The Greatest Prize in Sports

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by djday45

Really loving following Ashley Jackson's young career. You have really captured his personality and Background I gave him, great stuff!

I've enjoyed writing about Mr Jackson and hope that he goes all the way in the tournament. I want him to be successful so that he can be one of the major characters in the story.

Originally Posted by Mad Bomber

Frankly I didn't think that I would progress this quickly, but if everything falls into place it would be nice to face Frank Battaglia in the final, but that would be putting the cart ahead of the horse so to speak. Great job thus far, and I love the uni.

Thanks, MB. There's nothing I would like to see more than the community created fighters in this uni winning titles and succeeding. It's great that your guy has made the semis and a finals clash with Battaglia would be a fitting conclusion to the tourney.

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Sucks seeing SAL go out of the tournament and it sucks even more that he isn't around so that I can make fun of him about it.

LOL, I knew you'd find some amusement with his exit from the tournament. It's not the same without SAL around and I hope he returns to the boards eventually.

Originally Posted by comicfanman

gotta love this - great job

Thanks, cfm. I am really looking forward to your guy's clash with Hanson. I think it'll be one of the top two or three highlights of the quarter-finals.

Thanks to all you guys for taking the time to post here. There really is nothing better than logging on and finding four new posts in the thread. It makes me happy that you're interested in and enjoying my uni and gives me great encouragement and enthusiasm.

[Crimson]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

8 July: Los Angeles, California, USA
Fred Boatwright (3-0-1(1)) SD4 Jamal Lowes (2-1(1))
(middleweight division)

In one of the most bizarre fights this observer has ever seen, Boatwright managed to secure a split decision win almost entirely by virtue of his superb defensive prowess. Lowes threw more than twice as many punches but landed only 15% of them, the lanky Boatwright parrying, slipping and ducking his shots time and again before firing in an occasional counter punch. At times the 18 year-old looked like he didn't want to be in the ring but when it was all over and he was announced the winner he was quick to big note himself with a flood of bragadociousness. This didn't exactly endear him to the crowd, who hurled a deal of criticism at him from late in round one through to the final bell. Boatwright has a distinct lack of aggression but if he can rectify this and also increase his workrate, he might have a future in the sport.

Awesome! Boatwright is totally pumped up to be 3-0 and to have scored a stoppage win! "I'm ready to win the Middle Weight Championship now! Bring on all those sucker pretenders who think they can beat me. The IBL Championship belt is a perfect fit around my waist!!! I can't wait to kick everybodys ass who dares to get in the ring with me! They will be creating a breeze while I'm blowing kisses to my adoring fans who cheer me on!!!"

[Marciano6]

And now a word from Frank Galvano:

I'm young and beautiful of course tough, and I get the girls so whats the problem? Everyone says this and that but no body says nothin' to my face. It's just a matter of time before the big boys recognize my talent and sign me. If I had come up before I could still have beaten those guys. You jerk offs gave me the name "Frankie" from now on do me a favor huh? call me Frankie Marvelous. I'm not cocky I just have confidence, i'll fight anyone anytime anywhere cuz I don't care. Someone steps to me on the street bada boom goodnight, he better have a whole posse with him. That happens to me quite a bit you know? people wanna challenge the kid and I gotta throw down.....that's happening less and less these days though on account of my "posse" you know?

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Crimson

Awesome! Boatwright is totally pumped up to be 3-0 and to have scored a stoppage win! "I'm ready to win the Middle Weight Championship now! Bring on all those sucker pretenders who think they can beat me. The IBL Championship belt is a perfect fit around my waist!!! I can't wait to kick everybodys ass who dares to get in the ring with me! They will be creating a breeze while I'm blowing kisses to my adoring fans who cheer me on!!!"

Ha, he probably won that one on cuts. He's actually 4-0 as when I post the records in BM they are pre-fight records.

Originally Posted by Marciano6

And now a word from Frank Galvano:

I'm young and beautiful of course tough, and I get the girls so whats the problem? Everyone says this and that but no body says nothin' to my face. It's just a matter of time before the big boys recognize my talent and sign me. If I had come up before I could still have beaten those guys. You jerk offs gave me the name "Frankie" from now on do me a favor huh? call me Frankie Marvelous. I'm not cocky I just have confidence, i'll fight anyone anytime anywhere cuz I don't care. Someone steps to me on the street bada boom goodnight, he better have a whole posse with him. That happens to me quite a bit you know? people wanna challenge the kid and I gotta throw down.....that's happening less and less these days though on account of my "posse" you know?

Hopefully you don't end up like Jackie Aprile Jr...

[kenyan_cheena]

NOTTINGHAM POST

Thursday 3 August 2006

BENISTON FAR TOO GOOD
FOR TETTEH

Story by Michael Jenkins

He may be just 19 years old but following his victory over Ghana's Joe Tetteh last night Nottingham southpaw Charlie Beniston is only two victories away from becoming the International Boxing League's first Inter-Continental Featherweight champion. Beniston scored a comfortable eight-round unanimous decision win over Tetteh in the tournament's quarter-finals, the card held at London's Alexandra Palace. As he did to his stage one opponent Welcome Ncita, Beniston sent Tetteh to his first professional defeat, the Ghanian dropping to 6-1(4) while "Beno" improved to 7-0(3). Establishing control early behind a damaging right lead, the lanky Beniston was solid through the first three rounds but put the verdict beyond doubt with a dominant middle section. He swept rounds four to six and went on to win by identical verdicts of 78-74 on all three scorecards.

To his credit Tetteh never gave up but he was simply outclassed by Beniston, who beat him to the punch time and again. Beniston landed 180 of 535 punches (33.6%), Tetteh 144 of 540 (26.7%). Beniston's quest becomes considerably tougher in the semi-finals as he'll face the #1-seeded Italian Loris Stecca, who put Thailand's Withaya Paholpat to sleep with a single right cross midway through round one of the evening's co-feature. The win saw Stecca up his record to 12-1-2(8). No doubt he'll be a difficult proposition for Charlie but as the saying goes, he's got "nothing to lose". Still less than a year into his pro career Beniston could not have dreamed he'd see such early success. He said as much during the post-fight interview.

"I knew when I signed with the IBL that it would be a real step up for me," Beniston said, wiping his forehead with a white towel. "My management team had been bringing me along slowly and the plan would have been to keep going with that if I hadn't decided to come here. I'm glad I made this choice because I feel like I'm learning a lot more by being in these "win or go home" situations. That fear of losing really heightens your senses, makes you put everything into every round. I'm really enjoying it and if I can end this tournament as champion it'll be incredible, 'cause I didn't even think I'd make the semi-finals. Really, how great would that be? Me, Charlie B. from Nottingham, with an Inter-Continental belt after just nine bouts? That'd be bloody incredible!"

In the other semi-final Blackpool's Ronnie Clayton takes on Portugal's Bruno Alves. Clayton made it through after his bout against Australia's Johnny Famechon ended as a draw. Simply put, it was a poor decision as Clayton outlanded Famechon 213-126 and looked the superior fighter in most of the rounds. He was not in the best mood after the verdict, asking the judges if they'd been "sleeping during the fight" and accusing them of "messing" with his career. Clayton remained undefeated, his record now 9-0-2(7). Alves dominated the Frenchman Francois Salvaterre, winning by unanimous decision in a display that was even more convincing than Clayton's. The Portugese marksman improved to 10-1(6). Predicting a winner between Clayton and Alves will be a difficult task as they're both assured, skillful fighters.

---

Results

(#12) Beniston UD8 (#13) Tetteh
(#3) Alves UD8 (#11) Salvaterre
(#1) Stecca KO1 (#9) Paholpat
(#2) Clayton D8 (#10) Famechon

Semi-final matchups

(#2) Ronnie Clayton (9-0-2(7)) vs (#3) Bruno Alves (10-1(6))
(#1) Loris Stecca (12-1-2(8)) vs (#12) Charlie Beniston (7-0(3))

---

[kenyan_cheena]

EL UNIVERSAL

Friday 4 August 2006

OLIVARES THRILLS AGAIN

Story by Miguel Trelles

As if Mexican boxing fans didn't already have enough fighters to throw their support behind, another one appears to have emerged during the International Boxing League's tournaments. 19 year-old Ruben Olivares recorded his second stoppage victory in the featherweight division's Americas Championship tournament last night, both wins coming in round two. On June 22 he disposed of Colombian 2nd seed Daniel Blanco with a single right cross in a main event boilover in Bogata. Last night at Torreon's LaLaguna Auditorium Olivares decimated Panama's Carlos Mendoza, flooring him twice in round two before the referee stopped the contest at the 2:51 mark. Both knockdowns came from single, flush right hands that illustrated Olivares' impressive punching power, the first midway through the round and the second at the 2:20 point.

The amazing thing about Olivares' performances is that he's achieved them under a certain deal of duress. He campaigned at bantamweight in his first four professional bouts but when he joined the IBL his father Jesus, who is also his trainer and manager, insisted that he compete in the featherweight division. It seems Jesus is keen for his son to challenge the likes of Salvador Sanchez and Vicente Saldivar for the title of Mexico's best young boxer but Olivares revealed after his win over Mendoza that he does not currently feel comfortable fighting at 126. He said it's very likely that after his run in the Americas tournament is over he'll inform the IBL that he'd like to drop down to bantamweight, even if he ends up winning the Americas title. Olivares claimed the extra weight has lessened his power, which is quite a scary thought considering what he's done to Blanco and Mendoza. Regardless of what he decides, Ruben Olivares is a young boxer fight fans should keep an eye on. He has a fantastic future ahead of him.

[kenyan_cheena]

The New York Age

MONDAY, 7 AUGUST, 2006

WALKER ELIMINATES WILLIAMS
IN CONTROVERSIAL MAIN EVENT

Story by James Reynolds

New Jersey middleweight Mickey Walker scored an upset unanimous decision win over Florida Alliance member Holman Williams last night in the quarter-finals of the International Boxing League's Challenger's tournament. Fighting in the main event of a card at Miami's American Airlines Arena, Walker overcame an opening round cut, a hostile crowd and Williams' pin-point punches to secure a semi-final berth. Following an action-packed, dramatic affair the Elizabeth native was announced the victor by verdicts of 77-75 and 77-76 (twice), the decision greeted by a chorus of boos from the crowd. Williams and Walker have quite a history as it was the Pensacola-born Williams who ended Walker's dreams of representing the USA at the Athens Olympics. Williams defeated Walker in three of the four amateur bouts between the two but Walker gained a deal of revenge last night, although in controversial circumstances.

Fifty seconds into round one Williams opened a cut on Walker's right eyebrow with a hard left hook. Despite the injury Walker was more impressive in the stanza, showing a busier, aggressive disposition. Williams answered back strongly with a dominant 2nd, during which Walker's cut was reopened from an accidental headclash. The bout was stopped two minutes into the round, Walker led to the ringside physician who ruled that the fight should continue. Williams was able to land his punches with impressive accuracy in the round and continued to control the contest in the 3rd. Not only was he finding the mark with most of his shots, he was also making Walker miss with many of his. The action slowed in the 4th, neither man producing anything particulalry memorable.

Walker enjoyed his best stretch of the fight through the 5th and 6th, his efforts turning the contest in his favour. He hurt Williams with some powerful blows, his hard flurries a contrast to Williams' more selective punching. Midway through the 6th the referee stopped the fight again to allow the doctor to examine Walker's cut. He gave Walker the okay after an extended deliberation, Williams watching with an irritated expression from the other side of the ring. The Florida native took round seven with a more aggressive approach, maintaining his fantastic accuracy before Walker finished strongly in the 8th and final frame. A succession of power punches rocked the #2 seed and consequently won Walker the fight and a passage to the semi-finals.

Williams' trainer Roy Jones was ropeable when the verdict was announced. He was adamant that his charge had been the better fighter, claiming that Walker spent most of the contest flailing away and missing with a majority of his shots, an opinion that the punch totals backed up. Williams connected with 245 of 350 blows (70.0%), Walker 197 of 728 (27.1%). While Jones disputed the decision Walker celebrated with his corner crew, which included his good friend and fellow Jersey native, the heavyweight fighter Joe Jeannette. The win improved Walker's perfect record to 13-0(9), Williams falling to 15-2-1(10). The scene was akin to a morgue in Williams' corner, his stablemates Terone Haynes and James Ray trying to console him with little success. The defeat was the third suffered by an Alliance member since the IBL's tournaments entered the quarter-final stage following the losses of the Ray cousins James and Elmer two weeks ago.

"Startin' t' believe I might've done somethin' to rile the man upstairs," said a frustrated Roy Jones. "Hard to believe this be happenin' to my boys, y'all. This here tonight be jus' the worst o' the lot 'cause Holman schooled the dude, see? Outpunched him and made him look silly with his defense. Look at the swellin' on the dude's face, man? My boy ain't wearin' a mark on 'im. How they come up with that after the way my nephew fight that fight, y'all? Jus' unbelieveable. Ain't no way Walker can look hisself in the mirror, thinkin' he won that."

Earlier in the evening England's Nigel Benn defeated the more competitive than expected Brockton native Robbie Sims by unanimous decision (77-73, 76-74, 77-73). Benn was surprisingly floored a minute into round four but asserted himself in the bottom half of the contest, sweeping the scorecards in those final four rounds and dropping Sims midway through the 8th. He'll take on Walker in what shapes up as a must-see semi-final. Panama's gold medallist Joe Gans squares off against another New Jersey fighter in Paterson's Rubin Carter in the other semi-final. Gans outclassed the Canadian Donato Paduano before knocking him out at the end of round four with a crunching uppercut while Carter stopped a determined Jose Basora in round seven of an entertaining clash. Basora was floored at the end of round six and then on two further occasions in the 7th, the referee counting him out after the bell.

***

Last night had been billed as an International Boxing League ESPN-broadcasted double-header, with the Miami card being preceeded by an event in Mexico City that featured one of the most eagerly awaited matchups in Mexican boxing for some time. It was the featherweight clash of Athens gold medallists Salvador Sanchez and Vicente Saldivar. These bitter rivals have a mutual hatred for each other and last night they finally stepped into the ring in combat for the first time. Sanchez was regarded as a slight favourite and he lived up to that billing, winning a thrilling contest by unanimous decision (77-74, 76-75, 77-74). The bout was a quarter-final in the featherweight division's Challenger's tournament, Sanchez the #4 seed and Saldivar #5. Both brought identical 16-0 records into the clash.

Sanchez held the upperhand through the first four rounds, beating Saldivar to the punch more often than not and appearing to be on his way to a comfortable win. This was especially apparent after a dominant 4th, during which he staggered Saldivar with a big right hand and punished him with some terrific body punching. But Saldivar clawed his way back, amazingly sweeping rounds five, six and seven on two scorecards to give himself a chance at what had seemed an unlikely victory. His work in the 6th and 7th was fantastic as he caught Sanchez with a variety of hard shots, the best amongst them a jolting right hand midway through the 7th. Sanchez showed champion qualities in the 8th, though, putting the result beyond doubt when he sent Saldivar to the canvas with a flurry of flush blows midway through the stanza. He tried to finish him off, connecting with a vicious right cross and a nice left-right salvo before the round ended.

There was no sign of respect or admiration from either man afterwards: no handshakes or conversations with each other's corners. If anything, the fact that they've now traded punches in an official bout may have only stoked the fires of hatred further. Sanchez wore a smile from ear to ear as he celebrated an exciting win while Saldivar appeared deeply disappointed and frustrated by his failure. Saldivar actually outlanded Sanchez 172-162 but it mattered little, the post-fight appearances of both men telling the story of who the victor was. There's no doubt that the two will clash down the road and after last night's thriller the rematch is something to really look forward to.

Sanchez's semi-final opponent is the Dominican Republic #1 seed Miguel Bautista, who defeated Mexico's Orlando Salido via hard-earned unanimous decision (78-75, 77-75, 78-75). Much like in the Sanchez-Saldivar clash, Bautista dominated the opening exchanges before Salido rallied strongly in rounds four, five and six. Bautista produced a convincing finish to wrap it up and improve to 27-3(16). He'll certainly be the biggest challenge of Sanchez's career to date but there are many who believe so surely in the talent of the young Mexican that they think he'll win with ease. The other semi sees the 2nd-seeded Filipino Jet Bally take on Mexico's Daniel Zaragoza. Bally sent Venezuela's Antonio Esparragoza to his first professional defeat, producing a fantastic fightback to win by majority decision. Zaragoza's win was just as dramatic as, trailing on all three cards entering the final round, he knocked out the Irishman Barry McGuigan ten seconds from the bell. It was a victory that had the crowd in raptures of delight and triumph, Zaragoza scoring his 20th career win and keeping alive his dream of a world title shot.

***

Results,
Mexico City featherweight fight card

(#2) Bally MD8 (#7) Esparragoza
(#1) Bautista UD8 (#9) Salido
(#3) Zaragoza KO8 (#6) McGuigan
(#4) Sanchez UD8 (#5) Saldivar

Semi-finals

(#2) Jet Bally (19-1-3(12)) vs (#3) Daniel Zaragoza (20-2-1(14))
(#1) Miguel Bautista (27-3(16)) vs (#4) Salvador Sanchez (17-0(13))

---

Results,
Miami middleweight fight card

(#8) Carter KO7 (#16) Basora
(#4) Gans KO4 (#12) Paduano
(#3) Benn UD8 (#6) Sims
(#10) Walker UD8 (#2) Williams

Semi-finals

(#4) Joe Gans (14-0(9)) vs (#8) Rubin Carter (20-3-1(16))
(#3) Nigel Benn (15-0(12)) vs (#10) Mickey Walker (13-0(9))

***

[Beno999]

Haha great update on the Charlie Beniston front, so happy to see my guy doing well once again. He's really still nowhere near his prime obviously so i think he needs to keep on learning but it looks like hes being stepped up in class quickly. Just hope he doesn't fall off the radar too soon as i think he would have some quality fights in the future!

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Beno999

Haha great update on the Charlie Beniston front, so happy to see my guy doing well once again. He's really still nowhere near his prime obviously so i think he needs to keep on learning but it looks like hes being stepped up in class quickly. Just hope he doesn't fall off the radar too soon as i think he would have some quality fights in the future!

He's certainly made a great start to his IBL campaign and even if he doesn't claim the IC belt I'm sure he'll win a lot more fights than he loses.

[kenyan_cheena]

AMERICAN | PUGILIST

*** Published bi-weekly out of Chicago, Illinois since 1950 ***

Monday 7 August 2006
Volume 57, Edition 16

NORTON'S EYES
ARE ON THE PRIZE

Story by Larry Masters

As one of boxing's premier competitors and the highest paid of the 504 employed by the International Boxing League, San Diego's Ken Norton isn't the type to get caught up in something as petty as childish trash talking. Following his defeat of Michael Dokes on June 30 he has much, much more important matters on his mind. Norton now sits just two wins away from becoming the IBL's first World Heavyweight Champion but as the man himself said when I spoke to him last week, getting those two wins is going to be the most difficult task of his career to date. On the 22nd of September he faces Nigeria's Ike Ibeabuchi in the tournament semi-finals, an opponent that his promoters deliberately avoided when Norton was WBC champion and who the 27 year-old admits will be the biggest test of his career.

"I've never fought anyone as dangerous as Ike," Norton said. "So with this being a twelve-rounder, it's gonna be like the most important title fight of my life, 'cept there ain't no belt on the line. The guy has scary, scary power and if I'm not careful I could find myself out cold from one of those right hands of his. It's gonna take everything I have to get past him and if I succeed, it don't get any easier."

The reason why it doesn't get any easier? That's simple. If Norton manages to defeat Ibeabuchi he'll then square off against either former WBA champion Sergey Anyukov or Florida's hard-hitting former WBO kingpin Terone Haynes in what will be the first IBL World Heavyweight Championship bout. And a fifteen-rounder, to boot. So you can see that, considering what's coming up on his menu, trash talking ain't a priority right now. Why the mention of trash talking, you ask? Well, if you've been closely following boxing these last few months you'd know that Norton's fellow heavyweight competitor Jack Johnson has been running his mouth off at almost every opportunity in what appears to be an attempt to unsettle Norton. It's an interesting sideline to the real business of fighting, but one Norton has no desire to be involved in.

Back in November Norton befriended up-and-coming Oxnard heavyweight Sam McVey, helping him to train and giving him a lot of invaluable advice. Norton was established as the WBC title holder at the time while McVey had only fought a handful of professional bouts. Norton continued to act as a mentor for McVey as the months passed by. Both men signed contracts with the International Boxing League in April, Norton putting pen to paper only a week after successfully defending his belt against Marcelo Franks. At the end of March, Olympic gold medallist Johnson had relocated to Los Angeles in the face of constant harrassment in his hometown of Galveston, Texas. It wasn't long before he struck up a friendship with McVey, who had apparently been inspired to turn his back on a lucrative NFL career and become a boxer after seeing Johnson achieve glory in Athens.

On a night in mid-June Johnson and McVey went out partying at a Los Angeles nightclub and from reports were there late into the evening. Their IBL debuts were only a couple of weeks away and upon hearing the news Norton commented that he didn't think it was a good idea to be indulging in such behaviour so close to a fight, a comment that he told me was directed entirely towards McVey as some sincere advice. Norton also implied that he didn't think it was the best idea to socialise with someone who you could very well be fighting in the near future. Johnson took it as a criticism of his own playboy lifestyle and gave Norton a piece of his mind while being interviewed on the radio. He defended both himself and McVey and said that Norton's words were nonsense. Norton did not issue any kind of reply, prefering to ignore Johnson and speak to McVey on the matter in private, which he now admits he should have done to begin with.

When McVey made his IBL debut in stage one of the Americas Championship tournament on June 27 both Norton and Johnson were there to support him, the pair making the walk to the ring as part of his entourage. The media tried to dress up the situation, saying that there was noticeable tension between Norton and Johnson, something that Norton denies. McVey scored a sensational 1st round knockout of Florida's David Kane, a result that, in some people's eyes, vindicated Johnson and made Norton look somewhat foolish. During our conversation Norton spoke of his frustrations on how the media loves to sensationalise things and try to make them more interesting than they really are.

"Anything to sell more papers," he said. "I ain't got no beef with Jacky Johnson and, to be honest, the guy means nothing to me at the moment. That could change goin' into next year if we end up facing off but for now, he's not even in my thoughts. I know he's the type of brother who loves to talk himself up, loves to have his name in the papers and have people payin' attention to him. He's used Riddick Bowe before to do this and it's pretty obvious that he's now using my name. I'm a little amused, but really, it don't mean a thing to me."

In early July Norton had spoken publicly about his good friend, IBL middleweight contender James Toney. He told of Toney's uncertainty over the future direction of his career following an unexpected and disappointing loss to Japan's Koichi Wajima in the quarter-finals of the World Middleweight Championship tournament. Within a couple of days Johnson was giving his own, unasked-for opinion on the subject, saying that he felt Toney needed to "harden up" and realise that "life ain't all clear sailin'." While Norton ignored the matter, Toney has apparently used what he felt was "ignorance and disrespect" from Johnson as motivation in his recent training sessions.

"So I guess something good has come from it," Norton said with a smile.

Sam McVey will be back in action on the 8th of August in Indianapolis and Norton plans to be right there at the Conseco Fieldhouse to support him. I asked him about his beliefs in regards to socialising with possible opponents, stating that it seemed to contradict his friendship with McVey.

"I'm confident enough to believe that it'll be some time before or if Sam and I ever step in the ring against each other," Norton said. "If you understand the system the IBL's got in place, you'd know that if Sam wins the Americas belt he's gonna be busy defending it for at least another twelve months in order to get a shot at the world title. I'm planning to be near the top of the peckin' order for a while yet so I can't see a situation in the immediate future when we'll fight each other. I figure that by the time that day comes our friendship'll be more than solid enough to overcome any problems it presents."

[kenyan_cheena]

Havelstadt-Brandenburg

TUESDAY 8 AUGUST 2006

SCHMELING DEMOLISHES HIDE
IN STUTTGART

Story by Philipp Westermann

Promising young Brandenburg-born heavyweight Max Schmeling booked himself a place in the semi-finals of the International Boxing League's Inter-Continental Championship tournament with a ridiculously one-sided defeat of the Nigerian-born Englishman Herbie Hide last night. After pummeling the brave but outclassed Hide without mercy through the first seven rounds Schmeling finally finished him off in the 8th, following up knockdowns in the 6th and 7th with two more. Hide was counted out at the 1:54 mark. Going into the final round Schmeling led by ten points on two cards and nine on the other, the extent of his domination showing on Hide's swollen face. Schmeling (14-0(10)) appeared almost embarrassed in the aftermath. He'd asked the referee Arnold Pokrandt to stop the fight in each round starting in the 5th but inexplicably Pokrandt allowed Hide (12-2-1(8)) to keep on fighting.

For some time now the 23 year-old Schmeling has been regarded as Germany's biggest chance for future world championship success and he's followed up his bronze medal in Athens with a near faultless start in the professional ranks. Before last night he was already the favourite to win the Inter-Continental belt and his victory over Hide will only solidify that status. He'll be up against the undefeated New Zealander Sione Tialata in the semi-finals and most experts would be tipping him to win that contest quite easily. Tialata overcame the Samoan Semo Salanoa by unanimous decision. After a dominant opening, which included flooring Salanoa in the 2nd, Tialata had to endure a spirited comeback from the 15th seed before getting through by the skin of his teeth, each judge giving him a 75-74 verdict.

Tialata's fellow kiwi Neemia Sivivatu will contest the other semi-final after he knocked out the Filipino Juan de la Cruz in round five. It was another eye-opening effort from Sivivatu, who had dropped the American-born German Scott Mundt four times on the way to a unanimous decision win in his opening tournament bout. He sent the fiery de la Cruz to the canvas three times in the 5th before he was counted out at the 2:22 mark. Sivivatu takes on Italy's Francesco Damiani. The 13th seed achieved his second upset win of the tournament with a convincing unanimous decision victory over the South African Pierre Coetzer. Damiani floored Coetzer in the 5th with a body shot and in the 7th with a big uppercut and took the verdict by scores of 80-72 on all three cards.

There were some interesting world ranking bouts earlier in the evening, with Nigeria's former tournament top seed Omovo Okocha suffering his second consecutive career defeat. Bombarded by de la Cruz last month, Okocha was knocked out cold by a single Scott Mundt uppercut two minutes into round three of what had been to that point an uneventful bout. German boxing fans are hoping that Mundt can join Schmeling in being a success on the international stage and his one-punch obliteration of Okocha was a great way for him to get back on the winner's list after the disappointment of being eliminated from the tournament by Sivivatu. Mundt is now 11-1(9). Okocha's compatriot Samuel Peter was more fortunate as he knocked out the New Zealander Tom Heeney in the 6th and final round of their clash.

[Beno999]

No surprises there about Herbie getting smashed by Schmeling.

[kenyan_cheena]

THE PINELLAS NEWS

Wednesday, 9 August, 2006

Brown outsmarts Hanson
in anticipated IBL bout

Story by Larry Dobey

Last night Pinellas Park heavyweight Cheetah Brown showed the boxing world that he's just as capable of winning a fight with caution and wisdom as he is of doing so with thunderous right hands. Appearing in the main event of an International Boxing League card at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Brown defeated hometown favourite Mike Hanson by split decision in a contest that was not nearly as explosive or dramatic as most observers expected. Both men are known for their knockout power but with a spot in the semi-finals of the Americas Championship tournament on the line Brown decided to take advantage of his superior speed and ring movement.

To the disgust and frustration of both Hanson and the parochial crowd Brown spent much of the bout out of range, quickly moving in to unload with a flurry of punches before bouncing back to the outside. While it was a smart strategy it was a genuine surprise that Brown employed it. He'd been an aggressive knockout machine through his first seven professional bouts and there was little reason to believe he'd sway from that path against Hanson. Brown's tactics saw him skip to an early lead as he controlled round one and then caught Hanson with a succession of flush blows in the 2nd. However, the man known as "Hector" to his friends found some success in round three, Brown getting a little careless and allowing Hanson to land some telling punches.

Rounds four, five and six were lacking in drama and had the crowd booing at one point. Hanson's inability to find the mark with a killer blow was just as frustrating as Brown's unwillingness to goe toe-to-toe. Brown appeared to have wrapped up the contest with a dominant showing in the 7th but less than a minute from the final bell Hanson gave his fans a glimmer of hope when he dropped the Florida slugger with a hard left hook. Brown had been dazed by a right hand moments earlier and when he hit the canvas the crowd erupted as one. He was quickly back to his feet, the suddenly excited audience cheering Hanson on as he tried to finish the job in the final seconds. He landed a left-right-left salvo but couldn't drop Brown for a second time.

The verdict was greeted with hostility by the crowd, Brown announced the winner by the slimmest of verdicts: 77-76, 76-77, 77-76. Speaking to ESPN afterwards Hanson gave Brown a serve, saying he hoped he was proud of himself and that he didn't win the fight "like a man should". Brown's retort was simple and to the point, saying he had nothing to feel ashamed about. His goal had been to reach the semi-finals and he achieved it. He also said that anyone else in their right mind would have used the same strategy. It certainly worked as Hanson was only able to land 89 punches throughout the entire fight, Brown connecting with 128. Brown even took a shot at Hanson's post-fight reaction when he said "Well, I know it never feels good to be outsmarted."

The evening's first quarter-final was a much more dramatic affair as Brown's fellow Florida native Romy Alvarez climbed off the canvas in round one and rallied to take a unanimous decision verdict over his more experienced Puerto Rican opponent Fres Oquendo. Alvarez could not have made a worse start to the fight as Oquendo took the momentum the knockdown gave him into round two, which he also won convincingly. But with highly-regarded trainer Roy Jones in his corner the Winter Park-born 12th seed was able to mount a fantastic fightback. Alvarez wore Oquendo down behind what is regarded as one of, if not the best jab in the heavyweight division. He swept rounds three through seven on each scorecard to take control of the contest. When it was all over Alvarez actually appeared the loser thanks to a nasty knot under his left eye, a legacy of Oquendo's fantastic opening.

Alvarez was the victor by scores of 76-75, 77-74 and 76-75, his corner celebrating wildly after the verdict was announced. He is the first fighter from Jones' Pensacola stable to win two bouts in these IBL tournaments, succeeding where both James Ray and Holman Williams had failed in recent weeks. Known as "The Iceman" to his fans because of his calm, emotionless demeanour in the ring Alvarez was a portrait of extroverted behaviour when his victory was confirmed. His record remains perfect at 7-0(4) but he faces a much tougher test in the semi-finals in the shape of the Californian Mike Weaver. The most experienced competitor left in the tournament, Weaver scored a stunning upset of the #1 seed Arturo Godoy in the co-feature. Having had the better of the first seven rounds it seemed certain that Godoy was going to secure a semi-final berth but Weaver erupted in the final frame, decimating the Chilean with an all-out attack that led to referee Arthur Mercante stopping the contest just fifteen seconds from the bell.

Godoy was leading by three points on two scorecards going into the final round so if he'd been able to just stay out of trouble in the 8th he would have been the victor. Weaver's fellow golden state slugger Sam McVey set up a fascinating semi-final clash with Cheetah Brown thanks to a unanimous decision win over Frank Childs. In contrast to his destruction of David Kane in stage one, this was an at-times ugly fight, with neither man able to establish a consistent rhythm. Each scorecard had McVey the winner by a 77-75 verdict but it probably should have been a more comfortable win as he looked to be cruising to an easy victory going into the 6th. But Childs finished strongly in the last three frames to keep McVey honest. The Oxnard native is now 9-0(6) and is regarded by most experts as the favourite to win the title.

***

Results

(#12) Alvarez UD8 (#4) Oquendo
(#11) McVey UD8 (#3) Childs
(#8) Weaver TKO8 (#1) Godoy
(#15) Brown SD8 (#10) Hanson

Semi-final matchups

(#11) Sam McVey (9-0(6)) vs (#15) Cheetah Brown (8-0(7))
(#8) Mike Weaver (25-6-1(21)) vs (#12) Romy Alvarez (7-0(4))

***

[Romdawg88]

VICTORY! I would of preferred not getting dropped by Fres but I'll take it. A win is a win and it showed some heart. I should be able to box Weaver silly just have to avoid that punch. Hell of a job done by Brown, that is easily the best way to handle Hanson. Can't bang with the man as he'll probably flatten you. Good luck with McVey that will be a hell of a fight.

[comicfanman]

That was an awesome card!!! Some real nail bitters

#15 sneaking his way in

Brown is dangerous on all levels, but got lucky after being dropped. I'm sure there will be a rematch down the road.

[kenyan_cheena]

ESPN

Boxing

Updated: August 10, 2006, 10:30 AM ET

Disgruntled Steele
considering IBL contract

By Larry Holman
ESPN.com
Archive

Confirmation was received by Seattle newsagencies yesterday that former IBF middleweight champion Freddie Steele is close to signing a three-year contract with James Molk's International Boxing League. Apparently the 27 year-old "Tacoma Assassin" has had a major falling out with his long-time promoter Jay Levin following his defeat at the hands of Bert Lytell in their July 22 unification bout. Steele was led to believe that there was a rematch clause in the contract that would have guaranteed him a second shot at Lytell in the event of him losing, but it now appears that both Levin and Lytell's promoter Tyrone Hillier deceived him and that no such clause ever existed. Steele said last week that he would never have taken part in the fight if he'd known the rematch clause was not in place.

Whether or not Steele is able to break free of Levin remains to be seen, as he signed a six-bout contract with the promoter eighteen months ago and has only fought three times since then. It could be that the IBL will have to take an approach similar to the one they took with former WBC heavyweight champion Ken Norton. They bought out Norton's existing promotional contract before signing him to a deal that made him the highest-paid fighter in the league. The situation with Steele is quite an unlikely one considering he had turned down the IBL with barely any contemplation earlier this year when the organisation was recruiting fighters for their numerous tournaments.

Steele's loss to Lytell appears to have done a lot of damage to his future viability amongst the alphabet organisations, despite the fact that it was only the second defeat of his career and he had been the IBF champion since 2003. Steele has said that, considering the quality of their July 22 bout, he has no idea why Lytell and his team have no interest in a rematch. The fight was a close, competitive affair that was going to go right down to the wire had Lytell not stopped Steele in the 11th. The Seattle-born slugger is certain that the public would love to see a return clash. It's not yet clear what Lytell's plans are but one thing that's certain is that they don't involve Freddie Steele.

If Steele (33-2-1(29)) was to join the IBL he would have to start from the bottom, which would mean taking part in a pair of six-round world ranking bouts between now and the end of the year, after which he would be ranked no higher than #56. He'd then have to work his way up the rankings, fighting a number of eight- and ten-rounders before breaking into the top rankings tier, when he'd return to the more familiar twelve-round territory and perhaps eventually earn a world title shot. It would have to be considered quite a fall from grace for a man who was regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound competitors in the sport before the Lytell fight. But with what's available to him from the alphabet gang, it might be his only choice. The IBL's middleweight division is already stacked with talent and the addition of Steele would make it even more intriguing.

Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

VICTORY! I would of preferred not getting dropped by Fres but I'll take it. A win is a win and it showed some heart. I should be able to box Weaver silly just have to avoid that punch. Hell of a job done by Brown, that is easily the best way to handle Hanson. Can't bang with the man as he'll probably flatten you. Good luck with McVey that will be a hell of a fight.

Congrats, buddy. I was over the moon that you won that, just as much because you're this thread's biggest fan as for it being good for the Alliance. Hopefully your guy's superior talent will be more than enough for Weaver's superior experience.

Originally Posted by comicfanman

That was an awesome card!!! Some real nail bitters

#15 sneaking his way in

Brown is dangerous on all levels, but got lucky after being dropped. I'm sure there will be a rematch down the road.

I was surprised that Brown chose to fight it that way, but it worked for him. Those punch totals indicated that it was not a very action-packed fight and the bout log confirms it as he fought "Outside - defensive" for six of the eight rounds.

I like how the semis are both California vs Florida, definitely something I can use to hype them up.

[kenyan_cheena]

EL UNIVERSAL

Friday 11 August 2006

GONZALES AMBUSHES
FLYWEIGHT SEMIS

Story by Miguel Trelles

22 year-old Ciudad Neza native Humberto Gonzales booked himself a place in the semi-finals of the International Boxing League's Americas Flyweight Championship tournament last night with a unanimous decision win over Puerto Rico's Carlos Seda. Fighting in the main event at San Juan's Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot, Gonzales upstaged the hometown favourite and tournament 3rd seed, flooring him thirty seconds from the final bell and being awarded identical verdicts of 77-75 from all three judges. Gonzales made a fast start, taking the opening two rounds before Seda answered back strongly in the 3rd and 4th. It was a competitive contest the rest of the way but Gonzales put the result beyond doubt with a single crushing left hook. He outlanded the more aggressive Seda 204-193, improving his record to 11-0-1(8).

There was a possibility at the beginning of the night that four Mexicans could qualify for the semi-finals but besides Gonzales only tournament top seed Isidro Perez made it through, and that was due to his clash with the American Rayonta Whitfield ending as a draw. It was a tight, action-packed contest all the way through and Whitfield was probably unlucky not to escape with a win, as he landed his punches with more accuracy and appeared to inflict more damage. Perez takes on Panama's Hilario Zapata in the semi-finals after Zapata was far too good for Eric Ortiz in claiming a unanimous decision win. Gonzales squares off against the Argentinian Omar Narvaez, who made short work of the promising but inexperienced Jorge Arce. Narvaez scored a 3rd round knockout, dropping Arce with a jolting right cross thirty seconds into the frame.

[kenyan_cheena]

The New York Age

MONDAY, 14 AUGUST, 2006

BOWE TKO'D BY GOLOTA

Story by James Reynolds

Brooklyn-born boxer Riddick Bowe fell to the first defeat of his professional career last night, the 22 year-old Athens silver medallist stopped in round four of an International Boxing League bout by Poland's Andrew Golota. It was one of the quarter-final contests of the league's Heavyweight Challenger's tournament, the card held at London's Wembley Arena. Normally an extroverted braggart, Bowe has shown uncharacteristic maturity in recent months but fell back into old habits in the leadup to last night's action-packed fight. Earlier in the week he'd goaded Golota and questioned his ability, saying there was no way he was going to lose to "some washed-up white dude". But before round one had reached its conclusion Golota had made Bowe aware that he'd be in for a tough night. Having made a promising start Bowe was abruptly sent to the canvas by a vicious uppercut forty seconds from the bell.

Bowe survived the round and issued a strong retort in the 2nd, dominating the frame and flooring Golota with a right cross two minutes in. The former world title challenger was up quickly but Bowe maintained the momentum through the 3rd, tagging Golota with crisp, powerful shots that had him gasping for air and appearing tired. The fight took a remarkable turn in the 4th, though, Golota staggering Bowe with a pair of jolting crosses within the first minute. He then dropped Bowe for a second time midway through the round with another sizzling cross, the 10th seed suddenly looking very vulnerable. Golota grabbed the opportunity with both hands and pounded Bowe into submission, finding the mark with a four-punch combo and two separate right hands before referee Earl Morton jumped in to save a dazed Bowe from further harm three seconds before the bell.

The emotional Pole let out a passionate, victorious bellow as his corner crew flooded the ring. They lifted him onto their shoulders and paraded him around the ring like he'd just won the world championship itself, Golota holding both arms up high. Despite the fact that Bowe's professional experience amounts to less than half that of Golota's it was a big win for the 26 year-old, as many experts believed that he's exactly what Bowe claimed: washed-up. He was beaten twice by Sergey Anyukov in 2005, both fights challenges for the Russian's WBA belt. After those setbacks it appeared he'd struggle to regain the form of his earlier years. But following his stage one stoppage of Vladimir Virchis and last night's win over Bowe he now looks capable of giving the tournament a mighty shake. Golota is now 29-4(25), Bowe falling to 12-1(9). Bowe has had his critics but even they would be hesitant to pick him apart over this defeat. He showed that he's capable of mixing it with fighters much more experienced than he is and in this writer's opinion it's only a matter of time until he earns a shot at the IBL World Championship.

Golota will meet the Australian silver medallist Peter Jackson in the semi-finals. Jackson defeated Russia's Alexander Zolkin by split decision to improve to 15-0(9). The Caribbean-born 24 year-old made a confident start and looked to be on his way to a convincing win after flooring Zolkin in round three. But the Russian mounted an admirable comeback through the final five rounds and gave Jackson all he could handle before the Australian took the win by scores of 77-74, 75-76 and 78-73. The man who denied Jackson gold in Athens was much more convincing. Texas-born Californian Jack Johnson produced something akin to a master class in defeating Tonga's Simione Paea by unanimous decision (77-74, 80-71, 78-73). Johnson landed a fantastic 299 punches in the eight-rounder, connecting at 62.6% while Paea could only find the mark with 65 blows at a woeful 15.3%. It was clear to see that Johnson was out to impress, not just with his attacking flair but also his defensive brilliance. He dropped Paea with a beautifully-timed uppercut shortly before the end of the 7th and was actually talking to someone at ringside while the referee administered the count. Johnson was in a bragadocious mood before the fight and backed up his behaviour multiple times over.

The speed of Johnson's hands was something to behold. Time and again he planted a stiff left jab on Paea's chin, nose and forehead, leaving the Pacific Islander battered, swollen and bruised at the bout's conclusion. Like Jackson, Johnson is now 15-0, his victory setting up what will be one of the most anticipated semi-final clashes in these IBL tournaments. He'll take on England's super-heavyweight gold medallist Lennox Lewis, who overcame the challenge presented by New Jersey's Joe Jeannette, but only just. Lewis won by unanimous decision, but only because Jeannette was deducted a point for a low blow in the final round. If not for that the bout would have been a draw as Lewis won by identical verdicts of 75-74 on all three scorecards. The popular North Bergen-born Jeannette made an encouraging start, having the better of the opening two rounds before Lewis knocked him down with a punishing combination two minutes into the 3rd. There'd been nothing happening in the round to that point and when Lewis took the 4th and 5th with ease he appeared on his way to victory.

But Jeannette stormed back into the contest in the 6th, giving the pro-Lewis crowd reason for concern when he put their man on his backside with a strong uppercut ten seconds from the bell. Lewis was back in command in the 7th before Jeannette finished strongly, although he unfortunately shot himself in the foot with that low blow early in the final round. Jeannette was deeply disappointed afterwards, frustrated that he'd been unable to duplicate the deeds from the previous Sunday of his good friend and fellow Jersey native Mickey Walker, who had upset Holman Williams in the middleweight version of the Challenger's tournament. Jeannette fell to 14-2(10) but there's every reason to believe he'll be a strong contender for the world title in the years to come. As for Lewis, he will most likely go in against Johnson as a slight favourite. Both have shown they possess great talent but Lewis' size advantage might just be enough to sway the fight his way. The 6'5" Briton weighed in at 235 for last night's fight while Johnson, who stands 6'1", tipped the scales at just 210. Lewis also enjoys a ten-inch reach advantage, something that will surely have a bearing on the outcome.

Some boxing experts have actually commented that they're surprised Johnson is campaigning at heavyweight at this early stage of his career as it seems he'd be a more natural fit at cruiserweight (or junior-heavyweight, as it's known in the IBL). It could be that he's more comfortable knowing he doesn't have to make sure he's under 200 pounds each time he steps in the ring. When his love of the night life is taken into account, that seems the most likely scenario. One thing is certain, and that is that he'll have to train his backside off for this upcoming clash with Lewis. Johnson was accused of taking it easy in the lead-up to his stage one bout against Gerrie Coetzee. If he does that for Lewis, he won't just be defeated, he'll be embarrassed and dominated, also.

***

Results

(#11) Jackson SD8 (#14) Zolkin
(#8) Johnson UD8 (#16) Paea
(#2) Golota TKO4 (#10) Bowe
(#5) Lewis UD8 (#13) Jeannette

Semi-finals

(#5) Lennox Lewis (16-0(10)) vs (#8) Jack Johnson (15-0(11))
(#2) Andrew Golota (29-4(25)) vs (#11) Peter Jackson (15-0(9))

***

[kenyan_cheena]

The Philadelphia Inquirer

WEDNESDAY 16 AUGUST 2006

FINAL ROUND KNOCKDOWN
SAVES CHANDLER'S SKIN

Story by Lenny Hayes

Philadelphia bantamweight Jeff Chandler extended his stay in the International Boxing League's Americas Championship tournament last night when his bout against Florida's Carmelo Aleman in Vancouver ended as a draw. Being the higher tournament seed Chandler progressed to the semi-finals but not before a dramatic final round allowed him to avoid elimination. The younger, less experienced Aleman had produced a fantastic effort through the first seven frames and appeared to be on his way to a second consecutive upset victory on the back of his stage one defeat of 3rd seed Manny Elias. The Palm Springs native held a two-point lead on two scorecards and, although he didn't know it, needed only to stay on his feet through the final round to secure a win. He'd cut a visibly perturbed Chandler over the right eyebrow early in the 7th, which resulted in the bout being stopped and the ringside doctor inspecting the wound. The doctor looked at it again early in the 8th.

Chandler was in control through the first two minutes of the 8th but as each second ticked away Aleman came closer to victory. But with just under a minute left in the contest the Philadelphian unleashed a brutal left hook to the body that sent Aleman to the canvas. He clutched at his ribs in pain but managed to get back to his feet at eight. Chandler came home with a wet sail, finding the target with a big uppercut and a straight right before the round was over. When the verdicts were announced the importance of the knockdown was clear to see. Two judges had it all tied up at 76-76 while the third favoured Chandler 77-76. Even though Chandler had been the busier, more aggressive and more accurate fighter he would have been out of the tournament without that final stanza finish. He landed 220 of 686 punches (32.1%), Aleman 158 of 548 (28.8%).

The 6th seed celebrated triumphantly when the verdict was revealed, shouting and high-fiving his corner crew. Chandler's record is now 14-1-2(9), Aleman's 5-0-1(4). Chandler takes on Ohio's Greg Richardson in the semi-finals. The Youngstown native scored an upset victory over crowd favourite and tournament 2nd seed Vic Foley in the main event, winning by TKO in round seven. Foley suffered a cut in round four that became progressively worse until the contest was stopped early in the 7th, much to the disappointment of the parochial General Motors Place audience. The other semi sees Texas native Orlando Canizales take on Puerto Rico's Julian Solis. Canizales dropped Roberto Rubaldino twice on the way to a convincing unanimous decision win while Solis prevailed in a thriller over the Cuban Luis Galvani. He also took a unanimous decision verdict, but only by a single point on all three cards.

It's been said for quite some time now that America's stocks in the bantamweight division are very thin but this tournament has certainly proven otherwise. There's a number of US bantamweights who could very well become world title contenders some day. Three of them have made their way into the semi-finals, which was certainly unexpected. Meanwhile, in just his sixth pro bout Carmelo Aleman showed that he's a real talent and certainly one to watch in the months and years to come. Philadelphia will be cheering for more success for Chandler when he steps in the ring again in eight weeks from now.