Frazier - Quarry I: 41 Years Since This Heavyweight Classic

By Jim Amato

June 23, 1969 at New York's Madison Square Garden, Joe Frazier met the popular Irish fighter, Jerry Quarry, for the New York State recognized heavyweight title. Back in the day, the New York State Boxing Commission wielded quite a bit of power. Commissioner Edwin Dooley wasted little time stripping Muhammad Ali of his heavyweight title when Ali refused induction into the Armed Forces. The World Boxing Association did the same and they set up a tournament to determine a new champion. Eight top contenders were selected, with unbeaten Joe Frazier being one of them. Frazier's management declined the invitation, however. The eventual winner of the tourney was Jimmy Ellis, who defeated Jerry Quarry in the finals.

The N.Y.S.A.C. offered Frazier a chance to fight Buster Mathis, who like Frazier, was undefeated. Mathis had defeated Frazier twice in the amateur ranks. The winner would be the champion in New York and a few other states. Well, Frazier met Big Buster and took him out in the eleventh to gain revenge and also win a piece of the heavyweight title.

Although the talented Jimmy Ellis held the more recognized WBA tilte, Frazier was considered by most as the best active heavyweight. They would eventually meet to settle their differences.

The bout with Quarry would be considered as a measuring stick between Frazier and Ellis. Frazier had labored through two decision wins over rugged Oscar Bonavena. In their first ten rounder, Bonavena had Frazier down twice but Frazier rallied to get the verdict. Their second bout saw Frazier and Bonavena slug it out for fifteen tough rounds, with Frazier again getting the decision. In between the two Frazier-Bonavena battles, Bonavena met Jimmy Ellis. In one of Ellis' best career performances, he floored the granite jawed Bonavena twice to win a convincing decision. Based on those bouts, Ellis seemed to have an edge on Frazier. In the Quarry bout, Frazier needed to make a statement.

Jerry Quarry was no pushover, however. He was ranked as one of the five best heavyweights in the world. He did a number on Mathis just three months before meeting Frazier winning a lopsided twelve rounder. Not surprisingly, there were a lot of people who thought Quarry had a real chance of winning.

The bout itself was non stop action, a real heavyweight slugfest. To his credit, Quarry always came to fight and you never had to look for Joe Frazier. Early in the first round, it was toe to toe action. Knowing that both boxers could bang, the fans were really enjoying this. Each fighter was rocked a bit but were still standing at the end of a terrific round.

The next two rounds were more of the same, as they slugged it out on the inside. By round four, it was becoming apparent the Quarry was fighting Frazier's fight. Frazier began breaking down Quarry who gamely fought back. As the bout wore on, Quarry was cut and he was getting staggered by Frazier's famous left hook.

It ended in seven. Quarry had a severe cut and at this point Frazier had taken command. It was a grueling fight, though, and even in losing, Quarry won a ton of respect from this courageous performance.

Jerry Quarry is no longer with us and he was recently joined by his brother Mike Quarry, who was a fine boxer in his own right. This was one of my favorite heavyweight battles. It is hard for me to believe it took place forty one years ago.

Maurice Harris

Going back to the future

NEW YORK (Feb. 5, 2010) – Veteran heavyweight Maurice “Sugar Moe” Harris, inactive for the previous 26 months, recently returned to the ring (Jan. 29) in Albuquerque, impressively winning a 6-round unanimous decision (60-54, 60-54, 58-56) against battle-tested Billy “The Kid” Zumbrun.

The 33-year-old Harris (21-14-2, 10 KOs), winner of the “2002 Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament,” had fought only four times in the past seven years due to his promotional/managerial problems. His comeback is under the banner of his new promoter, Boxing 360.

“I had a lot of rust to work off,” New Jersey native Harris said. “I did what I had to do to win, getting in the rounds and not looking for the knock out. He’s a strong guy with a hard head. I shook him a couple of times, but he kept his left hand high, and it was tough to hit him solid.

“I needed the work. I’m going to stay busy because that’s the philosophy of my promoter, Boxing 360. We’re taking it slow; no rush getting to the top. Being with Boxing 360 is like night and day compared to my old promoters.”

In 2002, Harris knocked out previously unbeaten and future world title-holder Sergey Lyakhovich (16-0) in the ninth round, earning Harris a slot in that November’s “Thunderbox” tournament, in which he captured the $100,000 winner’s purse by out-pointing Gerald Nobles, Israel Garcia and Anthony Thompson, respectively, in 3-round matches during the same night of boxing.

Maurice’s up-and-down career includes victories against David Izon, Jimmy Thunder and Jeremy Williams, as well as Harris going the distance with world champions Larry Holmes and Chris Byrd.

“It felt good getting in the ring again,” Maurice concluded. “I felt good, considering the jet lag and high altitude, but overall I’m happy with my performance. Watch-out heavyweights, I’m coming.”

-30-

SALITA- AFTER THE FIGHT

- Ron Ross

When a fight is over -BANG! BANG! - in a little more than a minute of the first round it is a pretty persuasive win and there is no diminishing its decisiveness. That’s why I refrained from reporting certain events surrounding Amir Khan’s convincing stoppage of Dmitriy Salita in Newcastle, England Saturday night. I made it plain that I was not an impartial observer – I have known Dmitriy since the beginning of his career and have forged a strong bond with him – and by relating what occurred would seem an attempt at alibiing and detracting from Khan’s superb performance. It would not have been fair to present anything other than what had taken place in the ring. Both fighters were shining examples of what true sportsmanship is all about. They displayed mutual respect and conducted themselves with dignity and class before, during and after the fight and both stand out as credits to the sport.

Unfortunately, these attributes were sorely missing from the hate-spewing, abusively anti semitic mob that greeted Dmitriy as he journeyed from dressing room to ring and threatened his fans on the streets as well as in the arena. The following accounts are from fans in attendance, people who traveled to a country they perceived as “friends” from one of the most civilized nations on this planet.

“I took the train right after shabbes from London to Newcastle. The ride is a little over three hours. As we got closer, it seemed that everyone on the train was drunk, rude and anti-semitic. As we walked up to the arena we could already hear people shouting racial slurs at us and it became abundantly clear that this was a very hostile environment.

The stadium was packed with 10,000 rabid and mostly drunk Khan fans. During the "ring walk" the shouting, boos and cursing became deafening. As Dmtiriy and his team made their way to the ring, people reached over the railing and swiped at Dmitiry while screaming nasty insults at him. He was hit numerous times. Two people jumped the railing in an attempt to hit Dmitriy and were arrested. Four other people were arrested close to the ring. The booing and insults were thunderous. As an orthodox jew, I feared for my life. (when we left the arena the insults and near fights continued. Had Dmitiry won I don’t know how we could have gotten out of there alive, without exaggeration. When Dmitry left the arena there was a mob waiting for him, screaming anti-israel and ant-semitic things at him and the rest of the group. Barely escaped that moment as well. At 3 am leaving Dmitrys hotel, we were accosted again by a group looking for a fight "are you some kinda F***ing jews? etc. etc. It was unreal.”

– Chaim Marcus, a fan and friend of Dmitriy’s who traveled from California.

************************************************************

“I myself sensed Dmitriy was unusually tense before the fight. During Shabbat - I think there was fear before the fight - going into the ring - and then the fight itself . . . From what I observed the real hostility towards Dmitriy came not from the Moslems but came from the drunken Geordies (as the local population is called) - the Jew-Moslem issue was a non issue.”

- Myron Sugerman, Businessman and fight fan (expert) from NJ

******************************************************************

I broached the subject of the extreme hostility and rowdiness bordering on the physical of the fans to Dmitriy. I told him that when he entered the ring amid the torrent of abusive catcalls and booing and fans pelting him and reaching to try to strike him “I saw a look on your face of ... let's call it a combination of hurt, surprise and distraction and I was worried that your focus had been momentarily shifted.”

Salita's response was, “I trained very hard and was well prepared. He caught me early and I couldn't get it going. The crowd was pretty hostile, I am not sure if that froze me or I just started late.”

There were no excuses, no alibis even though I opened the door for him to easily hang onto one. That’s one of his endearing quailities.

All the “Whys”, “Wherefores” and “What ifs” are meaningless. Real life is not a film or video that can be replayed and edited. It is one minute and sixteen seconds that Dmitriy Salita would very much like to have cut out of his life but it can’t be done. There will be rationalizing and hypothesizing and from that, possibly some solace. There were no excuses or alibis. Dmitriy explained that “He caught me early and I couldn’t get it going. …. I am not mad at myself because I did all in my power to prepare for the fight.”

There was no devastating, hurting punch. He got tagged by the first right hand that Khan threw and went to the canvas. He pulled himself up but it seemed as though his equilibrium and legs were gone. The rapid flurry of punches that Khan followed up with, though not making solid contact with Salita’s chin, were enough to topple him to the canvas again. When Dmitriy was cowering in a corner trying to shield himself from punches, he threw nothing back in return. Luis Pabon, the referee, rightfully stepped in and called a halt. Dmitriy was relatively unhurt, at least physically.

There were two champions that night – one, Amir Khan – who kept his crown with a sparkling performance, and one who didn’t get the crown he reached for but there are more ways to be a champion …

“An hour and a half after the fight, Dmitiry entered a packed conference room at his hotel, where he was greeted to thunderous cheers and applause. Despite the lateness of the hour, over 100 people crammed into the conference room to wish Dmitiry well. We made le'chaims, sang songs and Dmitriy smiled and joked. He raised a glass and thanked everyone for their support. There were a number of people there who have been involved in boxing for more than thrty years, including one former world champion. They all made the same toast. "We have never in our entire lives seen a fight that ended like tonight's and yet is being greeted with so much warmth and support from so many people." It was indeed remarkeable.

The post fight party continued until the wee hours of the morning. At that moment it was easy to forget the fight and be reminded of the positive impact Dmitriy has had on so many different people in so many different ways, and realize that the result of a single boxing match will never change that. –C. Marcus

Dmiriy Salita is a champion to all those who know him!

SALITA AND FOREMAN LOOKING TO REWRITE HISTORY

Ron Ross

November 12, 2009

It’s not always easy to be impartial and objective, so I’m not even going to try. It’s been more than seventy years since two weight divisions were ruled simultaneously by Jewish fighters and now, in the span of three weeks there is the possibility of just such an occurrence.

I danced at two weddings in the past three-plus years – Yuri Foreman’s on Sept 27, 2006 and Dmitriy Salita’s on September 1, 2009. I consider them both as dear friends and will be rooting openly as they join forces to update the record books, Yuri this Saturday night in Las Vegas against WBA light middleweight champion Daniel Santos and Dmitriy, on December 5^th in Newcastle, England against WBA light welterweight Champion Amir Khan.

I have no problem shedding the cloak of neutrality because that is just what the ranks of detractors, ill-informed and those steeped in false stereotypes have been doing.

Let’s call it the Ethnic Divide. Latin fans generally root for Latin fighters, Irish fans for Irish fighters, Italian fans for Italian fighters, African-Americans for African-American fighters and Jewish fans for Jewish fighters. It’s the way things are and there is nothing wrong with it as long as it remains in the arena of fair competition. It is not prejudice, at least not in the accepted sense of the word. In fact, it is one of the backbone elements in matchmaking – the crowd coming out and rooting for the local kid. “Local” is defined by more than just the neighborhood. But it can tailspin into the ultimate in ultra-poor sportsmanship when a fighter’s winning efforts and recognition of accomplishments are not merely consistently minimized, but are mocked because of it. Anytime a fighter goes to the well thirty times and comes back without a defeat he deserves praise, cheers and admiration – unless he comes from a place other than the Planet Earth. Dmitriy Salita is not an extra-terrestrial.

There are fighters who have fought the equivalents of their grandmothers in compiling a “looking good on paper” record. Despite the hoots and put-downs of his growing legion of detractors – the silent hecklers are now emboldened and stepping forward as the ranks of vocal detractors grow – the quality of Dmitriy’s opposition is better than most of his contemporaries and even most of the list of sacred “golden age” greats. His opponents have won 369 of 590 fights for a 625 percentage. In comparison, Ricky Hatton, in his first 30 bouts, fought opponents with a 570 percentage, Andreas Kotelnik’s opposition 554, and Junior Witter’s, a still respectable 510. We then come to former WBA titleholder, Gavin Rees, who in his 26 bouts prior to fighting for – and winning – the WBA light-welterweight crown, came in on the back of opponents that won only 305 bouts out of 1,040 – a 290 percentage. And rather than denigrate or belittle his accomplishments, they sang his cheers and accorded him a champion’s veneration. Cinderella never had it so good!

Yet, Dmitriy Salita, undefeated in 31 fights, who has fought a more imposing list of opponents than any of those mentioned - and we can comb a list of fighters past and present and come to what may be a startling and even disturbing fact to the naysayers – Salita did not build his record on humpty-dumpties or tomato cans.

Okay, let’s look at some of our “legends.” No one can deny Willie Pep his well-earned legacy as one of the greatest featherweights ever to lace on the gloves. But the “Will o’ the Wisp” started his career with each fight being an education until his baby steps were able to evolve into big time giant steps. Pep’s first 30 opponents had a combined total of 396 fights of which they won only 163, a percentage of only .411! Of his first 10 opponents, 9 had never won a single fight! This is not to demean the career of a truly great fighter. It is simply a measuring rod to put things in an historical perspective. Rocky Graziano, another guy who earned the right to have his fists cast in bronze, went out to win at any cost, with the crowd cheering him on with his late-round desperation rallies. He fought most of the great ones but his early career was not exactly star-studded. His first 30 opponents had a combined total of 630 fights, losing 386 against only 244 wins for a won-loss percentage of .387.

Comparing Dmitriy’s .625 percentage to all of the above-mentioned does not take into account all possible variables but no matter how you choose to slice it, it certainly opens up the door to a respectable argument. The cry that Dmitriy is being protected, that his opposition is hand-picked is the same quality criticism, but from the other end of the field, to the clamoring of a kid being “thrown to the wolves” when an up-and-coming fighter suffers a loss. Sit back and join the Monday morning quarterbacks, the easiest job around.

Yuri, unbeaten in 27 professional bouts, is called Yuri Boreman by one boxing scribe. Unfortunately, today’s boxing audience is not the same makeup as boxing fans of the sport’s heyday. Today’s casino crowd takes a break from the crap tables to grab a “comped” seat opposite the TV camera, often nudging their neighbor to inquire who is fighting. The idea that Boxing was originally considered a science – The Manly Art of Self-Defense – is almost totally lost upon today’s “lust for blood” crowd. The spectacle and sheer beauty of a Willie Pep winning the third round of his 1946 fight against Jackie Graves without throwing a single punch would be wasted and lost upon the majority of today’s audience. How would the Peps, the Tommy Loughrans, Billy Graham’s, Billy Conns, Benny Leonards be accepted by today’s boxing fans – and some scribes? Fortunately, Yuri Foreman is an intelligent, resolute young man who knows the path that he has chosen is the right path. He’s not in the ring to cause bodily harm. He’s in there to show the skill of a polished boxer and avoid getting hit. He wants to avoid the punishing head blows that lead to diminished mental abilities in later life.

The crowds for both fights will have to wait until it is dark before both Yuri and Dmitriy enter the rings of combat as the two observant Jewish prizefighters – Yuri is a Rabbi-in-training – always place the tenets of their faith before all else and the Sabbath must end before the fight begins.

Whatever the outcomes of their respective fights, the aura of “champion” will follow them always.

This article contains excerpts from prior articles written by Ron Ross

IN THE SWEET SCIENCE, THERE MUST BE

BAPTISM UNDER FIRE

There is a point in the boxing career of almost every world class fighter in which he must test his skills against the elite of his profession. It is when they find out if they have what it takes or are they going to fall short of the mark.

Several past greats have had that pivotal fight. That all important win that shaped their fistic future. Evander Holyfield was baptized into the upper level by a brawling, in your face boxing champion named Dwight Muhammad Qawi. Their first encounter was a toe to toe, I'll hit you, you hit me brawl. That day Evander out fought the dogged titleholder and showed the world he was destined for greatness.

Larry Holmes faced the same type of test when he met WBC heavyweight champion Ken Norton. It was give and take all the way and in the end Larry pulled it out of the fire to win the title. It was a great exhibition of courage by both men.

Wars of attrition prove the greatness of boxers as we look back to days gone by. Many of us felt Joe Frazier was destined for greatness but we did not realize how great he really was until March 8, 1971. That night, Frazier took everything Muhammad Ali had to offer but he kept marching into fire unloading his own heavy ammunition. In the end Frazier's hand was raised in victory. Joe may have never been the same after that night but his stature as a fighter will never be questioned.

One fighter that made a habit of coming back from the brink of defeat to salvage victory was Matthew Saad Muhammad. Fans loved him for his blood and guts battles with the likes of Yaqui Lopez and Marvin Johnson. It was his first meeting with Johnson that baptized Saad to the big time. As his career continued, he was to take his fans to the edge over and over again until finally a buzzsaw named Qawi proved to be too much.

Thomas Hearns was involved in his share of terrific fights. To me, the one fight that defined his ultimate courage was his slugfest with James Kinchen. It was not the most important win of his career but that day Hearns survived a Pier 6 brawl with a very under rated Kinchen in an entertaining battle.

Alexis Arguello was pushed to the limit by a fine champion named Alfredo Escalera. In their first fight, Alexis dealt out severe punishment to Escalera but the "Snake Man" refused to wilt. He kept coming back making Alexis fight to the limit of his abundant talent. Finally the bout was halted due to Escalera being severely cut. Alexis had passed to the next level.

These are just a few examples of special fighters who reached within themselves to weather a storm and rise to the top of their sport. Greatness embodies more then just having blazing speed or a devastating punch. Many felt that Oscar De La Hoya was a media prima donna on his rise to multiple titles. Any questions about De La Hoya's heart were answered when he met Ike Quartey. In a truly outstanding fight, Oscar pulled out all the stops with a big twelfth round rally to eke out the decision. That was Oscar's baptism under fire.

Jim Amato

O’Connor is back and boxing in Boston

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (June 23, 2009) – Highly active unbeaten prospect Danny O’Connor fights in his first scheduled 6-round bout Saturday afternoon (5:00 PM/ET start) in a junior welterweight Special Attraction against 30-fight veteran Sebastien Hamel at The Roxy in Boston’s famed theater district. The popular Irish-American will be in his seventh fight in eight months since turning pro last September.

“I’m excited to be fighting in my first 6-rounder,” O’Connor said. “It’s going to be a good experience, especially in Boston, where there will be a lot of my people. There’s no additional pressure on me fighting a home, though. I appreciate seeing and hearing all of the support, knowing they came to see me fight.”

2004 U.S. Olympic Team alternate O’Connor (6-0, 2 KOs) was impressive in his last fight, easily winning by 4-round decision against 22-fight veteran Travis Hartman on April 25 at Foxwoods. “I felt very relaxed in my last fight,” Danny noted. “It was like a day at the office. I’m really starting to feel confident. I’m going rounds and not feeling tight or anxious. Obviously, I was in great shape, and I’ll be in even better shape for this fight having been in a full strength-and-conditioning program for the first time with my coach, Eric Cressey. All of my work is going to kick-in this fight. I’m in the gym sparring 6, 8 and even 10 rounds. Sparring isn’t the same as fighting, but I’m ready to go six in this fight if it goes the distance. Each fight I’m learning and improving.”

The 24-year-old O’Connor, who defeated 2008 Olympic Gold medalist Felix Diaz a year ago in a USA-Dominican Republic dual meet, will fight closer to his Framingham (Mass.) home in front of hundreds of family, friends and fans at The Roxy.

“We’re looking forward to Danny’s first 6-rounder because that’s what separates the men from the boys in professional boxing,” O’Connor’s head trainer and co-manager (with Rob Valle) David Keefe remarked. “We’re moving forward. We have been busy and Danny is ready to move up.”

“We are proud of Danny and the progress he has made,” Seminole Warriors Boxing (O’Connor’s promoter) Leon Margules added. “The people in the Boston area should enjoy seeing the continued development of their great young prospect.”

Tickets, priced at $40.00, $55.00 and $75.00, may be purchased in advance in the Framingham area at Pepperoncini’s (486 Concord St.) or in the Rhode Island area by calling 617.803.8726.

For more information about Danny O’Connor go online to www.dannyoconnorboxing.com.

-DO-

IRISHTIMES.COM

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Battles in the ring the easier ones for Duddy

AMERICA AT LARGE: Since falling out with Irish Ropes, the Derry fighter has become the object of an ugly lawsuit, writes GEORGE KIMBALL

WHEN EDDIE McLoughlin hired Patrick Burns to be John Duddy’s new trainer last summer he didn’t anticipate he might be inviting the fox into the henhouse, but in the view of the Mayo-born promoter, that’s pretty much how it worked out.

At Jack Dempsey’s pub off Herald Square in Manhattan yesterday, McLoughlin presided over a press luncheon officially launching what has become a New York staple – Irish Ropes’ annual St Patrick’s Day card at Madison Square Garden. This year’s edition will showcase not Duddy, but another Irish middleweight, Limerick’s Andy Lee, fighting three-time world title challenger Antwun Echols.

Barely four months had elapsed since, following another press conference in the same pub on October 8th, McLoughlin sent Duddy off to Burns’ Miami training camp to begin preparations for a November 21st tune-up bout against Sam Hill. Within weeks Duddy had a new de facto manager, Craig Hamilton, the seven-year-old relationship between the boxer and his promoter was in tatters, the Hill fight (along with an even more lucrative January bout against Ronald Hearns) had been scuttled, and Duddy’s contract with Irish Ropes was the object of an unpleasant lawsuit, filed in US District Court.

At the centrepiece of the court case, which alleges financial improprieties in Irish Ropes’ handling of the Derry middleweight’s affairs, Eddie and Duddy’s erstwhile manager Tony McLoughlin stand accused of being brothers.

The McLoughlins do not deny that relationship, but point out they were already brothers in 2006, when Duddy, in the presence of a representative of the New York State Athletic Commission, signed separate contracts with each. In fact, from 2003 until last autumn, Duddy lived, rent-free, in an apartment owned by Tony McLoughlin, who also provided the boxer with the use of a car and several hundred dollars a week living allowance.

When Duddy appeared at Madison Square Garden a week ago to announce his February 21st date with Matt Vanda, he thanked Hamilton, attorney Gary Friedman and author Thomas Hauser for having effected his nascent emancipation from Irish Ropes. Hauser, himself a lawyer, subsequently objected to our having described him in these pages as a Duddy “adviser”, calling that characterisation “a disservice” to Hamilton and Friedman.

“The only advice I gave to John came when [Duddy’s proposed fight against Verno Phillips] fell through and I told him he should become more proactive in terms of charting his own career,” said Hauser, whose 4,000-word treatise The Truth About John Duddy on the website SecondsOut.com has, in the absence of dissenting views, been widely cited as the definitive view of a complex situation.

“In that same conversation, in response to a question from John, I said I wasn’t the right person to ask about the intricacies of managing a fighter and suggested he talk with Craig Hamilton. John was already aware of Hamilton because Craig manages Kevin Burnett, and Burnett is trained by Pat Burns,” added Hauser.

Within days of that advice, Hamilton (and his long-time lawyer, Friedman) were in charge and Irish Ropes was on the way out. Burns acknowledges having vouched for Hamilton’s integrity, but he also denies having initiated the poaching expedition.

Following the debacle against Walid Smichet last February (Duddy eked out a majority decision but was cut to ribbons, and blew a $1.4 million payday to fight middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik), it was clear to McLoughlin and matchmaker Jim Borzell trainer Don Turner would have to go.

McLoughlin says that even before the Smichet fight Hauser, whose opinion he valued, had lobbied on several occasions for Burns to replace Turner.

While acknowledging a long-time relationship with Burns, Hauser says the Florida trainer’s name was just one of several, including those of Nazim Richardson and Freddie Roach, he put forth to Irish Ropes.

In any case, McLoughlin and Borzell flew to Miami and met with Burns. (That the promoter and his matchmaker and not the manager conducted the job interview with the new trainer underscores the blurring of traditional roles at Irish Ropes, but both McLoughlins insist they acted in Duddy’s best interests.)

“When I asked him about his fee, he said it was ‘No problem, just a few hundred bucks a week’,” recalled Eddie. “He also talked about John’s conditioning, and about accommodation down there. He said neither was a problem, since he had a brother who was a qualified nutritionist who would work, again, ‘for a couple of hundred a week,’ and that his wife would arrange to rent a house for just a thousand or so a month.”

“That is inaccurate,” Burns insisted yesterday. “I simply couldn’t work for ‘a few hundred’ a week,’ and I wouldn’t have said I would.”

In the wake of the Smichet fiasco it was also clear Duddy needed to redeem himself with a tune-up bout against an unthreatening opponent. Charlie Howe of Ohio, knocked out in the first round of his last fight, had a deceptively impressive 17-3-2 record and seemed to fit the bill perfectly. When the New York commission refused to approve Duddy-Howe, the venue was shifted to Boston. And Burns became Duddy’s new trainer.

Once Irish Ropes had severed connections with Turner, according to McLoughlin, the picture changed dramatically. Between his own weekly fee of $850 and another $650 for Joseph Burns, the “few hundred a week” had grown to $1,500, and the $1,000-a-month house turned out to cost $1,800 a month.

In Boston on June 28th last year Duddy fought well and posted a unanimous decision over the 33-year-old Howe. Because that fight was a low-budget exercise away from the scrutiny of television cameras, Irish Ropes had anticipated running the show at a loss, and Duddy had agreed to a $20,000 purse, and $5,000 for training expenses.

Burns insists the financial terms had been spelled out before he took the job. McLoughlin claims he wouldn’t have agreed to it if that had been the case.

A few days ago, Eddie McLoughlin sifted through a pile of cancelled cheques showing that in May and June of last year alone he had written checks totalling $21,000 to various permutations of the Burns family.

Under the arrangement, Burns’ fee was supposed to cover gym expenses. For the Howe fight, Duddy sparred at the Phantom Gym in Miami. Phantom manager Artie Artwell says that for that camp, Pat Burns paid $60 a month for the use of the gym.

Given the unhappy beginning to the relationship, McLoughlin says he no longer considered Burns trustworthy, but acceded to the fighter’s wishes only because Duddy felt comfortable with him.

So who’s telling the truth? Consider this: that October 8th press conference was a veritable love-fest between Duddy and Irish Ropes, yet less than two weeks later he had new representation. Somebody gave John Duddy Craig Hamilton’s phone number, and it’s a pretty safe bet it wasn’t Eddie McLoughlin.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times . . .

Figueroa following in path of Ward & Malignaggi

LAS VEGAS (January 26, 2008) – Veteran boxing manager Sal LoNano has brought his fighter, NABF light welterweight champion Frankie “El Gato” Figueroa (20-2, 13 KOs), in from his Bronx home to the Boston area for a five-week training program at the famed Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning in Winchester, Massachusetts.

LoNano is having Figueroa follow in the same path two of his better known fighters, “Irish” Micky Ward and former IBF light welterweight champion Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi, also traveled with tremendous results.

“In Frankie’s last few fights I noticed something wrong on his right side,” LoNano explained. “He was switching around to the right side (Figueroa is a southpaw) because he was in some pain I brought Micky and Paulie to Boyle’s because it’s the best finding physical weaknesses of pro athletes. A physical therapist evaluated Frankie and found the problem – intertwined cartilage in his right knee and a weak back. I knew something was wrong and it’s great they found out what I knew was wrong from watching him in fights and the gym.

“Boyle’s is the place to go for any athlete trying to get back on the right track. ‘Gato’ will work there and get strong, just like Micky and Paulie did, developing muscles not normally used in the fight game. For example, when Frankie threw a jab it didn’t have any power behind it because of his knee and back. He’ll work with his trainer at Boyle’s to correct the problem. Frankie will be back 100-percent, not 80 or 90 percent, and be ready to go to training camp in Vero Beach (FL) for four weeks prior to his next fight.”

Figueroa will workout at Boyle’s three days a week, two hours a day, for five weeks. After each session he is massaged-out and off days Frankie does light boxing-related workouts at a nearby gym.

“After one day of testing I realized that they’re very serious professionals,” Frankie said. “I was surprised because I thought the testing would be a lot of jumping and pulling. I’m expecting a big improvement and increases in my power, balance and speed. I’m for any edge that will help me reach my goal of becoming the undisputed light welterweight champion of the world. I take life as it comes; I’m humble but confident. I’ve won three titles (NABF & New York State light welterweight and WBC Intercontinental welterweight) but my job won’t be complete until I’m world champion. This strength-and-conditioning program is going to help me get there.”

Nicknamed “El Gato” – The Cat – because he was the only one quick enough to catch a cat that was a mascot at his original gym in the Bronx, Frankie is now promoted by Roy Jones. Jr’s Square Ring.

The 30-year-old Figueroa, a Puerto Rican-American born in Spanish Harlem, was 2-time New York City high school wrestler, 14-0 as a senior, who didn’t start boxing until eight years ago after taking advice from a friend. A U.S. Army veteran rated No. 5 by the IBF, as well as No. 10 by the WBC and No. 14 by the WBA. Figueroa hopes to be matched in April against former world champion Randall Bailey in an IBF light welterweight title eliminator.

Figueroa, coming off of an 8-round decision last November against veteran Emmanuel Augustus, has won his last 12 fights and is unbeaten for the past four-plus years.

For more information about Frankie Figueroa visit his web site at www.teamgato.com.

-FF-

ALMOST CHAMPIONS...

The 1970's spawned such great and dominant champions such as Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Bobby Foster, Monzon, Napoles, Cervantes, Duran, Olivares, Arguello and Zarate. In review of their fine accomplishments and the feats of some other fine champions of that era, several very capable boxers fell short of their dreams of becomining a champion. Let's take a look t some of these proud warriors. The " Almost Champions "...

The first who comes to mind is Jerry Quarry. He was as tough as they come and talented too. He received his first title shot in 1968 when he made it to the finals of the WBA elimination tournament. He lost to Jimmy Ellis. In 1969 he met Joe Frazier for the NYSAC version of the title and was halted in seven. In 1970 he was stopped on cuts by Muhammad Ali. If he would have won that fight it would have paved the way for a rematch with Frazier. In 1974 he got that return engagement with Frazier who was now an ex champion. Jerry was stopped in five. If he would have won he would have been in a position to meet the winner of Foreman-Ali.

South African Pierre Fourie had four shots at the light heavyweight title. Too bad for Pierre he met two of the best light heavyweights of the era, Bob Foster and Victor Galindez. Bob and Victor each took a pair of fifteen round verdicts from Pierre.

Alvaro " Yaqui " Lopez was another tough cookie who failed in four attempts to win the light heavyweight title. He lost twice to Galindez, once to classy John Conteh and another to Saad Muhammad. Lopez even got a crack at the cruiserweight title losing to Carlos DeLeon.

Jorge Ahumada was the rage when he arrived in the States from Argentina. He was handled by the astute Gil Clancy and he was beating everybody put in front of him. Good fighters like Hal Carroll, Andy Kendall, Jose Gonzalez, Ray Anderson, Bobby Cassidy and Billy Wagner. Jorge met the great Bob Foster for the title in 1974 and they battled to a disputed draw. He then met John Conteh for the vacated WBC title after Foster retired. Conteh, who in his prime was a fine fighting machine won a fifteen round decision. Jorge then met countryman Victor Galindez for the WBA version of the crown and was outpointed over fifteen.

Bennie Briscoe may have been the " Baddest " middleweight to never win the title. He finally received a long overdue shot at " King " Carlos Monzon and almost pulled the upset when he hurt Monzon in the ninth round. Carlos rallied to win the decision. In a battle for the WBC version of the title Bennie was stopped by the vastly under rated Rodrigo Valdez. After Monzon twice edged Valdez and retired, Bennie met Valdez again for the vacant title and lost a decision. Another worthwhile 160 pound contender during the Monzon era was Jean Claude Bouttier. Carlos beat the Frenchman twice but held him in very high regard.

Armando Muniz was as tough as nails. He was a leading welterweight contender for years. Four times Mando would challenge for the coveted crown and four times he would come up short. He twice met the great Jose Napoles. " Mantaquilla " won the first one in a controversial match. Jose left no doubt in winning a decision in a rematch. Muniz would also lose twice to the formidible Carlos Palomino in title attempts.

Clyde Gray was one of the finest boxers to come out of Canada in the 70's. He gave the great Napoles one of his hardest fights but lost a decision in his first title challenge. Later he would meet Angel Espada for the WBA version of the title and again lose a decision. In his third and final attempt, Clyde was kayoed by Pipino Cuevas. Two other fine welterweights challenged Napoles on two different occasions but could not overcome this outstanding champion. They were Hedgemon Lewis and Ernie " Red " Lopez.

Edwin Viruet gave Roberto Duran absolute fits in their two fights, one of which was for Duran's lightweight title. Philadelphia's slick Tyrone Everett came within an eyelash of winning the WBC junior lightweight title from the colorful Alfredo Escalera. This was one of the most debated verdicts of the decade.

All these fine fighters would have surely won a " title " under today's rules, regulations and politics. They were top class fighters and should be remembered as such.

Jim Amato

HOW DOES HOPKINS RATE ?

Bernard Hopkins did not win the night he faced a fresh, legitimate challenger in young but talented Germaine Taylor. Bernard lost two razor close verdicts to Taylor. I give Bernard Hopkins much credit for taking on such a tough challenge in the twilight of his career. Since the losses to Taylor, Hopkins has moved up in weight. I believe that move was long overdue. In reviewing the two matches with Taylor, Bernard appeared to be too dried out. Against Antonio Tarver at 175 pounds Bernard looked strong and sharp. Hopkins then did well against the clever Winky Wright. The fight with Calzaghe was just a horrible affair. In retrospect it was just a bad style match up for Bernard.

It is very difficult to rate Hopkins against the best middleweights of the past. In my opinion, even if Bernard would have clocked Taylor with the first punch he landed, I still feel that there were several middleweights in my time ( 1965 to the Present ) that may have been able to handle Bernard.

   Though no fault of his own, Bernard came along at a time when serious challengers were few and far between. Yes he beat every challenger put before him and I agree he did not duck anyone. My question is, who did he really beat ? Trinidad who we later found out thanks to Winky Wright, was lacking in the skills department. De La Hoya who was just in with a bigger, stronger man. Oscar was probably at his best at 147pounds.

   I respect Bernard but he was never seriously challenged. Trinidad and DeLa Hoya were blown up welterweights. A lot of his challengers like Robert Allen, Antwon Nichols, Joe Lipsey, Keith Holmes and William Joppy were good fighters but not in the caliber of some world title challengers and former title holders from days gone by.

   I grew up watching and reading about some outstanding middleweight champions and contenders. Joey Giardello was a smart boxer with deceptive power who was about as tough as they come. Dick Tiger was a tenacious boxer/ puncher who was extremely strong and well conditioned. Emile Griffith could do it all. He could box, he could slug. He was one of the most complete boxers I've ever seen.

   Carlos Monzon was the BEST middleweight of my era. He was so strong. He used his height, strength and reach to great advantage as he just wore down challenger after challenger. Also he was almost impossible to hurt. Rodrigo Valdez was such an under rated fighter. He beat "Bad" Bennie Briscoe three times, once by a clean knockout. How many fighters can say that ? Rodrigo also had two epic battles in losing efforts to the great Monzon.

   Marvin Hagler...What can you say ? He took toughness to another plateau. He could box and he could slug. He was very adept at switching from orthodox to southpaw, a maneuver that kept his opponent off balance. In a word , he was great !

   Although Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns made brief stops at middleweight, I could see both beating Bernard. Ray's hand speed would have given Hopkins fits. Bernard was never known as a big hitter, and the only way to keep Hearns honest was to hurt him. Tommy's jab and power would have
been too much for Bernard.

   James Toney, in shape at 160 would have out cuted Bernard. Southpaw Michael Nunn's height, reach and boxing ability could have caused several problems for Hopkins. What about Mike McCallum ? I think McCallum would have been too strong for Bernard but that would have been an interesting match up.

   There were some fine boxers and challengers that I feel Bernard could have handled but I feel that I have made a case for a few that I think may have been a tad better.

   Well I'm sure I ruffled a few Hopkins fans feathers but I mean no disrespect to Bernard. He deserves whatever praise he receives. My point is that Bernard was just a victim of his time. The result of Bernard's upcoming contest with Kelly Pavlik should have no bearing on his standing among the all time middleweight greats.

The bottom line is that Bernard was the best of HIS time. Hopkins is already Hall Of Fame bound.

Jim Amato

CHRIS JOHN : AN INVISIBLE CHAMPION

Indonesia's Chris John is an undefeated world champion. He has held that status since 2003. Still he is hardly ever mentioned in boxing columns or wire reports. I've never seen him on anybody's pound for pound rating lists. He has boxed professionally for a decade now but he has become an invisible champion.

On October 24th John will meet Japan's unbeaten ( 27-0-2, 19 KO's ) Hiroyuki Enoki, the OPBF featherweight champion. Chris will carry a 41-0-1 ledger into the ring with him to defend his WBA title. This will cause some excitement in Tokyo where it will be held but it will get little if any press in North, Central or South America. It is doubtful that it will cause much of a stir in Europe, Africa or the United Kingdom for that matter This is hard to understand because John has won a couple of major fights at the international level. His signature win was a decision over the highly regarded Juan Manuel Marquez in 2006. Marquez had two points deducted in that bout for low blows but if he was given those points back he still would have lost the verdict.John won in convincing fashion Nevertheless most boxing experts considered the loss a fluke. In the meantime Marquez went on to have high profile fights with Marco Antonio Barrera, Rocky Juarez and Manny Pacquiao. Next up is a PPV battle with Joel Casamayor. Chris John has received very little reward or respect for that victory. Somehow that just does not seem quite fair.

The only mar on John's record is a 2004 technical draw with Jose Rojas due to a clash of heads. John outpointed Rojas in a 2007 rematch. In 2005 John got off the floor in the first round and then went on to win a comfortable decision over Derrick Gainer. Later that year John was impressive in halting Australia's talented Tommy Browne. I've seen some footage of Chris John and I must say that I was highly impressed. He is 5' 7-1/2 " with a 65 " reach. He is very quick with his hands and feet. He can be aggressive too. Sometimes actually swarming over his opponents. He can also bang a bit. He has 22 knockouts. In some of the footage I watched he just wasted a couple of his foes.

If John beats Enoki which does not appear to be an easy task, I hope he lands a major fight. I'd like to see him appear in the US and get some long overdue recognition. He deserves a chance to earn some of those Yankee dollars. I firmly believe the fans that do get an opportunity to watch Chris John in action will not be disappointed.

Jim Amato

HOW GOOD WAS VITALI KLITSCHKO ?

NOTE : With Vitali Klitschko on his way out of retirement to fight Sam Peter, below is what I felt about Vitali's career.

JA

He had walked away from the most prestigious prize in all of sports. I
was shocked but Vitali Klitschko is his own man and for whatever reasons he
had, the decision was made.

How good was Vitali Klitschko ? Where will he fall when rating him
against the other great heavyweights of all time ? It will be quite
difficult to judge with the abrupt end to his career. Vitali had only 37
fights. He won 35 with 34 stoppage wins. The numbers are impressive. Let's
look at the quality of his opposition.

Vitali began his career in 1996. He reeled off 27 straight wins, all by
knockout. There were no big names but his resume has several fair
heavyweights. Names like Cleveland Woods, Will Hinton, Anthony Willis, Levi
Billips, Jose Ribalta, Herbie Hide, Ed Mahone and Obed Sullivan.

In 2000, ahead on points a shoulder injury forced him to withdraw between
rounds nine and ten against Chris Byrd. The IBF would later recognize Byrd as
their champion. Vitali came back to win five fights Orlin Norris, Vaughn Bean and
Larry Donald were among his victims. That led Vitali to a 2003 title shot
against WBC champion Lennox Lewis.

Lennox-Vitali was a great fight but it ended in six rounds. Lewis broke
Vitali down and the fight was stopped. To his credit Vitali jumped right
back into the win column. He battered highly regarded Kirk Johnson. Then when
Lennox Lewis retired, they matched Vitali with dangerous Corrie Sanders for
the vacant WBC title. Vitali then defended his crown by halting Mike Tyson
conqueror, Danny Williams.

Vitali lost to the best of his era in Lennox Lewis. He also lost to the
talented Chris Byrd in a bout that he was on his way to winning before he
injured his shoulder. The best way to describe Vitali's opponents were fair
to slightly above average. There are no victories over a big name foe. No
Tyson, Holyfield, Moorer or even a John Ruiz.

Vitali was slow and ponderous. He was somewhat of a plodder. Brother Wladimir is a
much better boxer. Vitali had more power and seemed to be more sturdy.
Although Vitali' s record is very impressive, the quality of his opposition
was only so so. I find it very difficult to rate him with Ali, Frazier,
Foreman and Holmes.

Vitali would not be listed in my Top 25 Heavyweights.

Jim Amato

THE DUKE OF ALL DUKES . . .

May 1, 2008

COULD CONTEH HAVE BEAT CALZAGHE ?

Joe Calzaghe is now the toast of the British Kingdom. After his long run as super middleweight champion, Joe conquered Bernard Hopkins to become the world's best light heavyweight. Where does Joe go from here ? Next up looks to be the faded Roy Jones Jr. but what happens if Calzaghe beats Roy ? Well I know Antonio Tarver has been calling Joe out. How about Chad Dawson, Glen Johnson or Erdei ?

Too bad that Joe came along about thirty five years too late. Back then Joe would have found stiff competition right in his own back yard..Chris Finnegan and John Conteh were on there way to becoming top contenders then. Finnegan got a title shot against the legendary Bob Foster in 1972 and after a plucky performance Chris was halted by Bob in the fourteenth round. It was the Ring Magazine " Fight Of The Year. In 1973 Chris met and lost a fifteen round decision to Conteh for the European and British Empire crown. In a 1974 rematch Conteh stopped Finnegan in six rounds. Conteh was now making his way up the contender ladder. At the beginning of his pro career there were times that Conteh beat heavyweights. Before his second win over Finnegan, John had established himself a major threat to Bob Foster. Conteh had beaten Vincente Rondon and Tom Bogs leading him closer to the top. Foster came close to losing his title to Argentina's Jorge Ahumada when they fought to a disputed draw. At that point Bob decided to relinquish his crown. The WBA matched Ahumada's countryman Victor Galindez and Len " Stinger " Hutchins for their version of the title. The WBC matched Conteh with Ahumada. Galindez and Conteh emerged victorious. A fight between Conteh and Galindez would have been a dandy but it would never take place.

John would make successful defenses against Lonnie Bennett, rugged Yaqui Lopez and Hutchins. In their infinite wisdom the WBC stripped Conteh of his title and said it would recognize the winner of a bout between Mate Parlov and Miguel Cuello as the new champion. Parlov halted Cuello to capture the crown. Conteh would get a chance to regain it but the awkward Parlov scored a fifteen round decision over John. Parlov would soon lose the title to Marvin Johnson. Matthew Saad Muhammad ended Johnson's reign and Conteh would challenge Saad. John fought a wonderful fight and I had him ahead after twelve rounds but he seemed to fade in the " championship rounds " and Saad pulled out a fifteen round decision. It was close enough for a rematch but this time Muhammad handled John with relative ease scoring a fourth round knockout. Conteh would fight one more time and then retire in 1980 after a distinguished career posting a final record of 34-4-1.

How would Conteh have fared against today's Joe Calzaghe ? Very well I think. Calzaghe's swarming aggressive style would have been perfect for Conteh. John was very strong and was able to hold his own against some decent heavyweights. He was a good, solid all around boxer with a fine jab. Although not a one punch kayo artist, John was a sharp hitter. John tasted the canvas a few times in his career but he was only stopped once and as Calzaghe showed against Hopkins he's far from being a big banger. Also Conteh was not above using roughhouse tactics in the ring. I think it would boil down to a matter of tactics and Conteh had the superior talent. I'd have to go with Conteh if the bout was the " real " championship distance of fifteen rounds. If it was a twelve rounder Calzaghe might have been able to salvage a draw. If it went fifteen I believe Conteh would have finished strong to take the duke. Although John faded in the late rounds against Saad Muhammad, he was past his prime and Saad was a much more punishing puncher then Calzaghe would ever hope to be. A peak Conteh finished well in fifteen rounders againt Finnegan, Ahumada and Yaqui Lopez.

I actually shudder to think of Calzaghe in there with Bob Foster. Joe's lucky he did not fight in the 1970's and eighties.

Jim Amato

Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson put on a Great Show; Dawson passes toughest test of young career

By: Phil Santos Overhandright.com

That was it. All twelve rounds of Chad Dawson versus Glen Johnson epitomized what championship boxing is all about. Two top rated fighters willing to exchange and leave it all in the ring. It is a rarity to witness such an entertaining fight, especially in the higher weight classes, without a knockdown ever being recorded. Dawson and Johnson fought at a blistering pace worthy of welterweights.

They wasted no time getting started and stayed busy throughout. It was Chad Dawson landing beautiful combos and Glen Johnson scoring the stiffer shots. I agreed with the judges and gave Dawson the nod on my card but the fact that so many people scored a close win for Johnson speaks to just what a great fight we were treated to.

It was stated numerous times during the course of action that Glen Johnson was forcing Chad Dawson to fight a great fight. That assessment couldn't have been more accurate and Dawson truly did rise to the occasion. To his credit, and nearly to his demise, Dawson chose to stand and trade with Johnson. This was a move that could have been costly but earned him big points in my book. If Dawsons plan was to demonstrate his strength and toughness then he certainly got his point across. The young champion survived a late round scare when Johnson landed a thudding right hand. He held on only once before fighting his way out of trouble to survive the round. Any lingering questions about Dawson's ability to take a punch were answered emphatically.

Glen Johnson offered by far the toughest test for, the 14 years younger, Chad Dawson. Johnson never stopped coming forward and seemed just a punch or two away from possibly ending the fight. He walked straight through an endless stream of combinations from Dawson and delivered digging body shots and big right hands. Following the fight Johnson was extremely disgusted with the decision and expressed his distain for the way boxing operates as a business. Despite his harsh words Johnson remained polite and has the right to be disappointed after losing a fight in which he fought so well.

What now for Glen Johnson? The man has fought everybody. He made it very clear against Dawson that, even at age 39, he remains one of the top fighters in the division. Johnson is an extremely difficult match-up for anyone at 175, which is both good and bad for the rugged veteran. On the positive note he is still a force in the division but the draw back could be that without a belt/title or a significant win of late the Road Warrior may be overlooked by championship fighters seeking an opponent. The risk of losing to Johnson might begin to outweigh the benefits of handing him his 13^th defeat. Perhaps another go at Clinton Woods or possibly up and comers Zsolt Erdei or Adrian Diaconu could put Johnson back into the championship conversation.

For Chad Dawson this win is huge. With a big win over an accomplished opponent Dawson has solidified his championship status. Leading into the fight there were still those who doubted Dawson's skill and questioned his sturdiness of his chin. All that talk should begin to fade. Now the fight that has been speculated for a year, or longer, Chad Dawson versus Antonio Tarver makes more sense than ever. Names like Roy Jones and, current Ring World Champion, Bernard Hopkins are also intriguing opponents. Regardless of his immediate intentions Dawson remains flawless and still appears to be the present and future at 175 pounds.

Malignaggi jump starts 2008

NEW YORK (January 30, 2008) – International Boxing Federation junior welterweight champion Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi has started off the new year in grand fashion, appropriate for one befitting a young world champion with his flamboyant personality and crossover appeal.

First, The Ring magazine selected Malignaggi (24-1, 5 KOs) as its 2007 Comeback of the Year fighter, and then the movie premiere of his life story, “Magic Man: The Paulie Malignaggi Story,” that drew rave reviews on SHOWTIME. Paulie followed that with his first title defense, winning a 12-round unanimous decision January 5 against mandatory challenger Herman “The Black Panther” Ngoudjo on Showtime Championship Boxing at Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City.

The outspoken Brooklyn boxer, rated No. 2 by The Ring, was then the subject of a full page spread (Jan. 10 issue) in the trendy Time Out New York magazine (http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/shopping/25510/rummaging-with). Columnist Kristina Dechter’s “Rummaging with:” column included sidebar pieces on Paulie’s gloves (Everlast), his flex terry headband and Smooth ‘n Shine hair gel, Gleason’s Gym where he trains, his L-R-G Manimal hoodie and favorite pizza (Portobello’s).

The column’s sub-title read: We go to the ropes with a Brooklyn-bred boxer on how to dress, eat and train like a champ. “Known for his smack-spouting mouth and his dramatic entrances, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi brings panache along with jaw-crunching punches in the ring……The photogenic brawler (Malignaggi modeled streetwear for a Playboy fashion shoot last summer) has earned a reputation for his flashy ensembles.”

Then, “The Magic Man” joined New Jersey Governor John S. Corzine for the official ribbon-cutting festivities reopening the Union City Boxing Club.

Malignaggi, an avid soccer fan whose father Nello played pro soccer in Sicily, was honorary captain for the New Jersey Ironmen professional indoor soccer team, participating in the opening kick-off ceremony on Jan. 25.

“It’s been exciting so far,” Malignaggi said. “I’ve started the year off with a bang. We’re on our way to a big year in 2008. We’re going to continue this momentum and have a very successful year. Paulie Malignaggi is on the right path to becoming a household name – always the intent right from the start – in and out of boxing in 2008.”

-PM-

Jones Speed Kills Tito;

Jones floors Tito twice, Wins Unanimous Decision

By: Phil Santos – Overhandright.com

Battle of the Titans, or so it was billed, featuring two living legends of the fight game went off with a bang tonight. Live from Madison Square Garden and televised on HBO Pay-Per-View Roy Jones Jr. and Felix Trinidad put their respective legacies on the line. History will always remember these two boxing immortals as winners, tonight however only one man would emerge victorious.

This was a fight that Felix Trinidad simply could not win. Everything that mattered within the squared circle pointed to a Roy Jones victory. He was bigger, stronger, faster and fresher. End of story. The question that remained was just how it would happen. Would Jones put Tito to sleep? Would he box circles around Trinidad, mimicking Winky Wright, en route to an easy decision? Would this supposed epic clash deliver the type of thrills that their names have become synonymous with?

Tonight Roy Jones looked sharp and Felix Trinidad was respectable enough to make the contest entertaining. The judges scored it 116-110(2) and 117-109 for Roy Jones. I scored it 118-108 in favor of Jones who lost the first two rounds and swept the rest on my scorecard. The outcome was fairly obvious before the bell ever rang.

As far as answering the questions at hand, well Jones couldn’t deliver the knockout that he predicted but that may be more a tribute to Tito than a knock on Roy. Tito picked himself up off the canvas twice, once in the 7^th, and once in the 10^th, and fought bravely despite being outgunned.

Roy did, predictably, box circles around Tito and as the fight wore on matters only got worse. If not for a slow start for Jones it appeared that he could have taken every round with his much quicker hands and superior skills. This fight did very closely resemble Trinidad’s fight with Winky, a slick boxer beating the big puncher.

In regards to the fight meeting expectations the answer was a resounding yes! Both men came to fight and although he wasn’t a vintage Roy Jones he was an entertaining sharp puncher who still has the ability to amaze you at times with his hand speed. Tito showed the heart that fans have always loved him for by fighting hard, forcing the action and getting off the canvas. All in all the fight was a success; both men could exit with their heads held high and their legacy in tact. Neither was embarrassed and perhaps another big fight or two lie in wait for these two giants of the fistic arts.

Bunema TKO’s Karmazin

Alex Bunema Floors Roman Karmazin twice en route to Knockout

In a fight that was bordering on unwatchable, Alex Bunema stunned Roman Karmazin scoring a 10^th round knockout. Karmazin, who appeared to be in slight control of the fight, got caught by a stiff left hook which promptly deposited him on the canvas. He quickly rose to his feet and appeared steady before Bunema unloaded a solid combination ending with a hard right hand. Karmazin dropped and lay draped over the bottom rope with his head and shoulders outside the ring.

The fight was stopped and Alex Bunema had made a statement. He had finally broken through on the big stage and defeated a top tier contender. For Karmazin the loss was a costly one at this point in his career. At 35 years old and now having suffered the first knockout defeat of his career one has to wonder where Karmazin goes from here.

Conversely Alex Bunema has created an opportunity for himself to secure meaningful bouts with top rated Junior Middleweights. Having suffered losses to Kassim Ouma and Jermain Taylor, both former titlists, can be forgiven but defeats coming at the hands of Bronco McKart, Anthony Jones and Robert Kamya are definite cause for concern. This win could be a turning point and at 32 years old he can’t afford another defeat. At the time of the stoppage my scorecard read 86-85 in favor of Karmazin. Alex Bunema improves to 29-5-2 (15) while Roman Karmazin falls to 36-3-1 (23).

Alexander takes “Chop Chop” Apart

Devin Alexander scores UD win over Demarcus Corley

Tonight on the Trinidad-Jones Under card Devin Alexander furthered his rising prospect status by battering a faded Demarcus Corley. The once solid Demarcus “Chop Chop” Corley has shared the ring with Floyd Mayweather, Zab Judah, Miguel Cotto and Junior Witter. His problem being he could never quite score that significant win, losing to all the aforementioned opponents. Corley briefly held the WBO Junior Welterweight title and defended it twice. In the process he scored a win over Randall Bailey, arguably the best opponent he owns a victory over.

For the undefeated Devin Alexander a win over Corley would be the most noteworthy of his young career. In the name game that is boxing, beating someone with name recognition can earn you more accolades than beating a quality opponent.

Despite entering tonight’s bout riding a three fight winless streak, Corley fought put on a respectable performance even though he was out boxed throughout. Alexander was too fast as well as too strong for Corley, who was never in serious trouble but had no answers for the youthful up and comer. As the fight neared its conclusion “Chop Chop” had absolutely nothing on his punches while Alexander continued to force feed him leather and pad his margin of victory.

With the exception of a close first round, which I scored 10-9 for Corley, he wouldn’t have taken another round on my card were it not for a point deduction in the 12^th for a low blow. Corley may have fought well enough to merit continuing a career that many viewed as finished with a loss, but Devin Alexander was the better man this evening and notwithstanding his apparent lack of power he looks like a solid prospect. Alexander boxed his way to a UD win as well as earning himself the WBC Continental Americas Junior Welterweight title. The judges scored the contest 116-111 and 118-111(2), my scorecard read 118-110 in favor on Alexander.

PS - OverHandRight.com

RICKY HATTON’S IMPOSSIBLE DREAM

- Ron Ross

It was just about noontime when my phone rang and it was my dear friend Billy O”Donovan calling from Mrthyr Tydfil, Wales. I guess it’s close to fifteen years that I’ve known Billy now. He was a close friend of Howard Winstone, the great Welsh featherweight champion of the 1960’s and we would all get together over a pint or two every induction weekend at the International Boxing Hall of Fame and an occasional boxing event that I would journey to in the UK.

Billy asked who I was picking in last night’s Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton fight. He was a bit blue over the fact that he had not come over with the twenty-something thousand UK boxing diehards who had made the trip to cheer their Ricky on to victory. He had stayed behind to minister to his wife. He explained that most of his comrades had made the trip without even having tickets to the fight. They were content just to watch the fight on a large screen . I asked Billy why they couldn’t do that back in the UK. He explained that it wasn’t the same. They had to be near their hero. Just the fact that they were in the same state or even the same country made all the difference. It made it a shared experience.

“So, who are you pickin’?” Billy asked. I answered Billy the same way that I had answered everyone who asked my opinion of the fight. “My heart is with Ricky, but my head goes with Mayweather.”

“Yeah, he has a tough job ahead of him, doesn’t he?”

Afterwards I felt almost guilty, as though I were deserting a just cause, turning my back on a gallant warrior in search of the impossible dream. This brash, brazen cockney brawler believed in himself. He was the good neighbor, everybody’s friend set out to deflate the self-created Bad Boy image that Floyd Mayweather chose to project. Whether he projected an honest image or an illusion, to the general public it didn’t matter. This was what they saw.

I thought of this unbelievable spirit of camaraderie; hearts, arms and dreams all linked together and I wished that my head could be more in accord with my heart.

And this tough brawling Brit fought that kind of fight that places defeat on an almost equal plane with victory. His never-quit, never-say-die pugnacious spirit kept him in there and had his fans cheering and singing throughout but all the spirits joined together in the world, all the cheering and boisterous homeland good wishes couldn’t counter the terrific Mayweather left hook that ended the quest in the tenth round.

Floyd Mayweather won the fight. He also won many of the fans who suddenly saw a part of Floyd they were not privileged to see before. The genuinely expressed respect, admiration and humility he showed for his opponent’s gallant stand was a new dimension of Floyd Mayweather to so many.

To Billy O’Donovan I will say – “Tell your comrades to continue singing their praises. It is well deserved.”