The Greatest Prize in Sports

[kenyan_cheena]

The New York Age

FRIDAY, 25 AUGUST, 2006

IBL confirms start date for
additional world ranking cards

Story by James Reynolds

International Boxing League president James Molk has been a busy man during the last couple of days. On Wednesday he issued a press release that set out the schedule for the upcoming semi-finals of the organisation's various tournaments. He followed that up yesterday afternoon by announcing that the league had completed their latest round of recruitments and that they'll be staging a series of "world ranking" fight cards featuring these new recruits starting on Wednesday the 18th of October. The IBL signed sixteen individual fighters in each of their nine weight classes and will hold three cards per week (on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) through until early December. During this period each of the newly-signed competitors are scheduled to take part in two six-round bouts, with the results to determine the make-up of the initial world rankings in each division from #56 through to #71.

There will be a four week break between bouts for each fighter, with the scheduling following the same order as the current league tournaments, as listed below:

Week one: Wed. 18/10 welterweights, Fri. 20/10 junior-heavyweights, Sat. 21/10 lightweights.

Week two: Wed. 25/10 light-heavyweights, Fri. 27/10 middleweights, Sat 28/10 featherweights.

Week three: Wed. 01/11 heavyweights, Fri. 03/11 flyweights, Sat. 04/11 bantamweights.

Series two will commence on the 15th of November and conclude on the 2nd of December. The cards fit perfectly into the seven-week hiatus period that the league tournaments will enter into on October 16. Molk's organisation has recruited a range of fighters from many international locations, such as the Canadian bantamweight George Dixon who won silver in Athens but only just made the jump to the pro ranks in June. Currently 3-0, it was believed that the 19 year-old would stay an amateur until after Beijing but like others the pull of the professional game has proven too attractive for him to resist. He joins fellow Canadian medallists Sam Langford and Lennox Lewis under the banner of the IBL (though Lewis now resides in the United Kingdom). The league also snared the huge signature of former IBF middleweight champion Freddie Steele after they bought out his contact with promoter Jay Levin. Steele's relationship with Levin deteriorated following his loss to Bert Lytell last month, with Steele claiming Levin lied to him during negotiations prior to the bout. No doubt "The Tacoma Assassin" will be a big drawcard for the IBL.

There were many observers who were hoping the league would go after Detroit heavyweight Brutus Brody, but it appears that Chicago promoter Tyrone Hillier beat them to the punch. Hillier signed the ex-convict to a promotional deal late last month, in fact only a week after the 27 year-old's one-round demolition of LeVon Stephens. Rumour has it that Hillier arranged a meeting with Brody at the Renaissance Center's Marriott hotel, where the promising boxer was wined and dined. Hillier has said that he's going to take Brody to the top in the heavyweight division. Considering Brody's ferocious power and the absence of quality heavies amongst the alphabet rankings, that appears to be a very real possibility. While the IBL failed to acquire Brody, they did pick up a couple of other up-and-coming heavyweights in Virginia's Ron E. Vincent and Baltimore native Mark Lyons. It will be interesting to follow their progress. Two of the sport's most exciting young fighters have continued to steer clear of the IBL, with lightweight Pernell Whitaker and junior-welterweight Felix Trinidad once again electing to stay on their current path. Even so, the IBL are confident that they've secured most of boxing's talented combatants.

"There's some tremendously promising fighters amongst this new group of recruits," Molk said during yesterday's announcement. "It would not surprise me in the least to see a number of them rise rapidly up our rankings during the year ahead."

[Marciano6]

Excellent

[kenyan_cheena]

The Miami Herald

SUNDAY 27 AUGUST 2006

NAPOLES RETAINS TITLE IN
HISTORICAL HAVANA BOUT

Story by Michael Lawson

WBC Welterweight Champion Jose Napoles retained his belt last night with a 7th round TKO of New York's Marcelo Smith in the first boxing world title fight held in Cuba since 1958. Napoles was born in Santiago but has lived in Miami ever since his family defected to the United States when he was three. He was victorious in front of a crowd of some 55,000 at Havana's Gran Stadium, with Cuban president Eriel Borrero sitting proudly at ringside. Borrero has been the driving force behind Cuba's re-entry into professional boxing ever since he unseated Raul Castro in the election of August 2003. He had been directly involved in arrangements for last night's card, which also featured a number of promising young Cuban fighters.

Napoles improved his record to 28-1(24) with the win, Smith falling to 25-3-1(17). It was an exciting, entertaining contest, one befitting such a historical event. Smith proved to be a challenging opponent for the champion and had him in trouble on more than a couple of occasions through the first five rounds. But in round six Napoles went up a gear and Smith couldn't go with him. The New Yorker tasted the canvas twice during the last minute of the frame and after he was floored for a third time just thirty seconds into the 7th the referee ended the contest, Napoles successfully defending his title for the ninth time since winning it in March '03.

Speaking during the post-fight interview Napoles told of the "fantastic hospitality" he'd received in Havana, saying he was made to feel right at home. The crowd had been in good spirits all night and they responded with a long round of applause, embracing Napoles as their champion. He's been in Havana for the last two weeks, not only preparing for the bout but also helping the IBL and Cuban government to promote it. Napoles also gave his time to a series of boxing clinics the IBL staged at Havana's amateur boxing academy. The 25 year-old was asked about his future plans and he revealed that he's been contemplating a move to junior-middleweight for a while and that "now might just be the time to make it". No doubt that information will lead many to speculate on a possible blockbuster bout against Jamaica's Mike McCallum, who is currently without a world title and apparently uninterested in dealing with the "alphabet gang".

[kenyan_cheena]

We are now at the end of August, which means that the next couple posts will be the Boxing Monthly fight reviews and World Boxing Review's notes & quotes. I'm also going to update and post the list of current alphabet champions, which I haven't done since the uni was in mid-May.

I'm already halfway through the BM fight reviews and should be able to post them in a couple days. I've made a bunch of notes for the WBR n&q, which I'll probably start working on over the weekend. It's an interesting, busy time in the uni and the August notes & quotes will reflect that.

[Ian Lord]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Coventry Observer

TUESDAY 1 AUGUST 2006

LORD THRILLS HOMETOWN FANS
WITH WIN OVER SIBSON

Story by James Hurd

Coventry middleweight Ian Lord staged a late rally to take a unanimous decision win over Leicester's Tony Sibson last night at a bursting-at-the-seams Leofric Hotel. The bout was the headline attraction on an International Boxing League fight card that featured the quarter-finals of the organisation's Inter-Continental Middleweight Championship tournament, Lord earning a semi-final berth with his gutsy win. Both men had achieved admirable, unexpected victories in their stage one bouts and both were heavily supported, although Lord had a slight edge in that category. Lord was behind the pace early on as, after an ineffective 1st he was deducted a point in the 2nd for a low blow.

The 11th-seeded southpaw controlled rounds three and four and appeared to be on his way to victory. He was beating Sibson to the punch, outworking him and inflicting some nasty damage, including some serious swelling under his right eye. But Sibson wasn't going to go down without a fight and he fired off a worrying retort in the 5th before winning round six quite convincingly. Lord knew he had to finish strongly to secure a victory and that's exactly what he did. He upped his aggression and dominated the final two rounds, putting it beyond doubt when he sent Sibson to the canvas moments before the final bell. The knockdown brought a deafening cheer from the crowd. The cards each had identical scores of 76-74 in Lord's favour, the 18 year-old receiving a huge ovation when his victory was confirmed.

Lord outlanded Sibson 274-127 but obviously those numbers don't indicate what a competitive fight it was. Lord is now 9-0(5) and will take on Germany's Franz Szuzina in the semis. Szuzina just made it through after his bout against Tom Bogs finished as a draw. There'll be at least one Englishman in the tournament final because the other semi pits London's Maurice Hope against Leamington Spa native Randy Turpin. Hope booked his place in the final four with an unconvincing effort in his fight with the Frenchman Robert Villemain. He struggled for consistency throughout the match and was probably lucky it ended as a draw. Turpin was far more impressive in scoring a 5th round knockout of Korea's Jae-Do Yuh. After an evenly-fought opening four rounds Turpin blew his man away with two knockdowns in the 5th, Yuh failing to beat the count after the second, the bout ending at the 2:35 mark. Turpin is now 11-0(9) and based on what he's shown in his opening two tournament bouts must be a favourite to become the inaugural IBL Inter-Continental Middleweight Champion.

(#7) Szuzina D8 (#15) Bogs
(#1) Hope D8 (#9) Villemain
(#4) Turpin KO5 (#5) Yuh
(#11) Lord UD8 (#14) Sibson

Semi-finals

(#7) Franz Szuzina (9-1-1(6)) vs (#11) Ian Lord (9-0(5))
(#1) Maurice Hope (13-0-2(9)) vs (#4) Randy Turpin (11-0(9))

Been keeping my eye out for this but missed it. Well chuffed with the win. The atmosphere would have been electric at The Leofric.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Ian Lord

Been keeping my eye out for this but missed it. Well chuffed with the win. The atmosphere would have been electric at The Leofric.

Easiest way to find a write-up or a mention on any fighter in the uni is to use the "search this thread" feature. If you just search for lord, maybe coventry aswell (as it's probably been mentioned in every post he's in) then you'll be able to find every post he's been in very quickly.

I'm always using the search thread feature because with so many fighters and storylines involved I always have to look back at what I've written previously to make sure I don't create any plotholes or problems with continuity. It's especially useful when I do the month end posts for BM and WBR.

[Jeff1787]

Some very big bouts coming up....looking forward to them!!

I make the following predictions for the World Championship Tourney winners:

HW: IKE IBEABUCHI
LHW: DICK TIGER
MW: JOHN MUGABI
WW: EMILE GRIFFITH
LW: RAFAEL LIMON
FW: SOLLY SMITH
BW: OWEN MORAN
FLY: JAKE MATLALA

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Jeff1787

Some very big bouts coming up....looking forward to them!!

I make the following predictions for the World Championship Tourney winners:

HW: IKE IBEABUCHI
LHW: DICK TIGER
MW: JOHN MUGABI
WW: EMILE GRIFFITH
LW: RAFAEL LIMON
FW: SOLLY SMITH
BW: OWEN MORAN
FLY: JAKE MATLALA

Thanks for taking the time to make those predicitions, Jeff. I must admit that if they all come off it would be unexpected, but very exciting. I am filled with so much anticipation because when I was running the HBF/IBL uni I didn't get anywhere near this close to holding world title fights. I can't wait for them to come around.

I'm also hoping that Jake Morrison can bounce back when he takes on Marvin Blanks on September 15. Blanks is a much more experienced fighter but if Jake can get past him it'll really raise his profile.

[Jeff1787]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Thanks for taking the time to make those predicitions, Jeff. I must admit that if they all come off it would be unexpected, but very exciting. I am filled with so much anticipation because when I was running the HBF/IBL uni I didn't get anywhere near this close to holding world title fights. I can't wait for them to come around.

I'm also hoping that Jake Morrison can bounce back when he takes on Marvin Blanks on September 15. Blanks is a much more experienced fighter but if Jake can get past him it'll really raise his profile.

I will not comment on Jake because I don't want to jinx him....

[kenyan_cheena]

BOXING
MONTHLY

VOLUME 28, ISSUE 8 - AUGUST 2006

JUDGMENT DAY APPROACHING
FOR ALPHABET SOUP GANG

Story by Jimmy Foster

Back on the 1st of January there was little to indicate that 2006 was going to become the most tumultuous year that the sport of boxing has experienced for some time. Coming off what had been, in the main, a forgettable 2005 it appeared that the sweet science would continue its self-inflicted slow and steady descent into further obscurity and "niche" status, with the powers that be unwilling to do anything to abate the slide. Rumours that Las Vegas businessman James Molk was planning to establish yet another sanctioning body were sketchy and not taken too seriously. But just ten days into the new year Molk illustrated how serious he was about the endeavour with an announcement that gave the sport a much needed publicity boost. As the weeks passed Molk's ambitions became clearer, and they excited people. They gave boxing fans hope that their sport might, just might, one day return to the premier status it had once enjoyed.

At the same time the established sanctioning organisations - the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO, or "the alphabet gang", as they're commonly known - were struggling to come up with a retort. So comfortable, content and complacent for so long, Molk's International Boxing League had caught them with their pants down. The price of being "asleep at the wheel" was steep, with a flood of talented fighters - amongst them twenty alphabet champions - signing contracts with the new body. The IBL has been staging fight cards for just on three months now and it would not be overstating the matter to say that the league has given boxing an injection of freshness and interest it was sorely in need of. The structure that Molk and his cashed-up associates have put in place appears sound, and the excitement they've generated so far will only grow as their tournaments move towards a conclusion.

The alphabet gang is left to squabble and quarrel amongst themselves for what are, essentially, the left overs. Scraps. Can you imagine any of America's major professional sporting leagues functioning at the same level of competitiveness and excitement if a chunk of their athletes decided to ply their trade elsewehere? So goes the current circumstances for the alphabet gang. But rather than banning together against this common enemy, they appear intent on self-destruction. Last month we learned of the financial woes affecting the WBO. That particular organisation has struggled for most of its eighteen-year existence, with the attitudes of the WBA, WBC and IBF surely contributing to those troubles. The WBO is on the brink of collapse and according to some observers may not survive into 2007.

Then there is the scandalous situation surrounding the IBF and its president Michael Jacobs, who is currently on trial in relation to death threats made against Mexican boxer Gilberto Vasquez. The WBC's head honcho Luis Velazquez used the case as an excuse to hit the IBF when it was down and demand that they be banned from boxing, despite having staged a middleweight unification bout with the very same organisation on July 22. There are some who believe that the WBA and WBC have made a secret pact to support each other while leaving the IBF and WBO to fend for themselves. Last month's scenario where a possible lightweight unification bout between WBA/WBC champion Patricio Marquez and IBF title holder Joe Brown was scuttled appears to support this belief. The WBA and WBC both said that the fight will only happen if Brown relinquishes his belt beforehand.

It's been apparent for quite some time now that the IBF's continued survival depends almost entirely on the involvement of New Jersey-based promoter Robert Tattaglia. It's believed that he has substantial links with organised crime, his involvement in a number of rackets the very thing that is keeping the IBF alive. Tattaglia is a close friend of Jacobs and is regarded as the unoffical president of the IBF, so involved he is with it. Tattaglia promotes five of the current IBF champions, including the German heavyweight Marko Friedrich and the brilliant Venezuelan Fulgencio Obelmejias. There are a number of other talented fighters competing for the organisation and if Tattaglia maintains his support there's no reason to believe it will go under, even if the WBA and WBC continue to shun it.

When James Molk announced the creation of the IBL back in January he stated that one of his goals was for it to become the "premier sanctioning body" running the sport in the years to come. In this writer's opinion he's already well on the way towards that ambition. He has a clear vision of where he wants to take his league and is motivated by something the alphabet gang has never been able to claim: the betterment of the sport. Judging by what has taken place during the first eight months of the year, I can only see a future where Molk's organisation grows stronger while the others continue to flounder. If the day ever comes when the IBL is the only sanctioning body administering boxing, it will be a great day, indeed.

__________

(following are selected entries from the magazine's
"Fight Review" section)

1 August: Washington, DC, USA
Mark Lyons (4-0(4)) TKO2 Brian Hall (3-4(1))
(heavyweight division)

It was reported in mid-June that Lyons had signed a contract with the International Boxing League. What was not known at the time is that the contract does not kick in until October 1st, meaning the Baltimore native can fight as often as he wants until then. Coincidentally, Lyons had been out of action for almost two months before fighting Hall, having suffered a knee injury while training. It led to the cancellation of a proposed fight last month but Lyons appeared to be completely recovered as he decimated Hall, who lost by four-round unanimous decision to another promising young heavyweight Ron Vincent in his last outing. Expect to see Lyons in action a couple more times before his IBL contract becomes effective.

8 August: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Adam Brooks (4-1(3)) KO1 Owen Beck (7-1-1(5))
(IBL heavyweight division)

Brooks was eliminated from the IBL's Americas Championship tournament in painful fashion, being knocked out less than a minute from the final bell of a bout he was clearly winning against Chile's Arturo Godoy back on June 27. Fighting in a world ranking bout on the quarter-final card the Tennessee native turned out the lights on Jamaica's Owen beck with a single crunching uppercut 2:10 into the 1st round. He was in a much happier mood after the impressive win than he was following the loss to Godoy. Brooks takes on Uruguay's Alfredo Evangelista in his next world ranking bout on October 3.

9 August: Manila, Philippines
Yoko Gushiken (8-0-1(6)) TKO1 Mickey McGuire (13-3(11))
(IBL flyweight division)

According to reports coming out of the Athens bronze medallist's camp Gushiken had been in an irritated, surly mood for most of the six weeks since his surprising exit from the IBL's Inter-Continental Flyweight Championship tournament. He took out all that pent up frustration on England's Mickey McGuire, bombing him into oblivion with a devastating display of power punching. McGuire did not taste the canvas but he was so thoroughly battered that the referee stopped the contest three seconds from the end of round one, Gushiken landing 70 of 101 punches thrown. This performance will serve as a frightening warning to the rest of the division that the 21 year-old is on a mission and won't be satisifed until he's on top of the mountain.

12 August: Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Ron E. Vincent (5-0(2)) TKO3 Larry Mason (3-1(1))
(heavyweight division)

The "REV" was in an aggressive mood against Mason, dropping him four times before the contest was called off late in the 3rd. Fighting only twenty miles from his hometown of Suffolk, Vincent enjoyed the support of most of the crowd at the Norfolk Scope. It was confirmed a couple of weeks after his defeat of Mason that Vincent had signed a contract with the International Boxing League, which will see him take part in their upcoming world ranking fight cards. The ordained minister will certainly have a challenge on his hands from what is clearly a very talented bunch of heavyweights in the IBL but he holds no fear for the situation, only enthusiasm and excitement.

15 August: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadfa
Paulia Ayala (14-0-1(10)) KO1 Raul Macias (10-3(6))
(IBL bantamweight division)

Athens Olympian Ayala has had some critics during his brief pro career but even they would have conceeded that he got a raw deal in his IBL debut, which ended in a draw after Ayala had appeared to win the bout quite easily. As a result he was eliminated from the league's Americas Bantamweight Championship tournament. The 22 year-old made short work of his first outing since then, dispatching the Mexican Raul Macias with a left-right salvo two minutes into the opening round. It had been a frantic fight while it lasted, both men throwing a lot of leather but failing to connect with most of it. Ayala has said he's determined to land himself as high a world ranking as possible going into 2007 and that a desire to prove his doubters wrong is something that really drives him.

16 August: Bangkok, Thailand
Chatchai Chaisam (35-3-1(26)) UD12 Jiro Yamamoto (24-2-1(17))
(flyweight division, WBA title fight)

Thailand's favourite son stretched his undefeated streak to eighteen bouts, in addition to retaining his WBA title for the seventh time. Still only thirty, Chaisam has a lot of years left in him based on his convincing showing against the 21 year-old Japanese native Yamamoto. Chatchai is the leading light in a division that is often ignored by boxing fans and he really deserves more recognition, plaudits and praise. His camp have intimated recently that he might move up to junior-bantamweight in the near future, where a clash with Venezuela's WBA champ Giancarlo Arango could be a strong possibility. Arango will be in action in mid-September.

19 August: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Fulgencio Obelmejias (32-1-1(24)) UD12 Ray Landis (27-2(22))
(super-middleweight division, IBF title fight)

Obelmejias returned to the ring for the first time since stopping Jamal Hammonds in April. He produced an equally convincing effort in defeating Landis, taking verdicts of 118-110, 117-111 and 118-111. The Venezuelan had openly expressed his frustration on the problems facing the IBF during the week leading into the bout, saying it was an embarassing situation to have the organisation's president Michael Jacobs facing criminal charges in a court of law. However, he also criticised his fellow countryman and WBA president Pedro Vielma over the stance the sport's oldest sanctioning body has taken against the IBF. Apparently Obelmejias had expressed interest in fighting for the association's vacant super-middleweight belt but, as is the case with IBF lightweight champ Joe Brown, he was told he'd have to relinquish his federation belt for that to happen. Obelmejias said Vielma and WBC president Luis Velazquez were sabotaging boxing, an accusation most observers would agree with him on.

19 August: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Felix Trinidad (5-0(5)) UD6 Juan Villegas (15-3(11))
(junior-welterweight division)

Fighting on the undercard of Obelmejias' title bout Trinidad was taken the distance for the first time in his career, the rugged Argentinian Villegas proving to be a tough customer. There was never any doubt that Trinidad would be victorious but the amount of punishment Villegas absorbed was quite surprising. He never gave the referee a reason to stop the fight because he stayed aggressive despite being outclassed. It was a good outing for Trinidad, one that will certainly benefit him. After spending the last six weeks in the USA the Puerto Rican will be returning home and fighting there next month.

22 August: Los Angeles, California, USA
Fred Boatwright (4-0-1(1)) MD4 LeVar Moats (5-2-1(2))
(middleweight division)

Boatwright is known as "Boogie" to his family and friends but there was little about his performance against Moats that would encourage one to get up and dance. The 18 year-old is one of the most passive fighters this observer has ever seen. Totally lacking in aggression and killer instinct, it was only Moats' sub-standard effort that allowed Boatwright to win the bout by scores of 39-37, 38-38 and 39-38. But as has been the case in his previous contests, the lanky LA-born winner was only too keen to brag and boast once the verdict was announced. Someone really needs to get into the kid's ear and tell him to get his act together, because based on his recent efforts he's showing little improvement and he isn't gaining himself any fans, either.

25 August: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Mark Lyons (5-0(5)) KO3 Louie Aiello (4-2(2))
(heavyweight division)

Baltimore's Mark Lyons was in action for the second time during the month, having stopped Brian Hall back on the 1st. It was a similar story against Aiello, Lyons rocking the New Yorker at least a half-dozen times before putting him away early in the 3rd round. It had been confirmed earlier in the day that Lyons will be taking part in the IBL's heavyweight world ranking fight cards in November but he'll most likely squeeze in another fight before then. This 23 year-old is definitely one to keep an eye on, especially once he comes under the banner of the talent-heavy IBL.

26 August: Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
Javier Gutierrez (37-4-2(29)) UD12 Michael Lincoln (23-1(18))
(junior-welterweight division, WBC title fight)

In the main event of an entertaining Tyrone Hillier-promoted card that also featured Pernell Whitaker and Brutus Brody (see below) at the Trump Plaza, Gutierrez retained his belt for the tenth time with a convincing display against the promising but untested St. Louis native Michael Lincoln. There has been talk of a unification bout between Gutierrez and WBA champ Eddie Perkins, who has been inactive since holding onto his title by the slimmest of margins against Marvyn Rollins back in April. Rollins is now competing under the IBL banner and it's unclear what Perkins' camp has planned for him. Mississippi-born Perkins had also been mentioned in a possible unification fight with IBF champ Bruno Arcari, which is highly unlikely considering the stance the WBA has taken against the IBF. At 33 Gutierrez isn't getting any younger and will be eager to squeeze in as many paydays as possible before hanging up his gloves.

26 August: Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
Pernell Whitaker (14-0(9)) TKO5 Marlon Howard (11-3-1(8))
(lightweight division)

Athens gold medallist Whitaker stayed on track with a clinical performance against crowd favourite Marlon Howard. The Jersey City native had no answer for Whitaker's lightning fast fists and the referee took pity on him two minutes into the 5th. Whitaker had stunned him with a four-punch flurry moments before. 2006 has been a profitable year so far for the Virginian but many are calling for his management to start putting him in against opponents who will test him. They did exactly that back in June when he dominated Javier Lopez but both his July clash with David Walters on the undercard of Lytell-Steele and the victory over Howard were nothing more than "record padding" outings.

26 August: Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
Brutus Brody (6-0(6)) KO2 Leonard Morrow (9-4-1(5))
(heavyweight division)

Having signed the destructive Detroit native to a promotional contract in July, Chicago promoter Tyrone Hillier gave Brody some national exposure in his first fight for him, including him on the Trump Plaza card. Decked out in solid black from his silk robe, knee-length trunks and shin high boots, Brody presented a truly intimidating image, his hair worn in cornrows like fellow heavyweights Terone Haynes and Michael Dokes. He deposited Morrow on his backside midway through round one with a crunching left hook and turned out his lights early in the 2nd with a sledgehammer straight right, the crowd excited by his power. All seven of Brody's wins have come inside of two rounds but we'll have to wait and see if Hillier decides to put him in with some tougher opposition. In the short-term he'll probably be content to build Brody's destructive aura and popularity against hand-picked foes.

26 August: Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
Frank Galvano (4-0(4)) UD4 Lamar Shanks (3-2(1))
(middleweight division)

Promising New Yorker Galvano took part in the opening bout on Hillier's Trump Plaza card and, in contrast to his first four bouts, presented a more patient, watchful disposition. It appeared a deliberate choice on his team's part to allow the fight to go the distance in order to give Galvano some ring time and allow him to work on certain skills. His opening quartet of contests all ended inside of three rounds, including last month's 2nd round TKO of Jimmy Bridges. After sounding off on the impressive nature of his efforts Galvano said that it felt good to pace himself and not be so concerned with blowing away his opponent as quickly as possible.

[PWillisTheMan]

Nice, two KO's is better than one!

[Marciano6]

Nice i'm happy with the results

[Crimson]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

22 August: Los Angeles, California, USA
Fred Boatwright (4-0-1(1)) MD4 LeVar Moats (5-2-1(2))
(middleweight division)

Boatwright is known as "Boogie" to his family and friends but there was little about his performance against Moats that would encourage one to get up and dance. The 18 year-old is one of the most passive fighters this observer has ever seen. Totally lacking in aggression and killer instinct, it was only Moats' sub-standard effort that allowed Boatwright to win the bout by scores of 39-37, 38-38 and 39-38. But as has been the case in his previous contests, the lanky LA-born winner was only too keen to brag and boast once the verdict was announced. Someone really needs to get into the kid's ear and tell him to get his act together, because based on his recent efforts he's showing little improvement and he isn't gaining himself any fans, either.

"Undefeated! Undefeated! Bring on all the pretenders and fighters who wish they could boogie. Moats was tough. He'll beat a lot of the other middlewieghts out there, but not....'Boogie'! He knew his attempts to hit me were futile and that's why he hardly tried."
- Fred Boatwright

[kenyan_cheena]

With the end of the financial year here in Australia fast approaching I'll be very busy at work during the next couple of months, so I won't be able to post as often as I have been. Even so, I should have the August issue of World Boxing Review ready to post tomorrow.

[Tomato Can]

Sorry Kc,

I have kind of become addicted to your thread so I am going to have to respectfully ask you to quit your day job.

Sorry for the inconvienence to you and your family.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Tomato Can

Sorry Kc,

I have kind of become addicted to your thread so I am going to have to respectfully ask you to quit your day job.

Sorry for the inconvienence to you and your family.

Ha, thanks, TC. That gave me a laugh and a smile. One of the nicest compliments I've been given on these boards.

[kenyan_cheena]

WORLD BOXING REVIEW

v. 52 / e. 8

AUGUST 2006

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

***

Tuesday 01/08/06

"I've been in this game long enough to know an extraordinary talent when I see one and I'm tellin' you, this kid is gonna be somethin' special. His power, confidence and aggression is remarkable, especially in someone so young and inexperienced. He simply swept everyone aside in Cartagena and I'm pretty sure the same thing'll happen in Buenos Aires."

Amateur boxing expert Gil Griffiths gives a glowing appraisal of 16 year-old Panama lightweight Roberto Duran. The teenager only started as an amateur in February but he shocked observers at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Cartagena, Colombia in late July by claiming a gold medal after a series of dominant displays. Griffiths believes Duran is entirely capable of a repeat performance during the South American Games, which will be staged in Argentina in November.

***

Thursday 03/08/06

"I have to admit that I'm disappointed about it. I've been loyal to the WBC for a long time but I feel like they ain't returning it with their attitude on this. I've spoken to Mr. Velazquez and also Mr. Vielma from the WBA to try and sway them, 'cause this is a fight I really want to go ahead with. There's no greater challenge for me in the lightweight division than Joe Brown but they're saying I can't fight him. It's just some bull$hit politics, really, and that's frustrating. I've talked to Joe about it and he's just as frustrated as I am about the situation."

Lightweight champion Patricio Marquez speaks his mind on the WBA and WBC's refusal to allow him to fight IBF titleholder Joe Brown in an undisputed championship bout. Marquez has not fought since unifying the WBA and WBC titles in March when he defeated Francisco Ortiz.

***

Monday 07/08/06

"Just looking at the man in court today, I wouldn't be surprised if he has a heart attack before the trial is over. I've never seen someone so stressed. I know we can't comment on aspects of the trial itself but Jacobs has been acting like a guilty man. It's plain for anyone to see. I can't believe his lawyers haven't spoken to him about it, or at least asked him to put on his best poker face."

HBO's Greg Jackson makes an observation on the trial of IBF president Michael Jacobs, which started in mid-July. New York-born Jacobs could spend up to four years in jail if convicted of charges relating to death threats made against Mexican boxer Gilberto Vasquez earlier this year. As Jackson noted, Jacobs has not presented a calm, collected countenance during his court appearances, something that would surely damage his chances of walking free. Even so, there are many who believe that his mafia connections might come into play at some stage and could lead to him being found innocent.

***

Wednesday 09/08/06

"Well, that's how these things often work, isn't it? "To the victor go the spoils", as they say. Sanchez is bathing in the glory of his victory while Saldivar is the forgotten man now, and might be for some time. There's no doubt that the defeat will only increase his desire and commitment to making his way to the top. There are so many people here in Mexico who are already assuming that Sanchez is going to win the right to challenge for the title and then claim it in his first attempt, almost as if whoever wins that belt will just be keeping it warm for him."

Mexican boxing writer Javier Martinez sums up the atmosphere in his homeland in the aftermath of the blockbuster August 6 clash between bitter rivals Salvador Sanchez and Vicente Saldivar, which Sanchez won by an eight-round unanimous decision verdict.

***

Friday 11/08/06

"He's hiding behind that "outsmarting me" nonsense, but the truth is he didn't man up. This ain't chess or ten pin bowling, you know? It's boxing. It's heavyweight boxing, and for him to fight that fight the way he did ... it ain't right. People'll say it's just sour grapes but I wouldn't be saying any of this if the guy had stood in front of me like a man and knocked me out. Regardless of the result, he'd have all my respect if he'd gone toe-to-toe but he didn't and for that I can only say he's a punk."

Indianapolis heavyweight Mike Hanson continues his post-fight criticism of Florida's Cheetah Brown in a radio interview two days after their much anticipated IBL clash. Most were expecting an explosive affair but Brown chose the wiser tactic of sniping away at the slower Hanson from the outside, which gave him the win but also delivered a contest that was less than thrilling.

***

Monday 14/08/06

"It's great to have two guys like Ken and Jack who I can go to for advice, man. Far as I'm concerned they're at the highest level as far as heavyweights go in our sport and for them to not only be able to help me develop as a fighter, but also be counted as friends ... that's fantastic. They're real different guys as far as their personalities go but that don't matter. The cool thing about chillin' with Jack is that our girlfriends get along real well, also. It's nice that the four of us can go out together and have a great time, you know?"

Oxnard native Sam McVey speaks on his friendship with fellow heavyweight boxers Ken Norton and Jack Johnson.

***

Wednesday 16/08/06

"You think I should go easy on him, do you? That I should jus' say the guy fought hard and leave it at that? That's what you think? Sorry, but I can't do that, 'cause I saw the disrespect he showed Golota in the week leading up to the fight. It was jus' like old habits for him, really. The guy jus' couldn't help himself. I don't understand why you fellas are letting him off so easy, 'cause you all heard what he said. "There ain't no way I'm gonna lose to some washed-up white dude." Those were his exact words. So you tell me, when someone makes a statement like that and then gets his ass handed to him by the very person he's talking about, how do you put a positive spin on it? You can't and you shouldn't try. Bowe should've jus' been man enough to say he underestimated Golota and paid the price, but I haven't heard anything like that from him. You know, people accuse me of being arrogant, of bein' egotisitical. I'd never deny havin' self-confidence but you'll never hear me disrespecting an opponent, even if I feel that I should beat him. You make a claim, you gotta back it up. Simple as that. Riddickulous just ain't figured that out yet."

Heavyweight Jack Johnson gives his rival Riddick Bowe a serve after the Brooklyn native was eliminated from the IBL Challenger's tournament by Poland's Andrew Golota on the 13th. As Johnson mentioned, Bowe had insulted Golota before their fight but was defeated by 4th round TKO.

***

Sunday 20/08/06

"People change, man. Everyone knows that. Situations change, too. Back in January when the IBL first came knockin' I had no reason to turn away from what I had. It wasn't anything to do with doubting them or dismissing them as beginners. I was impressed by what they had to say but my promoter was in the middle of negotiating the biggest fight of my career. Six months down the track, things have changed. I've already told my side of the story in regards to my former promoter and I'm not gonna say anything else on the matter. All that's important now is that I'm contracted to the IBL and I'm looking forward to being a lot more active than in recent years. The challenge of climbing up the middleweight rankings excites me. It feels like I'm starting over and that freshness and green quality of being back at the beginning has given me new enthusiasm. I can't wait to step back in the ring."

Former IBF middleweight champion Freddie Steele voices his excitement over becoming part of the International Boxing League. As has been previously publicised, Steele had a falling out with his promoter Jay Levin in the aftermath of his July 22 loss to Bert Lytell. With help from the IBL, Steele has ended that business relationship and will step back in the ring on the 27th of October in an IBL middleweight world ranking bout.

***

Tuesday 22/08/06

"I be lookin' out for all my boys, y'all. Ain't no one I favour over the others, see? But any of y'all can see that right now Terone be the priority. He be one win from a shot at the world championship so I gots t' make sure he be ready to go when he step in that ring in Moscow. Holman and the others, they know the deal, y'all. They know that T the only one of 'em who can win the world title this year. They be helpin' each other with their trainin'. They big boys now and if they be gettin' out of line, my cuz right there to get 'em back in. They be knowin' he don't take no nonsense, y'all."

Pensacola trainer Roy Jones speaks on the current situation in regards to his stable of fighters. With Miami-born heavyweight Terone Haynes preparing for his huge September 22 clash against Russia's Sergey Anyukov Jones is devoting all of his attention to the giant power puncher, leaving the others to train amongst themselves under the watchful eye of Jones' cousin.

***

Wednesday 23/08/06

"A lot of boxing people would look at what he said and just say "You think?", 'cause it's not something that needs to be questioned. But the one thing that amazes me about the situation is that it's the IBF that comes out looking so much better than the other two. They're the only organisation that wants the fight to go ahead. It's almost identical to the Marquez-Brown situation. It doesn't surprise me that the WBA and WBC have managed to screw themselves on this, 'cause that's just what they do. It's what all of them do."

Showbox's Hugh Ballard discusses Venezuelan boxer Fulgencio Obelmejias' criticism of the WBA and WBC. Following his August 19 victory over Ray Landis the IBF super-middleweight champion had said that the two organisations were "sabotaging boxing". Obelmejias had appraoched the WBA in regards to fighting for their vacant title but was told he would have to relinquish his IBF belt to do so.

***

Saturday 26/08/06

"I think what he showed tonight is that he's the most dangerous puncher in the sport today, see? I don't give a damn about his inexperience, this young man can flat out bang with the best of 'em. Seven fights and no one's lasted past the second round with him. That tells you something, don't it? Don't you be talkin' 'bout no Terone Haynes or Kenny Norton. Brutus Brody is the real deal and we'll be takin' the brother all the way to the top. Tyrone Hillier don't tell no lies."

Chicago promoter Tyrone Hillier talks up his newly-signed heavyweight Brutus Brody during an interview following Brody's destruction of Leonard Morrow.

***

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ALPHABET CHAMPIONS
AS AT THURSDAY 31 AUGUST 2006

(Note: * indicates title vacated by IBL-contracted fighter)

HEAVYWEIGHT

WBA: MARCELO FRANKS (USA, 27-3-0(21))
WBC: VACANT*
IBF: MARKO FRIEDRICH (GERMANY, 28-0-1(22))
WBO: VACANT*

CRUISERWEIGHT

WBA: VACANT
WBC: DAVID LESTER (USA, 34-4-1(27))
IBF: MICHAEL VAUGHAN (USA, 19-3-0(11))
WBO: JAMES SINCLAIR (USA, 23-1-0(15))

LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT

WBA: VACANT*
WBC: JAMES FRANKLIN (UNITED KINGDOM, 29-1-0(22))
IBF: VACANT*
WBO: TYRELL BROWN (USA, 19-1-0(13))

SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT

WBA: VACANT*
WBC: VACANT
IBF: FULGENCIO OBELMEJIAS (VENEZUELA, 33-1-1(24))
WBO: CHRISTIAN FRITZ (GERMANY, 23-2-0(18))

MIDDLEWEIGHT

WBA: LEROY JENKINS (USA, 25-3-0(17))
WBC: BERT LYTELL (USA, 32-1-0(23))
IBF: BERT LYTELL (USA, 32-1-0(23))
WBO: DAVID HERNANDEZ (USA, 23-1-2(16))

JUNIOR-MIDDLEWEIGHT

WBA: COREY GLOVER (USA, 29-3-1(22))
WBC: VACANT
IBF: VACANT
WBO: VACANT*

WELTERWEIGHT

WBA: JAVIER ROMAN (MEXICO, 19-2-1(14))
WBC: JOSE NAPOLES (USA, 28-1-0(24))
IBF: VACANT
WBO: VACANT*

JUNIOR-WELTERWEIGHT

WBA: EDDIE PERKINS (USA, 34-2-0(24))
WBC: JAVIER GUTIERREZ (ARGENTINA, 38-4-2(29))
IBF: BRUNO ARCARI (ITALY, 27-2-1(19))
WBO: ALEJANDRO VIELMA (VENEZUELA, 29-3-1(23))

LIGHTWEIGHT

WBA: PATRICIO MARQUEZ (MEXICO, 42-2-1(34))
WBC: PATRICIO MARQUEZ (MEXICO, 42-2-1(34))
IBF: JOE BROWN (USA, 33-2-1(24))
WBO: VACANT

JUNIOR-LIGHTWEIGHT

WBA: JUAN ESCOBAR (COLOMBIA, 23-1-0(17))
WBC: VACANT*
IBF: JOSE MOLINA (PUERTO RICO, 30-2-1(22))
WBO: FLORIANO BECITE (PHILIPPINES, 27-1-1(21))

FEATHERWEIGHT

WBA: JIM DRISCOLL (UNITED KINGDOM, 35-1-2(27))
WBC: JIM DRISCOLL (UNITED KINGDOM, 35-1-2(27))
IBF: FRANCISCO RIVAS (MEXICO, 34-4-2(28))
WBO: VACANT

JUNIOR-FEATHERWEIGHT

WBA: SERGIO PALMA (ARGENTINA, 30-2-0(25))
WBC: VACANT*
IBF: VACANT*
WBO: HIROMI KAWAGUCHI (JAPAN, 29-3-1(21))

BANTAMWEIGHT

WBA: ERIK VELAZQUEZ (MEXICO, 21-1-1(17))
WBC: VACANT
IBF: VACANT*
WBO: RICARDO BEDIC (PHILIPPINES, 25-0-1(17))

JUNIOR-BANTAMWEIGHT

WBA: GIANCARLO ARANGO (VENEZUELA, 32-2-0(24))
WBC: ROMAN MORENO (PANAMA, 21-0-0(18))
IBF: VACANT*
WBO: GUSTAVO BALLAS (ARGENTINA, 27-1-0(19))

FLYWEIGHT

WBA: CHATCHAI CHAISAM (THAILAND, 36-3-1(26))
WBC: VACANT*
IBF: TEKO DAVIDS (SOUTH AFRICA, 27-1-1(20))
WBO: VACANT*

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