Bad Left Hook: FanPosts

Most irritating decision....

2009-11-04T19:45:05Z

My fellow Badlefthookers, I feel it necessary to bring to your attention a conversation I had yesterday. Not for any momentous reason, in fact not for any good reason other than the fact you all like to talk boxing, and so do I.

The conversation I was having, with a good friend of mine, was about the boxing decision that rankles with us the most, even given a certain amount of time. We covered refereeing decisions, judging decisions, trainer's decisions, even fighters' decisions in certain circumstances, both in and out of the ring. An example of an "in the ring decision" would be Victor Ortiz's decision quit when the going got tough, an "out of the ring decision" would be Joe Calzaghe shamelessly and flagrantly ducking Glen Johnson, Ike Ibeabuchi's decision to go and kidnap someone, or even James Kirkland's decision to stick a gun in his glovebox.

In order to distinguish between them, I suppose it might be best to put them into those categories, and pick one (or more, since this is a discussion, not a dictatorship!!) from each list, with maybe THE most annoying one highlighted too.

I'll start (after the jump!!);

*Refereeing decision;* I have to mention Cortez in Hatton/Mayweather; made the decision that this was going to be a non-contact sport. This was annoying in the extreme. My #1, however, and I know Jrok will have my ass for this, but this is my genuine opinion; Richard Steele deciding to stop Meldrick Taylor with 4 seconds left in the fight (vs Julio Cesar Chavez) when he was on his feet, had beaten the count and there was no way he was taking any more punishment was a really annoying decision. The face and shape of boxing could have been irrevocably changed, and a man who could and should have been able to call himself World Champion fought on longer than he otherwise would have done in order to try to attone for his self-perceived 'failure'.

*Judging decision;* I know it was close, I know there have been bigger travesties, I know that the fight could have gone the other way. I KNOW. But Marvellous Marvin Hagler beat Sugar Ray Leonard, in my eyes. I've watched that fight about 40 times, and never have I once scored it for Leonard. When discussing the most annoying decisions ever made, I think the ones that had most effect on the boxing landscape for the foreseeable future after the fight are right up there for me, and things would have been completely different had we seen the decision go to Hagler. We wouldn't have seen the retirement of Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard would not be regarded as highly as he is, in all likelihood, and who knows how the middleweights would have panned out had it been the destructive, nasty, ferocious bastard Hagler, rather than Leonard, who sat at the top of the tree.

*Trainer's decision;* Eddie Futch deciding to pull Smokin Joe out against Ali. When considered alongside the fact that Ali had told Dundee to "cut em off", and Joe didn't speak to Futch for years after he made that call, I find it a travesty for Ali to still be given the rave reviews he gets. Ali quit. Frazier didn't. Futch was calling the ref over just as Ali's gloves were being cut. Had Futch waited 30 seconds more, it may well have been Frazier's name we were all brought up on, rather than Ali's. And if they had come out for the 15th (impossible, as Ali would have quit by then), the picture of a snarling, vicious Joe Frazier coming at him would have been too much for Ali, I believe. The face of boxing is changed by one man's decision to pull his fighter out, against his wishes. That rankles with me. In fact, it just plain pisses me off.

*Fighter's decision (in the ring);* Martin Rogan's recent decision to stop and wait for the ref to stop Sam Sexton must get a mention here. In all seriousness, what the hell was he thinking? It's not my number #1 though, as Clinton Woods really pissed me off by deciding not to even bother trying to punch Antonio Tarver in their fight. I mean, who wouldn't want to punch Antonio Tarver? The Clinton Woods gameplan;
Step 1. Follow opponent round ring with hands down, as he backs up and jabs.
Step 2. When within range of opponent, raise hands to guard face. Do not, under any circumstance, throw a punch at opponent.
Step 3. Wait until opponent has unloaded a few shots, mainly onto your gloves, and has moved away, out of range.
Step 4. Repeat. Again and again, until people who are watching are screaming at the TV, and wanting to smash you in the face themselves.

*Fighter's decision (out of the ring);* Roy Jones Jr's mission to be this generation's C.B. Fry, and also to move up to heavy and down again so fast to fight Tarver is right up there. However, This is eclipsed by Lennox Lewis' decision not to train for the Rahman fight, and also by Joe Calzaghe's decision to wait until Jones and Hopkins, who would have both smashed him into oblivion 5/10 years earlier, were close to picking up their pensions before fighting either of them. Coward. All of thesepale into significance, however, when considered alongside Mr Kirkland's decision to carry a gun in his glove compartment, knowing full well that being caught would result in bad times for him, and immeasurabvle consequences for us, as boxing fans, and possibly on the sport itself. Kirkland could have been the REAL next Big Thing, and he potentially ruined it, for what?

I get the feeling I've missed a few really obvious ones, and even forgotten some that we discussed last night. I'm hoping some people on here will help put this right!! :)

Off-Topic: Music

2009-11-04T12:42:35Z

With our community and the boxing fanbase being so diverse, I was kind of interested to see what music everyone listens to. Every now and again before a fight card goes live we get into small music discussions in one of the threads, but I wanted to really open it up and see if the tastes skew one way or another, or if we're pretty eclectic as I sort of assume will be the case.

What are you listening to lately?

What are some of your favorite artists?

Hey, I'll start!

Lately: Fly Gypsy, D.Black, CunninLynguists, discovering a profound and too-long undiscovered love of The Black Keys and Dan Auerbach (I had listened to the Keys before, but they really hit me right about a month ago), Sarah Blasko, Aceyalone's latest

All-Time Favorites: (OK, deep breath, and... GO!)

Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, Lynyrd Skynyrd (original lineup only), My Morning Jacket, George Jones, Dean Martin, Sam Cooke, Van Morrison, Otis Redding, Nas, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Wu-Tang Clan, Metallica, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Tom Petty, Beastie Boys, Hank Williams, Whiskeytown, pre-Hollywood Ice Cube, Public Enemy, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Rancid, Social Distortion, Smokey Robinson, M. Ward, Kanye West, Tom Waits, The Bronx, Bob Wills, Jerry Lee Lewis, Lemonheads, The White Stripes, Nico, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Old 97's (before Rhett Miller became a doe-eyed doofus), Nat "King" Cole, Mastodon, Kings of Leon, Oasis, Jimi Hendrix, Eric B & Rakim, The Libertines (and I liked Dirty Pretty Things too, but Doherty's crap can fuck off), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club...

...I think I can leave it there.

Which Boxer Would You...: A 10-Question Survey For Kicks

2009-11-03T19:23:33Z

Somebody sent quite a fun little game to the mailbag at the Ring Magazine this week and I thought I would post it here to see what people's responses were. The format is very simple. From the field of current boxers who would you most like to:

1. Have a discussion with about the current economic crisis?
2. Punch in the face?
3. Give a hug to?
4. Have a boxing lesson from?
5. Match them up with any other boxer of your choice?
6. Advise to stop boxing?
7. Invite to a dinner party?
8. Work out with?
9. Get drunk with?
10. Work their corner?

(Editor's Note: I used that photo, because when else could I ever use that photo?)

Freddie Roach puts Edwin Valero at number 4, could be number 1 in 2010

2009-10-31T00:25:35Z

Freddie Roach was quoted as saying that he ranks Manny Pacquiao at the number one pound for pound fighter in the world. That came as no surprise after the assault that Manny Pacquiao put on the boxing world the last two years. The surprise was that Roach put Valero at number four.http://www.examiner.com/x-8557-Norfolk-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m10d30-Freddie-Roach-puts-Edwin-Valero-at-number-4-could-be-number-1-in-2010

R.A. The Rugged Man gets to tell Floyd what a lot of boxing fans wish they could

2009-10-30T23:45:59Z

RA's blog post explaining what happened: http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=61084

Audio: http://www.zshare.net/audio/676796581a1c2a9e/

Basically RA who's a huge boxing fan was on Shade 45 and the interview turned to boxing. He expressed his disappointment in the direction of Floyd's career since the Corrales fight. Floyd heard the interview and called in. The audio is about 21 minutes but it's well worth listening to the whole conversation. Every excuse that Floyd throws out there R.A. shuts down. He might be an ok rapper but his combination of boxing knowledge and quick wit make this a classic! Especially when they start talking about what will happen to Floyd's legacy if he doesn't start fighting the best.

Is the Super Six one bad decision away from becoming a mega mess?

2009-10-29T23:44:19Z

Carl Froch survived his super six bout, but not without controversy. Was he the beneficiary of homecooking or was it more of a case of the amateur running and grabbing of Andre Dirrell? Either way you had it, and I had Froch slightly ahead, the bout does not bode well for the rest of the super six tournament. Showtime has invested a lot of time and effort

Is the super six one bad decision away from becoming a mega mess?

Johnny Knoxville, Idiot

2009-10-27T20:53:08Z

Image via www.jackassworld.com

Much is made here on BLH and elsewhere about the dangers of a combat sport like boxing. Magnify those dangers to the exponent of your choice for people who take boxing lightly. Like, for example, Johnny Knoxville, the original Jackass. Here Knoxville takes it upon himself to show Butterbean a thing or two about the sweet science. In a department store. It's a wonder this guy is still alive.

Gary Shaw interview: I had Dirrell by one ... he should have fought differently .. don't want to say robbery

2009-10-26T17:59:25Z

In an interview with BBC Gary said :

we kept telling him [Dirrell] to box, but after watching him in rounds 10, 11 and 12, trading with Froch, maybe we should have traded from round one.”

Gary Shaw, Dirrell's promoter, spoke with Boxing Talk and gave his thoughts on the fight with Carl Froch:

GL: Obviously, things didn't go the way you were expecting in Andre Dirrell's WBC super middleweight title challenge against Carl Froch. Can you give us some thoughts on his performance, and also on the results?

Gary Shaw: I thought Dirrell did well for his first time on the big stage. He showed he could fight 12 rounds, and he showed he could really fight during the championship rounds. I felt we won the fight by a round. I don't think the point deduction was warranted, but it was a dirty fight on Froch's part, with a lot of hitting behind the head, continuously, even throwing him down in the fifth round. Judges need to score, in my book, not on style, but on effective blows. If you watch the fight, Dirrell landed more blows than Froch did."

GL: You had Dirrell up by one, but do you think Froch getting a decision in his hometown is robbery, or is him getting the benefit of the doubt something you expected? How do you summarize the decision?

Gary Shaw: I don't want to say it's a robbery, I just think that sometimes the crowd can get to a judge. When there's 3000 people rooting for Froch, and there are twelve people rooting for Dirrell in the arena, as an example, one of the judges gave the eleventh round to Froch. That's almost an impossibility. I would hope that the WBC would review the judges scorecards, and watch the tapes, as well as all of you writers, and the fans. I got tons of e-mail, more than a hundred of them, all saying they believe Dirrell was robbed. The British fans were quiet, so that tells you how they thought the fight went.

http://www.boxingtalk.com/pag/article.php?aid=18499

Gary also gives his thoughts on Chad Dawson's future.

I fell in love with boxing...all over again

2009-10-24T06:18:44Z

On Sept 26th, I was reminded why Boxing is the best sport to a fan.

It was the night Vatali Klitschko vs. Chris Arreola would meet at Staples Center to fight for the Heavyweight Championship of the world.

The night was set up for history. Chris was attempting to be the first Heavyweight fighter of Mexican descent, to win a Heavyweight title. And it was also the night I fell in love with boxing all over again.

As I sat in my seat, I noticed 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward. As I greeted him, I wished him well in this fall’s Super Six tournament on Showtime. It's the Supper Middleweight version of a round robin tournament. I then spoke with Edison Miranda, the Colombian fighter who will be fighting this October. If he wins, he will be the number one mandatory for the winner of the rematch between, Lucian Abute vs. Librado Andrade.

A few minutes after that, the crowd goes into frenzy…it was Mickey Rourke. With the reaction of the crowd, its seems that the man has created a cult following after resurrecting his career…his main followers seem to be…very hot, fake breasted women. As the crowd mobbed him for pictures and he walked my way I thought, what the heck, lets take a pic...your fucken Mickey Rourke, he laughed and obliged.

The first fight was over, a back and fourth bout, but pretty much a snoozer. I decided to go up for drinks. As I walked up, I noticed a face... it was Bobby Chicano. Bobby was born in Sylmar, Ca. He retired with 59 wins, 7 losses and 1 no contest, with 47 wins coming by knockout. Even though I never saw him fight, I was told stories about him by my father. As I greeted the legend for the first time,I realized that after so many fights, he is left with slurring speech. Bobby was quick to remind me where to place a body shot, as we posed for a picture.

I returned to my seat with drink in hand, just in time for the next fight. It was a bout I was curious to see. The fighter was Salvador Sanchez, the nephew of deceased legend, Salvador Sanchez (I know, how ironic). As the fighter walked out of the tunnel to enter the ring, I noticed my good friend, Ruben. I met Ruben when I was younger at a local gym (Brother's Gym, R.I.P Jim Moriarty) where he was a trainer. His fighter won by TKO.

A few moments later, Hollywood had arrived. Arnold Schartzenegger and Sylvester Stallone made their way into the arena before the main event. As they passed by me I shook hands with them. I was utter shock...did i really just shake hands with the Terminator and Rambo.

The moment did not last too long. Ruben made his way back into the arena to watch the pre-fight to the main event. I congratulated him and his fighter on their victory. The pre-fight was over after eight entertaining rounds.

Finally…The stage was set for the main event. I called everyone that I knew who would be watching the fight on TV. To watch the fighters walking in closely...because I was going to find a way to get my fifteen minutes of fame. “I was going to acknowledge everyone by waving peace sign.”

After sneaking by security and leaving my girlfriend in what was becoming a mad house from anticipation for the main event, I was there. I was along the rail...the fighters were to come out in a few moments.

While waiting for the fighters to make their entrances, I noticed James Toney. James is a future Hall of Famer in boxing. He has fought legends Roy Jones and Evander Holyfield. James lives and trains in the LA area and I’ve seen him at my local gym. As I spoke with him, I asked if he was still training at the 360 Gym in Reseda, Ca. He said yes, and told me to come by anytime around 4pm. I'm considering showing up, with my gear, but with no intention to pick a fight. Maybe light sparring and to get lessons from a skilled veteran.

I then noticed Jeremy Piven. He like everyone else was rushing to his seat. Before he could get past the crowd. I had only one thing in mind to shout out to him….”Fuck Johnny Drama” without missing a beat. He looked over and gave me the famous Ari smirk.

As the music drowned the arena, the crowd stood to a roar…its fight time. The fighters are making their way into the ring. Chris is the first fighter to come out. As he walked by, I patted him on the shoulder and then I stretched across the rail and threw up my peace sign into the camera… I did it. I was like a five-year-old kid, who was seemingly dying to get picked to get on a ride at Disneyland. I’ve gotten my first fifteen minutes of fame.

After Vitali made his way into the ring, the fighters were announced and the fight was on.

After ten rounds the fight has halted by Chris’ trainer. His young charge was taking a beating by the masterful performance Vitali had laid out that night.

I had picked Chris to win by KO because he was ten years younger and has great knockout power. Vitali reminded everyone that if you stick to your craft year in and year out, You will always be ready for what ever comes your way.

Before I arrived at the arena, I never anticipated everything I would experience that night. I have been to many events and met many athletes. But no other sport or athlete have shown me the love that boxing has.

Sincerely,

Frank Gomez

Email: Cassiusklay@gmail.com

Dan the Shill

2009-10-19T16:09:05Z

As some of you know, Dan Rafael gave the Dirrell-Froch fight to Froch for his "physical" and "relentless" style. He even mentioned in the recap that Dirrell was the one trying to wrestle:

He ran, he cried to the referee about just about everything and he held. And grabbed. And wrestled.

What the hell? Seriously? What's with the subjectivity? Why doesn't Dan mention the cheap shots and tricks that Froch did?

I always thought Dan was pretty good at judging matches (much better than Kieran), so I couldn't figure out why he saw Froch as the winner of more rounds. I checked on the comments for his recap, and in all of the pro-Dirrell posts, I found the answer I was looking for. Dan is just a shill for Showtime! It did not matter who won to him, he just has to justify the victor. I think this explains a lot, and why when Dan is questioned about his decision, he can only respond with childish responses ("You go rewatch it" "If, if, if... Whatever." "I didn't care who won"). Actually, that third response backs up the shill theory.

Here's the comment that showed me the light, from user akfak_retlaw:

I really wish this was on HBO and they had CompUBox. You shouldn't judge a fight just on the punch stats, but if this fight had it you would easily see how full of $hhitt Dan is. He is clearly just being the mouth piece for the tournament and lost any kind of objectivity. Showtime put him in their little build up program and he's not going to say anything negative about the tournament. This was a garbage hometown decision and Dan's analysis of the fight is so off base that there can be no other explanation other than him wanting the tournament to look good. What a joke!

The Super Six... 2

2009-10-19T00:46:17Z

The Super Six appears on its way to becoming a tremendous success. Clearly a lot yet could happen to derail the entire thing, but questionable scoring aside, the first night was as big of a success as can be. The fights were intense if not action pack and the atmosphere was fantastic. 168 will benefit tremendously from this. However, I would like to be the only person on the boxing planet to not be talking about The Super Six. I want to be that fool looking ahead to potential reincarnations before the first one even finishes succeeding.

If this experience produces success, it is one that must be repeated. With all the divisions in boxing, aren't there any others who can do this? I want to examine the other divisions and see where history that hasn't even happened yet could potentially be repeated. Let us begin.

105 - No chance. There is more talent here than there often is, but there isn't a single really well established name and no one outside very select pockets of fans have ever had any passion for this division.

108 - A logical reaction would seem here to be to dismiss 108 for the same grounds as 105, but let's look a little closer. There is talent here, serious talent. In fact, I'd contend this is one of the better divisions in all of the sport. The only problem here is that the talent doesn't seem to fight amongst itself at all. Ivan Calderon, Edgar Sosa, Brian Viloria, Ulises Solis, Giovanni Segura, and someone moving up or down (I vote Naito) would make a fascinating, and fun series of Shobox fights.

112 - Naito/Wonjongkam IV is all this division really has to offer, so no.

115 - Darchynian/Donaire II? Sonsona? Toss in Z Gorres (who has a draw with Vic) and you have some potential, but this division isn't really six deep at the top level. Who else is there? Czares? Munoz? I feel like we'd have to watch Arce be wrecked three times just to round this out.

118 - Hasegawa, Agbeko, Montiel, and Mares. Bring me Vic back up and bring Donaire with him and YES! Look at all the places we could have such great matchups. This would be amazing. Hasegawa takes it, by the way.

122 - JuanMa and Caballero would be great if it could ever happen, but I can't help but worry that we'd just see Vasquez and Marquez hurt. Furthermore, who do we round this out with? Mtagwa for the underdog story? Poonsawat? I'd rather move JuanMa and Caballero up for one at 126.

126 - As I was saying, move JuanMa and Caballero up. Combine them with Chris John, Gamboa, Luevano, and good old Rocky Juarez for some more name value and let the sparks fly. John/Luevano aside, there probably isn't a bad fight in the bunch. 126 could use the emergence of the star it has become accustom to having as well. If Guerrero could come back down to take Juarez's spot, even better.

130 - Eh... There are some interesting fights here I guess, but 130 just doesn't bring the intrigue of other divisions.

135 - The lightweights right now are in a weird state. Marquez, Katsidis, Diaz, Demarco, Guzman, and Valero would be fun, but too many of them have already fought and who knows whether or not Guzman or Valero would even show. Too much repetition, too many potential problems. Wouldn't it be great to at least see Valero finally tested though?

140 - Pacquiao is too big for something like this. However, even without him, this is a fascinating division for the reincarnation of The Super Six and is one of the most likely for it to happen in. Bradley, Khan, Alexander, and Maidana are musts in my opinion. The other two slots could be filled in any number of ways. One last shot for Hatton? Marquez moving (or staying) up to chase Pacquiao? Urango? Holt? Nate Campbell? I like 140 a lot.

147 - Of course Mayweather, Pacquiao, Mosley, Cotto, Clottey, and whoever you want to fill it with is a boxing fan's wet dream, but there isn't enough money in the world to put this one together. Moving on.

154 - This is a division Showtime has invested some in and it would be fairly interesting (Martinez, Angulo, Kirkland, Cintron, Lattimore, and Spinks barring Paul Williams anyone?), but it just lacks the excitment I feel for some of the other divisions. Plus, what are the odds Sergio Martinez doesn't just sweep this if there is reasonable judging and no Paul Williams?

160 - Pavlik, Williams, Sturm, and... There just isn't enough depth. Mundine? Danny Jacobs? Winky? It would be interesting, sure, but there are more exciting options.

168 - No repeat.

175 - If you could put together Dawson, Hopkins, Calzaghe, Jones, Johnson, and... anyone as long as it isn't Tarver, I'm in. None of them except Johnson would take that on though. Still, Johnson, Pascal, Cloud, and... Okay. There isn't enough at 175, Moving on.

200 - Just get me Adamek/Cunningham II. I don't care about much else here.

201+ - There is fun to be had here. Take out the title Klitschkos and we could have a blast trying to sort out the rest. Imagine some combination of Haye, Arreola, Chambers, Povektin, Johnson, Solis, and Tua. That is seven, but who do you want to cut? I pick to drop Solis, but maybe it should be Tua. Either way, we'd get to find out who the best Heavyweight not from Ukraine for certain and I think we'd actually see some exciting fights.

If I had to pick, I'd do another one at 118, 140, or Heavyweight minus the Klits. I know this is way ahead of the game, but I couldn't help myself.

Moving Boxing Into The 21st Century

2009-10-17T02:49:23Z

The main reason why I'm so excited about the Super Six World Boxing Classic is that for the first time in a long time, I feel like we have something new, something different, something modern. While I love the fights we have seen in the last few years there is only so many times we can buy a fight with these guys that aren't in their prime anymore. The Super Six is giving us new faces like Froch, Kessler, Dirrell, Abraham, and Ward (which is why I wished Bute was in and not Taylor) and Showtime is really trying to make stars out of them. Its international as well, and for the first time since Calzaghe crossed the pond that European fighters are being presented as true equals.

So I decided to try and think of some ways Boxing can move back into the upper echelon of American sports again, where a fight is a true spectacle. Here is what I came up with:

1. Come East!

I understand why all the big fights are in Las Vegas - the betting. Its big money, big entertainment, and big personalities. But old school boxing, when boxing was king, was fought east in old fight towns like Philadelphia. There are huge markets on the East Coast. I think boxing is too Las Vegas-centric, and I think it prevents more people from being able to experience big fights. The way boxing works is that a fight is either in Vegas, some European city of a European champion, or some small town that is a hometown for a fighter like Pavlik fighting Rubio in Youngstown. Lets get some fights in Yankee Stadium, in Boston, in Philly, in old school towns with fight fans that can't afford to fly to Vegas or afford HBO and Showtime.

2. Get on network TV

I know this is in the work, but another problem with boxing is how expensive it is to actually watch. The UFC has shown how you can do fights on television with both live cards and recap shows and still maintain strong pay per view revenue. Lets face it, its expensive to be a boxing fan, to afford HBO in general and the pay per views in particular. One thing the UFC has done with their free numbered shows is to always try and get one star to anchor the show while using it as a way to showcase young fighters. Their last few free shows have Randy Couture, Diego Sanchez, Mirko Cro Cop, and Rampage Jackson. You anchor free shows with one guy. It was good news to hear that Bernard Hopkins's tune-up fight for Roy Jones would be shown on Versus. In the summer months, when there is nothing on television sports-wise but golf and basball, having some good fights live on one of the networks could do great business if they could figure out a way to make the money work.

3. DVD Sales!

The most frustrating thing right now for me trying to catch up on fights is searching the internet. Here, boxing could follow the lead of the WWE who have put out some of the best DVDs in all of sports for both pay per view shows, box sets of past shows, and documentaries of wrestlers careers and various topics. The only way I can find old fights is on the internet or Puerto Rican bootlegs a buddy of mine has of Tito Trinidad fights. If they could put out biographical documentaries with fights on it on a 3 disc set, it would sell like gang busters and learn the young fight fans of today about some of the great fights and fighters of the past. I wish Showtime and HBO would sell their shows on their website, undercard and all and with the 24/7 on it if it had it. Its like you either tape a show when its on, DVR it, or watch it live and thats it. Can you imagine a 3 disc biography and fights with Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Marvin Hagler, or even someone compelling like Julio Cesar Chavez. There is a disconnect in boxing, a perception that the madness of the heavyweight division in the post-Larry Holmes era is what boxing is about. Making available all the history of boxing, of its great fighters, and great fights to connect the old school to the new school.

Perhaps all three of these will never happen because they haven't happened yet. But still, it would be nice to be able to see free great fights, see fights in my area, and buy DVDs of events, history, and fighters of all eras.

Mike Tyson on Oprah

2009-10-13T03:10:16Z

He went on Oprah earlier today and was talking about his life and the things he's been through. I was wondering if anyone else had watched this. It was a very telling interview about who Mike Tyson the person truly is. He retells some things about his childhood and how he used to get picked on. It was very sad to hear him talk about some of the things he went through. He also talked about the death of his daughter, his marriage with Robin Givens, and the Holyfield incident. You can actually watch it by going to her website.

http://www.oprah.com/dated/oprahshow/oprahshow-20090912-mike-tyson

Sorry this isn't a professional FanPost, just figured I'd talk about it in brief.

Upset of the Year: Jorge Linares shocked in a minute

2009-10-10T15:19:44Z

FanPost promoted by SC

This is one of the bigger shockers in recent memory. Surefire future star and new Golden Boy signee Jorge Linares was destroyed in slightly over a minute last night in his adopted home of Japan by unheralded, but undefeated Juan Carlos Salgado of Mexico. Salgado now holds the WBA slice of the championship at 130.

Golden Boy must be kicking themselves now. Why couldn't they have just waited until after his fight? That question is a bit rhetorical because the answer is obvious. Salgado posed no threat to Linares, right? Linares had been tested and passed beyond all expectations. All Golden Boy had to do was get him active, healthy, and on US television. A cash cow and future P4P elite was the only outcome forseeable by most.

Yet, here we are. Salgado, a fighter who had not been tested and regardless of what happened in the fight did not deserve based on resume to get a title shot, throws a couple shots and the future is rewritten. This has to go down as even a more shocking upset than Khan/Prescott. Linares had succeeded way above the level that Amir Khan had been getting hurt at and Salgado was just as unknown as Prescott. In fact, I had even seen Prescott fight once before the Khan fight. These YouTube clips of this fight are all I have seen from Salgado.

Salgado could be legit (though I doubt it), but whether or not he is, this is a huge, huge boost for Mexican boxing. Finally, a young true contender has emerged for our amigos south of the border to rally behind. I can't think of a single win by any Mexican fighter under 30 to top this one.

Where does Linares go from here? I imagine he goes right back to what he was doing before after a soft touch. We've seen his talent and ability. First round KOs may be impressive, but they are also at times prone to flukish circumstances. I have little doubt that we will see Linares back with a belt fairly soon. He came out and was caught cold. He has had little history (I vaguely remember him being hurt only once before) of a bad chin and certainly has the talent to hide it if he suddenly has found himself in possession of chinaware below his cheeks.

Note from SC: I have only ever seen Salgado (21-0, 15 KO) fight one time, when he wound up bumped onto the televised portion of the Pacquiao-Morales III card back in 2006. That's a lot of time to improve, but while he looked promising defeating Marcos Licona that night, you wouldn't have ever guessed he would one day beat a guy like Linares in 73 seconds. First round knockouts are fluky by nature, but this is a real stunner. Linares (27-1, 18 KO) honestly shouldn't be affected too much by this, though; with Golden Boy, he can come in and build his name in the States. He's still a virtual unknown in America and the one loss isn't going to kill his prospects.

Video after the jump.

How the Klitschko Brothers can become more Popular in America?

2009-10-10T00:03:27Z

via i.telegraph.co.uk

Vitali Klitschko had another impressive performance on September 26th, 2009. He easily beat Chris Arreola. He did not even lose a round. However, Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko are still somewhat unknown in America. The average American sports fan does not even know who the heavyweight champion is today. Nevertheless, they are utterly dominating the heavyweight division. They are by far the best fighters in the heavyweight division. They are very popular in Germany. They sell out 50,000 seat arenas in Germany. But, how can the Klitschko brothers become more popular in America?

The Klitschko Brothers could become more popular in America if they changed their fighting style. They fight cautiously in their boxing matches. The Klitschko's play it safe in their fights. They fight tall and they fight from a safe distance. Klitschko Brothers wear down their opponents until they knock them out. If they fight a more aggressive style similar to Mike Tyson they would attract more fans. It would draw more interest than the wins their getting by using good technical boxing skills. American fight fans like boxers that fight aggressive and exciting styles such as Mike Tyson, Arturo Gatti and Manny Pacquiao. Likewise, most boxing fans like knockout artists.

If they could persuade a big name fighter to fight them that could make them more popular. They can try to persuade Lennox Lewis to come of retirement. They could also try to get a big name smaller boxer to fight them such as Bernard Hopkins, Tomasz Adamek or Roy Jones. Fighting a well know fighter would create tons of attention even if the boxer was smaller. It would be challenging because the Klitschko's look very hard to beat right now. Yet, the Klitschko's defeating a big name fighter would help give them more recognition for their talent and ability.

The Klitschko Brothers fighting each other would be a huge fight. The chance of the fight happening are very unlikely because they said at one time they would never fight each other. "As we've said countless times, it's just not realistic. We promised our mother Natasha that the two of us would never fight," said Vitali Klitschko (boxing.fanhouse.com). They have been paying attention to the huge demand for the fight. "When we first began in boxing, our first goal was to win an Olympic gold medal. Wladimir did that. Then, it was to both win heavyweight titles," said Vitali Klitschko. "But we didn't anticipate that there would be such an outcry for us to fight each other" (boxing.fanhouse.com).

It has gotten to the point where Wladimir Klitschko has actually seriously considered fighting Vitali Klitschko. "We are going to talk to our mother again, because we know how much interest such a fight would create, and it would mean that one of us would be the Supreme Heavyweight Champion. Of course, she would not be happy, and if we did fight, I would be very worried about the health of my brother because it would be very bloody and very bad. We are very competitive, and it would be for real. There would be no fix. I am the better technical boxer, but he is the stronger of the two of us. It would be interesting." said Wladmir Klitschko (russiatoday.com).

This boxing match could lead to the first unified champ for the first time since Lennox Lewis retired. It would draw tons of attention from the media. It would help the winner gets tons of attention because then, they would be considered the best heavyweight in the world. It still possibility could happen.

Works Cited

2 Oct. 2009 http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/09/30/vitali-klitschko-vs-wladimir-klitschko-never-say-never/

2 Oct. 2009 http://russiatoday.com/Sport/2009-06-08/Klitschko_brothers_to_fight_each_other_.html

The IDEAL Super Six....

2009-10-09T13:07:41Z

Would you keep with the fighters that are there?

Or would you replace some?

Would there be room for Kelly Pavlik?

Would it be better or worse at a different weight?

My personal choices for the SMW Super Six would be;

Mikkel Kessler

Lucian Bute

Carl Froch

Librado Andrade

Arthur Abraham/Sakio Bika

And.... I'll throw this one in for the hell of it;

Bernard Hopkins (since he made 170 for his last fight, I think he could make 168, and he's a better choice than Pavlik, for obvious reasons.)

Amir Khan vs Dmitry Salita has been confirmed

2009-10-06T21:54:34Z

Amir Khan vs Dmitry Salita fight has been confirmed today .. fight will take place in Newcastle (UK) on Sat December 5th 2009 according to Amir Khan's Official Fan site ( http://www.amirsfans.co.uk/news/082/khan-to-face-salita-on-5th-december )

What do you think of this fight ? and who do you think will win .. what is your prediction ?

Salita is undefeated , I think this will be very good fight , I am looking forward to it !!

Rubin Williams Makes MMA Debut at DREAM.11

2009-10-04T14:46:56Z

Cross-posted from BloodyElbow.com.

On the heels of Saturday's video announcement that Kazushi Sakuraba would participate in Tuesday's DREAM.11, event producer Keiichi Sasahara introduced Saku's short-order opponent to the press today in Yokohama. Making his MMA debut against the 13-year veteran will be pro boxer Rubin "Mr. Hollywood" Williams, who holds a 29-8-1 record in his sport. In 2005, he faced Jeff Lacy for the IBF Super Middleweight belt; but his record since 2007 is 0-6-1.

Speaking to reporters, Williams revealed that he's been training in MMA for approximately a year after boxing for his entire life. He received the offer from DREAM about a week ago, while in Germany helping IBF Middleweight Champ Arthur Abraham train for his upcoming bout with Jermain Taylor.

However, Williams admits he doesn't know much about the "IQ Wrestler:"

I don't have much information about [Sakuraba], I just hear he's a legend in the game here. He's a very good fighter, well-respected individual, well-loved in the game... I had a guy that was working with me on some MMA moves back in Detroit... As far as the ground game, I've been getting pretty good at it over the last year. So I'll display what I've learned in the fight Tuesday.

And hey, if this doesn't pan out, Williams has a boxing match lined up for November 13th.

[Note by Brickhaus: While he's not the boxer who will have cross-over success in MMA, this shouldn't be too big of a surprise, and I suspect this kind of thing will become more common in the future. Guys need to make money, and if you're going to be paid to be the opponent who is there to lose, then you might as well expand your potential sources of income. Boxing fans know that Rubin Williams is completely shot, but to many MMA fans who don't dig deeper, he's a former title challenger who was on The Contender. Considering the physical condition WIlliams is in at the moment, with compromised vision and slow reflexes, I'd actually rather see him be a no-hoper against a wrestler, as he is in this fight, than a no-hoper against a boxer. At the very least, he has less of a chance of getting seriously injured that way.]

Roy Jones vs. Bernard Hopkins

2009-10-03T22:20:55Z

As a newer fight fan, I'm actually pretty excited about the announcement of this fight, mostly because I think it will be a classic in similar fashion to Leonard-Hearns II, where two past-their prime fighters bring out the past greatness of each other. But also think that these guys aren't that far past their primes, so it won't be embarrassing. Its also a clash of styles that should be appealing - the calculating, hard-hitting Hopkins against the agile, lightning quick Jones. Hopkins proved in the Kelly Pavlik fight that he can still hang with the best in the world. In his fight with Jeff Lacy, Jones showed again his incredible hand speed, and an ability to dictate every aspect of a fight. Now Pavlik was moving up in weight, but is still the reigning middleweight champion. Lacy was a two-time world champion with great skills and legit kayo power.

Some might deride this fight as two old guys battling for nothing, but I have a feeling knowing how proud these two fighters are, how legendary their careers are, that something special might be in store. Boxing has a way of fooling you, where for every over-hyped fight that lives up to nothing there is a battle that comes out of people you wouldn't expect.

Amir Khan

2009-10-02T01:17:10Z

Hey guys .. hope you are well.. this is my first post ... :)

How do you rate Amir Khan? He is very slick fighter and very fast hand speed! I am looking forward for his next fight!

His next fight might be in December, Freddie Roach trainer did very good job with him... Have you ever watched his fights? If not,you can check it out on youtube.

Khan won the WBA World Light Welterweight Championship title against Andreas Kotelnik !