Category: Latest News

Dawson-Welliver fight for WBC Youth middleweight title

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – Two 21-year-old middleweight prospects, “Bad” Chad Dawson and Dumont “Dewey” Welliver, will fight for the vacant WBC Youth title in the 10-round co-feature October 31 on Haunted Homecoming,” promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc., live on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. Hometown hero Gary “Tiger” Balletto (29-1-2, 25 KOs), born in Providence’s historic Federal Hill, defends his International Boxing Union World lightweight title against former world champion Gregorio “Goyo” Vargas (43-7-1, 30 KOs) in the 12-round main event on “Haunted Homecoming,” presented by CES in association with Mohegan Sun, 94 WHJY, Westin Hotel and Gansett Juice. Dawson and Welliver Read more [...]

Exclusive: McClain Talks about the Promotion of the Ali-Martin card By Sue TL Fox

(AUG 25) WBAN interviewed "Yahya" Johnny McClain one on one about the latest promotion that he was involved in with the Ali-Martin card that was held on August 23, in Biloxi, Mississippi. I spoke to McClain about the August 25th article on Fightnews.com that is entitled,  "Promoters Spar After Ali-Martin."  McClain said that in regards to that article, that  “it is not true.”  McClain went on to explain,  “Brian Young (Prize Fight Promotions) did not speak to me after the fight or any other time regarding those matters….AND if we did ‘spar’---I would kick his ass.” McClain also talked about the remarks made in that article about him removing the Prize Fight Banner at the Post Fight Conference.  McClain said, “I DID remove the sole banner, because he (Young) had the Read more [...]

The Right Way By Bernie McCoy

Frank Lahey, one of the great football coaches at Notre Dame once said, "Egotisim is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity". Yesterday's silliness at the Biloxi MS press conference for the August 23 Laila Ali/Christy Martin may not have been totally stupid, but it was close enough to make the evening news. Putting Ali and Martin in a room with one microphone is similar to putting Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie in a room with one trumpet. Both women have egos equaling or exceeding their skill in the ring; both women are used to being the center of attraction at press conferences;  both women are used to throwing "punch" lines at their future opponents in the ring and getting no response in return. Thus, when Ali and Martin turned the press conference into the type of "dialogue" Read more [...]

Friday the 13th: Boxing card at the Chinook Winds Casino – by Katherine Dunn

Friday, June 13th, 2003, Chinook Winds Casino, Lincoln City, Oregon. Promoter: Top Rank; Matchmaker: Pete Susens  -Ringside Physicians: Dr. Luis Rios, Dr. Ron Shear; Referees: Jim Erickson, Dave Hagan, Jeff Macaluso; Judges: Greg Baker, Robert Flamme, Trevor Lewis, Denis Ryan; Regulation: The Siletz Tribal Athletic Commission I’ve decided to blame Bob Arum for the Friday the 13th horror show at the Chinook Winds Casino. In letting the casino and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz off the hook, I’m giving them credit for their first fight card, back on December 4 of 1999, when they hosted the excellent HBO broadcast of Fernando Vargas vs Winky Wright and Diego Corrales vs John Brown. That was promoted by Ringside Ticket, Inc run by Patrick Ortiz. Then the Siletz held the respectable Read more [...]

Drama Without a Script… By Bernie McCoy

Its been written that sports is "drama without a script". Every so often, however, a sports event plays out exactly according to a script,  like the last act of a play. On October 26, 1951, that play was, in the eyes of many, a tragedy. The day before, October 25th, I had, chronologically, become a teenager. I could now truthfully proclaim that "I was in my teens" and look forward to all the wonders life had to offer a teenager in Brooklyn. It didn't take long. October 26th was a Friday and Friday was fight night at Madison Square Garden. I usually had to argue, cajole, persuade, and, usually, as a last resort, grovel, to get my dad to take me with him to McGuire's, the neighborhood gin mill, to watch the Friday Night Fights on TV. Once in a great while, he'd give in, particularly if Read more [...]

Women’s Boxing: TV or Not TV – By Bernie McCoy

Have you ever heard of the United States Basketball League?  Its a sub-NBA league existing primarily in medium sized markets around the country and populated with  players not ready for the prime time of the National Basketball Association. Have you ever heard of the Champions Tour, formerly the Senior Golf Tour? Its a sub-PGA tour existing on medium sized golf courses around the country populated with players past their golfing prime and no longer competitive on the Professional Golf Association tour. Don't look in your "local listings" for the next USBL basketball game, they aren't on TV. However, the Champions Tour is regularly telecast and has been for the last fifteen years, providing viewers with "compelling" telecasts of fifty and sixty year olds, climbing in and out of Read more [...]

Talkin’ Boxin’ by Howie Reed – Latest News on Boxing in April of 2003

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 Read more [...]

Heavyweight Memories… By Bernie McCoy

Its amazing how easy memories come back. I'm watching what I thought would be a very compelling heavyweight fight between Roy Jones Jr. and John Ruiz. The quicker Jones is having no trouble with the plodding Ruiz. As I attempt to tune out the announcer's inane comments designed to keep the audience interested in this one sided affair, I am suddenly transformed, in my mind, to a long line leading to a movie theater on the upper Westside of Manhattan on a cold February night.I'm with a friend and we're standing right behind Lauren Bacall and Jason Robards, married at the time, 1964, waiting to see what everyone, including these celebrities in front of us, thinks will be a very compelling heavyweight fight. Similar to the Jones and Ruiz bout, this long ago title fight, featured a big heavyweight Read more [...]

Talkin’ Boxin’ by Howie Reed – the top mens Boxing News – March 30, 2003

THIS is a column is suppose to and actually sometimes does "Talk Boxin". In perspective boxing is but a very small pebble in the lake of life. What those inside boxing take as important or noteworthy is many times hardly worth reporting. There are times, many times to few, when boxing does something that makes me proud and honored to be a part of the sport. One of those events took place last Friday night at the ORLEANS Casino in my hometown of Las Vegas. It was the monthly reasonably priced professional fight card. I was pleased when walking in as one of my favorite people associated with the sport, Jody by name, was standing just inside the area where tickets are collected. She was handling out miniature American Flags. They were a popular item. Those who substitute cynicism for common Read more [...]

The Square Ring by Howie Reed

Stop the press: Hugo Dianzo (29-8) will be the one challenging WBC bantam champ Veeraphol Nakhonluang (40-1)in Bangkok May 1. Dianzo lost a very controversial decision to then-118lb champ Paulie Ayala two years ago in Ft. Worth, Texas and since has gone 3-2. The native of Mexico is computer ranked #31 while Veeraphol is #2. “Just another payday.” We now return you to our regular column. Trust that everyone has survived Songkran with a “sigh” and a thought. The thought? “Thank goodness we made it through another Songkran.” Surviving Songkran is something, as it killed more than SARS and The War in Iraq. Gosh what a great holiday. The fight between Joe Calzaghe (35-0) against William Joppy (34-1-2) scheduled for May 24th in Newcastle is probably “deader than Kelsey’s reproductive Read more [...]

Talkin’ Boxin’ with Howie Reed – a Rundown on Men’s Boxing

HE came, he saw, he conquered and he did it all in under a minute. That about sums up Mike Tyson's one punch victory over Cliff Etienne. Fortunately I ate my popcorn while waiting for the fight to begin or it would have been to late. Maybe now the "experts" will shut the F up. For two weeks we’ve read and heard from every segment of the population. Mike shouldn’t fight----he’s not in shape. No difference he won. Good night and drive home safely. Etienne, at the end, looked like the old photo of Jack Johnson lying on his back shading his eye from the Havana Sun when Ko’d by Jess Willard on April 4, 1915. Many in the crowd felt the same way as Etienne had to fight his way to his dressing room being bombarded with taunts ("Sticks and Stone will break my bones") and other object of a Read more [...]

Talkin’ Boxin’ by Howie Reed – Latest on Men’s Boxing in February 2003

"Hi Howie, Just wanted you to know that I enjoyed your last column. Keep up the good work...or whatever it is that you do... Keep Happy. Larry." Name withheld to protect the guilty. MOM always use to say, "Always finish what you start." In those day long past every command was wrapped with a message. "Eat everything on your plate. Clean it up. People in Europe are starving." "Then send them the cauliflower." As I was picking myself up off the floor of our small dining area at 1921-105 Avenue in Oakland California I realize that "Mom is always right." So Mom if you’re looking down I will finish what I started last week. After listening to the "Braying Asses’" on HBO during the Mosley "encounter", can’t call it a fight, I was questioning my very own ability to see and or think clearly. Read more [...]

Talkin’ Boxin’ by Howie Reed – More news on men’s Boxing in February of 2003

I’LL bet ya that a lot of you out there have said, when there is a lull in the conversation at the quiche and fondue party featuring a clever new white wine, "Boy that Talkin Boxin column seems to wander around aimlessly. It’s incoherent most of the time." Not my fault. The effort is the product of a Bi-Polar disorder that can only be treated with medication. That medication comes in either tall clear bottle with a black label or a short can in gold with a black label. On the bright side being Bi Polar gives you twice as many chances in dating polars. Onward we go. Where we’re going is the real question. Well we, that would be me, were going to play boxing reporter this week. It’s one of these events that comes upon me when I’ve been away from the MGD too long. At the Latin Fury Read more [...]

Talkin’ Boxin’ by Howie Reed – Top news in Men’s Boxing February of 2003

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 Read more [...]