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kenyan_cheena · 02-09-2012, 06:13 AM

ESPN

Boxing

Updated: November 22, 2007 5.30 PM ET

Brody accepts Haynes' challenge

By Larry Holman
ESPN.com
Archive

Wednesday night's 6pm episode of SportsCenter has set fire to boxing discussion forums all over the internet, as it brought a possible February blockbuster between former world heavyweight champion Terone Haynes and power-punching Detroit slugger Brutus Brody a step closer to reality. The two big men engaged in some verbal jousting live on air, with Friday Night Fights anchor Brian Kenny an at-times speechless mediator. It was almost two weeks ago when Haynes called Brody out for a matchup on the opening Saturday of the IBL's World Championship Conference (February 9), but Brody had only commented publicly on it once, when questioned about it a few days later. While expressing his desire to fight Haynes, he had said it was something he would discuss with his manager, Jimmy Vickers.

"I would love to fight Haynes, you know?" Brody said. "He's callin' me out and if you know me, I don't back down from fights. February would be good, I'm ready and this is the shot I've been workin' so hard for, ya dig? For the last few years I been trainin', and nothin' else. Of course, it would be a lot of money and I'm game for that but I'm hungrier for something else ... the belt. I won't stop until I got it, ya heard? Haynes is a tough fighter, but I'm no fool. He is one of the best in the game. Me and Jimmy are talkin' 'bout it all, and we gon' see how this plays out ... Jimmy's my man, so whatever he thinks best for me, I'm behind him."

On Wednesday night Brody did not fail to make his real feelings on the issue be known as the pair - Haynes in Miami and Brody in Las Vegas - went back and forth, often speaking over the top of each other. The segment started out in a civil enough fashion, with Brian Kenny alternating questions between the two pugilists until, maybe ten minutes in, Haynes interjected while Brody was talking and it more or less descended into a slanging match from there. Brody made it clear that he has no fear of Haynes, or any man for that matter, saying he respected the former champion for laying down his challenge and if it was as simple as him accepting it he would have done so right away. He agreed that it was a fight the public would love to see, one that could break all kinds of attendance and television viewing records. But Brody then flipped his approach and raised Haynes' motives behind the challenge, questioning the very points he had only just agreed with moments before and getting pretty worked up as he did so. Not only that, he succeeded in agitating Haynes by refering to him as "Champ".

"See, Champ, I been lookin' at this from your perspective," Brody said, running a hand over his cornrows. "You just lost the title, and we all know you ain't gonna get the chance to get it back until late next year. At the earliest ... In the meantime, you gonna be lookin' to re-establish yo'self, to make sure people don't forget y'all. What better way to do that, than to take out the most dangerous up-and-comer in the game, Brutus Brody? Yeah, that be a fine idea, don't it? And I'm real flattered by it, but ... Nah, man. You ain't interested in puttin' on a great fight for the people, or even the money. Yeah, I said it. Or even the money."

Haynes fired back with an incredulous "That's what y'all really think?"

"Yeah, I do," Brody replied, nodding his head. "All y'all wanna do is be able to say you beat Brutus Brody, the baddest mutha out there right now. That's all y'all see me as, a big name on yo' record on the way back to the championship. My manager Jimmy, he say I'd be crazy fightin' you at this point, ya dig? Says there ain't nothin' in it for me. Even says I ain't ready, and maybe that's true. And maybe everythang else I just say be true, also ... But none of it change the fact there ain't nothin' I wanna do more than kick yo' ass, Champ. So come December 1 when we can negotiate, I'ma tell Jimmy to start talking to your people, whether he like it or not."

Without another word, Brody got up and walked away, leaving an empty seat in the picture frame and ending the interview segment. For a handful of seconds ESPN's cameras captured a stunned Brian Kenny before cutting to a smiling Terone Haynes, his countenance summing up what had just taken place. And what that is has been the topic of a huge amount of discussion during the almost 24 hours since. The consensus is that while there are good reasons for Brody to refuse the bout and instead build up to it by fighting some of the lesser lights of the WCC, it's the fact that he's been challenged and does not want to be seen as weak by turning down that challenge which has led to him accepting it. He doesn't want to possibly look back at these times in ten years from now and regret shrinking back from one of the greatest heavyweights who ever lived. Whether the time was right or not.

One would think that if both men want the fight to happen, their managers will have to negotiate for it on their behalf to the best of their ability, whether they believe it's a good idea or not. Haynes recently employed Miami nightclub owner Leroy Ellis as his manager going forward into the WCC. Ellis is a man he has known for almost ten years and someone he credits with steering him away from a life of crime. Ellis gave Haynes a security job in his "Heatwave" club when he was still in his mid-teens and is known not just as someone who throws an unforgettable party, but also as a serious businessman. One would like to be a fly on the wall when Ellis and Vickers are in the same room together.

Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

02-09-2012, 06:13 AM	#1461
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	*ESPN* *Boxing* Updated: November 22, 2007 5.30 PM ET Brody accepts Haynes' challenge By Larry Holman ESPN.com Archive Wednesday night's 6pm episode of SportsCenter has set fire to boxing discussion forums all over the internet, as it brought a possible February blockbuster between former world heavyweight champion Terone Haynes and power-punching Detroit slugger Brutus Brody a step closer to reality. The two big men engaged in some verbal jousting live on air, with Friday Night Fights anchor Brian Kenny an at-times speechless mediator. It was almost two weeks ago when Haynes called Brody out for a matchup on the opening Saturday of the IBL's World Championship Conference (February 9), but Brody had only commented publicly on it once, when questioned about it a few days later. While expressing his desire to fight Haynes, he had said it was something he would discuss with his manager, Jimmy Vickers. "I would love to fight Haynes, you know?" Brody said. "He's callin' me out and if you know me, I don't back down from fights. February would be good, I'm ready and this is the shot I've been workin' so hard for, ya dig? For the last few years I been trainin', and nothin' else. Of course, it would be a lot of money and I'm game for that but I'm hungrier for something else ... the belt. I won't stop until I got it, ya heard? Haynes is a tough fighter, but I'm no fool. He is one of the best in the game. Me and Jimmy are talkin' 'bout it all, and we gon' see how this plays out ... Jimmy's my man, so whatever he thinks best for me, I'm behind him." On Wednesday night Brody did not fail to make his real feelings on the issue be known as the pair - Haynes in Miami and Brody in Las Vegas - went back and forth, often speaking over the top of each other. The segment started out in a civil enough fashion, with Brian Kenny alternating questions between the two pugilists until, maybe ten minutes in, Haynes interjected while Brody was talking and it more or less descended into a slanging match from there. Brody made it clear that he has no fear of Haynes, or any man for that matter, saying he respected the former champion for laying down his challenge and if it was as simple as him accepting it he would have done so right away. He agreed that it was a fight the public would love to see, one that could break all kinds of attendance and television viewing records. But Brody then flipped his approach and raised Haynes' motives behind the challenge, questioning the very points he had only just agreed with moments before and getting pretty worked up as he did so. Not only that, he succeeded in agitating Haynes by refering to him as "Champ". "See, Champ, I been lookin' at this from your perspective," Brody said, running a hand over his cornrows. "You just lost the title, and we all know you ain't gonna get the chance to get it back until late next year. At the earliest ... In the meantime, you gonna be lookin' to re-establish yo'self, to make sure people don't forget y'all. What better way to do that, than to take out the most dangerous up-and-comer in the game, Brutus Brody? Yeah, that be a fine idea, don't it? And I'm real flattered by it, but ... Nah, man. You ain't interested in puttin' on a great fight for the people, or even the money. Yeah, I said it. Or even the money." Haynes fired back with an incredulous "That's what y'all really think?" "Yeah, I do," Brody replied, nodding his head. "All y'all wanna do is be able to say you beat Brutus Brody, the baddest mutha out there right now. That's all y'all see me as, a big name on yo' record on the way back to the championship. My manager Jimmy, he say I'd be crazy fightin' you at this point, ya dig? Says there ain't nothin' in it for me. Even says I ain't ready, and maybe that's true. And maybe everythang else I just say be true, also ... But none of it change the fact there ain't nothin' I wanna do more than kick yo' ass, Champ. So come December 1 when we can negotiate, I'ma tell Jimmy to start talking to your people, whether he like it or not." Without another word, Brody got up and walked away, leaving an empty seat in the picture frame and ending the interview segment. For a handful of seconds ESPN's cameras captured a stunned Brian Kenny before cutting to a smiling Terone Haynes, his countenance summing up what had just taken place. And what that is has been the topic of a huge amount of discussion during the almost 24 hours since. The consensus is that while there are good reasons for Brody to refuse the bout and instead build up to it by fighting some of the lesser lights of the WCC, it's the fact that he's been challenged and does not want to be seen as weak by turning down that challenge which has led to him accepting it. He doesn't want to possibly look back at these times in ten years from now and regret shrinking back from one of the greatest heavyweights who ever lived. Whether the time was right or not. One would think that if both men want the fight to happen, their managers will have to negotiate for it on their behalf to the best of their ability, whether they believe it's a good idea or not. Haynes recently employed Miami nightclub owner Leroy Ellis as his manager going forward into the WCC. Ellis is a man he has known for almost ten years and someone he credits with steering him away from a life of crime. Ellis gave Haynes a security job in his "Heatwave" club when he was still in his mid-teens and is known not just as someone who throws an unforgettable party, but also as a serious businessman. One would like to be a fly on the wall when Ellis and Vickers are in the same room together. Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer. Last edited by kenyan_cheena; 02-09-2012 at 06:17 AM.