The Greatest Prize in Sports

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ESPN

Boxing

Updated: November 22, 2007 5.30 PM ET

Brody accepts Haynes' challenge

By Larry Holman
ESPN.com
Archive

Wednesday night's 6pm episode of SportsCenter has set fire to boxing discussion forums all over the internet, as it brought a possible February blockbuster between former world heavyweight champion Terone Haynes and power-punching Detroit slugger Brutus Brody a step closer to reality. The two big men engaged in some verbal jousting live on air, with Friday Night Fights anchor Brian Kenny an at-times speechless mediator. It was almost two weeks ago when Haynes called Brody out for a matchup on the opening Saturday of the IBL's World Championship Conference (February 9), but Brody had only commented publicly on it once, when questioned about it a few days later. While expressing his desire to fight Haynes, he had said it was something he would discuss with his manager, Jimmy Vickers.

"I would love to fight Haynes, you know?" Brody said. "He's callin' me out and if you know me, I don't back down from fights. February would be good, I'm ready and this is the shot I've been workin' so hard for, ya dig? For the last few years I been trainin', and nothin' else. Of course, it would be a lot of money and I'm game for that but I'm hungrier for something else ... the belt. I won't stop until I got it, ya heard? Haynes is a tough fighter, but I'm no fool. He is one of the best in the game. Me and Jimmy are talkin' 'bout it all, and we gon' see how this plays out ... Jimmy's my man, so whatever he thinks best for me, I'm behind him."

On Wednesday night Brody did not fail to make his real feelings on the issue be known as the pair - Haynes in Miami and Brody in Las Vegas - went back and forth, often speaking over the top of each other. The segment started out in a civil enough fashion, with Brian Kenny alternating questions between the two pugilists until, maybe ten minutes in, Haynes interjected while Brody was talking and it more or less descended into a slanging match from there. Brody made it clear that he has no fear of Haynes, or any man for that matter, saying he respected the former champion for laying down his challenge and if it was as simple as him accepting it he would have done so right away. He agreed that it was a fight the public would love to see, one that could break all kinds of attendance and television viewing records. But Brody then flipped his approach and raised Haynes' motives behind the challenge, questioning the very points he had only just agreed with moments before and getting pretty worked up as he did so. Not only that, he succeeded in agitating Haynes by refering to him as "Champ".

"See, Champ, I been lookin' at this from your perspective," Brody said, running a hand over his cornrows. "You just lost the title, and we all know you ain't gonna get the chance to get it back until late next year. At the earliest ... In the meantime, you gonna be lookin' to re-establish yo'self, to make sure people don't forget y'all. What better way to do that, than to take out the most dangerous up-and-comer in the game, Brutus Brody? Yeah, that be a fine idea, don't it? And I'm real flattered by it, but ... Nah, man. You ain't interested in puttin' on a great fight for the people, or even the money. Yeah, I said it. Or even the money."

Haynes fired back with an incredulous "That's what y'all really think?"

"Yeah, I do," Brody replied, nodding his head. "All y'all wanna do is be able to say you beat Brutus Brody, the baddest mutha out there right now. That's all y'all see me as, a big name on yo' record on the way back to the championship. My manager Jimmy, he say I'd be crazy fightin' you at this point, ya dig? Says there ain't nothin' in it for me. Even says I ain't ready, and maybe that's true. And maybe everythang else I just say be true, also ... But none of it change the fact there ain't nothin' I wanna do more than kick yo' ass, Champ. So come December 1 when we can negotiate, I'ma tell Jimmy to start talking to your people, whether he like it or not."

Without another word, Brody got up and walked away, leaving an empty seat in the picture frame and ending the interview segment. For a handful of seconds ESPN's cameras captured a stunned Brian Kenny before cutting to a smiling Terone Haynes, his countenance summing up what had just taken place. And what that is has been the topic of a huge amount of discussion during the almost 24 hours since. The consensus is that while there are good reasons for Brody to refuse the bout and instead build up to it by fighting some of the lesser lights of the WCC, it's the fact that he's been challenged and does not want to be seen as weak by turning down that challenge which has led to him accepting it. He doesn't want to possibly look back at these times in ten years from now and regret shrinking back from one of the greatest heavyweights who ever lived. Whether the time was right or not.

One would think that if both men want the fight to happen, their managers will have to negotiate for it on their behalf to the best of their ability, whether they believe it's a good idea or not. Haynes recently employed Miami nightclub owner Leroy Ellis as his manager going forward into the WCC. Ellis is a man he has known for almost ten years and someone he credits with steering him away from a life of crime. Ellis gave Haynes a security job in his "Heatwave" club when he was still in his mid-teens and is known not just as someone who throws an unforgettable party, but also as a serious businessman. One would like to be a fly on the wall when Ellis and Vickers are in the same room together.

Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

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The Press
OF ATLANTIC CITY

Monday 26 November 2007

Arrests made
over Tattaglia murder

Story by Nicholas Gallo

The investigation into the April homicide of prominent New Jersey businessman Robert Tattaglia reached a significant moment on Sunday when Trenton detectives laid murder charges against a pair of individuals believed to be "soldiers" in the Paterson-based Catena crime family. It has been a pain-staking path traveled by law enforcement to get to this point, with the case against Lenny "Meatballs" Massino and Thomas "D-Nap" DiNapoli built on countless hours of interviews, interrogations and surveillance. The police have not revealed what they believe to be the motive behind Tattaglia's murder, but most speculation has ventured the likelihood that the former boxing promoter was "skimming off the top" in his dealings with the Catenas. Trenton detectives will most likely testify that Massino and DiNapoli entered Tattaglia's Caesars Atlantic City Ocean Tower Suite shortly before 10am on the morning of April 9, after which Massino shot Tattaglia in the head with a Glock 29 semi-automatic pistol.

Tattaglia's death was met by much sadness during the days that followed, but within weeks that sadness turned to anger and contempt as it was revealed Tattaglia had been doing business with several organised crime figures and also carrying on a string of extra-marital affairs for at least two years. The downfall of his public image was shockingly swift, as was that of the International Boxing Organisation, the sanctioning body he was president of. Tattaglia's death saw the IBO crumble into extinction within two months as law enforcement agencies shut down a number of illegal operations that were funding it. In addition, Chicago media mogul Michael Masterton withdrew his considerable financial backing. The incident has slowly faded out of the public consciousness in recent months but yesterday's announcement and the trial that's scheduled to start in mid-January will almost certainly bring it back to prominence.

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TheSweetScience.com

THURSDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2007

Hillier confirms competitors
and schedule for SMW tournament

Story by Jeff Lopez

It started out as an ambition in the mind of Chicago-based promoter Tyrone Hillier almost seven months ago, and yesterday that ambition came to something like fruition when Hillier announced that his planned eight-man super-middleweight world championship tournament will commence in February. At stake during the tournament will be the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council 168-pound titles, with the eventual winner to claim both belts. The tournament will consist of thirteen twelve-round bouts over five seperate stages during a sixteen month period, with the champion to be crowned in June 2009. For some time it had been refered to as a "double-elimination" tournament and while that aspect is present, it's entirely possible that a competitor could make it to the fourth stage of the event (being the semi-finals) without a loss, lose there and be eliminated.

Hillier is the promoter of current WBC/World Champion and the tournament's #1 seed, Venezuela's Fulgencio Obelmejias. He also promotes former WBC middleweight champion Bert Lytell, who is also a participant in the event as its #3 seed. Obelmejias defeated Lytell back in January but has not stepped in the ring since then, something that has caused him quite a lot of frustration as Hillier was forced to negotiate with four other promoters to get the tournament off the ground. It has been a difficult task, and Hillier has had to deal with the recent disappointment of failing to snare the signature of Jamaica's Mike McCallum, who ended up coming to terms on a two-year contract wirth the International Boxing League. New York's Ray Landis, a former challenger of Obelmejias, was expected to compete in the tournament but decided to join the IBL, also, moving up to its light-heavyweight division to compete in the World Championship Conference.

It was only during the last week or so that Hillier was able to finalise the eight-man field, with Louisiana's Jamal Hammonds and Dallas native Leon Dawson agreeing to take part. Dawson unsuccessfully challenged #2 seed and WBA champion Michael Barrett in May, but will get another chance at glory when he takes on Obelmejias in stage one. In contrast, Hammonds was defeated by Obelmejias in April 2006 when the Venezuelan was the IBF champion, but as the 7th seed will take on Barrett in stage one. Also competing are two former super-middleweight titlists, Scotland's Murray Sutherland and Germany's Christian Fritz. Sutherland relinquished the WBA belt to join the IBL last year, where he compiled a less than stellar 3-2-2 record against opponents who were all less experienced than him. He's hoping that a return to 168 will provide the kickstart his career needs. Fritz has been WBO and IBO champion. He apparently sent James Toney into retirement back in February with a 10th round TKO victory in the first and only IBO championship bout. Former middleweight contender David Hernandez rounds out the field as the #5 seed.

Following is the schedule for the opening stage of bouts. Each stage will be held over two consecutive Saturdays, with the WBA belt to be defended on the first Saturday and the WBC title on the next one.

Saturday 16 February 2008, Houston, Texas, USA

#3 Bert Lytell (USA, 33-2(24)) vs #6 Murray Sutherland (Scotland, 32-4-2(19))
#2 Michael Barrett (USA, 24-2-1(17), WBA champion) vs #7 Jamal Hammonds (USA, 31-4(23))
* undercard to be determined

Saturday 23 February 2008, Caracas, Venezuela

#4 Christian Fritz (Germany, 25-2(20)) vs #5 David Hernandez (USA, 25-2-2(18))
#1 Fulgencio Obelmejias (Venezuela, 34-1-1(24), WBC champion) vs #8 Leon Dawson (USA, 20-2(14))
* undercard to be determined

The second stage will take place in June, with the two champions to defend their title against the winners of the other bouts from their respective stage one cards. The losers from each card will also square off in elimination matchups.

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That concludes all the articles for November. There won't be any IBL ONLINE fight reviews because the league didn't stage any fights of significance during the month. There will, however, be some BOXING MONTHLY non-IBL write-ups. Maybe a half-dozen, I'd say.

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BOXING
MONTHLY

VOLUME 29, ISSUE 11 - NOVEMBER 2007

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

7 November: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Cassius Clay (2-0(2)) TKO3 Lamar King (7-5-1(4))
(junior-lightweight division)

Louisville-born, Brooklyn-raised junior-lightweight Cassius Clay has made a real name for himself and quite an impression in the trio of fights he has contested as a professional to date. At just 17 years of age, this bragadocious teen possesses lightning-fast hand speed and fantastic ring movement, as Lamar King found out firsthand in their clash at the Broadway Arena. Scribes have been trying to find out more about Clay because he seemingly came out of nowhere to debut in late September. About the only thing they've been able to confirm so far is that he has lived in one of Brooklyn's toughest neighbourhoods, Brownsville, since he was three years old and his family are, as he put it, "Dirt poor." Clay sighted those circumstances as his reasoning for joining the professional ranks after only a handful of amateur bouts. "My family couldn't afford for me to keep on fightin' for nothin'," he said.

10 November: Panama City, Panama
Roberto Duran (7-0(7)) TKO2 Cristian Arias (8-4(5))
(lightweight division)

Duran maintained his perfect stoppage record with a 2nd round decimation of Colombia's Cristian Arias. At this stage his management is content to pad his record against a bunch of tomato cans. They have ignored the overtures of the International Boxing League, meaning Duran won't be a competitor in the organisation's 2008 Development League. But with the best 135-pounders in the world heading for the IBL, one has to wonder what the motivation is to keep him on a course towards what will be a lightly-regarded alphabet championship, whether it's WBA or WBC.

16 November: Atlantic City, New Jersey USA
Frank Galvano (12-0(9)) KO4 Brian Dwyer (9-3-1(6))
(middleweight division)

Appearing on the season's penultimate episode of Friday Night Fights, Bronx native Frank Galvano put on quite a show in what will most likely be his final outing of the year. Galvano floored Miami's Brian Dwyer four times on the way to his thirteenth career victory, ten of which have come inside the distance. Now promoted by Tyrone Hillier, the 23 year-old finds himself in a tricky situation as most of the talented fighters in his division are signed to the IBL. Hillier is talking him up as a future 160-pound titlist, but one has to wonder who it is he'll be defeating to claim one of those alphabet belts. It will be interesting to see if Galvano ends up moving to 168, where the likes of Obelmejias, Lytell and Barrett reside.

17 November: Caracas, Venezuela
Giancarlo Arango (34-2(26)) TKO9 Chatchai Chaisam (39-3-1(29))
(junior-bantamweight division, WBA title fight)

This long-discussed matchup finally became a reality after it appeared that Arango's camp might be going in a different direction when former WBA flyweight champion Chaisam opted for a third "preparation" bout in August. Arango himself had not fought since May and, strangely, took Chaisam's actions as a sign of disrespect, seemingly without considering that the Thailander has always been an active fighter. All that was forgotten in the lead-up, though, and when the two men stepped between the ropes they produced an exciting clash. The challenger had the better of the earlier going and silenced the crowd when he dropped Arango late in the 2nd round. But the champion was soon in the box seat and by the end of round six Chaisam was wearing some nasty swelling under his right eye. Arango dismantled him with surgical precision during the next three rounds, flooring Chaisam twice in the 9th before the referee jumped in to call it off at the 1:43 mark. The champion stretched his run of successful title defenses to seven and could very well be seeking out a unification showdown with Panama's Roman Moreno as his first contest of '08.

24 November: Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Javier Aguirre (6-0(4)) TKO1 Ulises Arellano (12-9-2(7))
(middleweight division)

Aguirre signed a two-year contract with the IBL last month, but that hasn't stopped him from staying active. He's now fought seven times since debuting in March and faced his most experienced opponent to date in journeyman compatriot Ulises Arellano. The difference in experience made no difference at all, as Aguirre obliterated Arellano within two minutes of the opening bell. The Acuna native will be competing in the 2008 Development League but has been given permission by the IBL to fight once a month between now and February. He certainly looks like a star of the future.

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Coming up in TGPiS...

* Tempers flare at Ortiz-Marquez press conference
* Bowe ready for a "fresh start" in WCC
* Ortiz-Marquez world lightweight championship review
* Ken Norton discusses McVey-Johnson incident

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ESPN

Boxing

Updated: December 3, 2007 10.45 AM ET

Ortiz loses cool at MGM press conference

By Larry Holman
ESPN.com
Archive

In an indication that defending the title of best lightweight in the world might be getting to him, Francisco Ortiz lost control of his temper at Sunday's MGM press conference to promote his Saturday showdown with Patricio Marquez. During what appeared to be some good natured back-and-forth between Ortiz and Marquez's trainer Oribe Velarde, Ortiz took offense to "something" Velarde said. It was quite possibly in relation to the world champion's brother Nelson, who was reportedly arrested last week in Santo Domingo on charges related to cocaine smuggling. Ortiz is rumoured to be estranged from his brother, so if Velarde actually made mention of the situation he certainly touch a raw nerve.

Ortiz lunged at the trainer, grabbed him around the throat and shoved him to the ground before being pulled away by his minders. All the while a bemused Marquez watched on, favouring the gathered media with a countenance that pretty much said "Really?" While it may have simply been a personal issue, one would think with the biggest fight of his life less than a week away Ortiz (38-2(31)) would be above taking this sort of bait. So it could simply be that the pressure is mounting. He campaigned for this fight, insisting after his victory over Joe Brown back in March that his next opponent would be Marquez, even if he had to wait into 2008 for it to happen. Both men have agreed to take part in the IBL's World Championship Conference next year, so their immediate futures are settled.

However, the winner of this Saturday's clash will not only be the world champion, they'll also earn themselves a shot at the IBL belt in their league debut, which will most likely not be until July or August. The loser will be more or less at square one, faced with the task of earning a title challenge with victories throughout '08. Based on their demeanour on Saturday, it's Marquez (44-3-1(36)) who is perfectly fine with all of that. The Mexican superstar has been less than enthusiastic about the fight in the past, seemingly expressing a desire to move to the 140-pound division with his victory over former WBC junior-welterweight champion Javier Gutierrez in July. Marquez has not explained his change of heart, but the level of talent at 135 is the most likely reason. Marquez has never been one to take the easy route and 2008 could very well end being the most challenging year of his career.

Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

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Sorry, all. Been sick with the flu for the last 2-3 days. First time in quite a while. Would love to do some writing but feeling like crap, so...

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LOS ANGELES DAILY MAIL

Thursday, 6 December, 2007

Norton speaks on McVey-Johnson scandal

Story by Mark Jankowitz

World heavyweight boxing champion Ken Norton spoke publicly for the first time yesterday on the sex scandal involving Sam McVey and Jack Johnson. Norton was present at a court hearing for McVey in Santa Monica and revealed the toll that the ordeal has taken on the 22 year-old. McVey stayed with Norton at his San Diego home in the aftermath of the November 4 incident, avoiding the media glare while attempting to come to terms with the situation he finds himself in.

"It's been really tough for the kid," Norton said. "You know, he's grieving for those three people as if they are dead, 'cause that's what they are to him now. But at the same time, they inflicted a terrible pain upon him and there's still a lot of anger there. I'm pretty sure there won't be any forgiveness from him. It's something that's gonna take a good while for him to recover from."

McVey pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and battery against his former fiancee Claudette James and Johnson but is hoping to have those charges dropped due to the extenuating circumstances of James and Johnson being engaged in a sex act along with Johnson's girlfriend Jessica Aguilar immediately beforehand. McVey also pleaded no contest to a DUI charge, and his legal team will be seeking a plea bargain in relation to it.

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The New York Age

SUNDAY, 9 DECEMBER, 2007

CONTROVERSIAL VERDICT SPOILS
ORTIZ-MARQUEZ CLASSIC

Story by James Reynolds

Last night's MGM Grand clash between world lightweight champion Francisco Ortiz of the Dominican Republic and Mexico's Patricio Marquez was a classic stoush, a fight that lived up to the hype and high expectations placed upon it. Neither man had ever taken part in a scheduled 15-rounder, and so it was thought unlikely that either would be able to last that brutal distance. But they did. It was one of the most anticipated fights of the year, and when it reached its conclusion, when the two combatants had exchanged an embrace, compliments, and proclaimed victory, the only thing required was confirmation that the one who had been noticably the better man was the winner. But it didn't work out that way. After seemingly doing enough to retain his status as the best 135-pounder in the world, Francisco Ortiz was on the wrong side of a unanimous decision verdict, the judges somehow agreeing that Marquez had been the victor by scores of 143-141, 145-139 and 143-141.

It was a meeting almost twenty-one months in the making, a clash Ortiz had been obsessing over since Marquez TKO'd him in the 10th round of a WBA/WBC unification bout in March '06. With that win Marquez not only gained a second alphabet title but also earned recognition as the official lightweight world champion. It was a status he would lose in his very next outing, when he was stopped in three rounds by Louisiana's Joe Brown in November '06. The circle was completed last March when Ortiz defeated Brown with a one-punch, 6th round KO. With revenge on his mind, he insisted after the win that his next opponent would be Marquez and he finally got his wish. The two had negotiated not only for this fight, but for their futures aswell, coming to an agreement with the International Boxing League to compete in its 2008 World Championship Conference. Part of the deal was that the winner of last night's clash would receive a shot at the IBL belt in their first fight for the organisation, later in '08.

Ortiz had shown with some erratic behaviour at two seperate media conferences during the last week that the pressure of it all might have been getting to him, and he was in an irritated mood during the pre-fight introductions and national anthems, also. He glared at Marquez in an ice-cold fashion as referee Mills Lane issued his final instructions. The contest did not start well for Ortiz, as Marquez won the 1st convincingly with some effective counter-punching and did just enough to take an uneventful 2nd. But Ortiz upped his aggression in round three and staggered Marquez with a flush straight right early before having the better of a spirited exchange late in the frame. Round four was close, although Ortiz appeared to steal it with some punishing body work in the last minute. The action heated up in the 5th, with both combatants having their moments. Marquez scored with a crunching uppercut just before the one-minute mark but Ortiz responded well, dominating the last two minutes of the round with a series of jabs and combos.

Marquez connected with a crisp right hand early in round six and it set the tone for the rest of the frame, as he also caught Ortiz with a stinging left to the body and a left hook on the chin before it was over. Continuing to be the aggressor, Ortiz peppered Marquez with the jab early in the 7th but got a little careless and ate a right cross a minute in. However, he went right back to work and controlled the rest of the stanza, catching Marquez with a sizzling left-right salvo and a big left hook late to seal the deal. Ortiz carried his momentum into round eight, claiming it with another outstanding three minutes. He found the mark with a winging right hand, a punishing left hook to the body and a short uppercut on the inside. The champ's workrate was remarkable, as he was throwing an average of 115 punches per round through the end of the 8th. Ortiz kept his foot down in round nine although Lane warned him for holding and hitting at its midpoint, an offense he had also received a warning for in round four.

The 10th was a tight one, Marquez bringing a pained groan from the crowd at ringside with a crippling body shot early on before Ortiz answered back with a hard right to the head and a trio of crisp, penetrating jabs in the closing stages. Ortiz's pace slowed in round eleven and while Marquez didn't exactly take advantage of it, he did enough to win the round. He caught Ortiz with a pair of textbook counter punches, a right cross and a left hook, the latter of which sent the sweat spraying off the champion's shaved pate. When the scorecards were examined some fifteen minutes after the verdict's announcement, round twelve would be perhaps the most contentious of the whole fight. Ortiz took the frame comfortably, landing a pair of hard left hooks within thirty seconds of the bell and then backing Marquez up with a left-right-left flurry as the two-minute mark approached. Marquez's only highlight was a short left hook from inside during the final seconds and, if anything, the Mexican appeared content to take the round off. Yet two of the judges scored it in his favour.

Round thirteen would also be controversial, but for different reasons. With Ortiz controlling the stanza and on the way to winning it, he was once again disciplined for holding and hitting. But this time, Lane instructed the judges to deduct a point from him. Ortiz shook off the penalty and seemingly put an exclamation point on his efforts by piercing another one of those eye-catching left-right salvos through Marquez's defenses about twenty seconds before the bell. However, when the cards were checked it was found that one of the judges had given the frame to Marquez, making it a 10-8 round thanks to the deduction. When Ortiz then came out and dominated a fading Marquez in the 14th, it already seemed that the victory, and revenge, was clinched. And the fact that Marquez finished stronger in a less than eventful final round almost felt like too little, too late. Both men raised their hands confidently to the standing ovation of the crowd and while neither wore any major battle scars, Marquez looked closer to exhaustion.

The brave Mexican warrior's countenance gave away his acknowledgement of defeat as he moved around the ring with shoulders slumped while waiting for the verdict. Ortiz, on the other hand, was already engaged in a premature celebration, smiling, shaking hands and embracing his team members. When Michael Buffer revealed that the verdict was a unanimous one, Ortiz kept on smiling while Marquez just nodded sadly. But from the moment the words "and new lightweight champion of the world..." started coming out of the announcer's mouth, pandemonium erupted. Ortiz immediately shouted "No! No ! No!" and pulled himself away from Mills Lane, walking over to a side of the ring and thumping the ropes with his fists, glaring down towards where one of the judges had been stationed during the fight. It took some time for his team to calm him down, although they weren't exactly keen to do so as they were at his side in protesting the decision, the fighter launching a profanity-laced tirade at the officials.

While the fight was not sanctioned by the IBL, the league's president and vice-president James Molk and Michael Vincennes had been in attendance at ringside and they tried with little success to appease Ortiz. All the while, Marquez (45-3-1(36)) was wearing a downcast expression, clearly embarrassed to have been awarded the victory. The punch totals painted an accurate picture of Ortiz's superiority. He landed 388 of 1,580 punches (24.6%), Marquez 303 of 783 (38.7%). While the total punches landed are not so far apart when you look at them over the course of fifteen rounds, the fact that Ortiz (38-3(31)) threw more than twice as many as Marquez indicates that he dictated the tempo of the fight and outworked his opponent. This bout was supposed to determine who the best lightweight in the world is and while it did that, the reality is that the fight itself was spoiled by another ordinary effort from the judges.

ESPN's Larry Holman called the verdict "disgraceful". Scoring the fight himself at ringside, he only gave Marquez five rounds, with nine to Ortiz and one drawn, being where Ortiz was deducted a point. So incensed was Ortiz, he departed the ring without speaking to the media, leaving Marquez to field their questions. He praised Ortiz for his performance, calling it the toughest fight of his life and one he never really felt comfortable in. When asked whether he thought he won, the new world champion would not say one way or the other, only confirming that he and his team would be watching the DVD. Marquez was also asked if he would be prepared to fight Ortiz a third time to which he correctly stated that the IBL would be responsible for determining that, as both he and Ortiz will be fighting under the organisation's banner in their next outings, no matter who their opponents are.

While the consensus is that Ortiz was a clear winner, it would have only taken US judge Bill Holmes to correctly score round twelve in Ortiz's favour and judge Pawel Kardyni of Poland to give Ortiz the 13th, therefore making it a 9-9 round with the deduction, for the bout to be a draw and lead to Ortiz retaining his world championship. However, that does not explain the bizarre scoring on the card of US judge Patricia Morse-Jarman. She somehow managed to award Ortiz just five rounds, including the one where he was deducted a point. Whether there is an official inquiry into the scoring of the bout remains to be seen because as the situation stands right now, Patricio Marquez is the world lightweight champion and will defend that title while also fighting for the IBL championship, although most likely not until September 2008. Ortiz will be left to earn a shot at the championship in his bouts throughout '08 and I, for one, just don't think that is fair.

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Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Coming up in TGPiS...

* Tempers flare at Ortiz-Marquez press conference
* Bowe ready for a "fresh start" in WCC
* Ortiz-Marquez world lightweight championship review
* Ken Norton discusses McVey-Johnson incident

Decided not to do that Bowe article. Have tried starting it a couple times, but just not quite feeling it. And besides, now that I think about it, I don't really believe he's done enough in the IBL so far to justify having a whole article to himself.

So I shall try to get through until the end of 2007 as quickly as possible , which will be done with perhaps two or three articles. They'll cover the IBL's final outside signings for the WCC and the schedule of bouts to take place during January, prior to the kickoff of the WCC.

Might be something more about McVey, also. I'm planning to wrap up the legal side of that storyline pretty quickly, to bring the thing to a conclusion. I was hoping it would generate more discussion, but oh, well.

Still need to get my act together with the Development League, also.

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Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Sorry, all. Been sick with the flu for the last 2-3 days. First time in quite a while. Would love to do some writing but feeling like crap, so...

Still haven't quite shaken this virus I've had, almost two weeks after I picked it up. Was close to being over it but it's hanging around like a bad smell: bad chest cough over the weekend, so wasn't in a creative mood. Feeling slightly better today, so I might be able to work on something during my lunch break.

[kenyan_cheena]

TheSweetScience.com

WEDNESDAY 12 DECEMBER 2007

IBL to kickoff '08 with a bang

Story by Bill Klein

As the end of 2007 makes a fast approach, boxing fans are looking forward to the commencement of the IBL's World Championship Conference in February. However, before that even gets underway the league has a mouth-watering plethora of matchups scheduled to take place through January and early February. A total of fifteen bouts - six title fights and nine eliminators - are set to make it an explosive start to the new year, with every clash having consequences for what is to follow in the WCC. All but one of the fifteen contests will be a headlining bout at a series of IBL fight cards held over five consecutive Saturdays, starting on the 5th of January. According to the league each event will feature a quartet of six-round undercard fights between competitors who have been selected to take part in the '08 Development League.

The February 2 card in Sydney will be co-headlined by two of Australia's biggest names, with bantamweight Jeff Fenech squaring off against Argentina's Ernesto Miranda in an eliminator before Les Darcy defends his world middleweight championship against Canada's Greg Gorecky. There are a number of intriguing contests scheduled, such as the featherweight eliminator between Mexico's arch-rivals Salvador Sanchez and Vicente Saldivar on January 19. It will be the second time the two have clashed in the professional ranks after they met in the quarter-finals of the Challenger's tournament in August '06. There's also Ken Norton's first defense of the world heavyweight championship he won by knocking out Terone Haynes in September. Norton takes on the young, undefeated German Max Schmeling on January 26.

In the opinion of some the league has brought trouble onto itself by scheduling these bouts in January, with the belief being it would have made more sense to make the matchups part of the opening stage of the WCC. They have said it will give an advantage to the WCC competitors who are not involved, as they only have to fight three times during the year. It has also caused confusion in regards to the negotiations for the opening WCC bouts, as those involved in these January/early February fights will not know what is in store for them going forward until they have actually contested their bouts. It's a criticism league president James Molk has dismissed, sighting the fact that all competitors have until the 11th of May to take part in their first WCC bout and that, in particular, each IBL champion has until June 29 to make a first WCC defense of their title.

Following is the complete schedule of headlining bouts for January and early February:

* SATURDAY 5 JANUARY

SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
FEATHERWEIGHT IBL/WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
MIGUEL BAUTISTA (CH) (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC) vs GILBERTO VASQUEZ (MEXICO)

LAGOS, NIGERIA
WELTERWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
ADEMOLA UDEZE (NIGERIA) vs JAMES RAY (USA)

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND
JUNIOR-HEAVYWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
CARL THOMPSON (ENGLAND) vs TORSTEN MAY (GERMANY)

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* SATURDAY 12 JANUARY

MEXICO CITY, DF, MEXICO
LIGHTWEIGHT IBL CHAMPIONSHIP
RAFAEL LIMON (CH) (MEXICO) vs BEN VILLAFLOR (PHILIPPINES)

LONDON, ENGLAND
LIGHTWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
CORNELIUS BOZA-EDWARDS (UGANDA) vs HECTOR HERNANDEZ (MEXICO)

KINGSTON, JAMAICA
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
MAURO MINA (PERU) vs TYRONE SHELTON (JAMAICA)

=====

* SATURDAY 19 JANUARY

LAGOS, NIGERIA
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT IBL/WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
CELESTINE AMAKOCHI (CH) (NIGERIA) vs MARK SOMOGYI (AUSTRALIA)

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ, USA
MIDDLEWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
MICKEY WALKER (USA) vs JOHN MUGABI (UGANDA)

MEXICO CITY, DF, MEXICO
FEATHERWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
SALVADOR SANCHEZ (MEXICO) vs VICENTE SALDIVAR (MEXICO)

=====

* SATURDAY 26 JANUARY

SAN DIEGO, CA, USA
HEAVYWEIGHT IBL/WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
KEN NORTON (CH) (USA) vs MAX SCHMELING (GERMANY)

MEXICO CITY, DF, MEXICO
WELTERWEIGHT IBL/WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ENRIQUE DIAZ (CH) (MEXICO) vs EMILE GRIFFITH (US VIRGIN ISLANDS)

SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA
HEAVYWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
PETER JACKSON (AUSTRALIA) vs LENNOX LEWIS (ENGLAND)

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
FLYWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
KOKI KAMEDA (JAPAN) vs BENNY LYNCH (SCOTLAND)

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* SATURDAY 2 FEBRUARY

SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA
MIDDLEWEIGHT IBL/WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
LES DARCY (CH) (AUSTRALIA) vs GREG GORECKY (CANADA)

SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA
BANTAMWEIGHT ELIMINATOR
JEFF FENECH (AUSTRALIA) vs ERNESTO MIRANDA (ARGENTINA)

=====

[kenyan_cheena]

Already did that schedule a few weeks ago, so all I had to add to it was those three paragraphs starting the article.

[kenyan_cheena]

ESPN

Boxing

Updated: December 19, 2007 2.30 PM ET

With signing of Driscoll,
IBL confirms WCC lineup is complete

By Larry Holman
ESPN.com
Archive

The International Boxing League confirmed on Tuesday that they had snared the prize signing of former world featherweight champion Jim Driscoll for their 2008 World Championship Conference. Driscoll took part in his second bout at 130 pounds last Saturday but will be competing in the lightweight division under the IBL banner, where he is reportedly keen to step in the ring against the trio of Patricio Marquez, Francisco Ortiz and Joe Brown, who have each laid claim to the world championship during the past two years. IBL president James Molk confirmed that the signing of Driscoll brought to a conclusion the organisation's recruitment drive for 2008, with each of the 23 WCC berths offered to fighters outside of the league now filled.

Driscoll's signing concluded a busy December period which also saw former alphabet champions Jose Napoles, Joe Brown and Jose Molina come to terms with the league. Molina made the surprise decision to return to the 126-pound division, where he had been IBF champion before relinquishing the title in October '05 to move up to junior-lightweight. In contrast, former WBC welterweight champion Jose Napoles is moving up for a second time in twelve months. Last December he fought for the first time at junior-middleweight in a non-title bout against Mike McCallum, and now he could very well end up having a rematch with the Jamaican pound-for-pound king as both of them will be competing at 160 pounds in the IBL.

Brown revealed that he was always going to join the league once Ortiz and Marquez agreed to do so in September, but it took some time for the two parties to agree on the terms of his contract. Brown was initially weary of signing a long-term deal after the IBO debacle, but it's believed that he is now contracted to the IBL until the end of 2009. The Louisiana native has said he'll be doing everything he can to position himself for a world title shot as soon as possible, which could mean a megafight with Driscoll early in '08. A number of bouts have already been arranged for the first stage of WCC competition, including a heavyweight showdown between former world champion Terone Haynes and the "7 Mile Monster" Brutus Brody for the opening Saturday of the season, February 9.

Following is the complete list of fighters signed from outside the IBL to compete in the 2008 WCC:

HEAVYWEIGHT

IGOR BEREZUTSKIY (RUSSIA)
MARKO FRIEDRICH (GERMANY)

-----

JUNIOR-HEAVYWEIGHT

NATE GIBBS (USA)
MICHAEL VAUGHAN (USA)

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LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT

JAMES FRANKLIN (ENGLAND)
RAY LANDIS (USA)

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MIDDLEWEIGHT

MIKE MCCALLUM (JAMAICA)
JOSE NAPOLES (USA)
MONTELL JACKSON (USA)

-----

WELTERWEIGHT

MICHAEL LINCOLN (USA)
MARCELO SMITH (USA)

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LIGHTWEIGHT

FRANCISCO ORTIZ (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)
JOE BROWN (USA)
PATRICIO MARQUEZ (MEXICO)
JIM DRISCOLL (WALES)

-----

FEATHERWEIGHT

SERGIO PALMA (ARGENTINA)
JOSE MOLINA (PUERTO RICO)
OMAR CALDERON (MEXICO)

-----

BANTAMWEIGHT

RICARDO BEDIC (PHILIPPINES)
ATSUTO HASEBE (JAPAN)
JEROME GUSTILO (PHILIPPINES)

-----

FLYWEIGHT

JOHN BEKKER (SOUTH AFRICA)
TEKO DAVIDS (SOUTH AFRICA)

-----

Larry Holman is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

[kenyan_cheena]

One of the things I'll have to do soon is work out and post the initial WCC rankings for the start of '08. These will be quite important as those fighters who are near the bottom of the rankings are going to have to make those first couple of fights count for everything to avoid being in the relegation zone once the final series of bouts roll around.

Those of you who made it in through the qualifying tournament will most likely be in the bottom half of the rankings to start with so that very first fight is going to be huge. The rankings at the top of each division can't be finalised until the bouts taking place in January and the first weekend of February are completed.

[kenyan_cheena]

After some consideration, I've reached the conclusion that creating and physically simulating fights in the IBL's Development League is literally not worth the time and effort it would involve. So I won't be doing it. Instead, the DL will exist as a storyline prop, something that is mentioned occasionally and taking place within the story but never becoming a focal point of it.

As an example, around about June '07 of the story it was announced that Earnie Shavers had signed an IBL contract and would most likely be competing in the DL in '08. This will remain the case, but I'm not going to go to the effort of actually simulating any of his fights. He'll be treated like the non-IBL fighters I write about in BOXING MONTHLY, meaning he'll most likely go undefeated in the DL. So the DL will more or less be a vehicle to allow the best of the up and coming fighters to make it to the International Conference unscathed.

What I might do is occasionally use random.org to decide whether or not he and other fighters such as Damien Walec might suffer an upset loss in their DL bouts. I'll have my hands full simply simulating the World Championship Conference and International Conference bouts and also keeping track of the non-IBL fighters, so the DL is something I'm really not inclined to put any energy into.

[kenyan_cheena]

Next post will be the December Boxing Monthly fight reviews, which will bring down the curtain on 2007. Was going to do an article on McVey's court case but it makes more sense for it to be in January.

I am planning to review each of the 15 big IBL fights that I posted the schedule for further up the page, although rather than doing each one seperately I'll probably do two or three in one single post.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Next post will be the December Boxing Monthly fight reviews

Changed my mind. There will be one more article before I get to the December BM.

[damientheomen3]

I better not lose.