Major League Boxing is now on the radio!  Well, sort of.  Via the technology of the world wide web, you can hear yours truly give my opinions on everything boxing related.  From upcoming fights, to predictions, I plan on posting them all on a weekly basis.  You can hear my comments on the Brewster-Lyakhovich fight, and my other thoughts on the world of professional boxing by clicking this link:

 

www.MajorLeagueBoxingBlog.blogspot.com

 

Find out how I really feel about the Lamon Brewster-Sergei Lyakhovich fight, my predictions for all of this weekend's major fights, and how I feel about the return of Baby Joe Mesi.  Just click on the link above and then click play audio post and you're all set!  You can even post your comments for the rest of the world to see.  Enjoy the fights!

 

 

 

 

I've gotten a few e-mails asking me why I'm so high on Lyakhovich, he's nothing special.  Let me clarify a few things.  For those who say Lyakhovich is nothing special, they are exactly right.  He's a pretty good fighter, I never said he was Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano, or even Larry Holmes for that matter.  I'm not really "high on Lyakhovich", I just think he will beat Lamon Brewster.  Lamon Brewster is nothing special either, and for those who say he's the man in the heavyweight division, that tells you all you need to know about the heavyweight division today.  Admittedly, I am in the minority for picking Lyakhovich.  A poll on FightNews.com overwhelmingly picked Brewster to defeat Lyakhovich (90% for Brewster I believe).  On MaxBoxing.com all but one of their writers picked Brewster to win the fight.  Lyakhovich is not a great fighter, I never said he was.  But it definitely doesn't take a great fighter to defeat the likes of Lamon Brewster.  Just ask Charles Shufford and Clifford Etienne (no disrepect guys, just my opinion).  Brewster is not in top shape and he's made recent managerial and trainer changes.  He's gotten a little soft.  Lyakhovich, on the other hand, is hungry and he's highly motivated.  He realizes that if he wins this fight, there are some big time fights out there for him.  He's going to pull the upset, just you wait and see!  Enjoy the fights!

WBO Heavyweight World Champion "Relentless" Lamon Brewster weighed in at 232, the second highest weight of his career.  His previous high was 234 against Joe Lenhart (Brewster TKO3 over Lenhart).  His opponent Sergei "The White Wolf" Lyakhovich weighed in at 238.  In his four most recent fights Brewster weighed 228 against Luan Krasniqi (video of the full fight is available on MajorLeagueBoxing.Com), 224 against Andrew Golota, 227 against Kali Meehan, and 226 against Wladimir Klitschko.  Brewster appears a little soft and pudgy to me.  Is he overconfident, perhaps expecting an easy defense of his title on Saturday?  Most people in the know say Brewster is the man in the heavyweight division.  Has that kind of talk gone to Lamon's head?  Lyakhovich is a very stern test for Brewster, even on Brewster's best day.  That's why I am picking Sergei to upset Brewster by a comfortable 12 round unanimous decision.  Brewster got rid of trainer Jesse Reid in favor of Buddy McGirt.  That was a bad move on Brewster's part.  Reid instilled that spark, that fire, that the talented Brewster needed to get over the hump.  He was in Brewster's corner when Lamon destroyed Andrew Golota, and when he came from behind to stop Luan Krasniqi in his most recent fight.  Now he's got McGirt in his corner.  McGirt trains the same way he fought.  Conservative, safety first, safe boxing.  This is the same guy that told Arturo Gatti to box Floyd Mayweather.  Give me a break!  We're going to see the same old Lamon Brewster, and not the impressive one!  We're going to see the Brewster who fought and lost lopsided decisions to Charles Shufford (from Martinsville, VA by the way), and Clifford Etienne.  Sergei Lyakhovich by 12 round Unanimous Decision!  He'll hit Brewster at will and avoid Lamon's dangerous left hook!

 

Taken From The Niagara Gazette

Three months and nearly 2,000 miles have done little to distance “Baby Joe” Mesi from the bitterness he feels surrounding his tumultuous two-year suspension from professional boxing.

“We struck a blow for boxer’s rights,” Mesi’s father, retired Buffalo police officer Jack Mesi, said this week as Baby Joe prepares for his first professional fight since being stripped of his boxing license by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Baby Joe will take on journeyman Ron Bellamy on Saturday night at the Guaynabo Boxing Fest in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The bout is scheduled for eight rounds. It’s Mesi’s first pro fight since beating Vassiliy Jirov by decision in Las Vegas (March 13, 2004), improving to 29-0 with 25 knockouts.

After beating Jirov in a slugfest, Baby Joe was ranked No. 1 by the World Boxing Council (WBC). But things came tumbling down quickly after that, as he was diagnosed with bleeding of the brain and had his license quickly suspended by the NSAC.

“They can’t do that to people — even if they are boxers. It’s illegal to suspend people,” Jack Mesi said.

“They’ve been doing it for so many years and have ruined so many lives — like (Muhammad) Ali’s suspension and (Mike) Tyson going to jail. I have my suspicions about why their livelihoods were taken away illegally.

“They messed with the wrong boxer this time,” Jack Mesi added.

Soon after Baby Joe’s suspension, the Mesi camp hired a strong legal team, led by Buffalo attorney Paul Cambria, a constitutional expert. Cambria argued successfully for the right to have additional medical experts testify to answer concerns raised by doctors. After a 12-month legal battle, the ordeal finally came to an end in December, when Baby Joe’s suspension was lifted.

“I feel great,” he said Tuesday.

“This is how I should be I feeling. I’m so happy to be back and involved in this sport. I’m also happy to be fit again and to be doing what I’m supposed to be doing,” said the Sweet Home High School graduate, who weighed in Tuesday at a lean, mean 234 pounds.

“I just want to go in, get a few rounds in to see where I stand — to see how many tune-ups I’m going to need and how I look technically.”

Known locally as a champion for a variety of charitable and volunteer causes, Mesi remains confident in a big victory on Saturday against the 6-foot-4, 250-pound Bellamy — so much so that he plans to announce his own fight in a delayed Web cast with proceeds benefiting his “Fight for Organ Donation.”

“In a perfect world, after this fight, I’ll be ready to fight again in about a month,” Baby Joe said. “A month after that and I’ll have another low-key fight, then I’m talking to ESPN about another tentative fight that’s scheduled in June.

“A first-round knockout or eight real good rounds on Saturday would be perfect,” Mesi added.

Jack Mesi said the goal Saturday is, “to get the rust out” and go from there.

“Training has been going fabulously — a lot better than we expected. Joe has once again risen to the occasion,” Jack Mesi said.

“The goal on Saturday is to observe his balance, his hand-eye coordination, speed, power — all the things that got him to be the No. 1 contender in the world.”



The heavyweight division today:

- WBC CHAMPION: Hasim Rahman (United States)

- WBA CHAMPION: Nicolay Valouev (Russia) 

- IBF CHAMPION: Chris Byrd (United States)

- WBO CHAMPION: Lamont Brewster (United States)

 

Sources say sales for the Brewster- Liakhovich have been good, and estimate the 12,500-seat Wolstein Center will be 75 percent full, at minimum, for the title bout. And they say that doesn't factor in potential walk-up sales Saturday night: in recent years, Cleveland has gained a rep for drawing many last-minute ticket buyers for bouts.

Brewster is defending his World Boxing Organization title against Liakhovich. Showtime will air the bout, promoted by native Clevelander Don King

Taken from The New York Daily News

The next installment of the heavyweight championship soap opera is Saturday in Cleveland on Showtime when Lamon Brewster defends the WBO title against Sergei Liakhovich. How appropriate that another round of the heavyweight follies should occur on April Fool's Day in Cleveland, which was once derisively referred to as "The Mistake by the Lake." Brewster (33-2, 29 KOs) is no joke. He may be the class of the division with his growing confidence and his single-punch knockout ability. But how would you know it? Since stopping Wladimir Klitschko on a fifth-round TKO two years ago, Brewster has fought a string of Tom, Dick and Sergeis, following the dictates of his promoter, Don King. Brewster-Liakhovich could provide Showtime with a broadcast on Saturday at 11 p.m. as entertaining as Hasim Rahman-James Toney gave HBO two weeks ago. At least it can't be worse. Kali Meehan, Andrew Golota, Luan Krasniqi - Brewster's opponents since winning the title - aren't exactly Ali, Frazier and Foreman, but Brewster has done what he ought to have done with each of them and now he gets Liakhovich (22-1, 14 KOs), who pulled out of his last fight in September with bruised cartilage in his chest. "I think he is a good fighter," Brewster said. "But this fight for me is more about me just going out and continuing to show that I'm the best fighter in the world. So, I take every fighter as a challenge." Buddy McGirt is now training Brewster, which will make the heavy-handed 32-year-old more dangerous. McGirt has worked wonders with Antonio Tarver and Arturo Gatti. It will be interesting to see what he can do with Brewster. "The funny thing is that Lamon really does not know how good he really is," McGirt said. "Once he finds out how good he really is, then the heavyweight division is really in trouble. They have not seen the best Lamon Brewster yet. There is room for him to get better. He just has so much natural ability and so many tools that he has not used, or that he has not used in a long time." Ratner, ultimate VP Marc Ratner resigned from his post as the executive director of the Nevada Commission last week to become a vice president with the Ultimate Fighting Championships, the mixed-martial arts events. Ratner held his post for 13 years and was one of the most respected boxing regulators in the sport. His joining the UFC will give it a major shot of credibility. It will need it because the brutal sport has been referred to as "human cockfighting" by Sen. John McCain. Ratner helped write the rules that allowed UFC to be promoted in Nevada in 2001. Word is that Ratner could be replaced by Keith Kizer, Nevada's Deputy Attorney General who has handled most of the commission's sticky legal matters. Brock headlines HBO Heavyweight contender Calvin Brock was at Gallagher's Steakhouse yesterday to promote his match against Timor Ibragimov at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on June24. It will be the first time that Brock, a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic boxing team, has headlined a card on HBO's "Boxing After Dark."

 

Victory by personable champion in title defense could do much for heavyweight division

Taken From The Akron Beacon Journal

CLEVELAND - A thinking man's heavyweight, Lamon Brewster fancies himself somewhat of a wordsmith.

While Muhammad Ali charmed fight fans with poetry, Brewster has a penchant for using analogies.

The WBO champion, who defends his world title Saturday night at the Wolstein Center against Sergei Liakhovich, likes to play chess and he relates the board game to boxing and to life.

Because Brewster is a fighter with two pro defeats, he's fond of telling people that it's not how good you look in the saddle, but how well you react the first time you're thrown from the horse.

His best analogy, however, deals with the state of heavyweight boxing and Kool-Aid.

``The Kool-Aid could be perfect, but if you add too much water, it ain't no good,'' Brewster said Tuesday. ``That's putting it in layman's terms and since I'm Lamon, it goes.''

Labeling the heavyweight division ``diluted'' is akin to calling Bartolo Colon ``big-boned.'' It is drowning in mediocrity and on the verge of becoming irrelevant. (Think of the Cavaliers in the years immediately before LeBron James.)

Each of the four major boxing associations has its own champion, and even avid sports fans would be hard-pressed to name the other three. For the record, they are Hasim Rahman, WBC; Chris Byrd, IBF; and Nicolay Valuev, WBA.

The division needs the personable and punishing Brewster (33-2, 29 KOs) to emerge as its unified champion. He is the most talented, energetic and marketable fighter among the quartet. Of course, saying Brewster is the pick of the heavyweight litter is not like plucking Ali from a crop that included Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Ken Norton.

There's no guarantee that Brewster, who absorbs his share of punches, will beat the unheralded, but capable Liakhovich (22-1, 14 KOs). The ``White Wolf'' of Belarus hasn't fought in 16 months. Not to say Don King Productions was looking for any possible angle to hype the European challenger, but its crack staff added this line to his biography:

Weapons, guns and ammunition also fascinate him.

Brewster must hope Charlton Heston is not a celebrity judge.

The Liakhovich-Brewster fight is a nice main event for Cleveland, and it will be aired live on Showtime. Even if the bout ends in 30 seconds, it will produce more action than the Rahman-James Toney title tilt of two weeks ago that ended in a draw.

That bout was a one-hour paid advertisement for the merits of ultimate fighting and pro wrestling. Brewster, 32, knows the division is his if he can put together a prolonged winning streak and stay in shape.

``If you look at my fights and compare them with anybody in the heavyweight division, mine are the most exciting,'' he said in a recent conference call. ``I'm the only champion knocking people out.''

The heavyweights haven't been the same since Buster Douglas removed Mike Tyson's aura of invincibility in 1990. Lennox Lewis was a respectable champ, but American sports fans don't get excited about someone who sounds like he could be reading the nightly news for the BBC.

Brewster is engaging and entertaining. He has won fights after getting knocked down -- as evidenced by his dramatic stoppage of Wladimir Klitschko in their 2004 title bout. He also rallied to stop Luan Krasniqi in the challenger's adopted home of Germany.

``Guys are either in it to win it or they're like, `I'm going to get my check and live to fight another day,' '' Brewster said Tuesday. ``That separates the men from the mice.''

The fact Brewster has lost decisions to Clifford Etienne and Charles Shufford -- both fights in 2000 -- suggests he's not bound for greatness. Brewster also has a history of gaining weight between bouts, which hurt him against Shufford.

He respects the sport enough to keep looking to improve his craft. The Indianapolis native hired former welterweight champion Buddy McGirt as his trainer. McGirt helped transform Arturo Gatti into a more well-rounded fighter.

There's something else about Brewster often overlooked in a sport that longs for the felonious reign of Tyson: He is a decent person. No publicized rap sheet. No late-night run-ins with Mitch ``Blood'' Green. No weapons, guns or ammunition.

How many pro fighters bring their fathers to a training session? Daryl Brewster attended Tuesday's event.

``When they see me, I want people to look at boxing and not look at it with disgust,'' Brewster said.

That's a mouthful from anyone representing the heavyweight division, but a win Saturday night coupled with a successful run at unifying the title could have disenchanted fight fans once again enjoying the Kool-Aid.

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Naseem Hamed vs. Augie Sanchez

Felix Trinidad vs. Fernando Vargas

Kostya Tszyu vs. Zab Judah

DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley vs. Felix Flores

Lennox Lewis vs. Hasim Rahman 1

Lennox Lewis vs. Hasim Rahman 2

Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Lipsey

Bernard Hopkins vs. Felix Trinidad

Luisito Espinosa vs. Kennedy McKinney

Michael Moorer vs. Bert Cooper

"I am in very good condition and I am prepared for anything Brewster brings. I'm relaxed. I am perfectly focused. Kenny Weldon and I have gone through lots of possible scenarios for this fight. Our team really got together and we had the best camp we've ever had. I was paired up with the best sparring partners.

"I don't care what Lamon's doing. I am ready.

"I don't like to talk about where I grew up. These fighters who say they're from the streets can go send someone to my neighborhood and see it for themselves.

"My friends and family in Belarus will all go to a night club to watch the fight. They will be up at 8 a.m. to see it. A win by me on Saturday night would bring much happiness to my country."

LIAKHOVICH'S TRAINER, KENNY WELDON

"Lamon has had it easy. Sergei has lived in places that make Harlem look like a palace. Every fighter that goes into the ring has a street mentality. Every fighter comes to win.

Taken from fightwriter.com by Graham Houston.  This sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it? (Remember the article I wrote a few weeks ago about Brewster dumping Jesse Reid for Buddy McGirt and how I thought that was a bad thing.  If you don't, you can access it in my blog archives at the bottom of this webpage.)

Lamon Brewster comes into his heavyweight title defence against Serguei Liakhovich after making significant changes. He has dropped longtime manager/confidant Sam Simon and trainer Jesse Reid, who engineered Brewster’s big wins over Andrew Golota and Luan Krasniqi, and will have a new trainer, Buddy McGirt, in his corner in the Showtime free-preview-weekend attraction on Saturday night.

The decision to replace Reid with McGirt, Brewster says, was because he felt the need to have a trainer who was “a great technician”, and he told a telephone conference call the other day: “It is almost like I can say I have been reborn again because I have been reminded of how good I really am as opposed to just depending on my punching power.  Now, there is so much more added to me that it scares myself.”

McGirt said on the same conference call: “The only thing I have to say is that Lamon has been great to work with. The funny thing is that Lamon really does not know how good he really is. Once he finds out how good he really is, then the heavyweight division is really in trouble. They have not seen the best Lamon Brewster yet. There is room for him to get better. He just has so much natural ability and so many tools that he has not used, or that he has not used in a long time. It is key for me to keep just reminding him of certain things that he can do, and once he does them, it just makes my job much easier.”

Now this is super-positive stuff. There is another school of thought, though, which is that Jesse Reid was in fact an excellent choice as trainer for Brewster because he increased the fighter’s punch-output and got him to be the sort of aggressive puncher that some might feel is the most effective style for a heavyweight who on occasion has been disappointingly negative (losses to Clifford Etienne and Charles Shufford and a narrow escape against Kali Meehan).

Reid took his dismissal hard especially after steering Brewster to the 53-second annihilation of Golota (who was a clear betting favourite) and the ninth-round knockout over Krasniqi in Germany. Speaking on the phone from his home outside Las Vegas, Reid said: “I really can say that those two fights were done with a lot of my ideas and thoughts and I’m very disappointed that my reward is to be let go. It’s a sad thing, but people who do things like that will be paid back — it definitely will happen in boxing. I think we’re going to see a difference in Lamon in these next couple of fights — if he makes the next couple of fights.”

Brewster is 32 years old and knows his own mind. Perhaps we will see a sensational performance from him on Saturday. The fact that Brewster has made such drastic changes fairly close to a big fight give me a slightly uneasy feeling, though.

Liakhovich, the “White Wolf” from Belarus, has been training for more than six weeks in Las Vegas with Kenny Weldon, his trainer for the past four years. When Weldon compares Liakhovich’s work ethic to that of Evander Holyfield — with whom Weldon was closely associated for a number of years — then you can be sure that the challenger will be in tremendous condition.

Neither Liakhovich nor Weldon are the type to go in for predictions, but the challenger’s manager, Ivaylo Gotzev, said from their hotel in Cleveland this week that he loves his man’s chances. “To me, it’s seek and destroy,” Gotzev said of Liakhovich. “He’s ready, he’s never had a better camp — great sparring, many rounds of good boxing — he’s never been more motivated or more sure of himself. The stars are aligning and everything is great for us. I’ve been with this kid since 1998 and I just love it, I’ve never felt better, he’s never been in better shape mental or physical.”

Liakhovich has been sparring with Friday Ahunanya and Robert Hawkins, heavyweights built on similar lines to Brewster, and Gotzev said: “I personally think that Friday — in the gym anyway — is faster and more aggressive than Brewster is in a fight, and Robert Hawkins was a durable guy; an absolute perfect camp.”

Obviously, upbeat statements from a fighter’s camp are part and parcel of the business. Both the Brewster and Liakhovich camps are saying that their respective fighters have never been better. In Ivaylo Gotzev’s own words: “We’ll find out who’s right on Saturday night.”

On paper, of course, Brewster should win. When he is letting the combinations fly he is a formidable fighter. I am not just thinking of the way he demolished Golota and broke down Krasniqi but earlier fights such as when he knocked out the Olympic bronze medallist Nate Jones and the towering “Irish” Tommy Martin.

Brewster, with a record of 33-2 (29 KOs) is the more experienced of the two boxers and he has fought a higher standard of opposition, most notably when he outlasted Wladimir Klitschko.

Liakhovich, 29, with a record of 22-1 (14 KOs), produced his best performance when he outfought Dominick Guinn to pull out an impressive, unanimous 10-round decision in December 2004, but Guinn caved in mentally in that fight whereas Brewster is extremely game and strong-willed.

Apart from beating Guinn, Liakhovich has only one win over a heavyweight of note — a unanimous 12-round decision over the Nigerian Friday Ahunanya, who is now his sparring partner.

Also, while Brewster’s chin is considered reliable Liakhovich suffered a severe setback a couple of years ago when he was knocked out in the ninth round by Maurice Harris, a talented but somewhat erratic boxer. However, Ivaylo Gotzev blames his fighter’s showing on an adverse reaction to a vitamin B-12 injection that was administered in the dressing room. He said that Liakhovich was hyperventilating and couldn’t breathe properly in the fight: no more pre-fight vitamin shots for Serguei.

As an amateur Liakhovich boxed in the Olympics and was a world championships bronze medallist while Brewster was the U.S. champion.

I believe that Brewster has the advantage in firepower but Liakhovich can probably match him for hand speed. In terms of technical ability they might not be all that far apart although Brewster is perceived as the more proficient. For a big man (6ft 4ins, 240lbs) Liakhovich shows good movement: I do not consider him to be simply a mechanical, stand-up European heavyweight.

Liakhovich has not boxed for 16 months (a scheduled fight with Owen Beck last September had to be cancelled when the Belorussian suffered a torn cartilage in his chest) and this could be considered a negative, but he is hungry and determined.

Brewster has shown himself to be resolute. If he cannot hammer Liakhovich early, he might — if all else fails — be able simply to grind his way to victory in a war of attrition.

The memory of Brewster labouring against Meehan — and almost getting stopped in the eighth when he took a lot of punches while backed up on the ropes — is still fresh in my mind, though.

If Liakhovich can surprise Brewster a bit in the early stages, perhaps by hitting him with one or two good, clean shots or by running off some combinations before the champion settles into the fight, then the big man from Belarus can get some momentum going. If this happens, Liakhovich could be hard to beat.

I could be wrong but I have a nagging suspicion that Brewster might be underestimating Liakhovich, that he might be thinking he can just walk in and blow him out. Such an attitude, if this is indeed the case, could be costly.

Yes, in terms of experience against tougher opposition, punching power — and a proven ability to endure and win under difficult and even daunting circumstances — Brewster has to be favoured, but I do make Liakhovich “live” in the fight, in part because of the sweeping changes Brewster has made as regards to the people around him.

Everything might work out wonderfully for Brewster on the night, Buddy McGirt — who has certainly enjoyed great success — might indeed be the perfect trainer for him and it could be that the World Boxing Organisation champ will look the best he has ever looked. Yet I have to wonder if, just possibly, Brewster’s mind, with all that has been happening outside the ring, is as settled as it should be as he goes into a contest with an opponent who seems psychologically and physically ready to put up the fight of his life.

I do believe that Brewster will win because when it comes right down to it he seems to be simply the better, bigger hitting, more battle-hardened fighter, but I do feel that if Liakhovich is allowed to get a firm foothold in the fight an upset might become a distinct possibility.

One of my favorite knockouts!  Kostya Tszyu had Zab Judah looking like James Brown!  This is the complete fight!  Those legs were going everywhere.  Make sure you check out this video and all the videos on the right of this webpage.  If you have any videos you want to see, let me know.  E-mail me at ringsideboxing@verizon.net and let me know what you think.

I have just added some great videos and fight footage to MajorLeagueBoxing.Com.  They include:  Rocky Marciano clips, Mike Tyson clips, Razor Ruddock vs. Tommy Morrison-complete fight, Lamon Brewster vs. Luan Krasniqi-complete fight, Roy Jones, Jr. clips, Muhammad Ali clips, Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Rocky Graziano-complete fight, George Foreman clips, and another clip you just have to see (I don't want to ruin it for you).  These video clips are located on the right side of this web page.  Just click on the pictures of the videos you want to see, click the play button and enjoy! 

Emmanuel Augustus is a true professional prize fighter.  There was a poll on Fightnews.com that asked which opponent would you like to see Ricky Hatton fight.  The choices were Augustus, Vivian Harris, Luis Collazzo, Stevie Johnston, and a few others.  When the ballots were settled, Fightnews readers picked Augustus.  Boxing fans know that when Emmanuel Augustus is on the card, they are going to see a great fight!  Ricky Hatton, give the man a shot!  I think it will be one hell of a fight!  I would have to pick Hatton, but I would be rooting big time for Augustus!  It would be a real life Rocky story.  The undefeated champ takes on a challenger with a record of 32 and 26 with 6 draws.  Wouldn't it be great if Augustus won!  That's like Rocky and Cinderella Man times 10!  Come on Ricky, give Augustus a shot!

March 24th ESPN2:  Darnell "Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson vs. Felix Cora, Favorite Cora, Selection Wilson by TKO7 over Cora.  UPSET SPECIAL.  I feel really good about this pick.  Ding A Ling is a tremendous value at an almost 3 to 1 return!

 

There are a total of 8 fights for the dates of March 24th and March 25th that you can wager on at our affiliate sportsbooks:  Sportsbook.com, Win4Real.com, Sportsbetting.com, Sportingbetusa.com, and Racebook.com.  Click on the links on this webpage to bet on boxing.  We chose to be affiliates with these online sportsbooks based on their reliability, security, and privacy. 

 

Overall, I am 11 and 10, 11 correct, 10 incorrect.  See you at the fights!

 

 

Joe Harris

"Gypsy Joe"

24-1-0 / 8 KO

Welterweight-Middleweight

Flamboyant and entertaining North Philly sensation with a most unusual boxing style was forced to retire early when it was discovered that he was blind  in his right eye. 

Born: 12/1/45  -  Died: 3/6/90

 

From Philly.com

Gypsy Joe, they haven't forgotten

Campaign under way for tombstone

By MARK KRAM

NO TALE IN the forlorn annals of boxing ever topped the sorrowful story of Gypsy Joe Harris. For a shimmering blink of an eye in the 1960s, the wildly unorthodox and undisciplined Gypsy surged to the heights of the welterweight division, where he had the ingenuity of a scaled-down Ali. The crowds loved him and he played to them boldly both inside the ring and away from it, where he roamed the bars and pool halls of North Philadelphia sporting a cowboy hat or a Persian lamb collar. Scarcely the type to plan ahead, he never had a bank account, owned a house or held even an insurance policy for his loved ones to bury him.

Even at the apex of his career he lived in the Richard Allen Projects, a far cry from the deluxe accommodations that his fancy plumage seemed to imply. Then in the same stable with a young Joe Frazier, he had not yet fulfilled his full earning potential in the ring when it was discovered in October 1968 that he was blind in one eye. Stripped by the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission of his license to box, he slid steeply into the realm of alcoholism and drugs - chiefly heroin. He later got jobs that included sweeping the city streets. Never again the same jovial Gypsy once his career ended, he died in March 1990 of a heart attack at the age of 44.

They passed the hat to bury him. Relatives chipped in enough to buy him a blue suit, an inexpensive coffin and a $105 plot at Merion Memorial Park in Bala Cynwyd, where they lowered Gypsy into a public grave with two other people who also had died that week. The day was gray and very cold, and his younger sister, Arneta Miller, got back in the car at the end of the ceremony thinking: Joe should have had a better funeral. Workers then came to fill in the hole, but there were not enough funds in the hat to afford a headstone at the site. So for 16 years he has remained there, sadly obscure yet not forgotten.

 

It was not until John DiSanto began looking for Gypsy Joe that anyone even remembered he did not have a headstone. DiSanto is a boxing fan who runs a Web site honoring the storied history of the sport in Philadelphia, where Gypsy still reigns as a cult figure. DiSanto, 43, never actually had seen Joe in the ring, but became intrigued enough by his sad story that he set out in search of his grave. But that noble quest was not an easy one. Even the staff at the cemetery had trouble locating it initially, and it was not until DiSanto contacted the family itself did they finally find the spot: a piece of barren earth in a sloping corner of the cemetery.

DiSanto would like to arrange for Gypsy to get a headstone. The Mantua, N.J., native recently did just that for the late junior lightweight Tyrone Everett, whose tragic end occurred in 1977 when his girlfriend shot him during a quarrel in South Philadelphia. When DiSanto discovered Everett did not have a headstone at Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, he took it upon himself to contact the Everett family and offered to pay the $1,500 cost of it himself. In the case of Gypsy Joe, he hopes to generate the funds via donations to the Gravestone Program he has launched on PhillyBoxingHistory.com, his Web site. Help also has come from a beef-and-beer fund-raiser held recently in Camden by the family, which has united behind DiSanto in his effort to honor boxers in the same situation as their departed brother.

DiSanto stood at the site in a whipping wind last Sunday. "A lot of fighters have a similar story," he said. "They end up with little or no money, and it becomes difficult for the family to even bury them. And some of them opt not to do the gravestone, especially when there are living people who really need the money."

Money and Gypsy Joe were only fleeting companions. In the days before the lighter weights commanded high sums, he once said that he never earned more than $12,500 for any bout. Under the stewardship of Yancey Durham, he began his pro career in the fall of 1965 by knocking out Freddie Walker, and 2 years later found himself in Madison Square Garden against welterweight champion Curtis Cokes in a non-title bout. He beat Cokes in a 10-round decision with 500 Philadelphians on hand. The talented Emile Griffith handed him his only defeat in 25 bouts in August 1968. It was during the physical for his bout against Manny Gonzales that October when doctors discovered he was blind in his right eye.

Gypsy Joe had endured that impairment since his youth, when he stole a trick-or-treat bag from another boy in Camden and was struck by him in the eye with a brick. "There was an urgent boom, boom, boom at the door," remembers Tony Molock, who has written a forthcoming book on his older brother, "Gypsy Joe Harris: Son of Philadelphia." "And Joe came in holding his eye." But blindness in that eye did not stop him from entering the ring, nor did it prevent the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission from allowing him to box. While Gypsy later would say he memorized the eye chart, which enabled him to pass the physical the commission required before a bout, he always contended it knew of his affliction and allowed him to box because of his popularity until ring politics forced him out. Whatever the true story, Gypsy failed in his appeal to get his license back.

Then-commissioner Zack Clayton asked him at his hearing: "How much longer would you fight if you got your license?"

"Two or 3 years," Gypsy told him.

"And what would you do then?" Clayton asked.

"Be rich," Gypsy replied.

Of the opinion that "we will never know the real answer," DiSanto added: "I find it hard to believe that the people close to him did not know he was blind. But then again, you have to understand that Gypsy was a hustler. So if you were him and had that secret, you had to keep it a secret." But DiSanto said that while it is understandable that the commission would deny the appeal, he said it was an interesting irony that in an effort to protect Gypsy Joe from being injured in the ring, he was "probably far safer in the ring with one eye than he ever was outside of it."

Quite true when you consider what happened in the years that followed. He became depressed and even one day walked up on the Ben Franklin Bridge and looked down into a swirling tide. He later said he came close to jumping, but chose not to because he remembered that he could swim, evidently ignoring the probability that the fall would have done the job. He became hooked on heroin, which left him with tracks up and down an arm and across his back. Arneta remembered that as a young girl she asked Joe what they were and in an act of brotherly concern, he grabbed her by the arm and said: "Never let this happen to you. Never let drugs get into your life." He also once found his then-teenage sister Renee Fisher passed out on the stoop of their house; someone slipped her drugs in the Wild Irish Rose she had been drinking. Joe carried her on his back to the hospital, where they pumped her stomach. He later told her, "You can not live this way." Said Renee, "And I never drank again."

Gypsy Joe had gone cold turkey by then. Arneta remembered that in the years that followed he was always "kind of sad and kind of depressed," in part because of the way his boxing career had ended and in part because he could not help his five children. People still stopped on the streets in North Philadelphia and said, 'Hey, are you Gypsy Joe?" Hearing that would always boost his spirits, but by then his body had become depleted. Drug abuse had wrecked his heart, perhaps including the use of diuretics to shave pounds off before bouts; Gypsy had never been fond of training. Small social-security checks helped him get by when he was no longer able to work for the city sanitation department. He was waylaid in his early 40s by four heart attacks, the last of which left him in an unconscious state with tubes running in and out of his body.

By his side were his mother, Helen, and his siblings, who conferred with doctors and decided that Joe would not have wanted to live in that condition. "So we said we would just let nature take its course," said his younger brother, who added that the doctors then removed the breathing tubes and placed him on a morphine drip. Tony remembered that Joe labored to breathe on his own and that he began cheering him on, saying: "Come on. Fight! You are Gypsy Joe!" At one point Joe opened an eye and appeared to look at him. And then he closed it again and died.

 

In the searing cold last Sunday at Merion Memorial Park, DiSanto joined Arneta, Renee and sister Daa'iyah Waheed at the place where Gypsy Joe is interred. They were bundled in heavy coats. They remembered having been there 16 years before - yes, this was the place - but were uncertain exactly where the spot was. Someone from the cemetery had told them they would place a temporary marker there, but there was none to be found for Joe, only a few scattered signs for others nearby and, off in the horizon, rows of headstones tilting into the wind.

DiSanto is unclear at this point what it will cost to come up with a headstone for Gypsy Joe, but guesses it will be somewhere in the vicinity of $2,000. Nor are the sisters certain what they would like it to say, albeit Daa'iyah is leaning toward using the book title: "Gypsy Joe Harris: Son of Philadelphia." Whatever they come up with, the sisters are delighted that DiSanto contacted them. As the years passed and they had gone on with their lives, the urgency to place a proper marker at the grave waned.

"This is good of him to do," Arneta said. "And if we can get a fund together, it would be a way to help other boxers in the same situation."

Renee stood off to the side and said sadly, "Joe was so young when he died. He should still be with us." Some paper swirled in the wind as she then added with a smile: "He deserves this."

 

 

This is an accurate, realistic account by Daxx Kahn taken from www.SaddoBoxing.com.  Photos by Nathan Whitchurch/Saddo Boxing.  Please note, there was never a knockdown as posted on Fight News.  Saddo Boxing got it right, along with The Saratogian Newspaper article which was previously posted.  See more pictures of the Chappell Miller fight in the photo gallery.

 

 

In heavyweight action, Shannon Miller faced David "Champ" Chappell in a six round bout.  In the opening round, Chappell controlled Miller with jabs, using a long reach to his advantage and had Miller bruised and swelling by the end of the round.  In the second, things started to even up as Miller began to get inside and find his range, staggering Chappell with hooks.  As the third round approached, Chappell started to move more - causing Miller to miss and evened up the scorecard.  By the end of the fourth, Chappell fell right into Miller's hands and tried to brawl with the hometown favorite and had to be saved in the sixth.  As Miller was about to put Chappell away, the ref stepped in and stopped the fight at 1:57 of the round.  Shannon Miller improves to 13-1 (7) which David Chappell goes to 7-6 (3).

 

 

Ricky Hatton will fight WBA Welterweight Champion Luis Collazzo on May 13th in Boston.  The fight will be at 147 lbs.  Also of interest, Collazzo is a southpaw.  You never know what could happen.

Antonio Tarver bet Bernard Hopkins $250,000 that he will knock Hopkins out within 5 rounds when they meet on June 10th.  Hopkins also says this is his last fight, win, lose, or draw.

 

Marco Antonio Barrera's new opponent for May 20th is Rocky Juarez.  Should be an interesting fight. 

 

I was told by a member of the Shannon Miller camp that Miller took a worse beating in his win over David "The Champ" Chappell than he did when he lost to Vinnie Maddalone. 

I was just cruising the internet a few minutes ago when I came across a headline that caught my attention.  It read, "Duva less than impressed with Rahman and Toney." - Duva, being Promoter Dino Duva.  Yes, the same Dino Duva that says that Michael Marrone is a heavyweight prodigy!  Hey, here's a real boxing guy.  Someone who really knows the business.  He really knows what he's talking about!  He's not impressed with Rahman OR Toney, but that Mike Marrone, he's a legitimate contender, a boxing prodigy (i.e. genius).  Give me a friggin break!  That guy has the credibility of a friggin turnip!  Probably about as smart as one too!  I had a really good friend give me a good suggestion.  He said I should start writing top ten articles.  You know the Top 10 overhyped heavyweight bums who can't fight a lick; The Top 10 underrated boxers in the game, that type of thing.  Well as to the Top 10 overhyped heavyweight "prospects" who can't fight not even one little bit, the clear winner far and away is "The New Italian Stallion" Michael Marrone!  I've got another one for you.  At numero uno for promoters who should be completely ignored when they open their mouths, drum rolllllllllllllllll! - Dino Duva!  Sit down and shut up!  Who cares what you have to say about being impressed or not impressed by anybody!  I'll put it to you this way, Dino Duva is about as good as a promoter as Michael Marrone is as a professional boxer.  Got it?  Good!  Now stay out of my face chumps, and you know who I'm talking about!

I'm sure most of you saw the Hasim Rahman-James Toney match up this past Saturday night on HBO.  I admit it, I picked Toney to stop Rahman in the 10th round.  I based this pick largely on the Rock's lazy performances in the past against Tua, Holyfield, and Ruiz.  I realize Toney is a former middleweight, I just wasn't that impressed with Rahman.  Boy was I wrong!  I thought Rahman looked great in this fight.  He was in fantastic shape, he took the fight right to Toney, and he kept up a stellar work rate for the entire fight.  There was no way Rahman-Toney should have been a draw.  Then I read that if Rahman didn't win the last round, Toney would have won the fight!  You gotta be kidding me!  I scored the fight 8 rounds to 4 for Rahman which would make it a score of 116-112.  I believe one judge had it close to that at 117-111.  The other two had it at 114-114, 6 rounds a piece.  It just goes to show you that judging a boxing match is indeed an inexact science.  Maybe they'll have a re-match.  Who knows?  If Rahman doesn't take on Toney, he'll fight Oleg Maskaev.  I know they fought before with Maskaev putting Rahman through the ropes in their first fight.  If they fight again, and The Rock is in shape, it's a different fight entirely.  Rahman would stop Maskaev within 6 rounds.  The fight that I would really like to see, although it won't happen for at least a year, would be Rahman vs. Brewster!  Bombs away, hit the deck, because somebody's going down!  Getting back to the Rahman-Toney fight, Rahman was screwed, no two ways about it.  For another view of the Rahman-Toney fight please visit www.boxingalongthebeltway.blogspot.com and listen to Gary "Digital" William's audio post.  It's interesting stuff from a guy who knows the game. 

Lisa Elovich, the Promoter of The St. Patrick's Day Brawl featuring David "The Champ" Chappell vs. Shannon Miller, is a classy lady and the sport of boxing is better because she is involved in it.  I would like to thank Lisa, Paul Brown, Linda Filarecki, Gino Limeri, Bob Miller, and everyone else associated with the promotion, for running such a first class show.  I have promoted 3 shows in VA and I have been with fighters to numerous states to fight on other promoter's shows.  I know firsthand all of the hard work that goes in to putting on a boxing show.  It was, without a doubt, the best run promotion that I have been involved with.  Way to go!  Keep it up and you have a big future in boxing!  And believe me, that will be a good thing for the sport as well as a good thing for you.  Here's to Lisa Elovich and Pugnacious Promotions.  Their future is a bright one, indeed!

 

I thought the fight between David Chappell and Shannon Miller was a great fight!  I knew it would be.  We had our moments, and Shannon Miller knew he was in a fight, believe me!  It was just his night, he's a good fighter and a great guy.  I know we had his dad scared to death before the fight.  I always tell David to take his shirt off when he weighs in.  I want the opposing fighter to see what he's working with, know what I mean.  Shannon and Mr. Miller confirmed their concern when they told me, "Jeez, what have we got ourselves in to!  That guy's a truck!  He's built just like Mike "Hercules" Weaver!" - That's what they told me after the fight.  I could see it in Mr. Miller's face before the fight when I saw him in the hotel lobby.  Work on that poker face Bob!  Things looked great for us in the first round.  I know we won that one on all 3 judge's scorecards.  I also think we won the 4th and 5th rounds too!  Oh well, no shame in that performance.  David just got hit with some shots that he probably shouldn't have been hit with.  And when that happens, it's tough to win a fight.  David Chappell is tough as hell and he's all man, no quit in him at all.  He can hold his head high after a performance like that.  We were there to win that fight and it just didn't go our way.  David was trying to the end!  We could have let it go to the scorecards, but I thought we were behind.  That's why I told David to go for the knockout in the last round.  In my opinion, it is better to go out fighting and try to win the fight, than limp home trying to survive.  David was the one that pressed the action early in the 6th, he just got caught, that's all.  Miller, to his credit, knew what to do when he had a guy hurt, and he did it.  David Chappell, he's still "The Champ" and he's one tough, tough man!  We're proud of you Champ!

We knew the Shannon Miller fight would be tough.  Both David and I were extremely confident of victory and we knew that a win over a respected fighter like Miller would open a lot of doors.  I sought out Miller because I felt his style was tailor made for David.  In retrospect, I still feel the same way.  The fight was definitely winnable for David, it was just Miller's night.  Even in defeat, David gave an inspiring performance.  He was getting hit with some huge shots, in the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th,and he refused to go down!   If you read the report of the fight on FightNews, you would think David got dropped in the second and dominated from that point on until the fight ended in the 6th.  I have e-mailed the author of that article and asked him what fight was he watching?  David never went down, he was never dropped, and even under the onslaught of at least 30 punches from a powerful fighter like Miller, he stayed on his feet in the final round!  The following is my round by round recap of the David "The Champ" Chappell vs. Shannon Miller fight.  I hope you enjoy my view from the corner.

 

Our plan was to have everything work off the jab, stay on your toes and box, box, box.  Move in a circle and stay off the ropes and don't get caught with anything wild.  The first round was a masterpiece!  David followed the game plan to a T!  He pumped jab after jab after jab into the stout Miller's face.  If the first one didn't get in, the second and the third one did!  I'm telling you, he was nailing Miller and I know he won that round on all 3 judges scorecards. 

 

David continued to box in a circle and double and triple up on his jabs.  Then, he took a little step straight back and Miller, being the smart and experienced fighter he is, followed David and let a looping right hand go followed by a vicious left hook.  Champ was wobbled but never went down.  I'm sure the round was 10-8 for Miller on all 3 judges scorecards.

 

It was pretty much all Miller again as he seemed to discover Champ's defensive flaws.  Champ has a bad habit of pulling straight back from punches, a la Muhammad Ali.  If he didn't do this, and continued to move at an angle, or in a circle, Miller would never have touched him.  Miller staggers Champ again in the 3rd.  I'm sure it was 10-8 on all 3 scorecards.

 

Champ had finally recovered from the punches he absorbed in rounds 2 and 3 and he was back on his game again.  Boxing beautifully behind an extremely stiff jab.  How stiff?  Just ask Shannon Miller, he'll tell you!  Now he was also bringing his big right hand behind the jab.  Every time he threw his right, he landed it.  This round was probably the closest of the fight.  I scored it 10-9 for Champ, maybe the judges had it the other way.

 

Very similar to round 4.  David was up on his toes jabbing and boxing in a circle.  Pop, pop, pop, right hand.  At the very end of the round, Champ spun off the ropes and nailed Miller with a straight right just as the bell rang!  It definitely got Miller's attention and he went back to his corner tired and hurt.  Champ's round 10-9.

 

In my mind, Champ was winning in rounds 3 to 2.  Miller was ahead on points because of the two 10-8 rounds.  I had the score 47-46 for Miller, although I suspect the judges had it 47-45 for Miller.  The 4th round was close, and it was Miller's hometown, so I think they probably gave it to Miller.  This is why I told Champ to go for broke, and to knock Miller out!  We weren't happy with just a fight that went to the scorecards.  I thought we were behind, and I didn't think we would win a decision.  Champ came out blazing and doubled up on his right hand, boom, boom!  Miller, to his credit, rolled with the shots, and brought a big right hand of his own.  He caught Champ, who was squared up, flush on the chin, and then he followed it with a crisp and short left hook.  Champ was hurt bad and his legs were gone.  Miller did exactly what he was supposed to do, and he went in for the finish.  Champ was trying to move, but he just kept absorbing punches.  HE WOULD NOT GO DOWN!  He must have took upwards of 30 unanswered shots, but HE WOULD NOT GO DOWN!  The referee, Eddie Claudio, had no choice but to stop the fight.  There is no standing 8 count in New York and I think the stoppage was right on time.  Not too fast, not too slow.  He did a magnificent job of refereeing the fight, fantastic.  And that was that.  I put the stool in the corner and walked David back to it.  David, a true man if ever there was one, was asked by the doctor to count backwards from 10 to 1.  He went "10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 MOTHERFU***R!"  What a warrior!  What a heart!  What a chin!  His skin must be tough as hell because he didn't have a scratch, a bruise, a cut, nothing!  Shannon Miller on the other hand, was busted wide open.  His left eye was swollen and bloody.  His nose was swollen and bleeding, as was his lip.  Just like David said, "He won the fight, but he had to earn that victory.  People are going to know that guy had a fight a month from now!"  And that's the truth, that's exactly the way it happened, and that's my view from the corner!  I am going to get a copy of the tape, and if the promoter will allow it, I am going to put the fight on this webpage so you can see for yourself that everything I said is exactly how it happened! 

 

I am also planning on writing an article about our wonderful time in Albany and the first class promotion that Lisa Elovich, and her staff at Pugnacious Promotions, ran in Albany on March 17th.  First Class all the way!  Look for it in a couple of days. 

Shannon Miller defeated our own David "The Champ" Chappell via a TKO in the last minute of the 6th and final round.  It was reported on other websites that Champ was knocked down in the 2nd.  This is not true.  Champ never went down and finished the fight on his feet.  I will post a round by round report of the back and forth war between David "The Champ" Chappell and the classy Shannon Miller.  As Champ said after the fight, "He (Miller) won the fight, but they knew I was there.  He had to earn that victory."  More to come Sunday.  Please check back later.

David Chappell and Joe Hensley leave for Albany, New York today for their fight on Friday March 17th against Shannon Miller.  We're going there to take care of business and bring back a victory.  Talk to you soon.

For all of you who have attended our boxing events, you will remember Henry "Discombobulating" Jones as the talented and charismatic ring announcer on all of our shows.  We need your help.  Henry is in the running to be the ring announcer on HBO's B.A.D. (Boxing After Dark).  We need to let HBO head honcho, Ross Greenburg, know that we feel Henry "Discombobulating" Jones is the best in the biz and he belongs on HBO.  Please send a brief e-mail to Ross.Greenburg@hbo.com and under the subject heading write "Hire Discombobulating Jones - He's a B.A.D. Man!"  Wouldn't it be great to see one of our own make it to the big show!  Also, cc Henry on your e-mails.  His e-mail address is kokid@comcast.net  

I really appreciate everyone's efforts and I will keep you posted on our upcoming events.  We have several potentially huge announcements to make in the upcoming months.  I also appreciate everyone's support for David "The Champ" Chappell on his upcoming fight.  We're coming back to Virginia with the biggest victory of Champ's careeer! 

Sincerely,

Joe Hensley

 

From AP Reports-

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- RauShee Warren of Cincinnati successfully defended his 112-pound division title Saturday as a trio of youthful boxers made impressive showings at the U.S. Championships, capped by super heavyweight Mike Wilson winning his third consecutive title.

Warren stopped Oscar Venegas after building a 21-2 margin early in the second round, while Gary Russell Jr. won at 119 and Danny Garcia was successful at 132.

Wilson, of Medford, Ore., used a sharp left jab and blows to the body to wear down a smaller Jonte Willis of Tacoma, Wash., for a 23-12 decision in the 201-plus weight division.

"It feels great," Wilson said. "It's been long week with a lot of pressure. Having won twice before, anything less than a win would have been a big disappointment.

"I was landing some killer body shots and that took a lot out of him. I could see it in his eyes. It slowed him down, but I was kind of tired, too."

Warren took control from the start, scoring a standing-eight count early in the first round, and continued his attack in the second.

Warren, who turned 19 last month, was the youngest member of the 2004 Olympic team. He is the first Olympian to return to the amateur boxing ranks since 1992.

"Because I was less experienced, I failed to win a medal, and that was my whole dream in 2004," Warren said. "I'm back because I want to win an Olympic medal in 2008."

Since returning from Athens, Warren won a gold medal at last year's U.S. Championships and a bronze in the World Championships in November.

Russell, a 17-year-old from Capitol Heights, Md., earned a 13-6 decision over Leodegario Santa Cruz of Lincoln Heights, Calif. He started slowly, leading 2-0 after the first round and 3-2 after the second.

"My corner told me to pick it up, pick it up," Russell said. "I feel like I could have been better. I still won, but I could have done better."

He has his eye on the 2008 Olympics and hopes to attend the University of Northern Michigan through the U.S. Olympic Education Program.

Danny Garcia, a 17-year-old from Philadelphia, in his first U.S. Championships, won the 132-pound title with a 30-25 decision over Luis Ramos of Santa Ana, Calif. He overcame an 18-10 deficit after the second round with a strong performance in the final two rounds.

Garcia extended some credit to his Philadelphia background.

"It's hard to get out of the gym," he said. "There are some real killers there. That makes it easier here."

Karl Dargan of Philadelphia retained his 141-pound title with a 15-11 win over Hector Ramos of Lackland Air Force Base.

Returning 125-pound champ Mark Davis of Cleveland beat Richard Baltazar of Lynnwood, Calif., 20-14. In Saturday's opening match, Luis Yanez of Duncanville, Texas, won the 106-pound title with an 18-16 decision over Roberto Ceron from Doraville, Ga.

The top four finishers in each weight class receive stipends for training expenses, are invited to top-level training camps and will represent the United States in international competition

From AP Reports -

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Six defending champions, three upset winners and four competitors vying for a title in the two weight classes that had no returning champion highlight Saturday's finals in the U.S. National Championships.

Returning national champions are: RauShee Warren, 112; Gary Russell Jr., 119; Mark Davis, 125; Karl Dargan, 141; Demetrius Andrade, 152; and Mike Wilson, 201-plus.

A two-time national champion, Wilson will be trying for a three-peat in the super heavyweight division. Wilson, from Medford, Ore., won a convincing 25-5 decision over Lucas Runion of College Park, Md., in the semifinal round. His opponent will be Jonte Willis from Tacoma, Wash., who moved into the finals on a walkover in the semis.

Wilson, with more than 100 amateur bouts, won national titles in 2004 and 2005, and was runner-up to Jason Estrada in the 2004 Olympic box-offs.

Luis Ramos of Santa Ana, Calif., upset two-time national champion Michael Evans of Dayton, Ohio, in a 132-pound semifinal. He will take on Danny Garcia of Philadelphia for the title.

In other upsets, Shawn Porter of Stow, Ohio, defeated Edwin Rodriguez of Worcester, Mass., on a 24-22 decision in a 165-pound semifinal. Porter is a former Junior Olympics champion. His opponent will be two-time National Golden Gloves winner Daniel Jacobs of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Alfonso Lopez of Huntsville, Texas, dethroned defending champ William Rosinski of Richmond Hills, N.Y., at 178 pounds. His opponent will be Christopher Downs of Fort Carson.

In weight classes that had no returning champions, Roberto Ceron of Doraville, Ga., will meet Luis Yanez of Duncanville, Texas, for the 106-pound title. Ceron won last year's National Golden Gloves. Yanez is a two-time Junior Olympic champion.

James Zimmerman of San Jose, Calif., and Adam Willett of Bay Shore, N.Y. will fight in the 201-pound final. Willett won the Police Athletic League national championship last year.

Warren of Cincinnati was a 2004 Olympian and is the defending 112-pound title holder. Warren stopped John Franklin of Fort Carson in the quarterfinals and Shawn Nichol from Lakewood in the semis. His challenger will be Oscar Venegas of Maywood, Calif.

At 119 pounds, Russell Jr. of Capitol Heights, Md., will defend his crown against Leodegario Santa Cruz of East Los Angeles. Russell, a 17-year-old, was named USA Boxing's Athlete of the Year for 2005, after also winning the National Golden Gloves. Santa Cruz is a 2005 Junior Olympic Champion.

Davis, from Cleveland, Ohio, will meet Richard Baltazar of Lynwood, Calif., in a 125-pound rematch from last year.

Dargan, from Philadelphia, is a cousin of 2004 Olympian Rock Allen and trains in the same gym as former professional middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, among other pros.

"That's very helpful," Dargan said. "I look upon my boxing career as a job, and being No. 1 in the nationals as part of a business. It's very hard to win this two years in a row. Some of the guys here train just for me. They're familiar with my style, but meaning no disrespect, I don't know them. I have to be ready for anything."

He will defend his 141-pound title against Hector Ramos of Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

At 152 pounds, Andrade, from Providence, R.I., will defend against 2004 World Military Champion Boyd Melson of Fort Carson.

Taken from the San Luis Obispo Tribune

Charity event expected to bring in fewer dollars at new venue after Cal-Poly cancels it at Mott Gym

Cal Poly officials have banned a large fraternity-organized boxing event designed to raise funds for charity, saying it would conflict with the university’s mission.

The event, called Fraternity Fight Night, was scheduled for Saturday in Mott Gym.

It was set to feature 30 fraternity members who have been training for weeks to box with protective gear in matches of three one-minute rounds.

Organizers were selling tickets in advance at various local venues and hoping for an audience of more than 3,000, with proceeds from the $7 tickets tagged for the San Luis Obispo Special Olympics and Cal Poly Athletics.

A smaller version of the event will now move to SLO Kickboxing, 956 Foothill Blvd., at 7 p.m. Donations of $20 will be requested, with the intention of still supporting Special Olympics.

Organizer Tommy Van Galder said the smaller venue can hold only 300 people.

The event was to be co- sponsored by Pi Kappa Alpha and SLO Kickboxing.

Van Galder said he was shocked that the university would wait until Monday evening to cancel an event set for Saturday. The Cal Poly box office is refunding tickets sold there.

Van Galder said he is still sorting out cancellation of television advertising and other aspects of promotion for the event.

"I don’t know what was harder, telling the fighters who had been training for 10 weeks or telling Special Olympics that the $16,000 to $17,000 we hoped to give them might not happen," he said.

Ken Barclay, the director of the Cal Poly Office of Student Life, said he feels very bad about the last minute cancellation. He said he had only learned about the event Friday, though he admits it had been promoted on campus for some time.

Van Galder said both the athletics department and Barclay’s office had approved the fight event. Barclay said there is no record that his office ever gave its approval.

"If anybody gets hurt in this type of event, can we justify that this fits into the goals and mission of the organization sponsoring it?" he asked.

He said the students had done everything right, including getting the correct insurance.

"My sadness is that this is so late in the ballgame," he said.

Barclay said fraternities are university-chartered organizations. He said it would be different if SLO Kickboxing were doing the event on its own. He also said there is no restriction on fraternity members participating in the off-campus event as individuals.

Barclay said students have been gracious, even though many have been tremendously annoyed by his position.

Michael Steele, a fighter and member of Theta Chi, said he and other fighters had paid $50 for eight weeks of training.

"I’m very disappointed," he said. "We were expecting this huge event, and it’s not a big event anymore."

 

Roy Jones, Jr. says he will go to Great Britain to fight Joe Calzaghe.  He also said he would fight him at either super middleweight or light heavyweight.  Jones feels a victory over Calzaghe will put him back on top again. 

 

Come one, come all, but ONLY if you will fall!  If you CAN fight, we don't want you!  That's what Mike Marrone's Promoters, Duva Boxing, should say when they're looking for an opponent for their, ahem, prodigy 20 year old heavyweight Mike Marrone.  You will remember Mike Marrone as the fighter who pulled out of a bout with our own David "The Champ" Chappell.  Of course we all know about Marrone's performance, or lack thereof, against tough cruiserweight Zack Page.  Sources close to the Page-Marrone fight said that even though Page weighed in at 198 lbs. he drank gallons and gallons of water prior to the weigh in to get up to that weight.  His real weight was somewhere around 190lbs.!  That's the OLD cruiserweight mark.  Now even crusiers fight at 200!  Page took the fight on very short notice as well, because up until about 5 days prior to the fight Marrone was supposed to fight Chappell and Page wasn't even expecting a fight with anyone, much less a, ahem, killer like Marrone!  Oh, if only Page was in top shape.  He would have knocked Marrone out!  Imagine that, a cruiserweight stopping a supposed heavyweight prodigy with a couple of days of training!  Let's get real here, Mike Marrone is probably a good kid even though he wears women's clothing when he fights.  It's his handlers I have a problem with.  We had a contract to fight this guy and he was exposed as what he really is on national TV, a limited talent.  His co-manager sent me a profanity laden e-mail which I had previously posted on this web site.  This was in response to a conversation I had with him to find out why they pulled out of the fight with Chappell.  I suggested, in not so many words, that they were scared to fight Chappell and that they should have thought about that before they agreed to the fight.  Once the fight is on, it's on!  Doesn't a signed contract mean anything?  I guess not.  I'm past the fight that should have been on February 24th, and I'm really not that worried about it.  I'm worrying about what will be, and that's David Chappell's fight with tough Shannon Miller on March 17th.  I'm just putting in a little work for my man to get a fight with Marrone after David defeats the Irish-American prospect, Miller, on St. Patrick's Day.  The Duvas and Curren tried to use the excuse that David was too old and that ESPN wouldn't take him.  Goodness gracious!  Then they said he's too old to fight Marrone.  You knew how old he was and you agreed to the fight.  If an older fighter is perceived as a weaker fighter, wouldn't you want to put your guy in there with our guy?  Put 'em in together and you'll find out how "weak" my guy is then, I guaran-damn-tee you!  David does get a hard go with some commissions because of his age.  I have had three commissions say he's too old to fight!  Unbelievable!  Isn't that age discrimination?  Isn't this America?  Who in the hell are you telling my man that he can't make a living and pursue his goals and dreams?  By the way, ever heard of George Foreman or Archie Moore?  Actually, and I'm sad to say this, but I guarantee it's true, there are commissioners out there who haven't heard of Archie Moore, but I digress.  When I have conversed with these gentlemen about their comments on David's age, they usually change their tune.  One commissioner, who will remain nameless, got off of the age thing and told me that David hasn't beaten anyone of note.  You see, that's why I sought out the Shannon Miller fight.  Everyone knows who Miller is now because of the war he had on ESPN2 against rugged Vinnie Maddalone.  I know that David Chappell can, and will, defeat Shannon Miller.  No disprespect to Shannon, he stepped up when a lot of other fighters wouldn't (namely Marrone and Brian Minto, another Duva fighter David was supposed to fight) but we're not coming all that way to lose.  You see, after David defeats Miller, there won't be a commission in the USA that can deny my man.  Not one!  And guess what, ESPN can't deny him either because we just beat a guy that ESPN knows is legit.  So that bullsh** excuse won't fly either!  Why am I doing this?  I'll tell you why.  Mike Marrone needs an opponent on April 28th.  That's right, the Duvas are promoting another ESPN2 show, this time from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT headlined by the Nigerian Nightmare, Samuel Peter.  They also plan on showcasing their "star young heavyweight" Mike Marrone, once again.  At least this time I hope they put him in with a real heavyweight, not a cruiserweight.  I'm sure some of you are saying, "Man, Joe better watch himself and the stuff he's saying.  He's saying all these things.  What if he gets the Marrone fight, he'll have to see these guys face to face."  First off, everything I'm saying is true.  If you're telling the truth, you don't have anything to worry about.  Secondly, let me tell you something about me, if you haven't figured it out already, I LOVE a good fight, particularly if there is just cause.  When I go in to a room, I hold my head up high because I know the type of man I am!  I have never screwed anyone in my life and I am a man of honor and respect (I kind of have a high opinion about myself, huh?).  I love David Chappell, he is my fighter!  When these commissions and these big promoters give me and my guy a hard time, I take that personally, and I  fight that much harder!  They think we're just a couple of hicks from Virginia and they can just push us around.  WRONG!  We'll fight back.  We don't take that crap from ANYBODY!  Mike Marrone, Gus Curren, Duva, et al, after David Chappell defeats Shannon Miller on March 17th, are you going to be MEN and step up to the plate and take our challenge on April 28th?  Are you going to put Mike Marrone, your 20 year old heavyweight boy, in with our grand old man?  If you do, please make sure Marrone wears that dress again.  That way, when Chappell puts Marrone flat on his ass, the boys from Broke Back Mountain (who are huge Mike Marrone fans), will get to see what color panties he's wearing!   

 

No one sells a fight like Don King.

That salesmanship was on display once again on Wednesday as King, replete in his "Only in America" denim jacket, commenced with his flag-waving ways to hype the nationally televised heavyweight title fight he is promoting at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center on April 1. World Boxing Organization champ Lamon Brewster and challenger Sergei Liakhovich were on hand for the 90-minute wordfest orchestrated by His Hairness.

"Charity begins at home and spreads abroad," proclaimed King, explaining how this bout landed in his hometown. "Cleveland is a crisis center. Not only did we fill the date, we made it bigger and better."

The Showtime cable network had an open date after a proposed bout between heavyweights Shannon Briggs and David Tua fell apart. King said he stepped in to fill the date.

He did the same thing last September when he brought a show to The Q on late notice. This will be the first heavyweight title bout in the area since Michael Dokes lost to Gerrie Coetzee at the Richfield Coliseum in October 1983, a bout also promoted by King.

"I sleep, eat and think boxing," said Brewster (33-2, 29 KOs), the hardest puncher among the four alphabet-organization heavyweight titlists. "Sergei is a great fighter. I don't duck anybody. If you want to be the champ, you have to beat the best."

Brewster, 32, won his title by stopping Wladimir Klitschko in April 2004. Originally from Indianapolis and now living in Los Angeles, he has had three successful defenses. He is trained by former junior welterweight champion Buddy McGirt.

Liakhovich, 29, is a native of Belarus living in Scottsdale, Ariz. He stands 22-1, with 14 KOs, but has not fought since December 2004 because of rib injuries and boxing politics.

He said coming off the long layoff would not pose that much of a problem.

"Three times fights were called off," said Liakhovich, trained by Kenny Weldon in Las Vegas. "I was in the gym. Lamon has proved himself. He's strong with both hands. He doesn't have enough to beat me."

Ireland's Kevin McBride, dubbed the "Clones Colossus," will open the televised portion of the show against an opponent to be named. He defeated Mike Tyson in June to put his name on the boxing map. Also, former bantamweight champ Tim Austin from Cincinnati will have an undercard match.

Representatives from the Cleveland Golden Gloves amateur boxing tournament, with their finals also on April 1 at the Galleria at Erieview, were in attendance. Golden Gloves President Vic Collova and King said they would try to work together to make each event a success.

Please click on www.boxingalongthebeltway.blogspot.com to visit Gary "Digital" Williams fine website for last night's results from Baltimore!

Taken from USA TODAY 

"I think it's on the rise right now," says WBC champion Hasim "The Rock" Rahman, who faces James "Lights Out" Toney on March 18 at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall (HBO, 10 p.m. ET). "As long as you put the best against the best, nobody can complain."

In addition to Rahman (41-5-1, 33 KOs) vs. Toney (69-4-2, 43 KOs), two fights next month should contribute to clearing up the muddled heavyweight title picture.

The April 22 fight between IBF champion Chris Byrd (39-2-1, 20 KOs) and Wladimir Klitschko (45-3-0, 40 KOs) in Mannheim, Germany, is a rematch of a 2000 bout Klitschko won by unanimous decision and follows the April 1 fight in Cleveland between WBO champion Lamon Brewster (33-2, 29 KOs) and Serguei Lyakhovich (22-1-0, 14 KOs).

From the four major sanctioning bodies, the WBA's Nikolay Valuev (43-0, 30 KOs) is the only beltholder without a set opponent. However, former champ John Ruiz has petitioned the organization for an immediate rematch after losing the title to the 7-foot Russian in December on a decision that many thought he should have won.

Skeptics still might argue that none of the aforementioned "champions" stirs the imagination of fans like past heavyweight greats. But Rahman says that argument misses the point. "I agree there were a lot more good people at the top in the older days, but the best used to fight the best, and that's how you got the marquee matchups and trilogies where superstars were born," he says. "As long as you're putting on competitive matches, that's all that matters in any era."

Rahman, 32, became WBC champion for the second time in his career after winning the interim title against Monte Barrett in August. Rahman was kept waiting for a title fight, postponed three times, against then-champion Vitali Klitschko before injuries forced Wladimir's older brother to retire. The Baltimore native won the heavyweight title the first time when he upset Lewis on a fifth-round KO in 2001. He lost on a fourth-round KO in the rematch that year.

Likewise, Toney, 37, has a record that stands on merit. He made his mark as a middleweight champ in the early 1990s and has since won world titles at super middleweight, light heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight. The highlight was last April when he beat Ruiz for the WBA heavyweight crown, but the victory turned into a lowlight when Toney was stripped of the title after testing positive for steroids. Toney maintains that the positive test was a result of medication he was taking while recovering from a shoulder injury and sees himself as standing above the current heavyweight champs.

"If you asked the average man, they wouldn't know Chris Byrd or the Klitschko brothers or Lamon Brewster or Hasim Rahman from the next man," Toney said. "If we walked down Madison Avenue or Broadway right now in New York, the only person they would recognize is me."

From www.doghouseboxing.com

 

On potential problems that Toney could pose ~ I don't see any problems. I feel the way I am now that I could beat any heavyweight out there.

On Toney ~ He's a fraud as a man, he's disrespectful. He can talk but can't back it up. He's a fraud on who he has chosen to fight in the past. I know one thing, March 18th will be his last championship fight. You can stick a fork in him, because he's done.

 

On what he's going to do on the 18th ~ For all those people picking Toney to win, let me say that I'm going to knock him out or he'll quit on his stool. I am going to punish him, and then you will see him crying and blaming his handlers or blaming it on steroids.

Even more on Toney ~ I'm going to bloody him up, punish him, and he'll be trying to find a way to get out. He will be going out one way or another, whether he runs out or they have to carry him out.

 

On fighting a shorter fighter like Toney ~ My son's close to his height, and I gave him a spanking before I left. So that's the way it will be on the 18th. When he tries to come in on me I'm going to punish him. It doesn't matter how tall they are.

Taken from A.P. Reports -

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Teenager Luis Ramos pulled off an upset at the U.S. Championships on Thursday, beating two-time national champion Michael Evans in the 132-pound division to advance to this weekend's finals.

"I knew he'd won a lot of tournaments and was ranked No. 1," said Ramos, of Santa Ana, Calif. "But I knew I'd worked hard, trained hard and sparred hard. My coaches [Hector Lopez and Andrew Olivares] had worked me hard and that helped me."

Ramos, a student at Santa Ana Valley High School, beat Evans, from Dayton, Ohio, 32-30. He will meet Danny Garcia of Philadelphia for the 132-pound championship on Saturday. Garcia defeated Terrence Crawford of Omaha, Neb., 21-20, in the other semifinal.

Ramos held a one-point advantage after the third round and withstood an all-out effort by Evans in the last round.

"I was confident I could give him a good bout, but I didn't know I would win," Ramos said. "I threw everything I had at him in the final round. That made me a little tired, but I pulled it out."

Ramos, in his first national championship, was the first boxer to defeat a returning champion during the tournament. But ranch hand Alfonso Lopez of Huntsville, Texas, joined him by dethroning defending 178-pound champ William Rosinski from Richmond Hills, N.Y., in a 22-21 decision.

"This is all very new to me," Lopez, 23, said of his first appearance in the U.S. Championships. "The first day here can be a little intimidating; the second is a little easier. By the time you get to the semifinals, you know you belong here."

Lopez will meet Christopher Downs of Fort Carson, Colo., for the championship. Downs defeated Yathomas Riley of Tacoma, Wash., 18-11, in the other semifinal.

"You study tape of your opponent and come out with a game plane," Lopez said, glancing toward the ring where the Downs bout was in progress to make sure his video recorder had been set.

Seven other defending champions were successful.

RauShee Warren, a 2004 Olympian and bronze medalist at last year's World Championships, defeated Shawn Nichol from Lakewood, Colo., on a third-round stoppage at 112 pounds.

"I liked going to the Olympics, but that wasn't my final goal," Warren said. "Because I was less experienced, I failed to win a medal, and that was my whole dream in 2004. I'm back because I want to win an Olympic medal in 2008."

Super heavyweight Mike Wilson of Medford, Ore., another two-time champ, advanced to the finals with a 25-5 win over Lucas Runion of College Park, Md. His opponent will be Jonte Willis of Tacoma, Wash., who won on a walkover Wednesday.

"I was a little sluggish today I have a cold but I'll be OK by Saturday," Wilson said. "I know Jonte is a small heavyweight and he's pretty quick, but I haven't fought him. I can adapt pretty well to any style. I'll rely on my experience. I've had over 100 fights, he's had maybe 20."

Other defending champions advancing to the finals are: Gary Russell Jr., Capitol Heights, Md., 119 pounds; Karl Dargan, Philadelphia, 141; Mark Davis, Cleveland, Ohio, 147; Demetrius Andrade, Providence, R.I., 152; and Edwin Rodriguez, Worcester, Mass., 165.

Women's division championships will be contested Friday.

New boxing lines have been posted for this weekend's fights at our affiliate sportsbooks.  Click on the banners located on the right of this web page to bet on boxing!

 

March 10th Italy

Michelle Piccirillo vs. Lukas Konecny, favorite Piccirillo, selection - None; I don't know anything about either guy.

 

March 10th New Jersey

Giovanni Lorenzo vs. Archak TerMeliksetian, favorite Lorenzo, selection Archak TerMelikesetian in an upset!

 

March 10th Mission, TX Televised on TeleFutura

Roberto Garcia vs. Juan Carolos Rubio, favorite Rubio, selection Rubio

 

March 11th Hamburg, Germany

Wladimir Sidorenko vs. Ricardo Cordoba, favorite Sidorenko, selection None; I don't know anything about either guy.

 

March 11th Hamburg, Germany

Vladimir Virchis vs. Ruslan Chagaev, favorite Chagaev, selection none

I know Chagaev, they call him the White Tyson.  I don't know Virchis although I see his is undefeated and well respected.  I've never seen him fight.  No pick.

 

March 11th Hamburg, Germany

Felix Sturm vs. Maselino Masoe, favorite Sturm, selection Sturm

 

Good luck!

Click on this link to see the weights for the upcoming show, tomorrow night in Glen Burnie (just outisde of Baltimore), MD.  Visit Gary "Digital" Williams fine website below:

 

www.boxingalongthebeltway.blogspot.com

As of March 7th,

1.Floyd Mayweather
2.Winky Wright
3.Manny Pacquiao
4.Marco Antonia Barrera
5.Ricky Hatton
6.Rafael Marquez
7.Jose Luis Castillo
8.Antonio Tarver
9. Joe Calzaghe
10.Pongsaklek Wongjongkam

Lamon Brewster is now being trained by one of the hottest commodities in boxing, Buddy McGirt.  Now why would I think that's a bad thing?  It's because during his fights against Andrew Golota and Luan Krasniqi, his two biggest and most impressive wins, he was trained by the firery former Marine Jesse Reid.  For those of you that know Reid, you know he's the perfect guy for Brewster.  He's a real balls to the wall, in your face kind of guy.  Brewster is a warrior, and he is a tough, tough man.  Anyone who saw his fights with Klitschko and Meehan cannot dispute that the man has a Holyfield sized heart.  He was on the verge of being stopped in both of those fights and came back to win them both.  He destroyed Golota and he came back from being well behind on the scorecards to stop Luan Krasniqi.  Jesse Reid was in his corner for both of those fights!  We saw the Golota fight.  Brewster evoked images of a young Mike Tyson with his skill and ferocity against the formidable challenge of the Pole.  Let's not forget, Golota was robbed in his fights with Byrd and Ruiz.  Brewster demolished him and in my mind, he should have the IBF and WBA titles, along with his WBO title, to prove it.  It was Jesse Reid who brought out that ferocity in Brewster!  The Krasniqi fight was in Germany, so we did not see it.  From all reports, Brewster was trailing badly on the scorecards and needed a knockout to win.  I am sure Reid was telling Brewster, "You're losing this god da** fight!  If you don't go in there and knock this motherfu***er out, you're gonna lose your god da** title you son of a bi***!"  You get the picture.  Jesse Reid is in your face and he is a great, great trainer and a tremendous motivator.  One of the best of all time!  Buddy McGirt on the other hand is anything other than an in your face guy.  He trains like he fought, he's safety first and conservative.  I mean, come on, this guy's game plan with Arturo Gatti was to box Floyd Mayweather!  Get real, anyone who knows anything about boxing, knew that Gatti's only chance against Mayweather was to steamroll him (or at least try to).  With McGirt in his corner, we're going to see the old Brewster, he won't be the same guy who fought Golota and Krasniqi.  We're going to see the Brewster who fought, and lost to, Charles Shufford and Clifford Etienne.   We're going to see the Brewster that people would say, "Yeah, he's got talent, he's skilled, but he's just lacking that fire, that ferocity."  Well, he had that fire, and his name was Jesse Reid.  Now it's gone and Brewster isn't far behind.  This just reinforces my decision to pick Sergei Liakhovich over Brewster by twelve round unanimous decision on April 1st.  It won't even be a close fight.  The scores will be something like 118-110.  Just you wait and see.

Mike Tyson conquerer Kevin McBride will be the televised opener of the Lamon Brewster vs. Sergei Liakhovich fight on April 1st.  His opponent is yet to be announced.  I would like to throw David Chappell's name in to the mix.  After David defeats Shannon Miller on March 17th, he'll step up and fight McBride on April 1st!  Let's do it!

"This is going to be a great fight for me, not for Brewster," Liakhovich said. "Brewster is making a big mistake if he thinks this is going to be an easy fight. If it is an easy fight for anybody, it will be me." Source FightNews.com

I have predicted Liakhovich by unanimous decision and I stick by that pick!  He is a good boxer, has good power, and he's considerably taller than Brewster.  This is a smart money pick because Liakhovich will be a 3 or possibly even a 4 (or more) to 1 underdog.  Yet, he has a great chance to win the fight, and in my opinion, will win the fight.  That's value.  Brewster is hot, having defeated Golota, Krasniqi, Meehan, and Klitschko.  But don't forget, he also lost to Clifford Etienne and Charles Shufford.  I would definitely give the toughness edge to Brewster.  He is one tough son of a gun!  Liakhovich, however, is too smart of a boxer to get drawn in to that type of fight.  Hop on the bet early as soon as the line comes out.  When a lot of money comes in on Liakhovich, the line will move and the payout won't be as great closer to the fight.  However, if you get the line early, you will get a good return on your money.  When the line comes out I think Sergei will be a +400.  What this means to you is that for every $100 you bet on Sergei, and he wins, you will win $400 profit, for a return of $500!

From A.P. Reports -

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Danny Garcia took on his friend and boxing mentor Ray Robinson in their 132-pound opening match Tuesday at the U.S. National Championships.

"I never thought I'd be fighting him," Garcia said of Robinson after their match at the Olympic Training Center.

"I always looked up to him."

Garcia and Robinson both are from Philadelphia, though Robinson has been living in Marquette, Mich., through the United States Olympic Education Center at the University of Northern Michigan.

Robinson returns to Philadelphia during the summer, they remain friends, and over the years they have been sparring partners. "I was about 13 and he was about 16," Garcia, now 17, said.

"He was always bigger than me and he helped me get better."

Garcia learned his lessons well. He scored a 17-14 decision over his erstwhile mentor and move into the next round of competition.

"I went to the body a couple of times and that kind of slowed him down," Garcia said. "Then I started some lefts and right hooks because he was a southpaw. I felt good, but I can do way better. I was kind of feeling the altitude today."

Garcia won the Under-19 Championships last fall, but is in his first U.S Championships. Robinson won a bronze medal in last year's tournament.

Though Garcia's win might be considered an upset, pre-tournament favorites generally ruled the day. Two-time super heavyweight champion Mike Wilson from Medford, Ore., used a vicious body attack to defeat Army soldier Andrew Shepherd of Newport News, Va., 23-12.

"These Army guys are always in shape," Wilson said. "I tried to slow him down early, then take it to him and pick up my points later."

Other returning champions posting wins were Mark Davis of Cleveland, Ohio, two-time winner Michael Evans of Dayton, Ohio, at 132 pounds; Karl Dargan, Philadelphia, 141; Demetrius Andrade of Providence, R.I. at 152; Edwin Rodriguez of Worchester, Mass., 165; and William Rosinsky, Richmond Hills, N.Y., 178.

Davis won a 19-11 decision over Enrique Nieves of Phoenix. Evans defeated Chris Howard of Crossville, Tenn., on a fourth-round stoppage. Dargan defeated Edward Brooks of Phoenix, 24-13. Andrade earned a 20-4 decision over Lucas Galle of Rio Rancho, N.M., Rodriguez defeated Abraham Han of El Paso, Texas, 17-11 and Rosinski took a 24-10 decision over Donta Woods of Atlanta, Ga.

Former Olympian and defending 112-pound champ Rau'Shee Warren of Cincinnati had a bye.

In women's action, Ronica Jefferey of Brooklyn, N.Y., defeated Cynthia Talmadge of San Francisco, Calif., 15-11 at 125 pounds. Maimunah Holland of South Nyack, N.Y., defeated Yelena Binder of Brooklyn, N.Y., 16-10, at 132 pounds. Ana Julaton of Alameda, Calif., defeated Ashlei Jaquay of Imperial, Pa., 23-6, at 125 pounds. Triva Pino of Wahiawa, Hawaii stopped Autumn Anderson of Omaha at 138 pounds.

Naseem Hamed says he's will make a comeback sometime this year at 130 lbs.  Possible future opponents for the Prince in the loaded Super Featherweight Divsion are Manny Pacquiao, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Erik Morales!  Look for a comeback fight prior to one of these big names.  Maybe he can fight Kevin Kelly again. 

 

I'm glad the Prince is making a comback.  One of the reasons I love to watch boxing is to see a jerk like him get knocked out!  If a guy like hm, Zab Judah, Mike Tyson, etc. ever looks like they're in trouble and about to go, I'm screaming for the KO!  Sick me, I guess.  I'm sure Hamed would tell me, "You can love me, you can hate me, as long as you tune the heck in!"  Don't worry, I'll tune the heck in! 

May 13th, Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton, the undefeated IBF and WBA Light Welterweight (140 lb.) Champion of the World defends his titles against ............. we don't know who just yet.  The fight will be in Las Vegas.  I'll keep you posted.  The front runner looks to be former WBA Champ Vivian Harris 26-2 (17KO's).  Personally, I would love to see him fight "The Hispanic Causing Panic" Juan Lazcano!  Now that would be a great fight!

Joe Calzaghe's next opponent will be none other than Roy Jones, Jr.!  The fight will take place in July and will be fought at 175lbs.  Las Vegas is the front runner as host city. 

Bernard Hopkins will fight Antonio Tarver June 10th in Atlantic City.  We have not confirmed whether the fight will be at light heavyweight, or at a lower weight.  I will hold off on a prediction until I have the contracted weights. 

Taken From A.P. Reports

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Enrique Nieves scored one of the several quick finishes Monday at the U.S. amateur boxing championships, dropping James Henley of Omaha, Neb., with a straight right hand midway through the second round of their 125-pound bout and prompting the referee to stop the contest.

"My coaches told me I'm pretty quick and to start fast," said Nieves, 18, who works full-time as a hotel fitness-room attendant. "I noticed he was dropping his left hand, so I came across with my right."

The bout was one of 23 preliminary-round matches Monday at the Olympic Training Center, with most top competitors having drawn opening-day byes.

Jacob Garretson, 201 pounds, from Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Mason Menard, 125 pounds, from Rayne, La.; and Chris Howard, at 132 pounds from Crossville, Tenn., also scored stoppages Monday.

Garretson stopped Michael Kirkman of Milan, Minn., in the first round. Menard defeated Jose Jimenez of Savannah, Ga., on a third-round retirement, and Howard's contest with Charles Rios Jr. of Fort Hood, Texas, was stopped in the third round by way of amateur boxing's overmatched provision.

In two minor upsets, Keith Thurman of St. Petersburg, Fla., defeated Willie Padilla of Rock Springs, Wyo., 19-4, and Leon Green of Shirley, N.Y., defeated Keandrae Leatherwood of Douglasville, Ga., 10-8, in 152-pound matches. Padilla and Leatherwood both were Junior Olympic champions.

"I knew he was experienced, and he was stronger than I had thought," said Green, 24, a member of the Veteran's Memorial Boxing Gym. "He was skilled. He was good, but I was ready. I spar with good people all the time.

"There's probably an advantage to fighting on the first day, but I always go hard from the beginning. There's nothing easy about it in these tournaments."

The U.S. championships have been held annually since 1888, making it the longest running boxing tournament in the United States. The top four finishers in each weight class will receive training stipends, will be invited to top-level training camps, and will represent the United States in upcoming international competitions.

The men's tournament features nine returning champions from last year in 11 weight divisions. The women's division has 10 returning champions. Female boxers compete internationally, but women's boxing is not recognized as an Olympic sport.

Preliminary rounds continue Tuesday. Quarterfinals will be Wednesday, with semifinals Thursday. Women's championships will be decided Friday. Men's finals will be contested Saturday.

ESPN Classic will show the "Irish" Micky Ward vs. Emmanuel Burton (now Emmanuel Augustus) war from 2001!  If you haven't seen it, you're in for a treat.  If you're like me and you have seen it, you're going to watch it again!  ESPN Classic 8PM ET!

Joe Calzaghe defeated Jeff Lacy tonight via a lopsided unanimous decision.  Lacy didn't even win a round.  Scores were 119-105, 119-107, and 119-107.  Calzaghe was penalized a point in the later rounds for a holding infraction.  WOW!  I've got to tell you, I was way off on my prediction for this fight.  I said that Lacy would not be denied and that he would knock Calzaghe out in the 4th round.  WRONG!  My buddy Jerry Bunch from California called Joe Calzaghe the white Roy Jones, and he said he could do it all.  Box, punch, fast hands, good power, defense.  My hat's off to Jerry, he was exactly right!  I have only seen Calzaghe fight one time and that was when he defeated Byron Mitchell via 2nd round knockout, only stopping Mitchell after having tasted the canvas once himself.  I based my prediction primarily on that fight and I said that if Mitchell can hurt Joe, then surely Lacy can.  WRONG AGAIN!  If you can't hit 'em, you can't hurt 'em!  When Joe Calzaghe came to the ring, he exuded the true confidence of someone who knows he's going to win.  You could just see it in him.  He wasn't tight, he didn't look scared or afraid.  He wasn't trying to put on a sour puss face, or look bad or anything like that.  I noticed that confidence, but I thought to myself.  "Surely he doesn't know what he's in for.  He thinks he's bad because he's never been beaten.  But really who has he beaten."  I'll tell you who he's beaten, Jeff "Left Hook" Lacy that's who.  And before I forget, how about the heart and courage on Lacy!  What a true warrior, what a heart!  I don't think I have ever seen someone take such a beating for every round of a twelve round fight, and not get knocked out.  In his post fight interviews, Lacy proved to be a gracious gentleman in the face of this severe defeat.  I have always liked him.  I love to watch him fight, I have called him the most exciting fighter in the game because he isn't afraid to get hit.  I see why now, he's damn near impossible to hurt.  Of course you don't want to take too many shots, nobody is invincible.  Let's hope he can rebound from such a beating.  I think back to two of Felix Trinidad's fights, when he dominated both David Reid and Fernando Vargas.  Those guys were never really the same after that.  Let's hope Left Hook can rebound.  He truly is a very likable and affable guy.  I had flashbacks of Raging Bull when Lacy was in there tonight.  Joe Calzaghe was Sugar Ray to Jeff Lacy's Jake LaMotta.  "I'm still here Ray, you didn't knock me out Ray!"  (or something like that).  That was Jeff Lacy tonight.  "I'm still here Joe.  I ain't going nowhere.  You didn't knock me out, Joe.  You didn't knock me out!"  WOW!  WOW!  WOW!  With this victory, Joe Calzaghe is definitely one of the top 10 pound for pound fighters in the world.  No doubt about it.  He dominated Lacy like Roy Jones dominated guys in his hey day.  Maybe he is indeed the white Roy Jones.  6 and 8 punch combinations time after time.  Boxing smart, moving.  Hitting and not getting hit, that's the art of boxing.  Man, did he do it all.  Lacy, hang in there.  Your toughness and your heart will not go unnoticed.  No one will ever forget what you did in there tonight.  You, Jeff Lacy, are the reason that Joe Calzaghe reached this level of greatness tonight.  Calzaghe knew he was going to be in there with a bad man.  And Jeff Lacy, you are still one bad, bad, bad man!  Joe Calzaghe, he can just flat out fight! 

In what can only be viewed as a major upset, Indonesia's Chris John has defeated one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, Juan Manuel Marquez, by unanimous decision!  Scores were 116-110, 117-111 and 116-112, all for Chris John!  John, the 26 year old WBA featherweight champion of the world, must be the real deal! 

 

Lamon Brewster will defend his WBO Heavyweight Title against the stern test of Sergei "The White Wolf" Lyakovich.  The bout will take place April 1st and will be televised on Showtime.  Brewster is hot, having defeated Wladimir Klitschko, Kali Meehan, Andrew Golota, and Luan Krasniqi.  Lyakovich hasn't fought since December 2004 when he defeated Dominick Guinn by unanimous decision.  This may be viewed as an upset, but it really shouldn't be: my prediction Lyakovich UD 12 over Lamon Brewster!

From AP Reports

NEW YORK -- A former boxer who says he sustained permanent brain damage in a 2000 bout against Arturo Gatti is now suing, saying Gatti weighed too much for the fight.

Joey Gamache, 39, and his wife filed a lawsuit in federal court Feb. 21 alleging breach of contract over the Feb. 26, 2000 bout at Madison Square Garden. Gatti won the fight.

By contract, both fighters had to weigh 141 pounds by at least eight hours before the bout started, according to the suit filed by lawyer Keith Sullivan. Gatti made weight the day before the fight, but the suit said his weight was "falsely represented" then and that he was actually 160 pounds by the time he got into the ring the next day.

Gatti overwhelmed Gamache in the first round and the fight was stopped 20 seconds into Round Two, but Gamache was hospitalized for two days afterward, the suit said.

"As a result of the devastating punishment inflicted by the severely overweight defendant ... [Gamache] has sustained severe and permanent neurological damages and injuries, which caused him to end his career as a professional boxer," according to the suit.

Gamache, who suffers from migraine headaches he attributes to the beating, now works as a boxing trainer at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn.

"Every day is a battle," Sullivan said Thursday. "He has great difficulty getting past these migraine headaches and he takes a cocktail of medications to get through it."

Gamache has a separate complaint pending before the state Court of Claims against the New York State Athletic Commission over the administration of the weigh-in, Sullivan said.

Donald Tremblay, spokesman for Bloomfield, N.J.-based Main Events, Gatti's promoter, said the company had not been served with the complaint and wouldn't comment on its claims.

A breach-of-contract suit filed by Gamache over the fight was voluntarily withdrawn by him in August 2004, with the endorsement of U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain, according to Tremblay.

Tremblay said he didn't know what Gatti's weight was by the time the fight began.

"I don't know how much weight he gained afterward. That was when Arturo was really working hard to make weight. How much he actually gained, I don't know. He worked hard to get down and make the weight. After that, when you replenish with liquids you're going to gain some weight back. Some guys gain more than others."

I am really looking forward to the Jeff Lacy Joe Calzaghe fight this Saturday on Showtime.  I love to watch Jeff Lacy fight.  He is a bad, bad, bad man!  He comes right at you, stands right in front of you, gets hit, and fires back with more.  His attitude is, "I'm coming to take you out, here I am, try to do something about it!"  Some have referred to Joe Calzaghe as the white version of Roy Jones, Jr.  He is a slick boxer with fast hands and he can punch.  I don't think Calzaghe is quite on the Roy Jones level, and despite his 40 plus fights without a loss, he still has a lot to prove.  I think he's in a whole lot of trouble this Saturday and I am predicting a fourth round knockout for the most exciting fighter in the game, Jeff "Left Hook" Lacy.  I have only seen Calzaghe fight one time and that was against the one dimensional slugger, Byron Mitchell.  If you remember that fight, Mitchell dropped Calzaghe in the second round.  Calzaghe was legitimately hurt, it wasn't a flash knockdown or a balance shot.  To his credit, the Welshman got up and stopped Mitchell in the same round!  My point is this.  If Mitchell can hurt him, so can Lacy.  And if Lacy hurts Calzaghe, he will stop him.  There are people out there that say Lacy will tire in the later rounds because of his muscular physique.  This makes sense in most cases.  Historically, boxers who have that bodybuilder type of physique run out of steam in the later rounds.  With two notable exceptions, Evander Holyfield and Jeff Lacy!  I haven't seen a hint of exhaustion when Jeff Lacy fights.  He just keeps bringing it and bringing it, and then he brings it some more.  Calzaghe may be the more polished and stylish in the ring this Saturday, the prettier boxer.  But this ain't a beauty contest, this is a fight, and Jeff Lacy's powerful windmill style will make it a fight, not a boxing contest.  Jeff Lacy won't be denied against Joe Calzaghe.  Prediction: Jeff Lacy TKO4 over Joe Calzaghe!

The contracts are signed, the bout is approved, the fight is on!  That's right, both David Chappell and Shannon Miller have submitted signed bout agreements to the New York State Athletic Commission and the NYSAC has sanctioned the bout, the fight will go through as scheduled!  Finally, we have a signed contract that means something in boxing.  You will remember that both Brian Minto AND Mike Marrone pulled out of bouts with David Chappell in January and February.  David signed those contracts, those guys just didn't want to fight!  Miller, on the other hand, is a warrior who brings it each and every time he steps in to the ring.  We are expecting a very tough fight from Miller and we know he won't back out of the March 17th bout with Champ.  The winner of this bout takes a huge step forward in the heavyweight divsion.  We would like to thank Promoter Lisa Elovich and her fine outfit, Pugnacious Promotions, for being our hosts in Albany, New York on March 17th.  For more information on the entire fight card please visit www.pugnaciouspromotions.com.