The Cyber Boxing Zone Journal
A/K/A The America Online Boxing Newsletter (June 28, 1997)
http://cyberboxingzone.com
Editorial
by Mike DeLisa Well, here is another issue. This month, I had the pleasure of once again visiting the International Boxing Hall of Fame during Induction Weekend. Our coverage starts this issue and continues in the next, including my take. I would like to commend all of the Staff at the Hall for another fine weekend, especially in light of the pressure of dealing with the "Don King issue." We have a couple of pieces about Don, here. And, in true Cyber Boxing Zone tradition, we end the newsletter with a piece on Bob Arum. Hey, we gotta be fair!
JOE BRUNO'S INSIDE BOXING
By Joe Bruno
After two decades of hearing about Don King's poor victims in boxing, it's time to tell about someone who finally got over on the "Electric Hair Wonder" and lived to tell about it. His name is Little Old Me.In the winter of 1979, I was hired by The News World in New York City (owned by the Reverend Sun Yung Moon, who now owns The Washington Times) to do a full page of boxing every week on the News World's Sport's Monday section. The daily newspaper only had a circulation of 75, 000 a day, a mere pittance compared to the New York Times' one million a day circulation.
So, the editor's of The News World decided to do something the Times would never do to grab part of the Gray Old Lady's mostly liberal readership, and my boxing page fired their first salvo. At the time, no other daily paper in New York City employed a full-time boxing writer, and the Monday boxing page was an immediate success. So much so, advertisers were lining up to take ads to appear on the boxing page.
Bob Arum placed the first ad, publicizing his new Tuesday Night Boxing fight card on ESPN. Not to be outdone by his arch enemy, Don King decided he wanted a piece of the action too, but I didn't realized that piece included a piece of me.
King took a ridiculously bold and brazen ad that ran the full top of my boxing page. The ad consisted of a silhouetted drawing of a parade led by a man with tall hair waving the American Flag. The headline over the parade read: "Don King's American Dream." And in small letters under the drawing, "by Joe Bruno."
I almost swallowed my Underwood when I saw the add the first week. Although it didn't explicitly say so, it certainly inferred that I now worked for Don King.
I ran to the publisher of the News World, a Moonie, who before he was publisher used to clean the News World's toilets, and demanded that the word "advertisement" be placed between the ad and my name, to removed me from any connection to King, other than the fact that he advertised on my page. The publisher agreed, and for one week "advertisement" did appear where I demanded that it did.
The second week all hell broke loose.
The story I heard was King personally called the paper and said he would not pay the second, and last installment of his fee for 52 (one year) weekly adds, if the word "advertisement" was not removed immediately. He had paid a reported ten grand up front, and still owed another forty grand to the newspaper. The ad executive (not a Moonie), who sold King the ad, then informed me that if I didn't like the arrangement he had made with King, I could certainly seek employment elsewhere.
So for the next four weeks, I ate crow, and believe me it did NOT taste like chicken.
Then King, as per the agreement, coughed up the final forty grand.
I'd love to say it was my idea, but the truth is the great sports columnist Dick Young taught me a way to get even with Don King, who had only four years earlier been released after seven years in jail for manslaughter. (King was later pardoned by outgoing Governor George Rhodes, in an act of government that stunk worse than the Fulton Fish Market).
Dick Young asked me, "Has your paper told you to write only nice things about Don King?"
I said, "No, but let me make sure anyway."
I went back to the publisher, who was now as happy as a pig in shit because he had fifty grand of King's cash, and asked point blank, "Can I write anything I want about Don King under Don King's American Dream?'"
The Moonie bastard said, "Joe, we got King's money. Write what you want."
And so I did.
So, for the next three weeks, I dug up every nasty item I could find on King, and believe me there were plenty, and I displayed them for all to see under "Don King's American Dream."
I started with items like: "With his fists and his feet, Don King brutally beat Samuel Garret to death in Cleveland in 1966 because Garret couldn't pay King the $500 he owed King on a usurious loan. King spent the next seven years in jail after his conviction for manslaughter." "King did this. King did that. King screwed this fighter. King screwed that fighter. King....... bla, bla, bla, bla......."
Well, you get the message, and so did Don King.
"Don King's American Dream" became "Don King's Nightmare", and after three weeks of getting abused under his own ad, King withdrew "Don King's American Dream" after the ad ran only six weeks, even though King had already paid for an entire 52 weeks. Thus, to paraphrase what Claude Rains told Bogart at the end of Casablanca, it became the start of a long, and unrewarding relationship for the King and I.
Stay tuned for more "Dung King" in future columns.
*** Putting Perfume on Horse Manure The nefarious quest to legitimize "Dung" King continues.
The convicted felon, who somehow received a pardon after serving seven years for manslaughter from out-going Ohio Governor George Rhodes in 1980, is now being seen everywhere in a blatant attempt to drag himself out of the sewer, and into the mainstream of America's consciousness.
King was revered recently as the "World's Greatest Promoter" (that's sort of like the World's Greatest Cancer) on the syndicated morning program Crook and Chase, an obvious Regis and Kathy Lee clone, chasing the aptly named Mrs. Crook into the same cesspool the present Mrs. Frank Gifford now occupies with her ex-footballer husband "Hotel Room" Frank.
King also made an appearance at a fund raiser for the worthy Hale House in New York City on June 2nd, (orphaned kids beware), but beer maker St. Ides grabbed the brass ring for unadulterated buffoonery with it's newly released commercial featuring King as it's huckstering spokesperson for it's St. Ides Gold Lager Beer.
We're all aware, despite King's constant preachings in terms of black and white, that King's favorite colors are gold and green. Yet, the sickening sight of King hustling St. Ides Gold, makes me want to never taste beer again, let alone the warm piss of S.I.G.
Fellow boxing fans, please do this good deed for humanity. From this moment on, if you feel the urge to imbibe a cold one, make it a Bud, or a Mick, or an imported brew in a green bottle. Anything, but a beer associated with St. Ides, who must be the patron saint of scumbags like Don King.
**** Sports Reporters? Not!!!! ESPN reached an all-time low on Sunday June 8th when it invited filmmaker Spike Lee as one of its three "sports experts" on it's weekly Sunday morning Sports Reporters Program. Lee, of course did a boot-licking, ass-kissing, one-hour puff piece for HBO on the Mike Tyson and Don King a few years back, but Lee knows as much about sports as I do about movie making. Passing Spike Lee off as a media sports expert is an insult to every college graduate in this country who toiled hard for his degree in journalism. I guess the ability to afford a thousand dollars a pop for front row seats at the Knicks games gives Lee his "sports expert" credentials.
ESPN trying to pass off Spike Lee as a sports expert is like Siskel and Ebert inviting Marv Albert on their show and asking the Marvelous One his opinion on Washington D.C. hotel rooms, and more importantly, whether Marv's bark is as good as his bite.
All I can say about his sad affair is: "ESPN---Bite ME!"
**** ESPN 2 The Alternative Sports Network Disgrace
Who is Peter Michael of World Wide Web Casinos, and what is he doing promoting boxing matches? And more importantly, is there no further low ESPN 2 can go.
In what could qualify as the worst boxing card of all time, on Sunday June 7 Michaels promoted a fight card from the Hollywood Palladium, in Hollywood California, with the combined ages of the four ex-champion main event fighters reaching the stratospheric figure of 167 years.
The first fight was the quickest, and quite possibly fixed.
Former welterweight champion Carlo Palomino, now 47 years old, hit former junior welterweight champion Rene Arredondo, 41 years old, with a powder-puff right hand in the first round that deposited Arredondo onto the canvas and out at 1:33 of round number one.
The four-punch sequence that ended the fight was as follows: In a clinch, Arredondo turned his back on Palomino. Palomino landed two left hooks to the middle of Arredondo's back. Then, Palomino missed a left hook, and finally landed a short right that hit Arredondo as he was backing up. The knockdown looked more like a push than anything else, but Arredondo stood down for the full ten count.
Before this fight, Arredondo had been 8-10 in his last eighteen fights, losing seven by knockout.
If you can believe it, the second main event was even more absurd.
Former heavyweight champion Gerrie Coetzee, 42, met former middleweight, super middleweight, and light heavyweight champion Iran "The Blade" Barkley, 37, for the vacant World Boxing Board's Super Heavyweight Title.
Super-heavyweights indeed.
Coetzee, who weighed 215 when he won the heavyweight title from Michael Dokes in 1983, came in at a whopping 253 pounds. Yet, Barkley certainly took the cake (and obviously ate it too), when he tipped the scales at 229 1/2 pounds, almost seventy pounds heavier than when he won the middleweight title in 1986.
They looked like two buffaloes in heat when they met at center ring for round one, and Barkley appeared to be wearing the same fat suit Eddie Murphy wore in "The Nutty Professor."
Both fighter's stumbled around the ring like they were drunk, and after six rounds the fight was so bad boxing commentator Al Bernstein said, "The prospect of this fight going 12 rounds is frightening."
During round nine, while both fighters were alternately tripping and hugging each other, Bernstein said through quiet air, "I would say something about what's going on in the ring, if I could think of something to say."
How about, "Stop this fucking fight before serious damage is caused to the eyes of the people watching?"
In round ten, Barkley landed a left hook started from somewhere in Encino, and Coetzee fell into the ropes. Amazing, the ropes didn't collapse, and Barkley bored in, head down, flailing with both hands at Coetzee, like an old lady fending off a teenage mugger.
Referee Robert Byrd stopped the fight fans from further punishment when he jumped in and ended the bad joke at 2:07 of round ten.
In commercials aired all day long, ESPN 2 is constantly referred to as "The Alternative Sports Network." Have we reached such a low as a society that we now consider clobbering old geezers an alternative sport? Alternative to what? Picking the wings off flies?
ESPN 2. A resounding BOOOOOOO to you.
DON KING: TROUBLES & DUES TO BE PAID
By GorDoom
DK has had a hell of a ride ...For 23 years, or more precisely, since January 22nd 1974, in Kingston, Jamaica, when he stepped over Joe Frazier's prone & still twitching container, embraced Big George Foreman & launched himself into the Boneyard that is boxing ...
The Ol' Spit Bucket is sitting by his faithful Mac, after a Memorial Day Saturday repast of sushi, sake & primo herb feelin' kinda retro & I happened to slip on The Byrds 1968 classic, "Sweet Hearts Of The Rodeo", on it is the Dylan song, " Nothing Was Delivered ".
Dylan himself, never recorded it, but the lyrics are sooo apropos to DK:
When King has his rematch with the Feds in court later this year; the Ol' Spit Bucket thinks the sirens of fate are not going to deal with DK as kindly as last time ... Make no mistake about it, the Feds want to fry DK's ass real bad & they ain't gonna give up until he spends some time in the House Of Many Slammers. "Nothing was delivered & I tell this truth to you - not out of spite or anger but simply 'cause it's true ... Now you must provide some answers for what you sell was not received & the sooner you come up with it the sooner you can leave ..." -- Bob Dylan /1966It's the John Gotti syndrome: King has embarrassed the Feds more than once in court & while they might not always be competent, they are persistent ...
The Bucket ain't all that crazy 'bout the Fed's his own bad self, but its hard to squeeze out any tears for King. The man has run every flimflam scam in boxing. He has screwed so many people his tongue is shaped like a cork screw. The outrageous shit that DK & his brown nose buddy, WBC "President For Life," Jose Sulaiman have perpetrated on the sport is the stuff of legend.
DK's transgressions are so well documented there's no need to try to list them here... But I do have to say my favorite was on the night Tyson was cold cocked in Tokyo.
Don & Jose tried to strong arm the title away from Buster Douglas. Their greasy henchmen tackled the WBA officials as they were rising to flee from their front row seats. Jose grabbed the head WBA official by the throat while DK took huge shark like gouging bites from the official's bloody, seeping groin ...
Jose in a feverish, spittle laced diatribe forced them to acquiesce to not recognizing Buster as champ.
When the boxing press got a hold of the story & disseminated it; the acrid stench forced Bob Lee & the IBF to suddenly find their here to fore missing stones & not go along with the charade.
This ridiculous lash-up is what finally proved to the world that Sulaiman has his nose so far up DK's bunghole they mouth breath together ...
Anyway, that's the Bucket's favorite scam that the Glimmer Twins have tried to pull on the sport. For those that might want more background on Don King & his times I recommend either Jack Neufields excellent biography on DK or get a hold of a tape of the riveting "Front Line" Documentary that Neufield made for PBS.
In retrospect, some of DK's outrageous actions are highly humorous, but that doesn't make up for the very real damage that has been done too myriads of boxers, managers, other promoters, television networks (ask ABC about their partnership with King in the 70's, or for that matter the terrible matches he gave to the Fox network in the 90's) & to the sport itself.
With all that being said, the Ol' Spit Bucket has gotta admit that in many ways it will be a shame when King is no longer a part of the fistic landscape. DK has been flat out the best promoter in boxing from the fans point of view.
No other promoter has consistently come up with the great fight cards that DK has. As a fan, with the exception of most of the Tyson fight cards, I've almost always gotten my money's worth. That's a claim that Arum & the Duva's can't even come close to.
The other thing I will miss is my amusement/repulsion feelings about Don King himself. He is one of America's great rogues, a way larger than life figure who has carried off his swindles with a boorish panache that has served him well.
But as amusing as DK can be, he is still a man without scruples or morality. He has killed two people. He has broken the spirits & the bank accounts of far too many victims ... & he has been flat out dishonorable in his business practices.
Back in the days when the Mafia controlled boxing there was a famous axiom about the mob & boxing: "Once the mob gets a fighter, they don't let go until he's washed up, blind, or dead ...".
Unfortunately, those cold, barren words also perfectly apply to Don King ...
Only in America. . . .Indeed.
*** ROUGH GOD GOES RIDING & KOSTYA TSZYU GOES BACK ... DOWN UNDER "Oh the mud splattered victims Have to pay out all along the ancient highway ... Fighting back with counter attacks ... It's when that rough god goes riding Riding on in ... People in glasshouses throwing stones Gaping wounds that will never heal ... moaning like a dog in the manger Rough god goes riding riding on in ... There'll be no more heroes when that rough goes riding riding on in ..." -- VAN MORRISON 1997Whoa! ... Once again the sweet science that is that bitch angel known as boxing proved that there is no measure to the human heart ... Vince Phillips was supposed to be just another stepping stone in Kostya Tszyu's path to the glory & the kingdom that is the god given domain of the 90's super star athlete ...Yeah, well ... the best laid plans & all that hoary bullshit ...
That's the beauty of sports.
Even the most pathetic loser can rise up & for that one moment in time become the champion of the whole freakin' weird wide world ...
For the rest of us earth bound, not - so - immortals, it's moments like Vince Phillips unlikely triumph that make all the couch potato wallowing worth while ...
Moments like tonight, or the night Big George blasted out Moorer, or the night Evander eviscerated Iron Mike, or the night Kirk Gibson limped up to the plate & whacked it out in the '88 Series, or when Dwight Clark leaped into the air & snatched "The Catch" from Joe Montana in the '81 playoffs, or when the 1980 American hockey team did that miracle thing on those evil empire Russkies, or when Tiger Woods reamed the field at the '97 Masters, or ... Y' catch my drift ...
Granted, Vince Phillips cleaning Kostya Tszyu's clock ain't a sports moment like the Mets winning the '69 series or Joe Willie calling the '69 Super Bowl ... but in boxing, these days, we take what we can get ...
The Tszyu - Phillips fight was the first major bout since the very unsatisfying Whitaker vs. De La Hoya lash - up. Taking into account that not until Holyfield - Tyson ll on the 28th of June are there any other significant match ups .... So this bout, in a year when there is a dearth of major fights, much less "Super Fights", is gonna have to do ...
As all my faithful readers know, the Ol' Spit Bucket don't make predictions on fights no mo' ... but I still thinks 'bout em - & this fight presented some intriguing possibility's: At one time The Bucket had been very high on Tszyu. His credentials, limited as they were, were impressive. In his fourth fight young Kostya pounded out a ten round decision over former champ, the rugged Juan Laporte.
Granted, LaPorte's best days were a dim memory by the time he fought Tszyu, but for young Kostya to win decisively in only his fourth fight was impressive. Two fights later he starched the also rugged Sammy Fuentes in one.
The first time The Bucket saw Tszyu was in '94 against world class jr. welter, Hector Lopez. Kostya started out strong & dominated the first portion of the fight. During the middle rounds Tszyu lost steam & Lopez started connecting with some serious leather & by the 7th Tszyu's face looked like it had been through a meat grinder ...
Tszyu found his second wind in the 8th & rallied strongly to win a clear decision. I was very impressed after that fight. Tszyu showed ruggedness & a lot of heart. I was even more impressed after his blowout of Jake "The Snake" Rodriguez for the IBF title.
All those warm & fuzzy feelings about Tszyu went out the window after his debacle against the totally shot Roger Mayweather.
Back in the 80's, Mayweather, the former jr. lightweight & jr. welterweight titlist was one of the more exciting fighters of the decade. With the "Black Samba" you never knew what was going to happen. He was as likely to blast out his opponent as get whacked himself. Roger, except for a chin made out of the tenderest of porcelains, was the complete package. He was tall, rangy, with excellent boxing skills & movement. He also had a whip lash of a left jab & a pulverizing right cross. The one glaring weakness was the fragile mandible.
By the time Mayweather fought Tszyu he shouldn't have been licensed too fight. Roger was so shot & his legs so gone he spent most of the fight in his own corner; barely moving, trying desperately to tie up Tszyu.
For the most part he succeeded. While he didn't win a round he survived the distance against a young terror & that in itself was a moral victory.
Tszyu's ineptness in his display against Mayweather turned me off & showcased far too many weakness' in young Kostya's style.
Vince Phillips case is a whole other scenario. Vince has been a fringe contender for years. Past drug problems severely hindered his career which for the most part was going nowhere fast.
The first time I saw Phillips was last year in a game stand against Ike Quartey.
For two rounds & one minute into the third, Phillips engaged in an all out war with Quartey. Vince threw 115 punches in the first round alone! These were not pitty pat jabs, but solid power punches thrown with bad intentions.
Quartey, who looks stronger than the chairs in Marlon Brando's house, wasn't exactly standing there catching; he was throwing bombs of his own ...
Suddenly, one minute into the 3rd round Quartey caught up with Phillips & put him away. There was no shame in the loss as it had been a hammer & tongs affair & both fighters came out looking good despite the abbreviated ending.
Before the fight with Tszyu I felt that if Phillips could go to war with Quartey & hold his own for a while ... I didn't see how Tszyu could really hurt him as he's so much smaller than Quartey & not nearly as strong or as hard a puncher. Plus, not being able to put Mayweather away really underwhelmed me ...
Tszyu clearly dominated the first four rounds & looked good doing it. From the 5th round on Phillips began to establish himself. It was evident that Phillips was the much bigger & stronger fighter ... It looked like a small lightweight fighting a big welterweight.
From the 7th on Tszyu started falling slowly apart. When the ref intervened in the 9th to have the doctor check the bloody gash on Phillips' eye - it only heightened the sense of urgency for Phillips.
Phillips roared out of his corner like a wounded lion in the 10th & quickly demolished Tszyu with a series of right hand bombs. Only the referee's good timing prevented young Kostya from being badly injured ...
In last month's issue, the always astute Jim Trunzo, had an article entitled "The Mantle Of Greatness". In the piece, Trunz pointed out how quickly we bestow the label of "great" on a fighter & how quickly we take it away ...
One loss doesn't end a career & while Tszyu endured a brutal beating he is young & talented enough to bounce back. I'm sure the pundits will try to bring him down as much as they previously built him up ... My take is that he wasn't as good as the boxing press made him out to be, & he's not as bad as the press will soon make him out to be ...
The media can turn on someone as viciously as a scorned wife. Nothing embarass' them more than when a fighter that they built up to unrealistic heights turn out to be only human after all ...
*** RINSING OFF THE MOUTHPIECE Where The Deer & the Bureaucrats Play Dept.:Can anybody explain why the IBF stripped Terry Norris & not Felix Trinidad of their respective titles??? Recently I received an e-mail from a perceptive boxing fan that puts the bureaucratic insanity of the alphabet's in perspective:
Date: Sat, May 24, 1997 9:56 AM PST From: Too Fred Subj: Re: You Last Post To: GorDoomBasically, the point is the duplicity of the IBF and specifically, president Robert Lee. The IBF recently stripped Terry Norris of its junior middleweight title for not fighting the No. 1 contender in a mandatory defense. Ordinarily, I'd say fine. Except this time, Norris was to fight IBF welterweight champion Felix Trinidad, in a fight everyone was looking forward to.Talk about settling the pound-for-pound issue. So if Norris is stripped for not making a mandatory defense against the No. 1 contender, why is Trinidad allowed to hold on to his IBF title? Trinidad hasn't fought a mandatory defense against the IBF's No. 1 contender since November 1995 -- which was Larry Barnes.
He's fought such stiffs as Ray Lovato (who Derrell Coley beat, January 31, 1995 by a one-sided decision, for his first professional loss, followed by 16 months of inactivity) and USBA jr. welterweight champion Freddie Pendleton. By the way, Pendleton has kept his USBA title without any title defense in over 1 year, despite a mandatory challenge from the No. 1 USBA contender Sharmba Mitchell.
Back to Trinidad. Why should he be allowed the luxury of keeping his welterweight title until after his fight with Norris (if it still happens) making a mandatory defense. The other question that goes begging is why hasn't the No. 1 contender (for the past 9 months) Patrick Charpentier pushed the issue? This is why NABF welterweight champion Derrell Coley has petitioned the WBC for an elimination bout with Charpentier. Coley is No. 2 by the WBC and Charpentier is No. 1
The IBF just lost a case in court over the same issue in the light-heavyweight division allowing William Guthrie a shot at the title.
Well put, sez the Bucket ...
You would think that a sport like boxing which is in such disarray due to the mass confusion created by the alphabets; would welcome the unification of titles to create some much needed credibility ... but no, greed & hubris is the force that drives boxing's so called caretakers ...
At this point, as pitiful as it is to say, professional wrestling is not only more popular, it's better organized.
The Ol' Spit Bucket, in last month's Rinsing Out The Mouth Piece section, railed & ranted in a screed about the pathetic quality of the mindless, anile, e-mail I'd received from some of my more incredibly dim witted, & unbelievably obtuse readers ... Yeah, well ... I would be remiss if I didn't state that the great majority of the CBZ Journal readers are discerning & knowledgeable fight fans.
The above letter from "Too Fred" is a perfect example. I've gotten many an idea for articles from e-mails - & the Bucket appreciates 'em ... I've also developed quite a few friendships all around the world that would have never happened with out the Cyber Boxing Zone & the innumerable posts that have been sent to the Bucket down here in the bunker ...
An example of what I'm talking about is Derek Cusak; my fine Irisher friend, who lives deep in the heart of Dublin, & is our Irish, British & European correspondent. Our relationship started with an e-mail from him hailing the virtues of Naseem Hamed.
This was well before "The Prince's" first American exposure on Show Time in June of '96 against Daniel Alicea.
We began exchanging correspondence & soon after I invited him to start writing for the CBZ. He took me up on the offer & started sending in his terrific reports that cover not only the established Irish, British & European fighters, but also the up & coming phenoms that we haven't yet heard about on this side of the pond.
Too make a long story short, In the last year we've grown to become friends & exchange posts on at least a weekly basis. Most of our regular contributors, writers like DscribeDC, Jim Trunzo, the inimitable Joe Bruno, Pusboil, et. al. all began our friendships by posting to either myself or Mike DeLisa ...
S' what I'm trying to say in a circuitous kinda way is that despite the vitriol the Ol' Spit Bucket displayed in reaming out some deserving jag - offs in the last issue of the Journal ... I do welcome all the e-mail that is sent to us.
The Scourge Of The New York Islands, my partner in crime, Mike DeLisa & I do our absolute best to respond promptly to all the intelligible posts that are sent.
It doesn't matter if you have radically divergent view points from ours. We are hardly infallible & many is the time I've learned a thang or two from our insightful readers ...
An instance of an acrimonious beginning to a relationship was the one I had with Ring Magazine's computer boxing maven, Jim Trunzo. Trunz had written an article for Ring Magazine that was the first piece I'd ever seen on what was happening with boxing on the Internet.
After reading the article, the Bucket felt that the Cyber Boxing Zone had been woefully neglected & I responded by writing a scathing condemnation of Trunz's article. Since I knew his e-mail address, I felt it would only be fair to send him the piece before it was published. He responded promptly with some caustic comments of his own. We went back & forth for a while hurling invective &at each other through the ether of cyber space ...
It soon became apparent to both of us that we were kindred spirits in regards to the sweet science & the slams ceased & we came to a real understanding.
Anyways ... Eventually Jim started contributing on a regular basis & we've become good friends. The Bucket considers Jim Trunzo to be a mentor in regards to boxing journalism. We talk via telephone on a weekly basis & I consider Trunz to be one of the wisest boxing sages I've ever run across & a valued sounding board for just about every article I write ...
The point of all this is despite the curmudgeon diatribe about e-mail last month, we do welcome the postings we receive at the CBZ
******** The Why Can't We All Just Get Along ... Or The Joe Bruno Let's Call A Spade A Spade Department:
Steve Farhood, the Ring Magazine editor, in an article on the Whitaker - De La Hoya fight, points out how lucky Oscar was that an outrageously politically incorrect comment he made to Ron Borges of the Boston Globe didn't get picked up on by the rest of the media.
Oscar is usually very careful & quite media savvy for such a young man. Early in his career De La Hoya used to stick his chin out & got floored by some mediocre opponents. Since then he has learned to tuck his chin so well that he even keeps it tucked during press conferences ...
A good example of this was at a recent boxing event when Oscar was asked to pose for a picture with renowned painter Leroy Neiman. De La Hoya refused because Leroy was smoking a cigar & Oscar thought it would be bad for his image if he posed with a cigar smoker!!!?
That's why the Bucket was stunned to read Oscar's response to Whitaker chiding him about the lack of black fighters on De La Hoya's career ledger.
As reported by Borges, his statement was: "To tell you the truth, African -American's don't have a heart. They can't take it to the body. They give up right away. That's what I've seen. No African-American can take my punch."
Whoa!!!
The Ol' Spit Bucket is really disappointed in Oscar. My racist father, who was a pro fighter in the late 30's - early 40's, used to spout the same bullshit, line for line that Oscar spewed. That was the kinda crap he used to say to me when I was growing up in the 50's ... It's disillusioning, forty years later, too hear word for word the same racist cliches that were extant so many decades ago ...
Especially from a man of color who really should know better ...
Can you imagine the furor if a white fighter like Vinnie Paz had said the same thing about Roy Jones Jr. before he fought him?
There's a double standard here. Is it somehow okay for an ethnic person to spout racist cliches, but verboten for white athletes? What if the 49'rs QB, Steve Young, said the same thing about black wide receiver's, specifically Jerry Rice?
This kind of b.s. was not tolerated when Jimmy "The Greek" & Dodgers VP Al Campanis made similar stupid remarks ... & they lost their jobs because of it.
Since Oscar has suffered no backlash for his incredibly insensitive & stupid remarks ... I guess it's somehow okay to be a racist & say anything you want as long as you're a person of color ...
Iron Mike vs. Commander Evander dept: THe Holyfield-Tyson rematch is likely to be the biggest fight in terms of filthy lucre, in the history of boxing. It is by far the most anticipated event in the sport for 1997.Even though the Bucket ( due to incredibly inept accuracy in prognostications of late ) has quit predicting fights; I have been asked by countless peeps 'bout my lately quite & very humbled opinion ...
I don't have a clue as to who is going to win ...
But I do have some thoughts on the upcoming fracas:
As much as it pains me to say it, boxing needs (italics) Mighty Mike to win, for the sake of the sport ...
Iron Mike has never been a fighter that I've admired as a human being.
He exemplifies all that is wrong with society & the cult of celebrity. He's rude, crude, & let's face it ... America's second most famous Afro-Felon.
Mike Tyson is the flip side of Michael Jordan. Even the ads that have been marketed for Tyson's commercial endorsements for athletic gear are entitled, "The Other Side Of Mike".
You don't have to be a Rhodes Scholar to figure out what's going on here ... Iron Mike is to boxing what the Oakland Raiders are to the NFL. Only with the Raiders, it's like the Stone's, Sex Pistols or Nirvana, a poseur stance ...
With Tyson, it's not only a marketing tool - it's freakin' reality ...
Evander Holyfield is also polarized by a 180 degrees from Tyson:
The "Commander" is everything that Mighty Mike is not ... A courageous warrior in life as well as in the ring.
He's a genuine hero.
A devout, good & pious man, who has overcome his physical deficiency's to become a three time heavyweight titlist ... but, he don't make the fans blood boil ... He's not headline fodder for the tabloids, he doesn't screw up large for all the world to see ...
Evander's life is not an on going soap opera; frankly, 'cept for his uplifting feats in the ring, Evander is a boring dude ... There's no controversy, no darkness(italics) ... & that's what sells newspapers & magazines & drives up TV ratings & the whole cult of celebrity that we've devolved into as the 20th Century slouches toward the finish line for this particular self imposed time line ...
Goodness & Light rarely sell.
Take movies f'r instance: For every Tom Cruise or Kurt Russell, there's a dozen Val Kilmer's or Mickey Rourke's ... In music, for every Randy Travis, there's a Steve Earl, for every Stevie Wonder, there's a zillion NWA's, for every Hansen, there's untold Marilyn Manson wannabe's ... & on & on & on ...
Darkness & controversy sells. It's the Yin & Yang of life turned upside down & skewed sideways ... Good is perceived as bland ... & that's how someone as fucked up & seriously flawed in character as Dennis Rodman is,can not only survive, but flourish as Jordan's polar opposite.
These days the only reason athletes like Jordan, Ripken & Holyfield prosper is that their physical accomplishments are so overwhelming that they overcome the plebeian simple dedication & forthrightness that they use to achieve them ...
Your never gonna read about Ripken porking some aging airline hotsy totsy in the Globe ... Your never gonna read about MJ kicking anybody in the nuts onna hard wood floor ... Your never gonna read about Evander being under suspicion for biting a cocktail waitress in the face ...
It ain't gonna happen.
& that's why Tyson & Rodman's ilk are so much more interesting to the press ... not only are they highly skilled at their particular athletic disciplines, but their behavior & attitudes are combustible compost for the bottom feeding press ...
S'kay, alla that crap's interestin', but who's gonna win the freakin' fight??? ...
I dunno ... but as usual, the Bucket's gots some thoughts ...
Let's start with the Commander:
When Holyfield out-gutted & eventually eviscerated Iron Mike last November 9th, there was no more nonplused a so called boxing expert than the Ol' Spit Bucket ...
What "Commander" Evander accomplished was truly the stuff of legend & lore ... An upset for the ages, ranking right up there with what that dweeby David dude did to that omnipotent Goliath guy ...
The Bucket, like every other prognosticator scribe on our pitiful orb, except for Ron Borges of the Boston Globe, predicted that Tyson would not only win, but that Evander might be carried out inna body bag.
S'kay, I'll be the first one to admit I was totally wrong ... What I, like all the other scribes forgot in formulating our predictions is that there is one factor that can never be measured ...
Y' can euphemistically call it heart, will, determination -- or call it for what it is -- pure fucking guts.
'Vander's got 'em, & when it comes to Iron Mike, after all these years, I've yets t' see's 'em ...
But that ain't the point of this particular diatribe ... The point is that as much as Mike Tyson turns me off as a human frijole ... As a boxing fan he is the avatar of this so called sport ...
In the first three months that Tyson was out of the Indiana House Of Many Slammers; he got more press than the whole sport of boxing got in the three & a half years he was incarcerated ...
As fucked up as it is, Mike Tyson ultimately means way more to boxing than Evander, no matter how holy righteous he is ... Iron Mike has got this edge t' his own bad self that attracts the worst in all of us ... He puts the face on the swirling angst that exists in the dark beast within ... He's that way lonesome, violently strange punk, that knows he can never go back home, no matter how close his bullets shatter the bone ... & that's the visceral appeal & repulsion ...
So what does this say about us?
Us being the sporting public that eats all these melodramas up & regurgitates them as yesterdays news?
Not a whole helluva lot.
============================================================
The 1997 International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction's: KING HOLDS HIS OWN COURT
By: Dave Iamele
The year's Induction weekend promised to be an interesting time with both Sugar Ray Leonard and Don King being inducted, not to mention Jose Torres.I arrived in Canastota Thursday afternoon with my boxing enthusiast pal known as "Joe Canastota" just in time to catch a corner man talk with legendary cut man Ralph Citro who has worked over 100 world championship fights. Archie Moore was also on hand to sign some autographs and say a few words. When I sat down to listen to the lecture, I had the good fortune to sit next to a most engaging, knowledgeable boxing journalist from the Netherlands by the name of Rinzur. When he told me his name, he said "perhaps to you, it sounds like a curse".
After the ringside talk was over, I picked up my press kit (which wasn't worth a damn, but more on that later) and headed over to Tony Graziano's, the local watering hole, to have a cold beer or two before the annual welcome cook out at the Canastota Legion. Joe and I ran into our old friend, Alexis Arguello in Tony's having a soda and signing autographs for the fans. Alexis was glad to be back in town after missing last years induction due to a robbery back in Nicaragua. Alexis looked in fighting shape and when Joe asked him what he thought of Don King being inducted into the Hall of Fame, he said he felt Don deserved it because of his many accomplishments, but personally, he didn't think Don was too nice a guy (this is the "G" rated version). We told Alexis we would catch up with him later and headed out. I was looking forward to seeing Jose Torres, who I had contacted earlier about doing an interview.
We grabbed a couple of burgers and sausages and tried to take it all in - there was Aaron Pryor "The Hawk" posing for a photo; across from him was "Kid Dynamite", Danny Romero, just arriving; signing autographs were Carlos Ortiz and Gene Fullmer; and Gerry Cooney telling a joke, a boxing fan's heaven! I spotted Jose inside and introduced myself and congratulated him once again on his induction. Jose recalled our conversation and graciously agreed to an interview later that evening, I thanked him and left him to eat his dinner in peace (as much as was possible amongst the chaos).
Outside, I had my photo taken with Danny Romero and he also agreed to take some time to chat. By this time, I was looking for my good friend and editor of the cyberboxingzone.com on AOL, Mike DeLisa, also known as "The Cigar Czar of Venezuela". Just as I was asking Joe where he could be, I spotted Mike and his wife, Lynn, arriving. We exchanged greetings and then Mike gave me a couple of the boxes of some cigars he especially had made up for this year's induction. They were beautiful boxes of 10 cigars (Venezuelan) with the Hall of Fame logo on the box with this year's induction date. Mike had generously donated 50 boxes to the IBHOF. I told Mike that his friend and renowned boxing historian, Hank Kaplan, was inside and he went in to locate Hank.
After finishing off a beer, I went in to tell Mike I'd catch up with him later at Graziano's. He was sitting with Hank in the private area reserved for the boxers. (Mike was invited in by Kid Gavilan and Hank Kaplan because Mike's family used to manage Gavilan, and Kid Chocolate before him!) I strolled right in past security no problemo and started to tell Mike I would see him over to the bar when a security guy approached me to give me the boot, but he saw my press pass and told me, "I was ok". I was glad that I was ok and finished telling Mike I'd see him at Tony's and started to leave when I spotted Mike Brophy who works with his brother Ed (Executive Director) at the IBHOF, I went over to say hi and he told me I wasn't allowed back here and asked me to leave. I told him I was sorry, and I was leaving anyway.
We all rendezvoused at Graziano's and the drinks were drunk and cigars were smoked, there was much talk of boxing and many champions were drifting past, caught just out of the corner of your eye - Willie Pep here, Ken Norton there.
When it was time to interview Jose, Mike and I went to his hotel room and had a nice, long, in depth discussion with him that lasted longer than my 60 minute tape. I finished up the night by going with Joe Canastota to do the Romero interview. Danny is an engaging and intelligent young man with a real respect for boxing history. I was pleased with what I had accomplished on my first evening in town, but it was very late and I wanted to get a fresh start in the morning, so it was time to call it a night and head home. I would be spending Friday and Saturday evening in town at a local motel with my fiancee, Malonie, so thankfully, this would be the one night I would have a long drive until Sunday evening.
We got in town and had some lunch at Graziano's on a humid, overcast Friday afternoon. We stayed there with friends having refreshments, smoking cigars and talking boxing until the press conference at 3:30 p.m. The press conference was a drizzling affair but many boxing fans were on hand along with the press and it gave me an idea of the large number of people who would be on hand for the is year's induction's. I also got booted off stage by Ed Brophy trying to get Kid Gavilan to autograph a card for me.
The rest of the evening was left to R and R (rest and relaxation) as the only other event scheduled was a celebrity boxing exhibition at a local casino, and as I've said before, to me exhibition boxing is like non-alcoholic beer, what's the point? So we stayed at the bar - me, my lovely fiancee, Malonie, Mike, his wife, Joe Canastota, Joe B., and our friend from the Netherlands, Rinzur. Amazingly, Rinzur had not seen the first Tyson/Holyfield fight so we watched a copy on Joe Canastota's camcorder. Mike was wearing a Don King wig and dancing around with the lounge singer to the crowd's amusement and his wife's horror. Sugar Ray made his way to the bar surrounded by a small army of body guards. After seeing a signature that looked like an EKG reading, I decided not to bother trying to get an autograph, I usually like to be able to read one or two letters in a name. Malonie was able to get me a nice signature on a beauty of a Ken Norton photo I had though. Well, the band played LOUDLY on and on.
Saturday morning, we were off to the collector's show to buy some boxing memorabilia. I purchased two boxing buttons (Gerald McClellan and Holyfield vs. Quawi) for $3.50 u.s. each, two T-shirt's ("The Fight" Haggler vs. Hearns, April 15, 1985 for $9.00 u.s. and a Julio Cezar Chavez for $8.00 u.s.), also 1 set of 1996 Ringside boxing cards for $22.00 u.s.
By now it's Saturday afternoon and you'll notice I've made no mention of Don King. Why? Because I had not seen him. Rumors of his whereabouts abounded but I had yet to catch a glimpse. I had received a fax telling me King would be accompanied by Muhammad Ali, and I was anxious to see if this was true. Saturday night was time for some strategic planning - the Hall was putting on a cocktail party from 6 - 7 p.m. ($50 u.s.) and a banquet of champions dinner ($100 u.s.) 7 - 10 p.m.. However, I had received a fax Thursday evening telling me that Don King was having his own bash at the Grand Ball Room at the Marriott at 6:30 p.m. in Syracuse, NY where he was staying. I was curious how Don was going to be in two places at once and assumed he would make a brief appearance at the cocktail party and make a short speech at the Hall's dinner then make the 30 minute drive out to Syracuse to arrive at the Grand Ball Room about 9:30 p.m. or so. Being as all the tickets to the cocktail party and banquet of champions dinner had been sold out long before hand, coming up with a plan wasn't all that difficult. Mike and Lynn had purchased their tickets several months in advance and would attend the two Hall sponsored functions, Malonie and I would go back to the Motel for a little time alone and a shower and clean clothes. Joe Canastota and Joe B. would meet us out in Syracuse around 8:30 - 9:00 p.m..
We got to the Don King Party later than expected and arrived to a madhouse. As Malonie and I were going in, Joe B. was graciously leaving because he felt his attire was not quite up to the high brow status this event commanded. When we got to the ballroom, I was surprised to find Mike and Lynn already arrived -- they gave had given away their Banquet tickets. I learned then that Don King had SNUBBED THE HALL and had not even bothered to go to either event. I'm sure all the people who paid good money to see the inductees were not pleased.
As I was led over to see The Don, I felt like I was being granted an audience with the Pope. Just as I arrived, TV lights were being shut off and the Greatest, Muhammad Ali, was being led right past me. I was so in awe, so overwhelmed that I almost didn't move or speak, but I finally clapped him on the shoulder and said, "hi, champ". Muhammad gave me a little wave and walked on. From that point on, nothing could ruin my evening. I went up and shook hands with Don King and gave him some cigars. I said, "hi, Don, I'm Dave Iamele from Fist magazine and AOL boxing newsletter, and I'd like to ask you a few questions". Don shook my hand vigorously, posed for some photos, laughed heartily, told me, "I love you, man", and walked on. That was it?!? I'd been calling Don's PR man, Mike Marley, for 6 months and that's all I got? A hand shake, a smile, and an I love you, man?!
I quickly realized that I wasn't going to get the opportunity to get any information out of The Don, so I settled for a couple of autographs and sat back to take it all in.
The Don, never one to take a back seat to anyone, had done the IBHOF one better and threw a party for himself with his own guest list where he wouldn't have to share the spotlight with anyone else. A party for Don King, by Don King, honoring Don King - only in America, indeed. I have to say that this was one impressive event. The Grand Ball Room was filled with fighters from 108 pounds to 200 +.
The guest list to honor Don included: representatives from the WBA, IBF & WBC, all of Don's family, Ricardo Lopez, Frankie Liles, Nate Miller, Saoul Mamby, Frankie Randall, Jimmy Young, Tom Johnson, Gianfranco Rossi, Wilfred Vasquez, Julio Cezar Chavez, Larry Holmes, Michael Dokes, Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tubbs, Muhammad Ali. There were several more, but these are the ones I spotted at the party.
Larry Holmes compared his relationship with Don to a marriage and Dokes said Don was like a father to him and compared him to Jesus Christ. Interesting conversation to be sure. After everyone was done with their praise of Don, there was much music and dancing, cigar smoking, and drinking and it seemed like a good time was had by all. I gotta tell you it was awesome being in the same room with so many great fighters! Malonie was excited she got to talk with "Boom Boom" Johnson and she boogied the night away with the fighters including "The Hawk" Aaron Pryor. As Don King said, "the memories and camaraderie will be flowing all weekend." We stayed long into the night and before leaving, Frankie Randall mentioned a photo shoot in the morning with Don, Ali, Holmes and several of Don's other fighters.
Malonie and I attended the photo shoot in the morning and it was fantastic. Don was in the front row surrounded by Ali and Holmes with 18 or so of his other champs. It made for some great photos and the best thing was hardly anyone was there! Afterward, I got Frankie Randall's phone number and address so I could do a phone interview in the future and headed off to attend the parade of champions before the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
We took some nice photos of the parade and headed off to the Hall to catch the ceremonies. We crossed over the main street and headed past the Hall to the area where the event was to take place. As I passed Mike Brophy, he went into a tirade and told me the area I was in was for special red ticket holders only and to get the hell out! I tried to explain to him that we had just came across and this is where we were led, but he was too irate to listen to reason. We finally got ourselves situated in a spot that was seemingly acceptable to everyone, and I recorded the acceptance speeches.
Jose Torres went first, graciously accepting his induction and stating, "this is the greatest thing to happen to me in boxing". He then went on to make an impassioned speech calling for a boxers union, "to better boxing, to get fighters to have a voice, to be able to argue their point, to be more independent, and to be able to make their own decisions."
Don King spoke next and, as usual, he was not at a loss for words, some thoughts he had: "My life in boxing has been a pleasure. Certainly you could say from the outside looking in, that it's been a controversial whirlwind because we find that certain incongruities that come about with a guy like myself coming to the helm and working very hard in this sport that has been unorganized, that you would say "wow" what is he doing? How does he do it? And so they fantasize and fabricate all kinda ways in which I attained the opportunity to be recognized for the achievements and accomplishments that I have established in my lifetime as a promoter. Well, let me put it to you very simply, so that all those who are doubters will be able to see very clearly, those who are confused will be able to understand. I am like a tree planted by water, and I shall not be moved. It comes as no surprise that if you want to know the secret, the secret sits right here, in the personage of Muhammad Ali. (crowned chants Ali-Ali-Ali . . ) Allow me to tell you where Don King came from. It was from this young man, Muhammad Ali, who came to Cleveland in 1971 to help me to promote a hospital fund-raiser for a black hospital and it was suffering from financial woes, couldn't pay it's bills. So I initiated a fund raiser and Muhammad Ali was that fund raiser. . . . It was a smashing success and Muhammad prevailed upon me to go into the sport of boxing. He said that I was one of the greatest promoters he had ever seen, and if I would go into boxing, I could kinda even things up for the fighters, who are the gladiators, the bleeders, in the center of the ring that had no authority to say what about anything other than that, and I should go into boxing. I went into boxing from that and the rest has been history. I am the legacy of this man (Ali) and when they wanna know why - because this man was defiant, he fought for his principals and his convictions, he was not always heralded as we do now because at the time, he was suffering the same type of bric-a-bracs that I'm fighting. He wasn't the beloved Muhammad that he is today because he was a fighter. He was a fighter for right, a fighter for freedom, for justice, a fighter for giving fighters a better chance in life. So from that legacy, I came along and tried to emulate and imitate in my meager way of finding ways to get fighters paid better, better living conditions, better recognition, and to become world champions, to use their talent in the world of physical powers to excel and to gain fame and acclaim and affluence. I've been very successful at that and for that I have to take the whooping that they whoop on me, but I do it with a smile because I stand ever ready to fight any wrong and help any right. I couldn't have done all this without the fighters themselves, so I cannot accept this award as an induction of what I achieved. I am an extension of Ali and all the fighters who have boxed for me and those that are still boxing for me. They would not be here if it were not for Muhammad Ali, because, as you know, I am the only black African-American promoter in the world. It tells you something's wrong when all the fighters are 90% black and you only have one guy like myself standing at the helm. So I am an extension of Ali. I am the legacy of Ali. I am the living testimony of a man who believed in right in America and he prevailed, even all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. So I understand when they be shooting at me, I understand what it is, and I take it with a smile and say Only In America, the greatest nation in the world and don't you ever forget it . . When I came into boxing, people was not making money like they make today. I revolutionized the pay scale and it's ironic that they would say I'm the one who fleeces fighters because Larry Holmes said it best, "if he's stealing from me, I make more with what he done stole or have more with what I have left than what I would get being paid 100% by anyone else". (laughter) But this is the negative association you get with African Americans, but you don't get mad, you get smart. I say people are beautiful and lets work together . . . I love this ring, this is a very, very overwhelming, a very sensitive moment for me. . . . to be recognized for your achievements . . Many questions have been asked of me how do you feel about the controversy of your induction, you being an ex-con, etc., etc. None of this has anything to do with your ability and what your achievements is, and that's why I say Ed Brophy don't suffer from myopia. This is not a personality contest up here, this is something that you recognized what people achieve, what they do. So I'm very happy that they recognize my contribution to the sport and the people that have helped me to make it possible are the great fighters that you see seated here, and I'm so deeply proud and appreciative and grateful. But the real champion of my life is seated out there, Mrs. Henrietta King . . . Thank each and everyone of you so very much."
Thankfully, Sugar Ray's speech was much shorter. "This is what boxing is all about . . . the love and support here in Canastota is truly wonderful. . . I'm going to make this very brief because Don King is a very tough and class act to follow. The brief time that I have been here, I've been able to witness and experience what this is all about. The look in people's eyes, the fans support, the way the former and present champs give out their love, the camaraderie, the interacting, socializing with everyone. This is what it's all about. What you people don't understand or realize is the fact that all the former champions, included myself, you don't know how much love we feel because now we have a second home here. That is what it's all about. I have received numerous awards, but I can honestly say that this is the most prestigious award in my entire life. I would like to thank all the great champions of the past because without them, there would not be me. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ed Brophy and all of the wonderful volunteers who made this thing a huge success. I want to tell you this is my first time here, but it won't be my last. Thank you so much and God Bless."
Well, there you have it, four days that for a boxing fanatic, are as close to perfect as you can get.
FLASHBACK
By: bobnlori@sccoast.net (Robert Kaim)
Does anybody remember the WBC Superfeatherweight title fight between Champion Cornelius Boza Edwards and Bobby Chacon #1 ? The champion brought a 30--2--25 ko record into the match and former champion Chacon was 44--5--1 w/ 37 ko's. This promised to be a highly entertaining and competitive right between two of the sport's premier brawlers.The 24- year-old Ugandan champion had recently won the title in another war against Bazooka Limon who, incidently, was ringside looking for his opportunity.
Chacon had said he would retire if he lost this fight but the schoolboy had certainly made that claim before. Keith jackson made the call from Las Vegas:
Rounds 1&2 were feeling out rounds with both fighters jabbing and Boza Edwards moving forward. Interestingly enough, both fighters had the same reach although Boza Edwards looked twice the size of Chacon from the waist up. But boza Edwards was always this way and was "the largest superfeatherweight I've ever seen" according to Gil Clancy.
Round 3 saw the action pick up as Chacon got inside and landed some very good body punches. They didn't come without a price however, as was his nature, Boza Edwards punched back when he was hit making for some furious exchanges.
Round 4 saw the champion stung by a lead right hand but he fought back with his patented hooks. Chacon was trying to follow up on his advantage which lead to both fighters just throwing hooks and uppercuts and forgetting to jab. By round's end, Chacon had a puffy left eye and a small cut on his nose.
Round 5 saw a slower pace and round 6 saw the champion snapping back the challenger's head with some straight lefts. Round 7 began with Chacon landing some strong shots at the beginning of the round and Boza Edwards landing those straight lefts towards the end of the round.
Midway through the fight it appeared Boza Edwards was slightly ahead with his accuracy and volume of punches. also, near the end of round 7, he was starting to finally move Chacon with his punches.
Round 8 saw Chacon's eye swelling much more and he began tiring. The schoolboy went back to the body in round 9 and came upstairs with a right that wobbled Boza Edwards. Only his great conditioning, a trademark, kept him off the deck. Once again, as was his nature, the champion fought back with combinations pounding Chacon. This was the best round of the fight and had the fan's on their feet throughout.
Round 10 picked up where 9 left off; no more jabs, all hooks and the pace had yet to slow down. Although punchstat weren't used back then, boza edwards must've thrown 100 punches per round and it was impossible to get a breather when you fought him.
Round 11 began with Chacon's nose becoming more of a problem and to make things worse, his left eye was cut from Boza Edwards' combinations. Chacon's ability to absorb punishment is the only thing keeping him in the fight at this point. the ring doctor checks out the bad cut and lets the fight continue at the end of the round.
The 12th & 13th rounds see Chacon wearing out but continuing to hang tough. Boza edwards will not let him rest and must be landing 70% of his punches and Chacon is still there.Unfortunately for Bobby, his right hand counters are not having the effect they had earlier.
14th round see's the fight stopped in Chacon's corner and bobby doesn't answer the bell.
This was a highly competitive bout between these 2 warriors and ther was never a clinch in the fight! Given their personalities, the only question remaining was "when's the rematch"? They did fight each other again in another stirring battle although the fights were now limited to 12 rounds.
WHAT NOW FOR WAYNE MC CULLOUGH?
and other reports
By: dark@tinet.ie (Derek Cusack)
Wayne Mc Cullough, the fighter who Barry McGuigan once predicted would be greater than Barry himself, seems to be shrinking from our World into some distant parallel universe. Why?Hindsight is a beautiful thing, so I'm about to put it to full use here....Who has Wayne fought? While he held the WBC bantamweight title, Mc Cullough was being carried along on a wave of National pride and expectation. Whilst riding that wave, all one has to do is keep winning - perhaps that's why the "Las Vegas based" fighter chose to defend his title in Belfast and Dublin. The comparatively impartial US media - in front of whom he fought most of his pre-title fights - might have said nasty things about his quality of opponent.
Sure, the title - winning effort against Yakushiji was a heroic display, especially given that the fight took place in the lion's den (and the fact that he won a decision there must reflect complete dominance over the champion). But what was to follow such a performance? An adequate win over Johnny Bredahl - out on his own as European champion, but not a world-class fighter - and a painful night followed by a lucky decision over Jose Luis Bueno - who went on to be knocked out in his next fight, for the 'interim' version of the same title.
Wayne went on to beat Julio Cesar Cardona (again uncomfortably) in a non-title fight last Summer, and his next outing was the gutsy but lacking in brainwork loss to Zaragoza in January for the super bantamweight crown. What he was trying to do here was to move up the weights without having to relinquish his belt until he won the next. Despite inactivity and long periods between defences, the WBC facilitated this plan. The amazing Zaragoza had a plan of his own, and Wayne sure seems to have taken the loss of his "0" as if it were the end of the World.
All of the above may seem like a personal attack on Mc Cullough and his ability. It is not. In my opinion, Wayne is an excellent fighter, a lovely guy and, most of all, never fails to provide his fans with the most thrilling of fistic entertainment. He even stole the limelight at a Naseem Hamed fight in Dublin last year - without stepping in the ring once! My problem is that he has not fulfilled his potential. What spurred me into writing this was that I am beginning to fear he never will. It would not surprise me if he never fights again.
At 26, Wayne's aggressive style and lack of knockout punching power have already led him into his fair share of exhausting wars. Though he is still a young man in years, a fighter's age can often be counted in tough battles. Just ask Riddick Bowe! I also feel Mc Cullough has not used the past few years as wisely as he could have: He has fought just 21 times as a pro, and fought only once in 1996.
Now there appears to be nowhere for him to turn. Zaragoza has just turned down an $8, 000, 000 offer for a rematch; Athough team Wayne say he is willing to meet Naseem Hamed at 124 lbs., this is false bravado and will never happen; Junior Jones' people have spoken to Mc Cullough's and say Wayne has no desire to meet the WBO king. One can make a very comfortable living as a white Irish boxer who ducks and dives the best of his contemporaries, but one will never be included in the history books for doing so.
I don't think Wayne is to blame for the course he has been taking. I recall his manager Mat Tinley saying (rather emotionally) on a TV documentary that he regards Wayne as more of a son than a fighter who he happens to manage. I get the feeling that a protective father figure like Tinley would prefer to see his charge beating moderate, 'safe' opposition than having to risk a beating from more dangerous gloves. If this is the case, it's a downright selfish attitude on Tinley's part.
If Wayne is to continue as a boxer he needs to stick his neck on the line and prove himself. Time is running out.
NIGEL BENN FIGHTS THE PEOPLE A week after his second successive loss to Steve Collins, Nigel Benn was arrested, held overnight in a London police station and charged with intent to cause G.B.H. What a way to begin one's retirement!
The charge stemmed from an incident in a West London nightclub last September (two months before the Collins fight) and led to a trial involving drug smuggling, death threats and horrifying violence. It was alleged that Benn had suddenly snapped and smashed a glass ashtray into the face of Ray Sullivan, a ticket agency owner. He had then repeatedly punched and kicked his former best friend, who required a three - hour operation and 105 stitches to his nose to repair the damage.
Mr. Sullivan claimed he had not seen his attacker, but eyewitnesses had subsequently left him in no doubt that it was the 33 - year - old boxer. Benn's story was that he had gone with a friend to Legends nightclub on "one of the happiest days of my life" to "wet the heads" of his and his fiancees twins, born after three days of traumatic IVF treatment.
There he had seen Mr. Sullivan, who had served four years in a Belgian prison for importing cannabis. They had not spoken since falling out three years earlier. Benn said the disagreement was due to Sullivan's involvement in drugs while Sullivan claimed it was because he had made a pass at the boxer's girlfriend in 1991.
Shortly after their arrival a scuffle started a few tables away and Benn left to avoid becoming involved. It was only the following week, after a story on the front of the Sun newspaper, that Benn discovered he had been accused of the attack. Sullivan had sold photos of his injuries to the Sun for ten thousand pounds.
The start of the recent trial was eclipsed by another tabloid story telling of Sullivan's claim that Benn had threatened to take out a twenty thousand pound hitman contract on him if he refused an offer of one hundred thousand pounds to withdraw his evidence. The defence later suggested that Mr. Sullivan, aged 33, had let it be known he would accept one hundred thousand pounds from Benn to ensure an acquittal. When the boxer made it known he would not pay, Sullivan concocted the death threat story. Sullivan denied this.
There was further controversy when prosecution witness Samantha Pettifer, Mr. Sullivan's former girlfriend, changed her evidence in the witness box. She had told police she had a clear view of Benn kicking her former lover, but on reflection realised her "total love" for Mr. Sullivan had made her misinterpret events on the night of the attack. She had allowed herself to do his "dirty work" and be used to recruit witnesses.
The jury of six men and six women took six hours on May 15 last to clear Benn of wounding Mr Sullivan with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Twenty minutes later, they cleared him of a lesser, alternative charge of unlawful wounding. Benn still faces a High Court action for damages. The case was awaiting the outcome of the criminal trial.
Upon delivery of the verdict, the former world super middleweight and middleweight champion bowed to the jury and thanked them, while his fiancee Caroline Jackson broke into tears. Outside court the boxer admitted the past few weeks had been traumatic. "It was in the Lord's hands and the jury's and they saw through it...Now I can spend the rest of my life with my future wife and my kids."
It is my opinion that Sullivan greedily attempted to take advantage of the fact that Benn was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I feel it was a callous and malicious attempt to undermine Benn's reputation and drain his pockets. Thankfully justice was served, and I wish Nigel every happiness in his retirement.
*** THE STATISTICS
An analysis of Mike Tyson's career shows that June is his busiest month. The Tyson-Holyfield showdown will be Iron Mike's seventh June bout.
Perhaps Tyson likes the date of June 28th -- this will be the third time he's fought on that night as a pro. He scored a first-round knockout of William Hosea 11 years ago. More notably, it was June 28, six years ago, that Tyson scored an impressive 12-round decision over Razor Ruddock.
That fight, like the upcoming bout with Holyfield, was a rematch (Tyson beat Ruddock in a controversial seventh-round stoppage in their first meeting).
Tyson is 6-0 lifetime in June, though the Ruddock fight was the last time he battled in the month. Holyfield is 3-0 lifetime in June, with wins over Seamus McDonagh, Larry Holmes and Alex Stewart.
Holyfield kept busy
If you go back to January 1991, Holyfield has fought almost three times as many rounds as Tyson. The overall record is another story:
Holyfield Tyson W-L 8-3 6-1 KO 3 4 Rounds 113 38One reason a longer fight may favor Holyfield: Tyson has just one career knockout after the seventh round (10th round TKO against Jose Ribalta in August, 1986). Holyfield has had five KOs after the seventh round.Over half of Tyson's KOs have been in round one (20 of 39). Of Tyson's 47 pro fights, only eight have gone 10 or more rounds, including both of his losses. In Holyfield's last 11 fights, eight have gone 10 or more rounds.
Heavy task
The last time Evander Holyfield held the world title, he abruptly relinquished it in his next fight. Holyfield won the title by beating Riddick Bowe in 1993, only to lose to Michael Moorer on April 22, 1994.
Common Opponents
Here's how Tyson and Holyfield have fared vs. common foes. The results are a bit mixed:
Holyfield Tyson Henry Tillman KO-7, 1987 KO-1, 1990 James Tillis KO-5, 1988 W-10, 1986 Pinklon Thomas KO-7, 1988 TKO-6, 1987 Alex Stewart KO-8, 1989 TKO-1, 1990 W-12, 1993 Buster Douglas KO-3, 1990 KO by-10, 1990 Larry Holmes W-12, 1992 TKO-4, 1988How they stack up:Holyfield Tyson Fights 36 47 Record 33-3, 24 KO 45-2, 39 KO Win Pct. 91.6 95.7 KO Pct. 66.6 82.9 Rounds 247 178 Avg. Rds. per bout 6.86 3.78 1st rd. KO Pct. 5.5 42.5 Record in championship bouts 12-2, 8 KO 12-2, 10 KO Last five fights 3-2 4-1 Record in Las Vegas 7-3 12-1Tyson and Holyfield were originally scheduled to meet for the first time on Nov. 8, 1991. Let's recall what the two fighters were like back then:Tyson was 41-1, 36 KO; Holyfield was 26-0, 21 KOs.
This fight was supposed to take place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Holyfield was the undisputed heavyweight champion, coming off an April win over George Foreman.
At the time, Tyson was 25, while Holyfield would have been 29 when he entered the ring.
=
BLAST OFF
By: pusboil@netlabs.net (Pusboil)
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 Blast Off!In no particular order here are ten things that need to be changed in boxing or removed from boxing. If these acts are performed our beloved sport might actually remove some tarnish and make it a little more enjoyable. It's hard to believe what passes for wisdom, justice, and leadership. Shit I'm beginning to wonder how much damage the government could do if we let them run it.
#10-- The alphabet boys, you know what I mean WBC,WBA,IBF,WBO,WBU,IBC,WBB, FUC, YOU is all I have to say. These money hungry maggots each have to have completely different ratings than each other, so each can make their money from sanctioning fees. Next we have the super jr light middle featherweight champion. If a fighter sits down and has a cheeseburger for dinner he's in the next weight class. Not only do we have all these weight classes but each friggin organization has the North American or Intercontinental version of the same title. In the dictionary under redundant it used to say see redundant, now it says take a god damn look at the listing of current champions. One governing body, eight weight classes, one champion per class. Nuff said.
#9-- Low Blows-- All of a sudden the protectors that fighters wear is no longer able to absorb the force from the punch of a 4 year old. It seems that we now need ironclad cups for protection. It also seems that the only thing the current protector does is delay the reaction from the groin to part of the brain that says "OW SHIT we've been hit low". I can't speak for everyone but the last time I got hit in the nuts, I kinda knew right away. It didn't take me five seconds to realize I had a lump in my throat that I used to piss with. I like the five minute rule, but all a fighter has to do is say he can't continue after that time frame and he can win the fight. This has to change, ask Roy Jones Jr. Not that I'm a huge fan of Roy's, but he is a great fighter whose record shouldn't be tarnished by losing a fight that way, hell he was close to losing that fight without hitting Griffin low.
#8-- Boxing Commentators-- We have hit an all time low in quality of people calling fights. There are very few who can discuss what's happening during a fight without going off on some godforsaken tangent and completely losing themselves within themselves. Bernstein,Ryan, and Wallau are a couple of notable exceptions. HBO's Boxing after Dark seems too preoccupied with mentioning that "This is the kind of fight you only see here on Boxing after Dark", granted they have shown some great fights but come down of the mountain Lampley and give us some info related to the fight. And if I hear Sean O'Grady come up with one more way to say "Take him into the later rounds" I'm gonna puke. His latest concoction which he's repeated the last three shows is " Take him into the deep water and let him drown himself" am I watching fights or the fucking fishing channel?
#7-- Larry Hazzard-- Hazzard is the only state boxing commissioner you regularly see on TV without there being some type of controversy in the fight. Every time there is a televised fight in New Jersey, there is Hazzard up on the ring apron for the world to see. He seems to think he should be in there for everything, I'm waiting to see him check the round card girl for steroids. And if god forbid something is in question regarding a ruling, Hazzard dives in to the nearest toilet, dons his cape and TA-DA flies into the ring long before anyone besides the fighters and ref need to be there. Fighters fight, referees ref, and commissioners oversee things in obscurity. At least the rest of them do. I don't ever remeber seeing Randy Gordon or any other commissioner jump into the ring for no reason. Hell in most cases people say you can tell how good a job the referee is doing by how little you notice him and he has to be in the ring.
#6-- Lou Duva-- Now I don't know what he does behind the scenes before a fight. But what he does in the ring and in the corner is the main reason he just doesn't belong there. His word of wisdom " You're boxing beautifully baby" just don't seem to warrant his appearance. His antics are another story, if something is not going the way he thinks it should, he's bouncing all over the ring yelling at the ref looking like an idiot. I'm sure most of us remember the Pazienza-Mayweather fight in 1988. At the end of the fight, Duva runs across the ring trying to throw punches at Mayweather. Next there is a big pile-up of people and out comes Duva bloody. I hate to admit how much I enjoyed that, but he was begging for it. What the hell was he thinking?? That Mayweather was just going to stand there and nobody else was going to help against the Human Pork Roll? The "Whitaker still the best pound for pound" shirt he was wearing the other night was pathetic, especially since he was working with a different fighter. I guess Duva knows his meal ticket, by the looks of him he definitely does. And that gizzard looking thing under his chin needs to be trimmed, otherwise look out on Thanksgiving Lou.
#5-- The preoccupation with being undefeated-- Promoters and managers nowadays have this thing for an undefeated fighter. If you have a blemish on your record before you establish yourself you're done. This has led to more harm than good. Take a look at the fighters who came out of the Madison Square Garden boxing program in the Mid-80's, not one of them proved to be as good as their record. The same goes for the old Triple Threat fighters out of New Jersey. It's now called Marc Roberts Sports and Entertainment or something like that. They build up these fighters record's by having them fight nobodys for a few years. When they get to about 20-0 or so, BAM they are ready for a title shot and guess what BAM they are obliterated. Andrew Maynard and Anthony Hembrick are two of the best examples of this. Let a fighter learn by fighting decent fighters, you'll get a much better fighter out of somebody who loses to a quality fighter than by beating stiffs for a few years. You only learn so much in the gym. Heart is cultivated during trying times that only occur during an actual match. Not every fighter who is undefeated is undeserving of this accolade but a lot of em don't stand the test of time.
#4-- Butterbean-- Nuff said.
#3-- Promoters-- Just can't figure out the good part to these guys. While King puts out the best shows, he appears to be the biggest thief. Arum just doesn't seem to have it anymore, and the rest can't compete with these two. The only way to cure this is to somehow control what they do. Baseball and football both have revenue sharing agreements. If in some way this could be applied to boxing it might help control people like Don King. The famous clause of if you beat his fighter, your next three fights and left nut are his is disgraceful. Very few fighters if any, have made more than King while fighting for him. That is wrong. The fighters are the ones taking the risk not the promoter. Unless that promoter happens to be up against Don King. It's also a sad statement that boxing's biggest influence is a convicted felon. I agree in giving a guy a second chance but he's biting the hand that feeds him. Only in America. Well shit, let's deport the bastard.
#2-- 3 knockdown rule-- Let's abolish this right away. The rule while it has it's good intentions is an unnecesary one. If a fighter is knocked down three times, it doesn't mean he can't continue or shouldn't continue. We pay referees and doctors to make these decisions. It does not happen often but there are time when a fighter gets knocked down three times and really isn't hurt at all. Then again you have fighters who are knocked cold with one punch. If the referee can stop it then, why not trust him to use his own judgment later on?? This also coincides with topic #10 regarding governing bodies. 50 states + 3 main governing bodies =196 different sets of fucking rules. Clean it up. The 3 knockdown rule should be put with the standing 8 count rule, pour em a pair of cement loafers and off they go. Let a fight go it's natural course, this is not the knitting olympics.
#1-- Entourages-- Ban the whole fucking lot of em. To the guy who hit Golota with the cellular phone, "What the fuck were you doing there in the first place"?? Why a fighter need 30 of his closest friends to walk him into the ring is beyond me. People allowed in the ring should be trainer, chief second and cut man, end of story. All these wannabes and other assorted morons have no place in the ring. If a fighter wants to do something for his friends than buy em a ringside seat. If they want more fuck em. These people provide no valuable contribution at all. Most of them are too fucking scared to fight for themselves and are just looking for a good way to get laid. How many people did Dempsey, Marciano, Robinson,Hagler or even Leonard bring in with them?? If you want to hang out with your friends stay home and hang out. Otherwise don't create something that could turn into disaster like Bowe-Golota II did.
MIDWEST BOXING Reports.
By: triangle@alpha.informatics.net (triangle) Recently, I was reminded why professional boxing sometimes seems so ugly.I pulled out a videotape of one of Tommy Morrison's last fights in Kansas City, against Tim "Doughboy" Tomashek.
Many of the ills of the sport - -mismatched bouts, no-show fighters, disappointing main event --were on display.
For the past several years, I've been attending boxing shows throughout the Midwest and the fights, more often than they should, resemble shoving matches. There is too little strategy, too few skills. Fights that would make a purist cringe.
I'm not all that bothered - because I get in free. But when fans are plunking down from $25 to $100 a ticket, they're entitled to more.
Why is there bad boxing?
Here are a few theories.
I CAN BEAT HIM. Everybody, including yours truly, has watched a fight and thought, or said to a drunk buddy, "I could beat that guy." Too many of them then go down to the gym, lift a couple weights, jog a half dozen miles, spar a couple rounds and then proclaim themself the next world champion. Two of these guys get together at some bar or hotel in Kentucky and put on a terrible exhibition of boxing.
You know what's next.
Somebody watches these guys and things, " I could beat that guy." Off to the gym he goes.
It never ends.
THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY. For $1 million, not only would I left my wife spend the night with another, I'd let him beat me up for being such a pig.
While money may be the root of all evil, it's also the answer to a lot of problems. A semi-successful boxer can make some decent dinero in a short period of time.
Anybody with the necessary skills would be foolish not to at least give boxing a try. There might be a movie role in there somewhere, too.
MACHO THING. There is not a more manly sport than boxing. (Ask a woman.) Baseball players wear funny socks, basketball players pat each other's butts and football players use helmets. A boxer puts on his baggiest shorts, an oversized protective cup and a mouth piece, and then tries to knock somebody's head off. You knock the guy out and you become the baddest dude on the block. Greatest title in the world, bar none - heavyweight champion of the world.
All this is not to say there isn't some good club boxing in the Midwest. Buck Smith, Marty Jakubowski, Angel Manfreddy, Charles Oliver, Rob Callowy, Craig Cummings, Tony Menefee, Cecil Pettigrew, Morrison. All have put on solid boxing performances in the Midwest. And they're not the only ones.
But, there are too many disc jockeys, friends of managers here, friends of promoters there, who are lacing up and getting knocked down.
With a number of new boxing clubs opening up and plenty of space available at the existing ones, there are plenty of places to go to learn some boxing fundamentals.
That means better boxing for everybody.
MIDWEST FIGHT NOTES: Longtime fight manager/trainer/promoter Ray Menefee, 45, of Lincoln, Neb., is showing steady improvement after shooting himself in the head in April in an apparent suicide attempt. His son, fighter Tony Menefee, plans to promote some shows. ...
Unbeaten Topeka, Kan., heavyweight Andy Sample returns to action next month. Sample, 12-0, 11 knockouts, has been out of action since April with a fractured bone in his right hand. ...
Another Topeka heavyweight fell from the unbeaten ranks when Damon Reed lost an eight round decision to Denmark's Brian Nielson. Reed, 18-1, 16 KO's, called the fight a great learning experience. "It's weird, because even though I lost the fight I feel like it was a win because I feel like I made my career and advance my career so far with that fight. I got so much recognition from other promoters and other managers that I feel that it was a moral victory." Still, Reed a smallish heavyweight at 205 pounds, plans to do his serious fighting at cruiserweight. ...
MIDWEST NIFTY NINE: Here's my listing of the best "club-level" type fighters. A few may have snagged a big fight here or there, but the majority of their work is done in tank towns.And, I've had to have seen them with my own eyes a couple of times.
1) Marty Jakubowski, 2) Craig Cummings, 3) Buck Smith, 4) Rob Calloway, 5) Damone Wright, 6) Andy Sample, 7) Albert Guardado ('96 Olympian, 3-0 as pro), 8) Rob Bleakley; 9) Aaron Conway.
Midwest Profile: Craig Cummings
Craig Cummings smiles a lot these days. Afterall, he's a world champion, has his dream job and is frequently mentioned as a potential opponent for Steve Collins.
Cummings would love to puncuate his career against Collins - but only on his terms.
His main condition for fighting Collins, the World Boxing Organization's 168-pound champion - money, what else.
Cummings doesn't care what anybody else makes off the bout, he just wants to walk away with $60,000.
"If (promoter) Fred Berns needs to start at $100,000 to make sure everybody gets paid, fine, that doesn't concern me," he said. "I just want to know what I'm going to get when the fight is over. Too many fighters forget to ask that."
(Note: It appears his wish may come true. As of this writing the only thing stopping Cummings from meeting Collins in a July 5 bout to be aired by Showtime was final approval of Cummings as a worthy opponent. He's expected to get the OK.)
Cummings said he doesn't plan to box beyond the end of 1998. But he's not going to exit the workforce. His first love is his "regular" job as a Kansas City firefighter.
"When somebody asks me what I do for a living, the first thing I say is I'm a fireman," he said. "I just happen to box, too.
"To me, boxing is just something I've always done, no matter what else I was doing. I can't say that I've never given boxing 100 percent, but I've always understood that boxing wasn't going to last forever. "I want a productive life after boxing."
Toward that end, Cummings has dabbled in banking, real estate, shoe sales and boxing promotion. None provided the feeling or worth he was looking for.
"I wanted something I could see myself doing the rest of my life, something to be proud of," said Cummings, a likeable sort. "I'm a hard person to satisfy. I set high expectations for myself in everything I do."
Cummings has a friend who is a firefighter, and he encouraged Cummings to consider firefighting. The more he thought about it, the better it sounded.
"When I'm done boxing, I'm going to retire happily ever after to the fire department," he said. "I love this job."
For the most part, his boxing and firefighting schedules complement each other, Cummings said. But not always.
On the final day of September last year, Cummings fought Norman Bates at the Argosy Casino in Kansas City, Mo., for the vacant World Boxing Council Continental America's 154-pound crown.
Cummings, 34-2 (29 KO's), posted a third-round knockout, but he didn't look particularly sharp during the bout, and soon afterward was taken to the hospital.
Seems the night before, Cummings had been battling a house fire and inhaled a bunch of smoke.
"I was on the roof, chopping a hole, and there was green smoke pouring into my face," he said. "All that next day my throat was sore and my color wasn't good because I wasn't getting enough oxygen.
"I felt funky the day of the fight, but I didn't want to call it off.
I'd seen Bates fight and I knew I could blow him out if I jumped on him."
But after two rounds, Cummings was breathing heavy and his father/co-trainer, Tom Cummings, wanted to pull his charge out.
"I talked him into giving me one more round and I was lucky enough to get the knockout," Cummings said. "I was real lucky, actually, because I was done.
"I'll never work the day before a fight again. It was just a case of me trying to do everything, and sometimes you can't do it."
As owner of the Continental America's belt, Cummings rests just outside the top 10 in the WBC's rankings at 154 pounds, which are topped by Terry Norris.
But 154 is a tough cut for Cummings, so he figures his boxing future rests at 168 pounds, where fellas like Collins and Roy Jones Jr. roam.
"I want to fight for a world title before I'm through, and I believe if I get the Steve Collins fight I can win," he said. "I can outbox him over 12 rounds, I'm sure of that. I just have to make sure I don't get caught with something.
"If I beat him, I can easily get $1 million to fight Roy Jones. He's the best in the world."
Until those fights happen - if they happen - Cummings is content to take home h is $5,000 a fight purses for starching stiffs six to eight times a year at the Argosy.
"I'm in a good position," said the 29-year-old Kansas City resident "I don't have to take a fight if it's not the right situation. I've got a great record, I can fight, I can talk and I'm white.
"I just have to wait because there will be another car coming by in a little while."
Huey's pick: Cummings is one of the Midwest's best, which proves little. He can fight, but he'll have trouble matching the strength and tenaciousness of Collins. Cummings will run, but he won't be able to hide for 12 rounds. Collins wins by TKO in the fifth.
DELAHOYA: NOTHING BUT "BIG" FIGHTS?
By: tgerbasi@ix.netcom.com (Thomas Gerbasi)
A while back, Golden Boy Oscar DeLaHoya made it very clear that in his quest to be the best pound for pound fighter in the world, he wanted to fight nothing but "big" fights. And for a while he did. Quality fighters like Rafael Ruelas, Genaro Hernandez, Jesse James Leija, Julio Caesar Chavez, and Miguel Angel Gonzalez all fell to the Golden Boy, and his insistence to fight the best available opponents made believers out of the sceptics (including myself). But ever since decisioning Pernell Whitaker, DeLaHoya's dance card now holds names like David Kamau and Hector Camacho, not Felix Trinidad, Ike Quartey, or the aforementioned Whitaker.Abysmal scoring aside, the Whitaker-DeLaHoya match was a closely contested one, which could have been scored either way. Personally, I gave Whitaker the edge because a challenger has to take the title away from a champion, and Oscar didn't press the action enough to annex the crown. But, result aside, DeLaHoya was frustrated and embarrassed by the crafty veteran, and maybe this has made him a little gunshy about stepping into the ring with a top name so soon.
In response to this subpar performance, DeLaHoya fired trainer Jesus Rivero and brought in Emmanuel Steward, whose track record speaks for itself. Reportedly, Steward will now focus on Oscar's offensive skills, which were sorely lacking in the Whitaker bout. Is this the answer? Seems too simple, doesn't it? Yet, we can go back to the Gonzalez fight, and Oscar's post fight comments. DeLaHoya admitted getting on his bicycle after Gonzalez raised a mouse under his eye. And against Whitaker, not known for his punching power, DeLaHoya refused to engage the champion in any meaningful exchanges. Against a fighter who has been known to hit the canvas, a concerted aggressive effort by DeLaHoya may have resulted in a kayo win. But that may have meant getting hit, and it's painfully clear that DeLaHoya doesn't like to get hit. He is already planning his movie and modeling careers after his ring career ends, and he doesn't want to destroy that Hollywood face.
Unfortunately, fighting bombers like Trinidad and Quartey would mean getting hit, and hit a lot. So with discretion being the better part of valor, DeLaHoya has opted to fight nothing but scrub fights. Kamau, who gave Julio Caesar Chavez a tough time a few years back but has seen his best days, went quietly in the second round last Saturday night. And who's next? The Macho Man himself, Hector Camacho, who like herpes, just won't go away. For the life of me, I just can't see the appeal in this matchup. But who am I? Obviously Bob Arum has some master plan cooked up for Oscar, and it includes fighting Camacho. Now we saw what Trinidad and Chavez did to Hector in their bouts. What is DeLaHoya going to prove?
Oscar, you wanted the big fights, well they're right out there for the taking. You want to be the best, you have to fight the best. Roy Jones has an excuse; he has no top competition. You don't. Whitaker II, Quartey, Trinidad, Norris. You wanted it. Here they are.
Just my Opinion
By: NextAli@aol.com (Mike Gibbons)
Bob Arum has in the past tried to get by with letting the public think he is unlike most promoters and is just out there to satisfy us. However , here lately arums true self has become more evident . He thinks just because he throws Butterbumb on to a card that the public is just satisfied and that we dont care to see any othere competitive fights. like we will really believe in two years when Mayweather jr. gets his title shot that he has worked his way threw the ranks . He should start the Mayweather bum of the month undercard club. While David Reid should be the one on ppv fighting people with pulses, we get Mayweather fighting your next door neighbor.Then he has to always go the ethnic dea. His horrible tactic to lure Mexican fans to his "Golden Boy" , by having the band in the ring before the fight with Whitaker playing Mexican music was something from the Don King playbook . I was insulted for the Mexicans and I'm not even Mexican. Then he goes on national t.v after the fight and speaks for the whole Mexican community saying that they would not like to see a Whitaker-De la hoya rematch. He spoke of Whitaker using to many angles and playing in the ring to much. He basically came out and said that the Mexicans are to dumb to sit threw another tactical fight and that they only understand boxing if two guys sit on top of one another banging away. Who is Bob Arum to decide what a whole ethnic group will watch and what they want? Even if the statments are true, who cares whether or not they will watch? Who thinks that if white people said they will not watch the nba because there are not enough white people playing, that the NBA would cancel the finals. No , because its unfair to the others groups of people in the U.S. and that is the same way with Whitaker-De la hoya. If Bob Arum wants to please the Mexican-Americans, then go to Mexico and please them; however , it wont be long until they catch on to his cheap tactics .
As long as Bob can keep selling cards with Butterbean fighting more quality opposition than his up and coming fighters, then we will continue to be forced to watching that crap. Hell , after the Whitaker-De la hoya fight we should have said that the boxing-american community will not pay to see another card with pathetic matchups and then see if our demands are met. I think Vinny Pazienza said it best when he called Bob Arum a rat bastard.
End Quote:
"Don't blame Don King because your manager can't negotiate as good as him."-- Larry Holmes
Upcoming Fights Current Champions Past Champions Back to Main Page