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Sunday, December 23, 2007

Ray Robinson Vs Jake LaMotta


It's a holiday...I'm kickin' it and decided to post another famous one-liner, this one by Jake LaMotta, the fighter who gave Sugar Ray Robinson (I was going to say "the great Sugar Ray Robinson but it goes without saying) his first lost in 131 fights. LaMotta lost to the original Sugar Ray the other five times the two met in the ring. Asked to comment on the unprecedented six fights with Sugar Ray Robinson, LaMotta said he fought the guy so many times that:

"We almost got married."

Friday, December 21, 2007

Archie Moore: The Mongoose

One of my favorite boxers of all time is the great Archie Moore, known as The Mongoose. His career spanned four decades of Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, and Muhammad Ali. Apart from his boxing skills, Moore was an avid reader and could recite whole passages from the works of Shakespeare. He boxed professionally well into old age and he has an astonishing record of 199 wins, 24 losses, 9 draws, with 145 official KOs. He died in Los Angeles at the age of 84. Once, when government officials were embarked on an anti-boxing campaign, Moore challenged a member of the government who wanted to mandate that every boxer be given a test for brain damage.

"I'll take the examination to test for brain damage if you will"


Of course, the government officials declined the offer.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

They Said It But What Does It Mean?


Aside from the pure joy of the sport itself, boxing has had a long line of colorful characters with true insight into the game of life. Not too many people of our era will remember a fighter named Art Aragon but he picked up the sobriquet of "Mr. Sandman" owing to a comment he made after one of his fights. Apparently, he'd taken a sleeping pill by mistake before a fight when he was to take a headache pill:

"I was asleep between rounds, and I wasn't doing too well during the rounds, either,"Aragon said.
.

Aragon was an extremely popular contender in both the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions during the 1950s, an era where boxing was dominated by the Mob. A mobster named Frankie Carbo was notorious for fixing fights he'd bet on. The better known Jake LaMotta admitted he once "took a dive" in order to make things right with the mob boss.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Fox Sports Writer Jay Mohr Loses Mayweather vs. Hatton Fight

I feel a ramble coming on. Ricky Hatton wants to drop back down to a weight class where he can win. From here on it, it’s strictly the money train. And who can blame him? His fight with Mayweather proves he can’t hack it in the rarified air of boxing aristocracy.

Yes, Roger Mayweather was absolutely right in a 24/7 remark he made about gullibility. Uncle Roger was talking about the success of the Rocky movies and how Stallone got to make Rocky 1,2,3, etc…. He pointed out that it was the public’s fascination and love for fantasy.

“But now they’re going to fight. . And now he’s (Hatton) going to find out this is real,” said Roger.

Then he went on to say that Hatton would soon feel that he was thrown into a body of water filled with Piranha.

Roger doesn’t use the Queen’s English, it’s true, but that doesn’t mean he’s as stupid as Jay Mohr, the so-called sportswriter who engaged in demonizing trainer Roger Mayweather because of his informal language usage. It seems like Mohr couldn’t separate his own cultural fantasies from the realities of boxing. I’ve made a short list of some of the Jay Mohr said about the Mayweathers prior to the fight:

1) Mohr described Roger as a person “who looks and acts like an actual homeless person…”

2) Mohr said that a conversation between Floyd Sr. and Roger Mayweather would make “you think you were in line at a soup kitchen.”

3) Mohr said “Don King may be a crook, but at least he can form a sentence, grammar and all.” (the implication being that Roger cannot)

4) Mohr called Roger Mayweather an “uncle and resident psychopath.”

I guess Mohr really reveals himself when he says that Floyd Jr. “seems to really be underestimating Hatton. He has called him a "high-profile club fighter" who has repeatedly said that “Ricky Hatton is not in his league.” Isn’t that exactly what Hatton is? A likable and chubby high-profile club fighter? But Mohr’s true incompetence as a boxing writer and true cultural bigotry comes to the fore in his last statements about the fight.

I'm sure Hatton is indeed grateful (for the chance to fight Mayweather)l, but not nearly as grateful as the rest of us will be when he knocks Floyd on his pretty ass.”
Mohr dreams that “Ricky Hatton knocks out Floyd Mayweather… I wish I could see Floyd, crumbled on the canvas rolling around looking for his money.”


That's some pretty nasty stuff. Can one imagine Mohr directing venom of that type against his sycophants of the baseball diamond, his butthole surfer buddies of the gridiron?

I have dreams, too. I dream that Fox Sports fires Mohr or at least fires him from writing about boxing, a subject he knows next to nothing about. I dream of him coming down from the fucked planet he lives on and admitting that a man’s humanity and his boxing skills are not measured by the ordering of his grammar nor by the artificial posturing of a guy who tries to hide what he doesn’t know to begin with.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

It's a Girl Thing

New York Magazine Writer Alex Morris writes an arresting portrait of 16-year-old amateur boxer Nisa Rodriguez, capturing the pitfalls and frustrations faced by women boxers. Meanwhile, telling photos add dimension to a world closed to the salon set. Morris' strong narrative writing includes movie-like characters: flamboyant boxing promoters, strutting ghetto toughs, and dysfunctional families battling poverty and a lack of prospects. Rodriguez herself, who must spar with men in a sport short on females, shines through with hope and courage.
in New York by Alex Morris, 26 November 2007
Read more here...

Sunday, December 9, 2007

MAYWEATHER!

Who's that upside-down guy over there? A picture's worth a thousand words, they say. I won't be able to analyze the fight because I was too broke to come up with the fifty bucks and too busy to stay up until two a.m. Anyway, Floyd Mayweather Jr. analyzed it for me...with his fists.

A couple of boxers at the Jesse Harris Boxing Gym clued me in anyway. Jamal McKay and RJ had it right. The fight already had its history written even before it started. After getting sucked up in the hype about the Arturo Gatti vs. Floyd Mayweather match, I began to regard Hatton as the same sort of opponent that Gatti would be for Mayweather. Exciting in their own milieu, but not in the same league as PBF. While I had picked Mayweather to win that one, too, I believed that Gatti would force Mayweather to struggle. As it was, Floyd Jr. could have been fighting Gatti with his right hand, and someone else with his left.

Anyway, Ricky Hatton, buh-bye! I see that Lennox Lewis commented that Hatton should retire. I wonder if Floyd Jr. will retire now. If he does, I can understand it. Doesn't need the money. Established a dynasty. Goes down in history. I like the idea of an undefeated retired champion in four divisions. Gives the other boxers a standard to aim for. And good luck. Boxing is a hard sport. Why should Floyd Jr. hang around to wait for old age to claim a victory against him?


Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Mayweather Vs. Hatton: Interview on Fox News -The Last Word

Emily Post may have another viewpoint on the Mayweather-Hatton fight but let's not mix cocktail party manners with boxing. I like Ricky Hatton well enough but the real aristocracy of boxing lies with the Mayweathers. Hatton supporters are legion and all of them point to the 43-0 record of their guy. I admit to being patriotic and want the crown jewels of boxing aristocracy to remain in America but my reasons for supporting a Mayweather victory are far more than that. To me, this is Ricky Hatton's first big fight. He beat Castillo when Castillo was a shot fighter. There's no one who thinks that the Castillo beaten by Ricky Hatton some months ago was the same guy who survived the Diego Corrales wars. There's no reason for anyone to be crowing about beating a Castillo who seemed to have followed Corrales into heaven and history. I busted a gut when I watched that 24-7 coverage in which Hatton ridiculed Mayweather's techniques with the punch mitts. Mayweather's sense of humor and triumph was evident as the poked at Hatton's 43-0 record. He said Hatton's record would be zero and 43 if his opponents were all Mayweathers. But then again, Hatton's and his people will be seeing lots of Mayweathers the whole night and my prediction is that Ricky Hatton will go back to his father's taproom seeing double and triple Mayweathers which, I hope, will not haunt his days for the rest of his life. Ricky Hatton's a tough fighter but a better target. When he scratches Mayweather's surface, he'll discover the beast of boxing's best.

Floyd, jr.! Call me! And now here's the Fox News interview just concluded:

http://msn.foxsports.com/boxing/story/7527392?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=209

How to Begin the Sport of Boxing


I wrote an article on another website for people who were interested in learning to box but who weren't close to the Jesse Harris Boxing and Fitness Gym. The article tells how to find a gym in your area and tells you how to get hooked up with US Amateur Boxing. That's the sanctioning organization for amateur boxing around the entire U.S. . Here's the link.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/403468/how_to_become_a_boxer.html

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Pocono Challenge IV: Highs and Lows


Pocono Challenge IV fell short of its fifteen bout schedule as some boxing clubs who had signed to participate failed to show. That was disappointing for RJ Sockwell who was looking to wrap up his amateur career with an impressive victory. It was also unfair to other fighters like Danny Sandoz who showed up ready to fight. You can’t fight them if they don’t show up, however, and not showing up for a scheduled bout is one good way to keep your record intact. But it’s not the way to earn R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

The first bout featuring Jesse Harris boxer Jarod Sharp was definitely not disappointing for boxing fans. Sharp came alive about twenty seconds into the first round and found the target for a right hand that would eventually lead to the downfall of his game opponent, Devon McMaster of the 3rd Street Gym. Sharp had been in the gym and working hard for months. The improvement in technique was noticeable as he set up the punishing right with Sharp left jabs. As the fight wore on, Sharp’s right hand power became inevitable where it had been merely dangerous. McMaster, trained by veteran fighter Luis Melindez, kept to his feet by an effort of will and was himself an effective puncher. It was the kind of fight you’d watch again.

John Grimaldi, another Jesse Harris novice, also showed pedigree and fight sense in his first fight. Struggling at first, Grimaldi steadfastly held to his fight plan as his opponent slowly weakened. In the last round, Grimaldi pressed forward, landing straight shots against an opponent who started strong but couldn’t maintain the pace.

Lucas Robinson of Pedone’s Heavy Hitters gym in Stroudsburg lost his first fight against an opponent with five fights under his belt. In losing, Robinson earned the respect of his opponent and also of fight fans. The battle was toe-to-toe, no retreat, and no surrender against two guys who refused to yield.

Alex Gaca, another boxer from the Jesse Harris gym lost his fight when he hit the canvas after a flash knockdown. The referee decided the match shouldn’t continue and stopped the contest.

Heavyweight Anthony Himelright lost by decision to Eric Newell in a bout in which neither man established a convincing dominance.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Interview with The Contender Producer Jeff Wald

All season long, we watched out for the finale of The Contender Series on ESPN. My early prediction of a Codrington victory turned out to be close but wrong in the end as Biko took the Contender belt. Far away in California is Barbara Pinnella, an internet acquaintance of mine. Barbara's currently tracking down Sugar Ray Leonard for an interview. Meanwhile, she cornered Contender producer Jeff Wald. Click on the link to readBarbara Pinnella's interview with the ESPN exec.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/453917/an_interview_with_the_contender_season.html

Sunday, November 25, 2007

The Meaning of a Punch



Alex Morris writes an arresting portrait of 16-year-old amateur boxer Nisa Rodriguez, capturing the pitfalls and frustrations faced by women boxers. Telling photos add dimension to a world closed to the salon set. Morris' strong narrative features the usual gym characters: flamboyant boxing promoters, strutting gangstas, and dysfunctional families battling poverty and a lack of prospects. Rodriguez herself, who must spar with men in a sport short on females, shines through with hope and courage.
in New York by Alex Morris, 26 November 2007
It's worth reading. Read more here...










Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Pocono Challenge IV: Boxing at the Big Wheel








POCONO CHALLENGE IV





The Jesse Harris Boxing Team will be hosting its fourth boxing show at The Big Wheel on North 5th Street in Stroudsburg on Saturday, December 1. Some quick notes:

• Doors open at 6:00 p.m with the first bout set to begin at 7:00 p.m.

• Five fighters from the Jesse Harris Boxing Team are scheduled to compete. Interesting newcomers are John Grimaldi and Jarod Sharp. You’ll see that “new” doesn’t necessarily mean “inexperienced.” Jarod will be starting at ESU in January, and Joe is at NCCC. For Grimaldi, this will be his first bout with USA Boxing. The Pocono Mountain southpaw has been working hard at the gym and getting "A"s in school. Lucas Robinson will also compete--he's from Pedone's Heavy Hitters and will be making his debut on the Jesse Harris boxing card.


• Jeremy Kramer has returned to the ring after a hiatus and still looks sharp. Jeremy’s a hard worker, as most boxers must be. Jeremy juggles boxing with a nearly full-time job, and studies at East Stroudsburg University. Another returning fighter is Navy veteran Joe Boneillo, another ESU student, motivated to box by the childhood memory of a relative in the fight game.


• Another thing to look forward to is that Open Class fighter, R.J. Sockwell will be fighting his last match as an amateur. Sockwell’s been boxing the pros in frequent sparring sessions around the country, so the move to professional boxing is a logical step. Sockwell comes from a boxing family and has it in his genes. A while back, R.J introduced me to his cousin, heavyweight Monte Barrett, and also to Zab Judah. Both of these well-known fighters had, like myself, gone to watch Sockwell compete in the New York PAL semi-finals in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. It should be an interesting match. With RJ's spreading reputation, there are lots of boxers wanting to take Sockwell down.

• Another Stroudsburg boxing team will have fighters on the card. Danny Sandoz of Pedone’s Heavy Hitters will be featured in the 110 pound class. Danny’s trained by Brian Pedone of East Stroudsburg. You wouldn’t think a guy in Sandoz’ weight class could punch so hard, but you’d be wrong. Another competitor from Pedone's boxing club is Lucas Robinson.

As of this writing, arrangements are still being made to find an opponent for heavyweight Anthony "Jug" Himelright. Anthony was disappointed last time around when his opponent failed to show. This time, Xtreme Fitness owner and boxing impresario Jesse Harris has lined up two possible opponents for Himelright.

"I hope they both show up," says the volatile Himelright with the characteristic wide grin.


• Other PA boxing teams which will participate in the event include the Harrisburg Boxing Club, Bozy’s Dungeon of Philadelphia, Blaze Boxing in Lancaster, Tiger Schulman’s gym in Allentown, Simmerall's Gym from Scranton, PA. Participating New Jersey teams are from New Brunswick and Pleasantville, NJ.


Tickets for the bouts are $20.00 with Ringside Tables for $25.00.


Tickets can be purchased at the Big Wheel or at Jesse Harris Xtreme Fitness on Rte 209 south of Stroudsburg (formerly known as the JBA Gym).





View Larger Map



The Big Wheel is located by heading North from Stroudsburg on North Fifth Street (also known as Rte 191). There's always some confusion (my own) about whether the Big Wheel is in Stroudsburg or East Stroudsburg. Don't worry about it. It's straight out from 5th Street, just a little past Stoke Mill Road. For BOXING INFORMATION call JESSE HARRIS XTREME FITNESS AT 570-421-7611.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

The Lions of Madison Square Garden: Cotto and Mosely


The lions fought toe-to-toe in Madison Square Garden last night as Miguel Cotto battled to a unanimous but close decision against Sugar Shane Mosely, one of the world’s best fighters. Mosely’s 44-5 record doesn’t say it all for him and boxing insiders recognize him for the true champion he is. Mosely’s defeats came from serendipity, from rising to insurmountable challenges, from a refusal to take the easy routes that others with better win-loss records would have taken.

For that matter, Miguel Cotto seems to have metamorphosized from a block of stone, a dauntless throwback fighter who speaks softly and takes no prisoners. There’s not a wall or a block of stone anywhere that Miguel Cotto wouldn’t go up against with his fists and his iron will. The quiet, unadorned American champion from Puerto Rico does not have the outgoing personality of his predecessor, Felix Trinidad, but he’s gone further into the dark night of visceral struggle than anyone in modern boxing history. Miguel Cotto is quick to express his admiration of Trinidad but says:

“I’m Miguel Cotto. I’m not Felix Trinidad.”

The thousands of fans at Madison Square Garden and millions more in America already know that. Miguel Cotto may have a setback along the way to boxing greatness, but he’s gotten up off the deck to win before. As with all lions, he is made up of tooth and claw and an indomitable heart.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Calzaghe Defeats Mikkel Kessler in Denmark November 3

Joe Calzaghe’s defense of his super middleweight title wasn’t exactly a walk in the park but it had a predictable ending. He struggled through the early rounds trying to avoid Mikkel Kessler’s right hand rocket shots, but gained ground through the middle rounds on ring experience and boxing skills.

Keller found a temporary solution to Calzaghe’s habit of leaning too far forward—the right uppercut. After a late discovery of that punch, he used it effectively until the more experienced Calzaghe made an adjustment. After that, it was experience all the way which won the rounds for Calzaghe, peppering with jabs, lots of body movement, and plenty of punches.

Give Kessler his props, though, there’s no quit in the boy. Kessler had a resurgent twelfth round in which he tracked Calzaghe with his body radar to mount a hard punching and furious attack.

Final thoughts: Fire Howard Lederman from HBO. That screeching voice and continuing cheerleading for the popular favorite makes him a useless sidetrip and obstacle to boxing enjoyment. If ever there’s been a guy who has no insight into a fight, it’s Lederman. He had Kessler winning only two rounds at the end of the fight. What on earth does that man do to keep his job? The official judges had the fight much closer than Lederman did, and the official judging was about right in my book.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

RJ Sockwell Breaking It Down on the Mosely-Cotto Fight




Blogging's a lot of fun. From blogging, I've learned a lot about writing and a lot about boxing. I often consult with other people at the gym to get opinions and ideas about where this is going. RJ Sockwell's one of the people I often talk to. Sockwell often gives me a different insight into the world of boxing. So it seemed natural that I'd ask him to write an article for us about the upcoming Mosely-Cotto fight. Here's RJ's commentary:

Fast & Furious" is the way HBO is billing the fight between two mega-stars of the Welterweight Division, Miguel Cotto and "Sugar"Shane Mosely. Lets start with champion, Miguel Cotto, and his record of (30-0, 25 KOs). The current undefeated WBA world welterweight champion is a devastating puncher but he’s most effective to the body. Cotto’s performance in his last fight on June 9th against my man Zab "Supa"Judah, former two-division world champion, ended up in a 11th round knockout. That shot Cotto directly into superstardom.

I feel that Cotto doesn’t have the greatest chin in the world and that will be the way Shane will get him out. Let’s take a look at the 3rd generation "Sugar", Mr. Mosely himself (44-4, 37 KOs ) , a three-division world champion. He had a few big performances in recent years most notably against Oscar de la Hoya and Fernando Vargas. Mosely fought both those opponents twice each, as well as world champions Phillip Holiday, Raul Marquez, Jesse James Leija and John John Molina. That’s not to mention Mosley’s victory overt Luis Collazo for the WBC Interim Welterweight title.

Let me break it down for you on the Mosely-Cotto fight:

Mosely will start strong and finish the exact same way. Cotto will start slowly as usual but will land those oh so effective body shots early on to try and slow Mosely down bc Mosely has the speed of a 07 Ferrari. For the first four rounds, I see Mosely beating Cotto to the punch. You never know how Cotto will respond to that constant pressure along with the fact that Cotto punches in between his opponent’s punches. I have Mosely winning the fight by knockout in the 10th round !

It’s not what I think, at least not on the bigger scale of things. What do you guys think after reading my analysis? I urge you to visit the poll over on the right and vote for who you think will win. And don’t forget to tune in to HBO PPV on sat. Nov. 10 for what could be the Fight of the Year.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Quick Facts: Calzaghe-KesslerFight, Economics, Geography, and Punching Power



The fight is to be held at the legendary Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. That’s part of the English speaking world, in the U.K, I’ve heard. From the description, Millennium Stadium is supposed to be one swell place.

The expected crowd of 50 to 60 thousand may beat the record of 47 thousand for a fight in October 1993 between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank.

Americans have paid little attention to European fighters unless they came to the U.S. Now, all that seems to be changing with HBO’s investment of more than a million bucks in this one.

This is a super-middleweight category where Kessler holds the WBC and WBA division belts. Kessler gets 2 million for this fight and Calzaghe gets 2.5 million. Uh, that’s pounds, not dollars. Yesterday when I checked it out, the British pound was worth $2.07 approximately. For a rough count of the purse, multiply by two. Do the math. Duh!

The fight starts at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday—that’s Cardiff Time. Preliminaries begin 9:00 p.m. on the East Coast and 6:00 p.m. on the West Coast. Hell, does that mean that all those loopy people in Lost Angeles will know who won before we do?

Hotels and restaurants are fully booked. Unless you’re loaded, there will be no room at the Inn.

Calzaghe is aged 35. This is his 21st defense. He’s 43 and 0.

Kessler’s fought only once in the U.S. He’s mostly unknown but he’s no joke.

Thank you, HBO! It’s not PPV. You can watch it free with your subscription to the HBO channel.




.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

John Duddy Versus Kelly Pavlik? Not Yet, Anyway





Middleweight John Duddy racked up another victory in Dublin on October 20. Inasmuch as they’re both middleweights, there has been considerable talk in boxing circles of a matchup with Kelly Pavlik, fresh from his win over Jermain Taylor.

Opinion regarding such a matchup hasn’t been gentle. I’ve lifted a couple of quotes of fight fans who commented in the Google Videos.

“Duddy is tough and exciting but not in Pavlik’s league”….

“Duddy hasn’t beaten anyone with a name, and he probably never will.”

“I like duddy_ but I feel bad for him. Pavlik is gonna’ kill him in the ring probably…”

There were some other less gentle comments, too, and some confusion about weight classes as one passionate Duddy fan argued that his man would “…kill Judah, Cotto, and Mayweather…etc.”….. That touched off a flaming internet hissy fit and the offender was verbally battered to the ropes by more savvy boxing aficionados.

Back in the world, boxing is a business and Duddy’s business managers are Eddie Loughlin of Queens, NY and Brian Peters, the promoter. It won’t be any time soon they’ll risk their guy against Pavlik. Pavlik has a rematch clause with Taylor at 168 pounds, for one thing. Another factor concerns the business interests of John Duddy and the people who support him. Loughlin and Peters understandably wish to build up fan interest among the wildly passionate Irish in Duddy’s home country as well as in the U.S. That’s the reason they’re trying to put him into another match outside the U.S., this time in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for December 8. The strangeness of that date is that the rest of the world will be watching the Floyd Mayweather- Ricky Hatton bout scheduled for the same date. Perhaps that’s not so weird considering the enflamed passions of Northern Ireland where the Duddy name is well-known. Duddy’s uncle (also named John Duddy) was a victim of the infamous Bloody Sunday shootings in which he, among 17 others, were shot to death by British paratroopers.

Duddy’s got an appealing personality and a throwback style that appeals to many fans, myself included. American trainers have been working on brushing up his defense, as Duddy tends to get hit more than he should if he expects to last.

My own interest in Duddy is piqued from talking to him a bit when he visited the Jesse Harris Boxing Gym about a year ago, along with the undefeated James Moore. Duddy gets great leverage on his punches if the opponent is inclined to stand in front of him. The humble, self-deprecating style is amusing as he runs through a litany of boxers and trainers whom he admires. Duddy enjoys the support of his fans while keeping in check the neon-flashing ambitions of rising to the top of the world’s middleweight division.


His managers and trainers are wise to work on the defense and to build up the gate by a date in Northern Ireland before sending him into the ring with the bigger and taller Kelly Pavlik.


Friday, October 26, 2007

Jorge Delgado

Marvin Pinto

Jorge Delgado Trains for Upcoming ESPN Fight November 10



Jorge Delgado's better than his even up professional record would indicate. He says he's back on track for a win on ESPN's Thursday Night Fights on November 10. Believe it.

Marvin Pinto Training for November 9 Fight at the New Alhambra in Phila



Marvin Pinto of Allentown has an up close and personal brawling style. He's a strong and a relentless puncher. His fighting style looks a little bit like current titleholder Miguel Cotto. That may be because the two met before. Cotto lost to Pinto in an amateur bout a few years ago. I'm sure Marvin would like to meet up with him again sometime. Meanwhile, you can catch a glimpse of him sparring with our own R.J Sockwell farther down this page.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Like to Fight?: Check out The Chicago Tribune Article on Boxing

Read the following article about the boxing which appeared today in the Chicago Tribune:

"These days boxing seems so ...

What's the word? Old-fashioned?

Maybe that's why the spectacle Monday of all those exuberant young boxers from around the world parading down State Street and clicking cell-phone photos in the Chicago Theatre seemed so ...

What's the word? Quaint?

If you've been paying attention to the news, you know that a bevy of amateur boxers from such places as Belarus, Albania, Uganda and Wales has descended upon Chicago out of the blue for an event I'd wager most of us have never heard of, the AIBA World Boxing Championships.

There was once a time when even the average American sports dunce knew something about boxing. Anybody could name Joe Louis, Sonny Liston, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman before he had a grill. You could have a sports IQ of zero and still know about Mike Tyson biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear.

But boxing times have changed. Quick: Who's the current heavyweight champion of the world?

It's a question that people in a different era would have had the answer to in their top mental drawer.

"The current champ?" said my favorite parking lot security guard, Anthony. "I haven't watched boxing in a while." He kept rummaging through his mind. "The champion, right? I'm a little offbeat on the champions."

"The champion right now?" said my twentysomething sports-nut friend Michael. "I don't know. But going back ..."

No need to go back. The point is made. To many an average American, boxing is a blast from the past.

"Cinderella Man" might be a 2005 movie, but in it Russell Crowe plays a 1930s boxer. By 2006 when Sylvester Stallone reprised his most famous role in "Rocky Balboa," big-time boxing seemed as passe as the idea of Stallone as a sex symbol.

Here in the new millenium, a boxer -- Floyd "Pretty Boy" Mayweather -- has to go on "Dancing with the Stars" with the likes of Marie Osmond to get the public's full attention. (He was, incidentally, recently booted off the show.)

"Most of the big boxing shows go to Las Vegas now where they hook up with casinos," said my former colleague Michael Hirsley when I called to ask about boxing past and present. Michael's working this week as a consultant and press officer for the World Boxing Championships.

Casino owners offer boxing matches as perks to big-spending gamblers, he said. Money flows all around. Chicago was once a boxing hub but now, outside Las Vegas, most of the big boxing matches are in Mexico or Europe. And Chicago boxing fans tend to be Hispanic or Eastern European.

It's as easy to demonize boxing as it is to romanticize it. Boxing can be brutal in a way that makes football look like a fox trot.

But it has long been a means for poor kids to work their way up in the world, and for immigrants to make their place. A century ago, in Chicago and elsewhere, young boxers were often Irish, Jewish and Italian. African-Americans became prominent in the sport. Now it's newer immigrants or, as this week's World Boxing Championships suggests, people from parts of the world where boxing can still be a ticket up and out.

Whatever you think of boxing, it's moving to see how excited the boxers of the world are to be in Chicago.

Even if a lot of Chicagoans don't know that there are four current heavyweight world champions, none of them American."




ChronicBoxing fights back, though. Here's the email and post I sent to the Chicago Tribune: You do make some good points but overall I don't agree with you. Boxing suffers from its own excesses and from the splintering of the market into PPV, HBO, SHOBOX, ESPN, and many different boxing organizations,each of which has a "title" but none are the undisputed title held by Muhammad Ali. Let me share my humble opinions:

1) Check out Cotto-Mosely and Mayweather-Hatton. Look at the numbers when those fights take place.

2) Read about a currently filming movie about Micky Ward and starring Brad Pitt and Mark Wahlberg. You can read about that in one of my own "articles" at


http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/410073/the_fighter_stars_mark_wahlberg_and.html


Your parking lot attendant is not a good source for real boxing news. Passions are high among real boxing fans who are even more fanatical. Ricky Hatton (from England) recently got 7,000 people to book flights to America for his last match at Madison Square Garden with aging Jose Luis Castillo.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Franklin McNeil: The Best Boxing Writer Analyst Ever?




I just had to call some attention to Franklin McNeil, boxing writer for the New Jersey Star Ledger. At a time when some newspapers carry no news at all of this greatest of all sports, Franklin McNeil has been the boxing sportswriter I most admire. By coincidence, the man himself appears on the right side of this page as the author of another great Star Ledger boxing story. This one's about Joe Calzaghe and Mikkel Kessler. It's a MUST read.

Franklin McNeil is positively the best, much needed at a time when good boxing writers are in short supply. McNeil really knows what he's talking about. Pay particular attention to what he said about Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz, a virtually uknown (until last week) fighter I've been watching for a long time. Is McNeil right on the money when he says Pacquio is trying to circumvent the "Baby Bull" and take a fight with David Diaz, hoping that name confusion gets him over the top?

Thursday, October 18, 2007

November is National Boxing Month






Okay, the headline is a little stretched. But October was, for me, the Sargasso Sea of boxing. I was out of the money and pissed off about paying too much for the PPV. Of course, there was the great accomplishment of Kelly Pavlik in knocking out champion middleweight Jermain Taylor. And there was Sam Peter’s deserved victory over Jamil McCline. Not to mention Pacman’s determined victory over the legendary Marco Antonio Barrera.

But November’s looking good for lots of reasons. Consider the November 3rd fight at Super Middleweight between Welsh boxer Joe Calzhage and Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler. Neither of these names is well known to the American boxing public but gained considerable name recognition in the U.S. since defeating Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy, a powerful puncher who was bedazzled by the Calzhage ring generalship. Calzhage is an active puncher who uses the ring to a great advantage. In the career changing fight with Lacy, it seemed that the American couldn’t find Calzhage anywhere except with his forehead which was cratered with jabs. That was another of my bad boxing picks. I should have listened to Teddy Atlas. The former fight trainer and boxing commentator touted Calzhage long before the Lacy fight took place.

Mikkel Kessler is a virtual unknown in the U.S. where there is the traditional tendency to view European fighters as somehow pale in comparison to American and Latin competition. Yet the onslaught of the Russians and the determined drive of dynamic fighters like Ricky Hatton has done much to dispel that notion. Add in a little Calzhage and sprinkle with a little Kessler and you have an interesting mix. Call it the globalization of boxing, if you will. Let me just say one thing about Kessler and about boxing in general. You never know who’s going to come out of the corner. I saw Kessler operating only once but he was devastatingly analytical against a tough and determined Mexican fighter Librado Andrade. You had to see that to appreciate it. For Kessler, it must have seemed like chopping down an oak tree with your bare fists.

You’ve got to hand it to Miguel Cotto. He fights any and all comers. It’s a good thing—for boxing fans. And it’s a good thing I’m not Cotto because Sugar Shane Mosely is the one guy I might like to duck if I were champion of that division. As things stand now, the two have a date for November 10th on PPV. It breaks my heart, kind of, because you have the serious, soft-spoken humble champion Cotto who marches forward with guns blazing into the maelstrom of Shane Mosely, one of the unrecognized geniuses of boxing history. Mosely’s career has been mind-boggling with losses to Vernon Forrest standing out and in the way of his Hall of Fame record. Sometimes I think that Sugar Shane should be standing right where Floyd Mayweather is right now, in front of English champion Ricky Hatton at Welterweight. I respect Hatton, personally, but I’m picking Floyd “Money” Mayweather. My hit on it is that Ricky won’t be able to get out of the way whereas Mayweather’s style is guaranteed to frustrate. I like the fight because somewhere, deep inside Mayweather, is a greater fighter than we have yet seen. And call me a chauvinist, alright. I always go for the ‘merkan. That’s “American” for those of you who don’t speak “cracker.”

There are some interesting happenings in the Jesse Harris Gym with RJ Sockwell preparing to turn professional. The young man from Stroudsburg by way of Queens New York has been getting in lots of sparring with professional fighters at King’s Gym in Reading and at Larry Holmes Gym in Easton, Pennsylvania, and just about anywhere he can find someone willing to stand in with him. While there are a number of up-and-coming fighters at the Jesse Harris gym, most are in the learning stages of their careers. Sockwell is in a league apart. It’s something that is hard to get across to prospective sparring partners until they step into the ring. At that point, it becomes difficult to get them back into the ring.

Aside from superb conditioning and fighting talent, Sockwell is cruelly analytical about the fight game. He seems to know what the opponent is going to do before he climbs the steps to the ring. Sockwell and trainer Jesse Harris work together in a pairing that is intimate and sometimes bristling, but the ringside communication is swift and virtually unspoken. Sockwell is eager, quick, intelligent and powerfully accurate with his punches when he’s on his game. Harris is a mercurial, energetic, adaptive, and unforgiving teacher.

As thing stand, no date has been set for Sockwell’s pro debut and inquiries are being made at the new Mount Airy Casino scheduled to open on Monday, Oct. 22.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Advice for the Beginning Boxer: Amateur Boxing



Click on the Title: "Advice for the Beginning Boxer." This will take you to a full article detailing what you need to know if you're considering the sport of boxing. Advice for the Beginning Boxer will be a regular feature of Chronic Boxing. For parents, amateur boxing is one of the best things you can do for your kid(s).

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Gatti vs. Ward Boxing War Becomes a Movie






There’s all this buzz about an upcoming movie (The Fighter) about retired boxer “Irish” Micky Ward. It wasn’t so long ago that the durable and determined fighter from Lowell, Massachusetts was slugging it out center ring with Arturo Gatti, a fighter who should have retired after his third legendary and bruising battle with Ward. To fight fans, those three meetings were memorable for their ferocity and for their exhibitions of courage under fire. Some may regard it as hyperbole when one hears a mere boxing match described as a “war”. To those who watched, however, the metaphor is fitting inasmuch as it was a war without guns. The movie is simply titled “The Fighter”.

Micky Ward never won any of the major titles, yet many boxing fans think he should have a statue or monument placed somewhere in the New England states much as the Rocky statue still adorns the Philadelphia Art Museum. Ward catapulted into prominence after a tremendous 2001 ring struggle with a highly unusual, highly unorthodox, and yet highly talented fighter variously named Emmanuel Augustus, Emmanuel Burton, Shea Neary, and Antonio Diaz.

That man of four names deserves a movie by himself, yet this one, starring Mark Wahlberg in the title role, is about “Irish” Micky Ward and focuses on his three fights with Arturo Gatti. The film also features co-star Brad Pitt playing Ward’s older brother, a former fighter turned to drugs. The combined memories of the millions of fans who have watched Gatti, Ward, and Emmanuel Burton-Augustus-Neary-Diaz virtually guarantees a large audience for “The Fighter.” Things would have to go horribly wrong for this project to lose money. One expects that Matt Damon may one day kick himself for bowing out of a role in “The Fighter” now played by Brad Pitt.

To say that Mark Wahlberg is taking the role seriously is understatement. For the past year, Wahlberg has been getting up at 4:00 a.m. to train as a fighter trains. He’s following “The Fighter” routine of skipping rope, hitting the speed bag, pounding the heavy bag, hitting the punch mitts, and running during the early morning hours. And as every true fight fan would like it, Wahlberg has a boxing ring set up in his home.

Mark Wahlberg is certain to play a convincing New England working-class tough boy. His role in “The Departed” nearly eclipsed Matt Damon’s in character acting. Like the fighter he will be playing, Wahlberg also grew up on the streets of a blue-collar New England town (Dorchester, Mass.) and was himself a devoted fan of the fighter. Wahlberg’s errant background and youthful scuffles on the mean streets of working class Massachusetts once led to a murder charge which he pleaded down to aggravated assault.

The story of “Irish” Micky Ward is entwined with much of the life in the sturdy New England towns where blue-collar mill workers or fishermen hoist their beers in toasts to their favorite sports figures, but it is nowhere so much entangled as it is with Arturo Gatti, born in Italy, raised in Montreal, and resident of Jersey City, NJ since 1990.

The first Ward-Gatti match was named the “fight of the century by boxing fans and writers. Round nine of that bout was termed “the round of the century,” so fierce was the battle.

The rematch caused Gatti to fight through seven rounds with a broken hand after he dropped Ward in the third. Many fans felt that’s when the fight should have been stopped since Ward went on to take tremendous punishment throughout the remaining rounds.

Though he dropped Gatti hard in round six of Ward-Gatti III, that battle was named “Fight of the Year” by Ring Magazine in 2003. Mickey Ward is clearly the type of fighter who, through heart and determination alone, wins even when he loses. From all indications, Director Darren Aronofsky and stars Mark Wahlberg and Brad Pitt are just as determined to make this a film worthy of the memories fans have of the now retired “Irish” Micky Ward.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

How to Throw a Punch

One of the reasons I find boxing so interesting is that you encounter so many illusionary thoughts and perceptions about the sport. Just about every day I am amazed at what I hear people say about boxing. As for myself, I’ve been wrong about boxing so many times that I sometimes think that the amateur boxers I train would have greater success by doing the opposite of what I suggest. Of course, it’s a rare fighter who listens to his trainer in the first place so perhaps I am not guilty of anything. The first rule of a physician is “do no harm.” The first rule of a boxing trainer should be the same.
I think that one of the most dangerous assumptions about boxing is that there is just one right way to deliver a punch. How do I throw a hook? Throwing a nice hook is really a complicated affair in terms of body mechanics and describing it is even more difficult. Some people are born to the mechanics of that rather awkward motion while others seem incapable of being taught.
Yet, most people can be taught to throw a hook of one type or another, with the result being more or less effective. Whether it is an effect punch in that person’s repertoire cannot be ascertained until the bell rings. Most trainers counsel fighters to throw short hooks from the inside but what if that’s not your best fight? And who hasn’t at least once been tagged (or even dropped) by a long, looping hook which seemed to come from left or right field?
Another great illusion favored by the boxing public is that the most “diesel” or chiseled looking fighter has the best chance of winning. Nothing could be further from the truth. The heavily muscled champions of professional wrestling would stand little chance of winning the championship belt in a boxing ring. Boxing muscles are smooth, long muscles are wired for a fast-twitch response. Even fat, out-of-shape fighters can throw lightening fast punches. Think of James “Lights Out” Toney. Think of the power and speed delivered by wiry little guys like Manny Pacquiao or tall thin guys like Bernard Hopkins or Paul Williams. Boxing muscles may sometimes look pretty but they’re not designed to look pretty; they’re designed to punch.
Now that I’ve said that, I’m thinking of notable exceptions: Evander Holyfield and Ken (old school) Norton. Evander had to develop a great, chiseled body because he is a small heavyweight—he needed to pack on that armor. Ken Norton was an anomaly. Ohmigod...an SAT word!
Boxing wouldn’t be so great a sport as it is if not for the fact that everything you might say about it might one day be overruled, overturned, and just plain wrong.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Blue, Blue, The World is Blue

Yo, WTF is going on here? Why is everything Blue? Except for Amanda, of course...she probably planned the whole thing so that her outfit would contrast.

The very much up and coming fighter warming up is Marvin Pinto of Allentown and Puerto Rico. Is he in on the blue thing too? The sinister looking gentleman leaning against the wall is Giovanni's father. The big guy in the blue shirt is trainer Junior Salcido.

Chillin' at Ringside



Giovanni's been a busy boxer. Check out the earlier film clip of the 125 pounder against Zaul Trujillo, a four time Golden Gloves winner. This photo finds Giovanni in a rare serious mood. Perhaps that's because his sparring partner didn't show up.