The Greatest Prize in Sports

[PWillisTheMan]

Nice, from the streets depicted on The Wire to an IBL fighter.

[kenyan_cheena]

WORLD BOXING REVIEW

v. 52 / e. 6

JUNE 2006

(following are selected entries from the magazine's "Notes & Quotes" section)

***

Monday 05/06/06

"If the three organisations can get their heads together and agree on it, then I'll gladly fight the guy. Joe's a fantastic fighter and I'd welcome the challenge he presents, not to mention the chance to add another belt to my collection."

WBA/WBC lightweight champion Patricio Marquez expresses his willingness to take on IBF champ Joe Brown in a bout that would bring the division its first undisputed king in twelve years. Whether the alphabet soup gang allows it or not is another matter entirely as, by the end of the month, little progress had been made towards arranging the fight.

***

Monday 12/06/06

"No doubt, y'all. Was a good win, I ain't denyin' that. I took the dude out 'fore he could get goin', you know? But y'all gotta look at it like this: I ain't achieve anythang yet, man. Jus' one win, y'all. Still four to go so I think it be a bit early fo' me t' be breakin' out ma swagger, see? Be plenty o' time fo' that down the road."

Speaking live on SportsCenter, Florida welterweight James Ray shows he's not looking too far ahead following his 11th of June 1st round KO victory against Japan's Jiro Suzuki.

***

Tuesday 13/06/06

"But if they're presenting themselves as a better alternative to the status quo, they can't really afford these kinds of bungles. They have no choice but to be better in everything they do, 'cause they said they would be. I said this back when they announced the rules for their tournaments, that these draws are going to leave a sour taste in people's mouths, especially if they're questionable. We've already had a number of bouts where competitors have been, in the eyes of many, unjustly eliminated from the tournaments because of a poor judging performance. We had an Olympic champion in Sammy Langford the other night somehow lose a fight that, according to my eyes, he won pretty easily, regardless of the knockdown. I'm behind the IBL 100% but, like I said, they have to be better in everything they do. That's the only way they'll be taken seriously as a viable alternative."

HBO's Greg Jackson comments on the one disappointing aspect of the opening week of action in the International Boxing League tournaments, that being a handful of poorly judged fights.

***

Wednesday 14/06/06

"Naw, man. I'm committed to the IBL, no doubt. Yeah, I said some things in the ring after the fight that, on reflection, I didn't mean. That was just the disappointment talkin', see? I ain't gettin' any younger so I was aimin' for nothin' less than goin' 3-0 and winning the title. The loss was a big setback, I ain't afraid to admit that. It'll make it harder for me to get to the top. But at the same time, I'm relishin' the challenge of it. You know, I've always prided myself on bein' a man of my word. A man of integrity. I signed a 12-month contract with the IBL and I plan to honor it. There's no doubt about that."

Junior-heavyweight Maurice Holmes clears the air over his future in the International Boxing League following his surprise exit from the division's world championship tournament. The former light-heavyweight titleholder had given an indication after the TKO loss to Jeff Lampkin that it could very well be his last fight but his words on ESPN'S Wednesday Night Fights put that possiblity to bed and gave some sweet relief to IBL president James Molk.

***

Thursday 15/06/06

"We'll be providing Mr. Jacobs with a vigorous defense, you can mark my words. This is, in our opinion, a shameful situation where the authorities have stooped to making Michael the fall guy because of their own incompetence and inability to apprehend the real culprits. I'm confident we'll be successful in bringing to light the extent of their deception. Michael Jacobs is an upstanding member of his community and to suggest that he'd resort to this kind of despicable behaviour ... it's just a ridiculous assertion."

James Goldstein, the defense lawyer of International Boxing Federation president Michael Jacobs, speaking to a dozen-strong media throng outside his New York office in the days after it was announced that Jacobs had been charged in relation to death threats made against Mexican featherweight Gilberto Vasquez.

***

Friday 16/06/06

"But let's just put aside everything he's been accused of in the past 'cause it doesn't matter at the moment. Let's just focus on this one issue. Imagine for a second that Jacobs is found guilty ... think about that in the context of the sequence of events. The IBF made the Vasquez-Johnson fight an official title eliminator. Vasquez wins it, but then Molina vacates the title. It seems pretty simple at that point: just make Vasquez the interim champion! That's all they had to do, Jim! They've done it a bunch of times before. The next title fight would have determined who the new, official champion was and everything would have been fine! Instead, Jacobs involves his buddy Tattaglia and they enter some bizarro world where Vasquez's win is completely ignored and all of a sudden it's gonna be Rivas and Hawkins fighting for the belt. Everyone knows that Tattaglia is already pulling the strings in Jersey, that both guys are his and he's the federation's unofficial president, so how the hell did they think they'd get away with that? Damn, right, I would have sued them to! Then they try appeasing Vasquez but the guy isn't having any of it, so when that doesn't work, they threaten to kill him?!? What kind of crazy fantasy land is this man living in? I really can't believe that at no point during this whole ridiculous sequence, nobody appears to have pulled him aside and said, "Mike, give Vasquez his title shot!" How on earth does that happen, Jim? If the guy is found guilty the judge should give him at least five years just for blatant, mind-boggling stupidity!"

Speaking with co-presenter Jim Lane on ShoBox, Showtime analyst Hugh Ballard voices his opinion on the Jacobs situation, in no uncertain terms.

***

Saturday 17/06/06

"Come on, man. I think Kenny Norton should just chill a little, know what I'm sayin'? Just 'cause brothers could be throwin' down 'gainst each other pretty soon, that ain't no reason for us not to be cool with each other, see? Sammy Mack is my boy, y'all. I don't give a damn if in six months from now we're tryin' to knock each other's heads off, he'll still be my boy. The brother said watchin' me in Athens inspired him to take up boxin' and that's somethin' I'll never forget. And since I been in Cali he's given me more respect and help than anyone else here. He's my friend and I can't see that changin', even if we do trade shots. I guess Kenny's so confident that he can't even see the possibility that he could be matched up with Sammy himself within the next twelve months, you know? As for that nonsense he's runnin' about how we shouldn't be clubbin', he should just remember how Sammy's been bustin' his ass in trainin' the last month. The brother is ready, man. He could step in the ring tomorrow and wipe the floor with that Florida cat. There ain't no harm in havin' a good time, y'all. Ain't no harm at all."

Jack Johnson responds to fellow heavyweight Ken Norton's statement that boxers shouldn't be out partying at all hours of the night in the weeks leading up to a fight. Speaking earlier in the week, Norton had been refering to a story in the Los Angeles Daily Mail that detailed Johnson and Sam McVey's night out at a Hollywood nightclub the previous Saturday. He had also said that he didn't think it was a good idea to socialise with potential opponents, something that seems to contradict his own friendship with McVey.

***

Tuesday 20/06/06

"I have to say it was a pleasant surprise. These guys have proven in the past that common sense is something they're in short supply of but they've restored a little bit of my faith, you know?"

WBA/WBC featherweight champion Jim Driscoll reacts to the news that the WBA had backed down on their demands that he would have to defend their belt by the end of July, despite having fought Brian Hampton on May 6 (with only the WBC strap on the line). Driscoll (35-1-2(27)) will most likely step back between the ropes in late September, if not early October.

***

Thursday 22/06/06

"To be honest, I'm surprised they've been able to make the fight happen without the WBC and IBF screwing it up. It's hard to believe, considering we've already had one unification bout this year. You'd think with the way they've been in the past that the alphabet gang would be doing everything they can to stop another one from happening. But it's fantastic that they're going ahead with it. I can't really express how badly the sport needs these fights, you know? I ain't got nothin' against the IBL but the fact is that they are, in every way, the enemy of the alphabet gang. The WBA, WBC and IBF really should be doing everything they can to present a strong, unified front and this Steele-Lytell fight is a good start."

Former undisputed world heavyweight champion Laurence Mays gives his thoughts on the upcoming July 22 WBC/IBF middleweight unification bout between Freddie Steele and Bert Lytell.

***

Friday 23/06/06

"He just keeps talkin', and talkin', and talkin', you know? Jacky's gotta realise that the Olympics is over and done with, man. We're fightin' with the big boys now and at the moment all of us "rookies" have a clean slate. None of us have done a thing yet. He was raggin' on me last month, then a couple weeks ago, and now last week I hear him tryin' to put Kenny Norton in his place? The brother ain't done nothing to give him the right to be speakin' about Kenny that way, you hear? Kenny won a championship, y'all. I think he's more qualified to be speakin' on fight preparations than a guy who can't stop chasin' tail. What y'all think? You agree with me, right?"

Brooklyn's silver medallist Riddick Bowe speaks his mind on fellow heavyweight Jack Johnson and puts Brian Kenny on the spot during an interview on ESPN's Friday Night Fights.

***

Monday 26/06/06

"I will admit that they've given us a wake-up call, a "kick up the backside", as they say. In the long run, that is going to be good for our sport. There's no doubt about that. But I'll also say that I'm not ready to give up on our organisation, to capitulate and enter into some kind of merger. I may have raised the prospect of that a few months ago but I'll be doing everything in my power to avoid such an outcome. The WBA has been in existence for 85 years and I'm confident that it will still be in existence long after I've left this earth. That is why we've made this announcement today, to show that we are moving ahead full steam. We've taken some hits in recent months but I see next Saturday as the start of a new era for us."

WBA president Pedro Vielma speaking passionately at a press conference ahead of his organisation's "Night of Champions" fight card, which will be held on Saturday the 1st of July in Las Vegas. The card will feature four world title bouts, with vacant championships in the heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight and junior-lightweight divisions to be contested.

***

Tuesday 27/06/06

"You know, I've got a ton of respect and admiration for Michael, just based on what he achieved in his career. He's a great guy, one of the real nice guys in our sport. But facts is facts: he ain't got no business bein' in the same ring as me. The brother's been inactive for what, sixteen months?, and that ain't anything like an ideal preparation for facing me. It don't matter how hard he's trained, either. I know there'll be a lot of people cheering for a miracle come Friday night and I'm sorry to say they're all gonna be disappointed. Ain't no way some shot, over-the-hill sentimental story is gonna get in my way. When I'm through with Michael he's gonna wish he'd stayed retired."

Ken Norton sends out a warning to his opponent Michael Dokes ahead of their June 30 IBL World Heavyweight Championship tournament quarter-final.

***

Wednesday 28/06/06

"Personally, it's given me a lot of satisfaction to sit back and watch this thing come to life. You know, it started out as something I just contemplated because I was frustrated by how the sport was being run into the ground. But to get from that place where I was just thinking about it to today's reality, with us running fight cards every day of the week ... it feels surreal, even now, four weeks into it. Some people have been critical of the way we've structured our tournaments but every one of our fighters knew the rules and conditions when they signed their contract. As for the way the fights have been judged, I'm pretty happy with that. It's a difficult thing to gain perfection in because you're dealing with how people perceive things. We'll always strive to get better, though, I promise you that."

International Boxing League president James Molk reflects on the opening month of competition in his organisation's tournaments.

***

[Marciano6]

You're welcome Kenyan i'm enjoying the universe quite a bit.

[Beno999]

One of my favorite aspects of your universe has to be the notes and quotes section, always a great read.

[kenyan_cheena]

The San Diego
Union-Tribune

SATURDAY 1 JULY 2006

NORTON STOPS BRAVE
DOKES IN 7TH ROUND

Story by Geoff Klein

The International Boxing League's top heavyweight contenders took to the ring for the first time last night at Qualcomm Stadium, on a fight card that was without a doubt the most anticipated of the league's opening series of events. The four bouts were quarter-finals of the IBL's World Heavyweight Championship tournament, San Diego's Ken Norton overcoming a courageous challenge from Michael Dokes in the main event. It had been a heavily hyped contest. Dokes was the aging veteran who had been inactive for eighteen months and so close to world championship glory on more than one occasion during his career, while Norton has been regarded as the division's top dog for the last couple of years and was an unbackable favourite to progress to the semi-finals.

Through a series of articles on television and in print Dokes' story had captured the public's imagination and had many of them cheering for this huge underdog to pull off a miracle victory. It may have been a home game for Norton but there was a healthy level of support for Dokes amongst the crowd, something that was obivous as he made his walk to the ring in a robe of black with white trim. The 33 year-old was smiling and shouting, clearly ecstatic to be back in the spotlight and involved in such a huge fight. By comparison Norton was all business, wearing an assassin's gaze as he traversed Qualcomm's grass field and stepped between the ropes, his robe powder blue and gold in tribute to the Chargers.

After the fight's opening four rounds, those who were praying for a Dokes miracle must have felt hopeful. With the exception of the 3rd Norton did not appear to be his usual, aggressive self. Dokes had pushed himself in training, getting into reasonable shape considering the length of his spell on the sidelines. He was taking the fight to the former WBC champion, outworking him and showing little respect. Late in the 4th a smashing uppercut breached Norton's defenses, caught him flush on the chin and dropped him on his backside. Suddenly the miracle appeared a very real possibility. A bemused Norton was back on his feet at seven, having been given a first-hand example of why Dokes has been known as "Dynamite" for so many years.

The near disaster jogged Norton out of his slumber. He came out strong in the 5th and sent Dokes to the canvas seven seconds from the bell with a crushing left hook, the shot snapping the Ohio native's head around. Dokes made it back to his feet just as the bell sounded to end the round, but the knockdown would prove to be a definitive turning point in the contest. Norton maintained the momentum through a dominant 6th and went to town on the rapidly-tiring Dokes in round seven, catching him with a bunch of power shots before referee Paul Field saved Dokes from any further punishment, Norton a TKO winner at the 2:50 mark. His record improved to 29-2-1(23) while Dokes fell to 33-7-2(24), his winless streak now stretching to seven fights. Norton had outlanded Dokes 201-108 at the time of the stoppage.

Norton paid tribute to his opponent afterwards, praising Dokes' courage and willingness to go toe-to-toe, also remarking that his punching power was greater than he'd expected it to be. But Norton reiterated what he'd said leading into the night, that nothing was going to stop him emerging as the victor. Dokes took the loss well, saying that he was surprised by how competitive he was. He had observers laughing when he spoke of his eyes almost popping out of his head after flooring Norton. He said the outing would give him a lot of confidence and encouragement for his upcoming world ranking bouts, which he was looking forward to with "huge enthusiasm".

(Undercard results to follow within 24 hours)

[kenyan_cheena]

In the semi-finals Norton will face probably his most dangerous opponent to date in the Nigerian Ike Ibeabuchi. Fighting in the evening's opener Ibeabuchi stopped the tough South African Francois Botha on cuts 2:05 into the 8th round. This bout looked like being an absolute classic after the first two rounds as the two combatants traded some thunderous power punches. But Ibeabuchi took control in the 3rd, bringing some swelling to Botha's left eye with a succession of hard right hands. Ibeabuchi maintained his momentum through the 4th, although there was some concern at the end of the frame when a headbutt opened a cut on the Nigerian's forehead. Botha gave a better account of himself in the 5th and 6th, possibly because Ibeabuchi took his foot of the accelerator.

But the tide turned back the other way in the 7th, Ibeabuchi punishing Botha before opening up a nasty cut on the bridge of his nose. After a lengthy debate involving Botha, the referee and ringside physician the fight continued but with Ibeabuchi targeting the cut it got progressively worse in the 8th, to the point where blood was streaming down Botha's face. The fight was halted and called off soon after, Ibeabuchi improving his record to 27-1-1(24) with the TKO victory. Botha fell to 25-4(19).

Having lost the fifth fight of his pro career back in 2002 Ibeabuchi has since put together an undefeated streak of 24 bouts. The biggest name on that list would be Michael Dokes, who he knocked out in June '04. Before the IBL came into being it had been difficult for the Nigerian's management team to arrange fights against the top contenders, as they didn't want anything to do with him. But now he's set up what will be the biggest one of his career. No doubt Ken Norton will be in for a tough night come the 22nd of September.

Florida Alliance member and former WBO champion Terone Haynes booked his semi-final berth with a four-round decimation of Tyrell Biggs. As expected, Haynes was far too powerful and aggressive for the Sydney Olympics gold medallist and after three one-sided rounds referee Joe Cortez stopped the fight with Biggs defenseless, spent and taking a pummeling on the ropes 2:08 into the 4th. The intimidation factor was in full effect when Haynes made his way to the ring some twenty minutes earlier, the 6'4" 230-pounder accompanied by the audio assault of Public Enemy's "Welcome to the Terrordome", his corner crew and each of the other four members of the Pensacola stable. Decked out in solid black Haynes walked with his head bowed and concealed under an oversized hood. Once in the ring he flipped it off and glared at Biggs with a gaze that could have frozen the warmest of summer days.

June has been a busy month for the head of this talented group of fighters, their trainer Roy Jones. Starting out in Oklahoma City on the 8th for Elmer Ray's junior-heavyweight bout he was on a plane to Nigeria within 24 hours where Elmer's cousin James was in action. Back in the USA five days later, he's travelled from Atlantic City to Las Vegas and now to San Diego during the past week, working the corner in bouts for his other charges Holman Williams and Romy Alvarez. It would be true to say he looked a bit road-weary while talking to Haynes in the moments before the opening bell but the performance that the big Miami native produced helped him to forget that tiredness.

"Mission accomplish'd," Jones said with a smile during the post-fight interview. "Yeah, been a hectic month, y'all. But we all come out of it okay, no doubt. I be real glad for my boy T that he get through this fight wit' no problems. He right on the verge now, see? Right on the verge of somethin' real special."

Haynes is 22-0(18) while Biggs (27-5-1(18)) fell to his third defeat in four outings. Even though he was given next to no chance of overcoming Haynes it must be said that the Philadelphian's career is at a crossroads. The last eighteen months have been disasterous for him after being defeated by both James Anders and Leon Higgins in '05. He'll have to string some wins together in his next couple of bouts to show that he's still capable of contending at the highest level.

In the co-feature Russia's former WBA champion Sergey Anyukov set up a mouth watering semi-final clash with Haynes by dominating a surpisingly out of shape Ray Mercer on the way to a 99-90, 98-91, 99-90 unanimous decision win. Like Biggs, Mercer was a gold medallist at the 2000 Olympics but those days appear to be a distant memory now, Anyukov using a big reach advantage to dominate the Jacksonville slugger.

Mercer lost his WBO crown to Haynes in September 2004 and had only fought once since being knocked out by then WBC champion Norton in April '05. His record is now 31-6-1(22) and it would be true to say that, after last night's terrible showing, he has very little left to give. Considering the lifeline that the IBL gave him it's hard to believe that his preparation for the fight was so poor. This can be contrasted with the appearance of Dokes in the main event.

Mercer's attitude was a disappointing one, to say the least. It was a minor miracle that he survived to the final bell as Anyukov outlanded him by a remarkable 326-88. The punishment he dealt was particularly brutal in rounds four, five and six, and then again in the 9th. The Russian is now 36-1-1(26) and is excited at the prospect of taking on Haynes.

"Through my run as WBA champion I never fought anyone like him," he said. "It's going to be a huge test for me and I'm really looking forward to it. I've been waiting so long for a fight like this and I know he has been, too."

Last night's card was the first of the IBL's World Championship tournaments where the top four seeds all progressed to the semi-finals. In each of the previous six at least one of them was eliminated. While Norton, Anyukov, Haynes and Ibeabuchi all justified their standing in the tournament it will be a real challenge to accurately predict which of them ends up in the championship bout. A case can be made for each of the four possible matchups, meaning that the card on September 22 is going to be a can't-miss event.

***

Results

(4) Ike Ibeabuchi TKO8 (5) Francois Botha
(3) Terone Haynes TKO4 (6) Tyrell Biggs
(2) Sergey Anyukov UD10 (7) Ray Mercer
(1) Ken Norton TKO7 (8) Michael Dokes

Semi-finals

(2) Anyukov (36-1-1(26)) vs (3) Haynes (22-0(18))
(1) Norton (29-2-1(23)) vs (4) Ibeabuchi (27-1-1(24))

***

[comicfanman]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Now is the proper way to make a debut. Can't get any better then a first round stoppage for your first match. With Brooks going out that greatly increases my chances of making it to the finals. I'm looking forward to that Brown/Hansen slugfest hopefully it turns out to be the war that Kane/McVey wasn't.

Looking to be an explosive match between Brown and Hansen. Hate to see either lose at this point and of course I am leaning towards Cheetah

Great stuff as always. Got back from vacation to see what was going on. I was a little worried and then surprised of the outcome of that fight for Brown.
Whew...

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by comicfanman

Looking to be an explosive match between Brown and Hansen. Hate to see either lose at this point and of course I am leaning towards Cheetah

Great stuff as always. Got back from vacation to see what was going on. I was a little worried and then surprised of the outcome of that fight for Brown.
Whew...

Sorry to leave ya hanging like that before you went away. Your fighter had a great win and the Hanson bout should be fantastic.

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Sorry to leave ya hanging like that before you went away. Your fighter had a great win and the Hanson bout should be fantastic.

Now that it looks like Hanson actually has some KO power this go around yeah I have no doubt that it will be an amazing match up. It is easily the match I'm looking forward to the most in the next round of the tournament.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Now that it looks like Hanson actually has some KO power this go around yeah I have no doubt that it will be an amazing match up. It is easily the match I'm looking forward to the most in the next round of the tournament.

Me, too.

I am kind of scared of the monster that the IBL's heavyweight division is going to be once all the tournaments are over. Just looking at the semi-finalsits of the world championship tournament, the competitors in the challenger's tournament and all of the fictional guys, we are going to be in for an incredible time. I'll actually be doing a write-up during the uni's month of July detailing the division and what it has in store.

[kenyan_cheena]

The New York Age

SUNDAY, 2 JULY, 2006

Arbachakov thrills compatriots
with TKO victory

Story by James Reynolds

Last night former WBC flyweight champion Yuri Arbachakov continued what has been a great weekend for Russian fighters in the International Boxing League, the world championship tournament's #2 seed scoring an 8th round TKO victory over Japan's Ichiro Okubo at the Krylia Sovetov in Moscow. It followed on from heavyweight Sergey Anyukov's domination of Florida's Ray Mercer on Friday, Arbachakov rallying from a slow start to floor Okubo at the end of the 5th and cut him in the 6th. The cut was on the Japanese fighter's left eyebrow and although his corner crew initially did a good job of closing it up Arbachakov targeted it throughout the 8th, leading to it re-opening and the ringside doctor halting the contest late in the 8th. It was a somewhat controversial stoppage as Okubo had been winning the round comfortably before referee Sergey Krupenich called a break in the action. Okubo's camp protested the result, implying that Arbachakov had received some hometown cooking.

Going into the 8th Arbachakov enjoyed a one-point lead on two cards and a three-point buffer on the third, even though Okubo had given him a terribly difficult night. The 7th seed had outlanded Arbachakov 240-162 at the time of the stoppage and surely could have made things interesting if allowed to continue to the final bell. However, it must be said that the cut was a particularly nasty one and the officials were within their rights to end the bout. Arbachakov recorded his 30th career win, twenty-two of which have come inside the distance against just two losses and a draw. Okubo fell to 27-4-1(22) and will no doubt return home to Japan with a sour taste in his mouth over his Russian experience. Arbachakov takes on the South African Jake Matlala in the semi-finals. In an absolute thriller Matlala defeated Mexico's Octavio Gomez by split decision (97-94, 95-96, 96-95). After appearing to be in serious trouble midway through the bout Matlala dominated the final rounds, the 3rd seed sweeping the scorecards in the 9th and 10th to stay alive in the tournament.

The other semi-final will be an all-Mexican affair between undefeated top seed Candido Tellez and Adrian Hernandez. Tellez ended a three-year reign as WBO champ to sign with the IBL and was in fantastic form in his debut for the new organisation, knocking out the Englishman Charlie Magri with a hard right cross 2:27 into round four. It had been an outstanding, action-packed fight before the abrupt knockout occured, Magri showing that he was entirely capable of pulling off an upset. Tellez improved to 28-0-1(19), Magri falling to 28-5-1(21). In the other quarter-final Hernandez overcame fellow countryman Luis Maldonado, taking a majority decision verdict after a see-sawing contest (96-94, 95-95, 96-94). Going into round three Hernandez was in complete control but Maldonado produced a brilliant retort, taking the next three rounds on all three scorecards to assume the upperhand. But just as quickly as he lost the momentum Hernandez snatched it back, duplicating Maldonado's feat by shutting him out through the 6th, 7th and 8th. They split the final two stanzas, leaving Hernandez a relieved victor.

The Tellez-Hernandez clash will be a rematch of a 2004 bout which Tellez won by 12-round unanimous decision in the defense of his WBO belt. Hernandez (35-4-1(27)) might never get a better chance to gain revenge. In a career that started ten years ago he is yet to win a world title and it would be amazing to see him earn a shot at the IBL championship by sending Tellez to his first career defeat...

***

Results

(#4) Adrian Hernandez MD10 (#5) Luis Maldonado
(#3) Jake Matlala SD10 (#6) Octavio Gomez
(#1) Candido Tellez KO4 (#8) Charlie Magri
(#2) Yuri Arbachakov TKO8 (#7) Ichiro Okubo

Semi-final matchups

(#2) Arbachakov (30-2-1(22)) vs (#3) Matlala (36-3-1(28))
(#1) Tellez (28-0-1(19)) vs (#4) Hernandez (35-4-1(27))

***

[kenyan_cheena]

I've started posting TGPiS over at Mike's (mh2365) fansite aswell so it's easier for him to follow along with it.

[kenyan_cheena]

THE LONDON TIMES

Monday 3 July 2006

LEWIS MAKES CONFIDENT START
TO IBL CAMPAIGN

Story by James Simpson

Back in action for the first time since February Olympic gold medallist Lennox Lewis made a successful International Boxing League debut last night in Poland, defeating the New Zealander Sam Leuluai by unanimous decision in stage one of the heavyweight challenger's tournament (58-55, 58-56, 58-55). After a cautious opening round Lewis opened up in the 2nd and went on to dominate the contest right through until the end of the 5th. He floored Leuluai with a hard right cross at the end of round five, having punished him with some smashing power shots earlier in the stanza. Lewis is the tournament's 5th seed and improved his perfect record to 15-0(10) with the win. Leuluai fell to 23-6-1(19). He was the most experienced opponent Lewis has faced to date in his professional career.

The card featured a number of young up-and-coming heavyweights that boxing experts are predicting will be amongst the top contenders in the division for many years to come. Lewis is considered part of that group and in his quarter-final bout he'll be up against another one of them in New Jersey's Joe Jeannette, who scored a dramatic, upset win by knocking out the Hungarian-born Englishman Joe Bugner in the 6th and final round. Bugner was seeded at #4 and despite the popular opinion that his best days are behind him he was expected to defeat the 23 year-old former amateur standout. Through five rounds that outcome looked to be in the bag, Bugner outfighting Jeannette to build leads of one, two and four points on the scorecards. He stunned and staggered the North Bergen native in the 4th and had the better of a competitive 5th. But with less than two minutes remaining in the fight he walked into a textbook uppercut that turned his lights out, Jeannette celebrating before the referee had even completed his ten-count.

Bugner did not move for some minutes after the bout ended. Jeannette showed concern for him but eventually he was more interested in reveling in his impressive victory with fellow New Jersey pugilists Ike Williams and Mickey Walker. The win upped his record to 14-1(10) while Bugner fell to 28-5-1(22) and missed a golden opportunity to take on Lewis, the man most think will achieve what he has been unable to and claim a heavyweight world championship for the UK. Bugner is 29 years old and quickly running out of time to make a permanent mark on the sport. Jeannette will most likely go into the clash with Lewis as an underdog, the bout to be the biggest challenge either man has faced since turning pro. Jeannette made it known that he possesses dangerous knockout power, something Lewis needs to be weary of when they go toe-to-toe in six weeks' time.

Lennox Lewis was only one of a quartet of Athens medallists to feature on the card. The others were Lewis' opponent in the championship match, New York's Riddick Bowe, heavyweight champion Jack Johnson and the man he beat to win gold, Australia's Peter Jackson. Bowe and Johnson are two fighters with an intense dislike for each other, the animosity stemming from the days in Athens when their egos collided constantly. Johnson holds a huge amount of disdain for the Brooklyn native, most of it based on his failure to back up his bragadocious behaviour with a gold medal. Last night was the first time as professionals that they appeared on the same card and if I had to choose which one produced the better performance, I'd favour Bowe.

In against an experienced, tough campaigner in Gary Mason, Bowe climbed off the canvas in the 2nd and went on to control the remaining rounds and take a unanimous decision verdict (58-56, 58-57, 58-56). Bowe came out of the gates with all guns blazing, pounding Mason with hard rights and lefts in round one. But when Mason dropped him with a single right cross thirty seconds into round two it appeared that Bowe was going to be in for an early night and suffer his first defeat as a professional. However, he beat the count, survived the Englishman's best attempts to finish him off and then turned the tables back in his favour in round three. By the end of the 5th Mason had been pretty much subdued, breathing heavy and looking exhausted on his stool during the intermission. It was a gutsy victory for Bowe, one that should go a long way to helping eliminate the perception many have of him as being soft and a quitter following his Athens defeat to Lewis. Bowe outlanded Mason 190-122 and is now 12-0(9), the London-born slugger 23-4-2(19).

Jack Johnson looked fit enough when he removed his robe in the minutes leading up to his bout against South Africa's Gerrie Coetzee, but as the fight progressed it became apparent that all the reports of him "burning the candle at both ends" since relocating from his home state Texas to California were true. Johnson eeked out a majority decision win against the tough but limited Coetzee (58-56, 57-57, 58-57), the contest an at times ugly and messy spectacle. Johnson's walk to the ring was eye-catching, to say the least. A young attractive asian lady who is apparently his latest romantic conquest led him out, stunning the crowd. She wore a two-piece swimsuit, high-heels, a leather jacket and not much else, walking in a sexy, teasing fashion. Johnson was pumped up and loud, singing along to Curtis Mayfield's soul classic "Move On Up" and wearing a silk robe of sky blue with elaborate black, white and navy blue trim. That was all well and good but once the fight started Johnson failed to impress, at least in this observer's eyes. He's now 14-0(11) but will need to either show a vast improvement or be better prepared for his quarter-final bout.

Australian Peter Jackson was more outstanding than the majority decision verdict he received indicated. He outlanded Portland's Leon Higgins 197-91 on the way to a 58-56, 57-57, 58-56 victory. Jackson was in complete control through the first four rounds but Higgins fought back admirably in the 5th and 6th, to no avail. Higgins knocked out Sydney gold medallist Tyrell Biggs ten months ago but has not recorded a win since then, last night's loss his second in a row. It saw him fall to 22-5(16), Jackson improving to 14-0(9). While Jackson's efforts were good there was no doubt whom the performance of the night belonged to. It was the man everyone in the crowd had come to see, the home town favourite Andrew Golota. Fighting in the main event the #2 seed sent Russia's Vladimir Virchis to the canvas four times before the contest was stopped one minute from the final bell. It was an encouraging win for Golota after his career stalled somewhat in '05 with back-to-back losses in May and September to then WBA champion Sergey Anyukov. A third meeting between the two will eventuate if they both emerge victorious in their respective IBL tournaments.

The evening's co-feature ended as an upset as the veteran Kentucky native Frankie Goddard was stopped late in round six by the young Tongan Simione Paea. It had been an entertaining, competitive fight through five rounds but in the 6th Paea was able to floor Goddard twice, the referee stopping the fight at the 2:14 mark shortly after Goddard had risen from the second knockdown. IBL president James Molk had given the 32 year-old the #1 seeding out of respect more than because of his current status in the sport and for a while it appeared that he'd be good enough to make the quarter-finals but it was not to be. Goddard's last big fight was back in May 2003 when he was defeated by Donnie Bates in a challenge for the WBC title. He went on to be knocked out by Jack Johnson in only the seventh pro fight of the gold medallist's pro career last August and brought a pair of essentially meaningless victories into the IBL's tournaments. Now 36-8-2(24) it looks like the Louisville slugger's career is nearing its end. The victor Paea improved to 16-3-1(13) and was over the moon with his achievement. There's little doubt he'll give Jack Johnson all he can handle come the quarter-finals.

Goddard's defeat ended what was a terrible night for the veterans in the tournament with 3rd seed Mike Hunter losing a majority decision verdict to the Russian Alexander Zolkin on the card also. Hunter fell to 31-7-2(23) while Zolkin improved to 21-4-2(17). In a couple of years from now boxing observers might look back at this event and pinpoint it as a changing of the guard. Then again, we might have to wait and see if, and just how quickly, this new wave sweeps the likes of Norton, Haynes and Ibeabuchi out of the way.

***

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

(#8) Jack Johnson MD6 (#9) Gerrie Coetzee
(#10) Riddick Bowe UD6 (#7) Gary Mason
(#11) Peter Jackson MD6 (#6) Leon Higgins
(#5) Lennox Lewis UD6 (#12) Sam Leuluai
(#13) Joe Jeannette KO6 (#4) Joe Bugner
(#14) Alexander Zolkin MD6 (#3) Mike Hunter
(#16) Simione Paea TKO6 (#1) Frankie Goddard
(#2) Andrew Golota TKO6 (#15) Vladimir Virchis

QUARTER-FINAL MATCHUPS

(#11) Jackson (14-0(9)) vs (#14) Zolkin (21-4-2(17))
(#8) Johnson (14-0(11)) vs (#16) Paea (16-3-1(13))
(#5) Lewis (15-0(10)) vs (#13) Jeannette (14-1(10))
(#2) Golota (28-4(24)) vs (#10) Bowe (12-0(9))

***

[PWillisTheMan]

Sick tourney right there. War Bowe/Golota!

[kenyan_cheena]

The Manila Metro

MONDAY 3 JULY 2006

VILLA SUFFERS FIRST DEFEAT
IN IBL DEBUT

Story by Romeo Concepcion

In a result that has shocked and saddened Filipino fight fans Olympic flyweight gold medallist Pancho Villa lost for the first time in his professional career last night. The 23 year-old was defeated by Australia's Henry Nissen in stage one of the International Boxing League's flyweight challenger's tournament at the Estadio Luna Park in Buenos Aires. After a competitive contest Nissen was awarded a unanimous decision verdict (59-55, 59-56, 59-55). Villa brought a perfect 15-0 record into the evening and in the opinion of many had a great chance of winning the tournament, despite being seeded at #14. While not as naturally gifted as Villa, Nissen is a competent and much more experienced fighter and he used that experience to the fullest, sweeping the opening four rounds on all three scorecards before Villa finally showed his best in the 5th.

It was his only shining moment in the contest, though. Villa was unable to compete with the Australian at a level that would bring him victory, despite his best efforts. Nissen outlanded him 149-127. The result mirrors that of Canadian gold medallist Sam Langford. He also joined the IBL with an unblemished record but lost in his league debut after being expected by some to walk away with the inaugural world junior-heavyweight championship. Both men were facing opponents regarded inferior to them talent-wise but possessing superior experience, which made all the difference. The win improved Nissen's record to 30-5-1(22), Villa falling to 15-1(13). The Pinoy pocket rocket appeared distraught in the aftermath of his first professional defeat, the weight of it a heavy one. Despite his elimination Villa's team have declared that it "won't be long" until their charge is threatening the top of the IBL's flyweight world rankings.

Overall it was not a good night for the Filipino fighters in action. None of the three were victorious and only 8th seed Elmer Francisco progressed to the quarter-finals after his bout against the American Mark Johnson ended as a draw. Johnson is undefeated but has been largely untested throughout his career. It was a less than enthralling tussle, with the drawn verdict a suitable result as neither man really deserved to win the fight. 12th seed Leo Zulueta was a bruised and cut mess after his one-sided unanimous decision defeat at the hands of the Frenchman Brahim Asloum. Zulueta sustained a vicious cut on the inside of his right eyebrow, near his nose. The fight was almost called off because of it but it mattered little as Asloum went on to claim an easy win.

[kenyan_cheena]

The write-ups for week four are now finished. That means all we have left is the bantamweights in week five and the opening series of IBL tournament cards will be completed!

I haven't run all of the BW cards yet but I should be able to have them done before the weekend. I'll probably review three of the four cards based on the talent in the division.

There's a one week intermission in IBL action before the quarter-finals of the regional and challenger tournaments kick off and my plan is to cover that week pretty quickly, maybe just a post or two to bridge the gap before we get back into the action.

k_c

[kenyan_cheena]

Palm Beach Post

Wednesday 5 July 2006

Palm Springs boxer scores
upset win in Puerto Rico

Story by Jimmy Hughes

Palm Springs-born bantamweight boxer Carmelo Aleman sprung a considerable upset when he defeated New Bedford's Manny Elias in an International Boxing League Americas Championship tournament bout last night at the Coliseo Pedrin Zorrilla in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Having only started his professional career in February the 19 year-old brought a perfect 4-0(4) record into the event. While many boxing observers have spoken of him in glowing terms not so many of them expected Aleman to defeat Elias, who is a much-more experienced campaigner. Aleman shrugged off the doubters and defeated the Massachusetts native by unanimous decision (58-57, 59-56, 58-57), employing an aggressive, busy disposition throughout the contest and outlanding Elias 177-102. The 14th seed threw over 550 punches in the fight, his heavy workrate earning him the admiration of those at ringside.

Aleman is of Cuban descent and grew up knowing nothing but poverty. It was a reality he escaped from by spending countless hours at the beach with friends, the pier at Lake Worth Beach one of their favourite hangouts. Unable or unwilling to find adequate employment, some of Aleman's acquaintences became petty criminals as they moved into the latter half of their teens. It was a path Aleman was determined to avoid and when he was fifteen he took up boxing, training at a local gym. He fought as an amateur for almost four years, during which he became friends with Belle Glade heavyweight Romy Alvarez. He also came to the attention of the fantastic Pensacola-based trainer Roy Jones, who has offered to work with him on more than one occasion. Aleman has turned Jones down each time, claiming that he'd feel too homesick if he had to relocate to the Panhandle.

Aleman celebrates his 20th birthday on the 22nd of July and looks capable of being one of the finest bantamweights America has produced in quite some time. There has been some talk during the past couple of years claiming that the division is our nation's weakest but based on last night's card that assessment seems somewhat inaccurate. Philadelphia's Jeff Chandler and Texas native Orlando Canizales both appear to be promising young fighters. Chandler scored a comfortable unanimous decision victory over the Canadian Carl Tremaine to improve to 14-1-1(9) while Canizales had a tougher time in taking a majority decision verdict over Mexico's Raul Macias. Ohio's Greg Richardson was also impressive in sending the highly-regarded Puerto Rican Sixto Escobar to his first pro defeat, Richardson winning by majority decision.

While the trio joined Aleman in the quarter-finals Athens Olympian Paulie Ayala was not so fortunate. He was on the receiving end of a terrible judging performance and was eliminated from the tournament as a result. Ayala dominated the Mexican Roberto Rubaldino, outlanding him 194-100 and appearing to win the fight with ease. But the judges didn't agree and scored the fight a draw (59-56, 57-57, 57-58), Rubaldino progressing to the quarter-finals by virtue of his higher tournament seeding. Ayala brought a 14-0(10) record into the evening but has been criticized due to the poor quality of his opposition throughout his pro career. Rubaldino was a step above any of the opponents he's faced to date and the Fort Worth native appeared to pass the test with flying colours. He'll have to put aside the disappointment and string together some good wins to ensure he has as high a starting world ranking as possible when the IBL's tournaments reach their conclusion.

[kenyan_cheena]

EL UNIVERSAL

Sunday 9 July 2006

ZARATE AND ROMAN
ONE STEP CLOSER TO
COLOSSAL SHOWDOWN

Story by Miguel Trelles

Two of Mexico's premier boxers moved within one fight of a long awaited and anticipated clash last night. Bantamweights Carlos Zarate and Gilberto Roman both scored convincing victories in the quarter-finals of the International Boxing League's World Championship tournament at the Arena Mexico. Former WBA Champion Zarate turned back a determined challenge from Japan's Katsuhige Kawashima, winning by 6th round knockout. The fight had been a tight, competitive affair through the first four rounds before Zarate imposed his will on Kawashima, punishing him in the 5th and then completely obliterating him in the 6th. A jolting right cross floored the 8th seed for the first and last time in the bout, Kawashima counted out at the 2:14 mark. Zarate upped his record to 29-1(22) while Kawashima fell to 27-4(17). There are many observers who have said that, pound-for-pound, Zarate is amongst the top three or four most talented fighters signed by the IBL. The man himself ignores such talk, but it would be true to say that at the very least he is presently the #1 bantamweight in the world.

Earlier in the evening Roman was too classy for the Frenchman Theo Medina, winning by unanimous decision (96-94, 98-93, 97-94). 24 year-old Roman relinquished his IBF junior-bantamweight title to sign on with the IBL and made a confident start to the tournament, outlanding Medina 266-179. They willingly traded hard shots through the first six rounds but the action died down noticeably during the last four. Medina looked to be out of gas, something that Roman noticed and went with, content to cruise to the finish line. He's now 24-1(17), Medina 29-4-1(22). Roman was in a relaxed mood afterwards, saying that he was happy to avoid misfortune and make it to the semi-finals. Roman is a good friend of welterweight fighter Enrique Diaz, the two both born and raised in Mexico City. Diaz will be competing in the IBL's welterweight World Championship tournament semi-finals on September the 1st and was there in support last night as part of Roman's entourage as he made his walk to the ring.

Roman's next opponent figures to be a much tougher challenge as it will be the undefeated former IBF bantamweight champ Owen Moran. The Englishman defeated Scotland's Peter Keenan by unanimous decision in a rematch of a clash from late 2004. On that evening they'd gone twelve rounds in Moran's first title defense, last night's encounter a ten-rounder with Moran taking the verdict by scores of 98-90, 97-90 and 98-89. He subdued Keenan through the first five rounds and then floored him once in each of the 7th, 8th and 9th frames. It was only in the final round that Keenan had any success and that was entirely due to Moran easing off dramatically. Moran landed 276 punches to Keenan's 190, the Scot connecting with 36 in the 10th to inflate his numbers. Keenan had come into the fight expecting to test and even defeat Moran. If anything, he received a worse beating than in their first meeting. He fell to 28-4-1(22) while Moran improved to a still perfect 23-0(15).

The hope amongst Mexican fight fans was that the veteran Romeo Anaya would be able to get past Korea's Jung-Il Byun to set up an all-Mexican semi against Zarate but it was not to be. Anaya mounted a brave offense through the first three rounds but Byun wiped him out in the 4th, connecting with a flood of unanswered shots that left referee Jose Cobain with no choice but to stop the fight 2:19 into the round, Byun the winner by TKO. Although only 31 years of age Anaya appears to be a spent force. He's now 33-8-1(22), his brief run as IBF champion (from mid '02 to early '03) seeming a distant memory. There wouldn't be many prepared to put their money on Byun when he steps in the ring against Zarate in twelve weeks, but the Korean is a tenacious customer and that must count for something.

For a number of years the lighter weight divisions have been mostly ignored by the American boxing-following public, mainly due to the lack of American fighters campaigning in them. However, IBL president James Molk has made it a priority to heavily promote his organisation's fight cards in these lower weight classes, such as bantamweight and flyweight. Once released, the ratings figures that last night's card generated for HBO will give a clear picture of how successful Molk was in that endeavour.

***

Results

(#4) Jung-Il Byun TKO4 (#5) Romeo Anaya
(#3) Gilberto Roman UD10 (#6) Theo Medina
(#2) Owen Moran UD10 (#7) Peter Keenan
(#1) Carlos Zarate KO6 (#8) Katsuhige Kawashima

Semi-finals

(#2) Moran (23-0(15)) vs (#3) Roman (24-1(17))
(#1) Zarate (29-1(22)) vs (#4) Byun (36-6-2(27))

***

[kenyan_cheena]

The Daily Telegraph

MONDAY 10 JULY 2006

Fenech floors Park four times,
wins by TKO

Story by John Brown

Sydney boxer Jeff Fenech scored a fantastic TKO victory in the main event of an International Boxing League fight card at Seoul's Jangchung Gymnasium last night. Competing in stage one of the league's Bantamweight Challenger's tournament Fenech dominated hometown favourite and #2 seed Chan-Yong Park through the first five rounds before sending him to the canvas four times in the final stanza. The Olympic flyweight bronze medallist overwhelmed Park with his aggression and workrate, silencing the parochial crowd. After an even opening frame Fenech assumed control in round two, catching Park with an assortment of blows from both fists. It only got worse for Park in the 3rd but an admirable rally in an action-packed 4th gave him the briefest glimmer of hope before Fenech snuffed it out with some punishing work in the 5th. Park's right eye was showing some major swelling as he returned to his corner, bruised and beaten.

Thirty seconds into the 6th a four-punch combo dropped Park for the first time. Back up at three he tried to stay out of trouble but was down again from a single flush left hook midway through the round. Unwisely, he was quick to his feet. Referee Malcolm Bulner allowed him to continue and with fifty seconds remaining in the fight Fenech sent him to the canvas for a third time, this one coming from a jolting right cross. Park pushed himself up at four, Fenech regarding Bulner with bemusement as he signalled for them to continue fighting. He stepped in and planted Park on his backside with a left-right-left salvo thirty seconds from the bell, shouting at Bulner to call it off. Amazingly, Park was given one last chance to last the distance but when Fenech chased him into a neutral corner the Korean literally crumbled to the canvas from exhaustion, his legs unable to keep him upright, at which point Bulner finally called the fight off at the 2:43 mark.

Fenech spat some unhappy words towards the official before returning to his corner to celebrate with his support team. The win improved his perfect record to 16-0(14), Park falling to 25-5(18). Fenech landed 204 of 454 punches (44.9%), Park 96 of 227 (42.3%). Despite being happy with the victory Fenech questioned both Bulner and some of the ringside IBL officials over the lateness of the stoppage, telling them in no uncertain terms that if Park had suffered a serious injury it'd be on their heads. The victory completed a perfect start for Fenech and his fellow New South Welshman Les Darcy (middleweight) and Peter Jackson (heavyweight) in their IBL campaigns, the trio having made the joint decision to sign with the organisation in April. Both Darcy and Jackson had made the walk to the ring with Fenech and, naturally, had joined him in celebrating after his win.

Earlier on the card Brisbane native Nathan Sting was not as fortunate as Fenech, eliminated from the tournament after losing by unanimous decision to the Irishman Freddie Gilroy. Sting was sent to the mat in round three and was never really in the contest, each judge favouring Gilroy with a 58-54 verdict. Fenech is scheduled to face the tough 7th-seeded Mexican Jesus Pimentel in the quarter-finals. Pimentel produced a performance every bit as impressive as Fenech's in subduing and then stopping his compatriot Victor Rabanales inside of five rounds. Park was regarded as Fenech's biggest test to date but in Pimentel (24-2(16)) he'll face an even sterner challenge, without a doubt.

---

Results

(#8) Martinez UD6 (#9) Cornelis
(#7) Pimentel TKO5 (#10) Rabanales
(#6) Gilroy UD6 (#11) Sting
(#5) Pinder D6 (#12) Konadu
(#13) Halami KO1 (#4) Machado
(#3) Pintor TKO5 (#14) Castillo
(#1) Miranda UD6 (#16) Kawabata
(#15) Fenech TKO6 (#2) Park

---

[kenyan_cheena]

turn the page, k_c