On Sept. 29, 2001, I had the priveledge of sitting next to former NFL defensive back Johnny Sample in the auxillery press area at Madison Square Garden while at the Bernard Hopkins-Felix Trinidad middleweight unification championship fight.
Sample, a Philadelphian who played seasons with the Colts, Steelers, Redskins and Jets, was there to support Hopkins. When Hopkins entered the ring to Ray Charles' America the Beautiful, Sample said so all around him could hear, "Sing it, Ray."
About his connection to Hopkins: "I used to watch that boy fight at the Blue Horizon gym back when he was just getting started.
When midway through the fight it became apparent that Hopkins was going to take Trinidad to school, Sample directed to Trinidad, "You're in with a man tonight."
It was entertaining. And so when Sample died in 2005, I remembered that night in the Garden quite fondly. He was both a gentleman, a Philly fan and a boxing fan.
He was also correct about Hopkins that night. That was, without a doubt, the pinnacle of Hopkins' career, as he dominated the previously unbeaten Trinidad and knocked him out in the 12th before an arena filled with Tito's Puerto Rican fans and New York feeling very patriotic in the aftermath of the horor of the 9/11 attacks two weeks earlier. It was quite a night.
Hopkins was 36 then, and if you would have told me that he'd still be making top dollar near the top of boxing when he was 43, I wouldn't have believed you. But he has, racking up wins over the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Tarver, and Winky Wright, cementing his place as a sure Hall of Famer, one of the greatest middleweights of all time, and in my opinion the greatest Philadelphia fighter in the history of the proud pugilistic city.
Even his two losses to Jermain Taylor were highly debatable, and he squashed talk that those were the beginning of the end of his career when he went up to light heavyweight and embarrassed Tarver.
Saturday night in Las Vegas, Hopkins lost a split decision to unbeaten super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe in a regular HBO fight. I had Hopkins ahead 5-1 and in complete control after six rounds, but he seemed to fade over the second half of the fight, with Calzaghe sweeping the last six to take a slim victory on the scorecards. Two of the three judges agreed.
Sure, Hopkins complained after the fight. He's arrogant enough to believe that he did enough to win, because that arrogance and confidence in his abilities has had a lot to do with his success through the years. And it was certainly a close fight. But realistically, I think it would be difficult to find more than one round over the last six that was even close to being a Hopkins round. Calzaghe was much busier, and Hopkins seemed slower and tired down the stretch.
It was the first thing close to a clear-cut loss for Hopkins since his defeat to Roy Jones back in 1993, and it should be a sign that it's time for "The Executioner" to hang up his gloves for good.
Not because he's a shot item, like so many once great fighters who go on way past their primes. Hopkins is still good enough to beat most of the guys he'll get in the ring with, almost all of whom are younger than he is, but there are going to be nights when he just doesn't have 12 good rounds in him anymore.
Nor do I think he's in danger of getting hurt in the ring. Unlike Roy Jones, who has taken more punches in the last three or four years than he did in his entire career prior, Hopkins' defense is still very difficult to penetrate. I don't think I've ever seen him even buzzed in the ring, except maybe back in his first fight with Segundo Mercado back in '94, but that was a long time ago. This isn't a Muhammad Ali situation.
I just think now is right time for Hopkins to say, "My legacy is secure, I have enough money in the bank, I have things set up for life after boxing, I have nothing left to prove."
It's been an amazing career. An amazing life for the numbers runner from North Philly who ended up in Graterford Prison in his early 20s, doing hard time and facing a life that in all likelyhood was going to turn out badly. But he cleaned up his life, thanks to a very loyal family and his boxing career, and he didn't even do that the easy way, challenging the boxing establishment every step of the way.
While it was maddening to see Hopkins walk away from fights with the likes of Jones or Calzaghe in the past because of some injustice that he felt wasn't right and we felt was just what boxing is all about these days. He didn't accept the status-quo in a sport riddled with corruption and dishonesty. He spit it back at the powerbrokers.
Which doesn't mean he was always right. His feud with former advisor Lou DiBella was ugly and brought out the worst in Hopkins. As much as stompping on the Puerto Rican flag was used to enrage Trinidad prior to their fight and draw up interest in the pay-per-view, it did nothing to help boxing's image.
I thought after he beat De La Hoya was the right time, and echoed that after his landmark win over Tarver.
But now, Hopkins' decision on whether to keep on fighting or retire for good, is as clear as the decision in Saturday night's fight.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Why the IBF is a Joke
Whenever someone tries to make a feeble attempt at defending the tradition of the sanctioning bodies and their so-called "world titles" it can be kind of amusing if you look at the facts close enough.
Take the history of the International Boxing Federation's welterweight championship. Starting in 1984 when Donald Curry won the inaugural version of the title with a 15-round unanimous decision over Marlin Starling right up through last Saturday's title-winning effort by Antonio Margarito over champion Kermit Cintron, and there's only been 12 IBF welterweight champions.
And consider that among those 12, three never made a single title defense, and it appears that when Margarito steps into the ring in July to fight for Miguel Cotto's WBA welterweight title, he will become the fourth to hold that distinction.
That's some history. Let's not forget that a few years ago the IBF chose to recognize Zab Judah as its champion in a defense against Floyd Mayweather, despite the fact that Judah, who had been considered the division's undisputed champ, lost his last fight and another organization's belt to Carlos Baldomir a few months earlier. Then when Mayweather chose to fight Baldomir after beating Judah, it stripped Mayweather and deamed an untelevised fight between Cintron and marginal contender Mark Suarez as a title fight for its vacant title.
Joshua Clottey (34-2, 20 KOs) became the IBF mandatory challenger for then-champion Cintron when he scored a 12-round decision over Shamone Alvarez in Las Vegas in December 2007. That meant that he was guaranteed a shot at the title, and the IBF would mandate when that title bout had to take place.
Despite the fact that Cintron had already made one optional - non-mandatory - defense of the title since his previous mandatory defense in July 2007, the IBF was within its power to demand that Cintron's next defense be against Clottey. But when Cintron signed to fight Margarito, formerly a title-holder in the division for the WBO, they did no such thing, except guarantee that Clottey get the next shot, regardless of the champion.
Bear in mind, however, that both Clottey and Margarito, who ironically fought each other for the WBO title in December 2006, a Margarito win, are promoted by Top Rank, Inc., ie Bob Arum.
In the meantime, Arum agreed that the Cintron-Margarito winner would next fight Cotto in July, whether the IBF was involved in that fight or not. So, essentially Arum knew that he was covered one way or another. Clottey would fight for the title.
But because Margarito is fighting Cotto, he will be forced to relinquish the IBF title, meaning that Clottey will likely get a shot at a vacant title sometime later this year.
Whether Joshua Clottey deserves a shot at Margarito or not, is another debate. It's a fact that the IBF said he was the No. 1 contender before Cintron ever fought Margarito. The organization had to know that Margarito had no intention of defending against Clottey should he have defeated Cintron.
The question then remains, why did the IBF sanction Cintron-Margarito then?
Probably because it was a high-profile fight on an HBO card highlighted by Cotto's WBA defense against Alfonso Gomez. Meaning both Cintron and Margarito made significant purses, and both would be forced to pay a percentage of their purses to the IBF for sanctioning the title fight. It paid for the IBF to sanction it.
The other option would be for the IBF to demand that Cintron defend against Clottey before fighting Margarito, or strip Cintron if he went forward with the Margarito fight. If that had happened, I don't believe Cintron-Margarito would have happened. I also don't think HBO would have paid the same for Cintron-Clottey, and there was probably a good chance that Cintron-Clottey would have ended up on Versus or a smaller card. Hence, it didn't really make sense for the IBF to do that, did it?
Which brings us to the mandated Margarito-Clottey fight that's not going to happen. Margarito is going to fight Cotto, regardless of whether it's for the WBA, IBF, or no title at all. Most fans of the division recognize those two fighters as two of the top three welterweights in the world - Floyd Mayweather still has to be considered No. 1 - HBO is going to pay top dollar and an arena somewhere is going to be treated to a packed house of rabid Puerto Rican and Mexican boxing fans.
It would be logical to assume that the IBF sanctioning that fight would make a whole lot of sense for the organization, because its name would be in the middle of a huge event and the sanctioning fees would be astronomical as compared to what they will be when Clottey fights for the vacant title.
Why couldn't a deal be made with Clottey to step aside once again to allow Cotto-Margarito to go ahead as a unification WBA/IBF fight? After all, isn't Bob Arum his promoter too?
Expect Clottey to fight for the vacant title later this year. I'm hearing September, on either HBO Boxing After Dark or Showtime. As for an opponent, the two most likely would be No. 2 contender Andre Berto, an unbeaten 2004 Olympian in whom HBO has a vested interest in, or former champion Cintron.
Don't get me wrong, Clottey against either opponent would be a significant Top 10 fight, but marketing it as a world title fight is absurd, but the IBF and the promoters will, trust me. What the IBF has done to itself is make itself nothing more than a glorified NABF regional belt. Very few will be fooled and it has marginalized the significance of holding its belt.
How exactly has this sanctioning body helped the sport or the fighters with the way this has been handled?
Take the history of the International Boxing Federation's welterweight championship. Starting in 1984 when Donald Curry won the inaugural version of the title with a 15-round unanimous decision over Marlin Starling right up through last Saturday's title-winning effort by Antonio Margarito over champion Kermit Cintron, and there's only been 12 IBF welterweight champions.
And consider that among those 12, three never made a single title defense, and it appears that when Margarito steps into the ring in July to fight for Miguel Cotto's WBA welterweight title, he will become the fourth to hold that distinction.
That's some history. Let's not forget that a few years ago the IBF chose to recognize Zab Judah as its champion in a defense against Floyd Mayweather, despite the fact that Judah, who had been considered the division's undisputed champ, lost his last fight and another organization's belt to Carlos Baldomir a few months earlier. Then when Mayweather chose to fight Baldomir after beating Judah, it stripped Mayweather and deamed an untelevised fight between Cintron and marginal contender Mark Suarez as a title fight for its vacant title.
Joshua Clottey (34-2, 20 KOs) became the IBF mandatory challenger for then-champion Cintron when he scored a 12-round decision over Shamone Alvarez in Las Vegas in December 2007. That meant that he was guaranteed a shot at the title, and the IBF would mandate when that title bout had to take place.
Despite the fact that Cintron had already made one optional - non-mandatory - defense of the title since his previous mandatory defense in July 2007, the IBF was within its power to demand that Cintron's next defense be against Clottey. But when Cintron signed to fight Margarito, formerly a title-holder in the division for the WBO, they did no such thing, except guarantee that Clottey get the next shot, regardless of the champion.
Bear in mind, however, that both Clottey and Margarito, who ironically fought each other for the WBO title in December 2006, a Margarito win, are promoted by Top Rank, Inc., ie Bob Arum.
In the meantime, Arum agreed that the Cintron-Margarito winner would next fight Cotto in July, whether the IBF was involved in that fight or not. So, essentially Arum knew that he was covered one way or another. Clottey would fight for the title.
But because Margarito is fighting Cotto, he will be forced to relinquish the IBF title, meaning that Clottey will likely get a shot at a vacant title sometime later this year.
Whether Joshua Clottey deserves a shot at Margarito or not, is another debate. It's a fact that the IBF said he was the No. 1 contender before Cintron ever fought Margarito. The organization had to know that Margarito had no intention of defending against Clottey should he have defeated Cintron.
The question then remains, why did the IBF sanction Cintron-Margarito then?
Probably because it was a high-profile fight on an HBO card highlighted by Cotto's WBA defense against Alfonso Gomez. Meaning both Cintron and Margarito made significant purses, and both would be forced to pay a percentage of their purses to the IBF for sanctioning the title fight. It paid for the IBF to sanction it.
The other option would be for the IBF to demand that Cintron defend against Clottey before fighting Margarito, or strip Cintron if he went forward with the Margarito fight. If that had happened, I don't believe Cintron-Margarito would have happened. I also don't think HBO would have paid the same for Cintron-Clottey, and there was probably a good chance that Cintron-Clottey would have ended up on Versus or a smaller card. Hence, it didn't really make sense for the IBF to do that, did it?
Which brings us to the mandated Margarito-Clottey fight that's not going to happen. Margarito is going to fight Cotto, regardless of whether it's for the WBA, IBF, or no title at all. Most fans of the division recognize those two fighters as two of the top three welterweights in the world - Floyd Mayweather still has to be considered No. 1 - HBO is going to pay top dollar and an arena somewhere is going to be treated to a packed house of rabid Puerto Rican and Mexican boxing fans.
It would be logical to assume that the IBF sanctioning that fight would make a whole lot of sense for the organization, because its name would be in the middle of a huge event and the sanctioning fees would be astronomical as compared to what they will be when Clottey fights for the vacant title.
Why couldn't a deal be made with Clottey to step aside once again to allow Cotto-Margarito to go ahead as a unification WBA/IBF fight? After all, isn't Bob Arum his promoter too?
Expect Clottey to fight for the vacant title later this year. I'm hearing September, on either HBO Boxing After Dark or Showtime. As for an opponent, the two most likely would be No. 2 contender Andre Berto, an unbeaten 2004 Olympian in whom HBO has a vested interest in, or former champion Cintron.
Don't get me wrong, Clottey against either opponent would be a significant Top 10 fight, but marketing it as a world title fight is absurd, but the IBF and the promoters will, trust me. What the IBF has done to itself is make itself nothing more than a glorified NABF regional belt. Very few will be fooled and it has marginalized the significance of holding its belt.
How exactly has this sanctioning body helped the sport or the fighters with the way this has been handled?
- Todd Thorpe
Ripping the Sanctioning Bodies
The proceeding blog will be my first such rant on this site against the major sanctioning bodies that attempt to govern the sport of boxing around the world, but I assure you, it won't be the last. Nor is the International Boxing Federation, the target of today's rant, alone. It will be joined by its friends as the weeks, months and years go on, I assure you.
I don't enjoy talking about boxing politics rather that the fights and fighters themselves, but it's a necessary evil when considering the state of the sport as it exists today. Make no mistake by their claims of being non-profit organizations that are looking out for the safety of the fighters and the integrity of the sport, each one is in business to make money for themselves. That's the bottom line. That's what drives each to make stupid decision after stupid decision that further drive away the possibility of attracting new fans to a sport with an aging fanbase.
Let me start by saying I'm not totally in accord with those who choose to lend credence to the championship policy of The Ring magazine. It's better and more sound than the sanctioning bodies, but their policies are a little flawed too. I love The Ring's non-biased rankings and its idea of creating one true world champion for each weight class, but right now the sport and those involved with it are too ingrained in the current sanctioning body system that change is very slow moving.
My overall opinion on the sanctioning bodies are that they've ruined the sport. The laundry list of corruption and mismanagement could take hours to read, and none of the four major sanctioning clowns are exempt. Personally, you'll never hear this writer call a fighter a "world champion" because he owns one of these title belts. You become a world champion by being the best fighter in a division by beating the best fighters in that divisions, not by the decisions of people like Gilberto Mendoza, Jose Suliaman and Marian Muhammad. Ruslan Chagaev is the WBA heavyweight champion, and that's it. He's no more the heavyweight champion of the world than I am.
Nor do I think it's prudent to deny or downplay the significance of the belt, because that's sticking your head in the sand and not paying attention. Fighters, managers, promoters, television networks and even journalists use the multiple titles for their own good, as well as the other way around. Those who claim that certain excellent fights might never take place without the presence of the alphabet belts are correct. TV networks love promoting "world title fights", and most of the time they ignore whether such claims to "world championships" are on the up-and-up.
For most fighters, winning a belt is the pinnacle of such careers. Future Hall of Famers like Roy Jones and Oscar De La Hoya loved collecting title belt hardware in their primes. But let's not be fooled. For most, the most important thing about winning a belt is that it will potentially lead to bigger paydays. A fighter making $20,000 on ESPN2 can grow to making $200,000 on Showtime because of the presence of a belt. Yes, being the one, true undisputed champion in a division can lead to pay-per-view main events and purses in the millions, but that's a dream that only a select few can realistically hope for, and it's proven that being a pay-per-view fighter is more often determined by being an attraction that having any particular championship.
What all have done is devalue the word "champion" and the prestige that once came with it. An alphabet title is a prop or a stepping stone to bigger money fights, and that's it. It's no more prestigious that winning a regional NABF or USBA title used to be in the 1970s and '80s.
The harm comes from what it does to the fans, or more seriously, potential fans.
In 2001, Don King went through a lot of trouble to stage a middleweight championship tournament, featuring the three "major" sanctioning body champions - Bernard Hopkins, William Joppy and Keith Holmes and the prize of King's stable at the time, junior middleweight two-belt holder Felix "Tito" Trinidad. We all know the result of the tournament - Hopkins destroyed Trinidad in the championship fight at Madison Square Garden two weeks after the 9/11 tragedy to become the undisputed middleweight championship.
Two months later, on the undercard of the Lennox Lewis-Hasim Rahman pay-per-view heavyweight rematch, also promoted by King, Joppy, who was brutally knocked out in the fifth round of the tournament semifinals by Trinidad earlier in the year, fought Howard Eastman for the vacant WBA middleweight title. And when Jimmy Lennon Jr. handled the introductions before the fight, he said it was for the middleweight championship of the world. HBO analyst/watchdog Larry Merchant called it on the carpet for what is was during the fight, a farse and an insult to the intelligence of the fans.
But because of the ridiculous "super champion" policy developed by the WBA and others, the WBA title was declared vacant, and top contenders Joppy and East fought for it that night.
If a marginal boxing fan attached himself and got juiced to the middleweight unification tournament, he would have rightfully recognized Hopkins as the undisputed champion. But what happened if he bought that PPV? He would be confused and if he was smart, he'd shake his head and talk about how corrupt and what a joke the sport of boxing was for allowing such a thing to happen.
In a nutshell, that's what the sanctioning bodies have done to boxing and boxing fans time and time again. And they really don't care.
It's a joke. Boxing is a great sport featuring the best and most dedicated athletes in the world. It's an insult that it's come to what it is today. And as a true fan and a journalist who considers himself responsible, I won't let such injustices pass without calling them out on the carpet.
-Todd Thorpe
I don't enjoy talking about boxing politics rather that the fights and fighters themselves, but it's a necessary evil when considering the state of the sport as it exists today. Make no mistake by their claims of being non-profit organizations that are looking out for the safety of the fighters and the integrity of the sport, each one is in business to make money for themselves. That's the bottom line. That's what drives each to make stupid decision after stupid decision that further drive away the possibility of attracting new fans to a sport with an aging fanbase.
Let me start by saying I'm not totally in accord with those who choose to lend credence to the championship policy of The Ring magazine. It's better and more sound than the sanctioning bodies, but their policies are a little flawed too. I love The Ring's non-biased rankings and its idea of creating one true world champion for each weight class, but right now the sport and those involved with it are too ingrained in the current sanctioning body system that change is very slow moving.
My overall opinion on the sanctioning bodies are that they've ruined the sport. The laundry list of corruption and mismanagement could take hours to read, and none of the four major sanctioning clowns are exempt. Personally, you'll never hear this writer call a fighter a "world champion" because he owns one of these title belts. You become a world champion by being the best fighter in a division by beating the best fighters in that divisions, not by the decisions of people like Gilberto Mendoza, Jose Suliaman and Marian Muhammad. Ruslan Chagaev is the WBA heavyweight champion, and that's it. He's no more the heavyweight champion of the world than I am.
Nor do I think it's prudent to deny or downplay the significance of the belt, because that's sticking your head in the sand and not paying attention. Fighters, managers, promoters, television networks and even journalists use the multiple titles for their own good, as well as the other way around. Those who claim that certain excellent fights might never take place without the presence of the alphabet belts are correct. TV networks love promoting "world title fights", and most of the time they ignore whether such claims to "world championships" are on the up-and-up.
For most fighters, winning a belt is the pinnacle of such careers. Future Hall of Famers like Roy Jones and Oscar De La Hoya loved collecting title belt hardware in their primes. But let's not be fooled. For most, the most important thing about winning a belt is that it will potentially lead to bigger paydays. A fighter making $20,000 on ESPN2 can grow to making $200,000 on Showtime because of the presence of a belt. Yes, being the one, true undisputed champion in a division can lead to pay-per-view main events and purses in the millions, but that's a dream that only a select few can realistically hope for, and it's proven that being a pay-per-view fighter is more often determined by being an attraction that having any particular championship.
What all have done is devalue the word "champion" and the prestige that once came with it. An alphabet title is a prop or a stepping stone to bigger money fights, and that's it. It's no more prestigious that winning a regional NABF or USBA title used to be in the 1970s and '80s.
The harm comes from what it does to the fans, or more seriously, potential fans.
In 2001, Don King went through a lot of trouble to stage a middleweight championship tournament, featuring the three "major" sanctioning body champions - Bernard Hopkins, William Joppy and Keith Holmes and the prize of King's stable at the time, junior middleweight two-belt holder Felix "Tito" Trinidad. We all know the result of the tournament - Hopkins destroyed Trinidad in the championship fight at Madison Square Garden two weeks after the 9/11 tragedy to become the undisputed middleweight championship.
Two months later, on the undercard of the Lennox Lewis-Hasim Rahman pay-per-view heavyweight rematch, also promoted by King, Joppy, who was brutally knocked out in the fifth round of the tournament semifinals by Trinidad earlier in the year, fought Howard Eastman for the vacant WBA middleweight title. And when Jimmy Lennon Jr. handled the introductions before the fight, he said it was for the middleweight championship of the world. HBO analyst/watchdog Larry Merchant called it on the carpet for what is was during the fight, a farse and an insult to the intelligence of the fans.
But because of the ridiculous "super champion" policy developed by the WBA and others, the WBA title was declared vacant, and top contenders Joppy and East fought for it that night.
If a marginal boxing fan attached himself and got juiced to the middleweight unification tournament, he would have rightfully recognized Hopkins as the undisputed champion. But what happened if he bought that PPV? He would be confused and if he was smart, he'd shake his head and talk about how corrupt and what a joke the sport of boxing was for allowing such a thing to happen.
In a nutshell, that's what the sanctioning bodies have done to boxing and boxing fans time and time again. And they really don't care.
It's a joke. Boxing is a great sport featuring the best and most dedicated athletes in the world. It's an insult that it's come to what it is today. And as a true fan and a journalist who considers himself responsible, I won't let such injustices pass without calling them out on the carpet.
-Todd Thorpe
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
In this Corner...
Rumblings from the Shore
Funny, I don't hear any of the usual critics mocking Miguel Cotto's choice of opponents like pundits used to during Roy Jones' reign atop the sport and HBO pecking board. Seriously, if Alfonso Gomez hadn't been on the original Contender series, he would have had about as much chance making Saturday's main event as Angel David Gonzalez (see below).
I love Cotto, and you can't complain about a guy taking a gimme fight after taking on Zab Judah and Shane Mosley last year and then with a potential date with Antonio Margarito looming for July, but this was a main event that reminded me of Jones vs. Ricky Frazier. Gimmes are OK, but not this bad. Bob Arum should know better, and HBO should have longer memories. ...
I've never had the impression that Antonio Margarito was a jerk before Saturday night. First mocking Kermit Cintron at the press conference about Cintron's crying episode after their first fight, and then his unsportsmanlike behavior after Cintron went down in the sixth round Saturday. Makes me want to root for Cotto even more come July.
As for Margarito's performance against Cintron it was simply spectacular. He reminded me a lot of a prime Julio Cesar Chavez the way he kept coming forward, taking very good shots without so much as a shrug and the way he pounded away at Cintron's body.
This was as good as I've seen him, and with the Cotto fight looming three months away, I have that fight as even money right now. ...
My favorite fight of the night was no doubt the opener, a six-round unanimous decision for Paterson, N.J.'s Richard Pierson over Puerto Rico's Angel David Gonzalez in a middleweight bout between two guys that are unlikely to ever receive main event status on such a card. It was just an all-out brawl for the 27-year-old Pierson (7-1), who was the only fighter on the card even with close to a local connection. Gonzalez (6-5-1) is a tough nut too, who would give any early-in-his-career middleweight prospect quite a scrap.
That was about it as far as excitement on the undercard. Give credit to Top Rank for putting as many Puerto Rican fighters on the crowd as possible. With the large Cotto crowd early in the arena it created a lot of excitement for some off-TV fights that usually are fought in front of a lot of empty seats.
Personally, I would have like to have seen a little more of a Jersey, Philly, New York flavor to some of the bouts held in Atlantic City, but what can you do?
Junior featherweight Jesus Rojas (11-0, 9 KOs), who is a Cotto protege from Caguas, Puerto Rico completely dismanted veteran Andres Ledesma in the final prelim, with a fourth-round bludgeoning. Rojas was the best looking prospect on the card.
Funny, I don't hear any of the usual critics mocking Miguel Cotto's choice of opponents like pundits used to during Roy Jones' reign atop the sport and HBO pecking board. Seriously, if Alfonso Gomez hadn't been on the original Contender series, he would have had about as much chance making Saturday's main event as Angel David Gonzalez (see below).
I love Cotto, and you can't complain about a guy taking a gimme fight after taking on Zab Judah and Shane Mosley last year and then with a potential date with Antonio Margarito looming for July, but this was a main event that reminded me of Jones vs. Ricky Frazier. Gimmes are OK, but not this bad. Bob Arum should know better, and HBO should have longer memories. ...
I've never had the impression that Antonio Margarito was a jerk before Saturday night. First mocking Kermit Cintron at the press conference about Cintron's crying episode after their first fight, and then his unsportsmanlike behavior after Cintron went down in the sixth round Saturday. Makes me want to root for Cotto even more come July.
As for Margarito's performance against Cintron it was simply spectacular. He reminded me a lot of a prime Julio Cesar Chavez the way he kept coming forward, taking very good shots without so much as a shrug and the way he pounded away at Cintron's body.
This was as good as I've seen him, and with the Cotto fight looming three months away, I have that fight as even money right now. ...
My favorite fight of the night was no doubt the opener, a six-round unanimous decision for Paterson, N.J.'s Richard Pierson over Puerto Rico's Angel David Gonzalez in a middleweight bout between two guys that are unlikely to ever receive main event status on such a card. It was just an all-out brawl for the 27-year-old Pierson (7-1), who was the only fighter on the card even with close to a local connection. Gonzalez (6-5-1) is a tough nut too, who would give any early-in-his-career middleweight prospect quite a scrap.
That was about it as far as excitement on the undercard. Give credit to Top Rank for putting as many Puerto Rican fighters on the crowd as possible. With the large Cotto crowd early in the arena it created a lot of excitement for some off-TV fights that usually are fought in front of a lot of empty seats.
Personally, I would have like to have seen a little more of a Jersey, Philly, New York flavor to some of the bouts held in Atlantic City, but what can you do?
Junior featherweight Jesus Rojas (11-0, 9 KOs), who is a Cotto protege from Caguas, Puerto Rico completely dismanted veteran Andres Ledesma in the final prelim, with a fourth-round bludgeoning. Rojas was the best looking prospect on the card.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Philly Classic: Franklin vs. Johnson I
Matthew Franklin vs. Marvin Johnson
Date: July 26, 1977
Site: The Spectrum, Philadelphia
At stake: NABF Light Heavyweight Title
Background:
Right around the same time that the fictional Rocky Balboa character was lighting up the movie screens with its depiction of a down-and-out prize fighter from Philadelphia turning his fortune around in the ring, a real life "Rocky" was doing similar things in real life.
Born Maxwell Antonio Loach in Philadelphia, after the death of his mother he was abandoned on the streets at age 5, before finding himself in the city's fostercare program. Because of a speech disorder, he couldn't pronounce his name. He was given the name "Matthew" because that was what it sounded like when he was trying to say "Maxwell" and the last name "Franklin" because he was found underneath the bypass to the Ben Franklin Parkway.
Franklin fell into life in street gangs, and at age 17, he found himself in prison. There, he started boxing, and after being released he found a boxing gym, and dedicated himself to the sport. He turned professional on Jan. 14, 1974, in the Philadelphia Spectrum with a second-round knockout of Billy Early. He won his first seven fights, before dropping a six-round decision in December to Wayne McGee. He then went 6-0-1 before losing a 10-round split decision to Marvin Camel in October 1976. By the time he signed to fight Marvin Johnson in the Spectrum in July 1977 for the vacant NABF light heavweight title, Franklin carried a 15-3-2 record.
As for his opponent, Johnson came from a poor background himself in Indianapolis, Indiana, and concluded a stellar amateur career with a bronze medal performance in the 1972 Munich Olympics. He later turned pro on May 22, 1973 with a second-round KO of Sylvester Wilder in Indianapolis. Johnson won his first 15 fights to set up his shot against Franklin, including three wins on Spectrum cards in Philly.
The Fight:
Franklin's body work won the first round, but for the most part the first eight rounds of the fight were dominated by Johnson, who seemingly couldn't miss with his powerful left upper-cut. The third round was non-stop action, with Johnson badly hurting Franklin early, before Franklin rallying to stagger Johnson later in the round. By the sixth and seventh rounds, it appeared that Franklin was slowing and that Johnson was in complete control.
That changed in the ninth as Johnson tired and was hurt late in the round by a big right-hand, and it seemed to alter the court of the fight. Late in the 11th, Franklin staggered Johnson with a combination and Johnson seemed out on his feet. The battering countinued in the 12th, and finally Franklin knocked down Johnson, and referee Ozzy Sadler counted Johnson out at 1:08, giving Franklin the come-from-behind victory and the regional title.
Reflections:
Watching the recording of the fight, the one thing that stood out to me more than anything else was the crowd. Philadelphia fans in 1977 were to their local fighters what Manchester, England fans are to Ricky Hatten 30 years later. As Franklin retook the momentum in the fight, the crowd seemed to carry him home.
In those days, now Hall of Fame promoter J. Russell Peltz hosted shows at the Spectrum every month. Often his shows featured middleweights like Bobby Watts, Willie Monroe, Bennie Briscoe, and a talented southpaw from Boston that none of the big names in the division wanted to fight named Marvin Hagler. But it was a good time for light heavyweight as well, as Franklin was from Philly, and across the bridge in New Jersey was the "Camden Buzzsaw" Dwight Braxton and a Brooklynite Eddie Gregory. Franklin was a great story and he made for great fights with his all-action style, complemented with great right-handed power and underrated boxing skills.
The Aftermath:
Franklin won six straight fights over the two years that followed his win over Johnson, including four NABF defenses, and five fights in the Spectrum. His 11th round TKO of veteran Yaqui Lopez in October 1978 earned him a shot at the WBC light heavyweight championship.
Johnson went 6-1 after the Franklin fight, the loss coming via a eight-round decision to Lotte Mwala in Yugoslavia. He rebounded with a 10-round decision over Jerry Celestine in New Orleans three months later, which earned him a shot at WBC light heavyweight champion Mate Parlov in Italy. Johnson stopped Parlov in 10 to earn his first world championship.
In Johnson's first defense, he again met Matthew Franklin, this time in Indianapolis, and another all-out slugfest incurred. Again, it was Franklin who emerged with the win, an eight-round TKO that was the pinnacle of a dream that began for the abandoned orphan from the streets of Philadelphia in prison.
Shortly after, Franklin changed his named legally to Matthew Saad Muhammad, and proceeded to successfully defend his world championship eight times, before losing it to Dwight Muhammad Qawi (formerly Braxton) in Atlantic City in December 1981 via a 10th-round TKO stoppage.
The loss not only ended Saad Muhammad's title reign, it sent his career into a downward spiral that he never would recover from. Over the following 11 years, Saad Muhammad went 8-13-1, ending his career with a three-round TKO loss to Jason Waller in March 1992.
Six years later, Saad Muhammad was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, cementing his place as not only one of the greatest light heavyweights of a great light heavyweight era, but one of the great Philadelphia fighters of all time.
As for Marvin Johnson, two fights and 11 months after losing his title to Franklin, he won the WBA version of the light heavyweight championship with an 11th-round KO of Victor Galindez. Again, he didn't make a successful defense of his title, losing his belt to Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (formerly Gregory) four months later via an 11th-round TKO.
Four fights later, Johnson's run appeared over as he was knocked out by Michael Spinks. But from 1982-86, Johnson won 14 straight to earn another title shot, and for the third time he became a world champion, stopping Leslie Stewart on cuts in front of Johnson's hometown fans in Indianapolis. This time, he successfully defended the belt once, before losing it back to Stewart, May 23, 1987 on the island of Trinidad and Tobago. That would be his last fight, finishing a highly successful career with a 43-6 (35 KOs) record. He was the first three-time light heavyweight champion in the division's history.
Date: July 26, 1977
Site: The Spectrum, Philadelphia
At stake: NABF Light Heavyweight Title
Background:
Right around the same time that the fictional Rocky Balboa character was lighting up the movie screens with its depiction of a down-and-out prize fighter from Philadelphia turning his fortune around in the ring, a real life "Rocky" was doing similar things in real life.
Born Maxwell Antonio Loach in Philadelphia, after the death of his mother he was abandoned on the streets at age 5, before finding himself in the city's fostercare program. Because of a speech disorder, he couldn't pronounce his name. He was given the name "Matthew" because that was what it sounded like when he was trying to say "Maxwell" and the last name "Franklin" because he was found underneath the bypass to the Ben Franklin Parkway.
Franklin fell into life in street gangs, and at age 17, he found himself in prison. There, he started boxing, and after being released he found a boxing gym, and dedicated himself to the sport. He turned professional on Jan. 14, 1974, in the Philadelphia Spectrum with a second-round knockout of Billy Early. He won his first seven fights, before dropping a six-round decision in December to Wayne McGee. He then went 6-0-1 before losing a 10-round split decision to Marvin Camel in October 1976. By the time he signed to fight Marvin Johnson in the Spectrum in July 1977 for the vacant NABF light heavweight title, Franklin carried a 15-3-2 record.
As for his opponent, Johnson came from a poor background himself in Indianapolis, Indiana, and concluded a stellar amateur career with a bronze medal performance in the 1972 Munich Olympics. He later turned pro on May 22, 1973 with a second-round KO of Sylvester Wilder in Indianapolis. Johnson won his first 15 fights to set up his shot against Franklin, including three wins on Spectrum cards in Philly.
The Fight:
Franklin's body work won the first round, but for the most part the first eight rounds of the fight were dominated by Johnson, who seemingly couldn't miss with his powerful left upper-cut. The third round was non-stop action, with Johnson badly hurting Franklin early, before Franklin rallying to stagger Johnson later in the round. By the sixth and seventh rounds, it appeared that Franklin was slowing and that Johnson was in complete control.
That changed in the ninth as Johnson tired and was hurt late in the round by a big right-hand, and it seemed to alter the court of the fight. Late in the 11th, Franklin staggered Johnson with a combination and Johnson seemed out on his feet. The battering countinued in the 12th, and finally Franklin knocked down Johnson, and referee Ozzy Sadler counted Johnson out at 1:08, giving Franklin the come-from-behind victory and the regional title.
Reflections:
Watching the recording of the fight, the one thing that stood out to me more than anything else was the crowd. Philadelphia fans in 1977 were to their local fighters what Manchester, England fans are to Ricky Hatten 30 years later. As Franklin retook the momentum in the fight, the crowd seemed to carry him home.
In those days, now Hall of Fame promoter J. Russell Peltz hosted shows at the Spectrum every month. Often his shows featured middleweights like Bobby Watts, Willie Monroe, Bennie Briscoe, and a talented southpaw from Boston that none of the big names in the division wanted to fight named Marvin Hagler. But it was a good time for light heavyweight as well, as Franklin was from Philly, and across the bridge in New Jersey was the "Camden Buzzsaw" Dwight Braxton and a Brooklynite Eddie Gregory. Franklin was a great story and he made for great fights with his all-action style, complemented with great right-handed power and underrated boxing skills.
The Aftermath:
Franklin won six straight fights over the two years that followed his win over Johnson, including four NABF defenses, and five fights in the Spectrum. His 11th round TKO of veteran Yaqui Lopez in October 1978 earned him a shot at the WBC light heavyweight championship.
Johnson went 6-1 after the Franklin fight, the loss coming via a eight-round decision to Lotte Mwala in Yugoslavia. He rebounded with a 10-round decision over Jerry Celestine in New Orleans three months later, which earned him a shot at WBC light heavyweight champion Mate Parlov in Italy. Johnson stopped Parlov in 10 to earn his first world championship.
In Johnson's first defense, he again met Matthew Franklin, this time in Indianapolis, and another all-out slugfest incurred. Again, it was Franklin who emerged with the win, an eight-round TKO that was the pinnacle of a dream that began for the abandoned orphan from the streets of Philadelphia in prison.
Shortly after, Franklin changed his named legally to Matthew Saad Muhammad, and proceeded to successfully defend his world championship eight times, before losing it to Dwight Muhammad Qawi (formerly Braxton) in Atlantic City in December 1981 via a 10th-round TKO stoppage.
The loss not only ended Saad Muhammad's title reign, it sent his career into a downward spiral that he never would recover from. Over the following 11 years, Saad Muhammad went 8-13-1, ending his career with a three-round TKO loss to Jason Waller in March 1992.
Six years later, Saad Muhammad was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, cementing his place as not only one of the greatest light heavyweights of a great light heavyweight era, but one of the great Philadelphia fighters of all time.
As for Marvin Johnson, two fights and 11 months after losing his title to Franklin, he won the WBA version of the light heavyweight championship with an 11th-round KO of Victor Galindez. Again, he didn't make a successful defense of his title, losing his belt to Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (formerly Gregory) four months later via an 11th-round TKO.
Four fights later, Johnson's run appeared over as he was knocked out by Michael Spinks. But from 1982-86, Johnson won 14 straight to earn another title shot, and for the third time he became a world champion, stopping Leslie Stewart on cuts in front of Johnson's hometown fans in Indianapolis. This time, he successfully defended the belt once, before losing it back to Stewart, May 23, 1987 on the island of Trinidad and Tobago. That would be his last fight, finishing a highly successful career with a 43-6 (35 KOs) record. He was the first three-time light heavyweight champion in the division's history.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Back at the Blue Horizon on Friday
Heavyweight Joey Abell will headline a card at the Legendary Blue Horizon in North Philadelphia on Friday night (April 11), taking on Philadelphia journeyman Maurice Wheeler in an eight-rounder.
Abell (19-1, 18 KOs) fights out of Coon Rapids, Minn. and is riding a nine-fight winning streak dating back to a first-round knockout loss at the Blue in Dec. 2006 to Arron Lyons. In all, the 6-foot-5 Abell has fought eight times at the Blue, including a first-round KO of Levon Walker in September.
Wheeler (10-11-1, 5 KOs), a 37-year-old southpaw, is on a seven-fight losing streak, including losses to David Tua, DaVarryl Williamson, Jason Estrada and Tony Thompson.
In another eight-rounder, Philadelphia middleweight Gee Cullmer (13-1, 3 KOs) takes on Anthony Little. The 32-year-old Cullmer, a staple at the Blue, is riding a 8-0 stretch dating back to 1984, including a six-round decision of John Michael Terry in February. Little (7-10-1), of Akron, Ohio, appears to be another gimme for Cullmer, who has fought 10 fighters with losing records in his 14-fight, eight-year career.
In all, a 10-bout card is scheduled, featuring plenty of Philadelphia talent. It is being promoted by Vernoca L. Michael’s Blue Horizon Boxing Promotions, Inc. Tickets are still available, ranging from $45 to $200. For more information, call 215-763-0500 or 800-298-4200. The first bout begins at 7:30 p.m. The Blue Horizon is located at 1314 North Broad Street in Philadelphia.
National Guard Armory, April 18
Greg Robinson’s Power Productions will feature unbeaten super featherweight prospect Rashiem Jefferson (15-0-1, 6 KOs) in a 12-round bout at the Pennsylvania National Guard Armory in Northeast Philadelphia on April 18.
Jefferson will take on Jose Hernandez (10-6-1, 4 KOs) of Atlanta in the main event. Jefferson, 25, hasn’t fought since a six-round decision over Juan Manuel Matias in Louisville, Kent. in October.
Also on the card is Philadelphia super middleweight Rasheem Brown (18-3, 15 KOs), who will take on Jameel Wilson (13-12-3, 8 KOs), in a 10-round bout. Brown is -4-3 since starting his career with 14 straight wins. He’s coming off a third-round stoppage of Jose Medina at the Blue Horizon in January.
Unbeaten welterweight Ray Robinson is also expected to fight on the seven-fight card.
The National Guard Armory is located at 2700 Southampton Road in Philadelphia, just off of Roosevelt Boulevard (Route 1), near Byberry Road.
Also …
Top Rank will host a card at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on Friday (April 11), with welterweights Jesus Soto Karass and Chris Smith in the main event, and junior welterweight veterans Henry Bruseles and Ben Tackie in the co-feature. Telefutura will televise. …
One night later is the HBO doubleheader featuring Miguel Cotto vs. Alfonso Gomez and Kermit Cintron vs. Antonio Margarito at Boardwalk Hall. …
Philadelphia heavyweight Chazz Witherspoon (22-0, 15 KOs), who now resides in Paulsboro, N.J., takes on Domonic Jenkins at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on an ESPN2-televised card on April 16. …
Finally on April 19, hot Philadelphia welterweight prospect Danny Garcia (4-0, 4 KOs) fights on the Bernard Hopkins-Joe Calzaghe undercard at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Abell (19-1, 18 KOs) fights out of Coon Rapids, Minn. and is riding a nine-fight winning streak dating back to a first-round knockout loss at the Blue in Dec. 2006 to Arron Lyons. In all, the 6-foot-5 Abell has fought eight times at the Blue, including a first-round KO of Levon Walker in September.
Wheeler (10-11-1, 5 KOs), a 37-year-old southpaw, is on a seven-fight losing streak, including losses to David Tua, DaVarryl Williamson, Jason Estrada and Tony Thompson.
In another eight-rounder, Philadelphia middleweight Gee Cullmer (13-1, 3 KOs) takes on Anthony Little. The 32-year-old Cullmer, a staple at the Blue, is riding a 8-0 stretch dating back to 1984, including a six-round decision of John Michael Terry in February. Little (7-10-1), of Akron, Ohio, appears to be another gimme for Cullmer, who has fought 10 fighters with losing records in his 14-fight, eight-year career.
In all, a 10-bout card is scheduled, featuring plenty of Philadelphia talent. It is being promoted by Vernoca L. Michael’s Blue Horizon Boxing Promotions, Inc. Tickets are still available, ranging from $45 to $200. For more information, call 215-763-0500 or 800-298-4200. The first bout begins at 7:30 p.m. The Blue Horizon is located at 1314 North Broad Street in Philadelphia.
National Guard Armory, April 18
Greg Robinson’s Power Productions will feature unbeaten super featherweight prospect Rashiem Jefferson (15-0-1, 6 KOs) in a 12-round bout at the Pennsylvania National Guard Armory in Northeast Philadelphia on April 18.
Jefferson will take on Jose Hernandez (10-6-1, 4 KOs) of Atlanta in the main event. Jefferson, 25, hasn’t fought since a six-round decision over Juan Manuel Matias in Louisville, Kent. in October.
Also on the card is Philadelphia super middleweight Rasheem Brown (18-3, 15 KOs), who will take on Jameel Wilson (13-12-3, 8 KOs), in a 10-round bout. Brown is -4-3 since starting his career with 14 straight wins. He’s coming off a third-round stoppage of Jose Medina at the Blue Horizon in January.
Unbeaten welterweight Ray Robinson is also expected to fight on the seven-fight card.
The National Guard Armory is located at 2700 Southampton Road in Philadelphia, just off of Roosevelt Boulevard (Route 1), near Byberry Road.
Also …
Top Rank will host a card at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on Friday (April 11), with welterweights Jesus Soto Karass and Chris Smith in the main event, and junior welterweight veterans Henry Bruseles and Ben Tackie in the co-feature. Telefutura will televise. …
One night later is the HBO doubleheader featuring Miguel Cotto vs. Alfonso Gomez and Kermit Cintron vs. Antonio Margarito at Boardwalk Hall. …
Philadelphia heavyweight Chazz Witherspoon (22-0, 15 KOs), who now resides in Paulsboro, N.J., takes on Domonic Jenkins at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on an ESPN2-televised card on April 16. …
Finally on April 19, hot Philadelphia welterweight prospect Danny Garcia (4-0, 4 KOs) fights on the Bernard Hopkins-Joe Calzaghe undercard at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Friday, April 4, 2008
In this Corner ...
Mike Jones returns May 9
Fresh off his national television debut a week ago, 25-year-old unbeaten welterweight Mike Jones has already signed up for his next fight, as he'll battle Gilbert Venegas at the New Alhambra in South Philadelphia on May 9.
Jones (13-0, 12 KOs) had knocked out his first 12 opponents before taking on Germaine Sanders on March 28 in Salamanca, NY in a fight televised on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. It was the first time many had a chance to see Jones in action, and while he didn't turn in a highlight reel knockout, he put forth a solid effort in taking an eight-round unanimous decision.
His next opponent, Venegas (10-5-3, 7 KOs), fights out of East Moline, Ill. by way of Texas, and is coming off a majority decision loss to Michel Rosales in El Paso last August. Venegas is 2-4-2 since coming off a four-year layoff from 2001-05.
The fight will be promoted by Joe Hand Promotions and Peltz Boxing, and will take place at the New Alhambra, located at Swanson & Ritner Streets, next to Forman Mills.
Quick Jabs
Yes, it was an entertaining scrap, but did anyone else think that unbeaten lightweight Hank Lundy was matched very tough last week against Darnell Jiles? In only his 11th professional fight, the 24-year-old Lundy (10-0-1, 6 KOs) was in the fight of his life against also unbeaten Jiles at the ESPN2 card in Salamanca. It was only a four-rounder, but these two legitimate lightweight prospect went toe-to-toe and many might argue that Jiles had the better of the action. It is very rare that management lets someone with Lundy's upside in such a difficult test this early in his career. Either way, however, it made for good television. By the way, Lundy is scheduled to fight John Mercogliano tonight in Lincoln, R.I. It likely will not make the ESPN2 telecast, which is headlined by Jason Estrada vs. Lance Whitaker. ...
Speaking of the former Olympian Estrada, I find it amazing that this guy continues to get main event TV fights. He has talent, no question, but he's followed up a disappointing effort at the 2004 Olympics with an inconsistent 12-fight start to his career, in which he's gone 11-1 with just two knockouts. He's been spoonfed regional TV dates by promoter Jimmy Burchfield, and when asked to step up against marginal prospect Travis Walker on ShoBox in November 2006, Estrada was dreadful in suffering his first career loss by majority decision. In a nutshell, Estrada has been up-and-down with his weight since turning pro - he's fighting at a career-low 236 against Whitaker - and his slap-and-move style is dreadful to watch. ...
Glad to hear that Versus will be televising Ricky Hatton-Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi-Lovemore Ndou from Manchester, England on May 24. It will be Hatton's first fight since losing to Floyd Mayweather in December, and it's good that it's on (relatively) free TV. Even better, the telecast will take place on a Saturday afternoon in the U.S., bringing back memories of Saturday afternoon free TV boxing for at least this writer, because it will be a Saturday night fight in England. It will be Versus' first card promoted by someone other than Top Rank, which is good news, because watching Bob Arum fighters take on no-hopers month-after-month has gotten old. Exactly how much Yuri Foreman and Tye Fields can one endure?
Finally, I had my first look at Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez III this week, and was very impressed by the level it was fought. It was a terrific fight, but unlike many pundits, I don't think it rivals Ward-Gatti I, Corrales-Castillo I or Barrera-Morales I as far as my favorite slugfests go. Needless to say, however, it's the leader in the clubhouse for Fight of the Year for 2008. Manny Pacquaio-Juan Manuel Marquez II isn't far behind, either.
By the way, if you haven't seen it, find a copy of George Foreman vs. Ron Lyle from January 1976. That, in my opinion, is the most underrated all-time great fight.
Fresh off his national television debut a week ago, 25-year-old unbeaten welterweight Mike Jones has already signed up for his next fight, as he'll battle Gilbert Venegas at the New Alhambra in South Philadelphia on May 9.
Jones (13-0, 12 KOs) had knocked out his first 12 opponents before taking on Germaine Sanders on March 28 in Salamanca, NY in a fight televised on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. It was the first time many had a chance to see Jones in action, and while he didn't turn in a highlight reel knockout, he put forth a solid effort in taking an eight-round unanimous decision.
His next opponent, Venegas (10-5-3, 7 KOs), fights out of East Moline, Ill. by way of Texas, and is coming off a majority decision loss to Michel Rosales in El Paso last August. Venegas is 2-4-2 since coming off a four-year layoff from 2001-05.
The fight will be promoted by Joe Hand Promotions and Peltz Boxing, and will take place at the New Alhambra, located at Swanson & Ritner Streets, next to Forman Mills.
Quick Jabs
Yes, it was an entertaining scrap, but did anyone else think that unbeaten lightweight Hank Lundy was matched very tough last week against Darnell Jiles? In only his 11th professional fight, the 24-year-old Lundy (10-0-1, 6 KOs) was in the fight of his life against also unbeaten Jiles at the ESPN2 card in Salamanca. It was only a four-rounder, but these two legitimate lightweight prospect went toe-to-toe and many might argue that Jiles had the better of the action. It is very rare that management lets someone with Lundy's upside in such a difficult test this early in his career. Either way, however, it made for good television. By the way, Lundy is scheduled to fight John Mercogliano tonight in Lincoln, R.I. It likely will not make the ESPN2 telecast, which is headlined by Jason Estrada vs. Lance Whitaker. ...
Speaking of the former Olympian Estrada, I find it amazing that this guy continues to get main event TV fights. He has talent, no question, but he's followed up a disappointing effort at the 2004 Olympics with an inconsistent 12-fight start to his career, in which he's gone 11-1 with just two knockouts. He's been spoonfed regional TV dates by promoter Jimmy Burchfield, and when asked to step up against marginal prospect Travis Walker on ShoBox in November 2006, Estrada was dreadful in suffering his first career loss by majority decision. In a nutshell, Estrada has been up-and-down with his weight since turning pro - he's fighting at a career-low 236 against Whitaker - and his slap-and-move style is dreadful to watch. ...
Glad to hear that Versus will be televising Ricky Hatton-Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi-Lovemore Ndou from Manchester, England on May 24. It will be Hatton's first fight since losing to Floyd Mayweather in December, and it's good that it's on (relatively) free TV. Even better, the telecast will take place on a Saturday afternoon in the U.S., bringing back memories of Saturday afternoon free TV boxing for at least this writer, because it will be a Saturday night fight in England. It will be Versus' first card promoted by someone other than Top Rank, which is good news, because watching Bob Arum fighters take on no-hopers month-after-month has gotten old. Exactly how much Yuri Foreman and Tye Fields can one endure?
Finally, I had my first look at Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez III this week, and was very impressed by the level it was fought. It was a terrific fight, but unlike many pundits, I don't think it rivals Ward-Gatti I, Corrales-Castillo I or Barrera-Morales I as far as my favorite slugfests go. Needless to say, however, it's the leader in the clubhouse for Fight of the Year for 2008. Manny Pacquaio-Juan Manuel Marquez II isn't far behind, either.
By the way, if you haven't seen it, find a copy of George Foreman vs. Ron Lyle from January 1976. That, in my opinion, is the most underrated all-time great fight.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Fighter Profile: Kermit Cintron
Kermit Cintron
Hometown: Wyomissing, PA
Division: Welterweight (147 pounds)
Records: 29-1 (27 KOs)
Titles: IBF Welterweight (Oct. 2006-present)
Trainer/Manager: Emanuel Steward
Promoter: Main Events
Next Fight: vs. Antonio Margarito (April 12, 2008, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, HBO)
What you might not know:
Cintron's background as an amateur wrestler is well known, but did you know that he also played football and ran track at William Tennent High School in Warminster, Bucks County, PA. He had the most success in wrestling where he reached the state regional tournament as a junior and senior. In Oct. 2006, he was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame.
Background:
Cintron was born in Carolinas, Puerto Rico. After the death of his mother at age 8, along with two brothers he moved to Warminster, PA with his uncle Ben Serrano, a Philadelphia-based middleweight of the early 1980s.
Following high school, he briefly attended Thaddeus Stevens College in Lancaster, PA, before seriously pursuing his boxing career at 19. He turned professional on Oct. 7, 2000 with a second-round knockout of Jesse Williams.
Notable Fights:
April 23, 2005, Las Vegas - vs. Antonio Margarito
In his first shot at a world title in a pay-per-view main event, Cintron came up short against Margarito, getting knocked down twice in the fourth round, before being stopped in the fifth when his corner threw in the towel. It was an awful night for Cintron, who was completely overwhelmed by a superior fighter.
July 17, 2004, Houston - vs. Teddy Reid
This was Cintron's HBO debut against the toughest opponent of his career and he didn't disappoint, winning a back-and-forth brawl with a sensational eighth round TKO.
July 14, 2007, Atlantic City - vs. Walter Matthysse
In the first defense of the IBF title that he won nine months earlier, Cintron just devastated Matthysse in two rounds, with a highlight reel knockout that has become a youtube favorite. The win put Cintron in position for bigger fights.
First Impressions:
On May 31, 2001, I covered Cintron's fight with Leon Pearson, a 9-0 welterweight from Detroit, at the Zembo Temple in Harrisburg, PA, and it was the first time in his young career that Cintron didn't knock out an opponent. He won a six-round decision in 10th pro fight, and at the time I remember thinking that I didn't see anything special as far as his potential.
My most vivid memory of the night, however, was speaking with his trainer Marshall Kauffman after the fight, and Kauffman, who is a very straight shooter out of Reading, PA who handled Cintron for most of his career, told me bluntly that Cintron had the potential to be another Bernard Hopkins or David Reid. I nearly dropped my tape recorder. Seven years later, and while equally the accomplishments of Hopkins in a tall-task, it's fair to say that he's already surpassed Reid, a former Olympic gold medal winner and world champion from Philadelphia.
More Thoughts:
I won't hide the fact that Cintron has helped my career, as it has enabled me to cover a sport I love and get paid for it. I've seen in fight in Harrisburg, Reading, Atlantic City, Houston and West Palm Beach, Fla. I've only dealt with him on a professional basis, but he appears to be a person that's easy to like, as he's polite, humble and he's come a long way in his comfort level in dealing witht he media.
Signing on with Hall of Fame promoter Manny Steward less than a year after the Margarito loss was a smart move professionally, from both a training and managerial level. With Steward, you're either a professional or you're gone, and no doubt working with the Detroit-based promoter of champions has helped mature Cintron as a fighter and person.
It was, however, a little sad to see his split with his Reading, PA-based team, namely Kauffman, who told me more than once that he loved Cintron like a son. As for the reason for the split, we can only speculate.
Cintron vs. Margarito II:
What has changed in three years?
For one, Cintron is 28 and more experienced as a fighter. He's improved under Steward technically. But this fight will be the ultimate test in almost every facet of Cintron's boxing game.
Technically, does he have any answers for Margarito? The Tijuana, Mexico fighter took a few rounds to break down Cintron in 2005, and then broke him down quickly an effeciently. He was the superior fighter in every way. Cintron's vaunted power was non-existent, because he never connected.
Mentally, has anything changed? Cintron broke down crying after the loss to Margarito and that left an impression on huge boxing fans. That he bounced back at all is a credit to his character. What happens if the going gets tough this time?
Hometown: Wyomissing, PA
Division: Welterweight (147 pounds)
Records: 29-1 (27 KOs)
Titles: IBF Welterweight (Oct. 2006-present)
Trainer/Manager: Emanuel Steward
Promoter: Main Events
Next Fight: vs. Antonio Margarito (April 12, 2008, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, HBO)
What you might not know:
Cintron's background as an amateur wrestler is well known, but did you know that he also played football and ran track at William Tennent High School in Warminster, Bucks County, PA. He had the most success in wrestling where he reached the state regional tournament as a junior and senior. In Oct. 2006, he was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame.
Background:
Cintron was born in Carolinas, Puerto Rico. After the death of his mother at age 8, along with two brothers he moved to Warminster, PA with his uncle Ben Serrano, a Philadelphia-based middleweight of the early 1980s.
Following high school, he briefly attended Thaddeus Stevens College in Lancaster, PA, before seriously pursuing his boxing career at 19. He turned professional on Oct. 7, 2000 with a second-round knockout of Jesse Williams.
Notable Fights:
April 23, 2005, Las Vegas - vs. Antonio Margarito
In his first shot at a world title in a pay-per-view main event, Cintron came up short against Margarito, getting knocked down twice in the fourth round, before being stopped in the fifth when his corner threw in the towel. It was an awful night for Cintron, who was completely overwhelmed by a superior fighter.
July 17, 2004, Houston - vs. Teddy Reid
This was Cintron's HBO debut against the toughest opponent of his career and he didn't disappoint, winning a back-and-forth brawl with a sensational eighth round TKO.
July 14, 2007, Atlantic City - vs. Walter Matthysse
In the first defense of the IBF title that he won nine months earlier, Cintron just devastated Matthysse in two rounds, with a highlight reel knockout that has become a youtube favorite. The win put Cintron in position for bigger fights.
First Impressions:
On May 31, 2001, I covered Cintron's fight with Leon Pearson, a 9-0 welterweight from Detroit, at the Zembo Temple in Harrisburg, PA, and it was the first time in his young career that Cintron didn't knock out an opponent. He won a six-round decision in 10th pro fight, and at the time I remember thinking that I didn't see anything special as far as his potential.
My most vivid memory of the night, however, was speaking with his trainer Marshall Kauffman after the fight, and Kauffman, who is a very straight shooter out of Reading, PA who handled Cintron for most of his career, told me bluntly that Cintron had the potential to be another Bernard Hopkins or David Reid. I nearly dropped my tape recorder. Seven years later, and while equally the accomplishments of Hopkins in a tall-task, it's fair to say that he's already surpassed Reid, a former Olympic gold medal winner and world champion from Philadelphia.
More Thoughts:
I won't hide the fact that Cintron has helped my career, as it has enabled me to cover a sport I love and get paid for it. I've seen in fight in Harrisburg, Reading, Atlantic City, Houston and West Palm Beach, Fla. I've only dealt with him on a professional basis, but he appears to be a person that's easy to like, as he's polite, humble and he's come a long way in his comfort level in dealing witht he media.
Signing on with Hall of Fame promoter Manny Steward less than a year after the Margarito loss was a smart move professionally, from both a training and managerial level. With Steward, you're either a professional or you're gone, and no doubt working with the Detroit-based promoter of champions has helped mature Cintron as a fighter and person.
It was, however, a little sad to see his split with his Reading, PA-based team, namely Kauffman, who told me more than once that he loved Cintron like a son. As for the reason for the split, we can only speculate.
Cintron vs. Margarito II:
What has changed in three years?
For one, Cintron is 28 and more experienced as a fighter. He's improved under Steward technically. But this fight will be the ultimate test in almost every facet of Cintron's boxing game.
Technically, does he have any answers for Margarito? The Tijuana, Mexico fighter took a few rounds to break down Cintron in 2005, and then broke him down quickly an effeciently. He was the superior fighter in every way. Cintron's vaunted power was non-existent, because he never connected.
Mentally, has anything changed? Cintron broke down crying after the loss to Margarito and that left an impression on huge boxing fans. That he bounced back at all is a credit to his character. What happens if the going gets tough this time?
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