Calzaghe vs. Kessler: Someone's "O" must go! The Prediction

18.07.07 - By Ted Sares:

Back in October 2006, I called for a super fight between Joe Calzaghe, W 43 (32 KOs)-0 vs. Mikkel Kessler, 39 (29 KOs)-0. Well, the fight has now been made for November 3 and someone's O must go (unless of course it ends in a draw which is certainly not out of the question.) Together, these two fine boxers have a combined professional record of 82-0 (61 KOs) and a combined 75% KO percentage. Their fight is already being called the biggest non-heavyweight title unification fight since Leonard-Hearns in 1981.

Off their respective fights with Peter Manfredo Jr (and earlier with Sakio Bika) and Librado Andrade (and Markus Beyer), Kessler must be given a solid chance to slow down the Welshman's express train. Joe had to battle his way to the final bell after a hard night’s work with the game Bika (who recently lost to Lucien Bute). On the other Hand, Kessler brutally destroyed WBC super middleweight champion Markus Beyer in three rounds and then pounded Andrade in a brilliant offensive display.

Though I am more impressed with the Pride of Wales' overall level of opposition, Kessler has never suffered anything less than a UD win. If you did a won-lost analysis of Joe's opponents (coming in) the result would be astoundingly impressive. Fighters like Jeff Lacey, Mario Veit, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Evans Ashira, Byron Mitchell, Richie Woodhall, Omar Sheika, Chris Eubank, Robin Reid and Mark Delaney came in with either unblemished records or just one or two defeats. But the fact he may have fought better opposition, combined with his age, might just have taken something out of him. Maybe.

The "Viking Warrior" is seven years younger than Calzaghe and that disparity seemed to show a bit against Bika. Against Manfredo, in a fight that clearly was stopped too soon, The Welshman showed super-fast hand speed, but many of his “blows” were more slap than punch. Moreover, the confused Manfredo simply stood there and covered up offering nothing in return. The unbeaten Dane knows full well that Calzaghe's high output of punches includes an inordinate amount of slaps. Kessler is no Manfredo.

Kessler's KO percentage is a handsome 74%, while Calzaghe's is just as impressive at 74%. Yet I keep coming back to age vs. youth and the possibility that Kessler may be peaking while Joe has already reached and perhaps passed his. If so, this could spell trouble for the "Italian Dragon." Still, he is a very difficult fighter to beat. He's got a great chin, great stamina, and, of course, that handspeed. He also has a high boxers’s IQ.

Whenever I see one elevator going down and one going up, I always go with the guy who is on the upward ride. That’s not the case here. Calzaghe is not yet on a downward ride; in fact, he just might be at the top of his game, albeit at an unusually ripe age.

The Outcome

Calzaghe does not have the one-punch power of Kessler and this could prove pivotal for Mikkel. On balance, however, I see Calzaghe getting into his rhythm early and avoiding Kessler bombs with great ring movement and acumen. I see him peppering the Dane with enough punches, many in lightening combinations, to gain a close decision. That said, the fight has the potential to be overly strategic and cerebral and this could translate to something other than the exciting engagement most are expecting or at least hoping for. Heck, the odds on this fight going the distance have to be pretty darn good.

The bookmakers have made Calzaghe a 1/2 favorite coming in, likely influenced by the fact the bout's location is in Cardiff where some 70, 000 fans will be screaming their support at the Millennium Stadium. Reportedly, about 5,000 Danish fans will be making the journey, and I may be joining them as well (coming by way of Geneva).

My heart says Kessler; my brain says Calzaghe by close decision, though, as I said, a draw is a distinct possibility. Let’s get it on.

"I've been waiting all my life for this, a big fight on US television against a great champion…they've been talking about this fight in Denmark for years. I don't want to reveal my tactics, but I'll keep my distance as usual. I'm a more intelligent fighter than Calzaghe. Lacy was too slow to take him on, but I know that I'm number one in the division and I'm going to kick his ass." Kessler

"I can't knock Kessler, he is a very solid all round fighter, but he has not fought me yet….he has never been in with a southpaw with my handspeed….believe me, there is no way I am losing that fight. I'm going to be in the best shape of my life, I'm going to have the best training camp I've ever done. This will be fight of the year. I've been in boxing for 25 years now and it takes a lot to get me excited, but this fight has done that. Before the Jeff Lacy fight there was a lot of pressure on me, but I'm more relaxed about things now…I don't think that any super-middleweight or light-heavyweight in the world can beat me. Beating Kessler would go some way to cementing my legacy." Calzaghe

Ten Most Exciting Fighters Today - Revised version

Ten Most Exciting Fighters Today - Revised version

By Ted Sares

Back in March, I listed the following fighters alphabetically. In so doing, I asked myself whether I would pay money to see each guy fight. A lot has happened since then so let's see how it has impacted this list. And remember, boxing fans are fickle and I am no exception. I'll revisit the new list in December and I'm sure it will change again.

1. Jorge "La Hiena" Barrios, 47-3-1-1 (33 KOs). He definitely stays. Barrios always comes to fight and his opponents better be ready to rumble. Are you hearing me, Juan Manuel Marquez?

2. Middleweight Alejandro "Naco" Berrio, My favorite when it comes to excitement. Chill or be chilled is what happens when this Columbian bomber is in the ring. He is now a world champion and actually has a "kiss and punch" combination in his skill-set.

3. Miguel Cotto. “Junito” has a 30-0 slate with 25 stoppages. Like Pipino Cuevas and Julio César Chávez, he not only beats his opponents, he breaks them down and injures them. He is a brutal old school type who tracks and executes like Jake LaMotta did and that, in and of itself, entitles him to a prominent place on this list. Heck, he brings out the excitement factor in his opponents.

4. Vic Darchinyan, 28-1 with 22Kos. Everything about the “Raging Bull” is exciting. From his cock demeanor to his newly found vulnerability. The fact we now know he can be sent “down under” adds to the mix. This haevy handed guy has now joined the ranks of the “chill or be chilled.”

5. Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz, 31 (16 ko's)-0. With tremendous hand speed and punching volume, complimenting his aggressiveness and great body punching, he creates continual excitement in the ring. However, he has been criticized for his inability to starch his opponents. Nevertheless, he has been somewhat under the radar screen and now that he was showcased in his exciting dismantling of Acelino "Popo" Freitas, I believe more fans will concur that he brings special and newly found excitement into the ring.

6. Arturo "Thunder" Gatti: Forget won-loss records. This is Gatti. The following Gatti quote speaks for itself: “I felt very excited to know that here I am training, knowing that I'm healthy. And I was feeling healthy, but you never know what's going on inside your body. I just didn't know what was going on. I was feeling good, but sometimes, because I have a big heart, my attitude is I always feel good. I don't want to go to the hospital for nothing.”


7. Ricky "Hit Man" Hatton. Crunching win over Castillo atones for Urango snore fest. He stays.


8. Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao. 44 -3-2 with, 36 KOs). He is the most exciting fighter in boxing today. This crowd pleasing warrior is rarely in a boring fight, and has knocked out Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, both future hall of Famers. If he stays focused and continues to train hard, his chances for induction into the Hall will translate to a slam dunk. A rematch with Barrera has been scheduled and the excitement meter is already at 100, as the PacMan prepares to retire the valiant Mexican warrior once and for all

9. Edwin "Dinamita" Valero, 22 -0 with 22 KOs says it all. In fact, 19 of this Venezuelan's 22 stoppages have come in the first round! Now that's excitement. The problem is his fights don't last long enough to really enjoy, but it's really not his fault.

10. Darnell "The-Ding-A-Ling-Man" Wilson, 22-5-3 with 19 Kos. Wilson is on a chilling roll and always promises something special. Welcome aboard, "Ding-A-Ling."

Honerable mention: Nonito “The Filipino Flash’’ Donaire, 18-1, 11 KO’s. He chilled out heavy favorite Vic with a perfectly timed left hook. All of a sudden, non-aficionados were asking “who is this guy?” When one exciting guy beats another, he deserves props and that's why “The Flash” has earned a mention. I can't wait to see him fight again and that’s another reason.

I’m sure you can name some. Have a go

Oh yes, Arce, Brewster, Margarito, Mayweather and Morales have been given the hook.

The Record behind the Record

The Record behind the Record

By Ted Sares


Some fighters finish their career with great records that no one ever knows about. Others, like Salvador "Chava" Sanchez's 44-1-1 record, Ricardo "Finito" Lopez's slate of 51-0-1 (38 KOs), Khaosai Galaxy's 49-1 (43 ko's) and Rocky Marciano's perfect 49-0 are well documented. The great Gene Tunney only dropped only one fight finishing with a remarkable 82-1-3-and 2 no contests. Of coures, Terry Marsh won every domestic amature boxing title and went on to retire as the undefeated British, European and World Champion

However, a few others you might not know about include:

"Dangerous" Dana Rosenblatt: 37-1-2 with (23 KOs). His slate includes wins over Vinnie Paz, Terry Norris, Glenwood "The Real Beast" Brown, Howard Davis and Brett Lally. He also beat Chad Parker and Sean Fitzgerald, both of whom retired with great records as well. Dana was a world champion who quit on his own terms.

Chad Parker, out of Biloxi, MS, never fought anyone of note until he stepped up to fight Dangerous" Dana and was knocked out in spectacular fashion in the first round. He immediately retired with a record of 31-1-1 with (25 KOs). Parker was a relative unknown who won his first fifteen all by stoppage—but his first nineteen opponents had losing records. Included among them were Jake Torrance (22-79-2) and Anthony Travis (5-50). He drew with Tim Rabon (14-12-2) and then fought Keheven Johnson (24-70-5), Anthony Ivory (33-77-5), and David McCluskey (20-72-6). A year before his Las Vegas fight with Rosenblatt, he fought Tim Dendy (17-44-2) and won by DQ in nine, which indicated at the time that Parker might be more hype than fight. All told, his opponents had an eye-popping combined won-lost record of 252-753!

Richie "The Bull" Melito, 27-1 with (25KOs), also lost when he stepped up for the first time. He was exposed and iced in 1997 by Bert Cooper in the first round.

Right out of the professional gate, he had won eighteen in a row, eleven coming by way of first-round KO. Only one of his fights went the distance, and that was a four-rounder against the immortal Edgar Turpin (0-6). In all, he had fought twenty-nine rounds in eighteen fights or 1.6 rounds per fight. But like many such records, there was a story behind the story.

None of his first eleven opponents had even won a fight. Finally, he fought unknown Chris Gingrow, who sported a 1-7 record and dispatched him in one round. He then stepped up and fought tough journeyman Mike Dixon in Memphis and did manage a TKO in four, his longest fight to date. Dixon, 16-30, had been in with may top-level fighters, so maybe the Bull had a little something after all.

When he fought John Carlo in his seventeenth fight, it marked the first time he fought an opponent with a winning record. This fight was for the vacant New York State Heavyweight Title. Carlo’s record was 14-2, with his only distinguishing accomplishment being a first-round KO over a completely shot Leon Spinks in 1994. It was one of Spink’s last fights. Other than that, he had fought no-names with losing records.

In fact, Carlo’s most recent fight leading up to July 29, 1997, had been against Eddie Curry (13-27-2) out of South Carolina, whom he beat by a TKO in the third round. Tellingly, Curry had lost seventeen fights inside of three. Completing the circle, he had even lost to Leon Spinks by DQ in 1994. Prior to” the Bull,” Carlo had been defeated by one Derek Amos (14-22) and Crawford Grimsley, both by first-round knockout. Grimsley’s claim to immortality would be a thirteen-second knockout at the hands of Jimmy “From Down Under” Thunder! At any rate, “the Bull” beat Carlo by KO in the second round and “captured” the crown.

Richie “the Bull” Melito’s 18-0 record had been overhyped by fighting seventeen opponents with losing records—and most had never even won a professional fight. Their combined won-lost record was 60-138. To Richie's credit, he finished his career with a string of wins against much better competition.

Alonzo Highsmith, 27-1-2 (23 ko's) was a running back out of Miami who was drafted in the first round, and played football for Houston, Dallas, and Tampa Bay from 1987 to 1992, but Highsmith never finished in the top ten in any major category, nor is he in the all-time top fifty in any major category. Moreover, his boxing opponents were on the dreadful side, with few wins coming against decent fighters with even halfway decent records. For example, he managed to beat the immortal Ed Strickland (0-30), legendary Jim Wisniewski (3-30) twice, and Terry Verners (8-26-2).

Highsmith is now working on getting his PGA Tour card. At thirty-six as a college scout for the Green Bay Packers, Highsmith spends a lot of time mentoring and coaching young football players. And he’s still a big name to many. Highsmith enthusiastically works football camps and assists seriously ill children at hospitals.

Leroy Jones, this 6'5 heavyweight out of Denver won the vacant NABF Heavyweight Title in 1978 before losing to Larry Holmes in his bid for the heavyweight title. Two years later, he retired with a record of 25-1-1 and likely became the subject of boxing trivia questions. Still, he had very good technical skills and an even better final record.

Henry "The Gentleman" Maske, 31-1, was a former Light Heavyweight champion who fought and won after taking a 10-year layoff. His level of opposition was impressive from the very start of his career, but the rap against Maske was that he fought too many fights in Germany.

Marshall Simpson was as Boston area light middleweight who retired with a fine 25-1 record. However, this boxer originally from Jamaica only fought three fighters with winning records. His lone loss came by TKO at the hands of Nate Woods who had lost eight in a row before dispatching Simpson.

So what's the point? Well, for one thing, when analyzing the worth of a fighter, it’s more important to do it on a qualitative basis than on a quantitative one. A guy who's undefeated at 10-0, for example, might not be that much better than a more seasoned boxer with a lousy record. For me, the quality of a fighter's opponents and his experience level are the key and should be closely analyzed to prevent dangerous mismatches. Think not? When Melito fought Cooper in 1997, the “Bull” was 18-0 and had a ko percentage of 94%. Smokin' Bert was 33-17 but his level of competition was light years better then Richie's.

Ted the Bull’s Twelve Predictions: Holyfield-Savarese, Brewster-Klitschko, Sturm-Alcoba, Povetkin-Donald, Darchinyan-Donaire, Hanshaw-Jones, Vargas-Ma

Ted the Bull’s Twelve Predictions:

By Ted Sares

I felt robust and cocky after successfully predicting several fights in a row (even calling the round in the Gatti-Baldomir fight and also predicting a draw). But then I was brought back to earth with my ill-advised prediction on the Briggs-Sultan disaster in which “The Cannon” shot blanks. I now undertake an effort at redemption by making twelve “tough” predictions. Call it hubris, chutzpah, audacity or just plain delusional, but this is how I see them playing out.

Savarese -Holyfield: Evander by TD. The “Dream” continues. Lou is done.

Sturm - Alcoba: Sturm by stoppage. Sturm is back. Who is Alcoba?* Povetkin - Donald: Povetkin by decision. Potvetkin on a roll.

Botha - Mirovic: Mirovic by stoppage. Botha out since 2002; too long, But Mirovic no great shakes.

Hanshaw-Jones: Jones by decision. Jones well rested and ready to roll.

Brewster - Klitschko: Wladimir by stoppage. Savage redemption.

Darchinyan-Donaire: Vic by stoppage. Donaire not bad, but Vic is a monster.

Simms-Alcine: Simms by decision. Alcine very good; Simms better. A tough one to call.

Hopkins-Wright: Wright by decision. Jabs and defense too much. A draw is a distinct possibility. If “Winky” wins, he has great shot at the Hall of Fame.*

Baldomir - Forrest: Baldomir by decision. Carlos is no Ike Quartey.

Diaz - Morales: Diaz by stoppage. Morales could well be done. Diaz a great amateur.

Vargas - Mayorga: Mayorga by stoppage. Interesting and tough to call. Both might be shot. Vargas has weakened himself by losing weight. A street fight looms.

And a very tough thirteenth: Williams over Margarito by decision

The Trackers; the Destroyers

There is something primal about fighters who track their opponents. With a savage incoming style that destroyed his opponents’ bodies, Julio Ceasar Chavez was one and so was Roberto Duran. They were seek and destroy fighters who defined this style during their respective reigns of terror. They would begin the chase as soon as the bell rang cutting off the ring and getting closer and closer until they made initial contact.

Said Johnny Ortiz, “Julio’s track them down and execute style of fighting will live on in fistic lore, whenever the greats are brought up in discussion, you can make book the name of Julio Caesar Chavez will be right there at the top of the list. It is only befitting for … ‘El Leon de Culiacan!”

Duran did the same. Who can forget his systematic invasion of Davey Moore’s privacy, his unwanted contact, his brutal execution?

Unlike stalkers, fighters like Duran and Chavez didn’t spend much time observing their opponent’s actions. They started the chase early and moved in for the kill as soon as they saw an opening. Pipino Cuevas (pre-Hearns) was a classic tracker who instilled fear in his opponents and rendered them vulnerable with his trip hammer left hooks. He then dispatched them without further adieu.

This brings us to 2007 and Miguel Cotto with his monster 83% KO percentage and particular brand of “track them down and execute style” of fighting. With a backdrop of “Cotto! Cotto!" and "Puerto Rico! Puerto Rico!" rocking the arenas and stadiums in which he does his work, he has enhanced his reputation at the hands of such tracked and destroyed fighters as Zab Judah, Carlos Quintana, Kelson Pinto, Oktay Urkal, Gianluca Branco (stopped for the first time in his career), Mohamad Abdulaev, Randall Bailey and Cesar Bazan. What’s more, Cotto is an equal opportunity executioner as he moves in with his hands high in a semi-peek-a-boo style looking for openings to land his malefic body shots. Whether his opponent is Mexican, American, Columbian, Puerto Rican, Panamanian, German, Uzbek, Italian, Brazilian, Australian, Ugandan, or Dominican, Cotto is an incoming force who continually attacks until his foe can no longer continue.

Vic “the Raging Bull” Darchinyan is another who starts the chase at the bell. Like Cotto, he comes in with his arms held in a strange posture and gives a variety of scary looks. And like fighters from the fifties, he starts winging haymakers in an effort to end his fights as soon as possible, but if he has to go past the sixth round, his opponents usually take a very bad beating as attested to by his late stoppages of Irene Pacheco, Diosdado Gabi, Luis Maldonado, and, of course, Victor Burgos.

Of course, Kelly Pavlik begins the stalk, track and inevitable destruction as soon as the bell rings for round one. With a 90% KO percentage, its not if, its when and the “when” usually comes around the sixth or seventh stanza when the final assault is launched against a helpless foe.

Cotto, Pavlik, Darchinyan, Duran, Cuevas and Chavez seem to belong to a special club. Marvelous Marvin Hagler used to have a motto to wit: “destruct and destroy,” and that in and of itself ensures his inclusion. Sure, he was tentative against Leonard and Duran, but not against the other sixty guys he beat.

One thing is certain, I enjoy watching Cotto, Darchinyan and Pavlik do their thing. With all due respect, I enjoy it a hellava lot more than watching Mayweather, Taylor, Briggs and Malignaggi do theirs

The Mini-Titans

The Mini-Titans

By Ted Sares

José Isidro Cuevas González, alias Pipino Cuevas, with an impressive KO percentage, was a breaker of jaws, noses and eye sockets. His left hook was something to behold. But then he met up with another Killing Machines by the name of Thomas Hearns, 28-0 with 26 Kos, in August 1980 and he was never quite the same. The “Hitman” destroyed Cuevas in two rounds with a straight right that was also something to behold. In so doing, he won the WBA Welterweight Title. But hold on, these two guy were welterweights and that rules them out as “mini-titans.”

Ricardo "Finito "Lopez

His final record was 51-0-1 with 38 ko's, but even more impressive was his amazing 25-0-1 (KOs) championship record. He was like a miniature Joe Louis. He could crack but he also could be a stylist. His last victory, a KO victory over recent world champion Zolani Petelo, book-ended his career with solid efforts and showed that his skills remained intact throughout. He was a world champion for over 10 years and fought many of his opponents in their home countries of Japan, South Korea and Thailand. He fought ten times in Las Vegas and also battled in California and Texas. Like Rocky Marciano, you can't argue with perfection. At the end of the fight, it's whose hand the referee raises that matters and Finito's hand was raised 51 out of 52 times!


The only blemish on his record was an eighth-round technical draw against tough Rosendo Alvarez in March 1998, an outcome he avenged in a rematch that might well have been the fight of the year had it not been for Robinson-Gatti. Lopez and Alvarez let it all hang out in the final round each fighting as if he were behind in the cards.

Ricardo was a great sportsman always complimenting his opponents and never making self-promoting boasts. In this respect, he was “old school.” He is a 2007 Hall of Fame inductee along with the great Duran and Pernell Whittaker. Oh yes, he had an undefeated percentage (sometimes referred to as a winning percentage) of 98%. Not bad!


Zarate, Zamora, Gomez and Zaragoza


Carlos “Cañas” Zarate, 61-4 with 58 KOs was an even more prolific puncher, albeit a bantamweight one, with an astounding 89% KO percentage. He had an amateur record of 33-3 with 30KOs, and he won the Guantes De Oro, or Mexican Golden Gloves

A meeting of brutal punchers took place when he and WBA champ Alfonso Zamora met at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California in 1977. Now get this. Zamora was 29-0 with 29 knockouts while Zarate was 40-0 with 39 knockouts. Their combined KO percentage was 99%. Somebody’s “O” would have to go.

Zarate decked Zamora twice in the fourth round before his corner threw in the towel Zarate claimed the unofficial bantamweight crown. The win earned him Fighter of The Year honors from Ring magazine. Zamora never recovered from this loss.

Still another memorable meeting of mini-titans occurred when Zarate moved up in weight to meet the lethal “Bazooka,” Puerto Rican Wilfredo Gomez, for the WBC Super Bantamweight Title at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico. Zarate was 52-0 while Gomez was 21-0-1. Again the combined KO percentage was 99%. Once again, it was time for an “O” to go. Gómez and Zarate had one of the highest knockout win percentage of any two boxers paired inside a ring in history. Gomez gave Zarate a thorough beating winning by KO in the fifth round. It was the first defeat in Carlos’s career. He would retire after losing to the great Daniel Zaragoza, 35-4, in a bid for the vacant WBC Super Bantamweight Title in 1988.

Gomez' would go on to win 44 fights with only 3 losses and a draw (which came in his very first fight); 42 wins came by knockout. After his draw, he won 32 consecutive fights by knockout and his first 40 victories, all came inside the distance. Like Cuevas and Zarate, he is in the Hall of Fame.

Khaosai Galaxy


But for sheer finality, my favorite was the great Thai champion, Sura Saenkham who, following a Thai custom of adopting an attention-getting pseudionym, became known as Khaosai Galaxy. Maybe he was my favorite because I had seen him fight twice in Thailand while he was in the already-legendary stages of his career.

Now I dearly love Thailand. I love everything about it; the food, the beach, the culture, the wonderful people - everything. And I love the experience of watching boxing in Thailand. First a steam bath and rubdown, then dinner - steamed Thai dumplings, spicy Viet Nam noodle soup with pork and Thai beer (Singha). Then the fights at Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok. Hot and steamy night. Drums and staccato cheers every time a heavy punch landed. Surreal-like sounds.
When Galaxy stunned his foe, he moved in and gave new meaning to the word “closure.” The crowd would go absolutely wild. In one fight I witnessed in 1990, he iced Cobra Ari Blanca in the 5th round. I also saw him starch a Panamanian named Enesto Ford in Petchaboon later that same year. Of course, after the fights, we would journey back to Khao San Road for more rest and relaxation and maybe watch a Muy Thai fight or two. In Bangkok, boxing is the linchpin that connects many other pleasant activities. It was also a welcome relief from the press of negotiating business deals.

Aside from his loss to Sakda “Sak Galaxy” Saksuree, 9-9, for the Thai Bantamweight Title in 1981, which he quickly avenged by brutal KO, Galaxy never took part in what could be called a close fight.

When reigning WBA junior bantam king Jiro Watanabe failed to defend the title against Galaxy, the belt was declared vacant. On Nov. 21, 1984, Galaxy won the vacant WBA Super Bantamweight Title in 1984 by knocking out Eusebio Espinal in Bangkok. He would defend it successfully 18 times, the longest title reign in his division's history, though it went somewhat under the radar in the West. No other Asian boxer has defended a world title for so long.
Sometimes called “The Thai Tyson,“ Galaxy possessed embalming fluid in his fists. With a staggering KO percentage of 86%, he had one-punch knock out power. But, like a spider paralyzing its prey with a sting, he also could stun an opponent with a single punch, setting him up for the end. When this happened, his fists and arms would be held high ready to cut loose. As he got close, he would impose his tremendous physique and the frenzied crowd would be up and roaring. He became the very essence of a stalking predator closing off the ring, making contact, and quickly accomplishing the kill with a variety of savage power shots thrown with uncanny accuracy and evil intent.

Khaosai was an equal opportunity cruncher. He did his thing against Mexicans, Venezuelans, South Koreans, Japanese, Colombians, Indonesians, Panamanians, Dominicans, Americans, Thais and fighters from the Philippines.

Khaosai Galaxy won the WBA Boxer of the Year award twice, in 1989 and 1990. In 1999, he was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame where I had an opportunity to talk with him. When I mentioned I had seen him fight in Bangkok, his eyes lighted up and he was visibly moved. Like so many other great warriors, he was a delight to converse with and left me with warm memories.

Thailand's greatest boxer retired with a record of 49-1 with 43 KO’s and was acknowledged by many as the best 115-pounder in history, as well as one of the greatest fighters from Asia. He remains an immensely popular figure in his native Thailand.

When he retired after beating Armando “Monstruo” Castro in December 1991, he joined a close and savvy fraternity of Asian fighter who retired as World Champions - and stayed retired.

Watch for Ted Sares‘s new book, Boxing is my Sanctuary, due out in the fall 2007

Argentinean fighters of note: Monzon, Galindez, Locche, Coggi & Castro

Argentinean fighters of note: Monzon, Galindez, Locche, Coggi & Castro


Different countries boast of their own great fighters. The English had gritty Nigel Benn and the great Lennox Lewis, the proud Cubans had the flashy Kid Gavilan and “El Feo” Rodriquez, the Nigerians had super talented Dick Tiger and Hogan "Kid" Bassey, the Ukraine has the Klitchko’s and so on. But for gaudy records, legendary fights and especially high drama, I have always had a great fondness for South American fighters and most particularly, for those from Argentina. Let’s go back in history now and look at a few of the more notable ones.

1. Carlos "Escopeta “(Shotgun) Monzon.

With a final record of 87-3-9 with 59 KO's, This powerful and rangy Argentinean killing machine, built like an iron rod, first captured the World Middleweight Boxing Championship in a shocking upset over the highly favored Nino Benvenuti. Who can forget the perfect rights cross to the jaw that was the coup de grace for Nino?Overnight, he became the toast of the boxing world. Handsome and macho, he became a superstar and a favorite of the jet set. Some said he pushed his punches. If so, he pushed over 87 opponents to defeat. He also became only the second man to stop former three-time world champion Emile Griffith in 14 rounds.

Blessed with great stamina and a granite chin, he seemingly was irresistible force. Indeed, he was unbeaten over the last 81 bouts of his career, a span of 13 years! He defended his title fourteen times. Sadly, Monzon, like Salvador Sanchez, died in a car accident in 1995 at the age of fifty-two.

Carlos never did stop walking on the wild side and certainly never found the secret to controlling the raging temper that he mastered so well within the roped square. Mike Casey


2. Nicolino "El Intocable" Locche.


One of my all-time favorites, this Hall of Famer from Argentina, 117-4-14, possessed incredible defensive skills that may well have been every bit as good as Willie Pep’s. He was known for his magical defensive tactics, uncanny reflexes and extraordinary ability to feint and make his opponents miss. This earned him the nickname “The Untouchable.” In many of his fights, his fans would burst into song mesmerized as they watched him dazzle his opponents. The event would resemble a soccer match.

Following an amateur career in which he won 117 of 122 bouts, he turned pro in 1958. In 1961, he defeated Jaime Gine over 12 rounds to capture the Argentine lightweight title and two years later added the South American lightweight title. Over the next several years, he fought Joe Brown, Ismael Laguna and Carlos Ortiz. He then stopped Paul Fujii in Tokyo for the WBA junior welterweight title. Locche successfully defended the title five times. After losing to Antonio Cervantes (who he had previously beaten), he closed out his career with 7 straight wins. Locche is revered as one of Argentina's greatest boxing legends. He died on September 7, 2005 at the age of 66.

If you ever get a chance to watch this magician fight on video or film, don’t pass it up.


3. Victor Galindez


This colorful warrior hailed from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and amassed a 52-9-4 amateur record. As a pro, his final slate was 55-9-4-2 with 34 KO’s. He represented Argentina at the 1968 Olympic Games before turning professional in 1969. Galindez captured both the Argentine and South American light heavyweight titles in 1972, beating tough Argentine fighters like Juan Aguilar and Jorge Ahumada. Galindez suffered his first pro defeat when Aguilar beat him via a 10 round decision. It wasn’t the only time Aguilar would give Victor trouble as they fought three more times in 1970 with Galindez failing to beat him with another decision loss, a draw and a no contest.


In 1974, he challenged for the vacant WBA light heavyweight championship. Now focusing more on boxing than partying (for which he had a wild reputation), he put his 23-fight unbeaten streak on the line when he met Len Hutchins, 22-1-1, on December 7, 1974 for the vacant WBA light heavyweight championship. Fighting like a ferocious bull, he TKO'd Hutchins in 13 rounds. A busy champion, he traveled the world defending his title 10 times over formidable foes like Pierre Fourie, Alvaro “Yaqui” Lopez (yes, that Yaqui Lopez), Richie Kates and Eddie Gregory. He lost the crown to Mike Rossman in 1978 (it was his first loss in seven years and 44 fights). He regained it in a rematch the following year. He then lost the title to Marvin Johnson.

Galindez also got to know his opponents very well during his career as he fought Aguilar nine times, Peralta six times, Ahumada five times, Domingo Silviera three times, Adolfo Cardozo twice, Lopez twice, Kates twice, Burnett twice, Rossman twice, Ramon Cerrezuela twice, Raul Loyola twice, Pedro Rimovsky twice, Ruben Macario Gonzalez twice and Fourie twice. Galindez fought once more before retiring, losing to Jesse Burnett. Sadly, on October 26, 1980, at the age of 31, he was killed in a horrible auto racing accident in De Mayo, Argentina.

Victor Galindez was the first Argentinean to win the title at home; though he never defended it there, as he was more at home in South Africa and Italy. Still, he was a national hero, and tens of thousands of mourners came to pay their respects the day his coffin was on view in Luna Park, the arena in which he had won the title from Len Hutchins. Like Locche and Monzon, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002.

When I was a child I wanted to be a leopard, to be free, to be hunted, to escape. I became one. I wanted to be a champion. I became one. I lived my life the way I wanted. I think I’d now like to become a champion auto racer. It’s a sport less dangerous than boxing. You can die at any moment in boxing. Racing is a lot safer. You don’t have to take any punches in racing.


4. Juan “El Látigo” Coggi.

His record was 75-5-2 with 44 KO’s. Coggi was born on December 19, 1961 and is a native of Santa Fe, also the birthplace of Carlos Monzon. He became a three time world Jr. Welterweight champion. His nickname, “El Látigo,” means “The Whip.” “El Látigo” fought under the radar and few American fans knew much about him. He finished with a winning percentage of 91% and a KO percentage of 54%. Argentina boxing includes many greats. Immortals like Locche, Monzon, Galindez, Salazar and Castro. “El Látigo” surely has a prominent place among them.


His level of opposition included such formidable foes as Jose Luis Ramirez, Harold Brazier, 60-8-1, Patrizio Oliva, 48-0 coming in, Adolfo Rossi, Hugo Ariel Hernandez, 40-1, Ruben Oscar Verdun, Sang Ho Lee, 47-1 coming in, Akinobu Hiranaka, 17-0, Francisco Cuesta, 27-2-1, and Hiroyuki Sakamoto, 19-0. The total won-lost record of his opponents was extremely impressive.


After a great amateur career, he turned professional on April 2, 1982 and won seven of his first ten bouts by knockout. In 1986, he beat Hugo Ariel Hernandez, 40-1-1, coming in, for the Argentine (FAB) Light Welterweight Title in Buenos Aires. He then won the WBA Light Welterweight Title by knocking out the aforementioned Oliva in Ribera, Italy. Like the great Monzon, he took a liking to Italy and KO’d Korean Sang Ho Lee, 47-1, in Roseto degli Abruzzi. In 1989, he beat cagey Harold Brazier by decision in Vasto, Italy and after beating the great Jose Luis Ramirez in France in 1990 (after which Ramirez retired), he was upset dropping a razor thin MD to Loreto Garza, 21-1-1, in Nice for the WBA Light Welterweight Title.


He then went on a 20-fight win streak, doing battle in many different countries. In 1993, he beat Filipino Morris East to earn the WBA Light Welterweight Title. After several successful defenses, he lost a UD to Frankie Randall, 50-3-1 at the time, on September 17, 1994 in Las Vegas. He would go on to split a pair with Randall in 1996. Each fight with Randall was controversial for different reasons. Many remember Coggi based only on his performances against Randall, but Coggi beat Randall in their second fight after Frankie was unable to continue due to an injury caused by a head butt. As well, Coggi had decked Randall in round three of that fight. He proceeded to win 5 in a row before losing his last fight to Michele Piccirillo, 29-1, in Italy on May 29, 1999 closing out a great career against great opponents in many different countries. He never lost a fight by knockout.


5. Jorge "Locomotora” Castro


Still fighting, he is currently 130-11-3. When he crushed Colombian Jose Luis "La Pantera" Herrera, 14-2 coming in, at the Municipal Patinódromo, Sea of the Silver, in Buenos Aires on January 27, 2007, he had avenged a previous loss. He decked “The Panther” 4 times, as he gained his redemption in no uncertain terms.

“Locomotora” has been fighting as a pro for 20 years. He won his first 40 professional fights, but few except aficionados know much about him, maybe because most of his fights have been in Argentina. Nonetheless, he has fought the very best during his long career. Indeed, he split a pair with Robert Duran beating him in 1997 and holds two wins each over Reggie Johnson (for the vacant WBA Middleweight Title) and John David Jackson (in 1994’s Ring Magazine Fight of the Year). He also beat Peter Venancio (three times), Hector Hugo Vilte, Alex Ramos, Juan Carlos Gimenez Ferreyra, Fabian Alberto Chancalay, Imamu Mayfield and many other tough customers. His losses were against such rugged foes as Shinji Takehara, Terry Norris, Vasily Jirov, Paul Briggs, Juan Carlos Gomez and Roy Jones Jr.

Many of Castro’s opponents have long since retired. Ramos now heads the Retired Boxers Foundation; Norris has been inducted into the Hall of Fame and Duran will go in this year; Takehara has retired as has John David Jackson; Jones and Jirov are still trying to recapture the magic. Yet Jorge fights on and wins.


No stranger to championship belts and fights, he has won the WBA Middleweight Title, the South American Cruiserweight Title, WBA Fedelatin Super Middleweight Title, the Argentine (FAB) Light Middleweight Title, and the South American Light Middleweight Title, As well, he has battled for the WBC Cruiserweight Title, IBF Cruiserweight Title, and IBO Cruiserweight Title.


The Classic….13 years prior to getting his payback (December 10, 1994 to be exact), Castro met tough John David Jackson for the WBA Middleweight Title at the Estadio de Beisbol in Monterrey, Mexico. The fight, named Ring Magazine’s Fight of the Year, featured one of the most dramatic endings in ring history. Castro was trailing badly on all three scorecards (71-80, 73-80 and 74-79). One eye was closed and the other was half closed. He was bleeding and pinned against the ropes taking wicked shots and combos.

Referee Stanley Christodoulou positioned himself to stop the fight and started to raise his hands to signal the stoppage, but then Castro landed a hard right hand on Jackson's chin and Jackson went down. All of a sudden, instead of stopping the fight in Jackson's favor, Christodoulou began counting out Jackson, but John David managed to get up. He suffered one more savage knockdown and "Locomotora” completed the comeback and retained his title with decisive knockout in the ninth round. Clearly, this had been one of the most amazing, if unlikeliest, turnarounds in boxing history. Shades of Hearns-Barkley, Castillo-Corrales, Graham Earl-Michael Katsidis….

At a press conference after the fight, Castro called his winning punch "La mano de Dios," (The hand of God). The ending to that fight became legendary in Argentinean lore and was written about for months in many boxing magazines and books. In 1998, proving the first win was righteous, Castro beat Jackson again, this time by a close UD. He decked John David twice in the 4th and 8th rounds to pull it out for the vacant WBA Fedelatin Super Middleweight.

Given the brutally redemptive manner in which he won his last fight, hopefully we can count on seeing him fight again. He finished with a winning percentage of 91% and a KO percentage of 54%.



There have been many others including Hugo Pastor Corro (59-7-2), Santos Benigno Laciar (79-10-0-2), Ubaldo Sacco (47-4-1), Gregorio "Goyo" Peralta (99-9-9 with 59 knockouts), Jorge Victor Ahumada, 42-8-2, Juan Domingo Roldán (67-5-2-1), Oscar Natalio Bonavena (56-9-1) and Carlos Gabriel Salazar (47-3-8).

Carlos Manuel Baldomir, Jorge Rodrigo "La Hiena “Barrios, Hector Javier “El Artillero" Velazco and Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez are notable Argentineans currently fighting. While they may never make ESPN’S already infamous and dreadful top 50 list, someday, they just might join these Argentinean greats.