==================================
AMERICA ONLINE BOXING NEWSLETTER
Volume 2, number 3 (September 1995)
==================================

EDITORIAL by Michael C. DeLisa (delisa1066@aol.com).

This issue marks the appearance of several new contributors, some of whom should be
familiar to the readers of rec.sports.boxing.  For those of you who haven't investigated
that newsgroup, I urge you to do so as it is very active and a good place to interact
with other boxing fans.  See you next issue, Mike.

==========================================================
A LAMENTATION
by  petals@ice.atms.purdue.edu (Ray Espinoza)

When I first started watching boxing a few years back (early 70's), I was
hooked immediately.  I still remember complaining because Ali-Foreman was
closed-circuit and we didn't get to see the fight live.  I got to see a
fight with Monroe Brooks with lots of brawling and it was exciting.  It
was a joy to watch some of the champions from a long time ago.  What did 
they do?  They won their title and defended it until they lost it with 
honor.  I was probably idealistic a few years back, but I used to see boxing
as a sport of honor.  The money wasn't bad, but it wasn't the main
motivation.

When Alexis Arguello failed in his try for the 4th world title, I was 
disappointed.  It was probably the last time that I'll acknowledge that a
fourth  title was sought.  Look what he did.  First he beat Olivares, then he
beat Escalera, and then he beat Jim Watt.  I saw those guys as first-rate
champions, not the second-tier fighters of today who happen to hold 'world'
titles.  Not like Frank Liles or Vinnie Pazienza or even Quincy Taylor, who
recently knocked out Julian Jackson.  I used to watch (and loath) Eusebio
Pedroza and always watched his fights so I could get the pleasure of watching
him lose.  Of course, he never did (at least until McGuigan), but he was a
champion who defended regularly, who was probably the best in his division 
(pardon me, Sanchez fans), and defended honorably, although he was an
arrogant a**hole.  You don't see much of this nowadays.  Some of the titles Leonard
and Hearns won were titles in name only.  If you're going to try to win the
championship at a higher weight, you should with the intent of proving you're
the best at the higher weight.  Look what Pernell Whitaker did.  He beat a
limited 'champion' in Vasquez and immediately went back to welterweight.
That showed me nothing.  He only proved that he could beat the guy who held
the title at the time.  It said nothing about his ability to keep the title
at that weight.  There is no honor in boxing anymore, most boxers are after
an easy buck.  What the modern boxing champion is making use of is the fact
that it is much easier to win a world championship than to keep it.  I'm
sorry to have to say this, but this seems to be an American phenomenon.

So goes my lament about professional boxing . . . .
==========================================================

THE WAR AT WESTBURY (PART III)
by delisa1066@aol.com

The Westbury Music Fair is a small arena on Long Island, New York best known for
presenting musical acts "in the round" such as Robert Goulet and Jimmy Roselli.  It is
also a terrific arena for the fights -- there is not a bad seat among the roughly 2,200. 
Dennis Rappaport has wisely chosen the Fair as the venue for his ongoing cards which
draw chiefly on local talent.

The main event for August 28 was advertised as a Tim Witherspoon - Carl Williams
fight, but Williams failed to pass his physical.  The crowd was disgruntled at the
announcement and Rappaport offered a refund for any who wanted to leave.  As I
waited for the card to start, I spotted Arthur Mercante chattering with former light
heavyweight contender Bobby Cassidy.  The two were joined by Wayne Kelly, another
referee.  Some twenty years ago, on March 8, 1975, I attended my first live fight card.
On that card, Wayne Kelly fought and knocked out his opponent in one round --
Arthur Mercante served as referee.  Bobby Cassidy fought in the main event -- which
was delayed for some unknown reason. (Although a rumor was circulated that Cassidy
was in the bar across Vet's Highway!)

In any event, the bouts started with a four-round lightweight tiff between a hyper
Richard Kiley, who was making his pro debut, and Wayne Christian, 0-5.  Kiley burst
out of his corner like a mini-Tyson and clubbed Christian to the canvas with a looping
right to the jaw.  Kiley was expending a lot of energy, mostly by holding and hitting. 
By the middle of the second, Kiley was blowing hard while Christian remained calm
and fought hard although Kiley rattled him with a solid nut shot.

In the third, Christian slammed a left into the charging Kiley, who slumped to his
haunches, badly hurt.  Christian battled Kiley throughout the third and the start of the
fourth, then dropped Kiley again.  Kiley barely held on until the final bell, then was
rewarded for his early work with a majority draw.

The next fight was an earnest but methodical eight round bout between Scott Lopeck
(8-3) and balding Don MacKay (1-1).  MacKay's good left hook was offset by
Lopeck's movement and averall boxing, and Lopeck was awarded a split decision.

While waiting for the next fight to start, the ring announcer let us know that we could
visit "Ruth Cris steakhouse -- you are guaranteed a hot piece of meat."

Next, prospect and WBC world-rated Junior Middleweight Godfey Nyakana (25-1)
took on fading Darryl Lattimore.  Nyakana was simply too young and speedy for
Lattimore, and busted to a unanimous verdict, dropping Lattimore twice along the
way.  Lattimore, however, demonstrated that Nyakana needs additional seasoning
before he moves up to take on the very top of the division.

The semi-final bout was between two women -- lightweight Cathy Collins of
Plainview and Laurie Bishoff.  As might be expected, many in the crown were
bemused by the concept of women boxing, but they were quickly impressed by this
slugfest.  Bishoff, making her pro debut, appeared angered as seconds prior to the
opening bell a person in the crowd shouted "C'mon Cathy, you can take that dyke!" 
Bishoff quickly engaged Collins who forced her back to the ropes, then "Boom!" a
hugh right hand by Collins staggered Bishoff.  They continued to slug until the end of
the two-minute round.  At the bell, the crowd cheered, the novelty of two women
boxing over, in appreciation of a well-fought match.

Rounds two and three followed the same pattern.  Collins, her chin tucked down,
methodically worked Bishoff to the ropes or a corner and then both would throw
combinations.  Collins appeared to be well-schooled and landed the cleaver punches.

After the third round, Cathy's cornermen were busy -- trying to fix her hair!  Luckily,
someone found a rubberband to keep the hair out of her eyes.

In the fourth, a tiring Bishoff tried to box and stay away, but again, Colling punctuated
the round with strong punches.  During one exchange, something went flying to the
canvas but I couldn't tell if it was an earring or a tooth.  This was Laurie's best round,
but she was finished blowing hard.  The crowd's decision was unanimous for Collins.

The one disappointing fight was the main event between Flushing heavyweight Richie
Melito (11-0, 10 Kayoes), and blubbery Richard Perry.  Melito dumped Perry with the
first punch for a kayo in fifteen seconds, including a full ten-count by referee Wayne
Kelly.  The crowd laughed, booed, and cheered while rushing out, everyone trying to
beat the traffic out of the parking lot.

I spoke with the promoter, Dennis Rappaport after the main event.  He expressed
disappointment that Witherspoon's opponent was not allowed to fight, but he was
clearly thrilled at the turnout and the competitive nature of the fights, main event
excluded.  The following day,  Newsday reported that less than 100 of the over 2000
attending requested a refund.

                             
==========================================================

A ROUGH NIGHT (8/12) FOR THE DISTRICT
by dscribedc@aol.com (DscribeDC)

It was a very tough night for DC tonight, with the area's two champions,
Vincent Pettway and Derrell Coley, both surrendering their titles, one
convincingly, on Showtime.

"There's not a man in the world who can't be knocked out," Pettway had said
prophetically before his 12th round TKO at the hands of newcomer
Paul Vaden.  I bet he wishes that he had those words back -- not to mention the
rounds he fought.

It was a strange night.  The Carr-Coley fight was almost too close to call.  In the
first round, I was getting ready to change "Too Sweet"'s name to "Two
Feet" as he shamelessly ran from Carr, begging off of any meaningful
action.  In round 2, Coley had an engraved invitation to take Carr out
after a right to the back of the head put the Detroit bomber on queer
street.  But even with no less than six undefended haymakers to the head,
Coley could do little.  In fact, he ended the round wobbly from a Carr blow to his
midsection. Through the middle rounds of the fight, the pattern was the same: 
textbook boxing from Coley, lateral movement punctuated by showy but ineffectual
arm punches, with Carr narrowing the gap and firing blistering body shots.  Clearly
Carr was doing the meaningful punching.  In Round 8, Carr turned the tide of a
Coley flurry with a short right that nearly dropped the champ, and it
looked like it was all over but the shouting.  But, Coley was saved by the
bell and put on a miraculous display of recuperative powers through the
last four rounds, seizing the initiative, and, I think, inflicting the
greater damage on a tiring Carr.  I figured he had pulled it out by the
skin of his teeth.

Carr was given the split decision by the slimmest of margins.  Given my
sympathy for the aggressor, I can't say I disputed the decision.  Carr was
moving forward all night, and one man's "ring generalship" is another
man's retreat.  Coley gets big points in my book for the guts he showed
late in the fight, but IMHO, he did not carry the fight to Carr, who did
more accumulated damage over the course of the 12 rounds.  This is the
kind of fight either man could have won, the kind in which a rematch is
definitely in order.  (That prospect may be unlikely, given the fact that
Carr now has another shot at Felix Trinidad.  Wasn't it interesting that,
when asked whom he wanted to fight, Carr named Quartey and Whittaker, but
not Felix?)

I also had to change my early-rounds opinion of Vaden, who I was prepared
to christen "Dearth" Vaden from the cautious, tentative style of his fight
through the first nine rounds.  This one started out as a stinker, neither
man pressing the action, Vaden winning the bout with a stiff jab at center
ring, Pettway pounding Vaden with clean body shots in the corners, but
both men holding and tying up liberally to prevent any significant damage
from accruing.  The story of this fight appeared to be a listless (or as
he put it "comfortable") Pettway, still soaring from the Brown KO, unable
to rouse his passion for the Vaden fight, going through the motions as if
expecting the knockout punch to materialize magically from nowhere.  And
Vaden seemed intent on doing everything he could to let Pettway keep his
title.  In the early and middle rounds, Vaden fought as if he was either looking
for a moral victory or he was trying to protect his face for the
female fans of his future singing career (didn't Frazier and Holmes teach
Vaden how tough it is for boxers to sing?  Napoles does it, though...). 
You have to beat a champion, not simply bother him, and all indications
were that Vaden would grab defeat from the jaws of victory.  However, the
challenger, no finisher, finally got serious in rounds ten and eleven, ultimately
ending Pettway's reign with a savage uppercut in the 12th that left
Pettway on the verge of collapse.  No one had better call this guy, one of
the most soft-spoken and agreeable faces I've seen on the scene in years,
"Fadin' Vaden."  I hope he has better luck outside the ropes than his last
opponent, Reuben "Ratman" Bell, who was arrested for allegedly pumping
some slugs into a motorist who disturbed his enjoyment of an open fire
hydrant earlier this summer in Southeast DC.  Is boxing ready for a nice-guy champ,
or what?

Ciao,  Dave G.  
=========================================================
SPOTLIGHT ON CRAIG "KID" KIKTA
by Louis Schiavoni, contributed by Eric Orwell (Hoho44@aol.com)


Nineteen-year-old Craig Kikta, 11-0 with 6 knockouts, is coming off an eight round
decision over experienced Johnny "Young Guns" Gottchling of Bay City, Michigan.

Kikta, who is managed by Attorney Louis Schiavoni of Youngstown and trained by
Jack Loew of Youngstown, says that he is currently fighting for the people of
Youngstown, Ohio and General Motors, where his father is employed.  He is
extremely proud of his hometown and hopes to put Youngstown back in the national
limelight, as Ray Mancini did several years ago when he won the World Lightweight
Championship.

Fans should also know that Craig, as an amateur fighter, sparred regularly with former
I.B.F. Lightweight Champion, Harry Arroyo.  After several months of sparring with
Arroyo, Craig seemed destined to turn pro and head for a world title.

Kikta also sparred regularly with former Lightweight Champion, Ray "Boom Boom"
Mancini, when Mancini was preparing to fight Greg Haugen.  As a result of sparring
and work, Ray has rewarded Craig by helping to promote him. Mancini says that "our
fighting styles are quite similar and that he fights with the same intensity which I
fought with several years ago." 

In his 11 professional bouts to date, Craig has shown exceptional speed, as well as
knockout power. As an amateur, Craig had an impressive record of 26-4.  A 1994
graduate of Austintown Fitch High School, he began fighting as an amateur in 1991. 
He won the 147-pound Junior Olympic Championship in 1991 and 1992.  In 1993, he
was the Youngstown and Cleveland Golden Gloves Champion in the 147 pound
division.  The following year he won the 139 pound title in the Youngstown Golden
Gloves Championships and took runner-up honors at the Ohio State Fair.   Craig's
professional record follows:

                    
Jeremy Brown, Ashtabula, OH                           KO-1
John Wyatt, Las Vegas,   NV                              Dec-4
Dave Brown,   Cleveland, OH                            KO-2
Jeff Graffius,   Pittsburgh,   PA                           Dec-6
Larry Gue,   Huntington, WV                             KO-2
Keith Windsor, Lexington,   KY                         KO-2
Lamont Johnson,   Phoenix,   AZ                        KO-2
Vinnie Ponzi, Las Vegas, NV                             Dec-4
Damian   Sutton,   Omaha,   NE                         KO-5
John Gottchling, Bay City,   MI                         Dec-8
==========================================================

TWENTY YEARS AGO
by  wildcat@ncar.ucar.edu (Wes Wildcat)


This is what was happening in August of 1975.  Heavyweight champ
Muhammad Ali put his title on the line against Ron Lyle in Las Vegas.
My softball teammates were such avid fight fans, that we deliberately threw a game in
a tournament just so we could watch the fight; if we had won, we would 
have played on fight night. It was a good fight and if Lyle didn't have so much pride he
might have won the fight.  His pride of never being knocked down cost him in the 11th
round.  Ali got him in trouble just as the round started while Ali was throwing a flurry
of punches Ali's corner was yelling to stop the fight.  Had Lyle gone 
down to one knee and taken a 8-count, I think he would have won the
fight. At least I had him ahead.  Ali said later that he was glad the
referee stopped the fight because he didn't want to hurt Lyle.  Ali's
rope-a-dope tactics didn't work against Lyle, every time he would lean
against the ropes and cover up, Lyle would go to the center of the 
ring and motion to him that the fight is here.

In other title action, two master boxers went at it for 15
rounds and the victor was Antonio Cervantes over Esteban DeJesus.
Miguel Canto had a tough time retaining his title over Betulio
Gonzales in 15 rounds.  Carlos Monzon was fined $10,000 and banned from fighting
in Europe for refusing to take a anti-dope test after his fight against
Jose Napoles in Paris. The list of up and coming fighters to watch for include Lorenzo
Zanon, Harold Skog and Sean O'Grady.

In the Ring ratings, I thought the Bantamweight top ten was
very impressive with fighters that had been and would be world champions.

BANTAMWEIGHT
Champ: Alfonso Zamora, Mexico
 1. Rodolfo Martinez, Mexico
 2. Rafael Herrera, Mexico
 3. Romeo Anaya, Mexico
 4. Carlos Zarate, Mexico
 5. Eusebio Pedroza, Panama
 6. Soo Hwan Hong, Korea
 7. Arnold Taylor, South Africa
 8. Benico Sosa, Argentina
 9. Andres Hernandez, Puerto Rico
10. Dave Needham, England


==========================================================
DON & MIKE...THE NEW GLIMMER TWINS 
by GorDoom@aol.com

What can you say about a guy being sucker punched by a fight card that he knew he
was gonna get screwed on going' in? $46 bucks & not one good fight except for the
corner men of Gonzales & Murphy.  That, along with the chilling pre-fight instruction
stare-down by Iron Mike --  in which he very coldly focused almost 4 years of sheer
rage & frustration on a helpless piece of tuna with a big mouth -- provided all the
drama there was in an interminable fight card...& that was the frustration of the whole
event.  Neither Iron Mike or our own less than semi-bad selves got to truly vent before
the stilted dance was over...By the time this is published, everybody will have seen the
fight -- either on PPV, Showtime, or ABC -- so there is no need to go over it again...I
have a couple of other issues to address...The Evil Jester & his Thug...

 While I'm sure that most knowledgeable boxing fans agree that King is a freakin'
dirtbag-that should be stuffed in a large, sound-proofed bottle & sent out with the
current, Think about what boxing would be like without perhaps, the greatest con man
since Goebbles(sic)... There is no need to rehash the litany of woes he has caused-the
man is pond scum & we all know it...However I know the game wouldn't be improved
by his demise...instead it would greatly suffer...King has been the greatest promoter
boxing or any other arena has seen since Nixon ( I mean this in the sense of
bullshitting  & manipulating literally millions of people)...but I digress...back to
boxing-Without a doubt, King has been the most influential Dude the Sweet Science
has ever had inflicted on itself. No one, not Rickard, Jacobs, or Norris ever put on
cards as loaded with talent as he has...Arum & Duva aren't even in the same game,
much less ballpark...King without a doubt-from the "Rumble In The Jungle" thru even
last nights uninspired card has always given us major events & for the most part our
money's worth...Of course you can't say the same thing for the fighters...If we are left
with Arum & Duva (& neither one of these two character hands are exactly clean), we
are going to pay the same money for fights like Whitaker, De La Hoya, or  Roy Jones
jr. against some moke & an undercard that you normally couldn't give away...I'm not
trying to make excuses for King, but when the day comes that he leaves the squared
circle, I'm sure that it will not improve the state of boxing... 

I thought Tyson looked good in the 89 seconds that I got to observe him...There were
skills that were immediately apparent that were positives...Tyson has never been
attacked from the onset by anybody (nobody had the guts), & he adjusted & overcame
(with a little help from his friends in McNeely's corner) & for that, along with the way
he slipped punches & countered you gotta give him an A+ for this circumspect effort.
If you cut thru all the crap you have to realize that this is a guy that has been
languishing in  prison & been out of the pressure loop of "big time" sports & media
attention....Consider this...Michael Jordan took a long stretch off from his chosen sport
& came back without seemingly missing a beat...But, he wasn't out of the media hype
loop for one second with his ill conceived venture into minor league baseball. The Big
Eye of celebrity, tv, endorsements & just being the Mahatma Ghandi of
basketball-never mind that ugly little gambling thang, that quite & very much pushed
him into retirement & minor league baseball...After a suitable grace period in which
both he & the Commissioner's office, realized that dwindling TV ratings & commercial
endorsements; demanded his inevitable comeback...but I digress. It's the other Mike ( I
don't wanna be like) that concerns us here...In the face of the surreally immense
pressure cooker he walked out of prison into...I thought Tyson was remarkably
composed. In the short time he was actually in the ring, he displayed good body
movement & that irrevocable power that he's always displayed. All in all, I gotta give
him an A+ for his nights work-he demonstrated that he is once again a consumate
professional in the ring...It's outside the ring that I've got a problem... 
I find the comparisons to Ali's situation, odious & mind wobbling for two reasons: As
fighters, stylistically, their is nothing in common between Ali & Tyson...Ali, like
Leonard & the original Sugar Ray, were able to come back successfully because they
were boxers, not sluggers. A guy like Tyson with his physical disadvantages (as a
heavyweight), depends on his power & razor sharp reflexes for his timing. When he
lost a step ( Buster & Razor Ruddock, four years ago), he suddenly became just
another strong, but ineffective small heavyweight. He also lost his aura of invincibility
& his opponents weren't scared of him. Hell, a lug like Ruddock extended him...& I
believe earlier in his career he would have destroyed him within 3 rounds...& after
McNeely the jury is quite & very still out...The issue that sickens me, is people
making a hero out of that thug...Comparing rape & Ali's courage in his convictions is
incredible!...Mike Tyson has conducted himself like a freakin' punk...Ali is a man for
the ages & truly a hero.

All that being said, I also believe Iron Mike has paid his debt to society...He did his
crime-he served his time & I'm more than willing to let sleeping dogs lie...Maybe he
learned something in prison & has matured. I hope so...Or he'll be back there quicker
than you can say Jack Johnson...
==========================================================

August Boxing Ratings
by ryan@valhalla.intercon.com (Phrank Da Slugger)

[Editor's note:  As the readers of rec.sports.boxing already know, Phrank Da Slugger
can be counted on to give insightful and well-founded opinions.   Here is his view of
the ratings though August 23.  Obviously, with McCall's defeat by Bruno, the
Heavyweight rankings have changed, but I'm sure the readers of this newsletter will
appreciate his comments.] 



HEAVYWEIGHTS
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Riddick Bowe
2. Michael Moorer 
3. Oliver McCall (WBC)
4. Evander Holyfield
5. Axel Schulz
6. George Foreman 
7. Lennox Lewis
8. Tommy Morrison
9. Ray Mercer
10. Bruce Seldon (WBA)

So you say where's Tyson? Get real -- he only beat Peter Freaking McNeeley.
You gotta beat someone of note before you break into the Top 10. (And just
to reiterate for the umpteenth time: I don't rank fighters based on some
kind of a subjective Who's The Best scale. Here they are rated based on how
they perform against each other and in terms of performance -- maybe Tyson
is already one of the top three Heavyweights, but that doesn't count for much
here) . . .  Obviously, the result of McCall-Bruno came after these ratings were
compiled and of course will change things here a bit next month.   And, 
things may change even more in November as Bowe and Holyfield meet in the true
Championship fight. Tyson can take out Seldon, Bruno and Schulz, but if he
doesn't defeat the winner of this great match, he's not the Champion. . . .  Speaking of
the WBA titlist, Seldon's defeat of inept Joe Hipp does little for him here.  Seldon was
tentative and reluctant to let loose against a challenger just asking to be put out of his
misery. Seldon stays at number 10 and should stay away from any serious challenges
if he wants to stay a titlist. . .  Coming up, Herbie Hide comes back and we'll see if he
can remain upright and get back in here.


CRUSIERWEIGHTS
Champion: Nate Miller (WBA)
1. Adolfo Washington
2. Alfred Cole (IBF)
3. Orlin Norris
4. Anaclet Wamba (WBC)
5. Sergei Kobazev
6. Patrice Aoussi
7. Ralf Rocchigiani
8. Marcelo Dominguez
9. Karl Thompson
10. Thorsten May

Now that Luis Santana has been kayoed,  Anaclet Wamba can retake his place as
the WBC's (and possibly the whole sport's) absolutely worst titlist...Only
movement here this month came as Dominguez moves up a couple notches after
destroying perennial contender Akim Tafer. Add to that another win this
month and the fact that most ringsiders agree he was screwed in his
decision loss to Wamba earlier this year, and we have a potentially solid
fighter here...Aoussi the only other fighter who was active here this
month...The sole fight on the horizon for these guys has Rocchigiani
fighting the credible Mark Randazzo at the end of September.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Henry Maske (IBF)
2. Fabrice Tiozzo WBC)
3. James Toney
4. Graciano Rocchigiani
5. Virgil Hill (WBA)
6. Merqui Sosa 
7. Montell Griffin
8. Mike McCallum
9. Darius Michelczewski
10. Prince Charles Williams

This is boxing's second shit division (next to, of course, the Crusiers). No
one fought this month save for Michalczewski, and that was against crap
opposition...Perhaps the lone positive point here is that it appears #1
Maske is set to defend his title against Rocchigiani in a rematch
soon...But look elsewhere -- Hill defends against Drake "Who?" Thadzi,
Toney fights Ernest "No Hope" Mateen and Griffin is pissing his career
away.  Whatever.


SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Champion: Roy Jones (IBF)
1. Nigel Benn (WBC)
2. Steve Collins
3. Chris Eubank
4. Frank Liles (WBA)
5. Bryant Brannon
6. Graciano Rocchigiani
7. Henry Wharton
8. Tony Thornton 
9. Frederic Seillier
10. Steve Little

There will be some movement here next month, and almost certainly it'll be
Thornton dropping after losing to Jones...Benn won after these ratings were
done...Also, Collins and Eubank will rematch in September -- should be
interesting...Eubank and Brannon the only two here active this month, and the
latter was especially impressive winning with a bad arm...Don't know how much
longer Rocchigiani will remain, as it appears he may stay at 175...Little
pulled out of his challenge of Benn's title, extending his inactive streak
to many months now. Next month he's gone...Maybe Michael Nunn will replace
him -- Nunn was effective in yet another win recently...Seillier remains
MIA, and will probally begin to plummet next month.


MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Jorge Castro (WBA)
2. Quincy Taylor (WBC)
3. Bernard Hopkins (IBF)
4. John David Jackson
5. Reggie Johnson
6. Segundo Mercado
7. Lonnie Bradley
8. Chris Pyatt
9. Joe Lipsey
10. Dana Rosenblatt

I really hate when I'm right, but I was proven this month correct on two 
counts: that Taylor would win when he challenged for a title and that
Julian Jackson was washed-up and didn't deserve a high ranking based on a
win over an unknown Italian fighter. I was tempted to rank Taylor number one based
on his very impressive KO of Jackson to take the title, but Castro remains
there for now. When you consider that Castro beat #4 John David Jackson,
itÕs impossible to put anyone else above him...Julian Jackson, a true
warrior and one of the best fighters of the last decade, exits. HeÕs had a
great run, but is at the end of the road...Lipsey re-enters at #9 after
finally making it back into the ring. Hopefully, heÕll remain active...With
nothing on the horizon, we just have to wait for Castro to recover from his
auto accident, Hopkins' contract w/Butch Lewis to expire and Taylor to make
defense #1.


JR. MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Terry Norris (WBC)
2.  Paul Vaden (IBF)
3. Julio Cesar Vasquez
4. Vincent Pettway 
5. Gianfranco Rosi
6. Verno Phillips
7. Carl Daniels (WBA)
8. Buddy McGirt
9. Simon Brown
10. Bronco McKart

This is maybe the strongest top ten in the sport. Only two fights this month,
but the implications were big...Norris regained his title with an absolutely
dominating, flawless and --most important, perhaps-- foul-free destruction
of Luis Santana. Thankfully, that ended that bruise on boxing's
reputation...The other big fight was Paul Vaden winning a TKO over Pettway.
The former-titlist put in the non-effort of the year, reminding me of
another Jr. Middle title fight just a year ago between Norris and Brown.
Brown, the new champion coming off an impressive win, did nothing and let
the victory easily go to the other guy. Ditto Pettway...The reason for
placing Norris ahead of Vaden is that the former was so dominant and that I
think Pettway's doing nada was as much a factor as Vaden's ability in the
latter winning the title. Norris says he wants Whitaker and Trinidad --
screw Pee Wee (though Norris would beat him like he did Meldrick Taylor a few
years ago); Norris-Trinidad is a fight I'd pay $100 on PPV to see...When
Daniels defends against Vasquez, the winner will be a solid #3 here and
join a great line-up of titlists...Vaden's ascension displaces Winky
Wright, who joins a very strong #11-and-under contingent...One of them,
Andrew Council, will take on McGirt in what should be a quality match on
CBS at the end of September.. 

WELTERWEIGHTS
Champion: Pernell Whitaker (WBC)
1. Felix Trinidad (IBF)
2. Ike Quartey (WBA)
3. Oba Carr
4. Vince Phillips
5. Derrell Coley
6. Eamonn Loughran
7. Luis Ramon Campas
8. Shibata Flores
9. Anthony Stephens
10. Hector Camacho

Sad to note the departure of James Hughes (previously #7). RIP...In
addition to that, this was quite a month. Big shake-up...Carr and Coley
were impressive in a 10-round decision win for the former, as was Phillips
who blew out tough veteran Jaime Balboa. All 3 leap-frog Loughran...Campas
re-enters after destroying perennial contender Genaro Leon...Flores moves
up a notch after scoring a TKO over capable Young Dick Tiger (despite the
fact that it was the worst stoppage I've seen in a while)...Camacho again
won, as did Whitaker, but so what -- while nothing short of a loss will
drop Pee Wee, I'm confident that if he ever grows the cajones to meet
Trinidad, he will drop. In more ways than one.


JR. WELTERWEIGHTS
Champion: Julio Cesar Chavez (WBC)
1. Frankie Randall (WBA)
2. Kostya Tszyu (IBF)
3. Jake Rodriguez
4. Juan Coggi
5. Fred Pendleton
6. Charles Murray
7. Sammy Fuentes
8. Stevie Johnston
9. David Kamau
10. Reggie Green

Pendleton moves up a notch after scoring a TKO over fellow former-titlist
Tony Lopez. Very impressive, but as he was down again, I have to wonder how
he'd fare against any of the titlists here...Murray and Johnston also saw
action this month...Coming up we have some great fights between top ten
fighters -- Chavez defends against Kamau in two weeks, Randall defends
against Coggi on the same date and in October, Murray and Green will meet (on
USA!). It's great to see quality match-ups for a change, huh?

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Champion: Oscar De La Hoya (IBF)
1. Miguel Angel Gonzalez (WBC)
2. Nazarov Olzubek (WBA)
3. Lamar Murphy
4. Rafael Ruelas 
5. Stevie Johnston
6. Brian Mitchell
7. John-John Molina
8. Ivan Robinson
9. Jesse James Leija
10. Shane Mosely

Don't see new IBF titlist Phillip Holliday? Same as Tyson -- he beat a
fighter I don't rank (being that neither have fought nor beat anyone of
note), but being that he was impressive, expect him to crack the Top 10
soon...Murphy explodes onto the scene with what I scored a draw against the
overrated Gonzalez. Hope he stays active, and I fear for Mago against
Chavez...Johnston has been very impressive lately, though at 140 lbs. He
moves up...Mitchell says he'll campaign at Jr. Welter, and now I'll hold
him to it. He's gone next month if he doesn't fight at 135...Dingaan
Thobela drops as he's a Jr. Welter now...Mosely breaks in with an impressive
4-round KO of former WBO titlist Mauricio Aceves, displacing an inactive
Michael Ayers.


JR. LIGHTWEIGHTS
Champion: Gabriel Ruelas (WBC)
1. Tracy Harris Patterson
2. Genaro Hernandez
3. Regilio Tuur
4. Arturo Gatti
5. Jesus Rodriguez
6. Eugene Speed
7. Aaron Zarate
8. Anatoly Alexandrov
9. Ed Hopson. 
10. Isagani Pumar

You'd think there was a conspiracy going on -- the WBA, in its infinite
wisdom, of course, stripped Hernandez for planning to fight De La Hoya.
Coupled with the IBF stripping DLH for the same reason, can't you just see
these bozos sitting in a dark, smoky room planning the future for their
ever-meaningless organizations: Hey, these are two of the best fighters in
the world and they wanna fight each other. Let's strip-em!
Boneheads...Jesse James Leija drops as it's certain he'll remain at 135
from here on out...Alexandrov comes in after a solid decision win over
former #10 Jacobin Yoma...And Pumar defeated the solid Hector Monjardin via
5th round KO, bringing him at #10, and displacing Victor Hugo Paz...Speed
is on the watch list as he's been inactive for some months now.


FEATHERWEIGHTS
Champion: Alejandro Gonzalez (WBC)
1. Tom Johnson (IBF)
2. Eloy Rojas (WBA)
3. Steve Robinson
4. Kevin Kelley
5. Manuel Medina
6. Miguel Arrozal
7. Youngkyun Park
8. Derrick Gainer
9. Robert Garcia
10. Jesse Benavides

Not much action here this month, but September will be different...1st, though,
Rojas successfully defended his title, despite having to get up off the
canvas against tougher-than-expected Nobutoshi Hiranaka...Arrozal the only
other active fighter in this division in Aug...Coming up are some really
good fights. Johnson defends against 2-time Champion Wilfredo Vasquez,
Gonzalez defends against Hector Lizarraga, Kelley fights Bones Adams and
Robinson sees if Naseem Hamed's hype is for real. Stay tuned.

=========================================================

THE DEATH OF JESSE JAMES by David Iamele

Boxing lost one of its most exciting warriors this past month when lovable outlaw,
"Jesse" James Hughes was found face down in a swamp near his home in Mobile,
Alabama.  James, the victim of apparent foul-play, seemed to be finally coming into
his own in the sweet-science.  1995 say Hughes capture the USBA welterweight
championship belt, and after a recent bout was calling out champs Pernell Whittaker
and Felix Trinidad (two very ambitious under takings to be sure), and there were talks
of a PPV match with Yori Boy - Campas.  James will not be remembered as a slick
boxer like Whittaker or Roy Jones, nor will he be remembered as a bomber like Yori-Boy or
Trinidad.  He was however, one of the most exciting, gritty, tough-as-nails,
S.O.B.'s I've ever seen step into the squared-circle.  He was the type of fighter that
didn't seem to mind taking 10 (or more) shots from an opponent to get one or two of
his in.  He also seemed to have an almost uncanny ability to get his with any and all
punches thrown anywhere near him.  I've seen him getting battered and bloodied all
over a ring by boxers of marginal ability and boxers of championship caliber alike,
and I'd never count him out of a fight with either,  till the fat lady was singing -- Jesse
James was winging!

Jesse's nickname "outlaw", was more than just a promotional tool or gimmick. 
Hughes earned this dubious honor outside the ring with a few brushes with the law and
served a couple of stretches in the slammer.  But as Hughes boxing career was looking
up, so too his personal life seemed to be settling down to an even keel.

James will be missed not only by his family and friends, but also by anyone one who
enjoys a great brawl of a boxing match.  I feel a little sad lately when I see a good
brawl on USA or ESPN, thinking of Jesse James Hughes.  I hope he is in a better place
now and at peace.  Jesse, thank you for the hours of enjoyment your times in the ring
have brought me.

=========================================================
UPCOMING FIGHTS (C-DENOTES DEFENDING CHAMPION) 

September 8 at Las Vegas - Danny Romeo vs. Willy Salazar, 10,
super flyweights 

September 9 at Las Vegas -- Oscar de la Hoya vs. Genaro
Hernandez, 12, lightweights;  James Toney vs. Ernest Mateen, 12,
light heavyweights; Kevin Kelley vs. Clarence Adams, 12, junior
featherweights;  c-Erik Morales vs. Alberto Martinez, 12, NABF
super bantamweight title 

September 9 at Las Vegas -- Johnny Tapia vs. Jesse Miranda, 10,
junior bantamweights 

September 9 at Cork, Ireland -- Steve Collins vs. Chris Eubank,
12, super middleweights. 

September 15 at Bossier City, Louisiana -- Jake Rodriguez vs.
Homer Gibbins, 10, welterweights 

September 16 at Las Vegas -- c-Julio Cesar Chavez vs. David
Kamau, 12, WBC super lightweight title;  c-Frankie Randall vs.
Juan Coggi, 12, WBA junior welterweight title;  c-Frank Liles
vs. Mauricio Amaral, 12, WBA super middleweight title;  c-Carl
Daniels vs. Julio Cesar Vasquez, 12, WBA junior middleweight
title. 

September 16 at Arnheim, the Netherlands -- Regilio Tuur vs.
Luis Mendoza, 12, junior lightweights 

September 30 at Atlantic City -- c-Tom Johnson vs. Wilfredo
Vasquez, 12, IBF featherweight title. 

September 30 at Atlantic City -- Buddy McGirt vs. Andrew
Council, 10, junior middleweights 

September 30 at Pensacola, Florida -- c-Roy Jones vs. Tony
Thornton, 12, IBF super middleweight title 

October 7 at the Bahamas -- Rafael Ruelas vs. George Scott, 12,
lightweights 

November 4 at Las Vegas -- Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield,
12, heavyweights. 

November 4 at Las Vegas -- Mike Tyson vs. Buster Mathis, Junior,
10, heavyweights 
==========================================================

WBA, IBF, and WBC RANKINGS  (THROUGH SEPTEMBER 4TH)


WBA                    WBC                      IBF 
---                    ---                      --- 

                       HEAVYWEIGHT 
                       ----------- 
Bruce Seldon           Frank Bruno              Vacant


                       CRUISERWEIGHT 
                       ------------- 
Nate Miller            Anaclet Wamba            Alfred Cole


                       LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT 
                       ----------------- 
Virgil Hill            Fabrice Tiozzo           Henry Maske


                       SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT 
                       ------------------ 
Frank Liles            Nigel Benn               Roy Jones


                       MIDDLEWEIGHT 
                       ------------     
Jorge Castro           Quincy Taylor            Bernard Hopkins 


                       JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT 
                       ------------------- 
Carl Daniels           Terry Norris             Paul Vaden


                       WELTERWEIGHT 
                       ------------ 
Ike Quartey            Pernell Whitaker         Felix Trinidad


                       JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT 
                       ------------------- 
Frankie Randall        Julio Cesar Chavez       Konstantin Tszyu


                       LIGHTWEIGHT 
                       ----------- 
Orzubek Nazarov        Miguel Angel Gonzalez    Phillip Holiday


                       JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT 
                       ------------------ 
Vacant                 Gabriel Ruelas           Tracy Patterson


                       FEATHERWEIGHT 
                       ------------- 
Eloy Rojas             Alejandro Gonzalez       Tom Johnson


                       JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHT 
                       -------------------- 
Antonio Cermeno        Hector Acero Sanchez     Vuyani Bungu 


                       BANTAMWEIGHT 
                       ------------ 
Daorun Chuwatana       Wayne McCullough         Mbulelo Botile  


                       JUNIOR BANTAMWEIGHT 
                       ------------------- 
Alami Goitia           Hiroshi Kawashima        Harold Grey


                       FLYWEIGHT 
                       --------- 
Saen Sor Ploenchit     Yuri Arbachakov          Danny Romero


                       JUNIOR FLYWEIGHT 
                       ---------------- 
Hiyong Choi            Saman Sorjaturong        Saman Sorjaturong 


MINIMUMWEIGHT          STRAWWEIGHT              MINI-FLYWEIGHT 
-------------          -----------              -------------- 
Chana Por Pao-In       Ricardo Lopez            Ratanaphon Sor Vorapin


==========================================================
END QUOTE: "The first fifteen seconds of a fight can be the fight.  It is the
equivalent to the first kiss in a love affair." -- Norman Mailer in Life Magazine, 1971.
==========================================================
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