Boxing FanHouse

Former Champs Judah, Casamayor Both Score Comeback Wins

Lem Satterfield — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:28:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF

Southpaw former world champion Zab Judah (pictured) scored a second-round knockout over Ubaldo Hernandez on Friday night at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas to improve to 38-6 with his 26th career KO.

The victory was the fourth in the past five fights for the 32-year-old Judah since June 2007, when he was knocked out in the 11th round by Miguel Cotto.

A former three-time titlist, Judah scored three knockdowns while ending a nearly 12-month layoff against Hernandez (22-20-2, 10 KOs), who, like him, weighed 145 pounds for their welterweight matchup.
Judah was coming off of last November's 10-round unanimous decision victory over Earnest Johnson, which helped him to rebound from being stopped in the ninth round by Joshua Clottey in August 2008.

Hernandez lost for the third straight time.

In another welterweight fight, former four-time world champion Joel Casamayor (37-4-1, 22 KOs) scored an eight-round unanimous decision over Jason Davis (11-5-1, three KOs).

The Cuban-born Casamayor, 38, ended a nearly 14-month layoff in the process, improving to 6-1-1 since losing a split decision to Jose Luis Castillo for the WBC lightweight title in December 2004.

Also a southpaw, Casamayor was coming off of a September 2008 loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, when he was stopped for the first time in his career in the 11th-round of a tightly-contested, lightweight (135 pounds) matchup.

Also on the card was Salvador Sanchez (17-3-2, eight KOs), who earned a six-round unanimous decision over Jose Pachecho in a 124-pound bout.

Former Champs Judah, Casamayor Both Score Comeback Wins originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valuev's Size an Advantage Against Haye

Lem Satterfield — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, WBO, HBO, Showtime

David Haye has fists that have earned him the nickname, "The Hayemaker," since only one opponent in 22 victories has gone the distance with him.

But the London resident is known by opponents as much for his verbal taunts and jabs outside of the ring as he is for the actual bombs he throws inside of it.

Haye, for example, once wore T-shirts sporting the decapitated likenesses of the siblings, heavyweight champions Wladimir Klitschko (IBF and WBO) and Vitali Klitschko (WBC), during promotions of scheduled bouts with each that never materialized.

And during the buildup to Saturday's matchup with WBA titlist, Nikolay Valuev, of Russia, Haye's vocal assault on the largest heavyweight champion in history have been equally relentless.

Called by Haye, "a circus freak, a zombie and a robot," the seven-foot Valuev literally steps over the ropes instead of through them because he says "it's easier."

In the meantime, Haye, who pulled out of the fight with Wladimir due to an injury, and then backed out of negotiations with Vitali to face Valuev, has been a hit while lampooning his rival in the British media.

"I want to make him so angry that he doesn't just want to beat me, but to kill me," Haye has said of Valuev, who weighed 310 pounds for his last fight in December compared to the 6-3 challenger's 215.

"[Valuev] is the biggest heavyweight champion in boxing history, and boxing's been around a long time. But I think that I'm making him angry, and that he really wants to do a number on me," said Haye, 29.

"I feel that will work to my advantage. He's big, he's strong, but he's not got the best skills in the world," said Haye. "I need him to give me openings because his arms are so long. I need him to bring the arms out and to try and get at me so that I can get inside and go to work."

On Saturday night Valuev will have a nearly 100-pound advantage in weight over Haye, having tipped the scales at 316 compared to 218 for his nemesis on Friday.

But the man nicknamed "The Russian Giant" claims he is unaffected by Haye's comments.

"He can say what he wants. I don't care about it. I will give my answer in the ring," said Valuev, 36, who is 50-1 with 34 knockouts.

"A lot of opponents have tried to provoke me, but nobody has ever succeeded," said Valuev. "I don't care about his statements. Needless to say, I am very confident of success."

Haye (22-1, 21 KOs) is facing Valuev in Nuremberg, Germany, after having risen from the cruiserweight (200 pounds) division. Evander Holyfield is the only former cruiserweight to win a heavyweight crown, having dethroned Buster Douglass in October of 1990 in three rounds.

Haye won the WBA cruiserweight crown with a seventh-round knockout of Jean Marc Mormeck in November of 2007, but then dropped it to dethrone WBC and WBO king Enzo Maccarinelli in two rounds in March of 2008, handing him only his second loss in 30 bouts and stopping him for the first time in his career.

"The cruiserweight division is solid, but it's not like it's a talented division top to bottom," said Doug Fisher, Managing Editor of RingTV.com. "Haye could get away with his flaws fighting those guys. He was able to find the tip of their chins and put them down."

By the time he enters the ring against Valuev, Haye will have been out of the ring for nearly 12 months, having scored a fifth-round knockout of faded, former heavyweight contender Monte Barrett on November 15.

Valuev will not have seen action since December, when he decisioned former four-time champion Holyfield 116-112, 115-114, and 114-114 -- a loss the 47-year-old ex-world titlist disputes even today.

"Unlike a lot of people, I didn't think Evander Holyfield was robbed when he fought Valuev. I scored it a draw, as I recall. Holyfield simply faded too badly down the stretch, but the lateral movement he showed that day is the key that Haye will surely use," said Kieran Mulvaney, of ESPN.com and Reuters.

"Haye is the faster man and better boxer, and has far more than Holyfield does right now," said Mulvaney. "Assuming Haye's stamina lasts --which is an issue -- I think he'll wind up a points winner in a fight that probably will not be too aesthetically pleasing."

Although Haye has a nine-fight winning streak that includes eight knockouts, he has gone 12 rounds only once during a lopsided decision over Ismail Abdoul in July of 2006.

Haye has been eight rounds and nine rounds (once each) in stoppages of previously unbeaten fighters, Lasse Johansen and Giacobbe Fragomeni, respectively, in March and July of 2006.

Valuev, meanwhile, has won four straight, grounding out route-going victories over previously unbeaten Jean Francois Bergeron as well as former world champs Sergey Lyakhovich, John Ruiz and Holyfield, all in succession.

And while Valuev's lone defeat was by majority decision to then-unbeaten, Ruslan Chagaev in April of 2007, Haye's only setback raises far more questions.

For in September of 2004, Haye was stopped in five rounds by a then-40-year-old, Carl Thompson, who entered their matchup with a record of 32-6 that included being knocked out five times.

Fischer points to Haye's last victory over Barrett as an example of why he believes the former cruiserweight titlist "is unproven as a heavyweight."

"David Haye put Barrett down five times, and Barrett got up. The first four knockdowns, Barrett got up with a clear enough head to swing back and to give David Haye something to worry about," said Fischer.

"I don't question Haye's power at cruiserweight, but I do question it a little bit at heavyweight," said Fischer. "I also question chin, as most people do, since he's been knocked out and he's been dropped more than a few times."

The difference between Valuev and Haye has as much do to with relative technique as it does with size, Fischer said.

"One thing that I'm impressed with in Valuev is his balance for a man that big. He does get hit, and you can throw punches around his guard and land punches. But Valuev's got good balance and decent technique, throws a nice jab, his right hand is not bad, and he can block and counter semi-effectively," said Fischer.

"If somebody gets into a clinch with him, Valuev has the size and the mass to walk them backward or to tire them out," said Fischer. "Haye willingly falls into clinches, and I believe that his stamina will catch up to him on the way to being stopped late."

FanHouse agrees with Fischer, and, so, the pick here is Valuev, but by decision.

Valuev's Size an Advantage Against Haye originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Haye Weighs In at 218 Pounds, Nikolay Valuev at 316

Michael David Smith — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, Boxing Video

The weight difference will be 98 pounds in Saturday's heavyweight title fight billed as David vs. Goliath, as England's David Haye weighed in at 218 pounds on Friday, while Russia's Nikolay Valuev weighed in at 316.

As big a size difference as that is, it's actually a little bit less than expected, as 218 is the most Haye, the former cruiserweight champion of the world, has ever weighed, and 316 is a little less than Valuev usually comes in at.

Haye commented at the weigh-in:

"Going up against this guy is going to be strange. It is going to be a real shock to my system, no doubt, but I feel I can adapt and figure out a strategy to beat this big guy.

"He's the WBA heavyweight champion of the world. I said from day one that I wanted to become the heavyweight champion and here's my opportunity. This is what it's all about.

"I've trained so hard throughout the years. I was the undisputed, unified cruiserweight champion and that's what I want to do at heavyweight.

The fight takes place Saturday, with the pay-per-view show starting at 3 PM ET.

David Haye Weighs In at 218 Pounds, Nikolay Valuev at 316 originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pacquiao a Knockout on Jimmy Kimmel

Lem Satterfield — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO

When Manny Pacquiao emerged from backstage for Tuesday night's appearance on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, he was greeted by chants of "Manny, Manny," from what appeared to be a large contingent of his Filipino countrymen.

Near the end of the segment, Pacquiao, wearing a dark, button-down shirt and blue jeans, literally closed the show, singing along with the band as the members of the crowd, collectively, waved their arms.

Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 knockouts) hopes to score a similar knockout performance on Nov. 14, when he challenges WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) at the MGM Grand at a catchweight of 145 pounds.

"I respect Miguel Cotto. I told him that he's a champion for this fight and I'm just a challenger," said Pacquiao, who is looking to become the first fighter to win a title in a seventh weight class.

"This is fight is very important to me," said Pacquiao. "It's going to be history in boxing."

Pacquiao actually opened the show with a skit during which he feigned a training regimen that included smashing pumpkins, prompting Kimmel's remark, "I be willing to bet that he's the only future president of the Philippines whose punched a series of pumpkins on American television."

Kimmel introduced Pacquiao as boxing's best fighter, pound-for-pound.

Playing on Pacquiao's nickname, Kimmel asked the multi-belt champion if he knew what "Pac-Man" is, to which he answered, "My dog," adding, to the audience's delight, "I have a dog named Pac-Man."

At one point, Kimmel displayed a small poster of Pacquiao's soon-to-be-released movie, Wapak Man.

His powers "are a mix of Superman and Spider-Man," explained Pacquiao, who is depicted standing in front of three beautiful women in a full-bodied red suit with the letters, "W", and, "M," signifying the hero's name across his chest in yellow letters.

Pacquiao drew one of the many laughs on the night when he discussed his family, including his fourth child and youngest daughter, Queen Elizabeth, whom Kimmel referred to as "Queen Latifah."

Another subject was a unique training regimen used by Pacquiao to toughen up his arms and stomach, during which a member of his staff pounds those body parts with a cane-like stick.

Kimmel produced the stick, and pounded it on his desk.

"Yeah," said Pacquiao. "And it hurts."

Kimmel then had one of his assistants playfully feign the practice by lightly tapping it on Pacquiao's stomach.

"Now, how about you?" Pacquiao asked Kimmel, who allowed the fighter to do the same to him.

Paquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, said the technique has its roots in Thailand, where they "use it to deaden the pain so you can absorb a punch better."

"Manny's not getting whacked with it. It is just a small motion. We use it for sit-ups, but he is not getting whacked," said Roach.

"I don't know if I agree with it 100 percent, but Manny loves it. We've been doing it for five years now and it works for Manny," said Roach. "But if somebody is going to hit me with a stick, they better bring a big one."

Watch More of Pacquiao on The Jimmy Kimmel Show

Pacquiao a Knockout on Jimmy Kimmel originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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George Foreman 'More Patient' During Historic Comeback

Lem Satterfield — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive

With Thursday being the 15th anniversary of his 10th-round knockout of Michael Moorer -- which made him, at age 45, the oldest man to become heavyweight champion -- George Foreman reminisced about his comeback from a 10-year hiatus from boxing.

An evangelist for his non-denominational, Church of Jesus Christ, Foreman, 60, recalls the reaction of his wife, Mary, to the news that he was un-retiring, how trainers such as former light heavyweight champion, Archie Moore and Angelo Dundee, re-structured and modified his style, and how a victory over Steve Zouski began a run of 24 straight wins, including 23 knockouts during this, the second installment of a four-part Q&A series.

FanHouse: What was your wife, Mary's, reaction to your decision to return to the ring at age 38?

George Foreman: She didn't want it. She told me that I was going to get hurt or killed. She just insisted that I try something else. I told her that I had to do it. I just didn't have any way to fund the youth center and keep it going without boxing.

I told her that I was going to do it, and that was all three was to it. I talked to my kids, and I had their blessings. For them, they were like, 'Yeah, more money, more money.'

FH: So then, how did you decide to put together your team of trainers?

Foreman: Charlie Shipes, an original boxing trainer of mine, he had had some problems and had been in the slammer a little bit. But as soon as he was released, we got instantly together.

I brought him into Houston, boxed for him, and he was paroled on my behalf and was my trainer. As time went on, anyone would pop up, I would just say, 'Come on, let's go.' I even went to Oakland Calif., for probably the third boxing match, and I got in touch with Archie Moore.

I said, 'Archie, I need you to help me if you feel like it. Do you think I can still do it?' Everybody was talking about my age, but Archie said, 'Oh yeah, I think you can still do it.'

I explained to him that I didn't have a whole lot of money to pay the guys, but he said, 'Aw, don't worry about that George, one day, you'll make something.' He came to visit with me and to work with me and basically did it for free.

Of course, we added Angelo Dundee later on.

FH: Was there significant ring rust that first day back in the gym?

Foreman: I had gone 10 years, approximately, without even making a fist. That was the hardest thing. 'How could I make a fist and jab someone at the same time?' That was a more difficult physical activity than I was anticipating that it would be.

I wasn't angry with anyone. That anger and all of that stuff had fueled me to be an Olympic gold medalist and a champion of the world, once before. Making a fist, jabbing, putting on gloves -- How could I do it all again?

Making a fist, shadowboxing -- throwing a fist at an imaginary opponent. It wasn't Muhammad Ali in front of me anymore. The punching bag is not Joe Frazier anymore. Here I was, getting back into the ring, with a big smile on my face. That was as hard as the physical part.

This was altogether different -- shadowboxing for the first time, actually punching at a shadow. No person's face. Never any anger. Without any real intentions of harming anybody.

I had to relearn an entire philosophy. Of course, add to that that I would try to run a mile, and couldn't even run 400 yards. That was rough.

FH: So was your motivation the children of the youth center, your children?

Foreman: Well, so many kids would come into the gym with anger, and I would teach them how to box. There was just so much anger, anger, anger. I would say, 'You know what? I'm not going to teach you how to hurt people. You don't need to be angry to become a good boxer.'

I would show them how to do it without any punches in anger, and then that converted me. That's how I found out how to do it myself. It was just about doing it to fuel that youth center and to keep that thing going, and, at the same time, I had to make a positive impression on the kids if ever I had gone on television.

I didn't want them to see this angry man that I used to be.

FH: How did you go about selecting your opponents?

Foreman: I knew that there wouldn't be a championship fight or a top contender fight for me right away. I wasn't going to throw myself to the lions. I was going to have to start from the bottom, just like I did when I was an 18-year-old, or a 20-year-old man.

I was going to look into the mirror and see a guy with potential, not look in the mirror and see that old George who was ready to get right back in there and do it again. Any promoter who wanted me, I would ask guys to send me three films of fighters to choose from.

At that time, I didn't even have a television in my house. It was a peaceful place. My family and kids were raised without a television. So I had to buy a video recorder. I would start watching the videos of the guys, and I would choose one.

FH: Being that you were at 267 pounds, the most you'd ever weighed in the ring, how did you think you looked, physically for your first fight back against Steve Zouski on March 9, 1987?

Foreman: You remember, 10 years, I was out of boxing. I started at 315 pounds and kind of hovered around that and couldn't get under that 300 for nothing. Then, for a while, I kept training, got down to Sacremento, and one day, I got on the scales and I actually saw 260 pounds.

But that didn't last, because when I ate dinner, it went back up to 268 or something like that. But I was a happy guy, having been trying to get that weight off for years. For 10 years, no one had ever seen my upper body -- not even a short-sleeved shirt during that time.

I had been a buttoned up preacher -- buttoned the shirts up all the way up to my neck. Everyone in the dressing room before the fight was wondering how the fight was going to go, and how nervous I was going to be. My whole thing was, 'You're going to take off your shirt in public, for real?'

That was the only thing I was worried about. But at the same time, I was a happy guy. I had been trying to get that weight off for years.

FH: So as you walked into the Arco Arena in Sacramento for Zouski, how did the audience react?

Foreman: Standing ovation. I couldn't believe it. This was something new to me.

FH: Did Steve Zouski react as if he was in awe of you before you scored the fourth-round knockout?

Foreman: No. He gave me a decent boxing match. I remember jabbing him and hitting him with a right hand a few times and I thought, 'Oh, he'll quit.' But no sir, he came back and tried to get me. I was surprised.

I would hit guys pretty hard in the past, and they were trying to get out of there. But here was a guy like, 'Aw, that didn't hurt me.' And finally, the referee stopped the fight. It was like I was just another guy.

FH: Why did you fight so frequently -- five times in 1987, and eight times in 1988?

Foreman: I just knew from the past, that I had had a lot of rust. So the only way that I was going to get it back was to get back into the ring and get another fight in quickly. I was going to have to campaign and get one boxing match after another and as many as I can in one year to feel like I was getting two years back in the ring.

You've got to get into the ring, because I knew that, in spite of all of the training in the ring, you're not going to get your timing, or that ability to go out there and to finish a fight off. You've got to have ring experience, and I knew that. So I had to fight a lot.

My intentions were to get in as many boxing matches per year as I had done in my original career back in 1969. I was trying to duplicate it, because that's how you get your timing back.

FH: You stopped 23 of your first 24 opponents, so was your overall style and demeanor different in the ring than in the past?

Foreman: I enjoyed being a little more patient this time. The first time around, I would always want to get those matches over. I used to be scared, nervous, frightened and angry. This second time around, I had nothing else to do but to take my time.

There was a time that I would parry and jump out of the way of shots, but I couldn't get that sort of timing again. So I was just going to set my defense properly and keep coming.

I would just cross my arms in front of my face and my body, and I would keep coming -- like a bowling ball.

I realized that if you just kept coming, fight in those seconds that everybody's breathing, bobbing and weaving and feinting and all of that, and that if I could fill up those seconds with action, that I could burn most guys out.

I still had the same left jab, and the power in the left jab and right hand. But I was going to take my time. If I didn't get the guy in the first round, second round, it didn't matter. All of those years, it was just like life -- I should have just been patient with boxing, just as in life.

George Foreman 'More Patient' During Historic Comeback originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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George Foreman's KO of Michael Moorer, 15 Years Later

Lem Satterfield — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:35:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive

Thursday marks the 15th anniversary of George Foreman's dethroning of Michael Moorer with a 10th-round knockout, making him the oldest man to earn a heavyweight title.

Foreman, 60, was knocked out by Muhammad Ali in The Rumble In The Jungle 35 years ago this past Friday.

There was a 10-year span between Foreman's first retirement -- following a unanimous decision loss to Jimmy Young on March 17, 1977 -- and his return to the ring with a fourth-round knockout of Steve Zouski on March 9, 1987.

Beginning with this, the first installment of a four-part series, Foreman discusses his transformation from a stoic, surly brawler, to philanthropic evangelist, to a patient and more cerebral fighter who left his mark in boxing history by dominating younger men.

FanHouse: What was your inspiration for a youth center?

George Foreman: My brother, Roy Foreman. He worked at a youth center that was placed further into the city of Houston, and that's how I got the idea. My brother was a volunteer. So I stopped by one day at his place -- where he was working with some kids -- just to visit him.

And he was signing them up for boxing. The room they were training in was very small -- barely big enough for a little boxing ring. And the kids' parents wanted me to get interested and involved.
That's the most embarrassed that I had ever been in my life. There I was, I had been champion of the world, I had been a wealthy man. Yet, there I was, scrounging around and asking people for money for the youth center like that.
- George Foreman
But I was dressed up in my suit, because I was preaching. I wasn't ready to put myself into that business. But then, I saw two of the kids from his place who had gone to jail and that was the beginning of my inspiration to do the youth center.

Many of the kids' mothers had been bringing them in. You could see that they were doing it to keep them out of trouble. Someone recognized me and said, 'That's George Foreman,' somebody told them. And one of the women said, , 'Boy, he could really help my son.'

I gave her a look like, 'If you need help, send him to church. Boxing's not going to help him.' But two months later, I asked about the kids, and I found out that they had tried to rob a store.

FH: Do you recall any of the details of the robbery involving the boys?

Foreman: Well, about two months later, I asked about those two kids. And the story was that they were robbing a store not too far from Humble, Texas where I was living. The storekeep shot one of the boys, and the boy -- whose mother was there at the youth center and who had asked me for help -- he shot the storekeep.

None of them were killed, but all of these lives were devastated, and that's what made me decide to take all of the available money from what I had saved to build a youth center.

FH: So you built your youth center soon after?

Foreman: Yes. I had purchased some property here, in about 1984, and I fixed up this gym with some of my old equipment. I was buying equipment and trying to get it running. The youth center was in Northeast, Houston, Texas -- pretty much in the county.

I wanted to put a place up where the kids from out of the inner city would feel like they're going out of town. I knew that it would make them feel like they're doing something when they left for the county and had to take a ride out of the city.

The kids would feel like, 'Hey, we're going out to Foreman's place.' The youth center was on one acre of property, in a warehouse. Some guys had started construction on a warehouse, and they had stopped.

FH: What work did you put into it?

Foreman: So I bought the place. There was about 3,000 square feet or more, because it had an upstairs also, where I could work from it and put lockers up there and a weight room if I so desired.

I put a chain-link fence inside of it to separate the weight-lifting area from the boxing area, which was the only way you would know the difference between them. I built a gym inside, and a little office in the front.

Even my mom, Nancy, would come and help me with greeting and advertising and whatever. My dad, J.D., would substitute and help me a little bit too. They were my backups as far as opening it up and greeting and taking out applications. They were my employees. But they've passed on now.

FH: So am I to understand that that is what led to your deciding to make a comeback?

Foreman: Yes, eventually, because I had literally run out of money to fund it. But first, I started speaking. I had been traveling around, speaking for this youth center that I had started. After a while, there was a church that I had invited me for three days to speak.

And afterward, they took a collection and they were going to make a donation to the youth center.

As I was there, for three days, I got to know the people and was friendly with them. On the third day, the pastor took up an offering and said, 'Now, look, we're going to reward Mr. Foreman for the kids he's working with and the work that he's done.'

The people came up, one-by-one, and they made a donation. They were fairly poor people, if you know what I mean. And as I'm sitting up on the pulpit, and they're looking at me, he counted the money up, right there, and he said 'Look' -- and he counted the money again.

'This is not enough,' he told them again. 'Let's really show our appreciation to Mr. Foreman. Those kids he's helping, they're really our kids.'

That's the most embarrassed that I had ever been in my life. There I was, I had been champion of the world, I had been a wealthy man. Yet, there I was, scrounging around and asking people for money for the youth center like that.

Sitting in that chair there, up on that stage, when that pastor said, 'Come on, let's help George,' I sat there embarrassed. Right at that moment, I said, 'I'll never ask anyone for anything ever again. I'm going to start boxing and become heavyweight champion of the world again.'

I said, 'That's how I'm going to get money for that youth center.' That had to be the last part of 1986, or maybe the first part of 1987. At any rate, I had my first fight of my comeback in March of 1987.

George Foreman's KO of Michael Moorer, 15 Years Later originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ex-Champ Winky Wright Returns to Ring Next Month vs. Grady Brewer

Lem Satterfield — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, HBO, Showtime

Former world champion Winky Wright will return from an eight-month layoff when he enters the ring against Grady Brewer on Dec. 11 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.

A southpaw who will turn 38 on Nov. 26, Wright is coming off of consecutive losses by decision to Bernard Hopkins and Paul Williams in July 2007 and this past April, respectively.

Wright (51-5-1, 25 knockouts) owns victories over former world champs Shane Mosley and Felix Trinidad, and fought to a disputed draw with former undisputed middleweight (160 pounds) champion Jermain Taylor.

"Puerto Rico is great place to have this fight, because it is deep in boxing history and tradition with the Puerto Rican people embracing the sport like very few places around the world," said Wright, who will face Brewer in the middleweight (160 pounds) class.

"Tito [Trinidad] and I have become great friends, and each time I come to visit, I have been ingratiated by the fans who love and appreciate boxing so much," said Wright. "It will be an honor for me to fight in front of them on December 11."

Brewer, who will turn 39 on Dec. 22, is riding an eight-fight winning streak -- inlcluding first- and, second-round knockouts of his past two opponents in May and August.

"I appreciate the opportunity to fight Winky Wright in a place where boxing has been followed and understood for so long," said Brewer, who was the winner of "The Contender" reality series' second season.

"The fans might not know me like they know Winky," said Brewer, "but they will know me a lot better after I beat him that night."

Promoted by Winky Wright as well as Knockout Entertainment Inc., the card also features WBO light flyweight (108 pounds) champion Alex Sanchez (31-7-1, 21 KOs) of Puerto Rico.

"Boxing is my life and I feel confident that I can get back to the top of my game with a win December 11," said Sanchez "To fight one more time for my people on the same card as the great champion Winky Wright and to do it at the Coilseo is a blessing I will never forget."

Also on the card in seperate bouts are the Velasquez twins, super featherweight (130) Carlos Ivan Velasquez (11-0, nine KOs) of Miami, and super bantamweight (122) Juan Carlos Velasquez (9-1, five KOs) of Puerto Rico.

The siblings are 25 years old.

Also competing is welterweight (147) Eliezer Gonzalez (5-0, two KOs) of Puerto Rico.

Ex-Champ Winky Wright Returns to Ring Next Month vs. Grady Brewer originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ex-Champs Zab Judah, Joel Casamayor Return to Ring

Lem Satterfield — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO, Showtime, IBO

Southpaw former world champions, Zab Judah, and Joel Casamayor will return to the ring on Friday night at The Palms Casino in Las Vegas.

Judah, a 32-year-old welterweight (147 pounds), will be ending a nearly 12-month layoff. The 38-year-old Casamayor will be ending a nearly 14-month ring absence when he enters the ring as a light weight (135).

Judah (37-6, 25 knockouts) will face 31-year-old Adailton De Jesus (23-4, 18 KOs) of Brazil, who has won four of his last five fights.

In his last outing on Oct. 24, De Jesus stopped Rudolfo Franz in three rounds to rebound from August's first-round knockout loss to Oscar Jesus Pereyra.

Judah has won three of his past four fights since June of 2007, when he was knocked out in the 11th round by Miguel Cotto.

A gifted left-hander, Judah is coming off of last November's 10-round, unanimous decision victory over Earnest Johnson, which helped him to bounce back from an August, 2008 ninth-round knockout loss to Joshua Clottey.

The Cuban-born Casamayor (36-4-1, 22 KOs) will meet 27-year-old Jason Davis (11-4-1, three KOs) a loser of his last three bouts -- including the last two by knockout.

Casamayor is 5-1-1 since losing a split decision to Jose Luis Castillo for the WBC lightweight title in December of 2004. Among the victories during Casamayor's run is a decision over former world champion, Diego Carrales.

Casamayor's last fight was in September of 2008 against Juan Manuel Marquez, when he was stopped for the first time in his career in the 11th-round of a tightly-contested, lightweight matchup.

Promoted by former world champion, Fernando Vargas, the card will also feature featherweight (126) Salvador Sanchez (16-3-2, eight KOs) of Mexico against Minnesota's Willshaun Boxley (5-2, three).

Judah earned his first world championship in February of 2002, when he stopped Jan Piet Bergman in four rounds to win the vacant IBF junior welterweight (140) title.

Judah defended that crown five times before being dethroned by Kostya Tszyu in November of 2001 -- the first loss of his career.

Judah rebounded with three straight wins at 140 pounds before rising to 147, where he lost a 12-round, unanimous decision to Cory Spinks.

That clash of southpaw fighters occurred during April, 2004, as Judah was unsuccessful in his bid to earn Spinks' WBA, WBC and IBF welterweight belts.

But Judah's ensuing, four-straight victories included a February, 2005 rematch with Spinks, whom he dethroned with a ninth-round knockout in the latter's hometown of St. Louis.

Judah then lost three of his next four 147-pound bouts, respectively, to Carlos Baldomir, Floyd Mayweather, and, Cotto.

Casamayor earned his first world title in May of 2000, when his WBA super featherweight (130) clash with Jong-Kwon Baek was stopped on cuts in the fifth round.

Casamayor defended that crown four times before being dethroned by a decision loss to Acelino Freitas in January of 2002.

Four wins later in October of 2003, Casamayor stopped Corrales in the sixth round of a battle that featured each fighter being floored.

Casamayor lost his March, 2004 rematch with Corrales by decision, and then was beaten by Castillo two fights later.

Sanchez is the nephew of former world champion, Salvador Sanchez Jr., who earned the WBC featherweight (126) title with a 13th-round knockout of Danny Lopez in February of 1980 and defended it nine times.

Salvador Sanchez Jr. died in a car accident shortly after stopping previously unbeaten Azumah Nelson in the 15th round of their July, 1982 matchup.

Ex-Champs Zab Judah, Joel Casamayor Return to Ring originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Haye No Underdog Against Goliath Nikolay Valuev

Michael David Smith — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:41:00 EST

Filed under: WBA

As England's David Haye prepares to fight Nikolay Valuev for the WBA heavyweight championship on Saturday, the British press is making it out to be a David vs. Goliath tale: At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Haye, the storyline goes, is facing a monumental challenge against Valuev, who's 7 feet tall and 320 pounds.

The TV interviewers in the cilp above suggest that Haye must be "mad" to challenge Valuev. The UK Mirror says, "Valuev should be the overwhelming favourite because of his physical advantages and his superior ring experience, both of which dwarf Haye's tiny credentials." A Guardian writer says he's picking Haye "against the odds and perceptions." The UK Express notes that Haye is "taking a gamble" by fighting Valuev.

But those who are actually gambling on Haye vs. Valuev know better: Haye is a -200 favorite because Haye is a much, much more skilled boxer than Valuev. The David vs. Goliath angle is a fun way to hype a fight, but the Biblical David wasn't the betting favorite the way this David is.

Still, although the fight has something of a freak show element to it, I find the matchup fascinating. Haye is moving up from cruiserweight, where he was the champion of the world, to take on the biggest heavyweight champion in boxing history. That's an easy storyline to promote, and it'll give boxing fans something we haven't seen before -- even if it's not quite the fight the promoters are selling.

David Haye No Underdog Against Goliath Nikolay Valuev originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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King Says Joseph Agbeko-Yohnny Perez Card Will Be First With Instant Replay

Lem Satterfield — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, Showtime

Among the motivations for Joseph Agbeko entering Saturday night's defense of his IBF, 118-pound title against Yonnhy Perez is his desire to achieve the greatness of two of his African predecessors.

Like Agbeko, a 29-year-old bantamweight titlist, Ghaninan legends such as three-time champion Azumah Nelson and former belt-holder Ike Quartey, hail from the city of Accra. Nelson excelled as a featherweight (126) and super featherweight (130), and Quartey, as a welterweight (147).

Nelson and Quartey have made appearances at Agbeko's training sessions, encouraging him during his quest to be considered among the sport's best fighters, pound-for-pound.

They are, in fact, worshipped by the 29-year-old Agbeko (27-1, 22 KOs), whose middle name, "King Kong," was given to him by his father at birth.

So it is with a bit of rancor -- albeit, cool-headed, simmering rancor -- that Agbeko has handled the assertion by Perez (19-0, 14 knockouts) that most African fighters write checks that their fists can't cash.

"I've traveled to Africa, and I know how the fighters of that continent are. I know they can talk more than what they can actually do in the ring," said Perez, 30, who will face Agbeko at the Treasure Island Hotel in Las Vegas as the main event to the first fight card ever to be hosted by the venue.

"So [Agbeko] shouldn't spit up in the air," said Perez, "because all that's going to do is fall right on back on his face."

The fight will be televised on Showtime, and for his part, Agbeko has vowed to flatten Perez, even as he respects the native Colombian's skills.

Speaking from his cell phone in Las Vegas on Friday, promoter Don King said "Nevada is going with instant replay tomorrow on these fights, under the circumstances that a referee misses a call."

The move makes the card the first in Las Vegas during which the referees will be permitted to use instant replay, in accordance with recently adopted Nevada State Athletic Commission rules.

King said that he and other promoters, such as Gary Shaw, were briefed by state athletic commission executive director, Keith Kizer, regarding the inaugural move earlier in the week.

At his discretion, the referee, said King, can review situations involving, for example, whether or not a cut was caused by a punch or head-butt, or determine whether action occurred before or after the bell.

"It's up to the referee to recognize it," said King. "When they recognize it, then you've got a chance."

Both Agbeko and Perez are coming off career-defining victories.

In July, Agbeko scored a unanimous decision over Armenian-born southpaw Vic Darchinyan of Austrailia. Nicknamed, "The Raging Bull," the hard-punching Darchinyan rose from 115-pounds, where he held the WBC, WBA and IBF super flyweight crowns.

In May, Perez knocked out South African, Silence Mbuza, before the latter's home crowd in Johannesburg, overcoming a huge deficit on the judges cards to flatten his rival with 66 seconds left in the 12th round.

Agbeko would be wise not to stand toe-to-toe and willingly trade blows with Perez as he did often against Darchinyan.

It would be wiser for Agbeko to use the capable boxing skills and considerable reach that have helped him through six straight victories -- three of them by knockout -- since losing a majority decision to Wladimir Sidorenko in May of 2004.

Agbeko may take some shots, but the pick here is that he will win a decision.

Co-main event

Nicaraguan Jose Alfaro will be after his fourth straight victory -- and his 21st knockout -- in the other Showtime televised bout against Mexican southpaw Antonio Demarco at 135 pounds.

Alfaro (23-4, 20 knockouts) and Demarco (22-1, 16 KOs) are the No. 2 and No. 1 contenders, respectively, to the WBA lightweight crown held by Namibia's Paulus Moses (25-0, 17 KOs). The are fighting for the interim WBC belt.

Pay Per View online.

Three of the five undercard bouts can be viewed on www.DonKingTV.com for 5.99, said King.

In those bouts, heavyweight Ray Austin (27-4-4, 17 KOs) will take on former world title contender, DaVarryl Williamson (26-5, 22 KOs); junior middleweight (154) James De la Rosa (19-0, 12 KOs) will face Lenin Arroyo (20-10-1, four KOs); and junior middleweight Nelson Linares (18-0-1, 11 KOs) will meet Archak TerMeliksetian (16-7, 13 KOs).

"We have around 195 countries" who have signed up for the online pay per view, said King.

Mike Tyson's back

Mike Tyson has joined the broadcast team for the blow-by-blow along with announcer James "Smitty" Smith and analyst Ken Miller at ringside.

"To see Mike Tyson come back, I want you to play that theme song from Peaches and Herb, 'Reunited, and it feels so good.' It's a marvelous feeling. My heart rejoices," said King, who once promoted Tyson.

King Says Joseph Agbeko-Yohnny Perez Card Will Be First With Instant Replay originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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35 Years After Ali-Foreman, Angelo Dundee Recalls 'Monkey Meat's Good'

Lem Satterfield — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:48:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO, Showtime, FanHouse Exclusive, IBO

For the past few weeks, Angelo Dundee, has busily provided on-site expertise to media members at Tampa's Fight Factory Gym, where WBO champ Miguel Cotto has been in training for his Nov. 14, welterweight clash with Manny Pacquiao.

So it is no surprise that the 88-year-old Hall of Fame trainer wasn't aware that today is the 35th anniversary of Muhammad Ali's eighth-round knockout of George Foreman in "The Rumble In The Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire.

In fact, Dundee said that none of the many reporters clamoring for his opinion on Cotto-Pacquiao "has even mentioned it."

See what Dundee had to say about the historic bout during his Q&A after the jump.

FanHouse: Why weren't you as fearful of George Foreman as was most of the world, considering he had dominated Joe Frazier, who had given Muhammad Ali a much more difficult time?

Angelo Dundee: Because I knew Ali's talent, and that certain things beat certain people. I've known Ali since he was 16 years old. So I have a pretty good insight about an individual when I've known them that long.

The Foreman that we fought was a home run hitter. But if you could prevent him from landing the heavy punches, and not get the home run, you could beat him.

My guy was pliable, flexible, and could bend with the shots. Plus, we felt like he could give George distance, which would disturb George. He just had the style to beat Big George.

FH: What did you work on in training leading up to the fight?

Dundee: I made Ali work on quickness, because quickness beats a big guy. Especially a guy that tries to hit the home run. Because if you can keep him off the homerun, then you can beat him.

FH: What about the famous 'Rope-a-Dope?'

Dundee: Muhammad completely fooled me when he did the 'Rope-a-Dope' -- I had nothing to do with that. I figured that movement would bother George more than anything, so by the second round, I was asking Muhammad, 'What are you doing?'

I was afraid that George would hit him with a forearm and knock him out of the ring. In fact, when he came to my side of the ring, I actually slapped Muhammad in the butt to make him get off of the ropes.

God forbid he had fallen out of the ring -- it was like six feet in the air in the middle of a soccer field. There would have been no coming back, he'd have broken his back on a chair or something.

I was scared to death that he would fall out. But he felt like it was working. So he says, 'I know what I'm doing.' I'm like, 'you're nuts, you're going to go through the ropes and break your back, so get off of the ropes!'

But he was like, 'I know what I'm doing.' And I'm like, 'Get him out of there, what are you waiting on? What are you waiting on?' So he had this expression, 'I made him empty his gas tank.'

So he did know what he was doing. He was the smartest guy in the place. George really ran out of gas, the poor guy. The tank ran dry. So [Ali] was more genius than we realized.

FH: Why was the 'Rope-a-Dope' effective?

Dundee: Muhammad had a great, great ability to slide on punches and pull back from them, so that he didn't take the full affect of the blows. Because if he had taken the full affect of George Foreman's blows, he'd have been out of there.

He was blocking the punches any way that he could -- with his arms, shoulders, elbows. But he was quick with everything that he did. Even pulling back from the punches with his chin. That just shows the greatness of the man.

FH: Could Muhammad Ali have won the fight with your strategy?

Dundee: I think if he'd have been in the middle of the ring, I think he'd always have been better off being in the middle of the ring. I think he would have controlled George because he was the smartest guy in the arena.

He would have beaten Foreman. He had the technique and the style to beat George.

FH: What was the problem with the loose ropes?

Dundee: That was such a big controversy. I had tightened the ropes at four o'clock in the afternoon in Zaire. I was there with Bobby Goodman, who was doing the P.R. there.

We went there, and the ropes were loose -- I mean really loose -- for a 24-foot ring. What we did was we took them apart and we tightened them. I used a double-edged razor blade to cut the ropes.

The ring was also lopsided. It was a dirt field, and it was on an angle. So we leveled the ring to the best of our ability. Nobody was paying attention to that. The fight wasn't taking place until 4 a.m.

I had tightened the ropes, but what I hadn't taken into consideration was that the heat, which, by 4 a.m., had stretched the ropes again. Being loose, my guy [Ali] was so agile that he was able to lean back and not fall out of the ring.

FH: As I understand it, you were always a stickler about checking out the conditions of the ring?

Dundee: I'm big about checking the ring out days before. I did that in Maine for the Sonny Liston fight. They were using an old wrestling ring that was like a trampoline. So I changed that, and I made them bring in a ring from Baltimore.

FH: What psychological advantages did you feel Muhammad Ali had over George Foreman?

Dundee: For us, going into this fight was like going to a party. Muhammad went into it like he never could lose. You've got to realize that in Zaire, he was the hero and George Foreman was the hero.

George Foreman brought a police dog with him, and he didn't know that they were scared of police dogs. There were so many odds against the poor guy.

FH: Like what?

Dundee: George was training across the road from us in a much rougher situation than we were in. We were in a beautiful complex there, where [President Mobutu Sese Seko] entertained the African nations. We had villas facing the Congo River.

The Zairian people were so nice to us, because, you know, I was with the hero, Muhammad Ali. To Foreman, they were chanting, 'Ali, bomaye!' That meant, 'Ali, kill him!'

FH: How did you come to train George Foreman?

Dundee: I was in Las Vegas and he was there doing something for HBO. Me and my wife Helen were there having lunch as the Caesar's Palace. George jumped up to the table and said, 'Mrs. Dundee, do you know why your husband's working with me?'

And my wife, Helen, goes, 'No, he never told me.' So my wife thinks it's something I never told her, but I didn't really know where he was going with it. So then, George says, 'I was working Muhammad against the ropes and I was getting ready to hit him with a helluva right hand.'

'And this squeaky voice from the corner said, get outta there, and then, Muhammad Ali moves. And if he didn't move, I may have knocked him out. So anybody who can help a guy like that, I want him with me.' So that's a true story.

Ali would have had more trouble with older George, between you and I. That George was steady, steady, and didn't look for the homerun. He just worked into the homerun, like he did when he won the world title. He would pick, pick, pick, and then -- Bang! --and that was it."

FH: So how have you become involved with the Miguel Cotto camp?

Dundee: I went there because I want to be around boxing. I've been doing it for 60 years, and I heard that Cotto was there. The guy that runs that gym, Peter Fernandez, is a former fighter.

They had been asking me to come. I live in Oldsmar, and it's about 45 minutes from Tampa. I have a guy that drives me there.

FH: Is there any one thing that sticks out in your mind concerning the Ali-Foreman fight -- the food, the atmosphere -- that we have not addressed?

Dundee: This is a great story. We were eating buffet style, so I never knew what I was eating. I didn't find out what I was eating until I got a visit from two Cuban guys who were airplane pilots who flew Mobutu all over the country.

So I brought them to lunch. And we were eating the buffet style. The buffet style was like chicken. I picked up a piece, and I put it in my mouth, and I'm chewing on it. But there's no meat.

So I pull it out of my mouth, and I move my thumb -- eye socket. I move my other finger -- eye socket. It was a monkey head. I had been eating monkey all of that time and didn't know it.

It tasted like chicken. I'll tell ya, monkey meat's good.

35 Years After Ali-Foreman, Angelo Dundee Recalls 'Monkey Meat's Good' originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chad Dawson Can Cash in by Beating Glen Johnson

Lem Satterfield — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO, Showtime, IBO

Chad Dawson is nothing if not a winner; he just hasn't cashed in for a defining, lucrative fight.

"We've not gotten the chance to really expose Chad like I would like to expose Chad," said Gary Shaw, Dawson's promoter. "But that time will come."

Among the 27-year-old southpaw light heavyweight's most impressive victories was in February 2007, when he routed Polish-born Tomas Adamek of Jersey City by 10, eight and six points respectively over the three judges' cards. Dawson earned the WBC's 175-pound title against Adamek, who lost for the first time in 32 bouts.

"I think that Chad is the best fighter in the world," said Shaw. "I think he's the most talented fighter in the world."

Since then, however, it is Adamek who has soared in popularity, having won eight consecutive fights, six of them by knockouts.

Along the way, Adamek has earned the IBF cruiserweight (200) title and defended it three times. And Adamek has risen to heavyweight, where he flattened three-time heavyweight title contender Andrew Golota in five rounds.

And while Dawson (28-0, 17 knockouts) has continued to win, it has been with far less fanfare than Adamek, even as he counts triumphs over Roy Jones conquerors Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson among his last five victories.

Dawson will face the 40-year-old Johnson (49-12-2, 33 KOs) yet again on Nov. 7 at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., in defense of his IBO championship in a bout that is for the WBC's interim title.

The duo will meet in a rematch of Dawson's unanimous decision of April 2008, when he won by 116-112 on all three judges' cards. Dawson hopes that a second win over Johnson, whom he vanquished before the latter's partisan fans in Tampa, will vault him into a world of limitless and lucrative possibilities.

"We've been stuck in a rut, and it's nothing against Glen Johnson, but we've had Glen and we've had two Tarver fights. And now we have Glen again," said Shaw, who would also consider a matchup with WBC 175-pound champion Jean Pascal (24-1, 16 KOs).

"Chad will show who he is this time, and then we'll move on to our next options after the fight," said Shaw. "Whether it's field an offer for the 168-pound tournament, or whether it's fighting the winner of Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins."

The "tournament" is a reference to Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic, featuring six of the world's top middleweights, including England's WBC champion Carl Froch, Denmark's WBA king Mikkel Kessler and Germany's former middleweight (160 pound) titlist Arthur Abraham.

The Super Six also features former Olympians Andre Ward, a gold medal winner from Oakland, Calif., and bronze medalist Andre Dirrell of Flint Mich., respectively.

Shaw believes that Dawson could enter the tournament amid speculation that former middleweight titlist Jermain Taylor may drop out following a knockout loss to Abraham.

"But HBO has a first and last punch at Dawson. And I know [Dawson] would be welcomed into the 168-pound tournament, which I believe he'd win convincingly," said Shaw, who also promotes Dirrell. "When this fight is over, we'll sit down with HBO. I have an appointment with them that week, and we'll talk about 2010."

Dawson would embrace the chance to drop into the lower weight class, but only after whipping Johnson.

"I'd feel great at that weight and I'd actually be much stronger at that weight too. I've never had any problems making 175," said Dawson.

"Sometimes, I've even weighed in at 172, 173. So making 168 is not that difficult for me," Dawson added. "But I'm not really even thinking about that tournament. I have to worry about Glen Johnson coming up next week."

A resident of New Haven, Conn., Dawson said that he is dedicating his fight to Jasper Howard, a former University of Connecticutt football player who was stabbed to death outside of a dance on the campus on Oct. 18.

Calling Howard's death "a horrible tragedy", Dawson plans to enter the ring displaying the No. 6 on his trunks, representing Howard's football jersey number.

Named the 2004 Fighter of the Year after a decision over Clinton Woods, a ninth-round KO of Jones and a split decision over Tarver, Johnson said he needs no more motivation than his belief that he beat Dawson in their last meeting.

"Chad Dawson has his rights to have his hopes and his dreams. The only thing that I care about is our fight," said Johnson, a Jamaica native living in Miami. "My motivation stays the same, which is to feed myself and my family."

Johnson's preparation has included sparring with Romanian-born IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (24-0, 19 KOs) of Canada, who will defend his crown against Librado Andrade (28-2, 21 KOs) on Nov. 28.

"[Bute] is a solid fighter and we had some great sparring," said Johnson. "He's a boxer. He showed me a lot of what Chad Dawson has done and is doing. He's a solid fighter, and we will use that to our advantage."

Chad Dawson Can Cash in by Beating Glen Johnson originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IBO: Pacquiao Must Defend or Vacate Belt

Lem Satterfield — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:30:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBO, HBO, Showtime, IBO

Promoter Bob Arum called it "fair" that Manny Pacquiao has 60 days from the day after facing WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 to decide whether or not to defend the IBO junior welterweight (140) crown he won by second-round knockout over England's Ricky Hatton in May.

The notification, issued by IBO president Ed Levine on Wednesday, calls for Pacquiao to relinquish his crown should he fail to comply.

"Yeah, they called me about that. I think that's fair," Arum told FanHouse on Thursday night. "It's 60 days to decide whether he wants to defend it. Otherwise, there's other people who are waiting to get a shot at the title, and Manny will make a decision after the fight."

In accordance with IBO rules, "all champions, with the exception of the heavyweight champion, shall defend their titles at least once every nine months unless medically excused for valid cause and/or at the sole and absolute discretion of the IBO," Levine wrote in a statement.

"He's a really nice guy, Levine, and that's really fine," said Arum. "And if Manny decides no, he's not going to defend the title, he still is the Ring Magazine champion at that weight -- 140 pounds -- so it's just no big deal."

The 32-year-old Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 knockouts) is ranked No. 1 in the organization's computerized rankings for October, while Hatton (45-2, 32 KOs) is No. 2.

Should Pacquiao elect to vacate his title, Levine said the championship would be filled by a subsequent bout between the top two available contenders.

Unbeaten Russian prospect Denis Shafikov (22-0, 12 KOs) is the IBO Intercontinental champion at 140 and a likely contender if the title were to become vacant.

"If Pacquiao-Cotto is a great, great fight, we can do a rematch. Or he could fight Shane Mosley, whom he wants to fight," Arum told FanHouse during an interview earlier this month. "Manny could fight Juan Manuel Marquez a third time down at 140, or he could fight Floyd Mayweather Jr."

A unanimous decision loser to Mayweather last month as a welterweight, Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) has twice fought Pacquiao, losing a split-decision and battling him to a draw.

But in February, Marquez won the vacant WBO and WBA 135-pound titles with a ninth-round knockout of Juan Diaz, making him a lucrative, trilogy matchup in what would be a unification bout opposite Pacquiao at 140.

IBO: Pacquiao Must Defend or Vacate Belt originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jose Alfaro Guarantees His Fight Against Antonio Demarco 'Will Be a War'

Lem Satterfield — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, IBF, Showtime

Nicaraguan Jose Alfaro goes after his fourth straight victory, and his 21st knockout, on Saturday night when faces Mexican southpaw Antonio Demarco in their 135-pound clash at Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Alfaro (23-4, 20 knockouts) is attempting to line himself up for another shot at the WBA lightweight crown, which he won in December of 2007 by split decision over Thailand's Prawet Singwancha.

Alfaro, however, was promptly dethroned by Japan's Yusuke Kobori, who stopped him in the third round of his first defense in May of 2008.

"The road to success is a hard one. That is why I have been training like a mad man in the gym. Demarco is an excellent boxer. I have seen a couple of his fights. But he will have to give it his all if he plans to stop me from getting that title," said 25-year-old Alfaro.

"I have a little more experience than him. Therefore, I have been training to be able to show up in the best physical shape of my life," said Alfaro. "A strong presentation here will open up a whole bunch of opportunities for me."

Alfaro (23-4, 20 knockouts) and Demarco (22-1, 16 KOs) are the No. 2 and No. 1 contenders, respectively, to the WBA lightweight crown held by Namibia's Paulus Moses (25-0, 17 KOs).

Moses, 31, dethroned Kobori (pictured) by unanimous decision in January and defended his crown the same way over Japan's Takehiro Shimada in July.

Alfaro-Demarco will take place on the undercard of Saturday's IBF, 118-pound battle between bantamweight champion, Joseph Agbeko (27-1, 22 KOs) of Accra, Ghana, and Yonnhy Perez (19-0, 14 KOs) of Colombia. The fights will be televised on Showtime.

Alfaro's sparring has included southpaws Santos Benavides (16-2-2, 13 KOs), Moises Solis (15-1, 12), Wilfredo Acuna (13-6, nine), and, Eduardo Mendoza (3-0, three) -- all of whom are from Nicaragua.

Mendoza is a former amateur stand out and Panamerican bronze medal winner.

"My training sessions are very exhaustive with four-minute rounds and 30-second rest periods. Every two rounds, a new boxer comes in," said Alfaro. "All of this training forces me to constantly be putting pressure on my opponent. I can't afford to have a bad round."

Since losing a six-round, majority decision to Anthony Vasquez in February of 2006, the 23-year-old Demarco is 14-0-1, with nine knockouts.

"Demarco is hungry as well," said Alfaro. "Therefore, I guarantee that this will be a war."

Jose Alfaro Guarantees His Fight Against Antonio Demarco 'Will Be a War' originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Manny Pacquiao Expects Miguel Cotto to 'Bring His Best' for Showdown

Lem Satterfield — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive

Boxer Manny Pacquiao has become a cross-over star.

FanHouse caught up to the six-division world champion on Wednesday to discuss his upcoming clash with WBO welterweight champ, Miguel Cotto, his humanitarian efforts during a typhoon in his native Philippines, his political aspirations and his photo in ESPN Magazine's 'Body Issue.'

See what Pacquiao had to say after the jump.

FanHouse: How do you feel about recently being named an honoree for the Gusi Peace Prize, the only athlete among the recepients?

Manny Pacquiao: I'm so humbled and honored to receive an award of recognition like that, especially being the only fighter. I'm very, very happy.

FH: Obviously, the award comes as a result of your efforts in disaster relief and your breaking training to deliver food during the typhoons in the Philippines?

Pacquiao: I was excited that I was able to help. Even during training camp, we went down to Manila to deliver food through my foundation.

I'm comfortable that the people will be taken care of through my foundation, and that they will take care of the details while I'm gone.

FH: What did you think of the most recent episode of the 24/7 series regarding its coverage of your training camp?

Pacquiao: It was well done. The problem, I think, with the 24/7, was that their crew was not with us because of the storm as much as they wanted to be, and as much as I wanted them to be.

The storm was a problem for their crew, but it was a good show. I expect it to get better.

FH: Did the series accurately depict what happened during the disagreement between yourself and your trainer, Freddie Roach, about when and when not to break camp in Baguio City as a result of the storms?

Pacquiao: You know, Freddie and I talked. You saw when he came over and spoke to me during that one scene. He wanted to leave earlier than I did, but I was not as worried as he was because I'm used to typhoons and I'm used to rain. It's something that I grew up with.

So, I guess I wasn't as concerned as Freddie was because I don't think that he is used to that type of weather. I actually ended up leaving before Freddie because he stayed overnight and I left in the middle of the night for Manila.

FH: Can you describe your relationship with Freddie Roach?

Pacquiao: Freddie and I, he's like my dad. He's like my brother. We never have any major problems, only minor discussions.

FH: Can you discuss what each of your sparring partners bring to the table in former world champion Jose Luis Castillo, Shawn Porter (10-0, eight knockouts) and Urbano Antillon (26-1, 19 KOs)?

Pacquiao: Shawn Porter is a very big guy, probably weighing 165 pounds right now. And he's a young guy and he's energetic and gives me good work.

I like Castillo also because he's been around. He's a veteran. He knows the moves that help me to stay on my guard. He's got the veteran moves that I need.

The other guy who has helped me the last four fights is Urbano Antillon. He's a good fighter. Tough, very tough. He stands in front of you, likes to go to the body and gives me good work -- the same way Cotto comes forward. He tries to bully me.
"Miguel Cotto is a tough guy, and I expect him to bring his best, and I expect to have fun in the ring for this fight."
-- Manny Pacquiao
FH: Do all three of them bring different things to the table and, together, make a Miguel Cotto?

Pacquiao: Like you said, it's the combination of their skills. I spar two or three rounds with each one to work on different things so that, No. 1, I'm not ever bored.

I'm forced to learn and to try different things so that I'm ready for Miguel Cotto.

FH: Are observers accurate when they say that this is the biggest, strongest guy that you will have faced in Miguel Cotto?

Pacquiao: You know, I think so. Oscar was a big guy, also -- maybe much bigger than Cotto and I. But Miguel Cotto is a tough guy, and I expect him to bring his best, and I expect to have fun in the ring for this fight.

FH: Do you anticipate being the quicker guy in the ring for this fight?

Pacquiao: Of course. I think that my speed and my quickness is my No. 1 asset and will be for all of my fights.

FH: Do you find that you are a better boxer now that you've moved up?

Pacquiao: I've been lucky. God's been good to me, and I'm working hard. Coach Freddie and I try different things so that we're always improving my skills.

FH: Can you discuss why you want to run for congress?

Pacquiao: The reason I want to run for congress is to have change in my country. There is just so much corruption. It's been that way for years, and for centuries. I just want to see a difference.

I don't need the money, I don't need anything from the public officials. I just want to give back to the people where I came from. I know how they live, how they act, and what their needs are.

I believe that I can help them -- at least I can be an example to them. I want to make a difference in their lives like they have made a difference in mine.

FH: What do you make of the comparisons of your popularity to that of Muhammad Ali as a boxer, with your worldwide acceptance?

Pacquiao: I'm honored. I'm happy that people seem to be happy with the way that I fight.

My No. 1 goal is not only to win the fight, but to give the fans a very exciting fight.

Especially with this present economy today, and with people paying their hard-earned money to watch me fight. You just hope that it's worth it for them to pay the $50, or, $60 for pay per view, or thousands of dollars for ringside tickets.

You just want to make sure that people are satisfied and happy that they spent their money on a good fight.

FH: Did we see all of the photos that were taken of you in ESPN Magazine's "Body Issue," or did they make you get totally nude?

Pacquiao: [Laughs.] I think I'm the only one with clothes on in the magazine. They didn't try to make me get nude, no, no, no, no. I hadn't even started training then, so my body was not where I wanted it to be.

Next time, though, at the weigh-in for this fight, you'll see what my body will look like.

FH: Anything you would like to add that we didn't cover?

Pacquiao: Just thank you for your time. I thank all of the media for their coverage. I hope that you all will be there for Miguel Cotto, and that we have a great fight on
Nov. 14.

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Pacquiao vs. Cotto Photos

Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao (L) has his hand checked by his American trainer Freddie Roach after a training session at a gym in Manila on October 22, 2009, ahead of his mega fight against Puerto Rican Manuel Cotto on November 14. Pacquiao has overcome disruptions from typhoons and landslides while training in the Philippines to be in ideal shape ahead of his big bout with Miguel Cotto, his trainer said. AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE (Photo credit should read TED ALJIBE/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

AFP

Pacquiao vs. Cotto Photos

AFP/Getty Images

Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao (R) shares a light moment with his American trainer Freddie Roach (L) after a training session at a gym in Manila on October 22, 2009 ahead of his mega fight against Puerto Rican Manuel Cotto on November 14. Pacquiao has overcome disruptions from typhoons and landslides while training in the Philippines to be in ideal shape ahead of his big bout with Miguel Cotto, his trainer said. AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE (Photo credit should read TED ALJIBE/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao (R) exercises next to one of his Filipino trainers Nonoy Neri (L) after a training session at a gym in Manila on October 22, 2009 ahead of his mega fight against Puerto Rican Manuel Cotto on November 14. Pacquiao has overcome disruptions from typhoons and landslides while training in the Philippines to be in ideal shape ahead of his big bout with Miguel Cotto, his trainer said. AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE (Photo credit should read TED ALJIBE/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Philippines boxer Manny Pacquiao (L) starts his first day training exercises at the summer capital Baguio City in the northern Philippines on September 21, 2009. Pacquiao entered his training camp here on September 20 as the six-time world champion temporarily bid goodbye to show business to focus on his much-awaited blockbuster bout against Miguel Cotto in November. AFP PHOTO / JAY DIRECTO (Photo credit should read JAY DIRECTO/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Philippines boxer Manny Pacquiao starts his first day training exercises at the summer capital Baguio City in the northern Philippines on September 21, 2009. Pacquiao entered his training camp here on September 20 as the six-time world champion temporarily bid goodbye to show business to focus on his much-awaited blockbuster bout against Miguel Cotto in November. AFP PHOTO / JAY DIRECTO (Photo credit should read JAY DIRECTO/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Philippine boxing star Manny Pacquiao starts his first day of training in Baguio City, northern Philippines, on September 21, 2009. The six-time world champion temporarily bid goodbye to show business to focus on his much-awaited blockbuster bout against Miguel Cotto in November. Pacquiao, boxing's pound-for-pound king after beating Oscar de la Hoya in 2008 and knocking out Britain's Ricky Hatton in May, will face Cotto, 34-1 with 27 knockouts, on November 14 in Las Vegas in a welterweight showdown. TOPSHOTS AFP PHOTO / JAY DIRECTO (Photo credit should read JAY DIRECTO/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Philippine boxing star Manny Pacquiao starts his first day of training in Baguio City, northern Philippines, on September 21, 2009. The six-time world champion temporarily bid goodbye to show business to focus on his much-awaited blockbuster bout against Miguel Cotto in November. Pacquiao, boxing's pound-for-pound king after beating Oscar de la Hoya in 2008 and knocking out Britain's Ricky Hatton in May, will face Cotto, 34-1 with 27 knockouts, on November 14 in Las Vegas in a welterweight showdown. AFP PHOTO / JAY DIRECTO (Photo credit should read JAY DIRECTO/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Philippine boxing star Manny Pacquiao starts his first day of training in Baguio City, northern Philippines, on September 21, 2009. The six-time world champion temporarily bid goodbye to show business to focus on his much-awaited blockbuster bout against Miguel Cotto in November. Pacquiao, boxing's pound-for-pound king after beating Oscar de la Hoya in 2008 and knocking out Britain's Ricky Hatton in May, will face Cotto, 34-1 with 27 knockouts, on November 14 in Las Vegas in a welterweight showdown. AFP PHOTO / JAY DIRECTO (Photo credit should read JAY DIRECTO/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Philippine boxing star Manny Pacquiao starts his first day of training in Baguio City, northern Philippines, on September 21, 2009. The six-time world champion temporarily bid goodbye to show business to focus on his much-awaited blockbuster bout against Miguel Cotto in November. Pacquiao, boxing's pound-for-pound king after beating Oscar de la Hoya in 2008 and knocking out Britain's Ricky Hatton in May, will face Cotto, 34-1 with 27 knockouts, on November 14 in Las Vegas in a welterweight showdown. AFP PHOTO / JAY DIRECTO (Photo credit should read JAY DIRECTO/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Manny Pacquiao Expects Miguel Cotto to 'Bring His Best' for Showdown originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yonnhy Perez: Joseph Agbeko Is 'Fighting A Real Man'

Lem Satterfield — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:20:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, Showtime

Yonnhy Perez was trailing badly in the last round against South African Silence Mbuza, before a hostile crowd in Johannesburg, when he began thinking about his wife and two young sons.

"I remembered my kids back in Colombia and all the needs that my family has. I went out there with all my faith and trust in my preparation," said Perez, who lives and trains in Sante Fe Springs, Calif., away from his family.

"What I remember the most going into the 12th round was knowing that it was a very difficult fight for me going throughout the first 11. It was a very close fight," said the 30-year-old fighter. "I asked God to help me. I asked God for strength. For he was the only one who knew how hard I had worked to get to that point, how tough it was to get to that opportunity."

Perez took full advantage, dropping Mbuza once before a follow-up flurry forced referee Kenny Chevalier to stop their bout at 1:06 of the final round. It was Perez's 14th knockout, and his 19th victory without a loss.

"My motivation is to let my kids know that being in a professional sport is the cleanest way to have a decent life," said Perez. "I have sacrificed a lot for them so they can have a better life in Colombia. So I was thrilled that I was able to beat Mabuza in South Africa."

Perez set himself up for Saturday night's clash of 118-pounders, when he will take aim at the IBF bantamweight belt owned by Joseph Agbeko (27-1, 22 knockouts) at Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Perez is facing another African in Abgeko, who is from Accra, Ghana. Abgeko has won six straight, including three by knockout.

"I understand that [Agbeko's] probably not like Silence Mabuza, but he's probably returning to his African roots," said Perez. "I've seen how all the fighters are from Africa, I've also fought a lot of them in the amateurs. I know how they fight."

Agbeko is riding the momentum of July's 12-round, unanimous decision victory over Armenian-born southpaw Vic "Raging Bull" Darchinyan of Austrailia, who rose to challenge Agbeko from 115 pounds, where he was WBC, WBA and IBF super flyweight champion.

"Yonnhy Perez wants to beat me. He's a very good, undefeated fighter. I love when I'm fighting people like that," said Agbeko, 29.

"People want to think that nobody can defeat [undefeated boxers] because they've won all their fights," said Agbeko. "I love it when it comes to that because I always want to do something that people think nobody can do."

Perez, however, is confident of victory after having witnessed Agbeko-Darchinyan from ringside, saying, "it would have been an embarrassment if he didn't beat Vic Darchinyan with ease, because Vic was a guy moving up in weight from 115 to 118."

Perez was not impressed by Agbeko, adding, "I'm going to keep all of his weaknesses and reserve those for myself, but we'll try to expose them on Oct. 31."

Perez became incensed during a recent media conference call when Agbeko predicted a knockout.

"I don't want to make a prediction of my own, but as far as what Agbeko said coming into this fight and predicting a knockout, it's OK. That's why I live in this country, there's freedom of speech. He can say whatever he wants," said Perez, who began his professional career at the age of 26, stopping Steve Lozoya in July of 2005.

"He's not facing a nobody, he's fighting a real, future champion," said Perez. "He's not fighting his wife, he's fighting a real man. But if he says that he's going to deliver, that's great. I'm ready for any type of battle to happen in the ring ...

"I've traveled to Africa, and I know how the fighters of that continent are. I know they can talk more than what they can actually do in the ring. So [Agbeko] shouldn't spit up in the air because all that's going to do is fall right on back on his face."

Yonnhy Perez: Joseph Agbeko Is 'Fighting A Real Man' originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'King Kong' Agbeko Lands in Vegas

Lem Satterfield — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, Showtime

On Halloween night in Las Vegas, King Kong will return to American soil in an attempt to strike terror in the heart of at least one man at Treasure Island Resort and Casino.

The fighter who goes by the nickname, "King Kong," is Joseph Agbeko of Accra, Ghana, a 118-pound, beast of an IBF bantamweight champion with a record of 27-1 with 22 knockouts.

Agbeko, 29, is direct regarding what he plans to do to Colombian-born power-puncher Yonnhy Perez (19-0, 14 knockouts), of Sante Fe Springs, Calif., in defense of his title.

"I predict a knockout," he said, "because I know I'm going to knock him out."

Agbeko, who is fighting for only the third time in 25 months, is coming off of July's 12-round, unanimous decision victory over Armenian-born southpaw Vic "Raging Bull" Darchinyan of Austrailia, which is considered the defining triumph of his career.

"I think that Agbeko is on the way to greatness. [You have] a great champion in King Kong Agbeko, and he's growing by leaps and bounds," said promoter Don King, who is bringing boxing to the Treasure Island for the first time ever. "This guy is a tremendous gladiator ... he moves [and] he thinks when he's fighting."

Darchinyan had risen from 115-pounds to challenge Agbeko, having owned the WBC, WBA and IBF super flyweight titles.

"I believe that Darchinyan was a very, very big win, and it's very respected. But my dream is to become a unified world champion. I want to become the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world," said Agbeko, who has won three of his past six bouts by knockout since losing a majority decision to Wladimir Sidorenko in May of 2004.

"My dream is to defeat every boxer that comes my way, not just Vic Darchinyan, not just Luis Perez, not just Yonnhy Perez. But my dream is to win every fight that comes my way. I'm ready for the world and I'm ready to become No. 1 pound-for-pound in this game someday."

Speaking of game, Perez believes he's seen flaws in the champion's, having been ringside for Agbeko-Darchinyan.

"[Agbeko] fought with a lot of heart, gave a great performance, and he obviously beat Darchinyan with ease. It would have been an embarrassment if he didn't beat Darchinyan with ease, because Vic was a guy moving up in weight from 115 to 118," said Perez, 30.

Agbeko is motivated by two Ghanian legends, Azumah Nelson and Ike Quartey. Nelson was a three-time champion at featherweight (126) and super featherweight (130), and Quartey, a former welterweight (147) titlist.

And whenever Agbeko is in training, Nelson and Quartey are often frequent visitors to the gym.

"Azumah and Ike inspire me and are very good champions of Ghana. I always look up to them and they always advise me. They've been there before and they were able to make it, too. They teach me what to do and they always point me in the right direction," said Agbeko.

"They are always motivating me and pushing me to go higher. I'm trying and working hard to carve up my own destiny, to be No. 1, pound-for-pound."

"Yonnhy Perez definitely can't stay in there with me. I want everyone to know that he's going to get his first defeat on Oct. 31. It's going to be a knockout."
-- Joseph Agbeko Agbeko will be making his second appearance in Las Vegas, having stopped Fidencio Reyes in four rounds at the Hard Rock Hotel in August of 2007 during his American debut.

It will be Agbeko's fifth straight time fighting on U.S. soil, where he has totaled a mark of 4-0, with two KOs.

It will be Agbeko's third defense of a title he won in September of 2007, when he stopped Nicaraguan Luis Alberto Perez at Sacramento's Arco Arena. Perez was knocked out for the first time and lost for only the second in 27 bouts.

Since then, however, Agbeko has fought only twice, scoring a majority decision over William Gonzalez in January of 2008, and defeating Darchinyan.

"I'm happy that I'm coming back very quickly. Boxing is my life, boxing is my food. Boxing is my everything," said Agbeko. "I'm going to always be a fighter and win all my titles. I wish I could fight everyday. I'm very, very happy that I'm back so soon [after four months,] and I thank my promoter for getting this very quickly."

Perez is coming of a 12th-round knockout of Silence Mabuza in May.

"I was once undefeated, and I know how difficult it is. [Perez] feels confident because he has never been beaten before," said Abeko. "But Yonnhy Perez definitely can't stay in there with me. I want everyone to know that he's going to get his first defeat on Oct. 31. It's going to be a knockout."

'King Kong' Agbeko Lands in Vegas originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Angelo Dundee: 'Ali, by All Means, Should Have Been Fighting (Holmes)'

Lem Satterfield — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO, Showtime, FanHouse Exclusive, IBO

Angelo Dundee has zero regrets.

The 88-year-old, legendary former boxing trainer of Muhammad Ali, spoke to FanHouse on Monday on a variety of topics, including ESPN's upcoming documentary, Muhammad and Larry, which argues that the aging Ali's 1980 fight with a young Larry Holmes never should have happened. Dundee also addressed Ali's relationship with Joe Frazier, and his own feelings during Ali's condemnation of white people as a member of the Nation of Islam.

Check out the full Q&A after the jump.

FanHouse: What are your feelings concerning the Muhammad and Larry documentary, which argues that a 38-year-old Ali should not have fought Holmes?

Angelo Dundee: I haven't seen it, but I'm going to watch. But Ali, by all means, should have been fighting. He trained the hardest he'd ever trained. Larry was the better fighter that night.

FH: How much of how Ali looked in the fight was a case of being too old?

Dundee: You don't look for escapes. What happened happened. Shoulda, coulda, woulda -- you don't go into that kind of thing. Otherwise, you'd go nuts.

If you're a fight guy, you've got to be realistic. It just wasn't there, that's all. The tank was empty, that's why I stopped it after the 10th round.

FH: Why did you stop it at that moment as opposed to any other?

Dundee: That 10th round, Muhammad got hit with an uppercut. And he reared away, and I thought that possibly, his eye got hurt. And I figured, "what am I gonna do? Why do I want him to get injured, for God's sake?'"

And he wasn't firing back, literally. Muhammad, in the past, you would throw a shot at him, and -- Boom! Boom! -- he'd fire back. But the fire wasn't there, and the repeat wasn't there.

FH: What do you make of anyone who says that Muhammad Ali should not have been fighting?

Dundee: I can't help that. People have a right to their own opinion. My gut feeling will be this until the day that I die: I think that a fighter has a God-given right to do with his life what he wants to.

It's that tough of a profession, and I think that he has a right to make that decision. I don't like to play God.

FH: Do you believe that anything that you see on Tuesday's documentary will alter your opinion concerning when the fight should have been stopped?

Dundee: Oh, no, no, no. Nothing will change it. What's done is done. You're not a Monday morning quarterback. It's done. What's done is done.

You did it. I did it in good conscience and good faith, and I think I know this kid better than anybody in the ring. I've had the privilege of knowing him since he was 16.

I know his every reaction, I know what things that make him chip up, and what makes him down. We're friends to this day, man.

FH: What is your relationship with Ferdie Pachecho, who left Ali's corner long before he retired saying that he should have retired earlier, and who insists that Ali's Parkinson's syndrome is a result of punishment he received from boxing?

Dundee: Don't you know that I'm godfather to his daughter? I gave him the name, the moniker, for God's sake. Ferdie had two offices, and I would send the fighters to either one.

And I would call Ferdie and say, "Hey, Ferdie, this kid's got a headache. Please don't tell him it's a brain tumor." [Laughs.] The thing is, everybody's entitled to their stinkin' opinion. It's the world we live in.

It's a democracy. You don't fault it. That's my feeling and I'm sincere about it.

FH: What do you spend your days doing now?

Dundee: I'm busier now than when I had 26 fighters. I'm working on a documentary about Angelo Dundee, called, It Don't Cost Nothing to Be Nice.

I make personal appearances. I've been to Atlantic City, I go to Las Vegas. I wrote a book, The View From My Corner, which is the best selling hardback boxing book of all time.

FH: What was it like for you when Muhammad Ali joined the Nation of Islam and espoused the beliefs such as, "the white man is the devil?"

Dundee: We never had that conversation. That never entered into our relationship. I was his trainer. I never followed this kid home. When he used to go into Miami, he was a Muslim then.

I learned at an early age, "You don't mess around with a fighter's personal life or his religion -- it's none of your business." He never asked me if I was a Catholic.

We never had that. We strictly worked boxing, me and Muhammad, and we had a great time. What right do I have to ask anybody anything, it's his life. That's what I said to everyone, he's sincere in whatever he does.

Ali never said anything to me negatively. This kid and I never had an argument. We had a great relationship. This kid came to my house three Christmases in a row and entertained my friends -- Jews, Polish, Irish, it didn't make any difference.

He's a lovable human being, and the nicest kid I ever had. I never had to lift a finger to make him work. He was the first guy in the gym, last guy to leave.

FH: How do you believe Muhammad Ali feels about Joe Frazier?

Dundee: He never disliked Joe Frazier, it was a one-sided thing. Muhammad likes everybody. He got a kick out of it. He never meant any harm to the guy.

Somebody handed him a monkey, so it was like, "Hey, it's the thrilla in Manila with the gorilla." Most of the stuff we pulled before fights were preempted. We did it.

We planned it. Ernie Terrell was the giraffe, Floyd Patterson was the rabbit because he had his hands around his face. The washer woman was George Chuvalo. We made those things up. It sold tickets.

FH: How much do you believe boxing had to do with Ali's Parkinson's?

Dundee: Nothing, nothing. I thought that sincerely, the guy would lick it. I thought that he would beat Parkinson's, because he's that type of a guy. I see that Freddie Roach is fighting it. I see that that movie actor [Michael J. Fox] is fighting it.

Let me tell you about Muhammad, my friend, he's the happiest human being on this earth. He can get more with a blink than you and I can get from an entire, two-hour speech. He lights up a room for Christ's sake.

I used to call him the Pied Piper. Muhammad Ali don't want no pity, and he don't want nothing from anybody.

Angelo Dundee: 'Ali, by All Means, Should Have Been Fighting (Holmes)' originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carl Froch Thinks He'll Win Super Six

Lem Satterfield — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, Showtime, FanHouse Exclusive

Confidence has never been an issue for WBC champion Carl Froch.

In a wide-ranging interview, the outspoken and talented Englishman, who is 26-0 with 20 knockouts, says why he thought Andre Dirrell was "scared" in their Oct. 17 fight, why he believes Dirrell will defeat Germany's Arthur Abraham and why he will defeat WBA champ Mikkel Kessler.

Read what Froch had to say during this Q&A after the jump.

FanHouse: On the night of the fight with Andre Dirrell following your knockout of Jermain Taylor, and your decision over previously unbeaten current WBC light heavyweight champ, Jean Pascal, did you feel that you needed to take your stock to another level for your home crowd at the Trent FM Arena?

Carl Froch: I didn't consider myself to be fighting under any pressure. I didn't see there to be any expectations. At the end of the day, I'm a consummate professional, defending my title for the second time in my 26th professional fight.

I've been at the Trent FM Arena 13 times. Pressure, I welcome it when it comes. I didn't feel that there was any pressure. As far as expectations go, I've proven myself at world class level. I just went out there and fought my fight and did all that I had to do to beat a guy who was very negative.

FH: What were your impressions of Dirrell?

Froch: To be honest, I was disappointed in Dirrell. I thought that he had more in the tank and could have done a lot more, but he was scared -- scared of getting hit, scared of the power that I possess. I clipped him early on, and he felt my physical strength.

I think that once he felt that, he adopted the hit-and-run tactics and tried to keep out of harm's way and to keep it safe. I was disappointed. That was very negative. But at the end of the day, I didn't fall into his trap, which would have been to steam in swinging and trying to knock him out.

But he was very, very fast, Dirrell. I had to step back, waited. It was an easy night's work. I could have gone 20 rounds at that pace. An easy night's work. I could have done 25 rounds at that pace.

I've never gone home after a fight and not had to ice my hands or ice elbows or favor a sore eye. It was literally like a steady sparring session. It was a bit disappointing as well, because I had a big crowd there and they wanted to see a fight.

FH: Do you feel like you did exactly what you needed to do, physically, in trying to catch up with Dirrell -- roughing up the young guy and using veteran experience to catch a man who wouldn't stand in front of you?

Froch: Definitely. I was disappointed for the fans, not for myself. I'm still a champion. I defended my title successfully. I still get paid, I've still got the belt, and I've got two points for the Super Six Tournament. So I'm a happy, happy man.

But I was disappointed for the fans. The manner in which he was fighting, as soon as I closed the gap, or got him within hand's reach so that I could manhandle him, I did that. I felt like I needed to do that. Yeah, I did. I had to make that happen.

FH: How validating was this victory for you?

Froch: I was satisfied that I was able to fight somebody who was boxing and moving. None of the commentators on British television seemed to notice it, but I managed to get my defense tight. I had a good defense and a good guard when I needed it.

I was able to out-box a boxer and to beat him at his own game. Especially over in America, where they've seen me against Pascal and they've seen me against Jermain Taylor. They called me a beast, and an Arturo Gatti-type of fighter.

Against Dirrell, I was able to show my skills and my ability to adapt in terms of not just coming forward and swinging big shots and landing heavy digs and going into the trenches.

I was able to box a little and to block shots and to show a different side to my style than what was previously shown.

So I was happy with that, and the crowd and the fans acknowledged that. It was quite a knowledgeable crowd in Nottingham. So in that sense, I really enjoyed it. It was world class boxing. There were a few people who were disappointed that it wasn't like the Pascal fight -- toe-to-toe for 12 rounds of guerilla warfare.

But the people who know boxing knew that it wasn't going to happen like with Dirrell's negativity. Let's not forget, Dirrell's a good fighter. He's got fast hands and he knows his way around the ring. He's healthy and he's young and he's got all of these things in his favor.

If you add that to the way he fought, with his speed, and his reflexes, and he's going to be negative with that, then he can run away for 20, 25 rounds, and keep running, and keep running. No man in the world can catch up with him and catch him with a shot.

FH: Is there anything that you learned that you need improvement on?

Froch: There's always room for improvement. When I watch the tape, in rounds 10, 11 and 12, I noticed that Dirrell was really, really hanging on there. And he was fighting back a little bit more later on, and he had a couple of good rounds later on.

I was being a little bit lazy myself, waiting for him. He held on to me, clinging to me, stopped me from working. Now, when he did his work, I should have done my work and fought straight back at him. I got into switching off a little bit, mentally, later on.

FH: Were you frustrated by Dirrell's tactics?

Froch: I was sick of him running and holding and nothing happening, so later on, I just thought, 'You know what? Let's just get through this. I'll keep boxing him and moving.'

I wish that, looking back at it, I would have really put the pressure on him and thrown a lot more shots and roughed him up even more later on. But you've got to be careful because the referees will only take so much roughing up before they'll start deducting points.

So, looking back in hindsight, I wish I'd have put it on him. But I was told, by my cornerman, who I listen to, to box and to keep doing what I was doing, so I did. If he'd have told me to go out there and try and stop him and knock him out, I'd would have gone out there and started swinging and really teed off on him and tried to do some damage.

I had the fuel left in the tank. It was like I said -- an easy night's work for me, physically. But I did what I needed to do, and that was a professional job.

FH: Do you feel like there was a clear separation between where you are at this point in your career and where Andre Dirrell is?

Froch: Definitely, the separation was there. It was almost like a boy versus a man in there. An amateur versus a professional. And I'm the professional. I'm the man.

And as far as I'm concerned, the best man won. It's as simple as that. You could see that it was the consummate professional and you could see that he was the one coming through.

FH: How do you see Dirrell-Arthur Abraham shaping up?

Froch: I think Arthur Abraham is going to really struggle with him. I think Dirrell outboxes Abraham. Abraham's tough and strong, but I think Dirrell will beat him and then people will realize what a good job I did against Dirrell.

FH: What are the chances that you could fight Mikkel Kessler in that large, soccer stadium that you mention in the Super Six reality series?

Froch: It's the Nottingham Forrest Stadium. It's not been done yet. We're still negotiating the location of my next fight.

But I'd really like it to be at Nottingham Forrest football grounds, because it's my hometown, and it's a club that I've been a season ticket holder for for the last five years.

I'm an avid Forrest fan, and for me to box in a stadium that can seat 45,000 or 50,000, in my home city, I think that the reason why speaks for itself. That would be the pennacle for me. There's nowhere else that I could fight that would have that sort of fanbase for me.

FH: Who is going to win between Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward on Nov. 21?

Froch: I've not seen enough of Andre Ward to know exactly what's going to happen in that fight, but I've got a feeling that Kessler will beat him. He's too experienced for him.

FH: What are the chances that you would come to America and watch the Kessler-Ward fight in Oakland, Calif. from ringside?

Froch: There's no chance of that, actually. Unfortunately, I'm going to be sunbathing in Cuba.

FH: How is your fight with Kessler going to go?

Froch: I think it will be a great fight. I think it will be a fight between two warriors. I think I could catch him early and knock him out, or I could outbox him. It just depends what style he adopts.

If he comes to fight, then the crowd is in for a humdinger, and the fans are in for a real treat. If he boxes and moves, then I'll box and move with him. It's a hard one to call, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm going to beat him.

FH: Do you feel like you were underestimated and unknown before the tournament, which many still believe that either Kessler or Arthur Abraham will win?

Froch: Carl Froch is going to win, that's what I feel. It's as simple as that.

Carl Froch Thinks He'll Win Super Six originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cris Arreola Returns to Ring on Dec. 5

Lem Satterfield — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:20:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO, IBO

Heavyweight contender Cris Arreola will fight in the co-feature against an opponent to be determined on the Dec. 5 undercard of Paul Williams' junior middleweight matchup in Atlantic City, his promoter, Dan Goossen, confirmed on Monday.

Arreola (27-1, 24 knockouts) was the loser by 10th-round knockout to WBA champion Vitali Klitschko (38-2, 37 KOs) when his trainer, Henry Ramirez, stopped the bout due to the punishment his fighter had taken during their Sept. 26 matchup.

"Quite frankly, Cris wants to get back sooner rather than later," said Goossen, who also promotes Williams (37-1, 27 KOs).

"I'd much rather have a fighter like Arreola that has sustained his first loss and says, 'Send me right back in, I've got to correct this,' " said Goossen, "rather than one that wants to sit back and cry about the loss. He wants to get back out there, which is much better than wanting to sit back and dwell on it."

The Ring's Michael Rosenthal reported that 40-year-old former world champion Oleg Maskaev (36-6, 27 KOs), 36-year-old former contender David Tua (50-3-1, 43) and 38-year-old Ray Austin (27-4-4, 17) are all considerations for Arreola.

Austin is slated to face DaVarryl Williamson (26-5, 22 KOs) this Saturday, and Maskaev is scheduled to meet Nagy Aguilera (14-0, nine) on Dec. 11.

A two-time welterweight and one-time junior middleweight champion, Williams was forced to find another rival when his original opponent, WBO and WBC middleweight titlist Kelly Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs), canceled their bout due to a staph infection on the knuckle of his left forefinger that has plagued him for months.

Williams' manager, George Peterson, told FanHouse that Williams will likely choose to face Sergio Martinez (44-1, 24 KOs) over WBO champion Sergiy Dzinziruk (36-0, 22 KOs) in the main event.

"Certainly Martinez is one of the guys on the list," said Goossen. "The other is Dzinziruk."

Goossen said that he is also considering a path for super middleweight Edison Miranda, who dominated Thursday night's 168-pound matchup with a first-round knockout over Francisco Sierra.

Miranda's stoppage, at 2:16 of the round, was his 29th knockout, raising his mark to 33-4 as he rebounded from May's unanimous decision loss to former Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward.

"We're going to be putting Edison somewhere," said Goossen, whose brother, Joe, was training Miranda for the first time against Sierra.

"We'll be getting together [Monday] to discuss Miranda," said Goossen, "along with some of the other fighters on the different shows that we've got coming up."

Cris Arreola Returns to Ring on Dec. 5 originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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