The Bull's Blog

Live-Movies: Live Vitali "Dr.Ironfist" Klitschko VS Kevin "The Kingpin" Johnson

2009-12-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

Live-Movies: Live Vitali "Dr.Ironfist" Klitschko VS Kevin "The Kingpin" Johnson

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

2007-07-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

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.

Three Lesser known Fighters to watch in 2007

2007-05-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

Three Lesser known Fighters to watch in 2007

By Ted Sares

While not necessarily new kids on the block, here are three to keep an eye on in 2007:

Bermane “B. WARE” Stiverne

From Laval, QC, Canada and now residing in Las Vegas, This heavyweight is 12-0 with all wins coming by KO. I have seen him fight twice and both times, he rendered his opponent unconscious (one was veteran Harold Sconiers). .

Stiverne moves nicely for a big man and is very athletic. He has fast hands, uses stiff jabs, nice hooks, and closes matters with a devastating right. He also possess good defensive skills. I see him as having the entire package, but at age 30, he needs to step it up. I believe his agent is Lennox Lewis.

As to why he was not in the Olympics, he “was robbed” in a qualifying tournament in Mexico where he knocked down his Mexican opponent three times but still “lost” the decision and the place in Olympics.

I am going on record as predicting great things for B. WARE.

Vernon “Iceman” Paris

“The Iceman,” 14-0 with 10 KO's, is only 19 years old and fights out of Detroit, but he has the slickest moves of any young fighter I have seen since a young Pernell Whittaker was doing his thing. In an article dated April 28, 2007 in maxboxing.com, Doug Fischer describes Paris as a kid who exhibits good footwork, excellent hand speed and hand-eye coordination, as well as a variety of punches and combinations. He employ shoulder-roll counters with his left hand held low while in close like a poor-man’s Floyd Mayweather. When it becomes evident that an opponent is not going to be blasted out early or easily, he gets on his bicycle and ruthlessly pot-shots until the referee had seen enough.

Vernon Paris is one talented boxer. He is a kid, but he fights like an old school purist. He also fights with two bullets lodged near his spine, the result of a shooting incident last year in which he was an innocent victim.

Light welterweight Paris puts on mini-clinics. Check him out.

Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez

He is an Argentinean light middleweight who fights out of Spain. He is 39-1-1 with 20 KO’s. Martinez is a slick southpaw boxer who travels around the world beating fighters in their backyards and has done it time and time again until he met Tony Margarito who is the only man who has beaten him. It was a good fight, Martinez had his moments and looked good, but Tony cut off the ring, trapped him and let his hands go to finish him off.

However, Sergio has continued to win since; in fact, he is on 23-fight win streak and has beaten most of Europe's top fighters at his weight. He sometimes keeps his hands down (which only a few gifted fighters can pull off) and he does it well
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His last fight against Saul Roman, 26-2 coming in, was a WBC eliminator for a title. He iced Roman with a body shot. Hopefully we will be seeing him on the big stage soon. He is currently the Latino Light Middleweight Title. One of his ko victims was Adrian “The Predator” Stone who retired after the loss.

Sergio is someone to track in 2007.

Jose Luis Ramirez

2007-05-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

The rap on Ramirez was that he was a bit slow and ponderous, but if that's true, what does it say about the 82 opponents he KO'd?

Record: His boxing record is an "old school" 102-9 with 82 KOs and his KO percentage a great 74%.

Level of Opposition: Outstanding It included many former champions and Hall of Fame inductees. He fought such notables as Pernell Whittaker and Edwin Rosario each twice, Ruben Olivares, Hector Camacho, 26-0 at the time, Terrance Alli, Charlie "Choo Choo" Brown (who had taken the IBF Lightweight Title in 1984 from Melvin Paul), Julio Cesar Chavez, AND Cornelius Boza Edwards. He also did battle with Juan Martin Coggi, Vicente Saldivar, Aurelio Muniz, Irish Frankie Crawford, Jose Torres, Manuel Hernandez, Bostonian John Rafuse) and Dominican Cocoa Sanchez (who had whipped Jerome Artis and Rocky Ramon). To his great credit, he had a penchant for going into his opponent's home town to fight.

Chronology: He resided in Culiacan, the same Mexican town that gave us Julio Cesar Chavez. They would later become gym mates and close friends.
Ramirez won 43 of his first 44 professional fights in Huatabampo or Ciudad Obregon, Mexico. He fought under the radar and was underrated, but who climb steadilyup the boxing ladder and rankings and become a two- time world Lightweight champion. Moving from featherweight to lightweight (after having lost to the great Ruben Olivares, 82-9-1), he met another legend in Alexis Arguello, 69-5 at the time, and managed to deck him in round six, but lost a razor thin ten round split decision in Miami. He then faced Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini for the North American Lightweight belt, and lost a 12 round decision in Warren Ohio near Rayâ€˜s hometown.

In May 1983, Jose Luis fought heavy handed Edwin "El Chapo" Rosario for the world Lightweight championship at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan Puerto Rico. He lost a 12 round unanimous but close decision with each card reading 113-115 against him. In 1984 in a rematch also in San Juan, he took it out of the judges' hands by stopping Rosario, 24-0, in four rounds. Ramirez launched an all-out attack and trapped "El Chapo" on the ropes giving the referee no alternative but to stop the action. The Mexican had landed 17 straight heavy punches. He was now a World Lightweight champion for the first time after having fought many great fighters in their own back yards and in many different countries.

After losing a televised fight to Hector Camacho in 1985, the culturally intellectual Ramirez moved to Paris for two years to get his bearings. While there, he went 12-0 with 7 wins coming by stoppage. These included impressive nods over former world champions Cornelius Boza Edwards and tough Charlie "Choo Choo" Brown. He also won back the vacant WBC World Championship belt by beating rugged Terrance Alli in St. Tropez, France. Before moving back to Mexico, he beat future Hall of Famer and multiple world champion Pernell Whitaker in a hotly disputed decision that went as follows: Judge Harry Gibbs 113-117, Judge Newton Campos 118-113, and Judge Louis Michel 116-115. Most thought Whitaker had been robbed, but his quick and stylish combinations failed to do much damage or even bother Luis, even those that landed flush. With Pernell always back pedaling and retreating, Ramirez pressed the action, but he could not over power him.

Meanwhile, Chavez had taken the WBA'S championship by beating Rosario, and in a unification bout between the two friends and neighbors, Ramirez, who is a godfather to one of Chavez's sons, lost an 11 round technical decision to Chavez, 62-0 at the time, in October 1988 at the Las Vegas Hilton. When Ramirez, 101-6-0 coming in, was cut on the forehead in a clash of heads, it went to the scorecards. Chavez, who was a 9-1 favorite, said before the fight: "At first I didn't want to take the fight because we are so close, almost like brothers." Chavez was in front by only two points on the scorecards of two of the judges. Judge Rudy Jordan had it 96-94, Judge Lou Tabat 95-93 and Judge Art Lurie 98-91

In 1989, he attempted to win the IBF Belt from Whittaker in Pernell's home town of Norfolk, VA, but lost a 12 round decision. He then lost a 12 rounder to the great Juan Coggi, 43-1-2, for the WBA's world Jr. Welterweight title in Argentina, after which he called it a career. Four of his nine losses had been to Hall of Fame fighters like Alexis Arguello, Ruben Olivares, Edwin Rosario and Pernell Whitaker. He also lost to future Hall of Famer Julio Cesar Chavez, and to Hector Camacho who may also be a future inductee. He was stopped only once in 111 fights. Jose Luis Ramirez was all about fighting tough hombres with gaudy old school records.

Ramirez is a member of the less recognized World Boxing Hall of Fame and undoubtedly will also be inducted into the Latino Boxing Museum and Hall of Fame in Cumana, Venezuela, but he has not been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY.

This article is not a case for his induction; it simply is a show of respect to a great fighter who fought in the rich tradition of other great Mexican warriors. Hombres like Chavez, Olivares, Carlos Zarate, Ricardo Lopez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Vicente Saldivar, Kid Azteca, Jose Becerra, Humberto "Chiquita' Gonzalez, Pipino Cuevas, Salvador Sanchez, Miguel Canto, Lupe Pintor, Erik Morales, Guadalupe Pintor, Jose Medel, Rodolfo "Gato" Gonzalez, Raul Macias, Mando Muniz, Alfonso Zamora, Juan Manuel Marquez, Chango Carmona and many others.
"To be a Mexican fighter you first have to be a warrior.' Marco Antonio Barrera

Miranda vs. Pavlik: Assault and battery

2007-05-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Edison "Pantera" Miranda, 28-2, 24 KO's, should have focused on his opponent rather than Jermain Taylor. Miranda talked too much in the build up to the fight. Trash-talking has become a part of boxing, but Edison needs lessons. He doesn't do it well.

As for Kelly Pavlik, 31-0 with 28 KO's, he kept quiet and focused, letting Miranda do the talking and putting pressure on himself to back up the talk.

Kelly had a sound and studied strategy, backing up the tough Columbian and hitting him with crunching body shots and savage straight rights. "Pantera," who does not possess the greatest technical skills, was unable to fight backing up. He was confused from the get-go as Pavlik shocked the spectators by his dominance (and by his ability to handle Miranda's best shots). As Miranda's eyes began to close, it became "when" and no longer "if." The "when" occurred in the sixth round as Kelly brutalized Edison with accurate and deadly straight rights and left hooks. He finally sent him to the canvas twice. In the seventh, "The Ghost" decisively closed the show by stopping the highly touted Miranda with a savage assault on the ropes, as tolerant Steve Smoger called a halt to the assault and battery.

Kelly Pavlik, with a 90% KO percentage, is the real McCoy and is now the top ranked middleweight in the world. In the tradition of Ray Mancini and Harry Arroyo, Youngstown, Ohio has itself another top fighter, and if you happen to be from Youngstown, this was very fun and exciting fight to watch.

"Kelly Pavlik is a worthy opponent and a hard puncher, so the fans should see a great fight," Unfortunately for him, I hit harder than he does, and when I do land, I'll make 'The Ghost' disappear." Edison Miranda

The Golden Boy and the Pretty Boy

2007-05-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

1. The Hype…

The biggest fight since Lewis-Tyson was held on May 5, 2007. Would it live up to the Hype? This is the mega fight with all the mega-hype.

The De La Hoya camp was calm as Freddie Roach led a focused Oscar through the paces, but unsettling news of feuding between Roger and Floyd Sr. came out of Pretty Boy’s headquarters. Oscar surprised his wife with a birthday cake and Mariachi band, while Floyd was calling him a bitch and mutherfucker from afar while hamming it up with 50 Cent and the home boys. Shades of Holmes-Cooney and the hype around “The White Hope.” But wait, that wasn‘t about race, it was all about money and so is this. Forget the feigned dislike. It‘s pure hype and has everything to do about money. It’s no accident Oscar is well like by other boxers. He has made many of them wealthy. The De La Hoya-Mayweather extravaganza brings to mind other mega fights of the relatively recent past.

Tyson-Lewis

Before Iron Mike Tyson met Lennox Lewis on June 8, 2002 in the highest-grossing pay-per-view event in history, he said “I want your heart. I want to eat his children.” ThatVideoSite.com, “Mike Tyson: "I want to eat his children" [Available Online].
Lewis, of course, completely dominated the fight and knocked out the hapless Tyson in the eighth round. Tyson was bleeding from cuts over both his eyes and from his nose when Lewis landed a final shot that sent him sprawling on his back for the 10 count.

The soundly beaten Tyson was humble and contrite after the fight, telling Lewis how much he loved and respected him, and what a masterful boxer he is. So much for the pre-fight hype.

Leonard-Hagler

Then, going back to April 1987, another “super fight occurred when Sugar Ray Leonard beat Marvelous Marvin Hagler in a monster upset that was far more tactical than exciting. The decision went to Leonard via split decision. The fight was broadcast on pay-per-view TV and closed-circuit outlets all over the world and was a huge money maker. It was also a huge bore.

Hagler-Hearns

In April 1985, Hagler again participated in a super fight, this time against the formidable Tommy Hearns, who was a devastating puncher who ruled the welterweight (147 pounds) and cruiserweight (189) divisions through the 80s and 90s. At stake were the WBC, WBA, and IBF Middleweight Titles.

Unlike Tyson-Lewis or Hagler-Leonard, this one lived up to expectations and was indeed a super fight in every sense. This was World War One in the trenches. Maybe, it was the most explosive first round in boxing history and perhaps the greatest three rounds in history. Hearns won the first round in ebb and flow malice aforethought, but Marvelous Marvin won the fight by savage KO in the third putting an end to the unmitigated violence.

Hearns-Leonard

Earlier, on September 16, 1981, Sugar Ray met Hearns (who else). Both were paid handsomely as they put their titles on the line in an effort to unify the welterweight championship in Las Vegas. Once again, this one exceeded expectations as Ray took an early lead only to surrender momentum to Hearns in a classic ebb and flow battle. With a loss staring him squarely in the eye (Angelo Dundee told him, "you’re blowing it son, you’re blowing it!"), Sugar Ray reached down in the 13th and took it to the exhausted “Hitman” with savage shots both upstairs and to Tommy’s thin body. All of a sudden, Ray became the “Hitman” and decked Tommy. Showing great heart, Tommy held his own in the fourteenth until Ray cut loose with a big right followed by a brutal volley of unanswered punches to bring matters to a decisive and breathtaking close.

2. The Prediction…

Oscar De La Hoya has fought better opposition is bigger and maybe stronger. He is an orthodox fighter who looks to land fight-ending left hooks following stiff jabs, but the edge goes to Floyd Mayweather Jr. who is the complete package blessed with superior speed, stamina, sharp punching, a solid chin and great defense. He has subtle old school moves and his great counter punching ability should give him the advantage in any heated exchanges, but he needs to be weary of THAT hook.Late-developing issues between Floyd Sr and Roger seem unsettling, but Mayweather has great pedigree and focus. The Golden Boy has been taken out once and down several times. He has lost two of his last four fights, looked bad against Sturm, and beat a made-to-order opponent in Mayorga. Still, he has been in many mega fights and also has great focus.

The fight will be overly tactical, unless De la Hoya can use his size to back up Mayweather in which case it could spell big trouble. But If Floyd punishes and frustrates De la Hoya with quick in-and-out movement, he will prevail. Styles make fights, and the styles here suggest a less than exciting bout. PBF's overall skill-set and career momentum will result in a UD victory.
As anticipation builds for Mayweather-De La Hoya, don’t look for it to be Hearns-Hagler or Leonard-Hearns.

3. The Outcome…

The hype is over. It's time to get it on. Pretty Boy and Golden Boy now square off in the most highly anticipated fight in recent memory. How eager were fans to see this fight? The cheapest ticket available from StubHub.com cost $778 ... and that was to sit in the back of the upper deck.

It was a tactical, non–compelling fight even though the crowd screamed every time Oscar twitched. With De La Hoya inexplicitly abandoning his jab at the wrong time and not being able to time THAT hook, he allowed Floyd to dictate the action, particularly down the stretch. His superior speed and accuracy resulted in a well-deserved decision, though it should have been a UD as one of the judges (and Jim Lampley) missed it badly. I had it 117-113. Thank God, it was not a draw.

As for the excitement factor, when Floyd Mayweather Sr. becomes the story of the night, something is amiss. The real excitement was the under card war between Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and Sergio “Rocky” Medina in a solid ebb and flow thriller won by Filipino Bautisita.
Did it live up to the hype? No. Was it a Hearns-Hagler or Leonard-Hearns? Absolutely not.

"Floyd ain't quitting. Too much of this money will make a dead man walk....... Roger Mayweather

Mayweather vs. De La Hoya: The Prediction and the Outcome

2007-05-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

The Prediction

Oscar has fought better opposition is bigger and maybe stronger. He is an orthodox fighter who looks to land fight-ending left hooks following stiff jabs, but the edge goes to Floyd who is the complete package blessed with superior speed, stamina, sharp punching, a solid chin and great defense. He has subtle old school moves and his great counter punching ability should give him the advantage in any heated exchanges, but he needs to be weary of THAT hook.

Late-developing issues between Floyd Sr and Roger seem unsettling, but Floyd has great pedigree and focus. Oscar has been taken out once and down several times. He has lost two of his last four fights, looked bad against Sturm, and beat a made-to-order opponent in Mayorga. Still, he has been in many mega fights and also has great focus.

In my view, the fight will be overly tactical, unless Oscar can use his size to back up Floyd in which case it could spell big trouble. But If Floyd punishes and frustrates Oscar with quick in-and-out movement, he will prevail. Styles make fights, and the styles here suggest a less than exciting bout. PBF's overall skill-set and career momentum will result in a UD victory.

The Outcome

It was an overly tactical, non–exciting fight even though the crowd screamed every time Oscar moved. With De La Hoya inexplicitly abandoning his jab at the wrong time and not being able to time THAT hook, he allowed Floyd to dictate the action, particularly going down the stretch. His speed and accuracy resulted in a well-deserved SD, though it should have been a UD as one of the judges (and Jim Lampley) missed it badly. I had it 117-113 but can’t argue with 115-113. Thank God it was not a draw.

As for the excitement factor, when Floyd Mayweather Sr. becomes the story of the night, something is sorely missing.

Alfonso Gomez: Why I like him.

2007-04-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Alfonso Gomez, 16-3 -2 with 7 ko's, lives in Tustin, California and was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. He is articulate, intelligent and highly personable...all traits that make this 26 year old middleweight one of the more popular fighters today. His amateur record was an impressive 80-10. Like so many young fighters, he originally started boxing as self-defense from the street toughs. He went professional in 2001

Gomez fought Ishe Smith in just his second fight and Jesse Feliciano in his 4rth. In his 6th, he fought Dumont Welliver, 12-1-1 coming in, then Michael Santos, 6-0, Feliciano again (who was 8-1 at the time), and Juan Carlos Amezcua, 9-0. Finally, he got somewhat of a breather when he fought Antonio Garcia who was 14-16. After a few more fights, he ended Peter Manfredo Jr's unbeaten record of 21-0. He later beat tough Jesse Brinkley, 25-2.

On May 4, he fought long time rival Jesse Feliciano for the third time in a brutal eight round battle. Despite a strong showing, the fight was declared a draw. He then fought Carson Jones, 12-2, on August 25 and put on a clinic with his skills before knocking out Jones in the 8th canter. More recently, he won a Contenders bout in the UK with a one-sided win over mismatched Martin Conception. In short, he has split two with Peter Manfredo Jr and three (one was a draw) with Jesse Feliciano. The same Jesse who recently beat Delvin Rodriguez in a great come-from-behind thriller at Foxwoods.

When I watch him fight, I am reminded of a guy who went to battle in the 50s and 60s and that’s probably why I like him so much. He has an “old school” willingness to fight other tough fighters multiple times and I highly respect that sort of thing. There is no padding in Alfonso Gomez’s record.

Gomez is an orthodox fighter who meshes Mexican macho with American technique. While the result has not yet become a killer cocktail like that of Barrera or Marquez, the potential is definitely there. Still, his all-action style is very crowd pleasing. His head feints, leg movement, combos and other moves are old school. Though he tends to take too many shots, his chin is solid. He also has a tendency to fight at the level of his opposition. Of course, when the opposition is as good as his record reflects, that may not be a bad thing.

If I have any real criticism, it's that he sometimes throws one shot at a time and admires his work, but when he puts punches together in combos and uses his vaunted left hook, he is extremely effective. He does seem to tire a bit in the mid-rounds which sometimes allow his opponents back into the fight. He needs to become a more decisive closer and with Sugar Ray Leonard around, that should quickly become part of his tool box. All in all, his negatives lend themselves to quick correction and when resolved, he will become even more formidable.

When he called out Peter Manfredo in the first contender series, viewers were pleasantly surprised at his hubris. But when he beat him, viewers were shocked. What was lost in this was Alfonso's machismo. He could have selected someone less imposing as Peter, but he would have none of that. Only the toughest would suit him. And that's when I became an Alfonso Gomez fan.

“I’m not worried about the competition…It’s just a matter of who wants it most, and I want it more than anything in the world.” Alfonso Gomez

Smart Money

2007-04-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

On March 2, 2007, highly touted Samuel Miller, 16-0 with 13 ko's, met 39 year old Darrell Woods, 26-10 1with 18 ko's, in Tampa, FL in a classic young and promising fighter vs. aging quasi-journeyman. Those who are into due diligence would note that Woods was on a 3 fight win streak in which he had victories over such notables as Levan Easley and Emmett Linton, 33-3-2.

Woods has fought the much better opposition including splitting two with Kenny Ellis twice, Marlon Thomas, hot prospect Joachim Alcine (in Montreal), Kaseem Ouma, Rafael Williams, Jason Papillion, Keith Mullings, Anthony Stephens and Bronco McKart.

Miller's first 12 fights were fought in his native Columbia and were against unknown competition with awful records. He then settle in as Seminole Hard Rock Arena regular in Hollywood Florida and quickly became a fan favorite.

So the stage was set: It had all the ingredients; young vs. old, veteran vs. upstart, both fighting out of Florida, one with his career ahead of him; the other in the late stages of his respectable career. The uninformed and non-researchers liked Miller; the smart-money people liked Woods. Shades of Rossy-Chambers or Melito-Cooper. However, the one thing no one expected was the kind of fight it would turn out to be.

After absorbing a monster onslaught of almost 100 punches in the first round, Woods stormed back to send the emerging prospect to the deck with a wide right in the second canter. He then put Miller down again early in the third with another and more stylish right hand. Miller was now on queer street and Woods stepped up the attack hoping to close matters. But all of a sudden, a savage shot to Darrell's head stopped him in his tracks. Miller quickly pressed the action and pummeled Woods viciously for the final two minutes of the round. Talk about a turnabout; talk about ebb and flow. This was breathless stuff and it was only the third round. If the fight had ended there, I would have been amply satisfied, but there was much more to come.

Somehow, Woods regrouped and dictated the action by fighting tall in rounds 4 and 5, forcing the younger Columbian to hold on at times. In the sixth round, a point was deducted from the Colombian for holding...he had been warned earlier by referee Dennis DeBon. After that, and in the tradition of Maddalone and Minto, both fighters showed total disdain for defense and went headhunting with alternating shots. They took turns staggering each other in a give-and-take, ebb and flow battle down the stretch. Woods demonstrated an iron chin in the seventh as he absorbed vicious and continuous shots during the last half minuet of the round. How he weathered the storm remains a mystery to me …and I'm sure to Miller.

Samuel started out the eighth and last round of this middleweight bout as a stalker, closing off the rings and quickly getting Woods into trouble. A knock down would put the outcome up for grabs. Miller had to do it; Woods had to avoid it. Talk about last minute drama.

Then, after having lost the first half of the round, it was Wood’s turn to take over and he launched a barrage of telling shots at Miller which likely evened things up in the round. Fittingly, the two exhausted warriors (and they now have clearly gained that distinction in my mind) traded shots to the final bell as the crowd and Teddy Atlas roared its approval. “Bam,” first one landed on Woods and “pow” a counter struck Miller. These were not the “pity patter” punches of tired fighters. These were the crushing blows of combatants who wanted victory.

In retrospect, Woods undoubtedly was seen as a reasonably safe step-up fight for Miller. Bad choice on Miller’s part, as the veteran refused to be the prospect’s foil and roll over. His two early knockdowns and his stalking and pursuit of Miller in the middle rounds was enough to give him a righteous majority decision victory.....by scores of 76-73, 76-72 and 75-75, as he handed the Columbian warrior his first pro defeat in 17 pro fights. But we will hear more from Miller...at least I hope we do.

As for Woods, who knows where he goes from here? He is 39 and on a 4-fight win streak over extremely tough competition. Hey, anything can happen in boxing and I hope something good happens to this tough guy who provided thrills and chills on March 2.

At any rate, Katsidis and Earl in February was my fight of the year until this one. But will Ring Magazine give it to two guys who gave their all in an eight rounder?.

Ted Sares interviews Mike Anchando

2007-04-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Mike Anchando, 27-1, has won two big fights since his devastating loss at the hands of Jorge "La Hiena" Barrios in April 2005, a fight in which he also relinquished his WBO Super Flyweight Belt. Since then he has won two fight and is set for another this month. I got an opportunity to catch up with the affable Mike this week and here is what he had to say.

Ted: Mike, how are you feeling these days?

Mike: I am at 110% mentally and physically. My mind set is right! I am focused and confident.

Ted: How did you feel about your comeback wins against Antonio Ramirez and then Armando Cordoba?

Mike. Oh man, these were great confidence builders for me. My next fight, which will be on ESPN2, will be against a Dominican by the name of Darling Jimenez in Washington D.C. on April 27. He fights out of the Bronx and is 22-2.

Ted: Yeah, I see where he ko'd Jose Soto.

Mike: Don't worry, I'll be more than ready. My focus is on Jimenez and no one else. Look, I am on a path of redemption and am determined to get back to where I was as a World Champion.

Ted: Would you like to fight Barrios again?

Mike: Most definitely, I'd like nothing more (Mike's voice tenses up in anger), but this time I'll come into the fight fit and ready and will not get dehydrated which, by the way, is a very scary experience. I was in the hospital 5 days after my Fight with the "Hiena." It was something I never want to repeat.

Ted: There was plenty of blame to go around on that one.

Mike: What happened happened. At the end of the day, I am accountable for myself. That's now behind me and I need to look ahead.

Ted: Not only are you a realist, Mike, but you are refreshingly honest.

Mike: My solution to my problems is "application," and that's what's you will see on April 27.

Ted: How do you now fighting as a lightweight?

Mike: I am very comfortable; it makes all the difference in the world. Making the lower weights was killing me. Fighting as a light weight, of course, opens the door to other targets down the line like Joel Cassamayor, all the Diaz's and some others as well.

Ted: Mike, how are you making out with your new team?

Mike: Just great. Ed Rosa, who also works with Luis Collazo, is my publicity and promotions manager and I hooked up with a genius trainer by the name of Leo Thelesittes in Tarpon Springs, Florida to get myself back in top condition for a couple of months. The man is seventy- nine years old and he trained right along with me. He's a living legend. That's what I really needed . . . someone like Leo to guide me. He trained Hagler and Duran among many others. I also worked with Roger Bloodworth in Tampa who, as you know, is top notch.

I've now moved my base from Florida to a gym in Vernon, CA, and have been working out under the expert and watchful eye of Joe Hernandez, a great trainer who has worked with my friends and fellow boxers, Edwin Valero and Daniel Ponce de Leon, both of whom are in fantastic shape. Andy Moses is my manager. "Team Anchando" is well in place.

Ted: Why Southern Cal?

Mike: The Southern Cal area is my roots. I have definitely regained the passion that I need as a boxer. Heck, I put on my first pair of gloves at 5 years old. Boxing has opened a lot of opportunities, a lot of doors, and this fight with Jimenez is going to be another.

Ted: It was great to speak with you, Mike. I'll be rooting for you on April 27...which by the way is the date Frietas meets Diaz at Foxwoods.

Mike: Like wise, Ted. Let's get together when you come to California. And oh yeah, I'd love to meet the winner of that fight, but first things first.

Blood Sport

2007-04-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

24-year-old Filipino Angelito "Lito" Sisnorio was coming off a fourth-round TKO to reigning WBC flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, 63-2 coming in. Wonjongkam had won close to 60 in a row coming in! It was the Filipino’s third defeat in a row.

He then fought former WBC flyweight champion Chatchai Sasaku, 58-3, at the Wat Sing School in Thailand on March 30. Sasakul had won his last six fights, four by stoppage, while the Filipino won only five of his 11 fights. Sasakul is the fighter who battered, yes battered, Manny Pacquiao for six rounds before Manny caught him with a devastating combination to win the title by a sensational eighth-round knockout in 1998.

The vastly-experienced Sasakul predictably ended the fight via a fourth-round knockout. He had landed a series of vicious right hooks, forcing "Lito," who had absorbed tremendous punishment, to go down for the count at 2:35. Later, he fell unconscious while eating dinner and was rushed to Bangkok’s Piyamin Hospital where he underwent emergency brain surgery to remove a blood clot. Sadly, he failed to regain consciousness.

His death prompted the Philippine Games and Amusement Board to ban all fights involving Filipino boxers in Thailand starting April 2007. According to BoxRec and other sources, this fight had no approval from the Philippine boxing commission, Games and Amusement Board (GAB), and was considered to be illegal.

So much for the grim details...but let's take a closer look. Why was a 10-6 fighter (or was it 5-4) allowed to fight a 58-3 former champ? And this after having been knocked out by the great Pongsaklek Wonjongkam just two months earlier.

I recently complained about the mismatch between Amir Kahn and Stefy Bull, but this was on a much deadlier level. This was culpable and egregious. This was not boxing; this was blood sport. This terrible mismatch was not on global Television, nor was it widely publicized...maybe that's why it was allowed to happen. My God, here's a kid who finished his career with a total of 11 fights or 17 fights depending how you interpret BoxRec figures, but he's thrown in with tigers like Wonjongkam and Sasakul . That's flat out criminal.

Was an unscrupulous matchmaker in Thailand involved? Did he work with an equally unscrupulous type in the Philippines who allows fighter to go to Thailand without necessary clearance to fight? Did Sisnorio slip out of the country without permission? Has Sisnorio’s manager, Jemmel Contayoso, been questioned? Why did this fight lack approval from the Philippine boxing commission, Games and Amusement Board (GAB)? Why was Sisnorio not licensed at the time of the fight? Why was he still allowed to fight? Why, why why?

This one didn’t come out of the ordinary circumstance surrounding boxing where the referees and ring side physicians are competent and the fighter are evenly matched, but still, a fatality tragically occurs. Oh no, this one involved a flashpoint of culpability that occurred in plain sight. We all know why this one occurred and that’s what makes it so reprehensible and unacceptable.

Hopefully, the right questions were (and are) being framed by Thai officials after Lito had been taken to the hospital. But it’s too late for the 24 year old. His brain quickly filled with destroyed blood vessels. He quickly shut down. And that’s where it all ended for him. In a place where no bell tolls with the final ten count for fallen warriors. It ended in a place where there was no more hope, no more triumphs.

Handicapping De La Hoya vs Mayweather

2007-04-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Let’s break this super fight down and come up with the odds.

Record: During his amateur career, Oscar De La Hoya's record was 223-5 with 163 knockouts and he was a Gold Medal Winner at the Barcelona Olympic Games.Floyd Mayweather also had a successful amateur career with a record of 84-6. He won national Golden Gloves championships in 1993 (at 106 lb), 1994 (at 112 lb), and 1996 (at 125 lb). He represented the U.S. in the 1996 Olympics and was on his way to a gold medal before a controversial loss forced him to accept the bronze medal. As a pro, Oscar is 38 -4 with 30 ko's. He has a ko percentage of 71%. Pretty Boy is 37-0 with 24 ko’s and a ko perectage of 65%.

Pretty Boy has won four world boxing championships in four different weight classes, from Super Featherweight to Welterweight, and is a six-time world champion. To most observers, two of his defeats should have gone the other way.

I see this as a wash.

Level of Opposition: Oscar has fought a better level including the likes of Trinidad, Mosley, Vargas, Mayorga, Chavez, Quartey, Camacho, Jesse James Leja, Genaro Hernandez, Rafael Ruelas, Troy Dorsey, Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Pernell Whitaker and many other tough fighters. A won lost analysis of his opponents would be astounding as many of them came in with undefeated records.

Floyd, on the other hand, has not fought anywhere near that level. Aside from two with Jose Louis Castillo, his toughest were with Diego Corrales, Baldimir and Judah. He did fight Vargas and Chavez, but they were Gregorio Vargas and Jesus Chavez.Common Opponents: Arturo Gatti and Genaro Hernandez, who were dominated by both.

Big edge to Oscar here.

Age and Dimensions: Floyd is 30. Oscar is 34. Floyd is 5’8 and has a 72’ reach. He is a Welterweight.. Oscar is 5’10 & ½ and has a 73’ reach. He is a light middleweight.Edge to the bigger Oscar.

Style: Oscar is an orthodox fighter who looks to land a devastating left hook following stiff jabs. He also has developed a solid right cross. He can brawl or box depending on what’s required and has solid late round power. He is capable of backpedaling if the going gets rough and this can cost him, as it did against Trinidad in a fight that he should have won. I doubt, however, that Floyd can back him up.

Floyd is the complete package. He is one of the most talented fighters to come along in some time. He blessed with speed, stamina, power, sharp punching, a solid chin and great defense. His old school moves are so subtle, most observers miss them. Whether he can engage in a brawl still remains to be seen, but that’s not his fault. I also see him as a better defensive fighter slipping punches with deft shoulder rolls and head movement. Floyd’s superior speed and great counter punching ability should give him the advantage in any furious exchanges, but he needs to be careful of THAT left hook.

Edge to Floyd Mayweather.

Corner: Roach vs. Mayweather. Slight edge to Floyd as Oscar has had too many different trainers, but you can’t argue with success.

Intangibles: Floyd has a boxer’s pedigree. Moreover, his father may offer sharp insights into Oscar’s weaknesses. Oscar has been taken out (by Hopkins), while Floyd has been seldom even wobbled.

Oscar has been in many mega fights and has great focus. As well, he can cement his legacy as one of the truly great fighters of our time with an impressive win.

As for conditioning and stamina, both fighters will be fit and ready.

Wash here as well.

The Fight: The fight could very well end up being overly tactical and, as such, not particularly compelling. However, if Oscar can use his size to back Floyd up, it could get interesting. But If Floyd begins to punish Oscar with quick in- and-out shots, it could get interesting from another perspective. Still, styles can make fights, and the two styles here suggest a less than exciting fight. I hope I am wrong.

Odds: Even money at fight time with an almost imperceptible lean toward Mayweather.

How About Dariusz Michalczewski in the Hall?

2007-03-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

With a final slate of 48 -2 with 38 ko's, "The Tiger" accomplished much in his career. The question here is whether it's enough to get him into the Hall when his time comes. Let's review his body of work.

Darrius came up through Poland’s Government-run sports program as a boy and had a very successful amateur career before turning professional in 1991. His record was 133-15-2 with 83 KO's. Among his many amateur honors, he won the 1990 German Light Heavyweight Championship and the European Light Heavyweight Championship in 1991..

In the professional ranks, he soon demonstrated he possessed the tools and skills to go all the way. His power was matched by a strong chin. Always in top shape, he had great stamina and maintained fight-plan discipline and focus throughout his fights. While he could have been a tad faster, he was a complete fighter with an overall skill level at the top tier.

In 1992, he beat tough Sean Mannion, 39-12-1, in Hamburg by 3rd round tko. An extremely impressive feat for someone in only his 5th fight and a harbinger of things to come. Mannion had gone 15 with Mike McCallum and had beaten some top level people like Rocky Fratto, In Chul Baek and Fred "The Pumper" Hutchings. The following year he beat Ali Saidi for the German International Light Heavyweight Title, the first of many belts he would garner. Just three months later, he stopped Noel Magee, 23-4-2 coming in, in the eighth round. This was for the Vacant IBF Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight Title. Later that same year, he won his third belt, the IBF Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight Title, with a 10th round ko of Mwehu Beya, 27 - 4 -4 at the time. 1993 had been a good year for The Tiger.

These victories positioned him for a 1994 fight with rugged Leeonzer Barber, 19-1 (and out of Detroit). This fight would be for the WBO Light Heavyweight Title and Darrius won the crown with a convincing UD. Finally, he was a world champion and he had earned it the hard way. Three months later, he won the WBO Cruiserweight Title by defeating Nestor Hipolito Giovannini, 36-7-3 at the time, by a decisive tenth round knockout. He quickly gave up that title so he could continue to campaign as a light heavyweight

By now, the Polish born Tiger had won five belts and owned a record of 24 - 0- 0 with 19 ko's. Heck, if he had retired at that point, it would have been a noteworthy career, but it was just the beginning of what would be a streak of truly remarkable accomplishments.

After the Giovannini fight, Dariusz Michalczewski then went on to make 23 successful defenses of his WBO title and along the way picked up three more belts! In June 1997, he gained world-wide recognition as a top light heavyweight when he defeated the very capable Virgil Hill in 12 tough rounds. In the process. he added Hill's WBA and IBF titles to his cache, but the WBA, in typical despicable behavior. stripped him for displaying its belt along with that of the WBO, an organization it didn’t recognize.

Around this same time Roy Jones Junior was winning his own supply of world title belts, and Boxing fans began to make noise for the two men to meet one another in the ring, but it never happened. Both preferred fighting in their own respective contries and, based on Roy's bile-inducing experience during the 1988 Olymics in Korea, few could blame him for avoiding a repeat in a country not exactly known for righteous boxing decisions. Still, it's remains a shame for the fans that a fight in a neutral location could not be made. Both talked the talk but not convincingly. Despite half-hearted calls from both sides of the ocean to make the super fight, neither man was willing to concede even reasonable terms.

During the aforementioned streak of 23 title defenses, The Tiger beat tough Graciano "Rocky" Rocchigiani twice, once by tko. He also stopped Jamaican warrior Richard Hall on two occasions. He also stopped Montel Griffith, a two-time victor over James Toney. His last career win was a hard earned ko over Derrick Harmon, 23-3.but it may have taken something out of him.

He was then scheduled to fight Julio Cesar Gonzalez, 34-1, who I witnessed win an incredible closet classic over the late Julian "Mr. KO" Letterlogh with both fighters down more than once. Curiously, the tough Mexican's only loss up to this point had been to Roy Jones in a UD in 2001. That fight had been for the WBC Light Heavyweight Title, WBA Light Heavyweight Title, IBF Light Heavyweight Title, IBO Light Heavyweight Title, WBF Light Heavyweight Title, IBA Light Heavyweight Title and the NBA Light Heavyweight Title. Talk about insanity in Boxing!

The Gonzalez fight was held on October 18, 2003 in Germany (where all but two of The Tiger's bouts had been held.) Though Michalczewski was a prohibitive favorite, Julio snatched a split decision victory. The American judge ruled it 116-112 and the Canadian 115-113 for Gonzalez. Predictably, the German judge gave it to Michalczewski 115-113. But to the Tiger's credit, there was no argument from his camp. It was Dariusz's first defeat in 49. Absorbing The Tiger's best shots, the Mexican fighter landed his own uppercuts against the 35 year old Pole. "I listened to my corner and I fought like a Mexican," Gonzalez said. Clearly, it had been enough to pull off this shocker.

A few months after having been stopped decisivly by France's Fabrice Tiozzo, 46-2, for the WBA light-heavyweight title on in 2005 in Hamburg, Michalczewski announced his retirement. Ironically, he had beaten Tiozzo in the amatures but this time around, the Frenchman had his way with him.

Despite the two losses, he still holds the record for the most consecutive successful title defenses at light heavyweight. While he drew criticism for rarely fighting outside Germany, and also for never facing Jones, he was a huge draw in Germany so why fight elsewhere if you can make a fortune in the friendly confines of an adopted country in which you have become a legend? As for the Jones' criticism, it takes two to tango.

A record twenty three consecutive title defenses, winner of 7 different title belts, 48 straight victories out of the gate, a 79% knockout percentage, consistently impressive wins over strong competition. He also was the only fighter in the world at 175 pounds that people gave much of a chance to beat a prime Roy Jones Jr. That would seem to be enough for serious consideration into a Hall that's starts with the word "International." While I like his chances, more importantly, what do you think?

Something Seems Amiss at The Hall of Fame

2007-02-27T09:25:00.000-08:00

By Matthew Hamill

Over the years , I have greatly enjoyed going to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The opportunity to meet and talk with the boxers and trainers is a great experience to anticipate each June. But reluctantly, 2007 may be my last venture to Canastota, not because the wrong boxers or trainers were selected. Heavens no, the three modern fighters, Duran, Lopez and Whittaker, are outstanding and worthy inductees. No, it might be for another reason.

Rightly or wrongly, I have always felt that no one should be inducted into this hallowed place unless he or she took part in an activity that impacted the outcome of a fight in a viscerally meaningful way. Refereeing and training are such activities. Promoting, writing, announcing, commentating, observing, and painting are not. Guys like Ruby Goldstein, Manny Steward, Lou Duva, and Arthur Mercante Senior belong. Their participation is co-dependently and intimately connected to the fighter. One cannot function without the other. Like analog and digital, they couldn't exist without each other.

Case in point: the late and great Al Gavin was Micky Ward's cut man. He was invaluable to Micky....... sometimes the difference between winning and losing. Steve Smoger refereed Mickey's fight with Emanuel Burton. He could have determined the outcome as well. If Ward's trainer, Dick Eklund, didn’t like what he was witnessing, he could have thrown in the towel. There was an interdependence between these men that was palpable.

Although the aforementioned Gavin was primarily known as a cut man, he trained Erik Harding (21-1-1; 7 KO's) for his challenge with light heavyweight champ Roy Jones in September of 2000. In that fight, Harding suffered a torn bicep muscle in the 2nd round, forcing Trainer Gavin to determine the outcome of the fight. He did. He stopped the bout in the 10th.
Now boxing writers and commentators can write or articulate pristine stuff about a fight, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the outcome. Hell, if the boxing writers need to honor someone, let them limit it to their own Hall or Society. In fact, The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) has just come out with their awards and Larry Merchant, among others, received an award for log and meritorious service. Let that be the end of it.

LeRoy Neiman, who inexpicably is being inducted this year, is a great sports artist but boxing is just one of many subjects he paints. Jimmy Lennon Junior is a great announcer as is Michael Buffer but God forbid they should be inducted into the Hall. Larry Merchant does not belong, nor does any other commentator, for they in no way impact the outcome of a fight. As it stands now, such luminaries can be inducted into the Hall as "observers." But what in God's name does that have to do with who wins or loses a fight? And just what is an observer? What kind of subjectivity goes into such a selection. What are the criteria for selection?

And before someone tells me that it's all about "fame" and its association with boxing (as in Bert Sugar being famous and being associated with boxing), I say "baloney." Sitting at ringside for hundreds of fights is great for the knowledge base but it should have nothing to do with entry into the Hall, nor should being a professional sports writer. It's just too remote and subjective. Bert is a great writer and has won numerous awards; that should be enough, that's where it should end. King and Arum make millions. That should be enough. Let them have their own awards and rewards. Let's keep the Hall for the fighters and the people who have that special relationship with the fighters.

One important caveat. If some of these so-called "observers" and some of the promoters want to start doing something for the boxers in the way of reform, then maybe, just maybe, I might revise my feelings. Hell, Jerry Cooney and Alex Ramos have done more for their fellow boxers than all the "observers" combined.

Boxing Quotes from Ted The Bull

2007-02-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

1. "If I could box like Ty Fields, I wouldn't."

2. "Guys like Danny "Little Red" Lopez make Friday go by faster knowing that you will see them fight on Saturday."

3. " What part of a white towel don't they get? "

4. "He was the type of fighter whose hand would be raised by his opponents after a fight out of respect."

5. "Boxing is one of the few places where you get a second, third and even fourth chance at the brass ring."

6. "A small investment in humility pays big dividends in respect."

7. "If Saad was 'Gatti before Gatti,' then 'Little Red' was 'Saad before Saad."

8. "Ali, the Right Person for a Bad Time."

9. When describing Minto vs. Maddlone, "someone should have told both guys that it's legal to move your head."

10. "This moment was made indelible by Arturo and Micky's complete and total disdain for defense."

11. "Micky Ward is like Sara Lee, nobody doesn’t like him."

Ted The Bull's Boxing Awards for 2006

2007-02-06T08:40:00.000-08:00

1) Fighter of the year: Emmanuel Dapigran "Manny" Pacquiao continues his winning ways by stopping Erik Morales twice and beating tough Ocsar Larrios in between for good measure.

2) Fight of the year: Jose Armando Santa Cruz vs. David Diaz for the WBC Lightweight Title. Diaz, behind on the scorecards 88-83, 88-83, 87-84 going into the 10th, scores a stunning ko to snatch victory from the jaws of certain defeat. Diaz landed a monster left uppercut that removed all the resistance out of his younger opponent, Santa Cruz. He then went on a savage attack sending Santa Cruz down two more times before being referee Richard Steele mercifully rescued him as he stood against the ropes, absorbing brutal and unanswered punches.

Equally shocking, and arguably more gratifying, was that the sudden Chicagoan's stoppage was able to silence the mouthy HBO Team of Merchant, Lampley and Steward (who had been hyping Santa Cruz all night). This welcomed silence was icing on the cake.

Other fights high on this list were Adamek vs. Briggs and Vasquez vs. Gonzalez

3) KO of the year: Tie between Calvin Brock's KO of Zuri Lawrence and Ponce De Leon's icing of Sod Looknongyangtoy. Both scary and chilling. Sod was administered oxygen while Merchant made his usual insensitive observations. Lawrence was almost decapitated and remained unconscious for several minutes.

4) Upset of the year: Carlos Baldomir over Zab Judah. In Judah's back yard no less and in convincing fashion. The judges get special kudos for doing the right thing and scoring the fight right.

5) Round of the year: Round five of Somsak Sithchatchawal vs Mahya “Little Tyson” Monshipour. No clinches, just pure brutality. Back and forth, give and take, body and head, ebb and flow action. Savage and punishing.

6) Comeback of the year: Golden Johnson comes back to stop Oscar Diaz in Diaz's hometown. Magnificent performance by someone everyone had pretty much given up upon except Jesse James Leja, his trainer. Fight should have been stopped sooner giving strength to one of Sonny Liston's many quotes. When asked about Chuck Wepner's courage after dicing, slashing, and rendering his face a hideous mess, Sonny said 'Chuck's trainers and corner men were the bravest guys in the house." ' Same holds true for Diaz's corner. What were they thinking?

7) Most exciting fighter of the year: Manny Pacquiao.

8) Trainer of the Year: Freddie Roach for his handling and symbiosis with Manny Pacquiao. Reportedly (from Wikipedia), Freddie has developed Parkinson's Disease as a result of his lengthy boxing career, but I have not determined this conclusively. If true, however, all the more reason to salute Freddie for his remarkable and ongoing accomplishments

9) Trainers to keep an eye on: John "The Iceman" Scully and Jesse James Leja. Scully is a very savvy and level headed guy and knows his boxing. He is handling some top fighters out of New England like Jose Antonio Rivera and will break into the big time soon. Jesse James showed something in his handling of Golden Johnson.

10) Worse Referee of the year: Laurence Cole - "you're ahead on the cards, Juan [Manuel Marquez]..." Enough said. Cole has made my list before and bears watching for a possible three-peat in 2007.

The Bull's Ten Favorite Fights and Five Favorite Rounds

2007-02-05T12:47:00.000-08:00

Ten Favorite Fights

Over the years, I have seen literally thousands of fights and to name my top ten will do injustice to many others and I apologize for that up front. Still, I’ll give it a go and list them in order of preference. Rightly or wrongly, I used the following criteria: I had to see them live or when they were first televised (no tapes, YOUTUBES, and/or videos), ebb and flow, sudden change in flow, controlled violence, courage, imposition of will, superiority of technical skills, pure savagery and personal satisfaction. Here they are.

1. Bobby Chacon vs. Rafael “Bazooka “ Limon: On December 11, 1982, Chacon was dropped in the 4th and 10th, Limon in the 15th round (1982 Fight of the Year - Ring Magazine). It contained all of the criteria listed above and then some. Bobby came back from the brink to win in dramatic fashion. Had to see it to believe it.

2 Bobby Chacon vs. Cornelius Boza-Edwards on May 15, 1983: Same as number one. Ebb and flow, savagery, courage, violence, technical skills…everything was included. 1983 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year. Chacon rose from a knockdown in round one and recovered from a dangerous cut to drop Boza Edwards in round twelve and avenge an earlier defeat. Reemption at a high cost.

3.Yvon "The Fighting Fisherman" Durelle vs. Archie Moore: on December 10, 1958 in Montreal. On the canvas 3 times in round one and once more later in the mid rounds, Moore somehow regrouped and slowly came back. He knew every trick in the boxing book and used every one of them to come back and batter the game Durelle for an 11th-round stoppage. The fight defined courage and will. Only Robinson vs. Basilio kept this from being Ring Magazine Fight of the Year…but that was just plain wrong. Hell, this should have been fight of the Decade.
4. Monroe Brooks vs. Bruce Curry: on April 7, 1978. Old school battle featuring controlled violence until both threw simultaneous hooks in the ninth round with Curry's landing first. This was Gatti-Ward before Gatti-Ward. Violence with a purpose. The exchange of punishing shots was incredible.

5. Alvaro "Yaqui" Lopez vs. Matthew Saad Mohammed: on July 13, 1980 in New Jersey. The first half was dominated by Lopez and in round eight (named "Round of the Year"), he pinned Saad in a corner landing 20 wicked consecutive blows. Muhammad somehow got out of that round and stopped the arm weary Lopez in the 14th round. (1980 Fight of the Year - Ring Magazine)

6. Jaime Garza vs. Juan “Kid” Meza: on November 13, 1983. Sudden fury in Kingston, NY. First Meza down, then Garza down and out. The ko was named 1984’s Knockout of the Year by KO Magazine. The old adage "never hook with a hooker" did not apply, for both fighters were deadly with this punch.

7. Elvir "The Kosovo Kid" Muriqi vs. "Slamming" Sam Ahmad: On July 23, 2002 in New Rochelle, NY. A pier six, ebb and flow brawl. A total of 6 knockdowns called and 2 not called but should have been.

8. Tommy Hearns Vs. Iran Barkley: on June 6, 1988 a winging right hand from Hell suddenly ended what had been a bloody one-sided beat down of "The Blade." The second punch that accelerated Tommy's descent was malefic.

9. Micky Ward vs. Reggie Green: this cult classic was fought on October 1, 1999 and was arguably better than the first Gatti-Ward. I was there and can vouch for the ebb and flow action and dramatic ending in the 10th when Ward finally caught up with the courageous Green. Two lions in the ring. Breakthrough fight for Ward that segued him to glory.

10. Three-way tie between:

Thomas Hearns- Marvin Hagler: On April 15, 1985, these two engaged in unmitigated and non-stop warfare for three rounds before Hagler ended matters with a brutal right. The 1985 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year.

Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo: With his left eye almost totally closed and already down twice in the 10th, Corrales miraculously climbed off the deck and battered Jose Luis Castillo into submission along the ropes to score one of the most dramatic TKO's in boxing history on May, 2005. Ring Magazine Fight of the Year.

"Kid" Akeem Anifowoshe vs. Robert "Pikin" Quiroga: on June 15, 1991, they battled for 12 ferocious rounds for the IBF Super Flyweight Title in an ebb and flow savagery that not only was named the “Ring Magazine” Fight of the Year for 1991 but was one of the best fights ever in the super flyweight division. The 12 brutal rounds landed both fighters in the hospital, and was as close to the edge as two fighters can get. May have contributed to the “Kid’s” death years later.

Honorable Mention:

2002: Ward vs. Gatti

2002: Gonzalez vs. Letterlough

1983: Duran vs. Moore

1981: LoCicero vs. Lee

1976: Foreman vs. Lyle

1976: Williams vs. Shavers

1947: Graziano vs. Zale

Ted The Bull's Five Favorite Rounds

1. Round 10 of the Diego Corrales- Jose Luis Castillo battle in 2005: With his left eye almost totally closed and already down twice in the 10th, Corrales miraculously climbed off the deck and battered Jose Luis Castillo into submission along the ropes to score one of the most dramatic TKO's in boxing history. Ring Magazine Fight of the Year and Round of the Year. “All the nobility, all the savagery, and all the brutality of boxing was captured in one three-minute round Saturday night.” – Ron Borges/Boston Globe

2. The 15th round of the 1950 Jake LaMotta-Laurent Dauthuille championship fight was unparralelled for its ending when LaMotta,. playing possum, suddenly erupts and takes out Dauthuille with only 13 seconds left. He was trailing on the scorecards at the time he staged this miraculous 15th-round knockout to retain his Middelweight belt. Scoring at time of knockout: 72-68, 74-66, 71-69 Dauthuille. It was named the 1950 Fight of the Year and Round of the Year.

3. The ninth round of the Roy "Tiger" Williams- Earnie Shavers fight on December 11, 1976 saw a big change both ways (but it was the 10th that was memorable). The Tiger started strong in the ninth and landed a number of solid shots He seemed in charge but then tired midway though the round and Ernie came on, bombing away and Roy had to hold on and regroup. With about a minute to go, it happened. Roy snapped off one of the hardest left hooks I have ever seen and staggered Earnie who was now in big trouble. Ernie had no answer and likely was saved by the bell. He staggered back to his corner a very tired boxer.

The 10th and last round began and Shavers came out visibly exhausted while Williams appeared confident and ready to end matters and finally emerge as a serious heavyweight contender. He quickly moved Earnie into a corner and applied brutal, non- stop punishment until the Referee called a standing 8 count. Roy thought the fight had been stopped, turned around and raised his hands in victory but when he turned back to see a determined Shavers still standing. The Tiger's spirit visibly sagged. Still, he came on and hit Shavers with blows that would surely have knocked out anybody else. Then, all of a sudden, Shavers started to connect with some medium hard blows to Roy's body which slowed him down. Suddendly he connected with one of his deadly uppercuts with Tiger on the ropes and it straightened him up. He was now hurt and Ernie sensed it. He moved the Tiger into a corner and began throwing his own bombs. Roy could not withstand the ferocious onslaught and the Referee now gave him a standing eight, incredibly the second in the round! Ernie stood poised, albeit exhausted, and ready to go. As the referee ordered Roy to begin fighting, he took a step forward, hesitated, and then collapsed in the corner a beaten man. Ernie sagged over the ropes too tired to celebrate. The fight was over. That was some 10th round!

4. Ninth round of the first Ward-Gatti fight in 2002. Ring Magazine Round and Fight of the Year. Incredible ebb and flow blended with uncommon violence and sagave head shots. First Gatti unloads, then it's Ward turn. It's the kind of exchange that has everyone up screaming until they are hoarse.

5. In Ring Magazine and KO Magazine's 1980 Fight of the Year, Matthew Saad Muhammad met "Yaqui" Lopez in an incredible war. On the brink of a stoppage loss several times during the fight, Saad rallied to take Lopez out in the fourteenth round. The first half of the fight was dominated by Yaqui and in Round Eight (named Round of the Year) he pinned Saad in a corner and landed 20 consecutive blows. Somehow Saad got through it and dictaed control the rest of the way until he scored the 14th-round knockout. However it was the eighth round in which he lived up to his moniker "Matthew Miracle."

Honerable Mention:

Tommy Hearns Vs. Iran Barkley: on June 6, 1988 a winging right hand from Hell suddenly ended what had been a bloody one-sided beat down of "The Blade." The second punch that accelerated Tommy's descent was malefic. The suddendenees with which this ocurred in round three stunned the crowd into silene.

The fifth and last round of the 1981 Bill “Caveman” Lee - John LoCicero fight in the suffocating heat at the Twenty Grand Showroom in Detroit would give this short battle cult-like status. LoCicero got decked early in the round, got up and pummeled “The Caveman” with between 20 and 25 unanswered and savage shots until he got arm weary. Lee then regrouped and took over pummeling LoCicero until he was knocked out in the same round. First LoCicero almost out, then Lee almost out, then LoCicero down and out! Like Meza-Garza but longer and both warriors arm weary..

News from the Retired Boxers Foundation:

2006-12-13T08:05:00.000-08:00

Dear Friend:

I am asking you to print this press release as a way of thanking young Peter Lerner, age 26, for an awesome feat he pulled off for retired fighters. On his own initiative, he walked 24 hours for fighters who are in need, and who will never know that there are good people like Peter who really care about them and the sport of boxing, This is a story that lets them know that people around the world care about them, even when their days in the spotlight are long over. This is a great story for this holiday season. I am deeply moved by what this young man did for the sport of boxing and I want people to know.

THANK YOU!

Alex "The Bronx Bomber" Ramos
Founder & President
RETIRED BOXERS FOUNDATION
www.retiredboxers.org

Boxing is my Sanctuary

2006-11-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

There are innumerable ways to go after this subject but mine will take a less technical path, one that has different directions coming together in a way that hopefully exposes my visceral affection for this very wonderful pastime. Indeed, for me, boxing is far more than a bout between two combatants in a square circle that is entered with knowledge of deadly risk and anticipation of high reward. Boxing is an experience that includes many different things including the wherewithal for passionate arguments and the witnessing of two men going mano a mano with the hope, but no guarantee, that the third man in the ring knows when the right time comes to save one of them. And sometimes, with tragic results, he doesn't. Boxing is a loser alone with his thoughts in the dressing room and a winner being hero worshiped by fans as fickle as the weather. It is defeat or victory, nothing more, nothing less, but the difference can break a spirit or generate confidence.

For some, it is a left hook to the liver the genesis of which began in some small town in Mexico. For others, a sledgehammer straight right originating out of Detroit. Or, in a fight for redemption, a Swede's foot twitching after he is knocked cold by a leaping left hook coming out of the Catskills. For me, it's identifying with one of my favorites, particularly an underdog, as he overcomes adversity to snatch surprising victory from certain and anticipated defeat. When that happens, its my victory as much as it is his and I'm cheering for myself as much as for him. I can't say it any better than that....that's the essence, the very soul of this thing called boxing. At that point, boxing and I become one

Boxing is also Big Jerry Cooney catching Ken Norton is a corner and pummeling him with frightening left hooks, Ray Mercer catching Tommy Morrison with brutal punches rendering him senseless, Gatti knocking out Gamache with left hook from hell, and Oleg coming back from three ko losses, but it's also slick boxers named Pretty Boy, Sugar Ray or Sugar Shane showing new and higher levels of defense, foot work, combinations, and hand speed. Boxing is watching a Ward left hook to the body end a fight at any time. It's watching the "Kids".....Parret, Meza, Gavilan, Akeem and the "Rocks"......Durando, Graziano, Marciano and Rahman. Or the Irishmen, Cooney, Duddy, Quarry Ward, and who can ever forget that good looking kid out of Tennessee , Irish Billy Collins. Boxing is all about Hearns vs Hagler in savage and unmitigated action and Castillo vs Corrales and Indian Yaqui vs Saad in quintessential ebb and flow.....it's steamy Philadelphia gyms and the forum in LA or some fair grounds in West Virginia or Ohio. It's Don Dunphy thrilling listeners to the "Gillette Cavalcade of Sports," and it's both Lennon's, Johnny Addi, Buffer, Ed Derian (Ed Derian), Mercante, Clancy, Cus, Manny, Dundee, Bimstein, Goldstein, Futch and it's PAL, CYO, and AAU. The sport is both tender and brutal. Some find Jesus, others find the devil. Boxing is watching a "lonely" Larry Holmes in the middle of the ring taking out a a popular Cooney and a confused John Tate running away from the late Trevor Berbick..................boxing is about a warrior mentality that unmistakably demonstrates a willingness to engage in a punch-out.......a willingness to take three to get in one, or a hard and tough guy like Baldomir patting his chest and waiving the other guy in as he spits out blood while the crowd rises and roars its approval and chills go down your spine. Boxing is the sum and substance of indelible memories and for those blessed with good recall, it is something to manifest with emotion, passion and conviction.

Look, I've been there and have seen up close the unpredictable excitement that was Bob Satterfield, Rex Layne and Johnny Bratton in the 50's, the classics between Marciano-Charles-Louis- Walcott. The emergence of Chuck Davey and Chico Vejar. I saw LaMotta-Robinson, Ward vs Gatti-Green-Augustus-Diaz-Neary, Zale-Graziano, tough, ethnic guys from the 50's like Fusari, Demarco, Durando, Basilio, Giardello, Giambra, Janiro and Miceli. Who can forget Gene "Silent" Hairston on Gillette's Friday night fights? Ali-Fraizer, Patterson-Johansson, Barrera-Morales.

I was dumfounded by the illogic of Hearns putting Duran away with a thunderous straight right, and then Duran beating Barkley who then knocked out Hearns. I watched in disbelief as Martin starched Liston, Bruce Curry and Monroe Brooks went to the very edge and let it all hang out, and McClellan and Benn fought with uncommon fury and ferocity. I saw Shavers come back from certain defeat to beat a fearsome Roy "Tiger" Williams in a fight that had to be seen to be believed. Oh, I saw Paret take 17 unanswered shots, and Roach, Kim, Enrico Bertola, Johnny Owens, Jimmy Garcia, Willie Classen, Stephan Johnson, Bobby Tomasello, Beethoven Scottland, Leavander Johnson and too may others leave their lives in the ring. I witnessed the sudden fury of Meza-Garza; the shoot outs between Letterlough-Gonsalez, Moorer-Cooper and Lyle-Foreman; the big boppers, Cobb-Shavers-Norton, at the end of their careers. I've seen the smashed noses, ridges of scar tissue and deformed ears. I witnessed the slow slide of Jerry and Mike Quarry, Jimmy Ellis, Bobby Chacon, Jimmy Young and far too many others. I can easily detect the early signs......the slurring of speech......the nasal monotone....the shuffling.

No, we don't much want to talk about Pugilistica Dementia but constant reminders are always there and that's the dark side, the other, horribly irreversible side of the risk-reward equation. And most boxers are leery of this darker side as well they should be, for this is the one that can lead to that dreaded place called Palookaville from which there is no return.Hey, I witnessed the epiphany of Foreman and the "what if," and terrible disappointment that was Tyson. I've seen it all and have been dazzled by the magic, felt the emotional highs, heard the music and seen the dance. I pray for Michael Watson, Willie Pep, Jimmy Ellis, Gerald McClellan and Greg Page and remember the courage of Robert Wangila and Pedro Alcazar. I have seen very good things, some not so good, and some downright horiffic. I've talked to humble and decent guys like Saad, Haugen, Scully, Ward, Cuevas, Tapia, Laporte, Galaxy and Chuvalo and have been snubbed by others.....but not many others, for most boxers are uncommon in their decency, respect and humility and that too is part of the mix. Boxing for me is also a sensual confluence......of sweat, fear, testosterone, perfume, cigar smoke, stale beer, cheap after-shave lotion....it is a the sweet smell of success and sour odor of failure. Greasy and heavily mustard hot dogs, cheese steak hoagies, onions, roasted peppers with oil seeping through brown paper bags, and buttered popcorn. Warm beer at the Blue Horizon and frothy mixed drinks and expensive after shave lotion at the MGM in Las Vegas or at Foxwoods. Boxing is cheering, taunting, chanting, whistling, screaming, and clapping......and leering at scantily clad card girls against a backdrop of the periodic screams of winners at a Black Jack table or the mindless and never ending sound of slot machines simultaneously providing hope and presenting odds that prevent that hope from ever being fulfilled. The ambience includes pretty blondes, voluptuous Latinos and beautiful black women dressed to the nines; guys with chains worth the price of a new car and clothes and hair styles to match. Vanity, conceit, egotism are words that come to mind as one looks over the occupants of the ringside seats, but why not? Narcissism is an essential part of this mix as well.

There is no political correctness here or "right" way to behave and that is another great thing about boxing. You either love it or hate it, but if you hate it, you had best tread with caution here. Boxing try's to be color blind, but those behind the scenes use issues of color and ethnicity to generate more cash. It's never about hate; it's always about cash....it is what it is....and in this regard should not be taken as seriously as it is. The "Russians Have Arrived," will likely be replaced by something else, maybe 'The Cubans Are Coming" or the "Americans are Back" or "Here Comes the British," but that's just the way it is and it won't change any time soon. Boxing is camaraderie with macho banter and, at times, not-so-friendly betting. It is drinks and maybe a great steak after the fight, or perhaps a hotel room with TV, friends, champaign, shrimp cocktails, maybe some poker, expensive cigars, all the right ingredients for another entry into your memory bank. Sure, the fight is the linchpin, but the entire experience is often just as much fun...it all goes together and blends in the mix. And the mix is the essence.

Boxing has a love affair with the world: from Japan to the UK, Germany to Australia, Canada to the countries from the former Soviet Union, and everywhere in between.

Most of all, boxing is a safe place for me to be without having to worry about how I behave or what I say. Boxing thankfully is not a meeting of the Rotary and it certainly does not shackle me with corporate handcuffs. There is no phoney artifice, no plastic smiles or soft and clammy hand shakes; Boxing is a genuine, if sometimes harsh place which has never been overly meticulous or stringent in its application of professional scruples. But hell, boxing is my sanctuary and I love it so.

"It is wonderful. It truly is. It is the only thing that is real! It's you against me, it's challenging another guy's manhood. With gloves. Words cannot describe that feeling - of being a man, of being a gladiator, of being a warrior. It's irreplaceable." - Sugar Ray Leonard"

Boxing survives – and always will -- because its values are as old school as black-‘n’-white trunks: character and pain -- as heroic as a man taking care of his family – just not too sexy." Joe Rein

Underestimating can be Unhealthy

2006-10-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

By TED SARES

When Ray Mancini was riding high as the real-life Italian Stallion, his last moment in the sun would be when he met two-time world champion (but shop worn) Bobby Chacon, 52-6-1 at the time, and easily beat him in three rounds. He would then lose his title by upset stoppage to a then unknown Livingston Bramble, 20-1-1, in 1984 but not before giving an all out effort, the result of which was an overnight stay at a hospital and over 70 stitches to close cuts around his eye. The Mancini camp had badly underestimated the colorful Virgin Islander. Bramble's non stop offensive and sharp punches turned "Boom Boom's" face into a hideous and bloody mess.

This upset would have implications for boxing since Mancini, a real life "Italian Stallion," was a major attraction at the time. Bramble not only upset Mancini, he also upset the apple cart of many boxing people who thought they could capitalize on Ray's popularity and make serious money on his future matches. However, It was not to be.

Larry Holmes almost met the same fate when he met and defeated an underestimated and unknown Mike Weaver for the WBC Heavyweight Title in 1979. Weaver had a record of 21 wins and 8 defeats, and many, including Holmes' team, viewed him as a journeyman. "Hercules." proceeded to drop Holmes in round four, however, and gave Holmes all he could handle before being dropped in round eleven and succumbing to the world champion. Weaver would go on to win the WBA Heavyweight Title by a spectacular 15th round ko over Big John Tate.

Tommy Morrison was badly underestimated by Big George Foreman when they fought for the world championship on June 7, 1993. Morrison surprised many critics by sticking to a disciplined strategy of hit and run and clearly outpointing the surprised Foreman over 12 rounds, winning the title. Almost immediately, there was talk of a fight with WBC world champion Lennox Lewis, although it would not have been a unification bout since the WBC has always refused to recognize the WBO. However, much money was to made.

The talks ended, however, when "The Duke" was himself upset in his first defense by the virtually unknown Michael Bentt who knocked out Tommy in round one in front of a home town audience. Had Tommy's team done some due diligence, they would have leaned that Bentt had a remarkable armature career.He won four New York City Golden Gloves titles and five USA Amateur Boxing championships. Both accomplishments remain unprecedented. After having won the bronze medal at the 1986 World Amateur Boxing Championships, he was placed a controversial second in the 1988 US Olympic Trials to the eventual 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist to the eventual 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist, Ray Mercer. He won the right to fight on the Jamaican Olympic boxing team, but refused rather than give up his U. S. Citizenship. He is regarded as the most decorated boxer in the history of American amateur boxing never to have competed on a US Olympic Boxing Team. Unfortunately, someone had forgotten to tell the Duke. Bad mistake.

Of course, the great Joe Louis once underestimated someone named Jersey Joe Walcott. Walcott was considered an excellent boxer and slick defensive fighter when he challenged Louis for the title in December of 1947, but no one gave him much of a chance and it was clear that he had been underestimated. He decked Joe twice but lost a 15-round split decision to "The Brown Bomber" in a fight he had clearly won. Even Louis knew it by leaving the ring before the shocking decision was announced. The very next year, Louis defeated Walcott by knocking him out in 11 rounds.

There are many more fights in which someone was badly underestimated. Can you name some?

"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion. The potential for greatness lives within each of us." Wilma Rudolph

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

2006-10-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Calzaghe, W 42 (31 ko's) - 0 vs. Kessler, 38 (29) ko's) -0 is a fight that has to be made and someone's O must go! Off their respective fights with Sakio Bika and Markus Beyer, Mikkel 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 of a very hard night’s work with the game Australian (by way of Cameroon), Bika, who came to win.On the other Hand, Kessler brutally destroyed WBC super middleweight champion Markus Beyer in three rounds and now owns both the WBA and WBC 168-pound belts.

As for fighting Calzaghe, the Dane said he has no qualms about facing the 42-0 world champion either in England or Denmark.

Though I am much more impressed with the Pride of Wales' overall level of opposition, Kessler has never suffered anything less than a UD. If you did a won-lost analysis of Joe's opponents (coming in) the result wold 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 that he has fought much better opposition, combined with his age, might just have taken something out of him.

The "Viking Warrior" is 27 years old compared to Calzaghe's 34 and that disparity seemed to show a bit tonight against Bika. Kessler's ko percentage is a handsome 76%, while Calzaghe's is just as impressive at 74%. Yet I keep coming back to age vs. Youth and the fact that Kessler may be peaking while Joe has already reached and possibly passed his. If so, this could spell trouble for the "Italian Dragon."

Calzaghe won his title bout tonight in undisputed fashion and remains a great and undefeated champion. But as Promoter Mogens Palle predicted, Mikkel "looked like a million dollars" as he stole the HBO show on this night of sensational Euro boxing.

At this point in time, I see the fight pretty even (though I believe most others will make Calzaghe the clear favorite coming in). The bout's location will be a factor in my final handicapping of this one...if it comes off......and for the sake of fight fans throughout the world, it must!.

Disclaimer: This is a fan site and may not necessarily represent the views of Ted Sares and/or his management.

Disclaimer

2006-10-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This is a fan site and may not necessarily represent the views of Ted The Bull Sares and/or his management.

Amato Enshrined in Leather Hall of Fame

2006-10-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

Boxing Writer Enshrined In The Legends Of Leather Hall Of Fame

13.10.06 - The Legends Of Leather Boxing Club of Trumbull County, Ohio enshrined writer Jim Amato to their Hall Of Fame on October 8th. Amato is a staff writer for Boxing World magazine. He also contributes articles to the ( Cleveland ) East Side Daily newspaper. He writes for several on line boxing sites and he created his own site in May of 2005. The link

is:http://amatoboxingsite.multiply.com/

Jim Amato is a member of the Boxing Writers Association Of America ( BWAA ) and the International Boxing Research Organization ( IBRO ).

Indelible Boxing Memories: Part Two

2006-10-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

This series started on another site and will return there for Part Three. In the first piece, I mentioned names like Moore and Durelle, Chacon, Tyson-Douglas, Shavers-Williams, and how they contributed to memories that have been impossible to erase. The series continues below.

1) Once, while visiting the Hall of Fame, Johnny Tapia was busy signing autographs in the Museum when his publicist said, "Come on, Johhny, we'll be late for the plane." Johnny apologized to the other people who were waiting and then started to leave. All of a sudden, he spotted this young fellow in a wheel chair who wanted his photo taken with him. When Johhny went over to accommodate him, his publicist got shrill and said "dammit, we will miss our plane." Johhny's reply was "beep the plane. First things first." I'll never forget the look on that young fellow's face. For that moment in time, he was the most important person alive. Wow!

2) I remember listening to commentator Max Kellerman calling for referee Arthur Mercante Jr. to halt the fight between George Khalid Jones and Beethaven Scottland on the U.S.S. Intrepid in New York on June 26, 2001. As early as the fourth round, he said Scottland was taking "a brutal beating." During the fifth round Scottland absorbed more than twenty consecutive punches to his head while trapped in a corner. "That's it!" Kellerman shouted. "This is how guys get seriously hurt." Then, during the seventh round, Kellerman told the ESPN television audience, "I don't like the way he is getting hit.... Those are the cumulative punches that lead to things that you don't want to hear about after the fight." After that round, Kellerman said, "If you're in Scottland's corner you have to ask yourself, 'Is it worth it, for the damage he is sustaining? Is it worth it for the kid's life to stay in these final rounds?' I would say no." After Scottland finally collapsed with forty-five seconds remaining in the fight, Max Kellerman told the television audience, "I feel nauseated. I feel sick. Why does this ever have to happen?"

To watch this unravel in plain sight was nothing short of horrific. I remember at the time that I was up and screaming at the television set, "stop it, stop it for Christ Sakes!" There was nothing I could do; I was helpless. It was awful because I knew what was happening in there as much as Max did. What happened to Kid Paret happened with lightening speed and was almost mesmerizing. This was different; this was slow.
3) My wife and I were at the Hall during the weekend of one of the Gatti-Ward fights and since the Turning Stone Hotel in Verona did not have cable, we checked into another, albeit sleezy motel in Oneida so we could view the fight. Hell, I was more that willing to pay for both rooms for the same night. But what really stayed with me was how all the boxing luminaries were also scrambling to watch the fight. The hell with the banquet; this was far more compelling. On that night they were all fight junkies just like the rest of us....Michael Spinks, Camacho, Hopkins, Frazier.....they all wanted to see these two guys go to war. No egos in play here...just plain interest. Some of these guys were asking me if they could come over to the motel room to watch the fight. It was fascinating.....and unforgettable.

4) In February 2001, I watched a televised fight from Columbus, Ohio between Julio Gonzalez and the late Julian Letterlough that featured five knockdowns and incredible be band flow. What I witnessed has stayed with me to this day. The artillery went off twenty-seconds into the first round when Gonzalez (26-0, 16 KO's) dropped Letterlough (15-1-1, 15 KO's) with two jabs and a right hand flush to the jaw. Then, at the 2:20 mark of the 3rd, Letterlough caught Gonzalez with a clean counter right hand also flush on the chin. It decked him. Both fighters continued to trade bombs in the fourth round and then at 2:48 of the 5th, Letterlough drilled Julio with a brutal left hook to the head. Gonzalez hit the canvas for the second time...this time he fell face forward. They would trade back and forth for the next several rounds taking turns rocking each other with hooks, uppercuts, straight shots and engaging in furious flurry's.. Gonzalez smothered Julian in the tenth scoring heavily to the body. However, with 57-seconds remaining in that round, he got caught with another perfect right hand flush on the jaw. He went down like he had been shot with an elephant gun. His head slammed against the floor and bounced dangerously off the canvas. With his eyes rolling back into his head, I would have bet my home that he was done. But somehow, someway, he got up himself upright using the ropes to climb back up. He barely made it, but he found the strength to survive the round. Then, incredibly, at 1:24 of the 11th, Gonzalez caught Letterlough coming in with a crisp combination. Letterlough, off balance, went down for the second time. The fans were up and roaring and in total disbelief. At the end of this savage war, Gonzalez had done just enough over the course of twelve back and forth rounds to garner one of the hardest earned victories one could imagine. Whew! My jaw aches just writing about it!

Proving he was the real McCoy, Gonzalez would go on to upset Dariusz Michalczewski in 2003 to win the WBO Light Heavyweight Title.....which he would later lose to Clinton Woods in 2005. His current record is 40-3 and he is still very much in the mix.

5) I will never, ever forget the look on Dave Tiberi's face when the decision was announced that he had lost to James Toney in their fight for the IBF Middleweight Title in Atlantic City on February 8, 1992. The scoring went like this:Judge Frank Brunette: 117-111, Judge William Lerch: 112-115, Judge Frank Garza: 112-115. A point was deducted from Tiberi for a low blow in round 6. Judge Brunette was the only one in the house not asleep that night. Tiberi smothered Toney against the ropes and kicked his butt throughout the fight. The utter disbelief which swept through the Taj Mahal that evening reverberated throughout the boxing world. The decision prompted an investigation into unjust decisions in boxing. Ultimately, this investigation, aided by Tiberi, led to the Boxing Safety Act in 1997. Because of the values, dignity and principals of Dave Tiberi, boxing is a much better sport today. Indeed, he retired after that fight in total disgust.

There is far more to this story and it warrants separate and in-depth treatment to even begin to give it its due. Suffice it to say the look of disgust and the look of astonishment on Dave and James' faces, respectively, said it all. Plain and simple, it broke the spirit of a decent man of faith who had worked hard his entire adult life to achieve the pinnacle of his profession. I'll never forget it as one one of the most shameful moments in boxing history.

As an aside, if a national boxing commission is ever established, the very articulate and intelligent Dave Tiberi deserves to be a member

Paz in the Hall?

2006-10-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Here we go again. First it was Camacho, then Mancini. While Vinny clearly is no slam dunk, I believe a reasonable case can be made for his induction and that's what I'll try to do below. Then you decide.

Record: W 50 (30 ko's) - 10 Vinny "Vinny Paz" or the "the Pazmanian Devil" Pazienza was a rare four-time former world champion to wit: IBF Lightweight Title, WBA Light Middleweight Title, IBO Super Middleweight Title, WBU Super Middleweight Title.

Style: Short and muscular, he could box to a degree when he needed to but preferred to mix it up. Pazienza fought in a frenetic style that, while not technically sound, won you over with its energy, hustle and moxie. Extremely speedy, particularly in the earlier part of his career, he never possessed one punch knockout power but still had plenty of pop and could wear down an opponent by applying constant, incoming pressure. He threw punches, even uppercuts, from unorthodox angles and sometimes boxed in a frenetic and whirlwind manner. It could be said that his swarming style was somewhat unique as he often threw wild lefts and rights and occasionally his wild roundhouse punches looked amateurish, but if they landed, things could change in a hurry.

After his fight with Dele (which was the stuff of Hollywood movies), Vinny's physique became more imposing reflecting heavy weight training in the gym. Unfortunately, the added bulk and muscle did not seem to add power to his punches.

The Cranston, RI native bled freely and in his later fights his face often would become a bloody mess, but that would never stop him form making an entertaining fight and giving his all. All in all, he may not have been what boxing purists wanted to see, but he was I was willing to pay to see. In a word, he was entertaining.

Quality of opposition: Outstanding. His opponents included Joseph Kiwanuka, Herol Graham, Arthur Allen Glenwood " The Real Beast" Brown, Esteban Cervantes, Eric Lucas (against whom he would make his last title try), Aaron "Superman" Davis (who carved up Vinny's face like a turkey), Dana Rosenblatt (twice), Roy Jones Jr, Roberto Duran (twice), Robbie Sims, Lloyd Honeyghan, Gilbert Dele, Rafael Williams, Dan Sherry, Greg Haugen (thrice) Loreto Garza (where I believe Vinny lost to the referee and not to Garza), Hector Camacho (36-0 coming in), Roger Mayweather, Roberto Elizondo, Harry Arroyo, Jeff Bumphus, Melvin Paul, Brett Lally, and Louis Santana among others. All tough fighters. All with very good won-lost records. Vinny fought eleven who were world champions at one time or another and did this on 16 different occasions. He feared absolutely no one.

Era: 1983-2004. Since his career covered 21 years, it spanned eras in which there were truly great fighters in his weight limits and he would never back down from any of them. He fought in 15 different title fights. His fight with Roy Jones Jr was ill-advised and he took a terrible beating, though he bounced back with an upset win over undefeated Dana Rosenblatt (Dana would avenge this loss in a rematch which he won by a razor thin margin). His trilogy with Haugen was outstanding (he showed considerable boxing acumen in the third fight). He also fought the legendary Roberto Duran twice winning two close ones. One fight that was never made was with Mancini but I suspect that would have been a war of epic proportions. Oh my!

Of course, his win over Gilbert Dele in 1991 was truly inspirational since it came almost a year after Vinny was in an almost fatal auto accident in which he suffered a broken neck. This earned him the WBA Light Middleweight Title. He made history by making the biggest jump ever from one title to another (19 pounds) when he beat champion Dele with an 11-round knockout win in Providence, RI.

He won his 50th and final professional fight in Mach 2004 by rallying to beat tough Tuker Pudwill, 38-6 coming in. Once again, and perhaps fittingly so, his face was a bloody mess from a cut below his right eye, but he still managed to deck Pudwill twice and gain the solid decision win. It is to Vinny's credit that he did not pick a soft opponent for his final bout.

Vinny's self-promotional and theatrical antics were not popular with everyone and he could frequently come off as abrasive, but many of his interviews reveal an engaging, candid and sensitive human being, one who has no illusions about what could have been. Thanks for the memories, Vinny. And best of luck when if and when your name comes up.

What do you think?

The Case for Mancini? You Decide.

2006-10-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares:

Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini in the International Hall of Fame? Many have suggested this; others thought he was already in. Few have really dug into the facts. Let's do just that and then you weigh in.

Record: 29 (23 KO's)) - 5. He had a stellar amateur career and in 1978 turned professional.

Style: He was short and very muscular and possessed a great left hook. His whirlwind punching style, though risky, was one in which he went straight at his opponent, punching non-stop and concentrating far more on offense than defense. He was an extremely good body puncher as well, and was always in great shape. But to categorize his style succinctly, he was an incoming brawler who enjoyed furious exchanges and would sometimes suffer the consequences. Nevertheless, he was an exciting type of fighter who gave the fans their monies worth.

Quality of Opposition: During his career, Ray beat some very good boxers, including former U.S. Champ Norman Goins, highly regarded Jose Louis Ramirez (for the NABF Lightweight Title) and Ernesto Espana. But his total number of fights is only 35 so quality is more significant than number of fights.

Title defenses: His first world title attempt came against the great Alexis Arguello and was a spectacular one. Mancini gave Arguello considerable trouble, but the champion used his great experience to his advantage, took control and then took out "Boom Boom" savagely in the the 14th round. The fight was selected by many magazines as one of the more spectacular bouts of the 80's.

Six months later, he challenged the new world champion, Arturo Frias (24-1 coming in), for the world lightweight title. Frias stunned Mancini early in round one and had him momentarily wobbly and bleeding from his eyebrow, but Mancini stormed back with a fury and dropped the champion with a wild combination. Mancini the proceeded to capture the title by trapping Frias against the ropes and after many unanswered blows, forced the referee to halt the fight. Ray was recorded as having thrown 33 punches in 22 seconds during a battle that could only be compared to a cock fight.

He defended the title four times, including a brutal 14th round knockout over South Korean warrior Duk-Koo Kim (17-1-1 at the time) after which Kim went into a coma and tragically died of brain injuries five days later. Much has been written about this fight, but insofar as it relates to Mancini's Hall of Fame prospects, its relevance here is not in point. Still, the fight led to studies that showed boxers take the most damage after the 12th round. Thus, the WBA shortened its championship matches from 15 to 12 rounds. As a tragic aside, Richard Green, the referee of that fight blamed himself for allowing the fight to go on and for Kim's death. He took his own life a few month's later as did Kim's mother.

After working his way though the emotional guilt and depression that followed this tragedy, he came back to beat British champion George Feeney (16-7 coming in), Orlando Romero, Johnny Torres (11-11 coming in) and then defended against two-time world champion (but shop worn) Bobby Chacon, 52-6-1 at the time, and easily beat him in three rounds. This would prove to be his last moment in the sun.

He would then lose the title by upset stoppage to a then unknown Livingston Bramble, 20-1-1, in 1984 but not before giving an all out effort, the result of which was an overnight stay at a hospital and over 70 stitches to close cuts around his eye. The Mancini camp had badly underestimated the colorful Virgin Islander. Bramble's non stop offensive and sharp punches turned "Boom Boom's" face into a hideous and bloody mess. This upset would have implications for boxing since Mancini, a real life "Italian Stallion," was a major attraction at the time. Bramble not only upset Mancini, he also upset the apple cart of many boxing people who thought they could capitalize on Ray's popularity and make serious money on his future matches. However, It was not to be.In 1985, Mancini lost a rematch to Bramble, then 22-1-1, via a close decision (one in which I actually thought he may have won).

This tough loss, coupled with his constant struggle to make weight, caused him to retire. However, like many others who can't stay away, he returned twice more first losing a close but unanimous decision to Hector Camacho in 1989 and then losing to Greg Haugen in 1992 by a decisive, head snapping KO in 7. This ill advised fight was not unlike Sugar Ray Leonard's fight with Hector Camacho. After this beating, Ray Mancini retired for good.

On a happier note, in 2005, The World Boxing Hall Of Fame in Los Angeles, CA, enshrined Youngstown, Ohio's own Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini along with bantamweight titleholders Jeff Chandler and Alfonso Zamora. Also, inducted was 60's middleweight contender Joey Archer. Teddy Atlas and Gwen Adair were enshrined in the expanded category. The affable Mancini is now working and living happily on the West Coast with his family, ring earnings and health intact. One of those happy endings if you will.

But wait. This article is about "Boom Boom's" prospects for induction into the International Hall of Fame in Cannastota, NY. And in that connection, let's pose some questions:

Was a total of 34 fights enough, particularly when 20 arguably were against poor to fair opposition?

Was the overall caliber of opposition good enough? Bramble twice, Haugen (29-4 at the time), Camacho (33-0 at the time), Arguello (72-5 coming in), Ramirez (71-3 at the time), Ernesto Espana (35-4 coming in), Orlando Romero (30-0-1 coming in), Feeney, Chacon, Frias and then it goes downhill.

Was his championship win over Frias that compelling when you consider that Bobby Chacon beat Frias by TKO in 1985 even after Mancini had stopped a worn Chacon a year earlier?

Were his title defenses against top caliber people....Feeney, Romero,Torres, Chacon?Should the fact that he lost his last four fights weigh significantly?

Could it be argued that Ray suffered only three legitimate losses: The Arguello fight, his first fight with Bramble and the sound beating he took from Haugen?

Should he have fought Harry Arroyo, the IBF Title holder and another tough fighter out of Youngstown, Ohio? Some have gone so far as to say Mancini was not even the best fighter in Youngstown.

Could it be argued that his career defining fight was actually a defeat to Alexis Arguello rather than his one round war with mediocre Arturo Frias?

There has always been a lot of melodrama associated with Mancini's career. The Kim tragedy, the thing about his winning the title for his dad, Lennie "Boom Boom" Mancini, who laid the ground work for young Ray's career, his struggles to make weight, his gameness, and so on. But this article is not about that; it's about Mancini's prospects for getting into the IHOF

What do you think?

Hector Camacho in the Hall

2006-09-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Personalities should not be included among the criteria for getting into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Let's get through that knothole at the outset. Hector Luis "Macho" Camacho can be very obnoxious, but so what? It's what happens in the ring that counts (unless, of course, a boxer's life style impact his abilities), so let's break down his chances of getting into the Hall once he retires...if he hasn't already....and let's do it on the basis of what he has accomplished in the ring

1) Record: W 78 (37 ko's) L 5 D 2 Total 85 That's a lot of fights in todays boxing world, but "The Macho Man" spaced his fights carefully and paced himself well over his long career. Back in the pre '80's, he was a multiple N.Y. Golden Gloves Champion. Born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, he became the first Puerto Rican to have won the World Boxing Championship (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) championships in the lightweight division.

2) Quality of opposition: Outstanding. He defeated Ray Mancini, Roberto Duran (twice), Sugar Ray Leonard, Tony Menefee, Heath Todd, Gary Kirkland, Luis Maysonet, Jorge Vaca, Todd Foster, Pat Lawlor, Reyes Antonio Cruz, Greg Haugen, Tony Baltazar, Ken Sigurani, Howard Davis, Jr, Cornelius Boza Edwards, Freddie Roach, Vinny Paz, Edwin Rosario, Jose Luis Ramirez ( a member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame), Rafael Limon, John Montes, Greg Conversion, Melvin Paul, and Louis Burke. He was defeated by Julio Cesar Chavez, 108-6-2, Felix Trinidad, 42-2, Greg Haugen, 40-10-1(he lost by an extremely controversial decision when, inexplicitly, he was penalized for not touching gloves before the last round; he won the rematch), Oscar De La Hoya, 38-4, and Chris Walsh, 19-7-1 by TD. He didn't fight either Chacon or Pernell Whitaker, but not from his own doing. Bobby Chacon chose to fight Ray Mancini, and the Duvas never made the match with Whitaker.

3) Era: 1980-2005...multiple eras over a 25 year boxing career. Camacho has been fighting for 25 years. When you consider that Archie Moore's career spanned 27 years, you get a better perspective....though Hector's fight have been far and few between in recent years. Nevertheless, he fought at or near the top of his divisions during eras that included great fighters. The list of his opponents reads like a "whose who" of tough fighters; it includes an astounding fourteen world champions including Hall of Famers, Sugar Ray Leonard and Edwin Rosario, and at least four future inductees (De La Hoya, Duran, Chavez, and Trinidad). And to Camacho's credit, he has never been stopped and has been down arguably only once. In 1989, when he met former world lightweight champion Ray "Boom Boom " Mancini (who was 29-3 with 23 knockouts coming into the fight), Camacho won a unanimous decision for the vacant WBO Junior Welterweight title. In so doing, he joined an exclusive "club" of world champions boxers who have become three-time world champions

4) Style: An imitator of Muhammad Ali's controversial and flashy style and flair, few could out finesse or out speed him. Boxing experts and fans were enthusiastic about him in his early career. Indeed, Ali and Camacho's style was adopted by Roy Jones, Jr and Naseem Hamed, to name a few, and it brought excitement to their fights, but then he met tough Edwin Rosario in1986. He dominated the early rounds, but had to hang on in rounds five, six and seven when he caught the fury and power of Rosario. He came back to take rounds eight and nine, but Rosario came on late. Camacho won the title fight by split decision, but afterwards his style changed into a more defensive one that seemed more safety first, avoiding punishment rather than engaging his opponents. After the fight, his face busted up, he kiddingly said, "Hey, if this is macho, I don't want no part of it."

With his more conservative, albeit less crowd pleasing style in place, he then fought a long list to top contenders and former champions. In 1994, he seemed to change his style once more using flat footed power to score some impressive ko's. Included among his stoppage victims were contenders Luis Maysonet and Todd Foster. He drew with rugged Jorge Vaca in 1999 and then cut back on the frequency of his fights, His last fight was in July 2005 when he beat the limited Raul Munoz by UD in Tuscon. Whether he fights again remains to be seen, but he has become a regular at the Hall's induction ceremonies in upstate New York and I would not be surprised to see him fight one more time.

At the end of the fight, what counts most is whose hand the referee raises. In the case of the Macho Man, his hand was raised 78 times and that's not bad. Whether he gets into the Hall or not is not my decision, but I believe a compelling case can be made for his induction. Great opposition, three-time world champion, a long career....that's enough for me. Either way, and with his considerable business acumen, he will likely leave the game on his own terms.

Ted Sares is a boxing historian and writer who can be reached at tedsares@adelphia.net

What's in a Name? Exclusive for WAIL , A CBZ Journal

2006-09-14T12:19:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Here we go again. Two undefeated, free-swinging heavyweights with several fights under their belts ready to rumble in Convention Center in Atlantic City on December 14, 1996, and I was there. A month prior to this fight, Courage "No Limit" Tshabalala fought Jessie Henry (5-12) and Brian "Bam Bam" Scott fought Brian Yates (13-86-3). Not what one might call the best competition out there. "Bam Bam" Scott started out with an unbeaten streak of 15 before stepping up in March 1994 and getting iced by Tommy Morrison in the second round. Leading up to that fight, Scott's opponents included the immortal Andre Smiley, (0-25-1) whom he beat twice, and John Basil Jackson (4-75-2), whom he also beat twice. He then went on a seven-fight unbeaten streak before losing to limited Derrick Roddy and a streaking (at least then) Jorge Luis Gonzalez, both by second round KO. One of Bam Bam's other opponents was Alan Jamison (0-20). He also fought Mike Smith (4-14-1) twice. Most of his opponents had losing records, and many had never won a professional fight. But this was about hype, and the South African, Tshabalala, had far more than the overweight (278 pounds) heavyweight out of the unlikely boxing state of Kansas.

On the other side of the ledger, this man named Courage was a shooting star from 1993 to 1996, winning 19 in a row with 12 first-round KOs and three second-round KOs. Only three fights went the distance. But there were warning signs, albeit subtle at first. He claimed to have had something like a 70-1 amateur record, but to my knowledge it has never been verified. Then commentator Larry Merchant termed Tshabalala one of the saviors of boxing and "the best heavyweight since Mike Tyson." Merchant, who in my opinion isn't the greatest researcher, forgot to mention that many of his opponents leading up to the Scott fight had atrocious if not unverifiable records. Indeed, after this and a few other fights, Tshabalala would even take on legendary Danny Wofford (17-101-2).But back to December 14, 1996. The highly touted Tshabalala was a huge favorite and we all anticipated an early knockout, a la Tommy Morrison.

We were not disappointed. Only one problem. It was Tshabalala who got blown away by a sneaky, sharp and surprisingly fast Scott right in the second round. As we left the venue in semi-amazement, we wondered out loud whether this was just a fluke and whether Tshabalala would bounce back. Was Scott that good or was Tshabalala that bad? The consensus was that he would come back.

He next fought Stanley Hughey (7-16) in January 1997 and won by first-round KO. His next big fight was scheduled for June 3, 1997, at the legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia against Darroll "Doin' Damage" Wilson. After being down in the first and engaging in an ebb-and-flow second, Wilson used his superior skills to out-box Tshabalala in the third. Suddenly, however, he was caught by a big winging right hook. Wilson went down like he was shot and just barely got up and then fell down again, but he made it up just before the referee got to 10. Lou Duva (Tshabalala's manager and trainer) protested the referee's call in his usual hyper fashion but to no avail. Wilson held off the South African in the fourth when Tshabalala came in for the kill. Wilson then fought back (like he did against Shannon Briggs) and began to take the heart out of Courage. He soon drew Tshabalala into fierce exchanges, and Tshabalala, exposing a stamina problem, tired badly. Finally, Wilson used combinations and put Tshabalala down. Tshabalala spit out his mouthpiece and stayed down as referee Rudy Battle stopped the fight. The battle was hailed as one of the most exciting heavyweight fights of the year.

In just two years, Tshabalala had participated in one of the upsets of the year and one of the most exciting fights of the year. If nothing else, he was on everyone's radar.Tshabalala then stopped three inferior opponents, including the aforementioned Danny Wofford and journeyman Tony LaRosa. The Chicagoan had lost seven in a row coming into the fight but actually hurt "No Limit," perhaps revealing still another warning sign. He was then booked to fight Oleg Maskaev in June 1998. Besides moving up significantly in class, the fight would be in Maskaev's hometown of Moscow. Tshabalala, a big underdog, was given a puncher's chance and nothing else. He did not disappoint; he was KO'd in the ninth.

A discouraged Courage would then take five years off to ponder his future. He returned to fight Lenzie Morgan (14-29-3) winning by spilt decision in a six-rounder in Cape Cod in July 2003. His next two fights were won by early stoppage and he seemed to be getting a bit of grounding.Stepping up once again, he signed to fight mediocre but sometimes dangerous Robert Wiggins on July 1, 2005, in Plymouth, Massachusettes. It would be his fourth fight of his comeback and his first semi-serious test as a force in the division. At only 34, he could conceivably line himself up for bigger paydays with a strong showing. To his credit, he weighed under 235 pounds, the lowest weight of his comeback efforts thus far. He seem ready to make a statement.

Wiggins (19-4-1, 11 KOs), out of Providence, Rhode Island, was a hot-and-cold fighter who had fought decent competition and could make the fight a slugfest or a snoozefest depending on which Robert Wiggins showed up. At any rate, the bout sized up to be a classic crossroads fight -- and also a toss-up. But this time, I thought the likable Courage just might pull it off, since Wiggins had lost three of his last five fights.

The two heavyweights went to war on the co-feature of ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. And one again, Tshabalala failed to live up to his first name as Wiggins scored a TKO in the fifth when Tshabalala could not come out of his corner. Both fighters were throwing heavy punches early, but Wiggins was landing the cleaner shots. Incredibly, Tshabalala landed three low blows on Wiggins and was deducted two points for them. After the fight, Tshabalala's handlers stated that he'd broken his hand in the first round thus causing him to quit on his stool, but those of us watching this fight felt that his suspicious stamina once again played a bigger part in the stoppage. I also wondered why he would throw three low blows, and visions of Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield quickly passed by.

I don't mean to be harsh, but anyone named Courage should not have let a fighter off the hook when he had him down twice and almost out; anyone named Courage should not be knocked out by an overweight fighter out of Kansas; anyone named Courage should train so stamina never becomes an issue in a five-round fight. And above all, anyone named Courage should never, ever concede a fight by retiring on his stool. Courage Tshabalala has not fought since this debacle in Plymouth, and I suspect the career of this former prospect is now over. Despite his so-called great amateur record and quick professional start of 19 straight wins, most by early stoppage, Courage simply never lived up to his name.

"Sammy Peter has loads of raw talent and potential. But he has fought such low-level opposition it's hard to know where he's going. It's a crapshoot. Maybe he'll be champ. Maybe he'll be the next Courage Tshabalala." --Dan Rafael (April 9, 2004).

What is it about Jamaica?

2006-09-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Jamaica is known for great reggae singers, wonderful and hard working people, fantastic food, beautiful beaches, and an interesting bob sledding team. While boxing is not actively participated in, the tiny island nation has had a hand in producing (either by birth or by parentage) a disproportionate number of very tough boxers. But you'd never know it because many fight under the flags of the countries to which they immigrated. As Jamaican boxing expert and essayist Scott Neufville puts it, "The world has seen many great Jamaican fighters. The world has watched as they have pummeled champions, broken gladiators and stood proud above fallen warriors. But the world has not known they were Jamaican."

Two such fighters went to war recently at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL and when the dust settled, road warrior Glen Johnson, who was born in Jamaica, had been crowned the new International Boxing Association champion, but his opponent, Richard "The Destroyer" Hall had earned considerable respect for a competitive and gutty showing. Johnson, 44-10-2, 29 KOs, Ring Magazine's Fighter of the Year two years ago and IBF IBA Light Heavyweight champion (but just lost a closely fought battle with Clinton Woods in England). Giving the night a distinctive Jamaican flavor, Hall entered the ring to Jr. Gong Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock." Yha Mon.

There are many other fighters who can trace their origins to Jamaica one way or another. One of my favorites and one of best ever is the "Body Snatcher," Mike McCallum, 49-5-1, 36 KO's and World Champion at 154, 160, 175 lbs who, as a fearless road warrior, fought just about anyone who was anybody from 1981 to 1997. He remains Jamaica's most popular fighter and has achieved legendary status on the island nation. But hey, Lennox Lewis, former world heavyweight champion, who was born in London but traces his connection through his mother, was pretty darn good as well. He retired with a fine record of 42-2-1 and like Hall, frequently entered the ring to reggae music. Mike Tyson, after being knocked out by Lewis, had this to say, "He [Lewis] was splendid, a masterful boxer.......he's a magnificent, prolific fighter." Mike McCallum is in the Hall of Fame; Lennox Lewis, for his great achievements, will soon be. And who could forget the great Simon "Mantequilla" Brown, WBC and IBF Welterweight title holder who ko'd Terry Norris in1993 for the WBC Light Middleweight Title in Ring Magazine's "Upset of the Year."

Other notable Jamaican fighters of the past include the heavy handed Alex Stewart, 43-10 with 40 big ko's. Stewart waged war with Evander Holyfield and almost ruined Geroge Foreman's comeback. Still others were troubled Trevor Berbick who came onto the scene with a stunning ko of Big John Tate and who beat an aging Ali in his (Ali's) last fight, Richard "Shrimpy" Clarke ( the much-loved 'Shrimpy' came close to winning the world flyweight title against Thailand's great Sot Chitalada), Michael Bentt, former WBO heavyweight champ who knocked out heavily favored Tommy Morrison in a monster first round upset, Lloyd "Jabba" Bryan, 22-13, Maurice Core, 15-2-1, the popular Bunny Grant (a promising fighter who lost a decision to Eddie Perkins, welterweight boxing champion in 1964), Uriah Grant who beat an aging Tommy Hearns for something called the IBO Cruiserweight Title in 2000, Anthony Logan, 18-4-1, who fought both Benn and Eubanks and won the WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Title in 19990, Percy Hayles (who fought but lost to Carlos Hernandez for a super-lightweight championship in 1965), leading contender Donovan "Razor" Ruddock who fought Mike Tyson twice and many other top contenders, Boston area light middleweight Marshall Simpson who retired with a fine 25-1 record, Bunny Sterling, and the immortal Cuban amateur and multiple Olmpic champion, Teofilo Stevenson.

Of particular note, British and Canadian boxers of Caribbean descent have dominated the national boxing scene since the early 1980s. In 1995 Frank Bruno, whose mother was a lay preacher from Jamaica, became Britain's first heavyweight boxing champion in the century. His reign was shortly followed by Lennox Lewis who became, of course, the world's premier heavyweight during the late 1990s. Middleweights Chris Eubanks, 45-5-2, (who spent his early years in Jamaica) and fierce warrior Nigel Benn, 42-5-1, (of Barbadian descent) both claimed world titles and fought a series of brutal battles in the early 1990s. In the 2000 Olympics, Audley Harrison (who has Jamaican heritage) became Britain's first heavyweight gold medalist. Other fighters from the British African-Caribbean community include the Welterweight champion Lloyd Honeyghan nicknamed "Ragamuffin" due to his Jamaican roots. He defeated heavily favored Donald Curry in 1986 and in an equally stunning upset, welterweight Kirkland Laing, 43-12-1, beat Roberto Duran in1982. Others were Journeymen Oscar Angus and George Walker (both Jamaican-born), former British and European champ Henry Rhiney, British champ Des Morrison and Commowealth champ Donovan Boucher (all Jamaican-born), former contender Adrian "The Predator" Stone, 35-5-2, and heavyweight Rupert Thomas, 10-1-1.

On the current boxing landscape, O'Neil Bell, 26-1-1, who recently iced Jean Marc Mormeck to become WBC, WBA and IBF Cruiserweight Champion comes to mind as does current cruiserweight Chris Johnson, 26-3-1, hard punching middleweight Teddy Reid, 23-8-2, current heavyweight contender Owen Beck, 25-3, and Otis Grant, 38-3-1, former WBC International Super Middleweight and WBO Middleweight champ. Light Heavyweight Lloyd "Jabba" Bryan, 22-13 remains active as well.

Also out there is Richard Grant, 19-13-1, who beat to tough James "The Harlem Hammer" Butler in 2001. Curiously, after the fight, Grant approached Butler to hug him but was instead sucker-punched in the jaw by Butler, who was then arrested, convicted, and sent to jail for his trouble. Grant suffered a broken jaw.

As an aside, Livingston Bramble, frequently taken for a Jamaican, is from the Virgin Islands as are the great Julian Jackson and Emile Griffith......and Guyana produced such notables as Reggie Ford, Terrence Ali, Wayne Braithwaite, "Six Heads" Lewis, and Vivian Harris

But despite this rich and proud heritage, it appears boxing will be limited to television viewing in Jamaica. One of the problems is that when there are prospects, they leave the Island for the U.S or the U.K. Most of the gyms are either closed or ramshackle and few youngsters really want to get involved in boxing. There are no programs nor is there any regular competition so there is little incentive for boxers to train, not to mention the absence of someone to teach them the fundamentals of competitive boxing. So for now, these Jamaican gladiators will continue to stand proud over other warriors, but likely under another flag.

"So as sure as the sun will shine I'm gonna get my share now what is mine - And then the harder they comeThe harder they fall" Lyrics from the "Harder They Come" by Jimmy Cliff

Pension for Boxers: Let's Get It On!

2006-09-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares
"Feel Good" stories are nice to write and hopefully nicer to read. This is not such an article. This is one that indicts and condemns the boxing establishment, politicians and government officials for failing to address in a decisive manner an issue that has been neglected far too long.

Too many boxing stories seem to end wrong. Great fighters who have thrilled us over the years, whether fighting for a championship belt or at a local club, face retirement without any kind of financial assistance or access to medical care. Many suffer from depression, alcohol and substance abuse, rage disorders, homelessness or being indigent, bankruptcy (even the great Joe Louis died penniless), and a total lack of financial awareness. Few even know how to engage basic investment vehicles or where to go for help. Some suffer from the terrible effects of boxer’s syndrome (pugilistic dementia). In this connection, Bobby Chacon, about whom I have written in the past, Willie Pep, Jimmy Ellis, Wilfredo Benitez and the late Jimmy Young come to mind. When he died in June at age 55 in an assisted living center in California, Mike Quarry tragically followed his brother. Jerry, who was 53 when he passed away in January1999 in a hospital in Templeton, Calif. Among their afflictions, both suffered from the dreadful pugilistica dementia. Jimmy Lester just passed away. Some, like Greg Page or Gerald McClellan, have been injured in the ring; something that can occur in a split second. For many ex-fighters, a combination of these factors can make for a dismal outlook.

Of course, there are many stories that end the other way....Harry Arroyo, Jerry Cooney, John Scully, Larry Holmes, Dana Rosenblatt , Alex Ramos and Virgil Hill, to name a few and I have written about many of them.

That said, my message here is a stinging indictment of the boxing establishment, particularly those promoters and officials who seem to remain unmoved in their single minded quest to make money from the sport without giving back to those who generated the money in the first place. Professional hockey players, baseball players, football players and soccer players, to name just a few, all have great benefit packages including pension features. In a word, boxers have none, and it's been that way too long. But it doesn't have to be.

How difficult can it be to set up a plan similar to a 401k scheme in which a small percentage of each purchased ticket (including PPV) is transferred into a central fund and matched in some equitable manner by fight promoters? I submit that with the appropriate expertise and financial assistance, this would not be difficult at all. But it is not my purpose here to define the specifics (I.e., eligibility, trustees, pay-out features, annuities, matching's, lump sum conversions, etc) of how such a plan could be structured (though I believe I could do that without too much difficulty). Suffice to say translating the concept to reality is long overdue and each day that boxers go without such needed assistance is a shameful day for boxing. As Jack Newfield states in his article entitled, "The Shame of Boxing" (posted on the web in October 25, 2001, "I have known a lot of fighters and liked almost all of them. They have no pension, no union, no health insurance, no voice. For every George Foreman who gets rich, there are 1,000 you never hear of who end up with slurred speech, failing memory and an empty bank account."

Sure, there are other extremely important variables that come into play such as the possible role of unions (the Teamster affiliated Joint Association of Boxers), the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996, the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, the Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2003, and, of course, the possibility of a national boxing commission, but these should not become red hearings that impede the immediate need for a pension plan. On the contrary, they should become enablers to help make it happen. But wait, someone had already thought of about this, although in a way that needs some major improvements.

THE CALIFORNIA PLAN

The Mission Statement of the former California State Athletic Commission was to make California the model state for the welfare of boxers and other licensees, with worldwide respect from the public and the industry. In line with this it established a Professional Boxers Pension Plan the concept of which could easily be the model for all other states to build on. The plan is as follows:

SUMMARY PLAN DESCRIPTION

1. General Information About the Plan

The name of the plan is the Professional Boxers' Pension Plan. The entire plan is set out in the California Business and Professions Code ("Code") and in Title 4 of the California Code of Regulations section 400 through 416 ("Regulations"). This summary is provided so that one can understand how the plan works. If there are any conflicts between the plan as written in the Code and Regulations and the description of the plan in this summary, the Code and Regulations will control. The plan was changed in 1996. Now only promoters make contributions to the fund. The plan was also changed to make job training early retirement benefits available to some boxers. The job training early retirement benefits are described in section seven (7). The plan is administered by the California State Athletic Commission ("commission"). The plan has a public purpose because it helps eligible boxers have some benefits when they retire.

2. Who Contributes to the Plan?

Before June 17, 1997, the boxer, manager and the promoter each contributed to the pension fund; now only the promoter does so. The promoter's contribution is based on the number of tickets sold and comped per event, up to a maximum contribution of $4,600 per show. The law states that a licensed California boxer has to participate in the pension plan.

3. Who is Eligible for Benefits?

Any professional boxer who is licensed in and fights in California ("boxer") after July 1, 1981 may be eligible to receive benefits. You are eligible to receive benefits as a "covered" boxer if you:

(a) fought in 10 scheduled rounds per calendar year during each of four calendar years after July 1, 1981 without an intervening break in service; and

(B) fought in 75 scheduled rounds after July 1, 1981 without a break in service.
If you fought in at least 20 scheduled rounds between July 1, 1981 and June 30, 1984, you will also receive credit for rounds you fought between June 30, 1978 and July 1, 1981.

A "break in service" means that you did not fight at least 10 scheduled rounds in California during any 36 months in a row after July 1, 1981 and before you turned 55 years old.

If you are eligible for benefits and you die before age 55, the benefits can be paid to a person you choose (the "beneficiary"). If you have not chosen anyone, then the commission will choose the person who will receive your benefits, in the order named in the California Probate Code. The commission's choice is final.

4. When Can I Get Benefits?

A boxer who has vested can receive benefits when he or she:

Reaches the age of 55;
Becomes medically retired or suffers an injury provable by a physician after the age of 36;
Reaches the age of 36, becomes retired from boxing and requests a vocational education benefit that would be paid directly to the school; or
Dies before the age of 55, with benefits to be paid to your beneficiary.

5. What Benefits Are Available?

The commission decides how it will pay benefits to you. The commission will usually buy an insurance contract that pays money to you in equal amounts over a period of years. There will be at least one payment per year.

Options

You can ask the commission in writing to pay you in a different way. You must give the commission good reasons for changing the way it pays benefits. Good reasons include that you are dying or retired because of a disability. You can ask to be paid in one of the following ways:

A. single payment in cash.

B. Equal cash payments every three months, or a specific percent of your pension account to be paid over no more than five (5) years.

C. Job training early retirement benefits. If you are at least 36 years old and retired from boxing, you can ask the commission to have all or part of your pension benefit paid for school or job training to help you prepare for a different career. If the commission approves your request, it will pay the money directly to the school that you attend. The school has to show the commission that you are actually going to class.

6. What Goes into My Account?

Money contributed by you, managers and promoters before June 17, 1997, as well as by promoters after June 17, 1997 goes into your pension account. The amount placed in your pension account depends upon the number of rounds you fought and the amount of purses paid to you. One-half of the money contributed by promoters is divided among boxers based on the number of scheduled rounds fought in California by each boxer as a percent of the total number of scheduled rounds fought by all boxers in California during a year. The other half is divided based upon the amount of purses received by boxers for fights in California during a year.

For example, if you fought 20 of the total 2,000 rounds of scheduled boxing fought in California during one year, your part is 1% of the amount contributed for total rounds. If you were paid $30,000 in purses out of a total purse amount in California during one year of $900,000, your part would be 3% of the amount contributed for total purses. In addition, money may be added to your pension account from forfeiture of pension accounts of boxers who fail to become eligible for benefits. See "break in service" below.

7. What Happens if I Have a Break in Service?

A break in service means that you failed to fight at least 10 scheduled rounds in California during any 36 months in a row and before you turned 55.

If you have a break in service before you are eligible to receive benefits, then the money in your pension account is taken out and divided among the other boxers. This is called a "forfeiture".

If you have a break in service after you are eligible to receive benefits, then your pension account is put on inactive status. This means you will not continue to share in the division of promoter contributions, but money will still be added to your account from forfeitures, if there are any.

8. Can I Give My Benefits to Someone Else?

You cannot sell, transfer, pledge or in any way give away your benefits to anyone else before they are paid to you. In addition, your benefits cannot be taken from the plan by anyone else to pay for debts, contracts, liabilities or any wrongs you committed. You can, however, choose someone else to receive your benefits upon your death.

9. How Do I Apply for Benefits?

You or your beneficiary can ask the commission for information about rights and benefits and the commission will provide you with a reply in writing within 30 days.

You or your beneficiary must file a written claim for benefits with the commission. The commission must say in writing within 30 days whether the claim is complete. The commission has 60 days after receiving a complete claim to make a decision in writing and provide it to the claimant. If the commission denies your claim for benefits, it must give you the reasons it denied the claim and state the specific parts of the plan on which it based its denial. The commission must also explain how it reviews denied claims.

11. How Do I Ask for Review if a Claim is Denied?

If the commission denies a claim for benefits, you or your beneficiary can ask the commission in writing to review the denial. This request has to be made within 90 days after you receive the denial. The commission must notify the claimant in writing that it has received the request for review and that the person has 30 days to give the commission a written statement and any documents that he or she feels support the claim. The commission must look at the whole record and make a decision no later than 30 days after the person's deadline to give information to the commission. If the commission again denies the claim, its written decision will give you or your beneficiary the same kind of information it gave you the first time the claim was denied.

12. Who Do I Contact for More Information?

You can obtain more information about this pension plan from the California State Athletic Commission. The address and telephone number is: 1424 Howe Avenue, Suite 33Sacramento, CA 95825-3217(916) 263-2195

In an inevitable bureaucratic debacle, a Joint Committee recommended on April 12th, 2005 that the State Athletic Commission should sunset (i.e., disband) and its functions and duties be transferred to the Department of Consumer Affairs. There was plenty of warning, but with no Executive Director in place, too many political appointees, and the Commission seemingly asleep at the switch, it failed to heed the warnings. Perhaps too many of the appointees viewed their four-year appointments as invitations to hobnob with boxing figures and celebrities rather than attend to the business at hand. At any rate, the Joint Committee determined that the Commission had not dealt with certain financial and personnel issues to an acceptable level and had resisted recommendations for needed accounting improvements. Thus, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has now become the Athletic Commission Program (ACP), with its functions and duties transferred to the California Department of Consumer Affairs. (See ESB article entitled, "California State Athletic Commission turns over the Governance of Boxing to the DOC," 10.05.05).

Without the State Athletic Commission, much of the governance that existed was taken away from the people, as the new arrangement deprives boxers, the promoters, fans, and boxing activist from participating in the decision making process. “It takes away our voice and our knowledge of the sport and turns it over to a bunch of government workers,” asserts Alex Ramos, President and Founder of the Retired Boxers Foundation (RBF). Meantime, there is growing support for a bill championed by Rep. Don Perata, D-Oakland, that would establish a new commission with new standards on Jan. 1, 2007. Let's hope so.

But California DOES have the aforementioned Boxers Pension Plan, and if improved, monitored and administered properly, it could be the conceptual model to place the professional boxer at the same level as other professional athletes. In fact, if the California Boxers Pension Plan was initiated in every state, boxers would retire with a pension they actually might be able to live on. The Boxers Pension is basically financed by the fans--$.89 a ticket—and pays the retired boxer $2 for each round fought in California. For example, the aforementioned Alex Ramos, who often fought in California, is eligible for $154 a month at retirement. Clearly not enough to really help, but if the same were true of New Jersey and New York, states in which he also often fought, he would have a much better retirement indeed.

Along similar lines, an Abstract of Pension Plans for Professional Boxers: A Study Prepared by The Segal Company for the Secretary of Labor as Mandated by Congress (Published in 1998) can be accessed on the web. In brief, this study concluded:

"...... that the individual - rather than team-oriented - nature of the sport, its socioeconomic climate and existing federal laws have operated to inhibit the development of a comprehensive pension plan for professional boxers. The study recommends the establishment of four separate but complementary plans to provide pensions for active and now-retired boxers:

1. A charitable trust designed to help the neediest boxers immediately.

2. A defined contribution plan funded by a percentage of each boxer's purse from each qualifying bout, potentially combined with promoter-paid matching contributions and additional voluntary contributions by the boxer.

3. A defined benefit plan covering all present and former boxers who meet preset minimum participation requirements. This type of plan would guarantee a minimum benefit amount even for boxers who never had a realistic opportunity to plan for their retirement.

4. A disability income/survivors' benefit program to fill in gaps left by the first three plans.

.......because pensions for boxers are now virtually nonexistent, congressional action or collective bargaining will likely be necessary to bring a comprehensive program into existence."

THE CHALLENGE

So much for studies or what can be accessed on the Internet or what can be found through simple research. So much for politics and bureaucratic obstacles. Let's focus on providing a dignified retirement for those who thrilled us by risking so much. Think what a breakthrough it would be If every state embraced the kind of program California adopted. How difficult can that be? What's standing in the way? Is anyone out there hearing this? How difficult would it be to research what California has done and then build on it? That other states have not followed suit, at least conceptually, is egregious, if not disgraceful. That his fellow senators have not embraced John McCain's efforts is disgraceful.

If governmental action or collective bargaining seem necessary to bring a comprehensive program into existence, then the focus manifestly should be on Congressional action and the formation of a national boxing commission...as I see little progress being made by the fledgling union known as the Joint Association of Boxers (JAB), an apparent subordinate body of the International Brotherhood of the Teamsters. Recognizing that to establish a national commission is easier said then done, I suspect there are plenty of people out there with the qualifications to sit on such a commission, people like Teddy Atlas, Dr. Flip Homansky and former fighter Dave Tiberi. Atlas and Senator John McCain are strong advocates, and McCain might just be able to pull it off. If so, it will be the fighters who win.

In the meantime, people like Alex Ramos and Jacquie Richardson (the Executive Director of the Retired Boxers Foundation) and Gerry Cooney, who started the F.I.S.T. Foundation (Fighter's Initiative for Support and Transition) are filling some important gaps for needy retired fighters,

Let's just get it on!

"All of the sports have a safety net, but boxing is the only sport that has none. So when the fighter is through, he is through. While he was fighting his management was very excited for him, but now that he is done, that management team is moving on.......by the time you're 30 years old, you can be on a nowhere street, if you're not careful." Gerry Cooney

Ted Sares is a Boxing Historian and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at tedsares@adelphia.net.

Alex Ramos: One of the Good Guys (Exclusive for Saddoboxing.com; not to be reprinted without author's permission)

2006-09-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Too many boxing stories seem to end the wrong way. Many great fighters who have thrilled us over the years, whether fighting for a championship belt or at a local club, face retirement without any kind of financial assistance or access to medical care. Many suffer from depression, alcohol and substance abuse, rage disorders, homelessness or being indigent, bankruptcy, a total lack of financial awareness (few even know how to set up a traditional IRA plan or other basic investment vehicles), and the terrible effects of pugilistic dementia. Bobby Chacon, about whom I have written in the past, Willie Pep and Wilfredo Benitez, come to mind. Even the great Joe Louis died penniless. Some, like Greg Page or Gerald McClellan, have been injured in the ring. It can occur in a split second. For many ex-fighters, a combination of these factors can make for a dismal outlook.

Of course, many stories end the other way....Harry Arroyo, Jerry Cooney, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, Dana Rosenblatt and Virgil Hill, to name a few. One story, however, stand heads and shoulders above the rest, and that is the one about Alex Ramos. Why Ramos? Well It isn't so much about what he did in the ring, though he was a very good fighter. No, it's what he did after his ring career that is so special. Let's track his amazing story.

ALEX RAMOS IN THE RING

Alex "The Bronx Bomber" Ramos was a native of Manhattan and a truly great amateur fighter who won four New York state golden gloves championships, and with almost two hundred amateur fights under his belt, won several additional amateur titles, a National Championship, and was a member of Team USA from 1978-1980. En route to compiling an amazing amateur record of 180-9 (132 by knockout), he was a sure bet for a gold medal at the 1980 Olympics, but President Jimmy Carter, by opting to boycott the Summer Games in Moscow, destroyed his and the dreams of many others.

As an amateur, he fought, among others, many future champions including Jose Gomez, a Cuban world amateur and Olympic champion, Duane Thomas, J.B. Williamson and Mike "The Body Snatcher" McCallum (a three-time world champion and Hall of Fame member ) whom he beat him in the New York Golden Gloves semi-finals. He also fought rugged Tony Ayala twice as an amateur, winning one and losing one, and Juan Roldan, whom he knocked unconscious in round one.

Ramos finally turned professional in 1980 and won his first five fights by ko. In March 1981, Dan Snyder became the first boxer to go the distance with Ramos, and in May, he had his first professional fight abroad when he beat Donnie Long by decision in San Remo, Italy. His next fight in June marked the first of many he would fight Atlantic City when he defeated Mike Sacchetti by decision.

Alex, a road warrior type, won six more fights, including a victory over tough Norberto Sabater, before suffering his first loss, an 8th round knock out to underdog Teddy Sanders in a shocking upset in August 1982. He then fought rugged Tony Cerda to a ten round draw four months later. After these setbacks, however, Ramos regrouped and became a ranked Middleweight as a result of three straight victories, including a decision over future world Light-Heavyweight champion J.B. Williamson. Despite losing his next fight, against future world Super Middleweight champion Murray Sutherland by a ten round controversial decision, Ramos was considered one of the toughest Middleweights of the era, one that featured such fighters as John "The Beast" Mugabi, Juan Roldan and Curtis Parker and many others.

After knocking out Wilbur Henderson in February 1984, Alex challenged Parker for the regional USBA Middleweight championship. In one of the high points of his ring career, he beat Parker over twelve rounds by a unanimous decision in April of that year. A world title fight against Marvin Hagler loomed, but a ten round draw against Chicago fringe contender John Collins, 34-2-1, proved to be a frustrating obstacle. The fight was held in Chicago and many thought Alex had been "robbed." Affirming this notion, Ramos had broken Collins's jaw, cheek bone, possibly some ribs and rendered his face a bloody mess. A bigger roadblock for Ramos occurred in Stateline, NV when he lost his USBA Middleweight title, on November 24, by devastating knockout in round nine against James Kinchen in a fight that was nationally televised.

After losing to Kinchen, Ramos got back on the contender's list by winning four out of his next five bouts, including a victory over J.J. Cotrell and one over Fred Hutchings whom he ko'd in August 1986, in Stockton, California.This victory positioned him for the California state Middleweight title, held by future world champion Michael Nunn. The two boxers met on November 21 in California with a "running" Nunn gaining the twelve round decision.

Alex then won two of his three next fights, and after Nunn had vacated the belt, he got a second opportunity to win the California State Middleweight Title, but was knocked out in eight rounds by Tim Williams. After another victory, Ramos got still a third crack at the California title, but was outpointed by Alphonso Long after twelve rounds in February 1988. He would win ten of his next twelve bouts (one ending in a technical draw) over the next several years. Finally, in 1994, he fought Jorge Fernando Castro in Santa Cruz, Argentina for the WBA world Middleweight title, but was defeated in two rounds after which he retired for good. He finished with a fine professional record of 39-10-2. Eventually, he would be inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall Of Fame.

AFTER BOXING

Thus, after fourteen sometimes frustrating years fighting professionally in which he was top middleweight contender, Alex Ramos, 33, who had spent his entire life (or at least since age 11) as a boxer faced the harsh reality of the real world, one without fan adulation or glory, however fleeting. He was not prepared and was suddenly alone and, in addition, had to deal with the physical and mental problems brought on by the brutal and unforgiving years of a long amateur career, training, sparring sessions, and often savage fights. All of this took a heavy toll and things turned in the wrong direction for him.

He moved to Simi Valley, California, where he struggled with the co-demons of drugs and alcohol. Despite his ring glory, he became a substance abuser, an alcoholic, and even at times al alone and homeless. Unlike his ring days, he lacked a support structure to offer encouragement. Finally, facing the reality of his lifestyle, Alex Ramos woke up one day alone and scared and began the process of healing his self-inflicted wounds. As he says, with God's help, he overcame his addictions. Now over six years sober, he pledges, “I am going to die sober!” He then moved back to New York to begin another phase in his life, one that would far exceed that of his ring career in terms of accomplishments and making a difference.

THE DREAM

He was now looking for new directions....a new career and a new way to live. Actress Sharon Stone, of all people, and her sister had a nonprofit called "Planet Hope" which is for homeless mothers with children triggered the inspiration for a dream. Alex was asked to work on a fundraiser in Las Vegas for this charity and it turned out that he was very good at it. This made him realize that he might be able to do something similar for his many retired brothers in boxing, particularly those who, like him, had transitioned badly from the sport.

Working with Sharon gave him the idea (and along with God's strength), he set out to do what he considered was the right thing. He said to himself, ".....If I can do it, anybody can! I love talking to fighters who are struggling to overcome addictions because I can show them the way and I can encourage them. I ain't no social worker—I am their brother. I do not judge them and I do not push them, but I let them know that when they are ready for the fight, I am in their corner. I also know that anything is possible if you believe and I mean that. There is nothing I can't do if someone needs help. It might be the Salvation Army instead of Betty Ford for rehab, and if they need medical help, I can promise them the very best care possible. I can promise them that the people and resources we have are all people who love boxing and care about the fighters...." RETIRED BOXERS FOUNDATION (RBF)

The dream came to fruition in 1998 when his concept of helping retired fighters transition from their active career to a new and dignified direction was incorporated into an IRS 501 @ 3 non-profit organization. The organization is known as the Retired Boxers Foundation (RBF)and among the celebrities who became involved in the organizations were and are Bo Derek, Mickey Rooney, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Lolita Davidovich, Col. Bob Sheridan, Ron Shelton, James Carville and many others. Among many others who became involved are former boxers Larry Holmes, Fernando Vargas, Bernard Hopkins, Juan Laporte and Micky Ward, who recently said, "I never was stopped in a fight...I lost on cuts, but I never got knocked out and I never stopped fighting. I won't stop fighting for this great cause either, more fighters should be helping the RBF!"

The mission of the RBF is to assist retired professional boxers in the transition from their glorious days in the ring to a dignified retirement. In short, it helps to provide a supportive bridge between the time a boxer leaves the ring and when he begins the next direction in his life. Helping hundreds of fighters annually, the "RBF," with the motto "Fighters Helping Fighters,"has been able to secure medical services, housing, rehabilitation and emergency assistance for many former athletes. Without a clear plan or direction for life after the ring, the "new" world can be a cold, hopeless, humiliating and scary place for the unprepared. Alex, Jacquie Richardson (the tireless Executive Director of RBF) and all the many miracle worker volunteers are dedicated to restore and/or fill these gaps. No ex-professional fighter who is in dire need of assistance is turned away. The RBF never turns its back on a fighter in need. “We manage on rather miniscule funds annually, yet we always are there for the fighters” says Executive Director Jacquie Richardson, adding “much has to do with our networking and resources.”

The program is run by many selfless individuals who offer assistance in financial services, rehabilitation, housing services, youth services and services designed for senior citizen services. If they need medical assistance or either physical or drug/alcohol rehabilitation, housing, financial assistance, etc, RFB endeavors to locate the needed resource. It has helped retired boxers get Supplemental Social Security and has access to an expert on Veteran’s Benefits, who is on the Board. As well, it has an extensive list of people and agencies that are available to help the fighters. It includes lawyers, doctors, accountants, housing specialists and government assistance resources with whom RFB has excellent relationships. As such, it provides an emergency bridge offering crisis assistance while it seeks longer term assistance. What make this truly remarkable is that no one is paid a salary by the RBF. The effort is reflective of a labor of love.RFB has helped Hall of Fame member Bobby "School Boy" Chacon with some basic needs like the microwave when he got in trouble for using a hot plate at his skid row hotel. We gave him clothes and some cash and groceries. Alex says, "I remember when we [Jacquie Richardson, and I] bought a microwave for Bobby and we delivered it to his little apartment on Skid Row. We went back two weeks later with some clothing and things he needed, and he was gone. We spent two days tracking him down before we found him. We never give up!"

RFB also paid for Juan Antonio Lopez’s chemotherapy for nearly 8 months until the WBC took over. It helped Andrew Maynard—1988 Olympic Gold Medalist, get Veterans Benefits so that his children could go to college. It helped Genaro Hernandez get eye surgery by connecting him with the WBC, who paid for the surgery. Genaro is now on RFB"s Honorary Board. It also helped Greg Page when there was no one out there to help him. One of RFB's dedicated Representatives, Brad Cooney (no relation to Jerry), helped him process his Supplemental Social Security red tape, which resulted in Greg getting benefits in record time. Not only did this provide a monthly disability check, but it also provided medical benefits. RFB also raised $3,000 for his family. RFB was the first to send a check for Bee Scotland when he died, and it sent a check for the Tybius Flowers family, which was delivered to his family by Lt. Indri, RFB East Coast Representative, and the list goes on.

Now, with a a Medical Advisory Board that consists of the top neurologists, neurosurgeons, psychiatrists; a national medical registry that is a work in progress; some great people who became RFB representatives.... .people like Lt. Mike Indri, who is the East Coast Rep, Avi Levy, an Attorney in Montreal and Sam Bearman in Florida (both of whom provide guidance to the foundation and also help the fighters), and go-to guys James Carville, Col. Bob Sheridan, and Gary Litchfield; and a cadre of wonderful volunteers, RFB is poised to move to the next level. Micky Ward is on the Honorary Board, along with Ron Shelton who wrote and directed White Men Can’t Jump and Play it to the Bone, but more importantly, who in 2000 donated $50,000 ($10,000 a year for 5 years) to cover operating costs. All of this money went to the fighters, as RFB runs a lean organization. But even small donations are more than welcome. Dignity Bags, which consist of a canvas bag, toiletries, underwear, sweats, socks, etc., cost about $75 to put together. If three people in some office sent $25 a piece, RFB could help one fighter have a little dignity on the streets.

RFB calls itself “The Undisputed Champions for Dignity." I have no argument with that. Last year Alex Ramos, along with Harold Lederman was awarded the Marvin Kohn Good Guy Award by the Boxing Writers Association of America and I have no argument with that either. Alex may never have won a world title in boxing but his stature as a champion in life is assured. He is a man who is dedicated to making a difference.....to do something for others

As an aside, since many of Alex's fights were in California and since that state is the only one with a boxers's pension plan, though one badly in need of improvement, he is eligible for $154 a month at retirement. Clearly not enough to really help, but if the same were true of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, he would have a substantial retirement indeed. Indeed, if the California Boxers Pension Plan was conceptually embraced in every state, eligible boxers could retire with a dignified pension.......and this is a subject I will treat in a different piece.
So much, then, for the amazing tale of Alex Ramos and his dream which continues to be garner support. People like Alex and Jacquie Richardson are filling some important gaps, and if you would like to help the Retired Boxers Foundation (all donations are 100% tax deductible), please give them a call at (805) 583-5890 or you can access RFB via the Internet at its site at www.retiredboxers.org Attention is also called to an article by Jack Newfield entitled, "The Shame of Boxing" posted on October 25, 2001 which can be accessed at www.thenation.com

"All of the sports have a safety net, but boxing is the only sport that has none. So when the fighter is through, he is through. While he was fighting his management was very excited for him, but now that he is done, that management team is moving on.......by the time you're 30 years old, you can be on a nowhere street, if you're not careful." Gerry Cooney who has started the FIST Foundation, an organization which has helped retired boxers find jobs.

Ted Sares is a Boxing Historian and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at tedsares@adelphia.net

Unsolicited Review of Teddy Atlas' new book

2006-09-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

An unsolicited Book Review by Ted Sares: "From the Streets to the Ring: A Son's Struggle to Become a Man," Harper Collins, 2006, By Teddy Atlas, Peter Alson.

The best way to start this review is to recite those lyrics from a famous Sinatra tune, ".........I'll do it my way.........," and that's what this book is really about. Teddy Atlas doing it his way, even when it meant emotionally draining confrontations and walking away from big paydays. Though borderline "feel good" in certain chapters, I found this book to be an excellent and, at times, even riveting read that makes you anxious to watch Teddy analyze his next fight because now you have a much better foundation for understanding his complex persona.

The book reveals more about the fiber and makeup of the author than it does about the activity in which he made his living for thirty years. The exception was when he discussed his complex relationship with Michael Moorer where both his compassion and his well documented stubbornness revealed itself, as well as his great technical grasp of boxing. While Teddy was being honest with himself when he walked away from Moorer after the Vaughn Bean fight, he also walked away from a Hugh payday, one that might have "taken him over the top." But more to the point, it would have taken his family over the top and it at least plants a seed of doubt as to the wisdom Teddy's priorities.

While I could have done without the chapter devoted to Sammy "The Bull" Gravano (whose place in infamy is cemented), the chapters that deal with his relationship with Cus D'Amato in the Catskill and his interactions with a young Mike Tyson are particularly interesting..............and to his credit, the author avoid vilifying or demonizing Tyson the way some might have expected. The impression, and a correct one, is that this book is not about Tyson; it's about Teddy Atlas' "struggle" to become a man............but herein lies the rub. Teddy's rough early life on the streets was his doing and he has to be accountable for it. If helping young people find a better direction in their lives though boxing is an outgrowth of that early life, then he has indeed resolved that accountability.

The author Is a pretty unforgiving, albeit emotional, chap and I sometimes wondered, as I read through the chapters, whether he really understood that life sometimes involves compromise and that sometimes winning the war means losing a few battles. On the other hand, who can argue with his successes and, as much of the narrative discloses, he achieved much personal gratification from wanting and meeting the challenge of getting somebody to become the best they can become or overcoming themselves to get to a spot where they can be effective. Indeed, describing his relationship with the Shamrock Express, Chris Reid, is nothing short of poignant. It's clear that Teddy has left a bridge for the next chapters in his life........and the hints as to where he might go next are intriguing to say the least, though it's also clear that he has fallen in love with being a color analyst and as he says, " I'll stand behind the microphone right now, where nobody can talk back, at least not too much!"

In sum, Teddy Atlas comes off in this book as a person who is very aggressive and opinionated, but also very honest and with great personal integrity. Whatever he says, he does not sugarcoat it and, above all, the fact he is acting in the best interests of both his fighters and boxing itself is manifest. More importantly, the book makes it crystal clear that he did it his way. Bottom line, the book is well worth the price.

Ted Sares is a boxing historian and a syndicated writer. He can be reached at tedsares@adelphia.net

The Legacy of Dana Rosenblatt

2006-08-31T19:09:00.001-07:00

By Ted Sares:

He wasn't the greatest prospect but he sure as heck wasn't on the lower tier either. He started garnering more serious attention after his leg twitching first round KO of "The Irish Express," Sean Fitzgerald, 29-2-2, for the New England Middleweight Title on December 16, 1993. The fight was at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, CT. He would attempt to punctuate this win when he met Chad Parker in 1995 at Caesars Palace, in Las Vegas for the WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Title. In between, he beat guys like Sean Fitzgerald, 29-2-2, Ron Amundsen, 22-13-1, rugged Brett Lally, 32-12, Tyrone Moore, 32-19-3 and Frank Savannah, 15-1-1, (whom he defeated by TKO for the WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Title). Both Rosenblatt and Parker were undefeated, but one seemed to be the real deal, the other, well let's break it down.

Chad Parker was a relative unknown who won his first 15 all by stoppage, but his first 19 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, then fought Keheven Johnson, 24-70-5, Anthony Ivory, 33-77-5, and David McCluskey, 20-72-6. A year before the Las Vegas fight, he fought Tim Dendy, 17-44-2, and won by DQ in 9 which indicated that Parker might be more hype than fight. All told, his opponents had an eye-popping combined won-lost record of 252-753! One of his opponent prior to May 1995 was one Kirino Garcia, currently 38-27-3, whom he beat by points in Biloxi. Garcia was on a streak of his own......18 straight "defeats" right out of the professional gate (but 12 were on points and most were fought outside of Mexico suggesting the specter of bad decisions). The fight with Parker would be the last of the 18. Amazingly, Kirino would then go on to beat such name fighters as Meldrick Taylor, Jorge Vaca, Terrence Ali, Eric Holland, Simon Brown, Buck Smith, Frankie Randall, and Derrick Whitley. Just last year he lost to to Danny Green in Australia. Garcia is now considered one tough hombre and the question was did Parker catch the old Garcia or did he beat the new one? An analysis of their respective records clearly points to the former.

But so much for the undefeated fighter from the South. A break down of "Dangerous" Dana Rosenblatt's record up to this fight reveals equally interesting data. Rosenblatt once held a black belt in Karate, a brown belt in Judo and was a former U.S. Amateur Kickboxing champion. His boxing opponents' combined won-lost record going into the Parker bout was 208-163 reflecting far superior competition. Moreover, while many of Parker's fights were in small venues, Dana performed regularly at Foxwoods often filling it with a faithful following from the Boston area including a large number of Jewish fans from both Massachusetts and Connecticut. Just prior to the Parker fight, he beat Randy Williams, 24-8, by TKO in 4 at Bally's in Atlantic City. Though Caesars Palace undoubtedly loomed large for both fighters, "Dangerous" Dana was clearly more accustomed to the pressure of fighting in large venues.

Unless you had broken it down analytically (like bettors do), the fight in Vegas did not live up to its billing. As he did with Sean Fitzgerald in 1993, Rosenblatt knocked out the mismatched Parker in spectacular fashion in the first round. While the exposed Chad would never fight nor be heard from again, Dana would go on to fight such notables as comebacking Olympian Howard Davis, Jr. 36-6-1, (whom he ko' d in two and put an end to the comeback), former 5-time champ Vinny Pazienza (splitting two exciting bouts), rugged Glenwood "The Real Beast" Brown, 48-12, tough Arthur Allen, 26-8, future Hall of Famer Terry Norris, 47-9, ( Rosenblatt dominated the early rounds and then, exposing a pattern tracking to the Allen fight, seemed to run out of gas but his early lead held up for a UD), James Crawford, 40-12-2, (the first of two frustrating technical draw caused by butts and resultant cuts), and Will "Kid Fire" McIntyre, 36-4-1. But after his boring win against McIntyre in October 2000 and just when his star was positioned to rise to the next level, his career moved in the opposite direction.

A series of shoulders injuries, a hand fracture (suffered in the Brown fight) and several scheduling problems kept him inactive and caused him to drop out of the world rankings. He would not fight again until June 28, 2002.Finally, after many months of rehabilitation and frustration, Dana stepped into the ring against Juan Carlos Viloria for the first time in almost 20 months. In what would turn out to be his last fight, he was again accidently head-butted in the third causing a deep cut and rendering him a bloody and ghastly mess. The fight was ruled a technical draw. Dana was handily winning at the time and looked extremely sharp, but this final gut wrenching frustration convinced him it was time to consider walking away which he did in August 2003.

He retired with a fine record of 37-1-1. Unfortunately, Dana Rosenblatt's legacy likely will be defined by his two memorable fights with the fiery warrior from Rhode Island, Vinny Pazienza, 50-10. I'll skip most of the Pazienza part, for that has been treated by any number of writers and it would be virtually impossible to give it a unique slant unless, perhaps, I approached it by comparing it to the old ethnic rivalries of the past. Suffice to say Dana avenged the only defeat of his career (a 4th round KO loss to Pazienza in 1996 at Bally's in NJ) when he defeated Vinny in a 12-round hotly disputed split decision on November 5, 1999 at Foxwoods. If one wanted to label his legacy with one word, "redemption" might fit nicely......but it should be more than that and that's what this piece is about.

More to the point, Bob Trieger, his former publicist was quoted as saying,“His body began to break down on him little by little. All the wear and tear over the years, it finally caught up with him, and probably kept him from achieving everything he really wanted to in boxing. It kept him from earning the real big paydays.” He added, " He stood for something that’s very atypical when the discussion of professional boxing comes up.........you always hear about........all the bad guys that hurt the reputation of boxing. But you never hear about guys like Dana, a guy who represents what most boxers are about. Most of them are good, caring people.”Ironically, Dana's exemplary life style, (he was articulate, gentlemanly, affable and a college student to boot), made him somewhat of an oddity in boxing and may have fueled some dislike for him to wit: "My hatred for him is true," said the theatrical and likable Pazienza [who during one-on-one interviews can be sensitive and extremely candid] ....I could break every bone in his body and feel no remorse. He's a condescending, little punk with that community college degree and I hate every ounce of him. I hate him for all the s--- he said about me back when I was supporting him. He hasn't earned the right to talk like that. He ain't been there, done that." And on another occasion,"I hate him,'' said Cranston's five-time world champion. "I absolutely hate him. And that's no bull. I'd rather die than lose to this guy.'' And that was mild, but maybe Dana was keeping in mind Author Eric Hoffer's quote: "You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you."

He also had been criticized for not making tougher fights and some of the criticism was justified. Fights with Sven Ottke, Omar Sheika, Eric Lucas and Scott Pemberton, for example, would have been a real test, but this remains speculation. What is not speculation is that Dana was among that group of humble boxers who gave their opponents their due, did not badmouth them, and did not act like they were "victims of bad breaks" after a fight.......boxers like Curry, Ward, Barrera, Mosley, Gatti and Hatton. Dana, now a Bunker Hill Community College honors graduate, is a decent and caring person who walks the walk. He wears nice suits and speaks in measured and articulate tones. He has been a frequent inspirational speaker at universities, kids' camps and religious events visiting temples all over the Boston area and beyond and talking to the kids on the importance of having been a Jewish fighter. Indeed, he is proud to be Jewish and proud to have been been a boxing role model for his religion. When he fought, he always wore a Magen David (Jewish Star)on his trunks. He says ".....that fighters have their identity on their trunks. People like to see the symbol. I get letters from Jews all around the world. The star makes us all proud and elicits a sense of pride."

He now represents Countrywide Home Loans in the Boston area and works with realtors, builders, real estate investors and home buyers. As with his boxing career, his hard work and dedication has moved him into the top rankings of loan officers. Unlike too many other boxing stories, this is one that ends on a positive note. The story here is one in which the retired fighter looks content, fit and ready, feels fantastic and works at a new and rewarding career to which he seamlessly and successfully transitioned; it is one in which there are no "what could have been's" nagging at his conscience; it is one about an ex-boxer who delivers motivational speeches on how to achieve goals despite facing steep obstacles. The story here is that Dana Rosenblatt left the sport he toiled at with a proud record of 37-1-1 and winnings that were wisely invested.

While never a great fighter, he was a pretty darn competitive. More importantly, he left boxing on his own terms and with few regrets......and that should be his real legacy.............

"He that can't endure the bad, will not live to see the good." Jewish Proverb

Ted Sares is a syndicated writer who can be reached at tedsares@adelphia.net

Dja Vu All Over Again

2006-08-31T08:03:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares:

It was July 29, 1997 at the Theater in Madison Square Gardens and my friends and I had great seats. It was time to see what this so called "contender" had......and because I had done my homework, I had serious doubts that he had anything. Right out of the professional gate, he had won 18 in a row, 11 coming by way of first round KO. Only one of his fights went the distance and that was a 4 rounder against the immortal Edgar Turpin (0-6). In all, he had fought 29 rounds in 18 fights or 1.6 rounds per fight. "He" was Richie Melito and he was nicknamed "The Bull." He was from Flushing but unlike another fighter from that part of the city, I sensed he was more flash in the pan than flash. As best I could determine, none of his first 11 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 4, 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 17th fight, it incredibly 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 17 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 13 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. Clearly, Richie "The Bull" Melito's 18-0 record had been over-hyped by fighting 17opponents with losing records....and most had never even won a professional fight. Their combined won-lost record was 60-138.

Now being a betting man, I had done my due diligence....my research. I was poised like a hawk waiting to swoop down on its prey (which in this case consisted of several ill-mannered and, more importantly, ill-informed "fans" from Flushing eager to depart with their money. As W. C. Fields once said, "never give a sucker an even break" and I wasn't's about to. This looked to be a profitable affair because lo and behold, Richie's opponent this night would not be the usual warm body; oh no, it would be tough and seasoned Bert Cooper.

The fight would be for Melito's New York State Heavyweight Crown. Smokin' Bert, a Philadelphia fighter always coming forward and throwing left hooks, had literally fought just about all the name opponents you could come up with. Arguably, there have been few fighters who have fought a tougher schedule. Unlike Melito's fans, it's a good thing I knew about the qualitative nature of his record going into the MSG Theater that hot July evening in New York. Appearing on Coopers resume were names like Moorer, Holyfield, Tillman, Foreman, Carl Williams, Mercer, Orlin Norris, Bowe, Weaver, Joe Hipp, Corrie Sanders, Larry Donald, Jeremy Williams, Chris Byrd, and many more. Interestingly, he beat prospect Willie DeWitt in 1987 in Regina, SK, Canada. DeWitt, a Canadian 1984 Olympic silver medalist was undefeated (14-0-1)and highly touted, but was badly beaten by the rugged Cooper who put him down four times before taking him out in the second. DeWitt had been exposed. I smelled deja vu all over again.

Leading up to this bout, Cooper had lost to Samson Po'uha by 4 round TKO and many thought he was washed up as a competitive fighter having fought too many wars. Fortunately for me, Melito's camp and many of his fans thought so as well. Bert outweighed the short and not-so-ripped Melito by 13 pounds coming in at 232, an observation that also did not escape me. However, something did pass by me and these were rumors allegedly circulating that the "fix" may have been in but the rumors later proved to be false. But false or not, had I known this, all bets would have been off. But ignorance is bliss and my bets were in.

It was fight time.The boxers were given their instructions by Referee Wayne Kelly, the bell rang, and before you could say "deja vu," it was all over in just one minute and fifty one seconds. Cooper had annihilated Melito with a number of brutal shots finishing him off with a debilitating blow to the body that put him down and out. The squat Bull had been exposed! But then, I already knew he would be.

As we left the MSG Theater and headed for cocktails and an expensive steak dinner in one of Manhattan's better restaurants, I lighted up my cigar, this time a 60 ring maduro Gloria. As I collected and counted my winnings. I looked over to my friends, winked and said, "hey, this one is on me tonight."

To Richie Melito's credit, he later fought against much better competition and won nine straight, eight by way of stoppage. In fact, he won the vacant IBF/USBA Northeastern Regional Heavyweight Title in April 1999 by beating Don Steele (45-6) in Myrtle Beach, SC. His last fight, according to my research, was a win against Damon Reed (41-11) in 2001. I don't know whether he plans to fight again. Bert Cooper would go on to lose five of his last seven bouts before closing out his career in a TKO loss to Darroll "Doing Damage" Wilson in 2002. He would finish with a 36 (30-KO)-22 record.

"It's morally wrong to allow a sucker to keep his money." W.C. Fields

The Journeyman

2006-08-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Without the journeymen, there likely would be no boxing. They provide the foundation and grounding for the sport we love so much. Being a journyman is not a bad thing. Unlike some fighters who are matched to lose with the certainty of the sun setting......fighters like Andre Crowder, Danny Wofford (who has lost over 100 fights), Frankie Hines (lost 120), and Marcus Rhode, the journeymen are solid and competent fighters capable of an occasional surprise though they rarely rise to the top. Some, like Ross Puritty, Quinn Navarre, or Everett Martin are the tough gate keepers through which others must pass to reach the next level. Others, like Kenny Craven, Terry Crawley or Louis Monaco, fight six rounder's or less to fill out a promoter's card much like a chef puts garnish on a plate to give it a sense of false fullness. Hell, Kenny fought Eric Esch 4 times going 2 and 2! And some, like Garing Lane, Harold Sconiers or Jeremy Bates, get an occasional main event opportunity of their own. Often journeymen are all three..............but some, like Evander Hollyfield, Saad Muhammad before him, and perhaps Joe Mesi tragically and needlessly drop to this status because they fail to heed the warnings.

During the past several days, there was a piece involving a journeyman named Irish Mike Culbert's and his "last" professional fight. I think it received four comments...two of which were from me. I was struck by the stark contrast that, say a thread on Wladimir Klitschko or Shannon Briggs might receive. The thread on Irish Mike slowly moved into the archives with no more attention. But wait. He had his share of successful 6 and 8 and even 10 rounder's. Surely he had earned a better send off.

For those who didn't know it, Irish Mike, a super middleweight was born in Belfast (N. Ireland) almost 40 years ago and "closed out" an 18-year pro boxing career last week with a split decision win against another journeyman named Khalif “Panther” Shabazz in the 8-round main event at Memorial Hall in Plymouth, MA. That's right, journeymen fight 8-round main events. The "Panther" had been in with the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Julian Jackson and Tony Thorton, albeit unsuccessfully. With his win, Culbert finished with a fine 30-W, 4-L, 1-D record in a career that started in 1988 at the Boston Gardens when he TKO 'd one Santiago Hermida. He also closes with an unbeaten streak of 10 since losing in 1996 to the great Roberto Duran in six....the only time Mike was ever stopped (in a fight he took on just two weeks notice).

During his long career, which admittedly was fought against mediocre opponents with mostly losing records, he won the Massachusetts State titles in back-to-back fights, the super middleweight by 10-round decision against Carlos DeJesus and the middleweight by 10-round decision against Jimmy Cappiello. He also won the vacant New England light heavyweight title with a 10-round decision against Glenn Burnett on April 24, 1998 in Plymouth. Most of these fight probably don't mean much to the average fight fan, but to those of us in the greater Boston area, they provided entertainment and enjoyment, particularly for the many Irish boxing fans in the area. More importantly, they gave the affable and well spoken Mike a few days in the sun and maybe some egg money.

The last time I saw Irish Mike Culbert fight was when he won a hard fought 8-rounder over Jimmy Cappiello of Somerville, MA for something called the U.S.B.F. Regional Super Middleweight Championship at the Roxy in Boston on April 1, 2000. That's right. An 8 round championship fight! That's what journeymen sometimes do when they step up.The strangely disparate scoring of 79-75, 78-72, 74-78 favored Culbert. A standing- room-only crowd was up and roaring at the end, me included, as the two fought fiercely in their rematch for this Massachusetts "title." This was beer sloshing, slam banging, ball room boxing at its best; this was blue collar stuff and it was great.

Previously, on march 8, 1996 in Whitman, MA he was on the undercard with a young, but later to become infamous, Peter McNeeley. Mike moved his record to 12-2 beating Greg Cardiz of Hartford for the second time. With his nose mangled by a nasty second-round head butt, he fought courageously for each of the remaining six rounds winning them all. I was in attendance that night as well and I admired his grit and courage. It provided a pleasant contrast to the pathetic designated loser with whom McNeeley was matched.

But even for a journeyman, there comes a time to face reality, to acknowledge that it may be time to walk away. Mike Culbert is now almost 40 years old. He has two children and works full time as a supervisor at the Department of Youth Services in Brockton, MA.......the town he fought out of for most of his career and where he once trained with Marvin Hagler at Petronelli’s Gym. At the time, he was the youngest in the Brockton gym; now he is the only one left still boxing. If he is serious about his retirement, then let's hope he goes on to bigger and better things like two other New England fighters, John Scully and Dana Rosenblatt, did. They each finished with excellent records and launched promising new careers. Of course, they were not journeymen.

But there have been rumors that since Irish Mike has now garnered his 30th win, he just might want to move on to the biggest offer and payday he can get......one last fight in some fair grounds, armory or beery urban ball room. But heck, who can blame him? Isn't that what journeymen do?

"Writing about blue-collar folks is something I've been doing right from the start. It's a world I know pretty well. I like most of these folks quite a bit." Richard Russo

Mosley vs. Mayweather: The Perfect Storm

2006-08-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

The middleweight showdown between Sugar Shane Mosley vs. Fernando Vargas II on July 22 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas affirmed that, like a perfect storm, everything is coming together......just the right things in the mix and with just the right timing. Team Mosley is now running on all cylinders. It will be hard for anyone to slow it down......and that perhaps includes Floyd Mayweather and Antonio Margarito.

Let's break it down:

One, Sugar Shane dominated Fernando Vargas from the start and finished him off with one big and deadly left hook in the sixth preceded by a dazzling display of jabs and hand speed throughout the bout. Referee Kenny Bayless stepped in and stopped it 2:38 of the round. This outstanding piece of work was reminiscent of a prime Mosley. Arguably, some might pose the question: was Mosley that good or was Vargas that bad? The thinking here is that Mosley was that good.

Two, he is once again using feints,dazzling speed, quickness, and crafty head and body movement that served him so well in his two wins against Oscar De La Hoya and others.

Three, his creativity and ability to improvise in the ring has returned and adds to his potent arsenal of weapons.

Four, he seems very comfortable having his father, Jack Mosley, 61, back in his corner for the first time in two years and if the Vargas fight is any indication, it appears he is back to stay. After all, he is man who directed his son to three world titles and the biggest wins of his career. Unlike the strained relationship between Roy Jones Jr, and his dad, Roy Sr., Shane Mosley, 34, embraces having Jack in his corner. He also is visibly content being promoted by Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins.

Five, Mosley, whose amateur record was an eye popping 230-12, knows his craft inside and out. He is a combination boxer-puncher but trainer Jack believes in power boxing, a method in which punches are thrown at a high rate of speed, most of them power shots with the hand speed generating the superior power. That style has worked well in the past as his son became a lightweight, welterweight, and junior middleweight champion.

Six, if Shane continues to fire wicked combinations that land with authority and if he is able to combine this with his trademark speed and reflexes, he will be every bit the formidable opponent for a Floyd Mayweather Jr who showed something to be desired in his last outing with Zab Judah. Again, a confluence of factors that come together to form a perfect storm.

Seven, a qualitative analysis and comparison of Floyd and Shane's respective opponents suggests that Sugar has fought the tougher ones. Vargas twice, Wright twice, De La Hoya twice, Forrest twice, Jesse James Leija, John John Molina, among others. Mosley has never been known for ducking an opponent.

Eight, Sugar Shane Mosley has his confidence back after his two losses to Winky Wright and an impressive win over strong David Estrada. More importantly, he has his swagger back.It’s crystal clear the 34-year-old Mosley is still on top of his game and that Team Mosley is turbo charged and aiming in the direction of the man with the heavyweight ego, Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather, Jr. For his part, Floyd says, "First, I'll beat Shane and then I'll beat his boss [De La Hoya]." Mayweather continues to dismiss a lucrative offer from Bob Arum for a date with tough and rugged Antonio Margarito.

At any rate, Mosley is back and that's great news for fight fans and bad news for other boxers in the welterweight division. With memories of Hagler, Hearns, Leonard and Duran looming in the background.....and with Margarito, Mayweather and Mosley now in the mix, it's time to............

"......let's get it on." Mills Lane

Ted Sares is a syndicated writer and boxing historian who can be reached at tedsares@adelphia.net

Thje Big Detour

2006-08-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Sometimes in a boxer's career there comes a pivotal fight, one that turns his fortunes for the good and sends him to bigger and better things, as was the case when Irish Micky Ward suddenly and unexpectedly knocked out heavily favored Alfonso Sanchez with a deadly left hook to the body in 1997on HBO. And more recently, Edison Miranda's stunning TKO of Howard Eastman which catapulted him from prospect to world title contender. But there are two edges to this knife and one cuts far more deeply than the other. Bruce Finch discovered this after his crucial TKO loss to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1982. He would lose 6 of his final 7 bouts before retiring in 1985. The following is about four such fights......ones which would result in the loser's career taking a sharp detour the nature of which would shift inalterably. I'm sure you, the readers, could add some as well so please do.

"BIG JOHN" TATE captured a bronze medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, and would go on to capture the WBA title in 1979 by defeating Gerrie Coetzee by decision in an impressive showing. Five months later, on on March 31, 1980, Big John defended his crown against Mike "Hercules" Weaver. Tate was well ahead on all cards going into the last and 15th round and the crowd was chanting, "Big John Tate, Big John Tate, Big John Tate." There was no way he could lose in front of his home town crowd. Then, out of nowhere, Weaver suddenly unloaded and landed a devastating hook to Tate's chin that left him unconscious and prone for several minutes. The crowd was shocked into silence. And so was I.

Big John attempted a comeback on June 20, 1980 against an up and coming Trevor Berbick. This was on the undercard of the legendary fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran. However, he was easily defeated by the muscular Berbick who chased him around the ring in bizarre fashion. For the second time in a row, he was knocked unconscious by a clubbing blow that caught him on the back of the head as he was running away from Berbick. He lay prone with his leg twitching, another indelible, albeit surreal, boxing memory. Later Big John would be ridiculed in his hometown. Although he fought until 1988 winning 14 in a row before losing his last fight in 1988, he was never again taken seriously as a challenger.

Tragically, on April 9.1998, he died of injuries sustained in a one-car automobile accident. At the time, his nickname among his hometown friends in Tennessee was "Ordinary." The man who had once been the WBA heavyweight champion and had made millions was broke when he died at the age of 43.

SUGAR RAY SEALES, the only American fighter to win a gold medal in the 1972 Olympics, was a contender for the Middleweight title during the late 70's and early 80's. He won his first 22 fights before losing to Marvin Hagler on points in 1974. He then put together an unbeaten streak of six fights including a highly respectable draw with the tough Hagler. In December 1976 in England, he fought Alan Minter, a tough Brit who had garnered notable and credible victories over name opponents. This was a fight that many thought would propel Sugar Ray to a title shot, but it was not to be. He was TKO' d in the fifth by the determined and tenacious Englishman who caught Seales in a furious exchange, imposed his will, and prevailed. More to the point, Seales would never again fight at the same level of competence and was destroyed by Hagler in one round in their fight in 1979, being dropped 3 times. Later, In a 1980 fight with Jaime Thomas, he was thumbed in the eye, tearing his retina, and he gradually went blind even while continuing to fight. Seales retired in 1983.

Perhaps the best way to describe Sugar Ray's detour is to describe his trilogy with the great Hagler thusly: Sugar Ray Seales won his first 21 fights until losing a close decision to Marvin Hagler in Boston in 1974. Later that same year, he held Hagler to a draw that could have gone either way. Seales then fought and lost to Minter in 1976. Hagler then scored a savage first-round kayo in their rubber match.....in 1979.

One account has Seales currently working with autistic students at Lincoln High School in Tacoma. I hope it's true.

IRISH JERRY COONEY, as an amateur, won several international tournaments as well as the New York Golden Gloves title. His amateur record was a fine one consisting of 55 wins and only 3 losses when he turned professional. Best known for his devastating left hook to the body, he quickly ran up a string of ko wins before handily beating title challengers Jimmy Young and Ron Lyle, both by ko. By this time, he was ranked number one in the WBC and was a serious challenger to Larry Holmes' crown.

Then in 1981, he annihilated former world heavyweight champion Ken Norton by frightening knockout 54 seconds into the first round at Madison Square Garden and in front of an HBO audience. A year later, his life took a positive turn, at least financially speaking, when the "Easton Assassin" agreed to fight him. Cooney would get a purse of ten million dollars as the challenger, making it the richest fight in boxing history up to that time. Unfortunately the promotion of the fight took on racial overtones which, to Cooney's credit, he tried to distance himself from. If Cooney won, he would be the first white world heavyweight champion in 23 years. Predictably, promoter Don King, always the cunning choreographer, played this up by calling him "The Great White Hope," and the fight drew huge attention throughout the world. In fact, it was one of the biggest closed-circuit/pay-per-view productions in history, broadcast to over 150 countries.

Thusly packaged by King, Cooney finally stepped into the ring against Holmes on June 11, 1982 and lost a competitive and highly entertaining fight in which Cooney fought bravely and did nothing to disgrace himself. He lost by a technical knockout in the 13th when his handlers threw in the towel. But this would prove to be his "big detour," for he would never be the same after this fight and his post-Holmes career would be unimpressive to say the least.
He took a year off, intending to return in late 1983, but a cut in sparring forced him to lay off for another year. In September of 1984 he finally stepped into the ring beating mediocre Phillip Brown by a knockout in 4 rounds. He fought one more time and won, but personal problems again took him away from the ring. He fought poor competition until he was ko' d by by Michael Spinks in 1987. Despite being much younger than George Foreman, he was taken out in devastating fashion in 1990 ending what could have been an interesting, if not promising career had he not taken a detour from which he would never recover.
Cooney has since started the FIST Foundation, an organization which has helped retired boxers of all races find jobs. On a positive note, Jerry and Holmes have become close friends and Holmes has even helped with Cooney's organization.

EARL HARGROVE fought Australian (by way of Uganda) John 'The Beast" Mugabi on March 17, 1965 in Tampa. Hargrove, out of Philadelphia, came into the fight with a stellar 26 and 1 record....his first 24 fights being won by way of stoppage. Mugabi's record was even more impressive. Right out of the professional gate, the unbeaten Beast entered the fight with 24 straight, often spectacular ko's and had built a big reputation as a devastating puncher. This promised to be a battle between two bangers and someone was sure to go early. Maybe even a repeat of the Meza-Garza shoot out. Mugabi had beaten James "Hard Rock" Green, Frank "The Animal" Fletcher (whose nickname matched that of Mugabi's), Curtiss Parker, and Eddie Gazo.....all by stoppage. John would enter the ring to chants of "Beast, Beast, Beast." Hargrove's opposition was tellingly far inferior with Greg Stephens being one of the few with a decent record. When he did step up to fight tough Mark Medal, he lost by TKO in the 5th.

But back to Tampa where the fighters finally touched gloves and the bell rang. And just like that, before I had time to light up my corona, it was over. Hargerove was dispatched by the Beast in 1.33 of the first round. Earl was exposed and it was time for his detour.

He would finish a once promising career with a 32-6 (28-ko's) record finally losing to Darren Maciunski in 1995, Curiously, one of his wins came against NJ middleweight Lamont Haithcoach by decisive first round ko in 1986. Haithcoach had held Buddy McGirt to a draw in 1982 and was no pushover, but this devastating loss ended his short 11-bout career. He would close with a 5 (3-ko's)- 3- 3....suggesting that the entire sequence resulted in what one might term a "double detour."

"A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour." Bill Williams

Ted Sares is a syndicated writer who can be reached at tedsares@adelphia.net

As a postscript, an undefeated and highly promising Mike Quarry fought Bob Foster on June 27, 1972 after having run up a string of over 30 wins, but I would just as soon not include that story here. May Mike Quarry rest in peace.

The First One

2006-08-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Maybe you can remember the first professional fight you saw and what impact it had on you. Though I had a pretty good idea about what my first one was and where I saw it, I nevertheless consulted with my older sisters and did some serious research. Here is the result.

Marigold Gardens Outdoor Arena on the North side of Chicago was a smoke filled place on June 6, 1948.....boxing being a bastion of political incorrectness and all. Of course, none of that idiocy existed back then. The smell of beer, cheap cigars and Italian sausage sandwiches mixed with an occasional whiff of perfume and sweat made it a comfortable setting for this 11 year old. I guess my dad, "Big John" as he was known, thought it was time I witnessed a professional fight. God knows he had to break up way too many street fights in which I was engaged so maybe he was working an agenda (another word that thankfully was unknown back then). We both had seen plenty of amateur fights at Rock-Ola Stadium near our home on the Northwest side or at Parichy Stadium in the western suburbs, but the atmosphere here was very different. While there were men of different ages in the seats (and some very pretty women), most of them seemed to be in their late 20's or early 30's and had a "devil may care" a kind of aura about them. I later determined this was due to there having fought in The Second World War which, of course, ended in 1945. In my young eyes, there were real men.....men like my late brother who served from 42 through 45.

Well, we had great seats...right up near ringside. And the featured fighters were two very tough hombres, Anton Raadik, out of Chicago by way of Estonia and 26-8 at the time, vs Tommy Bell, 44-16-3 and out of Youngstown, Ohio. Raadik, a great favorite among ethnic Chicago fans, fought from 1940-1952. Opponents included Marcel Cerdan (whom he knocked down 3 times in losing a highly controversial decision), Jake LaMotta, Joey LaMotta, Carl 'Bobo' Olson, Sonny Horne, Georgie Abrams, Steve Belloise, Danny Nardico, Harry 'Kid' Matthews, and Robert Villemain to name a few.

Two months before this 10 round fight, Bell, who fought from1942-1951, had lost a split decision to the great Kid Gavilan. His resume included a "whose who" of great fighters, California Jackie Wilson (twice), Sugar Ray Robinson (twice), Jake LaMotta (3 times), Steve Belloise, Fritzie Zivic (157-65-9 for an astounding total of 231), Maxie Berger, Cecil Hudson. If one added up the combined won-lost record of his opposition, it would have been staggering.

Based on his level of opposition, Bell was a slight favorite and I noticed the frenzy of betting that was going on. It added to the building excitement as the boxers came out to a cheering audience....the sound was almost gutteral. No music, no long trunks, no posturing or theatrics, no entourages or somebody waiving an inane belt. Just grim and serious looking pros with their trainers and cut men ready to get it on in the stiffing humidity of a hot Chicago night. By the time the fighters were in the ring, the fans were howling, some in Estonian, some in Chicagoan, some in a strange sounding combination.

The fighters were introduced and each modestly nodded to the crowd in the manner of the great Joe Louis. They were given their instructions, went back to their corners and the bell rang. From the beginning, it was Raadik stalking Bell all over the place but never really catching him. As the rounds went by, Bell kept the incoming Anton off of him with neat jabs a slick defense and good foot movement (and the fans began to boo), but finally in the eighth Anton landed some serious body shots that made a "whump" sound. In the ninth he caught the favorite on the ropes and attacked viciously to the body. When Bell dropped his hands, it gave Raadik the opportunity he was waiting for and he launched a series of deadly shots to Bell's head that brought him down to one knee bleeding. When he got up, he fell backwards into the ropes and the fight was halted. The tough-as-nails Estonian-Chicagoan had won by TKO in the ninth and the hometown fans were up and roaring as was my dad. Money was being exchanged in plain sight and drinks were toasted. Right there and then I caught the fever of this great sport and when Raadik winked at me from the ring as his hand was raised in victory, a chill went down my spine. Hey, this was no poetic rite of passage; this was plain old manly stuff and I was in it......hook, line and sinker.

Tommy Bell, a real road warrior, would go on to close his career with 53 wins (32 ko's) 29 losses and 3 draws. He would lose 12 of his last 15, mostly on points. His last was a 6 round TKO loss to the great Pierre Langlois in Paris. Raadik, another boxer who would fight anywhere in the world, would finish with 37 wins (26 ko's) 25 losses and I draw. He would lose 13 of his last 15....his last to rugged Garth Panter in Boise by 10 round UD. Two very tough middleweights who got me started on something I have since followed, participated in, bet on, handicapped, researched and now write about.

As my dad and I headed for a pizza, I asked when we could see our next fight and he said something about Rainbow Arena. We would later see Raadik fight again at the Chicago Stadium. I had found a whole new world and could only imagine what awaited.

Later, I would come to know names like Chuck Speiser, Bert Whitehurst, Tony Janiro, Beau Jack. Gene Burton, Chuck Davey, Chico Vejar, Ike Williams, the great Johnny Bratton (one of Chicago's most popular fighters ever), Verne Patterson, Anton Christoforidis, Bob Satterfield, Marciano, LaMotta, Graziano, Louis, Charles, Durando, Johnny Saxton, Gene "Silent Hairston (a favorite on Gillette's Friday night fights), Bobby Dykes, Charley Fusari, Livio Minelli, Gary's Tony Zalinski aka Zale, Luigi Valentini, Laverne Roach (whom I saw be fatally injured in the ring), Holly Mims, Georgie Small, Enrico Bertolo, and many lesser known guys who often fought in the Chicago area. This was my indoctrination period and these were some of the fighters who indoctrinated me.Today, this is sometimes referred to as "old school stuff." For me, it was neither better nor worse than watching a competitive bout today. It was what it was.......and it was joyous just as it is today. As an aside, in high school I heard about a tough tall fighter at Farragut High across town named Ernie Terrell, two years my junior, and often wondered why we never fought each other in the amateurs. As it turned out, I'm glad we didn't.

"Let the other guy have whatever he wants before the fight. Once the bell rings he's gonna be disappointed anyway." George Foreman relating boxing advice he received from Archie Moore on posturing before a fight.

What Is It About Jamaica?

2006-08-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Jamaica is known for great reggae singers, hard working people, beautiful beaches, and an interesting bob sledding team. Though boxing is not be actively participated in Jamaica, the tiny island nation has produced or had a hand in producing (either by birth or by parentage) a disproportionate number of very tough boxers. But you'd never know it because many fight under the flags of the countries to which they immigrated. As Jamaican boxing expert and essayist Scott Neufville puts it, "The world has seen many great Jamaican fighters. The world has watched as they have pummeled champions, broken gladiators and stood proud above fallen warriors. But the world has not known they were Jamaican."

Two such fighters went to war recently at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL and when the dust settled, road warrior Glen Johnson had been crowned the new International Boxing Association (IBA) champion, but his opponent, Richard "The Destroyer" Hall had earned considerable respect for a competitive and gutty showing. Johnson, 44-10-2, 29 KOs, Ring Magazine's Fighter of the Year two years ago and IBF IBA Light Heavyweight champion and now poised to do battle with Clinton Woods. Giving the night a distinctive Jamaican flavor, Hall entered the ring to Jr. Gong Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock."

There are many other fighters who can trace their origins to Jamaica. One of my favorites and one of best ever is the "Body Snatcher," Mike McCallum, 49-5-1, 36 KO's and World Champion at 154, 160, 175 lbs. But hey, Lennox Lewis, World heavyweight champion who retired with a fine record of 42-2-1, was pretty darn good as well. One is in the Hall of Fame; the other will soon be in as well.

Other solid Jamaican fighters of the past include Simon Brown, heavy handed Alex Stewart who waged war with Evander Holyfield and almost ruined Geroge Foreman's comeback, the troubled Trevor Berbick who came onto the scene with a stunning ko of Big John Tate and who beat an aging Ali in his (Ali's) last fight, Richard "Shrimpy" Clarke ( the much-loved 'Shrimpy' went within shades of winning the world flyweight title against Thailand's great Sot Chitalada), Michael Bentt, former WBO heavyweight champ who knocked out heavily favored Tommy Morrison in a monster upset, and the great Simon "Mantequilla" Brown, WBC and IBF Welterweight title holder who ko'd Terry Norris in1993 for the WBC Light Middleweight Title in Ring Magazine's "Upset of the Year," Lloyd "Jabba" Bryan, 22-13, Maurice Core, 15-2-1, the popular Bunny Grant (a promising young fighter who lost a decision to Eddie Perkins, welterweight boxing champion in 1964), Uriah Grant who beat an aging Tommy Hearns for something called the IBO Cruiserweight Title in 2000, Anthony Logan, 18-4-1, who fought both Benn and Eubanks and won the WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Title in 19990, Percy Hayles (who fought Carlos Hernandez for a championship in 1965 but Carlos prevailed in three rounds to retains the world super-lightweight title), leading contender Donovan "Razor" Ruddock who fought Mike Tyson twice and just about everyone else, Boston area light middleweight Marshall Simpson, who retired with a 25-1 record, Bunny Sterling, and the immortal Cuban amateur and multiple Olmpic champion, Teofilo Stevenson.

In particular, British and Canadian boxers of Caribbean descent have dominated the national boxing scene since the early 1980s. In 1995 Frank Bruno, whose mother was a lay preacher from Jamaica, became Britain's first heavyweight boxing champion in the century. His reign was shortly followed by Lennox Lewis to become the world's premier heavyweight during the late 1990s. Middleweights Chris Eubanks, 45-5-2, (who spent his early years in Jamaica) and fierce warrior Nigel Benn, 42-5-1, (of Barbadian descent) both claimed world titles and fought a series of brutal battles in the early 1990s. In the 2000 Olympics Audley Harrison (who has Jamaican heritage) became Britain's first heavyweight gold medalist. Other fighters from the British African-Caribbean community include the Welterweight champion Lloyd Honeyghan nicknamed "Ragamuffin" due to his Jamaican roots, defeated heavily favored Donald Curry in 1986, Kirkland Laing, 43-12-1, welterweight who upset Roberto Duran in1982, tough Adrian "The Predator" Stone, 35-5-2, and heavyweight Rupert Thomas, 10-1-1.

On the current boxing landscape, O'Neil Bell, 26-1-1, who recently iced Jean Marc Mormeck to become WBC, WBA and IBF Cruiserweight Champion comes to mind as does current cruiserweight Chris Johnson, 26-3-1, hard punching middleweight Teddy Reid, 23-8-2, Owen Beck, 25-3, current heavyweight contender, and Otis Grant, 38-3-1, former WBC International Super Middleweight and WBO Middleweight champ. Also out there is Richard Grant, 19-13-1, who beat to tough James "The Harlem Hammer" Butler in 2001. After the fight, Grant approached Butler to hug him but was instead sucker-punched in the jaw by Butler, who was then arrested, convicted, and sent to jail for his trouble. Grant suffered a broken jaw. Also, Light Heavyweight Lloyd "Jabba" Bryan, 22-13 remains active.

Despite this rich and proud heritage, boxing likely will be limited to television viewing in Jamaica. One of the problems is that when there are prospects they leave the Island. Most of the gyms are closed and few kids really want to get involved in boxing. There are no programs nor is there any regular competition so there is really no motivation for boxers to train, not to mention the absence of someone to teach them the rudiments of competitive boxing.

"So as sure as the sun will shine I'm gonna get my share now what is mine - And then the harder they come The harder they fall." Lyrics from the "Harder They Come" by Jimmy Cliff

Sudden Fury in Kingston

2006-08-29T19:07:00.000-07:00

Ted Sares

On Saturday, November 13, 1984, highly touted Jaime Garza was scheduled to meet cagey Juan “Kid” Meza in the main event at the Mid Town Neighborhood Center in Kingston, NY. Meza was a distinct 5-1 underdog to the 40-0 heavy puncher from Southern Californian who was being compared to Danny "Little Red" Lopez for his full throttle offense, porous defense, and ability to come off the canvas and put his opponent out. In fact, Garza won his title some 17 months before by coming off the floor in typical "Little Red" fashion to knock out Bobby Berna in two and take the belt vacated by the legendary Wilfredo Gomez. I was well ensconced in my den in Boston, with friends, beverage and cigars, ready for action as the fight was being aired on CBS with Gil Clancy and Sugar Ray Leonard at the mikes. But as usual, I'm getting ahead of myself.

The referee for this fight was Johnny Lo Bianco.The judges were Carol Castellano, Luis Rivera, and Bernie Freidkin. Everyone sensed their work would be brief since both fighters had an astonishing 75 KO’s on their combined resumes. Garza, was 40-0, with 38 knockouts (13 in the first round). "Kid" Meza, from Los Angeles, by way of Mexicali, was 49-9, with 37 KO’s. Both men scaled 121 ½ lbs. Knockout was the operative word this night. While Kid Meza had never been knocked off his feet, most experts felt the heavy handed Garza would do the trick.

But first, the limited but game Billy Costello, 140, of Kingston defended his WBC super lightweight title against tough but too old Saul Mamby in the co-feature and won a UD. Since this was Billy's home town, there was considerable interest in the card which also included Wilford Scypion. Little did the fans know what was coming.

Garza was handled by John Montes Sr. and Bennie Georgino (who curiously also handled "Little Red" Lopez) and threw lightening fast combinations punctuated with lethal hooks. If hit squarely, most of his opponents would go; in fact, 30 went in less than three. He was undefeated and ready to achieve superstar status.

As for Juan "Kid" Meza (whose trainer was Jimmy Montoya), two years before, the Mexicali native had fought well before being stopped in the sixth by the legendary Wilfredo Gomez. After losing that fight, he took off for a year. During this time, Gomez left the championship vacant to challenge for the Featherweight crown. Garza won the vacant championship by knocking out the aforementioned Berna. Meanwhile, Meza worked his way back into title contention with wins over Roberto Castillo (KO 8), Pongpan Sorphayathai (20-1) whom he ko' d in three in Thailand and two 10-round decisions over Javier Barajas. The "Kid" also was a quick starter with 21 of his 31 knockouts ending in less than three rounds.

Earlier in his career, Meza made his first noticeable mark when he knocked out Carlos Ortiz in one in 1977 avenging an earlier loss. He won 29 of his next 31 bouts, earning a following on the West Coast. Included in those 31 fights were a ten-round decision over Carlos Mendoza in 1981as part of the Gomez-Sanchez under card in Las Vegas, and a 9th round knockout over Antonio Guido as part of the Bentize-Duran under card in 1982. He was then ranked the number one challenger to Wilfredo Gomez's WBC world Super-Bantamweight title. By then, informed boxing people knew that Juan "Kid" Meza was never to be taken lightly. Nor, of course, was Jamie Garza who had 23 straight stoppages coming into this fight. Which brings us to November 13, 1984

As the bell rang,Meza reached out to touch gloves, but Garza was having none of it and kept his hands up ready to fight. Clearly, there was no love lost as there had been an altercation at breakfast between the two.They came out immediately winging and trading hooks. In this case, the old adage "never hook with a hooker" did not apply, for both fighters were deadly with this punch. Incredibly, after a right uppercut missed, a wide hook crashed off Meza’s temple and put him on the canvas for the very first time in his 47-fight career. With only only 40 seconds into the fight, Garza had now demonstrated beyond any doubt the power of his blows. One of my friends jumped up and said "don't go to the john." We were all standing and shouting as was the live crowd. This is exactly what we expected and what we wanted.

The Kid looked around and then picked up the count showing remarkable calm for a fighter who had never been floored. Garza charged in for the kill and drove Meza back toward the ropes, but the Kid responded with heavy shots that slowed him down. Garza continued to fire away with his all-offense, no-defense style, and showed little fear of Meza's punches. The Kid's jabs found their mark through Garza’s porous defense and the two began exchanging three and four punch flurry's. The fight took on the aura of a cock fight with back and forth winging. One could literally hear the swish sound when they missed and the thump sound when they didn't miss. I was up and screaming, "....end it Jaimie, end it, take him out......"

"Garza’s making the mistake of falling in with his hands down," CBS analyst Sugar Ray Leonard correctly noted as Garza kind of stumbled into the corner after missing a wild hook. When Meza went after him, Garza spun away and landed a cuffing hook that sent Meza to the canvas. Meza quickly arose and pointed his gloves toward the canvas to indicate he had been pushed. Referee LoBianco agreed and ruled it a slip. Garza then landed some jabs, but his speedy combos, launched with the evilist of intentions, missed; Meza's were more accurate marking an ever-so-subtle shift, albeit early, in his favor.At that point, commentator Gil Clancy pointed out spmething that I had also noticed, "The big difference that I see so far is that Garza is much the shorter puncher of the two......he’ll beat Meza to the punch because Meza is a wide puncher." Then, a split-second after he said that, it happened. Jaimie began to throw a counter hook after Meza had missed with a short combo. Unfortunatley for him, he kept his right arm low which created an opening. Meanwhile, Meza, by missing with his right dipped and in so doing was in excellent position to trigger his own hook. His blow was launched just before Garza’s. So here it was in plain sight.....hooking with the hooker. We all rose and started screaming because we knew what had just occured. Ready for a devastating result, we were not dissapointed. Meza had beaten Garza to the punch with shocking effect.

The savage hook struck Garza on the sweet point of his jaw, snapping his head violently to the side. His body twisted grotesquely and crashed hard to the canvas, his head bouncing dangerously off the canvas. Garza’s eyes rolled up into his head. He was in bad shape but made a vailant effort pull himself upright after rolling under the ropes. His effort was too little too late. Referee LoBianco reached the count of ten a split-second before Garza fully regained his feet, but he would have been in no shape to continue even if he had beaten the count. A new and jubilant champion had beem crowned. The ko was named 1984’s Knockout of the Year by KO Magazine. Juan Meza became the first challenger in boxing history to be dropped in round one, get up and knock out the world champion in the same first round.

Garza would go to win four uneventful bouts but lost in shocking fashion to Daryl Thigpen (10-4) being stopped in the six after being down four times. After the devastating loss to Meza, Jaime was never the same and would never again win a meaningful fight. He went 2-3 in his final five finishing with a proud record of 48-6 (44 KOs) and an astonishing ko percentage of 81%.

Meza fought seven more times and beat always tough tough Mike Ayala in six rounds, but shockingly dropped his belt to prohibitive underdog Lupe Pintor in a thrilling 12-round slugfest. Sixteen months later, he challenged for a world title for the final time against slick Samart Payakaroon in Bangkok, but was stopped by the Thai with just five seconds before the final bell. He was far behind on points so the stoppage was academic. Later, Meza ko'd Lenny Valdez in one but was then stopped in eight by Javier Marquez. Remarkably, nine years later at age 40, he came back to stop Esteban Lozoya in four, but after being stopped in one by Wilfredo Negron, he retired. He ended with a fine record of 45-9 (37 KOs) and a ko percentage of 69%.

Now, among other things, being a serious boxing fan means accumualting a memory bank of great -fights......fights like Castiilo-Corrales, Brooks-Curry, Hagler-Hearns, Ward-Green-Gatti-Burton, Norton-Holmes, Chacon-Limon, Mancini-Kim, and many, many others. But for me, it also means Meza-Garza. Thanks for the memories.

Ted Sares is a syndicated writer whocan be reached at Tedsares@adelphia.net

On The Edge

2006-08-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Buddy McGirt once said, "I remember my fight with him like it was yesterday, He came up to me before the fight and asked for my autograph. He was wearing a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, had a chew of tobacco in his mouth and a cup in his hand. He definitely could have been someone to look out for. He had an awkward style, but he could sure fight."

Buddy could have added that he shared something with the likes of Danny "Little Red" Lopez, Bobby Chacon, Saad Mohammed, Jaime Garza,Tito Trinidad and Arturo Gatti. He had that knack......that special flair for the dramatic.....of coming back from the brink of defeat to take his opponent out in breathtaking fashion. Only a fool would ever count him out. With a no-defense, full-offense brawling style, he would take take several blows to land one of his heavy handed straight rights. Hanging tough, he would suddenly and dramatically turn the tables at the end. Once he had his opponent hurt, he would close things out decisively.

He had emerged seemingly out of nowhere as one of the fight game's most exciting, tough-as-nails welterweights and the fans came to love him both as a fighter and as a young man with an obvious big heart, full of personality and promise. He was the quintessential blood and guts warrior who, like the aforementioned fighters, always seemed to grab victory from the throes of defeat. His come from behind victories over Anthony Stephens, Adrian Stone, and, in his final fight, Nick Rupa, won him not only the USBA welterweight title, but a hugh fan following throughout the boxing world and the ESPN circuit. Possible big fights were on the horizon and names like Tito Trinidad and Yori Boy Campas were being mentioned. In boxing parlance, he was a hot property. Hell, He was Gatti before Gatti.

He was also a loving son and was from a close knit family, but from another perspective, he lived his life the way he wanted to........freely and on the edge..........the wild and dangerous side, but as his boxing success increased, his personal life seemed to be stabilizing at least somewhat. Though, as his brother related, "settling down and going to work wasn't part of his life. He had several jobs, he was one of the best roofers in the County, but that just didn't appeal to him." By some accounts, he was also allegedly robbing drug dealers, an activity that can have the most serious of repercussions. Allegedly, he would do this in a dangerous, crime ridden area of his town known as "The Bottoms."

He became a professional boxer at age 21 on July 13, 1987 against Billy Pryor whom he knocked out in the third round in Mobile, Alabama. He knocked out his next four opponents. After these bouts, he was a bit inconsistent, though extremely exciting, winning some and losing to rugged Canadian Stephane Ouellett, and then to Eric Holland in a televised slugfest from Philadelphia in August 1994 featuring savage back-and-forth exchanges. Curiously, Holland, a bright prospect at the time, would never be the same after this brutal bout. Things changed for the better on January 4, 1994, when he fought tough Buddy McGirt in Florida. Even though he lost a ten round decision, he gained respect from those who witnessed the fight, but more importantly, he gained self-confidence knowing he could hang tough with somebody as capable as McGirt. I recall the look on Buddy's face toward the end of that fight and it was one of extreme caution and fear as he was being stalked until the final bell. I sensed something........here was someone to keep an eye on.

Things exploded quiet literally on October 26, 1994 when he fought Anthony Stephens for the USBA Welterweight Title. The fight was televised on ESPN. In a previous bout, Stephens had knocked Felix Trinidad off his feet before before being ko'd by Tito. Coming from behind, he savaged Stephens, knocking him down an astounding five times before the fight was mercifully halted in the twelfth and last round. Becoming the new USBA champion, he was now looking ahead to better fights and bigger paydays.

His next fight on April 7, 1995 against a streaking prospect from the UK named Adrian "The Predator" Stone reinforced his growing reputation for the dramatic. The undefeated Stone was the favorite, and in the early goings, he lived up to his billing giving him a solid beating. But he kept his cool, regrouped and suddenly, like a lightening bolt, took command winning by a sensational knockout in round ten. As is my wont, I was up and screaming at the end, hardly believing the sudden turn of events. One thing was now certain; he had become one of my very favorite fighters. I had found my Bobby Chacon and Saad Muhammad all wrapped into one fighterAfter quickly disposing of Kenny Lewis, he then faced capable veteran Nick Rupa on July 7, 1995 in what would turn out to be his last fight. True to form, he was losing the fight, but suddenly turned the tables and ko' d Rupa in round seven.... and he did it in front of his proud family. It was Rupa's first stoppage loss and he too would never be the same fighter. I could hardly wait for his next fight.

It would never come. Sadly, seventeen days after the Rupa fight, my favorite fighter was missing. Between July 24 and August 11, 1995, boxing had lost one of its grittiest warriors, but his parents, three younger brothers, wife and child, lost
far more. His truck was found on the railroad tracks outside of town where some speculated a "fierce battle" had taken place. Days later, his body was found in a swamp.The autopsy revealed he had received a blunt trauma to the head, but not one that would have resulted in his death. More than ten years later, the circumstances surrounding his death remain the subject of much speculation and have been detailed by far better writers than I and I'll leave that part of the unfinished and highly complex tragedy to them.* Suffice to say the pathos, intrigue and cross currents are the stuff of movies and best sellers.

One account I came across indicated that after he was found in the swamps, his body was loaded onto the back of a train engine and taken home to Mobile, Alabama as the sun was setting in the distant western sky. If so, then the man for whom he was named, the Outlaw Jesse James, must surely have been smiling down on the Outlaw Jesse James Hughes who lived like he fought...........on the edge.

"Boxing has become America's tragic theater." Joyce Carol Oates

The Essence of Boxing

2006-08-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

The Essence of Boxing by Ted Sares

While there are innumerable ways to go after this subject, mine will take a more confluent, albeit less technical path that has different directions coming together in a way that hopefully exposes my visceral affection for this very wonderful pastime. Indeed, for me, boxing is far more than a bout between two combatants in a square circle that is entered with knowledge of deadly risk and anticipation of high reward. Boxing is an experience that includes many different things including the wherewithal for passionate arguments and the witnessing of two men going mano a mano with the hope, but no guarantee, that the third man in the ring knows when the right time comes to save one of them.....and sometimes, with tragic results, he doesn't. Boxing is a loser alone with his thoughts in the dressing room and a winner being hero worshiped by fans as fickle as the weather. It is defeat or victory, nothing more, nothing less, but the difference can break a spirit or generate confidence. In the words of former boxer "Iceman" John Scully, "The wait in the dressing room before a professional boxing match -that last hour- could be enough to strip a man that never boxed before of whatever pride, desire and heart he THOUGHT he had" (April 2002)

For some, it is a left hook to the liver the genesis of which began in Culiacan, Mexico. For others, a sledgehammer straight right originating out of Detroit. Or, in a fight for redemption, a Swede's foot twitching after he is knocked cold by a leaping left hook coming from the Catskills. For me, it's identifying with one of my favorites, particularly an underdog, as he overcomes adversity to snatch surprising victory from certain anticipated defeat. When that happens, that's me in the ring and when victory comes, its my victory as much as it is his and I'm cheering for myself as much as for him. I can't say it any better than that....that's the essence, the very soul of this thing called boxing. Boxing and I become one at that point.

Boxing is also Big Jerry Cooney catching Ken Norton is a corner and pummeling him with frightening left hooks, Ray Mercer catching Tommy Morrison with brutal punches rendering him senseless, Gatti knocking out Gamache with left hook from hell, and Oleg coming back from three ko losses, but it's also slick boxers named Sugar Ray or Sugar Shane showing new and higher levels of defense, foot work, combinations, and hand speed. Boxing is watching a Ward left hook to the body end a fight at any time and a Pretty Boy seemingly work magic tricks in a ring with art and finesse. It's is watching the "Kids".....Parret, Gavilan, Akeem and the "Rocks"......Durando, Graziano, Marciano and Rahman. Boxing is all about Hearns vs Hagler in savage and unmitigated action and Castillo vs Corrales and Indian Yaqui vs Saad in quintessential ebb and flow.....it's steamy Philadelphia gyms and the forum in LA or some fair grounds in West Virginia or Ohio. It's Don Dunphy thrilling listeners to the "Gillette Cavalcade of Sports," and it's both Lennon's, Johnny Addi, Buffer, Ed Derian, Mercante, Clancy, Cus, Manny, Dundee, Bimstein, Goldstein, Futch and it's PAL, CYO, and AAU. The sport is both tender and brutal. Some find Jesus, others find the devil. Boxing is watching a "lonely" Larry Holmes in the middle of the ring taking out a a popular Cooney and a confused John Tate running away from a Trevor Berbick..................boxing is about a warrior mentality that unmistakably demonstrates a willingness to engage in a punch-out.......a willingness to take three to get in one or a hard and tough guy patting his chest and waiving the other guy in as he spits out blood while the crowd rises and roars its approval and chills go down your spine. Boxing is the sum and substance of indelible memories and for those blessed with good recall, it is something to manifest with emotion, passion and conviction.

Look, I've been there and have seen up close the unpredictable excitement that was Bob Satterfield and Johnny Bratton in the 50's, the classics between Marciano-Charles-Louis- Walcott. The emergence of Chuck Davey and Chico Vejar. I saw LaMotta-Robinson, Ward vs Gatti-Green-Augustus-Diaz, Zale-Graziano, tough, ethnic guys from the 50's like Fusari, Demarco, Durando, Basilio, Janiro and Miceli. Who can forget Gene "Silent Hairston on Gillette's Friday night fights? Ali-Fraizer, Patterson-Johansson, Barrera-Morales. I was dumfounded by the illogic of Hearns putting Duran away with a paralyzing straight right, and then Duran beating Barkley who then knocked out Hearns. I watched in disbelief as Martin starched Liston, Bruce Curry and Monroe Brooks went to the edge, McClellan and Benn fought with uncommon fury. Oh, I saw Paret take 17 unanswered shots, and Roach, Kim, Johnny Owens, Jimmy Garcia, Beethoven Scottland. Leavander Johnson and too may others leave their lives in the ring. I witnessed the sudden fury of Mesa-Garza; the shoot outs between Moorer-Cooper and Lyle-Foreman;the big bopping round-robin between Cobb-Shavers-Norton at the end of their careers. I've seen the smashed noses, ridges of scar tissue and deformed ears. I witnessed the slow slide of Jerry and Mike Quarry, Jimmy Ellis, Bobby Chacon, Jimmy Young and far too many others. I can easily detect the early signs......the slurring of speech......the nasal monotone. I can also detect, but not quite so easily, signs of short-term memory loss or difficulty with equilibrium or the inability to take certain directions or perform certain chores. No, we don't much want to talk about Pugilistica Dementia but constant reminders are always there and that's the dark side, the other, horribly irreversible side of the risk reward equation. And most boxers are leery of this darker side as well they should be, for this is the one that can lead to that dreaded place called Palookaville from which there is no return.

Hey, I witnessed the epiphany of Foreman and the"what if," and terrible disappointment that was Tyson. I've seen it all and have been dazzled by the magic, felt the emotional highs, heard the music and seen the dance. I pray for Michael Watson, Willie Pep. Jimmy Ellis, Gerald McClellan and Greg Page and remember the courage of Robert Wangila and Pedro Alcazar. I have seen very good things, some not so good, and some downright ugly. I've talked to humble and decent guys like Saad, Haugen, Scully, Ward, Cuevas, Laporte, Galaxy and Chuvalo and have been snubbed by others.....but not many others, for most boxers are uncommon in their decency, respect and humility and that too is part of the mix.

Boxing for me is also a sensual confluence......of sweat, fear, testosterone, perfume, cigar smoke, stale beer, cheap after-shave lotion....it is a the sweet smell of success and sour odor of failure. Greasy and heavily mustard hot dogs, cheese steak hoagies, onions, buttered popcorn and warm beer at the Blue Horizon and frothy mixed drinks and expensive after shave lotion at the MGM in Las Vegas or at Foxwoods. Boxing is cheering, taunting, chanting, whistling, screaming, and clapping......and leering at scantily clad card girls against a backdrop of the periodic screams of winners at a Black Jack table or the mindless and never ending sound of slot machines simultaneously providing hope and presenting odds that will prevents that hope from ever being fulfilled. The ambience includes pretty blondes, voluptuous Latinos and beautiful black women dressed to the nines; guys with chains worth the price of a new car and clothes and hair styles to match. Vanity, conceit, egotism are words that come to mind as one looks over the occupants of the ringside seats, but why not? Narcissism is an essential part of this mix as well.

There is no political correctness here or "right" way to behave and that is another great thing about boxing. You either love it or hate it, but if you hate it, you had best tread with caution here. Boxing try's to be color blind, but those behind the scenes use issues of color and ethnicity to generate more cash. It is never about hate; it is always about cash....it is what it is....and in this regard should not be taken as seriously as it is. The "Russians Have Arrived," will likely be replaced by something else, maybe 'The Cubans Are Coming" or the "Americans are Back" or "Here Comes the British," but that's just the way it is and it won't change any time soon.

Boxing is camaraderie with macho banter and, at times, not-so-friendly betting. It is drinks and maybe a great steak after the fight, or perhaps a hotel room with TV, friends, champaign, shrimp cocktails, maybe some poker, all the right ingredients for another indelible memory. Sure, the fight is the linchpin, but the entire experience is often just as much fun...it all goes together and blends in the mix. And the mix is the essence.

Boxing has a love affair with the world: from Japan to the UK, Germany to Australia, Canada to the countries from the former Soviet Union, and everywhere in between. Most of all, boxing is a safe place for me to be without having to worry about how I behave or what I say. Boxing thankfully is not a meeting of the Rotary and it certainly does not shackle me with corporate handcuffs. There is no phoney artifice, no plastic smiles or soft and clammy hand shakes; Boxing is a genuine, if sometimes harsh place. But hell, boxing is my sanctuary and I love it so.

"It is wonderful. It truly is. It is the only thing that is real! It's you against me, it's challenging another guy's manhood. With gloves. Words cannot describe that feeling - of being a man, of being a gladiator, of being a warrior. It's irreplaceable." - Sugar Ray Leonard

"Boxing survives – and always will -- because its values are as old school as black-‘n’-white trunks: character and pain -- as heroic as a man taking care of his family – just not too sexy." Joe Rein

Ted Sares is a syndicated writer who can be reached at tedsares@adelphia.net

Harry and the Two Charlie Brown's

2006-08-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Harry Arroyo has movie star good looks and a personality to match. In plain English, he was and is a hellava guy. He was a power puncher from Youngstown, Ohio, the same city that produced Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini and he fought in the same exciting way. Right from the start, he went 22 (17 ko's)-0 before facing popular "Rockin" Robin Blake in Atlantic City on January 14, 1984. Robin was 20-0 at the time. It was a much anticipated fight between two 135 pounders on the move. Harry won a close 10 UD which was seen on national TV and positioned him for an April fight with Charlie 'Choo Choo" Brown, 23-2-1, a tough scrapper out of Philly. When Arroyo beat Blake, he broke into the top twelve IBF Lightweight rankings. Robin Blake retired in 1990 with a 33-8 record. After his loss to Arroyo, his star dimmed as he went 13-8.

The fight with Choo Choo would be for the IBF Lightweight Title at the Sands in Atlantic City. This would be the big one for the likable Youngstown welterweight. Brown had beaten Melvin Paul, 17-2, in January 1984 to take the newly created title by a close 15 round SD and was in defensive mode. Charlie would later recall( in a City Beat article by Benjamin Herold entitled, Fred Jenkins makes sure boxers — both aspiring and accomplished — have a home at his North Philly gym), "[Paul] definitely came to fight. He was a steady comer, he came right at you. So I figured I'll box him," Brown recalls while pantomiming his peek-a-boo style. "Both hands is right there in front of you, but you don't know which is coming first." Brown dropped Paul in round one with a left hook to the body and again in the fourth round with a right to the chest. In the final round, Melvin Paul hit him with such a crushing right that Brown couldn't remember getting hit. But as a true Philly fighter with great heart, he managed to get up and stay up, even landing some solid shots before the final bell. Brown and Fred "Herk" Jenkins hoped to use the championship to catapult Brown, then 23-2-1, higher in the rankings of the better-established WBA and WBC. Their ultimate aim was a unification tournament involving popular WBA champ Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini and tough WBC champ Edwin Rosario. But that plan, unfortunately for Charlie, depended on beating Harry Arroyo.

Thus, the stage was set. And Harry did not dissapoint, taking the title with a dramatic 14h round TKO. Brown ran out of gas against the better trained and more determined Arroyo and was halted in round fourteen, though Choo Choo claimed the fight was stopped too soon.

Brown went on to win only three more bouts and eventually lost his last eleven fights retiring in 1993. "Things didn't go to well because of the frame of mind I was in," he says. "It got to the point where I just didn't give a damn. "I've been hurt by the fight game a little bit. I expected something from it. I've been to the top, and I even took the city to the top by my being from here. It didn't last long, but I got there." He finished with a mark of 26-16-2 after a 2nd round ko loss to Sammy Fuentes.

In September of 1984, Harry was set to defend his newly won crown against another Charlie Brown....this one nicknamed "White Lightening"............in Youngstown, OH This Charlie Brown, 23-0 at the time and from Moline, Illinois, was a true road warrior having fought in Miami, NJ, MSG, Memphis, NY, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Illinois, Iowa, PA, New Mexico,Ohio, CA, Virginia, Denmark, and NC. But this didn't help him much as Arroyo dismantled him by KO in the eighth round. Brown would then go 8-10 losing 6 of his last 8, (though one of his wins was against Saoul Mamby by 6 round UD 1992). He retired in 1995 with a 31-11 mark, his last fight a second round TKO loss to tough Ralph Jones, 30-2. He probably will be remembered more for his nickname and subsequent first round KO loss to Greg Haugen than his willingness to fight anywhere in the US.

From the above, one might accurately conclude that Harry Arroyo provided the big detour in the careers of the aforementioned two Charlie's. Heck, numbers don't lie and their fights with Harry were pivotal in a negative way. But what of Harry? Where did he go from here?

After the win against "White Lightening," he defended his title against rock hard Terrence Alli, 24-3-1, from Brooklyn by way of Guyana.The fight took place at Bally's in Atlantic City in January 1985 and for those who were fortunate enough to be there or to witness it on national TV, it was a memorable one with ebb and flow action and incredibly hard punches landing on the heads of the two combatants. Savage and brutal, each fighter took turns hitting the other with sharp combinations and accurate shots. Harry was hurt by a vicious uppercut in the 7th but somehow hung on. In the 11th, with the fight dead even on the judges scorecards, Arroyo, who had been down once, waged a fierce exchange with Alli finally catching him in a corner. Putting his punches together, albeit slowly, he launched a barrage of unanswered punches that snapped Alli's neck back until Referee Tony Perez had no choice but to call a halt to the onslaught at 1:16 in what was hailed as one of the best fights of the year. Both fighters were ready to go at the end;Harry survived.................................but at what cost? He won the battle, but likely lost the war.

While the loss seemingly had no adverse impact on Alli's career (he would go on to win 29 more bouts though his last nine were winless), it was a different story for Harry. In April 1985, and perhaps too soon after the Alli fight, he defended his title against rugged Jimmy Paul, 21-1, again at Bally's. This time he lost a lopsided decision. Paul put Harry down five times to take the IBF title away from him and to signal that perhaps the Alli fight took far too much from him. Affirming this notion, Arroyo's career then went in the same direction as that of the two Charlie's.......and like "Choo Choo" and "White Lightening," he too fell on hard times. Unlike those two, however, Harry's detour resulted from a hard earned win. He went 14-10 the rest of his career. He did pick up the WBC Continental Americas Light Welterweight title from undeafted Rick Souce in 1988 only to lose it two months later by a brutal first round knockout to Loreto Garza, later WBA Junior Welterweight Champion. After dropping a 10 round UD to undefeated Vinny Letizia in 1993, Harry Arroyo called it quits with a fine record of 40 (30 ko's)-11 and a willingness always to fight the very best opposition out there.

He now lives comfortably off his ring earnings with his wife and four children in Ohio and has become involved with law enforcement and religion. Humble, sincere, friendly, and spiritual, he is one of the nicest people to meet and talk with at the annual International Hall Of Fame induction weekend. Though meeting the same boxing fate he rendered onto the two Charlie's, Harry, like too few others, has made a positive transition from boxing to a life after boxing and remains a true credit to the sport. He now enjoys being out of the limelight and with his family and his religion.......and that's a good thing.
"When I was going through my transition of being famous, I tried to ask God why was I here? What was my purpose? Surely
It wasn't just to win three gold medals. There has to be more to this life than that." Wilma Rudolph

Attention is called to an outstanding interview between fellow writer Jim Amato and Harry Arroyo in the ESB archives.

Ted Sares is a boxing historian and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America he can be reached at tedsares@adelphia.net.

"kId" Akeem vs. "Pikin" Quiroga

2006-08-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

"Kid" Akeem vs "Pikin" QuirogaBy Ted Sares

This is about "Kid" Akeem Anifowoshe ( 23-W's, 1-L 18 ko's) and Robert "Pikin" Quiroga ((20 -W's 2- L's, 11 ko's ), two fighters who gave their all on June 15, 1991. They battled for 12 ferocious rounds for the IBF Super Flyweight Title in an ebb and flow savagery that not only was named the “Ring Magazine” Fight of the Year for 1991 but was one of the best fights ever in the super flyweight division. The 12 brutal rounds landed both fighters in the hospital, and was as close to the edge as two fighters can get. It brought to mind the Laverne Roach-Georgie Small war in 1950 and the Nigel Benn- Gerald McClellan battle in 1995 (as a telling aside, Roach had been knocked down 7 time in a loss to the great Marcel Cerdan two years earlier). The hard blows were traded on an even basis and snapped heads back in a way that today's fights would be quickly stopped. First one would take control; then the other. Pure back and forth action that marked the give-and-take courage of each fighter. The crowd rose after each round and roared its approval. They sensed they were witnessing something special.

They fought to a bloody standstill with Quiroga getting what some ring side observers called a "hometown" decision. Indeed, some say he really did not beat Akeem, a much taller and more skilled fighter, but Quiroga imposed his will on the Kid using a straight-ahead style and vicious left hooks to counter the Kid's slick boxing skills, superior height and mind numbing leads. Both had great chins and, therefore, both took an enormous amount of punishment. While extremely close, I thought the undefeated Kid had won by a hair, but a draw would have been more than fair. I also thought he had paid too much of a price. Unfortunately, I was later proven to be right.

But this was far more than simply a great fight. Kid Akeem collapsed in the ring shortly after the end of the fight with a Severe blood clot that developed in his brain during the fight. As they carried him out of the arena on a stretcher, his wife Sharon following, a number of Quiroga fans, reflecting the much darker side of the sport, chanted: "D.O.A... D.O.A",.......Dead On Arrival. They almost got their wish, but the Kid survived and was even visited in the hospital by the very decent "Pikin" who brought a vase of flowers. The Kid checked out of Baptist Medical Center in San Antonio and returned to his home in Las Vegas, but he left against the advice of his doctor and appeared tired and had to be helped from his hospital bed to a wheelchair. His surgeon, Dr. Gerardo Zavala, was upset over his "premature" departure. "I wanted him to stay at least until they found a doctor in Las Vegas," he said. The doctor felt Anifowoshe still had some brain swelling and needed more tests in the next two weeks "to allow us to tell how the brain is working or if there is some tissue scarring that could cause problems in the future."

Unfortunately, this epic battle did end Kid Akeem’s title dreams........and his promising career as a super flyweight just as he was reaching the peak of his potential....................one that recalled memories of Nigerian warriors Hogan Bassey and Dick Tiger. One can only speculate as to how great "Kid" Akeem Anfowoshe would have turned out. He never fought again, was later deported to Nigeria apparently for drug offences and died just three and a half years later in his home country after collapsing in a shower. There are conflicting reports as to the exact cause of his death though complications from injuries suffered in the Quiroga fight seem likely to have contributed to it. There are other, darker rumors surrounding his death, but since I could not corroborate them, I would just as soon not mention them. They might diminish the memory I had of watching this proud black warrior from the Lagos ghetto of Mushin, Nigeria, Africa present an almost majestic, royal presence in the ring; I was fortunate enough to see him fight on more than one occasion in Las Vegas.

"Pikin"(which means little hot pepper) Quiroga, of San Antonio, Texas began his professional career in 1987 at the age of 17, and would go undefeated in his first 20 bouts. He captured the world title on April 21, 1990 by beating Juan Polo-Perez by decision in England, and went on to successfully defend it five times before losing it Julio Cesar Borboa in 1993. After losing his title, he sat out for almost two years before returning and dropping an eight round decision to Ancee Gedeon, but he will always be remembered for his fight against Kid Akeem Anifowoshe in 1991 at HemisFair Arena. He also was one of the few who knew when to walk away and at that point decided enough was enough. He retired at age 25, an age when most fighters are just reaching their peak, and remarkably kept his word and never fought again. But he clearly was never the same after the Anifowoshe fight.
He found satisfaction in his post-fight career first by counseling troubled youths, bringing an authenticity to the job because of his own early brushes with the law, albeit for minor offenses. "He was great," said Dr. Antonio Ramirez, Quiroga's supervisor for two of the 10 years Quiroga worked for the Center for Health Care Services. "Everybody talks about the boxing, but he did a great job with the kids from his neighborhood." Amazingly, Ramirez said Quiroga was so humble that it took months working together before he found out Quiroga had been a World boxing champion. "I was so impressed because he could have been bragging," Because of the low pay in the public health field and with a 2-year-old daughter to go along with an 18-year-old from a previous marriage, Quiroga took advantage of an offer to sell cars for auto baron B.J. "Red" McCombs. He excelled there as well, becoming a top seller with his infectious personality that allowed him to befriend everybody from doctors and lawyers, to insurance agents and bikers as friends," said Felix Medrano. "Blue collar, white collar, upper class or lower class, it didn't matter to him."

Pikin simply had a wonderful and charismatic personality and was a great fan favorite, particulalrly in San Antonio (he was that boxing crazy city's first World Champion). Not unkike many other fearless fighters, he was so very gentle, friendly and humble and would always have time for each and every fan. In the ring, however, he was the quintessential Mexican warrior and there is no greater boxing accolade than that. Sadly, his legacy also would be marred.
On August 17 2004 , Robert "Pikin" Quiroga was ambushed and stabbed multiple times in his hometown. After police responded to the scene, Quiroga passed away on the way to the hospital. He was 34. A passer-by on terstate 10 had flagged down an officer who found Quiroga lying next to his car. A short time later, Ricky "Scarface" Merla, a former member of the Bandido's motorcycle club, was arrested by police in connection with Quiroga's death. Then, in August 2005 and after a quick round of negotiations, it was agreed that Merla woulkd serve a prison sentence of 40 years. Parole would be possible after 20 years, when Merla would be nearly 60.

So there you have it. The tale of two brave men who had a combined total of just 46 bouts. On a hot summer night in 1991, they both went close to the edge in a fight that defined their respective careers and that is the legacy I attribute to them. Two warriors who chose to do it their way. They let it all hang out. One made it; the other did not. Tragedy would later take them both, but hopefully they are together again.

"Boxing is a celebration of the lost religion of masculinity all the more trenchant for its being lost." Joyce Carol Oates

The Night The Tiger Roared

2006-08-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

I suppose a good title for this piece might be, "The Greatest Fighter Nobody Ever Heard About," but that's not the angle I am going to persue. I'd rather concentrate on a fight and a fighter in an attempt to extract some measure of excitement from what I witnessed on television from the Aladdin Theatre in Las Vegas on December 11, 1976. They almost pulled a Heidi at the end, but thankfully I was able to see this bout to its amazing conclusion. Now I just got through watching the video again, but I can't really believe what I saw...................and I thought I had seen just about everything. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Roy "Tiger" Williams was a classic Philadelphia fighter except for one thing. Most of his wars were fought in the gym and Roy was known thoughout the boxing world as the toughest gym fighter around and someone you might want to spare with to prepare for a rough fight. In Zaire, for example, Ali sparred with big Roy and told the media that Williams was bigger, stronger, tougher, and hit harder than Foreman. Probably hype, but maybe not. Roy was both big (6'5) and scary looking. He also had great hand speed, threw punches in combinations, and had a short and deadly left hook that he launched with incredible speed. To make scarry matters even scarier, he made a loud grunting sound everytime he threw a punch.

Williams was always known as a very moody, temperamental person and much of this may have had to do with treatment he received from Ali, for it was rumored that Ali abused him physically in sparring and verbally in camp. Williams also thought Ali owed him money and that he and Ali sparred 10 rounds two days in a row, both trying to hurt the other and at the end. Ali paid the Tiger what the he wanted. At any rate, Roy was feared or avoided by most of the fighters of his era. Perhaps with better handling and management he could have been a top contender or beyond. Though he haunted the gyms, he did have a stamina problem that probably could be traced to poor conditioning.

The following quote from Ernie Shavers book, "Facing Ali," attests to Roy's reputation: "Ali had a sparring partner named Roy "Tiger" Williams. He said, 'If you beat Tiger Williams, I'll give you a shot.' I knew Tiger Williams. He was a tough, tough guy. So I made my mind up I would knock this guy out........." And that brings us to December 11, 1976 at the Aladdin.

The bell rang and Ernie started strong and hit Roy with some of his patented bombs but the Tiger was going nowhere. He had never been stopped but he had never faced a fighter with Shaver's one punch power. As the fight progressed, a ever-so-subtle change occurred around the 8th round as Ernie began to tire and the Tiger began to snap his punches off with more authority all the time grunting with each punch................uhuu, uhuu, uhuu. (Ernie had built up his upper body with weights and commentator Jerry Quarry suggested such a technique could tighten up Ernie's muscles and tire him out.)

In any event, the Tiger was beginning to roar. The ninth round saw a big change both ways. The Tiger started strong and landed a number of solid shots He seemed in charge but then tired midway though the round and Ernie came on, bombing away and Roy had to hold on and regroup. With about a minute to go, it happened. Roy snapped off one of the hardest left hooks I have ever seen and staggered Ernie who was now in big trouble. After some follow-up shots, Shavers looked ready to go as Tiger mixed short left hooks with two or three short right leads on top of Shaver's shaven head. Ernie had no answer and likely was saved by the bell. He staggered back to his corner a very tired boxer. The crowd, which included Joe Louis, was up and roaring; they were anticipating the kill. Clearly, this was the Tiger's time.

The last round began and Shavers came out visibly exhausted while Williams appeared confident and ready to end matters and finally emerge as a serious heavyweight contender. He quickly moved Ernie into a corner and applied brutal, non- stop punishment until the Referee called a standing 8 count. Tiger thought the fight had been stopped, turned around and raised his hands in victory but when he turned back to see a determined Shavers still standing, his spirit visibly sagged. Still, he came on and hit Shavers with blows that would surely have knocked out anybody else. Then, all of a sudden, Ernie started to connect with some medium hard blows to Roy's body which slowed him down. Then Ernie connected with one of his deadly uppercuts with Tiger on the ropes and it straightened him up. He was now hurt and Ernie sensed it. He moved the Tiger into a corner and began throwing his own bombs. Roy Tiger William could not withstand the ferocious onslaught and the Referee now gave him a standing eight, incredibly the second in the round! Ernie stood poised, albeit exhausted, and ready to go. As the referee ordered Roy to begin fighting he took a step forward, hesitated, and then collapsed in the corner a beaten man. Ernie sagged over the ropes too tired to celebrate. The fight was over. Ernie had won, but the Tiger had indeed roared.

As Shavers would later say, "......I trained hard. The first eight rounds, I was ahead on points. He came back in the ninth and the beginning of the tenth, and damned near destroyed me. But I knew I had to win for the Ali fight. They gave me a standing eight count, asked me questions, asked my name, where I was fighting, who I was fighting? I said Las Vegas, Ernie Shavers, Roy Williams. So I knew then, I had to go on the chin and stop him. He came forward toward me and I stepped in and hit him on the chin and I hurt him. And that's when God gave me the strength, and I stopped him."

Roy would close out his career with seven straight wins, 6 by ko. His final record was a decent 30 wins (22 by ko's ) and 6 Losses. Among his opponents were the capable Harold Carter, Larry Holmes, Jimmy Young, Jeff Merritt, Bob Stallings, and Henry Clark. I believe he nows lives in Las Vegas. Shavers, of course, got his fight with Ali...............and God knows he earned it. He would finish with a marvelous record of 74 wins (an astounding 68 by ko), 14 losses and one draw.

Arguably, Ernie Shavers might have been the best heavyweight who never won a title. On the other hand, Roy Tiger Williams might well have been one of the best fighters nobody ever heard of.

"I wouldn't drive through Philadelphia because I didn't want to take a chance on running into Williams." Ernie Shavers

Ted Sares is a syndicated writer who can be reached at Tedsares@adelphia.net.

A Bad Night in Vegas

2006-08-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

His name was Javier Ayala and he was from Los Angeles by way of Tijuana. He had once gone ten rounds with the great Roberto Duran in 1973 in Los Angeles and also went the distance with Leroy Haley. But on this night at the Silver Slipper in Las Vegas, his main event opponent was Bruce Finch whose claim to fame would be that after his 3rd round TKO loss to Sugar Ray Leonard in1982 in Reno, Leonard would have surgery to repair a detached retina.

Coming into the Finch fight, Javier had lost six straight including ones to the very capable Jerry "Schoolboy" Cheatham and Dujuan Johnson as well as to rugged Lou Bizzarro. Arguably, he had become a gate through which prospects must get through before going to the next level.

I was visiting my brother at the time (I had been on assignment in nearby Phoenix and flew in for some R and R), but on this particular July night in 1980 I was alone. After several hours of Black Jack at Bally's and dinner at Kathy's Southern Cooking restaurant, I pursued my real interest of the evening which was to watch a young lightweight prospect out of Youngstown, Ohio by the name of Ray "Boom Boom" Manicini. He had won ten in a row and was on the undercard in a eight-rounder against one Leon Smith whom he blew away in the first round with several unanswered body shots to Smith's liver that you could hear throughout the hall............I was on the aisle near ringside and they sounded like muffled bombs. I was most impressed and anything else on this particular boxing night would simply be icing on the cake.

Chris Schwenke fought his first por fight and won a four-round UD over Bill Fallow. He would then go on a 14 fight win streak. There was an uneventful 6-rounder before the Finch-Ayala bout between Danny Sanders and Irish Pat Coffey which Danny won by TKO in the last round. At that point, there was a brief intermission and I remember this young boy of about 9 or 10 years old who then appeared and was standing just to the rear of my seat. I asked him his name and he said he was Javier Ayala's son. He was very shy and humble. We had a nice exchange and I said I hoped his father would do well. As the fighters walked to the ring, I noticed Javier reach over to pat his son on the shoulder and give him a smile and wink. The fighters were then introduced amidst the usual fanfare and the crowd readied for the main event.

Finch, from Milwaukee, had lost only three fights coming in and these were to the very capable Tommy Hearns, Larry Bonds, and Pete Ranzany. He had won 21 and was touted as having lot's of pop in his punches. The much younger Finch looked to be in excellent welterweight shape, while Ayala, at age 37, looked just a bit shop worn.

As I torched up my Cuesto Rey..........thankfully, there was no political correctness back in 1980, particularly in a gambling casino..........the fighters received their instructions touched gloves, the bell rang and the fight began. The first two rounds were mostly cat and mouse with both fighters feeling each other out and getting in a few decent shots. Finch threw some neat combinations and seemed to have taken control by the end of round two. In the third round is when it happened. Both fighters were coming out of a clinch and as they set themselves, Ayala moved forward to throw a telegraphed looping right. Finch got there first unleashing a short and vicious right uppercut which hit Ayala at the point of his chin. You could hear the blow back in the gambling area. Ayala hit the canvas as if he had been hit with a ten gauge shotgun........and that's when what started out to be a pleasant evening of manly fun became something else. As he landed on his back, his body hit before his head which then whip sawed onto the canvas. He stayed down as his only handler hovered over him and as ringside officials and the referee quickly went to revive him. He was unconscious and stayed that way for between 15 and 20 minutes without so much as moving a limb. A stretcher was being readied, the crowd was hushed, and a genuine sense of concern permeated. Everyone feared the worse. Finch, while elated with his one punch victory, was visibly concerned. While this was all going on, I glanced over at his son standing in the rear area and I'll never forget the look on his face or the tears in his eyes. I went over to him, put my arm around him and said "don't worry, your father will be fine." He was shaking all over and it was all I could do to keep myself composed.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Javier Ayala arose to scattered applause, but their was palpable relief as well. He left the ring under his own power, albeit unsteadily, and seemed okay. As he was heading for the dressing room, he stopped and took his son's hand in his own and they both disappeared from sight as they went into the room. The word that best descibes what I witnessed at that moment was pathos........my overwhelming emotion was one of sympathy and pity. I never found out exactly what happened to Ayala but I do know that was his last fight. He would finish with a record of 21 wins, 24 losses, and 1 draw. Where he is today or where his son might be remain mysteries that I just as soon not solve. My connection with Javier Ayala has remained deliberately unresolved.

As for Bruce Finch, he would go on to win eleven in a row before being stopped by Sugar Ray in 1982. He would then lose six of his next seven fights before retiring in 1985.

To this day, when I get giddy over some fight or engage in a heated argument over boxing in general and need a reality check, I always think back to that bad night in Vegas.........one that would leave me with indelible memories.

"In no other sport is the connection between performer and observer so intimate, so frequently painful, so unresolved." - Joyce Carol Oates

Ted Sares is a syndicated writer who can be reached at tedsares@adelphia.net

Virgil Hill in the Hall

2006-08-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

By Ted Sares

Next year Roberto Duran becomes eligible for induction into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame and that should be a slam dunk. A few years later, Virgil "Quicksilver" Hill also will become eligible and I submit a reasonable, if not compelling case can be made for his induction as well.

Let's look at the facts. Virgil won his first fight in 1984 against Arthur Wright in Madison Square Garden. He defeated Clarence Osby in 1986 at the Felt Forum in New York City to win the WBC Continental Americas Light Heavyweight Title. And in 1987 he beat Leslie Stewart in Atlantic City to win his first world championship belt (the WBA Light Heavyweight Title). Almost twenty years later on Jan 27, 2006 and also in Atlantic City, Virgil beat Russian, Valery Brudov, 31-1, in impressive fashion to win the Vacant WBA Cruiserweight Title. The WBA cruiserweight title was vacant because Jean-Marc Mormeck had been elevated to super champion status after winning a unification bout. Brudov was the top-ranked challenger and Hill was No. 2.

That he earned the fifth world title of his career with a unanimous decision over Brudov on January 26, 200 in Atlantic City at age 42 is all the more remarkable. All three Judges had him winning the 12-round match 118-110 to earn the World Boxing Association cruiserweight title. Incredibly, he was appearing in his 28th world title bout and he used that experience to his advantage in easily beatings his confused opponent. "I couldn't catch him. I was shocked he moved so well for a 42-year-old guy. His experience showed," said Brudov through an interpreter.

In between his Atlantic City title book-ends, he has fought tough competition holding two wins over Frank Tate, 41-5, two victories over Fabrice Tiozzo, 48-2. including one in which he overwhelmed Tiozzo decking him three times in a remarkable one round onslaught in Villeurbanne, France. He has also defeated Donny LaLonde, 41-5-1, James Toney conqueror Drake Thadzi, 30-9-1, Lou Del Valle, 35-3-1, Rufino Angulo, 21-3-3, Adolpho Washington, 31-9-2, Lottie Mwale, 44-9, Marvin Camel, 45-13-4, Jean-Marie Emebe, 27-7, Ramzi Hassan, 35-12-2, Marcos Geraldo, 60-28-1, Leslie Stewart, 31-12, Bobby Czyz, 44-8, James Kinchen, 49-9-2, and Henry Maske, 30-1. The combined won-lost record of just the opponents mentioned in this article is an impressive 833-149.

His 1996 win over Maske was in Munich and was the popular Maske's first loss. Henry retired after that loss. As a fearless road warrior, ten of his big career fights have been in other countries including England, Germany, Australia, France and South Africa. Amazingly, he won seven of them. While some might criticize the number of bouts fought in his home state of North Dakota, "Quicksilver" has had more than his fair share of fights in Atlantic City or Nevada and his willingness to fight in an opponent's home country is reflective of both his courage and his international popularity.

With a 250-11 amature record and a silver medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Las Angeles, Virgil Hill is a 5-time world champion having won titles in both the Light heavyweight and Cruiserweight divisions. He has only five defeats, and three were against truly great competition.....Thomas Hearns, 61-5-1, Dariusz Michalczewski, 48-2, and Roy Jones, 50-4. After taking a long layoff during which he contemplated retiring as champion, he decided to continue but lost his Cruiserweight title to the tough Mormeck, 32-3, in Marseille, France. After this loss he decided to make still another title run against the aforementioned Brudov which, of course, proved successful and which moved his career record to a fine 50 (23 ko's)- 5.

Looking ahead, Virgil says, ".......now I'd like to fight once more and then walk away on my own terms." To this end, he claims he has negotiated a deal to fight Henry Maske in Germany, probably in January. As mentioned above, Hill beat Maske 10 years ago to claim the WBA, WBO and IBF light heavyweight titles. Both boxers are now 42. "It's amazing, at the tender age of 42, everybody wants to beat up on the old boy," Hill said. He negotiated the fight himself, though manager Bill Sorensen is still part of his team. "It was just that in this particular instance, I negotiated it myself," Hill said. "It was great. I got everything I wanted and even more." He declined to disclose the fight's purse except to say it involves "seven figures."

There is another rumor out there to the effect Virgil may defend his title against come backing Thomas "Hitman" Hearns but the Maske fight seems more secure.. On June 3rd, 1991 Hearns outpointed Hill to win the WBA light heavyweight title that he held at the time. But as fellow writer Jim Amato sagely said in another piece, "Thomas Hearns is a legend but he has had only two fights in the last six years. Virgil has stayed active and effective. I understand Virgil wanting to avenge a loss and maybe pick up a nice payday. I understand Tommy wanting to recapture his past glory. In sensible reality though this fight does not make sense. Hearns has done nothing to warrant a title shot at this stage of his career. I hope this fight does not come off for the fan's sake and Tommy's." (Virgil Hill vs. Tommy Hearns II?, 03.07.06 - By Jim Amato)

Whomever "Quicksilver" fights in his "last" one, I believe he has done enough in an amazing career that has now spanned 22 years to warrant inclusion in the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. He beat nine world champions, faced top German fighters.....in Germany, beat Fabrice Tiozzo twice....in France, won five world titles, has a 50-5 career record, an amazing 28 world title fights, three of his losses were against Hall of Fame worthy opponents, and he was stopped only once (by Roy Jones Jr. That should be more than enough. While beating an aged Hearns will not do much for punctuating his chances, beating Maske will. In any event, let's hope he is one of the few to leave boxing on his own terms.

"It's still a tough hustle for the kids," But when they come to visit [the hall of fame], with all they do for boxers here, you know this [museum] is strictly done from the heart......for boxers, it's priceless," Angelo Dundee

Ted Sares is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and can be reached at tedsares@adelphia.net

A Bad Night in Chicago

2006-08-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

A Bad Night in Chicago

By Ted Sares

The night before my fight with "Tough Tommy" Liske at outdoor Rock-Ola stadium on Chicago's Northwest side, I had a sit down with my old man about strategy. Liske was a red headed, green eyed Polish kid from the Wilson Park area. An ex- street fighter who was mean through and through.Though short in stature, he was a hard body with a chin to match and was often willing to absorb heavy punishment in order to mete it out. He combined a straight-ahead style with wind mill attack to overwhelm most of his middleweight opponents. He was a banger rather than a stylist....and I didn't want to engage in his type of brawl.

By 1956 (one of the real glory years of boxing), I was well into my amateur career, so I knew my way around the ring and I had both height and girth on Tommy, but I was not as hard and was prone to nose bleeds and cuts around the brows. I was a boxer-puncher and possessed unusually fast hand with the ability to put punches together in combinations. I also possessed a deadly left hook which had served me well up to this point. In my last fight, I used it to quickly dispatched a so-called fearsome brawler in a tourney at the Great Lakes Navel Center and I was hopefully waiting to do the same to Tommy.

My old man told me that Liske was a come-forward brawler and would try to overwhelm me at the bell so I had best be ready to tie him up with what we hoped was my greater strength. Of course, advising and doing are two different things but I was listening good. Liske was also a dirty fighter who used butts and low blows as a matter of course. Here, the the advice was to stay focused and fight my fight which was to attack behind stiff jabs, setting him up for straight rights and eventually, with some shuck and jiving, the hook.....maybe as a counter.

The next evening was a clear July one in Chicago and thankfully the humidity was low. My bout was the fourth in a venue of eight. The stadium seats were mostly filled, the overhead lights were on and my small but vocal neighborhood following composed mostly of Italians and Greeks was well ensconced. With all due respect to political correctness, urban ethnic rivalries were big in those days. The smell of cigars, beer, popcorn, Polish sausage, Italian beef, and heavily mustered Chicago-style Vienna dogs with chopped onions permeated.

Finally, with a sharp knock and a "let's go"at the door, I left the locker room for the short jaunt to the ring with my dad and coach. No fancy robe, no low hanging, multi colored trunks, no music except for the God-awful organ that played throughout the entire night. Just plain blue G & S trunks, red Everlast gloves, a mouthpiece, spit bucket, towel, old fashioned black high top shoes and an ice bag......no fancy coagulants here. Of course, wearing G & S gear was kind of a hint that a fighter just might be in the know. I acknowledged Tough Tommy wink's at me from across the ring with a nod. It was time and "The Chic" was pumped and ready to rock and roll. I had acquired my nickname due to my hero worship of a Chicago native and pro fullback with the Cleveland Browns by the name of Harry "Chic" Jagade and it just stuck back when I had played high school football.

Well the last thing I heard from my corner was to watch out for his charge across the ring and it proved to be sound advice.The bell rang and Liske came at me like a freight train. I immediately clinched him and threw him to the canvas intentionally falling on him with all my weight and elbows to let him know he was in with an equally tough guy. As the referee got us apart, he did the same thing but this time caught me flush with one of his wild, amateurish shots and my nose opened like a sieve gushing red. The rest of the round consisted of clinching and warnings from the ref to stop holding and begin fighting, but Tommy was just strong enough to prevent me from fighting out of the clinches with uppercuts.

As round one ended, I went back to get the nose stemmed, my face cleaned up and listen to what I had done wrong, but to my surprise I was encouraged to keep tying him up because it was "draining" him. I was also told that when he momentarily stopped his rushes, use that as an opportunity to shoot stiff jabs to keep him at a distance By taking better advantage of my reach and height, my coach believed this would negate Tough Tommy's ability to control things.

Round two started with another incoming rush from Liske and another clinch with no blows being landed. As we broke, I quickly began to jab as instructed between rounds and landed several stiff ones to his face but the result was a head shake to let me know I could do that all night long and it would do me no good. Still, I pressed the action, picked up the pace and initiated several punishing exchanges. I thought that if I could bring his right hand down by feinting with a right cross, I might be able to land my trademark left hook flush and if I did, it would be all over. I also knew I might be able to time my hook after slipping under one of his wide rights so I had two ways to go. Though the later was more orthodox, I tried the former first but Tommy didn't bite countering me with a short, straight right of his own down the pipe. I felt the buzz all the way to my toes and saw little white spots......stars if you will.....going off in and around my head. He had heavy hands as I was finding out but damn it, so did I, as he was finding out. It had now become a pitched brawl with mostly head shots and furious exchanges. He landed more; mine were more compact and damaging. Both of us were now covered with my blood and the crowd was up and cheering its approval at the bell.

Early in round three, after more clinching and holding, the opportunity I was looking for came as I hit him with a powerful lead right which stunned and backed him up in a straight line. After shaking it off, he countered with a telegraphed and looping overhand right which I easily slipped. It was a fatal mistake...or so I thought, and with my adrenalin running at full throttle, I sensed the beginning of the end. As I moved under his missed right, I feinted ever-so-slightly with my head and shifted my weight beginning the shoulder and hip roll that would launch the left hook with maximum speed and power. It worked perfectly as I hit Liske squarely and fully on his exposed jaw. This had always been my guaranteed stopper........the one that gave me my disproportionate record of stoppages and to do it with this rock solid guy would surely enhance my reputation as a top notch amateur...someone to be reckoned with on the midwest circuit. There was just one problem. To my absolute shock, horror and deflated spirit, he did not fall like a chopped tree; he simply grinned at me and waved me in........and no amount of adrenalin, intensity, intestinal fortitude, determination, character, inspiration or even a thousand bowls of Wheaties....could ward off what was coming. From that point on, I knew I was in for a very bad and bloody night in Chicago.

I'm not exactly sure what the moral was to that loss but I do know that after that experience, I never, ever underestimated any opponent's chin nor overestimated the power behind my left hook.

"Every time I hear the name Joe Louis my nose starts to bleed." Tommy Farr:

Ted Sares is a syndicated writer who can be reached at tedsares@adelphia.net