The Heavyweight Boxing Federation

[kenyan_cheena]

FLORIDA ALLIANCE FIRES BACK

Saturday 14 September 2002

Florida Alliance member Elmer Ray has thrown down the gauntlet to Indianapolis native Mike Hanson, claiming today that he'd be prepared to step in the ring against the hard-hitting giant "jus' to shut 'im up".

"Man, 'nough is enough," an irritated Ray said today at LAX airport. Ray was accompanied by fellow Alliance members Romy Alvarez, Terone Haynes and Ariel Reyes, the quartet having flown into Los Angeles ahead of Alvarez's Qualifying League bout on Tuesday night. The other members of the group (Oliver McCall, Tommy Gomez and James Ray) had returned to Florida following Ray's bout against Ray Leonard on Thursday night.

"The dude is, what? 27? 28? 28 years old, y'all. 28 and he goin' on like this, dissin' us when he ain't achieve $h!t yet. Dissin' me, a 17 year-old who already won five fights, see? I ain't lyin', y'all. If there be a way fo' me to step up 'gainst him, I do it, man, jus' to shut 'im up."

Ray was responding to comments Hanson had made yesterday when he said that the Alliance were "a bunch of chokers" and that James Ray's draw against Ray Leonard was "just another Florida Alliance choke job." It's not the first time Hanson has been criticial of the entourage but it appears that, after shrugging off Hanson's previous statements, Elmer Ray has now had enough.

"I'm the one he pressin' the mos'," said Ray. "Yeah, maybe he set to fight Romdawg nex' year but it's me he be pressin'. I be the head of this thang so I be the one takin' this nonsense to heart the mos'. Y'all let 'im know if he wanna throw down, les' throw down."

Hanson himself flew into LA last night, also set to fight on Tuesday night's card. With the two camps now both in the city, it will be interesting to see what eventuates in the next couple of days...

[Romdawg88]

Elmer doesn't even need to sweat Hanson, I'll be taking care of the problem in a few months.

[kenyan_cheena]

The completion of the IBL Oakland Arena fight card brings us to the end of Saturday the 14th. There's one more Welterweight FC series card on the schedule but once that's done with it's on to the Lightweights and series two of the Qualifying League.

I'll be doing a post in each thread to preview the coming week's action, plus there might just be some more comments from Mr. Hanson...

[kenyan_cheena]

Sunday 15 September 2002

HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING FEDERATION
FIGHT CARD SCHEDULE
MONDAY 16/09/2002 - SATURDAY 21/09/2002 INCLUSIVE

TUESDAY 17/09/2002 - STAPLES CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA
THE U.S. PACIFIC COAST BOXING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT FINAL
& THE HBF QUALIFYING LEAGUE

QL/G1: 6(72) ANTONIO SERIOUX vs 7(84) MIKE HANSON
QL/G12: 6(61) SCOTT MUNDT vs 7(73) HUGH PHILLIPS
QL/G1: 5(60) ROMY ALVAREZ vs 8(96) SYLVAIN RIBERY
QL/G12: 5(49) KALOLO UMAGA vs 8(85) LEE Q. MURRAY

THE U.S. PACIFIC COAST BOXING LEAGUE
TOURNAMENT FINAL

(1) ROSCO TOLES vs (2) LEOTIS MARTIN

THURSDAY 19/09/2002 - ESTREL CONVENTION CENTER, BERLIN, GERMANY
THE SOUTHERN EUROPE BOXING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT FINAL
& THE HBF QUALIFYING LEAGUE

QL/G4: 6(69) JERRY QUARRY vs 7(81) CARL WILLIAMS
QL/G9: 6(64) MAX CAYTON vs 7(76) ALEKSANDR BYSTROV
QL/G4: 5(57) JEAN-PIERRE COOPMAN vs 8(93) MICHAEL RICHARDSON
QL/G9: 5(52) CHARLES BRADLEY vs 8(88) TORSTEN HILDEBRAND

THE SOUTHERN EUROPE BOXING LEAGUE
TOURNAMENT FINAL

(2) MARKUS STOBER vs (7) LOVRO ALANOVIC

[Romdawg88]

I can't wait for our card to happen. I am looking forward to seeing who looks more impressive Mike or myself. Also, that Chris/LL fight should be good times.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

I can't wait for our card to happen. I am looking forward to seeing who looks more impressive Mike or myself. Also, that Chris/LL fight should be good times.

As far as the story itself is concerned, it's a very important fight card. The outcomes of the bouts will determine which direction certain plotlines take in the aftermath...

[Romdawg88]

Cool, even more reason to look forward to this card.

[kenyan_cheena]

SERIES TWO OF QUALIFYING LEAGUE
KICKS OFF ON TUESDAY

Sunday 15 September 2002

Following a quiet two weeks the Heavyweight Boxing Federation will be back to something resembling its normal, busy self during the coming seven days with a pair of five-bout fight cards scheduled to be held.

Both events will be headlined by feeder league tournament finals, those bouts coming after a quartet of Qualifying League contests. On Tuesday Rosco Toles and Leotis Martin will go toe-to-toe for eight rounds at the Staples Center in an anticipated matchup, the winner to claim the title of Pacific Coast Boxing League Champion. They'll also be granted a berth in the upcoming World Ranking tournament. The same prize will be at stake when Germany's Markus Stober takes on the overachieving Croatian Lovro Alanovic in the Southern European Championship bout on Thursday. Alanovic defeated #1-seeded Russian Genadi Yantchev to make the final so it will be interesting to see if he can spring another upset. The card will be held in Germany so Stober will have the crowd on his side.

Those tournament finals are important bouts but they'll most likely be overshadowed by the running rivalry between the Florida Alliance and Indianapolis slugger Mike Hanson. The latest round in their ongoing saga started off on Friday when Hanson labelled the Alliance a "bunch of chokers" before the "Florida Firebrand" Elmer Ray retorted yesterday by saying he'd like to step in the ring against Hanson "jus' to shut 'im up". It could turn explosive in Los Angeles on Tuesday as both Hanson and Alliance member Romy Alvarez will be in action in Qualifying League bouts. Ray, along with fellow Alliance members Terone Haynes and Ariel Reyes will be in attendance while Hanson confirmed on Friday that he'll be accompanied by some of his close friends.

Including Hanson and Alvarez there's a quartet of talented, promising fighters involved in the QL bouts, with Connecticut-born German Scott Mundt facing a challenging test in the shape of the long-limbed, quick-fisted West Virginian Hugh Phillips. That contest is also scheduled for Tuesday while on Thursday 19 year-old Nashville native Max Cayton will also have his hands full against the 6'6" Russian giant Aleksandr Bystrov.

Even though there's not a full menu on offer, the coming week promises to be an exciting one...

[mh2365]

The Florida Alliance should move to Ohio ... they are the OSU of this league. Can beat the patsies but choke every time they step up.

[Lee]

This feud is heating up, Elmer has you in his sights Mike!!

[CONN CHRIS]

I like the chances of this Scott Mundt fellow!

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by Lee

This feud is heating up, Elmer has you in his sights Mike!!

Mike doesn't need to worry about Elmer one bit since he'll never get anywhere near Ray. I'll be taking care of Mike long before there is a chance for that fight to ever happen.

[kenyan_cheena]

"LOOKS LIKE I GOT UNDER HIS SKIN"

Sunday 15 September 2002

Indianapolis slugger Mike Hanson kept it simple this afternoon when asked about the comments made about him by Florida Alliance member Elmer Ray yesterday.

"Looks like I got under his skin," said Hanson, smiling.

The big Indiana native refused to elaborate, insisting that he had nothing else to say on the matter. Those who have been following the running fued he's been having with the Florida Alliance will no doubt be surprised that Hanson was so understated with his comments but when pressed once again he showed some frustration.

"Look, you know, all I'm worried about right now is getting past Antonio Serioux," Hanson said. "That's all I'm focused on. I've said exactly what I wanted to say about those Florida fellas and I'm gonna leave it at that for now."

Hanson was being interviewed live in a Los Angeles radio station studio, the second time in the past three days that he's done so following Friday's interview in Indiana where he made the "Florida Alliance choke job" comments. The show's hosts were disappointed by his unwillingness to unload on the Alliance once again, as would have been a considerable proportion of the listening audience.

It will be interesting to see if Hanson is in such an uncharacteristic mood when he steps in the ring on Tuesday night...

[kenyan_cheena]

Coming up to start the new week in the HBF/IBL...

* IBL fight card from Johannesburg, South Africa (Monday 16/09)
* Good deeds of #1 seeds (Monday 16/09)
* IBL fight card from Manchester, England (Tuesday 17/09)
* HBF fight card from Los Angeles, California, USA (Tuesday 17/09)

[Romdawg88]

So close yet so far away. I'm pumped for our fights.

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Romdawg88

So close yet so far away. I'm pumped for our fights.

Shouldn't take me too long to get through the two IBL cards as I'm only planning to write about the main event and co-feature on each one. I'd say that within 48 hours the QL card review will be posted.

[kenyan_cheena]

LOL the radio station is playing "You May Be Right" by Billy Joel and the bananas are dancing in time with the music!!!

[Romdawg88]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Shouldn't take me too long to get through the two IBL cards as I'm only planning to write about the main event and co-feature on each one. I'd say that within 48 hours the QL card review will be posted.

Nice, thats good times. I'm glad to hear that I'll get my chance to show up Mike soon. Yeah, those bananas do a rather freaky ability to dance in rhythm with the music you're listening to sometimes.

[kenyan_cheena]

GOOD DEEDS OF #1 SEEDS

Monday 16 September 2002

Story by Keith Jacobs for the New York Sun

All of the HBF-related talk of the past couple of days has focused on the childish Mike Hanson - Florida Alliance rivalry, but in my opinion it's time we fight fans focused on something more positive and admirable. I'm talking, of course, about the deeds of the federation's two #1 seeds, Gene Tunney and Rocky Marciano. In the minds of many there's no doubt that these two are certainties to clash in April 2004 when all these exciting tournaments are over, Tunney as World Champion and Marciano as his first challenger. But there's much more to them than fantastic fighting skills.

Tunney was last seen in a boxing ring back on August the 10th when he dominated the German Karl Mildenberger in winning a unanimous decision and improving his record to an unblemished 7-0(2). In the time since he enjoyed an extended stay in Nigeria, assisting with the auditions for the African Championship and attending the semi-finals of the African Boxing League tournament. Not long after that he was in duscussions with federation president Michael Vincennes where he floated the idea of holding his opening bout of the World Championship tournament's second stage in the homeland of his opponent, Italy's surprise packet Sante Amonti. Tunney said it would be a great promotion for boxing in Italy and Vincennes agreed. The card will be held at the home of Italian football giants A.C. Milan, the San Siro.

Selfless with his time throughout this first year of the HBF's existence Tunney has been back in Nigeria since last Wednesday, holding training clinics with youngsters and some of the fighters who have been chosen to compete for the African Championship, such as the heavy-hitting Samuel Peter. When asked about his preparations for the October 26 bout against Amonti, Tunney said they were going well but admitted that he was more concerned with the task at hand.

"Just keeping out of these guy's way is keeping me fit," Tunney joked. "But seriously, if I can help them learn the science of the sport it can only make them better fighters. That's really important to me."

Tunney will be staying in Nigeria until at least the end of next week, with the all-Nigerian ABL final between Ike Ibeabuchi and Omovo Okocha to be held on Thursday the 26th.

Known as "The Brockton Blockbuster", Rocky Marciano has been more or less out of the public eye since his last fight on August 7, a unanimous decision win over a gutsy Scott LeDoux in Ireland. He's an intensely private individual but like Tunney, one who is very generous with his time. Although he trains religiously and was, according to some reports, back in training within days of his victory over LeDoux, Marciano has also been involved in a number of HBF promotional events and clinics in Massachusetts.

A good friend of fellow HBF competitor Sam Langford, Marciano actually visited "The Pride of Nova Scotia" in his hometown of Weymouth Falls last week. The two trained together and while there Marciano assisted in the construction of a new youth leisure centre, a project that Langford has close to heart.

Marciano will step back in the ring on the 2nd of November against the Irishman Bob Devere (4-2-1(1)) in a bout that he feels will be his biggest test to date. The card will be held at Scotland's Braehead Arena, with Marciano and Devere set down as the Co-Feature prior to the Sonny Liston - Oscar Bonavena clash.

"The way he reached stage two was really admirable," said Marciano of Devere. "The guy only won two of his first five fights but then he was victorious in series six and seven and that's the reason he made it in. He's not going to take a backward step now that he has this chance to go even further."

Without question, Gene Tunney and Rocky Marciano are two of the real shining lights of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation and following their progress through stage two of the World Championship and 1st Defense tournaments is something that this reporter is really looking forward to...

[kenyan_cheena]

Forward! To page 85!