The Greatest Prize in Sports - Page 61

kenyan_cheena · 02-21-2011, 10:03 PM

TheSweetScience.com

SATURDAY 16 JUNE 2007

Alvarez stuns Anyukov
with outstanding fightback

Story by Michael Broughton

Florida Alliance member Romy Alvarez gave the boxing world a look at what a remarkable talent he is with a stirring unanimous decision victory over Russia's former WBA heavyweight champion Sergey Anyukov on Friday night at the Krylia Sovetov in Moscow. Fighting in front of a crowd that was 100% against him Alvarez recovered from a poor start (which included a trip to the canvas in round three) to dominate the final six rounds of the contest and take the decision by scores of 96-92 from each judge. Alvarez's rally was built behind his main weapon, a piston-like left jab which kept Anyukov on the back foot in the 5th and 6th. But when a punishing left-right salvo dropped the Russian thirty seconds into round seven his fightback moved into a higher gear.

Anyukov was floored for a second time by a left hook two minutes into the 9th, by which time much of the fight had left the favourite. Anyukov's prospects were so much more positive earlier, after he had the better of an action-packed opening frame during which the combatants exchanged a succession of flush blows. Alvarez made it clear with an impressive 2nd that he wasn't going to give up but after Anyukov put him on his backside with a jolting cross midway through the 3rd and then controlled round four it appeared that he was on his way to clinching a berth in September's eliminator semi-finals. 23 year-old Alvarez (9-3(4)) has endured setbacks in his brief career, with a trio of consecutive defeats to end '06 and start '07. But he bounced back with a confidence-boosting win against Mike Hunter in April and wasn't about to surrender the momentum that victory gave him.

Alvarez's efforts in the second half of the fight were eye-opening and it was hard to believe what he was achieving when one considers the gulf in experience between the two men. The Florida sharpshooter's trainer Roy Jones was beaming with pride in the ring during the post-fight interviews, saying there weren't many other performances from one of his fighters that had made him happier. The victor landed 244 of 500 punches (48.8%), Anyukov 143 of 674 (21.2%). While it was all smiles, triumph and success for Alvarez and his crew, Anyukov wore the expression of a broken man while interviewed by the Russian media. He came into the IBL expecting to test himself and prevail against the best heavyweights in the world but it's been nothing short of disasterous for him, with three losses in his last four outings seeing his record fall to 37-4-1(27).

Like fellow highly-ranked heavyweight Jack Johnson (defeated by Germany's Scott Mundt on Thursday in Los Angeles), Anyukov will now plummet out of the league's top ranking tier and has blown his chance to earn a rematch with current world champion Terone Haynes in early '08. He even intimated that either a break from the sport or outright retirement is something he might consider. His compatriot heavyweight Alexander Zolkin was victorious over the Californian Mike Weaver earlier on the card and is set to profit from both Johnson and Anyukov's misfortune, as he'll move from #7 to #5 in the rankings and next takes on Australia's Peter Jackson in the eliminator semi-finals. Zolkin (22-6-4(18)) stopped Weaver on cuts in round eight, a left hook in the 3rd opening a nasty gash on his right eyelid.

(to be continued)

Romdawg88 · 02-21-2011, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

It also makes things a bit easier for Terone, as there's now no way that Johnson will be the first challenger of '08 for the world title. Terone ends '07 by taking on the winner of Norton-Golota and I can't see him losing that. But with Johnson's defeat the elimination semi-finalists will now be Peter Jackson, Lennox Lewis, the loser of Norton-Golota and one name yet to be confirmed. If Anyukov beats your guy it'll be him. If you spring the upset it'll be current #7 Alexander Zolkin, IF he beats Mike Weaver on the same card you're fighting Anyukov on in Russia.

Can't say when I'll have the write-up done for that card. Probably in 48 hours from now.

Yeah, not having Johnson involve does make Haynes life a bit easier. I think we see Jackson beat Lewis in the finals again and I have no doubt he'll perform much better against Haynes this time around. Should be an interesting match to see.

So since Chris won and let Lewis move up already, I can now fully enjoy this match so WOOOOO!!! Heck of a comeback to take that bout but I've got to do something about this whole getting knocked down thing. My guy has been put down what 6 or 7 times already, he's looking like Floyd Patterson out there. Have to say I would be real interested in finding out what Sergey Anyukov is rated. At this point, it's clear that he was the weakest of the three World Champs that enter the HW tournament.

kenyan_cheena · 02-21-2011, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Yeah, not having Johnson involve does make Haynes life a bit easier. I think we see Jackson beat Lewis in the finals again and I have no doubt he'll perform much better against Haynes this time around. Should be an interesting match to see.

So since Chris won and let Lewis move up already, I can now fully enjoy this match so WOOOOO!!! Heck of a comeback to take that bout but I've got to do something about this whole getting knocked down thing. My guy has been put down what 6 or 7 times already, he's looking like Floyd Patterson out there. Have to say I would be real interested in finding out what Sergey Anyukov is rated. At this point, it's clear that he was the weakest of the three World Champs that enter the HW tournament.

Congrats on the win, man. It's been great to see your guy fight back into contention with these two wins over Hunter and Anyukov. I have something planned for your guy which you might find intriguing, but you'll have to wait a little while to find out. maybe you can guess, anyway. I'll have a look at Anyukov's rating when I get home tonight and PM it to you.

I still have to write about the main event for the Moscow card, which was the flyweight world title eliminator between Yuri Arbachakov and Koki Kameda. Following that the schedule of posts looks like this to complete the week's action:

* Review of Schmeling-Coetzee I-C heavyweight championship bout
* Review of Davison-Tellez flyweight world title fight plus undercard
* Review of Norton-Golota heavyweight world title eliminator plus undercard

Once those are done I'll have one week left in the June schedule, which is all bantamweights. I haven't really discussed what's been going on outside the IBL much lately so there'll be a post to do with that and the June Boxing Monthly should have a number of non-IBL bouts featured in it, also.

Romdawg88 · 02-22-2011, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Congrats on the win, man. It's been great to see your guy fight back into contention with these two wins over Hunter and Anyukov. I have something planned for your guy which you might find intriguing, but you'll have to wait a little while to find out. maybe you can guess, anyway. I'll have a look at Anyukov's rating when I get home tonight and PM it to you.

Thanks man, yeah it is nice to see my dude bounce back during that losing streak I was really worried I'd end up as irrelevant like SAL or something and that would of sucked. Hmm, I'm looking forward to see what you have planned for my guy. I know he's on that whole "screw the Americas championship, lets go for the World Title" tip but I'm not sure what you have cooked up. Ooh, I know I'm going to be ringside at Haynes next defense and late in the fight while the ref is busy with his opponent I'll smash a chair across Haynes head and then break and form my own Alliance splinter group while claiming that Haynes and Jones were holding us down --- oops sorry let the 12 year old wrestling mark in me take over for a second there.

I do have to say that I am pretty disappointed with you on this fight. I mean you have a plucky, under size American fighting a big, scary Russian in Russia who rallies form early trouble to score a big upset and you don't rip off the whole Rocky IV "If I can change and you can change, we can all change" scene. For shame KC for shame.

kenyan_cheena · 02-22-2011, 05:15 AM

(continuation of post #1201)

Despite wearing some worrying swelling under his own left eye Zolkin was well on the way to victory when the fight was stopped as he held leads of three points on each scorecard heading into the 8th. The win follows his spirited effort in holding Lennox Lewis to a draw in March and it'll be interesting to see how each man performs in September. Lewis now assumes the #4 world ranking thanks to Alvarez and will take on the loser of tonight's clash between Ken Norton and Andrew Golota. That fight will be held on Norton's home turf in San Diego and it goes without saying that it's a huge opportunity for each man. Norton is desperate to get another shot at Terone Haynes. In the past he has spoken of his "legacy" as one of the heavyweight greats and how it's going to be measured depending on whether he can overcome Haynes. Golota wants to show the boxing public that he has what it takes to be considered an elite heavyweight in the current environment.

The most important fight on last night's card was actually one we haven't discussed yet: the flyweight main event between Russia's Yuri Arbachakov and Japan's Koki Kameda. Both of them have experienced disappointment in their quest for the IBL belt, with Arbachakov losing the inaugural championship bout to Candido Tellez and Kameda defeated by Willie Davison in the final of the Challenger's tournament. Now they had another chance to earn a shot and it was Arbachakov who grabbed it, though in controversial circumstances. He was declared the winner by technical split decision due to a cut that was opened by a headclash outside his right eyebrow in the opening round. However, the fight did not end until round ten. The cut was examined twice within thirty seconds of the bell and again later in the frame, but what angered Kameda's corner was the fact that he cut Arbachakov a second time above the left eyebrow with a hard right hand before that third examination had taken place.

The bout was called off at the 2:11 mark but it was not immediately clear whether it was because of the first cut from the headclash, or the second one from the punch. When it was announced that it was the first cut that had ended the fight Kameda's trainer was furious as he knew it would lead to the scorecards being tallied. To make the situation even more infuriating Kameda (22-4(14)) had absolutely dominated the 10th to that point and if the referee had not stepped in it was very possible that he could have finished off the hometown favourite. Arbachakov (33-3-1(24)) had dropped Kameda with a brutal left hook early in round nine and when the scores were revealed the knockdown took on even greater significance as he was the winner by scores of 86-85, 85-86 and 87-84. The fight had been an even, see-sawing affair all the way through with neither man able to maintain the momentum but the ending left a sour taste in everyone's mouths.

Arbachakov was the WBC's flyweight titleholder before joining the IBL and he now has a chance to add a second world championship to his collection. He'll take on the winner of tonight's showdown in Cincinnati where the unexpected champion Willie Davison defends the belt against Candido Tellez in a rematch of their March 31 stoush, which Davison one in sensational fashion by 9th round TKO. The 26 year-old will be out to prove that he deserves to be world champion and that his victory over Tellez was not a fluke, as some have said. As for Tellez, he's gunning for some comprehensive revenge. He enjoyed a three-year reign as WBO champion before coming to the IBL and when he claimed the league's inaugural championship was expecting to maintain his undefeated record for some time to come. Losing the title in his first defense wasn't part of that plan and he's said during the last week that he's going to rectify the situation tonight at the Cincinnati Gardens.

kenyan_cheena · 02-23-2011, 08:31 PM

ESPN

Boxing

Updated: June 16, 2007 9.30 AM ET

Schmeling floors Coetzee six times
on way to 12th round knockout

By Larry Holman
ESPN.com
Archive

German heavyweight Max Schmeling continued his seemingly unstoppable charge towards a meeting with world champion Terone Haynes with a 12th round stoppage of the South African Gerrie Coetzee on Friday evening in Cologne. Schmeling retained his IBL Inter-Continental championship for a third time and floored the durable Coetzee a remarkable six times before the challenger was finally counted out thirty seconds into round twelve. Schmeling had a much easier time than in his previous defense against the talented Filipino Juan de la Cruz, a fight in which he was greatly tested. While Coetzee showed resilience and bravery, he never came close to troubling Schmeling and when it was all over the undefeated champion had outlanded him 397-112.

Schmeling sent Coetzee to the canvas for the first time one minute into round four, with further knockdowns following in the 5th and 6th before the South African was dropped twice in round ten and then, finally, by a sizzling left hook early in the 12th. Going into the last frame Schmeling held huge leads of thirteen points from two judges and fourteen from the other. He is now 19-0(14), with seven wins coming under the IBL banner. The 24 year-old has certainly established himself as the premier young heavyweight in Europe and would be on level terms with such fighters as Cheetah Brown and Sam McVey internationally. Schmeling said after the fight that the prospect of fighting Haynes excites him greatly but that he won't be getting ahead of himself with still two more successful defenses required before such a fight becomes a reality.

His next outing could very well be one that the German boxing public have been waiting for, a meeting with compatriot Scott Mundt. The Connecticut-born Mundt recorded an upset victory over Olympic gold medallist Jack Johnson earlier this week and is eligible to challenge Schmeling as a result. No doubt, the man some have called "The Number Cruncher" due to his background in accounting would give Schmeling his toughest test to date and be a good chance of ending his title reign. When asked about such a matchup Schmeling said he would welcome it and has already looked forward to the challenge that Mundt represents. Schmeling said that he was hopeful his next fight would be a tougher one and if it's against Mundt the chances of that are very good.

Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

kenyan_cheena · 02-25-2011, 07:33 AM

EL UNIVERSAL

Sunday 17 June 2007

SWEET REVENGE
FOR TELLEZ

Story by Miguel Trelles

Last night Candido Tellez regained his status as the world's best flyweight boxer in devastating fashion, knocking out IBL champion Willie Davison in the 2nd round of their clash at the Cincinnati Gardens. Tellez gained comprehensive revenge for the upset 9th round TKO defeat Davison inflicted in March, flooring him three times in round two before referee Samuel Viruet counted him out at the 2:13 mark. It was supposed to be a night of celebration for Davison, defending the world championship in his hometown, which had not hosted a fight of such magnitude for five years. It turned into a nightmare and, unfortunately, after the decimation that Tellez unleashed many will say that Davison was lucky to have won the title in the first place.

That opinion denies the excellent start he made in the opening round. In a frenzied stanza Davison had Tellez back on his heels on three seperate occasions, lightning-fast combos starching the challenger and bringing roars of approval from the crowd. It seemed to signal great times to come but Tellez turned it all around with a flush left hook just sixteen seconds into round two. Davison only just beat the count and was down for a second time forty seconds later, a jolting right cross catching him on the chin moments after an uppercut had staggered him. This time Davison bounced up at two but there was a vacant look in his eyes. Tellez mercilessly pushed home his advantage, another head-snapping uppercut rocking the champion before an overhand right dropped him for a third and final time.

Tellez's corner crew flooded the ring to celebrate with him, the 28 year-old hoisted up onto their shoulders and paraded around the ring. He improved his record to 30-1-2(21) while the vanquished Davison fell to 27-4-1(20). Speaking afterwards Tellez said that it had been his plan to strike early, to end it quickly and not give Davison a chance to get comfortable and draw confidence from the parochial audience. The first defense of Tellez's second reign as IBL champion will be against the man he defeated to win the inaugural championship, Russia's Yuri Arbachakov, who earned the title shot with a victory over Japan's Koki Kameda on Friday evening in Moscow. Their first clash was a brutal affair which lasted thirteen rounds before Arbachakov was knocked out and the rematch promises to be just as exciting.

Davison wore the crushing disappointment of defeat during the post-fight interview and confirmed that he was pretty much gone after the first knockdown. He apologised to the crowd, who gave him generous applause, and then said that he'll be doing everything he can to bring the world championship back to Cincinnati as soon as possible. To actually do that he'll need to be victorious in his next two outings just to earn another shot at the title. Now ranked #2, Davison will step into the ring against the 5th-ranked Scotsman Benny Lynch in the September elimination semi-finals. Koki Kameda takes on the veteran Mexican Adrian Hernandez in the other semi-final.

Last night's undercard featured a quintet of heavyweight bouts. In the opener Florida's David Kane (12-3-1(10)) bounced back from a one-sided loss to Adam Brooks to record a unanimous decision win over the tougher than expected Irishman Bartley Madden. Surprisingly there were no knockdowns, Kane taking a 79-74, 78-74, 79-73 verdict to retain his place in the 5th ranking tier. Next up was the intriguing Detroit powerhouse Brutus Brody, who many believe could be in a position to challenge for the world championship by this time next year. Brody scored his second consecutive 1st round stoppage and seventh overall, destroying Darius King to maintain his perfect record at 15-0(15) and move into the 5th tier. King was floored twice within thirty seconds in the final minute of the round and was counted out at the 2:57 mark.

The third bout saw Indiana's Mike Hanson in action for the first time since his unsuccessful Americas championship challenge against Sam McVey. Hanson was given little trouble by the Englishman Trevor Berbick but was unable to knock him out, despite dropping him twice in the 7th. Hanson took a comfortable unanimous decision (80-70, 79-71, 80-70), outlanding Berbick 227-86 and improving his record to 11-2(8). The victory keeps Hanson in the 3rd ranking tier and he'll next take on an opponent from within the group in August before the chance to jump into the 2nd tier comes in October.

Ohio's Michael Dokes slumped to his fourth defeat in six IBL bouts, the veteran being convincingly outfought by up-and-coming Virginia slugger Ron E. Vincent. Dokes recently signed a contract extension with the IBL that will keep him fighting under the league banner until the end of '07. Based on his last two performances against young guns Cheetah Brown and now Vincent one has to wonder why the league retained him. Dokes (35-10-2(24)) appears to be a shot fighter and while Vincent didn't knock him down he dominated the contest, connecting with 56% of his punches and outlanding Dokes 246-90. The 34 year-old did not win more than two rounds on any card, Vincent taking the unanimous decision nod by scores of 79-73, 80-72 and 78-75 and upping his perfect mark to 12-0(6). Vincent will jump into the 3rd ranking tier as a consequence of his win while Dokes falls further down the standings into the 4th tier.

9th-ranked New Jersey native Joe Jeannette was another fighter looking to get back in the winner's circle when he clashed with Portland's Leon Higgins in the co-feature, and he was successful in doing so. Coming off a close split decision loss to Jack Johnson in March, Jeannette cruised to a unanimous decision win and will move up at least two places in the world rankings following the defeats of both Johnson and Sergey Anyukov on Thursday and Friday respectively. Jeannette (17-3(11)) was victorious by scores of 99-90, 98-91 and 99-90. He landed 288 of 637 punches, Higgins 150 of 394. Higgins (24-8(18)) is an unimpressive 2-4 in IBL competition, with one of those defeats coming at the hands of Michael Dokes. Jeannette is a talented young fighter but still has a tough road ahead of him to earn a world title shot. His only losses in the IBL have come to the two Olympic champions Johnson and Lennox Lewis, but they are the types of bouts he'll have to win to make a charge for the top of the rankings.

kenyan_cheena · 02-25-2011, 07:42 AM

Before going any further I would like to thank everyone who has followed and enjoyed this thread for making it possible for it to reach 30,000 views. It's something that's only happened with seven threads in the Inside the Ropes forum, with two of those being the main UTBA threads.

I'm happy that it's reached this milestone and, once again, want to thank all of you for your enthusiasm, encouragement and participation in the story. While I have plans for streamlining it I'm not thinking of giving it up any time soon and hope that everyone continues to join me on this journey.

Thanks.

k_c

Infinity · 02-25-2011, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Before going any further I would like to thank everyone who has followed and enjoyed this thread for making it possible for it to reach 30,000 views. It's something that's only happened with seven threads in the Inside the Ropes forum, with two of those being the main UTBA threads.

I'm happy that it's reached this milestone and, once again, want to thank all of you for your enthusiasm, encouragement and participation in the story. While I have plans for streamlining it I'm not thinking of giving it up any time soon and hope that everyone continues to join me on this journey.

Thanks.

k_c

It says a lot about your abilities that you have 3 threads in the top 10 readership listings (not counting the UTBA which is a different animal). The quality and depth of your work is what keeps us engrossed and eagerly waiting for more. Keep up the good work bro!

kenyan_cheena · 02-27-2011, 06:48 AM

The San Diego
Union-Tribune

SUNDAY 17 JUNE 2007

NORTON STOPS GOLOTA IN 5TH,
EARNS HAYNES REMATCH

Story by Geoff Klein

He said during the week that he wouldn't disappoint his hometown fans, and last night Ken Norton delivered on that promise. With a rematch against world heavyweight champion Terone Haynes on the line, Norton scored a 5th round TKO of Poland's Andrew Golota at Qualcomm Stadium. It was an even, competitive affair through the first four rounds, Norton controlling the opening frame only for Golota to answer back impressively with a dominant 2nd. Round three was close, Golota landing a jolting cross early before Norton caught him with a flush straight right midway through the frame, the punch wobbling Golota and forcing him to initiate a clinch. Norton took the upperhand in the 4th, once again rattling the Pole's cage with another hard right. Golota's one highlight of the round was a crunching uppercut in the final minute, Norton putting an exclamation point on his efforts soon after when he bounced a right hand off his opponent's forehead.

There was little to indicate the damage Norton would unleash upon Golota in round five, especially when Golota landed the first big punch of the round just twenty seconds into it. But before the round had reached the minute mark Golota was in serious trouble, absorbing a three-punch salvo and a straight right. Norton sensed the opportunity and went in for the kill, connecting with a right cross, a punishing left hook and a booming straight right as the frame entered its final minute. The right hand cut Golota inside the left eyebrow but it became an afterthought as Norton poured on the pressure. A right to the body brought a grimace to Golota's face and another left hook turned his legs to jelly. Golota grabbed for the ropes and missed, stumbling forwards. Norton stepped back, making some room for himself. He caught Golota with two more solid right hands before referee Bill Clancy pulled him away and waved the fight over at the 2:57 mark.

Norton (32-3-1(26)) had earlier entered the ring with an entourage that included San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson and fellow Californian boxers Sam McVey and James Toney. Soon after the bout's conclusion the trio, amongst a host of others, were in the ring celebrating his victory. While happy with the win Norton said that he was feeling relief more than anything else: relief that he had secured a second fight with Terone Haynes. He spoke of how it had been something he'd thought about every day since their first meeting last December and, reflecting on how close he'd been to defeat in his March clash against Tonga's Simione Paea, Norton added that he felt very fortunate to have reached his goal. Norton declared that he'll be preparing for what will be a much anticipated rematch like it's the final fight of his career, which it very well could be.

While acknowledging that he'd simply been outfought, Golota (31-6(27)) could not hide his disappointment. He's had an extraordinarily difficult run of opponents in IBL competition but before tonight had only lost to one of them, that being Peter Jackson in the semi-finals of the Challenger's tournament. He's recorded two wins over Riddick Bowe and another against Ike Ibeabuchi, but it gets no easier for him. He stays at #3 in the rankings and will next face Olympic gold medallist Lennox Lewis in the elimination semi-finals. A loss in that fight might just be too much for the big Polish slugger to handle. Speaking of Ibeabuchi, the hard-hitting Nigerian broke a three-fight losing streak with a victory over New Zealand's Sam Leuluai in the co-feature. Down a minute into the 1st round, Leuluai withstood Ibeabuchi's early onslaught and even looked like getting into the fight after a solid effort in round three. But Ibeabuchi pummelled him in the 4th and the bout was stopped 2:37 into the frame.

Ibeabuchi (28-4-1(25)) will move up two places in the rankings to #6 and will be defending that position in his next bout. Earlier, Jacksonville's former WBO champion Ray Mercer rebounded from a devastating April loss to Scott Mundt to dominate and stop Carl Morris on cuts in the 4th round. Mercer dropped from #12 to #24 in the rankings following the Mundt bout and will merely retain his current standing as a result of last night's win. He is now 35-7-1(23) and said he has no plans to "hang up the gloves". Other winners on the card included the Samoan Kalolo Umaga and San Francisco native John Fehner, who tasted the canvas for the first time in his career but maintained his perfect record (11-0(9)) with a slim majority decision win against Marvin Hart (77-76, 76-76, 77-75). Sydney Olympics gold medallist Tyrell Biggs is still looking for his first victory since joining the IBL after being held to a draw by Tennessee's Adam Brooks. In a see-sawing contest Biggs dominated the final round to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat. Even so, he'll take a seven-place tumble in the rankings down to #35, while Brooks moves up seven to #36.

Romdawg88 · 02-27-2011, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

relief that he had secured a second fight with Terone Haynes.

I'm predicting that the relief will last until the first time Haynes slams one of those hambones into Norton's face and then it will quickly be replaced with a "what the hell was I thinking, I wanted to fight this monster" feeling. Luckily, for Norton soon after he won't be feeling anything at all.

kenyan_cheena · 02-28-2011, 09:22 PM

ESPN

Boxing

Updated: June 18, 2007 3.45 PM ET

Brown calls out Alvarez
for first title defense

By Larry Holman
ESPN.com
Archive

Last Thursday Florida heavyweight Cheetah Brown became the first fighter to regain an IBL regional title when he defeated Sam McVey for the Americas championship. On Sunday evening Pinellas Park-born Brown made his intentions for the future clear during a radio interview when he expressed a desire to step in the ring against fellow Sunshine State native Romy Alvarez in his next outing. The two have been one Alvarez victory away from clashing on two previous occasions but Alvarez was defeated by split decision each time, first by Mike Weaver in the tournament semi-finals and then by McVey in an eliminator. However, following last week's results where Brown won back the title and Alvarez scored an upset victory over former WBA champion Sergey Anyukov the door has finally opened.

Of course, back in March Alvarez asked the IBL to remove his name from future consideration as an Americas championship challenger after being blown out by Mike Hanson in the 1st round of what was an unofficial elimination bout in February. Hanson went on to challenge and lose to McVey for the title. Alvarez believed that after the trio of losses it just wasn't meant to be for him as far as the Americas belt was concerned and, coincidentally, he has gone on to win two fights against more experienced opponents since then (Mike Hunter and Anyukov). Brown acknowledged Alvarez's previous words and spoke of his admiration for him with how he has fought his way back into contention.

But Brown also mentioned an AMERICAN | PUGILIST article from early February, before Alvarez's meeting with Hanson, in which it was noted that the Belle Glade native's short term goal was a meeting with Brown, "whether the regional belt is on the line or not". Brown said with confidence that he believed Alvarez's attitude hadn't changed and that he'd be shocked if the man fans like to call "The Iceman" was to reject his proposal. If the fight was to go ahead it would complete a series of bouts where the quartet of young heavies - Brown, Alvarez, Hanson and McVey - have all fought each other at least once. In the case of Brown and McVey, they've already completed a trilogy in less than twelve months. There have been some memorable stoushes featuring the group but a Brown-Alvarez matchup could very well be the most intriguing of them all.

Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

Romdawg88 · 03-01-2011, 03:24 AM

Hm, I have question where will my dude be ranked now that he beat Sergei. I might be at the point where going for the Americas title won't make much sense. Will be interested in seeing where this goes.

kenyan_cheena · 03-05-2011, 05:56 AM

La Gazzetta dello Sport

THURSDAY 21 JUNE 2007

Leon dominates,
stops O'Sullivan in 9th

Story by Giovanni Lippi

In what would have to be the most assured and measured performance of his career to date, Palermo bantamweight boxer Casper Leon recorded a 9th round TKO of England's Danny O'Sullivan last night at Agora Stadium to retain his IBL Inter-Continental championship. It was Leon's second successful defense of the belt since claiming it from O'Sullivan in March, with the bout being the third meeting between the two men in the space of nine months. They also clashed in the tournament semi-finals last October, where the Englishman won by an identical result to last night (TKO9) before going on to become the inaugural champion with a victory over Johnny Bredahl. It's been an exciting rivalry between the two, although Leon appeared to be in control for the majority of this third contest. He floored O'Sullivan with a left hook late in round four and held leads of four, six and four points heading into the 9th.

Once there he overwhelmed O'Sullivan, tagging him with a succession of flush blows before the referee stepped in at the 2:24 mark to end it. Leon connected with 268 of 627 punches (42.7%), O'Sullivan 160 of 407 (39.3%). With his fourth consecutive win Leon improved to 21-3(13), O'Sullivan falling to 23-5-1(18). Unsurspisingly, the pair have developed a deal of mutual respect and admiration during their rivalry. O'Sullivan said afterwards that, following the nature of his defeat, it was probably time for him to move on from trying to regain the I-C belt and concentrate on making a push up the rankings. There was a minor upset in the evening's co-feature when 10th-ranked Frenchman Alphonse Halimi suffered his third sraight defeat, being knocked out in round six by the Venezuelan Felix Machado. The fight did not start well for Halimi when he was cut from a headclash early in round one, Machado (27-5(18)) dropping him with an uppercut early in the 5th and then a left-right-left salvo late in the 6th. Halimi (21-5-2(14)) was counted out at the 2:26 mark. In contrast to Halimi's slump, Machado has now won four fights in a row.

kenyan_cheena · 03-05-2011, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Hm, I have question where will my dude be ranked now that he beat Sergei. I might be at the point where going for the Americas title won't make much sense. Will be interested in seeing where this goes.

He's just outside of the top tier at #12, so what you say is true. To be honest, I'm still not entirely sure where this plotline is going to go because, * hint hint *, rumours of some sort are starting to bubble to the surface...

kenyan_cheena · 03-06-2011, 05:34 AM

Laredo Morning Times

FRIDAY 22 JUNE 2007

Canizales mantains
undefeated streak

Story by Brian Walsh

Laredo bantamweight Orlando Canizales has stretched his undefeated streak to nine fights following an 8th round TKO victory over Jeff Chandler last night at the Entertainment Center. In his third meeting with the Philadelphia native this year Canizales climbed off the canvas early in the 1st round, survived a follow-up barrage and slowly worked his way into the bout. Canizales was wearing some worrying swelling under his left eye by round five but when he cut Chandler on the left eyebrow midway through the 6th the contest turned in his favour. The wound was a nasty one and the ringside doctor examined it immediately after it opened, and again in round seven and for a third time 45 seconds into the 8th. On this third occasion the decision was made to end the fight, Canizales the winner by TKO and retaining his IBL Americas championship for a second time.

Canizales' winning streak started in February 2006 and includes seven fights under the IBL banner. He fought Chandler in early January for the inaugural Americas title but the bout was scored as a draw. The rematch took place two months later, Canizales winning it by unanimous decision. His first defense was a 5th round TKO of Puerto Rico's Julian Solis in late April, Chandler defeating Chan-Yong Park during the same week to set up last night's third clash. At the time of the stoppage Chandler (16-3-3(9)) held leads of two and four points, with one judge having it even. Canizales landed 130 of 378 punches (34.4%), Chandler 211 of 729 (28.9%). Canizales is now 21-2-2(16), the 23 year-old acknowledging afterwards that he "dodged a bullet" and that he was feeling some sympathy for Chandler, who has produced great efforts in each of their three contests but failed to win one of them.

Romdawg88 · 03-06-2011, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

He's just outside of the top tier at #12, so what you say is true. To be honest, I'm still not entirely sure where this plotline is going to go because, * hint hint *, rumours of some sort are starting to bubble to the surface...

Hmm, I'm looking forward to see what these rumours are.

Ric915 · 03-07-2011, 06:29 PM

As always KC great write ups.

kenyan_cheena · 03-09-2011, 07:14 AM

Birmingham Daily News

SATURDAY, 23 JUNE, 2007

MORAN SURVIVES MEDINA
IN MAIN EVENT THRILLER

Story by James Walsh

Birmingham bantamweight Owen Moran earned himself a spot in the IBL's world title elimination semi-finals last night with a hard-earned unanimous decision victory over the veteran Frenchman Theo Medina at the International Convention Centre. In an action-packed contest that had the crowd constantly on their feet Moran took the verdict by scores of 98-92, 96-94 and 97-93. The 26 year-old former IBF champion was rewarded for being the more aggressive, busy fighter throughout the bout, throwing an average of almost 100 punches per round compared to Medina's 67. Even so, the two combatants were seperated by a handful of blows in terms of punches landed, with Medina landing 283 and Moran 280. Now 26-1(16), Moran will retain his #4 world ranking and will next step into the ring against the loser of tonight's eliminator in Argentina between hometown favourite Ernesto Miranda and Mexico's Carlos Zarate.

Medina tasted the canvas a minute into round two courtesy of a left-right salvo and from that moment on the action never really let up, the Frenchman giving it his all in a brave attempt to leap up the rankings from his current standing at #23. The crowd awarded both warriors an extended standing ovation at the final bell. Medina fell to 32-5-2(23) but showed that he still has plenty of petrol in the tank. Assuming he'll still be in the 2nd tier, Medina will definitely be a danger opponent when the next Tier 1 vs Tier 2 matchups roll around in December. Still only 28, he certainly has at least two or three good years remaining in his career. Moran made a similar acknowledgement during the post-fight interview, speaking of how it was probably the most challenging bout of his life and that he felt very fortunate to have "escaped with a win".

While it was a good night for Moran, it wasn't for Belfast native Freddie Gilroy. He suffered an upset loss to Mexico's Victor Rabanales, the fight stopped a minute into round four due to a nasty cut on his forehead, just above the left eye. It was an unfortunate ending to a contest that was shaping up to be just as exciting as the main event that followed turned out. Gilroy (30-6-1(21) was ranked at #10 coming into the evening but will now fall out of the 1st tier, Rabanales (21-5(17)) to make the leap into it. The loss was the second in a row for Gilroy after his March clash with Moran was also stopped due to a cut, that one being over his right eye. It will be interesting to see if the problem continues to plague Gilroy in future outings. After starting his time in the IBL with three wins from four fights he 's now heading backwards.

kenyan_cheena · 03-10-2011, 07:23 AM

turn page

02-25-2011, 07:33 AM	#1207
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	EL UNIVERSAL Sunday 17 June 2007 SWEET REVENGE FOR TELLEZ Story by Miguel Trelles Last night Candido Tellez regained his status as the world's best flyweight boxer in devastating fashion, knocking out IBL champion Willie Davison in the 2nd round of their clash at the Cincinnati Gardens. Tellez gained comprehensive revenge for the upset 9th round TKO defeat Davison inflicted in March, flooring him three times in round two before referee Samuel Viruet counted him out at the 2:13 mark. It was supposed to be a night of celebration for Davison, defending the world championship in his hometown, which had not hosted a fight of such magnitude for five years. It turned into a nightmare and, unfortunately, after the decimation that Tellez unleashed many will say that Davison was lucky to have won the title in the first place. That opinion denies the excellent start he made in the opening round. In a frenzied stanza Davison had Tellez back on his heels on three seperate occasions, lightning-fast combos starching the challenger and bringing roars of approval from the crowd. It seemed to signal great times to come but Tellez turned it all around with a flush left hook just sixteen seconds into round two. Davison only just beat the count and was down for a second time forty seconds later, a jolting right cross catching him on the chin moments after an uppercut had staggered him. This time Davison bounced up at two but there was a vacant look in his eyes. Tellez mercilessly pushed home his advantage, another head-snapping uppercut rocking the champion before an overhand right dropped him for a third and final time. Tellez's corner crew flooded the ring to celebrate with him, the 28 year-old hoisted up onto their shoulders and paraded around the ring. He improved his record to 30-1-2(21) while the vanquished Davison fell to 27-4-1(20). Speaking afterwards Tellez said that it had been his plan to strike early, to end it quickly and not give Davison a chance to get comfortable and draw confidence from the parochial audience. The first defense of Tellez's second reign as IBL champion will be against the man he defeated to win the inaugural championship, Russia's Yuri Arbachakov, who earned the title shot with a victory over Japan's Koki Kameda on Friday evening in Moscow. Their first clash was a brutal affair which lasted thirteen rounds before Arbachakov was knocked out and the rematch promises to be just as exciting. Davison wore the crushing disappointment of defeat during the post-fight interview and confirmed that he was pretty much gone after the first knockdown. He apologised to the crowd, who gave him generous applause, and then said that he'll be doing everything he can to bring the world championship back to Cincinnati as soon as possible. To actually do that he'll need to be victorious in his next two outings just to earn another shot at the title. Now ranked #2, Davison will step into the ring against the 5th-ranked Scotsman Benny Lynch in the September elimination semi-finals. Koki Kameda takes on the veteran Mexican Adrian Hernandez in the other semi-final. Last night's undercard featured a quintet of heavyweight bouts. In the opener Florida's David Kane (12-3-1(10)) bounced back from a one-sided loss to Adam Brooks to record a unanimous decision win over the tougher than expected Irishman Bartley Madden. Surprisingly there were no knockdowns, Kane taking a 79-74, 78-74, 79-73 verdict to retain his place in the 5th ranking tier. Next up was the intriguing Detroit powerhouse Brutus Brody, who many believe could be in a position to challenge for the world championship by this time next year. Brody scored his second consecutive 1st round stoppage and seventh overall, destroying Darius King to maintain his perfect record at 15-0(15) and move into the 5th tier. King was floored twice within thirty seconds in the final minute of the round and was counted out at the 2:57 mark. The third bout saw Indiana's Mike Hanson in action for the first time since his unsuccessful Americas championship challenge against Sam McVey. Hanson was given little trouble by the Englishman Trevor Berbick but was unable to knock him out, despite dropping him twice in the 7th. Hanson took a comfortable unanimous decision (80-70, 79-71, 80-70), outlanding Berbick 227-86 and improving his record to 11-2(8). The victory keeps Hanson in the 3rd ranking tier and he'll next take on an opponent from within the group in August before the chance to jump into the 2nd tier comes in October. Ohio's Michael Dokes slumped to his fourth defeat in six IBL bouts, the veteran being convincingly outfought by up-and-coming Virginia slugger Ron E. Vincent. Dokes recently signed a contract extension with the IBL that will keep him fighting under the league banner until the end of '07. Based on his last two performances against young guns Cheetah Brown and now Vincent one has to wonder why the league retained him. Dokes (35-10-2(24)) appears to be a shot fighter and while Vincent didn't knock him down he dominated the contest, connecting with 56% of his punches and outlanding Dokes 246-90. The 34 year-old did not win more than two rounds on any card, Vincent taking the unanimous decision nod by scores of 79-73, 80-72 and 78-75 and upping his perfect mark to 12-0(6). Vincent will jump into the 3rd ranking tier as a consequence of his win while Dokes falls further down the standings into the 4th tier. 9th-ranked New Jersey native Joe Jeannette was another fighter looking to get back in the winner's circle when he clashed with Portland's Leon Higgins in the co-feature, and he was successful in doing so. Coming off a close split decision loss to Jack Johnson in March, Jeannette cruised to a unanimous decision win and will move up at least two places in the world rankings following the defeats of both Johnson and Sergey Anyukov on Thursday and Friday respectively. Jeannette (17-3(11)) was victorious by scores of 99-90, 98-91 and 99-90. He landed 288 of 637 punches, Higgins 150 of 394. Higgins (24-8(18)) is an unimpressive 2-4 in IBL competition, with one of those defeats coming at the hands of Michael Dokes. Jeannette is a talented young fighter but still has a tough road ahead of him to earn a world title shot. His only losses in the IBL have come to the two Olympic champions Johnson and Lennox Lewis, but they are the types of bouts he'll have to win to make a charge for the top of the rankings. Last edited by kenyan_cheena; 02-27-2011 at 06:10 AM.

02-28-2011, 09:22 PM	#1212
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	*ESPN* *Boxing* Updated: June 18, 2007 3.45 PM ET Brown calls out Alvarez for first title defense By Larry Holman ESPN.com Archive Last Thursday Florida heavyweight Cheetah Brown became the first fighter to regain an IBL regional title when he defeated Sam McVey for the Americas championship. On Sunday evening Pinellas Park-born Brown made his intentions for the future clear during a radio interview when he expressed a desire to step in the ring against fellow Sunshine State native Romy Alvarez in his next outing. The two have been one Alvarez victory away from clashing on two previous occasions but Alvarez was defeated by split decision each time, first by Mike Weaver in the tournament semi-finals and then by McVey in an eliminator. However, following last week's results where Brown won back the title and Alvarez scored an upset victory over former WBA champion Sergey Anyukov the door has finally opened. Of course, back in March Alvarez asked the IBL to remove his name from future consideration as an Americas championship challenger after being blown out by Mike Hanson in the 1st round of what was an unofficial elimination bout in February. Hanson went on to challenge and lose to McVey for the title. Alvarez believed that after the trio of losses it just wasn't meant to be for him as far as the Americas belt was concerned and, coincidentally, he has gone on to win two fights against more experienced opponents since then (Mike Hunter and Anyukov). Brown acknowledged Alvarez's previous words and spoke of his admiration for him with how he has fought his way back into contention. But Brown also mentioned an AMERICAN \| PUGILIST article from early February, before Alvarez's meeting with Hanson, in which it was noted that the Belle Glade native's short term goal was a meeting with Brown, "whether the regional belt is on the line or not". Brown said with confidence that he believed Alvarez's attitude hadn't changed and that he'd be shocked if the man fans like to call "The Iceman" was to reject his proposal. If the fight was to go ahead it would complete a series of bouts where the quartet of young heavies - Brown, Alvarez, Hanson and McVey - have all fought each other at least once. In the case of Brown and McVey, they've already completed a trilogy in less than twelve months. There have been some memorable stoushes featuring the group but a Brown-Alvarez matchup could very well be the most intriguing of them all. Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer. Last edited by kenyan_cheena; 02-28-2011 at 09:24 PM.

03-01-2011, 03:24 AM	#1213
Romdawg88 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Belle Glade, FL Posts: 4,182	Hm, I have question where will my dude be ranked now that he beat Sergei. I might be at the point where going for the Americas title won't make much sense. Will be interested in seeing where this goes. __________________ Romy "Iceman" Alvarez First TBCB Forum Tournament Champion, 10-6 (5). IBL: 13 - 4 (7) Henry Armstrong > You.

03-06-2011, 05:34 AM	#1216
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	Laredo Morning Times FRIDAY 22 JUNE 2007 Canizales mantains undefeated streak Story by Brian Walsh Laredo bantamweight Orlando Canizales has stretched his undefeated streak to nine fights following an 8th round TKO victory over Jeff Chandler last night at the Entertainment Center. In his third meeting with the Philadelphia native this year Canizales climbed off the canvas early in the 1st round, survived a follow-up barrage and slowly worked his way into the bout. Canizales was wearing some worrying swelling under his left eye by round five but when he cut Chandler on the left eyebrow midway through the 6th the contest turned in his favour. The wound was a nasty one and the ringside doctor examined it immediately after it opened, and again in round seven and for a third time 45 seconds into the 8th. On this third occasion the decision was made to end the fight, Canizales the winner by TKO and retaining his IBL Americas championship for a second time. Canizales' winning streak started in February 2006 and includes seven fights under the IBL banner. He fought Chandler in early January for the inaugural Americas title but the bout was scored as a draw. The rematch took place two months later, Canizales winning it by unanimous decision. His first defense was a 5th round TKO of Puerto Rico's Julian Solis in late April, Chandler defeating Chan-Yong Park during the same week to set up last night's third clash. At the time of the stoppage Chandler (16-3-3(9)) held leads of two and four points, with one judge having it even. Canizales landed 130 of 378 punches (34.4%), Chandler 211 of 729 (28.9%). Canizales is now 21-2-2(16), the 23 year-old acknowledging afterwards that he "dodged a bullet" and that he was feeling some sympathy for Chandler, who has produced great efforts in each of their three contests but failed to win one of them. Last edited by kenyan_cheena; 03-06-2011 at 05:35 AM.

03-07-2011, 06:29 PM	#1218
Ric915 All Star Starter Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Lake Havasu City Arizona Posts: 1,262	As always KC great write ups. __________________ World of Boxing Title Bout Online, PC Boxing Game Title Bout Championship Boxing Game Title Bout Boxing Simulator Title Bout Championship Boxing - Replay historic fights

02-21-2011, 10:03 PM	#1201
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	TheSweetScience.com SATURDAY 16 JUNE 2007 Alvarez stuns Anyukov with outstanding fightback Story by Michael Broughton Florida Alliance member Romy Alvarez gave the boxing world a look at what a remarkable talent he is with a stirring unanimous decision victory over Russia's former WBA heavyweight champion Sergey Anyukov on Friday night at the Krylia Sovetov in Moscow. Fighting in front of a crowd that was 100% against him Alvarez recovered from a poor start (which included a trip to the canvas in round three) to dominate the final six rounds of the contest and take the decision by scores of 96-92 from each judge. Alvarez's rally was built behind his main weapon, a piston-like left jab which kept Anyukov on the back foot in the 5th and 6th. But when a punishing left-right salvo dropped the Russian thirty seconds into round seven his fightback moved into a higher gear. Anyukov was floored for a second time by a left hook two minutes into the 9th, by which time much of the fight had left the favourite. Anyukov's prospects were so much more positive earlier, after he had the better of an action-packed opening frame during which the combatants exchanged a succession of flush blows. Alvarez made it clear with an impressive 2nd that he wasn't going to give up but after Anyukov put him on his backside with a jolting cross midway through the 3rd and then controlled round four it appeared that he was on his way to clinching a berth in September's eliminator semi-finals. 23 year-old Alvarez (9-3(4)) has endured setbacks in his brief career, with a trio of consecutive defeats to end '06 and start '07. But he bounced back with a confidence-boosting win against Mike Hunter in April and wasn't about to surrender the momentum that victory gave him. Alvarez's efforts in the second half of the fight were eye-opening and it was hard to believe what he was achieving when one considers the gulf in experience between the two men. The Florida sharpshooter's trainer Roy Jones was beaming with pride in the ring during the post-fight interviews, saying there weren't many other performances from one of his fighters that had made him happier. The victor landed 244 of 500 punches (48.8%), Anyukov 143 of 674 (21.2%). While it was all smiles, triumph and success for Alvarez and his crew, Anyukov wore the expression of a broken man while interviewed by the Russian media. He came into the IBL expecting to test himself and prevail against the best heavyweights in the world but it's been nothing short of disasterous for him, with three losses in his last four outings seeing his record fall to 37-4-1(27). Like fellow highly-ranked heavyweight Jack Johnson (defeated by Germany's Scott Mundt on Thursday in Los Angeles), Anyukov will now plummet out of the league's top ranking tier and has blown his chance to earn a rematch with current world champion Terone Haynes in early '08. He even intimated that either a break from the sport or outright retirement is something he might consider. His compatriot heavyweight Alexander Zolkin was victorious over the Californian Mike Weaver earlier on the card and is set to profit from both Johnson and Anyukov's misfortune, as he'll move from #7 to #5 in the rankings and next takes on Australia's Peter Jackson in the eliminator semi-finals. Zolkin (22-6-4(18)) stopped Weaver on cuts in round eight, a left hook in the 3rd opening a nasty gash on his right eyelid. (to be continued)

02-22-2011, 05:15 AM	#1205
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	(continuation of post #1201) Despite wearing some worrying swelling under his own left eye Zolkin was well on the way to victory when the fight was stopped as he held leads of three points on each scorecard heading into the 8th. The win follows his spirited effort in holding Lennox Lewis to a draw in March and it'll be interesting to see how each man performs in September. Lewis now assumes the #4 world ranking thanks to Alvarez and will take on the loser of tonight's clash between Ken Norton and Andrew Golota. That fight will be held on Norton's home turf in San Diego and it goes without saying that it's a huge opportunity for each man. Norton is desperate to get another shot at Terone Haynes. In the past he has spoken of his "legacy" as one of the heavyweight greats and how it's going to be measured depending on whether he can overcome Haynes. Golota wants to show the boxing public that he has what it takes to be considered an elite heavyweight in the current environment. The most important fight on last night's card was actually one we haven't discussed yet: the flyweight main event between Russia's Yuri Arbachakov and Japan's Koki Kameda. Both of them have experienced disappointment in their quest for the IBL belt, with Arbachakov losing the inaugural championship bout to Candido Tellez and Kameda defeated by Willie Davison in the final of the Challenger's tournament. Now they had another chance to earn a shot and it was Arbachakov who grabbed it, though in controversial circumstances. He was declared the winner by technical split decision due to a cut that was opened by a headclash outside his right eyebrow in the opening round. However, the fight did not end until round ten. The cut was examined twice within thirty seconds of the bell and again later in the frame, but what angered Kameda's corner was the fact that he cut Arbachakov a second time above the left eyebrow with a hard right hand before that third examination had taken place. The bout was called off at the 2:11 mark but it was not immediately clear whether it was because of the first cut from the headclash, or the second one from the punch. When it was announced that it was the first cut that had ended the fight Kameda's trainer was furious as he knew it would lead to the scorecards being tallied. To make the situation even more infuriating Kameda (22-4(14)) had absolutely dominated the 10th to that point and if the referee had not stepped in it was very possible that he could have finished off the hometown favourite. Arbachakov (33-3-1(24)) had dropped Kameda with a brutal left hook early in round nine and when the scores were revealed the knockdown took on even greater significance as he was the winner by scores of 86-85, 85-86 and 87-84. The fight had been an even, see-sawing affair all the way through with neither man able to maintain the momentum but the ending left a sour taste in everyone's mouths. Arbachakov was the WBC's flyweight titleholder before joining the IBL and he now has a chance to add a second world championship to his collection. He'll take on the winner of tonight's showdown in Cincinnati where the unexpected champion Willie Davison defends the belt against Candido Tellez in a rematch of their March 31 stoush, which Davison one in sensational fashion by 9th round TKO. The 26 year-old will be out to prove that he deserves to be world champion and that his victory over Tellez was not a fluke, as some have said. As for Tellez, he's gunning for some comprehensive revenge. He enjoyed a three-year reign as WBO champion before coming to the IBL and when he claimed the league's inaugural championship was expecting to maintain his undefeated record for some time to come. Losing the title in his first defense wasn't part of that plan and he's said during the last week that he's going to rectify the situation tonight at the Cincinnati Gardens.

02-23-2011, 08:31 PM	#1206
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	*ESPN* *Boxing* Updated: June 16, 2007 9.30 AM ET Schmeling floors Coetzee six times on way to 12th round knockout By Larry Holman ESPN.com Archive German heavyweight Max Schmeling continued his seemingly unstoppable charge towards a meeting with world champion Terone Haynes with a 12th round stoppage of the South African Gerrie Coetzee on Friday evening in Cologne. Schmeling retained his IBL Inter-Continental championship for a third time and floored the durable Coetzee a remarkable six times before the challenger was finally counted out thirty seconds into round twelve. Schmeling had a much easier time than in his previous defense against the talented Filipino Juan de la Cruz, a fight in which he was greatly tested. While Coetzee showed resilience and bravery, he never came close to troubling Schmeling and when it was all over the undefeated champion had outlanded him 397-112. Schmeling sent Coetzee to the canvas for the first time one minute into round four, with further knockdowns following in the 5th and 6th before the South African was dropped twice in round ten and then, finally, by a sizzling left hook early in the 12th. Going into the last frame Schmeling held huge leads of thirteen points from two judges and fourteen from the other. He is now 19-0(14), with seven wins coming under the IBL banner. The 24 year-old has certainly established himself as the premier young heavyweight in Europe and would be on level terms with such fighters as Cheetah Brown and Sam McVey internationally. Schmeling said after the fight that the prospect of fighting Haynes excites him greatly but that he won't be getting ahead of himself with still two more successful defenses required before such a fight becomes a reality. His next outing could very well be one that the German boxing public have been waiting for, a meeting with compatriot Scott Mundt. The Connecticut-born Mundt recorded an upset victory over Olympic gold medallist Jack Johnson earlier this week and is eligible to challenge Schmeling as a result. No doubt, the man some have called "The Number Cruncher" due to his background in accounting would give Schmeling his toughest test to date and be a good chance of ending his title reign. When asked about such a matchup Schmeling said he would welcome it and has already looked forward to the challenge that Mundt represents. Schmeling said that he was hopeful his next fight would be a tougher one and if it's against Mundt the chances of that are very good. Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

02-25-2011, 07:42 AM	#1208
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	Before going any further I would like to thank everyone who has followed and enjoyed this thread for making it possible for it to reach 30,000 views. It's something that's only happened with seven threads in the Inside the Ropes forum, with two of those being the main UTBA threads. I'm happy that it's reached this milestone and, once again, want to thank all of you for your enthusiasm, encouragement and participation in the story. While I have plans for streamlining it I'm not thinking of giving it up any time soon and hope that everyone continues to join me on this journey. Thanks. k_c

02-27-2011, 06:48 AM	#1210
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	The San Diego Union-Tribune SUNDAY 17 JUNE 2007 NORTON STOPS GOLOTA IN 5TH, EARNS HAYNES REMATCH Story by Geoff Klein He said during the week that he wouldn't disappoint his hometown fans, and last night Ken Norton delivered on that promise. With a rematch against world heavyweight champion Terone Haynes on the line, Norton scored a 5th round TKO of Poland's Andrew Golota at Qualcomm Stadium. It was an even, competitive affair through the first four rounds, Norton controlling the opening frame only for Golota to answer back impressively with a dominant 2nd. Round three was close, Golota landing a jolting cross early before Norton caught him with a flush straight right midway through the frame, the punch wobbling Golota and forcing him to initiate a clinch. Norton took the upperhand in the 4th, once again rattling the Pole's cage with another hard right. Golota's one highlight of the round was a crunching uppercut in the final minute, Norton putting an exclamation point on his efforts soon after when he bounced a right hand off his opponent's forehead. There was little to indicate the damage Norton would unleash upon Golota in round five, especially when Golota landed the first big punch of the round just twenty seconds into it. But before the round had reached the minute mark Golota was in serious trouble, absorbing a three-punch salvo and a straight right. Norton sensed the opportunity and went in for the kill, connecting with a right cross, a punishing left hook and a booming straight right as the frame entered its final minute. The right hand cut Golota inside the left eyebrow but it became an afterthought as Norton poured on the pressure. A right to the body brought a grimace to Golota's face and another left hook turned his legs to jelly. Golota grabbed for the ropes and missed, stumbling forwards. Norton stepped back, making some room for himself. He caught Golota with two more solid right hands before referee Bill Clancy pulled him away and waved the fight over at the 2:57 mark. Norton (32-3-1(26)) had earlier entered the ring with an entourage that included San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson and fellow Californian boxers Sam McVey and James Toney. Soon after the bout's conclusion the trio, amongst a host of others, were in the ring celebrating his victory. While happy with the win Norton said that he was feeling relief more than anything else: relief that he had secured a second fight with Terone Haynes. He spoke of how it had been something he'd thought about every day since their first meeting last December and, reflecting on how close he'd been to defeat in his March clash against Tonga's Simione Paea, Norton added that he felt very fortunate to have reached his goal. Norton declared that he'll be preparing for what will be a much anticipated rematch like it's the final fight of his career, which it very well could be. While acknowledging that he'd simply been outfought, Golota (31-6(27)) could not hide his disappointment. He's had an extraordinarily difficult run of opponents in IBL competition but before tonight had only lost to one of them, that being Peter Jackson in the semi-finals of the Challenger's tournament. He's recorded two wins over Riddick Bowe and another against Ike Ibeabuchi, but it gets no easier for him. He stays at #3 in the rankings and will next face Olympic gold medallist Lennox Lewis in the elimination semi-finals. A loss in that fight might just be too much for the big Polish slugger to handle. Speaking of Ibeabuchi, the hard-hitting Nigerian broke a three-fight losing streak with a victory over New Zealand's Sam Leuluai in the co-feature. Down a minute into the 1st round, Leuluai withstood Ibeabuchi's early onslaught and even looked like getting into the fight after a solid effort in round three. But Ibeabuchi pummelled him in the 4th and the bout was stopped 2:37 into the frame. Ibeabuchi (28-4-1(25)) will move up two places in the rankings to #6 and will be defending that position in his next bout. Earlier, Jacksonville's former WBO champion Ray Mercer rebounded from a devastating April loss to Scott Mundt to dominate and stop Carl Morris on cuts in the 4th round. Mercer dropped from #12 to #24 in the rankings following the Mundt bout and will merely retain his current standing as a result of last night's win. He is now 35-7-1(23) and said he has no plans to "hang up the gloves". Other winners on the card included the Samoan Kalolo Umaga and San Francisco native John Fehner, who tasted the canvas for the first time in his career but maintained his perfect record (11-0(9)) with a slim majority decision win against Marvin Hart (77-76, 76-76, 77-75). Sydney Olympics gold medallist Tyrell Biggs is still looking for his first victory since joining the IBL after being held to a draw by Tennessee's Adam Brooks. In a see-sawing contest Biggs dominated the final round to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat. Even so, he'll take a seven-place tumble in the rankings down to #35, while Brooks moves up seven to #36.

03-05-2011, 05:56 AM	#1214
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	La Gazzetta dello Sport THURSDAY 21 JUNE 2007 Leon dominates, stops O'Sullivan in 9th Story by Giovanni Lippi In what would have to be the most assured and measured performance of his career to date, Palermo bantamweight boxer Casper Leon recorded a 9th round TKO of England's Danny O'Sullivan last night at Agora Stadium to retain his IBL Inter-Continental championship. It was Leon's second successful defense of the belt since claiming it from O'Sullivan in March, with the bout being the third meeting between the two men in the space of nine months. They also clashed in the tournament semi-finals last October, where the Englishman won by an identical result to last night (TKO9) before going on to become the inaugural champion with a victory over Johnny Bredahl. It's been an exciting rivalry between the two, although Leon appeared to be in control for the majority of this third contest. He floored O'Sullivan with a left hook late in round four and held leads of four, six and four points heading into the 9th. Once there he overwhelmed O'Sullivan, tagging him with a succession of flush blows before the referee stepped in at the 2:24 mark to end it. Leon connected with 268 of 627 punches (42.7%), O'Sullivan 160 of 407 (39.3%). With his fourth consecutive win Leon improved to 21-3(13), O'Sullivan falling to 23-5-1(18). Unsurspisingly, the pair have developed a deal of mutual respect and admiration during their rivalry. O'Sullivan said afterwards that, following the nature of his defeat, it was probably time for him to move on from trying to regain the I-C belt and concentrate on making a push up the rankings. There was a minor upset in the evening's co-feature when 10th-ranked Frenchman Alphonse Halimi suffered his third sraight defeat, being knocked out in round six by the Venezuelan Felix Machado. The fight did not start well for Halimi when he was cut from a headclash early in round one, Machado (27-5(18)) dropping him with an uppercut early in the 5th and then a left-right-left salvo late in the 6th. Halimi (21-5-2(14)) was counted out at the 2:26 mark. In contrast to Halimi's slump, Machado has now won four fights in a row.

03-09-2011, 07:14 AM	#1219
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	*Birmingham Daily News* SATURDAY, 23 JUNE, 2007 MORAN SURVIVES MEDINA IN MAIN EVENT THRILLER Story by James Walsh Birmingham bantamweight Owen Moran earned himself a spot in the IBL's world title elimination semi-finals last night with a hard-earned unanimous decision victory over the veteran Frenchman Theo Medina at the International Convention Centre. In an action-packed contest that had the crowd constantly on their feet Moran took the verdict by scores of 98-92, 96-94 and 97-93. The 26 year-old former IBF champion was rewarded for being the more aggressive, busy fighter throughout the bout, throwing an average of almost 100 punches per round compared to Medina's 67. Even so, the two combatants were seperated by a handful of blows in terms of punches landed, with Medina landing 283 and Moran 280. Now 26-1(16), Moran will retain his #4 world ranking and will next step into the ring against the loser of tonight's eliminator in Argentina between hometown favourite Ernesto Miranda and Mexico's Carlos Zarate. Medina tasted the canvas a minute into round two courtesy of a left-right salvo and from that moment on the action never really let up, the Frenchman giving it his all in a brave attempt to leap up the rankings from his current standing at #23. The crowd awarded both warriors an extended standing ovation at the final bell. Medina fell to 32-5-2(23) but showed that he still has plenty of petrol in the tank. Assuming he'll still be in the 2nd tier, Medina will definitely be a danger opponent when the next Tier 1 vs Tier 2 matchups roll around in December. Still only 28, he certainly has at least two or three good years remaining in his career. Moran made a similar acknowledgement during the post-fight interview, speaking of how it was probably the most challenging bout of his life and that he felt very fortunate to have "escaped with a win". While it was a good night for Moran, it wasn't for Belfast native Freddie Gilroy. He suffered an upset loss to Mexico's Victor Rabanales, the fight stopped a minute into round four due to a nasty cut on his forehead, just above the left eye. It was an unfortunate ending to a contest that was shaping up to be just as exciting as the main event that followed turned out. Gilroy (30-6-1(21) was ranked at #10 coming into the evening but will now fall out of the 1st tier, Rabanales (21-5(17)) to make the leap into it. The loss was the second in a row for Gilroy after his March clash with Moran was also stopped due to a cut, that one being over his right eye. It will be interesting to see if the problem continues to plague Gilroy in future outings. After starting his time in the IBL with three wins from four fights he 's now heading backwards.

03-10-2011, 07:23 AM	#1220
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