TJ Cline

Exciting times in boxing this month

topolo

thanks, i didnt know that

TJ Cline

I'll make a thread for you tomorrow.....to console you after Roy gets






















































































































Knocked the fuck out!

TJ Cline

World Rankings: October - Pound for Pound,
02.10.05 - Compiled by Chris Ireland
Pound For Pound - 1. Floyd Mayweather - He's young, he's undefeated, and he's now blowing his opponents out. The problem? He needs to fight better fighters. Henry Bruseles, DeMarcus Corley, and Arturo Gatti, though respectable, aren't the kind of fighters you'd expect the top pound-for-pound fighter in his sport to take on a regular bases.

2. Winky Wright - Wright has had quite a coming out party. After being ignored for years and being robbed against Fernando Vargas, Wright has now defeated Shane Mosley twice, and Felix Trinidad without too much resistance. Now it looks like Wright will take on either Ike Quartey, Felix Sturm, or Kingsley Ikeke..

3. Bernard Hopkins - Make no mistake, "The Executioner" is not a shot fighter. What is apparent, however, is the fact that the former champ is slowing down. After starting slow against Oscar De La Hoya, Hopkins won a ho-hum decision against Howard Eastman. In July, he started so slow against Jermain Taylor that it cost him the fight. Now he gets a shot at redemption in December.

4. Antonio Tarver - Tarver became a pound for pound elite last year with the 2nd round knockout of Roy Jones. He followed that up with a loss to Glenn Johnson in December. "The Magic Man," re-established his high pound-for-pound status by defeating Johnson and Jones by decision.

5. Diego Corrales - Corrales won perhaps the greatest fight of all time against Jose Luis Castillo in May. Their rematch promises to be memorable as well on October 8th. Corrales' competition gets him to number five, defeating the likes of Joel Casamayor, Acelino Frietas, and Jose Luis Castillo in his last three fights.

6. Jose Luis Castillo - It's hard to fathom how a fighter's standing in pound-for-pound lists can improve after a loss, but Corrales-Castillo wasn't your typical fight. Jose was seconds away from stopping Corrales a few months ago, and now gets his second chance Saturday. Castillo has fought the best competition available, and you'll seldom find a tougher fighter.

7. Ricky Hatton - Ricky Hatton did what a challenger is supposed to do. He TOOK the title from Kostya Tszyu, forcing the former champ into a grueling war for eleven rounds before finally quitting on his stool before the final frame. Hatton is now set to take on Carlos Maussa, fresh off an upset victory over Vivian Harris.

8. Zab Judah - "Super" looked more focused and determined than he had in years when he took on Cory Spinks in a welterweight title rematch earlier this year. That focus paid off, as Judah took the title by knocking Spinks out in the ninth round. Zab is now wanting Floyd Mayweather in the ring.

9. Jermain Taylor - Though he didn't exactly do it smoothly or even that skillfully, Jermain Taylor ended Bernard Hopkins' streak of title defenses at 20. The Olympian ran out of gas late, and was nearly knocked out by the champion in the championship rounds. But Taylor remained upright, fought back, and came out the victor. Nobody has given Hopkins that much trouble in years.


10. Marco Antonio Barrera - With fights against Erik Morales and Manny Pacquaio possibly on the horizon, Barrera is patiently waiting for an opening while taking on the likes of Robbie Peden and Mzonke Fana. When Morales and Pacquaio are done with each other, rest assured that Barrera will want the winner
Others: ErikMorales, Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez

TJ Cline

Tarver – Jones: The Fischer And Kasparov Of Boxing

02.10.05 - By Wray Edwards: A local scribe for The Tampa Tribune, Anwar S. Richardson, wrote an article for Saturday’s sports section which dwelled on the number three with such examples as “…mind, body and soul…Father, Son and Holy Spirit…Judaism observes three major feasts…three meals a day…” etc. as a lead-in to Jones-Tarver 3. After watching the beginning of this fight, it became obvious that Mr. Richardson had left out the most appropriate example: SOS (… - - - …). Right after the third (naturally) round, this writer left ringside and sought out the highest seats in the Forum (the seventh level press-box) to watch the rest of the fight.

In this case SOS stands for “Save Our Sport”. For the first Three Rounds, Jones danced to his right in endless counter-clockwise circles as Tarver just stayed in the middle of the ring and turned around and around to keep facing the circling challenger. Most in the press-box came to the conclusion that Roy was trying to get Tony dizzy by this tactic.. Tarver would step towards Jones from time-to-time but not much happened. The Fourth was probably much the same, but those three minutes were spent heading for the rafters. Perhaps a change of perspective would help.

Round Five finally contained a departure from Jones’ impersonation of a satellite orbiting “mother” Tarver. He made a few “charges” and some meaningless contacts after feinting so many times the crowd began to boo both fighters. He looked like the proverbial “mongoose at a cobra rally” except that the cobras were not striking. After one of his minor forays against Tony, Jones, apparently impressed with his zippy displays, did a “heel slap” reminiscent of an Oktoberfest beer-hall dancer in his lederhosen. To this point we had it Tarver: 9/10/10/9/9 (47) – Jones 10/10/9/10/10 (49) even though there was scant action, from either fighter, by which to award the rounds.

Round Six was punctuated by Roy’s decision to stick his tongue out at Tony. Perhaps he was having a flash-back to their long-ago amateur encounter. There were also a couple of head shakes by Jones which must have been intended to indicate to Tarver that his strikes had had no effect. Round to Roy, for slightly more contact and his excellent impersonation of Gene Simmons, Tarver 66, Jones 68. There were now increasing murmurings about the emerging chess-match nature of the “fight”. Endless comparisons spring to mind: cat and mouse, spider and fly, Laurel and Hardy. Up high, with the crowd no longer surrounding one, it was possible to survey the whole Boxing organism as it lived out its Mayfly-like existence.

The eager media, the fickle masses separating into cheering camps when their guy showed the slightest glimmer of initiative, only to abandon their heroes and join together in mutual choruses of boos in hopes that they could somehow coax a real boxing match out of these two all struggled in vain to find some action. The corners pleaded and cajoled…with Buddy waving a strict finger at Tarver and Roy’s people trying to get their tentative charge to do so there may be some pics of seemingly effective punching, but stills cannot convey the utter frustration of hopes that a real fight would break out. Some said Tony was just waiting for Roy to get tired and then we’ll really see something. Others had it just the opposite.

During the contest there were one or two strikes by Roy which caused Tony’s sweat to fly, but he pretty much just walked through them. Tony had Roy a little dazed a couple of times but could not close the show. Even though Roy’s gloves got lower and lower during the bout Tarver never really went in for the kill. It seemed that he was getting pretty tired himself. McGirt urged Tony on, but it appeared that both fighters were showing their age. Rounds Seven through Twelve were filled with some smatterings of action, but not enough to keep the crowd from booing many times for lack of action.

Tarver marginally earned Rounds Eight through Eleven, with Roy edging Tony slightly for Twelve, Tarver 115, Jones 114. Many may scoff at this close call, but the “Champ” did not look like one, and the challenger did nothing to take it away. The switch to the sky-box brought the scoreboard TV (which cannot be seen from the apron) image in view and gave added perspective. The downside was no pics from yours truly, but there wasn’t really that much to photograph.

The author had composed a totally different lead which was inspired by the hype and personal expectations. Unfortunately, this event was much less entertaining and important on its face than the recent Lacy-Reid encounter. One must be tempted to conclude that Roy is much better off assisting Lampley and fielding Larry’s comments while, in this author’s opinion, doing what he now does better than boxing. Jones needs to get back behind the mike and preserve that friendly smile and informed commentary. Fans, when asked, generally expressed disappointment with the quality of the match. Jones really had and has nothing to prove. This vain attempt to finish his career with a flourish might only serve to tarnish it. As for Tarver, he fancies himself and is listed as the champ. Tough shoes to fill even though he is already in them.

In other action during the evening a 10 round heavyweight bout between Brian Minto and Vinny Maddalone featured Vinny trying to do nappy-time on Brian’s shoulder every time he got whacked. Maddalone’s attempted punches went wild for the most part while Minto’s left jab prepared Vinny for many rights, one of which buckled his knees to a severe degree. The fight was called a TKO of Vinny by the Ref. at 1:21 of the seventh when Minto delivered no less than Fifteen unanswered lefts in a row which pretty much hung Maddalone out to dry while still on his feet. During the replays most of the fans counted out loud as the fifteen blows were repeated, you guessed it, three times. Does anybody know if this might be some sort of record? The author has never seen anything close to that number of unanswered, consecutive strikes with the same hand.

Andre Ward of Oakland, Ca. stunned St. Pete’s Glenn LaPlante to his knee with a stiff left for an eight, and shortly thereafter a whack behind the ear put Glenn down for the count at 2:59 of the First Round.

The best and most action-packed fight of the evening was between lightweights Nate Campbell from Jacksonville, Florida and Almazbek “Dr. Evil” Raiymkulov from Las Vegas, Nevada. The First Round ended several punches after the bell, as both fighters seemed to resent the interruption. Almazbek was staggered in the Second and clinched to clear his head. Nate’s counters were pretty effective. Campbell ducked effectively…a talent Almazbek sorely missed as he was often unable to do the same.

Raiymkulov spent a full two minutes on the ropes in Round Four. In Round Five Nate KD’d his opponent twice at 0:43 and 0:26. This effort seemed to cause him to become arm weary in Rounds Six through Nine. There were energetic and prolonged exchanges throughout the fight. Finally, in Round Ten Campbell gained the upper hand in energy and accurate strikes to the point that the Ref. stepped in (2:26) and “Dr. Evil” said he could not continue.

Campbell’s attitude was business-like and contained none of the show-boat antics of previous fights, one of which included his attempt to emulate Mayorga when he dropped his gloves to his sides and offered his chin to...think it was Robbie Peden…who naturally did his thing. That resulted in his right jaw being blind-sided which dropped him like an imploded building. He was ahead 90/79 when he stopped Raiymkulov.

This boxing show at the Forum did not have the spirit or organization of the Lacy-Reid weekend. The event staff at all levels was less organized and professional than their predecessors at Lacy-Reid. Mike Tyson, Michael Jordan and other Boxing luminaries were noticeably unimpressed with the main event. From the sweltering heat of the weigh-in venue, to the anti-climactic nature of the “main event”, this enterprise just fell short of its promise. Many thanks to Jessie, Erika, Theresa and Lisa, who made things much better at a different location after the fights. Let’s just say that they made Hooter’s girls look like armadillos.

Win some lose some. That’s Boxing, and that’s also reporting. The IBO was not particularly validated by the level or outcome of this encounter. Tarver appeared to fade drastically in the latter rounds either from age or taking this bout for granted. Actually, he does not seem particularly concerned, beyond ego gratification, about the seriousness of the sport. He had better find another focus because his vaunted trilogy with Roy ended not with a bang…but a whimper. See you at the fights.

TJ Cline

It's unanimous: Tarver earns decision over Jones
By Chuck Johnson, USA TODAY
TAMPA — Antonio Tarver, scoring more often and with more fury, retained his world light heavyweight championship Saturday night with a unanimous decision against Roy Jones Jr.
Antonio Tarver, right, sticks Roy Jones Jr. with a punch during their light heavyweight championship bout in Tampa.
By Chris O'Meara, AP

A crowd of 20,895 fans at the St. Pete Times Forum and a worldwide pay-per-view audience watched Tarver win for the second time in three fights between the Florida-bred rivals.

Although the victory was strategic and not nearly as dramatic as Tarver's second-round knockout of Jones in May, 2004, it was every bit as decisive. Judges Paul Herman and Michael Pernick scored the fight 116-112 for Tarver while Peter Trematerra scored it 117-111.

Tarver (29-3,18 KOs) sensed danger throughout the fight even though he was mostly in control.

"Roy had a lot of resistance," he said. "You're playing chess all night. One mistake and I was checkmate. I wasn't assured of victory until they raised my hands. I just did the best I could."

Jones (49-4, 38 KOs) won a controversial split decision against Tarver in their first fight in November, 2003 and was coming off consecutive knockout losses, including a ninth-round stoppage by Glen Johnson last September.

Going the distance amounted to a morale booster for the once pound-for-pound king, who saw this fight as a chance to restore the lustre to his Hall of Fame-caliber career.

"Tarver would give me trouble even in my best days as a light heavyweight," Jones said. "It was hard to go out there like I did after getting knocked out two times. I realize I lost the fight, but I'm satisfied with my performance."

Tarver almost had Jones knocked out on his feet in the 11th round, but couldn't put him away because of his own fatigue. The Orlando native, now living in Tampa, had Jones woozy after landing a vicious right hand, but Tarver wound up flipping over the top rope in his haste to follow through.

The fight began with both fighters waiting each other out. Tarver connected the first damaging shot with a left hook in the second round. It obviously hurt Jones, but the pride of Pensacola shook his head as if it didn't.

In fact, Jones did a great deal of showboating throughout the fight although Tarver refused to be sucked in. Jones' stuck out his tongue, wiggled his hips and shuffled his feet while Tarver never changed his serious expression.

Chris O'Meara, AP
Roy Jones Jr. leans out of the way as Antonio Tarver falls over the ropes during the 10th round.

"He was trying to bait me," Tarver said. "But I wasn't going to fall into that trap because I knew he came to fight."

Jones' best round was the fifth when he hurt Tarver with quick combinations, an uppercut and body shots. But Jones wasn't nearly busy enough most rounds.

According to unofficial final punchstats, Tarver nearly doubled the number of punches thrown by Jones, 620-320, and his connect advantage was 158-85. Tarver also had the edge in power punches thrown, and 341-207, and power punches connected, 107-74.

"I had to do my homework," Tarver said of what it took to win the rubber match against his childhood rival. "I had to go to school, and I passed with flying colors. Y'all though I was going to be one-punch happy. But it wasn't the left hook tonight. The right was the big punch.

"Maybe now people will give a man credit where credit is deserved. Roy Jones was beaten by a better fighter period. I'm one of the best in the world."

TJ Cline

Tarver stakes his claim

The Tampa resident, looking to cement his legacy, again defeats Roy Jones.

By JOHN C. COTEY, Times Staff Writer
Published October 2, 2005

[Times photo: Bob Croslin]
Antonio Tarver, left, sends Roy Jones toward the ropes during their light heavyweight bout at the St. Pete Times Forum. Tarver, a Tampa resident, won by unanimous decision.


TAMPA - They say that every great fighter has one great fight left in him, and Saturday night Roy Jones proved that was probably true.

Unfortunately for the Pensacola native, that fight was against John Ruiz in 2003.

In front of 20,895 at the St. Pete Times Forum, the new star in the light heavyweight division cemented his hold on his throne, and one of the greats was shown the door.

Hello, Antonio Tarver.

Goodbye, Roy Jones.

Tarver scored an easy 12-round unanimous decision, winning 116-112 on two cards and 117-111 on the other.

The Times scored it 116-112, giving Tarver every round but the last from the sixth on.

"Give a man his credit," Tarver said. "He was beaten by a better fighter tonight."

Tarver, 36, successfully defended his IBO title, but more important retained his status as the undisputed Ring magazine champ.

The fighters earned in excess of $4-million apiece plus a share of pay-per-view revenues, which were expected to generate close to $20-million from 400,000 sales.

Despite being booed by the hometown crowd, Tampa resident Tarver stalked Jones all fight in their third meeting and patiently waited for openings. Jones, the fan favorite, clowned around, stuck out his tongue and tried to show up his opponent.

A big 11th round by Tarver (24-3, 18 knockouts) sealed his victory. He almost knocked Jones down on a number of occasions, and nearly fell over the top rope while chasing Jones and staggering him in the center of the ring.

Jones (49-4, 38 KOs) seemed visibly hurt and wobbly, staying on his feet but wincing after the exchanges.

"Roy was sharp," Tarver said. "It was like playing chess. It was a chess game, and one mistake and I'm checkmated.

"The guy had resilience. You all (media) thought I was one-punch happy, but I passed my test tonight. I did my homework."

By the final round, all Tarver had to do was stay away and endure one final rally.

"It's hard to go out like I did (with two knockouts), and I'm satisfied with my performance and realize I lost the fight," Jones said. "Tarver could give me a hard time even in my best days at light heavyweight."

After complaining vigorously about a lack of respect last week, Tarver might have finally achieved that and more. The crowd seemed to turn in his favor late, recognizing he was the better fighter.

Tarver was never in trouble. Jones was his old self, dancing around the ring and playing to the crowd.

But after some impressive exchanges in the fourth and fifth rounds, which all three judges scored for Jones, he failed to let his hands go the rest of the fight.

Tarver landed 158 punches to 85 for Jones. Tarver threw almost twice as many punches (620-320) and landed 51 jabs to 11 for Jones.

"I'm not the kind of fighter that's going to go in and rumble with him like (Glen) Johnson did," Jones said. "That's just not the kind of fighter I am."

Jones, 36, said he wasn't sure if it was his last fight, but adviser Brad Jacobs said last week that the fighter would walk away if he lost and likely return to his role as an HBO commentator.

Once regarded as the finest pound-for-pound fighter in the world and the Boxing Writers Association of America's fighter of the decade in the 1990s, Jones will ride off into the sunset after salvaging some of his legacy. He won world titles at middleweight, super-middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight to ensure his place as a Hall of Famer.

Tarver might now escape Jones' expansive shadow after toiling as one of boxing's most underrated and underappreciated fighters. He has long wondered what it would take.

It took Saturday.

TJ Cline

Jones Vows to Return After Loss to Tarver



By JOHN ELIGON
Published: October 2, 2005

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 1 - The fact that Roy Jones Jr. was knocked out in his two fights before Saturday night's bout against Antonio Tarver did not seem to matter much to the more than 20,000 fans at the St. Pete Times Forum.

They cheered almost every one of Jones's actions - a cameo an hour and a half before the fight, footage of him flashing across the big screen, his ring walk, his dancing around the ring - hoping, perhaps, to resurrect a man who once dominated his sport.

Fighting for the first time since last September, Jones brought back some of his trademark moves: shimmies, head waggles and quick flurries of punches. In the end, however, Tarver's methodical work earned him a unanimous 12-round decision. The victory gave Tarver (24-3) his second triumph over Jones in three fights.

"Roy had a lot of resistance; Roy was sharp tonight," Tarver said. "Give a man credit where credit is due. He was beat by a better fighter, period."

Despite losing for the third time in a row, Jones said he was not ready to step away from the sport.

"Can't nobody else beat me in the light-heavyweight division except for Tarver," Jones said after the fight. "I'll be back. But if I got hurt bad, I would quit."

After Tarver, 36, knocked out Jones, also 36, in the second round of their fight in May 2004, many expected him to walk through Jones again. Many even questioned Jones's decision to return to the ring. But Jones (49-4) showed flashes of brilliance, and proved he deserved at least one last shot to reclaim glory.

From the time he entered the ring, Jones appeared to be having fun. He was smiling before his introduction, and during and between rounds. During a flurry in the fifth round, Jones kicked his right foot back, slapped it with his right glove, then twirled his arm like a propeller. And after Tarver grazed Jones with a punch in the sixth round, Jones stuck out his tongue.

In the early rounds, it was evident that both men were counterpunchers: neither seemed to want to throw a punch. Jones came to life in the middle of the fight, however, and appeared to be in control for a couple of rounds.

But Tarver kept plugging away, moving in for swift combinations, then stepping out.

A clean right hook from Tarver in the 11th round had Jones so hurt that he appeared to be sleepwalking for a few moments. But Jones stood his ground and was able to fight back.

Reclusive in training during the two months leading up to this bout, Jones showed his eagerness to be in the spotlight an hour and a half before his fight. Jones, who lives in Pensacola, Fla., popped out of the tunnel, blew a kiss to the fans and held two fingers in the air as most gave him a standing ovation.

It was an early sign of whom the crowd was behind. When footage of Tarver entering the arena was played on the big screen, most fans booed, even though Tarver lives in Tampa.

Although Jones was knocked out in his two fights before Saturday night, he felt compelled to avenge his defeat to Tarver.

"It's hard to go out like I did after getting knocked out two times," he said. "I'm satisfied with my performance tonight."

TJ Cline

The lighter Side of the Game

03.10.05 - By James Allan: Boxing has without doubt thrown up some memorable characters and some classic quotes. The game can very often be a brutal business. Injuries, both minor and serious occur and death sometimes stalks the sport. Fighters get ripped off, fans get ripped off and promoters and managers too often are the ones who profit from it. But after saying all this, it has produced some of the funniest characters to ever get involved in organised sport.

Max Baer, Willie Pep, Bob Arum, Jack Johnson, Sam Langford the list of quotable figures is almost endless. However, there are to my mind, three men who stand above the rest when it comes to delivering classic one liners and put down’s.

TJ Cline

1. James Toney

Toney is without doubt the most consistentely funny guy in boxing today. His put downs and smart arse remarks are fast propelling him into legendary status. No matter what the rest of his fighting career holds for him his trash talking alone deserves to earn him a place in the hall of fame –

“The fight with Ruiz is going to be any way he wants to make it. He can do it the hard way, get beat up for 12 rounds and end up in the hospital. Or, he can do it the easy way, get hit on the chin and go to sleep.”

“John Ruiz, he younger than me and I destroyed him with one hand!”

“Evander and I are great warriors. We put blood and guts in the ring. We do not run around and hug and kiss. Well, Evander might do that, but I do not.”

“Dominick Guinn was the only one in the top 10 who had the balls to get into the ring with me! You got Chris Byrd, Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko. They all suddenly gotta be doin' something else or having surgery or something like that.”

“The Klitschkos, they suck. Chris Byrd, I will put him to sleep. Chris Byrd is garbage. Fres Oquendo is garbage. Every heavyweight in the division is garbage.”

“You do not want anyone to run around for 12 rounds unless you are in the ballet.”

“I was not right the first time against Jones. He took advantage of it and won the fight. Bring his ass on now. Bring anybody. Lewis, Klitschko, Tyson, Jones, their mommas. I will knock them all out.”

TJ Cline

2. Muhammed Ali

All right, so it’s an obvious one, but the fact still remains that Ali was one of the most quotable boxing figure of all time. Ali could be cruel, Joe Frazier knows that only too well, but he could also be hysterically funny. Here are a few of his to remind us why he is still called the greatest –

"It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up."

"Howard Cosell was gonna be a boxer when he was a kid—only they couldn't find a mouthpiece big enough."

When asked about his golf game: "I'm the best. I just haven't played yet."

Ali talking about Floyd Patterson - “He's too short, he’s to slow, he can’t take a punch, he don’t hit hard and he hasn’t got the footwork.”


“Fifteen referees. I want fifteen referees to be at this fight because there ain't no one man who can keep up with the pace I'm gonna set except me. There's not a man alive who can whup me. I'm too fast. I'm too smart. I'm too pretty. I should be a postage stamp. That's the only way I'll ever get licked.”

“My toughest fight was with my first wife, and she won every round.”

“I'm so fast that last night I turned the light switch off in my bedroom and I was in bed before the room was dark.”

"It's hard to be humble, when you're as great as I am."

TJ Cline

3. Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb

Cobb is the funniest guy to ever lace up a pair of boxing gloves. Even Cobb’s throwaway quotes would be diamond’s in someone else’s mouth. Not the best fighter to ever challenge for the Heavyweight title, he is without doubt the most hilarious. There are so many brilliant Cobb quotes that it would be impossible to list them all. If I could choose just one boxer to sit and talk to, Cobb would be the one I would pick. Here are a few of his best to help you understand why -



Cobb’s reply on being told that his savage beating against Larry Holmes persuaded Howard Cosell to never again commentate on another boxing match. "If I had known that’s what it would take to get Cosell to quit doing boxing I would have fought Holmes a long time ago."

Cobb responding to a reporter who had called him a fat, cocaine snorting drunk.
"I'm not fat."

Cobb on after being knocked down in a fight he was involved in -

"When I got up I stuck to my plan -- stumbling forward and getting hit in the face."

Cobb on an attempt to berate Don King -
"I was at this affair with a bunch of different people involved in the boxing business, and King shows up. I stood up and called him every name in the book. King was slick, though. He extended an arm my way, took the floor, and said, ‘Let’s hear it for Tex Cobb, a great entertainer, great showman…’ He made it sound like I was just putting on."

“I was once knocked out by a Mexican bantamweight - six of my pals were swinging him around by his heels at the time.”

“Philadelphia is the only place where you see two winos in a street fight jabbing.”

“Larry Holmes doesn't hit as hard as Earnie Shavers. Nobody hits like Shavers. If anybody hit harder than Shavers, I'd shoot him.”

Cobb on being asked his best punch – “I don't know, I've never hit myself.”

I hope you enjoyed these and I hope some of them you haven’t heard before, but even if you have, they are always worth hearing again.

TJ Cline

No One Can Deny It Now, Tarver is the King

03.10.05 - By Scoop Malinowski / Boxinginsider.com - It may seem hard to believe for some, but the truth has been confirmed. Antonio Tarver is the superior pugilist to Roy Jones.

Antonio Tarver finally proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt he is the best Light Heavyweight in the world, and the first man to ever conquer the great Roy Jones Jr.

"It was hard to go out like I would have - being knocked out twice the last couple of times," said future Hall of Famer Roy Jones. "I'm a true champion. I've been at the top. Being the champion that I am, it was good. I was satisfied with my performance, but I do realize that I lost the fight. I'm not the kind of fighter, like (Glen) Johnson that can brawl. And that's the way you have to fight to beat Tarver."

Jones was pure class in defeat, like most of the other greats of ring history.

"Tarver would have given me all I could handle in my best days as a light heavyweight. I'll be back. I got hurt once and I think that was the turning point of the fight. He hit me with a good shot. But I kept coming. Can't nobody else beat me but Tarver."

Roy Jones astoundingly was able to turn back the clock after his double disasters - we saw that he still had some of that vintage magic on Saturday night. The blinding handspeed and the superhuman physique and power were back, so was that cocky arrogance and showboating. But Tarver is just too darn good, too smart and too confident and focused for Jones.

It was a great exciting fight. Larry Merchant, Emanuel Steward and Jim Lampley were fantastic throughout the HBO telecast and really conveyed the moment. Like the two fighters, they were in top form. But I thought Merchant was innacurate in the post-fight interview with Tarver, when he implied that Tarver had bested a faded Jones.

Tarver vehemently took offense to that viewpoint and sincerely lauded Jones for his intelligent strategies, which undoubtedly would have been spectacularly successful against the likes of Clinton Woods, Glenn Kelly or Virgil Hill. Tarver insisted that if he had made just one little mistake it would have been lights out. He emphatically believes Jones would have capitalized on any error and ended the fight in an instant. Jones waited and waited for that opening but Tarver was masterful. Merchant may not have appreciated the offensive effort Jones gave but Tarver, who was in the ring competing against it, certainly did.

Tarver has his number. Tarver has the upper hand. And Tarver has the style, weaponry, experience, intelligence and wit to defeat Roy Jones any time. Period. I really believe Jones looked as good as he ever has, as strong and speedy as ever, it's just the dilemma is that he simply can't shine against Tarver as he did in all those other fights. No matter what Roy tries, he just can't solve the mystery, the complex puzzle that is Antonio Tarver.

"I had to do my homework. I had to go to school and I passed with flying colors. If I would have made a mistake, he would have punished me. GIVE ME CREDIT," Tarver stated after his victory. "Roy had a lot of resistance and resilience. Roy was sharp tonight. Ya'll thought I was gonna be one-punch happy - but I passed my test. I did my homework. You're playin' chess all-around. It's a chess game. One mistake and I'm checkmate."

"Give a man credit where credit is due. He was beat by a better fighter. Period. I am one of the best fighters in the world. GIVE ME MY CREDIT."

Jones deserves so much credit too. To comeback from those devastations in his last two fights with the calibre of performance he put on in Tampa - against such a dangerous adversary - was amazing. Jones proved beyond any question he is one of the greats of the decade (just kidding - of all-time). And how he endured those wicked punches in round 11 - without crumbling - was almost miraculous. It's like he willed himself to not be knocked out again - no matter what he got hit with. Mind over matter.

Both gladiators have to be commended for such a thrilling and fairly contested superfight. Despite the high stakes and egos involved, Jones and Tarver showed their high class. Formerly one of the most self-gloating superstars you'll ever see, Jones displayed humility and character after losing such an important duel. Despite the failure, I believe his monumental career probably closed on a positive.

Just as well, Tarver showed his great rival plenty of respect. Despite all the harsh words and bad blood, the two clashed like an explosion, but after the violence was all over, the two warriors embraced and departed with mutual respect.

It was yet another very impressive high-point for the number one sport on earth.
The trilogy of Tarver and Jones is over now. And instead of one superstar, we now have two. Antonio Tarver shocked the world by achieving something no man ever did - he defeated the great Roy Jones not once, but twice.

Hail the Magic Man, the one and only Antonio Tarver.

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Chris Byrd: Hang It Up!

04.10.05 - By Craig Parrish: This past Saturday night I had the great displeasure of watching another Chris Byrd “Title” defense. I have not been this bored or frustrated since the last outing of John “The Anaconda” Ruiz. The fight was soundly booed by the fans at ringside throughout. And as tentative as Byrd was, his opponent, DaVarryl Williamson was just as guilty. This fight was so tentative, so lackluster, that the Ref instructed the fighters to start mixing it up on several occasions. Now, I happen to agree with the ringside announcer who claimed that the Ref has no business telling fighters how they should fight. They are the guys out there who are risking their necks, although that was certainly not the case here. I did feel sympathy for the Ref, however, who probably felt that if he didn’t spur something he would soon be asleep, thereby forfeiting his paycheck.

I respect the fact that Byrd is a great “technician”, as he is slick and crafty. I respect the fact that he has come up from a much lower weight to win Heavyweight fights. He seems like a HELL of a nice guy as well, so it’s not easy to criticize him. But COME ON! If you want to be taken seriously as a Heavyweight Champ, you better get out there and throw some punches! Lamon Brewster doesn’t have nearly the skills of Byrd, but I respect him so much more as he is willing to fight. The same goes for James Toney, who in many ways is similar to Byrd but far more gutsy (no pun intended). When Toney says he will fight
anybody, anytime, anywhere, I believe him.

Byrd reportedly turned down millions in a Wladimir Klitschko rematch to “fight” Williamson. Although reports vary of why Byrd turned down the fight, it’s pretty clear he wants no part of Klitschko. What is left for him out there? Who is he going to fight next? Klitschko is his #1 contender, but that will be avoided as long as possible. Perhaps another Andrew Golota match? Ruiz? HOLYFIELD? It is becoming a lazy Susan of the same old tired matchups with the same old boring fighters.

Recently, Wladimir Klitschko surprised a lot of people by agreeing to fight Sam Peter, who many predicted was the next “Savior” of the Heavyweight division. Klitschko surprised even more people by winning the fight, given his china chin. This is what we need more of in this division. Step up Chris, or hang it up. And take Ruiz with you.

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1. Jean Marc Mormeck - Mormeck became the best Cruiserweight in the world in April with his victory over Wayne Braithwaite. Mormeck was so impressive that he turned some heads to towards the division for the first time in years. He must be more active to capitalize, however. He has no bout scheduled at this time.

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2. Steve Cunningham - It's been a solid year for the undefeated American. In April, he edged out fellow elite Cruiserweight Guillermo Jones by split decision. Cunningham followed that up with a easy decision victory over former WBA champ Kelvin Davis. A shot at Mormeck can't be too far away.

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3. Guillermo Jones - Many people thought Jones defeated number two cruiserweight Steve Cunningham a few months ago. "El Felino" has otherwise had a career year, knocking out former champions Kelvin Davis and Wayne Braithwaite in four rounds apiece. Rematches with Cunningham or Johnny Nelson, whom he drew with three years ago would be ideal.

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4. Johnny Nelson - Nelson has yet to fight this year, and when he does, it will probably be against Vincenzo Cantatore in a mandatory title defense. Nelson's placement among the elite is in limbo, mainly because of his lack of activity.

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5. O'Neil Bell - The IBF champ probably shouldn't be holding a belt right now, and if you saw his May bout with Dale Brown for the vacant title you know what I mean. If a rematch with Brown doesn't come, it's hard to justify Bell's status as a true champion. His thrilling bout with Sebastian Rothmann is worthy of a rematch as well.


I saw this fight...Brown kicked his ass......more corrupt judging

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6. Dale Brown - "Cowboy" has every right to feel as though he should be holding a title right now. At 33, his window of opportunity for redemption is closing. After a victory over Damon Reed in August, Brown will hopefully get another shot at a title.



Dale is really ranked 5th in my book.....he beat up bell very bad

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7. Wayne Braithwaite - Braithwaite has yet to tally a victory in 2005, so the former champ has fallen far from his standing as the division's best fighter at the beginning of the year. Don't write off "Big Truck" yet, however. His two losses were to Jean Marc Mormeck and Guillermo Jones, two of the most impressive cruiserweights in the world.



Total bum......this ranking is a joke

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8. Carl Thompson - Thompson owns wins over the likes of Sebastian Rothmann and Chris Eubank. Age, injuries, and inactivity, however, will likely end his career before too long.

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9. Sebastian Rothmann - Rothmann has given some of the best cruiserweights in the world some scary moments. Last year he knocked down Carl Thompson in the fourth round of their nine round war. He followed that up by losing a narrow majority decision to Steve Cunningham. This year he was giving IBF champ O'Neil Bell fits before being stopped in the eleventh round. Rothmann is a fighter capable of going toe-to-toe with virtually anybody, but has yet to capitalize on his oppurtunites and notch a big victory.

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10. Alexander Gurov - Gurov has recorded six straight knockouts since his 2003 loss to Jean Marc Mormeck. The Ukrainian must take on better competition to prove he is ready for another title shot.

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Duva Encouraged by Peter Performance

04.10.05 - Having taken a week to evaluate the overall picture, promoter Dino Duva says he is encouraged by much of what he saw on September 24, while watching his fighter Samuel Peter suffer his first loss. Peter, now 24-1 (21 KOs), dropped a close unanimous decision (114-111 X 3) to former WBO Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko, but scored three knockdown and at times, seemed on the verge of a stoppage victory.

“While certainly he showed there are skills he must build on, in my opinion, he came out of this fight proving he is the future of the division,” said the confident Duva. “With a little more refinement, he’s going to go all the way. Klitschko got the "W" and I don't want to disrespect him, but if it is possible to come out of a loss with a lot of positives, Samuel did it with this fight.”

In evaluating the encouraging aspects of the fight, Duva points to a list of questions about Peter that were answered in impressive fashion. “Samuel showed he has tremendous heart; he never quit coming against a guy who could be the second-hardest puncher in the division. And in so doing, he put his world-class chin on display. Plus, Samuel stayed strong throughout; he even dropped Klitschko in the tenth, so his stamina was also proven.

Overall, when you look at the fact that he’s only 25 years old, with lots of time to make adjustments, you have to come away thinking he is definitely the future of the heavyweight division. That was no joke he hung tough with,” reminds Duva, “that was the former heir apparent to the crown. And Samuel had him holding on and running for much of the fight. In fact, if the referee (Randy Neumann) had rightly warned and then taken points away from Klitschko for holding, it may have changed the entire style of the fight and very possibly ended in a KO for Sam.”

Peter’s manager Ivaylo Gotzev agrees. “It’s obvious now that heavyweight boxing needs Sam Peter. He is the excitement in the division. And the James Toney and Chris Byrd bouts on the weekend only further proved my point. Those guys put everybody to sleep.

It’s always exciting when Samuel fights. We got the short end of the stick this time, but look at the two fighter’s performances. Who would you want to see again? There was one fighter wanting to fight and another one that was holding on for dear life to get the decision. You tell me who you would pay to see again.”

Duva says the next step for Team Peter will be two-fold. “We have to make slight adjustments in his training, boxing skills and corner strategy; I think that’s clear. But I also think it’s important we put him back in action as soon as possible, to keep people excited about this young puncher with such a tremendous upside. "The TV Executives and fans around the world now have what they want and need – a crowd-pleasing heavyweight star of the future. He may have lost the battle, but he showed the world where he’s at in terms of progress and I’m completely convinced that by the end of 2006, he will be World Heavyweight Champion.”

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Will Boxing Ever Again See a “Golden Age”?

04.10.05 - By Aaron King: From the turn of the 20th century and for many years later, boxing was a staple of American entertainment. It was second only to baseball in the sporting world, and its champions were heroes of the highest order. Jack Dempsey was the biggest star of an era that housed names such as Babe Ruth, Red Grange, and Charles Lindbergh. In fact, he made more money than any of his contemporaries.

A championship fight was the most anticipated sporting event, outside of the World Series, and even that at times was no match for a good title bout between two great champions of the day. The 1938 rematch between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling is still considered by many to be the most important sporting affair ever.

Boxing had a way to transcend the boundaries of sport in a way that no other could. Social and racial lines have been drawn and crossed throughout its history. Perhaps no other man has been hated more than Jack Johnson, the black champion in a white man’s game, who, just because he could, caroused with white women. Muhammad Ali, besides being arguably the greatest boxer of all time, was a prominent figure in the civil rights’ movement. His defiant stand on the Vietnam War spoke for a nation of people of all creeds and backgrounds. In many ways, he was their voice; the voice of a nation crying out against the social injustices and political wrongs of the day.

Names like Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson, George Foreman and Jake LaMotta are common outside boxing circles. Even more, such as Henry Armstrong, Carmen Basilio, Gene Fulmer, Sandy Saddler, Gene Tunney, Jersey Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles, just to name a few, have a lofty place in boxing lore. Champions had followings that rock stars could only wish to have. Fighters were upper-tier athletes, as well as upper-tier men.

Boxing had a steady place in the American psyche. Its champions were celebrities and heroes. So how is it that boxing finds itself where it is today, without any sign of life on news broadcasts, barely a speck in newspapers, and even scant mention in sports television?

Interest in boxing is obviously not what it once was. The last true superstar was Mike Tyson, and for the most part, his stardom was an infamous contention. Even now, the most recognizable name is Tyson’s. That doesn’t say much of the sport. What initiated this collapse from grace, this precipitous freefall from its darling status of yesteryear? Has boxing reached the point of no return?

Ask different fans what the golden years of boxing were, and you’re bound to get different answers. Some will tell you it coincided with the Roaring Twenties, the days of Dempsey, Tunney and Benny Leonard. Every town and ethnic group had their own clubs. It was a way out for the sons of the poor immigrants who flooded the cities. Still others will tell you that boxing saw its best days in the ‘70s, when the heavyweight division experienced its peak with men like Ali, Joe Frazier, Foreman, Ken Norton and many others. Other future legends like Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Salvador Sanchez, Carlos Monzon, Wilfredo Gomez, Bobby Chacon and Alexis Arguello crowded the lower divisions.

As the golden era of the ‘70s progressed, a man named Don King had begun to emerge as boxing’s premier promoter. Since that time, he has promoted hundreds of fighters including Ali, Duran, Larry Holmes, Julio Cesar Chavez and Tyson. As he and rival promoter Bob Arum began to obtain more and more of the best fighters, they began to obtain more and more of the power. It is King’s rise to prominence that many blame for boxing’s recent tribulations.

It is true that King, as well as Arum, have assumed a lot of power in boxing, especially with the major sanctioning bodies (all three have named King the greatest promoter in history). Boxing has a much more business-driven appearance to it. But, all things considered, the shrinking interest in boxing far exceeds those created by King or Arum.

Boxing is far less accessible than it was years ago. It is impossible to see a fight on the traditional stations (NBC, ABC, and CBS), and the best fights almost always have a price tag of about $50 with them. This is hardly a product of King’s tenure. Sports’ business as a whole has evolved to this point. There are more sporting options, all competing for the consumer buck, for people to watch, so young fans will tend to gravitate to the more accessible ones.

Because of this, that most marquee fights are on HBO, Showtime or Pay-Pay-View, incoming sports fans will probably watch what they can for free. Another deterrent for young fans is that they are coming up in the “highlight age”. Baseball teams each play 162 games a year. It is easy for a young fan to sit down and watch a game on almost any given day, and if they miss it, they can turn on ESPN or Fox Sports to catch the highlights of the game. The same applies to basketball, football and hockey. They each have set seasons and each team play during this season. It’s a pretty basic formula, but its reliability creates new fans easily. Your favorite team will always be playing, and you can bet that your favorite player will be their too. This reliability doesn’t exist in boxing. Fights can be scheduled at any point during the year, and the best fighters aren’t ever fighting very often. Many of the best champions fight once or, if they’re busy, two times a year. This doesn’t give the incoming fan much to observe.

A few weeks back, when the idea to write this piece first came up, I was speaking with a friend of mine. He, like me, is a sports fan, but doesn’t refine himself to just one. To be sure, he loves all sports, including boxing, although he doesn’t follow it nearly as closely as I do. I asked him why he didn’t enjoy the sport as much as he did others, and he gave me a short response. “I don’t see the fighters on SportsCenter.” It was strikingly true. As I let the comment settle in me for a second, I asked him why that mattered. Once again, there was little hesitation. “If they only fight once a year, then they aren’t on ESPN. If I don’t see them there, I have to watch the broadcast. If I have to pay $50 for something I’ve never watched before, then I’m not going to order it,” he said, later confessing that he first saw his favorite baseball player, Ken Griffey Jr., on SportsCenter highlights.

With that, he summed up much of the problem in boxing viewership - the younger people aren’t watching it as much because they don’t see the best fighters enough. And it’s perfectly logical that they wouldn’t want to buy a Pay-Per-View bout if they hadn’t seen the fighters before. If they only fight once a year, then young sports fans don’t have the opportunity to see their highlights often, as they do with their favorite teams and players in other sports. As a result, there is less demand for these highlights, so when there is a big fight, SportsCenter has less an obligation to show these highlights.

It seems like quite a cycle. So, does it mean that boxing as a popular sport is doomed?

Not quite. Most sports writers will admit that few things in sport are as electrifying as a major championship fight. That has been the case since the late 1800s. It is as addicting an atmosphere as one can find in sports, and if a hearty, young fan stumbles upon such an event, chances are good that he or she will come back for more.

There are still fights and fighters that generate enough buzz to convince people to watch. A perfect case is the trilogy between Arturo Gatti and Mickey Ward. The first bout was arguably one of the greatest in the history of boxing. For those who didn’t watch it, the word spread quickly of how the two men fought like there was a championship on the line; of how it was a throwback to the earlier times; of how the excitement was unmatchable. I have personally met people whose love for boxing was fashioned by these fights. A few of them had actually never watched a match before. Gatti and Ward, respectively, had been very popular in their careers before their epic battles.

Ultimately, the heavyweight division will likely always dictate the popularity of the sport. As of late, there has been little reason to feel wound up about the “glamour division”, but there are now some men on the way in that could change that. Despite his loss to Wladimir Klitschko, Samuel Peter has the sort of power that can bring fans back to boxing. Big power leads to big knockouts, and that has always been one of boxing’s strongest selling points. Peter has the ability to charge the division.

Boxing is in a very critical time in its development. It’s competing with more sports than ever for viewers. Whether or not it gets some of this viewership is going to depend on how well it appeals to young fans. The programs on the ESPN networks and others such as MSG and Fox Sports will help perpetuate the fight game to new fans, who will then go to HBO, Showtime and Pay-Per-View, so long as the quality is good. In other words, as long as there are good boxers that fight often enough to be seen, boxing will always have a home. How big that home is, is continually changing, but we can be assured of this: There are few feelings that match the adrenaline rush of the opening bell.

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What now, Roy?

04.10.05 - By Jim Amato: OK...You're Roy Jones Jr. and you just got your butt whipped by Antonio Tarver again. You managed to go the distance but in doing so you sacrificed any chance you had of winning. Tarver is just a tough nut for you to crack. He's a tall, rangy southpaw with good power but you already knew that. You remembered the shot he caught you with in the second fight. You were not going to get hit with that shot again. No way that was going to happen. So you decided to fight a safety first fight. This was a fight Roy Jones could have won...should have won. Tarver is a very, very good fighter but if Roy would have gambled a bit. If he would have jumped into the foray with both hands blazing. Who knows what would have happened.

It's too late to turn back now but Roy said he is going to fight again. Last time I looked Roy has lost his last three fights. Someone mentioned a rematch with Glencoffe Johnson. Bad move...Roy would need speed to deal with the pressure that Johnson would put on him. At this stage of his career Roy just does not have the tools to hold off Johnson. That match
would probably be a repeat of their first fight.

To me if Roy is hell bent on continuing he should seek a match with IBF titleholder Clinton Woods.This is a natural. A prime time Roy stopped Woods a few years back. Now that Woods is champion I would think that he would like to avenge that loss. He'd also pick up a hefty chunk of change. Woods is a very improved fighter as he showed in his recent victory over rugged Julio Gonzalez.

Personally I would like to see Roy retire. He has nothing left to prove but with each loss he is tarnishing his legacy. Roy will be in the Boxing Hall Of Fame. Probably a first ballot inductee. Still as the losses mount up fans will wonder if he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, Billy Conn, Bob Foster, Michael Spinks, etc...

Roy was the best light heavyweight of his time and I'll always feel he could have handled Tarver and Johnson when he was at the top of his game. I say that with no disrespect toward Antonio or Glen.

I've never been a big Jones fan but I have to respect what he has accomplished in his career. It is such a sd thing to watch a once great fighter hanging on, seeking his past glory. I just hope Roy does not hang on too long.

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The Ring has Jeff Lacy Covered!

ST. PETERSBURG, FL (October 5, 2005) -- U.S. Olympian...IBF champion....IBO champion. Now undefeated world super middleweight champion JEFF "LEFT HOOK" LACY can add "The Ring" cover to his impressive and ever-growing resume. Lacy, 20-0 (16 KOs), from St. Petersburg, FL, makes his cover debut on the Fall 2005 issue of The Ring where "The Bible of Boxing" touts Lacy for bringing excitement back to the super middleweight division. The issue hits newsstands October 11.

"Left Hook," who won the vacant IBF title by knocking out Syd Vanderpool, October 2, 2004, has successfully defended that title three times over the past 11 months. He added the IBO title to his trophy case when he stopped defending champion Robin Reid in the eighth round of their August 6 title unification bout, in front of over 15,000 fans at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, FL.

The first member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team to win a world title, Lacy begins the second year of his world championship reign with a title defense against the IBF's No. 5-rated contender, Scott Pemberton, 29-3-1 (24 KOs), Saturday, November 5 at Caesars Tahoe. SHOWTIME Championship Boxing will broadcast it live along with the Rafael Marquez-Silence Mabuza IBF/IBO bantamweight title unification bout.

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