Another bad month in a dreadful year. Dudgeon is high, patience low. Civil disagreements between smart folks deteriorate into fights. Even high-minded dialogue shows a tincture of personal pettiness. And still no one actually fights. A barren calendar for a month forwards and a month back. Promises for a great November that no one truly believes.

Let’s see if we can stretch the tether just a bit more, then. Make the leash taut.

I had come to defend Money May, not to bury him. Then he complemented his racist diatribe against Filipino Manny Pacquiao, the world’s best fighter, with a lame apology. That was the hardest part for reasons worth exploring.

Nothing else is going on. What, that phenomenal scrap in Glasgow on Saturday? Nah, it wasn’t televised in the U.S.

It was available on the internet. Puerto Rican super featherweight Roman Martinez against Scotsman Ricky Burns for the WBO belt. That “trinket”? Yes, but don’t tell the Scots; they derived a good bit of pride from their new world champion.

You know what else was on the internet last week, don’t you? Floyd Mayweather Jr – the great annoyance calling itself “Money May.” For reasons unclear to anyone, he was checking in with his myriad fans, answering his cell phone and stuttering about Filipinos’ skin color, culinary tastes and average height. He insulted a national icon of the Philippines because that’s what he does. Trainer Nassim Richardson knew it better than any; he didn’t talk about Islam in front of HBO’s camera – Money May’s great enabler – because he knew where Mayweather’s small brain would go with it, and he knew that could cause real trouble.

But let’s talk about racism for a moment. Actually, let’s let Mickey Sabbath, the protagonist of novelist Philip Roth’s masterwork “Sabbath’s Theater,” have a shot at it:

“I’m proud to say I still have all my marbles as far as racial hatred is concerned. Despite all my many troubles, I continue to know what matters in life: profound hatred. One of the few remaining things I take seriously.”

Sabbath was speaking the unspeakable, then, expressing a deep contempt for an entire country’s worth of citizens. Much of Roth’s point was satirical, though: Don’t demand “real” if hatred, in whatever form it expresses itself, makes you uneasy.

It’s doubtful Mayweather hates Pacquiao; he lacks that much focus. But Mayweather’s rage is genuine, rage about something, the American system, perhaps, whose name even he dare not speak for fear of losing revenue. Mayweather is unworthy of comparison to Muhammad Ali in any context, of course, but we’ll make one anyway, and be done with it: Ali would not have apologized two days later. Ali espoused things far more offensive – to his own countrymen – in his time, and he lost a lot more than a Reebok sponsorship, too.

But see, Ali had character.

Here’s one more bit of bad news about Mayweather. Last week’s antics did not cost him a single fan. Not one. As time washes the miasma of dudgeon away, we think a lot more like Mickey Sabbath than we confess; we don’t take racism a fraction as seriously as we tell others to. Besides, an American who’s black, rich and powerless insulting a Filipino congressman is about a ‘1’ on the racial-grievance meter.

But, but, that’s a double standard! Of course it is.

Writing of not losing fans, though, how about that Tony Margarito? He was out and touring the country last week. He’ll be one half of a pair that breaks the domestic attendance record in November. For if Pacquiao was able to approach that mark with a Ghanaian sharing the marquee, he’ll surpass it easily by fighting a Mexican in Texas.

There’s the promotional calculus: Pacquiao vs. Mexican in Cowboys Stadium sells tickets. Margarito was the only notable Mexican in the Top Rank stable Pacquiao had not beaten. “If it makes dollars, it makes sense,” right?

That brings us to a Labor Day thought or two. What Mayweather and Margarito have in common is an exploitation of Americans’ belief in the free-market system. There was a time not long ago Americans saw the market for what it was: an amoral means for setting prices imperfectly. Then out of a combination of laziness and cowardice, we made the market our country’s moral arbiter.

A free market could not have handled that burden, and our market was far from free. After President Nixon floated the world’s reserve currency in 1971, Americans began playing an economic game different from any the world had seen. Those that tell you today that a national debt of $10 trillion will bankrupt our country said it about $10 billion years ago and $10 million before that.

We haven’t handled the world’s printing press all that badly, but we haven’t handled it too well either. We allowed the market an authority it did not deserve, and it took us down a long road towards collective misery. Americans’ wages are deplorable, given the reported values of the corporations for which they work. And while the market cannibalizes itself and its participants, we still pay it homage.

On this first Monday of September, we might ask, Where did labor go? The market took care of it; a generation ago, a man could support his entire family writing columns like these.

So we come to a moment of disgust, whether with Floyd Mayweather’s speech or Antonio Margarito’s hand wraps, and devoid of a moral compass, we look to the market to fix it for us. We ask a corporation to cancel a contract or a stadium to cancel a show. We demand the market do our job of punishing Floyd and Tony. Goodness, that’s rich.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter.com/bartbarry

If all the great heavyweights aren’t NFL linebackers these days, they’re fighting in Germany.

That means there aren’t many in the dinosaur division, perhaps just a Wladimir Klitschko defeat away from extinction.

Klitschko might be at a crossroads that determines whether he will ever have a chance to move on and into consideration for greatness.

If he can’t dispel lingering questions left by a difficult victory five years ago over powerful Samuel Peter in a rematch on Sept. 11 in Frankfurt, he is in danger of being an oddity in a division that has become a museum piece since Mike Tyson’s self-destructive era.

Klitschko’s trainer, Emanuel Steward, thinks he will ensure further opportunity at securing his place in history with a knockout of Peter, a Nigerian who knocked down Klitschko three times in 2005 before the Ukrainian survived the dramatic for decision.

The technically-proficient Klitschko, likeable and philosophical, has never fulfilled his potential. That’s not exactly his fault. Steward remembers Lennox Lewis.

For years, Lewis was the frustrating face of the could-be, wannabe until he beat Evander Holyfield 1999 and then Tyson in 2002.

Boxing wouldn’t be what it is without bitter rivals, business partners who exchange insults, then punches while enriching each other and ultimately defining one another. What would Ali have been without Joe Frazier and George Foreman?

Klitschko never has had a Frazier or Foreman or Holyfield or even a Tyson. In time, Steward believes he will. In part, there is longevity as the very best in a division with few rivals, much less contenders.

“If you keep winning, something is going to come up,’’ Steward said Wednesday from Klitschko’s training camp in Austria.

Steward looks at David Haye and sees an emerging rival, a potential business partner who can unlock Klitschko’s designs on history.

“Wlad just needs to get some big-name opponents, and I think that will happen,” said Steward., who is nervous about the Peter rematch. “You can only be judged by your performances against the best, and unfortunately, Wlad hasn’t had anything to that degree.

“But the heavyweight division will always spring up a situation. I think if a fight with David Haye takes place, which Wladimir has said he thinks it will, he’ll be considered a great fighter. If you’re the heavyweight champion and you keep winning, eventually something is going to come up.”

So far, I’m not sure I’ve seen much about Haye that says great. Haye is a good talker, which is good for business, In the ring, however, little has yet to emerge that says he can shake Klitschko’s singular hold on the heavyweight division. That said, I hope Haye’s is all that Steward say he is.

At 34, Klitschko has a few years – four or five — left in which to finally fulfill all that he might have in a different era. For the here-and-now, however, there is the immediate task at hand. Beat Samuel Peter, or the heavyweights are one step closer to a spot in a glass case next to that Tyrannosaurus rex exhibition.

A couple of jabs
· Newly-minted Filipino Congressman Manny Pacquiao must be learning how to play politics. After Antonio Margarito was licensed last week for the Nov. 13 fight at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Pacquiao was quoted as saying he doesn’t believe Margarito’s repeated claim that he didn’t know former trainer Javier Capetillo tried to load up his gloves during Tapegate before his loss to Shane Mosley in 2009. No matter what Pacquiao believes, the controversy could plant some doubt in Margarito, who might begin to wonder at his ability to punch regardless of whether he knew about the tape job. Pacquiao is trying to plant that seed of doubt

· There is plenty of moral chest-thumping about whether Margarito should have been licensed in Texas after California stood by its revocation of his license. Like so many others, I also believe that Margarito knew that Capitello was trying to turn hands into a loaded weapon. I’ll say it again: If you’ve got a rock in your shoe, you know it. But there has yet to be any evidence that Margarito is lying. There is just a lot of preaching from a very crowded pulpit.

During a recent HBO broadcast, an onscreen graphic depicted the top welterweights in the world according to the network. One name likely unfamiliar to the American boxing public was that of Jan Zaveck, the reigning IBF Welterweight Champion. The Slovenian-born, Germany-based title holder is currently wrapping up preparations for his second defense of the title he won last December. Opposing him Saturday will be his mandatory challenger and lone career conqueror, Rafal Jackiewicz. A win would go a long way in improving Zaveck’s standing among the 147-pound elite, and perhaps give him the valuable bargaining chip needed to entice one of the big names in the division into the ring.

Zaveck (29-1, 17 KOs) of Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany by way of Ptuj, Slovenia burst onto the international scene with his title-winning three-round destruction of Isaac Hlatshwayo in South Africa late last year. Shortly after touching gloves with the champion, Zaveck seemed to hurt Hlatshwayo with the first left hook he landed, and would go on to control entire bout. The two boxed to close the first and open the second, but a right hook that landed high on Hlatshwayo’s temple prompted a delayed knockdown late in the round.

Zaveck patiently stalked the South African to begin the third, before landing two more right hooks that again downed the champion. Hlatshwayo made it up on wobbly legs and took a few more shots before falling into the ropes, which prompted referee Kenny Chevalier to end the fight and declare Zaveck the new champion. When asked when he knew he had his opponent hurt, “I knew right away, after the first punch, a left hook off his chin, and I saw his eyes a little bit confused,” Zaveck told South African broadcaster SABC Sport. “I cannot really believe that this happened, because Isaac Hlatshwayo is a great fighter.”

After claiming the title, Zaveck returned to Slovenia, receiving a hero’s welcome and has since become a celebrity in his native land. “Everybody in Slovenia knows me since I got the title in South Africa,” Zaveck told 15rounds.com. “People in the street all the time stop me to have a talk and ask for a picture. I get lots of invitations for TV, radio and other shows and I can not deny that I go everywhere with pleasure. I am happy that people want to know more about me and my sport.”

While his convincing defeat of Hlatshwayo was considered a major upset by many in boxing, it did not surprise his longtime promoter Ulf Steinforth of Sport Event Steinforth Boxing. “When Jan came to us in Magdeburg we immediately realized he had a lot of potential,” said Steinforth through his executive assistant Nadine Rasche. “I didn’t need to think it over. He continuously improved his performance in lots of fights. Jan is a natural winner who went only straight ahead on his way to the championship.”

The rematch with Jackiewicz (36-8-1, 18 KOs) provides Zaveck with another opportunity to show his improvement as a fighter. Their first fight, which took place in November of 2008, was a split decision scored narrowly for Jackiewicz. It is a result that Zaveck disputes vehemently. “I am sure I was the winner in the first fight,” claims Zaveck. “The decision of the judges was [scandalous].”

There is one major change that may have an effect on the upcoming bout. When they first met, Zaveck made the trip to Jackiewicz’ home country of Poland for the fight. This time around, Zaveck will have his loyal supporters cheering for him ringside at the Sportpark Arena in Ljubljana, Slovenia. “I will come off as a winner in this title bout far more clearly,” said Zaveck. “This time I box where my fans are and it makes me unbeatable. It is something very special when I box in my homeland Slovenia. Here reside most of my fans who give me unbelievable enthusiasm. I feel incredibly inspired by this atmosphere.”

With a successful title defense this weekend, many options will loom for Zaveck and his promoter. One fight that would seem logical would be a unification bout with WBA Welterweight kingpin Vyacheslav Senchenko (31-0, 20 KOs) of Donetsk, Ukraine. Considering Senchenko has failed to leave Donetsk for a fight in nearly four years that may be a difficult fight to put together.

Over the years, we have seen several champions emerge from European countries and come over to the United States for either one major fight, or to make an extended campaign. While Steinforth has no outlined plan for such a venture, he is ready to listen to the right offer. “Jan Zaveck is well known throughout Europe and surely will dispute most of his fights here,” explains Steinforth. “This is where his roots are and everybody knows him. Of course if spectacular fights could be staged in USA, we will consider certain offers. Nothing is in store for us in the moment, but we are open for all kind of challenges in the sport.”

Zaveck himself is proud to be considered a world champion, and sounds willing to travel the globe for the right fight. “I am ready to defend my title all over the world,” said Zaveck. “What counts is how attractive are the offers that I receive and which [major] fights are possible.” Should Zaveck turn back the challenge of Jackiewicz, the possibilities at 147-pounds could prove endless.

Photo by Crtomir Goznik/DejanZavec.com

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

With all due apologies to T.S. Eliot and Carlos Acevedo, boxing is the cruelest art. But it is also, strictly speaking, a series of assaults and batteries— with the law suspended for the moment between two consenting adults who wish to prove a point.

As Antonio Margarito, suspended from boxing by the California State Athletic Commission, prepares now to face Manny Pacquiao in Texas, it seems worthwhile to spend a minute or two considering the law as it relates to boxing, and how it didn’t relate to Margarito and his trainer, Javier Capetillo. I say this because I’m still not entirely sure why at least Capetillo has not faced criminal charges. More specifically, assault with a deadly weapon.

Before his fight with “Sugar” Shane Mosley for the Welterweight Championship in California, Mosley’s trainer discovered what was later found by the California State Athletic Commission to be a “plaster-like substance” on the knuckle pads of both of Margarito’s hand wraps. The knuckle pads were seized by the Commission and Margarito’s hands were re-wrapped in time for him to be beaten to a pulp by Shane Mosley. No harm, no foul? Not at criminal law. If you shoot at someone and miss, the law doesn’t reward you with a free ride for bad aim. Attempt is a crime.

As a disclaimer, although I’ve passed the New York Bar I have not taken the California Bar and have no intention of doing so. But much of law reduces to Common Law, and despite some terminology differences and statute interpretation particular to each state, a general analysis is possible. So here we go.

The Law

Assault and battery are both tortious offenses (i.e., you can be sued for doing it if the other party experiences damages) and criminal offenses (i.e., the state can press charges against you for doing it). In some instances it can be both.

Within the consent of the boxers to not file suit, and the consent of the state to not press charges, are the agreed upon rules. Between the boxers this is contract, between the state and the boxers this is law. Which is to say, all that stands between boxers and lawsuits and jail time and fines are their contracts with each other and the rules of boxing. One contracts to fight another man under certain conditions (e.g., at a certain weight, in a certain size ring, wearing certain size gloves and under a certain set of rules). To go outside the contract in a big way (“a material breach”), is to lose the protection of the contract and, perhaps, the protection (or the suspension of the suspension) of the law.

Notable examples of boxers who have gone outside the rules and have been criminally punished are Luis Resto and his trainer, Panama Lewis, who both saw the inside of a prison for taking the stuffing out of Resto’s gloves in a bout with the once promising, but that night beaten and virtually blinded Billy Collins, Jr. ; and James “The Harlem Hammer” Butler, who, after losing a decision in 2001 punched his then celebrating opponent with a taped but gloveless fist. Occurring after the final bell, Butler was led out of the arena in handcuffs and charged in New York with felony assault to the second degree.

In both of these instances, the parties went outside both the contract and the rules in a manner sufficient to trigger both the ability of the injured party to sue and the state to press charges. Collins had agreed to fight Resto with certain ounce gloves. In ripping the stuffing out of the gloves, Lewis and Resto voided the contract and, in violating the rules in so egregious a way, lost the protection of the law and committed assault and battery, which in New York was charged as a type of “Assault” as well as possession of a deadly weapon—the gloves. “The Harlem Hammer” punched without gloves and outside the allotted time of the bout, no longer protected by contract or rules.

Both offenders in these cases caused damage to their opponents; generally, one must have damages capable of redress to sue. Because no one was struck or threatened with the “plaster-like” hardened fists and Mosley ultimately won the bout, there are no damages (except perhaps to Margarito’s reputation and a generalized damage to the sport of boxing) —thus no lawsuit.

But some further explanation of just what assault and battery means in a criminal context might be in order. Different states use the words differently, but California essentially follows the old Common Law form. Without getting into degrees and “aggravated” status, according to the California Penal Code Sect. 240. “An assault is an unlawful attempt, coupled with a present ability, to commit a violent injury on the person of another.” (emphasis added).

According to CPC Sect. 242. “A battery is any willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon the person of another.”

The classic definition of battery is “the use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact.”

Which is to say, generally, that assault is the attempt and battery is the actual contact. Or, germane to this discussion: you can assault someone without actually hitting him. And unlike in the lawsuit context, you need not have inflicted damage on another.

The last weapon in our legal arsenal for the moment regards just that, weapons and/or dangerous instrumentalities:

CPC 245. (a) (1) Any person who commits an assault upon the person of another with a deadly weapon or instrument other than a firearm or by any means of force likely to produce great bodily injury shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years, or in a county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment.

Arguably, outside of the protection of the law in the ring, a boxer’s fists alone might qualify under this statute for the increased penalty. But certainly, a set of brass knuckles would qualify under the statute as either/or. Having said that, I do not see much legal distinction as to impact between brass knuckles and plaster of paris knuckle pads in a boxing match. And remember, you don’t actually have to hit someone to have “assaulted” him.

And there it is—call it what you will, attempted battery or “assault with a deadly weapon.” Loading boxing gloves with “a plaster-like substance” in anticipation of their use in a boxing match would seem to qualify. The only thing that seemingly stood in the way of a criminal beating that night was Sugar Shane Mosley’s observant trainer and the time it would have taken to walk into the ring.

Proof

But of course, in the criminal context one must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Not any doubt, but a reasonable doubt. The Commission revocation hearing used the “clear and convincing evidence to a reasonable certainty” standard— which is more than preponderance of the evidence (i.e., 51%), and less than beyond a reasonable doubt (i.e., beyond the reasonable doubt of a reasonable man).

In addition, however, in the criminal context, generally, one must show intent (sometimes “recklessness” or “negligence” will do, but in “attempt crimes” intent is generally the touchstone). Intent in this matter would essentially mean that Margarito and/or his trainer knew that the hand wraps had been exposed to a hardening agent, or as the CSAS found, “a plaster-like substance,” and proceeded to go forward to fight.

The Defense

Not knowing is a defense. But just saying you “didn’t know” is not enough to dispense with intent—it is a question for the jury (or judge, if there is no jury) to decide. It is what is called “a question of fact.” The answer or decision is based upon the credibility of the accused and the surrounding evidence. In the case of Panama Lewis and Luis Resto the court found that despite their assertions—they had to have known. And again, they both went to prison in addition to being banned from boxing.

Hardened knuckle pads, however, are not the same as gloves with the stuffing ripped out. And more than a few reputable boxing trainers, including Freddie Roach, Emanuel Steward, and Nazeem Richardson—the trainer who actually discovered the hardened knuckle pads—have publicly stated that it would be possible for a trainer to place hardened pads within a boxer’s hand wraps without the boxer knowing it. It is also possible, because the knuckle pads aren’t necessarily prepared in front of the boxer (according to the CSAS Capetillo told conflicting stories about where he prepared the knuckle pads) that any treatment of the pads could not seen by the boxer.

That sound you just heard was reasonable doubt creeping in as to Margarito.

But having said that, the CSAS found Margarito to not be a credible witness. According to the Commission :
“…the Commission found Mr. Margarito’s claims that he was unaware of the foreign and illegal substance found in his fist wraps and that it was entirely the fault of his trainer, to not be credible. In short, by assuming no responsibility or knowledge of wrongdoing, Petitioner’s testimony at the hearing was evasive, inherently improbable, in most respects, and, in certain specific instances, disingenuous in the extreme.”
They may also have mocked his shoes.

But part of the Commission’s finding was based on their belief that an experienced professional boxer could not have not known that his hand wraps contained knuckle pads with a plaster-like substance on them. At least that part of the finding would seemingly become suspect when subjected to the expert trainer’s views.
Capetillo is, perhaps, another story. The Commission characterized his testimony as follows:

“Respondent testified that he was nervous and that he used the wrong knuckle pads in both of Margarito’s hand wraps. Respondent testified that the adulterated gauze pads must have been thrown into his trainer’s bag by another boxer during a training session at Respondent’s gym.”

“Respondent testified inconsistently as to when he prepared the knuckle pads used in wrapping Margarito’s hands stating both that the pads had been prepared in advance and also that they were prepared at Staples Center.”

The Commission then stated:
“Respondent testified that he made an innocent mistake and did not cheat but instead twice reached into his trainer’s bag and twice grabbed the wrong knuckle pad. Although the Commission does not find Respondent’s testimony on this issue to be credible even if Respondent’s acts were the result of a mistake such a mistake would still violate Commission Rule 323 and would still bring discredit to boxing pursuant to Rule 390.

Because of the serious physical consequences which could have resulted to the other boxer from the use of boxing gloves loaded with illegal knuckle pads, the appropriate penalty is revocation.”

The Commission is not alone in finding Capetillo less than credible. Manuel Steward stated:

“When I get in the dressing room before a fight, one of the first things I do is make two knuckle pads and put them on the table. I don’t put them in my bag. I leave them out on the table, and so does every other trainer I know of.

So, I have a hard time believing that Capetillo took the wrong knuckle pads out of his bag by mistake.”
The Evidence

And what did the California Commission find as to the knuckle pads? Upon physical examination:

“The thin gauze pads were determined, after examination by the Commission, to have been adulterated with a white plaster-like substance.”

And by laboratory analysis? The Commission states:

“One adulterated pad was sent to the California Department of Justice Forensic Laboratory in Sacramento where it was examined and would be processed for testing. The pad was photographed under 6x magnification. The photographs show a white flaky substance on the pad and within the interstices of the gauze itself.” (See photo above and think about what gauze looks like—white squares with nothing in them).

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE BUREAU OF FORENSIC SERVICES
SACRAMENTO CRIMINALISTICS LABORATORY
4949 Broadway, Room F-201 Sacramento, CA 95820
Phone No. (916) 227-3777 FAX No.• (916) 227-3776

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE EXAMINATION REPORT
Suspect: Margarita, Antonio; Capetillo, Javier Offense: None
Victim: State of California Offense Date: January 24, 2009

March 19,2009

SUMMARY
Calcium and sulfur, two elements found in plaster of Paris, were found on the submitted gauze pad
EVIDENCE
The following evidence was submitted to this laboratory by Athletic Inspector Che Guevara of the
California Department of Consumer Affairs on January 17,2009:
Item # 1 Description
gauze pad
EXAMINATION
The submitted gauze pad was examined using a stereomioroscope. A white solid material was seen
adhering to and between the gauze fibers. Calcium and sulfur were detected in samples of the white solid using an X-ray fluorescence [XRF] spectrometer. The elements calcium, sulfur and oxygen are found in plaster of Paris [calcium sulfate -CaS04J. These three elements are also found in substances’ other than plaster. Oxygen is not detectable by XRF. (CSAS, P.27-28, PDF)
Conclusion
So why again is at least Capetillo not being charged?
The California State Athletic Commission report, findings and briefs can be found here.
http://www.dca.ca.gov/csac/about_us/meetings/20100818_agenda.pdf

One of the fights dubbed the “The Magnificent Seven” will see one of Britain’s top prospects “Funtime” Frankie Gavin 7-0(6) bid for his first first title in the paid ranks when he fights Michael Kelly for the Irish Light Welterweight crown. In this fight Gavin will look to add another victory that he hopes will see him go one step closer to becoming the British Champion which he hopes to challenge for in the near future. The 24 year old achieved something no English fighter ever had in the amateur’s when he won the World Championships stunning two time Olympic Gold medallist Aleksei Tishchenko on route to the final. He then headed to Beijing with high hopes of completing the double, unfortunately he was unable to make the weight and couldn’t compete. He then opted to turn pro under the stewardship of Frank Warren and is currently trained by Anthony Farnell. Here’s what Gavin had to say.

Hello Frankie, welcome back to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – Firstly it’s been awhile since we spoke you have started off your pro career very impressively going 7-0(6) what are your thoughts on how things have gone so far in your career?

Frankie Gavin – Everything has gone to plan. I’ve stayed undefeated. I haven’t lost or drawn a round as a pro. So far everything has gone to plan.

Anson Wainwright – You will be looking to win your first title when you fight for the Vacant Irish Title against Michael Kelly, what do you know about Kelly & what do you expect him to bring to the fight?

Frankie Gavin – I think he’s a decent fighter. He was a really good amateur but it’s a completely different game now (In the pro’s). He’s very strong, he looks like he can fight a bit, but I’ve seen he makes quite a few mistakes so I’ll take advantage of that.

Anson Wainwright – This fight will be scheduled for 10 rounds, so far you haven’t been beyond 6. What are your thoughts on that?

Frankie Gavin – I do it in the gym fine. I spar Light Middle’s, I spar 8-10 with Mattie Hall (Hall is the former Commonwealth Light Middleweight champion who is 23-2(16) as a pro. So to do that with Mattie Hall I can easily do it with Michael Kelly.

Anson Wainwright – What are your feelings on the September 18 show in general, it must be a tremendous honour to be from the host City of such a big event?

Frankie Gavin – Yeah it’s brilliant. Obviously Macklin’s on, he’s going to knock Barker out. I don’t really like to comment on Brook & Jennings because I know them both. Then I think Maccarinelli & Cleverly are going to be fine. Degale is going to smash Dilks in four rounds. I think I’ll do Kelly easily enough. Chisora-Sexton is another one like Brook & Jennings. Such a good show. Don Broadhurst whoever he fights I think he’ll be fine. I think it’s such a good show. Ronnie Heffron & Joe Selkirk have just been added.

Editors Note: This interview took place on the 31 August, since then Darren Barker has pulled out with a hip injury.

Anson Wainwright – You were originally scheduled to fight Curtis Woodhouse. He played Football for your beloved Birmingham City F.C would that of been strange for you beating up a guy you had once cheered from the stands?

Frankie Gavin – No not one bit. He gets carried away, he thinks he’s the next big think thing, in all honesty he’s nothing more than an area fighter in my opinion.

Anson Wainwright – Without getting ahead of ourselves you obviously hope to achieve big things in Boxing, all being well after the 18 September what would you like to do next? What are your plans for say the next 6 months to a year?

Frankie Gavin – I want to be British Champion at least. I want to be challenging. In my opinion I’m ready for Lenny Daws, I want Lenny Daws. I want Nigel Wright, Lenny Daws anybody ahead of me in the rankings. In some people’s eyes Woodhouse is ahead of me but he’s not, people who know Boxing know he’s not ahead of me in the rankings. I want people who are genuinely ahead of me there the people i really want to fight.

Anson Wainwright – You have been cut a few times so far, you’ve dealt with the adversity well. Do you think this could be a problem for you? Have you looked into it?

Frankie Gavin – It’s one of those things. They’ve been head clashes. It hasn’t really bothered me. Just really one of those things, I’m not bothered about it. If it really bothered me you’d of seen me fold and go on the back foot and get worried but if anything it spurs me on. So far nothings really bothered me. I’ve been hit a few times with 8 ounce gloves and I’ve taken it. I haven’t been shaken as yet obviously it’s going to happen one day but I’ll deal with that when it happens. Once I’ve been punched and cut I’ll thing something must be wrong, but it’s always been with the head really hard. Anyone who gets hit with the heads going to cut.

Anson Wainwright – You were obviously part of the 2008 British Olympic team though you didn’t fight. With the exception of two who stayed in the amateur’s the rest have gone pro. How do you feel they have all done so far? Do you stay in contact with them all?

Frankie Gavin – Yeah I still speak to them all Price, Jeffries, Degale, Billy Joe Saunders & Joe Murray. We’re all friends, the good thing is we’re all still undefeated, none of us have been beat. As long as none of us can not get beat we’ll all be champions.

Anson Wainwright – From a British point of view the Light Welterweight division is stacked with talent. Amir Khan is a World Champion, Paul McCloskey is the European Champion plus British champ Lenny Daws, English holder Nigel Wright. What are your thoughts on those guys?

Frankie Gavin – I’ll beat in my opinion Nigel Wright now. I’m a better southpaw than him, I’m a better boxer than him. He thinks he’s a big puncher, but he’s not one of those guys I’m going to have to go looking for. Same with Lenny Daws. When I first went pro it would of been over 4 rounds, now I’m doing 6 I know I’d beat him over 6. I’ve done 8 and if I get my 10 & 12’s sorted I’ll beat him of that then. As long as I can do 10 rounds they can’t beat me. I’m a better boxing, they haven’t got variation like me they haven’t got the elusiveness like me.

Anson Wainwright – A fight with McCloskey would be huge in Ireland as would a fight with Khan in Britain. What are your thoughts on those guys?

Frankie Gavin – They’re at the very back of my mind. I’ve got a lot of things to prove and achieve before I can look to those guys. There doing things I can only dream about at the moment. When the time comes we’ll see. At the moment those two are well ahead of me so I’m not even looking at them.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans and anyone who maybe thinking of coming to the “Magnificent Seven” show on the 18 September?

Frankie Gavin – Just come, it’s going to be a great night. Your going to see some of Britain’s finest and it wont disappoint i’m sure of that.

Thanks for your time Frankie, keep up the good work

Anson Wainwright
15rounds

As ESPN readies to turn thirty-one later this week, the boxing industry should feel free to join in any celebrations the world wide leader plans on having. Since Chris Berman, Bob Ley, & co. emerged on television screens across the nation in September ’79, ESPN has televised boxing on a regular basis — both professional and amateur bouts. The relationship between ESPN and boxing is a crucial one that must be maintained and through the use of the internet, hopefully expanded.

This past Saturday, ironically, the network’s Friday Night Fights season series wrapped up in Montreal, Canada — marking the end to yet another entertaining and successful year of fights for the Disney-owned network. While both HBO and Showtime’s fistic budget dwarfs that of ESPN’s, Doug Loughrey, ESPN’s boxing director of programming, has done an admirable job putting together intriguing and exciting fights.

This past season, specifically, while HBO and Showtime created storylines and built-up fighters (Chris Arreola & Chad Dawson to name two whose scripts were rewritten), ESPN seized on opportunities for create and air fights that already had intriguing storylines built-in.

For instance, back in February, Antonio Escalante (24-2, 15 KO) took on Mickey Roman (30-7, 22 KO). Built-in storyline: Escalante and Roman were childhood rivals, both having grown up in Juarez, Mexico. They scrapped once some thirteen years previous to this bout on the streets of the city and had a chance to run it back once more inside the ropes in El Paso, Texas — Escalante’s adopted hometown. After ten hellacious rounds in front of the pro-Escalante crowd, the judge’s awarded the fan-favorite the unanimous decision victory.

Then in June, Zab Judah (39-6, 27 KO) returned to the ring in front of five thousand fans in Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center. Built-in storyline: Judah returned back to 140 lbs. and claims he is refreshed. This interested 625,000 people enough to tune into Friday Night Fights to watch “Super” Judah stop Jose Armando Santa Cruz (28-5, 17 KO) within three rounds — landing a crisp, beautifully thrown uppercut to drop his opponent in the third.

I could continue to rattle of a laundry-list of built-in storylines that were flushed out during this past Friday Night Fights season, but that would be silly. Point is, Loughrey’s vision in what to invest in and create for his Friday Night Fights series is admirable. What is even more exciting for boxing fans is that it seems Loughrey has a vision for boxing on ESPN that stretches beyond the television set — which could lead to endless possibilities.

A few months ago, ESPN announced that it had struck a deal with the English Premier League, Italy’s Seria A, the German Bundesliga, and Spain’s La Liga — among others — to air select soccer games on ESPN3.com. The stream, which pending one’s bandwidth has the potential to come in clearer than on a television set, is offered for free, even if the game is not shown on ESPN or ESPN2.

On July 31, ESPN announced that, only after HBO and Showtime passed up the opportunity to televise the fight, it will be showing the September 11 Wladimir Klitschko-Samuel Peter IBF & WBO title fight live on ESPN3.com and replay the bout the following day on ESPN.

On the following Friday, the 17th of September, ESPN3.com will air the live flyweight bout between Edin Dapudong vs. Wilbur Uicab, live from Cancun, Mexico and replay it the next day on ESPN Deportes.

If ESPN’s budget grows next year — like it did with soccer this year — ESPN3.com can serve as a crucial player in how boxing fans will be able to watch intriguing fights in high quality for no cost.

The relationship that boxing has with ESPN is vital — regardless of the talent they are able to book for Friday Night Fight cards. When ESPN has a financial investment in a sport, they are more willing to support it and promote it. If their financial investment grows, there is little doubt that the coverage will mimic that.

ESPN has the potential to drive and push sports. When it increased it’s stake in NASCAR at the expense of hockey, ESPN created the NASCAR Now television show, while axing National Hockey Night. Once ESPN shut the door on the NHL completely, hockey turned Versus to air their national games, including playoffs. This led to a columnist at the spoof-newspaper The Onion to pen an article titled “NHL Signs Broadcast Deal with Food Network” — an obvious jab at being forced to televise their sport on deep cable.

None of us want boxing to end up on the proverbial Food Network and the opportunity with ESPN3.com emerging as a serious outlet for major sports to be televised live on is great news for boxing. Hopefully the Klitschko-Peter fight draws enough traffic to the site that it will catch the attention of the big wigs at the world wide leader. If that’s the case, then like soccer, maybe the people running the show at ESPN can kick a little more cash boxing’s way. And with an expanded boxing budget for ESPN, we’d all reap the rewards.

It’s one of the great wonders of Boxing how a guy can go from Journeyman to contender and in some cases even winning a World title. It happened with Glen Johnson he had multiple loses on his ledger, albeit several of them dubious before rose to become champion. It happened to Orlando Salido & Cristobal Cruz to battle tested Mexican warriors with double digit loses. They say you can learn more from a loss than you can a win that’s most definitely the case with Filipino fighter Michael Domingo he’s had plenty of practice going 40-14-2(18). He’s on a nice 9 fight winning streak which includes snapping Miguel Roman’s 21 fight unbeaten run, a stoppage over one time American Olympian Jose Navarro & last time he demolished former title challenger Luis Melendez in two. Domingo turns 31 in late August but believes he’s in his prime and above all wants to land the so far elusive World title fight. The message is clear don’t sleep on Michael Domingo if you do it might just be you who’s left sleeping.

Hello Michael, welcome to 15rounds.com

Hello Anson.

Anson Wainwright – Your scheduled to appear next on 28 August at Waterford Cebu City, any ideas as yet who you will be facing? What can you tell us about the show?

Michael Domingo – My next fight is actually going to be on the 29th of October 2010 at the Dubai Tennis Stadium in Dubai U.A.E. I am scheduled to fight Angky Angkota of Indonesia. It is a presentation of my promotional company ALA Promotions of Antonio L. Aldeguer, Philippine Television Giant ABS-CBN Sports and Dubai based KO Promotions of Zac Taumafai. My fellow ALA Promotions boxers Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and A.J. Banal is also fighting in the same card.

Anson Wainwright – Last time out you beat Luis Melendez when you impressively stopped him in two. What can you tell us about that fight?

Michael Domingo – The fight was good because I won. I did not get to enjoy it that much though because when I landed a hard punch in the first round I felt he was backing up too much and did not want to engage. After that I just went for the kill.

Anson Wainwright – Could you tell us who is part of team Domingo? Who is your manager, trainer & promoter and what gym do you train at?

Michael Domingo – My manager is Mr. Antonio L. Aldeguer who owns ALA Promotions and the ALA Gym where I train everyday and my trainer is Edito “ALA” Villamor.

Anson Wainwright – What is a typical day in they gym for you?

Michael Domingo – I wake up to jog around 5:30 AM and finish up at 7:00 AM everyday. I eat breakfast thereafter and then I rest. On Mondays-Wednesdays-Fridays I do strength and conditioning training and on Tuesdays-Thursdays-Saturdays in the afternoon I spar.

Anson Wainwright – Could we rewind 20 plus years and tell us about your childhood and what your upbringing was like?

Michael Domingo – 20 years ago I worked with my parents on a farm planting rice. I got bored and decided to start a gang called the Peace Makers who ironically got into fights almost everyday. I always figured in street fights. There was one incident when a rival hit me with a rock in the head and it was really bad. After that I was encouraged by a neighbor to go into boxing and that started that.

Anson Wainwright – Your hometown of Cebu is known as a hotbed of Boxing in The Philippines could you tell us about how this influenced you and your path into Boxing?

Michael Domingo – Yes Cebu is a hotbed of boxing in the country but I actually am from Sultan Kudarat in Mindanao Philippines but I started my career in boxing in Davao City where I boxed for 5 years before moving to Cebu.

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

Michael Domingo – I just want to relax and go to the mall. I love watching movies and go Videoke singing with my close friends.

Anson Wainwright – Going back to the start of your career you debuted back in 1999 you streaked to 10-0-1(3) before your first loss, then you then slipped to 11-12-1(5) in your next 24 fights over a 4 year period. What happened to you at that time?

Michael Domingo – I believe I was mismanaged then. I also needed money those times because I was away from home being in Davao. I accepted fights whatever weight class was offered. I lost focus and my drive. It was about survival then.

Anson Wainwright – At that point you looked like you would slip into journeyman status however you reinvented yourself going 18-2(9) putting yourself in line for a world title fight. Even then the two loses were on the road in Japan & France. Can you explain how you managed to go from a journeyman to a possible world title fight?

Michael Domingo – I am just lucky that ALA Promotions and my management team helped guide me to where I am now. I would like to thank most especially Sir Antonio Aldeguer and Sir Michael Aldeguer for guiding not just my career but my life as well.

Anson Wainwright – The Bantamweight class is strong at the moment what are your thoughts on the top fighters at 118? Who are you targeting?

Michael Domingo – The 118 Bantamweight class is one of the most talented and competitive divisions now but I feel I am ready for any one of them. I want Montiel:-). Vic Darchinyan, Perez is on the list too.

Anson Wainwright – Your countryman Manny Pacquiao won the race to congress. What are your feelings on that and what you feel he has done for Filipino Boxing?

Michael Domingo – I am very happy for Congressman Manny Pacquiao. He is one special individual and i know he has a lot to offer in helping his province of Saranggani. Manny Pacquiao has blazed the trail for Filipino boxers to follow and has inspired us boxers to believe nothing is impossible.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for the Bantamweight class?

Michael Domingo – To all you Champions of the Bantamweight class, I am just here ready and waiting to fight you. PICK ME!

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

Thank you very much Mr. Anson Wainwright.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

“Everyone always asks us who is going to be the next great heavyweight. Well, on Sept. 11, we feel it will be Sam Peter’s shining moment.” – Todd DuBoef, president of Top Rank, Aug. 27

There is no possibility Sam Peter is going to be the next great heavyweight. He auditioned for the post years ago and was found wanting in savvy, dedication, heart and bottom – in everything but power, actually. Todd DuBoef is Peter’s promoter, of course, but he’s also a pretty sharp guy. So take a second look at the above quote: He cocks a haymaker then throws a jab.

In DuBoef’s defense, it should be remarked that his quote came at the end of a conference call tough to finish. Peter was indecipherable and taciturn. He did not want to discuss the past or future. He just wanted folks to watch him on Sept. 11.

That day on ESPN, Peter will challenge Wladimir Klitschko for one half of the heavyweight championship of the world, in Frankfurt, Germany. It will be a rematch of an entertaining 12-round scrap that happened almost exactly five years before. In promoting the fight, Peter did not give meaningful answers to any questions of strategy last week but, again, instructed us to watch Sept. 11. Why should we?

As it happens, there are two good reasons: what Peter did in his first fight with Klitschko, and what Peter did in his last fight in Texas.

Let’s journey back to 2005 and recall the time of Klitschko-Peter I. A different time indeed. If there were a Klitschko anyone took seriously, it certainly was not Wladimir. His older brother Vitali was coming off a pair of knockout victories in 2004 and about 10 months from announcing his retirement to go into Ukrainian politics, after injuries kept him from defending his WBC belt against Hasim Rahman. Wladimir, meanwhile, had our pity.

He’d not lasted four minutes against Corrie Sanders in 2003. He’d been unable to answer the sixth-round bell against Lamon Brewster in 2004. He’d hired trainer Manny Steward in the hopes Steward might play Wizard of Oz to his Lion. And every time he got hit, he wore a queasy look on his face that said, “Get me out of here.”

He was desperate to revive his career. So desperate, in fact, that he agreed to a fight against a wild-swinging undefeated African strongman incapable of being deterred by good boxing. If you’re new to the heavyweight division, that is, you might be shocked to learn that, in September of 2005, Wladimir Klitschko was perhaps boxing’s most sympathetic figure.

Klitschko-Peter I was about two questions: Is there a single well-delivered punch to Klitschko’s head that won’t knock him down? and does Peter have any boxing skills whatever? Neither question was answered. Most every time Peter landed a clean punch, Klitschko went down. And in 36 minutes, Peter landed about three clean punches.

But you cheered for Klitschko that night against Peter because he was so obviously fighting a fragile psyche as much as an undefeated opponent. He was dropped thrice and rose each time. Manny Steward bolstered his spirit between rounds, and Klitschko survived to win a unanimous decision.

But had you then told anyone watching that, in 2010, two Klitschko brothers would be seen as essentially indestructible, you would have needed to invent a third brother – Mikhail, Boris or Nikita, maybe? – to be taken seriously.

Today, Wladimir Klitschko is a monster of sorts; former contenders threaten their children with tales of his right cross before bedtime. And if you could take a model of Samuel Peter and give it any other name, Klitschko would ruin him. But there’s a very real chance that in a couple Saturdays, once the bell rings and Klitschko’s nimble brain runs a query on the image of Peter before him, some frightful values will get returned.

Then we’ll enter a laboratory of fear with Klitschko as our guide. Fear has a weakening effect whenever you experience it, of course, but it writes sentences with exclamation points in prizefighting. It begins with a hollowing-out of the upper legs and spreads to the knees, burning energy at an accelerated pace for which no conditioning regimen can prepare you. Run a marathon in camp, spar 100 rounds on Fridays, skip rope for six hours – go right ahead. Once you are afraid, once your body gets the message from your brain, you’re not conditioned well enough to finish a championship prizefight.

Is this guaranteed to happen? Of course not. Wladimir may in fact look across the ring on Sept. 11 and see the guy his older brother embarrassed in 2008 and Eddie Chambers decisioned in 2009. He may hit Peter with so many long jabs in the first six minutes that Peter reverts to form.

But Peter’s form, coincidentally, is the second reason his rematch with Klitschko could be interesting. Were you at the Gaylord Texan in March? If not, here’s the most surprising appearance made that weekend: Samuel Peter’s abdominal muscles. They were visible. At his lowest weight since 2001, Peter looked fantastic against Nagy Aguilera. He counterpunched with patience. He wasn’t shy about finishing his overmatched opponent, but he wasn’t reckless either. He waited for Aguilera to hang jabs and blasted him with right hands.

Klitschko does not hang his jab; frankly, he’s too skittish to hang any punch. But he does like to extend his left glove and use it as a sensor cum patty-caker. If Peter were somehow able to land his right hand over Klitschko’s outstretched left arm, he might just get another look at Wladimir’s queasy face.

It’s a long shot, but Todd DuBoef’s quote above could prove right on both counts. People are indeed always asking – and will still be asking – who is going to be the next great heavyweight. And Sept. 11 might actually be Sam Peter’s shining moment.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter.com/bartbarry

A couple of weeks back I was made a promise by Giovani Segura’s manager Ricky Mota he agreed to my request to an interview with Segura ahead of his WBA & WBO Unification fight with Ivan Calderon. Now it’s not unheard for your requests not to come to fruition in this game. However a man of his word Ricky Mota contacted me from Puerto Rico to fulfill his part of the bargain. Now Segura 28, aims to complete his part of the deal he wanted the biggest and best fight out there and his team dually delivered Calderon. The fight takes place in Calderon’s homeland of Puerto Rico this Saturday where he is a National Treasure and very difficult to beat. A fact not lost on Segura or his team who know that they are public enemy number one at the moment and will most likely have to KO there Hall of fame bound opponent. Going into the fight Segura sports an impressive 24-1-1(20) ledger with 77% KO ratio

Hello Giovani, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – In the last few days it’s been announced that you will be facing Ivan Calderon in a Unification. What can you tell us about that fight ands how you see it?

Giovanni Segura – Im very happy to unify with best 108 in the world ivan calderon, I see the fans being the winner of the fight but without a doubt me beating him that night.

Anson Wainwright – What do you expect from Calderon? How good do you think he is?

Giovanni Segura – I think there is no secret he will run and box and i will try to be smart and knock him out.

Anson Wainwright – You’ve been busy so far this year having two fights already winning both. What can you tell us about them?

Giovanni Segura – Good exciting fights that gave me more experience just what i need under m belt.

Anson Wainwright – Tell us about your team who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym do you use?

Giovanni Segura – Manager Richard Mota, Trainer Javier Capetillo & promoter Top Rank. I train at the Azteca Boxing Club in Bell Ca.

Anson Wainwright – Much has been made of Capetillo after what happened with the Margarito-Mosley fight. What is your take on it?

Giovanni Segura – No Comment

Anson Wainwright – What are your goals in Boxing?

Giovanni Segura – To fight the best and keep unifying my world titles

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us how you first became interested in Boxing and went to the Aztec Club?

Giovanni Segura – Since I was kid I’ve been interested in boxing started when iwas 16 years old

Anson Wainwright – What can you tell us about yourself as a person, your hobbies, interests and facts about yourself? What fighters did you like when you were young and who do you like now?

Giovanni Segura – Im a clean honest man, that likes to play soccer and spend time with my family. julio cesar chavez, finito lopez, felix trinidad

Anson Wainwright – How do you find making 108? Do you struggle? What is your walk around weight when not training? Do you have a special diet when a fight is coming up?

Giovanni Segura – I struggle a little bit to make 108 but nothing crazy. my walk around weight is 122.

Anson Wainwright – What do you think of the Light Flyweight division and the strength of it? What do you think of your fellow champions?

Giovanni Segura – I dont think much of my fellow champions.but would love unify with them all.

Anson Wainwright – What is the fight you would most like and how do you envisage it turning out?

Giovanni Segura – Ivan Calderon by KO.

Anson Wainwright – Finally is there anything you’ll like to add?

Giovanni Segura – Thanks for having me here dont miss my fight with calderon there will be fireworks

Anson Wainwright – Thanks for your time Giovani,

Giovanni Segura – It’s been a pleasure.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

A couple of pretty good actors are scheduled for a fight that will match them Saturday night in Boston in a mixed mess of boxing, wrestling, checkers, chess, apples and oranges. I’m not exactly sure what all Randy Couture and James Toney will be doing. I just wish they weren’t doing it.

The Expendables, with a cast that includes Couture in a major role, is a hit, an entertaining few hours of fiction during a long summer when Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. is still just a fantasy. But it would have been a relief if the film turned into reality and Toney-Couture was made expendable long before it ever happened. This is no knock on the movie or Couture or Toney, a former middleweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight champion who was convincing as Joe Frazier in the 2001 film Ali.

In some corners, this so-called fight– Toney the boxer versus Couture the UFC legend — is being portrayed as a final judgment on whether the art in the martial mix is sweeter than anything in boxing’s traditional science. Please, Toney is 42 and Couture is 47. Give the winner an AARP belt or a shot at Evander Holyfield, but don’t take this more seriously than anything you might see in a parking lot after last call.

Other than Toney, everybody thinks Couture wins easily because he has the home-cage advantage. He knows his way around the chain-link fence, unlike Toney, who knows all about clinching, but won’t be able to trash-talk his way out of Couture’s Greco-Roman education. Toney figures to have his feet taken out from under him and find himself flat on his back not long after the circus begins.

So what?

This mismatch of mixed skill has never been known to go far or prove much. On the scale of significance, it belongs right there, alongside Mayweather-versus-Big Show.

Three years ago, former heavyweight Tommy Morrison tried a version of mixed martial arts in a show with rules written to favor his punching power. Against an unknown, Morrison was allowed to wear shoes against his bare-footed opponent in at a casino on Apache land in Northern Arizona. Like Toney, Morrison bragged about how dangerous his punches would be in the four-ounce gloves worn by MMA fighters.

But Morrison never got much of a chance to land the power that made him a dangerous heavyweight. He got shoved around the cage, looking trapped and panicked. He was declared the winner, although it was hard to tell. He needed those shoes to run out of the cage and into a waiting van, never heard from again.

The crowd, MMA partisans, booed Morrison and a show without winners.

Expendable then. Expendable now.
NOTES, ANECDOTES

· Jose Sulaiman, president of the Mexico City-based World Boxing Council, threatened to suspend lightweight Genaro Trazancos and featherweight Adolfo Landeros for fighting last Friday in Tucson in defiance of a declaration that the WBC would not authorize Mexicans to box in Arizona because of the state’s tough new immigration law. Trazancos and Landeros said they were in Arizona only to make a living. If Sulaiman is serious and not just grandstanding, he would pay the fighters the purses that they would forfeit if they didn’t fight in Arizona. The WBC has been taking money in the form of sanction fees out of fighters’ pockets for years.

· Despite Sulaiman’s threats, Don Chargin, last Friday’s promoter at Casino Del Sol, plans to stage another card on Tucson property on Sept 24 or Oct. 1. Despite controversy over the immigration legislation, Chargin says that Arizona will continue to be an important boxing market. He points out that Roger Mtagwa’s dramatic 10th-round stoppage of Tomas Villa in a featherweight bout at Casino Del Sol was a contender for Fight-of-the-Year honors in 2008

European Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Maccarinelli 32-4(25) will look to make the first defence of his title against unbeaten Ukrainian Alexander Frenkel on the bumper 18 September show in Birmingham, England. Back in 2006 Maccarinelli was a young world champion with an entertaining style he would make 4 successful defence’s of the WBO strap before losing it in a bragging rights unification shootout with David Haye. It seemed to send his career into a tailspin when he lost two in a row in a bad 2009. While many fighters would opt to retire not Maccarinelli he decided against getting a day job, rededicated himself going back to basics. After two feel your way back wins both in the first round he was left with a decision to fight in Prizefighter for more money, against weaker opposition or fight for the vacant European crown which though more prestigious would be in Russia against Alexander Kotlobay. After deliberating it with promoter Frank Warren, Maccarinelli decided no guts no glory going for the jugular heading to Russia where he demolished Kotlobay in 135 seconds of the opening round. Maccarinelli hopes to get an impressive victory over Frenkel that would propel him into a muted Cruiserweight Super 6. Here’s what Big Macc had to say ahead of the fight.

Hello Enzo, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – Firstly you will be making your first defence of the European Cruiserweight title against Alexander Frenkel. What are your thoughts on Frankel? How good do you think he is?

Enzo Maccarinelli – Yeah obviously he’s good. He’s got a good record, good knock out record. I’ve seen the boys he’s been fighting they haven’t been up to much i’ll be honest but he’s taken care of them. He beat what’s in front of him but i’m in a totally different kettle of fish to what he’s faced.

Anson Wainwright – Your fight takes place on the massive 18 September Birmingham show. What are your thoughts on appearing on that card?

Enzo Maccarinelli – Yeah to be honest it doesn’t really bother me if i’m honest. I’m in this for myself, it’s not a team sport. But you’ve got to give some kudos to Frank Warren for putting on a show like this. It’s got to be the most stacked 50-50 fights for British Boxing for many years. I think it’ll be a fantastic night of boxing and i’m sure everyone will play a part in making it a great night.

Anson Wainwright – Over the past few years you’ve changed several things in your team having left the Calzaghe stable, who are you trained by now? Also who is your manager & promoter? What gym do you train at?

Enzo Maccarinelli – Yeah i train with Karl Ince he does pads with me. A conditioner Chris Ware for fitness and an old trainer from when i was younger Derek who’s just pushing me. I’ve gone back to basics. I’ve left all the weights alone, which i’ve done over the last couple of years. Plenty of running, plenty of Boxing, plenty of sparring. I’m in London, I’ve sparred with Derek Chisora this week. Everything is going well. My manager & promoter is Frank Warren. I train over my dad’s gym where it all started, like i say i’ve gone back to basics, i train at home. The place that i grew up and made me. It’s a little tin shed in Swansea, it’s boiling in the summer & freezing in the winter. But it’s what i call my second home. It’s relight the fire inside me.

Anson Wainwright -From your point of view what made your decide to leave the Calzaghe’s and how are things between you now?

Enzo Maccarinelli – It’s all amicable. I gave them my reason’s why i left. I speak to Joe all the time. I speak to Enzo all the time. There’s no animosity at all with me leaving at all. When Joe retired Enzo lost some of his love for the game, he wouldn’t admit it at the time but i think he would now. It was just something i had to do. I don’t hold grudges there’s no grudges to hold. I’m very close to Joe, i’m very close to Enzo.

Anson Wainwright -Obviously Frenkel is a very real test for you, but all being well I’m sure you want to get back on the World stage. What is your plan of attack?

Enzo Maccarinelli – I want that world title back again. I’m in this for no other reason. When i lost to Lebedev and Afolabi i lost to boys who a couple of years ago wouldn’t of touched me. But i lost. I’m not making excuses, i’m not saying it wasn’t me. I prepared wrong for both of them fights, they prepared right they won, preparation is key. But the thing was i knew what i did wrong. Especially after the Lebedev fight i was embarrassed not because i lost because of the way i performed. It was upto me to either sit in the house and think of a new career or carry on and do the sport i love. Obviously here i am. Everyone gave me no hope what so ever going to Russia. I smashed the boy up. I did exactly what i said i was going to do. It was no lucky shot. I said it was going to be over in two rounds and it was the first!

Anson Wainwright -What are your thoughts on the current state of the Cruiserweight division? Where do you feel you fit in to things?

Enzo Maccarinelli – I fit in there. I feel i can beat any Cruiserweight on the planet bar none. As long as i prepare right, as long as i turn up right on the night. I think it’ll be a hard man to beat me. It’s a good division with good fighters. I’d place Steve Cunningham at the top he’s been around a long time he shows no sign of slowing down. Me and Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, Marco Huck would be a cracking fights. I’ve heard rumours of Super 6’s in all division’s so that would be something i’d love to do. But i’m not taking nothing for granted Alexander Frenkel is a dangerous opponent. I’m training as hard as ever. My weight is fine, i’m under weight already, i’m fit as a fiddle. I could do 12 rounds tomorrow. It’s just a matter of not going over the top.

Anson Wainwright – You touched on the Cruiserweight Super 6 which has been mentioned, what are your thoughts on that?

Enzo Maccarinelli – It would be fantastic. It would definitely be something i’d like to do. If i can put on something spectacular against Frenkel then maybe i could earn my way in there, that would be ideal for me, I’d be more than happy. It would be a fantastic tournament at the end of the day after Seven or so fights you find out who the number one is.

Anson Wainwright -You went into the Lions den so to speak last time out when you won the European title, was that a case of you having to win as a loss would of put you in a very difficult place?

Enzo Maccarinelli – Yeah that’s the way i see every fight from now on. When i lost to Lebedev i changed a few things, i didn’t feel anything i did in training was right. But maybe I didn’t have the hunger, but i went along with it, i knew it wasn’t right. I lost i thought i’m going to give it one last crack, i know i can still do it. I’m going to do it my way so if it F&!$’s up it’s all on me. I had that offer to go to Russia and it was either that or Prizefighter. On paper Prizefighter was a lot easier, i’d get paid a lot more money to win Prizefighter. But the rewards were more (For the European Title). Some journalists said it was the best performance by a British fighter on foreign soil in many a year. Nothing hindered me, i spoke to Frank Warren he offered me Prizefighter or the European title. I said which one do you want me to take? He said he’d like me to fight for the European, that was enough for me. I told them all i’d knock him out and that’s exactly what i did.

Anson Wainwright -The biggest fight of your career to date was the David Haye unification. Looking back what are your thoughts on that fight? Was it a case of him just being to big for you?

Enzo Maccarinelli – No not at all. If you watch the fight i hit him in the first round, i didn’t take my chance. He did in the second round. It was a matter of who landed the cleanest (Punch) first. He landed a few times in the first round. But the second round he caught me and finished the job, all credit to him. But after that fight i tried to change things but i just came up against a better boy that night.

Anson Wainwright -After the Haye fight you seemed to be on the way down losing to Afolabi & Lebedev. What happened at that time and how have you turned the corner now?

Enzo Maccarinelli – It was basically when i lost to Ola Afolabi i was winning every round but i was absolutely exhausted from the second round. If you see the fights from before like the first Hobson fight i’ll fight to the finish. Against Afolabi was exausted, I was quite surprised i lasted 8 rounds i’ll be honest. He caught me in the 8th but lets be honest people say about my chin but that would of knock out a Heavyweight. Some people say it was a lucky punch, it was nothing to do with luck. I was absolutely shattered, I threw a lazy jab, he threw it with everything he had into the punch. I changed trainers i went to Bolton with Karl Ince who still works with me. But when i first went with Karl he tried too hard to do everything too correct. I brought in one of the best strength and conditioner trainers in the world to make me do this make me do that. It just didn’t feel right for me. It was to much emphasis on rest and recovery not enough on ridiculous hard work which is what i have always been used to. I went back to Swansea, i didn’t like being away from the kids. I know you need to make sacrifices. But i didn’t like being away from them for all that time, i don’t know if it effected me. But back home in Swansea everyday i see my kids it gave me strength. I’ve gone back to the old tin shed i grew up in. It’s relight the flames i’m in love with Boxing again after i fell out of love with it.

Anson Wainwright -If it wasn’t for Boxing what do you think you’d be doing for a living?

Enzo Maccarinelli – I don’t know. My dad grew me to be a fighter. There’s pictures of me at 3 years old in the gym hitting the bag. Obviously i don’t know what i was doing but i’m hitting the bag. My dad just wanted me to be a fighter. I was good in school, very good but all my reports say the same Enzo wont be one of our brightest pupils he wont try hard because for some reason he thinks he’s going to be a World Champion boxer! Haha it was nice to go back to present awards as a World Champion boxer.

Anson Wainwright – Though your still young what do you think you’d like to do after your Boxing career?

Enzo Maccarinelli – Only one thing i want to do, train boys. I train boys 3 days a week at my dad’s amateur gym. The night i won the European title i had a call off my dad congratulating me. But we had a young boy 17, just gone to the World Youth Championship’s without much experience but won his first fight by 10 points against a top boy. I’m trying to explain to people i was just as happy for him as i was for myself but they don’t get that. How close i am with all these kids in the gym. I’m telling you i have 4/5 boys who are definitely going to go on and do something.

Anson Wainwright -Finally do you have a message for Alexander Frenkel ahead of your fight?

Enzo Maccarinelli – No i don’t have any message just be prepared. He’s shooting his mouth off saying he’s going to knock me out and go site seeing. He wont have to go far, I’ll meet him in the centre of that ring and i guarantee i’ll be the first person to hit him back and he’ll know what it’s like to be hit by Big Macc!

Thanks for your time Enzo, good luck on the 18 September

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

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It’s going to be hard to top last Saturday’s heavyweight fight between Tomasz Adamek and Michael Grant, but Trump’s Taj Mahal in Atlantic City will give it try as they play host to another heavyweight match up featuring Philadelphia’s Chazz ” The Gentleman” Witherspoon, 26-2-1 (18 KO’s), against Livin “La Maquina” Castillo 16-8 (10 KO’s).

The 5′ 11″ 34 year old Castillo, a rugged veteran southpaw from Ecuador who now resides in Atlantic City, has a reputation for taking on all comers, so don’t be fooled by his record. They have come by way of some impressive opposition including future Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion Jean Marc-Mormeck, future WBC Heavyweight Champion Oleg Maskaev, IBF #1 ranked contender Alexander Povetkin, and former WBA Champion Bruce Seldon.

The younger (28) taller (6’ 4”) Witherspoon should present yet another difficult fight for Castillo.

Witherspoon, a Paulsboro resident with a degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, started his professional career with twenty-three wins fifteen by KO before losing a controversial third round disqualification to Chris Arreola. He won his next three contests by KO before losing, in a slugfest, to former world heavyweight contender Tony Thompson on the undercard of the Jermain Taylor- Jeff Lacy bout.

With Witherspoon in need of a win to put himself back in the picture and Castillo’s reputation for always coming to fight, Spartan Fight Promotions’ first ever card should provide an entertaining night of entertainment.

The action packed undercard features lightweight contender Jose Reyes (23-7, 8 KO’s) of Vineland, super middleweights Joel De La Paz (5-0, 4 KO’s), Eugene Soto (2-0, 1 KO), light heavyweight Lavarn “Baby Bowe” Harvell (5-0, 2 KO’s), Isaiah Seldon, (1-0), bantamweight Qa’id “Kid Dynamite” Muhammad (5-0, 5 KO’s), all of Atlantic City as well as Philadelphia super middleweight Farah Ennis.
For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

The Polish National Anthem — Mazurek D?browskiego — recalls a time when Polish General Jan Henryk D?browski and thousands of his Polish soldiers marched alongside the great Napoleon Bonaparte aiding in his conquests. The patriotic hymn serves as a reminder to Poles that they will always fight for their existence and for their pride.

On Saturday night in Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center, Tomasz “Goral” Adamek played the part of General D?browski as 10,972 Polish fans flocked to the Garden State’s largest city to be by their fighter’s side. Just moments before Adamek and his opponent, “Big” Michael Grant, made their way to ring, everyone in the arena outfitted in the red and white of Adamek’s homeland partook in what was possibly the loudest rendition of Mazurek D?browskiego ever heard on this side of the Atlantic.

Saturday night did not mark my first time at the Prudential Center, nor was it my first time at an Adamek fight — or should I say, event. But as I walked around the concourse, making my way to section 128, I noticed an extra “buzz” in the building. Maybe it was because Adamek had not fought in “Brick City” since February or maybe it was because his recent victory over Chris Arreola on HBO gave his already enthusiastic fan-base a little extra excitement. But whatever the reasons were, Adamek’s Polish fans were chanting and singing louder than remembered from the moment security patted them down and the ticket scanner admitted them entrance.

Having recently attended a big fight as part of the general populous and not as a member of the media — Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz II — I immediately picked up on one essential difference in the type of crowd Adamek draws as opposed to other prizefighters (besides the obvious fact that nearly all of Adamek’s supporters are of Polish descent). What I marveled at was how many of Saturday’s fight-goers came with their families. The crowd, which banded together to create rippling sea of red and white was made up of men, women, and children of all ages. It was clear that not all of the fans were bitten by the fistic bug – not that it is a requirement to attend a fight. However, the fans Adamek attracts are proud and loyal Polish fans who have been starved of a superior athlete for quite some time and are jumping at the chance to see one of the better boxers in their countries history.

“It is not often that they [Polish fans] have an event like this,” said Max Krysztopowicz, who made the trek up from Philadelphia to watch “Goral” fight. “This is them venting.”
Call it what you will — and perhaps Krysztopowicz is right — the Poles are a deprived people when it comes to success in the world of sports. The White Eagles (Polish national soccer team) have had no worthy accomplishments of late and the country has been lacking an international superstar since Pope John Paul II. Perhaps Adamek’s fights truly are a venting of sorts for Poles, but it is a venting that I encourage all fight fans to witness and enjoy first hand.

Everything is interesting about the make-up of an Adamek event — from the diversity of the fans, with regards to age and gender, to the merchandise being sold. For the few who entered the Prudential Center without some sort of Polish scarf draped around their shoulders, Main Events was selling a half red, half white, scarf with the words “TOMASZ ‘GORAL’” on one side and “ADAMEK” on the other for twenty-five dollars.

Eventually, after taking in the sights around the concourse of “The Rock”, I rode the escalator up one level and climbed the steps to section 128.
Perched high atop “The Rock” I nestled into my seat in the last row of the arena just moments before the opening bell of the night’s first bout. Admittedly, my seat wasn’t the best to view a fight, but luckily for me, watching the crowd throughout the night was equally as entertaining as some of the bouts — and for that, I arguably had the best seat in the house. From the time the first bell rang at 7:30 pm to the time just before the national anthems were played at 11:00 pm, I watched the arena under my feet transform into Lil’ Poland.
With booze flowing from taps to Polish lips all night long, the electric crowd was up on its feet waving the flag and flying the White Eagle high in the air. As the crowd restlessly awaited the main event, the DJ at “The Rock” — knowing his audience — played “Jeste? Szalona” by Boys — a hit Polish song circa 1997 that sent the crowd into a frenzy. At times, between the bouts, it felt more like I was at a club in Warsaw as opposed to a boxing event.

After Michael Grant received a steady stream of boos from the Adamek faithful, “Pamietaj” by Funky Polak — “Goral’s” entrance song and a song about Polish immigration to the United States blared through the arena’s speakers and out emerged Adamek.

Throughout the twelve round battle, fans cheered “Adamek! Adamek!” “Goral! “Goral!” and “Polska!” “Polska!”, not once taking a round off. When the final bell rang to conclude the entertaining fight, the fans erupted once more, chanting “Dzi?kuj?! Dzi?kuj?!” Translation: “Thank You!” “Thank You!”
The appreciation that Adamek’s fans show toward their fighter stretches beyond his accomplishments inside the ring. They appreciate what he has done for their homeland and they show it by flocking to Newark every time he steps into the ring to cheer him on.

Adamek’s fights at the Prudential Center are events. They are a five hour party with endless booze, music, and dancing. All five times he has fought at “The Rock”, the party has culminated with a referee raising “Goral’s” hand to recognize the Pole as the winner. A unanimous decision victory against Grant has put Adamek in a situation to continue to advance toward his goal of facing a titleholder. There is little doubt that a bout between him and David Haye would be entertaining and it is up for debate as to whether Adamek is ready for a meeting against a Klitschko brother. But rumors have it that “Goral’s” next bout may take place on November 6th in Atlantic City — a bout that if it did happen, would not be for a title. Either way, his win over Grant has put him one step closer to realizing his dream.

Adamek, not unlike General D?browski and Bonaparte, has set out on a conquest of his own. But instead of being rewarded with the takeover of precious territories, Adamek, a former world champion at light heavyweight and cruiserweight, hopes he will one day lay claim to a world heavyweight title for his efforts. While only time will tell whether “Goral” will realize his dream, one thing is for certain: Like D?browski, Adamek has legions of Polish followers that will march in lockstep with and support their Polish brethren whomever and wherever he fights next.

You can follow Kyle Kinder at Twitter.com/KyleKinder

Photos by Claudia Bocanegra

At 5’2 118 lbs, Atlantic City, NJ’s Qa’id Muhammad is literally easy to miss. Few fighters, especially Americans, on the East Coast compete in his division, thus fans don’t typically take interest in the lower weight classes. Dubbed as “Kid Dynamite”, Muhammad believes he is the man to change that.

He had a sensational amateur career, winning numerous national tournaments en route to finishing with an 89-9 record. As a pro, Muhammad is a perfect 5-0 with all of his victories coming by way of knockout. Ringsiders have been wowed by his dynamic style, phenomenal hand speed and championship heart. In two of his victories, the twenty one year old overcame opening round knock downs en route to scoring a scintillating stoppage.

I had the opportunity to catch up with Muhammad, who will fight an opponent to be announced Saturday in AC.

Matt Yanofsky: Qa’id, you will be fighting for the first time in over a year Saturday night. What caused such a long layoff?

Qa’id Muhammad: I had a wrist injury that needed to heal. My father and I were also taking our time to work on things and perfect my game.

MY: I know you were a great amateur and are undefeated with all knockouts as a pro, but you’ve also been knocked down a few times already. Do you feel that sometimes perhaps the crowd gets to you?

QM: Yeah! Sometimes I get in the ring and (think that since) I am under the spotlight I have to impress the fans. This can lead to me trying to do too much and has caused me to get knocked down.

MY: Are there any fighters that you look up to?

QM: Yes, Meldrick Taylor, Terry Norris and Floyd Mayweather. People also tell me I fight like that bantamweight from Africa (Joseph Agbeko) so I will start watching him as well.

MY: Four of your five fights have been in Atlantic City. What does it mean to you to consistently fight in your hometown?

QM: I am trying to build a fan base and follow in the footsteps of (late former lightweight champion and Atlantic City native) Levander Johnson and Arturo Gatti since they were big here. I would like to go on the road to fight as well.

MY: You fight in a weight class where most of the good fighters aren’t from the Northeast Region and fans don’t seem to follow around here. Do you feel that you this can cause you to be overlooked?

QM: My style will make (the fans follow me) because my fights are exciting! The fact that I am the only bantamweight around here also puts me in a class of my own.

MY: Does that also make it hard to find sparring?

QM: I don’t really have many guys my weight I spar with. I spar with a lot of heavier guys, including junior middleweights and middleweights. It’s kind of fun to work with bigger guys because I can see that I can handle myself, but at the same time, my father makes sure that everything is in control.

MY: You were 89-9 as an amateur and won plenty of tournaments prior to turning pro. What do you remember most about the amateurs?

QM: Fighting in the Pan-American Games, fighting with the US Team in Morocco and winning the Olympic Trials.

MY: Being that there isn’t a ton of money and a huge following in the lower weight classes, do you blame two time US Olympian Rau’shee Warren for trying to make it to the games a third time or do you think its time for him to turn pro?

QM: If I was in his spot I’d turn pro. I am sure that as a two time Olympian the money would be coming in his direction (regardless of what weight class he fights in).

MY: What is your outlook for 2010 and beyond?

QM: I want to be a champion in five weight classes from 112 to 126 pounds.

MY: Do you have to say in closing to your fans and the readers of 15rounds.com?

QM: I hope everybody comes out to support me for every fight. They are coming to see a good fighter and they will have a good time watching me.

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

When Dmitry Pirog fought in Las Vegas, Nevada it marked his American debut on the Marquez-Diaz 2 card. It wasn’t supposed to be a good night for the 30 year old Russian. It was supposed to mark the coronation of one of the top young fighters in the game. However someone forgot to tell Dmitry Pirog 17-0(14), he went with a completely different script. Right from the first bell Pirog put Jacobs on the back foot and made the New Yorker mightily uncomfortable until nearly a minute into the fifth when Pirog landed a debilitating right hook that rendered the favoured American unconscious. A star was born it just wasn’t the one many thought it would be going in. With the win Pirog firmly established himself as a player in the Middleweight division. As you’d expect of a man who’s risen from nothing to the forefront of World Boxing he’s not sitting on his laurels, he wants the other top men who campaign at 160 including Kelly Pavlik and not in a few defence’s time he wants them now.

Hello Dmitry, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – Firstly congratulations on your outstanding win over Daniel Jacobs in Las Vegas where you won the Vacant WBO Middleweight crown. What can you tell us about that fight from your point of view?

Dmitry Pirog – Thanks for your congratulations! As for me it was a rather interesting fight, I hope all box-loving people do like this fight. I was glad to knock out Jacobs, because, if this fight would last for 12 rounds, I wouldn’t gain the victory.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us how you fell now having won the World Title?

Dmitry Pirog – I’m not interesting in gaining all the titles (but it’s great and nice), my main target was to show a spectacular and entertaining fight. I hope I succeed. And now I feel, it was another step for my future results.

Anson Wainwright – I believe you are now back in Russia, what sort of reception did you get when you returned home?

Dmitry Pirog – Yes, I’m now in Gelendzhik. I was meet with great cordiality – my friends celebrates me. There were many invitations to TV and newspapers for interviews. I’m glad to make boxing more popularized in Russia.

Anson Wainwright – This win really puts you in line for further big fights. Though it is early days have you spoken to your team about what maybe next for you? Who would you like to fight if it was possible?

Dmitry Pirog – It’s not a secret anymore, that my promoters do negotiations with Sergio Martinez, Kelly Pavlik. They are also interested in this. This will be very spectacular fight, because Kelly Pavlik and I have different styles of boxing.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team who your manager, trainer & promoter are? Also where do you train?

Dmitry Pirog – OK, here is my team: trainers: Vyacheslav Nepogodin and Victor Petrochenko – they are professional! promoters: Kirill Pchelnikov (Russia) and Art Pelullo (USA). I train in Gelendzhik and Samara – it’s comfortable for me, these are my favourite towns. In Gelendzhik I train in gym, named after me (Gym of Dmitry Pirog)

Anson Wainwright – You turned pro in July 2005 and you were already 25 years old how come your turned pro then and not a few years earlier?

Dmitry Pirog – At that time I was not sure, I would be a professional boxer. At that time it was only hobby. When I became a pro, first 9 fights I had taken without trainer. I trained myself. And only after that, I realized, that boxing come to first plan for me. And only after that I hire trainers.

Anson Wainwright – The Victory over Jacobs was the one that really got you attention, would you say that was the best performance of you career so far?

Dmitry Pirog – It was a really good performance. But Jacobs wasn’t the hardest rival in my career. I hope, the most interesting fights are ahead.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your amateur career? What titles did you win, what your final record was & did you face any current pros if so what were the results?

Dmitry Pirog – Before Olympic Games-2004 I win the last amateur competition in Venezuela. And my final fight was again a Colombian (I don’t remember his name), who became a pro later (and he was rather successful). After I got know about it, I start thinking over to become pro. I don’t trace any other my previous opponents in their professional career.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your early years in Russia and how you got into Boxing?

Dmitry Pirog – I start training at the age of 8 in Temryuk (Russia, Krasnodar region).My trainer was Victor Serdyukov. He formed my style. At age of 17 I moved to Krasnodar and continue training there. And my trainer was Artem Lavrov. At the age of 24 I finished my amateur career and tried to start my town business in Gelendzhik. At 25 I realized, that do like Boxing more, than I thought. After that I carried out my first professional fight not for money, but for my own enjoy. And I liked IT!

Anson Wainwright – Away from Boxing what do you like to do?

Dmitry Pirog – I like to make money! And spend them moving boxing forward! This helps to take kids from streets to gym. I started to build a gym for poor children in Gelendzhik. This prevents them from crime.

Anson Wainwright – Who was your hero growing up?

Dmitry Pirog – There were no idols for me, but I really do liked Sugar Ray Leonard. You may say, he was my hero.

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

Dmitry Pirog – I’m ready to have a good and honest fight with any leader in this division. I’m sure, those fights would be entertaining for any show. I hope, the fight with Kelly Pavlik will be held very soon. I’m 200% sure, this would be an eye-candy fight!

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

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

There was “Trancazos” on Friday night. He waved to an Arizona crowd that didn’t much respond to his post-fight salute. He applauded his victorious opponent. He held the other man’s glove aloft and nodded. He raised his own taped fist when he thought a photographer asked for it. Then his opponent went off to celebrate, and “Trancazos” stood there, guileless as ever, awaiting his corner’s instructions.

It brought some memories that turned the nostalgia crank with old teeth I’d mistaken for nubs.

There was Mexico City’s Genaro Trazancos, whose nickname, “Trancazos,” was chosen because it means “punches” in Spanish and because, well, can you think of anything that rhymes with Trazancos? He had just lost by convincing knockout to undefeated Filipino Mercito Gesta. He’d been balanced on his stool in center-ring by a doctor. And now he was upright once more and going through an odd ritual of indulging his vanquisher.

Five years and some months ago, I sat in a Days Inn conference room in downtown Phoenix and waited for a Thursday weigh-in to happen. Chance put me in a seat beside Trazancos. A 30-minute conversation ensued, just as soon as Trazancos apologized if his breath smelled bad – as he’d not so much as sipped water in days.

He was in Arizona as an opponent for a touted prospect on Telefutura’s “Solo Boxeo” program that Friday. He had a roundtrip plane ticket he lamented. He’d wanted to stay in Phoenix for another day and buy a truck he could drive back to Mexico. But he didn’t want to waste the ticket. He wanted to know why my credential showed a large picture of Steven Luevano but no picture of him. He really wanted a drink of water. And he was sure he’d win the next night, which of course he would not.

Last Thursday afternoon in Tucson, “Trancazos” was in the same situation, five years later, though I was not, and neither was Arizona. In 2005, Grand Canyon State hosted 15 televised fight cards. In 2010, it needed eight months and 20 days to host its first. Arizona’s economy, as measured by its property values, has not deteriorated at quite that rate. But to its homeowners, you can bet it feels like it has.

And Arizona’s property values are a smart place to look for an explanation of SB 1070, the piece of immigration law that is now a national issue. The entirety of the debate is wrapped in cynicism – a mindset that makes you believe nobody means what he tells you. But Americans’ outrage at illegal immigration is ever related to the economy, not the immigration rate – which has been steadily declining in Arizona since 2007 and HB 2779.

How do Arizonans feel about their new law, which was defanged by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton in July? I can’t say. But here comes a good anecdote for how others in the Southwest feel about it.

I’d been a Texan for almost three months when SB 1070 became law in April. I had no plans to change my cell-phone number from its Phoenix area code. And then, in one week, I had three conversations like this:

“That’s not a local area code. Where is 480 from?”

“Arizona.”

“You mean where they hate Mexicans?”

How do you combat that? I chose flight over fight and changed my phone number.

Promoter Top Rank chose a similar tack in May and canceled plans to host a “Top Rank Live” show in Phoenix, citing disapproval from broadcaster TV Azteca and sponsor Tecate.

And yet, there was Tecate everywhere you looked, Friday. Ring posts, canvas, between-rounds commercials.

Apparently Judge Bolton’s injunctions meant quite a bit to the brewer. Which makes little sense. If Tecate’s refusal to sponsor boxing in Arizona was a principled stand against Arizonans, whose elected congressmen wrote and passed SB 1070, how did a judge’s temporary ruling nullify that? Seems muddled as the immigration debate itself.

So let’s offer a point of clarity for that debate then move on.

A person who enters this country illegally knows the difference between a place where work is and a place where work isn’t. If you are serious about restricting the flow of undocumented immigrants to the United States, go after their employers – yes, the sainted small-businessmen whom politicians court with their inane “lifeblood of the economy” bit. Because if criminal employers are not your first target for immigration reform, you’re a huckster or a cheerleader; you’re not a reformer.

Genaro Trazancos is not a huckster, cheerleader or reformer but a decent man who’s made a passable living in a brutal profession. Five years ago in Phoenix, he got done-in by Steven Luevano, who would go on to win and defend the WBO featherweight title five times before being done-in himself by Juan Manuel Lopez in January and announcing his retirement last week. Best of luck to you, Steven.

“Trancazos” had been promised a big fight if he beat Luevano. He got a bigger fight for losing; nine months later in Japan, he became the first of 18 men to last a full round with the late Edwin Valero.

Friday, he faced Mercito Gesta (19-0-1, 9 KOs) and did so having gone 2-9 in seven years, having been knocked-out seven times in his last 11 fights, and having lost in one round to Mike Dallas Jr. four months ago. He fought in an announced temperature of 104 degrees and lasted till the first minute of the seventh round. Gesta looked spectacular blasting him into unconsciousness. Mission accomplished.

Then “Trancazos” rose from his precautionary medical exam and clapped for Luevano. He had shown no hit-back reflex or savvy, just pride and diminished reflexes. He induced others’ sympathy because he had no idea how pitiful he looked.

If “Trancazos” is ready for his final bow in prizefighting, though, he’s also fine a reminder that goodness can outlast small-minded acrimony.

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com

Matt Yanofsky contributed to this report
This Saturday from Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, Tomasz Adamek looks to continue his quest up the heavyweight ranks when he battles once promising Michael Grant over twelve rounds on pay per view. With an arena full of Adamek’s passionate followers along with a bevy of local talent, the 12,000 plus fight fans expected to be on hand are in for an exciting night at “The Rock”.

Once dubbed as the next great American heavyweight, the 6’ 7” Grant, 46-3 (34 KO’s), fought through the heavyweight division with relative ease in the late 1990’s, until he was matched up against arguably the best heavyweight of the past 20 years in Lennox Lewis.

Lewis brought Grant back to earth, demolishing the Blue Bell, PA native in less than two rounds. Grant’s record is 15-2 since that night and the boxing world has learned plenty about him. His chin, heart and lack of toughness were all exposed, with both of his other defeats also coming by knockout. He has however reeled off 8 straight victories. Grant, who according to multiple reports had an outstanding training camp under Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, feels that it is his turn to become once again a factor in the heavyweight division. If he does pull out a victory, the 38 year old and 8 to 1 underdog would make a major statement while likely securing a title shot.

However, the man standing across the ring from him has different plans. Adamek (41-1 27 KO’s), of Secaucus, NJ by way of Poland, is coming off an impressive majority decision victory in California against title contender Cris Arreola. The fight was a battle throughout. Adamek had trouble early getting comfortable with the style of Arreola, but he fought brilliantly in the championship rounds to claim a victory.

Adamek must use his powerful jab and consistent movement, as displayed against Arreola, to defeat his taller opponent. If Grant is going to pull off the upset, expect him to do so by working from the outside and using his reach advantage to stifle Adamek. Interestingly enough, Grant’s trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad was Chad Dawson’s chief second when he handed Adamek his lone defeat.

In the co-main event of the evening, Joel Julio (35-4, 31 KO’s) of Colombia returns to the Garden State for the first time in nearly five years to battle Philadelphian Jamaal Davis (12-6, 6 KO’s). This will be the always entertaining Julio’s first matchup since being knocked out in a slugfest by rapidly rising Alfredo Angulo in April. In a back and fourth fight, Julio stood his ground into the 11th round until he was met with a hard right cross that decked him. Referee Raul Caiz put an end to the fight when Julio seemingly couldn’t stand on his own.

In what should be an exciting fight against a tougher than advertised Davis, expect to see some heavy shots landed in this one, and in Julio’s eyes, a knockout would help put him back on track.

2008 US Olympian Sadam Ali of Brooklyn, NY will take a step up in competition when he battles iron chinned Floridian Lenin Arroyo (20-12-1, 4 KO’s). Ali, (8-0, 4 KO’s) has been mentioned amongst boxing’s top up and comers following his ESPN2 televised victory last month.

In his most impressive performance to date, Ali showing precise punching and power in dismantling Julias Edmonds inside of three rounds. The Prudential Center crowd will certainly be on the edge of their seats, awaiting fireworks once again, from “The World Kid”.

Paterson native and former multi-time National Amateur champion Jeremy Bryan (13-1, 6 KO’s) of Paterson, NJ will look to erase the memory of his disappointing knockout loss to Vincent Arroyo, when he matches up against Pittsburgh, PA’s Daniel Mitchell (5-1-1, 2 KO’s) in the opening bout on the televised portion of the card. A gifted boxer who knows how to be aggressive when need be, Bryan was widely considered New Jersey’s best prospect prior to his lone defeat. The bout is scheduled for six rounds at junior welterweight.

The night will begin with the debuts of heralded prospects Shem Pagan and Tyrone Luckey. The heavily hyped Pagan is only one of two boxers, the other being Glen Ghany, to win five New York Golden Gloves titles. Many boxing observers see Shem as a future champion and cannot wait for him to get his professional career rolling. His debut comes against Philadelphia resident Raul Rivera (0-2) in a four round lightweight matchup.

Luckey, a three time New Jersey Golden Gloves Champion based out of Middletown, battles fellow debutant Larry Yanez of Florida in a four round junior lightweight matchup.

From top to bottom, “The Big Challenge” is clearly worth the price of admission.

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

It was a show trial. Antonio Margarito had to show up in a procedural step that fulfilled, if not satisfied, bureaucratic protocol. The result was almost an after-thought. Margarito had no chance in California Wednesday. It’s a good thing he wasn’t applying for a driver’s license.

The California State Athletic Commission’s predictable denial of Margarito’s application for reinstatement of a boxing license might prove to be more significant for what he said instead of the one-sided, 5-1 decision against him.

In finally saying he didn’t know but should have known about irregular hand wraps before his loss in January, 2009 to Shane Mosley at Los Angeles Staples Center, Margarito accepted some responsibility, which figures to be the centerpiece of Top Rank’s attempt to get him licensed in Texas for a proposed bout on Nov. 13 with Manny Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium in the Dallas metroplex.

“I am here to make an apology not only to the commission, but to the entire world for not knowing what was in those wrappings,” said Margarito, who for months refused to apologize for wraps loaded with inserts applied by former trainer Javier Capitello.

There is plenty of debate about what and when Margarito did or didn’t know. There is also no evidence. There’s only reasonable doubt. On that one, Margarito, a first-time offender, deserves benefit of the doubt, which by the way was granted to Mosley after his reported use of performance-enhancers as a BALCO customer before his rematch victory over Oscar De La Hoya in 2003.

His chances at reinstatement of a license revoked on Feb. 11, 2009 had been trampled beyond repair by talk seven, eight months ago that he would attempt to get licensed in Texas for a bout on the undercard of Pacquiao’s victory over Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium. Then, there were a couple of appearances before the Nevada Commission, which told Margarito to first go to California.

To the California commission, it looked as if he were executing an end-around in an attempted evasion of accountability. Margarito said the right things Wednesday, but the state’s regulators were going to make him pay anyway for trying to sidestep them. Hence, they slapped him with a denial that in at least one aspect was ridiculous. To wit:

According to state attorney Karen Chappelle, Margarito had illegally trained at Robert Garcia’s gym in Oxnard, Calif., for a victory on May 8 in Mexico. Margarito sparred without a California-issued permit mandatory for all boxers training in the state. Margarito said he didn’t know about that one, either. Other than lawyers and regulators, I’m not sure anybody else did mostly because it’s a rule seldom, if ever, enforced in any state without funding needed to enforce commission rules. To use that one as another reason for a Margarito denial is little bit like withholding a driver’s license because of jaywalking.

In Texas, however, Margarito will be one more step down protocol’s path and another step toward accepting accountability, which has been demanded repeatedly by media and fans in the court of public opinion. It’s an opinion that matters, perhaps more than any other. That was evident in questions and comments from commissioners at Wednesday’s hearing. Despite criticism of Margarito, even Chappelle seemed to like what she heard from the former welterweight champion.

“I think that Mr. Margarito came across as very sincere, which should do him well in the future,’’ Chappelle told Robert Morales of the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

The future looks a lot like Texas.

Gesta’s rise continues at Tucson’s Casino Del Sol

Lightweight Mercito Gesta (18-0-1, 8 KOs), called one of the best Filipino prospects by Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach, figures to continue on an apparent arc to stardom tonight in Tucson at Casino Del Sol on TeleFurtura card against Mexican Genaro Trazancos (22-11-1, 13 KOs).

The 22-year-old Gesta hopes for a shot at interim World Boxing Organization champion Michael Katsidis, possibly next year. Against Trazancos, the Filipino lefthander has a chance to look very good. The 35-year-old Mexican has lost six of his last seven.

The Don Chargin-promoted card was scheduled for seven fights. A super-bantamweight bout featuring unbeaten Michael Franco (16-0, 11 KOs) of Riverside, Calif., versus Mexican Adolfo Landeros (20-14-1, 9 KOs) was canceled, because of an eye injury to Franco, a Riverside, Calif., prospect who is suffering from a torn retina. First bell is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (Arizona time).

Notes, anecdotes
· According to news reports of Wednesday’ hearing in California, attorney Daniel Petrocelli told the commission that Garcia will tape Margarito’s hands in the presence of the fighter “so that Antonio can personally oversee the procedure for himself.” Huh? It would be difficult, if not very painful, for Margarito to be anywhere but present.

· And De La Hoya capitalized on the Margarito denial to lobby for a third Juan Manuel Marquez-Pacquiao fight. It makes sense. Since Pacquiao’s rise to the top of the pound-for-pound debate, nobody has tested Pacquiao more than Marquez. Marquez might be the one fighter who can beat the Filipino Congressman. For the best, there’s always somebody, which is probably the reason Pacquiao won’t agree to a third fight with Marquez any time soon.

This Saturday night at Newark, NJ’s Prudential Center, former light heavy and cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek will meet once promising heavyweight Michael Grant over twelve rounds with the winner likely receiving a title shot.

Dubbed as “The Big Challenge”, the 6’7 Grant, who was projected to be a world champion a number of years ago, will be Adamek’s tallest opponent to date. I had the opportunity to ask various members of the boxing world ranging from journalists, fighters and trainers for their thoughts on the bout. Here’s what they had to say.

Paul Marinaccio (Retired heavyweight who fought Grant/current boxing and MMA promoter)

“Grant only threw 5 to 8 jabs a round which gave me some opportunities during (our) fight. Adamek will need to work his way in and to keep stepping to the side. Grant hurt me three times with punches to back of the head then (landed) clean shots (but) couldn’t finish me. (He was) very tentative the whole fight. I’m the only guy to go 12 rounds with Grant and I had torn ligaments in my ankle. Adamek wins but (he can’t run).”

Chris Robinson (Journalist from Examiner.com)

“I remember running into Grant earlier this year at the IMMA gym in Las Vegas. One thing I can say is that he hasn’t let himself slip and that he is still in excellent shape. Still, I really have no idea what he would have left at this point in his career. Things just never seemed the same for him after his crushing loss to Lennox Lewis

Adamek’s rise to both the cruiserweight and heavyweight ranks has been impressive. After his loss to Chad Dawson years ago I really didn’t know what he would come up with but he has shown a lot of perseverance in continuing to succeed against bigger man. I think he will find a way to defeat Grant and it will be interesting to see where he goes after that.”

Sean Sullivan (Editor-in-Chief Boxing Digest)

“Adamek should win with a mid-rounds stoppage. After a few rounds, he’ll have figured out how to deal with Grant’s size and reach advantages then will break him down physically. Grant will wilt from Adamek’s pressure and his own inactivity.”

Gary Williams (Journalist from Fight News/Boxing Along The Beltway)

“I like Adamek in this one. I know Grant’s the (bigger man), but I like the way Adamek has progressed from cruiser to heavy. I think he will stop Grant late.”

Lem Satterfield (Editor and Lead Writer of AOL Fanhouse)

“I would have to say that Adamek wins a track meet. I believe that he should be able to get in and out and as long as he doesn’t stand and trade (he could) potentially stop Grant late, if not win a decision.”

Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillan (Middleweight Contender)

“I am going with Adamek. He’s been the busier fighter. I got him by KO.”

Alan Hopper (Director of Publicity for Don King Productions)

“I liked Tomasz Adamek best when (Don King Productions promoted) him at 175 pounds, especially when he used his jab more. I was surprised when he carried his punch to cruiserweight, and I was shocked to see him become an elite heavyweight contender. Bottom line: He’s a fighter I admire with a lot of heart that you can never count out. Adamek by decision.”

Marc Abrams (Editor of 15rounds.com)

“I like Adamek to win the fight by late stoppage. He’s been more active lately against better competition. Adamek always shows heart and desire, which is one thing that has been questioned about for years. Plus he has fallen off the radar while Adamek has been fighting top competition”

Kevin Iole (Senior Boxing Writer for Yahoo Sports)

“I think its going to be a big win by Adamek. He has really turned into an elite fighter and is as good as anybody in the heavyweight division outside of the Klitschkos. His win over Arreola proved that. I think he is a very good and talented heavyweight in a division where there aren’t many good fighters out there. Grant will have to prove something. Ten years ago he was a fighter with the world of talent but when he stepped up he didn’t perform and I don’t think it will change against Adamek. I think Adamek gives him a boxing lesson and may stop him late, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he won by decision.”

Ryan Songalia (Journalist for Boxingscene.com)

“Adamek should win this fight pretty handily. He is pretty confident and has a string of good wins. The Arreola fight gave him a lot of credibility because his boxing ability and mobility helped him overcome a larger opponent. I would be shocked if Grant was able to win since his last loss (came via) devastating knockout to a small heavyweight like Adamek in Dominick Guinn. Grant’s size alone is not enough to overcome his opponents and this will be a major disadvantage for him. Adamek should stop him any time after the eighth round.”

Ryan Coyne (World Rated Cruiserweight Contender)

“I like Adamek. He is hungry and trying to move his way up the heavyweight ranks. He always steps up when he has a stiff test. Michael Grant is a mountain of a man but I think he is past his prime. The only time he really stepped up was against Lennox Lewis and Jameel McCline and he failed the test. His brief retirements, inactivity and what not will also hurt him come fight night. Adamek is taking this one by late stoppage.”

Aroz “Terrific” Gist (Trainer)

I heard Michael Grant had a great camp. This is a fight you really have to pay attention to because Grant has the chance to pull an upset due to his height and reach. If it gets past round 6 or 7, I’d lean towards Michael Grant. With that said Adamek has been fighting high quality opponents and beating them handily. He’s a very talented fighter who always comes in shape so I am going with Adamek by seventh round stoppage, but if it goes past that, watch out for Grant!”

FINAL TALLY ADAMEK: 12 GRANT: 0

It may be unfair to mention Billy Conn and Chad Dawson in the same sentence. But I just read Frank Deford’s masterful rendering of Conn in “The Boxer and the Blond,” and I can’t help make the comparison.

Conn was Light Heavyweight champion of the world. All that stood in the way of Conn being Heavyweight Champion was himself. The steel mill refugee fought Joe Louis, maybe the greatest heavyweight in the history of the sport (ask your father, or Bert Sugar), on June 18, 1941. A Pittsburgh native, Conn’s hometown baseball Pirates actually stopped their game in the middle so the crowd at the ballpark could listen to the fight. They had to. Otherwise no one would have come. Weights? Forget what promoter “Uncle” Mike Jacobs, the Bob Arum and-then-some of his time, reported to the Press. DeFord assures that Conn weighed in at 169, Louis 200. A later report from ESPN marked it as 169, 204.

Louis was more than a 3 to 1 favorite. But scheduled for 15, at the end of 12 rounds Conn had come to dominate the champion. Conn boxed, moved, slugged a little, and weathered a nasty cut. But after taking off the first few rounds to scout his opponent as he always did, Conn was up 7-5, 7-4-1, 6-6 on the judges’ cards. In the 12th round Conn hit Louis with a series of punches culminating with a left hook that rocked and staggered the champ and left him hanging on for dear life. In the corner, after the round, Louis’ long-time trainer let loose with the smelling salts and told the champ that he was losing—that he’d have to knock Conn out to win. According to Deford, the corner was only saying what everyone in America knew. Louis was beaten.

But Conn, emboldened by The Punch, went into the next round no longer satisfied with the prospect of a win. Amidst frantic protests from his corner, he told his trainer he wanted a knockout and then stood in the middle of the ring and slugged —until he didn’t. Conn failed to make the count at 2:58 of the 13th round.

Billy Conn and Joe Louis became very good friends afterwards, and Conn told Deford: “I told Joe later, why didn’t you just let me have the title for six months?’ All I ever wanted was to be able to go around the corner where the guys are loafing and say ‘Hey, I’m the heavyweight champeen of the world.’”

Louis replied: “’I let you have it for twelve rounds, and you couldn’t keep it. How could I let you have it for six months?’”

After the fight in the dressing room, Conn famously said, “What’s the sense of being Irish if you can’t be dumb?”

In the first century A.D., Julius Caesar is said to have remarked on an early encounter with Conn’s ancestors, whom he had seen knee deep in ocean attacking the waves with a sword like the fierce Irish Champion of lore, Cuchulain. “They fight just to fight,” Caesar said. Although it took England, Rome never did attempt to invade Ireland.

In a meaningless tune-up bout prior to the Louis fight, 27,000 fans showed up to watch Conn beat someone named Billy Knox in Pittsburgh. It was 1941, and the country was still in the midst of the Great Depression.

Unable to draw a crowd in his home state of Connecticut, Chad Dawson’s bout for the Light Heavyweight Championship was held in Montreal, Canada—the home town of his opponent, Jean Pascal. The doctor stopped the fight on an accidental head butt gash in the 11th round. It went to the cards and Dawson, cut bad, lost a unanimous decision. But he might have won. Having hurt a seemingly gassed Pascal, the fight that Dawson had squandered throughout the night was there for the taking. But he failed to punch; he failed to fight.

Unlike Billy Conn, who lived to 75 years old and died a legend—or even Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson or Tomasz Adamek, no one will ever accuse Chad Dawson of being Irish. Bad Chad’s primary objective throughout the bout remained just one side of the time honored equation: to not be hit. During the fight against Pascal, HBO commentator Larry Merchant asked with more than a trace of frustration and disgust: “Does Dawson ever just stand his ground and fight on the inside? Look at this.”
I’d just as soon not. No one can force another man to risk himself; but no one can force another man to buy a ticket either.

Boxing needs to Irish up.

Photo credit, Shizzy9989

A month from the biggest fight of his life Alexander Frankel 22-0(17) took time out from training to share some thoughts with 15rounds.com. Frankel 25, will be challenging Enzo Maccarinelli for the European Title on 18 September in Birmingham, England. It’s a marked step up in quality for Frankel but one he’s confident he can succeed in. So far Frankel has engaged in only 74 pro rounds thought that’s in part to his power which see’s him boast a 77% KO ratio. Originally from Kirovograd in the Ukraine he moved to Germany from where he now fights and is rated in the top 10 by all four governing bodies WBC 7, WBA 4, IBF 6 & WBO 10.

Hello Alexander, welcome to 15rounds.com

Hi, it´s a pleasure for me.

Anson Wainwright – You will be fighting Enzo Maccarinelli for his European title on 18 September in Birmingham. What are your thoughts on this fight?

Alexander Frenkel – I hope, we´ll see a fair fight. Both fighters should be in a amazing shape. The better one will win.

Anson Wainwright – Do you have any concerns in having to fight away from home? This fight is scheduled for 12 rounds you’ve only been 8 so far, is this a concern to you?

Alexander Frenkel – You are right, I have never fought this distance. But when I fought for the IBF Youth title the fight was scheduled for 12 rounds. But I feel good and I´m happy to fight in England. I hope I´ll feel good abroad. It isn´t an easy job, it´s a challenge for me. But it´s a level, I have looked for.

Anson Wainwright – What do you consider Maccarinelli’s strengths & weaknesses?

Alexander Frenkel – Enzo Maccarinelli has got my respect. He is the European Champion and a former World Champion. He came back with a great victory against Alexander Kotlobay. He is brave, I hope I can show in the ring, that he is not able to avoid all his faults.

Anson Wainwright – What do you consider your strengths & what do you think you may need to work on?

Alexander Frenkel – My strengths are also my weaknesses. So I don´t like to talk about it. But there is one thing, I can tell you. I don´t like to get punched!

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about training for this fight. Where will you base yourself, for how long and what will a typical day of training be?

Alexander Frenkel – We are training two times a day, from Monday to Friday. I also train on the weekend. I work on my faults and try to become better every time.

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

Alexander Frenkel – I really have brilliant options and possibilities in our gym, it´s the Max-Schmeling-Gym in Berlin. I have got a great team. I´m very grateful for it, because they help my in a lot of things – also outside the ring. Often things seem to be peanuts, but all in all it´s a lot. My manager is Wilfried Sauerland. My trainer is Ulli Wegner. I´m fighting for Sauerland Event.

Anson Wainwright – Your originally from The Ukraine, what can you tell us about your younger days and how life was for you growing up in Kirovograd? Also how did you first get into Boxing?

Alexander Frenkel – To be a kid in Kirovograd was really interesting. It was a fantastic time with a lot of small adventures – I climbed on trees, visited a lot of sees and swam. I had a lot of friends. That was really great. Then, when I was seven years old, I started boxing.

Anson Wainwright – Did you have a good amateur career? Can you tell us what tournaments you entered and how you did?

Alexander Frenkel: I had about 60 amateur fights. I feel, that I have got enough experience. When I was an amateur, all what could happen, happened. I fought on different levels in different conditions. It was enough to be ready for my professional career.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us a little about yourself and what you like to do away from Boxing? What your interests and hobbies are?

Alexander Frenkel – I´m a normal guy. I also try to work on my personality and my character. And I want to discover the world.

Anson Wainwright – What are your goals in Boxing?

Alexander Frenkel – Of course I want to become world champion.

Anson Wainwright – Who were your favourite fighters when you were young and who do you admire today?

Alexander Frenkel – Oh, I had a lot of favourite fighters when I was young. But Muhammad Ali was the most impressive person for me. Today I like Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for Enzo Maccarinelli?

Alexander Frenkel – I wish him all the best. I hope we can eat a pizza together after the fight.

Best Wishes and thanks for your time Alexander.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (August 17, 2010)—Some of the best local talent will be on display on Saturday night, August 28th at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City as six undefeated prospects will round out a packed card presented by Spartan Fight Promotions

The main event will feature top American Heavyweight Chazz Witherspoon battling Livin Castillo in a bout scheduled for ten rounds.

Fighting out of the GNP Gym in Atlantic City, undefeated fighters, Qa’id Muhammad (Super Flyweight), Joel De La Paz (Super Middleweight), Lavarn Harvell (Light Heavyweight) and Eugene Soto (Middleweight) will all be featured in big fights on the 28th.

Muhammad is just twenty-one years old and his style has been described as electric as he has incredibly fast hands and has produced five straight wins and all by way of knockout. This will mark the fifth consecutive appearance for Muhammad on the Boardwalk and he has appeared on some big cards.

On October 18th, 2008 he took out Samuel Gutierrez in three rounds on the Bernard Hopkins – Kelly Pavlik undercard. In his last bout, Muhammad scored a third round stoppage over Alfredo Berto on July 31, 2009 in Atlantic City.

De La Paz is twenty five years old and has developed into a big power puncher as he has won his last four bouts by way of first round stoppage.

This will be De La Paz third fight in Atlantic City and is coming off a first round stoppage over Randy Campbell on July 2nd in Vineland, New Jersey.

Harvell has a record of 5-0 with two knockouts and has the name of “Baby Bowe” due to the striking facial resemblance of former Heavyweight champion of the world Riddick Bowe.

After winning by decision on his first three bouts, Harvell has developed power as he has scored two tremendous knockouts in his last two bouts.

In his last bout, Harvell stopped then undefeated Randy Campbell in one round on February 26th in Philadelphia. This will be fifth fight in Atlantic City for the twenty-two year old Harvell.

Soto is 2-0 with one knockout. He turned pro on April 11, 2009 with a four round unanimous decision over Vernon Richardson at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. He followed that up with a first round knockout over Tony Dewey on November 20th at The Taj Mahal.

“I look at these guys as a family”, said Abdur Rahim Muhammad, who is not only the manager and trainer of these four fighters but also the father of Qa’Id Muhammad.

“Each of them possesses different styles. A couple of them are aggressive and a couple of them prefer to box, but they all have adapted to one style and we call it power boxing.”

“These kids gain more confidence in each fight. We always knew Harvell could punch but he preferred to box in his first few fights and is showing the power in his last two bouts. De La Paz is just the opposite. Here is a kid who has tremendous boxing ability but has become a great knockout artist. With Soto, he is a counter puncher by trade and now he is mixing in his punching ability. Finally Qa’Id is someone who has a lot of ability but he learns by watching everyone else and they give him a constant reminder.”

“A big part of our team is Con McMullen who is the assistant trainer. He was a former pro fighter so he brings that experience to the table with the guys and has been a huge asset to the team.”

Muhammad, Soto, De La Paz and Soto will have their opponent’s announced shortly.

Two more undefeated fighters will also see action in four round bouts as Ismael Garcia (1-0) of Millville, New Jersey will take on Stanley Harvey (0-1) of Norfolk, Va. in four round Jr. Middleweight bout.

The son of the former Heavyweight champion, Bruce Seldon, Isiah Seldon (1-0) will battle Jason Johns (0-2) of Danville, Va.

In the eight round co-feature, undefeated Farah Ennis (15-0, 9 KO’s) will now take on Anthony Shuler (20-7-1, 14 KO’s) of Indianapolis, IN.

In a six round Lightweight bout, Jose Reyes (23-7, 8 KO’s) of nearby Vineland, NJ will take on an opponent to be named.

Ticket Prices for this great night of boxing are priced at $90 / $65 / $40 and are Available at the Trump Taj Mahal Box Office or by calling Ticketmaster 1-800-736-1420 or GNP Fitness 609-348-4999 VIP Tables are also available, for more information call 609-348-4999

Doors open at 7pm with first bout at 8pm

When the sun arose on the morning of September 26, 2009, Cristobal “Nightmare” Arreola was an undefeated prospect, sporting an unblemished record of 27-0, and about to fight for a world heavyweight title against Vitali Klitschko. He was continually built up by and showcased on HBO and was arguably the best American-born heavyweight. By the time the clock struck midnight at the end of that autumn day, Arreola hoped to be the first world heavyweight champion of Mexican descent.

Fast forward just ten months to present day and Arreola is somewhere in southern California, walking around in his 256 pound body with two injured hands, two losses on his record, and no significant titles.

Presumably before then — but ever since the night of September 26, 2009, Arreola has not taken his career seriously.

From the opening bell against Vitali Klitschko, it was clear that Arreola would struggle against the experienced champion. Although pouring his heart out in the ring, Arreola was never able to penetrate the elder Klitschko’s jab-built wall and was continually pummeled with the 6’7” Ukranian’s pulverizing lead left hooks.

After ten rounds of boxing for the WBC heavyweight title, Henry Ramirez, Arreola’s trainer, told referee Jon Schorle ‘no mas.’ There would be no eleventh round and subsequently, no WBC title for Arreola.

During an expletive-laden post-fight interview with HBO’s Larry Merchant, Arreola burst into tears, assuring his fans and viewers that he never wanted to give up and that he “trained his a** off” for the fight.

At the time, nobody had the right to question Arreola’s words. Sure, his stomach was soft and 251 pounds was too much for his 6’4” frame, but up until that point, he had been successful in every professional bout of his career.

It wasn’t until his next fight in December of that year that it became clear Arreola was less than fully committed to his career as a boxer.

Picking up its fallen warrior, HBO came calling for Arreola, putting his bout between he and Cruiserweight-bound, Brian Minto on the Sergio Martinez-Paul Williams undercard in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Embarrassingly, the man who trained his a** off in preparation for his title fight against Klitschko weighed in for his ‘rebound’ fight at a whopping 263 pounds. In two years, during the time between his fight against Chazz “The Gentleman” Witherspoon to the bout against Minto, Arreola ballooned from 239 to 263 pounds.

His fight against the undersized Minto may have actually been the one fight where Arreola needed the extra weight to keep him grounded after Minto continually landed his strongest punches on Arreola’s chin.

After three-plus rounds of barroom brawling, the considerably bigger Arreola dropped Minto for the final time, prompting referee Eddie Cotton to step in and call a halt to the bout.

After the Minto fight, HBO tapped Arreola once again, this time pitting him against the Polish-born, Jersey-based former world champion, Tomasz Adamek. Even though a fight in Newark, New Jersey, Adamek’s home arena, would have drawn about eight thousand or so more fans than Arreola’s home arena in Ontario, California, HBO sent its crew & cameramen to the west coast to watch its fighter take on the aspiring heavyweight.

In advance of his fight with Adamek, Ramirez told the media that he hoped his fighter would weigh in at about 240 pounds — what Ramirez claimed was Arreola’s best fighting weight.

Fat chance, Henry.

Arreola weighed in at a heavy 253 pounds. Having dropped a majority decision to Adamek in front of his hometown fans, Arreola was now clinging to a number ten ranking in Ring Magazine’s top ten heavyweights in the world.

After the Adamek fight, Ramirez informed the media that Arreola had missed multiple days of camp at a time. It showed.

This past Friday night, on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, Arreola (29-2, 25 KO) bested Manuel Quezada (29-6, 18 KO) by unanimous decision.

Coming into the fight, Arreola gave us his same old speech about how hard he worked in prepping for his upcoming bout. This time, Arreola claimed, he only missed two days of training and one of them was because his house almost caught on fire. Further, Arreola stated that Ramirez has had him “boxing” more this camp — working on his skill set.

But just because one is physically at camp does not necessarily translate into a fighter giving everything he has day in and day out during ‘practice.’ At the end of the day, Arreola gained weight during his camp, tipping the scales at 256 pounds for the Quezada fight.

Although Arreola canvassed his opponent on three separate occasions, the “Nightmare” wasn’t able to deliver the finishing blow that people have become accustomed to in Arreola victories. Unable to get Quezada out of there, Arreola had to settle for the unanimous decision in a fight that failed to showcase either Arreola’s power or boxing ability. If possible, while Arreola’s win tally rose, his stock fell.

The choices Arreola have made outside of the ring — whether it be from a dietary or a training standpoint — have not been to his benefit.

But moreso than anything written above, Arreola may have best summed up his attitude toward his career when he said, “If Michael Phelps can smoke pot, why can’t I have a beer?”

When the sun goes down on August 18, 2010, the twice- defeated Arreola will be nursing his broken hand and hopefully be thinking of ways to repair his career.

PHOTO BY Claudia Bocanegra

Decades ago when there were only 8 weight classes, not the 17 that exist today with only 1 champion per division and titles weren’t handed out like social security, things were much simpler. The World over knew who the Heavyweight champion was. There was no confusion. Slowly but surely as you went lower and lower in weight classes the names of the champions became less familiar to the general public. In those days the Flyweight division was the lowest; unless you were a real aficionado of the game you most likely hadn’t heard of whom even the champion was at that time.

Some fantastic fighters throughout the years have passed through the land of the 8 stone men: Jimmy Wilde, Pancho Villa, Benny Lynch, Pascal Perez and more recently Manny Pacquiao even reigned here in the 1990’s.

It’s not a division that has produced many big fights. If you head 3 pounds North to the Super Flyweight division in recent memory Johnny Tapia & Danny Romero met in as much of a Superfight as you get below Featherweight on Showtime back in 1999. Drop 4 pounds and the Light Flyweights have Chiquita Gonzalez & Michael Carbajal who will forever be linked together like the Yankees & the Red Sox or Siegfried & Roy. They made a million dollars in their rematch. Even at Strawweight the Great Ricardo Lopez fought Rosendo Alvarez.

The closest there is at Flyweight is Koki Kameda-V-Pongsaklek Wongjongkam.

As recently highlighted in The Ring magazine 4 of the top 5 Flyweight’s reside in Tokyo, Japan. More’s the pity that some of them couldn’t pair off and fight each other. Back in March the aforementioned Kameda & Pongsaklek clashed. It appeared going in as though Kameda would cement his place as top man at 112 and further add to his growing reputation. Pongsaklek, 32, was the long reigning former WBC champion who was ready for the taking and would allow Kameda to win and add his name to his ledger. Only someone forgot to tell Pongsaklek, as he soundly outboxed Kameda over twelve heats to reclaim his old title from Kameda. The win made him the Best Flyweight of his Generation and also most certainly sealed his place in Canastota.

Instead of the brash young outspoken Japanese fighter we got the grizzled veteran from Thailand. While Kameda may have reigned for several years and brought plenty of attention to his division, it’s unlikely Pongsaklek will reign for many years. However, hopefully what Pongsaklek may do is look for the biggest and best fights he can get.

Interesting future options for Pongsaklek would include a fifth fight with Naito. Recently Edgar Sosa moved up from 108 where he was the WBC champion, Sosa has said he wants a title shot after two more fights. Also the winner of the Light Flyweight unification between Ivan Calderon & Giovani Segura would also make for a pretty sizeable fight.

A quick look at the Top Ten according to the Ring.

C Pongsaklek Wongjongkam (Tha) 76-3(40) WBC Made a record 17 defences in his 2001-07 title reign. Appeared to have slipped when he lost the title to Naito then drew with him, only to rededicate himself and bounce back with a terrific away win in Japan over Koki Kameda back in March. Now 33, will hope to make a successful first defence against Suriyan Por Chokchai 14-4-1(4).

1 Koki Kameda (Jap) 22-1(14) Brash Japanese fighter was supposed to beat Pongsaklek and add his name to his resume, but that didn’t quite work out. Looks like Kameda may jump to 115 and look to do something no Japanese fighter has ever done by becoming a three-weight world champion.

2 Daisuke Naito (Jap) 34-2-3(22) You have to admire his resilience, if at first you don’t succeed try, try again. Lost in a record breaking 34 seconds to Pongsaklek, came back, lost a Technical decision before winning the third time, later drew with his Thai nemesis. At 35, he likely has only one more title run in him whether that be at 112 or 115.

3 Daiki Kameda (Jap) 15-2(11) WBA The second of the three Kameda Brothers. Only 21, will likely out grow 112 in the next few years if his recent non title fight where he fought up at Bantamweight is anything to go by. Has a tricky title defence with former champion Takefumi Sakata coming up on 25 September.

4 Denkaosan Kaovichit (Tha) 50-2-1(20) Another former champion fights Concepcion in Panama in October. A win and he’ll be a shoe-in for a WBA title fight; a loss will likely move him out of the top 10.

5 Takefumi Sakata (Jap) 34-5-2(15) Like Naito, third time was lucky when he finally beat Lorenzo Parra to claim the title. At 30, he’s a 12 year veteran hoping to reclaim his former title against Daiki Kameda in what will be a huge fight in Japan.

6 Luis Concepcion (Pan) 19-1(14) The best Flyweight outside of Asia. Has an interesting changing of the guard fight with Kaovitchit. A win there would establish him amongst the top 3-4 Flyweights in the world. Claimed the Interim title with a twelfth round stoppage, followed that with 2 more KO’s.

7 Moruti Mthalane (RSA) 25-2(16) IBF Gave Nonito Donaire trouble before being stopped on cuts, rebounded to beat Julio Cesar Miranda for the vacant crown and has an intriguing title fight with Tete at the end of August.

8 Zolani Tete (RSA) 13-0(11) Heads to Mthalane’s hometown of Johannesburg for a title shot very early in his career. So far only has 42 rounds as a pro. The Southpaw can punch in what is sure to be a big fight in South Africa.

9 Cesar Seda (PUR) 18-0(14) Puerto Rican hopeful is only 24 and squares off with compatriot Jose Lopez at the end of August in a changing of the guard fight. Rated highly by all four sanctioning bodies.

10 Julio Cesar Miranda (Mex) 32-5-1(25) WBO Bounced back from losing to Pongsaklek & Mthalane in 2009 title fights to soundly thrash Richie Mepranum for the WBO crown. No wasting anytime he gets back into action on 4 September against Columbian Ronald Ramos.

LAREDO, Tex. – A great Texas writer named John Graves once wrote a great Texas book named “Goodbye to a River” in which he described South Texas as “a piece of country with four or five different breeds of men and a consequent easygoing messiness of tone.” He got that right.

We honor Graves’ description with a stroll through this historic place and the prizefighting that happened in its confines Saturday.

You can’t start much better on the messiness of tone than with the climates you find in South Texas. There’s San Antonio – “Deep in the Heart” – that’s tropical as any city in the country. There’s Corpus Christi and Padre Island, which comprise some of Texas’ hundreds of miles of Atlantic coastline. And then there are the green and brown grasses and sturdy oaks that line the Rio Grande, a treacherous river that divides old Laredo from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico.

It’s all Old Mexico, though, whatever arbitrary lines mapmakers eventually drew, whatever today’s overheated immigration debate says about it. A secret well-kept from legislators thousands of miles to the north: Laredo was here before there was a United States or Mexico; Laredo will be here whatever comes of them.

San Agustín de Laredo cathedral, a Catholic church a couple hundred meters from the Rio Grande, was founded in 1755 – 21 years before the American colonies declared their independence, 33 years before nine states ratified the Constitution and made ours a country of its own. The cathedral’s steeple still makes it Laredo’s second-tallest building.

Across Zaragoza Street sits something called the Republic of the Rio Grande Museum. It was closed three hours early, Saturday, locked up though its shudders were open. But the kindly concierge of the palatial La Posada Hotel next door knocked on the windows and insisted the proprietor must be round here somewhere.

That’s good a place as any to wade into the prizefighting that happened a few hours later in the Energy Center, a 10,000-seat edifice miles northwest of San Agustín, near the international airport. Its marquee had to compete for viewers with both a larger boxing telecast in Montreal and a local card from eight days before.

Energy Center’s director of marketing, Anissa Trevino, who deserves high marks for the hospitality she shows out-of-towners, said that local card bit into South Texans’ willingness and ability to support a second event in two weeks’ time.

Attendance was sparse – generosity said 2,000 folks were there – for “Top Rank Live,” a two-fight broadcast headlining a seven-fight card of mostly Texans. Among the visitors that acquitted themselves best, Oxnard, Calif.’s Mikey Garcia merits first mention.

Garcia went against Detroit southpaw Cornelius Lock, a man whose nickname could have become “Conquistador de Los Garcias” had he been able to handle Mikey well as he handled Juanito in 2008 and Jorge and Luis in 2002. Lock, you might remember, fought Juanito Garcia, a then-undefeated prospect out of Phoenix, on Telefutura’s “Solo Boxeo” program, on two-days’ notice, and starched him in the fourth round.

He had nowhere near so much luck with Mikey Garcia, Saturday.

Garcia appears to have every tool you look for in a prospect cum contender. At 22, he’s young. In 23 prizefights, he’s undefeated. And having now beat up Lock in an IBF featherweight eliminator, dropping him twice and making the referee stop the match early in the 11th round, Garcia’s 19 knockouts are validated. Keep an eye on him.

Writing of eyes, or perhaps views, we come to some of that South Texas messiness Graves told us about. “Top Rank Live’s” main event was a scrap for the vacant IBF lightweight title between Mexican Miguel Vazquez and South Korean Ji-Hoon Kim. The ringside judges scored the fight widely for the Mexican: 119-109, 120-108 and 118-110.

I wasn’t close to the action as they were, but my scorecard varied wildly from theirs. I had it 116-114 for Kim, and the Mexican beside me had the South Korean by an even wider margin. I scored rounds 1, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 for Kim. I had Vazquez winning rounds 3, 4, 6 and 11. And I made rounds 2 and 5 even.

Way I saw it, Vazquez was all head and shoulders and clinching, while Kim did the clean punching. If you haven’t seen him – and now, regrettably, you might not get the chance – Ji-Hoon Kim is fun to watch. He starts every round with a 1-2. He puts a light jab out there then launches a right cross. It’s thrown from the shoulder, correctly, and with so much intent that Kim’s right foot sometimes comes wholly of the mat. It takes some extra fortitude to expose yourself that openly time and again.

But Vazquez was bigger and stronger. He walked Kim 10 feet backwards in every extended clinch, as the South Korean unsuccessfully tried to free his arms and find space enough to punch. Vazquez wore Kim down, yes, but he didn’t land 20 consequential punches in 36 minutes of trying. And that 120-108 scorecard unfortunately says more about officials approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation than either fighter.

As someone who was in Energy Center Saturday, I can say I’d love to watch Kim fight again and will likely have to be reminded who Miguel Vazquez is when promoter Top Rank puts him in its upcoming lightweight tournament.

Which brings us back to the “Streets of Laredo” – old and Nuevo – and the Larry McMurtry novel that bears that famous title. You didn’t think I’d drive 150 miles each way without a literary soundtrack, did you? Augustus McCrae is dead by the time we get to the final audio book in McMurtry’s deservedly esteemed “Lonesome Dove” tetralogy. And Woodrow Call is an old man chasing a bandit through South Texas.

A bandit in Laredo, eh? Seems a good place to end things.

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com

He’s back, the good, the bad and the hair-do.

If there’s any doubt that Don King has been missed, just listen to Bob Arum, who sounds positively giddy at the prospect of again doing business with an old rival whose booming voice, mangled metaphors and taunts defined a promotional feud that was boxing’s 30-years war.

It’s hard to say for certain whether King’s reality television-like courting of Floyd Mayweather, Jr., over lobster two weeks ago and at ringside for Devon Alexander’s victory last week will lead to a contract. At his best, King says lots of things. Meanwhile, Mayweather doesn’t say much anymore. Buyer beware. But a vintage King indicated Thursday on Stephen A. Smith’s radio show on Fox Sports that a deal is imminent.

From this corner, it’s not exactly clear how a King-Mayweather alliance makes it any easier to finally put together a fight with Manny Pacquiao. There’s still the matter of Roger Mayweather, Floyd Jr.’s uncle and trainer. Roger is facing a trial on Oct. 25 in Las Vegas on charges he assaulted a female boxer. If convicted, Roger could go away for as long as 10 years. The legal process is already underway. It doesn’t look as if a re-energized King, even with his persuasive powers reborn, can do much about that.

Above all, Mayweather is known for not taking chances. Pacquiao would be his riskiest fight ever. Barring a fundamental shift in his character, it’s not likely he would agree to fight Pacquiao when there’s uncertainty about the availability of the trainer he trusts. Could King talk him into allowing his father, Floyd Sr., into his corner if Roger goes to jail? Possibly. But the guess is that Floyd Jr. would want at least one tune-up, a test flight, with his dad, Floyd Sr., before agreeing to the biggest fight in years.

The hope is that will happen in May. King’s emergence as a Mayweather suitor sparked renewed enthusiasm for moribund negotiations because Arum and King have talked — know how to talk — to each other. That, however, wasn’t always the case at the height of a rivalry as bitter as anything in Arum’s standoff with Golden Boy Promotions.

After the then-Arum promoted Oscar De La Hoya lost for the first time in 1999 to King-promoted Flex Trinidad, Arum had a member of his staff pull the plug on a crowing King during the middle of the post-fight news conference. The electric outlet powering the audio at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay was yanked from the wall, which didn’t silence King as much as it surprised him.

Amid the battered game’s ever-shifting alliances, Arum and King are apparently back on speaking terms, mostly because Arum refuses to speak to Mayweather representatives Al Haymon, Leonard Ellerbe, Golden Boy President De La Hoya and his CEO Richard Schaefer. Arum went through an intermediary, HBO’s Ross Greenburg, to speak to Mayweather’s reps during the last round of reported talks, or non-talks, or whatever they were.

The terms that tie Mayweather to Haymon, Ellerbe and Golden Boy haven’t been disclosed. But it hard to believe that there won’t be some kind of legal fight if Mayweather decides to sign with King in anticipation of a Pacquiao agreement that could be worth between $40-to-$50 million for each fighter.

That’s not ghetto-ese, the common language that King said he shares with Mayweather and a term ridiculed by Schaefer, who called septugenarians King and Arum a couple of dinosaurs in a story by AOL FanHouse’s Lem Satterfield .

It’s money-e$e.
From dinosaurs to dollars, everybody understands that one.

Mayweather model
Light-heavyweight Chad Dawson hopes to follow a path to stardom blazed by Mayweather.
“Call him an asshole if you want, but he definitely gets it done in the ring,’’ Dawson said a couple of weeks ago in Las Vegas as he trained for a significant test of his skill and star power Saturday night against Jean Pascal (25-1, 16 KOs) in an HBO fight in Montreal.

Like Mayweather, Dawson says he will rely on brain power.

“Usually, guys who look for the knockout, get knocked out,’’ said Dawson, whose 27-0 record includes 17 KOs.

Notes, anecdotes
· Former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield plans to fight again on Nov. 5 against Sherman Williams at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena. There’s a tired debate about whether Holyfield should be licensed to fight. But the market p[lace is making it own decision. Holyfield victory over Frans Botha at Las Vegas Thomas & Mack Arena on April 10 drew a reported crowd of fewer than 2,000. The public is saying it won’t watch Holyfield anymore.

· And business, including boxing, has been staying out of Arizona because of the angry debate over a tough new immigration law. Sponsor Tecate and TV Azteca forced Arum to pull a July 17 card featuring Phoenix prospect Jose Benavidez out of the state. The Mexican companies did not want to do business in Arizona, Arum said. But TeleFutura is scheduled to televise a card on Friday, Aug. 20 at Tucson’s Casino Del Sol. It will feature Filipino lightweight Mercito Gesta (18-0-1, 8 KOs), now of San Diego, against Genaro Trazancos (22-11-1, 13 KOs), who was born in Mexico City and currently lives in Fort Myers, Fla.

While World title’s are doled out far to easily these days and they don’t mean as much as they did in bygone years. A look at the top 10 guys provides a useful insight into some of the best fighters to ever lace gloves. While some fighters like Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya & Manny Pacquiao to name but three made names for themselves winning world title’s in multiple weights others like those on the list below achieved just as much but went about it in a different way.

Many fighters can win World titles and even make a few defence’s before being found out. Not many guys can take part in a better part of a Quarter of a century of World title fights without being seriously gifted.

Here’s a closer look at the Top 10 Fighters to engage in the most World title fights in History.

37 Julio Cesar Chavez 31-4-2(21) Mexican Icon engaged in 10 more World title fights than any other fight in history. Won the titles at 3 weighs from 130 to 140 stretching a mammoth 16 years from 1984 to 2000.

27 Joe Louis 26-1(22) “The Brown Bomber” holds the record for most title defence’s 25 and the longest uninterrupted reign 13 years 3 months in one weight class.

26 Ricardo Lopez 25-0-1(19) Half of the long reigning WBC Strawweight champion’s fights were World title fights. Even stepped up late in his career to become a two weight champion.

25 Roy Jones 22-3(15) Many believe the 4 weight former World Champion is one of the very best fighters ever beating Hopkins, Toney, McCullum, Tarver amongst others in Championship bouts.

25 Muhammad Ali 22-3(14) The self proclaimed “Greatest” enjoyed two lengthy reigns that help him post the numbers he needed to get on the list. Beat a who’s who from the Golden age of Heavyweights.

25 Bernard Hopkins 20-3-1(13) 1 No Con. Like Frank Sinatra he did it his way. Pretty much untouchable at Middleweight for 10 years when he cleaned out the 160 class.

25 Larry Holmes 20-5(14) Many unfairly believe he bridged the heavyweight division between Ali & Tyson. He was a highly competent Heavyweight in his own right who fought behind one of the best jabs ever.

25 Terry Norris 19-6(14) Supremely gifted Texan beat many top fighters during three championship reigns at 154 only let down by ill discipline and his chin.

25 Henry Armstrong 22-3(17) Did the almost unthinkable winning titles at 126, 135 & 147 in the days when there were on 8 weight classes.

24 Azumah Nelson 18-4-2(12) “The Professor” lost his first title fight but rebounded to become a 2 weight champion and one of the Greatest fighters ever from Africa.

24 Hilario Zapata 18-5-1(4) Smooth boxing southpaw had just 8 of 24 championship fights at home in Panama, fighting regularly on the road. Twice held the WBC 108 belt before moving up to claim the WBA 112.

Narrowly missing the cut were a host of other greats including Wilfredo Gomez who had 23 world title fights going 20-3(18) & Pernell Whitaker 19-3-1(4). On 22 were Sven Ottke 22-0(5), Eusebio Pedroza 19-2-1(11), Alexis Arguello 19-3(17), Ratanapol Sor Voraphin 19-3(16) &Roberto Duran 16-6(13). Still active Pongsaklek Wongjongkam will hope to add to his 21 championship bouts where he’s gone 19-1-1(8),with Felix Trinidad 20-1(16). On 20 Khaosai Galaxy 20-0(17), Wilfredo Vazquez 16-3-1(9) & Shane Mosley 15-5(11) who will hope he can still climb higher. Just a couple of fights away is a certain Floyd Mayweather on 18-0(9) who could also climb higher.

The first time I heard the name Sadam Ali it was in fear. And a sort of wide-eyed resignation. I was walking into a weigh-in at the Prudential Center in Newark and had struck up a conversation with a boxer who was entering the doors the same time I was. When I asked him who he was and who he’d be facing he looked at me in disbelief. Slightly skittish, he seemed to not understand how the opponent who now consumed his every thought was not on my mind too. “Sadam Ali,” he said, pausing a moment to look me over again and see if I really was that stupid. “The Olympian,” he added with a stammer and a pained look as he had to hear from his own mouth the shibboleth he’d been trying to avoid. He walked away with his shoulders sagged under the weight of “The World Kid” Ali. Since his three round dismantling of Julius Edmonds on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, Sadam “World Kid” Ali is having trouble finding fights. The 21 year old boxer glides through the ring—fast, fluid and effective— with what can only be described as Promise. Boxing fans talk openly of the beauty of his style.

As an amateur, Ali was PAL National Champion, Under-19 National Champion, two-time New York City Golden Gloves Champion, and two-time National Golden Gloves Champion. The first Arab-American to represent Team USA in the Olympics, he turned professional in January of 2009 and after 8 fights is still undefeated. Half his bouts have ended in knockouts. He is a tall and respectful young man with an easy smile and a look of determination. I caught up with him and one of his four coaches, at Havoc Boxing’s well matched card in Brooklyn’s Aviator Sports Center. He may be the World’s Kid, but his voice is all Brooklyn.

Q: You’re 8 and 0. And in your recent fight on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on the Zab Judah undercard, commentator and boxing trainer Teddy Atlas talked throughout the bout about how smart and versatile a boxer you are—and the right uppercut that knocked Edmonds down in the first round was featured as part of ESPN’s Boxing Highlights for July. Do you think that has something to do with you not being able to find an opponent for tonight?

SA: Yeah. [laughs] If anyone saw that fight that could be why. We just couldn’t get anyone for tonight. It’s always been a little hard, but after doing so well on national television it got harder. Now, to step into the ring with me, opponents want more.

Q: You’re next scheduled to fight on the Adamek vs. Grant undercard at the Prudential Center in Newark on Aug. 21, do you have an opponent for that match yet? Any idea of who you’d like to fight after that?

SA: We’re working on that right now and we’ll definitely have an opponent. It’s going to be a great night of fights with a packed house—and there’s no way we’ll miss that opportunity. As far as who I’d like to fight, anyone my team puts in front of me. I’m ready.

Q: Since turning pro in January of 2009, you’ve weighed in between 141 and 151 pounds. How much weight do you typically gain back after a weigh-in?

SA: Usually around 6 or 7 pounds, but lately a little less. I like to go in hungry. Eat just enough to be strong and fast.

Q: At what weight division are you most comfortable fighting, and in what division do you see your future?

SA: Anywhere between 140 and 147 pounds. I fought once at 151 but that was because the only opponent we could get weighed in at 154, light middleweight. I ate a bunch right before the fight just to put on some weight. I beat him in a unanimous decision, but I’m more comfortable in the 140s. As for which division I’d prefer, I really can’t say. It just really all depends on where the opportunities are.

Q: What are some of the most important things you’ve learned since turning pro? And what do you hope to accomplish in boxing?

SA: Boxing is about hitting and not being hit. Adapting. The boxing greats knew that. I learned a lot in the amateurs, I had over 200 fights. But I also learned a lot going pro, and still have a lot to learn. Pro has twists …. like smaller gloves and no headgear to get in the way. And anything can happen at anytime. I still have to throw a lot of punches. But I’m aware that anything can happen.

Accomplish in boxing? Insha’ Allah [“God willing”], I’m going to be a World Champion, a super star making a lot of people proud. I’m World Kid Ali – I see myself entertaining the world. I want to bring boxing back to the world— back to life.

Q: Some of the all time great boxers were defensive fighters, Benny Leonard, Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali in his early prime, and Willie Pep, who was said to have once won a round without throwing a punch. Who are some of your favorite fighters?

Coach : The Kid can bring life back to boxing. He’s got that—defensive ability—but like those greats you mentioned, he has the ability to switch up. To bring the fight from outside, to move and slip, but also to come forward and throw. Take the fight inside. You have to switch it up—a lot of boxers don’t know that.

SA: My favorite boxers? Muhammad Ali, definitely. Prince Naseem Hamed when I was little— he made me want to start boxing–and to become a World Champion. And Floyd Mayweather—he has everything you need to be a World Champion. He can punch, he has speed. He has heart, he can adapt and he can take a punch– he has a chin.

I have a lot to learn. I have a lot of heart and can change it up. I’m there to hit and not get hit. Not that i’m afraid of being hit. But hitting and not getting hit – that’s smart boxing, that’s the heart of boxing.

Q: You fight as “World Kid Ali.” Your parents are originally from Yemen, you were born in Brooklyn and became the first Arab-American to represent Team USA in the Olympics. What is the significance of the colors of your boxing trunks?

SA: My trunks are red, white and blue and red, white and black, the colors of the American Flag and the colors of the Yemeni Flag. It’s the two countries I represent and it means a lot to me—and for the people who know it’s there, I think it means a lot to them too.

Q: You are said to be a religious young man. How do you balance your religious requirements with your profession?

SA: It’s hard sometimes, but it’s all I’ve ever known. I grew up in a very religious household and I’ve been boxing since I was eight years old. But it’s also a joy and a blessing. God means a lot to me. I pray. And whatever success I’ve had is His.

Q: You recently opened The Sadam Ali Boxing and Fitness Center in Brooklyn, where trainers are offered free of charge to amateurs. Why?

SA: I want to give back to the community as much as I can. I’m happy to be in the position I’m in in life, and when kids come in it’s really a beautiful thing. We have to charge a monthly fee for membership, but a lot of places charge extra money for coaches and trainers. We don’t do that. It’s good for the community and it’s good for boxing.

Coach: Just opening a gym in that neighborhood was good for the community. A lot of kids in Brooklyn come from difficult situations—a lot of boys without fathers and positive role models. Just the streets. But when they come in to the gym, they see all of the Kid’s trophies and medals— and him— working hard doing something with his life—going after his dreams in a positive way— and now they look up to Sadam Ali as role model.

SA: [Laughs] The other great thing about owning a gym is that I can train now anytime I want.

“He can fight on the inside, he can fight on the outside, and he has fast hands…I think he can win a world title…and I think it will be his character that will propel him there.”

When that praise is heaped on a fighter by the one and only Teddy Atlas, it should sound the alarm for boxing fans to take notice.

The man Atlas is praising and who fight fans should be aware of is Brooklyn, New York’s Shemuel Pagan, who makes his professional debut August 21 in Newark, New Jersey as part of the Tomasz Adamek-Michael Grant undercard.

On Tuesday at the Mendez Gym on the corner of 5th Ave. and W. 28th St. in Manhattan, Pagan and his team held a press conference to formally announce that the twenty-two year old will forego his amateur status and turn pro in less than two weeks.

Coming to boxing later than most professional fighters, Pagan picked up the sweet science at age thirteen. Trained by his father, who was a former kickboxing and karate champion in his own right, “Shem” quickly became a rising star in the New York City amateur boxing scene.

From 2006 to 2010, Pagan rattled off five straight New York Golden Gloves Championships. In doing so, he joined arguably the greatest amateur fighter of all-time, Mark Breland, as the only other fighter who has won five New York Golden Gloves Championship necklaces.

Atlas put it best when he bluntly stated, “You don’t win five Golden Gloves if you don’t know how to fight.”

But digging deeper into what we can expect from “Shem” stylistically — other than the fact that he knows how to fight — the Puerto-Rican American insists he doesn’t fit one mold.

“I have a lot of versatility,” said Pagan. “I can bring it to a fighter, I can stay in the pocket and slip. I have a style similar to Roberto Duran mixed with a little bit of Sugar Ray Leonard with my speed and my slickness. I can be an aggressor or I can be a boxer because I know how to move.”

In order to continue the success enjoyed as an amateur — compiling a record of 85 wins and 19 losses — Pagan will certainly need to look a little like Duran and a little like Leonard. But as Atlas suggested, it might be Pagan’s character — along with his superior talents — that ultimately propels him to a earning a world title.

Midway through Pagan’s speech at Tuesday’s press conference, he mentioned the financial stress that being an amateur boxer causes. Having spent the last eight-plus years fighting for no financial reward, Pagan will finally earn a payday for his efforts.

“Everybody knows this is my first professional fight and I’m finally going to make some money,” Pagan said with a huge smile. “I’m making $1,000 and what I am doing is donating it to the Teddy Atlas Foundation [Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation].”

Pagan went on to explain, “The reason why I am donating it is because I follow the Old Testament — I’m a religious person. When God blesses you with anything, he commands that you give the first fruits to him. So when you give to the poor and needy, you are giving to God…I want to help God’s people.”

Pagan, who subscribes to the Jewish faith, has that in common with fellow Brooklyn boxers, Zab Judah, Dmitriy Salita, and Yuri Foreman.

While he shares a common faith and profession with the fighters above, he joins a long list of prizefighters who hail from New York City’s most populous borough and will now be tasked with living up to what people expect from “Brooklyn fighters.”

“When you’re from Brooklyn you’re supposed to be this big, tough, bad guy,” Pagan explained. “But that’s not the image I want to portray. I’m not big at all. I’m one hundred and thirty-something pounds. I’m not a bad guy, I’m just tough.”

When talking to Pagan, however, it is clear that he saves his toughness for inside of the ring. Through his actions outside of the ring, the always smiling Pagan is striving to make a positive and long-lasting impact in the lives of people in need.

In addition to pledging his entire first purse as a professional prizefighter to the Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation, Pagan has also volunteered to donate his time teaching kids at Atlas’s gyms.

“When you care about others more than yourself, you’re stronger in whatever you do,” said Atlas.

If what Atlas said is true, it might be difficult to find another boxer as strong as Pagan.

The alarm has been sounded. Take notice of Shemuel Pagan, not just for his achievements inside the ring, but outside as well.

It maybe 6 weeks until Kell Brook 21-0(14) meets Michael Jennings but he’s already chomping at the bit. Brook 24, will be making the third defence of his British Title, the fight also doubles up as a WBO Welterweight eliminator. He see’s this as a real chance to break out from the pack and intends to use his fight with Jennings as a spring board to a World title fight. He’s trained by Brendan Ingle who has been one of the best and most succesful trainers of the past 20 years in Britain looking after amongst others Herol Graham who is thought by many to be the best British fighter to never win a world title, Johnny Nelson, Ryan Rhodes, Junior Witter and even a certain Prince Naseem Hamed. Brook like those who’s shadow he currently walks in and one day hopes to emulate fights with a similar hands down, unorthodox style that has been so successful and a staple of Brendan Ingle fighters over the years. Here’s what Brook had to say ahead of the fight.

Hello Kell, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – Firstly your going to be fighting Michael Jennings on the bumper 18 September show in Birmingham. What do you think of Michael Jennings as a fighter?

Kell Brook – I think Michael Jennings is a good fighter. When I turned professional Michael Jennings was up was up and coming at the time. He was top 10 in Britain then and he’s been there done it got the t-shirt. He boxed for a world title, he boxed Cotto, he boxed in high class, he’s fought all comers and beat them. But I think he’s in deep water with me on 18 September.

Anson Wainwright – It has been rescheduled a couple of times what from your point of view were those reason’s?

Kell Brook – I came down with a viral infection, then it got put on again and he hurt his hand. Then i had a saw rib and i couldn’t do any sparring. So this time, I know I’ll be there on 18 September. Training’s gone unbelievable so far, everything is tip top. It’ll definitely happen this time it’ll be a magical night.

Anson Wainwright – It’s obviously a great chance to show your ability. What are your thoughts on the fight card?

Kell Brook – I feel great, I’m looking forward to watching the rest of the card. I’d like to get my fight over with quickly so I can get washed up and watch the rest of the card. Every fight on the bill is brilliant, explosive fights. I believe really and truly I’m going to steel the show. I think a lot of people are looking to watch Barker & Macklin, but most of all people need to see me and Jennings it’s a brilliant match up.

Anson Wainwright – Is there any bad blood between the two of you?

Kell Brook – There’s no bad blood at all on my side. He’s a nice kid Michael Jennings, but I don’t like him at the moment in time and I’m going to have to put the hurt on him. But after the fight he can be my best friend if he wants to be. It’s just a business and he’s in front of me stopping me going forward and I need to get rid of this kid. So i can’t be friends with him before but after sure.

Anson Wainwright – As well as a British title fight it will also double up as a WBO Welterweight title fight currently held by Superstar Manny Pacquiao. What are your feeling on that?

Kell Brook – Manny Pacquiao is vacating I hear to fight at Light Middle with Margarito so the title looks like it’s vacant and who’s number one (In the rankings)? …Me! So if I beat Jennings and I train hard because i know after this fight i have a world title maybe before Christmas. Before the end of 2010 Kell Brook could be world champion.

Anson Wainwright – Any chance the WBO may make your fight with Jennings a world title fight instead of an eliminator?

Kell Brook – I don’t know, if they do they do. It’s worthy of being a world title fight. I just know I’m in great shape, I’ve got 6 weeks to go. Bring it on, I can’t wait for 18 September. Everything is running smooth.

Anson Wainwright – Who is part of team Kell Brook, your manager, trainer & Promoter? Also what gym do you regularly use?

Kell Brook – Frank (Warren) is my promoter. Dominic, Brendan & John (Ingle) are Team Brook and my dad. I’ve got good people around me, that’s always good. I use the Wincobank Gym.

Anson Wainwright – For fight fans in America and the rest of the world how would you describe your fighting style?

Kell Brook – I’m elusive, sharp, good boxing brain. Good to watch. I throw punches from different angles.

Anson Wainwright – Could you tell us about your early years in Sheffield and how the path took you into Boxing?

Kell Brook – I used to watch a lot of Bruce Lee movie’s, Enter the Dragon stuff like that Van Damme (Films). So I practiced and when I was 9 my dad brought me to the Wincobank gym to burn a bit of that energy off. He noticed that if I could hit without being hit I could do things and I had a really big punch on me at that age, he saw something in me. So he brought me down to the Boxing gym. I fell in love with the game and I’ve been there pretty much ever since and done well.

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

Kell Brook – When your in training you can’t do that much. I like walking with my girlfriend in the countryside with the dog. I like the pictures, going for nice meals. Stuff like that, playing snooker with mates. I watch all different kinds of sports but Boxing is obviously my main one.

Anson Wainwright – Obviously this fight is a huge one that will if successful put you in a very good spot, though realistically a fight with Pacquiao is still awhile away. Would you look to fight for perhaps the European title or even look at on of the other world champions whilst building your profile to make a fight with some of the big names at 147?

Kell Brook – I’ll fight anyone. I’ll leave that to Frank Warren, he’s the man. If Frank lines them up I’ll knock them out. Ask Frank, whoever he says I’ll fight them.

Anson Wainwright – Who were your hero’s growing up?

Kell Brook – Prince Naseem (Hamed) & Ryan Rhodes were my Boxing hero’s.

Anson Wainwright – How do you see the Welterweight division currently and where do you think you fit in?

Kell Brook – In the world it’s an electric division. It’s a colourful division Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Cotto, Mosley, Berto there’s some great fighters out there. It’s the main weight division with people looking into. So to be part of that is very good. I’m unbeaten and don’t think I’m getting beat anytime soon. I’d like to be looking at those fighters in the next 12-18 months.

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

Kell Brook – Make sure you buy it on PPV or preferably be ringside or get to the fight because it’s a tremendous bill and I’m going to put on a serious show on for you all.

Thanks for taking time to speak to you.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com