NOT a day, week or month goes by when I’m not asked, “Howie, how is it that you are able to do such an outstanding job of covering the World of Boxing.” My answer is always the same “alacrity”. There are those that prefer “Smoke and Mirrors “. That is their decision. I choose “alacrity”. (And thank you Al Michaels for that.) Piece of cake. No hill for a climber. That aside in these dog days of boxing (it’s like spring training only different) there are hundreds of useless story’s floating around.. The tough part is to make the decision as to which story is of interest. This week was particularly difficult. Spring came to Las Vegas. There are only one few things better than Spring in Las Vegas. I combat the emergence of spring by visiting a Dollar Store. Any Dollar Store will do. There we purchase scrub brushes and various cleaners which will be placed in plain view throughout the house in hopes that any visitors will get the hint. Oh yes and three pair of sun glass’s. The glass’s ? What’s that all about ? My late pal Chris Corr believed that when it was time to go and meet our maker the person with the most sun glass’s wins. He also introduced me to the “dollar only sun glass’s”. “You never loose sun glass’s that cost a dollar.”
With the preceding excuse in place here we go with another edition Talkin Boxin. Oh yes while we’re at it, would someone out there please explain to me (That’s Howard H. Reed II or Houston Hartwell Reed II should you care to be really formal) , an American citizen why I should give a rat’s posterior what either France or Germany thinks ? Germany has never won a war (They’re 0-2 against the spread) and the only help the French could provide would be to teach the Iraqi’s how to surrender.
DON’T know who won the Saturday night TV Battle (HBO PPV or Showtime) but Vegas fans saw a heck of a card at the Mandalay Bay where the Flying Fishes may play but not boxing writers that are reading the DRF (Daily Racing Form in the press room). Just prior to the starting of the nights entertainment a Top Rank executive said, “We’ve sold more tickets for next weeks fight (Shane Mosley) .” “Let’s see”, says I, “It’s Chinese New year and there’s no Chinese on the card. Folks are going around saying Gung Hay Fat Choy and you’re promoting Se Habla” I got the Brook Trout look. That aside it was a good almost all Latin card with three world championship up for grabs.
My favorite win was that Carlos “Famous” Hernandez “W” , from El Salvador, winning the IBF jr. lightweight title in a abbreviated 8 round decision over David Santos. “8 rounds? Has Mr. Reed been into the Miller Genuine ?” You might think that but in round 8 Santos accepted a bad vertical cut over his eye via the unintentional butt route. Ring Doctor Margret Goodman, aka the Flying Redhead, told referee Tony Weeks to call a halt to the proceedings. Hernandez got the nod 77-74,75-73,77-74. I’ve been told that the president of El Salvador, Roberto Duran and Alexis Arguello were in the house. They weren’t hangin with me an J’Mo so it may be a rumor. I do know that up to five busloads of fans waving blue and white El Salvador flags were there from LA. If the fight had closed the telecast rather than starting it much more beer would have been sold. Did you know that El Salvador is the smallest country in the Western Hemisphere ? New IBF Champ Hernandez said it was so. So be it.
Four time world champion Manual Medina is one tough dude. He’s a journeyman in the finest sense of the word. He’s tough and gives everything he has. Saturday night he just didn’t have enough to stave off Juan Manuel Marquez who by winning deprived Medina of this fifth championship. Marquez won the IBF vacant featherweight title when he dumped Medina for the second time at 1:10 of the 7th round. Referee Robert Byrd had seen enough. It was a valiant effort worth $125,000 for Medina. Good for him.
Here’s the deal. It’s the senior prom. A freshman guy gets invited by someone. He dances with all the girls. He’s poised beyond his years. He glides while other guys stomp around. He’s the hit of the party. That lady’s and gentleman, boys and girls is what former Olympian Miguel Cotto (14-0) did to former WBC lightweight champ Cesar Bazan. Cotto opened the proceedings by dropping Bazan in the first and then pummeling him for 10 more rounds before it was stopped at 16 seconds of the 11th. Bazan is a good fighter abet a little over the hill. He’s a veteran with talent. Cotto’s left was a thing of beauty . Cotto was born to be in the ring.
MEANWHILE across the county (I really want to write “Meanwhile at the Oasis the Arabs were eating their dates” but I’d probably offend someone) at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville Ct. Showtime was showcasing some youngster that they are very high on. Both Rocky Juarez and Francisco Bojado got wins but neither had a stroll in the park. Juarez dropped Jason Pires in the 2nd but couldn’t close the deal until the 8th. Bojado was in a fight for his life for 9 rounds (or so it was written). In the 10th he floored Frankie Santos and when Santos got up was all over him like a cheap suit after a rain. The fight was stopped at 45 second of the 10th.
FIRST you say you will…and then you won’t. They you say you do and then you don’t.” Old geezer’s, like myself, will recognize the opening words from the 1950’s hit song Undecided. I hereby nominate it as the official song for the greatest Fighter on the Planet. The Imperial One, His Royal Highness Lennox Lewis. Like our goods friend in Washington the rules don’t apply to His Highness. King Lennox’s manager Adrian Ogun signed a contract with Universum Box-Promotion to defend his WBC title in April against Vitali Klitschko. HBO was on board and everything was moving forward. Whoops his Royalness now has decided that he has others things to do. No fight in April.
Promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl who would have promoted the fight was not a happy camper. “I regard this as a breach of contract,” Kohl said. “In coming days I will have several conversations with different people and I will check every possible legal step.” What is funny is the “what world are you in thought” that the WBC may strip Lewis of his title if he doesn’t make his mandatory defense against #1 ranked Klitschko. The WBC cut loose a cash cow ? Get cereal. Lewis has made statements that he might just wait for his Fall defense against Mike Tyson.
How about this for a scenario ? On February 22, on Showtime, let’s pretend that Mike Tyson (49-4)looks just terrific against Cliff Etienne (24-1-1). He meets each and every wild rhino rush with a plethora of punches that land with laser like precision . Tyson shows stamina and somehow finds his misplaced or lost ring skills. Then Lewis-Tyson meet this Fall. Tyson destroys Lewis. His Royalness just doesn’t learn. He jacks around and Hasim Rahman knocks him on his ass. “Those that don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Wonder if our good friends the French have ever heard that?
If you’re really starved for heavyweight action HBO will bring some action on March 8. Wladimir Klitschko 40-1) will fight Corrie Sanders (38-2) in Germany. In the press release Sanders is touted as the former WBU Champion. Talk about credentials. Sanders won out over Kirk Johnson and Fres Oquendo for the honor of going to Germany to get beat up and make a bunch of money. One out of two ain’t bad. Ever notice that all the German fighters came from somewhere else ? No Axel Shultz was not a fighter, don’t even thing of going there. Talk about beating a couple of stiffs. Wlasimir in a cakewalk. Nought said.” Stink-er-roo.”
GOT the following e-mail after last weeks column hit the airwaves. . “Howie, I’m still in shock over the fact that Vernons (forest) trainer Ronnie Shields told him to go out there and not let Mayorga back him up instead of telling him to fight his fight like he tried to do in the first rd where he was stopping Mayorga with some nice rt hands. He should of boxed him and used his reach and his height instead of fighting Mayorgas fight, played right into his hands. Shields should be shot for that, they were rankled by the fact that Mayorga didn’t show Forrest any respect and in effect went by their emotions instead of their brains . Very unprofessional.”
There’s more but taking a break. I could not agree more. I was very surprised that Forrest seemed to loose his focus. It’s as if Johnny Tapia would opt to sing “YMCA” rather than “MI Viva Loca.” For someone that was undefeated and a veteran is was worse than bad judgment, it was stupid.
Teddy Atlas, who I will quote later, said, “He (Forest) came in the ring singing and rapping. He seems to have spend more time at being a start than at fighting.”
William continues “Also what the hell were the judges for the Campbell vs. Casamayor fight doing during the bout ? They sure weren’t watching it . Holy Crap ! What scores. That’s why I closed my boxing club and stopped training fighters, got sick of getting screwed all the time by those blind jackasses. Boy, do I feel better now, THANKS !” As regular readers know I agree 100%. I made that clear last week. This communication came from someone with no ax to grind, no dog in the fight, no ego to be stroked. This came from a boxing man that actually knows something as oppose to any boxing columnist.
What is even worse than the decision, if that’s possible, is the total 100 % Bull Droppings coming out of the once great State of California Athletic Commission, gutless boxing website’s, Jim “I Use to Have Spine” Lamply and most boxing writers. I would normally give boxing writers a pass but in this
case most of them are arrogant fanny kissers. No one gets a pass on this because it’s bigger than just two blind jackass’s. Good guy judge Chuck Hassett’s 96-94 for Casamayor gets a pass.
LET’S start with writers. Want to give a big “AttaBoy” to Brett Newton from fightnews for doing 99% of the heavy lifting on this story. Heavy lifting in this case means he went out and tried to track the story down. He reported what was said. What is ridiculous is asking California Trainer Joe Goosen (Casamayor’s trainer) what he thinks of the California Commission. That makes as much sense as asking OJ what he thinks of the jury that acquitted him of killing his ex wife and some poor guy that just happened to be there. Think he’s going to say, “They suck !” Or how about asking former Secretary of State Madeline “Half Bright”, “what do you think of the Presidents Foreign Policy.” She got to say it’s bad to cover her ample fanny. It’s all “CYA”.. It’s also true that a Goosen fighter never, NEVER lost a fight to hear Joe tell it. Good for him but to asking Joe to be impartial is unrealistic not to mention stupid..
Dean Lohuis, is the Chief Inspector for the California Athletic State Commission. Reading his statements in regard to Casamayor-Campbel I will have to quote late friend Chris Corr one more time, “He is an empty suit.” His statements to Reporter Newton are “Plain and simple nonsense.” “I am the Chief Inspector. I am the one that assigns the officials and makes sure everybody is licensed and everything is right.” You make sure that everything is right ? What the hell does that mean? “Of all the people, other than those three (Merchant, Foreman, Lederman), the majority of ringside opinion and writers and people that I quizzed had the fight 7 to 3, or 6 to 4 for Casamayor.” Then Mr. Lohuis the people that you spoke with know even less than you do. But let us assume that your “impartial survey” is correct. Let’s say that the fight was 7-3 or 6-4, would you please explain 98-92 . And why would you ask the ringside “experts” to score by rounds when, as My Cousin Vinny says when discussing grits, “In every place in the known world points are used “? He didn’t really say that but it hard to work “grits” into the column.
” There’s no doubt that Campbell started strongly, but Casamayor finished and just dominated the later rounds. They are definitely in the minority. It’s very difficult, I know Harold does concentrate, but he also has to talk on TV. It’s always very difficult for somebody that’s doing other things rather than what our judges are doing, which are concentrating. Now Mr. Lohuis is accusing Mr. Lederman of not being able to do two things at one time. “He can’t walk and chew gum.” By quoting the gentleman I have shown that doing one thing is difficult for him. Well Mr. Inspector your judges were doing two things, neither of them associated with correctly scoring a fight.
Have a question for you sir, “If you are the one that appoint the officials and make sure everything is right, then how in the name of all that is holy can you appoint Marty Denkin, who is a member of the commission, to referee a world championship fight ? Now I am not one of those that though Marty didn’t do the job. He did a excellent job on the Forest fight. Foreman’s comment were out of line. Merchant’s to suggest that Denkin blew the first round knockdown is typical “mouth running brain no in gear”. That aside, when Mr,. Denkin took the job on the commission he told friends, “I will not be able to work bouts in my jurisdiction. ” And Mr. Lohuis don’t you dare say that technically as the fight was on the grounds of an Injun Casino, it was outside the jurisdiction of California. (Denkin has resigned form the Commission.. That’s an exclusive but any one my use the information.)
Mr, Lohuis is not only an expert on boxing but it appears that being thin skinned and being unable to defend the undefensible he has advice for those that correctly question his commission. “Without proof, keep assertions about California out of it. That’s irresponsible journalism.” Proof? Well like all sports doing a lousy job isn’t enough proof , or “POOF” as Clinton apologize Lanny Davis says. “If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck the odds are very good that it is a duck.” Anybody with a scintilla of knowledge of boxing knows that everyday judges are appointed to work major fights when they shouldn’t be allowed outside in public without white canes and or a good guide dog..
GOTTA Love old standup guy Jim Lampley. If anyone typifies the modern American Man, God forbid, it’s Lamps. Never say or do anything that might offend. The “Neutral Man”. Lampley issued a statement on the “affair de Injun Casino” .” he said, “For the record, I do not think Campbell was robbed, nor did I say so. In fact, when Larry and George made their comments, I mediated them by pointing out Casamayor and his people would be of the strong opinion they had won the fight and that they had good reasons to feel that way. I almost always think Harold’s scorecard has the right winner. Not necessarily this time. Casamayor eventually succeeded in making Campbell fight his fight, but NO ONE can question Harold’s integrity– he’s the guy who scored Molina over De La Hoya at a moment when Oscar was the absolute heart of our business interest. And Joe Goossen and I get along fine.” Nice of Lamps to point out when Harold was wrong.
MY pal, who I want to be like if I ever grow up, pointed out that Friday’s ESPN fights were terrible. That’s what he said. As he is no fan of Teddy Atlas (see last weeks column) he didn’t mention the best part of the fights. Teddy Atlas echoed some thoughts that some reporters have had but lacked the intestinal fortitude to mention. As my career, well it could be called that, doesn’t seem to be traveling on the bullet train I have no problem with reporting what was said. The Nevada Athletic Commission was recently reorganized as is done yearly. Mr. Tony Alamo Jr. was appointed vice chairman. “Tony Alamo has no business being the vice chairman.” His father, Tony Alamo Sr., is the big man at the Mandalay Bay a major player in boxing. He questioned how Alamo jr. would have voted on Mike Tyson (who was to fight at rival MGM) if the fight was scheduled at Mandalay Bay?
I covered the hearing. At the time I though that Mr. Alamo should have excused himself from the vote but not only did he vote but made the motion to deny Tyson a license. There was a matter prior to this vote that was more telling. The Mirage (MGM) had scheduled a major contest that involved fighters from around the world. It was a Martial Arts type event. Originally it was schedule to be held on a Saturday. They moved the event to a Friday as Mandalay Bay wanted to schedule a major boxing event for that day. Then Mandalay Bay wanted to add another boxing event on Friday in direct conflict with the Mirage. Alamo cast a vote for the conflicting event. He has no business being vice chairman and really no business being on a board that regulates a casino when his father is a BFD. Teddy Atlas was wrong when he said that the Vice Chairman appointed officials. They are appointed by the Executive Director with the assistance of the commission. Sure it’s like eating at a Chinese Restaurant .”One from column A, one from B and one from C. We need to be fair.” Too bad that good isn’t enough..
PAY backs are a bitch. (Little play on words but please read on.) poor old Sharmba “The Little Shite” Mitchell took great delight in calling Kostya Tzysu a “bum.” Well after his KO of outgunned Carlos Vilches he found himself on the way to the Gray Bar Inn. He spent the weekend in jail on a domestic charge stemming from a warrant issued in Washington D.C. If one report is to be believe than Mitchell was given up by his handlers who made a deal with police. Shambrea could fight and then take trip to the “Whoose Gow.” Of yes they forgot to tell Mitchell.
Another jerk that got what was coming his way is Zab Judah. The little jerk wanted to break his contract with Main Events and jump ship to Don King. In a Lee Corso moment a New Jersey Superior Court Judge said, “Not so fast my friend.”. Patrick English was the attorney for Main Events. If the name sounds somewhat familiar he’s usually on the other end of the case when Don Kings whips up on some promoter. This time he gets a “W”. “No promoter can maintain credibility of fighters are allowed to breach their contracts”. That’s very true but that assumes that “promoters” have some credibility to start with which is a dicey stand to take. BUT if the ruling stands if will be a positive step. A small one but a step none the less.
Another piece of good news out of the courts is that after almost two months in jail Tony Ayala Jr. has been set free after his 10 year probation had been revoke. Ayala Jr. was accused of having sexual relations with a 14 year old girl. Last week the girl came forward and admitted in court that she lied. Tony is free but the damage to his reputation is done. AND finally. How about them Tampa Bay guts? That’s 30 for this edition.
(Opinions and editorials of HotBoxingNews.com is the opinion of those writers and may not be the opinion of HotBoxingNews.com)