24.06.06 - By Craig Parrish: In a sad tale, Clifford Etienne, nicknamed “The Black Rhino”, has been sentenced to 150 years in prison due to his involvement in a crime spree in Baton Rouge.

Etienne, who in his career fought the likes of Mike Tyson and Nikolay Valuev, learned to box in prison and now returns to those roots from where he sprang into the boxing world. He was convicted in March for a robbery of a check cashing business, then, in a desperate move he hijacked a car with two children inside before being apprehended when he wrecked the stolen vehicle. According to police, Ettienne attempted to fire at them but his weapon jammed. A jury did not believe his defense team’s claim that Etienne did not know what he was doing due to drugs and sentenced him to 150 years, without the possibility of parole.

Ettienne has previously served 10 years in prison for armed robbery. He was paroled in 1998 and began his professional boxing career. Mike Tyson destroyed Etienne in a bout that lasted 49 seconds, and current WBA Champ Nikolay Valuev scored a 3rd round KO over the “Black Rhino” on May 14th, 2005.

Often in boxing we hear inspirational tales of men who come from prison and conquer the heights of our sport, such as Bernard Hopkins. Other times, we read of sad tales of fighters like Etienne on the last page of the sports section

This is one of those stories.

02.07.06 - By James Slater: Some fans will no doubt have a little laugh at the above headline. For James Toney's career long problem has been his hunger - for food, that is! This was certainly the case in his last fight, against Hasim Rahman. Though he had what I thought was a legitimate shot at winning a version of the heavyweight title, Toney came in way overweight and, in many minds, was fortunate to get draw. Surely, he cannot afford to come into the Peter fight in such sloppy condition. Samuel hits harder than "The Rock" and if James is not in proper shape there is a good chance he could be KO'd.

By taking this fight, however, I believe "Lights Out" has proven that he does indeed have enough of the right hunger left in him. This is a very dangerous match to take, for sure, and the fact that the ever fearless Toney put his name on the contract lays to rest any doubts people may have had with regards to his present day ambition. After the poor showing against Raman, many figured Toney was done. Now we know, he still wants it. Can he defeat the man who calls himself "The Nigerian Nightmare" though?

Both men match up fairly evenly in height and reach. James stands five feet and nine inches and has a reach of 76 inches, while Samuel is six feet and one inch tall and possesses a 77 inch reach. Neither man has much of an advantage here then. And Toney, in the past, has done well against smaller sized heavyweights. He schooled Evander Holyfield in his most impressive performance against a heavyweight and then seemingly got his hands on a world title by out pointing John Ruiz - only to be stripped days later due to the steroids scandal. These fights prove that Toney is capable of defeating all heavyweights but the absolute juggernauts. And Peter is no colossus. Samuel definitely has the edge in punch power though. But at nothing else is he superior. He cannot outbox Toney, nor will he be able to outmuscle him. His only chance then, is to win via the KO. Such a result is possible - especially, as I've said, if James is not in good condition. But I feel it is unlikely. James will bring his A game and as a result give Peter a boxing lesson. Toney is still a superbly gifted and smart fighter, and at thirty seven, after taking very little punishment in his entire career, he has enough left to see off the Samuel Peters of the world. This is not to disrespect Samuel - the match up is one of top quality without a doubt. This is primarily due to the frightening KO power the Nigerian has in his fists - he will always have a chance because of this - against anyone! But the styles of the two men favour Toney in this one. I expect to see Peter frustrated all night, as Toney does his thing.

With the dominating points win I think we will see, James will become the official WBC number one contender. This will pave the way to a rematch with current ruler Rahman (providing he gets past Maskaev in August) and this time, in proper condition, I predict "Lights Out" will finally make good with his year's old promise of becoming heavyweight king. Credit must be given to both he and Peter for taking this fight - one with so much at stake for the pair of them - when instead they could have taken the easy route and fought far lower risk opponents while treading water, awaiting a title shot. Because both men have shown they mean business, we have a legitimately mouth-watering bout in prospect. One that neither guy can afford to lose. This alone guarantees finely tuned and well conditioned fighters will be on display come September 2nd.

This bout is the wake up call James Toney has needed. He will perform appropriately having received it!

The 20-year anniversary celebration of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING continues in spectacular fashion on Saturday, Sept. 2, when James “Lights Out” Toney faces Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare’’ Peter on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast). The 12-round bout, a WBC elimination for the No. 1 spot, was officially announced during Saturday night's "ShoBox: The New Generation'' telecast on SHOWTIME.

The most significant non-title heavyweight fight of the year -- and a must-win for the competitors -- will take place at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. It is co-promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions and Duva Boxing.

Toney (69-4-2, 43 KOs), of Los Angeles, by way of Grand Rapids, Mich., is a former world champion at middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight. One of the smartest, quickest and most ring savvy boxers in history, Toney is ranked No. 2 in the WBC.

Peter (26-1, 22 KOs), of Las Vegas, Nev., by way of Akwaibom, Nigeria, is ranked No. 3 in the WBC. Possessing perhaps the most devastating knockout power in the heavyweight ranks, the strong, powerful Peter has been touted as the future of the division.

Originally Posted by topolo bump

04.07.06 - By James Slater: At the very least, retirement has been beckoning for Evander Holyfield since the TKO he suffered at the hands of James "Lights Out" Toney back in October of 2003. Before this bout, boxing's warrior promised he'd quit for good if and when someone beat him up sufficiently so as to make the decision to fight no more unavoidable.

But despite the painful lesson he received from Toney, Evander failed to keep his word. And now, after yet one more embarrassing loss - this one on points to journeyman Larry Donald - Holyfied is giving it another go. He says the way one ends a career is far more important than how it was begun. And as such believes the final chapter of his storied career should see him capture the heavyweight title one more time. Only then will he retire feeling content. So, later this summer, in Dallas, Texas, "The Real Deal" faces one Jeremy Bates. A thirty two year old with a modest 21 - 11 - 1 record, who, in his last fight, was TKO'd in two rounds by Ray Austin.

Without disrespecting Bates, the answer to the title of this article and its question becomes apparent when one considers the credentials of the guys Evander is fighting these days. Quite simply, he must retire if he loses to such a nondescript opponent as Jeremy Bates.

Evander is an all-time great fighter, after all. As a boxer who is winless in his last three fights, and who has had his hand raised in triumph only once in the last six years, Evander is clearly taking the least risk he can in his next ring appearance - he is positively desperate to put a result in his win column.

The scary thing though, is that Jeremy, an honest club fighter with absolutely nothing to lose, just might manage a win. He finds himself in a once-in-a-lifetime position, and surely will train accordingly. This could prove to be bad news for Holyfield. Let's face it, Evander has next to nothing left. His combination punching, along with his timing, reflexes and coordination, deserted him a long time ago. In his recent efforts, Evander has looked stiff and slow - while his offensive moves were merely wild looking and clumsy swings. Such displays have been a sad thing to witness when we recall how great a fighter he was in his heyday. The only attributes Evander has in his possession that are in any way akin to what they were in his prime are his chiselled physique and incredible heart. The latter is what is concerning most experts as he prepares for combat once more. Evander is too brave for his own good, and many are worried that he may get seriously hurt fighting in his current condition. With his heart as big as ever, but with vastly diminished skills to accompany it, the fear is he may take a quite damaging beating.

Such a thing, if it does come at all - obviously we all hope it does not - may not happen in the fight with Bates. But what if Evander does get the win, a win he feels will restart his momentum? With the stubbornness he has shown in the past, it is conceivable that Evander would choose to box on even if he was DEFEATED by Bates. It goes without saying then, that Evander will in no way quit if he does get a win. This means we are almost certainly going to have to endure more tarnishing of a once great boxer and his accomplishments. Only a comprehensive defeat could possibly make Holyfield see sense, but even then, as I've said this is far from absolute.

When one considers the brutal fights Evander has been involved in, and the number and frequency of them also, it is quite insane for the man to think he has anything left to offer in the toughest of all sports. He is often heard to say how this is his life and therefore it is his choice in how he is living it. He, as everyone else, is entitled to the pursuit of happiness. But we too, are free to act how we see fit. And it might well be that if we were prepared to boycott Evander's future fights this could leave him with no alternative but retirement. But as long as people are willing to both watch Evander box, and pay him for his services, he is to receive a positive message towards fulfilling what he feels is his destiny.

As one of boxing's more honourable magazines said a while back, we owe it to Evander, and ourselves, to do the decent thing and not tune in to, or be present at, any more of his fights. Indeed, such actions may be the only thing capable of bringing a halt to this once great fighter's career. We should not watch him (try to) fight ever again!

07.07.06 - By Troy Ondrizek: Finally, the IBF heavyweight title fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Shannon Briggs became official today. So now with that news in stow, we can speculate, debate, and anticipate all we want. Thus, I decided to be nosy and call a manager friend of mine to find out what he thought of this fight, and he was on the phone trying to work one of his fighters into the undercard. Therefore, I said that I would catch him later, and he told me to wait, and that he had someone he would like me to talk to. I said okay, and to my surprise, it was Emmanuel Steward. I was caught a little off guard, but was able to throw some questions at him regarding the fight and how he thought things would transpire.

Troy: Emanuel, First off, congratulations on getting Wladimir an exciting title defense. Now for the more pertinent questions, what stylistic problems does Shannon pose for Wladimir?

Emanuel Steward: “Well, Shannon is big and fast and works off the jab and does a good job of throwing combinations. Shannon’s power is also right up there with Wladimir’s.”

Troy: Fans are saying that this fight shouldn’t happen due to the fact that Shannon hasn’t really beaten any credible opponents to this point. So why pick someone like Shannon Briggs over say Calvin Brock?

Emanuel Steward: “Well, Troy, you are right about Briggs not fighting any credible opponents to get here, but he is ranked and is always dangerous. Calvin’s last performance was horrible and we had Wlad slated to fight in New York and this fight is far more exciting than one with Brock. We needed to get a ranked opponent and we weren’t going to wait to see if Calvin was going to win or lose, but when we saw his fight, we knew that Calvin isn’t going to be a draw anywhere, even Madison Square Garden. Trust me, Troy, I would much rather be fighting Brock than Shannon. Briggs is so much more difficult and dangerous of an opponent than Calvin is. Calvin doesn’t do anything really well and his footwork isn’t good. Shannon is stronger and faster than Calvin is. Plus, you know that guys that aren’t always rated as the best can shock everybody and beat the best.”

Troy: Are you referring to the Sergei Liakhovich coming out of nowhere to win in spectacular fashion against Lamon Brewster?

Emanuel Steward: “No, I wasn’t but that is the perfect example. Liakhovich had such a long layoff and came back and proved how good he was, even though, he was largely unknown. Shannon, though, has been busy and we can expect to see a sharp Briggs in the ring.”

Troy: Emanuel, would you employ a similar game plan against Briggs as you did against the heavy-handed Samuel Peter?

Emanuel Steward: “Well, Troy, how can I put this..No! Peter is a one-dimensional fighter, who does nothing but club at his opponents. Peter doesn’t throw combinations, he doesn’t jab, and he doesn’t go to the body. All that you have to worry about is Peter clubbing you in the back of the head during a clinch. Shannon comes out strong and for four rounds or so is quite possibly the most dangerous fighter there is. Wladimir in facing Briggs and Chris Byrd has faced the two toughest styles out there today. Byrd is a very skilled technician, who uses his superior movement to elude and counter, and Briggs is about as fast and strong as they come and is in your face. No one can question Wladimir’s willingness to take on the toughest fights out there. And for all of those who doubt how dangerous Shannon is, I was there when Shannon had Lennox out on his feet early. I definitely know how dangerous Shannon is.”

Troy: Without having to divulge too much information, what is your fight-plan to defeat Briggs?

Emanuel Steward: “Our plan will be to survive the first few rounds and then control the pace of the fight and to try to take Shannon out, if given the chance. If a knockout is not available, we feel comfortable taking Shannon on with our boxing ability. We would prefer to get Shannon out of there, because he is always dangerous, given his big punch.”

Troy: What is your prediction on the outcome of this fight?

Emanuel Steward: “The first couple of rounds will be a live or die scenario for both men, and the entire fight will be more exciting than what fans are used to seeing in a heavyweight title fight. I, of course, like our man to come on top.”

Troy: Emanuel, thank you very much for taking the time out to talk to Eastsideboxing and good luck in your upcoming bouts.

Emanuel Steward: “Troy, thank you for having me on your site, and thank you and I thank the fans for continuing to support Wladimir as he continues to prove he is the best in the division.”

Whether or not you like the fact that Briggs got a title shot with Klitschko, two things can be said of this scenario. One; is that Scott Hirsch has done a magnificent job of maneuvering Shannon into position for receiving a fight of this magnitude. Two; With these two immensely skilled and powerful men, this fight for as long as it last will be an exciting affair that we can possibly be talking about for years. The winner will undoubtedly capture the attention of the common man on the street. I have respect for Wladimir for being willing to take on the toughest challengers in the division, and for Briggs for not taking the easy road to a trinket belt by turning down Valuev to fight Klitschko. Their styles are perfect for fireworks; we can feasibly have another Briggs-Lewis on the horizon with either man capable of winning in spectacular fashion.

09.07.06 - By Laz Izada: It was announced Friday that Shannon Briggs will by bypass his July 26th bout, a fight that was supposed to take place for Cedric Kushner’s “Gotham Boxing” in New York City. Instead, according to Emanuel Steward, Wladimir Klitschko’s trainer, the fight between Briggs and Klitschko is on, and will take place on November 11, at Madison Square Garden, in New York City.

Wladimir Klitschko’s IBF Heavyweight title will be on the line, and with both of these heavyweights being pure knockout artists, this could turn out to be the most exciting heavyweight title match this year. For starters, you have two big guys, with Shannon Briggs, a gargantuan 6’4” 270 lbs of pure rock hard muscles, and Wladimir Klitschko, a chiseled 6’6” 245lb towering giant.

Both fighters have similiar records, with Briggs 47-4-1, 41 KO’s) and Klitschko 46-3, 41 KO’s). In the power department, they are almost identical in punching power, although Briggs is the more dangerous fighter in the early rounds due to his faster handspeed and slightly more powerful right hand.

Briggs, a young 34-year-old, is ranked WBO #2, IBF #7, WBA #10, WBC # 8, and holds 3 U.S. Heavyweight belts. In his last bout on May 26, Briggs looked very impressive in dstroying Chris Koval, a tough fighter with a good chin, easily stopping him in the 3rd round, making this Briggs' 11th consecutive knockout. With a weight of 273 lbs, I was very impressed with Briggs new round muscularity, and with his quickness, he looked like a copy of Hercules, as he went in for the kill on Koval.

For those of you that believe that Briggs doesn’t deserve a title shot at Wladimir Klitschko's IBF heavyweight title, you are just dead wrong. Come on, remember how Owen Beck, a fighter with almost zero experience against top flight competition, got a shot against Nikolay Valuev. If that wasn't enough, what about Kevin McBride, who has only had two fights against high level opposition during his career (against Mike Tyson and Davarryl Williamson), will be take on WBO champ, Sergie Liakovich, on August 5th. Despite only fighting two fighters that most people would recognize, McBride is ranked 15th by the WBO, while Briggs is ranked # 2 by the WBO.

Briggs, as far as I'm concerned, is also more exciting than Owen Beck and Kevin McBride, due to the fact that Briggs is a true knockout artist, although he can box, if he wants to, and has much more experience. Believe me, Briggs knows how to put on a good show.

To be sure, it’s been a long journey back for Briggs. However, he's made a lot of progress in a very fast amount of time. For instance, in January of this year, this site posted an interview that I did with him, and he was just breaking back into the rankings at the time. However, within a few weeks, he was named Comeback Fighter of the Year for 2005. Clearly, he deserves this shot because he has been the most active heavyweight in the division during the past year and half, fighting approximately every 45 days. Briggs' manager, Scott Hirsch, and team, have done a wonderful job in his comeback and getting him the title shot.

Look for Briggs and his trainer Jeff Mayweather to prepare well for this once and a lifetime opportunity, as they both have been through the ups and downs during their careers. This is their chance to shine, and they won't mess it up. It won’t be easy, though, taking on Klitscho and Emanuel Steward, but I’m sure they’ll be ready.

Personally, I don’t see this bout going past 5 rounds, so I give the edge to Briggs due to his superior chin. Believe me, Shannon Briggs is a different fighter nowadays compared to the one that lost to Jameel McCline in 2002. Briggs is stronger, much more dedicated and is totally focused. Whereas with Wlad, he had a very difficult time with the inexperienced Samuel Peter, who dropped Wladimir three times and had him ready to go in the 10th round. Comparatively, Briggs is experienced, yet very dangerous in the early rounds. I see Wladimir fighting very cautiously, mostly relying on his excellent jab, a weapon he frequently displayed against Byrd, who was much too little to get past it to get inside. However, I see Briggs picking off Wladimir's jabs and getting inside to land some powerful rights that will bring Klitschko down.

Right or wrong by my part on the outcome, no doubt, fight fans will get an exciting completive bout between these two heavyweight giants.

Originally Posted by fantasma62 I agree with the fact that Briggs will win. In fact, I call knockout. I was reading in an earlier post that Stewart wants Klitschko to box because of his superior boxing skills (WHAT???) They are planning to withstand an early barrage from Briggs to win at the end (WHAT???). I think Manny is getting senile. Klitschko is a champion simply because he fought Chris Byrd (Foreman please correct me if I'm wrong), who was nobody before he beat a badly fading Evander Holyfield. Folks, truth is, Klitschko has been known to fade after the 5th round and unless he suddenly develops boxing skills and speed like Mayweather, this fight will end early. I call KO in the 5th round.... By the way Foreman, this is one of the best threads here. It really keeps me from having to run around the internet looking for results and boxing news. Congrats ......By the way, you seem to know your boxing. Great commentary.

10.07.06 - By Karen Belford: After a long 13-years of fighting as a heavyweight, Chris Byrd (39-3-1, 20 KO's) at long last is reportedly moving down to the Cruiserweight division, where he is expected to fight, O'Neil Bell (26-1-1, 24 KO's), the current WBA & WBC Cruiserweight champion, most likely as early as September. By challenging Bell, it would appear that Byrd hasn't lost one bit of courage from his recent 7th round TKO loss to IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko on April 22, a fight where Byrd deployed a bad fight strategy in losing his IBF heavyweight title. Now, though, it would seem that Byrd, now 35-years-old, may mistakenly believe that he is just too small to contend against the large giants in the heavyweight division.

In fact, I think Byrd is making a huge mistake by moving down to the cruiserweight, if he actually is going to be making this a permanent move, for he is badly underestimated his huge talent as a heavyweight.

I mean, aside from Wladimir Klitschko, I can't point to one fighter in the heavyweight division that Byrd wouldn't likely beat. Even with Wladimir, I think Byrd could very well beat him in a rematch, if Chris utilities a better fight strategy, one that relies on speed against the slow moving Wladimir. All that Byrd needed to do, from my perspective, is to use more ring movement, and then wait until Wladimir tires out in the later rounds before pounding him into submission.

My gut instinct, reinforced by my knowledge of the forces of speed vs. power, tells me that Byrd would easily beat fighters, such as Hasim Rahman, Sergei Liakhovich, Lamon Brewster, or Nikolay Valuev, all of which are considered by many to be the top heavyweights in the division.

They’re good, yes, but not as fast or as talented as Byrd, when compared side by side. And, for those who think Byrd is getting old, you couldn’t be more wrong. Byrd, even at 35, has still as much speed now as he did when he was 25, and he is just as good defensively, too. Basically, what I'm getting at here is that Byrd doesn't need to do this, since he has far too much ability at heavyweight to waste his time dropping down, when he doesn't need to.

Don’t get me wrong, though. The Cruiserweight fighters, the ones that are considered the cream of the crop, such as O'Neil Bell, Guillermo Jones, Steve Cunningham, and Jean Marc Mormeck, there all solid fighters, I'm sure, but none of them are in Chris Byrd's class, from my observations of their fights.

For the most part, each one of them is strong in their own way, and tend to load up on their punches, trying for a knockout with every swing. Presumably, that would make them a difficult opponent for someone like Byrd, a fighter that has very little power.

However, Byrd loves to fight hard punchers like them, and would have no problem out-boxing them. It wouldn't be much of a contest, to be honest, and Byrd, with his great wisdom, probably sees exactly this, which is why he's decided to drop down in weight in the first place. Why not?

That being said, don't expect Byrd to stay at Cruiserweight for long, for I predict that he will probably only fight the WBA/WBC Cruiserweight champion, O'Neil Bell, and after beating him, Byrd will move back up to the heavyweight division, where he will continue to make his over-sized opponents look bad.

Sure, I imagine that Byrd, in the best possible circumstances, would like to stay at Cruiserweight, if the money was good, but unfortunately, there's just not enough big money fights to suit someone as talented as Chris Byrd. No, I think Byrd will likely fight this one fight against O’Neil Bell, and then move back up to heavyweight.

Hopefully, by next year, we can see Byrd back in the thick of the heavyweight division, possibly fighting someone like Hasim Rahman, Wladimir Klitschko or Nikolay Valuev, if they’re still the champions.

IKE IBEABUCHI: THE KING WHO WOULD BE MAN

By Mike Casile/PBR

19.07.06 - By James Slater: Marvellous Marvin Hagler was making the twelfth defence of his middleweight championship of the world. With eleven successful Defences under his belt he was chasing Carlos Monzon’s world record. Monzon had notched up Fourteen defences and Hagler wanted to make history by going one better than the Argentinean legend. Going into his fight with the undefeated puncher John Mugabi - “The Beast” as he was known among the boxing crowd - Hagler was four title fight wins away from his goal. He would have his hands full with the murderous punching Mugabi though.

However, in the champion’s favour was the fact that Mugabi had won all twenty six of his fights as a light middleweight. It was not known how he would fare going up six pounds in weight. All his wins at 154 pounds had come by KO, so it was clear he had genuine punching power. The question was, would it travel up with him to the new division?

On March the Tenth, 1986, a huge crowd at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas paid a lot of money to find out. What followed turned out to be the final ring triumph for Marvellous Marvin.

Chuck Hull was once again the M.C and after his introductions battle commenced. The first surprise was the stance Hagler chose to start fighting in. He favoured the orthodox position instead of his more familiar southpaw style. Mugabi, for his part, came out aggressively. Marvin took his time and had a good look at him. John’s left hand appeared very dangerous, and his forward aggression was successful on occasion - successful enough to win him the round. At the bell there was a mean spirited stare down - Mugabi seemed fearless!

In round two Marvin boxed southpaw continually (he had switched in the last remaining seconds of the opening round) and got his jab working well. The two men began trading in the session though, as a fierce pace was set in motion. Mugabi was loading up with his shots a little too wide and Marvin countered him to good effect. However, “The Beast” hit home with more than his share of hurt too, including a hard body shot, in a great round of action. The challenger had won his second three minutes.

By the fourth, it was definitely Mugabi who was winning the fight. He landed a good right to the head in this round, a round in which Hagler was issued a warning from referee Mills Lane for a low blow. John, unwilling to make a meal out of the infringement, kept marching forward. It was obvious what he had on his mind - a KO! Marvin landed more hard jabs, but the hand speed of Mugabi was quite surprising - he was one formidable challenger. He landed a flush right uppercut too, possibly his best punch of the fight. But the rock chin of the champion served him well, as it always did. The fight had proved memorable already - if for nothing more than the fact that John Mugabi was winning it! His power had seemed to come up with him to the new weight class.

The sixth round was unquestionably the round of the fight. It was also a very good round for Marvin. With both men in absolutely top shape, a brutal exchange took place - one that lasted for some time. The inside trading was awesome. More body work landed for the challenger, as did another blow by Hagler that was deemed low by Lane. The crowd began to boo as he broke the action to give Marvellous another warning - they did not want the savage warfare to be spoilt in any way. What was also apparent was the fact that the fight had been pretty much fought while clinch-free, especially in this round. Round six of Hagler v Mugabi was almost as breathtaking as round one of Hagler v Hearns! Marvin had his first real breakthrough now though. He rocked Mugabi back on his heels with his own right uppercut and the undefeated puncher was hurt. Hagler went for the finish, pounding his man, but Mugabi came fighting back bravely. He had some heart. The round ended, Marvin’s best yet.

In the seventh, Mugabi was still very much in there fighting. He was standing right in front of Hagler yet again and both guys looked tired - after the previous round they had a right to be. There was one more warning to Hagler for low blows, this one resulting in a point being deducted. Hagler nodded at Lane but inside he must have been furious. He did a fair amount of switch hitting here, trying to confuse Mugabi. There was no doubt though, he was doing his best work when fighting southpaw. At one point he landed three hard and consecutive jabs on John. A slower round it had been.

Prior to the start of round nine, Mugabi’s corner-man - England’s Mickey Duff - implored his man not to give up. With the words “You’ve got the fight won!” ringing in his ears and his left eye swelling, Mugabi went out for the last third of the fight. More jabs landed for the champion, as the still advancing challenger was no way near as effective as he had been. This round was also a slower one, with both boxers feeling the pace. But there was a good burst of punches from John with forty five seconds left in the round, and now Hagler’s right eye showed some damage in the form of swollen tissue. It had been a punishing defence for him, with Mugabi testing him all the way.

In the tenth, the tempo speeded up again. There was more vicious punching from the pair of them now, and the momentum swung back and forth. Hagler fought well on the inside, while “The Beast” had yet more success with his body punching. The fight was a sheer war and its winner would be the man who wanted it more. At the bell, Marvellous looked the fresher of the two.

Round eleven, and Marvin closed the show in a manner befitting his legally given name of Marvellous. He came out on the front foot and backed Mugabi up mercilessly. Going for the finish that would see him keep his treasured title, Hagler chopped away at the tired but still game Mugabi. Then came the ending. A big right to the head, followed by a left, then another right, put the challenger down. For the first time in his life, John Mugabi was on the floor. He had simply had the fight knocked out of him by Hagler. Badly hurt, and with his tank completely empty, he remained in a sitting position as the count was administered over him. He didn’t quit, he just had nothing left to give. A definitive finish to a great fight had been witnessed. Marvin was still the champ!

Afterwards, a marked up Hagler hinted that his final fight may have been fought. It had been very hard work indeed. But Marvellous didn’t walk away just yet. A super fight with a certain Mr Leonard awaited him! A fight Marvin won but was robbed by the judges.

Mugabi, who had acquitted himself very well against Hagler, moved back down to light middleweight - eventually winning a world title there. But, to many minds he was never the same again after the brutal fight with Marvin.

A fight that was unforgettable for many reasons. One of them being it was the great Hagler’s final victory.

25.07.06 - By Flavio Alvarez: The history of boxing is filled with the tales of legendary fighters who retired too late. Joe Louis, Muhamad Ali, Roberto Durán, all once greats that became little more than sad spectacles by the end of their careers. Roy Jones Jr. is not yet at that point, but we all have to wonder: what is the point Roy? It's hard to imagine you, even at your worst, losing to Prince Badi Ajamu, a notoriously gun shy fighter who just a couple of fights ago almost bit more than he could chew against Orlando Rivera, a 42 year old personal trainer that, although very brave and well conditioned, does not have the proper resume to even hope to tie your boxing shoes.

But then… if even you admit you could not get motivated for Antonio Tarver … why does Roy Jones Jr., voted the finest boxer in the Olympic games, former Middleweight, Super Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight champ; probably the only guy to ever truly beat Bernard Hopkins; the first guy who beat James Toney; the guy who once played a basketball game and fought a championship fight THE SAME DAY; the guy who surprised us if he lost a ROUND in a fight, a living legend, feels the need to fight Ajamu? Redemption?

A victory over Prince Badi will not mean a triumphant and dramatic comeback the likes of Ray Leonard or Felix Trinidad, who returned to defeat Marvin Hagler and Ricardo Mayorga, respectively, fighters at the top of their games (both Sugar and Tito were also swiftly sent back into retirement a little later, by the way). If you wanted redemption, you would have been much better off fighting the likes of James Toney, a name who can still command respect and somebody who has a very good reason to fight you: avenge his loss to you.

Glory? That you already have assured. Now consider this: If you excluded your last three fights, your record would be 49-1 (38 ko's), with that one loss being a disqualification against Montell Griffin, who you KOd in the first round your following fight. After that you have lost your last three times out, two by fulminating KOs. And as a 37 year old fighter who depends on speed and agility, the first two things an athlete loses as he ages, chances are from now on you won't be improving your legacy, you'll just be damaging your record. Keep this in mind also: History is always kind to our heroes. We remember more Ali Vs Frazier than Ali Vs. Jimmy Young; Louis KO of Schmeling than Louis loss to. Ezzard Charles

Money? Unlike Louis, or Mike Tyson, you're well off financially. In fact, you could be making millions just from endorsements with you chum Michael Jordan and calling HBO fights.

No, the reason is another, and I don't know anybody has the answer. Boxing is a game that can take a man from the lowest depths of society and lift him to the highest pedestal unlike any other. A skinny, hungry boy that slept on a straw bed can grow into a fearless man who sleeps with supermodels. A baby unloved by his father can feel the adoration of a stadium full of people in the ring. These things are hard to let go of. And unlike other sports, where retirement is many times forced upon an unproductive athlete, a boxer's former glory is often exploited by corrupt individuals looking for a quick buck, allowing the fighter to satisfy that addictive need for the warmth of the lights and the attention of the crowds, albeit a faded and corrupt version, where stadiums become clubs, and admiration becomes curiosity, not unlike that of a man watching a car accident.

Hopefully this end will not be that of Roy Jones Jr.. But it's a start.

26.07.06 - Roy Jones Jr: I am boxing because I love what I do. There is no other reason. I’ve got nothing to prove – nothing to prove to anybody. They know who I am and where I have been. It has to do with where I came from. You can ask all of the other fighters in this industry…Who was number one in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and the heavyweight division? Who made more money in all of those divisions except for Mike Tyson – who was only big in the heavyweight division. Outside of that, there is only Roy Jones Jr, and you know this. I bring fashion to the sport like no one else..

If I want to have a good time, I should be able to do this, right?

I am having a wonderful time in training. It is so funny because you go though ups and you go through downs. People have to realize that my career started on a down. I got ripped of a Gold Medal at the Olympics and it didn’t stop me and it made me a better person. So any time God sends me through a down time, He is only trying to make me a better person. So now I am HAPPY. You see me train. You see me enjoy myself. You see me smile. Why? Because He send me through downs for a reason. Because He wants to see me happy again. But if He keeps me down – that’s what he has planned for the champ.

There is one thing I remember about Muhammad Ali. He said “I don’t like my condition, but if this is what the Good Lord has planned for me to deal with - I am happy with that.” You have to understand - that comes from my idol, one of the guys that got me started in boxing.

So a few knockouts – a few losses in boxing, can’t possibly stop me. You say “What, are you serious?” You just watch Saturday night and you’ll wee what I am talking about.

I don’t know what kind of mode I will go into on Saturday night. I am going into the have fun mode. What I will do is enjoy myself in the boxing ring. That’s what I do and that’s what I am back to doing. Really, you know what I have to do? The only thing I have to do is make weight, but other than that, I am great.

Originally Posted by ForemanRules On a side note Karen Belford is an idiot and should be banned from all boxing sites

29.07.06 - By James Slater: Roy Jones, Jnr certainly did not look like a shot fighter last night. And while he never rolled back the years sufficiently so as to dazzle the fans with a performance that was akin to one from the glorious days of his prime either, Roy proved he very definitely still has something. He boxed well, was never hurt, and looked comfortable at the final bell. And this was after twelve lively rounds. Ajamu tried, that much is without doubt. He put Jones under pressure from the first bell with his constant forward aggression. Yet Roy was able to handle everything that came at him - in the end pitching a shut-out, with three identical scores of 119-106. Roy’s performance was one that will have surprised quite a few experts. The question is, what’s next?

In the interview Roy gave post-fight, he gave himself a C rating for his display - before reaching the subject of who he will fight next. Sounding as cocky as he ever has, Roy said he’d fight anyone. Names mentioned included, Glen Johnson, Bernard Hopkins, and “the boy from England” - I assume Jones was referring to Joe Calzaghe, or was it Clinton Woods? Whatever. And, as crazy as it may sound, Roy would probably have a shot against any one of these three fighters. Certainly judging by the capable way handled Badi Ajamu, anyway. The future for Roy Jones, Jnr will prove to be very interesting indeed.

The fight with Ajamu was entertaining and nothing like what some had predicted beforehand. With their open concerns of a sad affair about to unfold, one that would prove to all just how badly diminished a fighter Roy Jones had become, a bout completely devoid of competition was foreseen by some people. Happily, this was not the case. Roy still has more than enough left to utterly out class many fighters. Prince Badi Ajamu is one of them.

Though he got off to a good start, putting pressure on Jones as he backed him to the ropes, Ajamu’s attacks lacked imagination. He was to repeat the same tactics all night long and, after winning the opening two rounds, his success rate dropped. Roy threw flashy burst of punches and smiled as he did so. It wasn’t long before a pattern, of his total dominance at controlling the action, was formed. The only time Ajamu hurt Jones was when he landed low blows. He was warned quite a few times throughout -in the fourth round, in the seventh, when TWO points were taken off, and again in the eight, when another point was taken from Ajamu and his final warning given. The Prince was massively behind on the scorecards by this time and clearly needed a KO to salvage victory. Such an occurrence looked highly unlikely, however.

With regards to the referee, although taking the points he did from Ajamu for the low blow infringements was okay, some of his other actions were quite perplexing. He twice warned Jones for extending his arm without letting a punch go. While he also warned the winner for holding his opponent around the back of the head and not punching while in a clinch. In fact, the ref was a constant vocal irritant all night. When have you ever seen an official reprimand a fighter for extending their arm in the ring? Roy wasn’t using the move as a range finder either, his glove never made contact with Ajamu when he stuck out his arm. Strange refereeing indeed. The man in question, Jerry Armstrong, also had the cheek to tell the fighters to stop talking at one stage. This after his voice had been heard constantly throughout the contest. Both boxers looked somewhat annoyed with him on more than one occasion.

By the final third of the fight, Roy was still looking fresh. His punches had some zip to them at this late stage, particularly his left to the body - a punch that had served him well all night. While Ajamu, trying his best to rough Roy up along the ropes, was out of steam and looking tired. The class of Jones was telling. Any hopes Badi may have had about Roy being badly damaged goods were being quashed. The former pound-for-pound king was looking sharp and confident. The fight was far from being a great contest, but it was entertaining enough. And for the Roy Jones fans, seeing their hero winning and not getting hurt was more than enough.

In the final three minutes, barring a stunning KO from Badi, Roy had the fight overwhelmingly won. Ajamu was breathing very heavily now and the cut over his right eye which had really started to bother his corner-man, Buddy McGirt, continued to bleed quite profusely. He looked a beaten man. Which is exactly what he was, despite his brave effort.

The scorecards, apart from being extremely late in their reading, where a formality. All three judges were in complete agreement with Jones’ complete superiority. Roy prevailed by three, THIRTEEN point margins. There were no complaints from the Ajamu camp.

Roy Jones, Jnr is back! For how long, and to face who, will produce much talk in the coming weeks.

03.08.06 - By Ryan Songalia: I met up with unofficial HBO judge Harold Lederman last week at the David Tua fight in New York City. We discussed some upcoming boxing events and his career at HBO.

Ryan Songalia: How has it been working with Larry Merchant, Jim Lampley, George Foreman and the rest of the HBO crew for over 20 years?

Harold Lederman: I like working with the HBO crew, they're very nice to me. You got to realize, I came into boxing, I came into television as a fight guy. What did I know about television? All I knew how to do was score fights. I've tried to tell the public more or less whose winning or losing. I throw a few of my opinions in, even though I know I'm stepping on Larry's toes and Emmanuel's toes. If I see something, I try to tell you.

Ryan Songalia: Larry Merchant and George Foreman were known to agree on one simple idea, to disagree. Who do you think got the better of those arguments?

Harold Lederman: I'll put it to you this way. George always took the side of the fighter, Larry's more of an intellectual type guy. The public loved George because George would think like a fighter thinks. For example, if a referee was slapping a fighter's gloves, George would scream bloody blue murder about the referee because he hated when he was fighting to be disturbed by some referee whose trying to break them up by slapping his gloves. Larry would never know anything like that. George would give you alot of insight that only a former fighter could give you. George had that great personality, we hated it when George left HBO. The truth of the matter is, he was so busy he just couldn't spare the time. It had nothing to do with money.

Ryan Songalia: Emmanuel Steward is now sortof the boxer's representative on the HBO World Championship Boxing broadcast team. How does he compare to George Foreman?

Harold Lederman: He gives you a different angle, he looks at things the way a trainer would look at things more than the way a fighter would look at things. He does give you a trainer's perspective. Alot of times, he'll talk about a guy lifting too much weights or a guy ran too much, stuff like that only a trainer would know. Each person is an individual and they all look at it from a different perspective. I think what holds it all together is Jim Lampley, whose a great blow by blow guy.

Ryan Songalia: How about Lampley, what is it like working with him?

Harold Lederman: He's got a photographic mind. It's stuff that he remembers. He's got an unbelievable memory. For example, Jim Lampley graduated from the University of North Carolina. I guarantee you that he can the starting five on the University of North Carolina's basketball team going back to 1965. And that's absolutely unbelievable.

Ryan Songalia: Who is the greatest boxing mind that you've ever come across, as far as someone who knew the sport?

Harold Lederman: That's a real tough question, because in the old days you had alot of people that really knew boxing. I used to love Victor Vallie, the former trainer of Gerry Cooney, but Victor died. When I was a kid, my Dad had a drug store in the South Bronx. Victor lived two blocks away from my Dad's drug store. I knew Victor and his wife Lola and I knew their son real well. Their son is now training Oleg Maskaev, who is getting ready for our August 12th show on HBO in Las Vegas against Hasim Rahman. So, I really think Victor Vallie Sr. probably was my mentor to a great extent and was a tremendous boxing mind.

Ryan Songalia: What are your thoughts on the upcoming rubber match between Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales?

Harold Lederman: You never can count Erik Morales out of a fight. He’s never ever given us a bad performance yet. I know that Manny’s going to come in as a big favorite. Pacquiao is quicker, he may even be the harder puncher. But Erik Morales has got tremendous desire to win, he always makes great fights. I don’t think he’s shot by any sense of the word. I think it should be a great fight. I mean, Manny Pacquiao is coming off a tough fight with Oscar Larios. I really believe that the third fight is going to be as exciting as the first two fights. Erik Morales, as I said, I’ve never seen him in a bad fight. I’m really looking forward to it.

Ryan Songalia: Manny Pacquiao knocked Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003, winning by 11th round knockout. Do you think that it would be a discredit to Barrera's career if he didn't face Pacquiao again?

Harold Lederman: I would be amazed if Marco Antonio Barrera doesn't insist on Manny Pacquiao again. If Pacquiao gets by Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera gets by Rocky Juarez, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if we see a return match between Marco and Manny. Marco's got too much pride to retire unless he gets Pacquiao back.

Ryan Songalia: Floyd Mayweather recently turned down $8 million to fight Antonio Margarito. Do you think that Mayweather is in any way intimidated of Margarito and reluctant to fight him?

Harold Lederman: I think Floyd knows he’s the number one guy in boxing today. I just can’t figure out what he’s looking for. Yeah, he’d be taking a chance fighting Antonio Margarito because he’s probably in for a 25 mill payday if he stays undefeated and gets in the ring with Oscar De La Hoya. Maybe he doesn’t want anybody as tough as Margarito, but as far as being scared of Margarito no, not at all. The question is, who’s he going to fight in November? I don’t know, I hope it’s not a Henry Bruseles again! I hope he’s going to fight somebody tough. He’s got a date in November, he’s got to give us an opponent real soon. There’s not too many people left. I hope it’s going to be either Baldomir or Cory Spinks. We need to see Floyd in a tough fight.

Ryan Songalia: Earlier this month, Sugar Shane Mosley scored his second stoppage of Fernando Vargas. Do you think Mosley has regained his form, or has Vargas just been through too many wars?

Harold Lederman: I think Shane Mosley is back. He looked so good with his dad in the corner. He was quick he was sharp, everything was landing real well, he took a tremendous punch, his legs were in great shape, he moved real well, he kept Fernando off balance. He won every round, what else can you say? I think Sugar Shane back with his dad looked real good, I think he’s a definite force whether he fights at welterweight or junior middleweight.

Ryan Songalia: What about Fernando Vargas? Vargas was blown out in a one sided fight in the Mosley rematch. Can he rebuild back into a contender or have the wars taken a toll on him?

Harold Lederman: Let me tell you something, he’s got problems with his back but the truth of the matter is the biggest problem he had was getting down to 154. He’s got the heart of a lion, when he gets in that ring he’s about as mean as any fighter in boxing today. Everybody loves him, I love him, I want to see him back! He was one punch away from knocking out Felix Trinidad, one punch away from knocking out Oscar De La Hoya. You got to call a spade a spade. Ferocious Fernando is still a great fighter once he gets in that ring. I’d love to see Fernando get married and then comeback at 160 where he won’t have such a hard time making the weight. As long as his back holds up, I’d love to see Fernando Vargas come back. I don’t think he’s shot at all. No!

Ryan Songalia: Arturo Gatti is in a similar situation, after coming off of a devastating stoppage loss. Do you think Gatti has anything left to offer?

Harold Lederman: I’ll put it to you this way. I certainly think that if he does, he’s got to come back against an easier opponent to see if he’s got anything left. You know, fighters are stubborn guys, they all hate to quit. I never thought Arturo Gatti would come out banging with this guy. The first seven rounds he stood toe to toe and banged with him. He didn’t start boxing him until the 8th round. I never thought he’d fight a style like that. That’s the way he is, the guy is a born fighter. When you get a born fighter, it ain’t easy to make him retire. He had a terrible time when he used to try to make 140, maybe he can fight someone at 147. But he needs an easier opponent to see if he’s got anything left. He might need an ESPN2 against the loser of Kermit Cintron-Mark Suarez.

Ryan Songalia: What about Jermain Taylor-Winky Wright? What are your thoughts on the first fight?

Harold Lederman: I never saw a guy give a fight away like that. That was horrible. Winky’s got the guy beat after 11, the guy’s eye is completely closed up, they’re fighting in Jermain Taylor’s hometown virtually. Winky don’t know how the judges have got it, what does he do? He prances around in the 12th round and doesn’t do a God damn thing when he could’ve won that 12th round so easy. Jermain never saw the punches coming. And yet, Winky blew the 12th round and it turned out a draw. He has no one to blame but himself. The truth of the matter is that when you get a controversial draw like that, the only thing it does is make more money for both guys the second time around. Winky may not have come out a winner, but he’s going to come out a winner the second time when he gets a lot more money.

Ryan Songalia: Out of the young prospects coming up, who are you most impressed with?

Harold Lederman: Amir Khan, numero uno! Amir Khan is definitely going to be the next big star in boxing. In my mind, there’s no doubt about it. Probably at 140, the minute Amir Khan steps up you’re going to see a fighter that has the talent to become the second coming of Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard, any of the greats. He’s tremendous.

Among the heavyweights, I like Ruslan Chagaev the White Mike Tyson, the one that nobodies ever seen. I saw him on TV when he fought in Michigan against Rob Calloway, he knocks guys out like crazy. I think that Peter Kohl who promotes Ruslan Chagaev is doing a nice job with him. I think Chagaev is going to be the heavyweight that really may be something special in the division. Ruslan Chagaev, remember the name. I like the kid that Golden Boy promotes, Abner Mares. The kid’s about 18 years old, punches like a mule, has every move in the book. I love that kid on the way up. Abner Mares to me is nothing short of sensational. I think he’s a great prospect. Arthur Abraham, hardly anybodies ever seen him. He’s had less than 20 fights, he holds a version of the middleweight title. He can be a force in boxing. Those are a couple of names of guys I like.

Ryan Songalia: What do you think about the upcoming fight between Ike Quartey and Vernon Forrest? They are two former welterweight champions who are now campaigning at junior middleweight. What are you expecting from this fight?

Harold Lederman: Ike Quartey looked real good on an HBO show against Verno Phillips, but just like he always does, gets into the late rounds and fades. He almost got himself knocked out. We remember he almost did the same thing with Jose Luis Lopez, almost did the same thing with Oscar De La Hoya. He seems to get into the late rounds and he lets down. He's got a real stamina problem. On the other hand, I saw Vernon Forrest in two comeback fights. One at 147 where he looked sensational. Then I saw him at the Pechanga when he fought at 154 and he looked horrible, he won by a tenth round knockout and didn't look good at all.

It's a hard fight to call. If Vernon is in real good shape, if Vernon really worked hard, I like Vernon Forrest. But, I got to tell you Ike Quartey jabs as good as he ever has in his life. And if you don't believe me, ask Verno Phillips. It took Verno Phillips about 8 rounds to catch him. Ike really boxes beautifully early in the fight.

Ryan Songalia: What do you think about Brian Viloria?

Harold Lederman: I love Brian Viloria. Whether he stays at 108 or fights at 105 or he moves up to 112. He's certainly got alot of power, alot of skill, all he needs is to stay busy, keep on fighting. You know, he's got the personality, he's got youth on his side, he's got everything, he really does. I don't think 112 is too heavy for him, I think right now he gives Jorge Arce a great fight.

Ryan Songalia: If you had to pick between Viloria and Arce, who would you go with?

Harold Lederman: Viloria, I just love that kid. Too much personality, hits too hard, I love Brian. I pick Viloria, I pick an upset. You know, Jorge Arce is not the easiest guy in the world to miss. Of course he hits so darn hard, he'll take one to give one. But somehow or another, I just like Brian Viloria. He's a great puncher, moving up he'd be comfortable making the weight. I saw Jorge Arce collapse on the scales one day trying to make the weight. He's always had weight problems. On the other hand, Viloria going up to 112 wouldn't have a weight problem. He's so personable, and he hits so hard and his skills are so great. I'll pick Viloria.

Ryan Songalia: What are your thoughts on the upcoming IBF Heavyweight title fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Shannon Briggs?

Harold Lederman: If Shannon Briggs can drop, lets say somewhere around 245, he needs speed. I still think Wladimir, as great as he is, he has that tremendous skill, he's still a little bit gun shy. When Corrie Sanders knocked him out, he really psychologically became afraid of big shots. What he does is when he gets in with a big puncher like Samuel Peter, he lands that great jab and then he ties you up. Alright, if you got a referee that will let you hold all night, he'll get away with that. But if he fights Shannon Briggs and Shannon's got a referee thats not gonna let Wladimir hold, cause we all know Shannon can crack, Shannon's got a real good chance at winning that fight. The thing is that Shannon's got to lose some weight, get in shape, and work harder than he's ever worked in his life. I think the fight's a done deal for November in Madison Square Garden. The ball is in Shannon Briggs' court. If Shannon throws punches cause Shannon can really crack, Shannon can win that fight. I think Wladimir proved that in the Davaryll Williamson and the Lamon Brewster fight that he's a guy that fears big punches.

03.08.06 - By Mark Law: The light heavyweights, eh? The small big men. It’s that division that’s often been overlooked, mainly because it’s sandwiched between the more glamorous middleweight and heavyweight divisions. And a lot of the men who have held the world light heavyweight title have not really been interested in it, preferring to mix it with the bigger guys for bigger purses. But it’s also a division that has been graced by some real legends.

Why doesn’t it grab our attention? With the possible exception of bantamweight, it’s the most unobserved of the original eight weight classes. Even the flyweights gain more fascination. If we hear the words “For the world heavyweight championship” we’re usually instantly hooked. But insert the word “light” between “world” and “heavyweight” and some fans nod off immediately. Here’s a brief, semi-serious history, and for the sake of our own sanity, we’re only dealing with the linear light heavyweight title here, and not the countless claimants who actually just hold an alphabet belt.

The division was apparently the idea of Lou Houseman, a Chicago journalist who happened to be the manager of Jack Root, who was too big to be a middleweight and too small for a heavyweight. Imagine that, having a whole weight division created just for you! I’m surprised it’s a trend that never caught on! Don King could have created a whole bunch of new weight classes so everyone in his stable could be a champ. More titles! More sanctioning fees! Hurrah!

But of course, at the beginning of 1903 there were only six divisions, and light heavyweight made it seven (flyweight would not be established until later).

Root beat Kid McCoy to become the first champ in the new 175 lb class. The title quickly passed to George Gardner and then Bob Fitzsimmons, who probably forgot he had it until he got round to making his first defence two years later in 1905. Significantly, with his win over Gardner, Fitzsimmons became boxing’s first three-division world champion. I wonder if he knew the significance of this achievement at the time? There should be no doubt about his greatness, though he was past his prime by this time and lost the crown to Philadelphia Jack O’Brien. Now O’Brien was outstanding but he never bothered with his world title, preferring to go after Tommy Burns and heavyweight glory. The light heavyweight division could have fizzled out forever right there.

The championship finally resumed in 1912 when Jack Dillon picked it up. Some sources identify his win over Hugo Kelly as a title fight, whereas others recognize him as the champ after he beat Battling Levinsky and Bob Moha in 1914. Dillon was the epitome of toughness and during his peak he fought more times in a year than some modern day fighters do in their entire careers. The crown passed from him to Levinsky, Georges Carpentier, Battling Siki, Mike McTigue, Paul Berlenbach and Jack Delaney. Of this group, Carpentier and Siki are the most colourful characters. Carpentier was a dashing war hero, the idol of France and is best known for being flattened by Jack Dempsey in a shot at the heavyweight title. His loss to Siki was a big upset and likely reduced a lot of women to tears because he was handsome and they loved him. As for Siki, he was no choirboy. He went through women and alcohol as if his life depended on it. He had a pet lion and, sadly, ended up broke and was stabbed to death in a street fight.

Delaney relinquished the title in 1927 to pursue heavyweight riches but it did not stay vacant for long. Tommy Loughran was generally recognized as the new champ when he beat former champ Mike McTigue. Loughran may have lacked charisma, but certainly not talent and scored some impressive wins, including one over future heavyweight champion Jimmy Braddock, one over middleweight champion Mickey Walker and one over Leo Lomski, from which he had to get up from a pair of first-round knockdowns to win on points. As per the norm, Loughran gave up the world title to campaign at heavyweight.

As is often the case when a champion vacates, every man, woman and child in the civilised world scrambled to claim the title. Eventually, Maxie Rosenloom gained universal recognition when he beat Lou Scozza in 1932. With a nickname like “Slapsie Maxie”, he was never going to amaze boxing fans with devastating knockouts. He lost the title to the utterly forgettable Bob Olin, who then lost it to John Henry Lewis, yet another low-key protagonist. None of these guys are afforded much space in the history books.

Lewis was crushed by the awesome Joe Louis in a shot at the heavyweight crown and subsequently retired due to failing eyesight. Billy Conn was acknowledged as the next champion when he beat Melio Bettina. As is the curse of the light heavyweight division, Conn was a genuinely gifted titleholder but he vacated and became better known for his failed attempt at taking Louis’ heavyweight championship.

Gus Lesnevich, yet another light heavyweight kingpin who was hardly a household name, was awarded acceptance as the next champion after he beat either Anton Christoforidis or Tami Mauriello, depending on which historian you wish to follow. With Joe Louis reigning above him and the fantastic Tony Zale-Rocky Graziano trilogy unfolding below him, it is not a shock to see why poor Lesnevich was lost in the middle.

Freddie Mills beat Lesnevich, and Mills’ less-than-earth-shattering reign ended when he was beaten by Joey Maxim. And here we have a full-blown classic fight: Maxim’s defence against Sugar Ray Robinson. This one is always talked about, but think about it; how many of the greatest fights of all time have been at light heavyweight? When we bring up the subject of a classic, we immediately consider Ali-Frazier I and III, Ali-Foreman, Hagler-Hearns, Dempsey-Firpo, Gans-Nelson, Leonard-Hearns I, Robinson-LaMotta VI, and so on. Classics are somewhat scarce at 175 lbs. Think also of the great rivalries, such as Zale-Graziano, Ali-Norton, Ross-McLarnin, Saddler-Pep etc. Where are they at light heavyweight? The legendary Archie Moore beat Maxim three times, but this does not qualify as a timeless rivalry.

Ancient Archie was nearing the pipe and slippers stage of his life when he became world champion but he totally dominated the division. He defeated all the top contenders around and engaged in another light heavyweight classic: his first fight with Yvon Durelle. Archie climbed off the floor four times to win. He kept on defending the title until he became too ancient to do so, and there is no denying his excellence.

Harold Johnson was universally recognized as Moore’s successor when he beat Doug Jones in 1962. Johnson lost to Willie Pastrano, who lost to Jose Torres, who lost to Dick Tiger, who lost to Bob Foster. It was Foster who made a division-record fourteen successful defences. Devotees of Virgil Hill, and there must be some, may dispute this, but we are talking about the true linear title here, not alphabet belts which are as common as toys in cereal boxes (and worth about the same). Foster was another who craved heavyweight stardom but came up short, losing to Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

When Foster retired in 1974, who became the next world champion is questionable. Some sources, including “The Ring” magazine endorsed Matthew Saad Muhammad when he beat Marvin Johnson in 1979. Muhammad was a thrill-a-minute slugger who specialized in come-from-behind victories. His run came to an end when he was beaten by Dwight Muhammad Qawi. But other sources do not recognize either of these guys as a true champ. Instead, they distinguish Qawi’s 1983 showdown with Michael Spinks as being for the vacant world championship, which Spinks won. There is certainly no question over Spinks’ status and his herky-jerky style was quite unique. No one knew what to expect from him, least of all his opponents. He was also one of the sports’ authentic nice guys.

In 1985, Spinks achieved what no light heavyweight champion had done before; he won the world heavyweight title (and it was the linear title too). Naturally, with heavyweight fame beckoning, he abdicated his light heavyweight throne and, predictably, there was mass confusion with the alphabet groups frantically filling vacancies like pigs at a trough.

Thereafter, there was no clear-cut lineage, and “Boxing Illustrated” magazine, which was naming one rightful world champion per division, had their light heavyweight title vacant during this period.

Finally, in November 1996, something happened, and this is where things get a little tricky. Actually, make that very tricky. Basically, there are two scenarios, each with a degree of credibility and each going in different directions.

Here’s the first scenario. Virgil Hill and Henry Maske fought each other in Germany and the winner, Hill, was backed as the new world champ. In June 1997, he lost to Dariusz Michalczewski, and Michalczewski embarked on a quest to defend against the most obscure challengers he could find. He fulfilled this quest by finding the likes of Darren Zenner and Muslim Biarslanov to pound on. Who were these guys and what had they done to earn a title shot? Maybe nobody knows. Regardless, Michalczewski cruised along until he was defeated by Julio Gonzalez, who in turn was defeated by Zsolt Erdei, who still reigns.

Therefore, today, Zsolt Erdei is the light heavyweight champion of the world.

Or is he?

Here’s the second scenario. While Hill was facing Maske, during the same month a certain Roy Jones was outpointing Mike McCallum. Hill could not be recognized as world champion with Jones on the scene. We had to hold out for a Hill-Jones showdown. However, going into 1997, Hill lost to Michalczewski and Jones lost to Montell Griffin. Jones beat Griffin in a rematch, so we then had to wait for a Jones- Michalczewski match. But this wasn’t happening. While it could be argued that Michalczewski’s momentum disappeared as he continued to face no-hopers, Jones rose to greater heights with wins over Hill and Lou Del Valle.

Meanwhile, Reggie Johnson penetrated the scene with wins over William Guthrie, Ole Klemetsen and Willie Taylor. Was this enough to overtake Michalczewski? Assuming that it was, we can consider that when Johnson faced Jones in June 1999, this could be viewed as being for the vacant world championship. Jones won and reigned supreme until Antonio Tarver beat him in 2004. Tarver consequently lost and won against Glen Johnson, and then most recently was outpointed by Bernard Hopkins.

Therefore, today, Bernard Hopkins is the light heavyweight champion of the world.

So which scenario is most acceptable? Do we opt for Hopkins or Erdei? “The Ring” magazine recognizes Hopkins as the real world champion, and when Hopkins took the crown from Tarver, the ring announcer had billed Tarver as “the universally recognized light heavyweight champion of the world”. But of course, Erdei has his supporters too. Basically, this is a very subjective issue.

The key is whether or not Jones’ entry into the 175 lb division was relevant. Back in November 1996, could Hill have been regarded as the real world champion with Jones in the picture? It would have been so simple if Hill, after beating Maske, had fought Jones straight away. But when is anything ever simple in boxing?

At the time, in terms of pure talent, Jones was ahead of both Hill and Maske. He was that rare, special kind of fighter that only comes along once in a generation. Maybe anything involving the world light heavyweight championship had to include him. Please feel free to make up your own mind.

So, whether you support Hopkins or Erdei as the current champ, or you don’t really care, the light heavyweight division has an intriguing history. No, it’s never had the glitz or the excitement of heavyweight or middleweight, but it has boasted Hall Of Famers like Moore, Foster, Spinks and Loughran, and memorable battles like Spinks-Qawi, Moore-Durelle I and Johnson-Tarver I. And some titleholders, like Jack Dillon and Joey Maxim, are well worth a second look. Perhaps light heavyweight is one for the connoisseur. If you agree or disagree, it’s ok either way, because boxing wouldn’t be as much fun with nothing to debate about.

04.08.06 - Photos by Tom Casino / Showtime - The Marquez brothers will be featured when the 20th anniversary celebration of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING continues Saturday on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast). In the main event, WBO No. 2-ranked Juan will face WBO No. 1 contender Terdsak Jandaeng for the WBO interim 126-pound belt. In a rematch, Rafael defends his IBF/IBO bantamweight belts against No. 1-ranked Silence Mabuza.

TERDSAK JANEANG (24-1, 15 KO’s) 125 lbs.

“Juan Manuel is a very good fighter. I have watched some of his fights. However, I will come out on top. I am younger than him and I feel that gives me the advantage. I respect Marquez, but I feel very confident due to my training. If I conquer this legend I will gain recognition.

“I would like to fight Manny Pacquiao in the future if that is possible. I would also like to take care of Scott Harrison.”

JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ (44-3-1, 33 KO’s) 124.5 lbs

“I’ve fought many southpaws so I know what I’m doing. I feel like I’m 20 years old. I am in shape and well prepared for this fight.

“One time I went to one of my brother’s fights and my body went numb watching him in the ring. From that experience I never ever watch my brother fight anymore.”

RAFAEL MARQUEZ (35-3, 31 KO’s) 118 lbs.

“I made my weight three days ago so I feel good. I feel relaxed. I decided that I wanted to go up in weight three fights ago. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to make weight. However, I didn’t turn down this fight because of pride, that pride all fighters have.

“Juan Manuel and I used to get in the ring together a long time ago until Nacho (Beristain) said ‘no more.’

“Our father taught one of our sisters to fight and she was really good. She was strong. She used to give us pointers. She doesn’t box because her husband won’t let her.”

SILENCE MABUZA (35-3, 31 KO’s) 117.5 lbs

“I was not surprised by how powerful Rafael Marquez was, (but) I was surprised that he caught me. I never back down from any fighter and I won’t back down from Marquez.”

“We were just getting warmed up when the fight ended last time.”

NIC DURANT (Trainer to Mabuza)

“This man (Rafael Marquez) has fire in both hands. We have to neutralize that power.”

07.08.06 - By Nick Mathur: Fighting on the same card for the first time in five years, Rafael and Juan Manuel Marquez (photo by Tom Casino / Showtime) both earned stoppage victories at Montbleu Resort And Casino in Lake Tahoe. Rafael stopped Silence Mabuza after the corner threw in the towel at the end of round nine, while Juan Manuel halted game challenger Terdsak Jandaeng in round seven. It was arguably the biggest stage that both brothers have fought on together, as Rafael was making the seventh defense of his IBF bantamweight title, and Juan Manuel was fighting to become the WBO interim titlist at featherweight to set himself up as the mandatory challenger for Scott Harrison’s belt.

Last November, Rafael Marquez knocked Mabuza down in the first round on his way to a fourth round stoppage victory, due to a deep cut sustained around Mabuza’s eye that forced the doctor to stop the bout. It had been an exciting fight in which both fighters were impressive, even though each judge had scored every round for Marquez leading up to the stoppage. Mabuza then won an elimination fight with Ricardo Vargas in order to gain the opportunity for a rematch against Marquez..

The fight started off quickly as it did the first time around, with Marquez appearing to slightly wobble Mabuza from a stiff jab midway through the first round, which led to both fighters furiously exchanging for the last half of the round. Mabuza’s trainer and cut man, the highly regarded South African Nic Durandt, admonished Mabuza in the corner after the first round had ended for slugging with Marquez. He told Silence that when he gets hurt, his reaction should not be to trade with his heavy handed opponent.

Marquez won the early rounds of the fight, landing effectively to the head and body. After Marquez landed an unintentional low blow during round two, blood was coming out of Mabuza’s nose as he took time to recover and his face was already visibly bruised. However, Mabuza increased his movement in the ring and began to effectively use his hand speed advantage in round three. He landed his jab with some frequency and several nice shots which got the attention of Marquez. It was clear at this point that Mabuza had a very strong will to win and was able to absorb some of Marquez’s best punches, while still coming back with effective combinations. The fight was going very well for Mabuza during rounds three, four, and five, as he looked to be gaining confidence and was asserting himself more. Marquez looked puzzled at times, his work rate noticeably dropped, and his mouth hung slightly open due to the fast pace that they were fighting at during the preceding rounds. It looked as if Rafael had lost some of the steam on his punches, while Mabuza was landing a considerable number of shots on Marquez, and punctuated the fifth round by trapping him against the ropes and unleashing a violent flurry.

Marquez began to perform very well after Mabuza landed an accidental low blow during the sixth round. While Mabuza was still giving a spirited effort and displayed very good hand speed and ring movement, Marquez was still landing the more significant punches, and the pro-Marquez brothers crowd cheered whenever Rafael landed something hard. The fight was still competitive at this point, but Mabuza’s face clearly showed damage, especially around his eyes and on his left cheekbone. Marquez closed the eighth round with a nice flurry of activity, and then hurt Mabuza with a hard right hand followed by a combination of punches in round nine. Marquez then chased him around the ring and fired a large volume of punches trying to knock his opponent out, landing several left hooks and uppercuts in the process. Mabuza appeared to have his feet under him at some point while Marquez temporarily rested after having spent himself, but Mabuza was once again caught with a right hand bomb towards the end of the round. Mabuza’s prospects for winning the fight looked grim at this point, with the accumulation of damage taking it’s toll and evidenced by the fact that his face was bloodied and swollen. Nic Durandt threw in the towel at the end of round nine, giving Marquez a hard fought TKO victory.

While the judges had Marquez comfortably ahead in the fight, Mabuza showed once again in defeat that he possesses skills, punching power, a great chin and real courage as he was able to withstand punches that would put almost any other bantamweight in the world flat on their back. Both fighters complimented one another during post-fight interviews, and Marquez stated that he will move up to 122 pounds to see what the junior featherweight division has to offer. Rafael Marquez seems to have significantly improved as far as skills and composure since he came back from being hurt from a body punch to knock out Tim Austin in his title winning effort back in 2003. He showed great poise tonight when closing the show with several hard right hands and left hooks, including an excellent one to the body at the end that really seemed to slow Mabuza down. His future looks bright, and will almost undoubtedly find similar success at the higher weight classes as he continues to improve his craft and gets better with each passing fight.

In the main event, what I anticipated to be a mismatch on paper turned out to be a very exciting fight, as determined southpaw challenger Terdsak Jandaeng was able to give Juan Manuel Marquez a stiff test in what was still, unfortunately for him, a losing effort. Perhaps more importantly, Jandaeng was able to invoke Marquez’s fighting spirit and made him set aside his usual counterpunching and overly cautious style in favor of slugging it out, much to the delight of the fans in attendance. Marquez, after losing to Chris John in Indonesia, was in a situation where he not only needed to win, but also needed to put on a performance that generated interest from boxing fans.

Before the fight, Jandaeng had a resume that was devoid of any noteworthy opponents other than Joan Guzman, who soundly defeated him last year by decision. The purpose of Juan Manuel Marquez even taking this fight was apparently to get back into the win column against a fighter who could make him look good, while putting him in line to fight for an alphabet title later in the year. However, with strong gusts of wind whipping around and the possibility of rain threatening to ruin the fight for those in attendance at the outdoor arena, it was immediately surprising that the fight got off to a strong pace, with Jandaeng showing surprising hand speed and Marquez fighting in a far more aggressive manner than we have recently become accustomed to.

Marquez staggered Jandaeng with a left uppercut in round two, worked the head and body, and then put him down face first with an uppercut. Although Jandaeng responded by getting up and landing a few flush shots on Marquez, the situation was made worse for him when he was warned for low blows and then deducted a point during the round. While many might have expected an early night for Marquez at this point, Jandaeng surprised everyone by going toe to toe with Marquez and having a very good third and fourth round. At some point, Marquez’s right eye began to swell badly and almost close. The surprising turn of events led one to consider whether or not Marquez was still the same fighter who gave Manny Pacquiao a very tough fight after being knocked down three times by the whirlwind Filipino bomber, or whether Jandaeng was actually a quality fighter.

Things began to go Marquez’s way at this point when I’m sure that his supporters were beginning to be concerned about the outcome of the fight. He landed more authoritatively in the fifth round, and then used a brilliant lead right uppercut followed by a hooking right upstairs to floor Jandaeng hard in the sixth. Jandaeng got to his feet and returned fire, but was hurt by punches that connected towards the end of the round, including some great body work by Marquez. Jay Nady had seen enough when the onslaught by Marquez continued in the seventh, as Jandaeng was hit hard by several more uppercuts and body punches.

Juan Manuel’s eye looked to be in bad shape, and his face bore clear marks that indicated that he had been in a tough fight. However, he was openly jubilant during the moments after he scored the stoppage. He displayed a vast arsenal of punches, which he used to hurt Jandaeng at different moments during the fight and finally to knock him out. He also showed the class and the boxing pedigree that fight fans already knew he possessed. However, one has to give credit to Terdsak Jandaeng, a tough, game fighter who took a great punch and returned fire very well in this determined effort.

Marquez, at thirty-two years of age, is considered to be on the older end of the boxing spectrum as far as fighters in the lighter weight divisions go. After this win tonight, it is evident that he still might have some greatness to achieve, and would certainly be competitive with top fighters like Pacquiao, Morales, Barrera, Juarez, and Larios. While most knowledgeable boxing fans were critical of his opponent’s chances to win, a fight like this still leaves a positive impression on the minds of the public; people are always happy seeing brawls and knockouts. Marquez has probably learned from his past mistakes, and would not let unreasonable purse demands ruin his chances at being placed in a fight with a marquee fighter.

It is important for him to fight someone relatively soon while this performance is still fresh on the minds of the fans, rather than him sitting on the shelf and stagnating while other top fighters are busy fighting each other. Overall, the Marquez brothers could not have asked for a better night, as they both earned stoppage victories over tough opponents and created opportunities for themselves to be matched up with the best fighters in their respective divisions somewhere down the line.

09.08.06 - By: Troy Ondrizek: Hasim Rahman and Wladimir Klitschko is indeed the most meaningful heavyweight fight out there. In fact Wladimir is ranked number one in The Ring rankings, and Rahman holds down the number two spot. This means the winner of that fight can be called the true champion of the division and will restart the lineage that ended with Lennox Lewis’ retirement three years ago. Not only is the Ring title at stake, but so is the credibility of the division. I have argued against the naive notion that the heavyweight division is poor in talent. The talent is there, hell it’s all over the world in the division; the problem is that the top fighters don’t meet in the ring against one another. That is the fault of fighters, promoters and T.V. execs alike. So we all know that Rahman and Klitschko needs to happen, but truth is we could be nine months to a year away from that fight, so why try to deny the fans an exciting fight by torpedoing Shannon Briggs’ chance at a title against Wladimir Klitschko?

The fight between Shannon and Wladimir isn’t signed yet, I have been informed on a few occasions exactly how close they are, but it is still in the works. However, why are HBO and Larry Merchant trying to take away my enjoyment of seeing two colossal men trying to decapitate the one another? Shannon hasn’t fought top competition, that is a fact, but Shannon is a very skilled fighter and carries “oh my God did you see that” power in both hands. Wladimir is the man in the division and is showing that skilled power punchers, defensive technicians, and crude sluggers pose no threat to him and his title. Wladimir is powerful and immensely skilled, his chin is a little shaky, but his determination to prove he is the best isn’t. In a not near as exciting title fight Hasim Rahman is fighting his mandatory Oleg Maskaev this coming Saturday, and then he must face the winner of the September 2nd fight between James Toney and Samuel Peter, but Rahman doesn’t have to fight them for eleven months. Rahman gets an optional defense of his belt; most likely in China, and most likely not against Wladimir Klitschko. So why deny Klitschko his opportunity to shine in November by trying to force a fight between Rahman and Klitschko early next year. The fight with Rahman could still happen, but let Klitschko get his optional title defense out of the way first.

As much as we complain about the caliber of Nicolay Valuev’s opponents at least Valuev fights fairly often. Valuev took the WBA crown from John Ruiz last December and has fought in June and is looking to fight again in October. Between last October and this October Klitschko will have fought only once, and in that same time frame Rahman will have fought twice and Valuev three times. So a defense for Wladimir in November is exactly what he and we need, even if it is against Briggs and not Rahman. Shannon Briggs is a far bigger name than Monte Barrett and Oleg Maskaev. As for Briggs himself, Shannon is a more dangerous fighter than the other two challengers combined, and Briggs is hands down far more fan-friendly of a fighter and his charisma and ability to self-promote outshines any heavyweight in the game. Sure purist can complain about Briggs only knocking out 11 straight opponents and the biggest names being an old Ray Mercer, an old Dickey Ryan, and a fat Chris Koval, but Barrett lost his last fight to Hasim Rahman in which Barrett forgot to fight the first eleven rounds and seemed like he was just posing for pictures the entire time. Meanwhile Maskaev is on a nice little winning streak himself, but does a victory over Sinan Samil Sam really deserve a mandatory title shot? Lets be honest, none of the recent title challengers deserved their shots, and that includes WBO titlist Sergei Liakhovich and WBA titlist Nicolay Valuev.

I appreciate Larry Merchant and his agonizingly slow rants just as much as the next man, but he can leave his personal agenda out of it. Rahman and Klitschko will not be nearly as exciting as Briggs and Klitschko, and damnit; I want excitement right now in the heavyweight division. Excitement should be just as important as defeating a top ten fighter for a higher ranking when it comes to getting a title shot. Not being an exciting fighter has cost the likes of Calvin Brock a shot at the title. It all boils down to these men being entertainers and us fans shelling out our cash for their services. I would much rather see Briggs and Klitschko relive Briggs/Lewis than I would see another installment of Calvin Brock and Timur Ibragimov. Plus a victory in a thrilling slugfest can do wonders for the winner. For if Wladimir emphatically defeats Briggs, and then we’ll have a champion to get behind. If Briggs capitalizes on his better than a punchers chance against Klitschko, then we have a champion we can get behind. Rahman just needs to focus on beating Oleg Maskaev right now, and then the winner of that fight can face the winner of Briggs and Klitschko.

I am a fan of a unified division, I am a fan of the best and most deserving fighters fighting one another, but every once in a while a Lyle/Foremen style fight is a great thing to experience, and Klitschko/Briggs could be just that. So I say; bring Briggs on and let the two slug it out. For in this era of much talent, but with watered down defenses, at least this title fight can give us something to cheer about. I also want to leave you with this, remember when Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster didn’t deserve their shot at Klitschko’s title?

11.08.06 - By Vanessa McConnell, Photos by Chris McGee / Mightygloves.com - The weigh-in for the Heavyweights Hasim "The Rock" Rahman and Oleg Maskaev for Saturday's upcoming revenge rematch, also known as, "America's Last Line of Defense," took place on Thursday, inside Caesars Palace Augusta Ballroom, in Las Vegas.

Both fighters were on time and ready to get it on in Saturday nights fight. Hasim Rahman and his entire family and team made their presence well known. Rahman walked in holding his daughter, as the other family members followed closely behind him. He even had a hype-man, with a gold crown on his head, screaming and shouting "Boxing Gangsta" and other things, as they walked in. While they headed for the seats, one guy said to the team, "come on, let's tear this front row up."

They came in full force for Rahman, most of them had t-shirts on that said "Team Rahman From the Ghetto to HBO" on the back. They were giving away Everlast hats and t-shirts to the media and fans. No one was more proud and represented Rahman's camp the most than his kids. The most vocal one of them all was the out spoken hype-man. He shouted during the entire weigh-in and it was nothing nice. When Mike Tyson showed up it was a frenzy. The fighters, promoters and Mike hit the stage for the weigh-in the pandemonium was on again and our famous hype-man took over. He yelled "Ain't no friends with the Russians, Oleg is dead, Major whore for USSR," and "U chump," as Maskaev stepped on the scale. Maskaev weighed in at 238 lbs.

As Rahman stepped on the scale, the hype-man yelled "High Power Champ." It was hard to hear the weight over the hype-man but we all thought we heard 235 lbs. Now it was Tyson's turn. If I didn't know any better, I would think Tyson was having a flash back, as the crowd was cheering and screaming. However, Tyson faked, as to take the scale before pausing to realize it wasn't his fight. As he nearly took that step, someone pointed to the stage next to the scale and he snapped out of it. He took to the tip of the stage and brought Rahman and Maskaev up for a mean face off. As Tyson held their gloves up, the hype-man got started again. He yelled out "Go back to Russia." Maskaev looked over at him with a smile and winked. The hype-man replied, "No need to smile, on the 12th you gonna be frowning."

Maskaev blew him off, as both fighters and teams make their exits.

33-year-old Rahman is from Baltimore and is America's "only current world heavyweight champion" defending his title one day before his world title anniversary. Rahman previously defeated Monte Barrett last year on August 13 for the world heavyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision. Now a year later he is defending his title to Maskaev of Kazakhstan to keep more than just his belt. His "honor, pride and and country" is on the line.

For a while now "natives from the former Soviet Union have dominated the division" and it's all up to the last heavyweight standing to keep America in the game. Rahman nearly lost his title to James Toney in March when the fight went to the judges score card, he won the fight by a draw. Now it's time to put his 11 year professional career and two time championship reigns to work.

The world will be watching this weekend to see who gains or retains the world title. Only time will tell now who will be the WBC Heavyweight Champion of the world. It all goes down this Saturday, August 12 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas and live on HBO-PPV.

Originally Posted by Goodfella9783 Rahman loses by TKO in 12th.

Originally Posted by ForemanRules Klitschko vs Maskaev in November? 14.08.06 - Shelly Finkel, an advisor to Wladimir Klitschko, told German news agency "sid" that he offered Oleg Maskaev a Nov. 11 fight with Wladimir Klitschko at MSG immediatley afer Maskaev´s victory over Hasim Rahman on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Finkel: "I offered Maskaev a fight contract, he and his Team must realize that there is no better fight they can get, and no better oppenent than Wladimir Klitschko." Klitschko was rumored to fight Shannon Briggs Nov.11. l

23.08.06 - Tired of beating up on sparring partners while preparing for his September 2 fight against Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter, James “Lights Out” Toney handed out some power shots of his own at a media gathering following a recent training session at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.

“Why does that (bleeping) Peter talk (bleep) about his power and think that he can ignore mine?” an indignant Toney shouted out. “I got 43 mutha (bleeping) knockouts in 69 wins, and that big (bleeping bleep) will be number 44. What the (bleep) will he say then lying flat on his back?

“Every (bleeping) guy I fight is bigger and stronger than me – supposedly. Peter is no different. Look at Rahman and what I did to his face. He didn’t knock me down. He didn’t faze me. Nobody knocks James ‘Lights Out’ Toney down. If Peter thinks he is going to knock me (bleeping) out, he has another (bleeping) thing coming. I’ll punish him more than he can ever believe could ever happen to him. I’ll beat my respect out of him.”

With the “No Risk, No Reward” main event at Staples Center in Los Angeles less than two weeks away, Toney proclaimed this to be his best training camp since the one three years ago which resulted in a win over former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield which, as Toney was quick to point out, counted for one of those 43 knockout victories.

“I don’t (bleeping) cry,” insisted Toney, “over what these so-called big and strong guys say about me. I feed off of it. You tell Peter to bring what he’s got on September 2nd and I’ll bring it even more. I’ll knock his (bleeping) ass out and when they send him back to Africa on a boat he’ll still be sleeping. He’ll have a (bleeping) ‘Lights Out’ nightmare in the ring and relive it while he’s asleep at sea.”

One decided edge Toney (despite constant criticism of his weight) believes he has over Peter in this fight, is stamina. Toney has fought twelve rounds on 19 different occasions. Peter’s extended experience in a 12-round bout was a loss to Wladamir Klitschko.

“Regardless – I’m going to knock him out – I don’t (bleeping) care,” Toney insists. “All I know is that Samuel Peter is going back to Africa a loser and I will look forward to banging (bleeping) Russians around.”

The WBC Heavyweight Elimination bout, “No Risk, No Reward” is co-promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Don King Promotions and Duva Boxing and will be the main event on the live “Showtime Championship Boxing” telecast.

25.08.06 - Photos: Joe Miranda - Toney (shown hitting the mitts) faces Samuel "The Nigerian Nightmare" Peter in a WBC heavyweight elimination bout in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday, Sept. 2 on SHOWTIME (10 p.m., ET/PT, delayed on the west coast), at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Peter: We are here. I am ready to go on Sept. 2. I am telling everybody inside the media. We are ready to do what it takes to win.

Toney: I will not be shy. I am looking forward to Sept. 2. It is going to be a good fight. I hope Sam Peter keeps his promise because I have got something for him. Nobody is going to put my [expletive] down. It is not going to happen. He isn’t going to do it because he is in the amateurs. I am ready to fight. It is time to end all this talking. Let us get it on. Everybody talking, his promoters are talking. I am not anybody to play with. I will take Peter’s [expletive] out.

Question: Sam, what is your reaction to this kind of talk and how is it going to affect the fight?

Toney: That is him doing all the talking. I do not talk. I talk with my hands. I only retaliate (to) what they say to me..

Peter: You cannot fight if you do not know how to talk or to speak.

Question: Samuel, is any of this trash talk getting into your head?

Peter: No, it is not getting into my head because I am good and I am going to be good on Sept. 2. I have got to do what I have got to do because I am the next heavyweight champion of the world. I do not care what Toney says. Nothing he does is going to get into my head because I fight through a lot of things. Nothing goes through my head. I do what I and I do what I have got to do.

Question: Samuel, what do you have to work on for this fight?

Peter: Well, I know Toney has been there for a long time, being a (former) world champion. But it is definitely time for him to quit. What I am going to do you will see on Sept. 2.

Question: James, what do you feel you have to do in this fight other than just knock him out to get a decisive victory? Is there anything you feel you need to work on at this point?

Toney: What happened with Rahman was a one-time thing. That is done. As far as the trash talk goes, I did not start it. It is his promoter and his manager who started it. So each time they start it, you know, it is what it is. Come Sept. 2, I am going to beat his [expletive].

Question: James, what was your reaction to Rahman getting knocked out by Oleg Maskaev?

Toney: The guy quit. He could have gone to 12 rounds, but you know what happened. Rahman was not all that strong. I shook him like a salt shaker when I hit him. So Maskaev got the world championship. It will not last long though.

Question: Sam, what do you feel are your skills and qualities that will allow you to beat such a seasoned veteran, a former multi-time champion, as in James Toney?

Peter: Well, I am going to prove to everybody that nobody can get in the ring with me and survive. I am going to prove that I am going to be the true heavyweight champion of the world. So Sept. 2, everybody will see what is going to happen.

Question: James, are you going to knock him out or win a decision?

Toney: I am a fighter. That is what I do. I beat people up. I make them quit, knock them out, whatever. You have known me all these years, you know that if I do not knock him out, I will have him destroyed by the end of the fight. That is what I do.

Question: Sam, what happens when you hit Toney with your best punch and he is still standing?

Peter: I will hit him with my best punch, but he will not stand up.

Question: James, do you feel you can be as effective in the middle of the ring as you would be if you were against the ropes?

Toney: I am the complete fighter. Everybody wants to keep saying I am a boxer. I do not box. I fight. That is what I do. You know that and he knows that. Come Sept. 2, I am going to be there and I am not going anywhere. My style never changes. I do not run from anybody. I have been in with the best fighters in the world, better fighters than him. So it does not matter. Whatever he has got to do is not going to be enough. I wish I could fight him now.

Question: Why is this fight inspiring so much anger in both of you?

Originally Posted by ForemanRules Toney-Peter Showtime Conference Call Quotes 25.08.06 - Photos: Joe Miranda - Toney (shown hitting the mitts) faces Samuel "The Nigerian Nightmare" Peter in a WBC heavyweight elimination bout in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday, Sept. 2 on SHOWTIME (10 p.m., ET/PT, delayed on the west coast), at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. Peter: We are here. I am ready to go on Sept. 2. I am telling everybody inside the media. We are ready to do what it takes to win. Toney: I will not be shy. I am looking forward to Sept. 2. It is going to be a good fight. I hope Sam Peter keeps his promise because I have got something for him. Nobody is going to put my [expletive] down. It is not going to happen. He isn’t going to do it because he is in the amateurs. I am ready to fight. It is time to end all this talking. Let us get it on. Everybody talking, his promoters are talking. I am not anybody to play with. I will take Peter’s [expletive] out. Question: Sam, what is your reaction to this kind of talk and how is it going to affect the fight? Toney: That is him doing all the talking. I do not talk. I talk with my hands. I only retaliate (to) what they say to me.. Peter: You cannot fight if you do not know how to talk or to speak. Question: Samuel, is any of this trash talk getting into your head? Peter: No, it is not getting into my head because I am good and I am going to be good on Sept. 2. I have got to do what I have got to do because I am the next heavyweight champion of the world. I do not care what Toney says. Nothing he does is going to get into my head because I fight through a lot of things. Nothing goes through my head. I do what I and I do what I have got to do. Question: Samuel, what do you have to work on for this fight? Peter: Well, I know Toney has been there for a long time, being a (former) world champion. But it is definitely time for him to quit. What I am going to do you will see on Sept. 2. Question: James, what do you feel you have to do in this fight other than just knock him out to get a decisive victory? Is there anything you feel you need to work on at this point? Toney: What happened with Rahman was a one-time thing. That is done. As far as the trash talk goes, I did not start it. It is his promoter and his manager who started it. So each time they start it, you know, it is what it is. Come Sept. 2, I am going to beat his [expletive]. Question: James, what was your reaction to Rahman getting knocked out by Oleg Maskaev? Toney: The guy quit. He could have gone to 12 rounds, but you know what happened. Rahman was not all that strong. I shook him like a salt shaker when I hit him. So Maskaev got the world championship. It will not last long though. Question: Sam, what do you feel are your skills and qualities that will allow you to beat such a seasoned veteran, a former multi-time champion, as in James Toney? Peter: Well, I am going to prove to everybody that nobody can get in the ring with me and survive. I am going to prove that I am going to be the true heavyweight champion of the world. So Sept. 2, everybody will see what is going to happen. Question: James, are you going to knock him out or win a decision? Toney: I am a fighter. That is what I do. I beat people up. I make them quit, knock them out, whatever. You have known me all these years, you know that if I do not knock him out, I will have him destroyed by the end of the fight. That is what I do. Question: Sam, what happens when you hit Toney with your best punch and he is still standing? Peter: I will hit him with my best punch, but he will not stand up. Question: James, do you feel you can be as effective in the middle of the ring as you would be if you were against the ropes? Toney: I am the complete fighter. Everybody wants to keep saying I am a boxer. I do not box. I fight. That is what I do. You know that and he knows that. Come Sept. 2, I am going to be there and I am not going anywhere. My style never changes. I do not run from anybody. I have been in with the best fighters in the world, better fighters than him. So it does not matter. Whatever he has got to do is not going to be enough. I wish I could fight him now. Question: Why is this fight inspiring so much anger in both of you? Toney: It is not me, man. It is them. They came at me the wrong way in the press conference, disrespecting me in front of my family. Peter: Well, sport is unity. We go in there to do what we are supposed to do. If James Toney is mad, let him be mad. If he is crazy, let him be crazy. Question: What do you both think your opponent’s greatest strength is and how will you overcome it? Toney: Everything I do is great. I have seen it all. I have been in with the best. I have seen it all. There isn’t anything I haven’t seen before. Let me tell you something. Heat up the water. I am going to put that fire out for him. Question: Sam, do you think that a knockout may be the only way you can win this fight? Peter: Well, I have got to prove myself. Question: James, do you get tired of not being recognized for your all-around boxing skills? Does that bother you sometimes to not get that kind of recognition? Toney: It bothers me all the time, but you know what? I am going to have the last laugh at the end and then I am going to say, ‘I told you so.’ I know what I can do. I know who the man is that will win Sept. 2. Question: The roles have been reversed here because you said the attack was made against you and in reality, you are just retaliating? Toney: Exactly. Then when I retaliate, everybody wants to say what I do. You know what I am saying? This is boxing, this is me. I take everything personal. Question: James, do you think a knockout will be the only way you will be assured of a victory? Toney: That is right. I am great shape. When I am in great shape, I will be knocking somebody out. Someone is going to get physically damaged, and it will not be me. Question: Sam, do you think about the stuff James said during the last conference call or is it something you just know happens and move on? Peter: I forget about everything. Mostly, I am thinking about is how I will walk through Toney. Nobody is going to send me (anywhere). So my plan now is just to walk through Toney. Question: James, of all your opponents, who does Sam Peter remind you of? Toney: Iran Barkley. Question: Do you still feel that Barkley hit you harder than anybody has ever hit you? Toney: He hit like a mule and plus he is dumb as an ox. I am a fighter. I was born a fighter. These guys were taught to fight. That is the difference between me and everybody else. Question: Sam, you have gone the distance in your career four times. Do you feel that might be a part of James’ plan, to take you late in the fight? Toney: I am going to fight him how I fight. (There is) no plan. He is going to come at me trying to knock me out -- whatever, please do. I am ready. Know what? I am done with my questions for the day. You all have a good day out there in TV land. I have left the building. Peter: Well, he is going to jump to my punches.

Originally Posted by Goodfella9783 Chuck Liddell would kill both of em.

29.08.06 - Photos by Joe Miranda - Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter (26-1, 22 KOs) and Robert “The Ghost’’ Guerrero (18-1-1, 11 KOs) participated in an open media workout Monday at the Los Angeles Boxing Academy as they continued to prepare for their big fights Saturday at STAPLES Center on SHOWTIME. Peter faces James “Lights Out’’ Toney (69-4-3, 1 ND, 43 KOs), in a 12-round WBC heavyweight elimination bout while Guerrero challenges IBF featherweight champion Eric “Mighty Mouse” Aiken (16-4, 12 KOs). Tickets, priced at $300, $150, $75 and $50, are available at all TicketMaster locations and at STAPLES Center's Box Office.

SAMUEL PETER

“This is the biggest, most important fight of my life. I will destroy Toney.

“I have no fear and am ready for anything he has to offer and that includes his tricks, style and maneuvers. He is going to see things from me that the world has never seen before. I have never been primed for a fight like I am for this one. I have had excellent sparring with top-notch guys..

“Toney knows he made a silly mistake by agreeing to fight me. I am going to hit him everywhere.
“Toney has nothing. Whatever power he had went away 20 years ago.

“I promise you I will win by knockout’’

31.08.06 - By Ted Sares: I predict James Toney takes the Nigerian bomber to school (Saturday at STAPLES Center on SHOWTIME 10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) and this is why:

EXPERIENCE: Clearly, Toney is the more experienced man with far more quality rounds and 50 more fights under his ample belt.

QUALITY OF OPPOSITION: "Lights Out's" opposition has been light years superior to that of Peter. James has fought Roy Jones, a trilogy with the great Mike McCallum (2 wins and a draw), Vassiliy Jirov, Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman, Dominick Guinn, John Ruiz, Steve Little, Montell Griffin, Charles Williams, Iran Barkley, Reggie Johnson, Merqui Sosa, and, of course, Michael Nunn. The list reads like a "Whose Who" in tough opponents. Peter, on the other hand, has fought Wladimir Klitschko and then it goes quickly down hill. Charles Shufford Jr, Taurus Sykes and Jeremy Williams have been decent opponents. Indeed, "The Nightmare"sent Williams to sleep and into retirement with a scary left hook but he also was extended to the round limit by Shufford and Robert Hawkins. During the amateurs, he won 18 of 20 fights. No comparison here..

BOXING KNOW HOW: Toney possesses incredible fistic talent and Peter possesses's devastating power, but Toney is the professor and Peter is the student. Toney knows every cute move in the book and Peter is an upstart who may not know where the book is. Toney's Boxer IQ is high; Peter is still too amateurish and he may well be overrated. Toney likely has forgotten more than Peter knows about the ruidements of offense and defense. But Peter's awesome power can erase all of that with one left hook ala Jeremy Williams.

Prediction: Toney works his way inside "The Nightmare's" looping shots, and begins connecting with short hooks, and sharp counter uppercuts until one connects that momentarily stuns Samuel. James quickly steps back and unloads a strong overhand right down the pipe that surprises Samuel and forces him to become more cautious and tentative. Toney begins picking up the pace in the 4rth round, fighting inside and off the ropes ropes which he does better than just about anyone. He then starts the process of breaking the now somewhat discouraged bigger man down with crisp rights and combinations, while Peter is relegated to throwing one telegraphed punch at a time. Toney, now dictating the action, exposes Peter's lack of fundamentals and takes the crude but proud Nigerian to school. At the end, both fighters are exhausted but Toney's hand is raised as he wins by UD.


*"Question: Sam, Toney is a tremendous fighter in terms of defense, counter punching, fighting from angles. A lot of things that are really old school. You are a younger fighter and known more as a power puncher. Have you adjusted your style, or are you going to adjust your style, to face Toney?

Peter: I am going to walk through him. Toney: Oh, I like that. Keep your promise."

*From ESB James Toney-Samuel Peter Conference Call War - 09.08.06

Originally Posted by ForemanRules Jason Reinhardt would own Mayweather

Originally Posted by ForemanRules Jason Reinhardt would own Mayweather

Originally Posted by boilermaker Who is he? Same class?

Originally Posted by ForemanRules It was just a bad joke, he is some 155LB MMA dude

31.08.06 - By Craig Parrish: It has been reported by the Associated Press that Former Heavyweight Champ “Iron” Mike Tyson has set up “training camp” at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. The opponent he is training for? None. In fact Tyson has said that he has no plans to return to the ring and that he “truly hates fighting”.

The reason that Tyson is willing to get in the makeshift ring by the hotel’s buffet is simple: he needs the money. Tyson is still millions of dollars in debt and with no plans to return to the ring in earnest, it is highly unlikely that he will ever pay back the money he owes to his creditors. But in the meantime, he is willing to get in the ring and work the mitts with Trainer Jeff Fenech as onlookers gawk.

Just as his “Simpsons” alter ego Drederick Tatum was reduced to working the door at a casino, Tyson has now landed in Vegas at the end of his career. After years of spectacular ring victories laced with sad episodes from his bizarre personal life, here he is. He claims to be trying to be a “simple man”, and put thoughts of the millions of dollars he wasted behind him. In the meantime, he needs to make a living so when the Hotel called with the training camp proposal, Tyson agreed.

The similarity to the current state of Tyson and that of the great Joe Louis is disturbing. After retirement, Louis was informed by the Government that he owed thousands of dollars in back taxes on money he had donated to charity. Unable to pay, Louis went back in the ring for a few fights, appeared on game shows, refereed fights, and finally landed in Vegas as little more than a sideshow attraction. At the end of his life he was nearly destitute, and was unable to pay for his own funeral.

It is well known that Tyson is a historian of the sport of boxing. I’m sure that the fate of Louis is not far from his mind in his current situation. Hopefully Tyson can create some opportunities for himself to try to avoid a similar fate. But he’s not asking for pity. Tyson was quoted as saying “I had a great life. I had twenty lives. No way should they be sympathetic to me”.

After all he has done, or been accused of doing, it is hard to feel sympathy for Tyson today. But if you look at that 19 year old kid who would get in the ring and destroy people, then rush to their corner to see if they were okay, you can’t help but feel a twinge of incredible waste. If Cus D’Amato were alive today, it would break his heart.

Originally Posted by fufu Mike Tyson - best boxer in the history of the sport

Originally Posted by fufu Mike Tyson - best boxer in the history of the sport

Originally Posted by fufu Mike Tyson - best boxer in the history of the sport

Originally Posted by ForemanRules

Originally Posted by BigDyl Who will beat him? .

Originally Posted by ForemanRules Wladimir Klitschko Samuel Peter James Toney Oleg Maskaev Calvin Brock Chris Byrd Serguei Lyakhovich Lamon Brewster Kirk Johnson Hasim Rahman Danny Williams Jameel McCline Shannon Briggs Plus many more.