Shelly Finkely says he's working on a bout for Wladimir Klitschko against James Toney to be held in New York on November 11th.  I wonder what his "packaging fee" is going to be for this one!  (see article below if that comment doesn't make any sense to you).  Calvin Brock is also a possibility if the fight with Toney doesn't materialize.  Klitschko says he wants to fight Oleg Maskaev but his August showdown with Hasim Rahman makes a November fight with Klitschko highly unlikely.  Notice Klitschko hasn't said he would fight the winner of Rahman-Maskaev, if it's Rahman, and he wants the smaller Toney as an opponent?  This guy, Klitschko, as the number one heavyweight in the world, is an absolute farce!  When he lost to Brewster he made excuse, after excuse, after excuse.  Can you imagine a truly great warrior like Marvin Hagler or Rocky Marciano or Alexis Arguello talking that way if they lost?  This guy is SOFT!  Klitschko is the most over rated heavyweight in the game today.  Sure he has skills, but he's lacking where it counts, in the toughness department.  Whenever he fights anyone with a pretty good punch, somewhat tough, and somewhat skilled, he's going to get knocked out.  That's why he's not fighting Rahman.  I'm not saying Rahman is a 100% lock against Klitschko, his chin isn't the best either, but he's a whole lot tougher than Wlad.  Rock will also fire back at Klitschko, and hit him with some big shots, and I just don't think Klitschko can take it.  Heck, Toney may just get him.  I, for one, would certainly like to see it.  But I think the selection of Toney is just another way to make Klitschko look like the dominant monster that most boxing writers proclaimed him to be after he crushed Chris Byrd (not me).  I can see Klitschko, Steward, and Finkel now trying to pick an opponent.  Let's see: Brewster, "Oh Hell No!  That guy is too tough and he can punch."  Lyakhovich, "Next, no damn way!"  Rahman, "Puhleeeeze!  He knocked Lennox out with one punch!  That's why Vitali didn't fight him, you think I am!"  Brock, "Maybe.  He's over rated too!"  Well how about Sam Peter again?  He can't box his way out of a paper bag?  "Fuhgetaboutit!"  What we're looking for is a guy the "champ" can look great against, where he's going in to the fight with all the confidence of a real beast because he doesn't think the guy can hurt him, and the guy we pick can't be a big puncher.  Got anyone?  Yeah, we've got someone.  How about James Toney?  Yeah, James Toney, that's the guy we want!  So there you have it in a nutshell folks.  This is how the "best heavyweight in boxing today" the 6'6" 240lb. Russian Wrecking Machine, Wladimir Klitschko, picked his next opponent, James "Lights Out" Toney, a 5'10" 230lb. bowling ball and former middleweight champion of the world.  Doesn't get much safer than that for Klitschko.  Go Toney!

By Thomas Hauser Secondsout.com: The business of boxing is generally conducted behind closed doors. But on occasion, the veil of secrecy is lifted and some interesting truths are revealed. Secondsout has taken a long hard look at the maze of contractual relationships regarding three fighters from the 2000 Olympics and a fourth who was too young to compete in the games. Francisco Bojado (pictured), Rocky Juarez, Jeff Lacy, and Juan Diaz turned pro in early 2001 under the promotional banner of Main Events. Many of their early fights were televised by Showtime. The four boxers have been successful in the pro ranks, but the primary beneficiary of their careers to date appears to have been Shelly Finkel. Now Finkel has been named as a co-respondent in litigation between Bojado and Joe Hernandez (one of the fighter's former co-managers). Hernandez alleges that, unbeknownst to him, Finkel received at least $1,725,000 from Showtime in violation of a fiduciary duty that Finkel assumed when he too became Bojado's co-manager. For twenty years, Shelly Finkel has been a survivor in the jungle that is professional boxing. The cornerstone of his career was his role as a manager and advisor to Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker, Mark Breland, and Meldrick Taylor; the best of America's 1984 Olympic boxing team. In recent years, he has been prominent as the primary advisor to Mike Tyson. Finkel is one of the most knowledgeable people in the world with regard to the business of boxing. He has the ability to relate to television executives, promoters, the media, and fighters. He also stirs passions (both pro and con) in the manner of Bill Clinton and George Bush. Finkel's supporters say that he's trustworthy, tenacious, and tough. They point to his quiet personality and ability to get most jobs done. Finkel's detractors say that he's hypocritical and shameless. They talk of "Shelly speak" ("carefully phrased truths that leave a misimpression") and "Ninety-Percent Finkel" ("Shelly tells you ninety percent of the truth, but not the last ten percent, which is what you need to know."). Don King has labeled Finkel "Bob Arum in sheep's clothing." Given King's dislike for his rival promoter, it's unlikely that the remark was intended as a compliment. Everyone agrees that Finkel is a tireless worker, persistent, and very smart. On December 4, 2000, Finkel entered into a contract with 17-year-old Francisco Bojado to serve as the fighters co-manager. Joe Hernandez and Al Marquez were also signatories to the contract as co-managers. The contract (which was re-executed on May 11, 2001, when Bojado turned eighteen) bound the fighter to his co-managers for a period of five years from his first professional fight (which was on January 13, 2001). In addition, if Bojado were to become a world champion in any weight division under any world sanctioning body, the managers could extend the term of the contract to cover eight title defenses from the date that Bojado won his first championship bout. Bojado received a $75,000 signing bonus. Finkel, Hernandez, and Marquez were to each get ten percent of his purses. On September 5, 2002, Bojado terminated Hernandez and Marquez as his co-managers while retaining Finkel. On February 24, 2003, Hernandez and Marquez initiated an arbitration proceeding against the fighter for breach of contract. Bojado subsequently settled with Marquez for $157,000. Then, as a consequence of documents produced during discovery, Hernandez amended his claim to add Finkel and Finkel's management company (Shelly Finkel Management) to the proceeding as co-respondents and charge them with breach of contract and fraud. The Finkel-Hernandez-Bojado arbitration offers a fascinating insight into the complicated, and sometimes questionable, finances of big-time boxing. One network executive likens the case to the masking tape found on the lock of a door at Watergate three decades ago. The events that led to the dispute began in early 2000, when Finkel met with Showtime executive vice president Mark Greenberg and senior vice president Roy Langbord. Senior vice president Jay Larkin and Showtime attorney Ken Hirschman later became involved. Overall, Finkel had a good relationship with the network. And because of his influence with Mike Tyson, Showtime wanted to keep Shelly happy to maintain the inside track on Iron Mike. "The idea behind the meetings," one Showtime participant later recalled, "was to recreate the 1984 Olympians. We wanted Showtime to get a star." Ultimately, Showtime sent Finkel shopping with its checkbook at the Sydney Olympics. The original concept was for the network to pay Shelly a set amount of money to sign certain fighters and deliver a series of fights. Finkel would also designate an approved promoter, who he would pay out of a predetermined license fee given to him by Showtime to do the nuts and bolts work on the fights. Main Events and Top Rank were pre-approved as promoters. The above understanding was reflected in a December 1, 2000, draft contract between Shelly Finkel Management and Showtime that provided: (1) Showtime would pay Finkel $2,000,000 to be used as signing bonuses for management contracts for Rocky Juarez ( $1,400,000) Jeff Lacy ($250,000), Juan Diaz ($150,000), Francisco Bojado ($100,000), Malik Scott ($50,000), and another fighter to be named later ($50,000). (2) Finkel would provide the services of these six fighters to Showtime. (3) Showtime would pay Finkel an additional $250,000 for expenses associated with securing the participation of the fighters under the Finkel-Showtime agreement. (4) Over a four-year period, Finkel would, as a packager, deliver sixteen shows to Showtime for a total licence fee of $18,950,000. Each of these telecasts would showcase one or more of the designated fighters and involve at least one "headliner" bout (that is, a fight featuring "more established, seasoned, and publically recognized fighters" or (when the designated fighters reached that stage) a world championship bout involving one of them. There would be reductions in the license fees for losses suffered by the fighters. Main Events had known that Finkel was working with Showtime and would receive some sort of packaging fee. It was not aware that the entire contract might run through Finkel and that Main Events could be reduced to the role of a promoter for hire. That realization came with a crash when Pat English (the attorney for Main Events) saw the December 1st draft contract, which had been preceded by a half-dozen similar drafts. Main Events refused to go forward with Finkel and Showtime within the structure outlined in the December 1st draft. Also, there were concerns that Finkel would be acting both as manager and de facto promoter for the fighters. That would have constituted a violation of federal law, which states, "It is unlawful for a manager to have a direct or indirect financial interest in the promotion of a boxer." Thus, the December 1, 2000, draft contract was never signed. Instead, Main Events negotiated contracts directly with Bojado, Juarez, Lacy, and Diaz. Willie Savannah was the primary representative for Diaz (who had been too young to make the Olympic team but was included in the group). Finkel was the lead negotiator for the other three fighters. Meanwhile, Main Events was conducting parallel negotiations with Showtime on a licensing fee deal, but an omnibus contract proved elusive. Thus, the promoter and network decided to proceed on a show-by-show basis. Bojado, Juarez, and Diaz had their first pro fights on a January 13, 2001, card featuring a championship match between Zab Judah and Reggie Green. Showtime's license fee for the title fight was separately negotiated. The license fee paid to Main Events for the three undercard bouts was $600,000. Finally, in 2002, a comprehensive contract between Showtime and Main Events was signed. There was no contract between Main Events and Finkel. The only Main Events contracts were with Showtime and the fighters. How did Finkel get reimbursed for his services? He had signed six fighters (Juarez, Bojado, Lacy, Diaz, Scott, and Dominick Guinn) with the "signing bonus" money he received from Showtime. Ultimately, only the first four of those fighters would be relevant to what followed. Finkel was contractually entitled to a twenty percent co-managerial share of Juarez's purses and a ten percent share from Bojado, Lacy, and Diaz. That money was compensation for guiding their careers and fulfilling a fiduciary duty to them. But instead of taking his managerial share, Finkel entered into a "packaging fee" deal with Showtime. There was no reference to Finkel's packaging fee in the final contract between Showtime and Main Events. Nor does there appear to be any final document showing a direct contractual relationship between Shelly Finkel Management and Showtime with regard to the packaging fee. Finkel says that there was never any written contract between Showtime and himself, but rather an oral understanding. The bottom line was; each time Juarez, Bojado, Lacy, or Diaz fought on Showtime, the network paid Finkel a packaging fee equal to twenty-five percent of the licensing fee that it paid to Main Events. In other words, Bojado received a $10,000 purse for his pro debut on January 13, 2001. Finkel was entitled to ten percent of that purse. And he was also entitled to a percentage of the purses that Juarez and Diaz earned that night. But he didn't take his managerial share. Instead, he opted for a "packaging fee" of $150,000. That is, Showtime paid Finkel an amount equal to twenty-five percent of the $600,000 license fee that it paid to Main Events. How much did Finkel make pursuant to this packaging fee arrangement? In a written answer to interrogatories put to him in his arbitration proceeding against Joe Hernandez, Finkel acknowledged, "Respondent [Shelly Finkel Management, Inc.] received the following payments from Showtime in connection with boxing cards on which Bojado was a participant [date of payment precedes the amount listed]: January 17, 2001 $150,000 May 21, 2001 $150,000 September 4, 2001 $175,000 February 19, 2002 $175,000 October 21, 2002 $200,000 February 3, 2003 $275,000 October 24, 2003 $200,000 Finkel further acknowledged, "Respondent received the following payments from Showtime in connection with boxing cards on which Bojado was not a participant: July 12, 2002 $157,500 July 18, 2002 $42,500 July 19, 2003 $200,000 That totals $1,725,000. According to Finkel's interrogatory answers, he also received a $15,000 co-managerial fee in conjunction with Bojado's January 24, 2004, fight against Emmanuel Clottey on HBO. And all of this is in addition to the $2,200,000 that Showtime advanced Finkel to sign the fighters to boxer-manager contracts and for related "expenses." Finkel maintains that his conduct was entirely proper. With regard to the current legal arbitration, he says that Bojado, Hernandez, and Marquez all knew about the packaging fees and that Bojado gave him a waiver of fiduciary duty with regard to any possible conflict of interest. He concedes that taking a management fee on the fights for which he received a packaging fee would have been "double-dipping." But he says that no such impropriety occurred (although he acknowledges that, when it came time to make a deal for Bojado with HBO, he took his percentage as Bojado's co-manager). And he argues, "If I hadn't taken a packaging fee, the entire amount of that fee would have been retained by Showtime or paid to Main Events. None of it would have gone to the fighters. There's no merit to any of the claims against me. I got these kids the best deal that anyone could have gotten them at that time." There's no doubt that Finkel created a significant opportunity for the fighters in question. He constructed the parameters of a deal with Showtime and then (before the TV package was finalized) brought the fighters into the fold. As far as Showtime was concerned, except for Juarez, the boxers were fungible. Lacy was considered an ordinary fighter. Bojado and Diaz weren't even on the United States Olympic team (Bojado fought under the Mexican flag). Without Finkel's involvement, it's unlikely that the fighters would have made as much money as they did. But (and this is a big "but") according to his interrogatory answers, when Finkel negotiated with Showtime, he represented to the network that he was Bojado's co-manager. And as a co-manager, he had a fiduciary duty to his fighter. Jim Thomas is one of the most respected men in boxing. A partner in a large Atlanta law firm, he represented Evander Holyfield for years and has counseled numerous other fighters. Thomas declined a request by Finkel to testify as an expert witness on Finkel's behalf in the current arbitration proceeding. "Without commenting on the specifics of the case," says Thomas, "I can give you my view regarding some general principles that should govern situations of this nature. A manager is supposed to work for the benefit of the fighter at all times. If you're a fighter's representative and have a fiduciary duty to the fighter, all available money should go to the fighter and then you take your share of that. You don't make your own deal on the side. You can't properly separate the fighters' financial interests from your own. The key here is fiduciary duty." Also, while Finkel says that Bojado, Hernandez, and Marquez all knew about the packaging fees and that Bojado gave him a waiver of fiduciary duty, he is non-commital on the issue of whether Bojado was advised by legal counsel prior to the waiver and whether Bojado, Hernandez, and Marquez were advised of the packaging fee arrangement in writing. Bojado seems like a nice young man, but one can assume that he's not a world-class economist. Did Finkel sit him down and say, "Francisco; you're only getting $10,000 for your first fight, so I'll waive my managerial fee. You don't have to pay me anything. I've worked it out so Showtime will take care of me." Or did he say, "Francisco; you're only getting $10,000 for this fight so, instead of taking my managerial cut from you and the other fighters, I'll opt for a packaging fee from Showtime that will be $150,000 for this card and ultimately will run well over a million dollars." Finkel could have avoided this ambiguity by putting a clause in his managerial contract with Bojado clearly stating that he would receive a packaging fee from Showtime. Shelly certainly was aware then that he would be getting the fee, but no such clause was included in the contract. Moreover, there's a public policy issue as to whether a 17-year-old can waive a fiduciary duty that's owed to him. Then there's Finkel's contention that, if he hadn't taken a packaging fee, the entire amount of that fee would have been retained by Showtime or paid to Main Events and that none of it would have filtered down to the fighters. That claim is questionable at best. Showtime personnel say that, as a practical matter, they viewed the payments related to this deal as one license fee broken up into two checks; not as a licensing fee plus a packaging fee. Indeed, the attachments to checks sent to Finkel by Showtime bore notations such as "license fee" and "add'l lic fee." And while Main Events negotiated the highest license fee that it could for itself, it was handicapped by the fact that Showtime was holding back a portion of available funds to pay Finkel. Most likely, if Finkel's twenty-five percent premium had gone to Main Events, some portion of it would have been added to the fighters' purses. The contracts that Main Events negotiated with the fighters were based in significant part on the amount of money that Main Events was receiving from Showtime. One can only begin to imagine Shelly Finkel sitting down at the bargaining table with representatives of Main Events. "I'd like more money for my fighters," Shelly might have said. "We'll be happy to give your fighters more money," he might have been told. "Put your million-dollar-plus packaging fee on the table, and we'll divide it equitably between Main Events and the fighters you represent." The Finkel-Hernandez-Bojado arbitration is scheduled to begin on August 31st. There's no way to know how it will play out. Hernandez is asking for enforcement of his managerial contract with Bojado and the "disgorgement" of all packaging fees paid to Finkel. Bojado, for the moment, seems more concerned with defending himself against Hernandez than with cross-claiming against Finkel. There are technical issues in the arbitration that might supercede questions regarding the propriety of Finkel's packaging fee arrangement. And litigation is capricious. If Finkel wins, it won't necessarily mean that what he did was right. And if he loses, it won't necessarily mean that his conduct was wrong. What is clear, however, is that this is another example of the blurred line between promoters and managers and the role that the television networks play in boxing. It points to the need for full disclosure to fighters and government authorities regarding license fee payments and related expenditures. And it leads to questions regarding other issues. For example, Shelly Finkel is now the person most responsible for Mike Tyson's career. In recent years, he has functioned as Tyson's de facto manager and (by power of designation) de facto promoter. Yet he is not required to be licensed in those capacities. Also, as one of the primary creditors in Tyson's bankruptcy proceeding, he had input into a settlement that envisions keeping Iron Mike in the ring until age forty-one. Finkel says that there has been no conflict of interest with regard to Tyson. "I was not involved with Mike when he declared bankruptcy," he states. "I resigned from the creditors committee when I started working again with Mike. I give no financial advice to Mike other than how much money he can make from a given fight. Other than that, I have nothing to do with Mike's finances or bankruptcy."   The Tangled Web On August 18th, I posted an article on this website entitled Shelly Finkel's packaging fee. The article outlined the complex contractual relationship between Finkel, Showtime, Main Events, and a group of young fighters that led to Shelly receiving a "packaging fee" of $1,725,000 from Showtime. This fee was paid to Finkel in conjunction with appearances by the fighters on Showtime at the same time that Shelly was managing or co-managing the fighters and thus had a fiduciary duty to them. The $1,725,000 figure came in part from information provided by Finkel under oath in an arbitration proceeding brought against him by Joe Hernandez (his co-manager in guiding the career of Francisco Bojado). In a written response to interrogatories posed in that litigation, Finkel listed ten payments on ten specific dates. There now appears to have been an eleventh packaging fee payment in the amount of $200,000 for a fight card that took place on April 27, 2002. That payment raises the packaging fee paid to Finkel by Showtime to $1,925,000. Finkel's interrogatory answers also acknowledge that he received an additional $2,200,000 from Showtime as reimbursement for signing bonuses and expenses. The best available information is that $200,000 of this amount was for reimbursement of expenses incurred by Finkel in signing the fighters, although a Showtime executive involved with the deal now says that the expenses weren't fully documented for the network and might have been designed to "give a little something extra to Shelly." Hernandez also received $50,000 as an expense reimbursement. The remaining $2,000,000 is believed to have been intended by Showtime to fund signing bonuses for managerial contracts between the fighters and Finkel as follows: Rocky Juarez ($1,400,000), Jeff Lacy ($250,000), Juan Diaz ($150,000), Francisco Bojado ($100,000), Malik Scott ($50,000), and Dominick Guinn ($50,000). It now appears that Finkel paid a signing bonus of $150,000 to Jeff Lacy (not $250,000); $100,000 to Juan Diaz (not $150,000); $75,000 to Francisco Bojado (not $100,000); and $20,000 to Dominick Guinn (not $50,000). The amount of the signing bonuses paid to Rocky Juarez and Malik Scott is unclear at the present time. Finkel has said that the numbers quoted above are incorrect; that the fighters received everything they were entitled to; and that no impropriety occurred. But he refuses to say what the correct numbers are and, when asked, responds, "Please quote my entire response in your article. All the moneys received by me from Showtime for the reimbursement of expenses and for signing bonuses of certain fighters, including certain 2000 U.S.Olympic boxers, were disbursed as per the contracts with these fighters and the agreement with Showtime." So let's recap what happened here. Some promoters spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money developing fighters and then beg for television dates. Showtime gave Finkel $2,200,000 so he could sign fighters to managerial contracts and cover his expenses. It gave Finkel a series of television dates for his fighters and a $1,925,000 packaging fee. On top of that, it paid Main Events a substantial licensing fee for the fights. And it did all of this without having a formal written contract with Finkel. Isn't that strange, even for boxing? "I know it's unusual that we gave Shelly $2,200,000 without a signed contract," says a Showtime executive who was involved in the transaction. "But that's the sort of relationship we had with Shelly." Meanwhile, a high-ranking HBO executive says, "We learned a lot about the way Showtime does business when we did Lewis-Tyson two years ago. We got to look behind the curtain, so this doesn't surprise me." In the days after 'Shelly Finkel's Packaging Fee' was posted, I received numerous telephone calls offering information of interest. One caller pointed out that, in addition to his dealings with Showtime, Finkel has also enjoyed a profitable relationship with HBO. TVKO was once the pay-per-view arm of HBO. In 1991, it planned on televising a pay-per-view card each month, with Top Rank and Main Events as the promoters. For about a year, TVKO paid Mike Malitz a consulting fee on each Top Rank show. Malitz worked for Top Rank and was an expert on the technical side of the pay-per-view business. At the time, Finkel was actively involved in the management of a number of fighters who were under contract to Main Events and appeared on TVKO. Unlike Malitz (who worked for a promoter), Finkel had a fiduciary duty to his fighters. It has now been confirmed with present and former HBO executives that, each time Main Events promoted a TVKO show during that period, Finkel received a $25,000 consulting fee from TVKO. But the most intriguing message received in response to Shelly Finkel's Packaging Fee consisted of five words: "Follow the money in Louisville." "What?" "You heard me. Follow the money in Louisville. Who paid Danny Williams? How did Williams get paid? How much did he get paid? How was the money divided?" As most boxing fans know, Finkel has served as an advisor to Mike Tyson for nine fights beginning with Tyson versus Frans Botha in 1999. When Danny Williams knocked out Iron Mike on July 30th, I watched the fight on television but didn't pay much attention to the business end of things. Then, on August 20th, an Associated Press report caught my eye. The gist of the AP article was that Chris Webb and Straight Out Promotions (Webb's promotional company and the promoter of record for Tyson-Williams) are suing Frank Warren, Sports Network (Warren's promotional company), and several other entities involved in Tyson-Williams. Webb claims that he has an interest in the promotion of future Danny Williams fights and is owed money from the sale of international rights to the July 30th bout. Warren claims that Webb and Straight Out Promotions failed to fulfill their financial obligations prior to the fight. He further says that, as a result of this alleged breach of contract, he maintains exclusive rights to promote Williams's future fights. I don't know where the equities lie in the dispute between Webb and Warren. But a sentence in the Associated Press article peaked my interest: "Minutes before the bout, the (Webb) suit says, a Sports Network official demanded that Straight-Out pay everything immediately -- $125,000 for future promotional rights, plus $125,000 owed to Sports Network for Williams's participation in the fight and $100,000 for a brokering fee." A $100,000 "brokering fee" ? Intrigued, I telephoned Michael Tigue, the attorney for Chris Webb. Tigue seems like a capable attorney who's getting a crash course in boxing ethics. He told me that Straight Out had a $350,000 contractual obligation to the Williams camp that was broken down as follows: (1) $125,000 due to Sports Network for Williams to participate in the fight; (2) $125,000 due to Sports Network for an option to co-promote future Williams fights; and (3) A $100,000 "arrangement fee." More specifically, Webb's complaint against Warren and Sports Network states, "Straight Out was to pay Sports Network an arrangement fee of $100,000 upon conclusion of the boxing match by wire transfer to a United States bank account to be designated by Sports Network." This is confirmed by a June 24, 2004, letter agreement signed by Webb and Stephen Heath (the in-house solicitor for Sports Network), which states that the $100,000 "will be wired to Sports Network or, at its election, deposited in the US account of Sports Network Inc." The letter, which was written by Heath, adds, "This sum is in addition to the provision of services fee set out in the separate agreement." Tigue says that, ultimately, Sports Network demanded that the $350,000 be paid as follows: (1) $100,000 to Danny Williams in the form of $50,000 in cash, a $20,000 check, and an Internal Revenue Service certificate guaranteeing that Straight Out will pay $30,000 in taxes owed by Williams on income he received from the fight. (2) $150,000 to Sports Network. Warren says that this $150,000 will be generously shared with Williams. (3) That leaves the $100,000 arrangement fee. Webb's complaint states that, on the night of the fight, Sports Network, "demanded that Straight Out issue a check in the amount of $100,000 made payable to Sterling McPherson of Sterling Productions in full satisfaction of the Arrangement Agreement . . . Straight Out then issued a check made payable to Sterling McPherson in the amount of $100,000." Then came another twist. On August 2nd, Straight Out learned that Warren was disavowing its future promotional rights and stopped payment on the check. Frank Warren confirms that he instructed Straight Out to make the $100,000 check payable to McPherson. "Sterling was my representative," he says. "He told me that the money would have to be paid for Danny Williams to have the opportunity to fight Mike Tyson. I can't say for certain where the money was to have gone after he received it." No suggestion is made here that Frank Warren or any of his companies or anyone else did anything improper. But one does wonder why it was intended that $100,000 be paid to Sterling McPherson (a small promoter who has served as an American representative for Sports Network and an interface with the Tyson camp on Tyson-Williams). One also wonders what was supposed to happen to the $100,000 once McPherson got it. McPherson's explanation in the first instance was as follows. "Sports Network called me and asked me to work out something with Shelly Finkel to make the fight. My job was offering Danny Williams to Shelly and getting him to accept Williams as an opponent. After Shelly accepted the fight, my job was done. Then it was up to Sports Network to work out their own deal and Danny's purse." Later, McPherson elaborated upon his remarks, saying that Chris Webb wanted to substitute Williams for Kevin McBride because Webb thought he could get Williams for less money than McBride and foreign rights would be more valuable with Williams as the opponent. It's not completely clear who first asked McPherson to act as a go-between on the fight. What about the $100,000? "That's what Sports Network offered me," McPherson says. "I've heard the talk that the money was going back to Shelly Finkel, but that's untrue. I did a job; I got a check; and the check bounced. I'm owed $100,000, and all the other stuff means nothing to me. All this talk about a kickback muddies the waters. I delivered a service to Sports Network. I got Shelly Finkel to accept Danny Williams as an opponent. So now Sports Network owes me $100,000." Finkel says that none of the $100,000 "arrangement fee" was intended for him. SecondsOut is unaware of any evidence that contradicts him on this point. But the arrangement fee is illustrative of the strange manner in which large sums of money are distributed and redistributed in boxing. And given Finkel's packaging fee arrangement with Showtime, one can be forgiven for asking questions regarding his overall relationship with Tyson. One person who has asked questions is Dan Goossen. Goossen was the CEO at America Presents when the now-defunct promotional company crafted a six-fight deal to become Mike Tyson's promoter of record. The first two fights pursuant to that contract were Tyson versus Frans Botha and Tyson against Orlin Norris. "We were the promoter of record," says Goossen. "But virtually all of the negotiations ran through Finkel. Finkel was in control. It was Finkel who made most of the deals with the venues and suppliers and on foreign rights, and he kept most of the paperwork on those deals away from us. I never saw most of those contracts," Goossen continues. "That's one of the reasons I decided after Tyson-Norris to distance myself from future Tyson fights. I didn't have an understanding of what was going on behind-the-scenes. That made me uncomfortable, and I didn't feel it was in the best interests of Mike or myself for me to stay actively involved." Goossen did not attend Tyson versus Julius Francis in London or Tyson against Lou Savarese in Scotland. In his words, he "boycotted" those bouts. He was at Tyson-Golota in Michigan, but not as the promoter of record. By the time Tyson fought Brian Nielsen in Denmark, Goossen had left America Presents. "It would be interesting," says Goossen, "if the Tyson-Finkel relationship were to be audited as aggressively as the relationship between Tyson and Don King." Stephen Espinoza (who has served as Tyson's attorney) says that there was an extensive audit of Tyson's finances by the trustee in bankruptcy in Tyson's bankruptcy proceeding and that this audit satisfied the creditors committee in the proceeding. Of course, Finkel was on the creditors committee from its formation on August 22, 2003, through his resignation on May 4, 2004. Finkel says that he produced thousands of pages of documents from his files in the bankruptcy proceeding and that his deposition was taken for several hours. The transcript of his deposition has been sealed and is not available to the public. But given its brevity, one might assume that it dealt mostly with Finkel's claims as a creditor; not with a thorough study of each and every deal he made regarding the nine fights on which he served Tyson as an advisor. Also, one wonders how much the attorney who took the deposition knew about the intricacies of the business of boxing. Finkel vigorously defends his conduct as Tyson's advisor. "Every day of my life since I've been involved with Mike, people have taken shots at me," he says. "I've been accused of all sorts of things, and the accusations are totally false." Why does Finkel stay with Tyson given the headaches involved? "One, I enjoy it. Two, it gives me a lot of strength in the business. Three, Mike winning the heavyweight title back under me would be an incredible thrill. And four, I like Mike. I like him a lot and I care about him a lot." What about the financial rewards? "My present contract with Mike began with the Williams fight," Finkel answers. "It calls for me to receive a small percentage of what Mike gets on each fight. For the fights before that when I was with Mike, I got a flat fee on each fight. Beyond that fee, I got nothing, zero, from anyone in any way, shape, or manner or in any capacity in connection with Mike. And I took less from Mike than I was entitled to because Mike needed money. That's why I'm a creditor." "I know who I am," Finkel says, summing up. "I do what I feel is right. I live with myself. I sleep well at night. I know that I've done nothing wrong." Finkel also requested that SecondsOut submit any questions it might have concerning his involvement with Tyson to him in writing. He says he will then answer those questions. SecondsOut will submit a list of questions to Finkel later this month and post them along with written answers that we receive from Finkel on this website. It's possible that Shelly Finkel has been a model of financial propriety in his dealings with Mike Tyson. But the truth is, it's easier to cross ethical boundaries in the business of boxing than in any other sport. The way the business works and the culture that has taken root afford ample opportunity for misconduct. And more significantly, the tangled web of contractual relationships involving Finkel, Showtime, and others demonstrates the inadequate nature of current (and proposed) regulations for the governance of professional boxing. Whether there is wrongdoing or not, fighters will always be at risk of exploitation unless ironclad mechanisms are put in place to allow all participants and government regulators to follow every dollar generated by every fight.

From The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Akron heavyweight Nicolai Firtha (9-2) did not get the chance to box. His bout was scratched when opponent Larry White from Alabama could not pass his physical because of injured ribs.

Ruiz - Ibragimov Purse Bid To Be Held On June 3

HOLLYWOOD, FL, May 26 – Like the immortal Babe Ruth knocked home run after home run out of the park, the new “Sultan of Swat”, Sultan Ibragimov, is knocking out opponent after opponent in his quest for the Heavyweight Championship.

But finally, the unbeaten native of Rostov-na-Donu, Russia will get his chance to move closer to that dream as it was announced that a purse bid will take place on June 3rd, 2006 at noon during the IBF convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This bid will determine the day and site for the IBF elimination bout between Ibragimov (19-0, 16 KOs) and former World Champion John ‘The Quietman’ Ruiz. The winner will get a shot at newly crowned IBF Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko..

“I would like to thank the IBF for this opportunity to fight for the number one contender’s position, and I would also like to thank my team of Warriors Boxing, Boris Grinberg, and Sampson Lewkowicz for their tireless efforts to put me in this position,” said Ibragimov. “Now it’s time for me to make the most of this opportunity, and I will succeed by knocking out John Ruiz and then Wladimir Klitschko to win the World Title.”

Formerly Homeless Chicagoan Tells How To Become Millionaire The following article isn't necessarily boxing related.  But this article incorporates so many themes that are prevalent in the sport of boxing (and in life): the struggle, the desire, the hard work, the dedication, the never give up attitude, that I had to include it on my website.  This is amazing stuff and it just goes to show you, as human beings, how much we are really capable of.  Just like in boxing.

CHICAGO (AP)  -- It was just a movie set, but in a moment it showed Chris Gardner where he'd been - and how far he'd come. There with actor Will Smith, who was playing Gardner, a former homeless man turned millionaire, Gardner stood in what looked like the train station bathroom where he once slept a quarter century ago. Suddenly he was overcome with memories of teaching his 2-year-old son to never, ever open the locked bathroom door, no matter how hard someone pounded on the other side. It didn't matter that he now had three homes - one a condo in New York's Trump Tower - or that he'd gone from selling his own blood to buying Michael Jordan's car. "I had to get out of there," he said. The story of how the 52-year-old Gardner did just that, climbed out of homelessness and became a millionaire stockbroker with his own 15-employee Chicago firm, is being turned into a motion picture, due out in December. It's also the subject of Gardner's own just-released book, "The Pursuit of Happyness." The unique spelling of "happiness" is intentional. Even in the realm of rags-to-riches tales, Gardner's story is unique. Take, for example, the events that led to his descent into homelessness. A medical supplies salesman barely making enough money to support his girlfriend and baby, Gardner had one of those Hollywood moments in a San Francisco parking lot in 1981 when he spotted a man looking for a place to park his red Ferrari. "I said to him, 'You can have my (parking) place but I've got to ask you two questions. What do you do and how do you do it?"' recalled Gardner. The man was a stockbroker. Gardner didn't know a single stockbroker or even what one did. But the man said he made $80,000 a month - $50,000 more than Gardner made a year. Gardner found a brokerage firm willing to hire him and quit his job. But when he showed up for work he learned the guy who'd hired him had been fired. Gardner's job was gone. Then, days before a scheduled interview with Dean Witter, a loud fight with his girlfriend brought the police to his door. The next thing Gardner knew they were asking him for $1,200 to clear up some unpaid parking tickets. They may as well have asked for $12 million. Gardner spent 10 days in jail. When he was released, his girlfriend and son were gone. He had no money, no home and the only clothes he had for his job interview the next day were the ones he wore to jail. How was he going to explain showing up wearing jeans and paint-splattered Adidas shoes? "I couldn't think of nothing that could top the truth," he said. He went with that and got the job. A few months later came a knock on the door of the boarding house where he was staying. "It's my ex and, guess what, she doesn't want the baby any more, here." he said. "The boarding house does not allow children. That's how we became homeless." Some nights they stayed in a $25-a-night hotel, a park or under his desk at work. And a few nights were spent in an Oakland Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station. "I had to teach my little boy how to play a game and the game is called SHHHH," he said. "That means no matter what anybody says on the other side of that door, no matter how much noise they make or what they threaten, we ain't here, OK?" Finally, they moved into a homeless hotel in San Francisco, run by Glide Memorial United Methodist Church. "There were no keys, so every day you take everything with you," said Gardner. "For a year, I'd take my son, his stroller, a big duffel bag with all his clothes in it, my briefcase, an umbrella, the biggest bag of Pampers in the world, one suit on my back and one suit in a hanging bag and we'd hit it every day." When it rained, he covered the stroller with plastic sheets he'd picked up from dry cleaners. Gardner told his co-workers nothing. He also distinguished himself from others who turned to Glide for food and shelter. "If you saw a man with a child, that was rare, incredibly rare," said the Rev. Cecil Williams, Glide's pastor. "I remember discussions about him, about how that man really loves that boy because he won't let him get away from him, he won't push him aside." Day care took a huge chunk of his meager stockbroker trainee salary, and it took Gardner about a year to save enough to move himself and his son into their own home. From there, his career blossomed, and in 1987 he opened his own firm in Chicago. Today, signs of his success are everywhere, starting with an office that includes a gleaming desk made of a DC-10 tail wing, African art work, boxing gloves and photographs autographed by Muhammad Ali. Sharing space with pictures of his adult son and daughter are photographs of Gardner with Nelson Mandela, and a vase full of dirt that Gardner brought from Mandela's yard after visiting the former South Africa president. He no longer has the Ferrari he bought from Jordan. Gardner, who never went to college, has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to education, writing checks for as much as $25,000 to teachers, janitors, bus drivers and others who work at schools. Gardner is focusing much of his attention now on South Africa, trying to persuade major investors to invest $1 billion there - an effort praised by South African officials. "In the current state of our economy, creating an investment fund is critical," said Yusuf Omar, South African Consul General in Chicago, who recently stopped by Gardner's office. For Gardner, helping South Africans pull themselves up makes perfect sense. "Everything I've learned working on Wall Street, 25 years, to be able to make a difference in the lives of a lot of people and we all make money, it (doesn't) get any better than that," he said.

Kendall Holt Out! By KEITH IDEC HERALD NEWS

Kendall Holt sounded like a defeated fighter Thursday, one who has grown so frustrated from a recent rash of career-crippling injuries that walking away from the sport entirely entered his mind.

The daunting alternative, becoming an actual defeated fighter on June 9, prompted the junior welterweight contender from Paterson to withdraw from an ESPN2 bout for the second time in three months.

Holt hurt his left hand landing an upercut in a sparring session two weeks ago in Fairfield. X-rays didn't reveal a fracture, but Holt has not been able use his left hand in any boxing drills, much less sparring, since sustaining the injury. The withdrawal cost the Kennedy High School alum a five-figure payday and the exposure he would've received fighting in Atlantic City the night before the light heavyweight showdown between Bernard Hopkins and Antonio Tarver.

Ultimately, though, Holt (20-1, 12 KOs) felt that he couldn't afford to encounter Jauquin Gallardo (17-4-1, 5 KOs) essentially with one hand in a 10-round "Friday Night Fights" main event at The Tropicana Casino & Resort. The three-time former New Jersey Golden Gloves champion determined the risk would've out-weighed the reward, especially since he hasn't fought in eight months and wouldn't have been able to spar for four full weeks in advance of the nationally televised bout. Holt has a magnetic resonance imaging exam scheduled for today, but the 24-year-old boxer will be out of action indefinitely.

"All of this (stuff) makes me feel like I'm just wasting my time," a dejected Holt said Thursday. "It doesn't seem like my career and my life are moving forward at this point. I didn't get a fight for a while. Then I get two TV fights and I have to pull out of both of them because of injuries. It makes me want to quit. Everyone I know tells me I'm crazy for feeling that way, but they're not living my life. They're not walking in my nine-and-a-halves."

Holt is still rated eighth among the World Boxing Organization's 140-pound contenders, and 14th in the World Boxing Association's rankings. He has been stripped, however, of the WBO Intercontinental junior welterweight title he won a year ago against Colombia's Jaime Rangel (30-9-1, 26 KOs). Holt recently repaired his relationships with West Paterson's Phil Forte, his manager, and Totowa-based promoter Dino Duva, but a second withdrawal in three months could also make it difficult for Holt's next fight to be broadcast by ESPN.

A knee injury, which was misdiagnosed as a hamstring pull, forced Holt to pull out of an ESPN2 co-featured fight against the Bronx's Felix St. Kitts (12-7-2, 7 KOs) on Feb. 24 in Verona, N.Y. Holt has also fought through a nagging shoulder injury since his career-defining victory over then-undefeated David Diaz (30-1-1, 16 KOs) 15 months ago in Ledyard, Conn. Holt hasn't fought since Sept. 24, the night he out-pointed Russia's Vladimir Khodokovski (13-9-2, 3 KOs) in an eight-round bout at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

The injury-induced layoff has been particularly troublesome for Holt because he has sole custody of his son, Keshon, who will turn 3 next month. Without periodic paydays for fights, Holt is considering seeking full-time employment outside of boxing. The move might become necessary, but Holt knows it could cost him the boxing career many have envisioned for one of the most gifted fighters to emerge from a city rich in boxing tradition.

"If a person wants to go to the top in this game, you've got to devote all your time and energy to it," Holt said. "So working a full-time job, being a full-time parent, and trying to have a full-time boxing career, it's murder. Your attention can't be diverted if you want to get to the top in this sport. It's something I have to think about."

Castillo craving the weigh-in

As much as Jose Luis Castillo is looking forward to fighting Diego Corrales again at around 10 p.m. on June 3, he is more anxiously awaiting 5:30 p.m. on June 2. That is the time Castillo and Corrales are scheduled to weigh in for their heavily hyped rubber match at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center. After officially weighing in at 138 1/2 pounds, 3.5 pounds over the lightweight limit for a title fight, the day before their rematch on Oct. 8, officials from the World Boxing Council and the Nevada State Athletic Commission are keeping close tabs on Castillo during training camp for their third fight.

"I know I am going to make the weight," Castillo said on a conference call Tuesday. "But it has been difficult having to set up these dates that they come and weigh me every week or so."

Castillo was fined 10 percent of his $1.2 million purse for failing to make weight on Oct. 7, but he is certain he won't have to pay the even stiffer fines he'll face for not making weight again.

"Last time I got hurt about 10-12 days (before) the fight," Castillo said, alluding to a rib injury he sustained during that training camp. "I wasn't able to do what I wanted to do. I think everyone knows I was not 100 percent. But this time around, I'm perfect. ... They've been coming here every week to check my weight, so I've been taking care of it and making sure I'm on the right diet and making the weight I need to make."

Castillo (54-7-1, 47 KOs) knocked out Corrales (40-3, 33 KOs) with a picture-perfect left hook in the fourth round of their rematch, but he didn't win Corrales' WBC and World Boxing Organization titles because he didn't make weight. Corrales has since been stripped of the WBO belt. Corrales and Castillo were supposed to meet a third time on Feb. 4 in El Paso, Texas, but Corrales sustained his own rib injury in sparring and, to fit Showtime's schedule, the bout was postponed four months.

Their first fight, a stunning slugfest Corrales won by 10th-round technical knockout a year ago, was widely viewed as one of the most entertaining encounters in boxing history. Corrales overcame two knockdowns within the first minute of the 10th to TKO Castillo barely more than a minute later.

Briggs back in contention?

Resurgent heavyweight contender Shannon Briggs won his 11th straight fight late Wednesday night in New York, where he forced Chris Koval to quit after three rounds at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

The Brooklyn-bred Briggs won the vacant United States Boxing Association title by recording the technical knockout win against Koval (23-3, 18 KOs), of Youngstown, Ohio. Briggs (47-4-1, 41 KOs) has not lost since former Clifton and West Paterson resident Jameel McCline (36-6-3, 22 KOs) out-pointed him four years ago in New York, but the huge heavyweight has met mostly C-level and D-level heavyweights in those bouts.

Still, Briggs, 34, is on a short list of potential opponents for International Boxing Federation champ Wladimir Klitschko (46-3, 41 KOs), according to sources close to the situation. That list also includes James Toney (69-4-3, 43 KOs, 1 NC) and Calvin Brock (28-0, 22 KOs), if Brock beats Uzbekistan's Timor Ibragimov (21-0, 13 KOs) on June 25 in Las Vegas. Klitschko is expected to defend the IBF title he won from Chris Byrd (39-3-1, 20 KOs) last month at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 11.

McCline, meanwhile, will continue his laborious climb back toward heavyweight title contention against journeyman Marcus Rhode (30-29-2, 25 KOs, 2 NC) on June 2 in Miami. If McCline wins that 10-round, non-televised bout, he will likely fight Turkish contender Sinan Samil Sam (25-3, 15 KOs) on July 29 in Oberhausen, Germany.

Canadian Press

MONTREAL -- Former world boxing champion Dave Hilton Jr., who is getting parole after serving five years in prison for sexually assaulting his daughters, is romantically involved with a woman who is looking after two girls, says the National Parole Board.

Hilton, 42, was sentenced to seven years and eight months in May 2001 after a judge convicted him of abusing Anne-Marie and Jeannie Hilton, beginning when they were 12 years old.

Hilton, who will have served two-thirds of his term when he is released on June 20, faces a slew of conditions upon his release.

He must:

• Avoid being alone with females under the age of 18 without the presence of a "responsible" adult.
• Avoid contact with his two daughters and certain other people.
• Abstain from intoxicants.
• And participate in a program for sexual offenders in denial.

Hilton still maintains his innocence, a claim the National Parole Board finds troubling.

"The board is of the opinion that your contributing factors remain untreated," the board said in a May 10 letter to Hilton.

"You still deny the sexual offences for which you have been condemned and you do not see the pertinence to involve yourself in a program for sexual offenders in denial."

Parole officials also expressed concern that Hilton is involved with a woman who is looking after two girls.

"Moreover, this woman is convinced that you are not guilty of the sexual offences. In her own environment, there are two minor girls. This constitutes, from our point of view, a high-risk situation."

Anne-Marie and Jeannie agreed in 2004 to have their identities made public.

Hilton's sensational trial culminated with his conviction on charges of having sex with the girls between 1995 and 1998.

They testified Hilton began initiating them into sex at 12 and that he was obsessed with taking their virginity.

Charles Brochu, the lawyer for Hilton's two daughters, said he's waiting to see what happens when the boxer is set free.

"When he comes out of prison, he is supposed to give his side of the story, we'll see what he has to say," Brochu said in an interview Thursday.

"He can say what he thinks. A person who comes out of prison has a right to express himself."

Michel Brule, whose Les Intouchables publishing house put out a book by the two sisters in 2004, said the women, who at last word were both living in the United States, did not want to give interviews Thursday.

Tarver issues Hopkins KO warning

Antonio Tarver says he will dispose of Bernard Hopkins within five rounds when they meet in Atlantic City next month. BBC Sport UK The former light heavyweight world champion said: "We're going to find out early how bad he wants it. He won't see the sixth round - I mean that." Tarver, 37, has been out of the ring for eight months while acting in the new Rocky film with Sylvester Stallone. But the southpaw claimed: "I have been training since October for this fight. I'm stronger, quicker, faster." Tarver, 24-3 with 18 knockouts, has not fought anyone other than Roy Jones or Glen Johnson in the past three years. He lost decisions to both fighters but avenged those defeats and won a 12-round decision over Jones last October in his most recent fight. Hopkins, who jumps two weight classes in what could be a ring farewell, is 46-4 with one drawn and 32 knockouts. The light heavyweight division's ruling world champions are Britain's Clinton Woods, France's Fabrice Tiozzo and Poland's unbeaten Tomasz Adamek. Tarver stars in the sixth Rocky movie, due out in December in the US, as the opponent in Rocky Bilboa's latest ring return. "The sky is the limit with that," he said. "But it's kind of sad I have to go out of boxing to another arena to get the popularity and love."

Barrios cracks the Bonecracker

From The Budapest Hungary Sun By Márton Vajda

HUNGARIAN professional boxing has been dealt a body blow as world champion Jorge "La Hiena" Barrios (46 bouts, two ties and one loss, with 33 KOs/TKOs) knocked out János "the Bonecracker" Nagy (24-0-1, 14 KOs/TKOs) in the first round of the WBO super featherweight title bout at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 20.

Nagy was the first Hungarian pro boxer to fight in the United States and also the first Hungarian to take a swipe at a world title with one of the big four boxing organizations.

However, he lasted a mere 49 seconds against his Argentinean opponent, whose massive punch into Nagy's ribs brought the contest to a premature end.

"Unfortunately, it was a 'killer' blow," Nagy conceded.

"I have never been punched like that before. I tried to stand up and carry on, but I just couldn't. The punch squeezed all the air out of me."

The bout took months to organize and what there was of it was broadcast live on HBO in the States.

The television company said it felt cheated and vowed that Nagy will never appear in an HBO event again.

On the upside, József "the Hangman" Nagy (14-0-0, 11 KOs/TKOs) overcame Haitian opponent Julio Jean (7-9-1, 3 KOs/TKOs) in the super middleweight class with a unanimous decision at the same gala.

 

Joe Calzaghe is in negotiations to fight Glen Johnson at a catch weight of 172lbs.  If the bout happens, it will take place in Wales on July 8th.  Calzaghe had been rumored to fight Alan Green, Peter Manfredo, Jr., Yusef Mack and several others.

 

 

 

 

Referring to the Shannon Briggs vs. Chris Koval card from 5/25/06.  I bought the show and it was well worth it!

 

"Fans were treated to a webcast of Shannon's fight plus the undercard on www.JumpTv.com. Those who bought the card in advance received the card and undercard for a mere $2.99! Now that's a deal worth noting and a way to really stick it to the Big Pay-Per-View prices fans are getting ripped from the The TV Networks. This could just be the start of the death of high priced Pay-Per-Views. The internet is changing all the rules of the game and it is certainly nice to see the the Cable companies who charge us for Pay-Per-views like they were Oil Companies (no shame)... are no longer the only way to power our fix for the sport.

 

1965- Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in the first round of their rematch held in Lewiston, Maine.

 

1972 - Joe Frazier stopped Ron Stander by a 5th round blood letting/beatdown

 

1942 - Ezzard Charles defeated Charley Burley by 10 round decision.  The enigmatic Charles is viewed by many boxing historians as the greatest light heavyweight of all time and a top 10 all time great.  Charley Burley is thought by many to be the best fighter of all time to have never won a world title.  I wonder if a tape exists of this fight.  It sounds like a piece of Pugilistic History.

Briggs Stops Koval

AP Reports

NEW YORK -- Shannon Briggs' comeback took a step forward when he stopped Chris Koval in the third round Wednesday night and won the vacant USBA heavyweight title at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

The 34-year-old Briggs, 273 pounds from Brooklyn, improved to 47-4-1 with 41 knockouts in a dominant performance. The 266-pound Koval of Youngstown, Ohio, couldn't get out of the third round of a bout scheduled for 12, and fell to 23-3.

Briggs has won five straight since beginning his comeback 30 months ago when he had no money and ballooned to 309 pounds.

"I was angry at myself for being so desperate," said Briggs, who early in his career earned a controversial victory over George Foreman. "Now my goal is to try and win a world title. I feel better than I ever had."

Briggs used left-right combinations to send Koval to the canvas twice in the third round. He barely got up after the initial knockdown, and when he was sent sprawling again, referee David Fields stopped the fight after consulting with the ring doctor.

In another bout, J.D. Chapman extended his undefeated streak to 23 and defended his WBC Latino heavyweight title with a unanimous 10-round decision over Ed Gutierrez of Oak Lawn, Ill.

Chapman has 20 knockouts. Gutierrez fell to 15-2-1.

 

Shannon Briggs stopped Chris "Special K" Koval by 3rd round TKO tonight in New York City.  I predicted, and was even sure, of a 1st round KO for Briggs.  I didn't anticipate that Koval would get all worked up on speed, or smack, or amphetamines, or something!  Special K is special all right, special as in crazy!  Every time Briggs pounded him, and there were some big shots because you can't miss that guy, Koval would scream out like some wackadoo!  That guy is cuckoo for cocoa puffs!  Prediction correct.  That was an easy one, although I am surprised Briggs didn't get him out in one.

 

"Magnificent" Martinus Clay, from Wilson, North Carolina defeated the 34-1, now 34-2, Matt "The Predator" Vanda (Clay was a very, very misleading 11-12 going in to the fight).  When I heard about this fight, which was only a few hours before it started, I said to myself that Clay could beat Vanda, I knew the guy could fight.  Martinus' trainer, although he wasn't in New York for the fight, Skip Crumpler, has had fighters on all three shows that I have promoted in the Richmond, VA area.  I had the pleasure of talking to Skip, who is working on a Pro show in Wilson for June, during the internet telecast of the fight and kept him apprised as to what was going on in the fight.  I first called him after the second round to tell him Martinus' won the first two rounds rather handily.  Then I called him right after the fight was over telling him I thought Clay won.  I scored the bout 5-2, 1 even for Clay.  Randy Gordon, the former NYSAC Commissioner, and one of the commentators for the internet broadcast, scored the bout 7-1 for Clay.  I was just hoping the New York judges didn't screw Clay out of this hard fought and well earned victory.  The official scorecards were read.  The first score was read 76-76 even a draw.  Oh man, they can't take it from him!  The second score was read, 79-73.  I told Skip it's got to be Clay's fight, there's no way any sane judge would have given Vanda 7 rounds in that fight.  The third score was read, 77-75, for your winner, by majority decision, "Magnificent" Martinus Clay!  Skip was so happy!  I am glad I could be the one relaying to him how his fighter was doing!  He runs the Wilson, North Carolina boxing program which has a number of pros: "Tiger" Lee Hall, Ronald Bellamy, Mark Miller, Mike Eatmon, Rodney Green, Mike Barnes, Gary Lavendar, Mike Lavendar, and many others.  Even though this was such an important fight, he just couldn't get away from his day job during the week.  He was ecstatic that Martinus won that fight, and I am happy for Martinus as well as Skip!  Well done!  That just tells you about records in boxing, sometimes they're not only misleading, they can be big fat lies!  Matt Vanda's not a bad fighter, but 34-1 going in to the Clay fight, that's what you call strategic maneuvering.  Conversely, you have Clay, who has fought some very good guys, and often on very, very short notice at 11-12.  You know, when you're from the country, like Clay is, and you don't have a promoter putting on shows all the time in your back yard, you have to go on the road to get fights.  That means fighting tough guys on shows where they are the promoter's fighter.  It can be a very tough proposition and that's why a guy like Clay had a record of 11-12 going in to the fight with Vanda.  Congratulations Martinus and Skip!  I hope this leads to huge things for you! 

 

I didn't watch the fight, but I just read on Fightnews.com that John Brown was dominated over 12 one sided rounds by Herman Ngoudjo. 

 

I am now 53-27 on my predictions.