COULD CONTEH HAVE BEAT CALZAGHE?
By
Jim Amato
Joe Calzaghe is now the toast of the British Kingdom. After
his long run as super middleweight champion, Joe conquered
Bernard Hopkins to become the world's best light heavyweight.
Where does Joe go from here ? Next up looks to be the faded
Roy Jones Jr. but what happens if Calzaghe beats Roy ? Well
I know Antonio Tarver has been calling Joe out. How about
Chad Dawson, Glen Johnson or Erdei ?
Too bad that Joe came along about thirty five
years too late. Back then Joe would have found stiff competition
right in his own back yard..Chris Finnegan and John Conteh
were on there way to becoming top contenders then. Finnegan
got a title shot against the legendary Bob Foster in 1972
and after a plucky performance Chris was halted by Bob in
the fourteenth round. It was the Ring Magazine " Fight Of
The Year. In 1973 Chris met and lost a fifteen round decision
to Conteh for the European and British Empire crown. In a
1974 rematch Conteh stopped Finnegan in six rounds. Conteh
was now making his way up the contender ladder. At the beginning
of his pro career there were times that Conteh beat heavyweights.
Before his second win over Finnegan, John had established
himself a major threat to Bob Foster. Conteh had beaten Vincente
Rondon and Tom Bogs leading him closer to the top. Foster
came close to losing his title to Argentina's Jorge Ahumada
when they fought to a disputed draw. At that point Bob decided
to relinquish his crown. The WBA matched Ahumada's countryman
Victor Galindez and Len " Stinger " Hutchins for their version
of the title. The WBC matched Conteh with Ahumada. Galindez
and Conteh emerged victorious. A fight between Conteh and
Galindez would have been a dandy but it would never take place.
John would make successful defenses against
Lonnie Bennett, rugged Yaqui Lopez and Hutchins. In their
infinite wisdom the WBC stripped Conteh of his title and said
it would recognize the winner of a bout between Mate Parlov
and Miguel Cuello as the new champion. Parlov halted Cuello
to capture the crown. Conteh would get a chance to regain
it but the awkward Parlov scored a fifteen round decision
over John. Parlov would soon lose the title to Marvin Johnson.
Matthew Saad Muhammad ended Johnson's reign and Conteh would
challenge Saad. John fought a wonderful fight and I had him
ahead after twelve rounds but he seemed to fade in the " championship
rounds " and Saad pulled out a fifteen round decision. It
was close enough for a rematch but this time Muhammad handled
John with relative ease scoring a fourth round knockout. Conteh
would fight one more time and then retire in 1980 after a
distinguished career posting a final record of 34-4-1.
How would Conteh have fared against today's
Joe Calzaghe ? Very well I think. Calzaghe's swarming aggressive
style would have been perfect for Conteh. John was very strong
and was able to hold his own against some decent heavyweights.
He was a good, solid all around boxer with a fine jab. Although
not a one punch kayo artist, John was a sharp hitter. John
tasted the canvas a few times in his career but he was only
stopped once and as Calzaghe showed against Hopkins he's far
from being a big banger. Also Conteh was not above using roughhouse
tactics in the ring. I think it would boil down to a matter
of tactics and Conteh had the superior talent. I'd have to
go with Conteh if the bout was the " real " championship distance
of fifteen rounds. If it was a twelve rounder Calzaghe might
have been able to salvage a draw. If it went fifteen I believe
Conteh would have finished strong to take the duke. Although
John faded in the late rounds against Saad Muhammad, he was
past his prime and Saad was a much more punishing puncher
then Calzaghe would ever hope to be. A peak Conteh finished
well in fifteen rounders againt Finnegan, Ahumada and Yaqui
Lopez.
I actually shudder to think of Calzaghe in
there with Bob Foster. Joe's lucky he did not fight in the
1970's and eighties.
CHAMPIONS WASTELAND ; SHOZO SAIJO
By
Jim Amato
Today with so many governing bodies and organizations
around it has become very hard to take someones claim of "
world champion " seriously. I mean there is the WBA, WBC,
IBF, WBO, IBA and God knows how many more will pop up in the
future. Split titles are not anything new to boxing but in
days gone by it was a lot less complicated. As much as I hated
it when either the WBA or the WBC " stripped " a champion
of his crown for some bogus reason and then " made " their
own champion. At least it kept the rift between just two claimants.
In some cases there were much needed unification fights like
Bob Foster and Vincente Rondon or Carlos Monzon against Rodrigo
Valdez. There were also cases where a unification bout would
have generated a lot of fan interest and cleared up the situation
but they never came off. Some bouts that come to mind are
Salvador Sanchez vs Eusebio Pedroza, John Conteh vs Victor
Galindez and Carlos Palomino vs Pipino Cuevas. There is one
bout that could have taken place in 1971 pitting two champions
from Japan who each claimed a portion of the featherweight
title. They were WBC title holder Kuniaki Shibata and his
WBA rival, Shozo Saijo. Alas the fight never materialized.
It seems that today Shibata is still remembered as the man
who made great Vincente Saldivar surrender. What about poor
Shozo Saijo ? He has been long forgotten outside of Japan
and somehow that just does not seem quite fair.
Saijo was born in 1947 and turned pro in 1964.
Shozo was not an instant sensation and over his first twenty
fights he compiled a less then earth shaking 14-4-2 record.
In 1968 he lost a decision to the highly regarded Jose Luis
Pimentel. In a rematch Saijo turned the tables and he got
the verdict. That led to a fight with the rugged Raul Rojas.After
the retirement of Saldivar, Rojas defeated Enrique Higgins
to claim the vacant WBA featherweight title. Rojas was matched
with Saijo in a non title battle and Saijo copped the decision.
On September 27th, 1968 in a rematch with the title on the
line Saijo became the new WBA champion.
Saijo did not just sit on his laurels. He
was a very active champion who defended his title five times
and won seven of eight non title affairs. His only loss was
to WBA super featherweight champion Hiroshi Kobayashi with
no title at stake. Finally on September 2nd, 1971 Shozo lost
his championship when he was hallted in five rounds by Venezuala's
Antonio Gomez. Saijo never fought again. His overall record
stood at 29-7-2. He scored eight stoppage victories and suffered
only one knockout loss and that was to Gomez. The path of
Saijo and Shibata never crossed when they both held the title
at the same time.Shibata held his portion of the title from
12-11-1970 to 5-19-1972. Saijo had a longer reign from 9-27-1968
to 9-2-1971, holding his piece of the crown for nearly three
years. A champion like Saijo should not be forgotten.
In conjunction with the Regional Golden
Gloves (open and click on last tab), here are the results
of the Regional Golden Golden Gloves Tournament - click here
for the results.
CLEVELAND LIGHTWEIGHT TOMMY SALEM
By
Jim Amato
The proud city of Cleveland has produced their
share of notable boxers. All time greats like Johnny Kilbane,
Jimmy Bivins, Joey Maxim, etc...helped to put Cleveland on
the fistic map. One fine fighter from Cleveland's gloried
past has kind of slipped through the cracks of deserved recognition.
He was a rough and tumble lightweight who campaigned in the
1950's. Although he was not blessed with great power, he was
able to win twenty of his twenty eight fights. His name was
Tommy Salem. Born in 1932, Salem turned pro in 1950. He was
undefeated in his first twelve bouts including two wins over
Tommy Tibbs. In 1952 Tommy lost an eight round split decision
to rugged Charley Riley. Salem bounced back to win three straight
before being outscored by Eddie Crawford. Tommy was then stopped
in seven rounds by Youngstown's under rated L.C.Morgan. Salem
then put together a five bout win streak that led to a 1956
fight with future champion and Hall Of Fame inductee Carlos
Ortiz. The bout was held at St. Nick's Arena in New York City.
Salem gave Ortiz all he wanted but dropped a spilt decision.
Salem's fine performance led to a return to St.Nick's to face
the highly regarded Johnny Busso. Again Tommy was on the short
end of a ten round split decision. In 1957 Tommy was taken
out by Walter Brown and Frankie Ippolito. He finally retired
with a respectable 20-7-1 record
A SHORT ON SHIBATA By
Jim Amato
Kuniaki Shibata was one of Japan's most under
rated fighters of all time. He was crowned three times as
a world champion in two different weight divisions. This was
in the 1970's when boxers had to go the "real" championship
distance of fifteen rounds.There were only two governing bodies
back then, the WBA and the WBC. Born in 1947 Shibata turned
professional in 1965. He was a very strong fighter with decent
power but he could also be a clever boxer at times. It was
Shibata's chin that would betray him on five different occasions
and probably eliminated him years later as a potential Hall
Of Famer. In the late 60's Shibata was stopped by dangerous
Dwight Hopkins and Hubert Kang for the Orient featherweight
title. Finally in 1970 Shibata shook up the world by forcing
the great featherweight champion Vincente Saldivar to retire
after twelve brutal rounds of action. In 1971 he stopped Raul
Cruz in one round. Then he drew with Panama's Ernesto Marcel
to retain his WBC title. Nine months later Marcel would win
the WBA's version of the featherweight title from Antonio
Gomez. In 1972 Shibata's chin was exposed again as Mexico's
Clemente Sanchez destroyed him in three rounds. In 1973 Kuniaki
pulled another upset by cleverly outboxing hard hitting Ben
Villaflor to win the WBA super featherweight title. Shibata
held on to his title with a draw against the always tough
Victor Echegaray. In his rematch with Villaflor, Shibata was
caught cold and flattened in the first round. Next Shibata
would score another upset in 1974 with a points verdict over
Ricardo Arredondo to add the WBA super featherweight title
to his belt collection. Shibata was a worthy champion as he
defended his crown successfully three times. In 1975 Shibata
tasted the canvas again as he was stopped in two by the great
champion Alfredo Escalera. Kuniaki would win three more fights
and would finally hang up the gloves in 1977. In 56 fights
his record was 47-6-3 with 25 KO's. In turn Shibata was blasted
out on five occasions. I will be doing a full length feature
on Shibata for the next issue of Boxing World magazine
In conjunction with the Colorado Golden
Gloves, here are the results of the State Golden Golden Gloves
Tournament - click here
for the results.
Roberto Duran is my favorite fighter of
all time. By
Jim Amato
Because of this fact I thought I may be a little
bias in my opinion of the book " Hands Of Stone ". Would I
over rate it because the subject was Duran or would I be too
harsh and expect too much ? All I know is when it hit the
shelf, I had to have it. Although time is not a luxury for
me these days I was going to make time to read this book.
I'm glad I did. The author Christian Giudice did a tremendous
job in researching this project. I was amazed at the number
of people who were a part of Duran's life and legacy that
he was able to talk too. The information he was able to gather
molded this into more then just a book. It became a journey
through Duran's life from his humble beginnings to the present.
Family members and former opponents along with many others
painted a picture of this great fighter and complex man we
call Duran. That name alone stirs great memories for boxing
fans around the world and the author was able to weave a superb
story of one of boxing's all time greats on to the pages of
this book. This is a must read for all boxing fans and if
you are a Duran fan...Well what are you waiting for ?
Author: Arthur Mercante By
Jim Amato
He was the best referee of my time and were
some great ones. Men like Mills Lane and Joe Cortez among
others. Arthur Mercante was the cream that rose to the top.
Now he has written a book titled " Inside The Ropes ". It
is a recollection of Mercante's travels through the landscape
of boxing. Mr. Mercante has decades of memories that he shares
his readers. It is a wonderful trip back in time as he talks
about some of the famous fights that he acted as the third
man. Patterson - Johannson II and Ali - Frazier I among others.
Mercante talks about some of the best boxers he's come in
contact with. Foreman, Frazier, Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard and
a young Cassius Clay. I thoroughly I enjoyed this book. It's
a slice of boxing history through the eyes of a man who has
seen it up close and personal. I highly recommend this fine
book.
Results of the Regional Four Corners Senior
Tournament in Phoenix, AZ held on February 22-23, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Bout #1 = Mike Herrera, NM vs. Francisco Ibarra - 112 lb -
Result = Mike Herrera, NM winner on points
Bout #2 = Randy Arellin, NM vs. Timothy Ibarra - 119 lb -
Result = Randy Arellin, NM winner on points
Bout #3 = Jose Haro, UT vs. Paul Romero, AZ - 119 lb - Result
= Paul Romero, AZ winner on points
Bout #4 = Suanitu Hogue, NM vs. Robert Rodriguez, CO - 125
lb - Result = Robert Rodriguez, CO winner by RSC-OS (Referee
Stops Contest Outscored)
Bout #5 = Aaron Olmedo, UT vs. Fidel Maldonado, NM - 132 lb
- Result = Fidel Maldonado, NM winner on points
Bout #6 = Daniel Calzada, CO vs. Bennie Tsosie, AZ - 132 lb
- Result = Bennie Tsosie, AZ winner on points
Bout #7 = Abel Ramos, AZ vs. Ronnie Reams, CO - 141 lb - Result
= Ronnie Reams, CO winner on points
Bout #8 = Ritchie Guerrero, AZ vs. Jeremy Ramos, CO - 152
lb - Result = Ritchie Guerrero, AZ winner on points
Bout #9 = John Neel, CO vs. Stephan McCray, AZ - 165 lb -
Result = John Neel, CO winner on points
Bout #10 = Joey Montoya, CO vs. Sifou Sua, UT - 201 lb - Result
= Sifou Sua, UT winner on points
Bout #11 = Mike Books, NM vs. Pedro Saldana, AZ - 201 lb -
Result = Mike Books, NM winner by RSC-2 (Referee Stops Contest
in second round)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Bout #1 = Louie Byrd, CO vs. John Tijerina, AZ - 106 lb -
Result = Louie Byrd, CO Regional Champion winner by RSC-1
(Referee Stops Contest in first round)
Bout #2 = Joseph Munoz, AZ vs. Mike Herrera, NM - 112 lb -
Result = Mike Herrera, NM Regional Champion winner on points
Bout #3 = Cynthia Moreno, AZ vs. Sabrina Montoya, NM - 119
lbW - Result = Cynthia Moreno, AZ Regional Champion winner
on points
Bout #4 = Randy Arellin, NM vs. Paul Romero, AZ - 119 lb -
Result = Paul Romero, AZ Regional Champion winner on points
Bout #5 = Emilio Garcia, AZ vs. Robert Rodriguez, CO - 125
lb - Result = Robert Rodriguez, CO Regional Champion winner
on points
Bout #6 = Fidel Maldonado, NM vs. Bennie Tsosie, AZ - 132
lb - Result = Fidel Maldonado, NM Regional Champion winner
on points
Bout #7 = Vincent Mirabel, NM vs. Ronnie Reams, CO - 141 lb
- Result = Ronnie Reams, CO Regional Champion winner on points
Bout #8 = Arturo Crespin, NM vs. Ritchie Guerrero, AZ - 152
lb - Result = Arturo Crespin, NM Regional Champion winner
on points
Bout #9 = Jesus Correa, NM vs. John Neel, CO - 165 lb - Result
= Jesus Correa, NM Regional Champion winner on points
Bout #10 = Andrew Hernandez, AZ vs. Mike Montoya, CO - 178
lb - Result = Andrew Hernandez, AZ Regional Champion winner
on points
Bout #11 = Sifou Sua, UT vs. Mike Books, NM - 201 lb - Result
= Sifou Sua, UT Regional Champion winner on points
Bout #12 = Terrance Perro, CO vs. Kamaal Ahmad - 201+ lb -
Result = Terrance Perro, CO Regional Champion winner by RSC-2
(Referee Stops Contest in second round)
Unopposed Female Nicole Pasillas, CO - Unopposed
- 114 lb weight class (There were a few other unopposed Females
from the other States, but we don't have their names at this
time.)
Team Trophy
1st Place = Arizona
2nd Place = Colorado
3rd Place = New Mexico
Click here
for the results of the BattleQuest 7 event!
On March 7th 2008, at
The Orleans Hotel and Casino in the Boxing Capital of the
World ( Las Vegas, Nevada ) Promoter, Mr. Frank Luca of Crown
Boxing will once again, and more than likely, provide and
entertain the boxing fans with yet another exciting boxing
card. Time and time again we have witnessed the exciting and
well-matched boxing contests that Promoter/ Matchmaker, Mr.
Luca has so very well arranged. So he always adds more excitement
to the already exciting sport of boxing. These are boxing
contests that no boxing fan would want to miss! So mark your
calendars and be a part of the great events that are brought
to you by Crown Boxing and the beautiful Orleans Hotel and
Casino. Upcoming events are March 7th , May 9th , August 15th,
September 26th, and November 21st, 2008. Sometimes we need
only let the record speak for its self, so lets go back to
July 6th, 2007. Remember? Or should I ask, how can you forget
a match like “Cobra” Johnny Taunton vs. Tomas Bernal? That
particular contest, I wrote saying what it really was , a
real scorcher. And what about the Layla McCarter vs. Angel
Martinez contest? A match where McCarter demonstrated how
a Champion defeats their opponent. An excellent bout, and
a bout where in my opinion, McCarter fought the near perfect
fight. On January 11, 2008 an IBA Continental Heavyweight
title bout was fought at the Orleans under the promotion of
Crown Boxing. By split decision Carlos “Boom” Barnett defeated
“Wreckless” Willy Chapman. And the list of good bouts goes
on. This brings a question that at times has been raised to
me; Is it my opinion that the IBA (International Boxing Association
) is a legitimate World Title? My answer, “It couldn’t be
more pure. The IBA World Title (Mr. Dean Chance ) rates as
highly, and is as respected as are the others. Let us be realistic
and see boxing as it is today, we don‘t have as much ring
talent as we once did. Boxing is far from being at its peak
and so putting great boxing cards together today is really
a challenging and difficult task . Promoters and match makers
are for the most part good at what they do, but if the talent
is not within their reach it makes for a very intense search
and a very difficult job. And if we don‘t see the so-called
great matches we once were fortunate to see, let’s not put
the blame on the promoters and the match makers. We, the writers,
photographers and boxing fans need to keep supporting the
sport of boxing and one day we may once again see a ‘Thrilla
in Manila.”
Always with great respect to Mr. Keith Kaiser,
Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission
and Promoter Mr. Frank Luca .
“See you at the fights!” Writer, Photographer:
Franco Floyd Fontanero
Editor: Rose M. Fontanero
Ring of Fire MMA Championship Fighting Presents

On Friday February 22, BATTLEQUEST
returns to the Denver area with its seventh installment entitled
Resurrection.
BATTLEQUEST is known as a
breeding ground for new talent and is the feeder show to the
popular RING OF FIRE Championship Fighting promotion. The
night will feature 10 matches and will take place at the Softball
Country Sports Pavilion. The Sports Pavilion is a great venue
for fight events as it also the home of Poor Boys Professional
Boxing series.
In the main event Easton BJJ
fighter Tyler "Thunder" Toner will take on Brett
"B-Roller" Roller of Colorado Springs. Toner has a 6-1
record and last appeared on Battlequest 6 when he finished
Wyoming collegiate wrestler Nick Mamalis. Roller (7-1) is
coming off an impressive victory of Matt Hughes team fighter
Jacob Hey.
In the feature bout of the
evening Cody "Donnybrook" Donavon will face undefeated
Ted "The German Tank" Von Roll of Oakland, CA. These
two powerhouses will face off for the vacant BATTLEQUEST LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP. The under card is filled with some
of the area's most talented fighters such as the charismatic
Kenneth Seegrist, the powerful Ian Berg, and
the athletic Brian Wood. Former professional football
player Brendan Schaub makes his Heavyweight MMA debut
against the veteran Drew "The Vanilla Gorilla" Knapp.
BATTLEQUEST will also returns to its roots and feature K-1
rules bouts, highlighted by a match up between ROF veterans
Sean Doherty and Aaron Trujillo .
Tickets can be purchased at
any KING SOOPERS location or online at www.ticketswest.com
. You can also charge by phone at 866-464-2626. Doors will
open at 6:30 and the first bout will start promptly at 7:30
p.m.
Ticket Prices: Rows 1-2 $50.00 Rows 3-6 $35.00 Rows 7-14 $25.00
Bleachers $25.00
Visit www.rofmma.com
and www.coloradofightevents.com
for updates to the fight card, in depth interviews and fighter
bios.


Tickets: VIP GOLD (4 person
table):
$250 VIP Silver (4 person table):
$200 Reserved: $30
General Admission: $20
For more ticket information and to purchase: Bad Boyz 720.275.7972
Gumm MMA 303.358.7152
Art of War 720.297.9465
For the latest & up-to-date fight information, visit: www.ColoradoFightEvents.com
www.RockyMountainBadBoyz.com
*subject to change
Sunday, Feb. 10, 3 p.m. Film Discussion
With award-winning director & filmmaker Jason Hutt. In the
words of trainer Jimmy O’Pharrow, the boxer Dmitriy Salita
“looks Russian, prays Jewish, and fights black.” The son of
Ukrainian émigrés, Dmitriy balances his strict observation
of Jewish law with the demands of the professional boxing
circuit. He once said, “If anyone wants a whuppin’ from me,
they got to wait until after sundown.” Orthodox Stance (the
title refers to a boxing position) takes us behind the scenes
to experience Dmitriy’s grueling training program, tense contract
negotiations and prefight prayers. A contemporary melting
pot has developed around the hot young boxing prospect, who
is surrounded by a cultural collision of unlikely figures
including an elderly African-American trainer, a Hasidic rabbi
and a Las Vegas boxing promoter. A gripping and inspirational
portrait of the American dream.

Colorado premiere. Film Sponsor Lu & Chris
Law Filmmaker Sponsor Lu & Chris Law
Tickets are $8 for adults/$6 for seniors/students.
To purchase tickets call our box office at 303-316-6360 or
www.maccjcc.org.
BNY Mellon Wealth Management
Denver Jewish Film Festival Screenings in the Shwayder Theatre
at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 350 South Dahlia Street,
Denver, CO 80246
From Robert
Bloom
Fear and confusion in Pahrump, Nevada?
By Franco
Fontanero
I’m of Spanish decent with my great, great,
grand parents immigrating from San Lucar de Barrameda, Spain
many years ago. They learned the English language and proudly
raised the red, white and blue stars and stripes because they
proudly were now Spanish -Americans and taught us to do the
same. “Be proud to be Spanish and just as proud to be an American,”
were the words of my great grandfather. My family and I are,
and will forever be “Spanish”. No one can change that. And
we will forever be just as proud to be “Americans”. Even though
we may throw in a word or two in Spanish, English is the American
way. No one has ever suggested I change my name to “Smith”
or “Jones” , nor has anyone ever tried to force me to deny
my Spanish heritage. As a matter of fact, no one has forced
me to be an American and live the American way. My family,
by choice, are Americans and by choice proudly speak the English
language . Members of my family have served in the United
States Armed Forces, one brother served in the United States
Army, two of my other brothers served in the United States
Air Force. The one brother retiring after 25 years of service,
with one tour of duty in the war in Vietnam. So, in this Spanish
family the American flag flies a little higher without being
asked. My mother -in-law, who is Japanese, born in Okinawa,
Japan, came to America legally and learned the English language.
No one posted a sign, nor did she ask for a sign that read,
“Japanese spoken here”. She conducted all her business in
English. My father-in-law is of German decent and a retired
United States Army Staff Sergeant, fighting in the Korean
conflict and with three tours in Vietnam to his record. He
proudly flies his American flag and shows off the medals he
earned, and in English tells of stories of the wars in which
he served . There will be no confusion in Pahrump or any where
else in America if we all speak the same language and fly
the same colors, but for those that should wish not to, keep
in mind that in America we are free, free to leave if we so
wish.
Proud to be Spanish and just as proud to be an American. (In
reference to the controversy of the City Council to require
English Only to be spoken in the city of Pahrump, Nevada,
2007.)
. “Viva Pahrump,Nevada!”
Friday, January 26, 2008 - - THE GREATNESS
OF A FIGHTER By Franco
Fontanero
Floyd Joy Mayweather, Jr. Born February 24,
1977 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and who was born Floyd Joy
Sinclair, has proven he is the best boxer in any and every
boxing arena on the planet. Have I made myself clear, yet?
All those that have lost to Floyd Mayweather, Jr., stop whining
already! You lost to the very best; not just to someone going
around trying to impress by calling himself a pugilist. For
at least the past eight years, I have said and on many occasions
wrote, making the public aware that “Little Floyd” was the
Big Man to be reckoned with. “He,” I said, “will do you in.
Just like that old song goes, “One fist of iron -the other
of steel, if the right one don’t get you- the left one will.“
Mayweather, Jr. with fists of speed, can sing you that tune
all night long in the square ring. The name Mayweather sort
of goes hand in hand with the word boxing. Floyd “Joy” Mayweather,
Sr., once a boxer himself, even though not in the same level
of his son Floyd, Jr., did however become one of the very
best trainers of recent times and which at one point in time
trained Floyd, Jr. with much success. “Jazzy” Jeff Mayweather
also was a decent boxer who at one time won the IBO Super
Featherweight Title and is today a good trainer. Then comes
the mighty two-time World Champion, “The Black Mamba” Roger
Mayweather. He and his nephew Floyd Mayweather, Jr. surely
will go down in the books of boxing history as two great boxers
and as one of the best fighter and trainer teams. Just how
much more will we see of this great fighter, who in his pro
career, has defeated each and every opponent that has faced
him? Who is left for him to fight? Seems he has defeated all
that was thought to be in his league and by no means should
there be any question as to the greatness of Floyd “Joy” Mayweather,
Jr. Nothing more needs to be proven . With his fists, it has
all been said and done. 39 fights, 39 wins, 25 by kayo, 14
by decision. Floyd has fought and defeated Ricky Hatton, Oscar
De la Hoya, Carlos Baldomir, Zab Judah, Shamba Mitchell, Arturo
Gatti, Henry Bruseles, De Marcus Corley, Phillip Ndou, Victoriano
Sosa, Jose Luis Castillo (twice), Jesus Chavez, Carlos Hernandez,
Diego Corrales, Emanuel Augustus, Gregorio Vargas, Carlos
Gerena, Justin Juuko, Carlos Rios, Angel Manfredy, Genaro
Hernandez, Tony Pep, Gustavo Cuello, Miguel Melo, Sam Girard,
Hector Arroyo, Angelo Nunez, Felipe Garcia, Louie Leija, Jesus
Chavez, Larry O’Shields, Tony Duran, Bobby Giepert, Kino Rodriguez,
Edgar Ayala, Jerry Cooper, Reggie Sanders, and Roberto Apodaca.
Let this be proof of the greatness of Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Pound for Pound for Pound for Pound.
BOOK REVIEW : BOXING IS MY SANCTUARY:
By
Jim Amato
A Collection Of Essays by Theodore R. ( Ted
) Sares. If you like boxing...If you love boxing...Then you
will love this book. Ted " The Bull " Sares has a way of taking
the sport of boxing to it's inner core. Stripped down, mano
y mano. Ask no quarter, give no quarter.
This is a man who has followed boxing for
years sharing his profound memories in words that make you
feel that you are almost at ringside. Ted does not shy away
from anything. He shares the courage of the fighters he writes
about but he also shares the tragedy of some.
This is the most heart felt boxing book I've
read in years. Ted's perspective on the sport is absolutely
endearing. To me he is the A.J. Liebling of our era.That is
the highest compliment I can pay to a boxing writer and Ted
has surely earned it.
I highly recommend the book to any boxing
fan. It is like walking through history, up close and personal.
With the induction into the Boxing Hall of
Fame as his crowning achievement, it has been a special year
for Roberto Durán. Also, I want to thank each one of you who
has supported the book: Hands of Stone: The Life and Legend
of Roberto Durán, over the last year. If you have a chance,
please check out the revised version: Twas
the Night Before Montreal. Merry Happy New Year!
From Christian
Giudice
SEVERAL REASONS WHY HANK KAPLAN IS GOING
TO BE IN THE HALL OF FAME By Jim Amato February 22, 2006
- By
Jim Amato
Hank Kaplan is a wonderful man. I had the great
pleasure of meeting Hank at the IBHOF in June of 1998. Since
that time we have stayed in periodic contact. I was introduced
to Hank through a mutual friend, Jim Borgen of Warren, Ohio.
Through Jim I learned just how much Hank Kaplan has done for
the sport of boxing.
Hank Kaplan is to boxing what John Madden
is to football. I mean that as the ultimate compliment. Hank
may just be the most respected person in boxing today. He
was elected President of the World Boxing Historian's Association
in 1958. I was all but four years old !
Hank has been the Director Of Public Relations
for Angelo Dundee Inc. since 1960. He was the Technical Director
for the radio presentation of the All Time Computerized Heavyweight
Tournament in 1967 and 1968. He was the Technical Director
for the Marciano-Ali Computerized Closed Circuit match in
1969.
Hank was the Boxing Expert / Consultant to
Sports Illustrated magazine for 23 years. Hank is a consultant
on boxing history for the International Boxing Hall Of Fame.
He also been a member of the IBHOF's Three Person Committee
Of Induction Process since 1990. Hank has been used as a consultant
by HBO, Showtime, ESPN and many major newspapers in the US
and Europe. He has assisted in the research of numerous boxing
books.
Hank is the founder and owner of Hank Kaplan
Boxing Archives. He has one of the most extensive archives
of boxing information and memorabilia in the world !
Hank was inducted in to the Los Angeles based
World Boxing Hall Of Fame in 1994. He was given the George
C. Beahon Award by the Rochester, N.Y. Boxing Hall Of Fame
in 1999.He received the prestigious James J. Walker Award
from the Boxing Writers Association Of America in 2003. These
are just a handful of awards and plaudits that Hank has garnered.
It will now be topped off with his induction to the Hall Of
Fame in Canastota, N.Y. this coming June.
It could not have happened to a nicer and
more deserving man.
Any Challengers???
In March 07 I was the only master division
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know anyone who fights Master division 178 please tell them
to start training for March 08! Thanks
Sergeant Graham Dunne
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800 Telluride St. Aurora, CO. 80011
office 303 739 6876
fax 303 739 6870
cellular 303 981 7239
HANK KAPLAN PASSES AWAY By
Jim Amato
This is such sad news. My friend Jim Borgen
who was a friend of Hank's told me he was very ill. I had
the pleasure of meeting Hank once a the IBHOF in June of 1998.
I have a photo of he and I with a very ill Beau Jack.
Hank was # 1, the best...I would call him
occasionally and we had some nice chats. He was always very
giving of his time. God bless this fine person. May he rest
in peace.
If you have any information on John Montes
Jr. please email
me.
EDDIE PERKINS ON HIS WAY TO THE HALL OF
FAME By
Jim Amato
In a career that spanned from 1956 to 1975,
Eddie Perkins engaged in 99 professional fights. He won seventy
five of those contests. He met opponents in over twenty different
countries. He truly was a " world " champion.
Ediie lost three of his first five bouts
but rallied to win seven straight. In 1958 he lost to Cleveland,
Ohio's Cecil Shorts. He stopped Shorts in a rematch and then
he outscored rugged Franke Ryff. In 1959 Eddie won a decision
over Paul Armstead but lost to Carl Hubbard and was then halted
by Al Urbina. It would be the only stoppage loss of Eddie's
career.
1960 was a good year for Perkins as he beat
Larry Boardman, Paolo Rosi and Joey Lopes. In 1961 Perkins
lost a verdict to Youngstown, Ohio's L.C. Morgan. He would
bounce right back to outscore the hard hitting Carlos Hernandez.
That would lead to Eddie's first title shot and on October
21st he met defending WBA junior welterweight champion Dulio
Loi in Milan, Italy. After fifteen rounds, the bout was judged
a draw. They would meet again eleven months later and this
time Eddie won the decision and captured his first world title.
Perkins reign lasted only three months as
Loi won a decision in their rubber match. Loi decided to retire
and on June 15th, 1963 Eddie won his second title with a decision
over Roberto Cruz for the WBA and WBC titles.
Perkins would defend successfully against
Yoshinori Takahashi and the slick Bunny Grant. He also sqeezed
in five non title victories. On January 18, 1965 Eddie lost
his crown to Carlos Hernandez. Seven months later he would
lose to future great Jose Napoles.
Eddie was bound and determined to regain his
title. He scored an important win over Kenny Lane but in 1966
he dropped a points call to Lennox Beckles. In 1967 he beat
Adolph Pruitt and Paul Armstead but was then outpointed by
the classy Nicolino Locche. Perkins came right back to beat
Pruitt again. He finished the year with a draw against Joao
Henrique.
Perkins put together a quiet win streak in
1968 but lost a decision in a rematch with Henrique. In 1970
Eddie re-established himself as a force to be reckoned with.
He defeated Lion Furuyama, up and coming Clyde Gray and Pedro
Adigue. He then lost a return match to Bunny Grant. Eddie
then took out Johann Orsolics.
In 1971 Eddie defeated future champion Angel
Espada but in 1972 he was upset by Victor Ortiz. In 1973 Eddie
put himself in line for a welterweight title shot as he beat
the rough and tough Armando Muniz to win the NABF welterweight
title. Perkins would repeat his victory over Muniz in 1974.
Besides the two losses to Perkins and losses
to Zovek Barajas, Marcos Geraldo and Angel Espada, Muniz was
awarded a 1975 title fight with the great champion Jose Napoles.
In Muniz' defense during that time period he did defeat Ernie
Lopez and Hedgemon Lewis. Nevertheless in 1974 Eddie deserved
a title shot especially after a win over Japan's Ryu Sorimachi.
That would be Eddie's last victory. After his failure to win
the middleweight title from Carlos Monzon, Napoles opted to
fight a rematch with Hedgemon Lewis. This left the deserving
Perkins out in the cold.
Perkins would lose a decision to future junior
middleweight champion Rocky Mattioli. An aging and discouraged
Perkins would then lose verdicts to Maxwell Malinga and Shoji
Tsujimoto. In 1975 Eddie had his last battle loing an eight
rounder in Germany to Franz Czandl.
Perkins met seven world champions and countless
contenders in his distinguished career. He fought anyone,
anywhere, anytime. Welcome to the Hall Of Fame Eddie.
There is a new boxing gym in Colorado Springs,
Cobra's Boxing. Click here for
the name, address and contact information.
Jose Torres By
Jim Amato
There was a time in the mid 60's that revolved
around who would be Muhammad Ali's next opponent. The former
Cassius Clay was chewing up and spitting out challengers with
alarming ease. His hold on the heavyweight title was reaching
the point of fan boredom. Few could see any serious contenders
on the horizon.
Then a tremendous boxer-puncher of Puerto
Rican heritage exploded on to the scene. He was really a blown
up middleweight with an extensive and successful amateur background,
but boy could he fight !
He was a thing of beauty to watch. Hands held
high in front of his face in the peek-a-boo style taught to
him by his mentor Cus D'Amato. The flashing combinations,
the burning body shots and his business like command of the
situation inside the ropes. He was quite simply, a fighting
machine.
When Jose Torres lifted the world's light
heavyweight title from Willie Pastrano on March 30, 1965 he
was truly great. Who will ever forget the picture perfect
body shot that sent a pained Pastrano to the canvas. Only
Willie's undeniable gameness kept him the fight until the
ninth round.
Almost every conceivable positive boxing adjective
was heaped upon Jose after his stellar performance. Rightfully
so as Jose seemed destined to a bright and illustrious future.
Let's go back to Jose's early pro career.
This young man appeared to have success stamped on his forehead.
He turned professional in 1958 and won all nine of his fights
that year. In 1959 he scored four straight kayos two of which
were over rugged Joe Shaw and talented Al Andrews. He finished
the year by drawing with future welterweight king Benny Paret.
In 1960 he stepped up in class and was forced
to go the distance three times. Twice against the clever Randy
Sandy and once versus tough Tony Dupas.In 1961 and 1962 Jose
put together an impressive ten fight knockout streak that
led to his coming out party. On May 26, 1963 Jose took on
the feared Florentino Fernandez in San Juan. Florentino had
unsuccessfully challenged Gene Fullmer for the middleweight
crown in 1961. He was still very much a threat the night he
met Torres. Time would have to wait for Jose Torres. Fernandez
gave him a very rude welcoming to the big time halting an
overmatched Jose in six rounds.
The loss seemed to make Jose even more determined.
Less then five months later he returned to out score Don Fullmer.
Jose picked right back up in 1964 reeling off seven very impressive
wins. Among the victims were Jose Gonzalez, Wilbert McClure,
Gomeo Brennan and a crushing one round blitz of former middleweight
king Carl " Bobo " Olson.
Next came Pastrano and the championship.
Then a foray into the heavyweight ranks to cop a verdict over
Tom McNeely. Three solid defenses of his crown followed against
capable challengers Wayne Thornton, Eddie Cotton and Chic
Calderwood. The future seemed vast and unlimited.
Then came December 16, 1966. Where did it
all go wrong ? It was supposed to be a routine defense against
the respected former middleweight king Dick Tiger. If a stuffed
welterweight named Emile Griffith proved to be too much for
Tiger in taking Dick's middleweight title, how could he beat
Jose ? Answer ? Tenacity, conditioning and a burning desire
and relentless will to win. Jose was just outworked. It was
close and debatable but nevertheless a loss.
The rematch five months later was almost
a carbon copy of the first engagement. Neither fight will
go down in the annals of classic encounters but little did
anyone suspect that Jose only had two more dates on his dance
card.
Almost a year after his second setback to
Tiger, Jose traveled to Australia and beat a useful Bob Dunlop.
Fifteen months later he emerged in New York. The colorful
but erratic Charlie "Devil " Green all but knocked Jose out
cold in the opening stanza. Call it guts, pride or whatever,
Jose came out in the second round and he downed the " Devil
" for good. It was high drama but also the curtain call. Jose
Torres would never box again.
What Jose Torres has done in his post boxing
career is a tribute to the man himself. He has established
himself as a fine writer and humanitarian. He is a hero to
the Puerto Rican people and rightfully so. I can give you
my account of what I saw of Jose Torres, the man. It was June
of 1998 and I was attending a fight show during the festive
International Boxing Hall Of Fame weekend in Canasota, New
York. Many former boxing greats entered the ring to have their
pictures taken. Jose was among them.
The photo was taken by Mike Greenhill and
I have it in my office at home. It shows over twenty smiling
warriors enjoying the companionship of their peers. In one
corner of the photo I notice a frail and aged Beau Jack. The
now late former lightweight champion was not in the best of
health at the time. What I see behind him is a man, a caring
man who is not worried about smiling for the camera. I see
concern etched on his face thinking only of watching out for
the once robust champ.
As they say, a picture says a thousand words.