The Greatest Prize in Sports

[kenyan_cheena]

The Manila Metro

SUNDAY 13 JANUARY 2008

VILLAFLOR WINS
IBL CHAMPIONSHIP!

Story by Romeo Concepcion

With the greatest performance of his career to date, Filipino lightweight Ben Villaflor captured the International Boxing League's world championship from Mexico's Rafael Limon by split decision on Saturday night in Mexico City. The win completed a remarkable rise to the top of the organisation for Villaflor, which started with him a competitor in its Inter-Continental championship tournament in June '06. He won that title with a quartet of victories and defended the belt three times before it, along with all of the league's regional championships, was abolished last June as part of the organisation's 2008 "re-boot". Villaflor was one of a half-dozen inaugural regional titlists who were promised a shot at the world title if they were able to gain a place in the World Championship Conference, a task he achieved with victories over Bernabe Vasquez and Hiroshi Kobayashi.

That set up Saturday's clash with two-time IBL champion Limon, the win being Villaflor's tenth under the league banner. It was a huge fight for both men as not only was the IBL title on the line. Also up for grabs was the chance to move one step closer to an October matchup where the title of official lightweight world champion, regardless of sanctioning organisation, will await the victor. That title is currently held by Mexico's Patricio Marquez but he'll be defending it in May against the previous champion, the Dominican Francisco Ortiz, in the third fight between the two men. Both of last night's competitors stepped into the ring knowing that the winner will next be scheduled to defend the IBL belt in June against former IBF junior-lightweight champion Hector Hernandez, who had beaten Cornelius Boza-Edwards in an official eliminator at the London Arena some seven hours earlier.

It has been an eventful ride for Limon since he defeated Teruki Nakata to claim the inaugural championship in December '06. He lost and then regained the title in successive bouts against Enrique Bolanos in March and June, both fights ending inconclusively due to cuts in the 5th round. The first defense of Limon's second reign took place in August, where he floored South Africa's Brian Mitchell six times on the way to a knockout victory in the 15th and final round. During the post-fight interview, Limon threw the gauntlet down to Francisco Ortiz and Patricio Marquez, saying that when they eventually came to the IBL he'd be waiting for them. He also voiced his disagreement with the belief that the IBL titlist was not the "real" world champion, but with him now losing the belt he's out of the championship picture for the rest of 2008.

Limon made a solid start, being the busier man in an uneventful 1st before picking up the pace in round two and tagging Villaflor with a quartet of flush blows: a straight right, a left hook, a left to the body and a jolting uppercut. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Villaflor looked nervous and gun-shy, but he was quickly into a good rhythm, controlling round three and holding onto the momentum all the way through until the end of the 6th. He punished a struggling Limon during the latter stages of round five. However, Villaflor was trying the patience of referee Robert Boyd, being warned for three seperate offenses in the opening five frames. Neither man seemed willing to engage in round seven, with the one highlight being a Limon right cross shortly before the bell. Despite holding the upper hand, Villaflor looked worse for wear with some worrying swelling showing around his right eye.

The Negros-born southpaw didn't appear bothered by it as he went back to work in the 8th, finding the mark with a succession of damaging shots and bringing a look of bemusement and frustration to the champion's face. Midway through round nine Villaflor pierced a left cross through Limon's defenses, splitting his lip. Limon responded with a flush straight right but the challenger finished the round strongly, crashing a pair of stinging left hooks into Limon's ribcage. The 10th was heading for a close finish before Limon brought the crowd to their feet with a right cross that snapped Villaflor's head around and rubberised his legs some thirty seconds before the bell. Limon was unable to capitalise, though, Villaflor making it safely back to his stool with the round's conclusion.

Once again, round eleven was an even affair but this time a sheet of silence was pulled over the audience when Limon tasted the canvas courtesy of a Villaflor uppercut early in the final minute. He was up at six, looking shaken and unsteady, but was allowed to continue. Villaflor came in for the kill but Limon showed his veteran experience, wrapping him up and taking precious seconds off the clock. Even so, he looked to be a beaten man sitting in his corner during the intermission, his face swollen and his lip cut. Villaflor continued to build his lead in the 12th, staggering Limon with a right hook at its midpoint. But the champion showed that he was in it for the long haul with a stirring rally in round thirteen, dominating it. The crowd gave him a standing ovation with the stanza's conclusion. It marked the third time in the last thirteen months that Limon has gone beyond round twelve, into what are commonly referred to as the "championship rounds".

His efforts appeared to leave both men spent, as they struggled through the 14th and 15th, with the one highlight being a headclash during a clinch that re-opened Limon's cut lip, just after the midpoint of round fifteen. As the fight drew to its end the crowd once again came to their feet, applauding both men for their superb efforts. Judge Don Risher had Limon winning each of the final four rounds to bring about a 143-141 verdict, while judges Steve Waldman and Gale Van Hoy both favoured Villaflor, 145-139 and 143-141, respectively. The announcement brought about a jubilant celebration from Villaflor and his corner crew, the new IBL champion falling to his knees and bursting into tears at the gravity of his achievement. Limon was a gentleman in defeat, congratulating Villaflor and standing back to allow him and his team to savour the victory.

In what will surely go down as the most enthralling IBL championship bout to date, Villaflor connected with 426 of 1,022 punches (41.7%) while Limon landed 334 of 1,170 (28.5%). Villaflor is now 23-1(11), Limon falling to 33-3(22). The Mexican may have lost the title for a second time, and may be now on the outside looking in for the remainder of '08, but it would be foolish to discount his chances of returning to the top. He has already proven his champion qualities over the course of these last twenty months of IBL competition, accumulating a 5-2 record against nothing but top level opponents. Limon has earned a rest, and he'll get it following the IBL's announcement during the week that all of the fighters involved in the January-February pre-WCC bouts will be exempt from competiting during the first WCC stage, which ends on May 11.

As for Villaflor, he is now just one win away from contesting the lightweight division's official world championship. It's an amazing reality for him and he said during the post-fight interview that he'll be doing everything possible to achieve that dream. Not only the first fighter to go from winning an IBL regional title to one of its world titles, Villaflor is also the first Filipino to claim an IBL world championship, "but hopefully not the last", as he said shortly before league president James Molk handed him the championship belt. Villaflor now moves on to defend the title against another Mexican in Hector Hernandez. It's a challenge that will most likely be an even greater test than Limon, so Villaflor will do extremely well to emerge from it with his status as IBL champion intact.

[kenyan_cheena]

EL COMERCIO

Sunday 13 January 2008

MINA CLINCHES WORLD TITLE SHOT

Story by Juan Solano

Lima-based light-heavyweight boxer Mauro Mina recorded a decisive unanimous decision win over Jamaica's Tyrone Shelton last night in Kingston. It was an official IBL elimination bout, meaning that Mina will be challenging for the world championship in his next fight. It has been a rough road getting to this point for Mina, as he has twice been on the verge of a world title tilt only to be defeated. The Chincha native suffered his first career loss back in September '06 to Nigeria's current world champion (and his rival from the amateur ranks) Celestine Amakochi in the semi-finals of the league's Challenger's tournament. A win over the Californian Tommy Harrison in March '07 placed Mina in his first eliminator, but he was surprisingly defeated by the Englishman Len Harvey by unanimous decision. In August, Mina stopped Detroit's Michael King in ten rounds to set up the clash with Shelton.

The Jamaican himself had taken a much steadier path to the eliminator. After losing his first IBL outing to Jimmy Slade in June '06 Shelton scored five consecutive wins, with former world champion Harold Johnson and top contender Taribo Keshi amongst those he defeated. He was regarded as an opponent capable of once again halting Mina's charge to the top of the 175-pound division, but as it turned out the less experienced Mina dominated him. Mina made a confident start, taking the opening two rounds convincingly. Shelton was more competitive in rounds three, four and five and appeared to be making a fight of it. But Mina would not be denied and asserted his will over the contest, controlling the remaining rounds and, in doing so, silencing the considerable crowd at Jamaica National Stadium. Mina took the verdict by one-sided scores of 118-110, 119-109 and 118-110.

Although there was little to split them in terms of workrate, Mina outlanded Shelton comfortably, 381-204. His record is now 17-3(9) while Shelton, who could not hide his deep disappointment, fell to 30-4-1(20). Mina has clinched a title shot, but he has some waiting to do before it rolls around. Amakochi defends the championship against the Australian Mark Somogyi next Saturday, with the winner to then put the belt on the line against New York's Melio Bettina in April. Only after that will Mina have his turn, most likely in August or September. During the post-fight interview Mina's trainer Jose DeLeon bristled at the suggestion that his Olympic silver medallist has underachieved so far as a professional. DeLeon passionately sighted the fact that not a single one of the other medallists from Athens has claimed a professional world title yet, running off names such as Pernell Whitaker, Lennox Lewis, Salvador Sanchez and Sam Langford to illustrate his point. The bout concluded a night on which three major IBL fights were held in three seperate cities and in each one, the hometown fighter lost.

[kenyan_cheena]

That's two weeks down and three to go in regards to the IBL schedule for January and early February. Just so you know what to look forward to, these are the fights coming up in week three:

* SATURDAY 19 JANUARY

LAGOS, NIGERIA
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT IBL/WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
CELESTINE AMAKOCHI (CH) (NIGERIA) vs MARK SOMOGYI (AUSTRALIA)

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ, USA
MIDDLEWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
MICKEY WALKER (USA) vs JOHN MUGABI (UGANDA)

MEXICO CITY, DF, MEXICO
FEATHERWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
SALVADOR SANCHEZ (MEXICO) vs VICENTE SALDIVAR (MEXICO)

[kenyan_cheena]

TheSweetScience.com

SUNDAY 20 JANUARY 2008

Sanchez KOs Saldivar to
conclude evening of stoppages

Story by Bill Klein

The International Boxing League's "Guns Blazing" start to 2008 continued last night, the third of what will be five consecutive Saturdays of big time boxing providing some big time fireworks. For those in the USA a brief but action-packed matinee live from Nigeria kicked things off, with Celestine Amakochi defending the light-heavyweight world championship against the undefeated Australian Mark Somogyi. The evening continued some five hours later with back-to-back eliminator matchups, the first being a middleweight showdown in Atlantic City between Mickey Walker and John Mugabi and the second a meeting of bitter featherweight rivals Salvador Sanchez and Vicente Saldivar in Mexico City.

Making a second defense of the title he claimed from Harold Johnson last March, Amakochi floored the promising Somogyi three times on the way to a 6th round knockout victory. It was an absolute slugfest while it lasted with the two combatants producing an action-packed opening round, bringing the crowd to their feet. Before it was a minute old Somogyi had crashed a pair of stinging left hooks into the champion's ribcage, only to be tagged with two jolting right crosses in return, the second of which staggered the Aussie. Amakochi was unrelenting and pummeled Somogyi with a left-right-left salvo soon after. But Somogyi regained his senses and kept Amakochi on the back foot with a piston-like lead left, forcing him into a more defensive mindset.

It wasn't long before the action picked up, Amakochi peppering the challenger with a jab of his own and then catching him with a right rip to the body. Somogyi finished the round strongly by snaking a jab throough Amakochi's defenses and then getting the better of a spirited exchange shortly before the bell. Somogyi maintained the upperhand through the early stages of round two but when Amakochi planted a right cross on his chin a minute in the tide turned, and Somogyi was suddenly moving on heavy legs. A wild overhand right floored him just after the midpoint, his first trip to the canvas as a professional. Somogyi was up at four, shaking his head, clearly annoyed with himself but also clearly groggy.

Amakochi went back to work and landed a big left hook and a left-right salvo before the round was over. Things only got worse for the Australian in round three as, after connecting with a pair of flush straight rights and a left to the body, Amakochi dropped him for a second time with a crunching left hook early in the frame's bottom half. Somogyi lurched to his feet at four but stumbled and went down on one knee before pushing himself back up at seven. For a moment it looked like referee Malcolm Bulner was ready to call it off, but Somogyi convinced him he was okay to continue. He provided little in the way of offense for the rest of the round while absorbing a short uppercut on the inside and a painful right hook, just above the waistline.

Heading into the 4th Amakochi was in complete control, but Somogyi hadn't earned this title shot by reeling off nine consecutive IBL wins just to be an afterthought. He came out cautious early in round four, but when he unloaded a left to the ribs, a straight right to the jaw and then a winging right hand, all in the space of thirty seconds, Amakochi was suddenly in trouble. He backed off and as Somogyi chased him down the champion initiated a clinch. He was wearing a pained grimace as Bulner seperated them. Somogyi's attack was momentarily stalled and Amakochi made it to the end of the round without further dramas, save for taking a pair of hard lefts to the body during a late exchange.

So after four eventful rounds, although dropped twice, Somogyi was very much in the fight. He took a further step through the door in the 5th, his best frame of the contest. He caught Amakochi with a sizzling flurry early before planting a left hook flush on his chin as the one-minute mark approached. Amakochi responded with a right cross but it was only an interruption to a superb three minutes for the challenger, Somogyi putting an exclamation mark on his efforts with a crushing uppercut shortly before the bell. The sweat went flying from Amakochi's shaved pate and if there had been more time remaining Somogyi could have made things very interesting. Amakochi wore a grimace as he returned to his corner and, unsurprisingly, received something of a dressing down from his trainer throughout the intermission.

Unfortunately for Somogyi, it really did the trick. The champion left his stool with bad intentions in mind and wasted no time delivering them, a straight right wobbling Somogyi within fifteen seconds of the bell. A left-right-left salvo soon after forced Somogyi to clinch but a follow-up uppercut rubberised his legs and sent him back against the ropes. Suddenly the end looked near, Amakochi working downstairs effectively and then cranking out a pair of uppercuts, the second snapping Somogyi's head back. With a minute still on the clock Amakochi had plenty of time to finish the job and he did just that, landing a vicious right cross and a paralyzing body shot before another right cross sent Somogyi face first to the canvas for a third and final time.

Somogyi started moving at six but was barely on his knees when the count reached ten at the 2:46 mark, Amakochi the winner by knockout. The Nigerian celebrated with his team and the excited crowd, but only after checking on the condition of Somogyi. He praised the Australian during the post-fight interview, saying that despite the brevity of the bout it was one of his toughest under the IBL banner. Amakochi landed 198 of 477 punches (41.5%), Somogyi 124 of 317 (39.1%). Although disappointed at suffering his first defeat as a pro, Somogyi (18-1(13)) said there were some positives to take out of the fight and that he would be able to use it as a measuring stick for how far away he is from being recognised as an elite contender.

Amakochi (26-1(18)) joined current junior-heavyweight champion Jeff Lampkin as the only fighter to make two consecutive successful defenses of an IBL world title. He is now 7-0(5) in IBL competition, winning his last four inside the distance and scoring an impressive total of 21 knockdowns in those seven wins. Amakochi's next defense could end up being similar to this one as he'll be up against the second of the 175-pound division's undefeated former regional champions in the New Yorker Melio Bettina. The general consensus is that Somogyi is both more talented and dangerous than Bettina, so one would expect Amakochi to have less trouble against him than he did last night against Somogyi. But as they say, "That's why they play the games".

(to be continued)

[Romdawg88]

Tough break for Somogyi, Amakochi is looking like he be settling in for a very long reign. How did he suffer that one loss? Being lazy and don't feel like searching the backstory for the info.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Tough break for Somogyi, Amakochi is looking like he be settling in for a very long reign. How did he suffer that one loss? Being lazy and don't feel like searching the backstory for the info.

Without having a look back myself, I have to admit I don't think I've mentioned it. The loss was already on his record before the IBL came into being so I'd say it might have been something like a four-round split decision early in his career. Probably had a bad night against a guy who played above himself.

I'm pretty happy with the way he's performed so far, especially as I've set him up as a guy with ambitions to complete the light-heavy/cruiser/heavyweight world championship triple. I'll be very surprised if he doesn't get past Bettina, and if he does Mina figures to be a big test for him later in the year.

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

In Atlantic City, Elizabeth-born middleweight Mickey Walker was looking to earn a second shot at the world championship when he squared off against Los Angeles-based Ugandan and former WBO junior-middleweight champion John Mugabi. Walker was stopped in three rounds by now-former world champion Koichi Wajima last March, with his only other fight of '07 being an August elimination semi-final where he defeated Joe Gans on cuts to secure this matchup with Mugabi. The Ugandan has also suffered a loss to Wajima in IBL competition, being something of an upset unanimous decision defeat in the world championship tournament semis of September '06. Since then Mugabi had reeled off four consecutive victories, with the last three coming via stoppage inside of seven rounds.

Mugabi held a huge edge in terms of experience, with the fight being the 41st of his pro career compared to just eighteen for Walker. But after the opening two rounds that disparity didn't appear to matter one bit. Walker came out firing, seemingly determined to obtain dominance early. He won the 1st behind a piston-like left jab, the punch finding a home on Mugabi's chin, cheeks and forehead time and again. The "Jersey Pride" member maintained control throughout round two and became even more aggressive, catching Mugabi with a pair of chin-snapping uppercuts at either end of the round and staggering him late with a flurry of blows that had the veteran backpedalling. Walker received thunderous applause from the Boardwalk Hall crowd as he returned to his corner.

Round three was a much more competitive affair, as Mugabi put himself into the contest behind a jolting right cross twenty seconds in. Walker retaliated soon after with a booming straight right but Mugabi held his own for the round's remainder. A penetrating left jab shortly before the bell reinforced the fact that he wouldn't be going away. Having established a foothold, Mugabi came out more confident and assured in the 4th and caught Walker with a hard uppercut early and then a four-punch salvo at the midpoint which opened a cut on the hometown favourite's right eyelid. A right cross soon after appeared to worsen the damage and when Mugabi tagged Walker with a three-punch combo just on the two-minute mark he looked to be the one in complete control. A big uppercut a second or two before the bell staggered Walker and when he returned to his corner this time it was to uncertain silence, a steady trickle of blood running down his face.

Walker's corner crew did a good job on the wound during the intermission but as it turned out, it wouldn't matter. Like a shark sensing wounded prey in the water Mugabi went all out to destroy his opponent in round five, and succeeded. After landing a left hook early he snapped Walker's head back with an uppercut as the round entered its bottom half and then unleashed a punishing left to the body. The fight appeared to have abandoned a stunned Walker and with just under a minute remaining he was sent to the canvas by a huge left hook. It was a minor miracle that he beat the count, up at seven. Mugabi came in mercilessly and bounced a series of wild shots off Walker's arms and torso before another huge left hook rubberised the younger man's legs. Walker was on his way to the canvas for a second time before referee Jorge Basile pulled Mugabi aside and waved the contest over at the 2:32 mark.

In five frantic rounds Mugabi had landed 107 of 240 punches (44.6%), Walker 126 of 323 (39.0%). Afterwards Mugabi, now an imposing 36-3-2(33), spoke of his relief at recovering from a poor start and then getting the fight over early, conceding that it would have been difficult to match Walker's workrate into the late rounds. The disappointment of Walker (16-2(12)) and his trainer Jimmy Floyd was painted upon their faces, with Floyd admitting that, despite Mugabi's superior experience and fierce punching power, he never expected the fight to end this way. He was disturbed that the nature of Walker's defeat was similar to the loss at Wajima's hands, and although he didn't say it in words it could be that Floyd believes his young charge is not quite ready yet to compete with the best middleweights in the world.

With his title shot now sewn up, Mugabi can sit back and relax for the next two weeks before finding out who he'll be challenging. World champion Les Darcy defends the belt against Canada's Greg Gorecky on February 2 in Sydney. He'll go in as a warm favourite against the undefeated former Americas champion and will be a far greater test than Gorecky has faced in his brief career to date. So the result seems to be a foregone conclusion, but stranger things have happened. Meanwhile, Walker now has to regroup and focus on the rest of 2008. Having missed out on a second title shot, it's highly unlikely that he'll be able to snare another chance before the year is over so he'll have to make every post a winner, as they say.

The rematch that boxing fans worldwide had been looking forward to for more than a year finally took place in Mexico City last night. When arch-rivals Salvador Sanchez and Vicente Saldivar first clashed in August '06, it was an eight-rounder and merely a quarter-final of the IBL's featherweight Challenger's tournament. Sanchez took the verdict by a slim unanimous decision. Fast forward seventeen months to this second meeting and there was a lot more at stake, namely a shot at the world championship, in a bout scheduled for twelve rounds. The build-up had been intense and heated, driven by what was already a history of mutual dislike and malice and further fueled by a nightclub brawl right on twelve months ago and an in-ring confrontation last September after Sanchez had defeated Orlando Salido in his elimination semi-final.

Although Sanchez came in as the favourite, there were many observers who were simply hoping Saldivar could win it just so that the rivalry inside of the ropes would be able to measure up to the one outside of them. Unfortunately for that crowd, Sanchez improved to 2-0 against his fellow Athens gold medallist and he did it in quite comprehensive fashion, knocking out Saldivar early in the 12th round. It had been a competitive fight to that point but even if it had gone the distance, Sanchez would have once again taken a unanimous verdict as he held leads of six, four and three points on the scorecards heading into the final stanza. Both men entered the ring in almost identical outfits: predominantly white robes and trunks, with green and red trim. But that was where the similarities ended, Sanchez's curly afro hairstyle and four-inch height advantage making him clearly the more distinctive of the two.

The evening started promisingly for Saldivar as he had the better of the opening three rounds, in reality if not on the scorecards (where two judges gave Sanchez one of the three frames). Saldivar was not only beating the favourite to the punch, but also landing some nice counter-shots when he sat back and allowed Sanchez to dictate the pace. Saldivar was especially impressive late in the 3rd when in the space of thirty seconds the southpaw tagged Sanchez with a right-left salvo and then snapped his head around with a jolting left cross. The action really heated up in the 4th and Sanchez had the better of it, although not by much. It was a similar story in round five, where Saldivar overcame a slow start by rallying strongly in the final minute.

There was something of a respite in the 6th before Saldivar looked to regain control in round seven. He was doing that quite nicely but with less than ten seconds remaining a scorching uppercut dropped him on his backside. It effectively handed Sanchez a three-point swing and, as it would eventuate, turned the tide permanently in his favour. Sanchez didn't ram home his advantage in an uneventful 8th but he controlled round nine. The 10th was another even frame, but when Sanchez pummeled Saldivar throughout round eleven it looked all but over. Saldivar's right eye was a swollen mess and he returned to his corner on unsteady legs. The intermission didn't improve the situation and with just eighteen seconds gone in the 12th Sanchez unloaded a flurry of punches, the last two of which caught Saldivar flush on the jaw and forehead and put him on his back.

Saldivar bravely tried to beat the count but was stuck, seemingly unable to move, in a position on his side with his right arm reaching out and a dazed expression on his face as referee Lupe Garcia reached ten. Once again, Salvador Sanchez had defeated him, the bout over at the 0:30 mark of round twelve. The victor celebrated jubilantly with his crew and, as has been the way between these two, they did not interact with each other afterwards, so deep is their hatred. Sanchez (21-1(17)) stayed in his corner while Saldivar was interviewed and remained there until Saldivar (21-2(18)) had left the ring. Sanchez outlanded Saldivar 245-212, but threw barely half as many punches, so effective was his offense.

It will no doubt be disheartening for Saldivar that the only man who has bested him to date in the pro arena is the one he hates the most. This loss will be especially painful as it came on the back of five consecutive wins since that first defeat in '06, the last two of which were 1st round knockouts. Amongst his victims were top contenders Keith Harrison and Solly Smith, aswell as fellow younger up-and-comers Antonio Esparragoza and Orlando Salido. All of it matters for nothing now, as it's Sanchez who moves on to challenge world champion Miguel Bautista in what will be his second IBL title fight. It's a bout where Sanchez might be an even bigger favourite than he was when Gilberto Vasquez defeated him last March. For Saldivar it's back to the drawing board, and a year ahead where the best he'll be able to do is maintain his position as a contender.

[kenyan_cheena]

That's three weeks down, two to go now. Feels like I went a bit overboard with that last article. 21 paragraphs to review three fights! However, it was actually a pretty huge moment in the story so far, with one of our fictional fighters challenging for an IBL world title for the first time. I felt it deserved some special treatment.

I've really enjoyed simming and reviewing these fights because every one of them has been hugely important, not just by themselves but also in relation to the future direction of each weight class.

The fourth weekend of the league's January smorgasboard features FOUR big fights, with two of them in the heavyweight division. But before we get to those I will be doing that post I mentioned earlier detailing some of the WCC bouts that have been scheduled so far.

* SATURDAY 26 JANUARY

SAN DIEGO, CA, USA
HEAVYWEIGHT IBL/WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
KEN NORTON (CH) (USA) vs MAX SCHMELING (GERMANY)

MEXICO CITY, DF, MEXICO
WELTERWEIGHT IBL/WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ENRIQUE DIAZ (CH) (MEXICO) vs EMILE GRIFFITH (US VIRGIN ISLANDS)

SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA
HEAVYWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
PETER JACKSON (AUSTRALIA) vs LENNOX LEWIS (ENGLAND)

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
FLYWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
KOKI KAMEDA (JAPAN) vs BENNY LYNCH (SCOTLAND)

[kenyan_cheena]

ESPN

Boxing

Updated: January 23, 2008 10.30 AM ET

Driscoll vs Brown confirmed for April

By Larry Holman
ESPN.com
Archive

In an unexpected but pleasant surprise, the International Boxing League's scheduling committee confirmed on Tuesday that former world champions Jim Driscoll and Joe Brown will step in the ring against each other on April 26. Part of competition in the World Championship Conference's lightweight division, the bout also serves as each man's IBL debut. Popular belief was pointing to the pair electing to square off against lower profile opponents to start their time in the league, seeing as Brown has not fought since losing the world championship when knocked out by Francisco Ortiz last March and Driscoll will be contesting at 135 pounds for the first time in his career. However, it's now clear that both are more concerned with immediately positioning themselves as a top contender and a win will do exactly that for either man.

Driscoll relinquished his world featherweight championship following last March's defense against Sergio Palma, which ended as a draw. He has fought twice at junior-lightweight since then, defeating compatriot James Priestland in July and the Argentinian Nicolas Insua in December. The Welshman conceded it's going to be a huge challenge for him going up against Brown, but added that he would not have it any other way. Brown spent much of last year pursuing compensation from the estate of the late IBO president Robert Tattaglia after the organisation's collapse, and with that issue now behind him he's fully focused on regaining the world championship. Defeating Driscoll would be a perfect way to begin his quest.

The lightweight division now has a trio of huge fights lined up, as Driscoll-Brown will be followed by the Marquez-Ortiz world championship rematch on May 10 and Ben Villaflor defending the IBL title against Hector Hernandez on the 14th of June. It's not the only weight class where some exciting clashes have been arranged, though, as the partial list of scheduled bouts below illustrates. The WCC is going to commence with a bang in February as the two most dangerous heavyweights in the world, Terone Haynes and Brutus Brody, will trade haymakers in just a couple of short weeks from now, on the 9th. The world bantamweight championship will be on the line two weeks later, when Carlos Zarate defends it against the man he claimed it from last September, Gilberto Roman. It figures to be every bit as epic as their first clash.

Also on the bill for February is another clash of former world champions, with Puerto Rico's Carlos DeLeon taking on Maurice Holmes on the 16th. DeLeon brought the 200-pound world title with him to the IBL but lost it to Jeff Lampkin in the final of the league's world championship tournament. In the August '07 rematch, DeLeon suffered a 14th round disqualification in a bout he was winning handily. Holmes had been the WBA light-heavyweight champion before his retirement in July '04 but returned to the sport to compete in the IBL's junior-heavyweight division. Now in the WCC, the 36 year-old's ambitions are no different to the likes of Driscoll and Brown, only he has even less time on his side than they do so the fight against DeLeon is really an "all-or-nothing" event for him.

* Confirmed IBL World Championship Conference bouts (partial list)

9 February: Las Vegas, NV, USA
(HW) Terone Haynes vs Brutus Brody

16 February: San Juan, Puerto Rico
(JHW) Carlos DeLeon vs Maurice Holmes
(WW) Carmelo Barea vs Ike Quartey

23 February: Mexico City, DF, Mexico
(BW) Carlos Zarate vs Gilberto Roman (world championship)

1 March: New York, NY, USA
(WW) Marcelo Smith vs Meldrick Taylor
(JHW) Nate Gibbs vs Robert Daniels

1 March: Paris, France
(JHW) Taoufik Belbouli vs Tom Sharkey

8 March: Buenos Aires, Argentina
(FW) Sergio Palma vs Juan Meza

15 March: Miami, FL, USA
(MW) Jose Napoles vs Holman Williams

22 March: Warsaw, Poland
(HW) Andrew Golota vs Mike Hanson

29 March: Philadelphia, PA, USA
(LHW) Harold Johnson vs Sam Langford

5 April: Moscow, Russia
(HW) Alexander Zolkin vs Romy Alvarez
(HW) Igor Berezutskiy vs Riddick Bowe

19 April: Chicago, IL, USA
(MW) Montell Jackson vs Freddie Steele

26 April: Las Vegas, NV, USA
(LW) Jim Driscoll vs Joe Brown

10 May: Las Vegas, NV, USA
(LW) Patricio Marquez vs Francisco Ortiz (world championship)

Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

[kenyan_cheena]

The Sunday Telegraph

SUNDAY 27 JANUARY 2008

JACKSON EDGES LEWIS,
CLAIMS WORLD TITLE SHOT

Story by John Brown

Heavyweight boxer Peter Jackson made it an Australia Day to remember last night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Jackson scored a majority decision victory over British Olympic gold medallist Lennox Lewis to secure a shot at the world championship. It was the second clash between Jackson and Lewis in the professional ranks following their meeting in the final of the International Boxing League's Challenger's tournament on New Year's Eve, 2006. On that occasion Jackson was far too good for the Englishman, punishing him for nine rounds and flooring him three times before the bout was stopped due to a cut on Lewis' right eyebrow. Last night's showdown was a much more competitive affair, with Lewis maintaining his footing throughout and actually putting Jackson on his backside two minutes into round eleven. But it wasn't quite enough and the hometown favourite took the verdict by scores of 114-113, 113-113 and 114-112.

The almost thirteen months since their first bout have been eventful for both men. Virgin Islands-born Jackson was obliterated inside of two rounds by Terone Haynes in a March world title challenge. When he stepped back in the ring five-and-a-half months later he recorded a convincing unanimous decision win over the Russian Alexander Zolkin in an elimination semi-final, setting up the rematch with Lewis. The Athens gold medallist also squared off against Zolkin, but that was in March. Lewis was held to a draw and, as a result, had to first get by the New Zealander Neemia Sivivatu in June before stopping Poland's Andrew Golota in the 10th round of their September elimination semi. Lewis sent Golota to the canvas five times.

Jackson entered the ring flanked by the world middleweight champion Les Darcy on one side and top bantamweight contender Jeff Fenech on the other, both of whom will be in action next Saturday at the SEC. The trio have been good friends for a number of years and have supported each other's careers, especially since coming to the IBL in '06. Both fighters wore robes and trunks of white, Jackson's featuring green and gold trim and Lewis' red. The 26 year-old Brit stood a good three inches taller than Jackson and had weighed in 21 pounds heavier than him the previous evening. His hair styled in cornrows, Lewis gave Jackson an ice-cold glare as the two stood face-to-face during the pre-fight instructions.

Jackson made a strong start in the opening round, catching Lewis with a pair of uppercuts and a jolting right cross only for Lewis to mount a promising retort in the final minute. He then controlled round two and actually had Jackson in a deal of trouble, unloading a left hook, a flush right hand and a hard cross. Jackson's only highlight in the frame came late when he followed up a left-right salvo with a piercing cross. The momentum swung back to the Sydneysider in the 3rd, Jackson landing a straight right early and a stinging left to the body late. This time he was able to follow through, stringing together solid back-to-back rounds as he also had the better of the 4th thanks to an aggressive mindset in its top half. Lewis was shaken by two seperate uppercuts, coming at either end of the stanza.

But the tables turned again in round five, Lewis taking it convincingly behind a pair of crunching left hooks and a damaging left-right salvo, in addition to a succession of stiff left jabs. It was easily his best work of the fight and the Englishman had a determined set to his countenance as he returned to his corner. Both fighters were already wearing some swelling at this point: Lewis under his right eye, Jackson under his left. Jackson shrugged his off and came out with renewed vigour in the 6th, sending Lewis stumbling into the ropes with a left hook only moments after the bell and then catching him with another one a minute later. Lewis worked his way back into it but a late flurry from Jackson was enough to secure the stanza.

The back-and-forth nature of the contest continued in round seven, which Lewis clearly won. He unloaded a stinging left to the body, a booming straight right and flush left hook, bringing a concerned look to Jackson's face (upon which the swelling was only getting worse). Inexplicably, Lewis eased off in the 8th, almost content to take the round off and allow Jackson to claim it with little resistance. Jackson didn't need an invitation and he dazed his foe with a jaw-snapping right cross at the two-minute mark. The action reached a new level of excitement in round nine, both fighters having their moments and bringing the crowd to their feet. Jackson was out in front through its first half thanks to a hard left-right combo but Lewis responded superbly with a trio of flush right crosses during the frame's final minute.

There was an apparent setback for Jackson early in the 10th when he was deducted a point for rabbit punching, having been warned for the same offense in round four. He dominated the stanza, catching Lewis with a winging right hand early, a sharp combination at its midpoint and a crushing right to the jaw soon after. Jackson's efforts assured that each judge scored it a 9-9 round, but worse was to come for him when he found himself on the canvas two minutes into round eleven, a beautiful Lewis right cross taking his legs out from underneath him. Jackson was up quickly, at three, shaking his head in disgust. He had been winning the round to that point and Lewis followed up the knockdown with a three-punch combo that sent Jackson into the ropes. So going into the final round, Lewis had all the momentum.

But as in round eight, the Olympic champion seemed uninterested during what was an anti-climatic 12th. Jackson landed little of note, either, but what he did do was enough to convince all three judges to award him the round. Critically, and monumentally, it ended up being the difference between victory and defeat for Jackson, as those final scorecards of 114-113, 113-113 and 114-112 illustrate. If Lewis had won the round, he would have been the one whose name was called out as victor but once again he fell short. Lewis (18-2-2(11)) was the more active fighter throughout, throwing 50% more punches than Jackson and landing only slightly less (255-239). Jackson, now 19-1(11), showed his relief with the announcement of the verdict, dropping to one knee and holding his forehead with his left hand.

Lewis was gracious in defeat, conceding that he had simply not been good enough while acknowledging taking his foot off the accelerator one time too many. He also recognised that this, his second loss in an IBL eliminator, would make it difficult for him to earn a championship bid during the coming twelve months. With a second world title fight in the bag, Jackson won't have to wait too long to find out who he'll be challenging. In fact, he'll know the answer before he goes to sleep tonight as Ken Norton is scheduled to step in the ring in San Diego to defend the championship against Max Schmeling at around 3pm Sydney time. Speaking to the appreciative SEC crowd, Jackson promised them that this time he'll be bringing the title back to Australia, regardless of who he's up against.

[Romdawg88]

Watching Lewis fail always brings a smile to my face so I' quite pleased with this outcome.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Watching Lewis fail always brings a smile to my face so I' quite pleased with this outcome.

Been a "Close, but no cigar" start for Lewis in the IBL. He lost the Challenger's tournament final to Jackson, also. He then missed out on a place in the next eliminator when Zolkin held him to a draw. Now, when he had a second chance he loses to Jackson again.

Not a single one of the Athens gold medallists have won a world title yet. They were:

SUPER-HEAVYWEIGHT: LENNOX LEWIS (CANADA)
HEAVYWEIGHT: JACK JOHNSON (USA)
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT: SAM LANGFORD (CANADA)
MIDDLEWEIGHT: JOE GANS (PANAMA)
WELTERWEIGHT: ADIEL SUAREZ (CUBA)
LIGHT-WELTERWEIGHT: BENEDICT KHUMALO (SOUTH AFRICA)
LIGHTWEIGHT: PERNELL WHITAKER (USA)
FEATHERWEIGHT: SALVADOR SANCHEZ (MEXICO)
BANTAMWEIGHT: VICENTE SALDIVAR (MEXICO)
FLYWEIGHT: PANCHO VILLA (PHILIPPINES)

Only Suarez is still an amateur, and Salvador Sanchez is the only one to have fought for a world title so far. Gans, Lewis, Saldivar have all been close, as was Johnson at one point. Villa, Langford, Whitaker and Khumalo still have some work ahead of them. It's actually some of the fighters who claimed the minor medals, such as Jackson, Max Schmeling and James Ray, that have had greater success.

[kenyan_cheena]

TheSweetScience.com

SUNDAY 27 JANUARY 2008

Third time not so lucky for Kameda

Story by Jonathan Gomez

Scotland's Benny Lynch earned himself a shot at the world flyweight championship with a majority decision win over Japan's Koki Kameda on Saturday night at the Braehead Arena in Glasgow. Lynch claimed the verdict by scores of 115-114, 114-114 and 117-112, the victory his sixth in a row since suffering a disqualification loss in an August '06 IBL Challenger's tournament quarter-final. The 28 year-old clinched a berth in the elimination bout last September when he defeated former world champion Willie Davison on cuts in the 8th round of their semi-final. Having completed a streak that had taken him to the summit of the world title, Lynch did not waste the opportunity. After a slow start he was superb in the fight's bottom half, winning five of the last six rounds on two scorecards and four of them on the other.

As for Kameda, this was simply another heartbreaking result. As a consequence of the defeat, he now holds the unfortunate distinction of being the only fighter to have taken part in and lost three IBL world championship eliminators. All three have come during the last thirteen months, starting with the final of the Challenger's tournament in December '06 when he was stopped on cuts in the 9th round. His opponent Willie Davison went on to win the world title with an upset TKO of Candido Tellez. Kameda scored a victory over Eric Marsden in a March elimination semi, only to once again come up short when the June eliminator rolled around. The bout against Russia's Yuri Arbachakov in Moscow ended controversially in the 10th round due to a cut on the hometown favourite's right eyebrow, which had been opened by a headclash in the opening round. The scorecards were totalled and Arbachakov was announced as victor by technical split decision.

Once again, though, Kameda rebounded. He blitzed Mexico's Adrian Hernandez in September, dropping him twice in the 4th round to win by knockout and earn another eliminator berth. Meanwhile, like Davison before him, Arbachakov was successful in capturing the world title, the Russian taking it from Tellez in his first defense after he had regained it from Davison. It remains to be seen whether Lynch becomes the third man to win the belt immediately after beating Kameda. In defense of the Japanese slugger, he's had to fight all three eliminators on foreign soil. The wins over Marsden and Hernandez were both in Japan, so one can only wonder if the eliminator results would have been different if they'd taken place in his homeland.

The thing that will make this latest failure all the more painful for Kameda is that he appeared to be on his way to victory going into round seven. He took rounds one, five and six convincingly and held his own in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. But a brilliant Lynch rally completely turned it around, the Scot dominant from the 7th through to the end of the 9th. After Kameda had the better of round ten, Lynch finished it off confidently, outfighting his tiring opponent in the final two stanzas. Lynch ended up landing 355 of 850 punches (41.8%), Kameda 271 of 435 (62.3%). Those totals indicate Lynch's superior workrate. The conclusion can also be made that if Kameda (23-5(15)) had thrown perhaps ten or twenty more punches per round, it might have been enough for him to seal the win. Unfortunately, that's been the story of Kameda's career during the past year. "Ifs" and "mights" all over the place.

Lynch (29-3-1(17)) now moves on to challenge world champion Yuri Arbachakov on May 24, in what will be the Russian's first defense of the title. Compared to some of the other divisions in the IBL there's no clear cut path for the flyweight belt in '08, so the top contenders such as former champions Candido Tellez and Willie Davison have a great opportunity to position themselves for a shot at it in the bottom half of the year. It certainly figures to be a fascinating inaugural season for the World Championship Conference.

[kenyan_cheena]

Coming up...

Reviews of the two big world title fights, the heavyweight clash between Norton and Schmeling and the Diaz-Griffith welterweight rubber match.

[kenyan_cheena]

ESPN

Boxing

Updated: January 27, 2008 1.15 PM ET

Norton climbs off canvas in 2nd,
stops Schmeling in 4th

By Larry Holman
ESPN.com
Archive

San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium was the venue on Saturday night for one of the most explosive title bouts in recent memory, with defending champion Ken Norton surviving a 2nd round knockdown to stop Germany's Max Schmeling in round four of their world heavyweight championship clash. It was Norton's first defense of the title since regaining it from Terone Haynes in September and must surely rate as an early contender for Fight of the Year, despite its brevity. 25 year-old Schmeling had earned the title shot with a perfect 9-0 run through the first sixteen months of IBL competition, which included being crowned as the first and only Inter-Continental heavyweight champion and an apparently career-ending defeat of former WBA champion Sergey Anyukov in September.

It was a perfect example of the established order going up against the new generation, and it was Norton who extended an extraordinary run of victories to stay on top of the heavyweight mountain. Since losing his status as world champion to Haynes in the inaugural IBL title fight of December '06, Norton has won four in a row. It started with an extremely shaky display against Simione Paea in March '07, where Norton stopped the big Tongan in the 10th round of a fight he was on the way to losing. He then TKO'd Andrew Golota in the 5th round of their June eliminator to set up the rematch with Haynes. His performance in that stoush is regarded as the finest of his career, as he turned back what appeared to be certain defeat to floor the world champion twice and knock him out in round eight.

The lead up to Saturday's bout had been less than intriguing, with Norton at times being more concerned about the plight of his good friend Sam McVey than preparing for Schmeling. But when the 29 year-old stepped between the ropes he was in superb shape, a chiselled Adonis. There was an electric feeling in the air sitting at ringside in the minutes before the opening bell, seemingly a clue for the action that was about to be unleashed. While the two combatants did not exchange any words during the pre-fight introductions and instructions, the faceoff right before referee Mills Lane concluded with his customary "Let's get it on!" was an especially intense one. Schmeling did not appear to be the least bit intimidated by Norton or the situation.

Norton landed the first hard shot of the contest, a left to the body about thirty seconds into round one. But Schmeling answered back with an uppercut that caught the champion right on the chin and then a flush left hook at the frame's midpoint. Norton replied soon after, finding the mark with an uppercut of his own. However, it was Schmeling who finished the round stronger, rattling Norton with a stinging left to the ribs moments before the bell. The situation became even more alarming for Norton in the 2nd as Schmeling unloaded some punishing body shots early. Norton rallied, landing a left hook and another jolting uppercut to get back in the round with still a minute remaining. But with thirty seconds to go Norton ate a huge left hook, stumbled sideways and fell to the canvas, silencing the crowd.

Schmeling showed remarkable composure as he made for a neutral corner. Norton was up at five but there was a vacant look in his eyes. Luckily he was able to stay out of trouble for the rest of the round, although he did get caught by a Schmeling right cross. HBO's cameras picked up Norton's trainer Ernie Bennett telling him throughout the intermission that he needed to "Finish this kid off quickly or else he's gonna kill you." Norton came out more aggressive in round three and rattled Schmeling twice, connecting with a straight right a minute in and a solid cross thirty seconds later. But the German slugger inflicted some damage of his own, bringing a pained expression to Norton's face when he dug a left hook into his ribs late in the round.

The bout turned violently in Norton's favour early in the 4th as he caught Schmeling with a crushing left hook, a punch the younger pugilist later confirmed was the beginning of the end for him. Before the stanza was a minute old Norton had landed two more big lefts, one to the head and one to the body. Schmeling clinched, suddenly in deep trouble. Within moments of them seperating Norton stepped in and unleashed a thunderous uppercut. It found Schmeling's chin, snapped his head back and dropped him on his backside for the first time in his professional career. The challenger was up at seven but his legs were heavy. Norton came in mercilessly and proceeded to decimate Schmeling, landing a pair of right crosses and a wild, winging right that staggered him and sent him into the ropes. Schmeling was on his way to the canvas for a second time when Lane jumped in and waved it off at the 2:04 mark of round four.

Norton's team flooded the ring and celebrated with him, Bennett and former IBF middleweight titlist James Toney hoisting the champion up onto their shoulders and parading him around the ring for the ecstatic audience. IBL president James Molk climbed between the ropes and handed the title belt up to Norton and he held it over his head in his right still-gloved hand, shouting "Yes!" and holding his left hand near his chest. In an action-packed four rounds, Norton landed 95 of 209 punches (45.5%). Schmeling was even more successful and more accurate, connecting with 108 of 169 punches (64.7%), but still left the ring without the championship and with a first career defeat on his record. Norton (34-3-1(28)) was quick to compliment him, though, saying that Schmeling's effort was outstanding and that, despite the stoppage, it should be enough to keep him in with a chance of another shot at the title before the year is out.

Norton also expressed relief at getting through what many were calling a danger fight for him unscathed. Schmeling will more than likely claim the world championship some day, but most agree his time has not yet come and that despite his talent it would have been a huge surprise if he had sprung the upset. Norton's next defense will be in early June against the Australian Peter Jackson, who defeated Britain's Lennox Lewis earlier on Saturday down in Sydney in the official eliminator. However, before then Norton confirmed that he was going to be a very interested spectator when former champion Terone Haynes steps in the ring against Brutus Brody in Las Vegas on February 9. While understandably disappointed, Schmeling (21-1(14)) called the evening the best and most exciting of his life. Although he lost, he gained even more confidence from proving to himself he has what it takes to compete with the best heavyweights in the world. It's something he'll be able to take forward with him throughout 2008.

Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

[kenyan_cheena]

The New York Age

SUNDAY, 27 JANUARY, 2008

GRIFFITH PRODUCES
MASTERCLASS IN MEXICO CITY

Story by James Reynolds

The uncertainty over who is really the best welterweight boxer in the world was emphatically settled last night in Mexico City, with New York-based Virgin Islands native Emile Griffith scoring a dominant unanimous decision win over Enrique Diaz to regain the IBL and world championship. It was the pair's third meeting during the last fourteen months, although the previous two had both ended in disqualifications with one win a piece. The first clash came in the December '06 final of the league's world championship tournament, a showdown that had been a long time coming. Diaz appeared to be on the way to an upset victory before his third rabbit punching offense led to him being DQd midway through the 10th round.

After defending the title against Japan's Shoji Ohashi, Griffith squared off with Diaz for a second time last August and on this occasion he was the one with victory in sight when he was sensationally disqualified a minute into the 15th and final round for holding and hitting, his seventh individual foul of a dirty fight. An immediate rematch was quickly agreed upon to truly settle the issue, and Griffith proved that he is the best in the most comprehensive way possible. No, this wasn't a quick, decisive finish. There were no knockdowns, either. It was something far more impressive than that: An hour of almost complete mastery of an opponent, in front of that opponent's adoring home fans. From the opening bell, Emile Griffith was on a mission to reclaim his crown and he never allowed Diaz to even sniff victory.

Incredibly, all three judges awarded Griffith the first eight rounds of the fight. He was landing his punches with superb accuracy and avoiding Diaz's desperate salvos just as effectively. Heading into the 9th, Diaz's right eye was a swollen mess. About the only positive was that he had not sustained a cut. The crowd, so boisterous and confident in the minutes before the opening bell, had been pounded into a shocked, submissive silence by Griffith's brilliance. There were rumours that Diaz had pushed himself too hard in training, but that was not a valid excuse to account for the schooling he received. To make it even more awe-inspiring, Griffith delivered the beatdown with a steely, cold, unwavering resolve, his demeanour in stark contrast to the distraught, outspoken individual calling for a rematch at the end of their last stoush.

Diaz finally made an impression in rounds nine and ten, but his efforts were a mere speed bump on Griffith's path to redemption. The Caribbean slugger swept the next four frames, with Diaz admittedly giving as good as he received in an action-packed 11th. Griffith cruised through the final stanza, much to the audience's displeasure, and when the verdict came it was as one-sided as expected. All three scorecards showed identical verdicts of 147-138, favouring Griffith with twelve rounds and Diaz just three. A glance at the vanquished champion's swollen, puffy face was enough to believe the fight really should have been stopped earlier, but referee Dick Flaherty is known for his leniency in such matters. That aside, if he had stopped it the crowd may have torn the stadium down.

Griffith landed a remarkable 522 of 891 punches (58.6%), Diaz just 213 of 1,300 (16.4%). Perhaps unsurprisingly, those totals bore a similarity to the ones in their September showdown, even though the scorecards had been much closer in that fight. Much of the damage Griffith inflicted came from his lightning-fast combinations, which left Diaz as helpless as a baby. While praising Diaz for his courage, Griffith (33-2-1(23)) did not pull any punches when he said his win was "damn dominant" and that the Mexican will now have to get back in line and earn another shot at the title just like everyone else. Next for Griffith is the young Florida Alliance member James Ray, who earned his challenge with a victory over the Nigerian Ademola Udeze three weeks ago. If the new champion produces the same standard in June as he did last night, Ray will have a huge problem dethroning him.

As for Diaz (now 33-3(24)), one can only wonder how he'll bounce back from this loss. He has shown himself to be a resilient, optimistic individual in the past but it must be said that this was the type of defeat that has ended careers. It's fortunate for him that he won't be required to compete during the first series of WCC bouts because he'll definitely need some time away to recover, both physically and mentally. It has been a bad January for Mexico when it comes to IBL title fights. On the 5th, Gilberto Vasquez was unable to regain the featherweight belt from the Dominican Miguel Bautista when their fight ended as a draw. One week later Rafael Limon was dethroned as lightweight champion by Ben Villaflor of the Philippines. Now Diaz has lost the welterweight belt.

[kenyan_cheena]

Okay, there's now only one more fight card for me to review to conclude this series of pre-WCC bouts, that being the Sydney event featuring Darcy vs Gorecky for the middleweight belt and Fenech vs Miranda in the bantamweight eliminator.

I'm planning to squeeze in a little preview of the International Conference and Development League before that, aswell as the month end Boxing Monthly reviews. I also need to put some time aside to allocate the IC fighters to their individual groups for scheduling purposes (I'll be using the auto-scheduler for their fights).

I also need to finalise all the matchups for the first series of the WCC, which is another thing I have been kind of putting off. It is exciting that we have almost arrived at the beginning of what will be a new chapter in the young life of the International Boxing League.

[EricKarl]

Is Terone Haynes an actual fighter or did you build him for your universe?

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by EricKarl

Is Terone Haynes an actual fighter or did you build him for your universe?

He is fictional. He was a character created in my previous universe, the Heavyweight Boxing Federation. In that one he was just an up-and-comer at the time I stopped doing it, but he was heading towards the top.

I decided to make him one of the major characters in this one by having him as the WBO champion at the time the story commenced. If you are trying to picture what he looks like, just think of the basketball player Ben Wallace (played for the Bulls, Pistons and Cavs).

There are a bunch of other fictional fighters in this uni mixed in with the real ones, including about 20 fictionals who are based on forum members. From this point on I'm going to try to stick almost exclusively to real fighters, though, as to avoid the hassle of constantly creating fictional ones.

[EricKarl]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

He is fictional. He was a character created in my previous universe, the Heavyweight Boxing Federation. In that one he was just an up-and-comer at the time I stopped doing it, but he was heading towards the top.

I decided to make him one of the major characters in this one by having him as the WBO champion at the time the story commenced. If you are trying to picture what he looks like, just think of the basketball player Ben Wallace (played for the Bulls, Pistons and Cavs).

There are a bunch of other fictional fighters in this uni mixed in with the real ones, including about 20 fictionals who are based on forum members. From this point on I'm going to try to stick almost exclusively to real fighters, though, as to avoid the hassle of constantly creating fictional ones.

Very cool. I was racking my brain trying to remember the guy