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It is instructive to note that Joe Goosen got pretty severe himself with Chico after the second KD. Ever since he left Joel Casamayor to shepherd Diego’s career, his fatherly support has served to provide Chico with just enough encouragement to win the day. Joe, and his counterpart in the Castillo camp, share responsibility with the referee in keeping an eye on the fine line which Boxing treads between civilization and anarchy. Civilization mediates for the highest degree of action and excitement without causing any permanent harm. Anarchy partners with the blood-lust of the mob which cries for annihilation.

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As the human emotions in the arena swing between surrogated violence and appreciative compassion, everybody knows that lives are at stake and sometimes are lost. The saga of Baby Joe’s (Mesi) to obtain credentials to fight from some commission (any commission) demonstrates the tension which exists between common sense and the possibly clouded judgment of Joe and his Dad. Cheering fans who identify with this or that fighter may, perchance, join a “family of guilt” which mourns a dead hero.
Everything in life is timing. Evander has been on the cusp of tragedy for quite some time now. As more and more people and authorities come to the conclusion that his boxer’s heart is stronger than his common sense.

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This realization can come relative to a career, a single fight or even a round in a fight where the ring doctor, the trainer or the ref finally decides that they do not want to let this continue. Watching a trainer pick up the towel and bite his lip, only to put it down as his guy rallies briefly, then pick it up again as his fighter fades yet again is really hard to watch sometimes. Castillo-Corrales, Elder Burton, Barrera-Morales, Elder-Sim, Morales-Barrera, Morales-Hernandez and many other fights which have had us on the edges of our seats, and have also had the boxers on the edge of survival.

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What the second fight between Castillo and Corrales portends in the minds of Bernstein and Farhood, if one takes their excited prognostications at face value, might be far from a brutal reality. The first fight was called the Fight of the Year, the fight of the decade the greatest fight they had ever seen. The Hollywood ending after the back-and-forth brutality of inside combat was impressive by any scale. The announcement of the re-match caused this writer to take great pause.

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Both Chico and Jose have darn good outside boxing skills. It was probably a surprise to Castillo that Corrales decided to step in and fight for the phone booth instead of the ring. Can anyone truly say that they would rather see a Winky-style jab-match this time, instead of the all-out war of the first contest? Truth be told, this writer would rather that they not fight again. What are the odds that they will be able to emulate LaMotta-Robinson, Gatti-Ward or any other violent series of
re-matches?

TJ Cline

The level of action in Castillo-Corrales Two depends on many factors. This time Castillo is the challenger. Does this make him more dangerous…hungry? How much courage or reckless heart does Chico draw from his belts? If it should somehow be possible for these two warriors to equal or even exceed the astronomical Compubox numbers of their first duet, it stretches credulity that such a result can obtain without testing unusually dangerous waters. “A man’s got to know his limitations” (Dirty Harry) seems good advice, but by what benchmark do we survey this necessity in the uncharted waters these two are likely to navigate? How might even they come to know in the heat of battle?

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By the post-fight reactions of Corrales-Castillo One, it was and is obvious that their fight was at the pinnacle of the sport’s mountain. Where they went that day, few can follow. Their contest was the Everest of Boxing. Very few ever climb that high and the danger increases exponentially with every agonizing step. At these athletic altitudes the air of excitement thins judgment and tests the fighters, the officials, the corners and the fans to the limit.

TJ Cline

Humor is a vital aspect of human existence. This fight is no laughing matter despite the happy-face pundits, smiling boxers, and the much expanded venue of the Thomas and Mack Center. The lead-in to most fights imbue the author with pleasant excitement and expectation. This contest has prompted rather, a note of morbid caution. After the brutality of the first meeting, in which the outcome was fun and exciting, upon reflection, the level of heavy contact and physical damage has tempered expectations for this one.

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This is the first boxing match I would rather had not been made, because number one was so great and satisfying. To risk the fond memory of it by going to the well once again seems chancy. Like a great work of art, the mould should, perhaps, be broken. Otherwise attempting to duplicate, or mass-produce that ecstasy, might dilute or sully the pristine memory of that special visit to boxing paradise.

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Whom the Gods would destroy, they first make man.” All boxing matches tempt fate, but this one surely does, especially in the light of its predecessor. And that, alas, is the morbid truth which draws us to look upon our determined heroes with cautious excitement in some fights more than others. These two guys are a perfect match of differences. I will watch this one with a cautious heart. See you at the fights.

TJ Cline

TJ Cline

Don King’s Recycling Act is Getting Old

07.10.05 - By Michael Montero: Boxing “experts” and fans alike all argue over various topics when it comes to the heavyweight division: who’s the best fighter? Who’s the next rising star? Who has the best chin? Who has the most power? Etc. But one thing is almost universally agreed upon – it’s almost as if there’s an unwritten rule that everybody understands subconsciously - Don King owns the heavies. Another opinion that will get little resistance, even from King Supporters, is that Don and his fighters haven’t brought us fans much to get excited about lately. Contrary to what many boxing writers will tell you, there are good fighters in the heavyweight division. The problem is that they almost never fight one another and it’s not all their fault – much of the blame goes to the promoters.

There are others at fault (sanctioning bodies, networks, etc), but I want to focus on the promoters right now - mainly the one who has the most control over the heavyweight division. In my opinion, King has given us a recycling act in recent years by putting his champs and contenders up against the same guys over and over on boring cards – without any unification.

What’s even more frustrating is that he seemingly won’t match his top fighters against other promoter’s top fighters without asking for options - perhaps in order to avoid losing control?

Among his current stable of heavyweight fighters, I’d have to say that Lamon Brewster is at the top of the heap. His other two “champs” are quickly running out of fans - and out of time as they’re getting older and fading. In my opinion, the only reason people even watch John Ruiz fight is the hope that he will lose so we can finally be rid of him – and Chris Byrd just treated us to possibly the most boring heavyweight title fight in history last weekend against (can you guess?) yet another King contender.

Speaking of contenders – who does Don have right now that is a serious threat to any other the top guys? Monte Barrett, Larry Donald and Jameel McCline have turned into nothing more than gate keepers used as stepping stones for up and comers – a win against one of these guys and you’ve moved up into the top ten of the rankings. DaVarryl Williamson, Owen Beck & Ray Austin aren’t exactly striking fear into anybody right now. There’s always the guy who keeps getting title shots – a while back it was Fres Oquendo, more recently Andrew Golota. Oh, and let’s not forget Evander Holyfield - whom I think we’d all agree, should have called it quits years ago - somehow King has felt the need to keep putting him out there and for what reason? There are others that I’m forgetting right now, I’m sure – but that’s because they’re not really worth remembering. The best “contender” King has right now is Hassim Rahman, and he’s going up against the heavyweight division’s best fighter, Vitali Klitschko, on November 12th. Let’s see how that one goes…

Back to the recycling act – the heavyweight scene has turned into the “Don King Division,” in my opinion, as we are treated to watching the same guys shuffled around on boring cards over and over. One promoter, his fighters, his cards – NO unification!!! Need some examples? Both John Ruiz and Chris Byrd have fought Andrew Golota, Fres Oquendo and Evander Holyfield (if Ruiz manages to hang onto his WBA strap, expect to see him in there against either Jameel McCline or Davarryl Williamson in 2006 – both of whom have already lost decisions to Byrd). Larry Donald also had his shot at a shot Holyfield back in November, 2004 - only to draw with Ray Austin in his next fight. Speaking of Austin, he just beat Owen Beck in a horrendously sloppy bout last month. Beck lost his other fight this year (back in February) to Monte Barrett – who just lost another terribly boring fight to Hasim Rahman in August – who lost to John Ruiz in 2003 (oh yeah, don’t forget – “The Rock” also fought Holyfield back in ’02). Hopefully, I didn’t lose you there. For those of you who are still with me – are you seeing a pattern here?

Look, I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be a complainer, but this crap has to stop. We’ve had four belt holders for a while now, and we’ve been promised a tournament by the man who holds control over the division, but somehow it hasn’t materialized. He can blame Vitali Klitschko for not wanting to participate all he wants – but you can have a tournament without him, Mr. King! Seriously, if King put his guys in a tournament and ended up with a unified WBA/IBF/WBO champ – he would have MORE control over the division, as he would promote the unified, undisputed champion of the world. Klitschko would be forced to come to the table make a deal with King at that point to get a meaningful fight and prove that he is the man amongst the heavies.

I see King a lot on TV, hear him on the radio and read him in magazines – but I can’t remember the last time I caught one of his heavyweight fighters in any mainstream media outlet. His most technically sound fighter, Chris Byrd, has been misused, underused and underpaid, in my opinion - and has lost almost all marketability. He tries to market John Ruiz, but there’s one problem – Not many people appear to take “The Quiet Man” seriously as a quality fighter or considers him to be the legit champ! I can't speak for everyone in that regard, but if a poll were taken, that would be my best guess of how people would see Ruiz. From the way I see it, not one of King’s heavyweight champs or contenders have had a memorable fight in some time, except Lamon Brewster – and he’s not exactly being thrust into the American public’s eye. Don’s best heavyweight fight this year (featuring Brewster against Luan Krasniqi) wasn’t even held (or televised) in the states.

Fact is, there’s several quality fighters out there right now, not promoted by King, and one thing’s for sure – this is their time to shine! There are up and coming European fighters, contenders like Samuel Peter and Calvin Brock, and of course, the Klitschko brothers. Hopefully, we'll see these “non-King” guys get a chance to mix it up with King’s guys over the next couple of years, and breathe some life into boxing’s glamour division.

We’ll see King’s top contender (Rahman) in the ring with Vitali Klitschko next month, and we’ll hopefully see his hottest champ (Lamon Brewster) fight Vitali Klitschko's little brother, Wladimir, in April or May of next year. A fight between Ruiz and the 7’ Russian, Nicolay Valuev, is planned for this December – and there are rumors once again of a match between Byrd and James Toney on the horizon, as well. Those fights (if they all ever materialize) are a step in the right direction - but there’s more work to be done. In King’s defense, I must admit that it’s not all on him - the other promoters need to step up and work with him to bring the fans the best possible match-ups. But the fact remains – King has the most pull and if he puts his best foot forward, he can make the big fights happen. Please, Don - keep your word and give us a tourney – the recycling act is getting old.

TJ Cline

Castillo Victory Must End The Day Before Weigh-in!

09.10.05 - Photo:Tom Casino/SHOWTIME - By Ronan Keenan: Jose Luis Castillo has finally finished the debate on the day before/same day weigh-in saga. His four round knockout of Diego Corrales will be remembered as the fight that ended the credibility for the day-before weigh-in. In a move that reeked of cheating, the Mexican abused the weigh-in protocol in an effort to gain an advantage over his former conqueror Corrales.

Over two years ago, after he was defeated by Floyd Mayweather in December 2002, Castillo stated that he would not fight at 135lbs again ,as the struggle to make the weight was overly weakening his body. However, the lure of big money fights and a world title opportunity persuaded Castillo to remain a lightweight- until yesterday.

The former champion obviously realized some time ago in his preparation for the Corrales rematch that he would be unable to squeeze his frame into the 135lb limit. Therefore the Castillo camp decided that they would abuse the weigh-in system, thus gaining a huge gain over their opponent.

It is clear that Castillo never even seriously attempted to make the lightweight limit on the Friday weigh-in. Initially he weighed in at 137lbs, which is an extraordinarily high level above the limit for a lightweight. Then 70 minutes later when he came back he was 138.5lbs! It is unheard of for such a highly regarded fighter to come in so high above the limit
in a world title bout.

Subsequently when Castillo’s corner-man was caught trying to manipulate the scales with his foot during the weight-in it was obvious that the Mexican’s team were trying to cheat their way to victory. Castillo was almost certainly never 137lbs, because the corner-man was more than likely influencing the scales during the initial weigh-in too.

Some observers initially believed that Corrales would gain an advantage from Castillo’s weigh-in drama. They thought that the challenger was genuinely struggling to boil down to the 135lb limit. However, in reality Castillo probably never even bothered to strain his body anywhere near the lightweight mark.

Instead, Castillo’s team knew that if their man came in at this high weight it would not jeopardize the fight taking place, due to the fact that it was such a big event and there was so much money at stake for everyone.

Castillo was fined $120,000, but this isn’t much considering that he was reportedly earning a purse of $1,200,000. And the real evidence that Castillo did not attempt to struggle towards the weight limit was when he bet $100,000 that he would knock his opponent out with Corrales’s promoter Gary Shaw yesterday afternoon. This indicated how confident he was that he
would be stronger than Corrales, thanks wholly to his mistreatment of the rules.

While Castillo was comfortably walking around miles above the weight limit, Corrales was sticking to the rules and straining his 6’ frame down to 135lbs. When the contracts were signed months ago, Corrales believed that Castillo would be in a similar position to himself in terms of weight-making, but he did not consider that his opponent would be brazen enough to blatantly ignore the weight limit.

After Castillo’s weight-making difficulties on Friday the respective promoters agreed that Castillo must not weigh more than 147lbs on the day of the fight. This move still did Corrales no favors, because Castillo would not have had to inconvenience himself too much to come in at this limit a full 5 hours before the fight. On the other hand, Corrales would still be recuperating from making 135lbs the day before.

On fight night it was evident that Castillo had a significant advantage by the shape of his body. His neck, torso and waist looked so much thicker than in the initial fight in May. Overall, the challenger appeared to be altogether more muscular than he was for the previous contest.

This was indicative of how the fight itself would turn out. From the onset Castillo was much stronger than Corrales and his punches seemed to be so much more powerful and damaging than his opponents. This was surprising, considering that both fighters had traded blows for ten rounds last May, when neither seemed to have a clear advantage in punching power.

The fresher Castillo was able to use his newfound (and immorally found) advantage in strength to stagger Corrales in the third and then unleash a thunderous left hook in the fourth to send the champion to the canvas for the ten count.

On paper Castillo’s triumph will look impressive, but overall it must go down as being one of the most tainted victories in years. It will never be known how much the weight-making influenced the fight, but this situation would never have arisen if there was just one official weigh-in on the day of the contest.

TJ Cline

Jose Castillo - Diego Corrales: Shaw Threatens No Rubbermatch

09.10.05 - Photo:Tom Casino/SHOWTIME - By Wray Edwards: Jeff Lacy was not the only “Left Hook” in the Thomas and Mack Arena last night. Jose Castillo brought one with him also, and shared it in liberal fashion with Diego Corrales. In a highly touted re-match Jose and Chico went on to round eleven, picking up right where they left off last May. Good for Jose…bad for Chico. FATE WAS TEMPTED AND DID STRIKE. The match, which was drastically marred by Castillo’s highly unprofessional missing of weigh-in requirements, mutated from a championship clash into a “Twelve Round Special Event”. Showtime personalities scrambled to put a new face on the contest, alluding to the driving force of Chico’s pride, Jose’s quest for revenge, and the seething momentum of an emerging trilogy.

Gary Shaw vented - post-fight - on that subject as evidenced below. There were some very entertaining statements made by several on-stage after the fight.

Suggestions were made that Castillo may have deliberately failed to train, or purge himself, to the agreed weight, as a way to get the upper hand against Chico, who made whatever debilitating sacrifices were necessary to comply.

In a pre-fight interview Jim Gray spoke with the executive director (Marc Ratner) of the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) and attempted to get his views on the pathetic state of Boxing’s weigh-in practices and divisional limits. For the past nine months this and other writers, as well as posters on these pages, have struggled to bring these absurdities to official attention. This writer had extensive discussions with Tony Lato, Jr. (Chief Inspector of the NAC) regarding these weight-shifting issues.

Jim asked the very same, common sense questions, previously found on this site, about how ridiculous is the current state of affairs, and what can be done to get rid of the mess. Mr. Ratner agreed that there is an immediate need to make changes. Tighter limits on weigh-in to fight weight differentials were mentioned, as well as moving weigh-ins to fight day. Objections based on statements that more injuries will occur due to the effects of fasting and dehydration to make weight, are specious at best. Simple weight monitoring during a fighter’s career would forestall much of this. Besides, if you are a “professional” you just stay in shape…period!

Requiring everyone to fight closer to their “natural” or “walking around” weight would reduce the use of crash dieting, diuretics, sweatboxing and other extreme measures, which only serve to skew and disfigure the whole concept of weight divisions. The Anchondo – Barrios debacle is another example of how these practices injure the sport as well as its
participants.

No matter how exciting the fight might be, if it is conducted under a cloud of confusion, disappointment, suspicion and second-guessing, everyone is cheated. Assessing fines is a paltry gesture which does little to address the emotional let-down of the fans and opponents. It is the author’s opinion that one cannot rule out the possibility that Diego Corrales had the motivational rug pulled out from under him when the bout degenerated into a “Special Event”. Stripped of the urgency to defend his championships, he might have experienced a loss of focus which, combined with the stress of making weight, might have been crucial to the outcome.

Castillo was obviously the stronger boxer during the first three rounds. Of the two fighters, Castillo appears to have the greater one-punch KO potential. Chico tends to drop his opponents with withering combinations (Frietas, Castillo) rather than one, big strike…which brings us to the fight.

Round One was truly round eleven from last time. Round Two served to inform us that Castillo’s rep as a slow starter was not going to apply this time. He started right off at a pace not reached until round five of the first bout. He appeared to have faster hands, harder, more accurate punches, and his usual adamantine chin. Diego rallied often but was countered well.

In Round Three, Castillo began to take real advantage of Chico’s growing tendency to cock his right outside and down a bit for a right cross. At 1:07 Corrales did this and before he could deliver, Jose threw a short, quick left hook to Diego’s left ear and neck. Chico was still constructing and delivering that right cross, which was wide of the mark, as Castillo’s left took the arc of Chico’s cross away to Diego’s left. Chico went off balance to his left and as he turned back to face Jose he was gifted with a quick Castillo right which sent him reeling back toward the ropes. Corrales’ punch formation did not seem to be as tight as it had previously been against Freitas and Castillo.

The first three rounds gave immediate evidence that Corrales was again going to fight Jose’s fight (inside) electing to eschew the advantage-option of his long-range potentials. His proclivity to assemble sweeping rights telegraphed his intentions, left his jaw unprotected, and invited disaster. Castillo repeatedly took advantage with very quick punches which can only be described as “pre-counter-punches” as he often struck like a cobra right in the middle if Chico’s strike preps.

Round Four was not very old before the roof fell in on Chico. He again dropped his right down and out for a right cross, and Castillo timed him perfectly with a textbook left hook. By this time in the fight Jose’s left hook was practically an automatic reflex whenever he saw that Corrales right winding up. So, with 2:28 to go in the Fourth Round, Castillo’s south paw impacted Chico’s right cheek, and Diego collapsed like a house of cards. Referee Joe Cortez started the count, and as
Corrales (glassy-eyed) rolled to his right (4-5-6) got to his hands and knees (7-8) and staggered to his feet (9-10) he was counted out.

The place went nuts. A majority Castillo crowd roared their approval. As the TV director frantically switched cameras, Corrales was heard to say to Joe, “What happened?” He really won’t know until he watches the tape and then it will become painfully clear what happened and why. Results…Gary Shaw’s 100 grand went down the Castillo drain…Jose evens the score, but fritters away a chance to reclaim the belts…and Chico got a lesson in the advisability of fighting with the other guy’s style. Diego was spared a prolonged beating by Castillo’s merciful, fourth-round coup de grace.

Castillo was pleased during the post-fight interview as he repeatedly avoided Gray’s attempts to inquire whether Jose thought he might have come in stronger than Diego because he had not endured the rigors of making weight. He was also probably pleased because Bob Arum had grabbed him and yelled, “I’ll give you a hundred thousand”. When Jim turned to
Chico to get his take on the fight, Gary Shaw tried to get in on the act by forcefully proclaiming that, “We are revoking our right for a rematch. We have a right to revoke it!” Jim Gray brushed him aside to speak with Diego who was magnanimous in congratulating Castillo, and though Gray pressed his interest in Castillo’s weight issues, Chico refused to participate.

Gray missed a golden opportunity to get what appeared to be a breaking story. If Gary Shaw was dismissing the possibility of a rubber match, that would have been really big news, in the making, right there on live TV. Why he did that is a mystery, as Promoters are often given an opportunity to join in the post-fight interviews, and often announce important, future plans as a result of the fight’s outcome. Whether Mr. Shaw actually intends to exercise the no rematch right he seemed to be claiming, remains to be seen, but Jim Gray missed a chance to find out right then and there.

Rather than yet another consecutive fight with Castillo, it might be interesting to see Chico in unification action with Juan Diaz, providing Diaz does not sustain another “cut” just before their meeting. Zahir Raheem might be real fun coming off his recent stalwart victory over Erik Morales. Jesus Chavez is another interesting unification possibility. After this rather shabby encounter, it seems only fair that other boxers, who are very well qualified, should be given a shot at Diego’s belts, if they can make weight.

Truth be told, the author is a bit tired of the endless Showtime happy-talk and hype over the largely manufactured Corrales-Castillo rivalry. Jose’s recent peccadillo on the scales has raised too many questions about his professionalism, and even suspicions about his fairness. Maybe it might be better for him to go to 140, or higher, and freshen things up a bit.

His excuse that he had a sore rib which disabled him from being able to do what was necessary to make weight seems a bit thin. Don’t get this wrong…he is a great fighter, but he needs to take a chill pill and fight a few other guys himself. How much better it would be for him to go get the belts of Diaz and Chavez to set up a four sanction, full unification, rubber match with Diego. It would take something like that for me to even consider paying for another Castillo-Corrales show. See you at the fights.

TJ Cline

Corrales Uses Wrong Tactic and Loses The Fight

09.10.05 - Photo:Tom Casino/SHOWTIME - By Goran Dragosavac: I am one of those who beleives that right strategy and in-fight tactics is a key in wining the fight. Some figters, for whatever reason, are unable to execute right strategy, either because of the lack of conditioning, or simply, lack of natural ability. Well, if strategy is wrong, then all natural talent and physical coditioning will be superceded. Top fighters have natural ability of changing their strategy as they see it fit, others very much depend of input they get in their corner. Last night's fight between Castillo and Diego Corrales is the showcase of the fight where Corrales' strategy cost him a fight. Before the rematch, I had read the quote from Corrales's trainer, Joe Goosen, saying that in their first fight, he wasn't happy with Diego's performance from the outside. In other words, according to Joe Goosen - Corraless was doing much better from inside than outside. I could not disagree more.

Whenever Corrales opted to use the range, it was his excellent jab and movement that allowed him to set up his power shots - he was beating Castillo to the punch. However, that was only on rare occasions and for most of the their first fight, we witnessed brutal toe to toe, inside battle.

In their rematch last night, I didn't see Corrales atempting to fight from outside at all. There was no jabs, there was none of his trade-mark "down the pipe" direct shots, and there was no uppercats.

All I have saw was Chico's atempt to trade with Castillo, using hook after hook, and staying on inside. Well, his hooks were wider and slowlier than Castillos - due to his height and reach advantage - attributes which turn to disadvantages when fighting in close quarters.

As a result, Corrales was losing most of the exchanges, and ended up getting knocked out in first third of the match.

Well, if that was Goosen strategy to win this fight, then I am simply speechless. Goosen was credited to turn Corrales in a boxer - well, he wasn't boxing last night. He was trading with the best "trader" in a business.

In their matches with Castillo, both Lascano and Casamayor were outboxing Castillo in beginning, while they were using full range of boxing skills in their arsenal - movement, angles, jabs, and the rest. Once they started trading and fighting in close quarters, when pinned down - they had no chance.

All credit goes to Castillo. He might not be ever best pound for pound boxer, whatever that means - but as inside fighter, he is the one of the best. Also, credit goes to him for making making important adjustment in second fight - by bringing more uppercuts, which brought another dimension to his somewhat predictable and yet effective fight plan.

For Corrales - back to the drawing board. In last night's match, he made big step backward.

There's no shame in losing, but when you fall short every second of every round - then you know - you're not just doing one thing wrong in a fight - you're doing everything wrong, which speaks about a wrong fight strategy.

Corrales has proven in his previous fights that he can box. Well, last night he didn't. I've never seen him so one-dimensional. How much blame Goosen carries in Chico's lost, is debatable - but if he really thought that the tall and rangy Chico has more chance on inside than outside, then Goosen should carry all the blame.

TJ Cline

Castillo Destroys Corrales!

08.10.05 - Photo:Tom Casino/SHOWTIME - By Jim Amato: Jose Luis Castillo gained a measure of revenge as dominated and demolished Diego Corrales to reverse an earlier KO defeat. This time around it was basically no contest. Castillo got off quickly and never relinquished his advantage. He hurt Corrales on several occasions during the first three rounds. Rarely did Diego land a big punch but he was giving it his all against, on this night a superior fighter.

The end came in the fourth round as Castillo blasted Corrales to the canvas and it was over. Although their first fight was a true classic, this one was just one way traffic. A rubber match? It's doubtful, Castillo made quite a statement tonight.

TJ Cline

The People Have Spoken: The All-Time List

10.10.05 - By Aaron King: About a week ago, readers were asked to e-mail their lists of top ten fighters of all-time. After sorting through around 80 lists, consisting of 68 different names, a popular list has finally been calculated.

To make the final poll, a point system was used to assess each fighter: 10 points for a 1st place vote, nine points for 2nd, 8 points for 3rd and so on. All in all, 18 boxers were given 1st place votes (1st place votes were used to break ties in the top ten). The entire poll, 1 to 64, is listed below, with the point totals in parentheses next to the top ten. Once again, the following is not the opinion of any one person, yet a cumulative survey. Without further ado…

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1. Muhammad Ali (466)

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2. Sugar Ray Robinson (463)

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3. Roberto Duran (291)

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4. Joe Louis (222)

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5. Sugar Ray Leonard (200)

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6. Marvin Hagler (165)

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7. Julio Cesar Chavez (162)

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8. Mike Tyson (154 - 7 1st place votes)

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9. Roy Jones Jr. (154 - 5 1st place votes)

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10. Henry Armstrong (130)

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Have to say this list shows that the general public dosent know shit about boxing.......really shitty list

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