[kenyan_cheena]

MOLK QUESTIONS SECURITY
AFTER CONFIRMATION OF
SANCHEZ-SALDIVAR BRAWL

Tuesday 16 April 2002

The alleged Saturday night brawl involving Mexican Olympic gold medallists Salvador Sanchez and Vicente Saldivar was today confirmed as having taken place. It was none other than one of the combatants himself, Salvador Sanchez who revealed the truth of the incident, proudly displaying a wound from the brawl, a nasty cut over his left eye.

"He looks much worse, believe me," Sanchez said in Spanish during an afternoon Mexican sports program. "But this is just a prelude. When we meet in the ring, I won't just punish him. I'll make him quit on his stool. I'll take his manhood."

Sanchez, considered by many to be an early favourite to be crowned the International Boxing League's inaugural World Featherweight Champion is quite an unusual fellow. Standing just 5'7", he sports a shock of black, curly hair worn as an afro and a fashion style straight out of the '70s: he's often seen in flared jeans, afghan coats and angel flight suits. But it's been some time since anyone criticised him over it, as the last person who did apparently ended up with a broken nose.

IBL Chief Director James Molk was quick to switch the focus from the boxing aspect of the story to one of security.

"I'd like to know where the security guards were in that club," he said. "I've heard it's a reputable establishment, yet when this brawl started, there was no one there to break it up. That's the most alarming aspect of the whole situation. Everyone knows that if it had just been a brawl between a bunch of kids, no one would care. But because it's a couple of famous boxers, it's front page news around the world. The fact that it's boxers fighting in public ... that scares people, I guess. It is unfortunate that the incident happened at all, but anyone who's followed amateur boxing knows the history between these two young men. And the owners of the club must have known, too, so why weren't they more cautious in handling their clients?"

Molk went on to say that Sanchez and Saldivar would not be reprimanded for their behaviour, but stated that he would be speaking to both of them in the near future.

GREB DECIDES TO TURN PRO

There's news out of Pittsburgh today that will thrill both the IBL and boxing fans alike.

19 year-old amateur Middleweight boxer Harry Greb has announced his intention to turn professional and attend the IBL's regional selection trials.

Greb had said as recently as Sunday that he planned to stay in the amateur ranks until the 2004 Athens Olympics, but has obviously had a change of heart. He was expected to represent the United States in Sydney, but was sensationally knocked out by eventual gold medallist Michael Spinks in the selection trial final. In a fight Greb was winning quite handily, Spinks put him down for the full count with a perfectly-timed left hook midway through the third round. It was quite a setback for a young man tipped for Olympic glory, made even more hard to take when Spinks won the gold. Soon after, Greb had spoken of his determination to make up for that disappointment in '04, but it now appears that he's abandoned that plan.

Whatever Greb's reasons, the amateur game's loss will clearly be the professional one's gain. The IBL has already confirmed that eight Olympic medallists will be competing in its Middleweight division and the addition of Greb will go a long way towards making it perhaps the IBL's most exciting division when competition gets underway...