WORLD BOXING REVIEW
v. 52 / e. 11
NOVEMBER 2006
(following are selected entries from the magazine's "Notes & Quotes" section)
***
Friday 03/11/06
"A lot of people have been gettin' in my ear and tellin' me I've got it won already. They've been saying this Weaver dude ain't never won a big fight in his whole career and I'm gonna wipe the floor with him. I just smile and nod, you know? But inside I have to tell myself to ignore that kind o' talk. I'm gonna have to step in the ring with massive respect for Mike because he's won three big fights just to get to the championship match and he didn't do that 'cause he got lucky. The way he handled Alvarez, that was just fantastic. Showed he's got a lot of smarts to him. He's a crafty fella and he's gonna be really determined to get the win. He's more experienced than me, also, so there won't be much I throw at him that he hasn't seen before. I'll have to be at my best, for sure."
Florida heavyweight Cheetah Brown discusses his December 26 IBL Americas Heavyweight Championship bout against California's Mike Weaver. 20 year-old Brown has only been boxing professionally for thirteen months and will take a perfect 9-0(7) record into the clash with Weaver (26-6-1(21)). Brown has scored eye-opening wins over Indiana's Mike Hanson and Weaver's fellow Californian Sam McVey in his past two fights and despite his inferior experience will go into the clash with Weaver as a favourite to claim the inaugural championship.
***
Friday 10/11/06
"The criticism has always been there, so it's at a stage now where I just shrug it off, like water off a duck's back. No matter what we do they'll always say it's not good enough, that we're incompotent, that we're ruining the sport. They forget that we were around before any of these other organisations: before the WBC, before the IBF and WBO, and definitely before the IBL. We were the first, so how can we be responsible for creating this problem where there are too many sanctioning bodies? We didn't ask them to come into existence. I'll admit we've made mistakes, made decisions that in hindsight were less than ideal. We haven't been perfect, but who has? You tell me that? People said we were sabotaging boxing because we refused to deal with the IBF. But if I had to re-live these past six months I wouldn't do a thing differently. I stand by everything I've said in reference to the IBF and I really can't see how things will be any different once the IBO comes into being. Everyone has heard the stories about Mr. Tattaglia and, as they say, where there's smoke there's fire. He may not have been implicated in that whole death threat situation but he was up to his eyeballs in it before Reynolds - sorry, Jacobs - went off the deep end. It was Tattaglia who brought about the circumstances where Gilberto Vasquez was denied a title shot. If he hadn't interfered then there wouldn't have been any problem. It still boggles my mind that a man of such low moral fibre is involved in the sport."
WBA president Pedro Vielma comes out firing at his critics and gives a serve to the IBF and it's affiliated promoter Robert Tattaglia. The World Boxing Association is the oldest of boxing's five sanctioning organisations but has been the target of much criticism over the years in regards to the fashion in which it does business. It would be true to say that the IBF has been regarded with even greater disdain but it's recent merger with the WBO has been seen by many as a rare positive step for the "alphabet" organisations. Observers have called for Vielma's WBA to follow that lead and merge with the World Boxing Council, a move that Vielma has adamantly declared will never happen.
***
Tuesday 14/11/06
"I would like to clarify our plans, because there has been some confusion in regards to them. Yes, we'll be signing some fighters to exclusive contracts that will run for a certain duration, such as a year or two years. But unlike the IBL we'll also offer more flexibility in that fighters will be able to sign a contract which is only for a single bout or a specified number of bouts. We are keenly aware of the position boxing is in right now and we have no desire to prevent fighters from pursuing the most attractive, lucrative option available to them. As a consequence our rankings policy will not be as concrete or cut and dry as that which the IBL is planning to employ. However, this doesn't mean that our top contenders will be able to pad their records against a succession of cream puffs. We'll leave those kinds of mismatches to the likes of the WBA or WBC, because you won't be seeing them in the IBO."
Future IBO president Robert Tattaglia sheds a bit more light on the policies the new organisation plans to implement when it comes into being on the 1st of January 2007.
***
Friday 17/11/06
"I've already beaten two former world champions to get this far, so there's no reason why I can't go all the way. The guy hasn't been that impressive throughout the tournament so I'll really be going in with a lot of confidence. I've had some chances through my career, no doubt, but just haven't been able to get it done. I've beaten some guys at the wrong time, guys who were world champions, and I've lost some championship fights I should have won. One of those was against Carlos back in '04. I just didn't show up mentally ready on that night so I'm looking at this as the last chance, you know? If I can't get it done this time I'll probably give it away."
Ohio junior-heavyweight Jeff Lampkin reflects on his past disappointments and looks forward to his December 9 International Boxing League world championship bout against Puerto Rico's Carlos DeLeon. Lampkin (35-7-1(28)) has defeated five former world champions during his twelve-year career but amazingly has never held a world title himself. He's 0-3 in three championship bouts, including a unanimous decision loss to DeLeon for the IBF cruiserweight belt in the third of those in July '04. He upset former champions Maurice Holmes (WBA light-heavyweight) and Massimiliano Duran (IBF cruiserweight) to advance to the final of the IBL's world championship tournament but is regarded as a heavy underdog to get past DeLeon, who despite his recent struggles is considered the best cruiserweight/junior-heavyweight in the world today.
***
Saturday 18/11/06
"It really is scary how good he could end up being. He did it in Colombia in July and, not exaggerating, he looked even sharper and more dangerous this week. They're already saying that he's gonna make the jump to the pro ranks next year, which is astonishing 'cause he's just sixteen. But like they say, "if you're good enough, you're old enough". What I've seen of him these last few months has me convinced."
Speaking from Argentina, amateur boxing expert Gil Griffiths heaps praise upon the talented Panama lightweight Roberto Duran after he followed up a gold medal at July's Central American and Caribbean Games with another dominant showing at the South American Games, which were held in Buenos Aires. The 16 year-old Duran is apparently eager to forego a very likely appearance at the Beijing Olympics and get started on his professional career in early 2007. If that eventuates it will be fascinating to see if a bidding war takes place between the leading sanctioning organisations, who will be super keen to snare the teenager.
***
Monday 20/11/06
"I couldn't be happier with the way he came through last week. The kid really impressed me with his ability to take my instructions and use them, almost perfectly, in the next round. He listens, probably better than any fighter I've ever had before. Abram's just like a sponge, soaking up knowledge. His thirst for learning the game is remarkable, it really is. It doesn't hurt that he punches harder than anyone I've ever seen at his age, either. He's excited about his future and so am I."
North Bergen trainer Jimmy Floyd speaks about his new student Abram Sin in the aftermath of Sin's impressive run through the Jersey City junior amateur championships. Fighting in the middleweight division, 15 year-old Sin scored four consecutive stoppage victories to win the tournament. The bouts were his first ever competitive boxing matches and he came through them with flying colours, not simply using his frightening power but also putting into action strategies developed for him by Floyd. The Hoboken-born youth came to national attention in October when he was featured in an AMERICAN |PUGILIST article by Michael Bartell. Floyd is hopeful that with hard work and dedication Sin could find himself on the American team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
***
Wednesday 22/11/06
"Really is hard for me to believe that in five weeks I'll be goin' up against him. It's amazin' when I think that, if not for the IBL, I'd probably still be paddin' my record right now. You know, my management didn't have any plans to rush me into a title fight. Maybe I could o' snared an NABF belt, a USBA belt. But they wanted to bring me along slow, man. They were tellin' me to not even think about a world title shot 'til 2008, sayin' stuff like "You just take care of winnin' and we'll handle the rest." Stayin' on that path would've been easier, no doubt. People've told me that I'm in over my head, that I ain't ready for Anyukov, and they're probably right. But there ain't been one moment where I've regretted signing with the IBL. I mean, just takin' on Lennox, that was the biggest thrill of my career to date. Result didn't turn out like it should've but I ain't never felt so alive in a boxin' ring as I did that night. And as for bein' in over my head, I ain't alone there. You know, plenty of fellas who signed on with the league have been in fights and will be in fights that they really ain't ready for. But that's the beauty of it, man. Just seein' who's gonna step up under the type of pressure they've never had to deal with before. The way I'm lookin' at it, besides bein' undefeated I ain't got a thing to lose 'gainst Anyukov. He's the one with all the experience in big fights. He's the one who's already been a world champion. I just gotta work my ass off to prepare for him but if I lose, so what? No one's expectin' me to win, anyway. But if I do win ... let's just say you won't be takin' the smile from my face for a good while."
During an interview on a Los Angeles sports talk radio show heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson reflects on his decision to join the International Boxing League and looks forward with enthusiasm to his upcoming stoush with Russia's former WBA champion Sergey Anyukov. It will be the biggest fight of the Athens gold medallist's career to date and he'll enter it as a big underdog. Anyukov was defeated by former WBO champion Terone Haynes in the semi-finals of the International Boxing League's World Heavyweight Championship tournament and will be eager to get back on the winner's list. Johnson was eliminated from the league's Challenger's tournament when his semi-final bout against the Englishman Lennox Lewis (also an Athens champion) ended in a draw.
***
Friday 24/11/06
"I gotta say there's no doubting the brother's credentials. He's got everything you could want in a heavyweight: size, strength, stamina, even that left jab ain't too shabby. It's pretty obvious to me that my best chance is to take him out early and to do that I'll have to take some risks. Ain't no way I'll be able to stick around for fifteen rounds and get a decision. He knows it and I know it. I'm gonna have to go after him from the get-go. We've never seen anyone plant a knockout punch on him through his whole career and that's what I'll have to do to walk away with the championship. Anyukov caught him with some nice shots but, no disrespect to Sergey, he ain't in my league as far as power is concerned. When I land this right hand Terone's gonna realise something he's never thought possible through his entire career: that there's someone out here who's better than him."
San Diego heavyweight Ken Norton talks up his chances of victory ahead of his December 29 IBL world championship bout against Florida's Terone Haynes. The fight is being regarded as the biggest heavyweight clash in twenty years and will be promoted by HBO in a four-week behind the scenes reality series called "Norton-Haynes 24/7" starting December 7.
***
Saturday 25/11/06
"Pshh. Hot air, y'all. Kenny gotta stop wastin' time talkin' 'n' jus' conc'ntrate on how he gonna get pas' me. Y'all don't hear me mouthin' off 'bout what we gonna do to him, eh? Talk's cheap, y'all. Maybe the brother be usin' it to pump hisself up, see? Guess that be good fo' his conf'dence, no doubt. We ain't be worryin' 'bout that nonsense, y'all. Ain't no words gonna change how the fight go, man. Y'all need words to help yo'self, maybe jus' pray instead. Believe that."
Interviewed in Pensacola, Terone Haynes dismisses Ken Norton's confident words from the previous day.
***
Monday 27/11/06
"You know, it's two days later now and I'm still not over what I saw in that ring on Saturday night. I never thought that I'd see someone take Patricio Marquez apart as thoroughly as Joe Brown did. I know Joe's a great fighter and I believed he'd give Pat a huge test but for him to take him out in less than three rounds ... it's absolutely astonishing. I mean, we're talking about the greatest of a whole bunch of great boxers to have come out of Mexico during these last twenty years. Seeing something like that makes me believe that I'll never be surprised by anything for the rest of my life."
Mexican boxing journalist Javier Martinez sums up his and his entire nation's reaction to Joe Brown's stunning 3rd round TKO of Patricio Marquez in the duo's blockbuster World Lightweight Championship bout of the previous Saturday. Marquez had come into the evening having suffered just two defeats in a professional career spanning forty-five fights and was favoured to defeat Brown. But the New Orleans native decimated him inside of three rounds to claim the title of the best lightweight boxer in the world, in addition to retaining his IBF belt.
***
Monday 27/11/06
"No offense to Joe, but I was really hoping Marquez would win it. I won't be able to retire a contented man if I don't step back in the ring with him and get a chance to even the score. But that'll be for another time now. My focus has to be squarely on Joe for the next four months and if I can get past him I'll gladly put the title on the line against Patricio. The guy has had such an incredible career and, in my opinion, he deserves first shot at whoever captures the IBO belt regardless of what he does between now and then."
Dominican Republic WBO lightweight champion Francisco Ortiz voices his disappointment over Marquez's defeat at the hands of Brown. Ortiz had been stopped by the Mexican legend in ten rounds back in March with the WBA and WBC titles on the line and was hoping to secure a rematch with him. The winners of the WBO and IBF lightweight title fights that were held on November 25 (Brown and Ortiz) will square off in March with the vacant, inaugural IBO championship up for grabs.
***