WORLD BOXING REVIEW
v. 52 / e. 7
JULY 2006
(following are selected entries from the magazine's "Notes & Quotes" section)
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Tuesday 04/07/06
"Truth is, you guys have no idea how much the loss to Wajima affected him. There's a perception people have of JT that he's only in this thing for the money. I don't know where it came from but I know it's there. So based on that folks is saying he didn't give a damn that he lost 'cause he got paid and is still gettin' paid. But these last couple of years have really been hell for him. Not bein' able to get past Lytell both times, then falling to Freddie Steele, now this. The brother felt invincible before all that and now ... now it's like he's a shot fighter. That's what he told me. That's how he feels. That's why he came back from Australia a week after he'd planned to. He's on a knife-edge right now between quittin' and keepin' at it and I can't tell you which way he's gonna go."
During an interview on SportsCenter IBL heavyweight fighter Ken Norton took a few minutes to talk about his good friend and fellow IBL competitor James Toney. On June 23 Toney suffered a disappointing ten-round unanimous decision loss to Japan's Koichi Wajima in the quarter-finals of the league's Middleweight World Championship tournament. It was the 28 year-old Los Angeles native's fourth loss in his last seven fights and has led many to speculate on his future in the sport, including himself, as Norton revealed. According to the IBL Toney only signed a six-month contract with them, which would expire shortly after the completion of their tournaments. He's scheduled to step in the ring against the Jamaican Hastings Gayle in a ten-round world ranking bout on September 15.
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Friday 07/07/06
"I think the brother's gotta harden up, plain and simple. Yeah, he's goin' through a rough patch right now but is that any reason to pull the plug? Times like this is when a man finds out what he's made of but it seems like Toney jus' wants to turn tail and quit. Take a look at Mike Dokes. He's a brother I really admire 'cause he's endured some tough times and injustices but he ain't given up. True, the IBL helped him back but the way he fought against Norton was fantastic. That must've been an inspiration to so many people, to see him get back in there and give it his best shot. I might not be the best person to comment on JT 'cause I ain't been through his type o' situation. But the brother had a fairytale run up 'til a couple years ago so he should harden up, get back in trainin' and be man enough to know life ain't all clear sailin'."
Texas-born slugger Jack Johnson offers his opinion on the news that James Toney is considering retirement.
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Friday 14/07/06
"If you ask me there's something serious going on behind the scenes with Vielma and Velazquez. It was only a couple weeks ago that Velazquez was shootin' off about how the IBF should be abolished and kicked out of boxing, yet the WBC's stagin' a unification bout with them next weekend! Can someone explain that to me? Dudes looked miles apart on that issue, but now they're both sayin' that Brown can't get no shot at Marquez while he holds the IBF belt? There's some weird stuff goin' on here, man. Weird stuff."
Speaking on ESPN's Friday Night Fights former world super-middleweight and light-heavyweight champion Leroy Grant highlights the inconsistencies of the WBC and WBA (and also raises a possible conspiracy) in relation to a lucrative undisputed lightweight championship bout between Mexico's Patrico Marquez and Louisiana native Joe Brown. Talk of the fight has been around since reporters raised it after Brown's May 13 title defense, with both men saying they'd welcome it. But WBA and WBC presidents Pedro Vielma and Luis Velazquez appear to have ruled it out, making what appeared to be a joint statement on the issue in saying that Brown would have to relinquish his IBF belt before any fight against Marquez could take place.
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Wednesday 19/07/06
"Seems to me that McCallum's gonna do whatever he pleases. He knows that the WBC and IBF don't have the gumption to stop him and he's taking advantage of that. Remember, Jim, the IBF wanted him to fight Doyle back in May. They made a statement saying the fight would happen 'cause Doyle was the mandatory but when McCallum said "no" they said "okay". Just like that. It's ridiculous, really it is. You've got an organisation who is intimidated by their champion. How crazy is that, Jim? But then again, we're talking about the IBF here so it doesn't amaze me that much."
ShoBox's Hugh Ballard discusses the bizarre situation involving WBC/IBF junior-middleweight champion Mike McCallum's refusal to defend his titles. McCallum has not been in action since early January and in May refused to comply with the IBF's wishes and fight their #1-ranked mandatory challenger Jimmy Doyle. The IBF took no action, as if intimidated by McCallum's stance. It's been rumoured that the Jamaican has grown weary and disillusioned with the alphabet gang's antics and may relinquish both belts, or simply wait for them to strip him of them. McCallum signed a contract on the 15th to fight his compatriot Tyrone Daley in a ten-round non-title bout in Kingston on August 19, a fight McCallum has said is "strictly for my people".
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Friday 21/07/06
"Damn right, we've breathed new life into the sport! Can you remember the last time people were talking about boxing as much as they are now? I know I can't. You'd be kidding yourself if you said the IBL ain't the main reason for that. It's pretty simple, really. We're giving the fans what they want to see: exciting, competitive fights. All you have to do is look at the lineup for the double-header broadcast on August 6, which is being shown right here on ESPN. It kicks off at six in Mexico City with the featherweight card that features Sanchez and Saldivar in the main event. These two kids just hate each other with a passion and all of Mexico is going crazy just waiting for the fight. Anyone who misses it is gonna be really, really sorry. Then at nine we'll cross to Miami for the middleweight card. You've got a headliner there that could very well be a world title fight some day with Holman Williams going up against Mickey Walker. Everyone knows the history they have, so why would you wanna miss that one, either? Plus, we've got a couple of fantastic Olympic medallists in Gans and Benn appearing on the undercard. You tell me this: in their wildest dreams, could the WBA, WBC or IBF manage to pull off a night as entertaining as that? Could they? I don't think so."
Speaking on Friday Night Fights IBL vice-president Michael Vincennes plays promoter ahead of his organisation's much-anticipated August 6 "double-header", where ESPN will broadcast live back-to-back fight cards first from Mexico City, then Miami.
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Monday 24/07/06
"Hillier was fine to go along with all that hoopla about it being a unification bout but in the end he won't give a damn if Lytell has a title or not. He doesn't get any sanctioning fees, does he? It was fantastic for them that Lytell won because it's opened the door to what should be nothing but big fight after big fight for him from here on out. As long as he keeps winning, of course. A lot of the public's naive about how the system works and if they see the words "world title fight", automatically they assume it's more important. So I'd say Bert'll hold onto those belts for a little while longer yet."
Former heavyweight champ Laurence Mays expresses his opinion on Chicago-based promoter Tyrone Hillier in the aftermath of the July 22 middleweight unification bout between Hillier's fighter Bert Lytell and Freddie Steele.
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Tuesday 25/07/06
"Naw, man. Don't agree with that, y'all. Don't agree with it at all. Elmer got the talent, see? He prove that at the Olympics and he prove it since turnin' pro. Hell, he prove it in these two IBL bouts. Kid shoulda won 'em both but he got bum rushed by y'all judges in the first one and then he ease off too early in the second. Think the answer pretty simple, y'all. He still young, inexperienced. These IBL bouts, they diff'rent to an ordinary fight 'cause you got that pressure to be winnin' all the time. E ain't face that in his earlier pro fights, see? There weren't nothin' on the line, y'all. The kid gotta adjust, gotta get hisself right between the ears, know what I'm sayin'? Now, if y'all talkin' 'bout Jimmy Ray, the brother was jus' little unlucky. Ohashi had a desp'rate situation on his hands, y'all. The dude knew he was trailin' and his only hope was a stoppage. Credit to him, y'all, he pull it off. Dude manage' t' land some mo' shots near dat cut, did the trick."
Pensacola-based trainer Roy Jones speaks on the defeats suffered by two of his stable, the Ray cousins Elmer and James, during the previous week. Jones dismissed the claim that junior-heavyweight Elmer was not talented enough to compete in the IBL. He was not in Elmer's corner for his fight as he had to be in Colombia assisting James in preparation for his Welterweight Challenger's tournament bout. Most observers believe that Jones' presence would have kept Elmer focused on the task and helped him to avoid his first career defeat. James suffered an unfortunate final round TKO loss on cuts in a bout he was clearly winning.
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Wednesday 26/07/06
"Fear? There ain't a fearful bone in my body. You're telling me I should fear Cheetah Brown? Get the hell outta here! Every morning I wake up and it's like I'm a kid who just can't wait to get outside and play. That's what training is like for me. It's tough and all but there ain't one single other thing I'd rather be doin'. I'm not the religious type but even so I can't believe how blessed I am to be in this position. I really can't. So that's the definition of playtime to me. But you're talkin' about fear? Only person should be fearful is Cheetah Brown, 'cause I'm planning to introduce him to my own personal version of hell come August 8."
Indianapolis slugger Mike Hanson makes it known that he's not the slightest bit initimidated by his opponent Cheetah Brown ahead of their eagerly anticipated August 8 clash. The bout will headline a card to be held at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Hanson's hometown, part of the International Boxing League's Americas Heavyweight Championship tournament quarter-finals.
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