Douglin doesn’t deny he’s ‘Da Momma’s Boy’ - Boxing - Yahoo! Sports

Douglin doesn’t deny he’s ‘Da Momma’s Boy’ - Boxing - Yahoo! SportsI saw this kid fight on TV--he was pretty good, managed by his mom. Boxing moms are the bombs...

Can the World Series of Boxing reinvigorate the amateur fight game? - Boxing - Yahoo! Canada Sports#mwpphu-post-form#mwpphu-post-form#mwpphu-post-form#mwpphu-post-form

Can the World Series of Boxing reinvigorate the amateur fight game? - Boxing - Yahoo! Canada Sports#mwpphu-post-form#mwpphu-post-form#mwpphu-post-form#mwpphu-post-formTwo of the worst Olympic boxing performances ever by the United States have been the last two games, the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2004, the U.S.A. boxing team took home only two medals, a gold and a bronze, and in 2008 the U.S. won only one medal, a bronze.

Could be that help is on the way. The World Series of Boxing is a good idea. It provides amateur athletes a modest salary and other support to help with training.

Boxing Movie "The Fighter" Could Join Other Great Boxing Films - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

Boxing Movie "The Fighter" Could Join Other Great Boxing Films - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.comGreat boxing movies of the recent past include the Rocky movies, Cinderella Man, and my all-time favorite, Raging Bull. Who else but Robert DeNiro could make movie magic of great lines like "I don' go down fuh no-bod-y!" That was DeNiro's Jake LaMotta character telling his brother he wouldn't take a dive in a fight no matter if the brother told the mob boss he'd deliver.

I didn't know we'd be waiting so long when I wrote an Associated Content article in October 2007 about The Fighter, a boxing film modeled on the life of "Irish" Mickey Ward. Finally, the movie has been released to strong, favorable reviews.

Robert Guerrero Talks Escobedo, Marquez-Katsidis, More - Boxing News

Robert Guerrero Talks Escobedo, Marquez-Katsidis, More - Boxing News... Here's a fighter con caractere.... Robert Guerrero. I've been following him since he started. He's from Gilroy, not far from where one of my sisters lives. He's a family favorite with my crazy bro-in-law's family, too--they from Nevada and So. Cal.

Guerrero was on his way to the Big Title Belt in the Sky when his wife became grievously ill and he stopped fighting to take care of his family. That's character. I'm not sure I would have done the same. Of course, in my case, I have no boxing talent. Up with the real fighters, the only thing I learned about myself was that I could take a beating.

At some point, I figured out that wasn't the object of boxing. You were supposed to be better than all the other guys. Anyway, this is about Guerrero.

He's coming to the East Coast (New Jersey) on November 6. He's one tough hombre, a little wiry guy with great heart, a good chin, and skills. I can't imagine being out of boxing for so long and making a comeback but Guerrero has lots of shine. His last victor was over Joel Casamayor and everyone knows he was not boxing dunce.

Anyway, be there for Guerrero, "the Ghost." You'll like him lots.

Boxer Hatton's fight license withdrawn | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

Boxer Hatton's fight license withdrawn | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, FeaturesEveryone's weighing in on Ricky "Fatty" Hatton's loss of his boxing license. Hatton says he doesn't have a drinking/cocaine problem but the British board which licenses boxers thinks otherwise.

The loss of a license to fight in England does not necessarily translate into the loss of his license to fight elsewhere, but it's a moot point. Hatton is an enterprising, likable, and entertaining personality but his career lost lustre in his defeats, and his out of boxing behavior likely wreaked havoc on his physical skills.

Hatton was a good fighter, but not a top-tier fighter. I hope he can get over his beer and coke problems and discover that life has excitement beyond what the ring provides. We do understand the unparalleled excitement which comes from climbing into a boxing ring under hot lights of television and the roaring of the crowd, but booze and drugs can't fill that hole.

Ricky Hatton has to make a good life outside the ring. He still has his promoter's license. He can help others, first of all by serving as a model and giving up on self-medication.

Michael Vick, Antonio Margarito and Plaxico Burress: Athletes' fate in the court of public opinion - NFL - Yahoo! Canada Sports

Michael Vick, Antonio Margarito and Plaxico Burress: Athletes' fate in the court of public opinion - NFL - Yahoo! Canada Sports This is an article about...well, the people named in the title. First of all, they need to get Plaxico Burress out of jail after the New YOrk mayor prejudiced the entire New York City court system against him. As for Vick, he's the best quarterback. Antonio? Well, he got off lucky and wasn't charged with anything, but they rescinded his boxing license. California refused to give it back. Texas just granted him a license. But read the whole thing...

Danny Sandoz & Aaron Gosciilo at the Gym

 

Boxer Timothy Bradley: Too Much Fun Against Lamont Peterson?

Boxer Timothy Bradley: Too Much Fun Against Lamont Peterson?Timothy Bradley vs. Lamont Peterson was a great 2009 fight. Peterson has had one sucessful comeback fight and needs to make a date for another. Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley is on the hunt for greater glory and just might find it.

The July 17 matchup between Tim Bradley and Luis Carlos Abregu will be broadcast on HBO’s Boxing After Dark. HBO rightly bills the junior middleweight match between California’s Alfredo Angulo (18-1, 15 Kos) and Joachim Alcine (32-1, 19Kos) as a “co-main event.”

Rabbi Foreman Loses Title to Mourning Miguel Cotto

I like both these fighters, and I have a bitter feeling about Cotto's loss to Margarito. I fear Cotto took an unnecessary beating from Margarito who may have stored plaster in his gloves.

But I didn't expect Foreman to last so long against Miguel Cotto, who was mourning the death of his father, but has tremendous heart and coping skills.

According to the New York Times (not coverage I usually read but not bad, on the whole) story, Foreman stayed even with Cotto, who had gone up a weight class to take Foreman's title.

Foreman gets considerable street cred for his travails and his life's tale. Too bad he had to leave Israel to get proper gym time. That's too bad. Word to Bibi--support a boxing program. He went to New York and worked in the garment district for $200 bucks a week, according to the NYT.

Foreman was interviewed on Fox News a day before the fight. It wasn't the most exciting interview because the geeky guy who interviewed Foreman made the usual trite noises that TV people do when interviewing boxers. But Foreman was affable, a bit reticent, as he told his story in brief.

Seems like a win-win for Miguel Cotto, for Yuri Foreman, for Yankee Stadium. The ninth round TKO came as a surprise when Foreman slipped and aggravated an existing leg injury. Unable to move on his legs, Cotto did what he was supposed to do, crushing his opponent and ending the fight.

I like one of the refreshingly honest quotes from Foreman after the fight. Foreman didn't take a knee in talking about the leg injury (made no excuses in other words)

"“I’m a world champion,“And now, I’m a former world champion. But when you have a title, you never quit. I didn’t want it to be stopped.”

The quote is from the New York Times, story by Greg Bishop. The link is provided in the text and the article is well worth reading.

Danny Sandoz v. Anthony Cintron

 

Danny at Work: Pedone's Gym

 

Danny "Super" Sandoz working out at Brian Pedone's Heavy Hitters Gym in Stroudsburg. Danny's kept faith with the boxing while others have tailed off into...whatever.... His weight still hovers around 115 but he looks better, more muscled up, and his boxing skills are sharp. He's got a match scheduled for this weekend in Philadelphia and expects to go to the Ringside Tournament in Missouri during the summer.

Floyd Mayweather Fighting Manny Pacquaio in November?

That's what Larry Merchant is saying anyway, and he says he has some sources for expressing that opinion. According to Merchant, Pacquiao is accepting Mayweather's terms for steroid and similar testing 14 days before a scheduled fight.

This needs to happen because PacMan didn't look so hot fighting a sluggish Joshua Clottey recently. Clottey seemed as if were worried about catching germ from Manny Pacquaio so infrequently did he punch at his opponent.

Clottey was content to protect himself and try the occasional KO punch but even seemed to lack enthusiasm for that. I think Mayweather's far the better fighter, and his showing against Sugar Shane Mosely proved he had a chin.

So....this fight has to come off because there is no alternative to Mayweather and it's the fight everyone wants to see. My prediction, unfortunately, is that Pacquiao's people are playing with perceptions, and that they'll find some reason for the fight to take place.

So whom would you believe? Me or Larry Merchant? (Don't answer that one.)

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Gym Training. Heavyweights. (www.twitter.com/Maywea...

Remember Leyon Azuibike? Here he is with his brother, whom I've never met, working out with Roger Mayweather. Naturally athletic and smart, both of them. I think they've got something going on....

Undercard to Mosely V. Mayweather Not so Atrocious - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

Undercard to Mosely V. Mayweather Not so Atrocious I'm weird. I like the undercards. Where you start is not necessarily where you end up. The only guy I know who was born with a title belt around his waist was Muhammad Ali.

Saul Alvarez: 19 Year Old Red-Haired Mexican "Veteran" a New Star?

You've got to like this muscular 19 year old with red hair. And lest I be accused of "profiling," I've met lots of Latinos with red hair and other features which seem striking when the ring announcer says "in this corner" is Saul Alvarez, etc....

But Saul Alvarez' red hair would be striking even in Ireland. It's bright red, topping off a lobster-pink and very solid frame featuring strong legs and big lats. He looks like a kid who couldn't move too fast but his speed is surprising, even in the welterweight ranks, where he faced Miguel Cotto's older brother, Jose Cotto, in one of the preliminaries to the Mayweather v. Mosley fight.

This was supposed to be Jose Cotto's showcase fight. Cotto's only previous loss was to Juan Diaz, who now is scheduled to fight Juan Marquez for the 2nd time.

Nobody bothered to tell the Mexican kid, Saul Alvarez, he was supposed to lose to the tough and resilient Cotto. Alvarez stopped Cotto in the 9th round after delivering a solid professional performance. Indeed, Alvarez had virtually no amateur experience whatsoever, unless you count fighting with his five brothers. He's got 31 wins, no losses, one draw. Except for one fight in Florida, in which he knocked out his opponent in the first round, this Cotto fight was Alvarez' second fight in the U.S.

There are things to like about Alvarez. He's well-schooled, very technical, a worker bee with decent speed and power in both hands. Alvarez was geared up for the 10 rounder, the distance all his fights have been since age 17 (except for two 12 rounders). The boxing commentators who covered the night's matches were off balance and spent the night touting Cotto. Jose Cotto was no easy tuneup; his squat, powerful body absorbs punishment without yielding, though his defenses are solid, too. Cotto marches forward with great determination, with good balance, and decent punching power, carrying the fight to Alvarez.

Alvarez never overreacted. He blasted to the body. He punched through Cotto's defenses. He was methodical. But most importantly, he knew when it was time to get rid of Cotto, touching him with a left jab and rocking him to the ropes with powerful, blazing quick rights. The ref waved Alvarez off. It was done.

Hope to see that boy again, but I don't suppose he'll be a popular opponent even for veteran welterweights.

Mayweather Passes Truth Test Against Mosely

I taped it but can't watch it again--too painful. But I don't regret spending the $65 bucks to watch Floyd Mayweather Jr. survive a near KO in the 2nd round and then deliver a masterful, courageous performance which quashed Shane Mosely's dream of an undisputed championship in the world of boxing.

Mosely's great, but he didn't have anything but a puncher's chance against the counter-punching intelligence and speed of Mayweather Jr. Not that night, and not likely ever again. I hope Shane Mosely goes into a graceful retirement--he was a greater fighter than the world gave him credit for. It wasn't his time, or he didn't play the predictable game of taking the easy fights to build up his record. People who know him know he is destined to go down among the greats of boxing, and I hope to be there when Shane Mosely is inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in Canistota,New York.

Freddie Roach: Amir Khan 'Walks Right Through' Paulie Malignaggi -- Boxing FanHouse

Freddie Roach: Amir Khan 'Walks Right Through' Paulie Malignaggi -- Boxing FanHouseFreddie Roach: Amir Khan 'Walks Right Through' Paulie Malignaggi -- Boxing FanHouseGot to go with Freddie Roach on this one. Malignacci's only chance is to put on his track shoes and never stop running. Maybe he'll make it to the last round that way. I've never been a big fan of Paulie's but I kind of feel sympathetic with him on this one. Amir Khan is on the big end of the weight division. Roach is Roach b/c he's a good analyst and he's also right in saying that Paulie Malignaggi has never been dangerous.

Ultimately, I guess I should stop dissin' on Paulie--he's taken some really tough fights and stood in there. But Amir Khan is inevitable and I can't wait until he picks on somebody his own size. But give Khan credit--he's got himself up there, including the stunning win with Dmitry Salita in England, was it?

Arthur Abraham Loses 11th Round Disqualification to Andre Dirrell in Super Six

I was going the rounds of the boxing blogs to check on the results of the Abraham - Direll matchup of the Super Six and was disgusted by the number of people who accused Dirrell of faking it when he took a big right hand from Abraham after he slipped to the mat. Those people are either pouring on the hate or are really ignorant of what happens when you're down and your hands are down and any kind of puncher takes a whack at you. Check out the vid. Dirrell's got his left glove on the floor and is steadying himself, hardly the kind of position you want to be in to take a home-run shot. Of course, most of the people criticizing Dirrell couldn't take a shot from a 100 pound amateur female fighter and get up, let alone a pro.

But what's up with Abraham? It wasn't like that punch was begun as Dirrell slipped to the mat. Take a look--Dirrell's already hit the deck once and is on his way to a second bounce when he puts out an arm to steady himself. Then Abraham winds up like he's on the gold course and Pow--hitting Dirrell with a powerful sideways shot while his jaw is relaxed. When Andre Golota did such things, the world went wild, but Abraham's bum's rush is cool, especially as it comes from those deperate European fans who read the British Sun.

Abraham will say he started the punch already, probably meaning he was thinking about it in the first round. Definitely a desperation act--probably pissed at being on his *ss in the 4th....

Mosley - Mayweather: The Brave Ones

Gotta' tell ya' I wasn't impressed when Pacman took on Clottey and the result was sclerotic. This has caused me to lose just a little respect for Pacquiao, whom I know to be a terrific fighter. If Clottey had brought some fight instead of some survival skills, I might feel differently.

As a result, my allegiance went immediately from neutral to Mayweather. Mayweather's always been criticized for one thing or another but that shit should be so over with his pick of Mosely to replace Pacquaio that's it's ridiculous to think otherwise. Mosely is far more dangerous than Joshua Clottey, and to my mind, far more dangerous to Mayweather than Pacquiao.

Now this should put to rest anyone who questioned Mayweather's "heart," something I never did. Where does this questioning come from? Mainly, it's because Mayweather is so flextible and so capable of adjusting his fight around every type of circumstance and around every type of fighter. Sometimes he hardly seems to be making an effort and this frustrate some fans--but not me. The point is to win, isn't it? Dem fools was thinking Fatty Ricky Hatton (a very determined and capable boxer when facing ordinary opposition) actually had a chance with Floyd Jr. but that was a preposterous notion, I've always said. The way Hatton went out during that fight was classic Class B fighter against Class A fighter. Charging into a corner to get knocked out--it was a thing of beauty.

So this is the fight of 2010. Mayweather v. Mosely--two great champions. And both fighters are okay to take whatever Olympic or whatever tests are required to get ti done, son. Something Pacquiao refused to do, an act which will forever haunt him.

Mayweather v. Mosely. In this time of turning junk fights into PPV, this will be one worth buying. Floyd Jr. undefeated. While Mosely lost 2, it was to the same guy and now he is a mature fighter, still at the top of his game.

This one's the bitch.

Vasquez-Marquez June 22

Mayweather-Mosley Better Than Pacman-Mayweather

Too bad Pacman needs to blow up in size before he'd fight Mayweather...

James Toney Signs with UFC

After following Dana White around the globe to get a match with the UFC, the UFC impresario has finally agreed to give Toney a shot.   Toney’s over the hill as a boxer but you can bet he’s still got the wiles and the smack in his punch.  I don’t know how he does at wrestling but, if he can keep to his feet, the UFC boys are going to be surprised as they wade in with their wide air-flailing punches. 

There are some UFC guys who can punch, but most can’t.  The UFC guys who know what they’re doing in the punch zone usually have had experience in boxing.   James Toney is the consummate boxer—rather was--- I saw him in his heyday when he was around 147 pounds (believe it or not) and he seemed to have absorbed historical, almost mythic skills.

Okay, he’s a character.  I think Mike Tyson had picked up a few trash talk items from Toney.   Frankly, I wish James Toney had gone off into his retirement before he ballooned up to his current weight.  I hope he gets a somewhat even matchup in the UFC.   It would be fun to see the UFC guys get smacked around in a boxing lesson.

It’s not that I don’t have a great amount of respect for their toughness, but the UFC fighters need to develop some skill before they’ll pick up the true boxing fans.  Of those “other” martial arts sports, I tend to favor that Japanese thing—what’s it called?....K-1….like Korean kickboxing, except the punching is better than what you get from the UFC. 

We’ll see.  Lights Out!...the UFC!

Antonio Escalante Vs. Miguel Roman

Last night on ESPN was a candidate for Fight of the Year, if not for Fight of the Century.  It was in the 126 pound class but you’d never know it.   Non-stop action and more fury than a combat zone.   Escalante emerged the winner but this was one of those fights when there were two winners.

Miguel “Mickey” Roman advanced like General Patton the whole night through to ten rounds.  Apparently, these guys knew each other since they were little kids in Juarez, Mexico.  They had street fights then—it must have been like unrequited love the way they went at it.

You’ve got to love both these warriors.  Escalante is a beautiful fighter, a champion with all the tricks, and some bad punching to boot.

Miguel Roman ought to be nicknamed something more than “Mickey” –unless that references “slip you a Mickey”…one of those Knockout Drops they used to lay on you in those old-time crime flicks.   Man, what a furious little beast, determined and powerful, going at the body with both hands on the inside.   

Roman went down once in a flurry of punches—in the late rounds.   Escalante staggered at times, looked a little woozy.  I got a little woozy just watching it.  There was no layoff in intensity, not for a  brief moment.  The boxing people got PPV all wrong—where people pay good money for ho-hum fights when you can watch action like this for free.  

The arena was packed.  Two guys fighting for heart and pride.   Enough cannot be said for the two of them..

Yuri Foreman Fights Miguel Cotto and a Bar Mitzvah

Does Yuri Foreman have a chance against Miguel Cotto? Sure, he does but it depends on how much Cotto has left from his earlier battles. I would guess that a guy like Cotto has plenty in reserve to take on the undefeated 28-0 Foreman. The reason the fight is attractive is because Foreman is another in a long line of Jewish fighters who gained notoriety.

Foreman’s quick, tireless, and energetic but, having no more than 8 KO’s in his 28 wins, you’d have to say he depends on volume not power to dispatch opponents.

I expect Cotto will be effective burrowing inside, muting the snap of Foreman’s punches. Should be great for Cotto fans—the fight is on June 5 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Man, I wish I was a rich Boricueno…. I wouldn’t mind being there…

I hope they get that Bar Mitzvah thing straightened out. Foreman’s sin slate would look tarnished if the kid being Bar Mitzvah-ed couldn’t have that booking date. Foreman’s strongest desire, right up there with being a champ is to be a Rabbi. A Rabbi you wouldn’t want to argue with….

Muhammad Ali Belongs to History

A Smithsonian tribute...

Travis Kauffman Heads Feb 27 Allentown Fight Card

Heavyweight Travis Kauffman heads a fight card February 27 at the Rodeway Inn in Allentown. This should be interesting as the 18-1 son of Reading trainer Marshall Kauffman sustained his first setback against Tony Grano last year. That explains the "1." Kauffman has some flash, has good size, moves wel, and exhibits sharp punching. The issue with comeback fights, however, is how well a guy can get back from a loss, how well they can put the psychological damage behind them.

The fight card also features Jason Cintron, brother to Kermit "the Killer" Cintron. It gets a double plus because it's got an amateur boxoff as an added attraction. Amateur boxing programs are very important, and from personal experience, Travis Kauffman spares no efforts in bringing his young amateur teams to maturity.

Muhammad Ali: My Favorite Celebrity Encounter, Page 2 of 6 - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

Muhammad Ali: My Favorite Celebrity Encounter, Page 2 of 6 - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

Mosely Says Mayweather Vs. Pacquiao Dead Even

Doghouse boxing interviewed Shane Mosely about Pacman and Floyd Jr. and asked him which of the two was the better boxer.

"I am," said Mosely.

He may have a point there. Mosely had 2 losses to Vernon Forrest, 2 to Winky Wright, and 1 to Miguel Cotto. I can't remember the one with Cotto but it's likely Mosely was lured into a punching match at close range. Mosley's losses to Wright and Forrest were "technical." By that I mean they went the full 12 rounds and went to a decision, which tells me he's got a solid chin. Cotto couldn't knock him out either and that one went to a decision.

Judging by the Mayorga fight and then later the demolition of Margarito, its likely that we're looking at a different Shane Mosely. Mosely's attack on Margarito was merciless, a bombardment of monuymental proportions at a time when everybody believed Margarito was invincible.

It was the plaster gloves that were invincible, unfortunately. So I think Mosely may be the best fighter of all, in spite of his 5 losses. He's 38 now, and if not for errors of strategy,and advancing age, few people would argue with that.