THERE are perks that come with covering or competing in sport that come only to those that do. It probably takes a singer to fully enjoy Frank singing “One for My Baby” from his Wee Hours of the Morning album.
Having the opportunity to watch some of the sporting artists at work, I put Marco Antonio Berrera right there at the top. He’s Jerry Bailey on a horse. He’s Gordie Howe going into the corner with elbows failing and coming out with the puck.. He’s Willy Mays cashing down a fly hit directly over his head in center. He’s Roberto Clemente making the throw from the right field foul line to third. He’s Dale Ernheart giving a little nudge to the car in front. He’s Donnie Gay riding a bull. He’s John Lowe playing a game of darts. He’s every great running back you’ve ever seen. He’s Al Michaels saying, “Do You Believe in Miracles .” In short, to borrow a phrase from our friends across the pond, “He’s a one off.” One of a Kind. The Original. The very best.
That’s why is was such a pleasure to watch “The Maestro” at work on Saturday night at the MGM City of Entertainment. (The shameless plug for the MGM now out of the way we can now continue.) It was a joy even if it is against a worn out Kevin Kelly. The fight itself wasn’t much except for Barrera. He’s so good that even when announced he’s called a world champion even though he holds no titles. Like a gentleman from South of the Border in the movie pitchers that said, “I don’t got to show you no stinking badges”, the articulate Barerra has said, “I don’t got to pay you no stinking sanctioning fee”. He hasn’t and won’t. There’s no one out there for him to fight so to make a living he gives Kevin Kelly a pay day. For the record Barerra won with a 4th round TKO at 1:32. The fight was never in doubt.
AS PPV event many probably will never see what happened but they’ll maybe get another chance against either Derrick Gainer or Juan Marquez. Writing of Gainer he got a decision over Oscar Leon of Columbia to retain whatever title he has. A momentary time out here. It is supposed that someone covering boxing is provided with the basic tools to do the job. Not for a promotion of Forum Boxing. Here in Las Vegas Forum Boxing is represented by John Jackson (promoter) who is also the backfield coach at UNLV. If he coaches the way he runs a promotion it’s no wonder that the Rebels suck. The bout sheet (the Bible for each fight card which list names, record and other appropriate information) was barren as the skyline of Afghanistan No weights of fighters, no hometowns, no titles held. Both Gainers and Cruz Carbajal were world champions but the bout sheet didn’t know it. In addition most “creditable” promotions provide copy’s of the judges scoring sheets after each fight. Not the Forum. They give Bush league a bad name.
Now back to Derrick Gainer-Oscar Leon. Gainer won a majority decision ( 117-110, 114-112 , 112-114) that didn’t seem to please the majority of the 5,000 plus Latins and a couple of gringo’s that watched the evenings festivities. Carol Castilliano had it 114-112 for Leon. Duane Ford had it 114-112 for Gainer. Silvestre Abainza had is 117-110. I kinda go with the Ford score. Gainer had 2 knockdowns and that’s a pair of 10-8’s right there. Also if you see the fight on TV Ford is wearing a Yellow Rose from my vary own backyard. Yes indeed. What is hard to understand is Mr. Abainza’s score. Difficult if you don’t understand he was brought in by the sanction organization. (NO, I don’t know who that is cause the Forum didn’t think it necessary to include what dam world title Gairner-Leon were fighting for.). he wants to work another of their title fights. Third world country (Philippines) third world judge (Abainza).
NOT being a big fan sometimes of the legal system (The scalawags always seem to skate) maybe I should put the entire system “under further review”. Maybe, juts maybe something will get accomplished. “Under further review” in some circles is like waiting for the other shoe to drop. In the case of Graziano Rocchigiani against the WBC that shoe landed last week. “Manhattan Federal District Judge Richard Owen reinstated German boxer Graziano Rocchigiani as the WBC light heavyweight champion for the period of March 1998 – April 2000.” What real effect that will have on anything, let alone the cost of tea in China, is anyone’s guess. What is does indicate is that
Rocchigiani’s attorney, Richard H. Dolan, is not going to give up trying to collect the $30,598,628.00
award against the World Boxing Council. (WBC). The judge wrote, ( that Rocchigiani) “became the World Boxing Council Light Heavyweight Champion upon defeating Michael Nunn on 3/21/98 and remained the Champion until in or about April 2000.”
The WBC has only itself to blame. First the WBC decided that when Jones was going to move up and fight as a heavyweight in 1997 that they needed another light heavyweight champion. The WBC decided that the March 1998 fight between Rocchigiani-Nunn would provide the champion. Three months after the fight the WBC decided its own widespread promotional, contractual, and official references to that fight as a championship bout -and to Rocchigiani as the champion — had been ‘typographical errors. Not a very good effort by the Good Doctor . Jose’ Suliaman.
The next shot in the battle may have been fired by Attorney Dolan. . “Judge Owen’s decision is courageous. It not only restores the title to its rightful holder and makes the WBC accountable for its attempted TKO of Rocchigiani’s career,” said Dolan, “it also injects a big dose of real world justice into a sport that, for too long, has reeked of under-handedness and shady dealings.. Graziano Rocchigiani has always been willing to defend his title in a bout with Roy Jones, Jr.,” Dolan said.
Adding that Jones had refused to file an answer or appear in the lawsuit, Dolan continued, “Roy Jones, Jr. is a talented boxer, but he was never willing to take on Rocky in a fight.” Collecting the money had always posed a problem. Much of the WBC revenue is generated by sanctioning fights in the USA. Some writer’s, like me, have suggested that Rocchigiani and his attorney would go after money here. Nothing happened. That may be able to change. Dolan said, “We intend to execute every aspect of the judgment, from correcting record books to collecting dollars — no matter how long it takes and who it affects. We are in this fight to the finish.”
IT is now probably “6-2 and even” as Irene Reed use to say, that Lennox Lewis will fight Kirk Johnson sometime this June. Some say June 21.Some say in Buffalo, some say New Jersey and some say Las Vegas.. Some beg the question and say ” what the heck has Kirk Johnson done since his feeble performance against John Ruiz to warrant a fight against the Imperial One.” “He whacked out Lou Saveresse” comes the rejoiner. What does Johnson say? “I’m going to the top of the mountain and that is Lennox Lewis. The bottom line is that my last two fights were great fights and I just feel like I am ready to conquer the world.” MY pal J’Mo wades in. “And what did you think about Lou Saverese? OmG ( means Oh My Goodness)… I saw him age in the ring that night. It’s a shame when father time catches up and nobody tells the BOXER, however as I was once told by th’ Ol’ Mongoose …”A good Boxer knows when to say when.” Say when Saverese!. ”
As the week worn on Lewis and Johnson did indeed sign for a fight. The plan was that “The Imperial One” would fight Johnson while Iron Mike Tyson would get it on with either Oleg Maskov or Ray Mercer on a “Let’s Play Two” event. Promoter Gary Shaw, good Samaritan he, was willing to take the event to New Jersey and the Meadowlands Sports Complex across the river from New York City. Not going to has happen. The Governor of Jersey has put the “kabash” on Tyson fighting in the “garden State”. “OMG”, in the words of my pal J’Mo. “OMG ?” “Oh my goodness” What else could it mean.
The “OMG” is tossed in cause that probably means the fight is headed to Las Vegas. If a guess was to be made it would be that the fight will be held in June at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas. “But what about Tyson getting a license to fight in Nevada ? Wasn’t he turned down 4-1 last time ?” Yes to both questions. Two changes could change the vote of the commission. One new member of the commission and one different venue. Done deal. Sign on the dotted line.
THIS may be hard for some of the “Whipper snappers” to believe but when growing up on the streets of Oakland there was a time when there was only one TV station on the air. It started as KSFO-TV, before becoming KPIX. (Where I worked with super star sports guy Barry Tompkins).
The picture came across in black and white when it arrived. We use to get the Wednesday and Friday night fights from the East Coast abet a week late. Boxers became well known as fame and being on TV at that time were synonymous . It was a big deal when we got anything live from the “other coast”. Fights live were almost as big as watching big league baseball which to this point we had watched on radio and in print.
It was even a bigger deal when we saw a fighter on TV that we had seen fight in person. Archie Moore was one of those fighters. On of his most memorable fights was against Yvon Durelle. Here is a piece from my second favorite boxing writer in Asia. “As a youngster growing up and out, notice the absence of the word maturing , one of my favorite fighters was the late Archie Moore (182-24-9).
This was especially true after I watched him in one of the first “live” fights telecast from coast to coast in the States. He fought Yvon Durelle (89-24-2), the Fighting Fisherman, in Montreal December 10, 1958. For 11 rounds Durelle pounded the heck out of the Ole Mongoose. For 11 rounds the Ole Mongoose pounded the heck out of Durelle. When the smoke had cleared the New Brunswick native will make four trips to the canvas to Moore’s three. The fourth Durelle knockdown ended the fight in the 11th.
As sometime happens in defeat, Durelle became a even greater fighter in the eyes of the boxing public. He gained cult status for his performance. Even though the two fought again less than a year later, Moore won in 3 via KO, the first fight made Durelle. In Toronto there is a Canadian Walk of Fame. There is a move afoot ( get it ? “Walk”…”Afoot ?.” “Clever chap that boxing writer.”) ANYBODY remember the old tune,. “The Song has ended but the melody lingers on?” No one?
Bummer,. If someone had they might be able to relate to the lingering effect of the “Cool” Vince Philips-Ricky Hatton fight. During the past week Hatton had plastic surgery on the cut over the eye that was a one of the souvenirs Hatten took from the fight. One of the better boxing journalist in the UK is Phil Jones who also does a spot of television as a Presenter of Darts and others events for the mass’s. Presenter ? That’s like a Master of Ceremonies but it’s only one word and pays less. Asked him for his thoughts on the fight.
“Ricky Hatton, England’s hard punching Light-Welterweight Plastic world champion (WBU), must have been grateful to hear the bell at the end of a grueling 12 round scrap against a more than worthy opponent in Vince Phillips. Phillips, fast approaching the wrong side of 40 years of age, was Hatton’s ninth successful defense and, without question, his sternest test, especially when you consider that Hatton was cut, a real nasty 2 inch gash above his right eye, as early as the first round. His corner worked wonders throughout the remainder of the fight, stemming the flow of blood from a cut that most referee’s would have considered bad enough to stop the fight.
However, despite the obvious handicap, Hatton is no quitter, and he pummeled the plucky Phillips to earn an overwhelming 12 round point decision. The judges scorecard, 119-109, 120-107and 120-108 truly reflected Hatton’s superiority, but all credit should go to Phillips, a genuine worthy challenger, for giving the fans such an up and att’em, blood and thunder, no holds barred, no quarter asked or given scrap. Hatton is now lined up for a fight with Junior Witter, the British and Commonwealth Champion, in a match that so far has been fought out in the media rather than the ring. When these two finally stop swapping insults, and start trading punches, the outcome cannot be anything less than explosive.
However, Hatton talks better and punches harder, so Witter may just regret some of the verbals he has been dishing out. On the undercard, so far down the undercard in fact that the name of the printers came above the fighters, Peter Buckley became the first British scrapper in 50 years
to have 200 pro fights. Congratulations Peter on achieving a memorable milestone. The fact that you
have lost 163 of those fights should not diminish your celebrations and hey, hit the champagne pal because it will not matter if you over-indulge and fall over..its a position you are more than used to. “
As it often the case with Phillips what happens in the ring is not the end of the story. As might be remembered Phillips arrived for the fight and weight-in at the last minute. No explanation was ever given until now. In Paul Harvey fashion, “Now the rest of the story”. Promoter Frank Warren has made a formal complaint to the British Boxing Board of Control on the conduct of Vince Phillips and his management team prior to his fight with Ricky Hatton.
“I am extremely disappointed with Phillips and his management team and the way they went about their business before the fight,” said Warren. “As a result of this, I have issued a formal complaint to the BBBC. This matter has left a very sour taste which is a great shame because Vince put on a tremendous performance against Ricky.” What apparently gave Warren the “RA” was the way Phillips and manager Jason Schlessinger embarked in brinkmanship tactics with only minutes to go until the ring entrances of both boxers.” What that means is anybody’s guess. So I’ll guess.
Phillips has of late wanted to blame everyone but himself for any troubles he might have. I’m guessing that he tried to get more money at the last minute. You might remember he sued his last promoter claiming that he , the promoter, was responsible for everything but the Johnston flood. Sports Network has issued documents that, “Despite legal contracts being agreed and signed with Phillips and his promoter Sugar Ray Leonard for his participation in the bout several weeks ago, Schlessinger – who was not a party to the original contract – made unreasonable financial and
other demands at the last minute in a bid to force Warren into a corner.
At one point Phillips tried to leave the arena despite receiving assurances from BBBC officials that everything was in order. In addition, before Phillips’ departure to England for the fight, he gave Sports Network an ultimatum to pay off a debt owed to his home state of Arkansas – which we understand was repayment of child support benefit that his wife alleged had been incorrectly claimed – or he
would not travel.” Vince was probably just doing what all “Stars” do. Problem is that he’s no longer a star.
But to take Vince off the hook it’s been rumored that Promoter Frank Warren is terrible to work with. Well not so much Warren but the “idiots” that surround him. The Pocket Rocket, Wayne McCullough, fought for Warrenthree weeks ago. He just got paid No wonder Vice gave him the business. Warren operates in UK where he can do pretty much as he dam pleases. Let’s give Phillips a ride on this one..
HOOKS and Jabs and other things that go bump in the night. Ward. and Gatti III is a done deal for June 7 in Atlantic City. The first fight was a “barnburner”, the second was OK and only time will tell how the third meeting turns out. The will be Mickey Ward last fight. “I’ve given my life to boxing and after this fight I’m done,” an ecstatic Ward said soon after learning that Ward-Gatti III had been finalized.
“This is the only fight I wanted. I know I lost the second fight. He caught me and beat me fair and square, but I felt I deserved a third fight, the rubber match. I wanted this fight to redeem myself and then walk away from boxing. ” All boxing fans ought to stand up and cheer. We need more Mickey wards in the sport.
“There good news today” , himself typed on Tuesday April 8. Last night had Syracuse , a 81-78 winner. That means for the year in college basketball I was 100%. You can’t beat that. “How many bets did you make, kind sir ?” “One. That’s all it took.” Then the news that Freddie Cadena was released from St Lukes Hospital. It is aid that “.Cadena was alert and fully-functional.” Now if only the American Air Strike last evening got Saddem and his boys while they were dinning (Probably on “Heart, with fava beans and a nice Chianti) that would be a three team parley to end all three teamers.
NICE things about a Chick Fighter. J’Mo has some good things to say about Mia “Hubba Hubba” St. John, which I’ve never done. “Mama Mia! St. John’s new style was compared to Archie Moore, carrying her hands low. Mia seemed to have a real comfortably factor in the ring that night, totally CONTROLLING the fight, took some good punches; but didn’t seem to mess up her make up! ” Thanks.
As were are now writing stuff positive about Mia “HH” St. John she gets in the ring Saturday night on the undercard of Mayweather somebody. When first I read it I though she was fighting Jennifer Aniston. “Holly Molly” thinked I. Upon further review I found out I was wrong. Bummer. Mia St. John (27-2-1) vs. Jennifer Alcorn (15-0)
While on the subject of Chick Fights, Friday Nights Fights, ESPN 2, features a couple of lady’s that know how to fight. Vaia “Lil Darlin” Zaganas (7-1) is 103 pounds of attractively packaged dynamite. Vaia finally gets some national exposure when she takes on Nina Ahlin (10-3-1). Don’t let Vaia’s 7-1 record fool you. She is a pro’s pro. Not familiar with Ahlin, watch out here comes the cliché, but she better bring her “A” game.
Zaganas is cuter than a bunny rabbit on Easter Morning and meaning than a bear with his reproductive organs caught in a trap. Also on TV is Laura Serrano (15-0-2) another fighter with great skills but without natural ability. She is very measured is everything she does in the ring..
Here opponent Isrh Girgrah (22-3-2) is tougher than a $1.00 24 oz. T Bone. Teddy Atlas reclamation project Michael Grant heads the TV card.. Grab a cigar, a couple of ice colds MGD’s and settle in for a couple of hour’s of action. Even putting up with Max Kellerman is no obstacle.
AND finally. I received a e-mail from an old pal (don’t have many young pals) last week that was very troubling. This pal lives overseas and is working on his second family at an age when most can’t even remember their first. After the usual “this and that” he opined, “Well looks like Bush has started a war so that he and his buddy’s in business can make a killing.” I was quite frankly stunned by his ignorance of what the war in Iraq is all about. In fact so shocked was I that I merely answered, “Great to hear from you. best to you and your family.”
I was shocked because that very morning at about 5:30 AM I saw a statue come tumbling down in Bagdad. I saw people dancing, shouting and smiling.. Not one was heard to say, “Now we can have Bush and his business buddys come in and rebuild.” Later in the day a co-worker said, “I’m a Christian and against the war. Let God handle it.” “Sometimes God needs a little help.”
(Opinions and editorials of HotBoxingNews.com is the opinion of those writers and may not be the opinion of HotBoxingNews.com)