The Greatest Prize in Sports

[kenyan_cheena]

Been away from this for a couple of months now. Getting the itch, so will probably get back to it at some point during the next week. That will involve a review of the big card in Sydney featuring the heavyweight and middleweight world title fights.

[Romdawg88]

Cool, looking forward to it.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Cool, looking forward to it.

Me, too. I have thought about it quite a bit during the hiatus, and considered ending it as I have this idea of creating a mega dynasty set in the '60s involving baseball, football and boxing (which will probably happen once the OOTP football game is released). But I've put too much time and effort into this uni, and am too attached to it now. So I guess we are all stuck with it.

[kenyan_cheena]

Sydney Morning Herald

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2008

"HOMEBUSH CLASSIC" LIVES UP TO HYPE

Story by Michael Greenhill

It's a rare and exceptional case when the anticipation and expectation created by hype ends up being justified by the event it focuses on. So was the case yesterday afternoon at ANZ Stadium when the International Boxing League came to town, the venue hosting perhaps the biggest sporting spectacle Sydney has seen since the 2000 Olympics. Promoted as "The Homebush Classic" during the weeks leading in, the card featured a quartet of bouts that could have each stood on their own as a main event, highlighted by the historic pair of world championship contests where the middleweight and heavyweight titles were defended by local champions Les Darcy and Peter Jackson.

Both men were squaring off against the opponents they defeated to claim their championships. In his first defense, Jackson was up against the Californian Ken Norton, who he knocked out in eleven rounds back in June. Darcy's showdown with Japan's Koichi Wajima was the rubber match in a rivalry that has been one of the top highlights of the IBL's first three years of competition. Wajima took the inaugural title in their first meeting in December '06 before Darcy claimed it by split decision in a memorable September '07 rematch. He defended the belt twice since then, with this third clash to be his final bout in the middleweight division: win, lose or draw.

In the afternoon's opening bout, former world featherweight champion Jim Driscoll retained his place in the World Championship Conference's lightweight division for 2009 with a hard-earned majority decision win over Japan's Teruki Nakata (116-112, 114-114, 116-112). After dominating the opening three rounds, Driscoll had to climb off the canvas after absorbing a scorching combo at the midpoint of round four. The remainder of the contest was competitive, with Driscoll unable to return to his earlier convincing form but still doing enough to take the verdict.

Driscoll outlanded Nakata by a considerable margin (364-223), although it felt closer due to Nakata's frenetic workrate. He threw an average of 127 punches per round, but could only land 14% of them. Driscoll came into the fight ranked at #7 and improved to 38-2-3(28), while Nakata (ranked 10th) fell to 31-6(21) with his second consecutive loss. Driscoll has not exactly set the world on fire in his first year under the IBL banner, but the Welshman, who turns 32 in a month, did not seem concerned when questioned about it during a post-fight interview. He lost a split decision to former world champion Joe Brown in April before defeating South Africa's Brian Mitchell in August, exactly three months to the day before yesterday's fight. He can now look forward to a fresh start in 2009.

Stepping into the ring for the first time since his shattering July world title fight loss to Carlos Zarate, Jeff Fenech finished the year on a high note with an 8th round knockout of the Filipino Ricardo Bedic. A former WBO titlist before coming to the IBL, Bedic had been victorious in his opening two WCC contests, including a thrilling TKO of Jeff Chandler in July. A win over Fenech would probably have been enough to earn him a world title shot early in the new year, but it was not to be. Even so, Bedic gave Fenech an almighty scare and a stern test, dropping him with a flush right cross early in the 4th and outlanding him 198-126.

Fenech was in terrible trouble after the knockdown, as Bedic almost finished the job there in round four and then dominated the 5th, also. He was on his way to taking round six before the gutsy Marrickville native dropped him with a left hook thirty seconds before the bell. It turned the fight, and a determined Fenech maintained his momentum in the 7th before finishing Bedic off with a wicked right cross a minute into round eight. The Filipino was counted out at the 1:16 mark, and Fenech's celebration was a passionate and spirited one. His record is now 22-2(18) while Bedic lost for only the second time in his career to fall to 29-2-1(19). His first defeat came by split decision against fellow WCC competitor Atsuto Hasebe in a March '07 IBO title fight.

Currently ranked at #3, it's unlikely that Fenech will move any higher when the IBL releases their year-end rankings next weekend. Having failed in two world title bids during the last twenty months, Fenech is going to need a couple more wins (and more convincing ones than this) before the IBL considers him for another title shot. Similarly, Bedic might end up staying exactly where he is at #7 if the league assesses his performance properly. It would be a shock if he were to fall into the relegation zone after a single loss against a former world title challenger in a bout he was painfully close to winning at one point.

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

There have been a number of boxing experts and sports commentators in general who criticised Les Darcy for the decision he made way back in February to announce that he would be moving to the IBL's light-heavyweight division in 2009. It was claimed that, by revealing he would not be fighting for it beyond this year, Darcy had cheapened the 160-pound title he currently holds, in addition to also giving himself a ready-made excuse if he was to lose the belt in the meantime. Darcy has strenuously denied this, saying that he had too much respect for the middleweight division and its world title (which he has held twice) to not give 100% in his remaining contests in the weight class.

During the week leading up to yesterday's clash with Koichi Wajima, Darcy had said it was the biggest fight of his career and that he was determined to both leave the middleweight division with a win and defeat Wajima in their third and (most likely) final meeting. Darcy also reiterated how important it was for him to be victorious in such a huge event for Australian sports. He was greeted by a standing ovation as he made his way to the ring in a robe of green with gold and white trim, his world title belt held aloft by his brother David, who is also his cut-man.

Wajima earned his opportunity to regain the championship by scoring wins over Joe Gans in March (MD12) and Montell Jackson in August (TKO10), although it almost didn't happen with Gans coming close to pulling off an upset. He made an excellent start against Darcy, controlling the opening three rounds and doing a great job of taking the boisterous crowd out of it early. Darcy finally got himself into the fight with a more assured showing in the 4th, but was unable to follow it up with a similar effort in round five. The champion looked frustrated and rattled, while Wajima exuded confidence and calm.

Things only got worse for Darcy when, late in the 6th, a jolting right cross dropped him on the seat of his pants. Wajima had earlier landed a flush left hook and a stinging body shot, and Darcy barely beat the count, although it seemed that he was simply making the most of every second. He made it to the bell, shaking his head as he returned to his corner. Darcy came out determined to turn things around in round seven, but Wajima continued to be the better man, and continued to build his lead. Digging deep, Darcy was able to eat into that lead with some excellent work in the 8th and 9th, and when he went toe-to-toe with Wajima for extended periods of an outstanding 10th frame, he had the crowd on its feet.

Darcy followed this up with his best work of the fight, dominating Wajima in round eleven and bringing hope for a remarkable comeback. But to have any chance of victory, he was going to have to ride that momentum to the finish line, and when Wajima answered back superbly in the 12th, Darcy's momentum died. The Stradbroke native never gave up, knowing during the last three frames that a knockout was really his only hope, but unable to produce one. The crowd rode their hero to the final bell, coming to their feet with some 45 seconds remaining in the stanza and applauding both combatants when it was all over. For the third time, these two warriors had taken each other the full 15-round distance, and wore their battle wounds proudly.

Prowling the ring awaiting the verdict, Darcy showed the countenance of a beaten man, and his fate was sealed moments later when Wajima was announced as the winner and new, two-time world champion by unanimous decision: 144-141, 145-140, 144-141. In the past, the Japanese fighter has greeted his IBL victories with little emotion, but that was not the case in this instance. He shouted and shed some tears upon confirmation that he had regained the title, embracing his corner crew and commiserating Darcy, who implored the crowd to increase their applause for him. Wajima, who improved to 28-3-2(18), landed 368 of 844 punches (43.6%), while Darcy (33-3(25)) connected with 279 of 862 (32.4%).

A clearly shattered Darcy apologised to the crowd during the post-fight interview, but gave credit to Wajima for his "incredible performance" and wished him all the best for his reign as champion going forward into '09. In return, Wajima expressed his respect and admiration for Darcy, saying that he has never gone up against a tougher or more skilled opponent in his entire career, and that Darcy had brought out the best in him over the course of their three epic clashes. Darcy did not want to discuss his future as a light-heavyweight, calling the disappointment from this loss "too deep and raw" for him to focus on anything else.

(to be concluded)

[kenyan_cheena]

(conclusion)

For the first time since 1937, a world heavyweight championship bout was being contested in Australia. To say it was the biggest sporting event the nation had seen in 71 years might not have been an exaggeration. Caribbean-born Jackson was a warm favourite to retain his title with another win over Norton and, in the opinion of some, send the Californian into retirement. Norton had been non-committal and agitated when asked at press conferences during the week what his next step would be if he was to lose the fight, especially when the spectre of retirement was raised. It is something he has had to deal with since coming to the IBL, and something he dismissed in September last year when he proved the doubters wrong with a stunning KO of Terone Haynes to win the title.

Sydney had put on a perfect afternoon for the IBL, with the temperature hovering in the mid-20s when the main event combatants made their way to the ring. Both men passed by the imposing figure of former champion Haynes as he sat at ringside, only metres from the action. Norton wore a robe of navy with gold, white and powder blue trim, his surname blazed accross the back in white block letters. Jackson, who was greeted by thunderous applause and accompanied by the AC-DC classic "Thunderstruck", wore a white robe with green and gold trim. He regarded Norton scornfully as the pre-fight introductions were completed, showing a more hostile countenance than fight fans have been used to.

Norton made a strong, aggressive start, winning the opening round where the highlight was a flush left hook just before the two-minute mark. Jackson responded in kind, having the better of the 2nd behind some effective early work with the jab and a stinging body shot that rattled Norton late in the frame. The challenger was superior for most of round three, but a straight right caught him on the nose thirty seconds before the bell, and it appeared to be enough to convince two of the judges to score the round in Jackson's favour. The pace picked up in the 4th, much to the crowd's delight, with Jackson landing a hard left hook early before Norton fired back with a jolting right cross midway through.

Jackson finished the round impressively, catching Norton with a stiff left, an uppercut and a crunching right cross, all in the final forty seconds. The champion carried that late momentum into round five, where he had Norton in a deal of trouble. After piling up the points with a succession of jabs and body shots, Jackson rattled Norton with a searing four-punch combo at the round's midpoint, and then had him holding on for dear life following another one of those painful body shots and a chin-snapping left hook. Norton looked tired and discouraged as he returned to his corner, but came out and gave as good as he received in an exciting 6th, where both combatants absorbed eye-opening power punches and only asked for more.

After dominating proceedings in round five, it looked like Jackson was going to finish the job sooner rather than later. But Norton's rally delayed him in the 6th, and Jackson appeared to inexplicably ease off during rounds seven, eight and nine. Those frames were somewhat uneventful and less than spectacular, so as the bout entered the 10th, Norton was still very much in it. In fact, a later look at the scorecards would reveal that through nine rounds, two judges favoured Jackson by just a single point, with the other showing Norton ahead by the same margin. The underdog was giving an excellent account of himself.

However, when Jackson took both the 10th and 11th frames in convincing fashion, it really did look like Norton was spent, and had given everything he had. The brave former champion had done well just to make it to the end of round eleven, where their first encounter had concluded with Norton counted out. But once again, with his man seemingly at his mercy, Jackson eased off in round twelve, and this allowed Norton to steal the stanza with a flurry of activity in its final thirty seconds. This included a left rip to the body that had Jackson noticeably wincing in pain.

The 13th started slow, but exploded when Norton connected with a straight right just after its midpoint. Jackson had to initiate a clinch to regain his senses and then responded with a left hook that brought the crowd to their feet. He couldn't follow up, though, and Norton stole another round with a strong finish, landing another right hand and then a three-punch salvo moments before the bell. Somehow, he was still not only in the fight, but had a real chance of winning it. Unfortunately for Norton, he suffered a major setback in round fourteen when he was deducted a point for repeatedly leaning on Jackson's neck. It was the sixth and final foul he committed in the bout, and referee Frank Santore had had enough.

Jackson won the lacklustre round on two cards, meaning it was scored 10-8 to him. The incident clearly took the wind out of Norton's sails. The crowd came to their feet in applause as the two men touched gloves at the start of the 15th and, what would have been considered hugely unlikely before the opening bell, final round. As the one-minute mark approached, Jackson unleashed a brutal body shot that dropped Norton to his knees, the first knockdown of an extraordinary contest. The courageous challenger was up surprisingly quickly but had nothing left, and it was a minor miracle that he made it to the final bell. He ate a huge straight right not long after his trip to the canvas, but stayed on is feet.

A moment came with perhaps thirty seconds remaining where it appeared Jackson's respect for Norton won out over his desire to finish him off, and he spent those last seconds of the fight flicking jabs at him and nodding his head in admiration. The crowd seemed to sense it also, and they applauded both men through those final stages of the bout. Norton and Jackson embraced when it was over, and Santore displayed his approval of their efforts by giving each man a brief hug before they returned to their corners. Neither man sustained a cut during the bout, but Norton was understandably wearing a good deal of swelling around his eyes.

There was no surprise in the tail when the verdict was announced. Jackson was the winner by unanimous decision: 144-139, 142-141, 144-139. South Korean judge Michael Lee owned the closer of the three cards, and if Norton had remained on his feet throughout the final frame, his verdict would have shown a drawn result. The punch totals did not really do justice to Norton's bravery. Jackson landed 395 of 782 punches (50.5%), Norton 213 of 720 (29.6%). It was the first world heavyweight title fight to go the full fifteen round distance since 1988.

Having competed earlier in the night, Les Darcy and Jeff Fenech had been seated at ringside for most of the main event and they joined Jackson (now 21-1(12)) in the ring to celebrate his victory. The champion heaped praise on Norton's performance, saying it was the hardest fight of his career to date and that Norton (34-5-1(28)) had done more than enough to convince him that he still has what it takes to contend for the title. The champion went on to say that it was the proudest night of his career, having successfully defended his belt in front of his fellow Australians in his adopted hometown.

Jackson will next defend the belt against another former champion in Terone Haynes. When Norton was interviewed, the prospect of him taking on the winner of that Jackson-Haynes clash was raised, but the Californian shot it down.

"I really don't think so," Norton said, smiling and shaking his head. "I lost the title to Peter, and then I failed to get it back tonight. I've had two chances to beat the guy, and my best has not been good enough on both occasions. Now, I have no intention to retire, but I think for the moment it's time for me to step back and allow someone else the chance to fight for this title. I need to go back to the drawing board, to start over again and re-earn the right to fight for this championship. I wish Peter all the best for his fight with Haynes. I think he has really become a more complete fighter since the first time they fought, and that it will be an exciting clash."

Sitting at ringside looking classy in a suit and fedora, Haynes himself made no attempt to enter the ring during the interviews and score some early psychological points via a possible face-to-face with Jackson. He was quoted as having said that it would not have been "the respectful thing to do" after the epic bout fought by the two combatants. It will be interesting to see if Jackson can turn back Haynes's challenge when the two clash. Haynes absolutely destroyed him when they fought in Miami twenty months ago, and it will be a real blow to Jackson's confidence if the same thing happens again. For now, though, he is the world champion, and will remain so into the new year.

[Romdawg88]

Haynes is coming for ya Jackson, enjoy the belt while you have the chance.

[kenyan_cheena]

Here is the busy schedule for the final Saturday of WCC bouts for 2008...

22 November: Tokyo, Japan

(FLY) #10 Hiroyuki Ebihara (Japan) vs #13 Hilario Zapata (Panama)

(WW) #9 Shoji Ohashi (Japan) vs #13 Virgil Akins (USA)

(FLY) #4 Ichiro Okubo (Japan) vs #7 Koki Kameda (Japan)

22 November: Bologna, Italy

(FW) #9 Loris Stecca (Italy) vs #12 Withaya Paholpat (Thailand)

(JHW) #2 Angelo Rottoli (Italy) vs #11 Piet Crous (South Africa)

22 November: London, England

(LHW) #6 James Franklin (England) vs #11 Dick Tiger (Nigeria)

(LW) #5 Cornelius Boza-Edwards (Uganda) vs #11 Iwao Otomo (Japan)

(LHW) #5 Len Harvey (England) vs #13 Steve Finley (USA)

(HW) #3 Lennox Lewis (England) vs #14 Riddick Bowe (USA)

22 November: Havana, Cuba

(FW) #8 Keith Harrison (USA) vs #11 Solly Smith (USA)

(FLY) #3 Mark Johnson (USA) vs #11 Raton Majica (Nicaragua)

(BW) #5 Luis Galvani (Cuba) vs #10 Silence Mabuza (South Africa)

(MW) #2 Jose Napoles (USA) vs #10 Freddie Steele (USA)

22 November: Las Vegas, NV, USA

(LW) #3 Hector Hernandez (Mexico) vs #14 Brian Mitchell (South Africa)

(BW) #1 Gilberto Roman (Mexico) vs #2 Owen Moran (England)
(*Vacant IBL World Championship bout*)

(WW) #WC Emile Griffith (USA) vs #1 James Ray (USA)
(*IBL World Championship bout*)

(LW) #WC Ben Villaflor (Philippines) vs #1 Patricio Marquez (Mexico)
(*IBL World Championship bout*)

~~~~~

There will be an article about our former world light-heavyweight champion Celestine Amakochi before I dive into those fight cards, which should be posted during the next few days...

[kenyan_cheena]

TheSweetScience.com

FRIDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2008

Amakochi relocating to USA

Story by Jonathan Gomez

Nigeria's former world light-heavyweight champion Celestine Amakochi confirmed earlier this week that, for reasons both professional and personal, he will be moving to the USA before the year is out. Amakochi's long-time trainer and father figure Rashidi Enyeama passed away in late August, and the fighter has spent the better part of the last three months in mourning and grief. He has also been recovering from the ghastly cut sustained above his right eyebrow in his world title fight loss to Mauro Mina, which took place only a week before Enyeama's passing. Doctors are of the belief that the stress and strain of these recent events has led to Amakochi's wound healing at a slower rate than expected, although it currently has no bearing on his next fight.

Amakochi revealed his planned "Atlantic Crossing" during an interview with a Lagos radio station on Tuesday, saying that he had been pondering such a decision for some time and that if Enyeama had not died, the trainer would have relocated to America with him. Amakochi had previously indicated that he was experiencing problems with certain friends and family members since his rise to fame and fortune as world champion under the International Boxing League banner. As a consequence, he has become unhappy living in Nigeria. The situation has opened his eyes to "the real power of jealousy and envy" and given him a clear indication of those he can truly trust in his inner circle.

While the move is primarily designed to improve his quality of life, Amakochi will also have to set about the task of finding himself a new trainer pretty quickly. The 25-year-old spoke of a number of Americans favourably, including the Florida Alliance mastermind Roy Jones, but admitted that he is yet to make any overtures. Amakochi said he will base himself in Los Angeles and that he has already secured a property in one of the city's more low profile suburbs, but would not provide specifics. He was asked what he thought of Mauro Mina's ill-fated (and some would say ill-advised) November 8 title defense against Ray Landis, and surprised the interviewer when he said that he admired him for it, and would have done the same thing himself in a similar situation.

"You have to look at it from his perspective," Amakochi said. "He waited a long time for his title shot, uh, seven months, I think. He had to sit and watch while I defended the belt against the Australian fellow, and then the kid from New York. Then he wins the belt from me in August, but is told there's gonna be a rematch, but it won't be until February at the earliest, so more waiting around for him. Some people might have been fine with that, but Mauro obviously wasn't. I wouldn't have been, either, truly. So he tries to make a strong start to his reign by ending the year with a defense. Unfortunately for him, it backfired, but you can't criticise him for having the balls to do it, you really can't."

Amakochi will attempt to regain the world championship when he challenges Landis in early '09, most likely in March or April. Although he'll go into the bout as a warm favourite, he will be giving his opponent the utmost respect and won't be taking anything for granted. A win is vital for Amakochi to have any chance of completing his vision for his final year in the 175-pound division, which he hopes includes title defenses against Sam Langford and Les Darcy in the latter stages of the World Championship Conference.

[kenyan_cheena]

ESPN

Boxing

Updated: November 22, 2008 11.15 AM ET

Kameda still in title frame
after upset win over Okubo

By Larry Holman
ESPN.com
Archive

Japanese flyweight Koki Kameda avoided a likely relegation from the IBL's World Championship Conference and also kept himself in position for a possible title shot with an upset win over compatriot Ichiro Okubo in Tokyo earlier today. In another dramatic fight for him, Kameda made an impressive start before withstanding a mid-fight rally from Okubo and then finishing the contest in dominant fashion to take a unanimous decision verdict (115-112, 115-111, 115-112). Okubo dropped Kameda with an uppercut right on the bell at the end of round six. While he landed more punches than Kameda (299-267), Okubo was simply not busy enough when it mattered, leading to the demise of his nine-fight, twenty-six month winning streak.

Kameda (24-6(15)) came into the bout ranked at #7, having fallen there from #2 after his stage two loss to Teko Davids. He fought bravely in that clash, which was a Fight of the Year candidate, and some observers felt the IBL was somewhat harsh in dumping him from the top five. The move was seen as more of a comment on Kameda's recent struggles, though, as the defeat concluded a period where he had gone 2-4 in his last six contests. Three of those four losses were in official world title eliminators, and in each case the opponent who defeated him went on to claim the championship. It remains to be seen what the IBL will think of this win over Okubo, but it should be enough to at least move him up into 5th place in the rankings.

Okubo (36-5-1(22)) was ranked 4th beforehand, and while a nine-fight winning run is nothing to snort at, his list of opponents was not exactly distinguished. A victory over Kameda would have changed that, but now he has to go back to the drawing board. In the co-feature, 9th-ranked welterweight Shoji Ohashi did enough to retain his place in the WCC when he recorded a 7th round TKO of Virgil Akins. The fight was stopped due to a cut on the inside of the St. Louis native's right eyebrow. The wound was opened within a minute of the opening bell, and became worse as the bout progressed. The ringside doctor examined it early in round four and then again in the 7th, where the fight was called off at the 0:21 mark.

Ohashi improved to 22-3-1(15) while Akins fell to 17-4-1(11) and will be competing in the International Conference next year. In another flyweight contest earlier on the card, Hiroyuki Ebihara scored a 9th round KO of Panama's Hilario Zapata. Ebihara held the upperhand for most of the fight, although Zapata went punch for punch with him in an action-packed 6th round. The South American was dropped twice in round nine, with Ebihara's left hook doing the damage on both occasions. The first came after forty seconds of the frame, the second with only ten seconds remaining. Zapata was counted out after the bell, falling to 21-3-1(10) and out of the WCC. 10th-ranked Ebihara (23-5-2(16)) will have a nervous wait to see if the win saved him from relegation.

Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

[kenyan_cheena]

La Gazzetta dello Sport

SUNDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2008

A bloody night for Italian boxing

Story by Giovanni Lippi

Last night's International Boxing League fight card at Bologna's Palazzo dello Sport was supposed to be a celebration of sorts, but instead it turned into a bloody mess. The event was headlined by a pair of World Championship Conference contests, each featuring an Italian boxer. One was looking to simply stay in the WCC for 2009, while the other was attempting to finish the year as the #1 contender in his weight class. Contrasting ambitions, but by the time the night was over, both men had failed to attain their goal.

In the first bout, 9th-ranked featherweight Loris Stecca was up against the talented but inconsistent Thailander Withaya Paholpat (ranked #12). Stecca was coming off a unanimous decision loss to former world champion Gilberto Vasquez in July, while Paholpat had suffered an upset KO loss to Japan's Nobuhiro Yokoyama during the same month. The loser would be bound for the International Conference, while the winner would secure a place in next year's WCC. It was a rematch of both men's second fight in the IBL back in August '06,where Stecca scored a one-punch 1st round KO win. In a chaotic affair featuring a bunch of blood and one knockdown a piece, it was Paholpat who gained revenge and emerged victorious by an 11th round TKO.

Stecca started brilliantly, dominating the 1st and then almost finishing Paholpat off in round two. He dropped him early in the frame and unleashed a brutal follow-up, but the Thailander somehow made it to the bell. He was then able to work himself into the fight, taking rounds three and four. Things got complicated when Stecca was cut on the left eyelid as the result of an accidental head clash early in the 4th. He then had a horror final minute in round five, as Paholpat floored him with an uppercut and then cut him on the right eyebrow moments before the bell. The wound was bad enough for the ringside doctor to examine before the round ended.

The next three rounds were close, although Paholpat seemed to have a slight edge. He re-opened the gash on Stecca's right eyebrow late in the 8th, and the local favourite looked anxious as the doctor checked it. Once again, he was cleared to continue. Stecca seized the momentum when he took round nine convincingly and then turned the tables by cutting Paholpat on his left eyelid with about thirty seconds remaining in the 10th. For a third time, the ringside official was called upon to inspect the damage, and for a third time, he allowed the contest to continue.

Stecca's rally merely delayed the inevitable, though. Midway through round eleven, he literally ducked into a booming Paholpat uppercut, and the punch split the cut on Stecca's right eyebrow again. This time, the doctor could not save Stecca, and the fight was halted at the 1:39 mark of the 11th. Stecca (18-5-2(11)) had been the more aggressive but trailed on all three cards at the end of round ten, by margins of five points on one card and two points on the other two. Paholpat (15-4(6)) outlanded him by a slim margin, 190-186, and was ecstatic with his victory. His post-fight behaviour did not go down well with the partisan crowd, but he did not seem to care. The 23-year-old is regarded as a future world title contender, and now has a chance to prove it in 2009.

The evening's main event saw #2-ranked junior-heavyweight Angelo Rottoli step between the ropes against South Africa's Piet Crous. With the retirement of former world champion Jeff Lampkin following his loss to Maurice Holmes on October 25, a victory would see Rottoli claim the #1 ranking to end 2008. A defeat to the 11th-ranked Crous would be disastrous, and something he had not allowed himself to contemplate. But disastrous is exactly how it turned out as, like in the co-feature, a cut brought an end to proceedings. A beautiful straight right from Crous cut Rottoli on the left eyebrow midway through the opening round, continuing a busy night for the ringside doctor, who was once again up on the apron to conduct an examination.

Rottoli was allowed to continue, but looked perturbed and bemused and seemingly unable to handle the setback. After a less than eventful 2nd round, another booming right hand did further damage to Rottoli's wound early in round three, and within moments the fight was over. The cut was a nasty one, and Rottoli looked a shattered man as he was led back to his corner. Crous was announced as the winner by TKO at the 0:35 mark of the 3rd round, much to the shock and anger of the audience. They had come to see their man rise to #1, and this anti-climatic and almost farcical denial of that was difficult to take. Crous (now 24-6-2(16)) was able to tag Rottoli with alarming regularity, landing 66 of 92 punches thrown (71.7%), while Rottoli connected with 50 of 160 (31.3%).

Not only was Rottoli's four-fight winning streak snapped. What would have been a likely world title challenge in early '09 is now gone. The opportunity will most likely go to Chicago's Michael Vaughan, who defeated former world champion Carlos DeLeon last weekend. Rottoli fell to 33-6-4(23), and will almost certainly fall out of the top five in the world rankings. Due to the unsatisfactory ending to the bout a rematch was already being discussed during the post-fight interviews for stage one of the '09 WCC, with a clearly emotional Rottoli saying it was "the fair thing to do." One would think Johannesburg will be the venue if it eventuates.

[professordp]

As always, a fantastic write-up!!!

[kenyan_cheena]

THE LONDON TIMES

Sunday 23 November 2008

LEWIS KNOCKS OUT BOWE IN 5TH ROUND

Story by James Simpson

Heavyweight boxer Lennox Lewis secured his status as one of the top contenders in the International Boxing League's World Championship Conference with a 5th round knockout of the New Yorker Riddick Bowe last night at the Wembley Arena. The fight was a rematch of sorts of the 2004 Athens Olympics Super Heavyweight gold medal bout, where Lewis defeated Bowe by a 2nd round TKO. That clash was mentioned often during press conferences and interviews leading into last night's fight, with Lewis doing his best to downplay the significance of it and focus on the present. He questioned Bowe's chances by bringing up the fact that the Brooklyn native has been stopped twice by Poland's Andrew Golota, who Lewis subsequently floored five times on the way to a 10th round KO in September '07.

While Lewis went into the clash with a confident disposition, he did not have it all his way early on. Bowe had the better of the opening round thanks to a hard right cross at the one-minute mark and hard left hook soon after, aswell as some penetrating jabs throughout the frame. The 2nd was looking to be more even as it approached its final minute, with each man landing some telling blows before Bowe wobbled Lewis with a left hook that landed flush on the chin. The favourite now wore a concerned expression, as if finally realising that his opponent really meant business. The blow acted as a cattle prod for Lewis, as less than a minute later he sent Bowe to the canvas with a pulverising left-right-left salvo. Bowe was up at seven, with the bell ringing to end the round soon after.

The knockdown clearly arrested Bowe's momentum as he was not the same fighter in round three, his legs appearing heavy underneath him. Lewis took it convincingly without too much effort, tagging Bowe with his own sharp jabs. But the momentum swung violently back to Bowe early in the 4th. After catching Lewis with a left hook, an uppercut and a left-right combo in the opening minute, he dropped him with a right cross midway through the stanza. The crowd reacted with shock, as their man was suddenly in real danger of losing the fight. Lewis rose quickly and fortunately for him, Bowe could not finish him off. He fired away with wild lefts and rights, and it was actually Lewis whose offense was more effective in the lower half of the round as he caught Bowe flush on the nose with a right cross.

Lewis was in trouble again early in round five when Bowe landed a right cross, but he was able to gain precious recovery time by tying Bowe up in a clinch. Lewis took control with a succession of jabs followed by a straight right that almost floored Bowe. A pair of crunching left hooks at the round's midpoint had Bowe in serious trouble, and an uppercut soon after had him careening back into the ropes. Lewis pounded away at him and then unleashed a crippling body shot that sent Bowe to one knee, before he crumbled sideways to the canvas, clutching at his right ribs. Bowe made a valiant effort to rise when the count reached six, but the effort brought a pained expression to his face and he was stuck there on his hands and knees as referee Tony Gibson counted him out at the 2:46 mark.

Trying to appear nonchalant, but looking mostly relieved, Lewis raised his left fist in acknowledgement of the audience. He improved to 20-2-2(12) with the win, while Bowe fell to 17-5(11) after suffering his second consecutive defeat. Both losses have come by knockout, and in fact Bowe has now been stopped four times in his career, with all four bouts ending inside of seven rounds. He came into the fight ranked at #14, so he is now bound to compete in the IBL's International Conference in 2009. It's highly unlikely that Lewis will move from his current standing at #3 when the league releases their year-end world rankings later today. After a year when he missed out on clashes with both Terone Haynes and Marko Friedrich, he'll be desperate to secure a showdown with a top contender early in the new year.

[kenyan_cheena]

The Tacoma Herald

SUNDAY, 23 NOVEMBER, 2008

Steele upsets Napoles in Havana

Story by Harry Taylor

Tacoma-born middleweight boxer Freddie Steele recorded an upset majority decision victory over Jose Napoles in an IBL World Championship Conference bout at Havana's Gran Stadium last night. In a late contender for Fight of the Year, Steele took the verdict by scores of 115-113, 114-114 and 115-113. Cuban-born Napoles, who has called Miami home since his family defected to the USA when he was three, came into the evening ranked at #2 and would have almost certainly clinched a world title shot for early in the new year with a victory. By contrast, 10th-ranked Steele was simply fighting for survival in the WCC and this win, following on from his August stoppage of former world junior-middleweight champion Mike McCallum, could very well elevate him into a clash with world champion Koichi Wajima.

Napoles started 2008 with two solid if not quite convincing decision wins over Holman Williams (SD in March) and Mickey Walker (MD in June). Steele was knocked out in ten rounds by Montell Jackson in April, and so has had his back to the wall ever since. Amazingly, he has secured his place in next year's WCC with wins against two men who, like him, were alphabet champions before coming to the IBL. Napoles held the WBC welterweight belt from March '03 to October '06, when he relinquished it before moving up to junior-middleweight for a December non-title fight with McCallum, who had been stripped of both the WBC and IBF belts earlier in the year. McCallum won that bout, held in Jamaica, by a comprehensive unanimous decision verdict.

Last night's fight was Napoles's second in Cuba, as he made a historical (and successful) defense of the WBC welterweight championship against Marcelo Smith at the same venue back in August '06. Unfortunately for him, he was not able to replicate that triumph on this occasion. Napoles started well enough, looking sharp and tagging Steele with a number of scoring shots in the opening frame. However, Steele staggered him with a right cross at the end of the round and built on that single punch with a dominant 2nd. He caught Napoles with a chin-snapping uppercut and a left-right-left salvo early before some effective body work in the round's bottom half sealed the deal.

Round three was a barnburner, with Steele having the advantage early thanks to a left hook to the body and a straight right that brought up a mouse under Napoles's left eye. The crowd favourite rallied in the final minute, though, planting a left hook on Steele's chin before driving a right into his ribs. As he returned to his corner, Napoles wore the countenance of a man who may have been wondering if he had bitten off more than he can chew. When Steele took the next three stanzas convincingly, the answer appeared obvious. In particular, the former IBF champion punished Napoles in round five, with the pick of his offense being a crunching uppercut in the final minute that blasted Napoles into the ropes.

So as the bout entered its bottom half, Steele held a clear advantage. He did well to hold onto it against a fast finishing Napoles, who fought with desperation, determination and the crowd's adulation to dig himself out of the hole he found himself in. But when it was all over, he simply ran out of rounds, and was also unable to score what would have been a hugely important knockdown in those final few frames. Steele showed that he is still every bit the man who was regarded as one of the best pound-for-pounders in the world three years ago. He landed 288 of 744 punches (38.7%), the much busier Napoles connecting with 242 of 1,550 (15.6%). Steele, who is now 9-1-1 in IBL competition, improved to 42-3-2(35), while Napoles fell to 31-3(25).

Napoles was nonplussed and frustrated by the verdict, insisting that he had been the more active fighter throughout the bout but had not been rewarded for "making a fight of it." While praising Steele's efforts, he also accused the judges of "messing with his career", implying that their incompetence had cost him a world title shot. Whether his assertion is correct or not is largely irrelevant, because Steele proved himself to be the smarter, more economic fighter throughout the bout, even if his finish was not as impressive as his start. It will be interesting to see where he finishes the year in the world rankings, and if world champion Koichi Wajima sees him as a more lucrative, attractive challenge than the likes of Nigel Benn and Holman Williams.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Hey, everyone.

This is just to let you know that I'll be taking a little vacation between Christmas and New Year's. Going up north to Queensland to visit family. Heading up there on the morning of December 26 and flying back to Sydney on December 30.

I will be completely inactive here during that period as I'll be staying at my parent's place and they don't have the internet at their house. I'll probably make a few posts here before then, though.

Not sure how the Christmas/New Year period goes in America as far as work is concerned, but down here a lot of businesses shut down for a couple of weeks and don't open up again until the first Monday after New Year's Day, sometimes later.

For many people, last Friday was their final work day for the year and they could be off for a number of weeks before starting back at work. Some people will be off on holiday for all of January.

I'm not so lucky. I will be working up to Christmas Eve, then when I get back to Sydney I am going into work on December 31 and January 2, and then starting back to work as usual the following Monday. My job is part-time, Monday to Wednesday, but I'll be starting to work there on Thursdays as well starting next month.

Just to add, December, January and February are our summer months. In addition, the school year ends in mid-December and doesn't start until late January, so a lot of families go on vacation during that period.

Hard to believe another year has come and gone. Just like last year, I will be spending some time up north over Christmas. Only difference is this time I am flying up on December 24 and coming back on the 28th.

[professordp]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Hard to believe another year has come and gone. Just like last year, I will be spending some time up north over Christmas. Only difference is this time I am flying up on December 24 and coming back on the 28th.

Have a safe trip!


Best regards,


Prof

[kenyan_cheena]

Sorry for my inactivity during the last month. It's partly coz of the Christmas/New Year season, partly coz of the freaking hot weather in Sydney (drains the desire to write) and partly coz I have been otherwise busy. Will try to get back to it during the next week or so. The next post I make will be a write-up of the final IBL WCC card of 2008, the mega Las Vegas event featuring THREE world title fights (lightweight, welterweight and bantamweight).

[SAL]

Take your time kc. We'll be here when your back.

[Romdawg88]

Cool Cool, like SAL said no rushes it'll be done when it's done. Looking to seeing how the big card plays out.

[professordp]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Sorry for my inactivity during the last month. It's partly coz of the Christmas/New Year season, partly coz of the freaking hot weather in Sydney (drains the desire to write) and partly coz I have been otherwise busy. Will try to get back to it during the next week or so. The next post I make will be a write-up of the final IBL WCC card of 2008, the mega Las Vegas event featuring THREE world title fights (lightweight, welterweight and bantamweight).

Kenyan, I can relate to the inactivity! I'm still recovering from the holidays myself. I've simmed almost all my bouts for June 1958 but don't find the time to write them up. Plus I made a New Year's resolution to clean up the mess known as my office...I sort of feel like an archeologist (LOL).