13-0, 7 KO) didn’t blow his opponent out of the water. Rather, Perez was forced to outbox a veteran brawler for eight rounds — and did so with relative ease.

“I was pleased with everything that he did,” said Perez’s trainer and manager, Jose Rosario. “He finally showed me the things I wanted to see — and that was being smart and outboxing guys like the guy we fought today.”

Working behind a stiff right jab, Perez successfully kept the always-moving-forward Carasquillo at range, setting him up for combinations and devastating left hands.

By the second round, Carrasquillo’s face was already puffy, turning red in the process. Each time Perez hurt his Carrasquillo, the determined journeyman would talk taunt Perez and shrug it off as if he was unharmed (which was a lie, of course).

Perez’s only slip-up in this bout came in the fifth round when he tripped over Carrasquillo’s feet and got caught with a right hand that ultimately put him on the canvass.

“I slipped over his leg and they ruled it a knockdown,” said Perez. “It is what it is.”

Following a brief and unsuccessful appeal to referee Arthur Mercante Jr., Perez got right back up and immediately picked up where he left off, snapping his jab and throwing meaningful combinations.

Credit Carrasquillo (14-17-1, 12 KO) for his persistence as he brought non-stop pressure for twenty-four minutes. He was stubborn in his aggressiveness, constantly walking forward, getting peppered by stiff jabs and straight lefts along the way.

“I want to stiffen my jab up even more,” Perez said. “It will be key when I fight more guys like him who keep coming and keep coming.”

Carrasquillo’s pressure would make most boxer’s uncomfortable, but Perez seemed to embrace this type of fight early on — a credit to his trainer and his preparation.

“I saw Carrasquillo fight a couple times and I knew he was tough and was better than his record shows,” Rosario said. “He always fought tough fights and we knew he was dangerous so we prepared mentally and physically for him.”

Except for the flash knockdown, Perez controlled this fight from start to finish, a tribute to the 28 year-old’s maturity and versatility. Now that Perez has found a home under the DiBella Entertainment banner, there should be more regularity in his fight schedule, which is a plus for tri-state area fight fans.

In just over a week’s time Jean Pascal 26-1(16) takes part in a battle of ages against Cerebral Assassin Bernard Hopkins. Pascal’s WBC Light Heavyweight title will be on the line in what will be his fourth defense of the title he won in June of 09′ against Adrian Diaconu. It will be the last significant bout of the year, it pits Pascal 28, speed & skills against Hopkins stealth & cunning. Just weeks after the bout Hopkins turns 46 and will be older than George Foreman was when he Ko’d Michael Moorer back in 1994 for the Heavyweight title. For his part Pascal remains calm and intent on beating Hopkins and making a statement doing so. He’ll have the backing of several thousand fans in his hometown of Quebec City on the night. It’s sure to be an interesting fight, here’s what he had to say.

Hello Jean, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – Firstly you have a huge fight coming up when you defend your WBC Light Heavyweight title against Bernard Hopkins. What are your thoughts on this fight?

Jean Pascal – Bernard Hopkins is one of the biggest names in the sport today. His name is synonymous with excellence. I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to fight against such a great – well-known boxer.

Anson Wainwright – What are your thoughts on Hopkins as a fighter?

Jean Pascal – Hopkins has a great record to uphold. He has beaten most of the great names past and present, over the last twenty years. You have to respect a record like Hopkins’.

Anson Wainwright – He’s a master of mind games and isn’t afraid to do something to ruffle feathers, for instance when he went to Puerto Rico and threw their National flag on the floor before his fight with Felix Trinidad. Do you think he may try something fight week with you?

Jean Pascal – I am aware that Hopkins likes to engage in mind games. Inconsistent behaviors tend to throw some boxers for a loop. IN that regard, Hopkins has been a teacher and an educator to many great names in the sport. I already am aware that his focus is on playing mental games, both directly, and also indirectly through others. There is nothing much I can do to account for someone else’s games.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about Team Pascal, who is your manager, trainer & promoter?

Jean Pascal – I have worked with Yvon Michel as my promoter since I began in the sport. I interviewed with several potential promoters but chose Yvon Michel and his company GYM because I knew him and have trusted him. Yvon worked with several other well-known boxers residing in Canada before me and did a great job with and also for each of them. He has done the same for me.

Anson Wainwright – You were born in Haiti nearly a year ago now they had that terrible disaster, what can you tell us about that and how it effected you?

Jean Pascal – That was a terrible tragedy that left the country in a real mess and killed a lot people. Even though nobody died in my family I was very scared for first 72 hours because I had no news from anyone. I send my prayers to everyone who looses they’re loves one.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us what it was like in Haiti as a kid growing up and how the move to Canada came about and how that changed your life?

Jean Pascal – Its hard to tell you because I did not grow up in Haiti. I came to Canada at 4 years old and have lived in Quebec ever since. At a more general level, I was sad to follow the footage about Haiti though also amazed about the resilience of the people, and also their generosity to one another while under stress.

Anson Wainwright – You got in to Boxing because of your elder brother when you were 13 years old, can you tell us about those early days and how it came about?

Jean Pascal – I am a former hockey player – though I realized at a certain point that I was quite small physically for that sport. One day I decided to follow in the foot steps of my older brother Nicholson who was the Golden Gloves Champion in 1996. I just wanted to be like my brother, so I began to box. Before long I discovered my talents as a boxer and just wanted to see where my gifts might bring me. I have experienced quite a journey to this point, but that journey is only beginning.

Anson Wainwright – You had a standout amateur career in which you fought in the Olympics & World Championships. Can you tell us what tournaments you won & how you did the major tournaments you fought in? What current pro’s did you fight & how did they go? Also what was your final record?

Jean Pascal – I am a 7 time Canadian Amateur Champion a Francophone Games Gold medalist, a Commonwealth Games Gold medalist, a Pan-American Games Bronze medalist, I finished 5th in 2001 at the World Amateur Championships, and I represent Canada at the 2004 Olympic Games. These were a few of the highlights from my amateur career. Though I will say that I am far more cut out for professional boxing than I was for amateur boxing.

I fought: Paul Smith (UK)….Alfredo Angulo (Mex)… Craig McEwan (sco)… Yordanis Despaigne(cub)….and a lot of other good amateur boxers I don’t even recall. The thing about amateur boxing is that you get exposure to lots of different style, tactics, antics, and boxing strategies. That exposure makes for a versatile boxer assuming the boxer is open-minded and aware of what can be learned. I found that the exposure to those great athletes opened my eyes to the possible types of opponents I now encounter at the top of the game.

Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do when your not Boxing? What are your favourite past times and Hobbies.

Jean Pascal – I enjoy looking movies at home with my daughter Angel and I also have several long-term friends I have been close to since childhood. I continue to hang out with those friends. Finally, I like to study boxing and discuss what I study with my working team.

Anson Wainwright – What are your thoughts on the rest of your division including the other champions WBA Beibut Shumenov IBF Tavoris Cloud & WBO Jurgen Braehmer?

Jean Pascal – MY focus right now is Bernard Hopkins. I do not believe in thinking beyond one fight to the next. After this fight I will work closely with my working team and we will see what options work best for me as a boxer and a business man.

Anson Wainwright – You were in Nottingham in 2009 for the start of the Super Six to watch & support former opponent Carl Froch. What are your thoughts on the tournament?

Jean Pascal – The tournament is fantastic and it reflects an investment on the part of ShowTime to bring to the viewers some of the most interesting fights out there today around the Super Middleweight division. It seems that they have had a few bumps along the way, but on the other hand, they continue to bring great bouts forward. I have watched the bouts with interest given the quality of opposition.

Anson Wainwright – There will be a big crowd in Quebec supporting you on the 18 December what message do you have for those fans ahead of the fight?

Jean Pascal – I feel extremely thankful to my fans for the support. I love my province and also the city of Quebec. It is my hope that we will do many more historic fights there as part of my career. The Mayor of Quebec City invested his enthusiasm in the fight and I am very fortunate for his support. We cannot wait for the bout – it is going to be an extremely hot night in Quebec City.

Thank you for your time and good luck with your up coming fight.

Thank you and watch: www.jeanpascalboxing.com

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

The other night Mexican Saul “Canelo” Alvarez made his ringwalk to a song from the American movie “Rocky IV.” If you were thinking Crossover Appeal, well done. I’ve long thought there was a better song for him, though: “Güero Canelo” by Calexico, an Arizona band.

But then I checked the lyrics. The song might be about a Tucson restaurant and the general crime that happens in the southern part of its city, or maybe not. Whatever it’s about, “Güero Canelo” features an exhaustive list of narcotics. It’s probably better, then, that a Mexican star not precede his performances with a song like that.

Saturday night in the Mexican state of Veracruz in a venue called Estadio Beto Avila, Jalisco’s Alvarez won a unanimous decision over South African Lovemore N’dou by scores of 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109. N’dou fought like a good sparring partner should, trying to win no more than 30 of the match’s 2,160 seconds. And the Veracruzanos went home certain they’d seen a future great.

Since we won’t know about that for a long time, let’s go back to the Calexico tune.

Did you catch 2004’s “Collateral” with Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx? If so, “Güero Canelo” was the song that played for the dancing Sinaloans in the scene at El Rodeo night club. If not, here’s a touch of back story.

Vincent is a hit man played by Cruise. He climbs in a taxi driven by Max, a cabbie played by Jamie Foxx. Max learns the destinations to which he is chauffeuring Vincent are actually hits, witnesses for the prosecution in a drug case set to begin the next day, and demurs. Eventually, he also trashes Vincent’s witness work-ups, with two hits to go. Vincent sends Max into a Mexican club called El Rodeo to pretend he is Vincent and retrieve work-ups on the two remaining witnesses.

And this is where most American moviegoers meet actor Javier Bardem for the first time. Bearded and elegant, Bardem plays a Mexican narcotraficante named Felix. Enraged by “Vincent’s” having lost the work-ups, Felix tells a wonderfully imaginative story about Santa Claus’s special helper in Mexico named “Pedro el Negro.” And Bardem shows incredible presence.

Despite being the first Spanish actor ever nominated for an Oscar, four years before, Bardem was cast in what might have been a five-minute throw-away scene in the middle of an action movie in 2004 – his first American work in two years, at the time.

Not exactly Saul Alvarez’s career path.

After a shaky opening to his own American debut in May on the undercard of “Who R U Picking?” – when the 19-year-old Mexican was temporarily walked down Queer Street by Jose Miguel Cotto (yes, the other Cotto) – Alvarez rallied and won by TKO in round 9. A couple months ago, Alvarez also blasted his way through Carlos Baldomir. Saturday he was a red-headed rock star whose girlfriend got about as much camera time as N’dou’s corner did.

That old saw about nothing attracting a crowd like a crowd perfectly captures the reflexivity that feeds the hype machine and so, too, aptly captures Alvarez’s celebrity. Fight aficionados, of course, want an organic star, someone who learns his craft in obscurity before emerging properly seasoned, preferably in an upset – someone like Michael Medina, Dmitry Pirog or Sergio Martinez. Promoters, and the casual fans they hope to feed, want something else entirely.

They want someone who’s equipped for immediate stardom if not pugilistic excellence. Someone like, say, Alvarez. Golden Boy Promotions, whose eye for talent gets blackened by reality here and there, needed a Mexican prospect to offset rival promoter Top Rank’s cynical celebration of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., son of Mexico’s fistic legend. The country’s other famous Juniors all had a loss or three on their records. And HBO hates that.

“Canelo” is good-looking, undefeated, and of Mexican origin, so he became the next Oscar De La Hoya.

Look, Alvarez is a good fighter. He has uncommonly powerful legs for a junior middleweight. His footwork is serviceable. He counters right hands fairly well after nibbling on them. His punches are straight and committed.

But he’s slow-handed more than heavy-handed. N’dou, a 39-year-old man whose best days came at 140 pounds, was not in trouble for a moment against the 154-pound Alvarez, Saturday. Alvarez showed characteristics of a young fighter accustomed to blowing through overmatched opponents. He threw lead hooks and paused after they landed, expecting N’dou to be felled instantly.

Perhaps Alvarez will become Mexico’s next legend. Right now, though, his celebrity feels wholly manufactured.

A month before his 18-line performance as the narcotraficante Felix, Javier Bardem arrived in the United States as a semi-obscure foreign actor. He spent five weeks perfecting the differences between English spoken with a Mexican accent and English spoken with his Spanish one. Then he made an unforgettable performance. And today, American moviegoers know him as the Oscar-winning actor from “No Country for Old Men” – a role that still didn’t come for three years after “Collateral.”

Bardem’s celebrity feels a bit more authentic by comparison, doesn’t it?

One other thing about “Canelo”: He’s only 20 years-old, and he’s had 36 professional fights. That point was rehearsed and exuberantly retold numerous times by HBO Latino’s commentators Saturday. Well.

The last time we heard about such a young sensation from Mexico, his name was Julio Cesar Garcia, and his nickname was “Baby Face.” Garcia was 40-2 (34 KOs) on his 20th birthday. He’s 1-2 in the three years since then. And before you think De La Hoya will be the difference for Alvarez, remember that Garcia had Roberto Duran.

Saturday’s fight, lastly, was Alvarez’s second defense of an esteemed WBC Silver title. WBC Silver, you’re thinking, who else has a silly title like that? Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., actually.

A proposal, then: Alvarez and Chavez Jr. fight to determine whom we should take seriously going forward – and the loser stays in Mexico to defend the silver.

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com. Additionally, his book, “The Legend of Muhammad Ali,” co-written with Thomas Hauser, can be purchased here.

After embarking on an outstanding amateur career Robbie “Bomber” Peden turned professional back in late 1996, nearly ten years later he retired aged aged 33. Having gone 25-4(14) the highlight coming in February 2005 when in a rare appearance in his home country of Australia he won the IBF Super Featherweight title when he stopped Nate Campbell in the eighth round. The aforementioned amateur career saw him represent Australia in both the 1992 & 1996 Olympics. He then based himself in America for 10 years in which time he fought both Marco Antonio Barrera & Juan Manuel Marquez, so he’s well accustomed to the nuances of the game. Now 37, he works in the community with underprivileged kids though admits to being tempted by a return to the ring.

Hello Robbie, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – It’s been three and a half years since you retired from the Boxing ring, what have you done since you retired?

Robbie Peden – I started a not for profit organization Indigenous Solutions Aboriginal Corporation where I coordinate and facilitate programs for disadvantaged youth and families. I manage The Fitzroy Stars Health and Fitness Academy and co own a mobile gym company ( Mobile Gyms Australia) with my mate and former Commonwealth champion Julian Holland . I also tutor Indigenous/ Aboriginal children at local high schools trying to better lives of Aboriginal children through out Australia.

Anson Wainwright – Do you have anything to do with Boxing today?

Robbie Peden – Anson I run the Fitzroy Stars health and fitness academy. Here the boxing program is run through out the year from Monday to Friday.

Anson Wainwright – I would imagine the best part of your career was winning the in 2005 when you stopped Nate Campbell for the Vacant IBF Super Featherweight title. Looking back now what are your thoughts on that win and what it meant to you?

Robbie Peden – It was my ambition to go to America to test myself against the best in the world not to fight at home with hand picked opponents. Luckily the opportunity came for me to fight for the title in Australia. Although I didn’t get paid by the promoter Tony Caradona it was still one of the greatest experiences I have had in my life.

Anson Wainwright – Looking at your record it struck me that you had 29 fights but only 2 of them took place in Australia. Why was this?

Robbie Peden – I never wanted to be a big fish in a small pool. I wanted to swim with the sharks, I even bit a few! Obviously I did things a little different then most but I am happy with the choices I made in my career.

Anson Wainwright – You were a road warrior fighting in America many times plus Poland & New Zealand, can you tell us about some of the experiences you had going to all those places?

Robbie Peden – I was based in America for 10 years, but fought in Poland, New Zealand and Vanuatu as well. Andrew Golota wanted me to fight on his undercard in Poland against a Polish Olympian. But travelling with the Australian National team for 6 years, well there wasn’t much I hadn’t seen.

Anson Wainwright – How did you first become interested and then involved in Boxing?

Robbie Peden – I only started boxing to get the girls! (Joking) My father Brian Peden was a fighter and also excellent trainer. He trained my mother’s brothers so it was a natural progression.

Anson Wainwright – I would imagine from fighting so many times in America that you have several friends in the Boxing community? Can you name them & tell us about some of those relationships?

Robbie Peden – Many friends indeed, Roger Bloodworth my trainer, well with out him none of my Professional career would have been possible. I think there are too many people to name whom I consider friends over there. I will say I lost 2 of my good mates last year Vernon Forrest and Arturo Gatti as well as my daughter, so 2009 wasn’t a good year for me!

Anson Wainwright – I’m sure you have seen some crazy things in the Boxing world or been involved in some amusing things. Could you share one of your favourite Boxing stories with us?

Robbie Peden – The training camp with Pernell Whitaker when he was getting ready for Delahoya. That camp was a blast, everyone playing practical jokes on each other. Very funny camp!

Anson Wainwright – You fought many top guys in your career with the legendary Marco Antonio Barrera & Juan Manuel Marquez being the two biggest names. What can you tell us about those fights?

Robbie Peden – Both legends and Hall of fame specials. As for the Marquez fight I spewed up in the 9th round. I entered that fight with a virus but as it was a great opportunity I didn’t want to let it get away from me like the Proposed Augie Sanchez fight.

The Barrera fight I had a pretty good camp but was looking after a friend whom had a lot of issues. Of course things didn’t work out for me and I wasn’t as focused as I should’ve been.

I would like to add I do not wish to take away anything from these tow great fighters victories but I wasn’t 100% for them fights.

Anson Wainwright – Just a few pounds above were you fought two Australians Michael Katsidis and Lenny Zappavigna are making waves on the world scene. What are your thoughts on them and how good do you think they are? What do you think happens when Katsidis fights Marquez?

Robbie Peden – Both Michael and Lenny have been very, very well managed. Michael is never in a boring fight and Lenny is still learning his craft. I think that they’re just below the top echelon in the light weight division at the moment.

I went to Stathi’s (Michael’s brother) funeral last month. Having known both guys for a long time I knew how close they were. It will be very difficult for Michael to won this fight on even terms let alone with this tragedy happening, but things like this can take people to greatness!

Anson Wainwright – What guys do you think could make an impact on the World scene that you guys have in Australia that perhaps aren’t so well known and are on there way up?

Robbie Peden – We are a country of only around 20 million people so out talent pool in very small. Boxing has changed and is more about manipulating the ratings and the media to make the fighters seem better then they really are. I actually very rarely watch or attend boxing because of this reason.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for the Boxing world and you fans?

Robbie Peden – I am seriously thinking of returning to boxing in 2011 to help bring attention to Aboriginal Men’s health. There is about a 15 to 20 year difference in the life span for Aboriginal men to non Aboriginal men in Australia. So I’d really like main stream media get behind my cause.

Thanks for your time Robbie.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Weekend Flurries – So far, and if we learnt anything in 2010 it was that your best laid plans are likely to be turned upside down, with several cancelations of big fights. It looks like an impressive 2011 calendar Bradley-Alexander on 29 January in Detroit, Montiel-Donaire on 19 February in Las Vegas, Lucian Bute fights in March & Manny Pacquiao’s next appearance will be on 16 April…A couple of interesting cards this weekend, Top Rank are doing their independant PPV in Anaheim, Ca i look for Donaire to outpoint Wladimir Sidorenko & Humberto Soto to stop Urbano Antillon late. Solid fight for Mikey Garcia against Olivier Lontchi, who’s been very active in 2010. I’m interested to see how Jessie Magdeleno & Gabino Saenz look early in there fledgling career’s. Also this weekend Saul Alvarez gets back in action against Lovemore Ndou, I think Alvarez will be the first to stop Ndou. In Scotland Ricky Burns makes the first defence of his WBO 130 against Andreas Evansen, I see Burns outpointing his Scandanavian challenger.

The sun set on the British Empire long ago, but it might be rising for the UK’s newest hope at conquering the world, or at least the junior-welterweight’s version of it. Amir Khan’s promotional nickname is King.

King Khan sounds good, but an alliterative ring straight from Hollywood’s history of a much-aped film doesn’t make him worthy of a real crown. Not yet, anyway.

Khan’s chance at a claim takes him to Las Vegas next week for a Dec. 11 date against Marcos Maidana at Mandalay Bay. On the path back from his lone defeat, the fight looms as a decisive marker en route to perhaps the Devon Alexander-Tim Bradley winner and undisputed rule of the rich 140-pound division. Lose it, and a potential milestone turns into a deadly millstone, a career killer.

In a conference call Thursday, Khan was part confident, part cautious.

The confidence comes from the most capable corner in this empire and perhaps a few others.

Freddie Roach is there and has been since Khan beat Marco Antonio Barrera, a fading fighter with a master tactician’s undiminished smarts. Through four fights with Roach, Khan first re-established credentials tarnished by a 2008 loss – a first-round knockout – to Breidis Prescott in front of his stunned countrymen in Manchester, England. A steep learning curve followed, one which displayed a marked increase in versatility and poise.

“We haven’t lost a round since we’ve been together,’’ said Roach, who predicts Khan will knock out Maidana in a late round. “… I don’t see us losing a round here either.’’

Further confidence is rooted in Khan’s work with Manny Pacquiao in a globetrotting camp that started in the Philippines, stopped in Los Angeles at the Wild Card Gym and ended in Dallas before the Filipino Congressman dismantled Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium. During 15 to 20 rounds of sparring, Roach said Khan had some good moments against Pacquiao, who took the mythical out of the pound-for-pound debate with a performance that, among other things, displayed speed that Maidana does not possess.

Do well against Pacquiao, Khan said, “and you can do well against anybody.’’

But a good measure of caution was unmistakable Thursday in perhaps a reflection of Khan’s growing maturity and certainly a byproduct of Maidana’s record. Maidana has already proven himself to be a dangerously effective roadblock for anybody with eyes on a bigger horizon. Ask Victor Ortiz, a surfer who sounded as if he wanted to leave the ring and retire to his board after suffering a sixth-round stoppage at the powerful hands of Maidana.

Lest anybody forget that Maidana is dangerous, the Dec. 11 card includes a warning with the presence of Ortiz, who faces Lamont Peterson in an attempt to go 5-0 since his lone loss in 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

“It won’t be easy, because he is durable guy,’’ Roach said.

And Khan said he won’t be focused to on trying to make good on Roach’s knockout prediction.

“Because when you do, you make mistakes,’’ said Khan, who perhaps betrayed some of his confidence when he said Maidana’s unadorned, straight-ahead style means he “won’t be hard to find.’’
In terms of career momentum, Khan has an edge. He has been on a roll, especially since he joined Roach. For Maidana, there are questions left by a poor showing in a decision over DeMarcus Corley in August. He spent too much time training in his native Argentina, trainer Miguel Diaz said.

“First he came to the United States, late and fat,’’ Diaz said. “Then, he signed a contract with Golden Boy (Promotions). That was another week lost.

“For this fight, he has already been here nine weeks. By the time of the fight, it will be 10 weeks in America. He has been isolated. He comes only to the gym, leaves and rests. He is ready.’’

Problems against Corley, Diaz said, taught Maidana that there would no more training in Argentina, where boxing has become a popular diversion from soccer and tango. First, there was Maidana. Then, there was Sergio Martinez’ stunning second-round knockout of Paul Williams.

Translation: Khan would be surprised if he doesn’t see the best in Maidana; if he doesn’t encounter the stubborn, power puncher who shocked Ortiz. Actually, it sounds as if he would be more than just surprised. He’d be disappointed. Khan’s birthday is Wednesday. He’ll be 24.

But there won’t be a celebration of some newfound maturity until at least Saturday, Dec. 11. And there won’t be one at all if Khan can’t display it against a prepared and capable Maidana.

Canelo in, Junior out
In a budding rivalry to win over Mexico, Saul Alvarez appears to have grabbed an advantage over Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., who inherited a name and crushing expectations from his father, the senior legend and scarred face of the Mexican franchise.

Alvarez is fighting Saturday.

Chavez isn’t.

The Golden Boy-promoted Alvarez, better known as Canelo, faces Lovemore N’dou in Veracruz on a night when a reported fever and flu bumped Junior off a shuffled Top Rank card Saturday in Anaheim, Calif., against Pawel Wolak, who stepped in for injured Alfonso Gomez.

“This happens sometimes,’’ said Chavez promoter Bob Arum, who went on to to describe Junior’s luck as the kind that gets flushed. “Really bad luck, not of his doing. Anybody can get a serious fever and get knocked out of a fight. It’s not something you can really guard against. It just happens.

“It’s like fate, man. It happens. Bleep happens.’’

What won’t happen any time soon is a fight with Miguel Cotto, who could do more damage to Chavez’ career than the flu.

“I don’t think it would be prudent, at this point, to put him in with Miguel,’’ said Arum, who is offering ticket refunds for anybody who wants one, yet will proceed with the pay-per-view card at the Honda Center with bantamweight Nonito Donaire in the main event against Volodymyr Sydorenko.
Ideally, Arum said, he would like to see Chavez win two fights at 154 pounds before Cotto is again a possibility for Junior, still an heir-apparent in name only.

Donaire, who has Margarito trainer Robert Garcia in his corner, is fighting for a shot at Fernando Montiel. Montiel and Donaire turned down a chance to be part of a bantamweight tournament that includes Yonnhy Perez -versus-Joseph Agbeko and Abner Mares-versus-Vic Darchinyan at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash., in a Showtime-televised doubleheader on Dec. 11.

Drachinyan ripped Montiel in a conference-call doubleheader Thursday.

“He’s already a loser,’’ Darchinyan said from Australia. “He didn’t want to be part of the tournament.’’

On second thought
Attendance was disappointing for cards in November, which looked like a banquet for fans starved for fights throughout a long, dark summer.

Juan Manuel Marquez’ victory over Michael Katsidis at Las Vegas MGM Grand on Nov. 27 drew 4,920.
Andre Ward’s win over Sakio Bika, also on Nov.27, in Oakland, drew 4,100.

There were 4,818 for Juan Manuel Lopez’ win on Nov. 6 over Rafael Marquez, also at the MGM Grand.
Pacquiao’s destruction of Margarito on Nov. 13 attracted 41,734, but even that was a disappointment. Arum predicted 60,000-plus.

In a tight economy, perhaps there were too many fights. It might have been tough on the wallet to see them all. Or maybe fans are staying away, turned off by the abortive talks for Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Then again, more and more living rooms have high-definition television screens, which are getting cheaper almost by the day.

It is easier to stay at home and more satisfying to watch a fight on HDTV than it is from a seat at the venue. You save on parking and see more. A lot more. Even from the press section on the floor at Cowboys Stadium, I found myself looking up at the brilliant screen above the ring throughout Pacquiao-Margarito. The fighters were bigger on that screen than they were in the ring.

Photo by Claudia Bocanegra

Going into his WBC Super Bantamweight defense in October, some wondered if Toshiaki Nishioka 37-4-3(23) would grow old at 34 against the pressure of Britain’s Rendall Munroe. As it turned out Nishioka’s class told as he posted a near shut out win one of his best career performance’s. It was Nishioka’s fifth title defense, he’s also widely recognized as the number one fighter at 122. Here’s what the Japanese maestro had to say.

Hello Toshiaki, welcome back to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – Congratulations on your win over Rendall Munroe, you looked very impressive. What are your thoughts on the fight? What did you think of Munroe?

Toshiaki Nishioka – Munroe was a very skilled opponent. I was very impressed with endurance.

Anson Wainwright – It seems that at 34 even with some tough fights you are getting better, why do you think that is?

Toshiaki Nishioka – I believe it comes from my dedication to make myself better. I train hardest I can to make myself a better boxer.

Anson Wainwright – Though it’s early days do you have any idea when we may see you back in the ring? Any idea on who you may face?

Toshiaki Nishioka – I do not have any fights scheduled at this time. Mr. Honda will speak with me once he determines what would be a good match for me.

Anson Wainwright – You have fought once previously in 2010 when you beat Balweg Bangoyan when you stopped him in five. What can you tell us about that fight and what did you think of your performance?

Toshiaki Nishioka – I recall that I was not really looking for a knock out. But I was able to put him away in the 5 round.

Anson Wainwright – Your 34 now how much longer do you think you can continue to fight at the highest possible level? What would you like to do when you retire?

Toshiaki Nishioka – I want box for anther 10 years,

Anson Wainwright – You had four fantastic wars with Thai legend Veeraphol Sahaprom they must of helped shape you into the fighter you are today. What can you tell us about those 4 fights?

Toshiaki Nishioka – I do have lots of respect for Veeraphol. But, I do not believe that those 4 fights have made me the fighter that I am today. But those fights are some what in the past.

Anson Wainwright – Your Teikken Team mate Hozumi Hasegawa lost to Fernando Montiel back in April, Montiel has said he like to become the first Mexican to become a 4 weight world champion. Is that a fight you like to try to get revenge?

Toshiaki Nishioka – I would love the opportunity to fight Montiel.

Anson Wainwright – Over the summer you and some other members of Teikken went to Cardiff to attend “The Night of Champions” how did you enjoy the experience of being in Britain? What were your thoughts on how you thought the event went?

Toshiaki Nishioka – I had a great time and enjoyed meeting the people from UK.

Anson Wainwright – Japanese food is known to be healthy, can you tell us a little about your diet before a fight as it would be very different from what we eat in the West?

Toshiaki Nishioka – My typical diet is pasta in the afternoon and home made chicken soup at night.

Anson Wainwright – What fighters past or present do you enjoy watching fight?

Toshiaki Nishioka – I am a big fan of Sugar Ray Leonard.

Anson Wainwright – What goals do you still have in Boxing?

Toshiaki Nishioka – To become the the best fight I can possibly be.

Anson Wainwright – Finally you broke a few British hearts when you beat Rendell Munroe, do you have a message for him and his loyal fans who travelled thousands of miles to see the fight?

Toshiaki Nishioka – Munroe is a very talented fighter. He has what it takes to become a world champion. I hope to see him become a world champion someday.

Thanks for your time.

Anson Wainwright

15rounds.com

Random Thoughts – Having been in Las Vegas for several days, I’ve headed to Texas to visit relatives in Odessa. It’s true everything in the “Lone Star State” is bigger. My relatives have a house that’s 21,000 square feet house not including the land around. It’s also the biggest house between Fort Worth, Tx & Phoenix, Az. Highly impressive isn’t the word, I don’t have my own room, I have my own wing!…Nate Campbell decided to hang up his gloves after the weekend, Congrats on a solid career in which he won the WBA/WBO & IBF Lightweight Championships…Chavez Jnr finally pulled out of this weekend’s fight, not a tremendous surprise as there were lots of rumors of various things being up or wrong…Arthur Abraham said he’s undersized at Super Middleweight but still intends to go through with his next fight of the “Super 6”, something seems up he isn’t the beats he was at 160. If he can get back down to Middleweight maybe he could mix things up with Sergio Martinez or head back to Germany and fight Felix Sturm or get Russian Dmitry Pirog, all would be interesting.

Photo by : Naoki Fukuda/TEIKEN PROMOTIONS

There is a long list of things motivating Bernard Hopkins for his December 18 title bout with Jean Pascal but etched at the top is making history.

“You can’t make history all the time,” Hopkins said. “You can have a winning record, a winning season, but to actually make history — a baseball player hitting 500 home runs or something like that — these things don’t happen all the time.”

“I get a chance to be the oldest boxer on record in boxing history to win a title,” Hopkins continued. “And history making hasn’t ran out for Bernard Hopkins.”

A win in Quebec City against Pascal would result in Hopkins laying claim to both the WBC and Ring Magazine light heavyweight titles. It would also erase George Foreman’s name from the history books next to “Oldest Fighter To Win a Major Championship” and replace it with the Executioner’s.

“I’ll walk through fire with gasoline shoes on to get that,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins (51-5-1, 31 KO), who turns 46 on January 15, is convinced he has seen it all inside the ropes, and doesn’t believe Pascal (26-1, 16 KO) stands out as a superior talent.

“I’ve watched this guy’s [Pascal’s] defense,” Hopkins said. “I’ve watched how he swings with his head down. I’ve watched how he throws wild punches.”

Hopkins continued, “Then I looked at the fighters who have fought me the same way over the years — the Antwun Echols — the guys who threw punches to knock you out. Those punches don’t hit Bernard Hopkins.”

Hopkins, although seventeen years his counterpart’s senior, is convinced he has taken the necessary steps to ensure that he’ll be able to go toe-to-toe with Pascal over the potential thirty six minutes in the ring.

“I’m here because I am the most health conscious, clean-living person. No wine, no champagne; no anniversary, no birthday parties, no New Year’s — no sips,” Hopkins said of his strict zero-alcohol policy. “When you have that mentality, it buys you more time.”

If The Executioner was the least bit unsure he could beat Pascal, he wouldn’t be in the ring, his place in boxing history means too much to him.

“[I’ll fight] as long as it doesn’t take away from my legacy, as long as it doesn’t embarrass my legacy,” Hopkins said.

In less than three weeks, in a bout televised live on Showtime, Hopkins will have the opportunity to continue decorating his already Hall of Fame enshrined resume.

But for an aging prizefighter, one slip up can spell the end of a career — even for fighter as celebrated as Hopkins.

It is for that reason, Hopkins has allowed making history to be his carrot on a stick.

A win for Hopkins reserves another place in the all-important history books for Philadelphia’s finest, while a loss for the man they call ‘B-Hop’ could mean his career is history.

“I know it’s win and go further or lose and go home,” Hopkins said. “It’s the playoffs, baby.”

Thoughts on select fights this past weekend:

Carl Froch vs. Arthur Abraham

I’m having trouble coming to grips that the same guy who showed unbelievable courage and heart by fighting eight-plus rounds with a broken jaw against Edison Miranda took such few risks against Carl Froch.

I also don’t understand how there’s no ‘Plan B’ to Abraham’s strategy. In March, Andre Dirrell provided the blueprint on how to beat Abraham — on Saturday, Froch perfected it. The result: ‘2’ in the loss column for King Arthur.

While he seems to have retained his power moving up in weight — KO’ing Jermain Taylor — and flooring Dirrell twice in Detroit (neither of which counted, one was generously ruled a slip, the other was illegal and left Dirrell out cold) — the problem is that Abraham’s power punches land few and far between.

At super middleweight, he’s just too small in stature to effectively implement his strategy. The taller opponents have been able to keep Abraham on the outside with relative ease. Further, it’s a nice luxury for a boxer to know that when you fire punches Abraham’s way, there will be none coming back at you. For whatever reason, Abraham is either incapable or unwilling to counterpunch.

Although contractually obligated, I do admire how Abraham already stated that he will stay in the Super Six and do battle with Andre Ward in the semi-finals.

While Ward has been more of a brawler than a boxer of late, previous fights and his amateur pedigree leave no doubt that he can box when he has to/wants to. I’d imagine Ward will do his best to adopt the Dirrell-Froch strategy, despite only sporting a one inch reach advantage over the Armenian-born German.

Lastly, I felt really bad for the blonde girl who had to sit behind Nikolai Valuev in Helsinki. Paid top-dollar for a sixth row seat and got planted right behind the 7’2” Russian. Ouch.

Celestino Caballero vs. Jason Litzau

Classic case of underestimation — and struggling with weight apparently. But more importantly, two weeks ago Celestino Caballero uploaded a forty-six second Youtube video in which the lanky Panamanian called out JuanMa Lopez. Caballero called Lopez a “big chicken” with “no heart” & “no cojones” — whatever they are. He was apparently looking forward to a clash with top-notch featherweights and junior lightweights, while overlooking Litzau.

Also, previous to that, he posted a video directed at Litzau telling him the he was going to “break his face” and “kick his ass.”

Whoops.

Andre Berto vs. Freddy Hernandez

According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, Andre Berto made $915,000 for his two minute and seven second fight with Freddy Hernandez. That’s approaching the money Sergio Martinez received for his rematch against Paul Williams. Think about it…

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
Atlantic City welterweight contender Shamone “The Truth” Alvarez will square-off against Ayi Bruce of Ghana this Friday at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. The scheduled twelve round bout will serve as the main event of a card promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing. Alvarez (21-2 12 KO’s) is coming off the biggest win of his eight year pro career, a seventh round knockout victory over Alexis Camacho this past March. With a win over the experienced Bruce (17-3 12 KO’s), Alvarez would capture the vacant IBA title and would be one step closer to a major title shot in 2011.

Philadelphia’s Raymond Serrano, whose last win came over the aforementioned Bruce in October, will face Geoffery Spruiell in the co-feature. Even though twenty-one year old Serrano (13-0 6 KO’s) is sixteen years his opponent’s junior, he enters the ring with almost as much pro experience as the Spruiell (8-9 2 KO’s).

In other action, Wildwood native Chuck “The Professor” Mussachio will battle Floridian Theo Kruger in an eight round light heavyweight bout. Mussachio (15-1 5 KO’s) is seeking his forth straight victory since losing to Tommy Karpency last October.

Mussachio, who also currently works as a guidance counselor at a nearby elementary school, is one of the true nice guys in the sport. Where some athletes are praised for merely staying out of trouble, Mussachio actually improves his community everyday through his work with troubled youths.

Millville junior middleweight Ismael Garcia (2-0) will fight for the second time in three weeks when he takes on Joe Yerdon of Berlin, NY. Garcia scored a unanimous decision over Corey Preston (who happens to also be on the card against Philadelphia’s Rashad Brown) last month at Harrah’s.

In a battle of New Jersey based super middleweights, Atlantic City’s, Isiah Seldon (2-0, 1 KO), the son of former heavyweight titleholder Bruce Seldon, will square off against the always tough Dover native Todd Eriksson (2-4-1, 1 KO) in a four round bout.

Rounding out the card is female junior welterweight Althera Sanders fighting an opponent to be announced.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

Fresh off his epic thrill a minute fight of the year Ricky Burns wastes no time getting back into action making his first defense of the WBO Super Featherweight title when he squares off with Andreas Evensen on 4 December in the Braehead Area, Glasgow. Going into the Martinez fight Burns 27, wasn’t given much of a chance and was a heavy underdog with the bookmakers however he showed his promoter Frank Warren’s faith was well founded in getting him home territory when he posted a stunning performance to become Scotland’s thirteenth World Champion. His opponent Evansen 24, is rated 3# by the WBO sports a 13-1(5) record and fights out of Norway by way of Columbia has previously fought in Britain when he stopped Gianpiero Contestabile in 5. His biggest fight to date when when he lost a decision to former WBC 130 title challenger Benoit Gaudet. Here’s what the quiet affable Burns had to say.

Hello Ricky, welcome to 15 rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – Congratulations on a terrific win over Roman Martinez when you won the WBO Super Featherweight title. What can you tell us about the fight looking back?

Ricky Burns – I’ve only watched the fight back a couple of times. You know it still hasn’t sunk in. Again it was a great fight and I always said when I’m up against it that’s when I’m going to be my best. Because there was only a handful of people me and my camp who thought I was going to win the fight. So again when I watched it back I was very pleased with the outcome. Obviously Boxing’s all I’ve ever done since I was 12 years old when I put the gloves on. A world title is one of the most prestigious things you can ever get and I’ve achieved that.

Anson Wainwright – He put you down in the first and rocked you a couple of times. However you showed tremendous spirit and grit to weather the storm what are your thoughts on that now?

Ricky Burns – The knock down in the first I was was square on and off balance and I was going back at the time. I got straight up, if you look at my eyes I was fine. Everybody was panicking, I was having a look ringside and everyone clasped there heads in there hands. It was a clean shot. If I wasn’t been of balance and the damage could of been a lot worse.

Anson Wainwright – You wont be wasting any time making your first defense fighting Andreas Evensen what do you know about him & what are your thoughts on that fight?

Ricky Burns – I haven’t been able to get tapes on him. When I fight I don’t like to watch guys, I like to concentrate on the fight I’m going to fight. My trainer Billy Nelson sits down and picks what their good at and picks out faults and he tells me what to work on. He’s trying really hard to get some (Tapes). When you look at his record he’s won his last 5 by knock out so again another big puncher. I’m going to train exactly the same as for the last fight and I don’t see it being a problem, I just see me making a successful first defense.

Anson Wainwright – Since you won the title what have you been up to? How has winning the title changed things for you?

Ricky Burns – I’m trying to not let it change me. I don’t feel any different than before I won the fight. Obviously getting noticed a lot more, I’m getting more invites to do things. As you said I’m in the ring quite quick after winning the title. So my trainer doesn’t want anything interfering with the gym work because that’s the last thing you want is me concentrating on other things outside of the training. We can’t afford any slip ups.
I’ve been doing quite a lot. I was at the Scotland game (Soccer) when they played Liechtenstein. I was announced on to the pitch at half time. Also when the pope visited Scotland I carried the Scotland flag in the parade. I’ve been invited to a lot of other things with the Scottish First Minister. Again there coming up a couple of weeks before the fight so I’ve had to knock back a few things because I’m trying to focus on training. I’m trying to do what I can, but I don’t want to do to much. When I’m training for a fight I like to be 100% focused. It’s got to be done.

Anson Wainwright – Who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym do you train at?

Ricky Burns – My trainer is Billy Nelson. My manager is Alex Morrison & Frank Warren is my promoter. I train at Billy Nelson’s gym “The Fighting Scots gym”. The gym only has professionals who train there. I train along side John Simpson (A Featherweight who’s 21-7(9) who’s a former British & Commonwealth champion) and another couple of up and coming boxers Michael Roberts (1-0(0) Featherweight) he just boxed the other week on Alex Morrison’s show when he made his debut & Santino Caruana (5-1(0) Lightweight) he’s up and coming as well. He boxed and won as well. Their both hoping to be on the Braehead bill.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your early years growing up in Coatbridge, Scotland?

Ricky Burns – All through school, i was the quietest guy i wouldn’t of said boo to a ghost. I’m still the quietest guy you’ll meet. I like to keep myself to myself anybody who knows me will tell you that. The Boxing side of it. I see Boxing as my job. The gym opened up at the end of the estate and from the first time i walked in that was me hooked. I work part time in a sports shop D W Sports the shops in Coatbridge. I work part time, that gives me all week to concentrate on Boxing. My management & co-workers i get on really well with and don’t see it as a job. When I’m working i spend most of my shifts talking to customers because everyone who walks through the door i seem to know who they are. So again I really enjoy it all.

Anson Wainwright – You told me a couple of weeks after you won the title when you were in Birmingham attending “The Magnificent Seven” show that you were being awarded the WBO belt in the ring between fights that you were more nervous about that than fighting. Can you tell us about that and how it felt to be officially awarded the title?

Ricky Burns – In the ring I feel at home in the gym as well, as I say Boxing was all I ever wanted to do. Outside of the gym at the press conferences I’m really shy and after the fight i like things to go back to normal. I’m still trying to adjust to getting all the attention.

Anson Wainwright – There are several interesting fights for you with fellow British fighters like Stephen Foster Jnr who won the European title recently, British champion Gary Sykes along with Anthony Crolla & fellow Scot Paul Appleby are they fights you’d like or do you see them as steps backwards?

Ricky Burns – Earlier in my career I had been meant to box some of the names you mentioned. I was mandatory when Gary Sykes won the British title. I was mandatory to fight him for it. But obviously when I was offered the world title fight your going to jump at the chance. So I stepped aside. Again Stephen Foster Jr I was supposed to fight him a couple of years ago and the fight fell through. It’s the same with other boxers in Britain. I was down to box John Murray. I was down to box Kevin Mitchell and he had issues making Super Feather and he stepped up. As I’ve always said I’m willing to fight anybody that’s the attitude I had when I first put on the gloves and nothing has changed.
I’ve sparred with Paul (Appleby) a few times in the build up to the Martinez fight and earlier on in our career’s. The same with Alex Arthur. I’m sure he’d have the same attitude as me if the fight came up you’d put your friendship aside for that one night. At the end of the day it’s job.

Anson Wainwright – When your not Boxing what do you like to do with your time?

Ricky Burns – When I’m not training, I enjoy playing Golf. The biggest thing I do is my X-Box, I’m addicted to Call of Duty & FIFA. So if I’m not training you’ll find me in the house on Call of Duty. Outside the ring I’m just normal, the same as everybody else. I’m a Celtic (Soccer) fan, but I’m not into Soccer as much as when I was younger.

Anson Wainwright – Who was your Boxing hero growing up? What fighters do you like to watch today?

Ricky Burns – When I was growing up it was Prince Naseem Hamed. That was who we used to gather around to watch. Now I’d say my favorite is Floyd Mayweather.

Anson Wainwright – I don’t know if you got chance to meet him but he was at the “Magnificent Seven” show in September that you were also at.

Ricky Burns – I saw him when he came in and I was dying to go over and see him but me being me being dead shy I didn’t. I said to my mum and she said you didnt even get me his autograph! haha

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans who supported you and will hopefully be cheering you on against Evansen?

Ricky Burns – I have a great support in Glasgow, especially Coatbridge. They make the night that bit more special. A big thank you to all my fans and everybody who comes to watch. Everybody has been unbelievable.

Thanks for your time Ricky, keep up the good work.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Midweek Musings – Last week i popped to see Marcos Maidana in his training camp ahead of his 11 December fight with Amir Khan, he looked in great shape, he was 145, he thinks Khan is over looking him and calling out the likes of Mayweather. He said “Khan has to win every second of the fight, i only have to win 1 second to win the fight” obviously alluding to his power…All the credit in the world to Juan Manuel Marquez, at 37 he once again reminded us of how great he is getting off the floor to win a ninth round stoppage over Michael Katsidis, at the moment I’d have to put that a fight of the year with the third round as round of the year…Much of the talk afterwords centered around Marquez wanting to fight Pacquiao personally I think the Filipino Congressman is a bit to big for Marquez who’s topped out at 135 but there’s no doubting he’s earned it. I’d prefer to see Marquez fight Erik Morales in Mexico, i think that would be a heck of an event South of the Boarder…Special shout out to Michael Katsidis & his manager/trainer Brendan Smith they certainly played there part in the roller coaster main event on Saturday, i think it’s testimony to their fiercely tough training camp they had in Thailand that they took so much until Marquez finally got to him. I’d like to see him take a well deserved break and come to terms with the devastating loss of his brother then get back into action maybe in front of his adoring fans in Australia, he’ll certainly be welcome back with open arms to America & Britain…Looks like they over matched Celestino Caballero taking him to 130, it was still close but he didn’t look the beast he has been at 122 or 126, it’s a long road getting one of the big guys at Featherweight now. Jason Litzau now deserves a title shot at 130 and he’d have a good shot at any of the champions…Stunning KO by Andre Berto, hopefully he gets a big fight next…Ghanaian Middleweight Bastie Samir looks like he’s a helluva puncher and has the potential to go places likewise Light Welterweight Michael Finney both scored second round KO’s…Get Well soon Kenny Adams, he’s currently in hospital but getting better.

As Nottinghamshire’s Carl “The Cobra” Froch made his ringwalk, Saturday, Showtime commentator Steve Farhood recounted Froch’s run of super middleweight opponents since 2008 – Jean Pascal, Jermain Taylor, Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham – and approvingly added, “There’s not another active fighter you can name who’s faced that caliber of competition in such a period of time.”

Farhood’s assertion went untested for about 90 minutes. Then Mexico City’s “Dinamita” Juan Manuel Marquez made his way to a prizefighting ring on the other side of the world and took up Farhood’s challenge – naming Manny Pacquiao, Joel Casamayor, Juan Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Juan Diaz again, and Michael Katsidis.

At worst, Dynamite finishes tied with The Cobra.

But Saturday was such a celebration of what boxing should be that, for once, the only disagreements worth tracking are those conducted between the ropes. No, Saturday, Nov. 27, was not enough to keep 2010 from being a steadfastly bad year, but it was still quite something. From the Hartwall Arena of Helsinki, Finland, to Oracle Arena in Oakland, USA, then back to MGM Grand in Las Vegas, boxing did itself proud.

In the final fight of Group Stage 3, part of Showtime’s durable “Super Six World Boxing Classic” – a tournament that, one way or many others, has managed to isolate four of the world’s five best 168 pounders in its upcoming semifinals – Carl Froch dominated Germany’s Arthur Abraham in Helsinki, winning by unanimous scores of 119-109, 120-108 and 120-108.

A while later, Super Six favorite Andre “Son of God (S.O.G.)” Ward, who defeated Andre Dirrell by walkover a month ago, participated in the hardest fight of his career, against Cameroonian Sakio Bika, and prevailed by misleadingly lopsided scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 118-110.

And while Ward brawled heavy with Bika in Oakland, master craftsman Juan Manuel Marquez rose from a knockdown to stop Australian Michael Katsidis at 2:14 of round 9 and remain the undisputed lightweight champion of the world, in Nevada.

Three completely different fights with six markedly different fighters leading to three matches that compared favorably with any Thanksgiving fare any other sport served up. Made you proud to love boxing, finally.

We start with Froch because his win was unexpected. The fight was a toss-up, really, as every fight in Showtime’s groundbreaking tournament has been. Froch was not favored. Arthur Abraham, looking to redeem himself after the year’s most notorious cheap shot, was expected to find Froch’s chin often enough to prevail. Instead, Froch borrowed Andre Dirrell’s approach and executed it better than Dirrell ever could.

Why did a man without Dirrell’s speed or class prevail over a man whom Dirrell was fading against in their March fight? Because Froch is a fighter, not merely an athlete who chose boxing because he heard you could make a lot of money doing it.

Remember for a moment the end of Dirrell-Abraham – with Dirrell on his trunks after a slip, legs splayed, chin in the air, hands on the mat, perfectly defenseless – when Abraham blasted him with a punch that merited immediate disqualification, rendering Dirrell unable to continue. Now see if you can imagine Froch in that same position.

You can’t. The idea of Froch helpless after an inanely showy move that dropped him on the canvas can’t be conjured. Froch has quirks, but expecting sportsmanship to stand between him and violence in a prizefighting ring is not one of them.

Froch did to Abraham what Manny Pacquiao did to Joshua Clottey. He determined his opponent would not punch so long as he was being punched, and he kept punching. The few times Froch was tagged by Abraham, like in the fifth round, Froch dropped his chin to his chest with a thud, then glared at Abraham from the tops of his eyes.

And in the 11th, when a borderline blow to Abraham’s beltline made the former middleweight champion a thespian, Froch had none of it. He went directly at Abraham, smacking him with three more body shots in a way that said: “This is a fight actually, you wanker, so have some more.”

Writing of fighting, how about that Andre Ward? A mollycoddled Olympian no more. The last American to win a gold medal looked like nothing so much as a prizefighter, Saturday. He went foul-for-foul with a crafty, rugged professional and beat him right. That’s no indictment of Bika, though. Bika made every Super Six fan wonder how Allan Green ever got an invitation to substitute for Jermain Taylor.

Froch and Ward both impressed, yes, but neither was in a fight impressive as Juan Manuel Marquez’s, Saturday. Froch and Ward are excellent champions working towards greatness. But Marquez is a legend.

In round 3 of his championship match with Katsidis, Marquez slipped under a spell of his own offensive arsenal, as he’s wont to do, and got blasted with a left hook while cocking one. Marquez went down almost too hard. The back of his head kissed the canvas. Had the canvas been but two inches higher, not even Marquez would have risen to do what he did.

And that was plant his feet and engage a younger man in a desperate exchange of fire. Just as he had done against a younger man named Juan Diaz in Houston, Marquez made the purist’s calculation: My short straight punches tell more than your looped leveraged ones do. Six rounds later, Katsidis was in need of rescue, and referee Kenny Bayless provided it.

Now we look forward. Sometime in the next six months, Froch will make an entertaining scrap with Glen Johnson. Round that time, Ward will battle the remnants of Arthur Abraham’s pride. Anything could happen. But Froch and Ward have to be the favorites to meet in the finale of the Super Six. And what a spectacle that’ll be.

Now if only we could find an opponent for Juan Manual Marquez . . .

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com. Additionally, his book, “The Legend of Muhammad Ali,” co-written with Thomas Hauser, can be purchased here.

Ahead of this weekend’s Marquez-Katsidis fight, we asked 10 fighters who reside at or near Lightweight what there thoughts & predictions are.

John Murray – Lightweight Contender. WBC 3, WBO 9 & The Ring 6.

I think Marquez will win it, I think he’s a bit to cute, a bit too clever for Katsidis.

Ricky Burns – WBO Super Featherweight Champion

I think it’s a cracking fight, I’m sure it’s going to be a total war. Actually when Katsidis boxed here last time against Kevin Mitchell I was on the undercard. With Katsidis what you see is what you get, all action he’ll come forward. I think Katsidis is going to win this one. I don’t see him stopping Marquez; he’s been in with the best so again I see Katsidis winning on points.

Robert Guerrero – Two weight world champion, WBA 2, IBF 6 & WBO 1.

I’m picking Marquez in a unanimous decision. I think he’ll out box him.

Roman Martinez – Former Super Featherweight champion.

Given Marquez experience and counterpunching abilities I think Juan Manuel must win by knockout. Katsidis will put up a fight but it’s going to be difficult for him to try to box or fight against Marquez; he’s really good.

Juan Diaz – Former WBA/IBF & WBO Lightweight Champion who fought both Marquez (Losing twice KO8 & PTS12) & Katsidis (Winning PTS12)

I believe that Marquez is gonna take a victory with a decision but saying that it wouldn’t surprise me if Katsidis stops Marquez because I think if it goes to a decision Marquez is going to take it but at the same time I saw Marquez slowing down a bit in our last encounter and knowing Katsidis and knowing what a power puncher he is Marquez is going to that risk of getting beat by Katsidis.

I would say Katsidis is no doubt is the stronger puncher but Marquez is more accurate puncher. Katsidis throws a lot of punches and there very strong but Marquez is fast and accurate puncher.

I think that Marquez is going to try to outbox Katsidis because he saw how I beat him and another guy who beat him very easily is Casamayor. I think that’s going to be his game plan.

Brandon Rios – Lightweight Contender. WBC 4, WBA 1 & The Ring 5.

I’m going for Marquez, I think he might pull the victory; he’s smart, very technical he does a good job at it. So I think he came out with the win. But it’s going to be very hard because Katsidis is a pressure fighter and he throws a lot of punches and he has a nice hit. It’s going to be a good fight. It’s going to be a war fight. I think Marquez might win and I’d love to fight the winner.

Lenny Zappavigna – Lightweight Contender

Be great fight and a hard fight for Katsidis but that’s what every one said about my fight so lets just hope that Michael does the same and show the world that we are just as good as the Americans. Go hard Kats all the best to you and Brendon Smith good luck and god bless

Anthony Peterson – Lightweight Contender

I think that it’ll be a very competitive fight a gruelling bout, a lot of highlights which will please the fans. A lot of cuts due to left and right uppercuts from Marquez. I think it’ll be about a ten round TKO due to cuts Juan Manuel Marquez.

Nate Campbell – Former WBA/IBF & WBO Lightweight Champion.

Experience wise Marquez, but i don’t know how much he has left in his legs. If he still has his legs he’ll box circles around Michael Katsidis if not Katsidis will run him over. I’m going for Marquez but i love Katsidis style.

Being underestimated is a source of frustration for some. Anger for others. Motivation for many. For Andre Ward, it’s been a career.

Ward promoter Dan Goossen repeated trainer Virgil Hunter’s insightful look at his intriguing and likable super-middleweight at a news conference for his title defense against Sakio Bika Saturday in hometown Oakland, Calif., in a Showtime doubleheader that starts with the Super Six bout between Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch in Helsinki.

“I believe Virgil put it best when he said people underestimate Andre,’’ Goossen said.

Even with an Olympic gold medal, the World Boxing Association’s version of the 168-pound title and his emergence as the Super Six favorite, Ward is underestimated, part by circumstance and yet also a role comfortable and cultivated because it works.

Within a tight circle of friends and family, Ward has kept himself insulated from distractions and delusions that surround an emerging star like a trail of chaos.

“The day they say I arrived is the day I should retire,’’ Ward said during a conference call.

It’s a comment that seems to say that Ward is guided by what he knows instead of what he hears, by the internal instead of the external. In part, it’s what makes him so likable. Yet, it’s also hard to believe it will remain in place if and when Ward achieves the stardom he appears to moving toward. If Manny Pacquiao fulfills the promise he delivered in an address to the Filipino Congress the other day and retires in three years, Ward could succeed him at the top of the marquee. He looks like an heir-apparent, the potential face and voice of Generation Next.

First, he has to beat Bika. Then, he has to win the Super Six and perhaps a showdown with Lucian Bute. If, if and if he accomplishes all of that, he will face the challenge of maturing into an enduring star, which means nobody will underestimate him anymore. An underestimated star is just another way of saying he is lousy draw. Celebrity, distractions and even an entourage are all written into the ticket that adds up to big numbers at the box office.

For now, Ward is still a fighter displaying versatile skills and finding motivation in the doubts planted by circumstances that have plagued the Super Six. He was supposed to have fought friend and 2004 Olympic Andre Dirrell, who withdrew from reported neurological problems linked to a punch thrown by Abraham last March while he was down. Skepticism about the injury has been the speculation, perhaps because of the Dirrell-Ward friendship or maybe because the Internet wouldn’t be what it is with second-guessing.

Whatever you think, Ward says he has moved on.

“Business as usual,’’ he said.

But the shuffle — Bika instead of Dirrell in a bout that has been dropped from the tournament – has eroded interest and put Ward back into the role he knows so well.

“I’ve prepared myself for a fight like this years in advance, said Ward, the World Boxing Association champion, who is still guaranteed a a spot in the semifinals against either Glen Johnson or the Froch-Abraham winner. “…At the end of the day, my championship belt is still on the line and at the end of the day I’ve got to show up and get the job done. And I’ve got a guy on the other side of the ring that’s trying to hurt me. For me, personally, there’s no letdown. This is as big as it gets. There’s really no problem with this not being in the tournament.’’

Any fight against a stand-in is unpredictable, if not inherently dangerous. But the unflappable Ward seems to take it all in stride. The guess here is he could face some real trouble against the emerging Bute or even against the ageless Johnson, whose skill and poise were evident all over again in beating of Allan Green.

But Ward already has dealt with adversity. With American attention on Olympic boxing gone even in 2004, Ward encountered and beat. I like, so many others, had underestimated him. At the start of Olympic boxing, I bet boxing writer-and-author George Kimball 50 Euros that the U.S. wouldn’t win a medal in Athens. After the preliminary rounds, I was already planning to spend my winnings on a good Greek meal. Then, Dirrell won bronze. A few days later, Ward won gold.

I had underestimated him. He surprised me then.

I hope he does again.

Saying Thanks
· For Juan Manuel Marquez, whose endless resiliency will be tested all over again Saturday night at Las Vegas MGM Grand against dangerous Australian brawler Michael Katsidis on HBO. A Marquez victory should be enough for him to get another third shot at Pacquiao, although the Golden Boy-Top Rank cold war stands in the way.

· For emerging Sergio Martinez, whose home run — a one-punch knockout of Paul Williams — proved me wrong in the most exciting stoppage of this year and maybe a few others.

· For Pacquiao, whose pay-per-view audience of at least 1.15 million for his victory over Antonio Margarito is reason to say that the international game, always declared dead, is alive-and-well.

· For Bob Arum, who has come back from the personal tragedy of losing his son in a hiking accident. It’s been a tough year for Arum. Without him, it would be tough for boxing.

· For Oscar De La Hoya, who is one fighter, a rare professional athlete, who is trying to give back to a troubled sport. In a rivalry that is all about business, Arum is battling De La Hoya for market share. The market is better off because it has a major promoter who has thrown punches and endured more than a few.

· For Hall of Famer Michael Carbajal, who is middle aged and in his toughest fight ever – a long, trying legal battle to regain what belongs to him. A victory in upholding an order of protection and a judgment against neighbors sets a potential precedent for success in an ongoing civil case to get 12 Phoenix properties in his name. Carbajal alleges they were purchased with ring earnings taken from him in a scheme put together by brother and former trainer Danny, who is in prison.

· For fans, readers and – above all – the fighters, Happy Thanksgiving.

This Saturday Andre Berto 26-0(20) makes the fifth defence of the WBC Welterweight title against Freddy “El Riel” Hernandez on the bumper “Warriors” promotion from The MGM Grand Garden Hotel Casino, Las Vegas, NV. Berto 27, is one of Boxing’s brightest young stars who hopes to win and win imressively and catapult himself into a fight with one of Boxing’s biggest names. It almost happened back in January when he was scheduled to fight Shane Mosley, but with a heavy heart he pulled out when 8 of his relatives lost their lives in Haiti in the earthquake. Now Berto who now resides in Winter Haven, Florida fights in their memory. We spoke with Berto briefly prior to his work out at The Extreme Couture Gym in Las Vegas, here’s what he had to say.

Hello Andre, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – On Saturday you’ll be fighting Freddy Hernandez what do you know about him and what are your thoughts on this fight?

Andre Berto – Freddie Hernandez is a good, tough Mexican fighter that’s going to come to win. He has a good right hand. He’s going to come and try to win that title Saturday night.

Anson Wainwright – Where did you train for this fight? How did it go? How long for?

Andre Berto – We trained down in central Florida. We were there for 8 or 9 weeks. We had a tremendous training camp, I had great sparring partners and I think we’re ready.

Anson Wainwright – Originally it was hoped you may fight mandatory Selcuk Aydin, what happened with that fight? Do you have to fight him after Hernandez if your successful?

Andre Berto – Umm you know i’m not sure. I don’t think there’s any fight I have to take at all next. We tried to get it done for this fight but I feel his team for some reason didn’t want to do it at the last minute so we just took the next best thing.

Anson Wainwright – This will be only your second fight in Las Vegas, can you tell us what it’s like to be back in the Boxing capital of the World ahead of the fight?

Andre Berto – I’m excited, I love Vegas and this is a mecca for a lot of huge fights right now. I’m just excited to be a part of it.

Anson Wainwright – You looked to step up with the Mosley fight that was cancelled, obviously you have to take care of Hernandez Saturday but what is your plan for 2011?

Andre Berto – You know 2011 I want big fights, people want to see. It’s about that time, we’re going to try to take care of business Saturday night. Hopefully opportunity’s open up in 2011.

Anson Wainwright – It’s well documented what happened in Haiti and your sad loss of family, can you tell us a little about that and how are things at the moment over there?

Andre Berto – Things are still rough over that way, you know there still going through a lot of tremendous loses, first with the earthquake situation and now they have Cholera situation, they can’t catch a break right now. You know it’s up to us to continue to bring that awareness and do all we can. We have our foundation Berto Dynasty Foundation, that’s in full effect. We’re in partnership with other foundations like Project Medishare, Bill Clinton Foundation and in 2011 we’re looking forward to continue to putting things together and put together a major plan to make a difference.

Anson Wainwright – It has been said that you get over paid by HBO for fighting second tier guys, can you respond to that?

Andre Berto – At the end of the day these people need to understand that this is something we love but at the same time we’re risking our lives everytime we step in the ring. I basically put myself in the situation and surrounded myself with a team that really recognise that and recognise my challenge and we try to do all we can to handle business inside the ring. I have a tremendous team who handle the business for me outside the ring so you know. We have to make sure it all equals out.

Anson Wainwright – Is there a fight that you particularly crave?

Andre Berto – I mean anybody right now, we’re just focused on Saturday night. I believe all the big fights will be there come 2011

Anson Wainwright – How do you look at the Mayweather-Pacquiao superfight? What are your thoughts on that?

Andre Berto – It’s a fight everyone wants to see, I mean if Floyd Mayweather, actually he’s been in the game for about 15 years and Manny Pacquiao has been dominating the scene the last couple of years. There the top guys in the world so it’s only right that people want to see them fight each other.

Anson Wainwright – Do you have a message for your fans?

Andre Berto – Just continue watching, i believe it’s the greatest sport in the world and don’t feel there’s anything like it. I know not everyone can do what we do. So continue to support it.

Thanks for your time Andre, good luck with your fight Saturday.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

What a great weekend of fights there’s the HBO Championship Boxing card headlined by Marquez-Katsidis with Berto-Hernandez & Caballero-Litzau in chief support. Also appearing are Nate Campbell, Erislandy Lara, Keith Thurman and prized prospects Michael Finney & Bastie Samir…Showtime will show Abraham-Froch on tape delay and Ward-Bika…Wow I never knew it got so cold in Las Vegas, it seems I brought the British weather with me!

Sometime around what would have been the two minute mark of the second stanza, trainer Gabriel Sarmiento placed a crown on Sergio Martinez’s head, not only anointing him undisputed king of the middleweight division, but also — for my money — Fighter of the Year.

With one jaw shattering left cross, Paul Williams collapsed poetically to the canvas; blood dribbled from his mouth, his eyes cluelessly fixated on the blue mat on which he lie.

The electrifying left hand — which will likely result in Martinez winning Knockout of the Year — arrived milliseconds before “The Punisher’s” own left cross. Martinez took advantage of his counterpart’s right hand resting at his side, exposing his face to danger — exposing his chin to the Argentinian’s left hand.

Although Martinez entered and exited the ropes the champion on Saturday night, he surely wasn’t treated like one before hand. In order to make a rematch with Williams a reality, Martinez was forced to make numerous concessions to Team Williams.

For starters, Martinez, who retained his WBC and Ring Magazine middleweight titles, had to accept a catch-weight of 157 lbs., three pounds shy of the middleweight limit.

He was forced to occupy the blue corner, which was used by underdogs all night long, while Williams staked his claim to the red corner.

“Maravilla’s” name was the first one read by ring announcer Michael Buffer, which betrayed the tradition of having the challenger’s name precede that of the champion’s.

Further, Martinez’s payday of just over one million dollars was significantly less than what “The Punisher” received.

The mind games that were played and the concessions Team Maravilla were forced to make had zero effect on Martinez’s performance, however. The slick Argentinian executed his game plan flawlessly — a game plan that was jotted down on hotel parchment by Sarmiento only two days prior.

“Two days ago, I changed the program completely,” Sarmiento said, speaking through translator and Martinez advisor, Sampson Lewkowicz. “I found a big error from Paul Williams in the middle of the night and I couldn’t sleep the whole night. The next morning I changed the strategy, totally.”

“He always puts his body in front of his legs,” Sarmiento explained. “If he doesn’t put his right hand in the front, he cannot throw the left.”

After the fight, in Martinez’s locker room, Lewkowicz held up Sarmiento’s genius, which was etched into a tiny notebook. The contents consisted of a strategy that was designed to stop Williams inside two rounds. Remarkably, Martinez followed Sarmiento’s roadmap to a knockout to a tee.

Famed boxing scribe, Thomas Hauser, who was present in Martinez’s locker room before the fight, assured the rest of the media that the notebook had not been tampered with.

With the help of Sarmiento’s critical eye, Martinez knew just when to unload the thunderous left that sent Williams toppling face-first to the canvas.

Couple his obliteration of Williams with his convincing unanimous decision against Kelly Pavlik seven months earlier and you have the most deserving candidate of Fighter of the Year.

Further, with Martinez’s success comes well-deserved recognition of Gaby Sarmiento, who has made a solid case for Trainer of the Year, as well.

Yesterday, HBO announced that Martinez-Williams II was the second most watched non Pay-Per-View boxing broadcast this year, second only to the Miguel Cotto-Yuri Foreman bout in Yankee Stadium. Further, Martinez punched his way onto television screens everywhere when ESPN replayed the knockout on SportsCenter.

The next time Martinez steps into the ring, he will not be disrespected. With one swing of his left hand, Martinez left no doubts that he is the best middleweight boxer on the planet. “Maravilla” is the undisputed king of the middleweight division.

After all, there is a reason he wears the crown.

You can reach Kyle Kinder at Twitter.com/KyleKinder

Photo by Claudia Bocanegra

The Super Six World Boxing Classic has given Andre Ward the platform to showcase his skills like never before in his professional career, but the ride has been full of surprises. When the three Group Stages were first charted out, Ward was to fight then reigning WBA kingpin Mikkel Kessler, followed by Jermain Taylor and then ultimately Andre Dirrell in the third stage. Well he fought (and dominated) Kessler to claim the title, but it has been one curveball after another since. The latest will be that he will not have a Group Stage 3 fight at all, having already qualified for the semi-finals, and will instead defend his title against rugged two-time title challenger Sakio Bika this coming Saturday at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.

Bika (28-4-2, 19 KOs) of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia by way of Douala, Cameroon provides a very different challenge than Dirrell would have. A muscularly built specimen, Bika is a straight forward clubber who rarely takes a backward, or lateral, step. “I think that everybody in the boxing world knows what Bika is going to do,” stated Ward at a press conference two weeks ago. “He’s going to come full steam ahead. He’s going to swing with both arms. He’s not a really skillful guy, but he throws a lot of wild punches. I just got to have my eyes open and just continue to do what I do and that is a little bit of everything.”

As Ward (22-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland proved in both his title-winning effort against Kessler and his Group Stage 2 drubbing of Allan Green, he is a fighter that can adapt mid-fight in order fight the best fight possible. “I try not to put myself in a box because adjustments in these big fights are key,” says Ward. “We didn’t plan to fight Allan Green necessarily the way we fought him the last time. We were going to get inside in spots, but it turned out to be close combat for most of the night. It just happened and I had to make that adjustment on the fly. We always have a general game plan, but we always keep the door open for adjustments that need to be made. As the fight unfolds I will know what I need to do based on what Bika is doing or based on what he is not doing.”

Bika has fought many of the top super middleweights of recent years, and though he has come up short against the very upper tier, he has never been stopped. Ward is very much aware of Bika’s solid chin. “I am not going to come outside of myself to try and prove anything,” said Ward. “I am going to do what I do, but just try to do it a little better. Sakio Bika has never been stopped and that is obviously the goal. Win the fight, but that would definitely be great to get a stoppage in this fight.”

Along with his reputation for an aggressive style and solid whiskers, Bika has been known to go outside the rules at times. The most recent example would be Bika’s disqualification loss to Jean Paul Mendy in September. Despite dominating the action and downing Mendy, Bika ended up the loser for clubbing Mendy while he was down, much in the same fashion Arthur Abraham did against Andre Dirrell earlier in the year.

In preparing for Bika, Ward has noticed the trend of fouls in his past and will likely take measures against falling victim to any similar tactics. “At the end of the day, the referee has a job to do, but I am also going to protect myself,” proclaimed Ward. “He does get very frustrated at times. I saw in the Peter Manfredo fight he got upset with the referee because he didn’t agree with a call, and push the referee. He headbutted Lucian Bute on purpose. He hits behind the head. I am not going to call him a dirty fighter, but let’s just say that he tends to do those things and we are prepared for that.”

While a bout with Dirrell would have likely provided for a scientific boxing match, the clash against Bika should instead provide for an action-packed contest. In fact, Bika could be Ward’s sternest test to date. “Bika is, in my estimation, probably the toughest guy we have fought when it comes to just pure, unadulterated toughness,” said Ward’s trainer Virgil Hunter. “We have a good plan, and we plan to see that through. I think it is going to be a very entertaining and eventful night.”

With the Super Six ongoing, it would not be surprising if the tournament front runner Ward were to look past Bika this coming Saturday, and look forward to his next opponent. But with expectations higher than ever, Ward continues to say all the right things. “I have a lot of stiff competition, first with my fight on November 27, but also as the tournament moves forward into the semi-finals and finals,” said Ward. “I just want you guys to know that I am preparing, I’m dedicating myself, and putting in all the hard work. I want to do everything I can to put on a tremendous performance and outdo the last performance. I have a tough opponent in Sakio Bika. Sakio is going to bring it, but I am going to bring it too, so we should have a good fight.”

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.

It’s been nearly a year since Juan “El Exterminador” Palacios 26-3(21) last fought when he lost a razor thin majority decision in Thailand against unbeaten WBC ruler Oleydong Sithsamerchai. He gets back to work this Thursday when he faces Luis Carlos Leon 11-3(10) in the more hospitable confines of his nations capital Managua as part of the WBA convention. He hopes that if he can stay active and busy he may get another chance to win a world title. It would be his third attempt, way back in 2002 as a novice he travelled to Mexico and introduced himself to the world scene at Strawweight when he lost a split decision to then champion Jose Antonio Aguirre. Since then he has remained a fixture in the top ten of the division. Palacios now 30, did win the WBC Interim title and defended it twice prior to the Oleydong fight. Currenly the pint sized Nicaraguan is WBC 4, WBA 2 & The Ring magazine’s number 6.

Hello Juan, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – We’re approaching a year since you last fought when you went to Thailand and challenged Oleydong Sithsamerchai for his WBC Strawweight title. When can we expect to see you back in action?

Juan Palacios – I will be fighting on Nov 25th in Nicaragua in the WBA Convention fightcard to be held in Nicaragua. I think I am fighting a Colombian or a Mexican guy.

Anson Wainwright – The fight with Oleydong was extremely close, looking back at the fight and trip to Thailand what can your feelings looking back?

Juan Palacios – It was a learning experience. I am not pleased at the result. I felt I beat him. If I were given a second chance I think I can beat him soundly. Sithsamerchai however, is a great fighter.

Anson Wainwright – You recently signed with Prodesa who will now promote you, what can you tell us about this deal?

Juan Palacios – I am happy to be with them. They do a good job promoting kids. They also offered me a sweet deal and most importantly the chance to fight on a constant basis. Since they are relatively small they treat boxers very well. They have some really good talent at the lower weights with fighters like Roman Gonzalez, Carlos Buitrago, Yader Escobar and Nerys Espinoza. Sparring with them will really help me improve.

Anson Wainwright – Now that you have signed with Prodesa will you be staying at 105? If so what is your plan of attack?

Juan Palacios – I want to get active again. They promised me a lot of activity. A few fights with them and I will be back on track for a world title. I want to remain at 105 pounds.

Anson Wainwright – What do you think of the Strawweight division at the moment? The world champions WBC Oleydong WBA Roman Gonzalez IBF Nkoshinathi Joyi & WBO Donnie Nietes are all very strong what are your thoughts on them?

Juan Palacios – Gonzalez recently moved up a weight. He is really solid all around. Training with him is a real challenge. Joyi is pretty impressive. Sitsamerchai and Nientes are very good. I think I can hang with them. I think I can beat both Sithsamerchai and Nietes. Joyi and Gonzalez would be really hard fights.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your early years growing up in Nicaragua? Were things tough for you?

Juan Palacios – Thing is Nicaragua are always tough. Up till I became a world champ things became a little easier.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us how you first became interested and started in Boxing?

Juan Palacios – I am a real veteran of boxing. I started boxing at the age of 11. I have not stopped since then. I turned pro at around 20 years old. Boxing is my life. It has given me many good things and helped grow as a man.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team, who is your manager, trainer & what gym do you train at?

Juan Palacios – I have a new team now. My manager is Carlo Pilato and Silvio Conrado. They manage many talented kids including world champs Roman Gonzalez and Jose Alfaro. My trainer is Rey Mendoza. He used to train former champs Rosendo Alvarez and Luis Perez. I train both at Alexis Arguello Gym and Roger Deshon gym. I spar at the Roger Deshon gym because they have some really good talent there.

Anson Wainwright – Your country has produced some very good fighters at Strawweight including Rosendo Alvarez do you know Alvarez & did you ever spar with him? Most recently Roman Gonzalez. How highly do you rate Gonzalez? How do you see a fight with Juan Raveco going?

Juan Palacios – I used to spar with Alvarez often. He was a brutal puncher. He had really good combinations. Gonzalez is a lot younger. He is way more polished than a veteran Alvarez. If he keeps his head straight he will be awesome. Its like he is programmed to box. A well trained and motivated Gonzalez can KO Reveco inside of 6 rounds.

Anson Wainwright – Much has been made of your new stable mate Carlos Buitrago, though he’s still only young can you give us your thoughts on him?

Juan Palacios – He is slick. I like him. I used to bruise him up a lot but he is improving. He has a quick jab and boxes really nice. His speed is his best weapon. He is not a hard puncher. Lately he has improved a lot. On occasions he has given me tons of trouble because he throws a lot of punches and gives you a lot of lateral movement. If he gets stronger he will be a real force.

Anson Wainwright – When your not Boxing what do you like to do with your time? What are your hobbies and interests?

Juan Palacios – I sell dietary suppliments. I promote products for a company called Herbal Life with my wife. It’s a small business but we have been increasing our sales gradually. Apart from that I spend a lot of time with my wife. She is my best friend. We have a great relationship.

Anson Wainwright – You made a name for yourself when as an unknown you challenged Jose Antonio Aguirre for his WBC Strawweight title 8 years ago, looking back at that fight you had to go to Mexico for the fight and again lost a close decision what are your thoughts on that fight?

Juan Palacios – Fighting outside of your country is difficult. Sometimes decisions favor the local guy. Aguirre is afraid of me. He did not want to fight me again. My three victories as a world champ were the product of Kos. Nobody can challenge a KO. I knew that come decision time with Sithsamerchai that I had lost. I knew this because the world is not a fair place.

Anson Wainwright – Who were your hero’s growing up? Who do you enjoy watching fight today?

Juan Palacios – I guess it would have to be Alexis Arguello or Roberto Duran. Arguello was awesome. 19 straight defenses in three different weight classes. What a bad ass!! Currently, I like to watch Pacquiao. He is so talented it is unbelievable. I used to like ODLH and Trinidad.

Thanks for your time “El Exterminador”

Thank you!!!

Anson Wainwright

15rounds.com

I spoke with Brandon Rios, he said he felt a little sluggish at the start of his fight but was happy with the performance in the end. He regrets his part in the video nasty saying he knows it wasn’t very mature of him and was just banter between the two camps. Overall he enjoyed the Dallas experience and was proud of Margarito and the heart he showed. He confirmed he’ll be ringside for “In Harms Way” when Humberto Soto fights Umberto Antillon and hopes to meet the winner in March. For now he’s waiting on the birth of his child…Also at Lightweight it looks like WBA champion Miguel Acosta is headed for Japan early next year to fight Takehiro Shimada… Did Sergio Martinez lock up fighter of the year & KO of the year on Saturday, he does for my money, it’s been a Maravilla year for him.

The most memorable knockout punches resemble nothing so much as upper-deck homeruns. Arizona Diamondbacks commentator Mark Grace is fond of pausing over the point of impact that precedes each upper-deck homerun to emphasize its pitch’s certain whereabouts: belt-high, over the plate.

So it goes with knockout blasts and their victims’ hands at the point of impact: belt-high, chin well off the chest. Gone!

So it went Saturday in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall when middleweight champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez found Paul Williams’ chin over the plate, at 1:10 of round 2 in their rematch, and connected with boxing’s upper-deck blast of 2010. Williams landed forehead-first on the mat, eyes open. He didn’t move for the entirety of referee Earl Morton’s 10-count.

With one punch, Martinez solidified his place as Fighter of the Year – one who outclassed the ghost of Kelly Pavlik in April and made Williams a highlight-reel fixture seven months later. If there is a downside to having as boxing’s middleweight champion of the world a Latino who both looks and fights better than Oscar De La Hoya, it doesn’t spring to mind. In other words, ¡Viva El Maravilla!

Something else best knockout punches have in common with best homeruns is the way they induce a spontaneous sort of awe. Two adversaries engage in a duel neither is winning by more than a slight margin, and then in an unexpected flash of violence, one establishes a degree of superiority over the other impossible to imagine even an instant before.

Get a tape of Martinez-Williams II and take a look at the first second of Williams’ unconsciousness, just as his body bends in two, just before it tilts leftwards. You’ll count no fewer than 21 dropped jaws at ringside. That is, 21 persons who care enough about the sport to be within 30 feet of a middleweight championship fight show physical surprise. It is involuntary. Before any can register the consequences of what’s happened, leaping from his seat or dropping his head in his hands, each person’s brain sends a signal of wonder to his body.

This is different from a homerun looped round the foul pole in the 11th pitch of an at-bat. This is different from a homerun that sneaks over the leather fingers of the right fielder’s outstretched glove. It’s different in the same way that Martinez’s knockout is different from an eighth-round corner stoppage or even a spot of unconsciousness induced by a shower of five blows to the head.

This was an 0-1 fastball thrown by a power pitcher. Belt-high. Over the plate. Gone.

It sure saved Earl Morton’s night. Morton, a veteran referee, was handling the first four minutes of the fight like a juror hoping to invoke a mistrial. He was well out of position several times. And in the opening 30 seconds of round two, instead of breaking the fighters he actually grabbed hold of Martinez’s right arm, from behind, and got pulled into the corner.

Pierre Benoist, the judge who watched Martinez and Williams trade rounds in their first fight but nevertheless turned-in the 119-110 (Williams) practice card he’d worked on the night before, was not invited to score the rematch. His spirit, though, was everywhere. This fight was going to go Williams’ way, do not doubt, if it was close.

After conceding weight, venue and officials the way a middleweight champion should never have to, though, Martinez showed the rest of the prizefighting world – with its myriad of beltholders and businessmen – what a world champion looks like. He did it the right way, stretching his opponent like a landed fish.

After a close first round that some scored for Martinez on clean punching but HBO commentator Manny Steward enthusiastically scored for Williams, Martinez weathered Referee Morton’s intervention and got to center ring. He bounced backwards, planted, tucked his chin and threw from his southpaw stance a short left cross to make Mike Tyson smile. All night, Martinez followed, purposefully or not, Tyson’s blueprint for fighting a taller man whose chin you suspect: Shorten, don’t lengthen, your punches, and commit to them all the way.

But Martinez launched himself at Williams with a degree of athleticism even Tyson might envy. He caught Williams just right. And in boxing, “just right” means to catch an opponent turning his own fully committed punch your way. Williams’ high chin got snapped to his left shoulder, and when it returned to its proper place, Williams’ brain was disengaged from the rest of his person. He was unconscious well before he was extended across the canvas.

Martinez’s homerun trot was a vision of its own. Uncommonly certain of what he’d done, Martinez actually had his right glove in the air before Williams’ head touched the mat. It was not Barry Bonds’ heroic pose or Sammy Sosa’s exuberant hop. Rather, it was Manny Ramirez tearing open the velcro on his batting gloves before leaving home plate. Gone.

One can only imagine the jolt writers at ringside felt. A chat with HBO unofficial scorer Harold Lederman in Texas a couple weeks ago had him impart that punch velocity is lost on television. So, too, is punch sound. A replay of Pacquiao-Margarito preceded Martinez-Williams II, Saturday, and I can tell you the sixth round – one Pacquiao said he was lucky to survive – was nowhere near suspenseful on television, even in high definition, as it was in person.

But television – HBO specifically – is a good place to insert a final note on Sergio Martinez’s first defense of his middleweight title. To wit:

Martinez is a humble star. Be careful with him. Don’t put him on pay-per-view. Rebuild your “Championship Boxing” brand around him. Don’t maneuver him towards Golden Boy Promotions. Be an honest broker for his best interests and those of boxing, realizing such things can converge. Martinez can be the crossover sensation you’ve longed for. Make the most of him.

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com. Additionally, his book, “The Legend of Muhammad Ali,” co-written with Thomas Hauser, can be purchased here.

The Internet is atwitter with speculation about what Manny Pacquiao will do. Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Filipino politics and more, much more, is out there, everywhere. There’s no way to know what will unfold. Even Pacquiao doesn’t know where he’ll be next. But here’s one place he should be:

On the cover of Sports Illustrated.

SI is scheduled to announce its coveted award, Sportsman of the Year, on Nov. 29. The nominees – retired Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, Canadian Olympic hero and Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby – are worthy. But Pacquiao’s ascent from third-world streets to wealth, international celebrity and a seat in the Filipino Congress is singularly astonishing.

A year ago, this corner nominated him for the SI prize, as well as the Associated Press version, Male Athlete of the Year. Since then Pacquiao beat Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium, won a Congressional seat, served on committees, authored legislation, trained and beat a much bigger man, Antonio Margarito, in what he called his toughest fight, also at Cowboys Stadium.

Last year, this nomination for the awards was an effort just to get his name into the mix. It belonged there then, although he was roundly snubbed. Derek Jeter, perhaps the most popular Yankee since Mickey Mantle, was SI’s choice. NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson was the AP winner according to votes cast by sports editors, many of whom didn’t know how to spell Pacquiao’s name a year ago. I hope that’s changed, although I have my doubts about the boxing abolitionists among those newspaper editors, some of whom would vote for a spare tire before they’d vote for a boxer.

Pacquiao’s dynamic combo of skill, speed and energy has already put him alongside legends such as Henry Armstrong, Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard, the SI winner in 1981. After his stunning dominance of Margarito Saturday, Bob Arum said Pacquiao was the best fighter he has ever promoted in his rich career, which includes Leonard and Muhammad Ali. I’m not sure about that one and I may never be, because the defining fight, Pacquiao-Mayweather, might never happen.

But Pacquiao has put himself into the argument. That’s enough to ensure his place in a debate that is as current as it is ancient. That said, Pacquiao’s evolution as fighter is just one reason he was the best of 2010. There is a fundamental goodness about him, and it revealed itself once again late in the devastating decision over Margarito.

Margarito, who suffered a fractured orbital bone beneath his right eye, was hanging onto nothing more than his pride after nine rounds. In the 11th, Pacquiao looked back at referee Laurence Cole as if to say it’s time to stop this.

In a cruel business, Pacquiao was worried about his opponent, whose apparent mocking of trainer Freddie Roach’s Parkinson’s in a controversial video had prompted some ringside ghouls to urge the Filipino to exact revenge with a sustained beating. But that’s not Pacquiao. There is a genuine concern for even a dangerous rival, whom Pacquiao said hurt him in the sixth. After his victory, Pacquiao conceded that he backed off, pulled his punches, because he didn’t want to do any more damage.

In Ali – history’s greatest for a Baby Boom generation that grew up watching him, there was a streak of cruelty displayed in his punishing attack in 1967 of Ernie Terrell, who had mockingly called him by his birth name, Cassius Clay. What’s my name, what’s my name? Ali asked again and again, punctuating the question with cutting combinations. Against Joe Frazier, Ali expressed his cruelty with trash talk that portrayed the proud Frazier as an Uncle Tom.

In the ring and at news conferences, Pacquiao has done neither. After victories over Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Marquez, the media started calling him “The Mexican Assassin.’’ Pacquiao said, please, don’t call me that. He knows about assassinations. He has seen them in The Philippines. Assassins wage war and murder. Reporters and headline writers needed Pacquiao to remind them that boxing isn’t either one. It’s a sport.

Against Margarito, there was no vengeance against a heavy-handed puncher who appeared to mock his beloved trainer. In September, there was a racist rant in a video posted by Mayweather, who called him a “little yellow chump.’’ Pacquiao did not respond in kind or even in anger.

A few months ago, I was skeptical of Pacquiao’s comments that he only wanted to help his people. It sounded like a cliched load of more political bull from another candidate on the campaign trail. But against Margarito, his gesture of concern told me he really means it. Naive? Perhaps. Politics might corrupt Pacquiao in ways that boxing never could.

But I have this memory of him from 2005 before a loss, his last one, to Morales at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Roach talked about how Pacquiao slept on the floor while training at home in the Philippines. Growing up, he often slept on the streets.

At the comfortable MGM, Roach said he entered Pacquiao’s room and saw that the bed was still made. He saw Pacquiao curled up in a corner, sleeping on the floor. I’m not sure he sleeps on any floors anymore. But I am sure he hasn’t forgotten it or the people who are still there, either. For 10 rounds of sustained fury against Margarito followed by two more marked by concern for a beaten business partner, Pacquiao showed that his generosity is as genuine as his punching power.

He cares.

SI and the AP should too.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

When Beibut Shumenov left the unpaid ranks for the professional scene he said he was going to quickly fight and win a world title. Being a man of his word he got on the fast track and in just his ninth fight he fought Gabriel Campillo, though that didn’t go well as he lost a close decision they rematched in January of this year and Shumenov took the title a shade over 2 years into his pro career. While many believed he had been lucky to win the rematch with Campillo, Shumenov proved that winning the title had made him a better fighter when he posted the most impressive win of his career to date when he beat unbeaten mandatory Viacheslav Uzelkov. Again not one to sit on his laurels and milk the title he’s in the process of hopefully working out a deal to fight Germany “Thousand Year Talent” Jurgen Braehmer. The 27 year old Kazakhstani now lives in Las Vegas and sports a 10-1(6) record. Here’s what he had to say.

Hello Beibut, welcome back to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – Since we last spoke have won the WBA Light Heavyweight title beating Gabriel Campillo what can you tell us about how it felt to win the World title?

Beibut Shumenov – It was my dream to become a World Champion. One of my goals was to win the WBA title but my ultimate goal is to unify all of the major light heavyweight championships.

Anson Wainwright – Many believed that you were lucky to of beaten Campillo what do you have to say about that?

Beibut Shumenov – Luck had nothing to do with it. Two of the best judges in boxing had me winning that fight. In boxing there are always critics. All I can do is fight to the best of my ability. If I don’t knock out my opponent, the judges determine who wins and I won that fight.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us when we can expect to see you in action next? It has been rumoured that you may unify with Jurgen Braehmer? Can you tell us about that?

Beibut Shumenov – I’m hoping to be back in action in early January and my goal is to unify.

Anson Wainwright – Your last fight was in July when you looked impressive beating Vyacheslav Uzelkov in your first defence that must of been very satisfying as many tipped him to beat you? How do you see that fight looking back?

Beibut Shumenov – My trainer, Kevin Barry, helped get me in great shape and I’ve really improved my skills working with him. I beat the top rated, mandatory challenger who had previously knocked out Campillo. The win was very satisfying.

Anson Wainwright – What have you done with your time since the Uzelkov fight?

Beibut Shumenov – I’ve been training hard in Las Vegas where I live. I love training and Kevin keeps me going strong, even between fights. This is what I do for a living and I always want to improve and give maximum efforts in the ring.

Anson Wainwright – You initially promoted yourself with your company KZ Event Productions but before the Uzelkov fight you opted to sign with Dan Goossen at Goossen Tutor. Can you tell us why you did this?

Beibut Shumenov – I wasn’t able to concentrate 100-percent on improving and training for my fights. As the promoter there was so much else to do with my brother, Chingis, working on a promotion. Dan and his team have taken a lot of the load off my shoulders and I believe it showed in my last fight. For the most part, all I had to do was train for my fight and not worry about everything else associated with promoting an event.

Anson Wainwright – How has signing with Goossen Tutor changed things from a training point of view? Do they help with regardss that?

Beibut Shumenov – All I have to do now is focus 100-percent on training and my fight. There are no interuptions or distractions and just hard work.

Anson Wainwright – How is KZ Event Productions these days what fighters do you have on your roster & when is the next show?

Beibut Shumenov – I’m very proud of the fighters that we have under contract and have high hopes for all of them. They’re living and training here in Las Vegas. Gayrat (Ahmedov) is 15-0-1, the WBC Asian and PAPA light heavyweight Interim champion who is rated No. 8 by the WBA. Ravshan (Hudaynazarov) is one of the hottest welterweight prospects in the world. He is 13-0 with 11 knockouts, many coming from body shots, and he’s already rated No. 14 by the WBA. We just signed a good welterweight prospect, unbdefeated Alexandr Zhuravskiy, who is 9-0 with seven knockouts. He is from my country, Kazakhstan, and rated highly by the Asian Boxing Council and Asia Pacific. I expect that all three will be fighting on my next card.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us how popular you are in Kazahkstan? Are you one of the most recognised sports people & appear on tv and in adverts etc?

Beibut Shumenov – That’s a question that would be better answered by people back home. I can tell you that I appreciate all of the support I receive and a number of fans have traveled to the United States for my last two fights.

Anson Wainwright – The Light Heavyweight division has been quite interesting of late with Pascal beating Dawson, Tavoris Cloud is always in interesting fights, Nathan Cleverly beating Karo Murat etc what are your thoughts on the Light Heavyweight division and what in your opinion is the current top five?

Beibut Shumenov – Our division is very strong, one of the strongest in boxing. I don’t rate fighters but I think you’d have to include the world champions in the top 5 plus Dawson and a few others. I think the Light Heavyweight division is loaded and I want to fight any of the other world champions to unify the titles.

Anson Wainwright – This fall Jean Pascal fights Bernard Hopkins who do you think wins that fight & why?

Beibut Shumenov – I’m not into predictions. Pascal looked good defeating Dawson in his last fight. He’s an all-action fighter like me and someday I hope we can fight a unification. Hopkins is a living legend who is capable of beating just about anybody on a given night. Remember what he did to Pavlik.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for the Light Heavyweight division?

Beibut Shumenov – I hold the WBA and IBA belts and I’m willing to put them both on the line for any of the other world title belts.

Thank you for your time Beibut.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Midweek Musings – I’ve seen the Haye-Harrison fight, that’s 473 seconds of my life I’ll never get back…To paraphrase a British sports reporter Sid Waddell “When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears because there were no more worlds to conquer….. Pacquiao’s only 31″…Happy Birthday to Nonito Donaire who is 28 on the 16th Nov, former WBA Flyweight champion Koki Kameda who turned 24 on 17th Nov, David Tua & Antonio Tarver are 38 & 42 this Sunday 21 Nov…I’ll be heading for “The Entertainment Capital of the World” early next week to catch the Marquez-Katsidis scuffle, i’m really looking forward to seeing how that fight plays out, it has fight of the year potential…If there are any fighters you’d like to hear from drop me an e-mail and i’ll see what i can work out i’m on elraincoat@live.co.uk