The Greatest Prize in Sports

[kenyan_cheena]

WORLD BOXING REVIEW

v. 52 / e. 11

NOVEMBER 2006

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

***

Friday 03/11/06

"A lot of people have been gettin' in my ear and tellin' me I've got it won already. They've been saying this Weaver dude ain't never won a big fight in his whole career and I'm gonna wipe the floor with him. I just smile and nod, you know? But inside I have to tell myself to ignore that kind o' talk. I'm gonna have to step in the ring with massive respect for Mike because he's won three big fights just to get to the championship match and he didn't do that 'cause he got lucky. The way he handled Alvarez, that was just fantastic. Showed he's got a lot of smarts to him. He's a crafty fella and he's gonna be really determined to get the win. He's more experienced than me, also, so there won't be much I throw at him that he hasn't seen before. I'll have to be at my best, for sure."

Florida heavyweight Cheetah Brown discusses his December 26 IBL Americas Heavyweight Championship bout against California's Mike Weaver. 20 year-old Brown has only been boxing professionally for thirteen months and will take a perfect 9-0(7) record into the clash with Weaver (26-6-1(21)). Brown has scored eye-opening wins over Indiana's Mike Hanson and Weaver's fellow Californian Sam McVey in his past two fights and despite his inferior experience will go into the clash with Weaver as a favourite to claim the inaugural championship.

***

Friday 10/11/06

"The criticism has always been there, so it's at a stage now where I just shrug it off, like water off a duck's back. No matter what we do they'll always say it's not good enough, that we're incompotent, that we're ruining the sport. They forget that we were around before any of these other organisations: before the WBC, before the IBF and WBO, and definitely before the IBL. We were the first, so how can we be responsible for creating this problem where there are too many sanctioning bodies? We didn't ask them to come into existence. I'll admit we've made mistakes, made decisions that in hindsight were less than ideal. We haven't been perfect, but who has? You tell me that? People said we were sabotaging boxing because we refused to deal with the IBF. But if I had to re-live these past six months I wouldn't do a thing differently. I stand by everything I've said in reference to the IBF and I really can't see how things will be any different once the IBO comes into being. Everyone has heard the stories about Mr. Tattaglia and, as they say, where there's smoke there's fire. He may not have been implicated in that whole death threat situation but he was up to his eyeballs in it before Reynolds - sorry, Jacobs - went off the deep end. It was Tattaglia who brought about the circumstances where Gilberto Vasquez was denied a title shot. If he hadn't interfered then there wouldn't have been any problem. It still boggles my mind that a man of such low moral fibre is involved in the sport."

WBA president Pedro Vielma comes out firing at his critics and gives a serve to the IBF and it's affiliated promoter Robert Tattaglia. The World Boxing Association is the oldest of boxing's five sanctioning organisations but has been the target of much criticism over the years in regards to the fashion in which it does business. It would be true to say that the IBF has been regarded with even greater disdain but it's recent merger with the WBO has been seen by many as a rare positive step for the "alphabet" organisations. Observers have called for Vielma's WBA to follow that lead and merge with the World Boxing Council, a move that Vielma has adamantly declared will never happen.

***

Tuesday 14/11/06

"I would like to clarify our plans, because there has been some confusion in regards to them. Yes, we'll be signing some fighters to exclusive contracts that will run for a certain duration, such as a year or two years. But unlike the IBL we'll also offer more flexibility in that fighters will be able to sign a contract which is only for a single bout or a specified number of bouts. We are keenly aware of the position boxing is in right now and we have no desire to prevent fighters from pursuing the most attractive, lucrative option available to them. As a consequence our rankings policy will not be as concrete or cut and dry as that which the IBL is planning to employ. However, this doesn't mean that our top contenders will be able to pad their records against a succession of cream puffs. We'll leave those kinds of mismatches to the likes of the WBA or WBC, because you won't be seeing them in the IBO."

Future IBO president Robert Tattaglia sheds a bit more light on the policies the new organisation plans to implement when it comes into being on the 1st of January 2007.

***

Friday 17/11/06

"I've already beaten two former world champions to get this far, so there's no reason why I can't go all the way. The guy hasn't been that impressive throughout the tournament so I'll really be going in with a lot of confidence. I've had some chances through my career, no doubt, but just haven't been able to get it done. I've beaten some guys at the wrong time, guys who were world champions, and I've lost some championship fights I should have won. One of those was against Carlos back in '04. I just didn't show up mentally ready on that night so I'm looking at this as the last chance, you know? If I can't get it done this time I'll probably give it away."

Ohio junior-heavyweight Jeff Lampkin reflects on his past disappointments and looks forward to his December 9 International Boxing League world championship bout against Puerto Rico's Carlos DeLeon. Lampkin (35-7-1(28)) has defeated five former world champions during his twelve-year career but amazingly has never held a world title himself. He's 0-3 in three championship bouts, including a unanimous decision loss to DeLeon for the IBF cruiserweight belt in the third of those in July '04. He upset former champions Maurice Holmes (WBA light-heavyweight) and Massimiliano Duran (IBF cruiserweight) to advance to the final of the IBL's world championship tournament but is regarded as a heavy underdog to get past DeLeon, who despite his recent struggles is considered the best cruiserweight/junior-heavyweight in the world today.

***

Saturday 18/11/06

"It really is scary how good he could end up being. He did it in Colombia in July and, not exaggerating, he looked even sharper and more dangerous this week. They're already saying that he's gonna make the jump to the pro ranks next year, which is astonishing 'cause he's just sixteen. But like they say, "if you're good enough, you're old enough". What I've seen of him these last few months has me convinced."

Speaking from Argentina, amateur boxing expert Gil Griffiths heaps praise upon the talented Panama lightweight Roberto Duran after he followed up a gold medal at July's Central American and Caribbean Games with another dominant showing at the South American Games, which were held in Buenos Aires. The 16 year-old Duran is apparently eager to forego a very likely appearance at the Beijing Olympics and get started on his professional career in early 2007. If that eventuates it will be fascinating to see if a bidding war takes place between the leading sanctioning organisations, who will be super keen to snare the teenager.

***

Monday 20/11/06

"I couldn't be happier with the way he came through last week. The kid really impressed me with his ability to take my instructions and use them, almost perfectly, in the next round. He listens, probably better than any fighter I've ever had before. Abram's just like a sponge, soaking up knowledge. His thirst for learning the game is remarkable, it really is. It doesn't hurt that he punches harder than anyone I've ever seen at his age, either. He's excited about his future and so am I."

North Bergen trainer Jimmy Floyd speaks about his new student Abram Sin in the aftermath of Sin's impressive run through the Jersey City junior amateur championships. Fighting in the middleweight division, 15 year-old Sin scored four consecutive stoppage victories to win the tournament. The bouts were his first ever competitive boxing matches and he came through them with flying colours, not simply using his frightening power but also putting into action strategies developed for him by Floyd. The Hoboken-born youth came to national attention in October when he was featured in an AMERICAN |PUGILIST article by Michael Bartell. Floyd is hopeful that with hard work and dedication Sin could find himself on the American team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

***

Wednesday 22/11/06

"Really is hard for me to believe that in five weeks I'll be goin' up against him. It's amazin' when I think that, if not for the IBL, I'd probably still be paddin' my record right now. You know, my management didn't have any plans to rush me into a title fight. Maybe I could o' snared an NABF belt, a USBA belt. But they wanted to bring me along slow, man. They were tellin' me to not even think about a world title shot 'til 2008, sayin' stuff like "You just take care of winnin' and we'll handle the rest." Stayin' on that path would've been easier, no doubt. People've told me that I'm in over my head, that I ain't ready for Anyukov, and they're probably right. But there ain't been one moment where I've regretted signing with the IBL. I mean, just takin' on Lennox, that was the biggest thrill of my career to date. Result didn't turn out like it should've but I ain't never felt so alive in a boxin' ring as I did that night. And as for bein' in over my head, I ain't alone there. You know, plenty of fellas who signed on with the league have been in fights and will be in fights that they really ain't ready for. But that's the beauty of it, man. Just seein' who's gonna step up under the type of pressure they've never had to deal with before. The way I'm lookin' at it, besides bein' undefeated I ain't got a thing to lose 'gainst Anyukov. He's the one with all the experience in big fights. He's the one who's already been a world champion. I just gotta work my ass off to prepare for him but if I lose, so what? No one's expectin' me to win, anyway. But if I do win ... let's just say you won't be takin' the smile from my face for a good while."

During an interview on a Los Angeles sports talk radio show heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson reflects on his decision to join the International Boxing League and looks forward with enthusiasm to his upcoming stoush with Russia's former WBA champion Sergey Anyukov. It will be the biggest fight of the Athens gold medallist's career to date and he'll enter it as a big underdog. Anyukov was defeated by former WBO champion Terone Haynes in the semi-finals of the International Boxing League's World Heavyweight Championship tournament and will be eager to get back on the winner's list. Johnson was eliminated from the league's Challenger's tournament when his semi-final bout against the Englishman Lennox Lewis (also an Athens champion) ended in a draw.

***

Friday 24/11/06

"I gotta say there's no doubting the brother's credentials. He's got everything you could want in a heavyweight: size, strength, stamina, even that left jab ain't too shabby. It's pretty obvious to me that my best chance is to take him out early and to do that I'll have to take some risks. Ain't no way I'll be able to stick around for fifteen rounds and get a decision. He knows it and I know it. I'm gonna have to go after him from the get-go. We've never seen anyone plant a knockout punch on him through his whole career and that's what I'll have to do to walk away with the championship. Anyukov caught him with some nice shots but, no disrespect to Sergey, he ain't in my league as far as power is concerned. When I land this right hand Terone's gonna realise something he's never thought possible through his entire career: that there's someone out here who's better than him."

San Diego heavyweight Ken Norton talks up his chances of victory ahead of his December 29 IBL world championship bout against Florida's Terone Haynes. The fight is being regarded as the biggest heavyweight clash in twenty years and will be promoted by HBO in a four-week behind the scenes reality series called "Norton-Haynes 24/7" starting December 7.

***

Saturday 25/11/06

"Pshh. Hot air, y'all. Kenny gotta stop wastin' time talkin' 'n' jus' conc'ntrate on how he gonna get pas' me. Y'all don't hear me mouthin' off 'bout what we gonna do to him, eh? Talk's cheap, y'all. Maybe the brother be usin' it to pump hisself up, see? Guess that be good fo' his conf'dence, no doubt. We ain't be worryin' 'bout that nonsense, y'all. Ain't no words gonna change how the fight go, man. Y'all need words to help yo'self, maybe jus' pray instead. Believe that."

Interviewed in Pensacola, Terone Haynes dismisses Ken Norton's confident words from the previous day.

***

Monday 27/11/06

"You know, it's two days later now and I'm still not over what I saw in that ring on Saturday night. I never thought that I'd see someone take Patricio Marquez apart as thoroughly as Joe Brown did. I know Joe's a great fighter and I believed he'd give Pat a huge test but for him to take him out in less than three rounds ... it's absolutely astonishing. I mean, we're talking about the greatest of a whole bunch of great boxers to have come out of Mexico during these last twenty years. Seeing something like that makes me believe that I'll never be surprised by anything for the rest of my life."

Mexican boxing journalist Javier Martinez sums up his and his entire nation's reaction to Joe Brown's stunning 3rd round TKO of Patricio Marquez in the duo's blockbuster World Lightweight Championship bout of the previous Saturday. Marquez had come into the evening having suffered just two defeats in a professional career spanning forty-five fights and was favoured to defeat Brown. But the New Orleans native decimated him inside of three rounds to claim the title of the best lightweight boxer in the world, in addition to retaining his IBF belt.

***

Monday 27/11/06

"No offense to Joe, but I was really hoping Marquez would win it. I won't be able to retire a contented man if I don't step back in the ring with him and get a chance to even the score. But that'll be for another time now. My focus has to be squarely on Joe for the next four months and if I can get past him I'll gladly put the title on the line against Patricio. The guy has had such an incredible career and, in my opinion, he deserves first shot at whoever captures the IBO belt regardless of what he does between now and then."

Dominican Republic WBO lightweight champion Francisco Ortiz voices his disappointment over Marquez's defeat at the hands of Brown. Ortiz had been stopped by the Mexican legend in ten rounds back in March with the WBA and WBC titles on the line and was hoping to secure a rematch with him. The winners of the WBO and IBF lightweight title fights that were held on November 25 (Brown and Ortiz) will square off in March with the vacant, inaugural IBO championship up for grabs.

***

[kenyan_cheena]

Lots of ideas and storylines developing in my mind for the alphabet fighters. 2007 should be a very interesting year just for them alone, even before taking the IBL into account.

[kenyan_cheena]

EuroBox

Published out of London, England
by LondonSports Productions

ISSUE 3 - NOVEMBER 2006

DRISCOLL IS READY
TO START CLIMBING

Story by Michael Alexander

On October 28 Welsh featherweight Jim Driscoll demonstrated once again that he is amongst the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world with his victory over England's Matthew Davidson. Most experts expected the WBA and WBC champion to be tested by Davidson, who had recorded seven impressive wins in a row since Driscoll had defeated him in something of a controversial outcome back in 2004. But Driscoll controlled the contest from the opening bell, gradually wearing Davidson down to the point where he was on the verge of submission before knocking him out in round eight. The victory improved Driscoll's record to an outstanding 36-1-2(28), stretched his undefeated streak to exactly thirty fights and was his tenth defense since claiming the WBA belt four years ago.

Born into poverty in the working class Cardiff suburb of Newtown on the 15th of December 1976, Driscoll took up boxing in order to defend himself when he was a young boy. His slight frame and short stature made him a target for bullies but it wasn't long before he was able to hold his own against them. Fighting mostly at bantamweight he was a two-time world champion and also won gold in Atlanta at the 1996 Olympics during a superb six-year amateur career. He joined the professional ranks following that crowning achievement and built a solid resume through his first six years in the game. Driscoll fought at junior-featherweight before moving up to featherweight in '99, where he's remained until the present day. He defeated Mexico's Leandro Pacheco to win the WBA title in October '02, adding the WBC belt ten months later when he overcame the Filipino Emelio Araneta.

Since 2002 Driscoll has been the standard of excellence against which all other featherweights are judged, his domination of the division absolute and unquestionable. However, when I sat down for a chat with the man known as "The Prince of Wales" on November 20 he revealed to me that his time in the weight class will soon be coming to an end. Following is a transcript of some highlights from our conversation:

Michael Alexander (MA): When you sit back and reflect on your career and life to date, what's the first word that comes to mind?

Jim Driscoll (JD): Blessed. That'd be it, really. I wouldn't've been able to achieve what I have without a lot of help from the Lord. He blessed me with talent and ability and I also believe that he's guided me to make some wise decisions along the way. There've been times I can remember, especially when I was young, where if I'd chosen the opposite path it really would have had a terrible impact on my journey through life. So I've been fortunate and blessed that the Lord and the church has played such a vital role in my life.

MA: Your faith is something that you've never shyed away from talking about and many people admire you because of that.

JD: Well, like I just said, the church has been such a big part of my life. For as long as I can remember St. Paul's has been there. My family had next to nothing when I was born but what we did have was faith, the Lord and the church. St. Paul's gave so much to my family when we were struggling and that support is something that I've always tried to repay over the years. I'll never forget the role that the church played in making me the man I am today.

MA: You've plied your trade in the featherweight division for seven years now, and been its king for four of those. People have speculated during the past twelve months that you'll eventually move up to junior-lightweight. There's also been talk of a fight with the junior-featherweight champion Sergio Palma. Is there any truth in that?

JD: (nodding) Well, I've defeated every fighter who's tried to lay a claim to my title so there's really not much else to achieve at featherweight. The idea of fighting Sergio Palma intrigues me and I've instructed my management to do whatever it takes, within reason, to make that fight happen. I'll tell you now that win, lose or draw, it'll be my final featherweight bout and I think it would be a fitting way to end my time in the division. I've been following what's been happening with those lightweight fellas and it excites the hell out of me. This weekend when Marquez and Brown step in the ring I'm gonna be just like everyone else, a fan sitting back watching with excitement. No matter who wins I'm sure we're going to see a great fight.

But that situation developing there is something I'd love to be a part of. I've been thinking long-term lately and the plan is to move up to junior-lightweight after the Palma fight, have maybe two or three bouts there to get adjusted and then go straight to lightweight sometime in '08. I've had a great career so far but I really want to end it with a bang, you know? Some people say I've stayed at featherweight maybe a year too long and I won't dispute that. But it doesn't matter if I have because I'm confident that my best is still to come. The thought of taking on the likes of Brown, Marquez, Ortiz ... That just gives me a real rush, a real buzz. Having those types of fights as the final pages of my career would be outstanding. It'd be brilliant.

MA: I'd like to ask you about the International Boxing League. Back at the beginning of the year you had a chance to sign a contract with them and declined to do so. With the fantastic success they've had do you feel any regrets over that decision?

JD: I'll admit there's a part of me that believes 2006 would have been a more challenging and exciting year for me if I had joined them. They've got some of the best featherweights in the world competing there, especially with that Mexican contingent of Vasquez and Carrillo, Meza, and the younger fellas Sanchez and Saldivar. It's really going to be fascinating watching how that division develops during the next couple of years. My guess is that Sanchez is gonna become champion next year, and I think he's gonna stay champion for a good deal of time. He's just a fantastic talent and I'd have to put him on my list of guys I'd love to fight before I retire. I don't see how it could happen, though, with the way things are structured right now in the sport.

[Infinity]

Hmmm 4-0-0 with 4 KO's.....Auspicious start for me...lol Out of curiosity, who holds the California State Title at Heavyweight?...

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Infinity

Hmmm 4-0-0 with 4 KO's.....Auspicious start for me...lol Out of curiosity, who holds the California State Title at Heavyweight?...

Not sure, but maybe your guy could fight for it in one of his upcoming bouts.

[comicfanman]

AWESOME STUFF AS USUAL

I wish I could make time to get this involved. Maybe some day

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by comicfanman

AWESOME STUFF AS USUAL

I wish I could make time to get this involved. Maybe some day

Thanks, man. Glad you're enjoying it.

Sometimes I think this uni has consumed me a little. Think about it A LOT when I'm not even working on it.

[Ric915]

Looking ahead at my fighters tourney I hope I don't get Ray Mancini because I'd hate to defeat my childhood idol.

[kenyan_cheena]

The Star-Ledger

SUNDAY 3 DECEMBER 2006

Krug keeps on chuggin'

Story by Michael Rossetto

Fighting in the main event of last night's International Boxing League fight card at Atlantic City's Tropicana Casino & Resort, Newark bantamweight Jimmy Krug maintained his perfect record with a six-round unanimous decision win over Panama's Rafael Pedroza (59-55, 60-55, 59-56). Krug established control from the opening round, punishing the overmatched Pedroza with a piston-like left jab and some blinding combinations. His aggression made it impossible for Pedroza to mount any sort of retort, Krug throwing an average of 110 punches per round and connecting with them at 42%. Some swelling was already noticeable under Pedroza's right eye before the end of the 1st round.

It was only in round two where the South American came close to competing with the 20 year-old, but from the 3rd onwards it was more of the same with Krug sweeping the final four rounds on two scorecards. In particular Krug gave Pedroza an awful beating during the 5th, after which he questioned referee Kevin Champion in regards to stopping the contest. But Pedroza was allowed to last the distance and fall to his first career defeat. Clearly he'd been nursed along by his management before joining the IBL because despite bringing a 6-0-1(3) record into the evening he was completely out of his depth. Krug is now 7-0(3).

Earlier in the evening Canada's Athens bronze medallist George Dixon continued an untroubled start to his professional career, improving to 5-0(2) with a unanimous decision victory against the tough Filipino Leo Espinosa (58-56 on all three cards). New York's Tommy Kelly climbed off the canvas in round two to score a 6th round knockout of Ghana's Steve Dotse. He's now 8-1-1(5). Krug, Kelly and Dixon will be ranked 56th, 57th and 58th respectively when the IBL releases their initial bantamweight rankings in January. Last night's card brought to a conclusion the IBL's series of world ranking cards. The finals of their various tournaments kick-off tomorrow in Germany with the inaugural Inter-Continental welterweight champion to be crowned. It's a moment fight fans have been waiting keenly for since the semi-finals ended seven weeks ago.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Ric915

Looking ahead at my fighters tourney I hope I don't get Ray Mancini because I'd hate to defeat my childhood idol.

Ray's gonna be maybe a dozen ranking spots back from you once the tournaments are over. So if you win the title and then you both get a couple of victories ealy in the new year it's very possible that you could end up defending the belt against him.

[CONN CHRIS]

Closing in on my guy's December fight.

This looks good as always Dan.

[Jersey-Jim]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

The Star-Ledger

SUNDAY 3 DECEMBER 2006

Krug keeps on chuggin'

Story by Michael Rossetto

Fighting in the main event of last night's International Boxing League fight card at Atlantic City's Tropicana Casino & Resort, Newark bantamweight Jimmy Krug maintained his perfect record with a six-round unanimous decision win over Panama's Rafael Pedroza (59-55, 60-55, 59-56). Krug established control from the opening round, punishing the overmatched Pedroza with a piston-like left jab and some blinding combinations. His aggression made it impossible for Pedroza to mount any sort of retort, Krug throwing an average of 110 punches per round and connecting with them at 42%. Some swelling was already noticeable under Pedroza's right eye before the end of the 1st round.

It was only in round two where the South American came close to competing with the 20 year-old, but from the 3rd onwards it was more of the same with Krug sweeping the final four rounds on two scorecards. In particular Krug gave Pedroza an awful beating during the 5th, after which he questioned referee Kevin Champion in regards to stopping the contest. But Pedroza was allowed to last the distance and fall to his first career defeat. Clearly he'd been nursed along by his management before joining the IBL because despite bringing a 6-0-1(3) record into the evening he was completely out of his depth. Krug is now 7-0(3).

Earlier in the evening Canada's Athens bronze medallist George Dixon continued an untroubled start to his professional career, improving to 5-0(2) with a unanimous decision victory against the tough Filipino Leo Espinosa (58-56 on all three cards). New York's Tommy Kelly climbed off the canvas in round two to score a 6th round knockout of Ghana's Steve Dotse. He's now 8-1-1(5). Krug, Kelly and Dixon will be ranked 56th, 57th and 58th respectively when the IBL releases their initial bantamweight rankings in January. Last night's card brought to a conclusion the IBL's series of world ranking cards. The finals of their various tournaments kick-off tomorrow in Germany with the inaugural Inter-Continental welterweight champion to be crowned. It's a moment fight fans have been waiting keenly for since the semi-finals ended seven weeks ago.

It's great to see my guy moving along. From the streets of Jersey to the Rings of Jersey . Jimmy's following a well-worn path!

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

Closing in on my guy's December fight.

This looks good as always Dan.

Thanks, Chris. Just to let you know even though your guy's next fight is not too far away it'll probably take about a month for me to get to the point where I write it up. December is a huge month for the IBL with every single title save for the bantamweight ones being decided during it. I'm planning to write something about every card that features a title bout and with the heavyweights not appearing until week four of the schedule there's a bit to cover before I get to them.

Originally Posted by Jersey-Jim

It's great to see my guy moving along. From the streets of Jersey to the Rings of Jersey . Jimmy's following a well-worn path!

I'm pleased with the start Jimmy's made to his time in the IBL. Two wins with little trouble. He should make a healthy climb up the rankings during '07 and could very well get a shot at the Americas crown during the year.

[kenyan_cheena]

THE LONDON TIMES

Tuesday 5 December 2006

JACKSON FALLS AT
FINAL HURDLE

Story by James Simpson

With victory clearly in sight, East Londoner Ashley Jackson's dream of being crowned the very first International Boxing League champion came crashing down in a handful of astonishing seconds last night at the Waldbuehne in Berlin, Germany. Taking on and convincingly beating hometown favourite Reinhardt Kohler through the first seven rounds Jackson appeared to be cruising to an outstanding victory when, totally against the run of play, the German floored him with a jolting left-right-left salvo late in round eight. Backpedalling at the time, Jackson's head impacted hard with the canvas when he went down. He didn't move for the duration of the count, Kohler and the crowd starting their celebrations at seven when it became apparent that Jackson wouldn't be getting up. The fight was officially over at the 2:29 mark.

The bout was the Final of the IBL's Inter-Continental Welterweight Championship tournament, Kohler winning the title as a result of his 8th round KO victory and earning the eternal distinction of being the league's first champion. It shouldn't have ended that way, though, as despite his lower tournament seeding Jackson entered the evening as a warm favourite to claim the belt. The 15th seed had taken the event by storm, winning each of his three tournament bouts by knockout and becoming a celebrity here in England as a result. His charisma, good looks and extroverted nature have only helped to endear him to the British public, who were hoping that his fairytale run who end in triumph.

It all started so perfectly for Jackson as he had Kohler down on one knee with a brutal body shot late in a punishing 1st round. The momentum swung in each of the next four rounds, Kohler having the better of rounds two and four, Jackson controlling the 3rd and just edging his man in the 5th. After taking rounds six and seven comfortably Jackson was in the driver's seat and held a three-point lead on each scorecard heading into the 8th. Kohler had been the more aggressive, busy fighter but Jackson's superb defense and superior accuracy was winning him the fight. He hurt Kohler with an uppercut and a flurry of shots through the first half of the 8th and was on track to take the round when Kohler unleashed his stunning trio of blows. Having recorded eight knockdowns himself through the tournament Jackson was dropped for the very first time in his career and it took a number of minutes for him to regain his senses.

Upon realising that he'd lost the bout Jackson appeared distraught, but by the time of the post-fight interview was more philosophical about his defeat, saying that "it must mean there are much better things in store" for him as his career progresses. When asked if he would pursue the Inter-Continental belt in the future he simply shrugged and said "if it happens, it happens", but implied that he was more interested in climbing the rankings and earning an eventual world title shot. Kohler was in a jubilant mood, thanking the crowd but acknowledging Jackson's great efforts throughout the tournament. He conceeded that he was struggling heading into the 8th and that he'd taken a risk which had paid off big time. The win improved his record to 10-1(6) while Jackson fell to 9-1(8). At the time of the stoppage Kohler had landed 122 of 710 punches (17.2%), Jackson 164 of 516 (31.8%).

The German's first title defense is scheduled for late January and will be against Japan's Akio Kameda, who earned the shot by knocking out the Frenchman Francois Pavilla in round six of an official IBL title eliminator in the evening's co-feature. Kameda held a slight edge through the first five rounds before flooring Pavilla twice in the 6th. The first came from a flush left hook midway through the frame, after which Pavilla barely beat the count. A jolting right cross put him down for good one minute later, the contest over at 2:31 of round six. Kameda (10-2(7)) gets the chance to avenge the 1st round KO that Kohler inflicted upon him in the tournament semi-finals. Pavilla was the most experienced of the four men who contested the semis but after being knocked out first by Jackson back in September and now by Kameda in the eliminator, falls to 14-3(9).

***

IBL Inter-Continental Welterweight Championship tournament final

(#9) Reinhardt Kohler (9-1(5)) KO8 (#15) Ashley Jackson (9-0(8))

***

[Romdawg88]

Damn, what a crappy way to lose for Jackson that hurts no doubts about that.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

Damn, what a crappy way to lose for Jackson that hurts no doubts about that.

Yep, my mouth dropped when the sim result came up on the screen. Then I stood up and slowly paced for about twenty seconds with a frown on my face. Very unfortunate outcome. But hopefully he can put it aside and climb the rankings during '07.

[umk]

hey, what happened to my guy, Juan dela Cruz?

[kenyan_cheena]

EL UNIVERSAL

Wednesday 6 December 2006

CARBAJAL CLAIMS
AMERICAS TITLE!

Story by Miguel Trelles

Last night Mexico City-born welterweight Bernabe Carbajal became the first of what will hopefully be a plethora of Mexican IBL champions crowned during the next five weeks when he ventured into hostile territory at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri and defeated hometown favourite Virgil Akins by unanimous decision to win the Americas Championship (115-111, 114-112, 115-113). In an intriguing contest Carbajal built what appeared to be an unassailable lead through the first eight rounds before having to withstand an admirable fightback from Akins over the final four. Cut on the right eyebrow in round two, Akins was sent to the canvas in rounds three and six by the talented 20 year-old and appeared out of the fight after an extended period of dominance that saw Carbajal sweep rounds five to eight on all three scorecards.

In a battle of the tournament's #1 and #2 seeds Akins came in as favourite by virtue of his faultless run through the event. By comparison Carbajal had scraped through with draws in both the quarters and semis, the two combatants stepping into the ring undefeated. They produced a worthy conclusion to the tournament and it would not disappoint this observer to see them go at it again some time in the future. Carbajal (10-0-2(6)) was the aggressor for most of the fight and landed 275 of 1,138 punches (24.2%), Akins (now 12-1-1(8)) 250 of 688 (36.3%). Despite the struggles he endured in his previous bouts Carbajal appears to have at least partially fulfilled the promise the IBL saw in him when they made his signing one of their top priorities back in February. It will be fascinating to follow the young man's quest to defend the Americas title during 2007 and perhaps earn himself a world title shot.

There was some drama prior to the main event when the co-feature bout between Carlos Alou of the Dominican Republic and Cuba's Jose Stable was judged a draw (94-94, 95-93 (Alou), 94-94). In a dramatic final two rounds Alou dropped Stable with a crunching uppercut one minute into the 9th before Stable returned the favour with a left-right salvo thirty seconds into the 10th. It was an elimination bout, with the winner to receive first crack at the newly crowned Americas Champion come late January. However, the league had stated that in the event of an elimination bout being a draw the competitor who was seeded higher in the tournament would be granted the title shot. Carlos Alou was the 3rd seed while Stable was #4, therefore Alou will be taking on Carbajal next month. The bout was the third consecutive draw that Alou has featured in and he'll now get a second shot at Carbajal after their semi-final stoush ended all even back in September.

Once the league's various tournaments reach their conclusion on January 7 the rules regarding regional title challenges will come into action. Under those rules any fighter who challenges for a regional title must have been victorious in his previous bout, meaning that if the Alou-Stable clash had taken place on January the 8th or later neither man would have received a title shot. The league wished to avoid this situation for the initial title defenses, which is why they used the tournament seedings as a tie-breaker in the case of an eliminator being scored a draw.

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IBL Americas Welterweight Championship tournament final

(#2) Bernabe Carbajal (9-0-2(6)) UD12 (#1) Virgil Akins (12-0-1(8))

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[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by umk

hey, what happened to my guy, Juan dela Cruz?

Check out the following posts, umk.

#222 (page 12)
#311 (page 16)
#466 (page 24)

Your guy features in them.

Also, the schedule for the tournament finals is near the top of page 29. Your guy's next fight is on Christmas Day against Herbie Hide.

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Thanks, Chris. Just to let you know even though your guy's next fight is not too far away it'll probably take about a month for me to get to the point where I write it up. December is a huge month for the IBL with every single title save for the bantamweight ones being decided during it. I'm planning to write something about every card that features a title bout and with the heavyweights not appearing until week four of the schedule there's a bit to cover before I get to them.

Thanks Dan, I always forget how methodically you work through your universes.