The Greatest Prize in Sports

[kenyan_cheena]

Berliner Morgenpost

MONDAY 5 MARCH 2007

MIXED RESULTS
AT THE WALDBUEHNE

Story by Heiko Mertesacker

Last night's International Boxing League fight card at the Waldbuehne featured two of Germany's premier pugilists in bouts that were vital for their chances of future world championship success. One of them took a big step forward, while the other took two or three backwards. Fighting in the main event 3rd-ranked junior-heavyweight Torsten May was victorious against Russia's Vadim Tokarev but only after the #4 welterweight in the world Gustave Eder had fallen to a costly defeat to the American Aaron Lister Brown in the co-feature. There was another upset earlier in the evening when Russia's #4 junior-heavyweight Pavel Melkomian was defeated by Brown's compatriot Lee Roy Murphy, making it a great night for the USA.

May endured some spirited resisitance from Tokarev through the top half of the fight before coming home strongly, flooring the Russian in round nine and sweeping the final five rounds on all three scorecards to secure identical verdicts of 117-111. While he emerged victorious May (33-4-1(24)) was wearing some battle scars afterwards, Tokarev's early success bringing some noticeable swelling to his left eye. With the win May secured a meeting with #2-ranked Puerto Rican Carlos DeLeon in the official world title eliminator slated for late-May. The winner will challenge world champion Jeff Lampkin in August. May was the #1 seed in the IBL's Challenger's tournament but lost the final to France's Taoufik Belbouli. It'll be interesting to see if he can make the most of this new opportunity to secure a title shot.

Having already seen the division's #2 and #3-ranked combatants successfully defend their positions earlier in the week (and therefore secure berths in the eliminator) Gustav Eder knew that he was fighting simply to maintain his own standing and that a defeat would see him tumble down to #7. It should have been motivation enough for him to produce a winning effort but as it turned out he was up against an opponent who simply would not give up. Much like the evening's main event, the Eder-Brown bout was a close, competitive affair through it's opening half before Brown controlled the action in rounds seven, eight and nine, which he swept on two scorecards. It proved to be the difference as he took a split decision verdict (115-114, 113-117, 116-114).

As a consequence of his defeat it's unlikely that Eder (26-3-1(17)) will be able to compete for a spot in the second eliminator of the year, which is scheduled to take place in November. Considering how close he was to defeating eventual titlist Emile Griffith in the semi-finals of the world championship tournament this loss will be a very difficult one for Eder to accept and get past. There are many experts who rate him just as highly as Mexico's #2 Enrique Diaz but that won't mean much now. He'll have to go back to the drawing board and work hard during the coming twelve months to position himself for a run at the championship. Brown's fighting effort will see him jump three places in the month-end rankings when they're released on March 26, from #9 to #6. With some luck it could be him challenging for the world title in early '08.

The contest between Melkomian and Murphy was actually the most dramatic of the evening, with the American flooring Melkomian in the final round to steal the verdict. It was a bout where the momentum swung back and forth, with the opening four rounds being split before Melkomian assumed control through until the 7th only to see Murphy rally strongly and get himself right back into it by the time round ten was over. Melkomian dominated the 11th and appeared set for victory but a left hook put him on his back less than a minute from the final bell and it was enough to turn the tide. Murphy took the unanimous decision nod by scores of 114-113, 115-112 and 114-113. Like Brown, he'll be ranked at #6 come the end of the month.

[comicfanman]

Great work at usual

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by comicfanman

Great work at usual

Thanks, cfm. March is going to be a busy month as all the top contenders in each division are in action. Makes for some exciting matchups.

[kenyan_cheena]

THE ROANOKE TIMES

Wednesday, 7 March, 2007

FINLEY'S WIN STREAK
REACHES FIVE IN DC

Story by Barry McGill

Roanoke light-heavyweight boxer Steve Finley recorded his fifth consecutive victory last night, defeating the Englishman Allan Thomas by majority decision in the co-feature of an IBL fight card at the Washington DC Convention Center (79-73, 76-76, 78-74). It was a win that ended up being more difficult than expected for Finley as, after he dominated the opening four rounds, Thomas fought back to take the 5th and 6th and make the final couple of frames interesting. Although Finley was by far the aggressor Thomas actually outlanded him. The victor connected with 158 of 777 punches (.203), Thomas 169 of 473 (.357).

Finley's record is now 13-1(10) while Thomas, a two-time Olympian and Sydney silver medallist, fell to 9-5-2(5). Big things were expected of the Brit when he went undefeated in his first ten professional bouts before joining the IBL. However, the tougher competition he's had to face during the last nine months has found him out, as after drawing his first league bout he's now lost five in a row. In the evening's main event local favourite and 36th-ranked light-heavyweight Clarence Hinnant was held to a draw by Chicago's Allen Thompson. As a consequence of that result Finley, ranked #37 coming into the evening, will assume Hinnnant's place when the month-end rankings are released on March 26.

[Claybor]

Roanoke light-heavyweight boxer Steve Finley recorded his fifth consecutive victory last night

Yay.

As a consequence of that result Finley, ranked #37 coming into the evening, will assume Hinnnant's place

Moving up 1 spot at a time will make a very very long road to the top.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Claybor

Yay.



Moving up 1 spot at a time will make a very very long road to the top.

LOL! Your guy has one more fight where he'll be defending his position in ranking tier 4 against the bottom guy from tier 5. He has to win that fight to stay where he is and if he does he'll then be challenging for a spot in tier 3. If he makes it into tier 3 he's going to start climbing the rankings more quickly if he keeps on winning. These last couple of bouts plus the next one have been seen by the IBL as a test to determine which of the fighters from the bottom half of each division are good enough to climb higher.

[kenyan_cheena]

TheSweetScience.com

FRIDAY 9 MARCH 2007

Brian Jasper's Pugilistic Musings

Brody splits with promoter,
eyes Haynes and the IBL

The surprising development that has seen Detroit-born heavyweight boxer Brutus Brody split with promoter Tyrone Hillier and pursue a contract with the International Boxing League could very well be the final nail in the coffin for the struggling World Boxing Council. Having won all of his twelve professional bouts by stoppage, 28 year-old Brody is regarded as one of the most destructive punchers in the sport today and was expected to claim the WBC's heavyweight title later this year and bring some much-needed relevance to the sanctioning body. However, those plans have all gone up in smoke and the genesis of the situation can be traced back to early February when Brody fired his Hillier-appointed manager Darryl Long and gave the job to his lifelong but until-recently-estranged friend Jimmy Vickers.

Anyone who has followed Brody's career would know that he was making a living dealing drugs on the tough streets of Detroit before stepping into the ring for the first time just on twelve months ago. He signed a promotional contract with Hillier in late July after the Chicago-based promoter treated him to a night of fine food, liquor and even finer women at the Renaissance Center's Marriott hotel in Detroit. Everything seemed to be progressing well in their partnership until Vickers came back into the boxer's life last month. Not only one of his closest friends, Vickers was also a business associate of Brody's during his time in the drug trade. They caught up with each other over a dinner and by the time it was over Vickers had convinced Brody to fire Long and make him his manager.

Understandably, Hillier was not thrilled by Brody's decision but he accepted it. Brody was scheduled to fight DC journeyman Larry Swindle on the February 24 Gutierrez-Arcari card in Atlantic City, but Swindle pulled out of the bout just two days beforehand. Hillier rushed to find a replacement despite Brody's protests that he'd prefer not to fight, putting him in against a completely unsuitable opponent in blown-up inactive cruiserweight Derek Amos. Brody dispatched Amos in one round but endured a chorus of boos and insults from the crowd, who were disgusted by the mismatch. Brody and Vickers argued with Hillier at ringside, with the manager making an angry proclamation to the press in which he said that the promoter owed the crowd and Brody an apology.

Already strained, the relationship between Hillier and Brody has only become worse in the two weeks since the night of the fight. While looking over Brody's promotional and financial papers Vickers discovered that Hillier had been underpaying the fighter by almost 20% during the entire period of their agreement. In addition, it seems that Vickers had been doing everything he could since taking on the role of manager to convince Brody that he was wasting his time fighting for the WBC, telling him that no one would recognise him as the best heavyweight in the world until he defeated Terone Haynes.

Under Hillier's guidance Brody had been content to simply destroy whoever the promoter put in front of him and held little concern for whether he was the best or not. But Vickers had planted the seed in his mind, and combined with Brody's anger over the Amos fight and the financial irregularities the situation came to a head last Friday. Apparently Brody, Vickers and an entourage of at least a half-dozen "heavies" visited the promoter's Chicago office. When they left twenty minutes later Brody was no longer contracted to Hillier's Windy City Promotions. That much has been confirmed in a statement released by Hillier on Monday and although there's been nothing else said on the issue, it can only be assumed that Hillier was threatened in some way before releasing the fighter from his contract.

On Wednesday the IBL revealed that, now a free agent, Brody had contacted the organisation expressing his interest in joining it. There's been no word from either party since, which brings us to today. It's obvious that it's simply a matter of when rather than if as far as Brody joining the league is concerned. He's expressed his goal and it's a simple one: to fight and defeat Terone Haynes. However, what he and Vickers may not have considered is that if he joins the IBL he'll have to start at the bottom and fight his way to the top. I don't doubt his ability to do so, but whether Terone Haynes is still world champion in eighteen months remains to be seen. He's the alpha dog right now but there's plently of talent nipping at his heels and it would be a huge achievement if he's able to retain the title.

I'd think that making that climb won't worry Brody as, in comparison to the situation he was in with Hillier, he would be able to see with each win and each subsequent jump in the rankings how much closer he is to a title shot. Hillier had apparently promised him that he'd be WBC champion by the end of 2007 but the promoter's past is littered with incidents of making such assurances to fighters and having them ultimately proven empty and false. I'm sure Vickers has convinced Brody that competing under the IBL banner will bring him much more legitimacy than the WBC ever could have. Legitimacy is something that Brody would not have given a second thought to prior to Vickers' involvement in his career but it's now one of the things that's going to bring him to the IBL.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, Brody's split from Hillier is going to have tremendous ramifications for the WBC. They would have been banking on Brody's eventual rise to the championship and the sanctioning fees his reign would have garnered. Coupled with the fact that by this time next year featherweight champion Jim Driscoll will be in the IBO camp the WBC's future status looks precarious, at best. Surely the time is now right for them to pursue a merger with the similarly fragile WBA, but knowing the pig-headedness of both organisation's bosses I can't see it happening. They'd rather perish than survive in partnership with each other. It could be that boxing fans will eventually owe a big "thank you" to Mr. Jimmy Vickers, the man who may have just accelerated the downfall of the WBC.

Intriguing matchups on
regional title schedule

On Tuesday the IBL released the schedule for next month's series of regional title bouts and there are some interesting matchups on the list. Only eleven of the league's eighteen inaugural regional champions successfully retained their championships in their first defenses last month so it's going to be interesting to see how many of them can keep those belts strapped around their waists for a further eight weeks. Two of them, the bantamweight Orlando Canizales and flyweight Piolo Fuentes, will be making their first defenses in April after rematches were required for them to claim their titles. There's a number of bouts on the schedule that are actually rematches of the inaugural title bouts from December so whether any of the results end up being reversed this time is certainly something to look out for.

Following is the complete schedule, with the defending champion listed first:

29 March: Providence, Guyana, Americas junior-heavyweight championship
Wayne Braithwaite (Guyana, 22-5(15)) vs Eric Fields (USA, 22-5-1(13))

30 March: Dundalk, Ireland, Inter-Continental junior-heavyweight championship
Tom Sharkey (Ireland, 17-1-1(15)) vs Lubos Suda (Czech Republic, 22-3-1(14))

31 March: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Americas welterweight championship
Bernabe Carbajal (Mexico, 11-0-2(7)) vs Virgil Akins (USA, 13-1-1(9))

31 March: Berlin, Germany, Inter-Continental welterweight championship
Reinhardt Kohler (Germany, 11-1(7)) vs Ashley Jackson (United Kingdom, 10-1(8))

4 April: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Inter-Continental light-heavyweight championship
Mark Somogyi (Australia, 14-0(10)) vs Petite Fourie (France, 9-2(5))

5 April: Manila, Philippines, Inter-Continental lightweight championship
Ben Villaflor (Philippines, 18-1(10)) vs Rene Barrientos (Philippines, 12-4-2(6))

6 April: Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, Americas lightweight championship
Ike Williams (USA, 8-1(6)) vs Nicolas Fillion (Canada, 9-1(2))

7 April: New York, New York, USA, Americas light-heavyweight championship
Melio Bettina (USA, 10-1(5)) vs Scot Long (USA, 10-1-2(4))

12 April: Los Angeles, California, USA, Americas featherweight championship
Ruben Castillo (USA, 11-0-1(7)) vs Raul Cruz (Mexico, 15-3-1(7))

13 April: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Americas middleweight championship
Greg Gorecky (Canada, 10-0(5)) vs Frank Battaglia (Canada, 8-2(3))

14 April: Nottingham, England, Inter-Continental middleweight championship
Ian Lord (United Kingdom, 12-0(6)) vs Randy Turpin (United Kingdom, 13-1(10))

14 April: Nottingham, England, Inter-Cotinental featherweight championship
Charlie Beniston (United Kingdom, 10-0(5)) vs Withaya Paholpat (Thailand, 10-2(3))

18 April: Panama City, Panama, Americas flyweight championship
Hilario Zapata (Panama, 17-0-1(9)) vs Humberto Gonzales (Mexico, 12-2-1(9))

19 April: Manila, Philippines Inter-Continental flyweight championship
Piolo Fuentes (Philippines, 9-0-2(6)) vs Hiroyuki Ebihara (Japan, 17-4-2(12))

20 April: Berlin, Germany, Inter-Continental heavyweight championship
Max Schmeling (Germany, 17-0(13)) vs Juan de la Cruz (Philippines, 8-1(7))

21 April: Los Angeles, California, USA, Americas heavyweight championship
Sam McVey (USA, 11-1(7)) vs Mike Hanson (USA, 10-1(8))

27 April: Milan, Italy, Inter-Continental bantamweight championship
Casper Leon (Italy, 19-3(12)) vs Johnny King (United Kingdom, 15-2(6))

28 April: Laredo, Texas, USA, Americas bantamweight championship
Orlando Canizales (USA, 19-2-2(14)) vs Julian Solis (Puerto Rico, 29-2-1(22))

[Claybor]

Ah, some nice forum fighter action there.

[Marciano6]

And Now A Word From Brody:

You know man a brother gotta do what a brother gotta do nah mean? Jimmy opened my eyes to a lot of bull ish that's been going down and I love that dude he's my brother. Me and jimmy go way back man on the corners working you know....it's not something we proud of but we coming along. Tyrone is a snake man word up Jimmy brought a lawnmower....and we just cut the grass and exposed that snake hiding in the grass you feel me? Ya I got some of the homeboys and ya we went to the offices but nothing happened there were no threats and I never touched that man. We had a talk and now i'm good to do what I want man....this was definetly a learning experience. I'd love to fight for the IBL they have some good competition over there and Haynes is a good fighter who I have a lot of respect for. I understand I may be startin' from the bottom but I gotta do what I gotta do right? If everything goes well hopefully IBL will pick me up and i'll be heading towards a title shot. I wanna to thank all my fans for they support in all this and I promise you imma be makin' things happen in 07'-08' baby.

Peace.

[kenyan_cheena]

ESPN

Boxing

Updated: March 10, 2007 12.30 PM ET

Top contenders tumble
on night of upsets

By Larry Holman
ESPN.com
Archive

It's likely that a good deal of time will pass until the International Boxing League next experiences an evening of unexpected results like the one that took place Friday night. On two seperate cards in Japan and Nigeria a total of four top-five ranked fighters in the lightweight and light-heavyweight divisions fell to defeat with a fifth being held to a draw, all of them dropping out of short-term world championship contention as a consequence. Remarkably, all five were competing in front of a home crowd. The outcomes of these bouts have literally re-shaped the perception that was held in regards to the upper echelons of each weight class and presented a chance at an eliminator berth for some of the combatants who'll be in action on tonight's card in Phialdelphia.

At the Surelere Stadium in Lagos, Nigeria it was supposed to be a night where the #2 and #4-ranked light-heavies Taribo Keshi and Dick Tiger would set up the possibility of a rubber-match in June's official world title eliminator. The two good friends have already clashed twice during the past twelve months, with Tiger winning the first meeting in April in a defense of the IBF championship before Keshi was victorious in a September IBL world championship tournament semi-final. But both suffered shock losses last night, putting a third bout on hold for now.

Fighting in the co-feature Tiger was unable to recover from a poor start against Detroit's Michael King and eventually lost by unanimous decision (117-110, 114-113, 117-110). King has struggled in recent times, going 1-3-1 in the last five fights he'd contested and appearing to be on the downslope. But against Tiger he started brilliantly, outworking him and building a big lead through the opening six rounds that included a knockdown two minutes into the 4th. A left-right combo floored Tiger and he rose at eight on unsteady legs. The local favourite produced something of a rally in the bout's bottom half but his efforts did little more than keep him competitive. King actually cut Tiger on the forehead in the 10th, the wound being inspected twice by the ringside doctor in round eleven.

Tiger wore a disconsolate countenance as the verdict was revealed, already knowing beforehand that he'd be on the losing side of it. Stunned into silence for much of the fight the crowd greeted the decision in the same way, shocked that their champion had been defeated. In a tireless performance King landed 306 of 1,081 punches (28.3%), Tiger 312 of 804 (38.8%). King's record is now 27-7-1(21) while Tiger lost for the second time in three outings and fell to 26-2-2(19). The Michigan native was in an exhuberant mood afterwards, talking of how his career had been rejuvenated by the victory. Tiger was brutally honest as he assessed his effort, saying that he had simply been outenthused and that he'd allowed King to want it more than he did.

Keshi's arrival to the ring for the main event lifted the audience's spirits. Twelve weeks down the road from his brave performance going the full fifteen rounds with Harold Johnson in the inaugural IBL world championship bout, the 26 year-old had spoken with confidence in the days leading into his meeting with Jamaica's Tyrone Shelton. But it soon became clear that all was not right with him. Perhaps the Johnson epic had taken more out of him than his team thought, or perhaps the news of Tiger's defeat half an hour earlier had shaken his self-belief. Whatever the reason Keshi struggled through the opening rounds and, coming off back-to-back wins, the talented Shelton did not hesitate to take advantage. He dominated round one and held his own in each successive frame through until and including the 5th.

Shelton cut Keshi above the right eyebrow late in round four and did further damage to the wound in the 5th, leading to a stoppage and inspection by the ringside doctor. It appeared to shock Keshi into action and he won round six convincingly, giving Shelton a taste of his own medicine when he bloodied his nose. But he couldn't sustain the rally and by the end of the 7th Keshi's cut was once again being examined after a stiff left from Shelton worsened it. Round eight was an even affair but when Shelton sent Keshi face first to the canvas with an uppercut one minute into the 9th what had already been a disappointing night for Nigerian boxing was turning absolutely disasterous. Keshi was up at five and stayed out of trouble for the rest of the round, but he looked spent as he sat on his stool at the intermission.

Keshi controlled the opening stages of round ten but a left hook from Shelton midway through the frame had the blood flowing once again from the cut above his right eyebrow. Referee Alan Moore led him to a neutral corner, where the ringside physician declared that the fight could not continue. The decision was greeted angrily by the crowd, some of them throwing litter into the ring. If they'd seen the nastiness of Keshi's wound up close they would have reconsidered their stance on the matter. The time of the stoppage was 1:33 of round ten, at which point Shelton had outlanded Keshi 226-159. The victory upped his mark to 28-3-1(20) while Keshi's is now 23-4(18). Considering how close he came to winning the world championship against Johnson it could take him some time to get past this latest, most disappointing defeat.

Shelton had been one of the biggest beneficiaries of Johnny Persol's January departure from the IBL, rising from #12 to #11 and into the 1st ranking tier as a consequence and right into the meeting with Keshi. If he can keep his winning streak going through the rest of the year he could very well be fighting for the championship in early '08. As for Keshi and Tiger, all they can do now is sit back and watch and hope their compatriot Celestine Amakochi has greater fortune when he takes on Johnson for the world championship tonight. Back on Monday the 5th-ranked New Yorker Jimmy Slade dropped a split decision verdict to the Englishman Len Harvey in London, maintaining the perfect success rate of the #8-ranked fighters in all divisions during this month's Tier One IBL matchups. With the 2nd, 4th and 5th-ranked 175-pounders all losing so far, it means that a surprise berth in the eliminator awaits the winner of tonight's contest between the Californian Tommy Harrison (#6) and Peru's Olympic silver medallist Mauro Mina (#7).

(to be continued, with results of Tokyo card)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

In Tokyo the scenario was even more clear-cut for 2nd and 3rd-ranked lightweights Teruki Nakata and Jaguar Kakizawa: win and they'd be up against each other in twelve weeks from now with a shot at the world championship on the line. The night started well enough, with wins for Japanese fighters in three of the four opening preliminaries. But in the trio of contests that really mattered the local fighters came up short, despite some admirable efforts. The fifth bout on the card was an absolute thriller in which Uganda's Cornelius Boza-Edwards stretched the winning run of 8th-ranked fighters to four by taking a unanimous decision nod over Hiroshi Kobayashi.

In an action-packed affair the upperhand swung back and forth through the opening five frames until Boza-Edwards produced a sustained period of control from the 6th to the 8th that he more or less maintained through the bottom half of the fight. He floored an exhausted Kobayashi twice in the final round to pad an already secure lead, the final scorecards reading 117-109, 116-110 and 117-108. The punch totals were quite extraordinary, Boza-Edwards landing 379 of 1,303 (29.1%) and Kobayashi 337 of 900 (37.4%). The Ugandan had wrapped up the #8 world ranking with a 7th round stoppage of Germany's Lothar Abend in December and improved to 21-1-2(16) with last night's win.

Kobayashi had made an impressive start to his time in the IBL, sending former junior-lightweight titlist Hector Hernandez to his first defeat in the world championship quarters before losing to Nakata in the semis. He'd bounced back from that with a solid win over Greg Haugen to finish '06, but just couldn't match Boze-Edwards' aggression and determination. Kobayashi is now 28-4-1(22) and despite the quality of his efforts to date there's some hard work in store for him in order to get back into the title picture. It's going to be a constant feature of these IBL matchups, the fact that you can't just be good to make it to the top. You have to be great.

Fighting in the co-feature Kakizawa appeared to be on the way to the eliminator as he controlled the opening half of his clash with Kazhakstan's Anatoly Alexandrov. But after round seven he inexplicably ran out of gas, allowing Alexandrov to rally and sweep the last five rounds on all three scorecards, securing a drawn verdict. There were no knockdowns and Kakizawa's domination of the bout's first act was much more convincing than Alexandrov's efforts in its second, but that mattered little. Two judges scored it 114-114 while the third actually favoured Alexandrov, 116-112. After being upset by Enrique Bolanos in the final of the Challenger's tournament last night's result was another setback for Kakizawa (28-5-2(16)) while being a breakthrough for Alexandrov (18-5-2(13)).

Due to the brilliance of his opening salvo Kakizawa outlanded Alexandrov 366-274. Coming off a 9th round KO of Jackie Beard (who left the IBL after the loss), Alexandrov should rise to 7th in the world rankings. It's quite an achievement for the 24 year-old, considering that he was seeded at #9 in the Challenger's tournament. Kakizawa will fall three spots to #6 in the world rankings, which while disappointing doesn't compare to the drop former WBC junior-lightweight champion Nakata will make after he was outclassed by Hector Hernandez in the evening's main event. A former alphabet champion like Nakata before joining the IBL, Hernandez had moved into the top ranking tier at #11 due to the departure of Jackie Beard from the IBL, setting up an intriguing showdown.

Hernandez's loss to Kobayashi was actually his first fight in the 135-pound division so perhaps it should not have been considered as big an upset as most felt it was. Since then he's accounted for Rene Barrientos and George Chaney with ease and stepped into the ring against Nakata showing an intense gaze, knowing the huge importance of the clash and how much a win would do for his world championship chances. Hernandez started well, taking the 1st conclusively but Nakata's response was superb as he had the better of round two and then dominated the 3rd and 4th. It looked like he was on track to bring about a happy ending to the event but when Hernandez sent him to the canvas with a succession of blows two minutes into round five the momentum swung his way and stayed there for the remainder of the contest.

Over the course of the final seven rounds Nakata was awarded just a single round on one judge's card, Hernandez putting on a brilliant master class and showing the boxing world that he's still very much a contender of the highest order. Nakata was actually the aggressor but Hernandez's brilliant defense, counter-punching and economical offense put him on another level. He took the verdict comfortably, two judges favouring him 117-110 and the third having it 116-111. It was quite a disheartening sight seeing him pick Nakata to pieces, knowing that the #2-ranked fighter had fought so valiantly in the inaugural world championship bout against Rafael Limon. Whoever emerges with the title belt around their waist when Limon squares off against Bolanos next weekend will be hoping that someone is able to halt Hernandez's rise to the top, because he looked incredible in his dissection of Nakata.

Hernandez landed 372 of 888 punches (41.9%), Nakata 281 of 1,137 (24.7%). The Mexican improved his imposing record to 31-1-2(23) while Nakata fell to 27-4(20) and will take a terrible tumble from 2nd down to 8th in the rankings. So far this week Brian Mitchell has been the only member of the lightweight top five to play his part and record a victory. But only just. The 4th-ranked South African defeated Germany's Lothar Abend by the slimmest of split decision verdicts in the main event of a card in Johannesburg on Thursday. In a see-sawing thriller Abend produced a late rally to almost steal a remarkable win. But Mitchell just held on and took the verdict by scores of 115-114, 114-115 and 115-114.

Combined with the failures of Nakata, Kakizawa and Kobayashi, Mitchell's win has already elevated him to 2nd and into June's eliminator, regardless of what happens tonight in Philly. As is the case in the light-heavyweight division, the winner of the 6th v 7th lightweight clash will secure an eliminator berth. Going into the week neither Greg Haugen (#6) or Ruben Navarro (#7) would have given themselves much of a chance to be in this position, but they are and it's up to them to make the most of it. With so much on the line, in addition to the Johnson-Amakochi title stoush, it figures to be an enthralling evening of boxing.

Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

[kenyan_cheena]

Phew! Some big write-ups lately! Gonna be interesting to see if "Philly's Finest" can replicate his fantastic effort against Keshi when he defends the crown against Amakochi!

[kenyan_cheena]

THE GUARDIAN
LAGOS - NIGERIA

Sunday 11 March 2007

AMAKOCHI WINS
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!

Story by Sani Yobo

On Friday evening Nigerian fight fans watched on in horror as Taribo Keshi and Dick Tiger crashed out of world title contention at Surelere Stadium. Last night that terrible feeling was replaced by jubilation when their compatriot Celestine Amakochi scored a 13th round knockout of Harold Johnson in Philadelphia to claim the IBL's world light-heavyweight championship. After Johnson's herculian effort to overcome Keshi in December's inaugural world title bout - a victory he called "the greatest test, greatest win and greatest moment" of his career - it was believed that he would be unable to turn back the challenge of Amakochi, who is regarded as the premier talent of the three Nigerian 175-pounders.

In the end that opinion was proven true as, despite the fact that Amakochi was not at his best he was still good enough to gradually pound the world champion into submission. In a bout that did not quite reach the heights most expected of it Amakochi floored Johnson four times on the way to victory. The lead-up to the fight had been the subject of HBO's second "24/7" documentary series, the first edition of which had chronicled the weeks before the Norton-Haynes December heavyweight showdown. While not quite as intriguing as the original, "Johnson-Amakochi 24/7" gave a great look into the lives of both combatants.

On at least a half-dozen occasions during the documentary 29 year-old Johnson had used the phrase "climbing that mountain again" in reference to stepping back into the ring and defending his title. A number of commentators had observed that he almost seemed to be talking himself into accepting defeat before the bout had even taken place, that he was struggling with his self-belief. It was an accusation that Johnson vehemently denied but in the disappointed moments after last night's bout he gave a clear indication that retirement from the sport was on his mind. He said that if the IBL were to order a rematch he would turn it down because he was "just plain dog tired" after fighting 28 rounds during the last three months and that he'd be having "a long think" about his future during the coming months.

The fight's opening two frames were unremarkable, with both men prefering caution over aggression. Johnson had the better of the 1st until Amakochi caught him flush with a hard right shortly before the bell. The challenger then carried that momentum into round two, which he won behind a jolting uppercut and a stinging left hook to the body. The pace picked up through the top half of the 3rd, Johnson returning fire with some punishing body work. But as the final minute commenced the Wachovia Spectrum crowd was silenced as a left-right salvo wobbled Johnson and a follow-up straight right dropped him on his backside. Up at three, he avoided any further damage despite Amakochi's best intentions. The action slowed once again in the 4th, Amakochi surprisingly reluctant to press his case.

Amakochi claimed round five, landing a big left hook, a right cross and a pair of damaging body shots. But when Johnson took both the 6th and 7th convincingly it looked like he might just be able to "climb that mountain" once again. Even so, he showed a less than confident countenance during the intermission while on the other side of the ring Amakochi's trainer was giving him a verbal bashing. Unsurprisingly Amakochi stole the upperhand in round eight, outworking Johnson with a much more aggressive attitude. He maintained control through the 9th and then dropped Johnson for a second time one minute into round ten. It was a chin-snapping uppercut that put Johnson on his rump. The defending champion absorbed a hard left hook before the round was over, but otherwise stayed out of trouble.

The challenger extended his lead in the 11th, catching Johnson with another one of those thunderous uppercuts aswell as a heavy hook downstairs and a straight right-left hook salvo shortly before the bell. After an even start to round twelve Johnson stole it with some promising work in its bottom half, his efforts bringing the crowd to their feet at the end of the frame. But their hopes were mercilessly dashed when the contest ended in the very next round. Amakochi hurt Johnson with a straight right and a left hook within sixty seconds of the bell, an unsteady Johnson then tasting the canvas when another left hook landed flush. He made it to his feet at eight but looked resigned to defeat.

Showing poise, Amakochi came in at him and unloaded to the body. Johnson was backpedalling and when he wrapped Amakochi up it was obvious that the champion had nothing left. Shortly after the stanza entered its final minute Amakochi unleashed a left-right salvo that put Johnson on his back, the fourth and final knockdown of the bout. He struggled to his knees at three but couldn't get any further, glaring up at referee Tony Weeks through glazed eyes as the count reached ten at the 2:18 mark. Amakochi rushed to meet his corner crew as they streamed through the ropes excitedly, his trainer lifting him up in his arms as Amakochi screamed triumphantly. Not only had he become Nigeria's first IBL champion. He also captured the offical world 175-pound championship, as Johnson had been recognised as such when he was the WBA's titleholder before the IBL's birth.

Johnson landed 253 of 715 punches (35.4%), Amakochi 203 of 985 (20.6%). Those numbers are somewhat surprising as it seemed Amakochi was more accurate than they indicate. Regardless, the shots he landed were enough to inflict a comprehensive defeat upon Johnson (37-2-2(26)), who acknowledged the truth of that afterwards. Back in December Amakochi (24-1(16)) had said that if he was to win the championship he would defend it until the end of '07 and then move up to the junior-heavyweight division. Last night he revealed that he had changed his mind due to Sam Langford's recent decision to move down to 175. Amakochi said he'd love to fight the two-time Olympic champion at light-heavy and would gladly "wait for him" to make his way to the top of the division's rankings.

(to be continued)

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

A week of upsets in Tier 1 of the light-heavyweight division continued on the undercard, with the 3rd and 6th-ranked fighters Jack Chase and Tommy Harrison both losing and blowing a golden opportunity to seal a berth in June's offical world title eliminator. In the co-feature Hollywood-born Chase was stopped on cuts in round seven by Bronx slugger Iran Barkley. It was an exciting tussle while it lasted, Barkley having the better of the opening five rounds and then consolidating his advantage by cutting Chase's left eyelid with a hard right hand late in the 6th. The wound was immediately inspected by the ringside physician, who allowed Chase to continue. But Barkley went to work on it again early in round seven, drastically worsening the cut and leaving the doctor no choice but to call the fight off.

It was the second consecutive loss for Chase after he was dominated by Amakochi in the final of the Challenger's tournament, his record falling to 20-3-1(13). From Barkley side the victory was sweet revenge for the July Challenger's tournament quarter-final defeat Chase had inflicted upon him and a major breakthrough that will see him rise to #5 in the world rankings. He's 21-1-1(17) and if victorious in his next three fights Barkley will be competing for the world championship in twelve months from now. Earlier in the evening Peru's Olympic silver medallist Mauro Mina secured what had looked a completely unlikely eliminator berth at the beginning of the week with a convincing unanimous decision win over Harrison (117-111, 116-112, 117-112).

Both men entered the ring knowing that a victory would see them ranked in the top three and in the eliminator and it was Mina who rose to the occasion, his superior talent showing through despite being deducted a point for a low blow in the 10th round. Harrison looked to be a chance after holding his own in the opening three frames but Mina unloaded some damaging blows in the 4th and 5th, his assault forcing the Los Angeles native into his shell for vital stretches of the remainder. Mina landed 302 of 916 punches (33.0%), Harrison 189 of 894 (21.1%). Coming off back-to-back losses to the Nigerian duo of Tiger and Amakochi it's remarkable to think that this one victory over Harrison (17-5(11)) has put Mina a single win away from a shot at the championship and a return clash with his rival from the amateur days.

More remarkable is the fact that his opponent in the eliminator will be Len Harvey, the Englishman who entered the week ranked #8 but has risen to #3 as a consequence of his victory over Jimmy Slade on Monday and Chase's defeat in last night's co-feature. Mina and Harvey waged an enthralling war in the Challenger's tournament quarters, which Mina (15-2(8)) won by a slim unanimous decision in an upset of the 2nd-seeded Harvey. With the stakes multiplied for their rematch it should be an even more exciting affair. 6th-ranked Seattle lightweight Greg Haugen also seized his opportunity last night, defeating the Mexican Ruben Navarro by unanimous decision to set up an eliminator matchup with the South African Brian Mitchell. In a thrilling, action-packed contest Haugen took the verdict by scores of 116-115, 117-114 and 116-115, ending a two-fight losing streak, upping his record to 27-5-1(17) and jumping to 3rd in the world rankings.

[kenyan_cheena]

ESPN

Boxing

Larry Holman Blog

IBL confirms Brody signing
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 | Print Entry

On Monday the International Boxing League made official their signing of power-punching Detroit heavyweight Brutus Brody, issuing a press statement confirming that the "7 Mile Monster" had agreed to a three-year contract with the organisation effective from the 10th of March. As fight fans would be aware Brody was released from his contract with Chicago promoter Tyrone Hillier on March 2. Allegations were leveled against Hillier by Brody's manager Jimmy Vickers in which he claimed the promoter had underpaid Brody during their seven-month association. In addition, Brody had said he'd developed an ambition to fight and defeat current IBL and world heavyweight champion Terone Haynes. That's a clash that would not be possible if Brody had remained with Hillier who is exclusively aligned with the World Boxing Council.

In an unusual situation Brody actually approached the IBL himself last week, making it known that he was interested in competing under the league's banner. Apparently Brody, along with Vickers and some of his other associates spoke with IBL president James Molk and his staff face-to-face last Friday in a meeting that lasted for a couple of hours, after which the terms of his contract had been agreed upon. Yesterday's announcement stated that Brody will be placed at #78 in the league's month-end rankings (to be released on March 26) and will take part in his first IBL contest as part of the heavyweight division's new 7th ranking tier in early April. The fight will be a six-rounder against an opponent yet to be determined.

In the meantime Tyrone Hillier has strenuously denied the allegations that Vickers made against him in regards to his financial dealings with Brody. Speaking from Caesar's Palace on Saturday night Hillier said he was "disappointed" that after "everything I've done for the boy" Brody had chosen to pursue his current course of action, adding that he was certain he did not owe the Michigan native "one red cent". Hillier was not so talkative when questioned on his decision to release Brody from his contract, which reportedly still had some two years to run on it. His evasiveness will only add fuel to the belief that Brody's "heavies" physically coerced the promoter into granting him a release.

Coming on the back of the Brody situation the Caesar's Palace card did not go well for Hillier, with both of his heavyweights falling to stoppage defeats in the semi-finals of the heavily criticised WBC heavyweight championship tournament, which was conceived by the promoter. In the co-feature Larry Martell knocked out Albert Croft with a single left hook midway through round four before Jamal Close was victorious over Julius Jones in the main event, the bout stopped in the 10th due to a cut under Jones' right eye. Martell and Close will now fight for the championship in July or August, but with neither man being promoted by Hillier he won't have any involvement in the bout. The WBC title has been vacant since #2-ranked IBL heavyweight Ken Norton relinquished it last April before signing with the league.

Marquez eyeing Gutierrez bout
following successful return

Back in action for the first time since being obliterated by Joe Brown in November, former world lightweight champion Patricio Marquez recorded a 7th round TKO victory over compatriot Raul Martinez in Mexico City on Saturday night. The bout went as most expected, with Marquez's superior speed proving too much for the rugged but plodding Martinez to handle. He tasted the canvas once in round three and then again in the 7th shortly before the referee halted the fight at the 1:53 mark. The win improved Marquez's mark to 43-3-1(35) while Martinez, who went ten rounds with Olympic champion Pernell Whitaker in October, fell to 24-6-1(17).

It was thought the bout would be Marquez's one and only hit-out before an assumed meeting with the winner of the March 24 Joe Brown-Francisco Ortiz world title clash later in the year, but Marquez surprised the gathered media when he revealed for the first time during the post fight interview that he was going to pursue a matchup with recently dethroned WBC junior-welterweight champion Javier Gutierrez. Marquez said that he has always admired the Argentinian and that it had been an ambition of his to some day trade punches with him. Until recently he had not thought it would happen but with Gutierrez now no longer holding the WBC's belt the door has opened.

Gutierrez (38-5-2(29)) is promoted by Tyrone Hillier, who Marquez's camp has had some difficult dealings with in the past. Marquez said he'd be prepared to put that aside in order to make the fight happen. He mentioned Gutierrez's comments after losing his title to Bruno Arcari, where he seemed to be hinting at retirement. Marquez said that he believed the South American would welcome the chance to end his career against a fellow former world champion, especially if there was a large purse involved. Marquez celebrates his 32nd birthday tomorrow while Gutierrez turns 34 in July. On the surface it appears that Marquez would be the favourite but he'd be moving up in weight for the fight, which is always tricky.

Marquez would also be risking what is at present a guaranteed shot at the world lightweight championship. If he was to lose to Gutierrez the IBO would surely take that matchup off the table, leaving Marquez in something akin to limbo. Considering the enthusiasm he had for the IBO in the lead-up to last year's clash with Brown it is somewhat surprising that Marquez is yet to sign a contract with the organisation, although it's likely that the beating he suffered at the hands of the New Orleans native dampened his outlook somewhat. According to their rules Marquez could sign a contract for a single fight with the IBO, which is what he might end up doing. It'll be interesting to see if the Gutierrez bout comes to fruition and if Marquez is able to come through it unscathed if it does.

Alvarez to soldier on,
despite losing streak

Speaking publicly for the first time since his 1st round KO loss to Mike Hanson on February 24, Florida Alliance heavyweight Romy Alvarez said during a radio interview from his hometown on Friday that there was "no way in hell" he'd be taking time out from the sport following his third consecutive defeat. What had been a perfect 7-0 career start for the Belle Glade native has been derailed by back-to-back split decision losses to Californians Mike Weaver and Sam McVey and February's shock result against Hanson, a bout which was over within two minutes of the opening bell. Victory in any of those three bouts would have seen Alvarez awarded with a shot at the IBL's Americas Championship, a title which he no longer has any interest in pursuing.

Some observers have suggested that Alvarez needs to take a break, citing that he has been knocked down six times in his last four fights and could still be suffering from concussion in the aftermath of the Hanson fight. But the 23 year-old has dismissed such talk. According to the current IBL rankings Alvarez (#34) is scheduled to take on the Englishman Gary Mason (#13) in mid-April and he fully intends to contest the bout. The Mason fight, a ten-rounder, will be no easier and perhaps even more difficult than his recent outings but it matters little to Alvarez, who holds no fear heading into the future.

"It's really funny hearing people say I should step back a while, you know?" he said. "I ain't got no problems physically, see? The way it worked out with Hanson, I prob'ly would've taken more punishment if we'd gone ten rounds so maybe it was a blessin'. Lookin' ahead, I got ev'rything to gain and nothin' to lose by fightin' Mason. Makes no difference whether I lose or don't fight him, but if I fight him and win I'll be up at 23, maybe even higher. That's a jump of at least eleven positions and a guaranteed fight 'gainst one of the big boys in June. Man, I'd have t' be crazy to take a break!"

Alvarez went on to say that his fellow Alliance members have been a great help during his recent difficulties, providing encouragement and speaking words of belief to him. In particular the stable's head trainer Roy Jones has instilled tremendous enthusiasm in Alvarez for what lies ahead. Alvarez has taken a philosophical viewpoint in relation to his losses, simply looking at them as proof that he's competing in the toughest arena present-day boxing can offer. He said that he'd rather be 7-3 and in the IBL than 10-0 and being spoon-fed a bunch of tomato cans by the WBA or WBC. His only ambition is to make it to the top of the division and he confirmed that he had requested the IBL to remove his name from consideration as a possible future Americas title challenger.

"Ha ha, just think about it, man!" Alvarez said, laughing. "From the moment I was in a position to fight for that belt, everything's gone wrong. I still can't believe how I managed to lose to those Californian cats. Nah, man. It just ain't meant to be, far as I can see. I'm jus' gonna focus on makin' it to the top and if I have to go up 'gainst my man Terone on the way, that's how it's gotta be."

No doubt the path Alvarez has chosen will be difficult, and one that could be filled with just as many losses as wins. But he has no fear of what lies ahead, and with that attitude by his side I'm certain he'll be able to make a successful fist of it.

[kenyan_cheena]

Hey, all. This is just to let you know that I'll be taking a little break from TGPiS. Maybe a week or so. As I said in a recent post I've been making a lot of big articles in the thread lately and tbh I'm feeling a little burnt out. I need some time away from the story.

In saying that, don't be surprised if I start posting again within a week!

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Alvarez to soldier on,
despite losing streak

Speaking publicly for the first time since his 1st round KO loss to Mike Hanson on February 24, Florida Alliance heavyweight Romy Alvarez said during a radio interview from his hometown on Friday that there was "no way in hell" he'd be taking time out from the sport following his third consecutive defeat. What had been a perfect 7-0 career start for the Belle Glade native has been derailed by back-to-back split decision losses to Californians Mike Weaver and Sam McVey and February's shock result against Hanson, a bout which was over within two minutes of the opening bell. Victory in any of those three bouts would have seen Alvarez awarded with a shot at the IBL's Americas Championship, a title which he no longer has any interest in pursuing.

Some observers have suggested that Alvarez needs to take a break, citing that he has been knocked down six times in his last four fights and could still be suffering from concussion in the aftermath of the Hanson fight. But the 23 year-old has dismissed such talk. According to the current IBL rankings Alvarez (#34) is scheduled to take on the Englishman Gary Mason (#13) in mid-April and he fully intends to contest the bout. The Mason fight, a ten-rounder, will be no easier and perhaps even more difficult than his recent outings but it matters little to Alvarez, who holds no fear heading into the future.

"It's really funny hearing people say I should step back a while, you know?" he said. "I ain't got no problems physically, see? The way it worked out with Hanson, I prob'ly would've taken more punishment if we'd gone ten rounds so maybe it was a blessin'. Lookin' ahead, I got ev'rything to gain and nothin' to lose by fightin' Mason. Makes no difference whether I lose or don't fight him, but if I fight him and win I'll be up at 23, maybe even higher. That's a jump of at least eleven positions and a guaranteed fight 'gainst one of the big boys in June. Man, I'd have t' be crazy to take a break!"

Alvarez went on to say that his fellow Alliance members have been a great help during his recent difficulties, providing encouragement and speaking words of belief to him. In particular the stable's head trainer Roy Jones has instilled tremendous enthusiasm in Alvarez for what lies ahead. Alvarez has taken a philosophical viewpoint in relation to his losses, simply looking at them as proof that he's competing in the toughest arena present-day boxing can offer. He said that he'd rather be 7-3 and in the IBL than 10-0 and being spoon-fed a bunch of tomato cans by the WBA or WBC. His only ambition is to make it to the top of the division and he confirmed that he had requested the IBL to remove his name from consideration as a possible future Americas title challenger.

"Ha ha, just think about it, man!" Alvarez said, laughing. "From the moment I was in a position to fight for that belt, everything's gone wrong. I still can't believe how I managed to lose to those Californian cats. Nah, man. It just ain't meant to be, far as I can see. I'm jus' gonna focus on makin' it to the top and if I have to go up 'gainst my man Terone on the way, that's how it's gotta be."

No doubt the path Alvarez has chosen will be difficult, and one that could be filled with just as many losses as wins. But he has no fear of what lies ahead, and with that attitude by his side I'm certain he'll be able to make a successful fist of it.

Ok, have to say that I'm down with this idea. Me and the America's Championship clearly don't get along at all so might as well aim high and go for the big gold instead.

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Hey, all. This is just to let you know that I'll be taking a little break from TGPiS. Maybe a week or so. As I said in a recent post I've been making a lot of big articles in the thread lately and tbh I'm feeling a little burnt out. I need some time away from the story.

In saying that, don't be surprised if I start posting again within a week!

Understandable, we won't want you to get burned out on this. Looking forward to when you get started back up again.

[Marciano6]

Do it KC you deserve it

[kenyan_cheena]

Mi Diario

Wednesday 14 March 2007

GANS OUTCLASSES ROLDAN
IN BUENOS AIRES

Story by Jorge Mendieta

Panama's two-time Olympic gold medallist Joe Gans recorded the biggest win of his professional career to date last night, a comprehensive unanimous decision victory over Argentina's Juan Roldan at the Estadio Luna Park in Buenos Aires (118-111, 117-112, 118-111). Placed at #7 in the IBL world rankings coming into the evening Gans ensured a move of at least one position with the victory. He had suffered frustrating defeats at the hands of former WBO junior-middleweight champion John Mugabi and Rubin Carter in his last two outings but despite some stubborn resistance from Roldan he never really looked like losing. The Argentinian has now lost four of his last five bouts and to be brutally honest appears to be out of his league amongst the elite of the middleweight division.

Gans built his winning lead during the stretch from round three through to the 7th, with two of the judges scoring each of those five rounds in his favour. Roldan was actually quite competitive in the 4th and 5th but his efforts came late in each stanza, after Gans had already put on an impressive show. Despite Roldan being the aggressor Gans was able to bully him throughout the contest, showing a distinct lack of respect and being cautioned on four seperate occasions before finally being deducted a point for holding and hitting in round ten. Gans was able to land his punches with fantastic accuracy while avoiding the majority of his opponent's and when it was all over Roldan's face was a swollen mess. Gans landed an outstanding 450 of 742 punches (60.6%), Roldan just 187 of 1,298 (14.4%).

25 year-old Gans was born in Barbados but raised in Panama City. Representing our nation at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics he won gold firstly at light-welterweight and then as a middleweight, defeating fellow IBL contender Holman Williams in Athens. Last night's win improved his record to 15-2(9), Roldan falling to 29-6(26). Gans can now sit back and watch what transpires in the other tier one matchups taking place this week. If we see a repeat of the upsets that befell the lightweight and light-heavyweight divisions last week Gans could very well be a participant in the league's 160-pound official world championship eliminator come mid-June.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

In saying that, don't be surprised if I start posting again within a week!

Yep