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The timing buzzer can be heard from outside the red-brick former Salvation Army hall that houses Greenock Amateur Boxing Club.
When you venture inside, men, women and boys are engrossed in the serious business of press-ups, shadow boxing and slamming into the heavy bags.
The sound of the buzzer brings 60 seconds of relief before the group re-engage with their physical activities.
In charge of all of this is one of the busiest men in Scottish boxing, trainer Danny Lee. He holds down a full-time job away from the sport and spends evenings and weekends within it, at his club and with Scottish Amateur Boxing's development squads.
In the Greenock club, it helps when there's a former Olympic boxer on hand, but Danny Lee senior, 73, who fought at the 1960 Games, is too modest to share any stories of his efforts for Great Britain.
If he met Cassius Clay over in Rome, he's not for telling.
Instead, there are gloves to be laced, promising youngsters to be encouraged and an amateur show in the town hall to be arranged.
Together, Danny Lee and his dad are as steeped in boxing as a corner man's sponge. The pair are rightly proud of the club's most famous fighter, John Simpson, who faces Mongolia's Choi Tseveenpurev on the undercard of Ricky Burns' WBO lightweight title defence on 11 May in Glasgow's Emirates Arena.
"This is about the best John has been prepared," says Lee junior. "His weight is spot on.
"We have been watching footage of Choi. He is a very, very strong guy but we reckon we have seen a few flaws in his armour that we can exploit.
"I feel he could stop Choi - no-one has ever stopped him before. This is a great opportunity for John."
Lee senior rates Simpson highly. He believes he could have been a world champion by now but thinks it's still a realistic target. Simpson, 29, has won and lost British and Commonwealth titles at featherweight. His career record of 24 wins and nine losses suggests highs and lows: that would be a fair summary.
He first fought for the British strap in 2004 but lost to Dazzo Williams. He avenged an earlier defeat by Andy Morris to eventually lift the title in London in 2006 and successfully defended it a few times before losing to fellow Scot Paul Appleby two years later.
But he is not a man who takes defeat lightly. He fought his way back to win the Commonwealth title in January 2009 against Paul Truscott and came through two defences before Liverpool's Stephen Smith edged a close encounter in Glasgow in 2010.
Three months later he beat Martin Lindsay in Belfast to regain the British title. Fast forward another four months and old adversary Smith snatched that one from him too.
When Lee Selby thudded a punch into his ribs 16 months ago it was the first time he had been stopped and signalled the end of his time at featherweight.
However, by increasing his fighting weight by 4lb to box at super-featherweight, Simpson feels stronger.
Having stopped his last two opponents - Appleby and Dai Davies - he is confident ahead of his bout for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental title against Manchester based 41-year-old Tseveenpurev. "They were a big boost," says Simpson of that brace of victories.
"Paul was a good British champion at featherweight. He had beaten me before. I knocked him down twice in the fifth round.
"I've not got many stoppages so it was good to get two back to back.
"I am working with a strength and conditioning coach, Andy Armour, which has been going well, so I've got a lot more power and the weight issue isn't a problem now."
Tseveenpurev has won 36 of his 42 bouts and Simpson, though 12 years his junior, is taking nothing for granted.
He said: "He's got a good knockout ratio. He has stopped 24 or 25 of his opponents. He has won the Prizefighter and fought for a world title.
"He's getting on in age but he keeps himself in good shape so I am not expecting an easy fight at all.
"I think it is going to be one of my harder fights. "But I've heard he has been tiring in the last minute of each round.
"I'll train for the 12 rounds. I'll be ready for whatever he flings at me."
Tseveenpurev has a penchant for wearing furry Mongolian hats in the ring. Simpson's only extravagance is to have his sons' names embroidered on his shorts.
With two weeks until the bout he is relaxed after sparring sessions with Michael Roberts, Joe Ham and Robbie McKechnie.
So, with his guard down, would he allow himself to dream of winning major titles in his 30s?
"With Choi's knockout ratio I can't take anything for granted," says Simpson, who reveals that he is mandatory challenger for the British title.
"He punches really hard with both hands, he is strong, he doesn't come in to mess about.
"I'm not overlooking Choi but it would be great if I could get a world title shot. That would be the ultimate goal."
BBC Sport - Greenock boxer John Simpson still dreams of world title shot
When you venture inside, men, women and boys are engrossed in the serious business of press-ups, shadow boxing and slamming into the heavy bags.
The sound of the buzzer brings 60 seconds of relief before the group re-engage with their physical activities.
In charge of all of this is one of the busiest men in Scottish boxing, trainer Danny Lee. He holds down a full-time job away from the sport and spends evenings and weekends within it, at his club and with Scottish Amateur Boxing's development squads.
In the Greenock club, it helps when there's a former Olympic boxer on hand, but Danny Lee senior, 73, who fought at the 1960 Games, is too modest to share any stories of his efforts for Great Britain.
If he met Cassius Clay over in Rome, he's not for telling.
Instead, there are gloves to be laced, promising youngsters to be encouraged and an amateur show in the town hall to be arranged.
Together, Danny Lee and his dad are as steeped in boxing as a corner man's sponge. The pair are rightly proud of the club's most famous fighter, John Simpson, who faces Mongolia's Choi Tseveenpurev on the undercard of Ricky Burns' WBO lightweight title defence on 11 May in Glasgow's Emirates Arena.
"This is about the best John has been prepared," says Lee junior. "His weight is spot on.
"We have been watching footage of Choi. He is a very, very strong guy but we reckon we have seen a few flaws in his armour that we can exploit.
"I feel he could stop Choi - no-one has ever stopped him before. This is a great opportunity for John."
Lee senior rates Simpson highly. He believes he could have been a world champion by now but thinks it's still a realistic target. Simpson, 29, has won and lost British and Commonwealth titles at featherweight. His career record of 24 wins and nine losses suggests highs and lows: that would be a fair summary.
He first fought for the British strap in 2004 but lost to Dazzo Williams. He avenged an earlier defeat by Andy Morris to eventually lift the title in London in 2006 and successfully defended it a few times before losing to fellow Scot Paul Appleby two years later.
But he is not a man who takes defeat lightly. He fought his way back to win the Commonwealth title in January 2009 against Paul Truscott and came through two defences before Liverpool's Stephen Smith edged a close encounter in Glasgow in 2010.
Three months later he beat Martin Lindsay in Belfast to regain the British title. Fast forward another four months and old adversary Smith snatched that one from him too.
When Lee Selby thudded a punch into his ribs 16 months ago it was the first time he had been stopped and signalled the end of his time at featherweight.
However, by increasing his fighting weight by 4lb to box at super-featherweight, Simpson feels stronger.
Having stopped his last two opponents - Appleby and Dai Davies - he is confident ahead of his bout for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental title against Manchester based 41-year-old Tseveenpurev. "They were a big boost," says Simpson of that brace of victories.
"Paul was a good British champion at featherweight. He had beaten me before. I knocked him down twice in the fifth round.
"I've not got many stoppages so it was good to get two back to back.
"I am working with a strength and conditioning coach, Andy Armour, which has been going well, so I've got a lot more power and the weight issue isn't a problem now."
Tseveenpurev has won 36 of his 42 bouts and Simpson, though 12 years his junior, is taking nothing for granted.
He said: "He's got a good knockout ratio. He has stopped 24 or 25 of his opponents. He has won the Prizefighter and fought for a world title.
"He's getting on in age but he keeps himself in good shape so I am not expecting an easy fight at all.
"I think it is going to be one of my harder fights. "But I've heard he has been tiring in the last minute of each round.
"I'll train for the 12 rounds. I'll be ready for whatever he flings at me."
Tseveenpurev has a penchant for wearing furry Mongolian hats in the ring. Simpson's only extravagance is to have his sons' names embroidered on his shorts.
With two weeks until the bout he is relaxed after sparring sessions with Michael Roberts, Joe Ham and Robbie McKechnie.
So, with his guard down, would he allow himself to dream of winning major titles in his 30s?
"With Choi's knockout ratio I can't take anything for granted," says Simpson, who reveals that he is mandatory challenger for the British title.
"He punches really hard with both hands, he is strong, he doesn't come in to mess about.
"I'm not overlooking Choi but it would be great if I could get a world title shot. That would be the ultimate goal."
BBC Sport - Greenock boxer John Simpson still dreams of world title shot
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2006/12/07
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THIS weekend two heavyweights who few know and even less care about will step into the ring, dance around long enough for their cheques to clear, and then disappear again until the IBF, WBC, WTF or whomever it is they are fighting for tells them it is time to do it all over again.
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This is what has become of the heavyweight division.
So in a fit of nostalgia former four-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, still working under his trade name The Real Deal, was beamed live by satellite in Fox Sports' Back Page studio for a good old reminisce about what has become of the heavyweight scene. The interview will screen tonight.
Showing that he is never outboxed, Holyfield came up with the perfect opponent for Sunday's winner to fight next.
Evander Holyfield.
Now, to be honest, Back Page host Tony Squires, backed up by yours truly carrying the bucket and sponge, didn't have to push too hard to get 50-year-old Holyfield to claim himself as the only legitimate contender on the heavyweight horizon.
He has been saying that for years. Although such is the state of the heavyweight scene, and the continued dominance of 47-year-old light-heavyweight Bernard Hopkins, his grounds are almost solid.
"What's the difference? Three more years," Holyfield said.
"I think I can beat one of those guys.
"I'm not asking anybody to spot me two rounds. I'm saying I could beat them."
Holyfield subscribes to the old boxing maxim that every great fighter still has one great fight left in him, happily overlooking the fact that his one great fight might have already been used up 18 fights and 14 years ago, when he took it to Lennox Lewis first time around. Since then Holyfield has gone eight wins, seven losses, one draw and one no contest against men he wouldn't have had a problem with in his prime.
When Squires gently inquired about the chances of fighting for another title, coincidentally the one held by Sonny Bill Williams, Holyfield grimaced.
"With me, it don't put me on no level," he said.
"It don't make the game better for me.
"The thing is, I ain't got too many fights.
"I know I got one. I don't know if I have two."
Instead he is focusing on getting Wladimir Klitschko. This Sunday Klitschko defends his WBA, IBF and WBO titles against Francesco Pianeta, an Italian living in Germany, apparently.
Such fights, an anonymous opponent against an uninspiring champion, are why boxing is dying. "No one knows who the opponent is and no one has seen enough about the opponents to see if the guy's good enough," Holyfield said.
Ditto for the champion, to be truthful.
Holyfield fought wars against Riddick Bowe, lost part of his ear but won the fight against Mike Tyson, fought Lewis to a standstill, collected scalps such as Foreman and Holmes, and typified better than anybody during his era the gladiator spirit of the fight game.
"I actually think that I could still be the best," he said.
"My thing is, I'd fight for a championship, I wouldn't fight just to fight. I'm willing to prove that if you take care of yourself you can be one of the guys to do it."
He believes it with all he has, which might not be enough.
There's another boxing maxim he refuses to acknowledge: the fighter is always the last to know.
Why boxing is dying: Middle-aged heavyweight has-beens fighting for relevance | Perth Now
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This is what has become of the heavyweight division.
So in a fit of nostalgia former four-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, still working under his trade name The Real Deal, was beamed live by satellite in Fox Sports' Back Page studio for a good old reminisce about what has become of the heavyweight scene. The interview will screen tonight.
Showing that he is never outboxed, Holyfield came up with the perfect opponent for Sunday's winner to fight next.
Evander Holyfield.
Now, to be honest, Back Page host Tony Squires, backed up by yours truly carrying the bucket and sponge, didn't have to push too hard to get 50-year-old Holyfield to claim himself as the only legitimate contender on the heavyweight horizon.
He has been saying that for years. Although such is the state of the heavyweight scene, and the continued dominance of 47-year-old light-heavyweight Bernard Hopkins, his grounds are almost solid.
"What's the difference? Three more years," Holyfield said.
"I think I can beat one of those guys.
"I'm not asking anybody to spot me two rounds. I'm saying I could beat them."
Holyfield subscribes to the old boxing maxim that every great fighter still has one great fight left in him, happily overlooking the fact that his one great fight might have already been used up 18 fights and 14 years ago, when he took it to Lennox Lewis first time around. Since then Holyfield has gone eight wins, seven losses, one draw and one no contest against men he wouldn't have had a problem with in his prime.
When Squires gently inquired about the chances of fighting for another title, coincidentally the one held by Sonny Bill Williams, Holyfield grimaced.
"With me, it don't put me on no level," he said.
"It don't make the game better for me.
"The thing is, I ain't got too many fights.
"I know I got one. I don't know if I have two."
Instead he is focusing on getting Wladimir Klitschko. This Sunday Klitschko defends his WBA, IBF and WBO titles against Francesco Pianeta, an Italian living in Germany, apparently.
Such fights, an anonymous opponent against an uninspiring champion, are why boxing is dying. "No one knows who the opponent is and no one has seen enough about the opponents to see if the guy's good enough," Holyfield said.
Ditto for the champion, to be truthful.
Holyfield fought wars against Riddick Bowe, lost part of his ear but won the fight against Mike Tyson, fought Lewis to a standstill, collected scalps such as Foreman and Holmes, and typified better than anybody during his era the gladiator spirit of the fight game.
"I actually think that I could still be the best," he said.
"My thing is, I'd fight for a championship, I wouldn't fight just to fight. I'm willing to prove that if you take care of yourself you can be one of the guys to do it."
He believes it with all he has, which might not be enough.
There's another boxing maxim he refuses to acknowledge: the fighter is always the last to know.
Why boxing is dying: Middle-aged heavyweight has-beens fighting for relevance | Perth Now
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Robert Guerrero earned his shot at Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Saturday partly because he is the mandatory challenger to Mayweather's welterweight belt, and partly because, after calling him out for what seemed like years on end, the former featherweight proved he could compete at a high level at 147 pounds in a gritty win over Andre Berto last November.
Most observers were impressed by Guerrero's in-the-trenches, brawling win over Berto. Mayweather affects not to be one of them. "Any time you close both a guy's eyes, you're supposed to be able to finish him. But Berto was still able to close his eye," Mayweather sniffed during a conversation with reporters on Tuesday. "So I look at certain things like that, absolutely. Then I look at certain things like [Joel] Casamayor going the distance with him at age 40 [actually 39 when they fought in July 2010]. Is this guy on the same level as a Floyd Mayweather? Or having a dogfight with [Michael] Katsidis, and then you've got guys like [Juan Manuel] Marquez knocking Katsidis out.
"He was grappling when he fought Berto. I think Berto's a good fighter, but I don't think he has the movement of a Floyd Mayweather. He don't have the angles I move. I don't think his résumé is like mine. Is Andre Berto a better fighter than Miguel Cotto [whom Mayweather defeated last May 5]? Ask yourself that question. Do you think Andre Berto can go the distance with Miguel Cotto? Absolutely not. I'm not saying he's not a good fighter, but he won't be able to go the distance with a Miguel Cotto that's in top shape like he was when he fought me."
Floyd downplays Guerrero's win vs. Berto - Boxing Blog - ESPN
Most observers were impressed by Guerrero's in-the-trenches, brawling win over Berto. Mayweather affects not to be one of them. "Any time you close both a guy's eyes, you're supposed to be able to finish him. But Berto was still able to close his eye," Mayweather sniffed during a conversation with reporters on Tuesday. "So I look at certain things like that, absolutely. Then I look at certain things like [Joel] Casamayor going the distance with him at age 40 [actually 39 when they fought in July 2010]. Is this guy on the same level as a Floyd Mayweather? Or having a dogfight with [Michael] Katsidis, and then you've got guys like [Juan Manuel] Marquez knocking Katsidis out.
"He was grappling when he fought Berto. I think Berto's a good fighter, but I don't think he has the movement of a Floyd Mayweather. He don't have the angles I move. I don't think his résumé is like mine. Is Andre Berto a better fighter than Miguel Cotto [whom Mayweather defeated last May 5]? Ask yourself that question. Do you think Andre Berto can go the distance with Miguel Cotto? Absolutely not. I'm not saying he's not a good fighter, but he won't be able to go the distance with a Miguel Cotto that's in top shape like he was when he fought me."
Floyd downplays Guerrero's win vs. Berto - Boxing Blog - ESPN
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Audley to come out of retirement before 2015 was reckoned to be a 5-1 bet; Audley to appear on a reality TV show was evens; Audley to be 2013 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, however, was a 5000-1 shot.
That was Audley Harrison, then, dismissed even as he departed the scene as a joke figure, an opportunity for the bookies to snigger. No change there then. Indeed the overwhelming response to his decision to quit was summed up by a friend who sent this text: “Audley Harrison has announced his retirement: who knew he was still fighting?”
Probably his opponents might struggle to recall he was in the ring with them. His last three serious fights ended in first-round knockouts; in the final one last Saturday night at the Sheffield Arena he was separated from consciousness within 70 seconds of engaging with the American Deontay Wilder.
Shorter, lighter and substantially less, well, substantial, Wilder nonetheless annihilated Harrison. But then as the man known as Fraudley demonstrated in that scrap, he was not a fighter who profitably employed his significant physical attributes. Though his critics – and he had plenty – would shorten that description into the more simple observation: he was not a fighter.
Hapless he may have been. Hopeless were his chances of achieving serious renown. And yet, looking back across his career, how we wanted him to be a champion. In 2000, when he blasted all opposition away to win Britain’s first ever gold medal in the superheavyweight division at the Sydney Olympics, it really did seem as if we – a nation so often derided for the quality of our horizontal heavyweights – had a proper contender on our hands. London-born, bright, personable, at 6ft 5in, 18st and apparently sculpted by Michaelangelo, he appeared to offer everything we craved in the most visceral of sporting domains.
The thing was: he knew it. The one thing nobody could accuse Harrison of being is dumb. He appreciated he was filling a hole in a national ambition, a hole which could be quickly turned to financial advantage. He did it almost as he stepped from the plane back from Australia.
As it happened, that £1 million contract he signed with the BBC immediately on his return from Sydney turned out not the corporation’s finest piece of rights acquisition. Especially when his first four televised professional opponents consisted of a private investigator, a factory worker, a part-time nightclub bouncer and a former publican who ran a car park near Bristol airport. But at least, as he became the staple of many a comedy routine, he could comfort himself with the thought he had made his nest egg.
Not that he shied away from those who doubted him; Harrison always talked a good game. Never mind the gaping chasm between fact and wish-fulfilment, he happily ramped himself up as a natural inheritor of the belts once worn by Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. And time after time the British public bought the possibility, desperate in their hope that one day he might actually do it.
The trouble was Harrison entered the ring missing a couple of crucial pieces of the boxer’s kit. He lacked heart and he lacked spite. That does not make him a bad person, but it made him a bad boxer. Whatever his physical attributes, he simply appeared not to be driven by the necessary desire to do his opponent harm. Occasionally, such as when he beat Michael Sprott to take the European title in 2010, his enormous scale was enough. All too often, the moment he was confronted by anyone of substance, he was horribly found out. All too often the Rocky story we hoped he might personify descended into pantomime.
Against David Haye, for instance, in a world championship bout in November 2010, he was knocked down in the third round. That could happen to anyone.
But what infuriated so many of those watching more in hope than expectation was that, while still vertical, he landed only one punch. At the ringside, his fellow heavyweight Derek Chisora was damning. “I’d never show my face again if I fought like that,” Chisora ranted. “He disgraced himself and he disgraced British heavyweights.”
You only had to see the excitement generated by Andrew Flintoff’s foray into the ring last year to see how much the British sporting public craves a big man to get behind. Flintoff’s was a television stunt yet still the stands were packed.
That was why Harrison for so long could maintain the idea that he was contender: we wanted him to be one. Never mind the track record, never mind the jokes, whenever he made his ringwalk we all hoped together that this would be the time he would finally show the world and do it. That was what we wanted him to do: succeed.
Instead he has retired as a reverse role model. After Anthony Joshua won superheavyweight gold at the London Olympics, he was advised not to “to an Audley”. It was suggested, given what happened to Harrison, Joshua would be better off learning more of his craft before he risked the brutal exposure of the professional ring. Which is precisely what he has done.
Harrison, meanwhile, has been left to contemplate what might have been. He was typically astute in his retirement statement.
“There are only so many times you can fall before it becomes foolhardy to continue,” he said. “I’ve fallen a lot, but winning the heavyweight title was a destination I really wanted to get to.”
He is 41 years old, we now know it will never happen. In truth, if we were honest, we knew when he was a hulking 27-year-old prospect with a gold medal round his neck that it was not going to happen. We just wished it might. And that constituted both Harrison’s problem and his pay packet.
Audley Harrison announces decision to retire from boxing: the Rocky story that became a comedy - Telegraph
That was Audley Harrison, then, dismissed even as he departed the scene as a joke figure, an opportunity for the bookies to snigger. No change there then. Indeed the overwhelming response to his decision to quit was summed up by a friend who sent this text: “Audley Harrison has announced his retirement: who knew he was still fighting?”
Probably his opponents might struggle to recall he was in the ring with them. His last three serious fights ended in first-round knockouts; in the final one last Saturday night at the Sheffield Arena he was separated from consciousness within 70 seconds of engaging with the American Deontay Wilder.
Shorter, lighter and substantially less, well, substantial, Wilder nonetheless annihilated Harrison. But then as the man known as Fraudley demonstrated in that scrap, he was not a fighter who profitably employed his significant physical attributes. Though his critics – and he had plenty – would shorten that description into the more simple observation: he was not a fighter.
Hapless he may have been. Hopeless were his chances of achieving serious renown. And yet, looking back across his career, how we wanted him to be a champion. In 2000, when he blasted all opposition away to win Britain’s first ever gold medal in the superheavyweight division at the Sydney Olympics, it really did seem as if we – a nation so often derided for the quality of our horizontal heavyweights – had a proper contender on our hands. London-born, bright, personable, at 6ft 5in, 18st and apparently sculpted by Michaelangelo, he appeared to offer everything we craved in the most visceral of sporting domains.
The thing was: he knew it. The one thing nobody could accuse Harrison of being is dumb. He appreciated he was filling a hole in a national ambition, a hole which could be quickly turned to financial advantage. He did it almost as he stepped from the plane back from Australia.
As it happened, that £1 million contract he signed with the BBC immediately on his return from Sydney turned out not the corporation’s finest piece of rights acquisition. Especially when his first four televised professional opponents consisted of a private investigator, a factory worker, a part-time nightclub bouncer and a former publican who ran a car park near Bristol airport. But at least, as he became the staple of many a comedy routine, he could comfort himself with the thought he had made his nest egg.
Not that he shied away from those who doubted him; Harrison always talked a good game. Never mind the gaping chasm between fact and wish-fulfilment, he happily ramped himself up as a natural inheritor of the belts once worn by Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. And time after time the British public bought the possibility, desperate in their hope that one day he might actually do it.
The trouble was Harrison entered the ring missing a couple of crucial pieces of the boxer’s kit. He lacked heart and he lacked spite. That does not make him a bad person, but it made him a bad boxer. Whatever his physical attributes, he simply appeared not to be driven by the necessary desire to do his opponent harm. Occasionally, such as when he beat Michael Sprott to take the European title in 2010, his enormous scale was enough. All too often, the moment he was confronted by anyone of substance, he was horribly found out. All too often the Rocky story we hoped he might personify descended into pantomime.
Against David Haye, for instance, in a world championship bout in November 2010, he was knocked down in the third round. That could happen to anyone.
But what infuriated so many of those watching more in hope than expectation was that, while still vertical, he landed only one punch. At the ringside, his fellow heavyweight Derek Chisora was damning. “I’d never show my face again if I fought like that,” Chisora ranted. “He disgraced himself and he disgraced British heavyweights.”
You only had to see the excitement generated by Andrew Flintoff’s foray into the ring last year to see how much the British sporting public craves a big man to get behind. Flintoff’s was a television stunt yet still the stands were packed.
That was why Harrison for so long could maintain the idea that he was contender: we wanted him to be one. Never mind the track record, never mind the jokes, whenever he made his ringwalk we all hoped together that this would be the time he would finally show the world and do it. That was what we wanted him to do: succeed.
Instead he has retired as a reverse role model. After Anthony Joshua won superheavyweight gold at the London Olympics, he was advised not to “to an Audley”. It was suggested, given what happened to Harrison, Joshua would be better off learning more of his craft before he risked the brutal exposure of the professional ring. Which is precisely what he has done.
Harrison, meanwhile, has been left to contemplate what might have been. He was typically astute in his retirement statement.
“There are only so many times you can fall before it becomes foolhardy to continue,” he said. “I’ve fallen a lot, but winning the heavyweight title was a destination I really wanted to get to.”
He is 41 years old, we now know it will never happen. In truth, if we were honest, we knew when he was a hulking 27-year-old prospect with a gold medal round his neck that it was not going to happen. We just wished it might. And that constituted both Harrison’s problem and his pay packet.
Audley Harrison announces decision to retire from boxing: the Rocky story that became a comedy - Telegraph
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USA Boxing has added coaching veteran John Dussliere to the organization’s staff in the newly created position of Sport Director. A former member of USA Swimming’s Olympic staff, Dussliere brings over two decades in elite coaching experience and success to USA Boxing. He will work closely with International Teaching Coach Pedro Roque to develop and execute high performance strategy for USA Boxing’s elite athletes in conjunction with efforts at the grassroots level.
“USA Boxing is moving in a new and positive direction in numerous areas, and adding John to our team is an important component of our new structure. His skills and experience will allow us to develop and implement a successful high performance strategy from the grassroots up through the elite level,” said USA Boxing Executive Director Anthony Bartkowski. “With his strong knowledge in the Olympic movement and elite athlete development, John will bring a unique perspective to the USA Boxing team as we prepare our athletes for international competition.”
Dussliere has coached in the competitive swimming industry for 25 years, guiding athletes at every level of their development. The head coach for the men’s open water team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Dussliere developed the first US Open Water 10k Olympic marathon swimmer. He has been highly involved in developing coaching education systems for USA Swimming and will utilize his past experience to help create a new program for USA Boxing. One of the numerous initiatives Dussliere will guide, the new structure will assist in managing and educating the organization’s vast networks of coaches.
“USA Boxing has the best athletes, coaches, and support team in the sport of boxing and we are currently working to get everyone on the same path to success. From what I have seen so far, that won’t take long,” Dussliere said. “Sport science and formal coaching education is a clear and critical part of supporting today’s Olympic caliber athlete. This will be our X factor as we regain the podium for Team USA.”
In his new role, Dussliere will interact regularly with USA Boxing’s elite athletes and personal coaches to help provide the necessary tools for their success both domestically and internationally. With the large number of training camps and international events in 2013, Dussliere will introduce new programs and standards for all the athletes and coaches representing Team USA across the globe.
Dussliere attended the 2013 USA Boxing National Championships shortly after stepping into his new role with USA Boxing, and he introduced the new programs and concepts USA Boxing will be implementing for all of its top athletes and events.
A native of East Moline, Ill., Dussliere spent several years in California prior to moving to Colorado six months ago.
USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
John Dussliere added to USA Boxing staff
“USA Boxing is moving in a new and positive direction in numerous areas, and adding John to our team is an important component of our new structure. His skills and experience will allow us to develop and implement a successful high performance strategy from the grassroots up through the elite level,” said USA Boxing Executive Director Anthony Bartkowski. “With his strong knowledge in the Olympic movement and elite athlete development, John will bring a unique perspective to the USA Boxing team as we prepare our athletes for international competition.”
Dussliere has coached in the competitive swimming industry for 25 years, guiding athletes at every level of their development. The head coach for the men’s open water team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Dussliere developed the first US Open Water 10k Olympic marathon swimmer. He has been highly involved in developing coaching education systems for USA Swimming and will utilize his past experience to help create a new program for USA Boxing. One of the numerous initiatives Dussliere will guide, the new structure will assist in managing and educating the organization’s vast networks of coaches.
“USA Boxing has the best athletes, coaches, and support team in the sport of boxing and we are currently working to get everyone on the same path to success. From what I have seen so far, that won’t take long,” Dussliere said. “Sport science and formal coaching education is a clear and critical part of supporting today’s Olympic caliber athlete. This will be our X factor as we regain the podium for Team USA.”
In his new role, Dussliere will interact regularly with USA Boxing’s elite athletes and personal coaches to help provide the necessary tools for their success both domestically and internationally. With the large number of training camps and international events in 2013, Dussliere will introduce new programs and standards for all the athletes and coaches representing Team USA across the globe.
Dussliere attended the 2013 USA Boxing National Championships shortly after stepping into his new role with USA Boxing, and he introduced the new programs and concepts USA Boxing will be implementing for all of its top athletes and events.
A native of East Moline, Ill., Dussliere spent several years in California prior to moving to Colorado six months ago.
USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
John Dussliere added to USA Boxing staff
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The first bell of the most important round yet of his tangled, tested, tumultuous promotional career will sound June 20 in Essington. When he hears it, Damon Feldman will have done what he always knew he could do. He will have refused to go down.
A fighter and a salesman always, Feldman has done nothing if not roll all-things-violence through Delaware County, from tough men to celebrities, from amateurs to pros, from former child TV stars fighting ex-football players to the Octomom swinging pillows in a taproom. All along, though, he had one fight plan: To succeed, as his legendary father Marty Feldman had succeeded, in real, professional boxing.
He is ready.
Having survived charges of fixing celebrity fights and arranging bootleg bouts, and having punched himself off many legal ropes, Feldman has regained his license to promote in Pennsylvania. With a powerful stable of backers including ring legends Tyrell Biggs, Meldrick Taylor, Calvin Grove and Buster Drayton, U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, D-1, of Philadelphia, and various combatants against bullying and autism, Feldman is starting the “Champions of Tomorrow” series. The first event is scheduled for late June at The Deck.
All of which makes Feldman something of a champion of today.
“I am allllllmossssst there,” he was saying Thursday. “I am happy as can be. I was depressed. I lost my wife. I lost a lot. The last three years have been a little emotional. But I am a fighter, man. I want to make it my life. I want to make it big. And there is nothing stopping me. That night, I just might be in tears, I will be so excited.”
The card will be club-fight-ish, mostly up-and-comers, a couple of familiar names. The bout sheet has yet to be printed, but popular area pros Joey Tiberi and Tim Witherspoon Jr. were at the welcome-back-Damon press hullabaloo at Anthony’s Restaurant and are expected to headline. The fight game is in Feldman’s blood, not much of it spilled during his 9-0 professional career. Entertainment should ensue.
But with the fights, there are other battles. That’s why Dr. Claudio Cerullo of Teach Anti-Bullying was there, too, as was Aldan’s Mike Squillacioti of Boxing Against Bullying. It’s why there will be a cut of the profits going to fight autism. And it is why Brady threw his own uppercuts of support.
“How can you not be behind a fight against autism?” the congressman said. “And a lot of it goes hand-in-hand, because these kids who have autism issues get bullied because they are a little different when they are younger. Unfortunately, kids growing up don’t have that sense of respect for other kids. They like to tease back and forth. Some kids tease more than others. So it’s hand-in-hand, the autism and the bullying. And bullying is a big, big thing now. This is a great thing. When Damon called me and told me he was doing this, I said, ‘Absolutely, I will be a part of it.’ He is a friend of mine. His family has been friends of mine for years, and it is really good that they are doing something for two causes that can really use the help.”
Feldman expects — no, he promises — to craft six world champions within three years from a series he says will be televised locally on cable Channel 4. And while such boasts are common — and too often soundly bloodied — in his sport, the boxing constellation on State Road Thursday did have the attention-grabbing power of the smelling salt.
Feldman expects — no, he promises — to craft six world champions within three years from a series he says will be televised locally on cable Channel 4. And while such boasts are common — and too often soundly bloodied — in his sport, the boxing constellation on State Road Thursday did have the attention-grabbing power of the smelling salt.
“Me and Damon go a long, long, long way back,” said Biggs, who once fought Mike Tyson for three world title belts in Atlantic City. “Damon let me know that he was involved with the Champions of Tomorrow, and I thought it was a good thing. Boxing is a little low. This will be something that can lift it back up, get it in the spotlight.”
Feldman was up, then down, then way down, and is up again, licensed, with good causes.
“This is do-able,” Meldrick Taylor said. “It can happen.”
It is only one bell away.
McCAFFERY: Boxing promoter Damon Feldman keeps picking himself up off the mat (With Video) - delcotimes-com
A fighter and a salesman always, Feldman has done nothing if not roll all-things-violence through Delaware County, from tough men to celebrities, from amateurs to pros, from former child TV stars fighting ex-football players to the Octomom swinging pillows in a taproom. All along, though, he had one fight plan: To succeed, as his legendary father Marty Feldman had succeeded, in real, professional boxing.
He is ready.
Having survived charges of fixing celebrity fights and arranging bootleg bouts, and having punched himself off many legal ropes, Feldman has regained his license to promote in Pennsylvania. With a powerful stable of backers including ring legends Tyrell Biggs, Meldrick Taylor, Calvin Grove and Buster Drayton, U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, D-1, of Philadelphia, and various combatants against bullying and autism, Feldman is starting the “Champions of Tomorrow” series. The first event is scheduled for late June at The Deck.
All of which makes Feldman something of a champion of today.
“I am allllllmossssst there,” he was saying Thursday. “I am happy as can be. I was depressed. I lost my wife. I lost a lot. The last three years have been a little emotional. But I am a fighter, man. I want to make it my life. I want to make it big. And there is nothing stopping me. That night, I just might be in tears, I will be so excited.”
The card will be club-fight-ish, mostly up-and-comers, a couple of familiar names. The bout sheet has yet to be printed, but popular area pros Joey Tiberi and Tim Witherspoon Jr. were at the welcome-back-Damon press hullabaloo at Anthony’s Restaurant and are expected to headline. The fight game is in Feldman’s blood, not much of it spilled during his 9-0 professional career. Entertainment should ensue.
But with the fights, there are other battles. That’s why Dr. Claudio Cerullo of Teach Anti-Bullying was there, too, as was Aldan’s Mike Squillacioti of Boxing Against Bullying. It’s why there will be a cut of the profits going to fight autism. And it is why Brady threw his own uppercuts of support.
“How can you not be behind a fight against autism?” the congressman said. “And a lot of it goes hand-in-hand, because these kids who have autism issues get bullied because they are a little different when they are younger. Unfortunately, kids growing up don’t have that sense of respect for other kids. They like to tease back and forth. Some kids tease more than others. So it’s hand-in-hand, the autism and the bullying. And bullying is a big, big thing now. This is a great thing. When Damon called me and told me he was doing this, I said, ‘Absolutely, I will be a part of it.’ He is a friend of mine. His family has been friends of mine for years, and it is really good that they are doing something for two causes that can really use the help.”
Feldman expects — no, he promises — to craft six world champions within three years from a series he says will be televised locally on cable Channel 4. And while such boasts are common — and too often soundly bloodied — in his sport, the boxing constellation on State Road Thursday did have the attention-grabbing power of the smelling salt.
Feldman expects — no, he promises — to craft six world champions within three years from a series he says will be televised locally on cable Channel 4. And while such boasts are common — and too often soundly bloodied — in his sport, the boxing constellation on State Road Thursday did have the attention-grabbing power of the smelling salt.
“Me and Damon go a long, long, long way back,” said Biggs, who once fought Mike Tyson for three world title belts in Atlantic City. “Damon let me know that he was involved with the Champions of Tomorrow, and I thought it was a good thing. Boxing is a little low. This will be something that can lift it back up, get it in the spotlight.”
Feldman was up, then down, then way down, and is up again, licensed, with good causes.
“This is do-able,” Meldrick Taylor said. “It can happen.”
It is only one bell away.
McCAFFERY: Boxing promoter Damon Feldman keeps picking himself up off the mat (With Video) - delcotimes-com
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Floyd Mayweather vs Robert Guerrero fight. We are coming to you ringside from the MGM Grand Theater in Las Vegas – a venue that has become a veritable second home for Floyd.
With all the different sanctioning bodies and weight classes, titles don’t mean as much today as they have in years past, though this one is for Mayweather’s WBC welterweight crown.
For years, experts went back and forth as to whether Pacquiao or Mayweather was the best fighter on the planet, but after Pacquiao’s dramatic loss to Marquez in December – a boxer whom Mayweather easily defeated- Mayweather has become universally recognized as the king of all boxing kings. He is 43-0, with 26 KOs.
Mayweather, who is now 36, has not tussled since last May when he won a unanimous decision over Miguel Cotto.
Guerrero is 31-1-1, with 18 knockouts. In November of 2012 the fighter known as “The Ghost” won an epic battle over Andre Berto, a speedy and explosive puncher who adopted a Mayweather-type style for the fight.
A southpaw, Guerrero is a high volume puncher who has been averaging 71 punches per round; the welterweight average is 58. He has been averaging 46 power punches per round with a 39 plus percentage connecting.
Mayweather is one of the best defensive fighters to ever lace up the gloves. His opponents only land with 17 percent of their punches and when they miss, "Money" Mayweather makes them pay big time, with his explosive counter right and check hook – which he fires in retreat.
Some of the questions in the fight are: Will Mayweather have a lot of ring rust, and, at 36 has he lost a step? Will Guerrero be able to pressure Mayweather without running into incoming shots that will put an end to the fight? Will Mayweather have more trouble than usual because Guerrero is a southpaw?
Though Mayweather is a heavy favorite, there can be no doubt that it is an exciting matchup.
But before we get to the main dish, we have some appetizers that look pretty good.
Daniel Ponce De Leon (44-4, 35 KOs) will be defending his featherweight title against the sensational Abner Mares (25-0-1, 13 KOs)
And Leo Santa Cruz (23-0-1, 13 KOs) another rising star out of the growing Golden Boy stable – will be toeing the line against the hard punching Alexander Munoz, (36-4, 28 KOs).
Boxing Live Blog: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Robert Guerrero, MGM Grand Las Vegas - The Daily Fix - WSJ
With all the different sanctioning bodies and weight classes, titles don’t mean as much today as they have in years past, though this one is for Mayweather’s WBC welterweight crown.
For years, experts went back and forth as to whether Pacquiao or Mayweather was the best fighter on the planet, but after Pacquiao’s dramatic loss to Marquez in December – a boxer whom Mayweather easily defeated- Mayweather has become universally recognized as the king of all boxing kings. He is 43-0, with 26 KOs.
Mayweather, who is now 36, has not tussled since last May when he won a unanimous decision over Miguel Cotto.
Guerrero is 31-1-1, with 18 knockouts. In November of 2012 the fighter known as “The Ghost” won an epic battle over Andre Berto, a speedy and explosive puncher who adopted a Mayweather-type style for the fight.
A southpaw, Guerrero is a high volume puncher who has been averaging 71 punches per round; the welterweight average is 58. He has been averaging 46 power punches per round with a 39 plus percentage connecting.
Mayweather is one of the best defensive fighters to ever lace up the gloves. His opponents only land with 17 percent of their punches and when they miss, "Money" Mayweather makes them pay big time, with his explosive counter right and check hook – which he fires in retreat.
Some of the questions in the fight are: Will Mayweather have a lot of ring rust, and, at 36 has he lost a step? Will Guerrero be able to pressure Mayweather without running into incoming shots that will put an end to the fight? Will Mayweather have more trouble than usual because Guerrero is a southpaw?
Though Mayweather is a heavy favorite, there can be no doubt that it is an exciting matchup.
But before we get to the main dish, we have some appetizers that look pretty good.
Daniel Ponce De Leon (44-4, 35 KOs) will be defending his featherweight title against the sensational Abner Mares (25-0-1, 13 KOs)
And Leo Santa Cruz (23-0-1, 13 KOs) another rising star out of the growing Golden Boy stable – will be toeing the line against the hard punching Alexander Munoz, (36-4, 28 KOs).
Boxing Live Blog: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Robert Guerrero, MGM Grand Las Vegas - The Daily Fix - WSJ
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World heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko defended his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts on Saturday as he outclassed challenger Francesco Pianeta with a sixth-round knockout to register the 60th win of his career.
Although German-Italian Pianeta, who survived testicular cancer three years ago, came into the bout undefeated from 29 fights, he was outclassed by the 37-year-old champion at Mannheim in south-west Germany.
"I want to thank my opponent. There are a lot of challengers who talk a lot, but he got in the ring and fought bravely,'' said Klitschko.
After Pianeta fought on, despite first hitting the canvas in the fourth round, the champion paid further tribute to the challenger's courage.
"After the battle he has had against cancer, he deserves respect,'' said Klitschko.
"He tried everything to hit me. If he had landed one of his big punches, I wouldn't have got up.''
Pianeta made an ambitious start with one huge right-hand coming over the top of Klitschko's guard but failing to connect, while the champion responded with two heavy jabs which found their target. Klitschko relied on his jab in the opening three rounds as the challenger landed several heavy shots, but a big right from the Ukrainian put Pianeta on the floor in the fourth round.
From then on, the challenger was struggling to stay in the fight and, although he showed plenty of heart by fighting on, he was down again in the fifth, but managed to survive the count.
With his coordination compromised, it was only a matter of time before the fight was brought to an end.
With his trainer ready to throw in the towel, Pianeta did not come up again after hitting the canvas after 2mins 52 seconds of the sixth round following a brutal left-right combination which floored him.
"I'm ok, just very disappointed and sad,'' added Pianeta after receiving treatment in the ring.
Victory gave Klitschko the 51st knockout of his career, but the last of his three defeats came nearly a decade ago.
For his next fight, Klitschko has been ordered by the World Boxing Association to face Russia's Alexander Povetkin in Moscow on August 31.
Boxing: Klitschko knocks out Pianeta in sixth round - Sport - NZ Herald News
Although German-Italian Pianeta, who survived testicular cancer three years ago, came into the bout undefeated from 29 fights, he was outclassed by the 37-year-old champion at Mannheim in south-west Germany.
"I want to thank my opponent. There are a lot of challengers who talk a lot, but he got in the ring and fought bravely,'' said Klitschko.
After Pianeta fought on, despite first hitting the canvas in the fourth round, the champion paid further tribute to the challenger's courage.
"After the battle he has had against cancer, he deserves respect,'' said Klitschko.
"He tried everything to hit me. If he had landed one of his big punches, I wouldn't have got up.''
Pianeta made an ambitious start with one huge right-hand coming over the top of Klitschko's guard but failing to connect, while the champion responded with two heavy jabs which found their target. Klitschko relied on his jab in the opening three rounds as the challenger landed several heavy shots, but a big right from the Ukrainian put Pianeta on the floor in the fourth round.
From then on, the challenger was struggling to stay in the fight and, although he showed plenty of heart by fighting on, he was down again in the fifth, but managed to survive the count.
With his coordination compromised, it was only a matter of time before the fight was brought to an end.
With his trainer ready to throw in the towel, Pianeta did not come up again after hitting the canvas after 2mins 52 seconds of the sixth round following a brutal left-right combination which floored him.
"I'm ok, just very disappointed and sad,'' added Pianeta after receiving treatment in the ring.
Victory gave Klitschko the 51st knockout of his career, but the last of his three defeats came nearly a decade ago.
For his next fight, Klitschko has been ordered by the World Boxing Association to face Russia's Alexander Povetkin in Moscow on August 31.
Boxing: Klitschko knocks out Pianeta in sixth round - Sport - NZ Herald News
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Welterweight king Floyd Mayweather Jr. remains undefeated and unbowed after he hopelessly outclassed another would-be challenger to his boxing throne.
After the 147-pound king cruised past challenger Robert Guerrero during the weekend, Mayweather reiterated his intention to quit the business within 30 months. While no one was surprised, that confirmation deprives the sport of its singular bona fide major pay-per-view television attraction. Boxing always has thrived on talented, charismatic fighters with drawing power.
Wobbled for decades, boxing continues to fight for its financial life as one of America's oldest traditional sports. Lack of substantial sponsor support by major U.S. corporations continues to create headwinds for the industry. Television networks find it difficult to attract major sponsors.
So do promoters, although Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said the involvement of O'Reilly Auto Parts, Valvoline, AT&T and Corona Extra in the MGM-hosted Mayweather-Guerrero promotion demonstrated the sport's economic viability.
Nonetheless, "Boxing is not growing in the United States," Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum, citing research by Scarborough Sports Marketing, told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday. "Boxing still exceeds mixed martial arts and wrestling, as far as the fan base. But if you look closer, those figures are distorted by the fact that, overwhelmingly, Hispanics favor boxing, as do African-Americans.
"The leaders of industry view it from the (perspective) that there is diminished interest in the white community for boxing. That permeates everything.
"Look at the people who run corporations. What is their most important function? Job preservation. They don't want to innovate; they don't want to take chances."
But signs exist that the worst might be over for the industry, particularly on an international basis, where there is growth, most notably in Asia.
"Boxing is in better position now than 10 years ago when it had its own recession," said light-heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins, a minority partner in Golden Boy Promotions. "But when will we get the next superstar?" asked Hopkins, who, at 48, became the oldest world title-belt holder in history in March. "Maybe there's one around the corner. But so far nobody has proven to bring in the (pay-per-view TV sales) that Floyd has."
Unbeaten contender Saul "El Canelo" Alvarez, 22, a potential opponent for Mayweather in September, might be that guy one day. So, too, could be Adrien Broner, the 23-year-old undefeated lightweight. Asked if he would one day graduate into becoming a pay-per-view headliner, the Cincinnati native replied: "Of course I will. I've got it all. I'm entertaining."
That was a couple of hours before he launched into an obscenity-laced description of Mayweather's victory during a post-fight news conference.
Meanwhile, the biggest potential blockbuster fight — Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao — probably never will be consummated. Pacquiao, the aging Filipino superstar now fading after back-to-back defeats, suffered a frightening face-plant when he was knocked out with one punch by Juan Manuel Marquez last December.
To complicate matters, Mayweather said Pacquiao would need to cut out Arum as "middle man." Meanwhile, the heavyweight division — once the sport's unquestionable bellwether — remains marginalized. Does any general-interest sports fan know one heavyweight champion Klitschko brother from the other despite the Ukrainian brothers' combined 105-5 record? Or that Wladimir successfully defended his title in Germany last weekend?
"There just aren't any good heavyweights," said former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. "You have the small guys but, in America, pretty much all we have is Mayweather."
Perhaps even worse, the often-discussed "cold war" between Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions further diminishes the number and quality of matchups.
Meanwhile, the competitive field among combat sports— namely, boxing vs. mixed-martial arts — continues even though their audiences are quite divergent. As Hopkins observed, "They kicked our ass early on — and guess what? It woke the sleeping giant.
"Now, (boxing) has a pulse after being in intensive care for a stint," he said. "We weren't sure we would come out of the coma. People were ready to pull the plug on boxing. But we're alive."
Indeed Forbes' list of the highest-paid athletes in the world last year had four boxers, including No. 1 (Mayweather, $85 million) and No. 2 (Pacquiao, $62 million). Other boxers on the list were Wladimir Klitschko ($28M) and Miguel Cotto ($19M). Only Mayweather was born in the U.S.
Globally, boxing is anything but banished to a neutral corner.
From audience and sponsor perspectives, the sport remains immensely popular in other corners of the world, including Spanish-speaking countries, Europe and Canada. A promising developing market is China.
In April, Arum promoted his first fight card in China when two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming, a 31-year-old flyweight, made his pro debut at the Venetian Resort in Macau. The fight was broadcast to millions. Top Rank will feature Zou Shiming, the most-decorated amateur boxer in Chinese history, on a July 27 card in Macau.
Arum, who plans to soon announce the signing of an Olympic medalist from Japan, said he will do more shows in China, the Philippines and Singapore in 2013. While South America has been spotty, last week's Sergio Martinez-Martin Murray middleweight championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, drew more than 50,000 fans at an outdoor stadium.
Next month, in the biggest fight in Canada since "The Brawl in Montreal" between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran in 1980, former world champions Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute will tangle. The fight, to be televised by HBO, already is a sellout with more than 22,000 expected at the Bell Centre.
Showtime has launched a direct attack at HBO's dominance in the s
After the 147-pound king cruised past challenger Robert Guerrero during the weekend, Mayweather reiterated his intention to quit the business within 30 months. While no one was surprised, that confirmation deprives the sport of its singular bona fide major pay-per-view television attraction. Boxing always has thrived on talented, charismatic fighters with drawing power.
Wobbled for decades, boxing continues to fight for its financial life as one of America's oldest traditional sports. Lack of substantial sponsor support by major U.S. corporations continues to create headwinds for the industry. Television networks find it difficult to attract major sponsors.
So do promoters, although Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said the involvement of O'Reilly Auto Parts, Valvoline, AT&T and Corona Extra in the MGM-hosted Mayweather-Guerrero promotion demonstrated the sport's economic viability.
Nonetheless, "Boxing is not growing in the United States," Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum, citing research by Scarborough Sports Marketing, told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday. "Boxing still exceeds mixed martial arts and wrestling, as far as the fan base. But if you look closer, those figures are distorted by the fact that, overwhelmingly, Hispanics favor boxing, as do African-Americans.
"The leaders of industry view it from the (perspective) that there is diminished interest in the white community for boxing. That permeates everything.
"Look at the people who run corporations. What is their most important function? Job preservation. They don't want to innovate; they don't want to take chances."
But signs exist that the worst might be over for the industry, particularly on an international basis, where there is growth, most notably in Asia.
"Boxing is in better position now than 10 years ago when it had its own recession," said light-heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins, a minority partner in Golden Boy Promotions. "But when will we get the next superstar?" asked Hopkins, who, at 48, became the oldest world title-belt holder in history in March. "Maybe there's one around the corner. But so far nobody has proven to bring in the (pay-per-view TV sales) that Floyd has."
Unbeaten contender Saul "El Canelo" Alvarez, 22, a potential opponent for Mayweather in September, might be that guy one day. So, too, could be Adrien Broner, the 23-year-old undefeated lightweight. Asked if he would one day graduate into becoming a pay-per-view headliner, the Cincinnati native replied: "Of course I will. I've got it all. I'm entertaining."
That was a couple of hours before he launched into an obscenity-laced description of Mayweather's victory during a post-fight news conference.
Meanwhile, the biggest potential blockbuster fight — Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao — probably never will be consummated. Pacquiao, the aging Filipino superstar now fading after back-to-back defeats, suffered a frightening face-plant when he was knocked out with one punch by Juan Manuel Marquez last December.
To complicate matters, Mayweather said Pacquiao would need to cut out Arum as "middle man." Meanwhile, the heavyweight division — once the sport's unquestionable bellwether — remains marginalized. Does any general-interest sports fan know one heavyweight champion Klitschko brother from the other despite the Ukrainian brothers' combined 105-5 record? Or that Wladimir successfully defended his title in Germany last weekend?
"There just aren't any good heavyweights," said former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. "You have the small guys but, in America, pretty much all we have is Mayweather."
Perhaps even worse, the often-discussed "cold war" between Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions further diminishes the number and quality of matchups.
Meanwhile, the competitive field among combat sports— namely, boxing vs. mixed-martial arts — continues even though their audiences are quite divergent. As Hopkins observed, "They kicked our ass early on — and guess what? It woke the sleeping giant.
"Now, (boxing) has a pulse after being in intensive care for a stint," he said. "We weren't sure we would come out of the coma. People were ready to pull the plug on boxing. But we're alive."
Indeed Forbes' list of the highest-paid athletes in the world last year had four boxers, including No. 1 (Mayweather, $85 million) and No. 2 (Pacquiao, $62 million). Other boxers on the list were Wladimir Klitschko ($28M) and Miguel Cotto ($19M). Only Mayweather was born in the U.S.
Globally, boxing is anything but banished to a neutral corner.
From audience and sponsor perspectives, the sport remains immensely popular in other corners of the world, including Spanish-speaking countries, Europe and Canada. A promising developing market is China.
In April, Arum promoted his first fight card in China when two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming, a 31-year-old flyweight, made his pro debut at the Venetian Resort in Macau. The fight was broadcast to millions. Top Rank will feature Zou Shiming, the most-decorated amateur boxer in Chinese history, on a July 27 card in Macau.
Arum, who plans to soon announce the signing of an Olympic medalist from Japan, said he will do more shows in China, the Philippines and Singapore in 2013. While South America has been spotty, last week's Sergio Martinez-Martin Murray middleweight championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, drew more than 50,000 fans at an outdoor stadium.
Next month, in the biggest fight in Canada since "The Brawl in Montreal" between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran in 1980, former world champions Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute will tangle. The fight, to be televised by HBO, already is a sellout with more than 22,000 expected at the Bell Centre.
Showtime has launched a direct attack at HBO's dominance in the s
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Brice Ritani-Coe believes he is more than just a tune-up fight for Joseph Parker as the South Auckland heavyweight builds up for his bout with Francois Both next month.
New Zealander Ritani-Coe, who lives, trains and fights in Las Vegas put pen to paper today on a contract to meet Parker in a six-round bout in California on May 17.
The 27-year-old last fought in November when he was beaten in a unanimous decision by undefeated American Jerry Forrest at the Hilton Towers Hotel in Washington.
Having dropped his weight down to 124kg and standing 1.88m, Ritani-Coe is a near replica of the 118kg and 1.88m Botha, who Parker will go toe-to-toe with in Auckland on June 13.
"I'm a tough fight for anyone. I've got a granite chin and know what I'm doing,'' the 3-1-1 Ritani-Coe told the Herald from Las Vegas.
"I've worked with some of the best in the world in boxing and MMA and know I can hold my own with anyone out there.''
Ritani-Coe, who also has a strong MMA background, has been sparring with veteran Kiwi fighter Ray Sefo lately and is likely to work with Mark Hunt in the next fortnight as Hunt builds up to his showdown with Junior dos Santos at UFC 160 in Las Vegas on May 25.
"I feel like I can knock out anyone on the planet if I land. I have confidence in my punching power,'' Ritani-Coe said.
Parker (4-0) is currently in the midst of a two-month training camp in Las Vegas with Kiwi trainer Kevin Barry as he builds towards what will undoubtedly be the biggest fight of his short career.
The 21-year-old is full of promise having easily accounted for his first four opponents but the South African Botha, 44, will be a step up in class despite his advancing years.
It could be deemed a risk for Parker to have a fight so close to his bout with Botha but Ritani-Coe matches up well in size and style plus there is some added hype to have two New Zealanders lock horns in the United States.
Boxing: Parker fight with Ritani-Coe confirmed - Sport - NZ Herald News
New Zealander Ritani-Coe, who lives, trains and fights in Las Vegas put pen to paper today on a contract to meet Parker in a six-round bout in California on May 17.
The 27-year-old last fought in November when he was beaten in a unanimous decision by undefeated American Jerry Forrest at the Hilton Towers Hotel in Washington.
Having dropped his weight down to 124kg and standing 1.88m, Ritani-Coe is a near replica of the 118kg and 1.88m Botha, who Parker will go toe-to-toe with in Auckland on June 13.
"I'm a tough fight for anyone. I've got a granite chin and know what I'm doing,'' the 3-1-1 Ritani-Coe told the Herald from Las Vegas.
"I've worked with some of the best in the world in boxing and MMA and know I can hold my own with anyone out there.''
Ritani-Coe, who also has a strong MMA background, has been sparring with veteran Kiwi fighter Ray Sefo lately and is likely to work with Mark Hunt in the next fortnight as Hunt builds up to his showdown with Junior dos Santos at UFC 160 in Las Vegas on May 25.
"I feel like I can knock out anyone on the planet if I land. I have confidence in my punching power,'' Ritani-Coe said.
Parker (4-0) is currently in the midst of a two-month training camp in Las Vegas with Kiwi trainer Kevin Barry as he builds towards what will undoubtedly be the biggest fight of his short career.
The 21-year-old is full of promise having easily accounted for his first four opponents but the South African Botha, 44, will be a step up in class despite his advancing years.
It could be deemed a risk for Parker to have a fight so close to his bout with Botha but Ritani-Coe matches up well in size and style plus there is some added hype to have two New Zealanders lock horns in the United States.
Boxing: Parker fight with Ritani-Coe confirmed - Sport - NZ Herald News
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THE Premier Boxing League - the brainchild of former SABC television boxing commentator Dicksy Ngqula - will be launched on May 16 but Boxing South Africa's (BSA) director of operations Loyiso Mtya already cant stop gushing. "It will take South African boxing to greater heights," said Mtya on Monday.
"In the past two years, Boxing South Africa has been looking for ways to take boxing to a level that would be appreciated by viewers," Mtya said.
Ngqula said his concept was modelled on cricket's Indian Premier League, where players from all over the world play for Indian teams in the richest T20 competition in the world.
He said the league would be made up of four weight divisions. All fights would be over six rounds.
"While you fight people in your division, you will also compete against boxers in other weight divisions on a points system. Part of our approach is to demystify the points system.
"Instead of reading a judges score of 60-58 to fans, the announcement will be made according to the number of rounds won. So a boxer who has won all six rounds, automatically leads the pack in terms of points. The points will then be added up at the end of a season. That is when the overall winner will walk away with the R1-million first prize," Ngqula said.
The boxers, who will fight three fights over a period of a year, will each pocket R60000 on fight night.
Mtya said this was a novel idea in local boxing, adding: "This had to do with how boxing is marketed and presented. We have some of the best promoters, boxers and trainers in the country. The only thing that is needed is how to make it appeal to the youth and boxing fans."
Mtya said BSA, who are in a partnership with Ngqula, is very happy about the idea because it is the first of its kind.
"It will run for five years. We will then review. The league will feature four weight divisions - flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight," said Mtya.
He said any boxer registered in the respective weight divisions can apply to participate.
"So far 53 boxers have applied. We must chose four boxers per division. Those who meet the criteria will fight three times in a point-form system. They will earn R60000 per fight in six rounds bouts. This means R180000 per season that will start from June to early next year," he said.
Mtya said there were many funders, including E-tv and the Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board.
He said the project will also involve a reality show: "Boxers will be followed by television cameras in their daily lives. They will come out as real role models. This concept is a made-for-TV design but we have to make sure that the conventional boxing programme is not tampered with.
"Development promoters will be selected to stage fights in conjunction with Premier Boxing League."
Plan to take boxing to a new level ready - Sowetan LIVE
"In the past two years, Boxing South Africa has been looking for ways to take boxing to a level that would be appreciated by viewers," Mtya said.
Ngqula said his concept was modelled on cricket's Indian Premier League, where players from all over the world play for Indian teams in the richest T20 competition in the world.
He said the league would be made up of four weight divisions. All fights would be over six rounds.
"While you fight people in your division, you will also compete against boxers in other weight divisions on a points system. Part of our approach is to demystify the points system.
"Instead of reading a judges score of 60-58 to fans, the announcement will be made according to the number of rounds won. So a boxer who has won all six rounds, automatically leads the pack in terms of points. The points will then be added up at the end of a season. That is when the overall winner will walk away with the R1-million first prize," Ngqula said.
The boxers, who will fight three fights over a period of a year, will each pocket R60000 on fight night.
Mtya said this was a novel idea in local boxing, adding: "This had to do with how boxing is marketed and presented. We have some of the best promoters, boxers and trainers in the country. The only thing that is needed is how to make it appeal to the youth and boxing fans."
Mtya said BSA, who are in a partnership with Ngqula, is very happy about the idea because it is the first of its kind.
"It will run for five years. We will then review. The league will feature four weight divisions - flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight," said Mtya.
He said any boxer registered in the respective weight divisions can apply to participate.
"So far 53 boxers have applied. We must chose four boxers per division. Those who meet the criteria will fight three times in a point-form system. They will earn R60000 per fight in six rounds bouts. This means R180000 per season that will start from June to early next year," he said.
Mtya said there were many funders, including E-tv and the Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board.
He said the project will also involve a reality show: "Boxers will be followed by television cameras in their daily lives. They will come out as real role models. This concept is a made-for-TV design but we have to make sure that the conventional boxing programme is not tampered with.
"Development promoters will be selected to stage fights in conjunction with Premier Boxing League."
Plan to take boxing to a new level ready - Sowetan LIVE
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Knowing that the man who had just kicked in his front door was a boxing champion, Craig Charles Pitts made the "heinous" decision to pick up a kitchen knife.
Pitts then followed John Marceta, who had been trying to buy pot, down the hallway, and they fought on the 14th storey of a Redfern housing commission apartment block.
In a heinous and misguided attempt to redress the physical discrepancy between them, he armed himself with a knife before confronting the deceased in the corridor outside his unit
The 29-year-old stabbed Mr Marceta in the chest, piercing his heart.
Mr Marceta, who won the Australian super-middleweight title in 1993 and was once a world-rated boxer, staggered towards the lifts and collapsed.
Pitts argued he was defending himself from Mr Marceta on that day in August 2011. He was found guilty of manslaughter after a trial last year.
In the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday, Justice Christine Adamson sentenced Pitts to at least seven-and-a-half years' jail, making a finding of manslaughter by excessive self-defence.
"The offender assessed correctly that the deceased was in significantly better physical condition than he was," Justice Adamson said.
"In a heinous and misguided attempt to redress the physical discrepancy between them, he armed himself with a knife before confronting the deceased in the corridor outside his unit."
The court heard Mr Marceta and another man had tried to buy cannabis from Pitts several times that day, but he told them to come back later.
The men returned to Pitts' unit, where one of his relatives again asked them to return another time, before Mr Marceta suddenly kicked in the door.
Pitts yelled out "Why did you kick my front door in?" and followed the men down the hall holding the knife.
After the stabbing, Pitts went back to his unit "in a state of shock and dismay", Justice Adamson said.
The judge said it was possible Pitts thought his actions were necessary to protect himself and his relatives in the unit.
"I am satisfied that the offender's conduct was not a reasonable response in the circumstances as he perceived them to be because his act of stabbing the deceased was excessive."
She said Pitts did not have any animosity with the men, but nevertheless intended to hurt Mr Marceta.
"The offender misjudged the threat which the deceased posed to him and his family. By resorting to violence with a dangerous weapon he overreacted, with disastrous and irreversible consequences."
The judge set a maximum term of 10 years, and with time already served, Pitts' earliest release date is March 2020.
'Heinous' decision: man who stabbed boxing champion jailed for manslaughter
Pitts then followed John Marceta, who had been trying to buy pot, down the hallway, and they fought on the 14th storey of a Redfern housing commission apartment block.
In a heinous and misguided attempt to redress the physical discrepancy between them, he armed himself with a knife before confronting the deceased in the corridor outside his unit
The 29-year-old stabbed Mr Marceta in the chest, piercing his heart.
Mr Marceta, who won the Australian super-middleweight title in 1993 and was once a world-rated boxer, staggered towards the lifts and collapsed.
Pitts argued he was defending himself from Mr Marceta on that day in August 2011. He was found guilty of manslaughter after a trial last year.
In the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday, Justice Christine Adamson sentenced Pitts to at least seven-and-a-half years' jail, making a finding of manslaughter by excessive self-defence.
"The offender assessed correctly that the deceased was in significantly better physical condition than he was," Justice Adamson said.
"In a heinous and misguided attempt to redress the physical discrepancy between them, he armed himself with a knife before confronting the deceased in the corridor outside his unit."
The court heard Mr Marceta and another man had tried to buy cannabis from Pitts several times that day, but he told them to come back later.
The men returned to Pitts' unit, where one of his relatives again asked them to return another time, before Mr Marceta suddenly kicked in the door.
Pitts yelled out "Why did you kick my front door in?" and followed the men down the hall holding the knife.
After the stabbing, Pitts went back to his unit "in a state of shock and dismay", Justice Adamson said.
The judge said it was possible Pitts thought his actions were necessary to protect himself and his relatives in the unit.
"I am satisfied that the offender's conduct was not a reasonable response in the circumstances as he perceived them to be because his act of stabbing the deceased was excessive."
She said Pitts did not have any animosity with the men, but nevertheless intended to hurt Mr Marceta.
"The offender misjudged the threat which the deceased posed to him and his family. By resorting to violence with a dangerous weapon he overreacted, with disastrous and irreversible consequences."
The judge set a maximum term of 10 years, and with time already served, Pitts' earliest release date is March 2020.
'Heinous' decision: man who stabbed boxing champion jailed for manslaughter
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Former boxing champion Lucky Gattellari, 63, faces a minimum 7½ years behind bars after being sentenced over his role in the 2009 murder of Cremorne wheeler-dealer Michael McGurk.
Gattellari, 63, performed a primary role in the plan to "execute" McGurk and his culpability was of high order, Justice Megan Latham said in sentencing at the NSW Supreme Court on Friday.
She sentenced Gattellari to a maximum of 10 years. He will be eligible for parole in April 2018.
Gattellari's driver Senad Kaminic, 45, was sentenced to a minimum 2½ years in jail and a maximum of 4½. He will be eligible for parole in November 2017.
Both men had substantial reductions on their sentences in return for agreeing to give evidence against the alleged mastermind, property tycoon Ron Medich, 65.
Justice Latham gave Gattellari a 60 per cent discount on his sentence for past and future assistance in the matters.
Medich is alleged to have paid $300,000 for the murder of McGurk, telling his then friend Gattellari that McGurk was not only costing him "millions" because of lawsuits, but McGurk was making him the "laughing stock of the eastern suburbs" and "a fool in front of his wife [Odetta]".
McGurk was "gunned down in cold blood in front of his son", Justice Latham said.
Justice Latham was not persuaded by Gattellari's claim not to have received money for the murder.
Justice Latham said Medich had invested $15 million in various business enterprises of Gattellari's.
"One compelling inference to be drawn ... is that the offender acted at least in part in the belief that if he did not do Medich's bidding, he would be cut adrift from Medich's patronage."
Justice Latham said that although Gattellari had been of great assistance to police and had proved it with 550 pages of statements, his "moral culpability is of a high order".
Justice Latham took into account Kaminic would have to spend his time in jail in protective custody. She noted that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after spending time in a Croatian concentration camp in 1993 during the Bosnian/Croation conflict.
Outside the court, Vivian Evans, the solicitor for McGurks’s widow Kimberley, said: "Mrs McGurk and the family are relieved that this stage of the criminal proceedings have been completed and they wish to thank all the NSW detectives and police who have worked so tirelessly on this investigation and continue to do so."
Mrs McGurk, who found herself sitting in the same row as members of the Gattellari family, left the court without speaking to the media.
Medich and McGurk had previously been business partners who had a bitter falling out and were each suing the other in various court actions.
According to court documents, Gattellari and Medich lunched at Tuscany restaurant below Medich's Leichhardt office the day after the murder . Gattellari asked: "Are you happy it is done?" Medich grumbled: "It's taken long enough."
Medich and Gattellari were prime suspects and within days of the murder police raided Gattellari's house in Chipping Norton where they seized a number of guns.
Gattellari complained to the media that he had nothing to do with the killing of McGurk and just because he was a friend of Medich's the media spotlight had turned upon him.
"Because a man has business dealings with a man, you guys are busting my balls," complained Gattellari. "I had nothing to do with it," he said.
But a year later Gattellari was arrested and charged with his role in hiring assassins to murder McGurk, who was shot dead as he was getting out of his Mercedes. His nine-year-old son was in the front seat.
The alleged hitmen were Christopher Estephan, who was only 19 when he and a friend, Haissam Safetli, 46, allegedly drove to the McGurk family home. Both have admitted being there but each suggest the other was responsible for firing the single shot that killed the 45-year-old Scottish-born businessman on the evening of September 3, 2009.
Following his arrest in October 2010, Gattellari provided extensive information to authorities. Not only did he confess to his role in the McGurk murder, he also told police that his friend and business partner Medich was the mastermind.
During his sentencing hearing in February, this year, Gattellari said: "When we had McGurk followed ... [Medich] would go out of his brain. 'Why isn't this f---ing guy gone? I want him f---ing dead. He's ruining my life and my marriage.'"
Gattellari told his sentencing hearing that when people asked him why he had decided to co-operate, he replied: "I should do whatever I can to put some right into the wrong we did."
Gattellari's information also prompted two Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiries involving Medich. The commission has already made corrupt findings against the property millionaire over allegations that Medich offered bribes to members of an Aboriginal land council.
The millionaire property developer also featured in a 2011 ICAC inquiry which examined allegations that he had provided the services of a prostitute, Tiffanie, to then NSW resources minister Ian Macdonald in return for introductions to public servants who could advance Medich's business interests.
Lucky was born Fortunato Gattellari, in Oppido Mamertina, in Calabria in southern Italy in 1950, the youngest of seven sons.
Kaminic, a former Bosnian soldier, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact of murder. The Attorney-General Greg Smith offered Kaminic an indemnity against the more serious charge of being accessory before the fact of murder in return to agreeing to give evidence for the Crown against Medich.
Medich, who has pleaded not guilty, will face an eight-week committal hearing in August.
Read more: [url=www-smh-com-au/nsw/former-boxing-champ-lucky-gattellari-sentenced-over-role-in-mcgurk-killing-20130510-2jcv3-html#ixzz2Ss5nL3vS]Former boxing champ Lucky Gattellari sentenced over role in M
Gattellari, 63, performed a primary role in the plan to "execute" McGurk and his culpability was of high order, Justice Megan Latham said in sentencing at the NSW Supreme Court on Friday.
She sentenced Gattellari to a maximum of 10 years. He will be eligible for parole in April 2018.
Gattellari's driver Senad Kaminic, 45, was sentenced to a minimum 2½ years in jail and a maximum of 4½. He will be eligible for parole in November 2017.
Both men had substantial reductions on their sentences in return for agreeing to give evidence against the alleged mastermind, property tycoon Ron Medich, 65.
Justice Latham gave Gattellari a 60 per cent discount on his sentence for past and future assistance in the matters.
Medich is alleged to have paid $300,000 for the murder of McGurk, telling his then friend Gattellari that McGurk was not only costing him "millions" because of lawsuits, but McGurk was making him the "laughing stock of the eastern suburbs" and "a fool in front of his wife [Odetta]".
McGurk was "gunned down in cold blood in front of his son", Justice Latham said.
Justice Latham was not persuaded by Gattellari's claim not to have received money for the murder.
Justice Latham said Medich had invested $15 million in various business enterprises of Gattellari's.
"One compelling inference to be drawn ... is that the offender acted at least in part in the belief that if he did not do Medich's bidding, he would be cut adrift from Medich's patronage."
Justice Latham said that although Gattellari had been of great assistance to police and had proved it with 550 pages of statements, his "moral culpability is of a high order".
Justice Latham took into account Kaminic would have to spend his time in jail in protective custody. She noted that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after spending time in a Croatian concentration camp in 1993 during the Bosnian/Croation conflict.
Outside the court, Vivian Evans, the solicitor for McGurks’s widow Kimberley, said: "Mrs McGurk and the family are relieved that this stage of the criminal proceedings have been completed and they wish to thank all the NSW detectives and police who have worked so tirelessly on this investigation and continue to do so."
Mrs McGurk, who found herself sitting in the same row as members of the Gattellari family, left the court without speaking to the media.
Medich and McGurk had previously been business partners who had a bitter falling out and were each suing the other in various court actions.
According to court documents, Gattellari and Medich lunched at Tuscany restaurant below Medich's Leichhardt office the day after the murder . Gattellari asked: "Are you happy it is done?" Medich grumbled: "It's taken long enough."
Medich and Gattellari were prime suspects and within days of the murder police raided Gattellari's house in Chipping Norton where they seized a number of guns.
Gattellari complained to the media that he had nothing to do with the killing of McGurk and just because he was a friend of Medich's the media spotlight had turned upon him.
"Because a man has business dealings with a man, you guys are busting my balls," complained Gattellari. "I had nothing to do with it," he said.
But a year later Gattellari was arrested and charged with his role in hiring assassins to murder McGurk, who was shot dead as he was getting out of his Mercedes. His nine-year-old son was in the front seat.
The alleged hitmen were Christopher Estephan, who was only 19 when he and a friend, Haissam Safetli, 46, allegedly drove to the McGurk family home. Both have admitted being there but each suggest the other was responsible for firing the single shot that killed the 45-year-old Scottish-born businessman on the evening of September 3, 2009.
Following his arrest in October 2010, Gattellari provided extensive information to authorities. Not only did he confess to his role in the McGurk murder, he also told police that his friend and business partner Medich was the mastermind.
During his sentencing hearing in February, this year, Gattellari said: "When we had McGurk followed ... [Medich] would go out of his brain. 'Why isn't this f---ing guy gone? I want him f---ing dead. He's ruining my life and my marriage.'"
Gattellari told his sentencing hearing that when people asked him why he had decided to co-operate, he replied: "I should do whatever I can to put some right into the wrong we did."
Gattellari's information also prompted two Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiries involving Medich. The commission has already made corrupt findings against the property millionaire over allegations that Medich offered bribes to members of an Aboriginal land council.
The millionaire property developer also featured in a 2011 ICAC inquiry which examined allegations that he had provided the services of a prostitute, Tiffanie, to then NSW resources minister Ian Macdonald in return for introductions to public servants who could advance Medich's business interests.
Lucky was born Fortunato Gattellari, in Oppido Mamertina, in Calabria in southern Italy in 1950, the youngest of seven sons.
Kaminic, a former Bosnian soldier, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact of murder. The Attorney-General Greg Smith offered Kaminic an indemnity against the more serious charge of being accessory before the fact of murder in return to agreeing to give evidence for the Crown against Medich.
Medich, who has pleaded not guilty, will face an eight-week committal hearing in August.
Read more: [url=www-smh-com-au/nsw/former-boxing-champ-lucky-gattellari-sentenced-over-role-in-mcgurk-killing-20130510-2jcv3-html#ixzz2Ss5nL3vS]Former boxing champ Lucky Gattellari sentenced over role in M
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Lightweight titlist Ricky Burns of Scotland would prefer to save the chaos for inside the ring. Outside of it, he is a happy camper heading into his third title defence on Saturday at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.
Outside the ring, Burns (35-2, 10 KOs) said all is well since he signed with promoter Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Sports earlier this year after what he said were unhappy times with Frank Warren after two consecutive fights were cancelled at short notice, including the unification fight he wanted so badly with Miguel Vazquez in March.
Now, in his first fight with Hearn (although facing a lawsuit from Warren), Burns will make his third title defence when he faces mandatory challenger Jose Gonzalez (22-0, 17 KOs) of Puerto Rico.
"I am really excited about Eddie's plans," Burns said. "Everybody knows I am just a quiet guy. I keep myself to myself and my attitude is the same towards boxing. You have pressure on you knowing that you are going into these big fights defending your title, but with the crowd I put that to the back of my mind and don't let anything bother me.
"I have stability in my career. The way Eddie was talking, he wants to build my profile back up in Scotland and keep me active and fighting regularly. It is great fighting in Scotland. I remember when Scott Harrison was world [featherweight] champion and I used to get on all his undercards, it was great and this is great for the up-and-coming fighters to get the opportunity to get on the big shows and show everybody what they can do."
Gonzalez, 29, has a great-looking record but it is devoid of any quality victories and he has never fought outside of Puerto Rico. Gonzalez is so unknown that Burns said finding footage of him was difficult for him and trainer Billy Nelson, although Burns said that he prefers to box opponents without having watched much of them anyway.
"We have been struggling to get any footage of his fights," Burns said. "The only things we can find on YouTube is him knocking boys out. He is obviously a big puncher, but I have been in with big punchers before so I will just have to make sure my hands are up and I go out there and do what I have been training to do.
"Everybody knows my attitude towards it - I don't really like watching footage of my opponents. I am a believer in whatever happens on the night is going to happen. When you are studying what they are doing you are trying to suss them out, but the way I look at it is I would like to concentrate on what I am doing rather than what they are doing."
Burns, who was also a titleholder at junior-lightweight before vacating to move up, is vastly experienced and has faced a number of quality opponents. He said he is not concerned with Gonzalez's excellent knockout ratio, which reminds him of Puerto Rico's Rocky Martinez, whom Burns defeated to win a junior-lightweight belt in 2010 despite being knocked down in the first round.
"His knockout ratio doesn't concern me at all," said Burns, who turned 30 last month. "When I fought Martinez he was knocking everybody out and after the first round when I got caught clean I was fine. I have been in with big punchers before so I will just go in there and do what I have to do."
As good as Gonzalez's power appears to be, Burns said his is underrated, although he is coming off a fourth-round knockout of contender Kevin Mitchell.
"I am a good boxer but over my last few fights I have been getting a lot more aggressive," Burns said. "I have been going forward a lot more and I can fight on the front. Although when you look at my record I don't really have a lot of knockouts, I do hit hard enough to make the guy think about coming in."
Gonzalez has not had much to say in the buildup to the fight but has shown Burns all the respect in the world.
"I respect Ricky Burns a lot. He is a good champion," Gonzalez said. "But I'm here to do my job in the ring. That's what I'm here for. We have worked intensely, as always, for my fight, but with the focus on winning the title.
"I know, I'm going to fight in his home, but in the ring will be only Burns and me. I just want to beat Burns and bring the title to Puerto Rico."
Ricky Burns sees exciting times ahead | Boxing News | ESPN.co.uk
Outside the ring, Burns (35-2, 10 KOs) said all is well since he signed with promoter Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Sports earlier this year after what he said were unhappy times with Frank Warren after two consecutive fights were cancelled at short notice, including the unification fight he wanted so badly with Miguel Vazquez in March.
Now, in his first fight with Hearn (although facing a lawsuit from Warren), Burns will make his third title defence when he faces mandatory challenger Jose Gonzalez (22-0, 17 KOs) of Puerto Rico.
"I am really excited about Eddie's plans," Burns said. "Everybody knows I am just a quiet guy. I keep myself to myself and my attitude is the same towards boxing. You have pressure on you knowing that you are going into these big fights defending your title, but with the crowd I put that to the back of my mind and don't let anything bother me.
"I have stability in my career. The way Eddie was talking, he wants to build my profile back up in Scotland and keep me active and fighting regularly. It is great fighting in Scotland. I remember when Scott Harrison was world [featherweight] champion and I used to get on all his undercards, it was great and this is great for the up-and-coming fighters to get the opportunity to get on the big shows and show everybody what they can do."
Gonzalez, 29, has a great-looking record but it is devoid of any quality victories and he has never fought outside of Puerto Rico. Gonzalez is so unknown that Burns said finding footage of him was difficult for him and trainer Billy Nelson, although Burns said that he prefers to box opponents without having watched much of them anyway.
"We have been struggling to get any footage of his fights," Burns said. "The only things we can find on YouTube is him knocking boys out. He is obviously a big puncher, but I have been in with big punchers before so I will just have to make sure my hands are up and I go out there and do what I have been training to do.
"Everybody knows my attitude towards it - I don't really like watching footage of my opponents. I am a believer in whatever happens on the night is going to happen. When you are studying what they are doing you are trying to suss them out, but the way I look at it is I would like to concentrate on what I am doing rather than what they are doing."
Burns, who was also a titleholder at junior-lightweight before vacating to move up, is vastly experienced and has faced a number of quality opponents. He said he is not concerned with Gonzalez's excellent knockout ratio, which reminds him of Puerto Rico's Rocky Martinez, whom Burns defeated to win a junior-lightweight belt in 2010 despite being knocked down in the first round.
"His knockout ratio doesn't concern me at all," said Burns, who turned 30 last month. "When I fought Martinez he was knocking everybody out and after the first round when I got caught clean I was fine. I have been in with big punchers before so I will just go in there and do what I have to do."
As good as Gonzalez's power appears to be, Burns said his is underrated, although he is coming off a fourth-round knockout of contender Kevin Mitchell.
"I am a good boxer but over my last few fights I have been getting a lot more aggressive," Burns said. "I have been going forward a lot more and I can fight on the front. Although when you look at my record I don't really have a lot of knockouts, I do hit hard enough to make the guy think about coming in."
Gonzalez has not had much to say in the buildup to the fight but has shown Burns all the respect in the world.
"I respect Ricky Burns a lot. He is a good champion," Gonzalez said. "But I'm here to do my job in the ring. That's what I'm here for. We have worked intensely, as always, for my fight, but with the focus on winning the title.
"I know, I'm going to fight in his home, but in the ring will be only Burns and me. I just want to beat Burns and bring the title to Puerto Rico."
Ricky Burns sees exciting times ahead | Boxing News | ESPN.co.uk
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Boxing is a combat sport. That means it's a sport, but something beyond a sport. There is a seriousness to it that doesn't exist in sports where you have two teams chasing around or contesting over a ball.
There's a reason people say, "You don't play boxing." It's a fight. There are rules and officials on hand to protect the competitors, if at all possible, from taking permanent damage.
But it's still a fight. That gives it a primal, universal appeal. Any time two guys start throwing punches at each other, no matter where or when, people are going to stop and watch.
But boxing as a sport is a lot more than just two guys trading punches. The subtle complexities of what is happening in the ring and behind the scenes often escape the general public, and in some cases even legitimate fans.
Pictures: Poking Holes in the 5 Biggest Myths About Boxing | Bleacher Report
There's a reason people say, "You don't play boxing." It's a fight. There are rules and officials on hand to protect the competitors, if at all possible, from taking permanent damage.
But it's still a fight. That gives it a primal, universal appeal. Any time two guys start throwing punches at each other, no matter where or when, people are going to stop and watch.
But boxing as a sport is a lot more than just two guys trading punches. The subtle complexities of what is happening in the ring and behind the scenes often escape the general public, and in some cases even legitimate fans.
Pictures: Poking Holes in the 5 Biggest Myths About Boxing | Bleacher Report
Join:
2006/12/07
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Sad to report the news that colorful boxing matchmaker Johnny Bos has passed away at the age of 60. Bos was a major player on the New York boxing scene, booking early “build-up” fights for Gerry Cooney, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Paul Malignaggi and Yuri Foreman among others. He was the manager of former world champion Joey Gamache. Bos moved to Florida in 2008 and is a member of the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame.
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Johnny Bos was the undisputed boxing “King of New York” with a unique role in the careers of hundreds of fighters during decades of devotion to the ignoble art.
He finally died last Saturday after years as an outcast in Florida, which he called “solitary confinement”, from heart disease. He was 61 and was still spitting out riddles of boxing truth, lies, conspiracy theories and, most importantly, brilliant analysis.
Bos was a fixer in the brutal game, a man who made fights happen for decades by finding the right opponents for the right fighters. He was the matchmaker to dozens of protected boxers, playing the most crucial role in their development and making sure that nobody ruined the script. It was all legal and that is why Bos was a giant.
He stood 6ft 4in in either his boots or his pimp pumps and at his peak of influence he topped the scales at about 19st. His hair was blond at one point but was gloriously dyed gold for the last decade or more; his wrists jangled with watches, his neck held in place ropes of gold and silver with boxing gloves of all sizes attached. If times were high, and he was making the fights for a big boxer, the gold gloves glistened with diamonds. To complete the look, which was clearly an influence on Huggy Bear and all the other stereotypical street guys in New York’s films and fictions, Bos fell in love with a white fur coat and wore it all the time. Johnny was not a shy guy.
He made the matches that built the career of Gerry Cooney, arguably one of the best heavyweights not to win a world title in recent years, and his acquisition of the right man, on the night, helped Cooney develop perfectly. It is claimed that on one particular cold evening an opponent Bos hired for a Cooney fight was unable to get to the venue, and that Bos stripped down and fought the man that he was making. “That’s dedication,” said Mike Marley, a veteran boxing writer at the New York Post.
“I need them to have a pulse, not much of a pulse,” Bos once famously said of the men he found. The declaration was comforting enough for Mickey Duff to turn to Bos when Frank Bruno needed building. It was Bos who found the bodies that allowed Bruno to learn his trade, develop survival instincts and eventually, after a few hiccups, win the world title. Make no mistake that without the Bos touch at the start of his career there would not have been the glory at the end for Bruno. Duff, who is arguably the greatest brain in British boxing, insisted that when Bos was sober he was the best analyst in the fight game and that is praise.
There was, obviously, more to Bos than a fur coat and quote; since Saturday the dwindling members of the old-school fight fraternity have been talking with the type of reverence that seldom accompanies a modern boxing death. Bos was a throwback in so many ways, a man who would join you at a New York gym to tip you off about a kid who was just about to spar. He knew and understood the way boxers and boxing people worked, and that often meant that he had battles to fight outside the ring. He fell out of favour in New York during the last decade and that led to exile, but it was not the end of his influence.
Bos was a legend in a business and a fight city that once ruled the boxing waves. He did belong in the rich fiction of Damon Runyon had the Broadway stories been set in the Seventies and Eighties and Nineties. Bos leaves a polished boxing business, one where the beautiful fixers and dwellers from the lost gyms of history are becoming rare.
Bunce on boxing: Why Frank Bruno and other champs owe ring
He finally died last Saturday after years as an outcast in Florida, which he called “solitary confinement”, from heart disease. He was 61 and was still spitting out riddles of boxing truth, lies, conspiracy theories and, most importantly, brilliant analysis.
Bos was a fixer in the brutal game, a man who made fights happen for decades by finding the right opponents for the right fighters. He was the matchmaker to dozens of protected boxers, playing the most crucial role in their development and making sure that nobody ruined the script. It was all legal and that is why Bos was a giant.
He stood 6ft 4in in either his boots or his pimp pumps and at his peak of influence he topped the scales at about 19st. His hair was blond at one point but was gloriously dyed gold for the last decade or more; his wrists jangled with watches, his neck held in place ropes of gold and silver with boxing gloves of all sizes attached. If times were high, and he was making the fights for a big boxer, the gold gloves glistened with diamonds. To complete the look, which was clearly an influence on Huggy Bear and all the other stereotypical street guys in New York’s films and fictions, Bos fell in love with a white fur coat and wore it all the time. Johnny was not a shy guy.
He made the matches that built the career of Gerry Cooney, arguably one of the best heavyweights not to win a world title in recent years, and his acquisition of the right man, on the night, helped Cooney develop perfectly. It is claimed that on one particular cold evening an opponent Bos hired for a Cooney fight was unable to get to the venue, and that Bos stripped down and fought the man that he was making. “That’s dedication,” said Mike Marley, a veteran boxing writer at the New York Post.
“I need them to have a pulse, not much of a pulse,” Bos once famously said of the men he found. The declaration was comforting enough for Mickey Duff to turn to Bos when Frank Bruno needed building. It was Bos who found the bodies that allowed Bruno to learn his trade, develop survival instincts and eventually, after a few hiccups, win the world title. Make no mistake that without the Bos touch at the start of his career there would not have been the glory at the end for Bruno. Duff, who is arguably the greatest brain in British boxing, insisted that when Bos was sober he was the best analyst in the fight game and that is praise.
There was, obviously, more to Bos than a fur coat and quote; since Saturday the dwindling members of the old-school fight fraternity have been talking with the type of reverence that seldom accompanies a modern boxing death. Bos was a throwback in so many ways, a man who would join you at a New York gym to tip you off about a kid who was just about to spar. He knew and understood the way boxers and boxing people worked, and that often meant that he had battles to fight outside the ring. He fell out of favour in New York during the last decade and that led to exile, but it was not the end of his influence.
Bos was a legend in a business and a fight city that once ruled the boxing waves. He did belong in the rich fiction of Damon Runyon had the Broadway stories been set in the Seventies and Eighties and Nineties. Bos leaves a polished boxing business, one where the beautiful fixers and dwellers from the lost gyms of history are becoming rare.
Bunce on boxing: Why Frank Bruno and other champs owe ring
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29893
In the ring, Floyd Mayweather shines. He’s the best all around fighter the sport has to offer, and he continues to prove his dominance with each victory.
He’s swift on his feet, agile with his reflexes and electric with his hands. He’s cunning with every move. Every punch Mayweather lands draws cheers from the crowd.
In the May 4 Las Vegas welterweight title fight, Mayweather comfortably defeated Robert Guerrero via unanimous decision, 117-111 on all three judges' cards, for his 44th victory, keeping his perfect record intact. “What else can I say?” Mayweather said, courtesy of The New York Times. “We did it again.”
Backed by his father for the first time in 13 years, Mayweather fought like a true champion. He toyed with Guerrero, made him shake in his trousers, teased him, and then pummeled him like the rest of his inferior opponents.
“I needed my father tonight,” Mayweather said, according to Sports Illustrated. “My defense was on point and he told me to stick with my defense and that the less you get hit the longer you last.” Mayweather’s performance against Guerrero didn’t come as a surprise and didn’t shock anyone. He embarrassed his opponent by perfecting his plan of attack, landing 195 punches to his opponent’s 113.
His triumph over Guerrero had Frank Warren, of BoxingScene-com, consider him as one of the “finest pound-for-pound fighters since the Second World War.” After snagging the bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Mayweather has been untouchable, claiming 44 straight bouts over 17 years.
“Only the naturally heavier Oscar De La Hoya extended Mayweather to a split decision, only Carlos Hernandez has put him on the deck,” wrote Warren.
In a sport widely regarded as one on life support, Mayweather is a token of excellence in a seemingly dwindling profession. He symbolizes hope for the sport to one day rise from the dead and revert back to popularity once more. He’s the prophet that boxing has cherished throughout his colorful career.
At 36, Mayweather fights with the energy of a teenager, dominates like the veteran that he is and triumphs like a true champion. He’s the thoroughbred of boxing—a force to be reckoned with each time he lays foot in the ring. There’s a reason why Mayweather was the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2012, raking in $85 million in earnings, according to Forbes.
He continues to overshadow his competition, one way or another.
"There are still tough competitors in the sport," Mayweather said, courtesy of Sports Illustrated. "I want to compete with the top competition."
Each time Mayweather enters the ring, his opponents must remember they’re going up against the best all-around fighter in boxing.
Floyd Mayweather Continues to Prove He's the Best Fighter in Boxing | Bleacher Report
He’s swift on his feet, agile with his reflexes and electric with his hands. He’s cunning with every move. Every punch Mayweather lands draws cheers from the crowd.
In the May 4 Las Vegas welterweight title fight, Mayweather comfortably defeated Robert Guerrero via unanimous decision, 117-111 on all three judges' cards, for his 44th victory, keeping his perfect record intact. “What else can I say?” Mayweather said, courtesy of The New York Times. “We did it again.”
Backed by his father for the first time in 13 years, Mayweather fought like a true champion. He toyed with Guerrero, made him shake in his trousers, teased him, and then pummeled him like the rest of his inferior opponents.
“I needed my father tonight,” Mayweather said, according to Sports Illustrated. “My defense was on point and he told me to stick with my defense and that the less you get hit the longer you last.” Mayweather’s performance against Guerrero didn’t come as a surprise and didn’t shock anyone. He embarrassed his opponent by perfecting his plan of attack, landing 195 punches to his opponent’s 113.
His triumph over Guerrero had Frank Warren, of BoxingScene-com, consider him as one of the “finest pound-for-pound fighters since the Second World War.” After snagging the bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Mayweather has been untouchable, claiming 44 straight bouts over 17 years.
“Only the naturally heavier Oscar De La Hoya extended Mayweather to a split decision, only Carlos Hernandez has put him on the deck,” wrote Warren.
In a sport widely regarded as one on life support, Mayweather is a token of excellence in a seemingly dwindling profession. He symbolizes hope for the sport to one day rise from the dead and revert back to popularity once more. He’s the prophet that boxing has cherished throughout his colorful career.
At 36, Mayweather fights with the energy of a teenager, dominates like the veteran that he is and triumphs like a true champion. He’s the thoroughbred of boxing—a force to be reckoned with each time he lays foot in the ring. There’s a reason why Mayweather was the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2012, raking in $85 million in earnings, according to Forbes.
He continues to overshadow his competition, one way or another.
"There are still tough competitors in the sport," Mayweather said, courtesy of Sports Illustrated. "I want to compete with the top competition."
Each time Mayweather enters the ring, his opponents must remember they’re going up against the best all-around fighter in boxing.
Floyd Mayweather Continues to Prove He's the Best Fighter in Boxing | Bleacher Report
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Former NFL defensive end turned boxer Ray Edwards believes his new sport makes him less exposed to physical harm.
Yes, Edwards believes boxing is safer than football.
“Football is the only sport that is 100-percent injury prone,” Edwards tells Martin Rogers of Yahoo! Sports. “[In football], you don’t know what is coming, where you are going to get hit, how you are going to get hit. You play for a long time, chances are you are going to tear your MCL or ACL. You can break your leg, snap your femur, break your arm, break your neck. . . .
“In boxing you know where the hits are coming from – it is the guy stood in front of you. In boxing you might break your hand or break your nose and if you get knocked out you can get a concussion. But also, the referee is right there and you are more protected. In football, you never know. The game moves at such a pace that you might never see it coming. You can get hit when you are completely defenseless.”
Edwards makes a point that isn’t as implausible as it seems. In boxing, the participant has greater control over his circumstances. He’ll absorb only the damage he can’t prevent, and he has no concerns about being hit deliberately or accidentally when he’s neither looking nor prepared.
Still, the point of boxing is to inflict enough injury upon the opponent’s brain to render him incapable of continuing.
“There is some faulty thinking there,” Dr. Anthony Alessi, a veteran ringside doctor in Connecticut, told Rogers. “In football, accidents and injuries are a byproduct of the game, but the main objective is to get the ball over the line and score points.
“In boxing, the object of the sport is to neurologically impair your opponent, to injure their brain in some way to stop them from performing. It sounds graphic, but that is effectively what you are looking for – a knockout.”
Of course, no injury will be inflicted if the other boxer simply pretends to sustain a knockout, diving to the ground when Edwards places a punch in the vicinity of the fighter’s jaw.
If the NFL were to call Edwards, he’d drop boxing faster than a guy taking a dive, and Edwards would return to football despite the risks. After all, with those risks comes a reward far greater than anything he’ll earn by beating on a smattering of cream puffs and tomato cans at county fairs and tractor pulls.
Ray Edwards says boxing is safer than football | ProFootballTalk
Yes, Edwards believes boxing is safer than football.
“Football is the only sport that is 100-percent injury prone,” Edwards tells Martin Rogers of Yahoo! Sports. “[In football], you don’t know what is coming, where you are going to get hit, how you are going to get hit. You play for a long time, chances are you are going to tear your MCL or ACL. You can break your leg, snap your femur, break your arm, break your neck. . . .
“In boxing you know where the hits are coming from – it is the guy stood in front of you. In boxing you might break your hand or break your nose and if you get knocked out you can get a concussion. But also, the referee is right there and you are more protected. In football, you never know. The game moves at such a pace that you might never see it coming. You can get hit when you are completely defenseless.”
Edwards makes a point that isn’t as implausible as it seems. In boxing, the participant has greater control over his circumstances. He’ll absorb only the damage he can’t prevent, and he has no concerns about being hit deliberately or accidentally when he’s neither looking nor prepared.
Still, the point of boxing is to inflict enough injury upon the opponent’s brain to render him incapable of continuing.
“There is some faulty thinking there,” Dr. Anthony Alessi, a veteran ringside doctor in Connecticut, told Rogers. “In football, accidents and injuries are a byproduct of the game, but the main objective is to get the ball over the line and score points.
“In boxing, the object of the sport is to neurologically impair your opponent, to injure their brain in some way to stop them from performing. It sounds graphic, but that is effectively what you are looking for – a knockout.”
Of course, no injury will be inflicted if the other boxer simply pretends to sustain a knockout, diving to the ground when Edwards places a punch in the vicinity of the fighter’s jaw.
If the NFL were to call Edwards, he’d drop boxing faster than a guy taking a dive, and Edwards would return to football despite the risks. After all, with those risks comes a reward far greater than anything he’ll earn by beating on a smattering of cream puffs and tomato cans at county fairs and tractor pulls.
Ray Edwards says boxing is safer than football | ProFootballTalk
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Danny Garcia UD-12 Zab Judah
Judah (42-8, 29 KO) did once again come up short on the big stage, but in all honesty, this was one of the more gutsy, admirable performances of the 35-year-old's career. Zab started a little slow, got into some real trouble fairly early in the fight, and then, just as he seemed to be picking up Garcia's timing, he was decked in the eighth round on a counter right hand.
Garcia (26-0, 16 KO) looked firmly in control. The old story with Judah is he's got the talent, but lacks the mental game, for whatever reasons. And there was a familiar expression on Zab's face when he got to his feet after the knockdown, too: One of a defeated, frustrated fighter, who would either search for a way out, or survive the rest of the fight.
To his great credit, he did neither, and in the championship rounds, the veteran, fighting at home in Brooklyn, made an uncharacteristically valiant charge, hurting Garcia and showing great signs of life. In the end, Garcia won on scores of 114-112, 115-112, and 116-111. BLH scored it 115-111 for Garcia.
It was a fight that lived up to its pre-fight hype, and also in a nice turn, didn't feature any unfortunate examples of the bad blood that developed between the camps. When the fighters started the bout, there was some reluctance to touch gloves. When the 12th round was about to begin, they did it with no hesitation. And when the final bell rang, they embraced and expressed respect for one another.
Garcia cements himself, at the moment, as the best 140-pound fighter in the world with this win, but a bigger test awaits if he does indeed face the winner of May 18's fight between Lamont Peterson and Lucas Matthysse. As for Zab, he might never get back over the hump, but he'll have another fight on this level soon enough, and this time, I think we can say he earned it in the ring.
Also in Brooklyn: Fernando Guerrero was game but outgunned against WBO middleweight titlist Peter Quillin, dropped four times overall and stopped in the seventh round ... Danny Jacobs kept his comeback rolling with a dominant win over Keenan Collins (KO-4).
Sergio Martinez UD-12 Martin Murray
Sergio Martinez's return to Argentina, his native country, didn't go entirely as planned, as the 38-year-old middleweight champion had to dig deep to edge out a decision win over England's Martin Murray. Martinez won on scores of 115-112, 115-112, and 115-113. BLH had it 114-113 in favor of Murray (25-1-1, 11 KO).
Both men had an argument for the win, but Murray's team reportedly didn't take major issue with the decision, though those things sometimes change the next week when the fighters review the tape. Martinez (51-2-2, 28 KO) came off the canvas in the eighth round and pulled out the fight down the stretch, but there were major signs that the end is near for Sergio.
We said in the preview that when the reflexes and speed on a fighter like Martinez begin to erode, they can get into trouble fast. Roy Jones Jr, again, is a prime example of this. Sergio has always had technical flaws, but he had such great balance, speed of hand and foot, and counter-punching ability, along with underrated power, that he was able to overcome that.
It's not to say that every fighter has to be great fundamentally, but guys like Sergio or Jones do hit the wall, and when they hit it, they hit hard. Jones went from a debated decision over Antonio Tarver in 2003 straight into back-to-back KO losses to Tarver and Glen Johnson. After that first fight with Tarver, the old Roy Jones never returned.
Is Murray the Tarver to Sergio's Roy? Maybe, but we won't know for sure any time soon. Martinez broke his hand in the fight tonight, and promoter Lou DiBella says he's probably out for the rest of the year. Injuries had piled up and it's no secret anymore that Martinez's body is physically failing him, at least as far as remaining an elite boxer. The bell is tolling.
Apart from the boxing, though, this was just a spectacular event overall. Consider that there were no huge promoters involved here -- Lou DiBella, Sampson Lewkowicz, and Hatton Promotions put this card on, and it was as great an atmosphere as you're likely to see in a fight this year. Somewhere around 50,000 fans (or perhaps less than that, but still a load of people) jammed into a football stadium, chanted and sang, and gave Martinez a hero's welcome.
The weather was so bad that the fight was pushed up from a likely 10 pm EDT start to 8:30, so that they could make sure it actually happened. There was rain, high wind, and yet the fans remained. When Martinez appeared for his walk to the ring, he was suffocated by fans trying to rush to him, and security had to surround Martinez and inch him to the ring. It was really quite a sight the whole way through. It was a special night for boxing in Argentina.
Also in Buenos Aires: Luis Carlos Abregu outpointed Antonin Decarie in a welterweight bout. This was supposed to air on HBO, but only highlights made it on the air, as this fight also had to run earlier than anticipated due to the weather.
Also on HBO (from California): Bermane Stiverne scored an upset over Chris Arreola, and earned a WBC heavyweight title shot. Stiverne put Arreola down hard in the third, and won on scores of 117-110, 117-110, and 118-109.
Amir Khan UD-12 Julio Diaz
Speaking of surviving, Amir Khan's return home to the UK also wasn't great, but he did enough to get the win, and like Martinez, had to get up off the mat to do so. Khan (28-3, 19 KO) was dropped in the fourth round, and from there on, the fight carried the familiar nervousness of an Amir Khan bout: Will he get hit hard enough that he can't get out of trouble?
Diaz (40-8-1, 29 KO) fought like he knew he needed a KO, which