PAGE TRIUMPHS OVER LOPEZ IN "TEST OF WILLS"

In what was one of the most exciting fights of 1998, James Page retained the WBA welterweight title last night with a 12 round unanimous decision over Jose Luis Lopez in a bout at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

PAGE SHOWS "NO RESPECT"

From the outset, Page, who scaled the welterweight limit of 147 lbs., worked his fast hands in combination. Mixing up his leads, Page would fire right hands to the head, the body, and come with a straight left jab upstairs. At other times, James would just "tee off" with his vaunted hook, which is quite possibly the best sweeper in the division.

AND IT "ALMOST COST HIM"

The lack of respect for Lopez ended 2:33 into the third frame, when James ate a straight right hand that rocked his world. Lopez, 146 1/2, would follow up with a barrage of blows, a decent percentage of which would land, but Page would make it to the bell.

STILL ON "CASTRO ST."

When the 27 year old WBA champion came out for the fourth frame, he knew he was in peril seeing that Lopez could not only take everything James could dish out, but that the Mexican also had some pop in his hands. Lopez would take the round, but James Page showed he could stay away until his head had cleared.

IT'S MY TITLE!

Page would win the next three heats on my card, and lose only the ninth round after that point. The final tally on the Ring Talk sheet had Lopez, now 43-4-2, (33 KO's) only winning three rounds.

RICAN REEKS AS REF

For a long time referee Tony Perez has been working big fights. And for as long as I can remember, and that goes back to the 1973, the Jerseyite is an incompetent boob.

FIRST TIME

Twas' the Ali-Frazier II fight when Perez robbed Ali of a possible second round stoppage when he said he heard the bell 30 ring seconds before anybody else! Joe, like Page last night, found himself on Castro, er, I mean Queer St.

MIGHTY QUINN SHOWS HIS METTLE

Having witnessed the rise of James Page from Junior Olympic kingpin to WBA champion, not even I never knew the inner makings of the Pittsburg, CA resident. But last night's fight was an eye opener. With the exception of the third round, each time Lopez would rock Page, the Mighty Quinn (Quinn is James' middle name) would roar back with blistering combinations.

DUVA IMPLORING LOPEZ

But what Lopez' cornerman Lou Duva didn't realize was how hard Page was hitting his charge. Even when Lopez was covering up, Page was hitting him with blows on the arms that had to have a debilitating effect.

LOPEZ "GOOD ACTOR"

The native of Durango, Mexico never really changed expressions much in the fight. But he was hurt more often than it appeared, and that was the reason why he was afraid to let his hands go.

FOUR SCORECARDS

On the Ring Talk scorecard, Page was a 116-112 winner. The three WBA panelists tabbed it 116-111, 115-112, and 115-112, all for Page who ascends to 23-2, (18 KO's).

TITO IN CROWD, BUT HE DON'T WANT "NONE"

Believe me when I say that if Felix Trinidad were to meet Page in his next fight, James would make that $42 million contract Trinidad signed last week with promoter Don King a moot issue.

TRINIDAD OFF "A LONG TIME"

Better take note of what I mean by a "Long Time Off." Although he fought last Spring, Trinidad hasn't had a fight a breathing foe since God knows when. Foes like the undersized Ray Lovato, and Freddie Pendleton dot the professional resume of the unbeaten IBF welterweight beltbearer.

PETTAWAY NEXT

That's why Don King will match the lanky Puerto Rican against shopworn Vincent Pettaway in order to see where Tito is at. And to see if he can still perform at 147 lbs.

WEIGHT BIG QUESTION MARK?

Tito has been dieting in the Jenny Craig mold for so long now, that he may dry out this next time and realize that the magic is gone! And there is nothing like the best left hook in the division to let you know that you listened to your father one time too many, and stayed too long at 147. And that's why it's Pettaway instead of an instant unification with Page, who like Trinidad is promoted by Don King.

TONY TOO FAR AWAY

As far as all time referee's I do have a ranking for Tony Perez. The inept Puerto Rican is one of the worst third men in the modern history of prizefighting. Sometimes, all Perez needs is a ticket stub and a bag of peanuts as he seems intent on viewing a fight from a blood thirsty spectator's point of view.

MORRISON AND "THE GRIM REAPER"

While it'll probably be AIDS that will eventually send Tommy Morrison to meet his maker, the Grim Reaper almost took him in a 1991 bout with Ray Mercer. After the Rocky 5 star had unloaded on Mercer with reckless abandon, he was a spent fighter by the fourth round.

UNANSWERED BLOWS EXCEEDED 20!

And Ray Mercer is no powder puncher. His punches were landing on an obviously concussed Morrison whose legs seemed paralyzed as his head rocked around like it were on a post.

LOOK AT THE TAPE!

And you can see me jumping up in the first row of the press section
screaming at Perez and New Jersey Commission head Larry Hazzard to stop the fight. Eventually, Hazzard interrupted Perez' night as a morbid fan, and ended the slaughter at hand.

LAST NIGHT

Tony failed to warn or penalize Lopez for hitting Page when he was down in that hair raising third. Perez then called a knockdown in the ninth frame on Page that obviously wasn't. Add to the equation that Perez failed to stop the time keeper in one round when the slippery ring mat was being attended to. This resulted in the stanza being just 2:29 long.

HAVE I MADE MY POINT?

Well in case I didn't, Tony then backed up his errant call when he was shown the SHOWTIME replay. "That was a flash knockdown," he said. Is there any other way to describe anybody who cannot admit he has made a mistake, even when he is showed his error on video tape than to say he is a buffoon?

CAPUCINO "DECAFFEINATED" BY AGE

When I called a source at 1:30 AM PT when I was writing this piece, he wasn't happy to learn that all I wanted to know was how old referee Frank Capucino of New Jersey is? The answer of 62 years, was preceded by some four letter words that do not coincide with our PG rating here at www.fighters.com

PASTURE TIME FOR BOTH REFS

Capucino worked the main event of the SHOWTIME evening, a WBA 118 lb. title scrap between champ Nana Konadu and boxing's firecracker Johnny Tapia. In the 11th round of a fight that would go the distance, Capucino ruled Tapia had been knocked down. Like the Page-Lopez match, again the referee would make the wrong call.

FIGHT "A BORE"

Tapia would prevail by a majority decision as one jurist had the one sided rout 114-114, while the other two panelist's seemed way too generous to Konadu in tabbing Tapia the winner by scores of 116-111, and 115-112. I tabbed it 120-108 for Tapia who captures the WBA belt and stays unbeaten at 45-0-2, (24 KO's). Konadu is now 39-4, (31 KO's).

DOC STEALS SHOW, AGAIN!

Dr. Margaret Goodman is a Neurologist that practices in Las Vegas. Last night, the lovely physician appeared on Ring Talk and her interview will be put into print in the coming days here at fighters.com

FERNANDO "RELAXED AND ANXIOUS"

During the second hour of Ring Talk, Fernando Vargas spent some time with the Ring Talk Family of Listeners as he talked Vargas-Yory Boy Campas. "Yeah, I'm relaxed, but I'm also anxious. Today is Saturday, one week from now the fight will be over. And God willing, I'll have my first world
title."

FERNANDO "NOW FAVORED"

Campas-Vargas opened at "Even" odds. Since then there has been good two way action in Las Vegas. But the majority of dough is now coming in for the 20 year old from Oxnard, Ca. and he is a -$140 favorite. This means you have to put down $140 to win $100. Campas is an EVEN bet right now.

ROBINSON-GATTI "PICK EM"

The so called main event for next Saturday's HBO card will be Arturo Gatti trying to erase the thumping he took from Ivan Robinson in August. A majority of wise guys are backing the Philly fighter to repeat his win over Gatti, and this time in an even more convincing manner.

"ODDS WIZ" HERB LAMBECK LIKES "EX-HBO POSTER BOY"

Ex, as in former. Gatti is as done a Big Mac paddy. His manager Pat Burns thinks Arturo has a couple of years left, when the truth of the matter is that all Gatti is now is an inflated punching bag that has no swivel. Robinson KO 7.

FERDIE "WAY OUT THERE"

Ferdie Pacheco's shortcomings as a commentator are often marred by his favoritism towards Latin fighters. All throughout last night's 147 lb. fight, Ferdie kept talking up Lopez as if he had a piece of his purse coming his way.

From the pre fight hype, and until the end Ferdie kept lauding Lopez. And for what? An uncanny ability to take punishment! Hey Ferdie, the time is nearing as to when you might want to think about stepping aside before you embarrass yourself.

BOXING, A ONCE A MONTH GIG IF THAT FOR FRIGHT DOCTOR

If SHOWTIME goes eight times a year and has two pay Per View cards, that means Ferdie is focused on boxing ten, maybe fifteen days a year. That and reading my column in FLASH Magazine is not enough.

MULTI FACETED

Pacheco is a physician, a novelist, a non fiction writer, and an artist whose work has been shown the world around. So, it won't be as if he has nothing to do once he steps away from the broadcast booth.

SUNDAY NIGHT ON "RING TALK"

It'll be WBA welterweight champion James Page, and ex-bantamweight king Orlando Canizales. And we may try and get a word with the "Godfather" of the HBO TV crew Larry Merchant on his assessment of WBA king Page's whipping of Jose Luis Lopez, who Merchant was extremely high on.

SUNDAY NIGHT WE ARE ON TALK AMERICA 2!

We are live on the Internet on both Saturday and Sunday, but Ring Talk is on different networks each night. Saturday, it's the Talk America "1" Radio Network, while TONIGHT or the Sunday show is heard on the Talk America "2" Radio Network, aka "The Deuce."

LIVE INTERNET AUDIO

For those of you in areas not covered by the Talk America Network(s), you can listen to Ring Talk LIVE on the Net at www.talkamerica.com

BE ADVISED!

On your initial visit to the Talk America site, you will need a few minutes to Download the free audio software. Once you have done this, listening to Ring Talk on your computer will be as easy as going to our web site here at www.fighters.com

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TALK "1" AND TALK "2"

Be sure you have the right Network. Talk "1" is for Saturdays, while Talk "2"  airs the Sunday (tonight) show. BOTH Networks have separate LIVE Internet audio channels at www.talkamerica.com


Pedro Fernandez

The writer has his own site at www.fighters.com and can be reached at flash@inow.com

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