Colorado Boxing News

2008-9 Amatuer Schedule
Updated 5/25/09

ALEXIS ARGUELLO;" Talk Softly But Carry A Big Stick " By Jim Amato
Note; I wrote this article several years ago. Alexis was one of my all time favorites. I'm shocked and deeply sad at the news of his passing. He was a true gentleman and a credit to the sport. May he rest in peace. ARGUELLO ;

One of the best pure punchers of my generation was Alexis Arguello. He was aptly nicknamed " The Explosive Thin Man ". He was tall and rail thin but his punch could stop an opponent dead in his tracks.

It's hard to believe that Alexis was stopped in the very first round of his pro debut in his native Managua, Nicaragua. He would rally to win three straight then lose again. Hardly the makings of a legend.

Alexis would reel off twenty straight wins before his next loss. Then came thirteen more victories including knockouts over Octavio Gomez and Jose Legra. This led to a shot at the WBA featherweight title in 1974. The champion was the talented Ernesto Marcel of Panama. Alexis lost a fifteen round decision.

Alexis would rebound to win four in a row including a stoppage win over rugged Art Hafey of Canada. He again challenged for the WBA featherweight title in 1974. His opponent this time would be legendary Ruben Olivares. In a see saw battle Alexis took Ruben out in round thirteen and also took his title.

In 1978 Alexis moved up to 130 pounds to take on WBC junior lightweight champion Alfredo Escalera. In a great, great fight Alexis finally halted Escalera in the thirteenth round to annex that title. Alexis may go down as the best 130 champion in history. He would beat Escalera in a classic rematch. He would then go on to beat Bobby Chacon, Rolando Navarette, Bazooka Limon and Boza Edwards. All would win a piece of the junior lightweight title after Alexis left the division.

Alexis would move up again and defeat Jim Watt to win the WBC lightweight title in 1981. He would defend that title four times. Among those defenses was his victory over future champion Ray " Boom Boom " Mancini. He also nearly decapitated the future trainer of Mike Tyson, Kevin Rooney in a non title fight.

Alexis seemed unbeatable and decided to move up in weight again to challenge WBA junior welterweight champion Aaron Pryor. Their November 12, 1982 bout in Miami was one of the most action packed bouts of all time. The fiery Pryor absorbed the bombs of Arguello and finally overwhelmed Alexis to score a brutal knockout in the fourteenth round. What a fight it was ! They would meet again and this time Pryor took Alexis out in ten.

It seemed like the end for Arguello but he fought on. Over a year later he would cold cock former champion Billy Costello in the fourth round. Alexis would not fight again for eight years. He would win one and then lose one. Realizing it was no longer there, he retired for good. He ended his 90 bout career with an 82-8 record.

Alexis was a class act. He did not verbally assault his opponents. He was a true gentleman. He did what he had to do to win and he did it well. Very well...

In the words of former President Teddy Roosevelt he " Talked softly but carried a big stick " . I think the stick was called his right hand.

DAVID HAYE SHOULD "EARN" HIS DAY! By Jim Amato
I was glad to hear Wladimir Klitschko say after his impressive but boring win over Ruslan Chagaev, "David Haye, get in line". AMEN...WHAT has David done to earn a shot at the heavyweight title other then run his mouth ? He was the undisputed cruiserweight champion...So what? Why hasn't O'Neil Bell got a shot at the title? Wamba is still waiting. Get my drift? I like Monte Barrett, he was a good heavyweight but on the downside of his career when Haye stopped him. Let Haye put some more notches on his gun. Fight and beat a Holyfield or John Ruiz. I'd even be happy to see him fight David Tua or Oliver McCall. Too bad that the heavyweight division is so BORING that this fight is in demand. If Haye gets the title shot he will be just benifitting from the dearth of talent in our time. I hope what ever Klitschko brother knocks him out, they drape that David Haye T-shirt over his inert head. What a fitting end that would be!

JIMMY ELLIS By Jim Amato
Author's note; Upon hearing of Jimmy's next great battle against Pugilistic Dementia, I would like to re-release this article about him.

It's too bad that the cruiserweight division was not around in the 60's and 70's. Many fine boxers scaled under 190 pounds and gave creditable performances against bigger men. Doug Jones is an example as he came close to upsetting Cassius Clay in 1963. Doug had lost in 1962 to Harold Johnson for the light heavyweight title. In 1965, he lost to Ernie Terrell for WBA Heavyweight crown. Back then there was no middle ground. If you weighed over 175 pounds, you fought heavyweights, period.

Bob Foster, who was one of the greatest light heavyweights of all time, had trouble moving up to heavyweight. Jones, Terrell, and Zora Foley soundly beat him in heavyweight bouts. After winning the light heavyweight crown in 1968, he failed in attempts to beat Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. How would he have fared at 190 pounds?

I'm sure if you took all the top boxers who weighed between 175 pounds and 190 pounds since 1960; most experts would rate Holyfield number one. How would a 190-pound Holyfield have coped with Floyd Patterson's hand speed? How about Bob Foster's reach and devastating punch? Could he have beaten Jimmy Elllis? Before you laugh, take a look at Jimmy's record. He started as a middleweight in 1961 and through 1964 he lost five bouts to Holly Mims, Henry Hank, Rubin Carter, Don Fuller and George Benton. All top middleweight contenders. By the time he blasted out Johnny Persol in one round in 1967, he had grown into a heavyweight. He swept the WBA elimination tournament by beating Leotis Martin, Oscar Bonevena and Jerry Quarry. Jimmy twice had the iron jawed Bonevena on the canvas, something Joe Frazier could not do in 25 rounds of fighting. Against Frazier, Ellis weighed in over 200 pounds. He looked flabby and after a few rounds became sluggish. The following year Jimmy met his long time friend Muhammad Ali. Jimmy was in great shape at 189 pounds. His muscles were tight and he looked fit. Unfortunately, Ali was too big. He wore Jimmy down and stopped him in round twelve. I believe the Jimmy Ellis of the Ali fight could have given any 190 pounder since 1960 a run for their money, including Evander Holyfield. Ellis was a slick boxer with sharp reflexes. He had a good left hand and a sneaky right. He also had loads of courage. How many fighters could have gotten to their feet before the count of ten after catching Joe Frazier's full swing left hook flush on the jaw? Jimmy is one of the most overlooked heavyweight champions of the last four decades. This may be due in part because he boxed in the Ali-Frazier era. I've often wondered what the outcome may have been had Bob Foster challenged Ellis for the WBA title. Now that might be a dream match to run through a computer

MARVIS FRAZIER ; THE LOST SON... By Jim Amato
“Flesh of my flesh. Blood of my blood.”
The camera rolls and the highlight clip begins. It shows a young, undefeated but green Marvis Frazier dancing while taunting heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. In the blink of an eye Holmes unloads a right hand sucker shot that sends Marvis backward and into a sprawled position on the canvas. Marvis showing he is a true Frazier gamely arises. Quickly Holmes pins him in a corner and pummels him unmercifully till the ref intervenes. The look on Frazier’s face isn’t so much a look of pain. It is a bewildered, shellshocked look like Ken Norton had after Gerry Cooney had worked him over in a corner. A look that said “What the hell hit me ?” Now fast forward to another highlight clip. A not quite ready for prime time Mike Tyson is waiting in his corner to do battle with Marvis Frazier. This is considered a good test for Tyson at this stage of his budding career. The bell sounds and within seconds Tyson is on top of Marvis forcing him into a corner. Then Mike connects with one of the most vicious uppercuts of all time. The punch appears to nearly lift Frazier’s head clear off his shoulders. The follow up is needless, Marvis is done.

Today when the name Marvis Frazier is mentioned those two film clips come to mind. Holmes and Tyson both destroyed him. Marvis was just the over hyped son of ” Smokin’ Joe “. How wrong this is. Truth be told, Marvis Frazier was a very capable fighter. Marvis boxed not slugged his way to over 50 amateur wins. He was considered the best U.S amateur heavyweight until suffering a shocking one punch, one round kayo loss to James Broad. The kayo punch pinched a nerve in his neck and shelved his career. Corrective surgery started Marvis on the road to his professional career. Many blame father Joe for changing Marvis from a boxer to a puncher. To try and mold Marvis into his unique slugging style. A style he was not really suited for. They said Marvis was too small to slug with the big brutes of the division. There may be some truth to this. Still Marvis enjoyed some success against much bigger and competent foes. He would meet Broad in a rematch at the professional level. This was not the fat, sloppy looking Broad most of us remember. This was a big but trim and in shape James Broad. It went ten rounds and Marvis using speed, great defense and accurate punching beat him fair and square.

Marvis would also outspeed and out hustle a bigger and talented Joe Bugner. Joe was no slouch. He had traveled 27 rounds in two fights with Muhammad Ali. Bugner had also gone twelve rugged rounds with Papa Joe. After the Holmes debacle Marvis won a tough decision over Bonecrusher Smith. In a gutsy performance Marvis got off the canvas to win a close verdict.

Mike Tyson put the exclamation point on the career of Marvis. The son of Joe never really got his just due. How would he have done if he boxed as a cruiserweight ? How would he have fared against the likes of Holyfield, Qawi or DeLeon in this bastard division ? It is a shame that we will never know.

Please remember Marvis as more then a whipping boy for Holmes and Tyson. Remember him for more then just being Joe Frazier’s boy. Instead remember Marvis for his talent and his courage. Remember him as a fighter.

June 27 get ready.... By Theresa Addison
...for the first Annual All-Female Amateur card billed as "Battle of the Babes" sanctioned by USA Boxing. We are currently looking for interested women to participate. This is a charity event to benefit LetThemBox.org and A-FightingChance.org. It is to be held on June 27 at A-1 Boxing in Aurora and will feature Junior, Senior, and Master Division Boxers.

An award will be given to the Best Boxer; a custom-made boxing robe donated by BoxxerWorld.com and Laura Saperstein, 7-0 pro boxer out of the UK. This is a pre-matched event and boxers need to commit to their matches. We hope to make the final matches by the end of April.

All boxers, coaches, or gyms may contact Theresa Addison at theresa.addison@gmail.com to be added to the database. Thank you for supporting women's boxing in Colorado.

Click here for the flyer with more information

"IRISH" FRANKIE CRAWFORD By Jim Amato
He was a world class featherweight in the late 1960's and early 70's. He twice fought for a piece of the world title. He was from my hometown of Cleveland. His name was Frankie Crawford. Frankie grew up in the East 65th, St.Clair area of Cleveland. Tough area then. Tough area now. Crawford grew up learning to defend himself. He learned well. He won the 1965 Cleveland Golden Gloves. He was told for a small boxer to make money, he needed to go to California. Frankie heeded that advice. He turned pro in LA in 1965. He became an immediate crowd pleaser and draw for West Coast promoters.

On October 5, 1967 Frankie met the once beaten "Golden Boy", the teenage whiz kid Mando Ramos. Mando walked out with his second career loss. Four months later the prodigy Ramos avenged the decision. Nevertheless Crawford had earned a ton of respect. Frankie's career took a major hit in 1968 when he was stopped in eight by the talented Dwight Hawkins. Frankie would bounce back. On July 5th 1970 Frankie would get a shot at the WBA Featherweight title against Shozo Saijo in Japan. Crawford lost a close majority decision. He would meet Saijo again eight months later but this time Saijo won a conclusive decision. Later that year Crawford lost decisions to former world champ Vincente Saldivar and top lightweight contender Ruben Navarro. Frankie had now entered the downside if his fine career.

He would be taken out in one round by the hard punching Ben Villaflor. He dropped a decision to Hugo Barraza and then was halted in two by Ray Lunny III. The slide contiued in to 1973 as Frankie dropped verdicts to Bobby Chacon and Eder Jofre. It all ended in 1976 when Crawford lost in seven rounds to Jose Luis Ramirez. In all "Irish" Frankie Crawford had 61 pro fights. His record was 38-18-5. It is a very decieving record based on the quality of his opposition. Crawford was a true and deserving contender. His record speaks for itself

WHY ISN'T LUPE PINTOR IN THE INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF FAME? By Jim Amato
This is a story that you may say is regrettable. You may say it is sad or that it is a simple oversight. Or you may call it what it is, a travesty ! If you look at the credentials of Lupe Pintor it is plain to see that they far exceed those of some that are enshrined in the I.B.H.O.F. This is a proud warrior who should have been inducted years ago but sadly he sits on the outside looking in. Pintor was born in Mexico in 1955 and he turned professional in 1974. He first gained attention in 1975 when he upset previously unbeaten Willie "Birdlegs" Jensen via a seventh round knockout. In 1976 he would drop a decision to highly regarded Alberto Davila. Pintor continued to rack up victories stopping Tony Rocha, Baby Kid Chocolate and Davey Vasquez. He also outpointed Gerald Hayes. In 1978 he dropped verdicts to future super bantamweight champion Leo Cruz and Jose Luis Soto. A fourth round stoppage of Richard Rozelle put Lupe back in the title picture. On June 3, 1979 Pintor met the great Carlos Zarate for the WBC bantamweight title. The once beaten Zarate boxed well early on and even had Lupe down in the fourth round. As the fight progressed Pintor began to come on. Still at the end of fifteen rounds the decision was in doubt. One judge had Zarate in front by an outrageous score of 145-133. The other two judges shocked the crowd voting for the new champion Lupe Pintor by the score of 143-142. It was a highly controversial verdict. A disgusted Zarate would stay away from boxing for nearly seven years.

Pintor proved to be a busy and worthy champion. In 1980 he turned back the challenge of the talented Alberto "Superfly" Sandoval. In his next defense he drew with tough Eijro Murata. Then came a tragic defense against the gritty Welshman Johnny Owen. Pintor kayoed Owen in round twelve. The brave Owen would die from injuries in this bout two months later. Somehow Pintor put the tragedy behind him and continued to defend his title. He would defeat Alberto Davila in a rematch. In 1981 he outscored Joe Felix Uziga and Jovito Rengifo. He then stopped Hurricane Teru in the final round. In 1982 he took out Seung Hoon Lee in the eleventh round. It was Lupe's eighth successful title defense. He would then relinquish the crown to go after Wilfredo Gomez at 122 pounds. Pintor won a ten rounder over former WBA bantamweight king Jorge Lujan and then challenged Gomez. The fight took place on December 3, 1982. It was quite a memorable affair. When I think of great fights I have seen, Foreman - Lyle, Pryor - Arguello I, Duran - Barkley and Gomez - Pintor quickly come to mind. This was an action packed encounter with several shifts in momentum. It was a true classic that ended in round fourteen with Gomez retaining his WBC super bantamweight title. Pintor would lay off for over a year. Upon returning he won three straight but was then upset by Adriano Arreola. In 1985 Pintor was matched with Juan "Kid" Meza who now held the WBC 122 pound crown. Meza had won the title in impressive fashion by clocking undefeated Jaime Garza in one round. Pintor surprised the experts by flooring the game Meza three times on his way to a decision victory. Pintor was again a champion. This title reign didn't last long though. In 1986 he came in over the weight limit in a title defense and forfeited his crown. He was then halted by his opponent Samart Payakaroon.

Lupe did not box again for eight years. He returned in 1994 as a lightweight. Pintor won only two of seven bouts and he would retire for good in 1995. In 72 bouts Pintor posted a 56-14-2 record. He won 42 inside the distance. He held the bantamweight title for three years taking on all comers. The only worthy opponent he missed was his WBA counterpart Jeff Chandler. The unification bout just never materialized. Chandler, a great fighter in his own right was inducted way back in 2000. Where is the justice here ? It is time for Lupe Pintor to get the recognition he deserves.

MANCINI VS ARROYO By Jim Amato
Author's Note; Since this article was first published in th June 1997 issue of BOXING WORLD magazine, Harry and Ray have put any animosity behind them. "Why We Missed The Battle Of Youngstown"

Let us make believe that it is 1984 again and the management of Ray Mancini decided NOT to defend his W.B.A. lightweight title against Livingstone Bramble. Instead they opt to unify at least part of the championship against cross town rival Harry Arroyo, the I.B.F. title holder. The bout would be held in their home town of Youngstown, Ohio and be televised live nationally. The whole city of Youngstown and its surrounding areas are buzzing with excitement and anticipation. The TV executives predict a bonanza rating since both boxers are proven crowd pleasers. In the days preceding the FIGHT, there is electricity in the air. The city is divided in its loyalty. Mancini seems to be the fan's favorite, but Arroyo has a faithful contingent too. The fight has been a sell out for weeks and the local betting has been heavy. This is a bookmaker's dream and Mancini's going off as an 8 to 5 favorite with decent action on the Arroyo short end. Mancini, short, muscular and aggressive with his bread and butter left hook -VS- Arroyo, tall and lean with a stiff jab and a stiffer right cross. What a match up! Alas this possible scenario never took place. Why? Who is at fault, if anyone? Did one boxer avoid the other as has been hinted ? Did Ray or his management plan on a payday against Arroyo after a victory over Bramble or is it possible Harry was never in their plans ?

To understand this further, let's explore the career of each boxer. Even as an amateur Ray caught on like wildfire. In his hometown and being the son of a former contender, Mancini's story line is very attractive and after turning pro the media blitz was on. Handsome and personable, Mancini had it all. In the ring he was an action fighter. There was never a dull moment when Ray was on the tube. His manager, Dave Wolf, moved him wisely and cautiously. In Ray's only real test preceding a title shot he won a convincing decision over future champion Jose Luis Ramirez. His title fight with Alexis Arguello may have been his finest moment even in a losing effort. Arguello is an all time great and Mancini gave him one of his toughest fights before fading in the fourteenth round. Ray's title winning performance against mediocre Art Frias and defenses against over matched Duk Koo Kim, Orlando Romero and Bobby Chacon did little to enhance his fistic reputation. The loss to Bramble was a real surprise. Had they underestimated Bramble's ability? The fact remains that Mancini never won another professional fight.

Arroyo on the other hand also came up through the amateur ranks well decorated but with much less fanfare than Ray. As a professional, Harry worked his way up the ladder earning a rating with a victory over tough Robin Blake. He secured on I.B.F. title bout with Charlie "Choo Choo" Brown and won the crown in a true action fight.Harry's come from behind defenses against "White Lightning" Brown and Terrance Alli made Arroyo a TV fan favorite. Unable to entice Ray into the ring with him, Harry fought and lost his crown to Kronkster Jimmy Paul. As in the case of Mancini, Arroyo's career declined rapidly after his title loss. A shocking KO defeat to Sammy Fuentes and a one sided decision loss to then up coming Vinny Pazienza took Harry out of the title picture. A one round loss to future junior welter weight champion Loreto Garza relegated Arroyo to rank of an also ran. So by fate the paths of Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini and Harry Arroyo never crossed in a professional prize ring.

Arroyo still lives and works in the Youngstown area while Ray now resides on the West coast. Mancini is still idolized in his hometown and this may have caused some bitterness for Harry. Ray's claim of not wanting to box Harry because of their "friendship" may bear some looking into. According to sources close to Arroyo, the two never even had a cup of coffee together. So much for a friendship that deprived Youngstown of a true super bout. The courage of both men goes unchallenged. The feeling here is that the Bramble loss completely disrupted any of Mancini's future plans. He wanted Bramble again, got him and almost beat him in their rematch. Arroyo won the I.B.F. crown only two months before Ray's first loss to Bramble. Who knows if the Mancini camp planned to meet with Harry if Ray would have gotten by Bramble. Mancini remained inactive for several years after he lost his title. By the time Ray was ready to box again Harry's star had dimmed considerably and Mancini secured lucrative bouts with Hector Camacho and later Greg Haugen before retiring.

Ray Mancini and Harry Arroyo, both men, champions and winners. The only loser in this story was the hard luck city of Youngstown, Ohio.

THE COURAGE OF SCOTT LEDOUX By Jim Amato
Scott LeDoux was a heavyweight contender in the 1970's and 80's. Today is battling his toughest opponent ever, ALS or better known as Lou Gerhig's Disease. There is no cure or treatment. This once robust fighter has already been weakened enough to need a walker to get around.

In his fifty bout career Scott met eight heavyweight champions. EIGHT ! George Foreman, Leon Spinks, Ken Norton, Mike Weaver, Gerrie Coetzee, Frank Bruno and the recently deceased Greg Page. On July 7,1980 Scott met Larry Holmes for the WBC title. He was stopped in seven rounds. In addition to meeting eight champs, he also fought three men who challenged for crown. They were Ron Lyle, Terry Daniels and Ron Stander. He also met other worthy contenders like Duane and Rodney Bobick, Marty Monroe, Dino Dennis, Larry Middleton and Johnny Boudreaux. Scott's bout with Boudreaux stands out. It was part of the US Boxing Tourney. LeDoux lost a very debatable decision. A little scuffle ensued and somewhere in melee Howard Cosell's toupee was dislodged. Fond memories...

My favorite LeDoux fight was his battle with Ken Norton. Well behind on points the gutsy LeDoux mounted a rally to close the gap. He had Norton out on his feet at the final bell. The bout ended in a draw.

Scott showed great courage in his career and he continues to show that courage as he faces an unconquerable enemy. Please keep Scott in your thoughts and prayers.

NINO BENVENUTI By Jim Amato
He was a celebrated Olympic hero and undefeated as a professional until losing an extremely debatable verdict in Korea. Nino came to New York and captured the American fans with his suave, arrogant demeanor. He took two out of three against the great Emile Griffith and he was the middleweight champion of the world. There were impressive defenses against the capable Don Fullmer, brother of Gene who Nino dominated. There was a questionable diqualification win over Fraser Scott in a fight that seemed to be going Scott's way.

We saw Nino come from behind to salvage his title with a stunning one punch knockout over the legendary Luis Rodriguez. He DREW with rugged Doyle Baird in a non-title contest at the Akron Rubber Bowl but most people thought he lost. He was unable to continue in Australia against under rated Tom "The Bomb" Bethea in another non-title bout. To Nino's credit he halted Bethea in a title fight rematch. He also stopped Baird in a non-title return. Nino had some very ill advised thoughts about moving up to challenge Bob Foster for the light heavyweight crown. First he had to get by former titleholder Dick Tiger. The stronger Tiger handled Nino with ease thus ending Nino's illusion of competing against Foster. It looked like a safe defense when he agreed to meet ranked but undistinguished Carlos Monzon of Argentina. The best thing on the Monzon resume was a draw with rugged American Bennie Briscoe. This fight marked the beginning of the reign of "King Carlos". Monzon out toughed and outlasted Benvenuti to win the middleweight crown via a twelfth round knockout. Nino would get a chance to regain his former fame but before that happened he lost a decision to another Argentine warrior, Jose Chirino. Monnzon-Benvenuti II was a total mismatch. The bout was stopped in the third round. This was the end of Nino's career. Looking back I remember the Italian boxing heroes, Graziano. Marciano, LaMotta, Basilio and DeMarco. Throw in a clever but tough Giardello and you can get a picture of what I was looking for. Nino didn't fit the bill. He was not of the same mold. I've never seen a fighter complain to the referee like Nino used to. In my eyes he was real whiner. Hagler and Hopkins would have worn him down and stopped. Hearns and Leonard would have knocked him out. Toney and McCallum would have out cuted him. Iran Barkley would have outslugged him.

EDDIE MACHEN ; He Met The Best By Jim Amato
He was one of the best heavyweights of his era and possibly one of the best heavyweights to have never claimed the title. He fought the best of the late 1950's and 60's with a high degree of success.

Eddie Machen was born on July 15, 1932 in Redding, California and he entered the punch for pay ranks in 1955. Eddie won all eleven of his bouts during his maiden year including a knockout over highly regarded Howard King.

In 1956 Eddie added eight more victories and established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division. He twice defeated Julio Mederos and also won two bouts against the dangerous Nino Valdes. Eddie closed 1956 with a points victory over tough Johnny Summerlin.

Machen opened 1957 with a pair of wins over the clever former light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim of Cleveland. He also defeated Bob Baker and closed the year with a kayo over Tommy " Hurricane " Jackson. Eddie was now a leading contender for Floyd Patterson's heavyweight title.

It was in 1958 that the fortunes of Eddie Machen's career began to take a turn. He opened the year by battling to a draw with the slick Zora Folley. Then came the bout that shocked the boxing world. Eddie traveled to Sweden to meet Ingemar Johansson. the fight would last only 2:16 but it would thrust Ingo into a title fight against Patterson and leave Eddie on a long waiting list. Ingo would upset Floyd to win the crown and then Patterson would roar back to regain it. That would set up a rubber match that Floyd would win. From the time Eddie lost to Ingo and the conclusion of the Patterson-Johansson trilogy, two and a half years had passed.

After the loss to Ingo, Eddie won seven straight and then was matched again with Zora Folley. This time Zora got the verdict. Machen rebounded with three more wins including Alex Miteff and Alonzo Johnson among his victims.

On September 7, 1960 Eddie stepped into the ring to face the feared Sonny Liston. To many Liston was the " Uncrowned Heavyweight Champion " and a bout with Patterson was being called for by the fans and press alike. Only Eddie stood in Sonny's way.The bout took place in Seattle and Eddie gave the brutish Liston all he could handle. In the end Sonny took a unanimous decision despite losing three points for low blows. Nevertheless, Eddie's game showing won him the admiration of boxing fans. Despite the win over the highly ranked Machen, Sonny would have to wait two more years to get Patterson into the ring with him.

Eddie would come back to win three in a row but then he was upset over ten rounds by the cagey Harold Johnson. Machen would regroup and put together a streak of ten wins and one draw. The draw was with the murderous punching Cleveland Williams. Among the boxers Eddie beat during this streak were Mike DeJohn, Brian London, Doug Jones and Bert Whitehurst. This finally led Eddie to the ghost that had long eluded him, Floyd Patterson.

By now it was 1964 and Eddie returned to Sweden, the place of his disasterous loss to Johansson to face Floyd. This was one of of Patterson's best career performances as won a hard fought decision over Machen. Still Eddie had done well enough to qualify for a title fight.

On March 5, 1965 Eddie met tall, lanky Ernie Terrell for the " vacant " World Boxing Association title. Cassius Clay, a.k.a., Muhammad Ali had been stripped of his title by the WBA. The Terrell-Machen battle was not a good pairing of styles and after a rather boring fifteen rounds, Terrell was awarded the championship. Eddie would close 1965 by drawing with Elmer Rush.

Machen would open 1966 with back to back decision losses to Karl Mildenberger and Manuel Ramos. He would the outfight the tough Joey Orbillo. Next Eddie would show flashes of his former greatness and pull off a major upset with a points win over top prospect Jerry Quarry.

Two fights after the upset of Quarry, Eddie would meet another streaking prospect, 1964 Olympic champion, Joe Frazier. This time Lady Luck looked the other way for Eddie and he was halted by " Smokin' Joe " in the tenth round.

Machen was now relegated to the role of a trail horse. In 1967 he dropped a decision to up and coming Henry Clark. In his last professional fight, Eddie was stopped in three by hard hitting Boone Kirkman.

In all Eddie had 64 pro fights. He won 50 of them. He took out 29 opponents. He fought champions Liston, Patterson, Johansson, Terrell, Frazier, Maxim and Harold Johnson.He also did battle with top contenders like Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams, Alex Mitiff, Mike DeJohn, Willie Besmanoff, Doug Jones, Tommy Jackson, Nino Valdes, Karl Mildenberger, Jerry Quarry, Bob Baker, Bert Whitehurst, Howard King, Henry Clark, Julio Mederos, Joey Orbillo, Brian London, Wayne Bethea and Boone Kirkman. That is very impressive!

Eddie Machen was only forty years old when he left this world. It was only five years after his last fight but he left a legacy that will live forever.

REMEMBERING HENRY HANK By Jim Amato
Henry Hank of Detroit was born in 1935 and began his long professional career in 1953. In less then two years he was fighting the likes of Virgil Akins.

By 1959 Henry was good enough to mix it up with the best middleweights and light heavyweights in the world. Fighting men like Holly Mims, George Benton, Jesse Bowdry, Hank Casey, Randy Sandy and Gene Armstrong. In 1961 Henry beat Joey Giardello. They met again in 1962 with Joey turning the tables. The rematch was voted the Fight Of The Year by Ring Magazine for 1962.

Other top names on his record are Chic Calderwood, Dick Tiger and Mauro Mina. Henry also defeated future heavyweight titleholder Jimmy Ellis.

On October 23, 1963 Henry met Eddie Cotton for the Michigan version of the light heavyweight title. Henry lost in fifteen rounds. Henry would go on to meet Harold Johnson and Johnny Persol. The great Bob Foster halted Henry in ten in 1964 and Bob outscored him in a 1965 return match. Henry would also cross gloves with Roger Rouse and Heschel Jacobs. Henry became the "Man" for young contenders to fight on their way up the ladder. Henry tested tough upstarts like Mark Tessman, Eddie "Bossman" Jones, Hal Carroll and Charlie "Devil" Green.

In one of his last fights Henry went ten rounds with the then unbeaten mammoth heavyweight heavyweight, Claude "Humphrey"McBride. Henry's last fight was a decision loss to highly ranked Andy Kendall.

In all Henry had 97 fights with 62 wins and 31 losses with 4 draws. He scored forty KO victories. An impressive record considering the quality of opposition he faced in his outstanding career. He was halted only once and that was by the fearsome Foster. No shame there!

AARON " SUPERMAN " DAVIS By Jim Amato
He may be one of the most overlooked champions of the 1990's. He had style and skill. He won 49 of 55 bouts and a piece of the welterweight title. He knocked out 31 but he himself was never stopped. His name was Aaron Davis and they called him " Superman ".

Davis was born in the Bronx in 1967 and turned professional in 1986. He reeled off 29 straight victories to establish himself as a top contender for the welterweight title. Along the way he beat the likes of Horace Shufford, Luis Santana, Gene Hatcher and Curtis Summit. Finally on July 8, 1990 he challenged Mark Breland for the WBA welterweight title. It was a give and take contest but Aaron stood up to Breland's power. Finally in round nine it was Breland that crashed to the canvas. It was a brutal knockout and " Superman " was now a champion.

After two non-title victories, Aaron was challenged by the talented former junior welterweight titleholder, Meldrick Taylor. The hand speed of Taylor proved to be too much and Aaron left the ring an ex-champion. To Aaron's credit he bounced back with six straight wins that led to a 1993 shot at the WBA junior middleweight title. In Monte Carlo Davis lost a hairline majority decision to Julio Cesar Vasquez.

In 1994 Aaron was upset by Tony Marshall. He rebounded in 1995 stopping Dennis Milton. He then lost a controversial verdict to rugged Bronco McKart. Aaron closed the year beating the respected ex-champion Simon Brown. A 1996 loss to Anthony Stephens began Aaron's decline in the ratings. He did beat Marshall in a 1997 rematch but lost to rough and tough Jose Luis Lopez.

Over the next five years Davis won his last six bouts including a 2001 bloodbath against Vinny Pazienza. Paz was as tough and game as they come. There was no quit in Vinny. In this battle though Davis was a sharpshooter. His pinpoint jabs and uppercuts ripped Vinny's face to pieces. Aaron was well ahead on points when despite the protests of Pazienza, the ringside doctor and referee Frank Cappucino halted the contest in round eight. Vinny was ever gracious in defeat and called Aaron a great fighter.

Aaron would have one more fight in 2002 winning a close one over Ross Thompson. Aaron Davis was surely among New York's finest.

The 2009 National Golden Gloves Tournament from Jeanne DePriest
was a great success for the Colorado/New Mexico Franchise! First of all, congratulations the entire team of 11 boxers who made it to the National Tournament because that is a tremendous feat in itself. Great job to all of you and thank you for your continued hard work and training to be the best that you can be!

We were fortunate to have four Colorado boxers in the "finals": Louie Byrd (112), John Franklin (119), Robert Rodriguez (125), and, Jeffrey Spencer (178).

The final results were:
1st Place, Louie Byrd - 112 lb weight class (Louie also won the 2008 National GG in the 106 lb weight class)
1st Place, Robert Rodriguez - 125 lb weight class
2nd Place, John Franklin - 119 lb weight class
2nd Place, Jeffrey Spencer - 178 lb weight class

Other awards given to the Colorado/New Mexico Franchise were:
The "Golden Boy" award was presented to Louie Byrd;
The 2nd place Team trophy was presented to Colorado/New Mexico;
The Ring #3 outstanding referee award was presented to Beau Campbell;
John Ulibarri was inducted into the National Officials Organization of Golden Gloves of America (NOGGOA) 2009 Hall of Fame.

This was indeed a great year for our boxers and participants! A BIG thanks to all of the Boxers, Coaches, Officials, and all of the Family and Friends for their participation and continued support.

USA Boxing to Host a One Month Out Press Conference: Julie Goldsticker
on May 8 at the Daniels Fund Office The Location of the first Denver Gloves Not Guns Program to be Announced

(COLORADO SPRINGS , COLO. ) – The 2009 USA Boxing National Championships are quickly approaching with the tournament opening competition on Monday, June 8 at the Denver Coliseum. USA Boxing will mark the One Month Out date with a press conference on Friday, May 8 at the Daniels Fund offices. Several prominent Denver sports dignitaries will be on hand at the press conference to celebrate the National Championship event, which will showcase over 400 of the nation’s top amateur boxers from across the nation.

USA Boxing CEO Jim Millman will present Daniels Fund President and CEO Linda Childears with a ceremonial ticket in honor of their tremendous contribution to both USA Boxing and the upcoming event. The USA Boxing National Championships are moving north to Denver for the first time with the assistance from a Daniels Fund grant.

In addition to the ticket presentation, USA Boxing will announce the Denver boxing club selected to serve as the first Gloves Not Guns facility in the Rocky Mountain region. The Gloves Not Guns program is currently being launched in boxing gyms across the United States , including Miami , Washington DC , Connecticut , Illinois and Los Angeles . The community initiative is targeted at providing young people with a positive activity to fill their time and receive a free introduction to boxing. The first Denver-area Gloves Not Guns clinic will be held in conjunction with the 2009 USA Boxing National Championships.

Two State Junior Olympic champions will be on hand at the May 8th press conference as they prepare to compete in their regional tournament for a berth in the national championships. All of the Colorado State Champions will compete in the Four Corners Regional Tournament, May 15-16, with the winners, aged 15 and up advancing on to the USA Boxing National Championships.

Tickets for the 2009 USA Boxing National Championships are currently on sale through www.ticketswest.com and King Soopers locations throughout the state of Colorado . For any questions or additional information about the May 8 press conference or the 2009 USA Boxing National Championships, contact Julie Goldsticker at (719) 866-2304 or jgoldsticker@usaboxing.org

USA Boxing National Championships One Month Out Event
What: USA Boxing National Championships One Month Out Press Conference
When: Friday, May 8 at 10 a.m.
Where: Daniels Fund Office at 101 Monroe Street , Denver , CO , 80206
Who: USA Boxing CEO Jim Millman, Daniels Fund President CEO and President Linda Childears, 2009 Metro Denver Sports Commission Chairman Steve McConahey, 2009 Colorado State Boxing Champions, representatives from the Denver area boxing gym selected to serve as the Gloves Not Guns facility.

USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States ’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). It is responsible for the selection and management of the United States Olympic Boxing Team, and for the governance and oversight of USA Boxing’s national organization of 38,000 members, 1,400 individual boxing clubs, and 1,600 sanctioned events annually.

Julie Goldsticker Director of Media and Public Relations USA Boxing
(719) 866-2304
jgoldsticker@usaboxing.org
Don't miss the 2009 USA Boxing National Championships, June 8-13 at the Denver Coliseum in Denver, Colo.
Go to www.usaboxing.org for more information or www.ticketswest.com to buy tickets.

OSCAR " RINGO " BONAVENA By Franco Floyd Fontanero
Who was the greatest fighter to come out of Argentina? Well pound for pound you would probably say Monzon or possibly Pascual Perez. You could make a case for Nicolino Locke too. Who was the biggest and baddest of all Argentine fighters? Many would say Luis "Angel" Firpo. I'll go with Oscar "Ringo" Bonavena.

When Oscar started his career in 1964, he met tough opponents like Tom McNeely and Dick Wipperman. In his first bout in 1965, he was overmatched and defeated by verteran contender Zora Folley. Oscar left New York and returned to Argentina. He defeated the vary capable Gregorio Paralta and American import, Billy Daniels. When he returned to New York in 1966, he outpointed equally rugged George Chuvalo.

Oscar was then matched with 1964 Olympic gold Medal winner, Joe Frezier. The fight was classic. Oscar had Joe down twice but Grazier came back to win a close decision. In 1867, Oscar was entered in the eight man tourney to determine the defrocked Muhammad Ali's successor. Oscar traveled to Germany and trounced southpaw Karl Mildenberger. In his next match he was floored twice and soundly beaten by the eventual tourney winner, Jimmy Ellis. Oscar regrouped in 1968 beating Folley in a rematch and also the respected, Leotis Martin. He was matched again with Joe Frazier for the New York version of the crown. Oscar fell behind early but he came back strong only to drop the verdict.

Bonavena would remain a mainstay in the talent rich rankings 'til the untimely end of his career. Two years after his loss to Frazier, Oscar would face the comebacking Muhammad Ali. It would be one of the most grueling fights of Ali's career. The "Greatest" came out on tap, stopping a dead game but exhausted Oscar in round 15.

In 1971, he won by disqualification over Al "Blue" Lewis. In 1972, he met former champion, Floyd Patterson. Oscar lost a very debatable decision. Two years later he was defeated by Ron Lyle. This loss pretty much pushed Oscar out of the title picture. Bonavena was still a rated fighter when on May 22, 1976, he was shot and killed at a brothel in Las Vegas.

The hard partying "Bad Boy" has finally met his match.

May 2, 2009 “I really thought Ricky would get him” By Franco Floyd Fontanero
supposedly said trainer Floyd Mayweather, Sr. “ I don’t want to get into it more than that.” Those are the words of a losing trainer. Mr. Mayweather couldn’t have been more wrong.

As I predicted, Pacquiao made Hatton look second in training and made him look last in the fight. Manny Pacquiao and Trainer Freddie Roach are today’s #1 pugilist and #1 trainer in the world. We can not dispute that. Mayweather, Sr. indeed is a very good teacher, but to be #1, one must win. Hatton, with Mayweather, couldn’t even cross the second mark. Going down twice in the very first round , and going down for good at 2 minutes 59 seconds of the second. It made for a very short night for Referee Kenny Bayless. Manny Pacquiao hadn’t even warmed up when Ricky Hatton was already out cold. For those that said that there was more at stake in this bout than Pacquiao and Hatton (meaning trainer Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather, Sr.) they need not wonder any longer - as it was all made so very clear to us all on this night.

Before the fights, I viewed the tapes of both fighters preparing for this contest I could see that Hatton would be of no contest to the speedy Pacman, but must admit that I thought it would at least be more of a contest than what it was. Hatton just took a plain, old fashioned beating. Also, as I st ated in my pre-fight article- “What if Floyd Mayweather, Jr. comes out of retirement and he and trainer Uncle Roger Mayweather take on Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach?” Didn’t Mayweather, Jr. just announce after 17 months he would be coming back? Floyd Mayweather, Jr.; at least in my view, was for so long “pound for pound” the best in the world. Now that title belongs to Mr. Pacquiao. And, if Mayweather, Jr. wants to once again claim it for him self, he will have to take it from Pacquiao. That will certainly not be an easy task, even for the skillful Mayweather. Many believe Mayweather will end in defeat should he confront the mighty Pacquiao. That would be the contest that would bring boxing to the front page. What about Juan Manuel Marquez ? Will Mayweather get past him ? Maybe not.

“ I told you so, and now you know!”
See you at the fights! Franco Floyd Fontanero

May 9, 2009 - “La Revolucion” - Colorado’s Finest Professional Boxing on Display at the National Western Complex By Raul Utajara

This year’s first installment of the Delgado Promotions and Coor’s Light Boxing Series comes to the National Western Complex on Saturday, May 9. A week after local junior welterweight title contender “Mile High” Mike Alvarado is featured against Juaquin Gallardo on the undercard of Hatton - Pacquiao in Las Vegas, Colorado fighters will continue to show their fertile talent in this great night of boxing.

Featured on the card:
- The always entertaining and Longmont’s own, Victor Villereal (8-3-2, 5 KOs) will be in action against Denver’s Isaac Atencio (2-0, 2 KOs). Atencio has a great amateur pedigree having competed in last year’s National Golden Gloves and beginning his pro career with two straight victories. This will be an exciting fight for local fans.

- Lakewood’s Shawn Nichol (3-1, 3 KOs) will look to build upon his stunning 1st round knockout of of New Mexico’s Raymond Montez when he takes on the Texan, Adam Ochoa (1-0, 1KO) in a bantamweight battle.

- Raul “Chino” Carrillo (2-0, 1 KO), the crowd pleasing, determined fighter out of Longmont, hopes to add to his win at The Mile High Throwdown III. As those who have seen him fight before can attest, Carrillo is a tough fighter who leaves it all inside the ropes.

- Ernie Marquez (8-5-1, 3 KOs) is the only man to have beaten light flyweight 2004 Olympic Gold Medealist, Yan Barthelemy. Don’t let Marquez’s record fool you. He is a punch output machine who has tremendous potential, as evidenced by his victory over Barthelemy.

- Other local fighters to see action will be the heavyweight Brothers Montoya out of Colorado Springs, Terry Buterbaugh out of Longmont Boxing Club, and Ryan Grimaldo.

*** As if this fight card did not offer enough intrigue, there is talk of local hero “Red Hot” Rob Frankel possibly fighting on May 9. Frankel is currently in training under the tutelage of Shann Vilhauer at Delgado’s Boxing & Martial Arts Gym.***

The doors will open at 5 PM with the first bout commencing at 7 PM. Don’t miss this great night of Colorado boxing!
Ticket Prices: Ringside - $50, Reserved - $35, General Admission - $20
Tickets can be obtained several ways:
- At all King Soopers
-Online: www.ticketswest.com
- Phone: 1-866-464-2626 or by calling Delgado’s Gym at 303-916-6022

For more information or to see about getting a local fighter on an upcoming Delgado Promotions Coors Light card, please visit: http://www.delgadopromotions.com or http://www.ghosttowngladiatorsboxing.com. Be sure to continue checking Pugilism & The Pen for the latest in Rocky Mountain fight news as well as national boxing coverage featuring in-depth interviews and information out of the Top Rank stable.

ENGLAND' S RUGGED JIMMY BATTEN By Jim Amato
As rough and tumble Ricky Hatton of England gets set to enter into the ring with Manny Pacquiao this weekend. I am reminded of another tough battler from across the pond. He may not have reached the heights of Hatton but he was good enough to hold the British light middleweight title for a couple of years in the late 1970's. He also traveled ten rounds with the great Roberto Duran. His name was Jimmy Batten.

Batten was born in 1955 and turned professional in 1974. He worked his way up the British rankings and in 1977 after Maurice "Mo" Hope vacated the British light middleweight title, Batten was matched with Albert Hillman. Batten stopped Hillman in round seven to win the vacant title. He would defend that title twice with kayo victories over Larry Paul and Tony Poole. In 1978 he would be matched with France's Gilbert Cohen for the vacant European light middleweight crown. This time Batten would fall short as Cohen stopped him in the third round. Finally in 1979 Batten lost his British title to Pat Thomas. Nevertheless he remained active and competitive. In 1982 he came to Atlantic City and was surprisingly stopped by hard hitting but erratic Mario Maldonado in the first round.

Later in 1982 Batten was matched with the legendary Roberto Duran. At this point though the legend of the great Duran had been tarnished. He was only a few years removed from the "No Mas" loss to Sugar Ray Leonard. He attempted redemption against Wilfred Benitez but "Wilfred The Wizard" outboxed him. Then to add insult to injury, Roberto was outscored by an unheralded Brit by the name of Kirkland Laing. The loss to Laing was claimed the 1982 Upset Of The Year by Ring Magazine. The Duran - Batten bout took place in Miami Beach as the "walk out" bout after the first Aaron Pryor - Alexis Arguello classic. If Roberto was expecting an easy night, he was wrong. Although Duran won a decision by a comfortable margin, Batten showed pluck as he fought him tooth and nail. If anyone thought that Batten had gone ten rounds with a "washed up" Duran, they were wrong. In his next fight Duran would halt Pipino Cuevas. Then he would savage and upset Davey Moore to become a champion again. Roberto followed that by giving Marvelous Marvin Hagler fifteen rounds of hell.

Batten remained as one of England's best 154 pounders. In 1983 he was matched with Prince Rodney for his old British light middleweight crown that had been vacated by the classy and talented Herol Graham. Batten failed to regain his title as Rodney stopped him in the sixth round. That was Jimmy Batten's last bout. He left the ring with a more then respectable 40-9 record.

Alex “The Brick City Bullet” Perez Plans to Stay Very Busy… By Jim Amato

The Brick City Bullet, moments before winning the belt in Puerto RicoAlex “The Brick City Bullet” Perez, 10-0, 6 KO’s captured the WBC’s CABOFE (Caribbean Boxing Federation) Welterweight title on March 14th In Puerto Rico. He came off of a 15 month layoff before that fight, not by any fault of his own, but because every time he was scheduled to fight there were problems with opponents falling out and promoters not making sure there was an opponent for him ready to go come fight night. Perez was in the gym training for fights that weren’t to be the entire 15 months, and the time has made him more and more eager to fight as often as possible.

He will be returning to the ring on May 9th in Atlantic City, on the undercard of Hector "Macho" Camacho vs. Luis Ramon "Yori Boy" Campas, just two months after picking up the WBC’s Carribean belt. Manager, Jose Rosario and his team plan to keep him busy the rest of the way in 09, because Perez is a hungry fighter. Alex has been at it 100% for a long time. He was 53-3 as an amateur where he was a 3-time Golden Gloves Champion and a 3-time Diamond Gloves Champ. He also captured the State Championship once before turning pro in late 2004. Perez was born and raised in The Brick City, Newark New Jersey where he has lived his whole life in the Baxter Terrace projects. He is active in the community, always making himself available to lend a helping hand to kids who need a positive role model, guidance and good advice. Boxing has saved Perez and he makes sure he is always there for the kids and his friends in need in the gym. Keep an eye on the Brick City Bullet now, because he is a shooting star who is on the verge of big things in the near future!

Women’s 2009 National Golden Gloves Championship Tournament
July 8 to July 11, 2009 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
This Tournament is open to all USA Boxing Members

To all Colorado LBCs - Please keep E. Paul Kelly, Jr. and his Family in your prayers. Paul's Daughter-In-Law passed away yesterday. His Son, Paul, was a previous amateur boxer in our LBC in years past and he has two small children to raise. Let's give the Family our support by keeping them in our thoughts and prayers during this sad time

And to John Ulibarri, our thoughts are with you to get well soon!

AMOS " BIG TRAIN " LINCOLN By Jim Amato
He was born in 1936 and he embarked on a professional boxing career in 1954. He won twenty five of his first twenty nine fights on his way to establishing himself as a top prospect by 1962. The imposing 6' 2" Amos Lincoln was nicknamed " Big Train " and he looked like he was going to become a force to be reckoned with for some time.

Fighting out of Portland, Oregon early in his career Amos also campaigned throughout the northwest in cities like Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Boise and even Vancouver, Canada. In 1957 he made one of his few ventures outside the Northwest as he traveled to Chicago and defeated Marty Marshall. In June of 1962 Amos made his New York debut as he met future champion Ernie Terrell at Madison Square Garden. The lanky, long armed Terrell would box his way to a six round decision. It would be two years before Amos fought again. Appearing in Las Vegas, Lincoln was halted in the second round by Jimmy " King " Fletcher. Amos would bounce back with a decision over clever Chuck Leslie and a ninth round stoppage over highly regarded Thad Spencer.

In 1965 Amos avenged his loss to Fletcher with a four round knockout. Lincoln then went over to Italy and was outscored by Santo Amonti. Then Amos put together a nice streak beating Roberto Davila twice, Scrap Iron Johnson and Spencer again. There was an eight round no contest with the classy Henry Clark and a decision over Billy Daniels. Then there were two wins over Elmer Rush. Amos was now considered one of the best heavyweights in the world.

The fortunes of Amos Lincoln would begin to change on October 21, 1966 at New York's famous Garden when he dropped a ten round duke to Johnny Persol. Amos came back with two quick wins but then he was again taken out again by Jimmy Fletcher. Amos was then brought over to Germany where he was stopped by Karl Mildenberger. Lincoln had now fallen dramatically in the ratings. He continued to tumble as Thad Spencer was finally able to beat Amos. " Big Train " finally got back in the win column with a points call over rugged Joey Orbillo in Los Angeles. Amos returned to Los Angeles to meet Buster Mathis who was on the comeback trail after a loss to " Smokin " Joe Frazier. In a bout the featured some odd scorecards, Mathis was awarded a split decision. One judge had it 11-0 for Buster. Another had it 9-1 for Mathis. The third judge had it 5-4 for Amos. Go figure...

The feared former heavyweight champion Sonny Liston was also forging a comeback and Amos met him in Baltimore where Sonny stopped him in two. Amos was then halted by tall Tony Doyle in six. In 1970 power punching prospect Boone Kirkman got Lincoln out of there in two rounds when they fought in Seattle. Finally Amos reached the end of the line when he lost in five rounds to Terry Daniels.

Amos Lincoln finished his career with 56 fights and a fine 39-13-3 record with one no contest. He scored 22 knockouts. Please remember Lincoln's record was 3-9 over his last twelve fights. In his prime he was a fine heavyweight.

WHY DURAN WOULD HAVE DEFEATED PACMAN By Jim Amato
With all due credit, Manny Pacquiao is on top of today's boxing world. He is the "Man". His destruction of Oscar De La Hoya drove the "Golden Boy" into retirement and put him as the #1 fighter pound for pound in the world today. I have no dispute with this but Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ricky Hatton might. Manny and Hatton will settle their issue this coming May 2nd. Floyd may be in Pacquiao's future. We'll see.

What if there was a fighter named Roberto Duran roaming the boxing landscape today ? I'm talking about a lean, fit and motivated Duran. The Duran who defeated the talented Esteban DeJesus in their rubber match at 135 pounds. The Duran that practically shut out the gritty Carlos Palomino and handed the gifted Sugar Ray Leonard his first loss at 147 pounds. How would Manny match up with THAT Duran ? As good as Manny is and by God he is good, a top shelf Duran would have defeated him. Why ? Because Roberto would have a trump card for everything Pacquiao would try to do. Manny has fast hands but Leonard's hands were faster. Manny is strong but Palomino and Leonard were stronger. Pacquiao has power but not the firepower that Leonard brought to the table. Manny is durable but no way he matches Palomino's whiskers. Manny can be slick but he comes up short next to Leonard and DeJesus in that catagory. Even the fact that Manny is a southpaw would have no bearing on this match up. In Duran's first bout with Hector Camacho he did exactly what you should do against a southpaw. Duran beat Camacho all night long with right leads and counter rights over the jab. He would employ the same tactics against Pacquiao.

As much as I like and respect Manny Pacquiao, there is no way I can convince myself that on his best day he could have defeated a prime Roberto "El Cholo" Duran.

Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao By Franco Floyd Fontanero
May 2, 2009. in Las Vegas, NevadaApril 20, 2009Wow! goes the crowd as they watch in awe, as the speedy Pacquiao deftly works the speed bag. On the heavy bag he looks just as awesome; making Ricky Hatton look second.

Some have wrote that there is more at stake in this fight than Pacquiao and Hatton; meaning trainers Floyd Mayweather, Sr. and Freddie Roach. The question is, “Who is the better trainer?” Who has the better record ?. Floyd Mayweather, Sr., says Freddie Roach goes around stating that “he” is the best trainer of this day; but he is the only one saying it. And, for Mayweather to be changing Ricky’s style this late in his career will prove to be a big mistake come fight night.

As I watched videos of both men working out in preparation for this up and coming contest, I will have to give the edge to Manny Pacquiao and Freddy Roach. If Mayweather, Sr. is trying to prepare Hatton to be the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Jr., in my opinion, is not going to work. There is only one as skillful as Floyd Mayweather, Jr. There is and can be, no other. Of course we know that anything can happen in a fight, and for Hatton to defeat Pacquiao, that anything in my view, will have to happen . Pacquiao took the shine right off the Golden Boy and in the 8th rd. Oscar De la Hoya retired on his stool .20Floyd Mayweather, Jr., not in such a great fashion as Pacquiao, also defeated De la Hoya. So, if this contest goes as I predict, and Mr. Pacquiao defeats Hatton, we then will have to give the titles to Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach. Then, the greatest battle may just happen! What if out of retirement comes Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and his trainer former two time World Champion Roger “The Black Mamba” Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao and trainer Mr. Freddie Roach! This will be a contest that boxing fans will surely not want to miss! This will be a must-see contest! Could we see a TKO or maybe even a Kayo?

I say Manny Pacquiao will out-punch and out-maneuver Ricky Hatton to victory on May the 2nd in the Boxing Capital of the World. With respect to both fighters and trainers .

“See you at the fights!”

Being a writer and photographer.... By Franco Floyd Fontanero
...in professional boxing in Las Vegas, Nevada, since 1997; I, on one of my visits to the Tri City area some years ago, went searching for a boxing gym. I wanted to see what I could find to write about the sport of boxing in the area, and what I found at the time was one poorly equipped and nearly empty gym. There were only two very young kids as participants. I said at the time that the Tri Cities couldn’t possibly produce one good pugilist. Now I have come upon the Contender Boxing Club and a different trainer from the one I met those years back. His name is Tony Valdez . I told Mr. Valdez of my finding some years back and of what I had at the time said.

“Well,” says Valdez, as he proudly points out some of his trophy winners on photos on a wall, “that could have been true at that gym and at that time, but this is here and this is now.”

I find Mr. Valdez to be dedicated, as well as a knowledgeable individual of the sport. Mr. Valdez, being an ex-Marine and with a few bouts to his credit, is now passing on his knowledge to amateur pugilists that come from as far as Moses Lake, Wa. ( Some 60 miles away). They have come to join the club, a club that sits on the Kennewick Parkade. I, at one time, was lead photographer for the IBA World Title and their boxing gym. Theirs was truly a state of the art boxing gym, with no thing less than the very best equipment money could buy. That of course was not what I found at the Contender Boxing Club. But what I did find was 10 young amateur pugilists and a coach named Tony Valdez, and one other coach, giving nothing but their best.

“A lot of the boxing equipment you see here,” said Valdez, “we have made or put together our selves.”

That seems to me to be the kind of thing that someone does when young kids are of importance, wouldn’t you agree? After what I observed today, I may just have to recant what I said back then, when I said that the Tri Cities couldn’t produce one good pugilist. Today I saw one young man with good quickness of the hands, and two others who showed power. There were others who looked very focused in their participation. The one thing that stood out, was that it was one happy bunch ; a bunch of youngsters serious about their training. And, also having a good time in their quest in becoming not only a good fighter, but also showing what boxing is all about, “Respect.”

In the upcoming days, a contest will be held in Yakima, Washington, and if at all possible I plan to attend. After which, I will inform you if I was correct or incorrect in stating “The Tri Cities can not produce one good pugilist.”

With respect,Franco Floyd Fontanero “See you at the fights!”
www.seeyouatthefights.com

BRITAIN'S "GOLDEN BOY" ; BILLY WALKER By Jim Amato
Over the years the British Empire has tried to produce a legitimate heavyweight champion. During the 1960's and 70's several candidates appeared to give the Brits hope. Henry Cooper and Brian London quickly come to mind. Later on there was Joe Bugner and Richard Dunn.Of course Frank Bruno and Lennox Lewis would eventually come along to clain titles. During the 1960's the fans were quite stirred by the prospects of a young heavyweight named Billy Walker. He was dubbed the "Blond Bomber" but later because of drawing power he was called the "Golden Boy". After winning the British amateur title at the age of 22, Walker was enticed to turn pro by a $25,000 signing bonus. He headlined in his first professional fight which took place on March 27,1962. Walker received $9,000 for the contest he won by KO. That was serious money at that time. Walker drew so many fans and because of this he never fought a preliminary fight.

In his first dozen bouts Billy went 10-1-1. In his twelfth bout he stopped another heavyweight prospect named Johnny Prescott. In a rematch Walker was on the losing end of a decision. In 1964 Walker won by disqualification against the seasoned Joe Bygraves. Walker was then surprisingly halted by American Bill Nielsen. Walker turned the tables in a return match taking Nielsen out in two rounds. Billy finished 1964 with a points verdict over rugged Joe Erskine.

Walker was inching his way up the British ratings. In 1965 he stopped American Charley Powell in two. Then came a ten round decision loss to the gritty Brian London. Next Billy drew with Argentina's Eduardo Corletti. In a return go Corletti stopped Walker in the eighth round. This was a major setback for Walker but he came back to win six straight. The win streak earned Walker a 1967 shot at Germany's Karl Mildenberger and the European heavyweight title. The southpaw Mildenberger proved to be too much for Walker as he retained his crown via an eighth round stoppage. In his next battle Billy drew the ever popular Henry Cooper. This would be for Cooper's British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles. Cooper held on to his belts halting Walker in six.

In 1968 Walker rekindled the hopes of his fans as he clubbed his way to a TKO victory over the once highly regarded American Thad Spencer. In 1967 as part of the elimination tourney set up by the WBA to replace Muhammad Ali as champion, Spencer upset former WBA titlist Ernie Terrell. In Spencer's next fight he was eliminated by Jerry Quarry. Then Spencer engaged in a war with the crafty Leotis Martin. Thad lost in the ninth round. Still the win over Spencer looked good on Walker's record. It would be Billy's last victory. In March of 1969 Walker suffered a TKO loss to Jack Bodell. That would be Walker's final fight.

In all Walker engaged in 31 bouts. His record was a respectable 21-8-2. He recorded 16 stoppage victories. He was stopped on five occasions. He enjoyed tremendous popularity during his tenure as a boxer. He was the "Golden Boy". Jim Amato

Almost A Champion; JORGE AHUMADA. By Jim Amato
In the early 1970's he was the hottest light heavyweight in the world. He would eventually garner three shots at recognition as champion. All three would travel the true champiomship distance of fifteen rounds. In all three Jorge would come up short.

Jorge turned pro in 1968 in his native Argentina. In his home country he would meet future champion Victor Galindez four times. Jorge would win one by decision. On three occasions he was stopped by the great Galindez. They would meet again.

He split a pair of fights with the highly respected Avenamer Peralta. He also drew with the highly regarded Raul Loyola. When he decided to invade the US in the summer of 1973 he sported a 31-5-1 record. Little did he know the impact he would make when he hit New York City.

He made his his N.Y.C. debut in July when he halted the rugged Hal "TNT" Carroll in eight rounds. He followed that by stopping Ohio's smooth boxing Ray Anderson in eight. In September he outscored the always game and clever Jose Gonzalez. He ended 1973 by battering another tough Ohio battler, Billy "Kelly" Wagner in seven.

Jorge opened 1974 with an impressive stoppage of the highly regarded Bobby Cassidy. In the next three months Jorge defeated Vern McIntosh, Terry Lee and Angel Oquendo.

In June in Alberquerque, New Mexico Ahumada received his first crack at the crown facing the feared champion Bob Foster. It turned out to be a sloppy fight marred by low blows. The great Foster aged this night and many felt Jorge outhussled Foster. The bout was called a draw and Foster retained his crown.

Foster decided to retire and in of October of 1974 Ahumada was matched with John Conteh for the vacant W.B.C. version of the title.

John Conteh could have been an all time great. He was an outstanding boxer and a sharp hitter. He was also game to the core. His drawbacks, he was injury prone and he was no LaMotta in the whisker department. Against Ahumada he was at the top of his game and won the title with a well deserved decision.

In the hot summer of 1975 in N.Y.C. Jorge would get one more chance as he faced his nemisis Victor Galindez who had captured the W.B.A. version of the title.

Jorge hung tough but again Victor was the master and Galindez would retain his crown.

That was Jorge's swan song. In November he would travel to Hamburg, Germany and lose to a fighter he had once defeated, Ray Anderson. That was it.

Jorge retired with a 42-8-2 ledger. He scored 22 KO's. He received a lot of ink in the early 70's but came up a bit short. He truly falls into the catagory of "Almost A Champion" !

CURTIS COKES By Jim Amato
He may have been one of the best pound for pound boxers of the 1960's but he was over shadowed by the antics of one Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali. He may have been the best fighter in the welterweight division during the decade but he never had a chance to prove it against Emile Griffith. Instead he labored in the back round, fighting and beating all comers. Only after Griffith moved up to middleweight and allowed him to capture the vacated title did Curtis Cokes gain some long over due recognition.

Curtis who never had an amateur fight began his professional career in Midland, Texas on March 24, 1958 outscoring Manuel Gonzalez over six rounds. Curtis and Manuel would get to know each other a lot better in years to come.Curtis was born on June 15, 1937 in Dallas, Texas. He would go on to win his next ten fights including an eight rounder over Gonzalez. Finally in April of 1959, one year after turning pro Curtis suffered his first career loss to none other then Manuel Gonzalez. A no contest in a match with the talented Rip Randall set up a rematch. Curtis took out Randall in the first round. Later in the year Curtis would drop a six round duke to Frankie Davis.

Cokes won four fights in 1960. In 1961 he moved up the ladder with big wins over Joe Miceli and Charley " Tombstone " Smith. Cokes then dropped a decision in Mexico to Hilario Morales.He then fought a draw with the clever Kenny Lane in Dallas. Back in Dallas two months later Curtis scored a huge win with a split decision over the highly respected Luis Rodriguez. Cokes would then meet and again decision Manny Gonzalez but would lose a points call to Rodriguez in a return match.

Curtis would bounce back in 1962 with five straight wins including knockouts over Hilario Morales and the rugged Rudolph Bent. Another trip to Mexico cost him another defeat. This time a decision to Manuel Sixto Alvarez. Four more wins led to a 1963 clash at the Sunnyside Garden in New York against contender Jose Stable. Curtis lost a very close decision. Cokes would then outpoint the very tough Stan Harrington. On May 1, 1964 Curtis travelled to the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia to meet the dangerous Stan " Kitten " Hayward. He would suffer a major set back as Hayward stopped Cokes in round four.

It was back to the drawing board for Curtis. Two decision wins over Al Andrews got him back on track but he dropped a ten rounder to the slick Eddie Pace. On December 13, 1965 Curtis won the Southern Welterweight title with a twelve round decision over Billy Collins. On July 6, 1966 Cokes stopped Luis Rodriguez one minute in to the fifteenth and final round of an eliminination bout for the welterweight title vacated by Emile Griffith.

Seven weeks after his win over Rodriguez, Cokes met old rival Manuel Gonzalez for the WBA version of the welterweight title. The battle took place in New Orleans. Curtis floored Gonzalez on his way to a lopsided decision and a world's championship. In November Cokes outclassed Frenchman Jean Josselin to win universal recognition as welterweight champion. Still many felt that Cokes was the champ only because Griffith had vacated the division. Curtis would go on to prove himself a worthy champion.

In early 1967 Curtis would have three non title affairs. First he drew with Francious Pavilla. He knocked out Ted Whitfield but then Curtis was outpointed by the wily Gypsy Joe Harris. Finally Cokes defended his title halting Pavilla in a return bout. Next came a very impressive stoppage of sharp contender Charlie Shipes. Two non title wins in early 1968 over Josselin and Jimmy Lester led to a defense in Dallas against South African contender Willie Ludick. An inspired Cokes flattened Ludick in the fifth round. Three non title knockouts in South Africa followed including a repeat performance over Ludick. Then came a one sided title retaining verdict over Ramon La Cruz.

Jose Napoles, a Cuban who had migrated to Mexico years before had long been considered one of the best fighters in the business. Still he had never received a shot at a world title. Curtis Cokes was a proud man and a proud champion. He felt he was the best welterweight in the world. He also knew that Napoles was a very worthy contender and that he deserved a shot at the title. They met at the Forum in Inglewood, California on April 18, 1969. On that day Napoles proved to the world that he was a special fighter. Jose out fought and battered the game Cokes throughout using a remarkable jab and bone jarring combinations. Hopelessly behind on points Curtis did not answer the bell for round fourteen and his belt was awarded to Napoles.

Maybe it was just a bad night but Curtis had to know so he went down to Mexico two months later to attempt to reclaim his championship. Again Napoles proved to be too much for the game Cokes and the bout was ended after ten rounds. Curtis would return seven months later as a full fledged middleweight. Cokes had hoped that old rival Luis Rodriguez would defeat middleweight king Nino Benvenuti when they met on November 22, 1969. Curtis was confident that Rodriguez would give him a crack at the middleweight title. After ten rounds Rodriguez had Benvenuti bleeding and bewildered and it looked like Luis was going to take the crown and then just like that, it was over. A crashing left hook put Rodriguez flat on his back for the count as the bleeding Benvenuti retained his crown.

With little hope of a title shot Curtis still campaigned as a middleweight. He won four bouts but then drew with Akron's Fate Davis, a fighter he he defeated seven months earlier. Cokes then lost decisions to Rafael Gutierrez and Carlos Salinas on the West Coast. Then he lost to Elijah Makathini in South Africa. By now it was 1972 and Carlos Monzon was firmly entrenched as middleweight king. There would be little interest in a bout between the great Monzon and the aging Cokes. Curtis returned to South Africa and won decisions over Joseph Hali and Ezra Mzinyane and then retired.

In 80 bouts Curtis put together a fine 62-14-3 record with one no contest. He won thirty fights by knockout. He was stopped only three times. He met the best welterweights of his era other then Emile Griffith.Curtis was inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in 2003 With the help of mutual friend Steve Canton, I was able to reach Mr. Cokes and have a very nice conversation with him. I contacted him at his gym where he trains boxers. Curtis once trained highly regarded heavyweights Ike Ibeabuchi and Kirk Johnson. He also guided Quincy Taylor to the middleweight title. He also appeared in the boxing movie classic " Fat City ".

Curtis was extremely courteous and giving with his time. He said even though he and Manny Gonzalez met in the ring numerous times, they were very good friends. Curtis had a tremendous amount of respect for Luis Rodriguez and despite their battles they always maintained a friendly relationship. I asked him if he regretted never meeting Emile Griffith in the ring. Curtis more or less said that he had no control on Emile's decision to move up in weight. Did he feel he could have defeated Emile ? In his low key, respectful manner Mr.Cokes just stated he felt that he was capable of beating any welterweight in the world during his prime but he had a great respect for Emile's talent and that they are friends. He said the knockout loss to Stan Hayward in 1964 took him by surprise but he just put it behind him and moved on. He called Napoles a great fighter who he was just unable to overcome. Curtis really felt that if Rodriguez would have defeated Benvenuti, they would have met again. This time for the middleweight championship of the world.

I would like to thank Curtis Cokes for taking the time to speak to me one on one. I'd also like to thank promoter, trainer, gym owner and jack of all trades Steve Canton for helping me to contact Curtis.

MARVIN JOHNSON ; ASK NO QUARTER, GIVE NO QUARTER By Jim Amato
One of the most exciting fighters of the 1970's and 80's was three time light heavyweight king Marvin Johnson. If ever a fighter lived by the sword and died by the sword, it was Marvin. He was a rangy southpaw who was constantly shuffling toward his opponent. His give and take pressure style created several memorable contests.

Born April 12,1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Marvin would become an accomplished amateur boxer. He was a three time National Golden Gloves champion. He also represented the United States in the 1972 Olympics winning a bronze medal.

Johnson turned professional in 1973 and won his first fifteen bouts. Twelve wins by knockouts. Among his victims were capable fighers like Gary Summerhays, Eddie Owens, Ray Anderson and Tom Bethea. On July 26, 1977 Marvin went to Philadelphia to meet hometown hero Matt Franklin (later to be known as Matthew Saad Muhammad). This was for the North American Boxing Federation light heavyweight title. In an absolute war, Johnson suffered his first defeat as he was halted in the last round. Johnson rebounded by winning five in a row scoring victories against Billy "Dynamite" Douglas and Eddie Davis. Johnson then traveled to Serbia where he lost an eight rounder to Lottie Mwale. Marvin returned stateside and outscored highly regarded Jerry Celestine.

On December 2, 1978 Marvin traveled to Europe and upset Mate Parlov by a tenth round stoppage to win the WBC light heavyweight crown. It was now time for a rematch with Matthew Saad Muhammad. This time though it would be on Johnson's home turf in Indianapolis. They clashed in April of 1979 and it was again a war ! Muhammad took everything that Johnson had to offer. He then put on a rally and stripped Marvin of his crown in the eighth round.

Johnson was not an ex-champion but not for very long. In November of 1979 he met long time WBA light heavyweight king Victor Galindez. Marvin punished the game Galindez until the fight was stopped in round eleven. Now Johnson had the WBA belt but just for a short time. In March of 1980 Marvin took a beating from an in shape and motivated Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. Johnson lost his title in the eleventh. A year later it looked like Johnson was out of the title picture for good after losing to upstart Michael Spinks. Michael had won a Gold Medal in the 1976 Olympics and was streaking toward a world title. Johnson was to be his first stern test. Spinks knocked Marvin out cold with a devastating left hook in round four.

Johnson still believed he could become champion again. From 1982 to 1985 Marvin won fourteen straight. This included a win over Jerome Clouden in a "Closet Classic". Johnson also defeated Johnny Davis, future champion "Prince" Charles Williams and Eddie Davis for the United States Boxing Association light heavyweight championship. Finally on February 9, 1986 Johnson met the talented Leslie Stewart for the vacant WBA title. Marvin realized his dream of being crowned the champion again in round seven as a badly cut Stewart could not continue. In his first defense Johnson outlasted rugged Jean Marie Emebe to win in the thirteenth round. Next came a 1987 rematch with Stewart. This time Lady Luck was in the Stewart corner. Marvin gave up his crown in the eighth round. It was Johnson's last fight.

Marvin Johnson had nothing left to prove. He was the first to win the 175 pound title three times. He retired with a 43 - 6 ledger. He won 35 fights by KO. He lost five by the knockout route. Three men he fought, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Victor Galindez and Michael Spinks are inducted in International Boxing Hall Of Fame. Yes Marvin Johnson was a thrilling fighter and a worthy champion.

RAFAEL HERRERA; A Fine Champion By Jim Amato
He was born to humble beginnings on January 7, 1945 in Jalisco, Mexico. He would become a professional boxer at the age of eighteen. For years he fought fellow novices, losing some but winning more. He was making a name for himself though. In 1966 he climbed up the ladder with a win over rugged Memin Vega. Two fights later he drew with Geraldo Luna.

From the Luna bout Rafael's career took off. He reeled off sixteen straight wins. Herrera was then matched with future world champion Jesus " Chucho " Castillo. Herrera was overwhelmed by Castillo and lost in round three.

Rafael was no quitter He drew with Canada's Billy McGrandle.but two fights later he lost to the highly regarded Raul Cruz. As 1970 rolled around Herrera was considered a top notch boxer but not championship material. That all changed when he decided that he was good enough to make it to the top. This time Herrera won a decision over Octavio Gomez. This led to a shot against undefeated Rodolfo Martinez for NABF bantamweight title. In a very close and exciting fight , Herrera got the verdict and the title.

That was the spring board for Rafael's career. Next he would halt the highly regarded Cesar Deciga. Two fights later he avenged an earlier loss by outscoring the talented Chucho Castillo. In March of 1972 Rafael challenged the legendary Ruben Olivares for the world's championship. The proud champion fought his heart out but Herrera was not to be denied and he won in round eight winning the WBA + WBC titles.

Four months later Herrera traveled to Panama to take on smooth boxing native Enrique Pinder who out slicks Rafael to take the title. The WBC then strips Pinder of the title for refusing to defend against Rodolfo Martinez. In the meantime Herrera and Olivares hook up in a rematch with Rafael winning a majority ten round decision.

In January of 1973 Pinder was halted by hard punching Romeo Anaya to lose the WBA title. In April of 1973 Herrera and Martinez met for the vacant WBC title. In a wild affair Herrera stopped Martinez in round twelve to annex the crown. In August Anaya would again KO Pinder to retain the WBA title.

Herrera would finish 1973 with a close decision win over Thailand's Venice Borkhorsor. The Thai southpaw had once held the flyweight title. He gave Rafael fits early on as Herrera suffered cuts and swelling around the eyes. Herrera gamely battled his way back and after fifteen brutal rounds Rafael was awarded a controversial decision. In November of 1973 South African Arnold Taylor came from behind to bomb out Anaya to capture the WBA 's recognition.

In May of 1974 Herrera defended against ex-champ Anaya and stopped him in round six. Next up was a third fight with Rodolfo Martinez. This time Martinez turned the tables halting Herrera in the fourth round. Now title less Rafael dropped verdicts to Octavio Gomez and Jose Luis Soto. He then drew with Jose Cervantes and then he retired. He came back ten years later to win a four rounder against Alfredo Meneses then he retired for good. In 61 fights he posted a record of 49-9-3. He scored 19 knockouts and was stopped on two occasions. He was a solid champion who bridged the reigns of Ruben Olivares and Carlos Zarate.

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THRILLA IN MANILA CHRONICLES THE GREATEST RIVALRY IN BOXING HISTORY - BETWEEN MUHAMMAD ALI AND JOE FRAZIER - WHEN THE HBO DOCUMENTARY DEBUTS APRIL 11

Courtest of Tony Walker

Special Is Part Of A Night Of Boxing On HBO, Also Featuring The Debut Of "Pacquiao/Hatton 24/7" And The "World Championship Boxing" Bout Featuring Winky Wright And Paul Williams

In the world of pro sports, classic rivalries are woven into the fabric of the game. In basketball, there's the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers; in baseball, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox; in football, the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. In boxing, there's Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, whose epic three-bout series from 1971 to 1975 transcended the sport. THRILLA IN MANILA tells the previously unknown story of their final fight in the searing heat of the Philippines through the eyes of the "other man" in the ring - Frazier - when it debuts SATURDAY, APRIL 11 (8:00-9:30 p.m. ET/10:00-11:30 pm PT), exclusively on HBO.

Other HBO playdates: April 11 (1:00 a.m. ET/1:55 a.m. PT), 14 (9:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m.), 17 (2:00 p.m., 12:45 a.m.), 19 (9:00 a.m.), 22 (6:00 p.m.), 25 (11:00 a.m.) and 28 (9:30 p.m., 5:15 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: April 12 (3:00 p.m.), 15 (2:00 p.m., 3:05 a.m.), 18 (4:20 a.m.), 21 (9:30 a.m., midnight), 24 (7:00 p.m.) and 30 (4:00 p.m., 11:15 p.m.)

An Official Selection at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, THRILLA IN MANILA chronicles one of the bitterest sports face-offs ever, recounting a tale of personal betrayal that was stoked by the racial politics of 1970s America. Featuring archival footage and exclusive interviews with boxing insiders, including Ferdie Pacheco, Butch Lewis and Dave Wolf, as well as Imelda Marcos, former First Lady of the Philippines, the documentary tells the story of two great fighters forever linked by three epic bouts, and looks at their final fight, considered the most brutal, from Frazier's perspective for the first time.

Directed by John Dower ("Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of The New York Cosmos"), THRILLA IN MANILA deftly tracks an extraordinary personal battle between two friends, and captures the poignant moment in the socio-cultural history of the country when they became American sports icons and legends. While Ali was a symbol of the civil rights struggle and anti-Vietnam War movement, Frazier was cast as the symbol of the pro-war, conservative segment of American society, some would say unfairly.

In 1967, Ali was stripped of his heavyweight crown after refusing induction into the armed forces. The film reveals how Frazier subsequently befriended Ali and supported the renewal of his boxing license and status, showing the intense feelings of betrayal he felt after Ali returned to the ring in 1970 and subjected him to race-baiting attacks.

THRILLA IN MANILA is part of a compelling night of boxing programming that also includes the return of the Emmy®-winning HBO Sports reality franchise "24/7" and an intriguing battle between two of the sport's most formidable competitors. Debuting at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT), "Pacquiao/Hatton 24/7" sets the stage for the May 2 pay-per-view junior welterweight showdown between reigning pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and Ricky Hatton, his engaging British opponent. The 12-round "World Championship Boxing" middleweight bout between Winky Wright and Paul Williams will be seen live from Las Vegas at 10:00 p.m. (ET)/7:00 p.m. (PT).

HBO Documentary Films and HBO Sports Present A Darlow Smithson Production; narrated by Liev Schreiber; produced and directed by John Dower; executive producers, John Smithson and Elinor Day; executive producer for British Channel 4, Andrew Mackenzie; director of photography, Stephen Standen; editors, Nicholas Packer and Kate Spankie.

HBO SPORTS PRESENTS A CLASH OF BOXING GENERATIONS WHEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®: WINKY WRIGHT VS. PAUL WILLIAMS AND CRISTOBAL ARREOLA VS. JAMEEL McCLINE IS SEEN LIVE SATURDAY, APRIL 11 ON HBO

HBO Sports presents a compelling mix of rising stars and proven veterans when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: WINKY WRIGHT VS. PAUL WILLIAMS AND CRISTOBAL ARREOLA VS. JAMEEL McCLINE is presented live SATURDAY, APRIL 11 (10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT) from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, exclusively on HBO. The WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING team will be ringside for the event, which will be presented in HDTV and in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: April 12 (8:00 a.m.) and 13 (1:00 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: April 12 (4:30 p.m.) and 14 (midnight)

Battle-tested veteran Ronald "Winky" Wright (51-4-1, 25 KOs), the most-avoided fighter of the last decade, is a former junior middleweight champion who has scored back-to-back wins against Shane Mosley, as well as defeating Felix Trinidad. A native of St. Petersburg, Fla., he is one of boxing's elite defensive specialists, with a precise jab that picks apart opponents. Although he suffered a decision loss to future Hall-of-Famer Bernard Hopkins in 2007, the 37-year-old Wright will make younger fighters earn their spot among boxing's best.

Two time welterweight champ Paul Williams (36-1, 27 KOs) of Augusta, Ga. is one of the most-feared fighters in boxing. Now on the cusp of stardom, the 27-year-old's height, agility and raw power have made foes think twice about even entering the ring with him. Williams has defeated Antonio Margarito, among others, and now looks to raise his profile in this 12-round contest.

The opening bout features ambitious, hard-charging young Cristobal Arreola (26-0, 23 KOs) and dangerous vet Jameel McCline (39-9-3, 23 KOs) in a 12-round heavyweight clash. Arreola, of Riverside, Cal., can deliver thunderous blows and is riding a string of 13 consecutive fights in which he has sent his opponent crashing to the canvas. Next, he looks to prove himself the most serious threat to titleholders in the division.

Jameel McCline, from West Palm Beach, Fla., has fought the best the division has to offer, amassing 51 professional bouts against the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Chris Byrd and Samuel Peter. An imposing 6'5" and 270 pounds, McCline's experience, ring generalship and hard hitting should provide a formidable challenge for Arreola.

This WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING presentation is part of a compelling night of boxing programming that also includes the debut of the documentary "Thrilla in Manila" and the return of the Emmy®-winning HBO Sports reality franchise "24/7." Debuting at 8:00 p.m. (ET)/10:00 p.m. (PT), "Thrilla in Manila" tells the story of the final fight between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, whose epic three-bout series from 1971 to 1975 transcended the sport. Debuting at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT), "Pacquiao/Hatton 24/7" sets the stage for the May 2 pay-per-view junior welterweight showdown between reigning pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and Ricky Hatton, his engaging British opponent.

All WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING events are broadcast in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Marc Payton.
® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

HBO SPORTS' PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7, A FOUR-EPISODE ALL-ACCESS SERIES LEADING UP TO THE PAY-PER-VIEW SHOWDOWN BETWEEN TWO BOXING SUPERSTARS, DEBUTS APRIL 11, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

Series Kicks Off As Part Of A Night Of Boxing On HBO, Also Featuring The Debut Of The Documentary "Thrilla In Manila" And The "World Championship Boxing" Bout Featuring Winky Wright And Paul Williams

NEW YORK, March 9, 2009 - HBO Sports' groundbreaking reality franchise "24/7," which captured three Sports Emmy® Awards for its first season and produced two acclaimed editions in year two, will return with PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7, an all-new four-episode, all-access series, it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports. Debuting SATURDAY, APRIL 11 (9:30-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), the series spotlights two of boxing's most intriguing superstars - Manny Pacquiao, the sport's reigning pound-for-pound king, and Ricky Hatton, his fiery opponent from across the pond - as they prepare for their May 2 junior welterweight pay-per-view showdown in Las Vegas.

Noted Greenburg, "This latest edition of '24/7' features two of the most talented and personable fighters in boxing today, and we look forward to bringing their compelling storylines and personalities to our subscribers in what promises to be engaging television. The trainers Floyd Sr. and Freddie Roach will likely add fireworks to the series. This fight is sure to generate a lot of excitement and energy worldwide, and we hope to capture those dramatic moments."

Episodes two and three of PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7 debut on subsequent Saturdays - APRIL 18 (10:00-10:30 p.m.) and 25 (9:35-10:00 p.m.) - while the finale debuts FRIDAY, MAY 1 (9:30-10:00 p.m.), the night before the fight. All four episodes will have multiple replay dates on HBO, and the series will also be available on HBO On Demand.

PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7 will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access, along with in-depth interviews, as these determined warriors, both making their second "24/7" appearance, prepare for the first mega-fight of 2009. A hero in his native Philippines, the 30-year-old Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) is regarded by most boxing observers as the sport's unofficial pound-for-pound king. Demonstrating knockout power in five weight classes, his recent victory over his boxing idol, ring legend Oscar de la Hoya, was cause for national celebration in his homeland. Amid growing worldwide celebrity, he returns to the 140-pound division to take on the hard-hitting Hatton.

Hailing from the streets of Manchester, England, Ricky Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs) has a tenacious fighting style and a devout following. The 30-year-old suffered his only professional loss in December 2007 when he battled future Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather Jr. as a welterweight. Now back in the junior welterweight ranks, he wants to prove himself the most formidable fighter in the division.

Storylines for this fast-paced series will include the interaction between Pacquiao and his trusted trainer and friend Freddie Roach, as well as the fascinating alliance of Hatton and outspoken trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr.

PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7 is the latest installment of the widely acclaimed "24/7" franchise that began on HBO in 2007 with "De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7" and "Mayweather/Hatton 24/7." The series returned in 2008 with "Calzaghe/Jones 24/7" and "De La Hoya/Pacquiao 24/7."

Newsweek described the first installment of "24/7" as "an engrossing look at both a boxing match and a personal circus, and fans of human drama will want to have a ringside seat." ESPN The Magazine proclaimed the series "a masterfully entertaining reality show," while the New York Daily News called it "compelling television."

On Saturday, May 2 at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (PT), HBO Pay-Per-View presents "Pacquiao vs. Hatton," live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The launch of PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7 is part of a compelling night of boxing programming that also includes the debut of the documentary "Thrilla in Manila" and an intriguing battle between two of the sport's most formidable competitors. Debuting at 8:00 p.m. (ET)/10:00 p.m. (PT), "Thrilla in Manila" tells the story of the final fight between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, whose epic three-bout series from 1971 to 1975 transcended the sport. The 12-round "World Championship Boxing" middleweight bout between Winky Wright and Paul Williams will be seen live from Las Vegas at 10:00 p.m. (ET)/7:00 p.m. (PT).

At the 2008 Sports Emmy® Awards, "De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7" was honored in the category of Outstanding Edited Sports Special, while "Mayweather/Hatton 24/7" was honored in the categories of Outstanding Camera Work and Outstanding Writing.

The executive producers of PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7 are Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein; coordinating producer, Dave Harmon; producers, Scott Boggins and Bentley Weiner. Liev Schreiber narrates. Aaron Cohen is the writer.

Boxing: Almost Champions By Jim Amato
The 1970's spawned such great and dominant champions such as Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Bobby Foster, Monzon, Napoles, Cervantes, Duran, Olivares, Arguello and Zarate. In review of their fine accomplishments and the feats of some other fine champions of that era, several very capable boxers fell short of their dreams of becomining a champion. Let's take a look at some of these proud warriors. The "Almost Champions."

The first who comes to mind is Jerry Quarry. He was as tough as they come and talented too. He received his first title shot in 1968 when he made it to the finals of the WBA elimination tournament. He lost to Jimmy Ellis. In 1969, he met Joe Frazier for the NYSAC version of the title and was halted in seven. In 1970 he was stopped on cuts by Muhammad Ali. If he would have won that fight it would have paved the way for a rematch with Frazier. In 1974 he got that return engagement with Frazier who was now an ex champion. Jerry was stopped in five. If he would have won he would have been in a position to meet the winner of Foreman-Ali.

South African Pierre Fourie had four shots at the light heavyweight title. Too bad for Pierre he met two of the best light heavyweights of that era, Bob Foster and Victor Galindez. Bob and Victor each took a pair of fifteen round verdicts from the clever Pierre.

Alvaro "Yaqui" Lopez was another tough cookie who failed in four attempts to win the light heavyweight title. He lost twice to Galindez, once to classy John Conteh and another to Saad Muhammad. Lopez even got a crack at the cruiserweight title losing to Carlos DeLeon.

Bennie Briscoe may have been the "Baddest" middleweight to never win the title. He finally received a long overdue shot at "King" Carlos Monzon and almost pulled the upset when he hurt Monzon in the ninth round. Carlos rallied to win the decision. In a battle for the WBC version of the title Bennie was stopped by the vastly under rated Rodrigo Valdez. After Monzon twice edged Valdez and retired, Bennie met Valdez again for the vacant title and lost a decision. Another worthwhile 160 pound contender during the Monzon era was Jean Claude Bouttier. Carlos beat the Frenchman twice but regarded Bouttier highly.

Armando Muniz was as tough as nails. He was a leading welterweight contender for years. Four times Mando would challenge for the coveted crown and four times he would come up short. He twice met the great Jose Napoles. "Mantaquilla" won the first one in a very controversial match. Jose left no doubt in winning a decision in a rematch. Muniz would also lose twice to the formidible Carlos Palomino in title attempts.

Clyde Gray was one of the finest boxers to come out of Canada in the 70's. He gave the great Napoles one of his hardest fights but lost a decision in his first title challenge. Later he would meet Angel Espada for the WBA version of the title and again lost a decision. In his third and final attempt, Clyde was kayoed by power punching Pipino Cuevas. Two other fine welterweights challenged Napoles on two different occasions but could not overcome this outstanding champion. They were Hedgemon Lewis and Ernie "Red" Lopez.

Edwin Viruet gave Roberto Duran absolute fits in their two fights, one of which was for Duran's lightweight title. Philadelphia's slick Tyrone Everett came within an eyelash of winning the WBC junior lightweight title from the colorful Alfredo Escalera. This was one of the most debated verdicts of the decade.

All these fine fighters would have surely won a "title" under today's rules, regulations and politics. They were top class fighters and should be remembered as such.

All boxers, coaches, or gyms may contact Theresa Addison at theresa.addison@gmail.com to be added to the database. Thank you for supporting women's boxing in Colorado.

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THE EIGHT MAN ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT By Jim Amato
April 27th will mark the 41st anniversary of one of the World Boxing Association's crowning achievements. The grand finale of their eight man elimination tournament to find a successor for the deposed Muhammad Ali.

Acting with the swiftness matched only by Mr. Dooley of the New York State Athletic Commission, the W.B.A. immediately stripped Ali of his crown when he refused induction into the Armed Forces. Eight ranking contenders were chosen to box off for the ultimate prize, the heavyweight championship of the world. The fortunate eight were: former champion Floyd Patterson, Ex W.B.A. titleholder Ernie Terrell, the Argentine strongman Oscar Bonevena, the fast rising Californian Thad Spencer, Angelo Dundee's hopeful Jimmy Ellis, the "White Hope" sensation Jerry Quarry, 1964 Gold Medalist Joe Frazier, and Europe's entry Karl Mildenberger of Germany. Frazier, the #1 contender by virtue of his fine record since turning pro declined the W.B.A.'s invitation. The W.B.A. then inserted Leotis Martin to take his place.

The elimination tourney was scoffed at then and even today it is still scrutinized. What if the Vietnam War would not have wanted or needed Ali? What if Ali who had already "cleaned up" the division had remained active? Remember Ali defeated Paterson, Terrell and Mildenberger before he was forced to abdicate. He then won two out of three against Frazier and two over Quarry. He beat Patterson again and also whipped Bonevena and Ellis after a three year hiatus. Let's say Ali remained active through 1970. He might have met Frazier as early as 1969. Joe would have been facing a lean, active and sharp Ali not the slow and rusty version he met in their 1971 epic. Also remember Joe would have had two years less experience then what he carried in 1971 . In 1969, Frazier was not yet the polished fighting machine he was to become. In my opinion the Frazier of March 8, 1971, would have given any heavyweight in history a life and death struggle including a prime Ali.

Muhammad would not have too much trouble beating the rest of the contenders. From 1964 to 1967, Ali made seven successful defenses. If he stayed on that pace from 1967 to 1970 he would accumulate seven more. So Ali successfully defends against Quarry and Bonevena maybe Spencer too. Now there is an interesting parallel as Sonny Liston has reemerged as a contender with a victory over Henry Clark. While planning for a possible Ali-Liston III, Muhammad eliminates Frazier and then defeats the light heavyweight king Bob Foster. Meanwhile Leotis Martin upsets Liston and Ali has to fight the other boxer to knock out Sonny. Ali then beats unbeaten, bit over rated Mac Foster to rack up his fourteenth defense. Outside of a possible jaunt to England to take on a young Joe Bugner or set up Ali-Henry Cooper III, there's not many new worlds for Ali to conquer. Maybe an easy payday in Spain against Jose Urtain. Bored, Ali eventually retires without ever a reason to come back since he whipped everybody. We the fans would never get to see "The Fight" of 1971 or his 1973 "Jaw Breaker" loss to Kenny Norton. We would miss the "Rumble In The Jungle" of 1974 and the "Thrilla In Manilla" of 1975. Ali-Wepner would have never happened, so Sly Stallone would have never been inspired to write "Rocky."

As unfair as it was to Ali to have three and a half years stolen from his career, it might have saved the heavyweight division. The elimination tournament, although not always exciting was at least competitive and complete with a few surprises. With Thad Spencer upsetting Ernie Terrell to start things off no one could clearly project a tourney winner. The absence of Frazier saw to that. Meanwhile Frazier was living himself up for a nice payday because no matter who the W.B.A.called champion, they would not be accepted until they beat Frazier and Ali if he returned.

Jimmy Ellis and Leotis Martin the two underdogs of the tourney met with Ellis winning in nine rounds. Quarry scored a mild upset in shading ex-champion Patterson and Bonevena was too powerful as he overwhelmed a game Mildenberber. Coming off his impressive showing against Terrell, Spencer was favored to beat the erratic Quarry. Bonevena was thought to be too strong for Ellis who began his career as middleweight. Well Quarry battered Spencer stopping him in the twelfth round. Then Ellis in one of his career best performances dropped the usually durable Bonevena twice en route to a convincing points win. The championship match between Quarry and Ellis turned out to be the dullest bout of the tourney. After fifteen slow paced rounds Ellis was declared champion.

One month before Ellis defeated Quarry, Joe Frazier kayoed his amateur nemesis Buster Mathis in eleven rounds. The victory gained Frazier recognition as champion in New York State and in a few other states. Now the ballyhoo began. Who was the real champ Ellis or Frazier? Would Ali be allowed to box again? Frazier solidified his claim as Ali's successor with victories over Manuel Ramos(Ko-2), Bonevena(W-15), Dave Zyglewcz(Ko-1) and Quarry(KO-7). Ellis was virtually inactive, though not totally his fault. Proposed matches with Henry Cooper and Greg Peralta fell through for various reasons. When Ellis finally did defend his crown he was awarded a very controversial decision over Floyd Patterson. By the time Frazier and Ellis met in February of 1970, Joe was an overwhelming favorite. Few experts picked Ellis even though Angelo Dundee claimed Frazier was made for Ellis. It seemed like Dundee was a prophet during the first two rounds as Ellis outboxed Frazier. All was well until midway through the third round. That is when Joe landed his vaunted left hook that sent Ellis staggering half way across the ring and into the ropes. Ellis lasted the round but he never recovered. Late in the fourth round Frazier pinned Ellis in a corner and after a flurry of hooks Ellis fell flat on his face. He made it up in time and tried to keep Joe off him until the bell. Frazier would not be denied and just before the bell, he connected with a full swing left hook flush on the jaw. Ellis fell flat on his back. How he heat the count is a mystery. Somehow through the game, Ellis struggled to his corner as the bell had already ended the round. Dundee had seen enough and showed compassion by not allowing Jimmy out for round five.

Before the Frazier-Ellis bout, Ali had announced his retirement and had stated that he would give his belt to the winner. Eight months later with his boxing license reinstated Ali met Jerry Quarry in Atlanta winning in three rounds. Meanwhile Frazier had broken his ankle and did not return to action till late 1970 with a crushing knockout of Bob Foster. In December, Ali stopped Bonevena and finally Joe and Ali signed to fight on March 8, 1971, for then, the unheard sum of five million dollars to be split evenly. The rest as they say is history.

Frazier - Quarry I Nearly Forty Years Since This Heavyweight Classic : By Jim Amato

On June 23, 1969 at New York's Madison Square Garden, Joe Frazier met the popular Irish fighter, Jerry Quarry, for the New York State recognized heavyweight title. Back in the day, the New York State Boxing Commission wielded quite a bit of power. Commissioner Edwin Dooley wasted little time stripping Muhammad Ali of his heavyweight title when Ali refused induction into the Armed Forces. The World Boxing Association did the same and they set up a tournament to determine a new champion. Eight top contenders were selected, with unbeaten Joe Frazier being one of them. Frazier's management declined the invitation, however. The eventual winner of the tourney was Jimmy Ellis, who defeated Jerry Quarry in the finals.

The N.Y.S.A.C. offered Frazier a chance to fight Buster Mathis, who like Frazier, was undefeated. Mathis had defeated Frazier twice in the amateur ranks. The winner would be the champion in New York and a few other states. Well, Frazier met Big Buster and took him out in the eleventh to gain revenge and also win a piece of the heavyweight title.

Although the talented Jimmy Ellis held the more recognized WBA tilte, Frazier was considered by most as the best active heavyweight. They would eventually meet to settle their differences.

The bout with Quarry would be considered as a measuring stick between Frazier and Ellis. Frazier had labored through two decision wins over rugged Oscar Bonavena. In their first ten rounder, Bonavena had Frazier down twice but Frazier rallied to get the verdict. Their second bout saw Frazier and Bonavena slug it out for fifteen tough rounds, with Frazier again getting the decision. In between the two Frazier-Bonavena battles, Bonavena met Jimmy Ellis. In one of Ellis' best career performances, he floored the granite jawed Bonavena twice to win a convincing decision. Based on those bouts, Ellis seemed to have an edge on Frazier. In the Quarry bout, Frazier needed to make a statement.

Jerry Quarry was no pushover, however. He was ranked as one of the five best heavyweights in the world. He did a number on Mathis just three months before meeting Frazier winning a lopsided twelve rounder. Not surprizingly, there were a lot of people who thought Quarry had a real chance of winning.

The bout itself was non stop action, a real heavyweight slugfest. To his credit, Quarry always came to fight and you never had to look for Joe Frazier. Early in the first round, it was toe to toe action. Knowing that both boxers could bang, the fans were really enjoying this. Each fighter was rocked a bit but were still standing at the end of a terrific round.

The next two rounds were more of the same, as they slugged it out on the inside. By round four, it was becoming apparent the Quarry was fighting Frazier's fight. Frazier began breaking down Quarry who gamely fought back. As the bout wore on, Quarry was cut and he was getting staggered by Frazier's famous left hook.

It ended in seven. Quarry had a severe cut and at this point Frazier had taken command. It was a gruelling fight, though, and even in losing, Quarry won a ton of respect from this courageous performance.

Jerry Quarry is no longer with us and he was recently joined by his brother Mike Quarry, who was a fine boxer in his own right. This was one of my favorite heavyweight battles. It is hard for me to believe it took place almost forty years ago!

BIG EARNIE ; THAT MAN COULD SWING! By Jim Amato
Possibly the best heavyweight to ever come out of the state of Ohio was Earnie "The Acorn" Shavers. Born on August 31, 1945 in Alabama, his real name is Earnie Dee Shaver. He attended school in Warren, Ohio and made a name for himself as a football player. Earnie was just a great all around athlete and when the boxing bug bit him, he took to it like a duck to water.

What Earnie accomplished in boxing is phenomenal but the world championship eluded him. Nevertheless in both of his failed attempts at the crown, he left an indelible mark in the memory of those who witnessed the bouts. Earnie became a professional boxer in 1969. He won his first two fights by KO and dropped a six rounder to Stan Johnson. Two fights later he stopped J.D.McCauley, the uncle of future champion James "Buster" Douglas. In 1970 Shavers suffered his second loss. He was halted by future title challenger Ron Stander. Earnie would then run off a 32 fight win streak in which he kayoed 31 opponents. Only former WBA light heavyweight titleholder Vincente Rondon went the ten round route with him.

The streak led Earnie to his first shot at the big time. In June of 1973 Shavers met former WBA heavyweight champion Jimmy Ellis at Madison Square Garden. Jimmy was still a serious contender and he was hoping a win over the red hot Shavers would put him back into the title picture. The fight started at a fast pace and Jimmy appeared to have stunned Shavers. Ellis went after Earnie. Then out of nowhere Shavers unleashed an uppercut with KO written all over it. Down went Ellis in a semi-conscious condition. He was counted out. It was over and Earnie was an instant contender. Jimmy's astute manager Angelo Dundee said his guy got caught by a sucker punch. Whatever it was, Shavers was in the Top Ten.

In December Shavers returned to Garden to face the highly ranked and enormously popular "Irish" Jerry Quarry. The winner could be in line to fight heavyweight champion George Foreman. This time the tables were turned on Earnie. Quarry hurt him early and did not let him off the hook. Finally the referee intervened to save Shavers. In less then two rounds Earnie's career had peaked and then collapsed. A 1974 loss to solid journeyman Bob Stallings made it appear that Shavers was just a flash in the pan. Later in 1974 Shavers drew with clever Jimmy Young. A fighter he had stopped in 1972. Little did we know at that time how good Jimmy Young would become.

In 1975 Shavers met the dangerous Ron Lyle. This was one of the best heavyweight fights I've ever seen. Earnie had Lyle down early in the fight. Lyle arose right before the bell. He then proceeded to out punch Earnie in a classic slug fest. Finally Lyle pounded Shavers to the canvas like a man hammering a nail into a floor. It was over in round six. Surely Shavers was through...BUT...Earnie embarked on a comeback that brought him back to the forefront of the heavyweight division. He beat the respected Henry Clark twice. The second time by a convincing KO. He came from behind to halt the feared Roy "Tiger" Williams. He then halted Howard "Kayo" Smith in two. This led Earnie to a title shot against "The Greatest", Muhammad Ali. It was 1977 at the Garden and by God, Ali and Shavers put on a show. Several times during the bout Earnie's bombs rocked Ali to his very foundation. Still Ali was still Ali and sucked it up to out score Shavers. In defeat though, Earnie gained a legion of loyal fans.

In 1978 Shavers met upstart Larry Holmes. In this bout Holmes served notice that he was a future star. He out boxed and shut out Shavers over ten rounds. Later Holmes would win the WBC version of the heavyweight title in an action packed fifteen rounder against Ken Norton. In 1979 Earnie met Norton in a title eliminator. Shavers eliminated Ken in one round. Holmes - Shavers II took place later in 1979. The blueprint was the same as Larry out slicked Earnie. In round seven though, lightening struck. Shavers hit Holmes with a punch that dropped him like he had been shot. I'll never know how Larry got up after being hit like that. He did though and ended up stopping a tired and bleeding Shavers in the eleventh.

From this point on Earnie's career began to decline. He lost to Bernardo Mercado and Tex Cobb in 1980 but both felt the effects of Earnie's thunderous blows. In 1981 Shavers rebounded with a KO win over Jeff Sims. In 1982 Shavers took out the normally durable Joe Bugner in two rounds. That was Earnie's swan song. He would drop verdicts to James "Quick" Tillis and Walter Santemore. To the credit of Tillis, he gamely arose to fight on after Earnie nearly decapitated him. A 1983 DQ loss to the under rated George Chaplin sent Earnie into retirement.

Shavers returned four years later and then again retired. Eight years later he made and ill fated comeback. After being stopped in two rounds by Brian Yates, Earnie hung them up for good. In 89 bouts Shavers posted a sterling 74-14-1 record against the great heavyweights of the 1970's and 80's. He scored 68 KO's. He had a 76.4% KO percentage. His credentials earned him the distinction as the "puncher of the century" ! Warranted ? Ask Ali, Norton, Holmes, etc...When he caught an opponent clean they did the shimmy and shake. Watch his bouts with Norton, Howard Smith and the Henry Clark rematch. Oh the man could swing !

UNBEATEN JOHN DUDDY TO FACE BILLY LYELL ON APRIL 24th. By Jim Amato
"Irish" John Duddy will put his undefeated record on the line April 24th in Newark, New Jersey. Duddy (26-0) with 17 KO's will face rugged Billy Lyell. Although Lyell (18-7) is billed out of Youngstown he is from Niles, Ohio. The home of the late former middleweight contender of years gone by, Sonny Horne. Lyell is no pushover. He has met the likes of James Kirkland and Yuri Boy Campas. In September of 2006 Duddy out scored Campas over twelve rounds. In June of 2007 Lyell lost a ten rounder to Campas.

Duddy hopes that a win over Lyell will keep him in the hunt for a title bout with Kelly Pavlik. The original plan was for Pavlik to face Sergio Mora this summer. Then this autumn take on Duddy. Things have changed though because it looks like Pavlik-Mora is still on for June. Now there is serious talk of Pavlik fighting Arthur Abraham this fall to unite the WBC, WBO and IBF middleweight titles. Even if Duddy beats Lyell there is a good chance of him being the odd man out for a fall title fight.

Boxing’s "Big Mac" By Jim Amato
Long before Mark McGwire was launching tape measure home runs in Oakland and acquiring the nickname "Big Mac", West Coast sports fans used to cheer the feats of another "Big Mac". MacArthur Foster a heavyweight boxer from Fresno, California won his first 24 professional bouts all by knockout. Six came in the first round, four in the second round and seven in the third round. By the spring of 1970 he was the number one rated contender for Joe Frazier’s crown.

Mac turned pro in November of 1966 and by the end of 1967 he had racked up nine kayos. Among his victims were veterans Floyd Joyner and Roy "Cookie" Wallace. He piled up seven more kayos in 1968 and in 1969 he made some serious noise in the heavyweight ratings. With Muhammad Ali banned from boxing, Joe Frazier and Jimmy Ellis shared the heavyweight crown. The division needed some new blood and much felt Foster was the answer. Mac added six more knockouts in 1969 stopping Roger Rischer, Thad Spencer, Roger Russell, Cleveland Williams (twice) and Bob Felstein. Although Williams was well past his prime he could still punch and Mac took all he had to offer and come back to win both times.

After stopping Jack O’Halloran in one round on April 9th, 1970 for his 24th straight kayo victory, Mac decided to come east to New York. In his Madison Square Garden debut was to take on veteran contender Jerry Quarry. A victory over Quarry would no doubt ensure a big money fight with Frazier. On June 17th as Jerry Quarry was to do several times during his exciting career, he upset the odds stopping a tentative Foster in six rounds. Quarry outboxed his less experienced foe until lowering the boom in the sixth. Mac showed none of his storied power. Quarry used the Foster victory as a springboard to match with the comeback Muhammad Ali. Three months later Mac returned to stop shopworn ex-contender Zora Folley in one round. Mac rolled off three more victories and then signed to meet Muhammad Ali. Ali had lost to Joe Frazier in the March 8, 1971 "Battle of the Century". Now Ali was taking on all new comers proclaiming himself to be the "People’s Champion". Mac met Ali on April 1st, 1972 in Tokyo, Japan. Although Mac went the fifteen round distance, Ali won by a very comfortable margin. Mac looked slow and ponderous and did not the power of a fighter with a record of 28-1, all 28 wins by knockout coming into this contest.

The loss to Ali was probably the highlight of Mac’s career. He would score knockouts over journeymen Sam McGill and Charley Williams. Then he was out-hustled over ten rounds by Bob Stallings. Mac closed out 1973 dropping a ten round duke in England to Joe Bugner. Foster had one fight in 1974 being outscored by slick Henry Clark. Mac took 1975 off and had his last bout in 1976 losing a ten rounder to Stan Ward. Although overrated at the beginning of his career Mac proved to be a competent fighter. He finished with a 30-6 record, all wins coming by knockout and he was only stopped once, Mac’s biggest claim to fame may have been in a late 1960’s sparring session when he reportedly flattened Charles "Sonny" Liston!

1972...It Was Quite A Year! By Jim Amato
For me the year 1972 marked some very important milestones. Especially the magic month of June.In the first three weeks of that month I became a candidate for the draft by turning eighteen. I graduated from High School and on the 17th I took on my first bride. I enjoyed that afternoon watching Carlos Monzon defend his title against the worthy challenge of Frenchman Jean Claude Bouttier. To be honest with you the most exciting day of the month was the 26th. On that date in Madison Square Garden, Roberto Duran captured the lightweight championship of the world by stopping the vastly talented Ken Buchanan. At that moment a star was born.

Later in the year on October 18th my first son was born. A month later Duran suffered the first loss of his career dropping a decision to the great but widely overlooked Esteban DeJesus. Roberto would not lose another fight until the night he supposedly said " No Mas " in 1980. That included two subsequent knockout victories over DeJesus. To me Duran was without a doubt the greatest boxer of the 70's. In retrospect 1972 stands out in regards to boxing for a variety of reasons. The quietest division was the heavyweights. There was a let down after the frenzy created from the March 8, 1971 classic between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali in which Joe emerged victorious. That was a gruelling affair and Frazier and his manager Yank Durham decided to take it easy and not just jump right back into the ring with Ali. Joe took on a couple of lower ranked white contenders. First he blasted out the totally over matched Terry Daniels. Then he cut up and halted the dead game Ron Stander. Joe would lose his title in early 1973 courtesy of the thumping fists of George Foreman. Two months later Ali would suffer a fractured jaw in losing an upset decision to Ken Norton. The stage was now set for " The Rumble In The Jungle " and the " Thrilla In Manila " that would later entertain us in the mid 70's.

The light heavyweights were ruled by one of the greatest of all time, Bob Foster. Bob probably hit his peak in 72. First he unified the title with a two round massacre of W.B.A.pretender Vincente Rondon. Then he landed one of the most brutal punches in boxing history when he nearly decapitated Mike Quarry. Next he wore down and halted the very brave Chris Finnegan. Bobby ended 1972 with an ill advised foray back into the heavyweight division and was halted by the now former champion, Muhammad Ali.

Carlos Monzon was the " King " of the middleweight division. 1972 was the year that proved his greatness. Carlos opened by halting veteran contender Denny Moyer. Next he turned back the challenge of the very formidable Jean Claude Bouttier. Then he pummeled Denmark's Tom Bogs. Carlos closed the year outscoring the feared " Bad " Bennie Briscoe.

He was one of the greatest welterweights of all time. Jose Napoles was coming of a very big year in 1971 when he regained the title from Billy Backus. He also turned back the challenge of top contender Hedgemon Lewis. He took it a little easy in 1972 fighting off the challenges of Ralph Charles and Adolph Pruitt. He closed the year with a non-title KO of Edmundo Leite.

It was in 1972 that the great Antonio Cervantes won the junior welterweight title. He had failed to dethrone the slick Nicolino Locce in 1971. Locche then lost his title to Alfonso Frazier and Cervantes got a second shot and defeated Frazier. Antonio would go on to have a legendary career.

The featherweight division was in a transition period. The great little southpaw Vincente Saldivar had retired champion in 1967. He returned in 1969 and reclaimed his crown in 1970 by beating Johnny Famechon. He would lose the title in his next fight to Kuniaki Shibata. In 1972 Clemente Sanchez blasted the crown from Shibata's head. Soon after Sanchez would lose his title to the scales. Jose Legra also halted him and no one was quite sure who the champ was as the year ended.

The bantamweight division was also in a state of transition. As 1972 was ushered in, the power punching Ruben Olivares was holding the crown. Rafael Herrera came along to upset him. Then Rafael was upset by smooth boxing Enrique Pinder of Panama. The new champion would outscore former titleholder Chucho Castillo in a non-title bout to close out the year.

The flyweight class was in a state of chaos in 1972. Erbito Saalvarria was the rightful claimant based on his 1970 KO of the outstanding Chartchai Chionoi. In 1971 he would struggle but still remain champion. In five 1971 encounters he went 3-1-1. He lost a non-title go on points to Halimi Gutierrez. He also drew with Betulio Gonzalez thus keeping his crown. In 1972 the W.B.C. withdrew its recognition of Salavarria as champion and matched Gonzalez with Socrates Batoto for the vacant crown. Betulio took out Socrates in four. Venice Borkhorsor then met Gonzalez for the title. Borkhorsor would win by a tenth round stoppage. Borkhorsor and Salavarria would meet in 1973 to srttle any dispute on who the real champion was. The title stayed with Borkhorsor who won a decision.

It was a simple time then. There were a lot less weight divisions and fewer split titles. It was a time when in most cases the champions ruled their respective divisions with an iron fist. Some of the most feared and respected boxers of all time reigned supreme. Foster, Monzon, Napoles, Cervantes, Olivares and Duran. The class of 1972. What a wonderful year !

OSCAR " SHOTGUN " ALBARADO By Jim Amato
He was a hard banger and a crowd pleaser who battled some of the best welterweights of his era. Eventually he would move up to 154 pounds and win a world title in that division. He thrilled crowds in his home state of Texas and would also become a popular draw on the West Coast. His name was Oscar Albarado and they called him " Shotgun ".

Born in 1948, Oscar turned professional in 1966 and reeled off 25 straight victories. He suffered his first loss via a decision to the highly touted Hedgemon Lewis in 1969. He came back in 1970 with two wins over Youngstown, Ohio veteran L.C.Morgan. Oscar would then drop verdicts to rated contenders Adolph Pruitt and " Have Mercy Mr. Percy " Pugh.

Albarado bounced back with five straight wins including a decision over rugged Raul Soriano. He was then upset over ten rounds by Manuel Fierro. In May of 1971 Oscar met then undefeated Armando Muniz and the two battled to a draw in an action packed bout. Oscar would then lose a decision to top contender Ernie " Red " Lopez. Albarado would win seven in a row but in 1973 he was surprised in one round by Dino Del Cid. Oscar came right back to stop Del Cid in the second round of a rematch.

In June of 1974 Oscar traveled to Tokyo, Japan take on world junior middleweight king Koichi Wajima. In a tough battle Albarado rallied to halt Wajima at 1:57 of the fifteenth round to capture the crown. Oscar would return to Japan to defend against Wajima's countryman Ryu Sorimachi. Albarado retained his title with a seventh round stoppage. It was back to Tokyo again to face Wajima in a rematch. This time Wajima paced himself and fought a smart fight in regaining his title by decision. There would be no rubber match.

It would be over five years before Oscar boxed again and it was obvious he was no longer the same fighter. He did find himself matched with some pretty good fighters though. In 1981 he was kayoed by Bobby Czyz and Bernard " Superbad " Mays. In 1982 he was taken out by Louis Arcaries and John Collins. Finally he was stopped in two rounds by Ayub Kalule in his last fight.

Albarado ended his 72 fight career with a record of 58-13-1. He scored 43 knockouts. He was stopped seven times but six of those stoppages came after his five year layoff. In his prime he was a game and durable fighter with a lethal punch.

MARTY MONROE : A FORGOTTEN CONTENDER By Jim Amato
Back in the late 1970's and early 80's there was a pretty good heavyweight out on the West Coast. His name was Marty Monroe.

Marty was from Los Angeles and he turned pro in 1974. In 1976 he beat another up and coming heavyweight named Randy Mack. In 1977 he defeated tough Joe Gholston. In 1978 he defeated Leroy Boone.

In 1980 Marty would lose a decision to the rough and rugged Scott Ledoux. Marty bounced right back with impressive stoppage victories over Lynn Ball and Eddie " The Animal " Lopez. Marty was now a force to be reckoned with.

In 1981 Monroe would meet the streaking Greg Page. At this time Page was considered one of the best heavyweight prospects in the game. Greg proved to be too much for Monroe halting a game Marty in the sixth round. That might have been the best performance in the career of Greg Page.

Marty would layoff for two years and then return to win two fights. He ended his career in 1983 with a very respectable 25-2-1 record. He scored sixteen knockouts and was stopped only once.

Wayne “Pocket Rocket” McCullough By Franco Floyd Fontanero
There’s “no quit” in 38 year old former WBC Bantamweight Champion ( 27-7, 18 kayos ) Wayne McCullough. And as always, it’s pedal to the medal “Pocket Rocket”! On March 16th, 2009 he is scheduled for yet another fight at MSG in New York, as he takes on Alex “El Diablo” Becerra ( 19-7, 9 kayos) of Mexico. Unknown to me is Mr. “El Diablo” of Mexico, but the name itself “The Devil”, sounds just a bit scary, which gives me a bit of a sweaty forehead and some shaking of the knees. But not so McCullough, he declares he is ready to go. McCullough for some time has let it be known that his goal is to strap on yet one more Championship belt, before he even thinks of stepping out of the square ring for good. Some years back I wrote an article about McCullough where I stated that he was like the Energizer Bunny, he keeps going and going, and I guess I couldn’t have been more correct. McCullough, through out his career has been nothing less then a very exciting fighter. One has been able to sit assured that if McCullough is fighting, you are about to view an exciting bout. “Pocket Rocket” is an individual who has always believed in being in tiptop shape and trains religiously so. With that being said, we more than likely will once again see punches in bunches from McCullough. Should McCullough be defeated, will he then give up his quest for one more championship belt? Some have wondered how the nick name “Pocket Rocket” came to be. Wayne explained it all to me. “Back in 1988 when I was a member of the Irish Olympic team, one of my teammates, Kieran Joyce, said I was small enough to fit in his pocket and that I threw punches like a rocket. So that’s how the “Pocket Rocket” was born!”, joked McCullough. And as the late, great Paul Harvey would say, “And now you know the rest of the story.”
Editor Rose Fontanero See you at the fights!!! www.seeyouatthefights.com

HOWARD "KAYO" SMITH By Jim Amato
When a fighter earns the nickname "Kayo", it's safe to assume he's a pretty dangerous guy. Howard Smith met and defeated some top tier heavyweights in the 1970's. Yes he could bang with the best of them.

Howard turned professional in 1971 and suffered a defeat in his fourth pro fight. He bounced right back in 1972 halting future world champion Mike Weaver in three rounds. Next he outscored Weaver in a return match. In 1973 Howard pounded out a decision over Jack "The Giant" O'Halloran. Smith was moving up in the heavyweight rankings in 1974 with KO wins over Tony Doyle and O'Halloran in a rematch. Howard leaped over another hurdle in 1975 with a fifth round stoppage of the respected Larry Middleton. In 1976 Smith won a split decision over the smooth boxing Johnny Boudreaux.

1977 proved to be pivotal year for Howard. He solified his Top Ten ranking by outscoring the clever Henry Clark. Then in April at the Alladin in Las Vegas, Howard met the hard belting Earnie Shavers. This was a much anticipated match between two of divisions premier punchers. Who would get in the first big shot ? Well on this night it was the feared Shavers who dropped Howard three times in the first round. The bout was halted in the second round. It was a disappointing loss but Smith returned to action four months later knocking out Charlie James in the tenth round. That would Howard's last fight.

Smith only had twenty pro fights, (17-2-0 with 1 no contest. He won ten via the KO route. In his brief career he made his mark in the talent rich heavyweight division of the 70's.

LIGHTWEIGHT DREAM FIGHT: Alexis Arguello-vs-Ismael Laguna By Jim Amato
The “Explosive Thin Man” Arguello, a champion in three weight classes versus the highly underrated “other” lightweight champion from Panama, Ismael Laguna. For all intents and purposes Alexis was at his best boxing at 130 pounds. When he was champion of that division he defeated Bobby Chacon, Boza Edwards, Rolando Navarette, and Bazooka Limon. All of who won the title AFTER Alexis moved to 135 pounds. Arguello won the lightweight title from Jim Watt. His highest profile defense at this weight was his highly competitive knockout of future champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini. Alexis never lost any of his titles in the ring.

Ismael Laguna was one of the best pure boxers the lightweight division has seen in the last forty years. Only Pernell Whitaker, Howard Davis, and Hall of Famer Ken Buchanan can compare. To win his first title Ismael out boxed another Hall of Famer, Carlos Ortiz. Ortiz would then outmuscle Laguna in winning two subsequent rematches. Five years later Ismael would regain the title by beating the talented Mando Ramos. He would then lose twice to Buchanan ending his long career. In 75 bouts against many of the worlds best including Vincente Saldivar and Guts Suzuki, Ismael was never stopped. His final record was 65-9-1 with 37 knockouts.

It is no secret the Alexis always had trouble with mobile boxers. Clever but light hitting Vilomar Fernandez gave him fits. Laguna would give Alexis a lot of angles. Arguello was usually a slow starter and Ismael was a very good counter puncher. Laguna was not a hard hitter but he was a sharp and accurate puncher. It is highly conceivable that Laguna would jump out to an early lead. Laguna’s jab would get in more often but Arguello’s would carry much more sting. Whenever possible Alexis would try to work the body. This would probably be the key for an Arguello victory. As the bout progressed Arguello’s body attack would slow Laguna down. Remember this would be a fifteen round fight. By the later rounds Alexis would begin to land some telling head shots. Laguna would be hurt but he would smartly evade Arguello’s attempts to finish him. Occasionally Ismael would score with light but flashy combinations but mostly he would be forced to box defensively. The decision would be close but Arguello’s power and his late surge would carry him to a unanimous decision. Now I wonder how Alexis would have done against the “other” champ from Panama, Roberto Duran.

JOE BUGNER AUTHOR'S NOTE : This article was written long before the invasion of the Eastern European heavyweights. The Klitschko brothers, etc... By Jim Amato
Well, let's get this over with once and for all. Who was the best white heavyweight since Ingo, or since 1960? Many names come to mind but few have reached the pinnacle of world champion status. You could make a case for South African Gerrie Coetzee who briefly held the W. B. A. crown. He was a game fighter and a hard puncher but his chin was not always reliable and his boxing skills were limited. No, for my money the best Caucasian boxer over the last 40+ years was none other than Joe Bugner.

Before you laugh look at the facts. Joe was born in 1950 and turned pro in 1967. He was still fighting well into the 90's. His record is a Who's who of the heavyweights of that era. He went the distance with Muhammad Ali twice. His second encounter was in a losing effort for the championship. In all he traveled 27 rounds with the Greatest. He also went 12 rugged rounds with Joe Frazier losing a close verdict. Bugner did win decision victories over title claimants Jimmy Ellis and Greg Page. Past his prime, he was halted by future titleholder Frank Bruno.

During his prime he defeated the best that England and the rest of Europe could offer. He met world title challengers like Henry Cooper, Brian London, Manuel Ramos, Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers, Chuck Wepner, Marvis Frazier, Steffen Tangstad, James Tillis, David Bey and Richard Dunn. He also met several other respectable big men such as Mac Foster, Jose Luis Garcia, Larry Middleton, Eduardo Corletti, Jurgen Blin, Jack Bodell and Jack O'Halloran.

Jerry Quarry was a terrific fighter but Bugner fared much better against Ali and Frazier than Jerry did. George Chuvalo also went 27 rounds with Ali. He also went the full route with Ellis, Floyd Paterson and Ernie Terrell. Still he was butchered by Frazier and George Foreman.

Forget Cooney, he could punch but he never did learn how to fight. Morrison had a good punch and decent skills but no chin. Duane Bobick was a solid puncher but slow and not very durable. Wepner was awkward and as game as they come but he could be easily outboxed. Henry Cooper had a great left hook but he cut easy and his chin was shaky. Boone Kirkman could punch but he had no defense. Randy Neuman was a good boxer with no punch. Karl Mildenberger was troublesome from his southpaw stance but little else. Ron Stander like Wepner was game to core. If courage alone won titles they both would have been champs.

THE FEARLESS HARRY GREB ; Biography Of A Tragic Hero Of Boxing Author: Bill Paxton By Jim Amato
Oh my this book really sealed the deal. It was the best boxing book I have read in over two decades. Believe me I've read some outstanding books during that time. This one takes the cake. Why ? Well for a variety of reasons. First off Harry Greb is considered by many experts as one of the three best middleweights who ever lived. Up to now Harry Greb was somewhat of a mystery man. There are no known films of his classic fistic battles. This is very hard to believe since there are many films of his contemporaries. Also little was known of his personal and family life.

The author of this book, Bill Paxton must have spent countless hours in researching this book. Although no films of Greb's famous battles with Gene Tunney and his bout Mickey Walker, Paxton gives detailed accounts of these contests and others. There is more though, much more. Paxton takes you on a journey through Greb's life. The ups, the downs, the triumph and the tragedy. Once I picked this book up, I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to know more about this sometimes complicated yet at times a simple man. Greb was a boxing hero in the Golden Era of the sport. This book has over 100 photos that help tell the story. I urge you to treat yourself to a rich slice of boxing history.

Bill Paxton's web site ; www.harrygreb.com

Publisher website ; www.mcfarlandpub.com

Order phone number ; 1-800-253-2187
260 pages.
Price -$39.95 (7x10)
Softcover ISBN 978-0-7864-4016-0 2009

BOOK REVIEW ; "THE LION AND THE EAGLE" By Jim Amato
Author: Iain Manson The history of boxing. I love it. From the bare knuckle days to the present. It is all inner twined. The past, the now and the future. In my opinion to understand today, it's good to know about yesterday. How did we get here ?

If you want to go back to the beginnings a great book to read is Iain Manson's "The Lion And The Eagle". It is about the first "Super Bowl" of boxing. It pitted the best of America, John C.Heenan against the pride of England Tom Sayers. It caused an international stir in an era where pugilism was looked down upon. Yet even the British "fancy" showed tremendous interest in this contest. All the hoopla that led to this affair is just mind boggling. This all took place long before radio and TV yet it was still well publicized enough to have even the "common" people talking about it. It literally opened the door that years later led to the emergence was John L. Sullivan and big time boxing. It led to today...

The author did an amazing job in researching this outstanding book. It takes the reader back to a different time in both England and America. Just a very well presented piece of fistic history. I recommend this book to all boxing buffs. It was a pleasure to read.

A CLASSY ROARING 20's CHAMP ; BUSHY GRAHAM BY Phillip B.Geraci: By Jim Amato

Picture for a moment the conditions of this exciting era, a time that was characterized by innovation in manufacturing, home essentials, automobiles, air travel and entertainment. In the midst of the growth, hustle and bustle of cities and towns, there was an influx of immigrants to the United States. Among the group of Upstate New York new arrivals from Italy were Felice and Rafaelina Geraci with their son, Angelo. As time moved on, the Geraci family expanded. Maestro Geraci was a master shoemaker and eldest son Angelo (nicknamed Bushy due to his bushy hair) took on greater responsibility as the older brother customarily did in large families. The jubilant times were tempered by the simple life of the immigrant family. As with most families, the meager earnings of fathers, sometimes buffered by a few nickels and dimes the eldest son could earn, separated the haves from the have-nots. Since jobs for teens were few and far between in those days, Bushy and most of his friends hung around area athletic clubs, sometimes earning pocket change.

Boxing was a popular sport with many top, or wanna-be top contenders from his Upstate N Y hometown region. Teens watched, admired and mimicked the crafty moves and style of upcoming ringmasters. Bushy, with fast hands, foot speed and a seemingly natural pugilistic ability, applied for a boxing license. His birth date was apparently predated by 2 years to 1903 in order to meet the minimum age qualifications.

Thus began the Bushy Graham story. The challenge of being the eldest of a family of eight siblings in a bilingual family necessitated an aggressive boxing schedule that would help support the Geraci family. His commitment to the well-being of his family was often attested to by his siblings, my grandparents and his former ringside second, Allie Chancia. When I interviewed Mr. Chancia, age 101, in February of 2007 in his hospital bed, he remarked, “Bushy made a lot of money, but he had to take his suitcase full of cash home to Maestro Felice, his father.” His boxing prowess instinct was buffered by “family first!”

Soon moving into the pro ranks in 1922 at age 17, his career got off to a good start, but included a setback lesson that lasted nearly a decade. He was knocked out by former armed forces veteran Spike Sullivan in December. A few months later, he decisioned Sullivan and did not suffer another K O for nearly a decade. Graham suffered only 2 stoppages in a career that spanned nearly 14 years. He trained hard, developing a unique boxing style with hands down at his sides and agile footwork, often bounding off the ropes. His brother Ralph (my Dad), described his speed as being so fast that his opponent would be looking for him in the ring. This was confirmed in various other interviews. One quoted a NY sports reporter who covered a Garden bout, succinctly expressing Graham’s illusive style: “Last night there was a ghost in the ring in the name of Bushy Graham.” In his freshman and second year seasons, he compiled an imposing record, winning 33 of his 37 bouts, with 1 loss and 2 draws. Among his victories, 14 were KO’s or TKO’s. Graham stepped up in class, clashing with some formidable opponents in the next two years. During the 1924 and 25 boxing seasons, he tangled with future world title holders Frankie Genaro and Bud Taylor. His impressive victory over then recent former bantam king, Abe Goldstein, with a Bushy Graham Dec-2008 Boxing World & Other Sports 21 record of 90-12-8, must have aroused the attention of boxing world gurus and fans. He garnered 23 wins 3 losses and 8 KO’s in this 2-year stretch. This included two Madison Square Garden victories over Harold Smith and Nat Pincus in 1925. Graham certainly lived up to the expectations of Tex Rickard, internationally known promoter, when he listed Bushy in the top 10 of his Bantamweight Division. The Dallas Morning News (1-12-25) reported Rickard’s rankings: “For the first time in the history of boxing in this country an international ranking list of the ‘First Ten’ in each of the nine divisions has been compiled.” Graham was ranked # 9 and by year’s end he had beaten three crown contenders ranked above him, Smith, Taylor and Ruby Goldstein.

Then in February of 1926, Tex Rickard surprises the boxing world with his ratings of top world boxers. The then current champ, Charley Phil Rosenberg, was ranked 4th, with Chic Suggs 1st and Graham #2. With 13 wins, including 3 KO’s that season, Graham battled some of the most notable members of his class. The Madison Square Garden triumphs of the bantam phantom (as he was now referred) over California Joe Lynch, Frankie Genaro and the #1 division contender, Chic Suggs, among other notables like Eddie O’Dowd and Young Montreal, advanced his case for the top-class laurels. In the Fall of ’26, an aspiring local sports writer who would eventually become Bushy’s manager and international promoter, Dewey Fragetta, wrote, “Fans took a liking to this bantamweight and they have followed his career as though it was a book. … You can find no record that shows the constant advancement that Graham’s record shows.” He added, “I sincerely believe that he will be crowned the bantamweight champion of the world.” Fragetta was inducted into the IBHOF while Graham awaits enshrinement! This prediction of “his deserved chance” came to pass when he was matched against Champ Rosenberg in February of 1927. A dream come true resulted in controversy and disaster. Rosenberg hit the scales 4+ pounds over. They fought anyway and Bushy lost by decision. The managers and boxers were all suspended because of an alleged deal. Years later, the local scuttlebutt from a community elder, claimed that threats were made to Bushy’s manager and possibly Graham himself by N Y thugs if they did not comply with their bout terms. In retrospect, a youth at age 22 from a small town could have well been intimidated, especially after “seeing his manager leave before the bout!” Many embellished stories abound about the boxing industry antics that have raised an abundance of questions with few certain answers to unsolved mysteries. In a two-page July 1971 Boxing Illustrated story on B G, author Peter Heller sums up Graham’s career: “[He had] a truly outstanding record,” noting that “mystery still surrounds that fight and the aftermath.”

A timely applicable quote that might put this career blip to rest: “There are two sides to every story- and--then there’s the truth.” Moving on to 1928, Bushy decisioned Joe Ryder and KO’d Pete Zivic, leading to headlines “Bushy Graham gets Second Chance at Bantam Title Tonight” and “Bounding Utican Meets (Corp Izzy) Schwartz (Flyweight Champion) at Ebbets Field.” There was a bonus. His brother, Frankie Graham, a rising featherweight mentored by Bushy, was on the undercard. What a utopian moment for Graham and the Geraci family. Getting a second chance in such a short time signaled the admiration and respect he commanded in the boxing community. The hype and buzz for a trio of title bouts at the new outdoors ring at Ebbets Field was electrifying. Bushy did not disappoint writers and fans around the world. The match was broadcast to “all parts of the US, Canada and leading cities of the world.” Graham won 11 of 15 rounds, flooring Schwartz in the 14th for a count of 9. A sampling of newspaper headlines across the country: The Regional: “Bushy Graham Gains World Bantamweight Title.”: The New York Times: “Graham Defeats Schwartz In 15 Round Bout For World Bantamweight Title”; and The New York World: “Graham Beats Schwartz to Claim Banty Crown.” Newspaper and commentary testimonials were commonplace: “[E]xperts who have witnessed his uncanny weaving style, superb footwork and crack defense, agree: “He is the equal, if not superior of any bantamweight today. Bushy Graham, flaring haired phantom from Utica, [is] today perched on the bantamweight throne.” His conquest was followed by telegrams from dignitaries-- political and otherwise. Then, hometown regional parades completed with the champ and the family acknowledged the roars of well-wishers. This was followed by banquet receptions for their hero. After winning two bouts in July, Graham debuted in California in mid August of 28’. His stunning performance, beating Charlie Pinto and knocking out California Joe Lynch ignited fans and sportswriters alike. The headline, “BG’s Speed and Class Making Pronounced Hit with Pacific Coast Fans,” was accompanied by West Coast Bushy Graham (right) UD15 Corporal Izzy Schwartz, 5/23/1928, Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, NY for the vacant National Boxing Association World bantamweight title. Bushy Graham Dec-2008 Boxing World & Other Sports 22

Writers including, Bill Smith one of the West’s best ring critics, who stated, “B G looks like every boxing master that has ever come down the pugilistic pike. … The sensational bantam-phantom of the ring, will-o’-the-wisp … who set the Olympic fans batty with his speed and cleverness … has been compared to so many dazzling fighters of the past that soon he will be wondering whether he is Bushy Graham or a reincarnation of the warriors of the bygone days.” that has ever come down the pugilistic pike. … Then, the commissioner, state senator, writers, dignitaries and fans compared him to eight greats of the past. They included B G’s idol, Harry Greb-- Middleweight Champ, described him as a human windmill, punching from all directions.

At that time, The Ring’s authoritative rankings authored an August 1928 article entitled “A Corner in the Fistic Market.” Eddie Borden’s Monthly Boxing ratings included Bushy Graham as his top pick among bantamweights.

Gene Tunney at Speculator N Y training camp. Later that week, Graham arranged for the leather from the 5-ounce gloves in his Schwartz title victory to be used to bind a volume of Shakespeare coveted by Tunney. Printed on the outside of the volume in gold letters: “To my friend and master James Joseph Tunney, a scholar and gentleman … sincere good wishes from Bushy Graham.” Below, the inscription appears, “This volume of Shakespeare is bound with the leather from the boxing gloves with which Bushy Graham won the world’s bantamweight championship, May 1928. The following year 1929, Jack Dempsey, who replaced the late Tex Rickard ranking boxers, placed Bushy tied for the #1 spot with tall Panama Al Brown. Dempsey referee one of Graham’s bouts in Ohio when he TKO’d Johnny Farr. Dempsey reportedly referred to B G as the greatest little fighter, pound–for pound, he had seen as documented in the Utica Public Library archives. Graham, weighed out of his division by the late summer 1929 after about a dozen non-title bouts. He beat such talent as Young Montreal, Eddie O’Dowd and Archie Bell, losing to future champs Fidel La Barba and Kid Chocolate, being disqualified after reportedly being ahead in points in the 7th round. A few months later, as a featherweight, he battled another eventual champ, Freddie Miller, resulting in a draw. Miller was down 3 times in the 10th, leaving fans and reporters wondering about this hometown ruling. In 1930 and ‘31, he decisioned such notables as Johnny Vacca and Battling Battlino. In a rematch, Graham with his usual hands at sides, chin out-- bobbing and weaving, caught a surprise punch that ended in a KO. This was to be the 2nd and last time that he was KO’d in his career. In 1932-35, he had just eight bouts, losing only one, to slugger Tommy Paul, allegedly a hometown decision. After nine matches in 1936 and one in ’37, Bushy retired. In this final campaign, he beat top-ten contenders Pete Nebo, Eddie Zivic and Johnny Jadick, while holding future featherweight champ, Leo Rodak, to a draw. Graham ended an illustrious career winning 8 of his last 10 bouts with 1 loss, 1 draw and 5 KO’s.

Bushy Graham (Angelo Geraci), finished his career with a truly outstanding record: 138 bouts, 112 wins (40 kayoes), 17 losses and nine draws. Graham battled with more than a dozen title holders and top 10 contenders and appeared a dozen times in the esteemed Madison Square Garden, so proudly exhibited in the IBHOF at Canastota N Y. He beat three current hall enshrines: Battlino, Genero and Taylor. He also had draws with Genero and Freddie Miller, another inductee to the IBHOF. The criteria for induction includes caliber of competition. The aforementioned should suffice. His contribution to the sport was met by sparking interest due to his flashy style, mentoring and later managing aspiring boxers and contributing to worthy causes via appearances, support, and promoting regional athletic clubs. When the Great Depression ushered in, he was there for extended family and needy community neighbors making provisions for coal deliveries. His charitable exhibition bouts often featured smokers with brother, Frankie Graham.

In summing up this extraordinary career and pugilistic record, allow me to quote excerpts from two recent acquaintances met during this Uncle Bushy research project: 1) In a February 2007 interview with ringside second 101-year-old Allie Chancia: His final answer to a question posed was, “When he was ready, those two arms came up and— bing, bang—punches would fly and Bushy Graham LDQ7 Kid Chocolate, 4/12/1929 New York Coliseum, Bronx, New York Dec-2008 Boxing World & Other Sports 23 his opponent knew it was about to be over. …

He was one of those guys. (pause) Once in a lifetime you see this kind of fighter!” 2) In a February 2008 letter from a new acquaintance and now friend, Walter (Butch) Flansburg, CEO and President of the National Boxing Association, relating to my plight to get BG into the IBHOF wrote, “Again, when a boxer reaches the top of the competition—top meaning the best of all contenders, that is certainly quite a feat. Obviously, few have achieved what Bushy Graham did and others like him—Champion of the World!” Subsequent to his retirement, he owned an automobile business and was a silent partner in Graham’s Poultry stores. He was honored on many occasions with the likes of former boxing greats such as Carmen Basilio and Rocky Marciano at testimonials and fundraisers. Bushy also managed several area boxers, coaching others in a sport dear to his heart. He has been presented with mayoral proclamations and is referred to and written about in books. In the fall of 2007 his nephew, Phil Geraci, presented a comprehensive compilation of his fistic feats to the IBHOF for induction consideration. He will continue this mission and collect data for “The Case for Bushy Graham.” Philip B. Geraci is the nephew and author of the above article. He resides close to BG’s hometown in Marcy, N Y with his wife Joanne. They have four adult children. Geraci is a former School Administrator with a Masters Degree from Syracuse University. He also completed his doctoral coursework at Syracuse, finishing his dissertation at the University of Beverly Hills where he was awarded a doctorate degree in Education. Geraci would be interested in additional testimonials and memorabilia that would advance the cause for Graham’s induction to the Boxing Halls of Fame. Reprinted by permission of BOXING WORLD MAGAZINE. Editor Tom Huff.

Kuniaki Shibata: He Made Salvidar Surrender By Jim Amato
Japan has provided boxing with many fine champions and contenders over the years. Probably the most famous being the wonderful Fighting Harada. Among those fine fighters representing Japan one has been grossly overlooked. He won three titles in two weight divisions. This was back when boxers had only the W.B.A and W.B.C to contend with. Looking back over his fifty six fight career, you can see he met some pretty stiff competition. His name was Kuniaki Shibata.

Shibata was born at Hitachi, Japan in 1947. He made his professioal debut in 1965. Kuniaki quickly established himself as a top prospect by winning his first twenty one bouts. In 1968 it was veteran contender Dwight Hawkins who ended Shibata's win streak with a seventh round knockout. In 1969 Shibata lost a bid to win the OPBF featherweight title as he was halted by the respected Hubert Kang.

Shibata went nine fights without a defeat and then his big break came. In the mid and late 1960's Mexico's Vincente Saldivar ruled the featherweight division. After winning the championship in 1964 from the talented Sugar Ramos, Saldivar made seven successful defenses. Three times he defeated his top contender the pride of Wales, Howard Winstone. After his his last victory over the game Welshman, Saldivar decided to retire. There was a mad scramble to find a successor. The W.B.C. matched Winstone with the smooth boxing Jose Legra. The W.B.A. matched Raul Rojas, who had lost to Saldivar against Enrique Higgins. Legra, a native of Cuba took out Winstone in round five. Rojas was victorious over Higgins. Legra's win over the popular Winstone seemed to make him the one regarded as the superior new champion. In Legra's first defense he was shaded over fifteen rounds by Australia's Johnny Famechon. Rojas lost his version of the title to Japan's Shozo Saijo. Shibata went nine fights without a defeat and then his big break came. In the mid and late 1960's Mexico's Vincente Saldivar ruled the featherweight division. After winning the championship in 1964 from the talented Sugar Ramos, Saldivar made seven successful defenses. Three times he defeated his top contender the pride of Wales, Howard Winstone. After his his last victory over the game Welshman, Saldivar decided to retire. There was a mad scramble to find a successor. The W.B.C. matched Winstone with the smooth boxing Jose Legra. The W.B.A. matched Raul Rojas, who had lost to Saldivar against Enrique Higgins. Legra, a native of Cuba took out Winstone in round five. Rojas was victorious over Higgins. Legra's win over the popular Winstone seemed to make him the one regarded as the superior new champion. In Legra's first defense he was shaded over fifteen rounds by Australia's Johnny Famechon. Rojas lost his version of the title to Japan's Shozo Saijo.

While all this was going on Vincente Saldivar decided to un-retire. He promptly outscored Legra for the right to meet Famechon and reclaim his title. That is exactly what Saldivar did as he beat Famechon in a tough fight to regain the championship. At this point it looked like Saldiver could reign as long as he wanted to. Seven months after defeating Famechon the champion would meet Kuniakii Shibata. who was brought in from Japan to face Saldivar in front of his wildly cheering fans. Although Shibata had a respectable 31-2-2 record it seemed unlikely for him to dethrone the great Saldivar.

The year 1970 had produced some great upsets like Carlos Monzon defeating Nino Benvenuti and Billy Backus slicing up the slick Jose Napoles. Shibata came right out to show that he came to win. At times Saldivar looked bewildered as no matter what he did Shibata just kept coming in. Shibata appeared to be very strong as he forced Saldivar to give ground. This was a close fight with many exciting exchanges but as the rounds went by Saldivar seemed to weaken. The proud champion did everything he could do to stem the tide but Shibata would not be denied. As the fight wore on the damage Shibata was doing showed on Saldivar's face. Kuniaki was really busting him up.Finally after twelve rounds of a bruising battle, it was over. Saldivar was a beaten man and he conceded his title.

Shibata looked like the real thing when he ended the title hopes of Mexico's Raul Cruz in one round. Next came a hard fought title retaining draw with Panama's Ernesto Marcel. Finally Shibata's chin failed him as he was starched in the third round by another Mexican, Clemente Sanchez. Kuniaki decided to move up to the 130 pound division in 1973 and he challenged hard hitting Ben Villaflor of the Philippines for the W.B.A. version of the junior lightweight title. Villaflor was a powerful pucher but Shibata was a master boxer in this fight . Kuniaki was awarded a fifteen round decision and the crown. Shibata then hung on to the title with a draw against Argentina's Victor Echegaray.Then came the rematch with Villaflor. This time Villaflor did not give Shibata time to get into his groove as Villaflor streched him out in the first round.

Shibata once again return to the forefront as four months after the Villaflor debacle he met the W.B.C. 130 pound title holder Ricardo Arrendondo. Shibata pulled of another suprise winning the crown over fifteen rounds. This time around

Shibata would make three defenses. He outscored Antonio Amaya, stopped Ramiro Bolanos and outfought Ould Makloufi. Finally Shibata's Achilles heal or should I say chin was exposed once again as Alfredo Escalera flattened Kuniaki in round two. Shibata would go on to win his last three fights and then called it quits in 1977. He left the game with a fine record of 47-6-2. He won twenty five by knockout and he was stopped five times, all in major contests. Does Shibata have the qualifications to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame ? Obviously you could make a strong case for him based on the credentials of some of the current inductees. I doubt Shibata will ever be enshrined in Canastota but he should be given his just due. I'll always remember him as the man that made Saldivar surrender.

Clevelands Pablo Ramos Is Not Forgotten By Jim Amato
The city of Cleveland produced a world class light heavyweight in the late 1970's and 80's. Pablo "Paul" Ramos was a ranked contender and met some of the division's best.

Paul was a celebrated amateur who once defeated future world heavyweight champion Michael Dokes. Paul turned pro in 1976. In 1977, competing in his sixth fight he stopped Mayfield Pennington. Later in the year Pennington would upset the great Emile Griffith. Also in 1977 Ramos would outscore Jerry "The Bull" Martin. This was the same Martin who make three game but unsuccessful attempts to win the world's light heavyweight title.

In 1978 Paul would beat the rugged Canadian Gary Summerhayes. In 1979, he would decision Bill "Dynamite" Douglas and in 1980 he would defeat the respected Rudy Robles.

Paul would lose his last two fights of 1980 to the always tough Murray Sutherland and by a knockout to dangerous Jerry Celestine. He would bounce back in 1981 with another victory over Robles and a disputed draw with Chisanda Mutti. Paul would close the year by losing a points verdict to the highly rated Eddie Davis.

Ramos finished his career on August 7, 1982 losing over ten rounds to former champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.

Paul had a total of 24 professional fights and ended with a fine record of 19-4-1. Paul scored eight knockouts. He was stopped only once. s

Greg Richardson: The Pride Of Youngstown By Jim Amato
He was grace and artistry in the ring. He was one of the best pure boxers of his era. He won one world title and failed twice to win titles in two other weight classes. He had class and was a gentleman. He proudly represented the great fight city of Youngstown, Ohio. His name was Greg Richardson and they called him "The Flea."

Born in 1958, Greg launched his pro career in 1982 winning by a first round kayo. In his next bout Greg was halted in the opening stanza by Harry Lee. Hardly the start of a legend.

Greg would not suffer another knockout defeat until 1987 when he challenged Australian superstar Jeff Fenech. At that point Greg had amassed a 22-2 record with wins over top notch competition like Baby Kid Chocolate, Diego Rosario, Harold Petty, Alfonso Lopez, James Manning, Oscar Muniz, Robert Shannon and Darryl Thigpen. Fenech proved to be too strong for Greg and he retained his WBC Super Bantamweight title by a fifth round stoppage.

In his next fight Greg would drop a decision to the very talented Texan, Jesse Benavides. In 1989 he would outscore former bantamweight champion Gaby Canizales. In 1990 Greg scored big wins over Ellyas Pical and Edwin Rangel.

On February 25th, 1991 Greg challenged Raul Perez in Inglewood, California for the WBC bantamweight title. In an upset Greg won on the cards 115-113 ( twice ) and 116-112, to capture a unanimous decision and the title.

In his first defense Greg out slicked the tough Victor Rabanales but in his next defense he was overpowered by Joichiro Tatsuyoshi in ten thus losing the crown. Greg came right back in 1992 to challenge Sung Kil Moon for the WBC Super Flyweight title. Greg lost a majority decision.

In 1993 Greg drew with Miguel Espinoza. In 1994 he pitched a shutout against former title challenger Armando Castro. In 1995 he beat the always tough Edel Geronimo. Then he lost a twelve round verdict in Romania to Petrica Janos Paraschiv. The end came for Greg in 1996 when he was stopped in six rounds by Juan Carlos Rameriz.

Greg's final record stands at 31-8-1. He won five by knockout and in turn he failed to go the distance four times.

I had the great pleasure of seeing Greg fight live, at ringside on July 22, 1994 in Youngstown against Armando Castro. An interesting side note to this night is that Greg's original opponent was to be a young, undefeated Mexican hotshot named Marcos Antonio Barrera. For whatever reasons Barrera pulled out and eventually Castro became Greg's foe. Castro was no slouch, in fact he had twice unsuccessfully challenged for world titles. He was the last man to fight the great Khaosai Galaxy.

On this night with the famed Victor Valle working his corner, Greg completely dominated the befuddled Castro. This was a boxer in the twilight of his career that in my opinion won every round. It was a masterpiece. I'll always wonder how a young Barrera would have fared that night against Greg? Even more interesting is the fact that in Castro's next fight he would would challenge Alfred Kotey for the WBO bantamweight title. Why Castro instead of Richardson? After losing to Kotey, Castro would be stopped by Naseem Hamed and Erik Morales.

I have had the great pleasure of meeting Greg. In our brief conversations I found him to be a humble and somewhat shy individual. He is very fan friendly, always willing to sign an autograph. He has made the city of Youngstown proud.

We have some very sad news to report to our LBC. Stan Gallup, "aka Mr. Golden Gloves" passed away Feb. 21st in West Virginia. After his almost 60 years in amateur boxing and the dedication and commitment he gave to our sport, Stan truly is a man that will be sorely missed. In the last month, we have "lost" two great men, William "Sy" Symington and Stan "Mr. Golden Gloves" Gallup. Let us take a moment to applaud and recollect the many years and unconditional love that they gave to the great sport of amateur boxing.

BOOK REVIEW ; ONE RING CIRCUS ; From Jim Amato
Dispatches From The World Of Boxing Author - Katherine Dunn This book is a collection of boxing essays and articles that renown writer Katherine Dunn has had published. This was a wonderful book written by someone who loves boxing. You could just feel her passion for the sport jump out at you as you turned the pages.

There were some great chapters on some of my favorite fighters and famous fights. Historic battles like Hagler's bouts with Duran, Hearns and Leonard. There is also a fine piece on the Holmes - Cooney classic. In other chapters Katherine highlights some of my favorite fighters. I especially enjoyed her pieces on Alexis Arguello and Johnny Tapia. The Tapia article first appeared in Playboy magazine. There was also a great chapter on Lucia Rijker. One thing is for sure. Katherine Dunn knows boxing and has an artistic flair of presenting the sport to her readers.

This book is a must read for any boxing fan. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I believe you will to. This book is available through the trade via IPG Distributors. Phone 1-312-337-0747 or go to www.ipgbook.com

The ISBN# is 978-0-09801394-2-6

The format is Trade Paper Original. It will be available in May of this year. The retail price is $16.95. It is well worth the cost.

BOOK REVIEW ; THE TERROR OF TERRE HAUTE..By Jim Amato
.Bud Taylor And The 1920's. AUTHOR ; John D.Wright

THIS was a great book ! When I received it I had heard of Charles "Bud" Taylor. I knew he was in the Hall Of Fame but he was a fighter from the past. I really knew little about him. I know better now thanks to author John D. Wright. John's labor of love brought to light a career forgotten. A career that should be remembered. Bud Taylor was a hell of fighter. He was a hell of a man too and Mr.Wright covers all the bases.

The names on Bud Taylor's record are impressive to say the least. Just a sample...How about Memphis Pal Moore, Pancho Villa, Charley Phil Rosenberg, Carl Tremaine, Bushy Callahan, Jimmy McLarnin, Tony Canzoneri, Al Singer, Fidel La Barba and Battling Battalino. Need I say more ? This man could fight ! After reviewing Bud's record I have no doubt that Mr. Taylor is where he belongs...In the Hall Of Fame.

In this book though John D.Wright covers much more then Taylor's ring accomplishments. He told a story of a man, Bud Taylor.The good, bad and the tragic. This is an outstanding story and a great read. I highly recommend this book. One of the best I've read in years.

To order this book go to; www.budboxer.com The price is $20.00 It is well worth it !

BIG BUSTER MATHIS ; Has History Been Unkind To Him? By Jim Amato
At one time Buster Mathis Sr. of Grand Rapids, Michigan was the best amateur heavyweight in the world. This was in 1964 after he had twice defeated another promising amateur named Joe Frazier. He was on his way to the 1964 Olympics Games in Tokyo but an injury sidelined him. Frazier took his place as an alternate. Joe won the Gold Medal and the rest is history.

Where does Buster Mathis stand in the annals of heavyweight history ? Did he ever get the respect that he may have deserved ? He was a good enough prospect to have Cus D'Amato guide his professional career. He was a a very big man for his era and was surprisingly fast and agile for a big man.

At the beginning of his pro career the 300 pound Mathis shedded weight and subdued opponents. In his fourth fight he would outpoint a rugged customer named Bob Stallings. In his sixth fight he would halt Chuck Wepner.

Buster was built up like most prospects at that time were. His record is spotted with journeymen like Charlie Polite, Mike Bruce, Everett Copeland, Sonny Moore...After 23 straight victories he was matched with old foe Joe Frazier for the New York State recognition of the heavyweight title that had been taken from Muhammad Ali.

This time Joe would have more rounds to work over and wear down Big Buster. Finally in the eleventh round Buster went down and Joe had a piece of the heavyweight pie.

After the loss to Frazier, Mathis put together a nice five bout win streak. He beat Mel Turnbow, James J. Beattie, Amos " Big Train " Lincoln, Dick Wipperman and James J. Woody. That was pretty respectable opposition at that time. This led to another shot at the big time. A match with the brawling Canadian contender George Chuvalo.

The bout with Chuvalo would be the highlight of Buster's fine career. If anyone ever doubts that Buster was a world class heavyweight, get a hold of the film of this fight. Mathis was the master of Chuvalo throughout the twelve round contest.

The win over Chuvalo put Buster right back in the thick of the heavyweight picture.By this time the once 300 pound Mathis was tipping the scales around 235. Six weeks after the Chuvalo triumph, Buster would take on the erratic but always entertaining Jerry Quarry. On the night they fought Quarry was nothing short of brilliant. It was a boxing clinic and Buster was soundly defeated. At this point Buster took some time off after a high profile loss.

It would be well over two years before Buster would re-enter the ring and his opponent would be none other then the comebacking Muhammad Ali. Buster had ballooned to over 250 pounds and although game to the core he was totally outclassed by Ali and lost a twelve round decision. This would finish Buster as a serious contender.

Buster would defeat the undefeated Claude McBride but in his next bout he was savaged by another unbeaten prospect named Ron Lyle. That would be the end of Buster's career.

Big Buster only lost four of thirty four fights. He lost to Frazier, Quarry, Ali and Lyle. Does that make him all bad ? The Buster Mathis that defeated George Chuvalo was one of the best heavyweights of the late 1960's. >

ALI AND THE "ACORN" By Jim Amato
It was to be the last time the incomparable Muhammad Ali would ever successfully defend the heavyweight championship. It would be held in boxing’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. It would also feature Ohio’s most popular heavyweight of the last quarter century, Earnie Shavers.

The “Acorn” as Ali had dubbed Shavers would be a prohibitive underdog. He was accorded a puncher’s chance at best against the aging but still crafty king of the heavyweights. What transpired the night of September29, 1977 established Earnie as a legitimate contender and forecast the soon to be demise of “The Greatest”.

The playful Ali continually mocked Earnie during the pre-fight introductions by rubbing the top of the “Acorn’s” head. In this fight the scorecards would be made public as fight went on. Everyone knew the score as the fight was progressing. An idea that has gladly never caught on. The relaxed and confident Ali easily out boxed Earnie in round one and was doing the same in round two. Then out of nowhere a crackling Shavers right hand stunned Ali and sent him wobbling backwards. Hurt and glassy eyed Ali waved Earnie in. Again Shavers landed with dynamite force staggering Ali. Only Muhammad’s tremendous heart, chin and cunning enabled him to survive the round.

Action slowed in the middle rounds as Ali mugged to the crowd and several times he lay on the ropes and tried to lure Earnie in. Shavers refused to become a victim of the “Rope-A-Dope” and the crowd booed wanting more action. They got it as the bout progressed past the seventh round. On numerous occasions Earnie rocked the champion back on his heels with explosive right hand bombs. When Ali kept his distance, he dominated with sharp jabs and straight rights.

Going into the late rounds Ali had the lead but in round twelve, thirteen and fourteen Earnie fought probably the best three rounds of his career. Several times he stunned a tired but dead game Ali. Many thought Earnie would tire since he had never fought past ten rounds but it was Ali who appeared to be wilting.

The fifteenth round saw two desperate warriors engaging in a thrilling toe-to-toe slugfest. Ali seemed revived and Earnie was letting it all hang out in a last ditch effort to win the crown. Earnie edged Ali during the first two minutes of the round and then he finally tired. Ali came on and hurt Earnie for the first time in the bout. Showing a remarkable will to survive Shavers refused to fall although he was beaten around the ring. At last the final bell sounded saving Earnie and putting his fate in the scorecards.

The final scoring: 9-6, 9-6 and 9-5-1 for the winner and still champion, Muhammad Ali. The crowd lustily booed the verdict. Whether you agreed or disagreed with the decision, one thing was certainly unanimous among the crowd, Earnie Shavers had arrived.

Stan " Kitten " Hayward By Jim Amato
Stan " Kitten " Hayward was just one of the many tough welterweights and middleweights that came out of Philadelphia in the 1960's and 70's. He battled the best his hometown had to offer and several other world contenders too.

Hayward began his pro career in 1959. He won sixteen of his first eighteen matches. In 1963 he dropped a ten rounder to welterweight contender Jose Stable.Later in the year he stopped Percy Manning . In 1964 and 1965 Hayward made great strides up the ladder. First he halted future welterweight champion Curtis Cokes in four brutal rounds. In 1965 he beat Vince Shomo, Tito Marshall and " Bad " Bennie Briscoe.

In 1966 Hayward suffered a setback when he lost in seven rounds to the talented Gypsy Joe Harris. Stan came right back in 1967 beating Fate Davis, Pete Toro and battling to a draw with Jean Josselin. In 1968 he drew with rugged Joe Shaw and then in October he won possibly the biggest fight of his career. Stan scored an upset ten round decision over former world champion Emile Griffith.

The win over Griffith put Hayward in line for a title shot. On March 17, 1969 he met Freddie Little for the vacant WBA and WBC versions of the junior middleweight title. The bout took place in Las Vegas and Little outscored Stan over fifteen rounds.

The loss to Little started Hayward's career on a downward spiral. Over his next fourteen fights he would go 5-8-1. He finished 1969 losing a decision in a rematch with Griffith. In 1970 He was defeated by Jean Claude Bouttier and Juan Carlos Duran. In 1971 he dropped a points verdict to Alvin Phillips. Stan's career really took a nose dive when he was blitzed in one round by the savage punching Eugene " Cyclone " Hart.

As his career was winding down, Stan was kayoed in seven by Willie " The Worm " Monroe in 1974. In 1975 he lost a rematch to Bennie Briscoe. In his final fight taking place in 1977, Stan was taken out in four rounds by Larry Davis.

Hayward amassed 48 fights in his respectable career. He finished with a 32-12-4 ledger meeting some of the best boxers of his era between the 147 and 160 pound weight classes.

CLEVELAND WILLIAMS By Jim Amato
When Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams passed away a few years back, it ended the final chapter of a story about three gifted heavyweights from the 50's and 60's. Williams joined Eddie Machen and Zora Folley to form a trio of hard luck boxers who met tragic deaths after a career of frustration. Machen lost a decision to Ernie Terrell in a 1965 W.B.A. title bout. Later Eddie suffered some mental problems and eventually committed suicide. Folley who was stopped in seven by Muhammad Ali in 1967 died of injuries suffered in a poolside accident. Machen and Folley passed on several years ago. Williams lived to be 66 before being struck down by a moving vehicle. All three would finally receive their title shots long after their prime. One wonders how they would have made out if they got their chance five years earlier against Floyd Patterson. To Floyd's credit he did win a twelve round decision over Machen in 1964, two years after he lost his crown to Sonny Liston.

Williams began his career in 1951 and won his first 27 fights, 23 by knockout. In 1954, he suffered a knockout loss to Bob Satterfield. Cleveland did not box in 1955 because he was in the Army. When he resumed his career he ran off 12 straight wins leading him to a match with the feared Sonny Liston. The two traded bombs until Sonny put over the sleeper in round two. Eleven months later they met again in another war with Sonny winning in round three.

In Cleveland's next 22 fights he went 20-1-1 with 13 kayos. He lost a decision to Terrell and he drew with Machen. He scored victories over Terrell, Wayne Bethea, Alex Miteff, Billy Daniels, and Tod Herring. This led to a title bout with Muhammad Ali in November of 1966. In 1965, Williams was badly injured when he was shot by a patrolman during a traffic stop argument. The bullet entered his stomach doing severe damage. That he was even able to fight again, is a testimony to his will and courage. The Williams that entered the ring against Ali was just a shell of his former self. In what many feel was Ali's best career performance, the champion dominated his aging rival. The bout was mercifully stopped in the third round. Cleveland would never again be a major factor in the division. He lost to Bob Cleroux and and Mac Foster and served as an opponent for upcoming fighters looking for a name on their record.

I had the opportunity to see Williams box a decent heavy weight named Ted Gullick at the old Cleveland Arena. Gullick would meet George Foreman, Earnie Shavers, and Duane Bobick during his career, but he was no match for Williams this night. Using a ramrod jab and a solid body attack, Cleveland out boxed his upstart foe to win a ten rounder. The consummate professional at work. That is how I'll remember Cleveland Williams

December 5th live MMA action in Denver Colorado. Come out for a great night of fights at the Crowne Plaza Events Center located at 40th and Chambers. Go to www.kocmma.com for full details on this event. BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE AND RECEIVE A $5 DISCOUNT ON ALL TICKET PRICES, YOUR TICKETS WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU AT WILL CALL. TICKET PRICES AS LOW AS $20 WITH YOUR $5 DISCOUNT!!!! Click here for more information!!

Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar De la HoyaDecember 6th. By Franco Floyd Fontanero
2008 Las Vegas, Nevada7:00 pm, MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.In boxing we have always said that a pugilist should first be smart, and brave second. If that assessment is true, then Manny Pacquiao should defeat Oscar De la Hoya. Whether true or not, I heard that Pacquiao’s IQ is 119 compared to De la Hoya’s 115. Now I can’t profess to tell you how much smarter Pacquiao is than De la Hoya by out doing him by four points; I can only say he is four points smarter. And so, we wait and see if smarter in actuality wins a fight. Some people I have discussed this up and coming contest with seem to think that Mr. Pacquiao may just be a bit too small, even though he is a top notch pugilist. Since Floyd Mayweather, Jr. announced his retirement, Pacquiao is now considered the best pound for pound fighter in the world. He stands 5’ 6 ½” and has a six inch reach disadvantage against the likes of a 5’ 10 ½ De la Hoya. But did the “Golden Boy” pick on the wrong smaller man this time? The great Freddie Roach seems to think so, and has let it be known. Manny is 29 years old and Oscar is 35; will the 6year difference make a difference in the outcome of the fight? Oscar has a different trainer for this upcoming bout, which by the way, is nothing new when it comes to Oscar. Someone once said that Oscar changed trainers as often as he changed his socks. Where is Floyd Mayweather, Sr.? Once upon a time Oscar said Mayweather was by far the best trainer he ever had. But, we’ve heard that one before. Of course, now we know he has changed his mind again and believes that trainer, Mr. Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain, will lead him to victory. Please don’t take my advice on anything, but I would think that for Manny to have a chance against Oscar, he would fight and stay in very close. If not, he may just feel a big left hook. Watch out for the gancho, Mr. Pacquiao!
See you at the fights!

The Nevada Athletic Commission By Franco Floyd Fontanero
The Nevada RefereesBoxing in NevadaThe Nevada Athletic Commission has always been the best Commission in the world of sports. Former Executive Director, Mr. Marc Ratner, without question, was as great as can be found. Now, current Executive Director Mr. Keith Kizer is nothing less than the best choice to follow in his footsteps. This commission and its members, Chairman Mr. Bill D. Brady, Raymond “Skip” Avansino, Jr., John R. Baily, TJ Day, and Pat Lundvall are always on top of all situations and forever “safety first “ for all participants . No better Commission is there, this Commission is second to none.

In Nevada, all referees are professionals. They are all selected individuals, individuals that have had to prove they are worthy to the Commission before they were selected to be the third man in the ring. Boxing Hall of Famer, Referee Mr. Richard Steele, the great “Lets get in on!” Mr. Mills Lane, the late Mr. Mitch Halpern, who at the young age of 33 was already known as one of the very best in the sport. The late Mr. Toby Gibson, who for 25 years worked boxing matches worldwide, Mr. Joe Cortez , Mr. Jay Nady, Mr.Robert Byrd… and what about the excellent referee that came from Arizona to join the best team in the sport, Mr. Tony Weeks! Last, but not least, the referee I saw start from the bottom and go on to be as great of a referee as there is any where in the planet, that being Mr. Kenny Bayless. Yes, this is a team that without question is unmatched.

For the reasons above, boxing in the Boxing Capital of the World ( Las Vegas, Nevada ) is where some of the greatest bouts have been fought; and where some of the best pugilists in the sport have fought. Holyfield, Bowe, Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Oscar De la Hoya, Marco Antonio Barrera, Julio Cesar Chavez , Muhammad Ali, Kenny Norton, Joe Frazier and the list goes on. To see some of the greatest in the sport, you have to go to Las Vegas. You won’t find them anywhere else!

With respect to all officials and pugilists in the sport.
Franco Floyd Fontanero
December 2, 2008 www.seeyouatthefights.com

"THE HAWAIIAN PUNCH" ; ANDY GANIGAN By Jim Amato
Although he was one of the most dangerous lightweights of his era. Andrew Ganigan of Hawaii was not blessed with the best of chins. His live by the sword, die by the sword style of fighting made him a crowd pleasing favorite. In most cases Andy got to his opponent first thus allowing him to fight to the top of the ratings.

A nineteen year old Ganigan turned professional in 1972. Through 1977 he won his first 25 fights. He won 23 by KO ! Among his feats were a two round demolition of Tury "The Fury" Pineda and an eighth round stoppage of Vincente Mijares Saldivar for the NABF lightweight crown. In 1978 Andy met Chicago's rough and tough Johnny Lira. The tenacious Lira outlasted Ganigan to score a stoppage victory. This fight was for the USBA lightweight title.

In 1979 Andy defeated Mijares Saldivar again for the NABF title. Then in a major upset, Ganigan was halted in seven rounds by Roberto Vasquez. In a 1980 rematch Andy turned the tables stopping Vasquez in seven. In 1981 Ganigan was outscored by highly regarded Rodolfo "Gato" Gonzalez. Popular Sean O'Grady had failed in a bloody attempt to win the WBC lightweight title from Jim Watt. Later Sean challenged WBA titlist Hilmer Kenty. In a true "closet classic", O'Grady outscored Kenty to win the title. Due to complicated boxing politics Sean either gave up or was stripped of recognition by the WBA. Enter Sean's father Pat O'Grady who formed the World Athletic Association (WAA). Sean would defend that title against Ganigan. It was a disaster for O'Grady who was floored three times by the explosive Ganigan. The fight ended in round two with Sean shell shocked.

Andy had no use for the WAA title but used the victory over O'Grady as a springboard to a 1982 fight with Alexis Arguello. The great Arguello had won the WBC lightweight title by defeating Watt. Ganigan shocked the crowd and Arguello by flooring Alexis in the first round. Arguello had power equal to or better then Ganigan's though. Soon Alexis overpowered Andy and stopped the game Hawaiian in round five. In 1983 Ganigan would challenge the clever Kronkster Jimmy Paul for the USBA lightweight crown. Paul would halt Ganigan in round six and Andy would hang up the gloves.

Andy had lost three of his last four fights but no one who witnessed it will forget his two round slaughter of O'Grady. In all Ganigan had 39 fights. His final record was 34-5 with 30 big knockouts.During his tenure as a contender he was a force to be reckoned with