Two weeks ago, Oscar De La Hoya allegedly suufered a cut in training. Last week, Miguel
Angel Gonzalez goes down with a rib injury. These two incidents have moved the De La
Hoya-Ike Quartey fight forward to February 13.
The injury to Gonzalez means #2 rated Kostya Tsyzu's travel itinerary is on hold for now.
According to AMERICA PRESENTS VP Fred Sternberg, "We are looking for the next
available contender to fight Kostya for the interim title, with the victor to meet Miguel
within 90 days."
LUISITO-KENNEDY STILL A "GO"
The WBC featherweight titleholder, Luisito Espinosa will still meet Kennedy McKinney in a
12 rounder on the November 28, HBO Boxing After Dark card from Indio, CA.
Sternberg continues, "If we cannot find a suitable foe for Tsyzu, then we will look
to make another fight to back up the feathers."
STERN FRED ON TYSON
"There is no word on Tyson-Botha yet. The problem is the site. If we have to promote
the live gate ourselves, we will do it the 15th of January at the Thomas and Mack
Arena."
MOSLEY POST LEIJA
After Shane Mosley turned Jesse James Leija out Saturday night on HBO, there were some of
you who didn't have glowing opinions of the manner in which the lightweight champion of
the world had performed.
OSCAR'S BACKERS...
Are saying that De La Hoya took Leija out in two rounds. And at it took Shane nearly 10
heats before he made the Texan quit. But James Leija will be the first to tell you that he
stuck his chin out there and went after Oscar. This led to his demise.
Against Shane, Leija probably knew he couldn't win before the fight. And after a few
heats, Jesse James was convinced. Although would be assertive at times, Leija cleverly
tucked and hid his chin for most of the evening.
SHANE SPEAKITH'
The lightweight champ was on the hone with yours truly yesterday morning. RT-How you
feeling? SM-Pedro, m hands are killing me. I kept hitting Jesse on the head. They are both
pretty swollen, not broken, just swelled up. RT-Jesse tucked his chin away pretty good.
SM-Yeah, he did. So, I worked him under. RT-What's next for you? SM-Well, they tell me
(WBC guy) Cesar Bazan wants to fight. I'd like to fight him in late February or early
March to unify two of the belts. RT-Ivan Robinson was on Ring Talk Saturday night and he
said that he's hoping that after he whips Arturo Gatti, that you will give him a shot.
Shane, I told him you said he was ducking you. Well, Ivan says you are avoiding him.
SM-What? Ivan said that? They are talking about Ivan going to France to fight Jean Mendy,
the WBA champ. If he is successful there, we can unify. That's what I want, all the belts.
As for Ivan, Pedro I'm not afraid, nor would I avoid anybody in my division. RT-You saw
Oscar last week at the HBO party for Gerald McClellan. How was his cut? SM-I didn't see
one. RT-What? SM-I didn't see a cut. I looked at it real close. And then Oscar explained
what happened and when he did I figured out that he wasn't cut. First up, he said he got
hit with a left hook. And then, he pulled down his left eyelid. If he got hit with a left
hook, I think he would have got cut on the other eye. RT-So, what do you think. Is there
some bitch in Oscar? SM-I told you that when I saw him in Big Bear, that he didn't look me
in the eyes. Something was wrong. Now you heard that he got dropped in the gym and that he
as getting beat up by sparring partners. Now, if you are getting dropped by, who did you
say knocked him down? RT-I heard Kippy Diggs. SM-Well, think about it. If Kippy whatever
his name was tearing Oscar up, and he's no Ike Quartey. Oscar probably felt the
heat."
JONES AFTERTHOUGHTS
What I think about Roy Jones Jr. and the way he carries himself can be summed up in one
word. "BORING."
RODNEY TAKING THE HEAT
My protege Rodney Verges sure did receive a ton of e mail following his RABBIT PUNCHES
column yesterday at fighters.com
IS THERE A NOBLE WAY TO QUIT?
That will be a question I'll try to answer later this week at www.fighters.com
SATURDAY'S RING TALK GUEST LIST...
Will include #1 rated IBF 154 lb. contender Fernando Vargas, two time champ Kennedy
McKinney, and COO Dan Goossen of AMERICA PRESENTS, who will bring us up to date on Tyson
and Kostya Tsyzu.
SHANE TOO!
Expect the best fighter for pound to make a cameo appearance Saturday night also. at 11:06
PM ET on the Talk America Radio Network with LIVE Internet audio at www.talkamerica.com
There he was in Don King's office last month waiting to pick up some funds he thought he
had coming to him. After arriving at 2 PM, Manos De Piedra was told at 7:15 by DK's
secretary that the Don had left via the back door.
MUSTAPHA "DOWN UNDER"
Eddie Mustapha Muhammad, the former light heavyweight champion and top ten trainer has
been in Aussieland for two months preparing Kostya Tsyzu for Gonzalez. This was supposed
to be Tsyzu's secret weapon, only I told you about it six weeks ago!
RATNER RATES FIGHTERS.COM #1
Marc Ratner, the Executive Officer of the Nevada State Athletic Commission had this to say
about www.fighters.com
"I go there every morning. I find that it is the #1 web site if you want to know
exactly what's going on. There are many other pages I read, but fighters.com is the
best."