Do your kids want to go to a boxing camp this
summer? Click here for some
information on what we're sure will be a lot of fun for them!!
JOHNNY LIRA By
Jim Amato
The city of Chicago has produced its share
of outstanding professional fighters. One of them was a tough
as nails lightweight who campaigned in the late 1970's and
early 1980's. His name was Johnny Lira and he fought his way
into the top echelon of the lightweight rankings.
Lira turned pro in 1976 and quickly gained notice by winning
his first twelve fights. In 1977 he drew with Manuel Lopez
but defeated Lopez in a return bout. Johnny hit the big time
in 1978 when he received a shot at the United States Boxing
Association lightweight title. His opponent was the highly
ranked southpaw bomber Andy Ganigan. Johnny was a decided
underdog going in but he shocked the boxing establishment
by stopping Ganigan in round six. Lira then went to New York's
Madison Square Garden to outscore the talented Larry Stanton.
Lira was now high in the ratings and in 1979 he received a
shot at the World Boxing Association's version of the lightweight
title. Their champion was a hard hitting bomber from Venezuela
named Ernesto Espana. It was a gruelling fight but Espana
emerged victorious stopping Johnny in nine rounds. Lira would
suffer a broken jaw for his gallant effort.
In 1980 Johnny traveled to Spain and dropped an eight round
decision to Andoni Amana. He would later lose a ten round
duke to the flashy Howard Davis Jr. In 1981 Lira would post
a ten round win over Ohio's rugged Bobby Plegge. Johnny was
then outdueled over ten rounds by Nicky Furlano and the was
stopped in nine rounds by Willie Rodriguez for the USBA super
lightweight title.Lira regrouped in 1982 scoring a points
verdict over Canadian Al Ford. Johnny then lost a tough call
to former world champion Alfredo Escalera. Lira would come
back to win four fights but in 1984 he lost a ten rounder
to Russell Mitchell. That was his last fight.
Lira hung them up with a fine record of 29-7-1. He scored
fifteen knockouts. Johnny himself was stopped on two occasions.
FORMER LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION MANDO RAMOS
PASSES AWAY AT 59. By
Jim Amato
It is with grear sadness to report that former
world's lightweight champion Mando Ramos has passed away.
He was 59 years old. I was notified by his dear friend boxing
historian David Martinez. Mr. Ramos was one of my early boxing
favorites. May his soul rest in peace.
Mando Ramos was good enough to fight for the lightweight championship
at the age of 19. He lost a decision to Carlos Teo Cruz. A
year later he beat Cruz to win the title. He lost the crown
to Ismael Laguna but a few years later he gained the WBC version
of the title by beating Pedro Carrasco. He lost the title
for good to Chango Carmona.
I admired the fact he was such a good fighter
at that young age. He was not that much older then me. It
is well documented that his problems with drugs and alcohol
led to the rapid decline of his boxing skills. I had great
respect for Mando because he was able to lick his addiction
and turn his life around. He started B.A.A.D which is Boxers
Against Alcohol And Drugs. He was a fighter that tried to
give something back to his community. This is a very sad day
indeed.
BERT NABALATAN By
Jim Amato
This native of the Philippines did a lot of
his fighting in Hawaii where he was a popular draw. He began
his professional career in 1971 and won his first eight contests.
Then in 1972 he was matched with former world's featherweight
champion Kuniaki Shibata. This is the same Shibata who had
dethroned the great Vincente Saldivar a few years earlier.
Shibata then lost the title to the hard hitting Clemente Sanchez.
This was Shibata's first fight since losing the title. It
was a tall order for the novice Nabalatan and even though
he lost, he took the former titleholder ten rounds.
Nabalatan rebounded to win his next seven
before dropping a decision in 1973 to the slick boxing Leonel
Hernandez. Bert then lost to another world ranked fighter
in Salvador Torres. Nabalatan was still considered good enough
to be ranked among the top ten junior lightweights by Ring
magazine. In 1974 Nabalatan lost verdicts to Alfonso Perez
and the rugged Royal Kobayashi. In 1975 Bert continued to
meet world class opposition. He was outscored by the talented
Tyrone Everett. Nabalatan then lost a duke to veteran contender
Octavio Gomez.
There would be two more fights, both of which
he won before Nabalatan retired. In all he participated in
29 bouts with a fine 22-7 record. He scored sixteen knockouts.
To Bert's credit he was never stopped and his losses were
all to top level competition.
HEAVYWEIGHT DON JASPER PASSES AWAY.By
Jim Amato
I recently learned that rugged Duluth, Minnesota
heavyweight of the 1950's Don Jasper passed away June 9th.
He was 78 years old. Jasper lost his first pro fight in 1949.
He also lost his second pro contest. From there he went 14-0-1
over his next fifteen fights. He didn't lose again until 1955
when he dropped a six rounder to Eddie Lee Walker in Detroit.
Jasper was popular in the Detroit area and had several fights
there. Prior to his loss to Walker, Jasper had scored a sensational
one punch, one round knockout over Bill Cochrane.
On April 21st, 1956 Jasper was stopped in
nine rounds by fading former heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles
in Windsor, Canada. Later in Toronto, Jasper was halted in
four by Mansfield, Ohio's Art " Curly " Miller. Jasper won
two out of three against tough Gene White. In their last bout
in 1957, Jasper won a ten round decision to capture the Minnesota
State heavyweight title.
Jasper lost his last two bouts to undefeated
prospects and hung up the gloves in 1959. He had thirty seven
career bouts with a 25-11-1 record. He scored fifteen knockouts.
( From www.BoxRec.com ). He served in the Marines during the
Korean War. He retired as a Staff Sergeant in the Army
Reserves. He also helped coach and train young boxers in the
Duluth area. May he rest in peace.
STURM BEATS GRIFFIN : IS HE ON KELLY'S
SHORT LIST? By
Jim Amato
Everyone is wondering who will be Kelly Pavlik's
opponent this coming September. Rumor has it that newly crowned
super welterweight champ Sergio Mora has the inside track.
Mora first has to figure out how to get around his rematch
clause with Vernon Forrest, the man he upset to win the title.
Mexico's hard punching Antonio Rubio is being considered.
I've even heard welterweight champion Paul Williams is in
the mix. More on that possible match later. Who ever meets
Kelly, it will be all roads lead to an early 2009 match with
Arthur Abraham. Pavlik-Abraham is one of the hottest tickets
in town.
I wonder if WBA middleweight titleholder Felix
Sturm is on Kelly's short list. Sturm defended his title successfully
by outscoring the talented Randy Griffin. Felix now sports
an impressive 30-2-1 record yet he is largely overlooked in
the U.S. despite the very close fight he had with Oscar De
La Hoya in 2004. Sturm turned pro in 2001 and won his first
twenty bouts including the capture of the WBO version of the
middleweight title. He lost that crown to De la Hoya in a
fight in which many felt Oscar lost. Sturm jabbed De La Hoya
silly in that match.
In 2006 Sturm won the WBA recognition as champion
by defeating Maselino Masoe. He was then upset by veteran
Javier Castillejo. Felix regained the title by outpointing
Castillejo in 2007. He drew with Griffin in 2007 but he has
settled the score with a clear victory over Randy. Pavlik
versus anyone would sell in the U.S. right now. The Lockett
match proved that. Still a Pavlik-Sturm match in Germany would
be huge. Sturm has the jab, speed and boxing ability to give
Kelly some problems but I feel Pavlik would finally get to
him late in the fight. Then it's bring on Abraham.
As far as Paul Williams as an opponent for
Pavlik, what are people thinking ? I like Williams and he
has a load of talent but no way he comes close to beating
Kelly. I sure hope for Paul's sake this match is not made
" BAD " BENNIE BRISCOE By
Jim Amatoo
There are certain boxers from my past that
in retrospect would be champions today. One such boxer was
tough enough to be nicknamed " Bad ". He was Bennie Briscoe
from Philadelphia and brother you better bet he was just that,
" Bad ". He was probably the most feared middleweight of his
era and it was a tough time just be a middleweight in Philly.
If you were bad there, you were bad everywhere.
Briscoe turned pro in 1962 and would win his
first fifteen contests. Among his victims were Charley Scott
and Percy Manning. In a return with Manning in 1965, Bennie
would suffer his first setback. That year he would also lose
to Tito Marshall and Stanley " Kitten " Hayward. In 1966 Bennie
would halt the highly respected George Benton.
Bennie was now among the middleweight elite.
The year 1967 would see him lose two decisions to the great
Luis Rodriguez. Sandwiched in between those losses was a draw
in Argentina with a fella named Carlos Monzon. In 1968 he
would lose to future light heavyweight titleholder Vincente
Rondon. He would knock out Rondon in a 1969 rematch.
In 1970 Bennie began to make his march to
a shot at the world's middleweight title. He won eleven straight
fights until he was upset by Luis Vinales in 1972. He would
stop Vinales in a return match. Finally in November he would
meet the reigning middleweight champion of the world, Carlos
Monzon. Again they would be fighting in Argentina. This time
Carlos clearly deserved the decision the retained his title
but he was rocked to his heels by Bennie in the ninth round
of that fight. Monzon would always have a great respect for
Briscoe.
Bennie would regroup in 1973. He destroyed
Art Hernandez in three rounds. He also stopped Billy " Dynamite
" Douglas of Columbus, Ohio. Billy's son Buster would shock
the world in 1990 when he took apart Mike Tyson. Bennie closed
the year by losing a decision to Rodrigo Valdez. These two
would create some history together.
Bennie put himself right back into the thick
of the title picture in 1974 when he took out the streaking
Tony Mundine of Australia. Later he would again meet Valdez
for the WBC version of the title that had been taken away
from Monzon. In a stunning display of punching power the vastly
under rated Valdez sent Bennie down and out in round seven.
Bennie came back but finished the year dropping a points call
to all time great Emile Griffith.
Briscoe would then go undefeated in his next
thirteen bouts. He won nine and drew in four. In this span
he would beat Eddie Gregory ( a.k.a. Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
). He would draw with the dangerous Eugene " Cyclone " Hart.
In a return go Bennie blasted out Hart in one round. Bennie
also drew in a return with Griffith.
In 1977 after Carlos Monzon had officially
retired, Bennie was again matched with Rodrigo Valdez for
vacant title. Again Rodrigo had Bennie's number and won a
very close decision.
Starting with a decision loss to future champion
Vito Antuofermo, Bennie would lose nine of his last seventeen
fights. Later that year bennie would drop a verdict to another
future champion named Marvin Hagler. At this stage of his
career any middleweight who dreamed of becoming the champion
had to go through Bennie first.
By the early 1980's Bennie was becoming a
stepping stone for young, talented fighters like Vinnie Curto.
After a 1982 loss to Jimmy Sykes at the famous Blue Horizon
in Philadelphia, hometown boy Bennie Briscoe decided to hang
up the gloves. He left a legacy of 96 fights against many
of the toughest welterweights and middleweights of his day.
He won 66 fights and an amazing 53 of those by knockout. He
was stopped only once in his career. His record reads like
a who's who of boxing in that era.
If ever a fighter who was never crowned a
" world champion " deserved to be elected in to the Hall Of
Fame, it is none other then Bennie Briscoe.
WILBERT " Vampire " JOHNSON By
Jim Amato
He was a popular and frequent performer
on the early ESPN boxing broadcasts. Wilbert " Vampire " Johnson
was a colorful character who could fight a little bit too.
He turned pro in 1980 and in 1981 he won a six round decision
over future light heavyweight champion Donny LaLonde. In a
rematch the lethal punching LaLonde vanquished the " Vampire
" in two.
In 1983 Johnson lost a decision to then unbeaten
Carlos Tite. In 1984 he fought a draw with rugged Mike " Nino
" Gonzalez. Later that year he was taken out in two by John
" The Beast " Mugabi. He then lost a close decision to Chicago's
Mike Landini. In 1988 Johnson lost a decision to Australian
prospect Guy Waters. Wilbert retired in 1989. In forty fights
Johnson posted a respectable 29-8-2 record with one no contest.
He scored 19 KO's and was stopped on four occasions. When
I think of the early days of ESPN, I can't help but think
of the " Vampire"!
MANNY PACQUAIO -VS- DAVID DIAZ ON JUNE
28th By
Jim Amato
The eyes of the boxing world will be focused
on Manny Pacquiao next Saturday in his quest to win the lightweight
title. To some, Manny winning this fight and a piece of the
lightweight crown is a forgone conclusion. Many feel that
Manny is the best boxer pound for pound active today. A win
Saturday could open the door for mega fights between Manny
and Ricky Hatton and maybe even a Pacquiao - De La Hoya confrontation.
It seems to me that many boxing scribes and fans are putting
the cart way before the horse. Manny's opponent, David Diaz
of Chicago has only lost one of 36 pro fights. By the way
he is also the WBC lightweight titleholder. In a nutshell,
this young man can fight
Diaz turned professional in 1996 and went
undefeated in 26 fights. He suffered his first loss in 2005
when he was stopped by the immensely talented Kendal Holt
in eight rounds. On his way to the Holt fight Diaz had defeated
Frankie Sanchez, Jaime Rangel and the always tough Emanuel
Burton. Eight months after the Holt setback, David knocked
out Juan Polo Perez to win the vacant International Boxing
Association lightweight title. Diaz would successfully defend
that title twice. In 2006 Diaz won the Interim WBC lightweight
tile by stopping Jose Armando Santa Cruz.
In 2007 David Diaz became a full fledged
world champion by defeating Mexican legend Erik Morales. Now
he takes on his biggest challenge to date in Pacquaio who
will bring in a 46-3-2 record and 36 knockouts. Pacquaio is
an overwhelming favorite but please remember, 2008 thus far
has been the year of the upset. Anything can happen and as
we've seen recently, sometimes the unexpected does.
TERRY HINKE: By
Jim Amato
Just Another Northwest Heavyweight When you're a professional
heavyweight and you win forty of forty eight fights, chances
are you could fight a little. Oregon's Terry Hinke could fight.
Although he would never reach the heavyweight " A " list,
he was good enough to do well against some fairly good competition.
Terry turned pro in 1969 and quickly ran up
a 21-0-2 record and was considered a good prospect. He suffered
his first loss in 1971 being stopped by the capable Wendell
Newton. A year and a half later Newton was good enough to
lose a split decision to highly ranked Ron Lyle. In 1972 Hinke
dropped a ten round verdict to journeyman Charlie Reno. In
1973 Hinke scored an important victory outscoring rugged Rodney
Bobick.
In 1974 Terry was surprising halted by Charlie
James. He bounced right back to beat Lou Bailey, Terry Daniels
and Elmer Rush. Then he met Chuck Wepner. The bout saw Wepner
penalized four points for an array of rule infringements.
Nevertheless tough Chuck sent Terry down three times in the
eleventh and the bout was stopped in Wepner's favor. The win
over Hinke helped Wepner toward securing a 1975 title shot
against Muhammad Ali.
In 1976 Hinke was halted by the big South
African, Mike Schutte. Terry would have one more fight and
retire. His overall record was a respectable 40-5-2 with one
No Contest. He scored thirty knockouts while being stopped
himself on four occasions.
JOE CALZAGHE - ROY JONES JR.:
By
Jim Amato
An Early Prefight View Although it is not etched in stone,
it is beginning to look like the proposed Joe Calzaghe - Roy
Jones Jr. bout will be made. The projected date is in November.
The ramifications of this fight could have an immense impact
on the current state of the sport. Will Roy win and reclaim
his mantle of greatness ? Will a Calzalghe win seal a much
desired match between Joe and Kelly Pavlik in 2009 ? Will
Calzaghe, upon a win over Jones retire as he has hinted?
The fight itself can be viewed in several
ways. Calzaghe is looking to cash in on his relatively new
universal fame. Jones appears to be the perfect opponent.
Roy may be living off his past greatness but he is still a
high profile boxing celebrity. As they say, he puts asses
in the seats and he rings up large pay per view audiences.
To Joe this is a win, win situation. For Jones this is one
last shot at the brass ring. One last attempt to retrieve
former glory. This title shot is not a gift to a once great
but now washed up former champion. This is not Kostya Tszyu
and Julio Cesar Chavez. Roy may not be what he once was but
he has earned this shot with three straight wins over decent
competition. This fight is no joke!
Who will win ? To me a prime Roy Jones would
have taken the measure of the best Joe Calzaghe. Today it
may be a different story. What I feel will be Roy's downfall
is his tendency to spend way to much time languishing on the
ropes. This would be tactical suicide against Calzaghe. The
problem is Roy may not be able to do anything about it. He
can no longer move around the ring as he did in the days of
old. I've noticed Calzaghe has two speeds. When he lets his
hands go in flashing flurries, he keeps his opponent on the
defensive. The trouble is he generates little power on those
punches. In fact he has less power then Aunt Jemima flipping
flapjacks. When Joe does try to set down on his punches, his
hand speed diminishes quite noticeably. His power increases
but not to a great extent. He is surely no Bob Foster. Jones
is no Jake LaMotta when it comes to whiskers but I feel he
can take Calzaghe's best.
In the end I look for Calzaghe to just outwork
Roy. He does need to be wary of Roy's counter left hook off
the ropes. Jones can give Joe a lot of problems with that
punch. I think Joe wins a decision with a few points to spare.
Maybe a late round stoppage. I just hope as a fan it is a
better fight to watch then the Calzaghe - Hopkins slap and
grab contest.
PERNELL WHITAKER By
Jim Amato
Pernell Whitaker is inducted into the International
Boxing Hall Of Fame. This is an honor he richly deserves.
His storied amateur career along with his " Who's Who " list
of boxers he met in the professional ranks surely entitles
him to this honor. What a career he had !
Within two years after turning pro Whitaker
was beating the likes of John Montes, Rafael Williams and
former champion Alfredo Layne. In 1987 he outpointed the highly
regarded Roger Mayweather. He garnered his first title shot
in 1988 and he lost a decision that has to be rated among
the most unjust of all time. Tough Jose Luis Rameriz had "
retained " his WBC lightweight title. It was quite a gift.
Pernell regrouped in 1989 and proceeded to
give rugged Greg Haugen a boxing lesson to win the IBF version
of the lightweight title. Later that year he avenged his "
loss " to Rameriz and picked up the WBC title too. Pernell
was awesome at 135 pounds beating back the challenges of men
like Freddie Pendleton, Azumah Nelson, Juan Nazario and Jorge
Paez. In 1992 he moved up to the 140 pound division and captured
the IBF crown with a win over Rafael Pineda.
In 1993 Pernell moved up in weight again and
won a decision over the crafty Buddy McGirt to win the WBC
welterweight title. Next came a " draw " with the unbeaten
Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez. This was a ludicrous verdict
as Pernell outboxed, outslicked and frustrated Chavez throughout
the contest. In 1994 Pernell would again out duel McGirt and
in 1995 he moved up again to challenge Julio Cesar Vasquez
for the WBA light middleweight title. Pernell put on a boxing
clinic in winning another title belt.
Pernell decided to stay at welterweight and
in 1996 he received a stiff battle from feisty Wilfredo Rivera.
Pernell retained his title but it was really the first time
in his pro career that somebody almost beat him on a legitimate
level. Cracks were beginning to show in his armour. He defeated
Rivera convincingly in a return match. Then in 1997 he nearly
met disaster against a spirited Diosbelys Hurtado. Behind
on the cards, Pernell showed his champion's heart by stopping
Hurtado in round eleven. No longer did Whitaker appear invincible.
Next it was Pernell -vs- the Golden Boy, Oscar
De La Hoya. Although the judges gave Oscar the decision by
a comfortable margin, there were many who felt Pernell had
again been robbed. A fight against Andrei Pestriaev resulted
in a No Contest after Whitaker tested positive for cocaine.
In 1999 Pernell had one more shot at the limelight as he faced
IBF titleholder Felix " Tito " Trinidad. An older, slower
and fading Whitaker was soundly defeated by Tito. Pernell
would have one more fight but an injury led to his defeat
in four rounds against Carlos Bojorquez.
Pernell retired with a stellar 40-4-1 record.
I was not a Whitaker fan when he was on top. I found him rather
boring to watch. He rarely even lost a round during a fight.
Looking back I see now that Pernell was so boring because
he was so good. I watch tapes of him now and I see just how
gifted he was. Roberto Duran is my favorite fighter. I feel
he was the best lightweight of my time. Nevertheless I feel
that there was one lightweight who would have given him fits.
That man was Pernell Whitaker. Ironically they wer both inducted
the same year. Two of the finest lightweights I've ever seen.
Click here for
the results of our State Junior Golden Gloves Tournament that
took place on June 6th and 7th, 2008 at Clear Creek High School
in Evergreen, Colorado.
ERBITO SALAVARRIA : THE PHILIPPINES FORGOTTEN
CHAMPION By
Jim Amato
The Philippines have been getting a lot of boxing press lately
through the success of favorite son Manny Pacquiao and deservedly
so. The Philippines have produced many great fighters like
Flash Elorde and Ceferino Garcia. One such fine fighter and
former two time world champion from the Philippines has been
largely forgotten through the passages of time. His name was
Erbito Salavarria.
Salavarria turned professional in 1963 and
won seventeen of his first twenty bouts. In 1966 he lost a
decision to Ric Magrano for the Philippine flyweight title.
Salavarria and Magrano would split a four fight series with
the Philippine crown on the line each time. In 1967 Erbito
made his first journey away from the Philippines and lost
to Tsuyoshi Nakamura in Tokyo for the Orient - Pacific flyweight
title. In 1969 Salavarria would stop Nakamura in a rematch
to win that crown.
In 1970 Salavarria won an upset ten round
non title decision over reigning WBA flyweight titleholder
Berkrerk Chartvanchai. The victory earned Erbito a title shot
against WBC flyweight champion Chartchai Chionoi. Salavarria
shocked the boxing world as he flattened the great Chionoi
in the second round. In 1971 Salavarria defended against Susumu
Hanagata ( W-15 ) and Venezuela's Betulio Gonzalez ( D-15
). He also lost a non title verdict to Lorenzo " Halimi "
Gutierrez. In 1973 he lost his title to the fabulous Thai
southpaw Venice Borkhorsor.
Salavarria stayed in contention winning four
of five fights losing only to Panama's Alfonso Lopez. In 1975
Salvarria won the WBA version of the flyweight title with
a decision over old rival Hanagata. He then defeated Hanagata
in a title defense. In 1976 Erbito again met Panama's Lopez
who stripped Salavarria of the title via a fifteenth round
stoppage. Erbito would have one more contest being halted
by former light flyweight king Netmoi Sor Vorasingh.
Salavarria ended his career with 54 fights,
40 of which he won. He lost eleven and drew three times. He
was a major player in the flyweight division through most
of the 1970's.
FIVE TIME WORLD TITLE CHALLENGER MITSUNORI
SEKI PASSES AWAY By
Jim Amato
I recently learned that one of Japan's first
great boxers, Mitsunori Seki passed away. He was the victim
of a brain hemorrhage at the age of 66. Seki was good enough
to challenge for a world title no less then five times during
the 1960's.
Seki first attempted to win the flyweight
title from Thailand's Pone Kingpetch. On this occasion Seki
lost a close decision. Seki would move up to bantamweight
but he met disaster at the hands of Mexico's Joe Medal who
stopped him in five. Seki then entered the featherweight division
and eventually earned a shot at champion Sugar Ramos. The
talented Ramos proved to be too much for Seki and retained
his crown. Ramos would later lose his championship to the
great Vincente Saldivar. Seki would get yet another chance
as he met Saldivar. It was a tough fight but Saldivar would
retain his title. It was close enough to justify a rematch
so Saldivar and Seki went at it again. This time Saldivar
proved he was the best featherweight in the world.
Saldivar would then relinquish the title after
defeating Howard Winstone and the WBC matched Seki with Winstone
for the vacated crown. Seki would lose by a controversial
stoppage thus failing in his fifth attempt at world honors.
Seki would retire with an outstanding 61-11-1 record. He scored
35 knockouts. Seki along with Hiroyuki Ebihara, the great
Fighting Harada and others helped follow 1950's flyweight
titlist Yoshio Shirai in establishing Japan as a force to
be reckoned with in the world of boxing. At the time of his
death Seki was a successful and respected trainer. May he
rest in peace.
COTTO - MARGARITO ; THE CLASH OF SMASH
By
Jim Amato
Every now and then a fight is made and you
get an electric feeling of anticipation. You can envision
the fight taking on so many different scenarios that you have
trouble projecting a winner. There is almost one certainty.
This fight should keep you glued to the edge of your seat.
No Calzaghe - Hopkins let down here. These are two warriors
staking claim, bragging rights if you will to being the best
fighter today in the historic welterweight division. The winner
of this fight will be mentioned in the same breath as the
past greats who graced the division and rightfully so.
Miguel Cotto has carried on the great dominance
of fellow countryman Felix Trinidad and this bout could be
Miguel's defining moment. He has put himself in to superstar
status with wins over Zab Judah and Shane Mosley. By defeating
Margarito he can cement his legend and begin looking for new
worlds to conquer. The fight everyone wants to see at some
near future point is Cotto versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mr.
Margarito may have some say in this matter. Although Cotto
and Floyd would be a highly anticipated showdown, from a fan's
perspective I believe Cotto - Margarito will be the much more
entertaining contest.
Looking at the big picture Cotto is the more
talented of the two. He can box a bit and he's one of the
best body punchers I 've seen in years. Margarito is a swarming
boxer that throws punches from all angles and he has a chin
of granite. My question is, how well will Margarito survive
the body assault of Cotto. ? This could be the key to the
confrontation along with Cotto's under rated jab. If Cotto
is unable to keep Margarito off of him, we may be looking
at a real donnybrook. Cotto's uppercut could also be a valuable
tool is discouraging the forward march of Margarito. Please
do not count Margarito out. He is a solid puncher, a real
banger and the Cotto chin could very well be Miguel 's Achilles
heel.
By all rights of reason the edge has to be
given to Cotto but Margarito will be dangerous until the end.
All I know is that I can't wait for the bout to begin.
DREAM FIGHT : CARLOS MONZON -VS- GENE FULLMER
By
Jim Amato
Two of the strongest middleweights to ever lace up the gloves
square off for a battle of the ages. Carlos Monzon of Argentina.
Tall, lean but deceptively strong with a thudding left jab
and a thumping right cross. Gene Fullmer of Utah. Barrel chested
and bull strong. Awkwardly aggressive but effective, especially
on the inside. This should be a real crowd pleasing affair.
ROUND 1 - Monzon meets the onrushing Fullmer
quickly with a stiff left jab. Gene partially blocks Monzon's
right hand and bulldozes Carlos to the ropes landing a few
body shots. The referee breaks the fighters. Back at mid ring
Carlos lands two left jabs and then a straight right. Fullmer
again moves Monzon to the ropes and Carlos appears to be surprised
by Fullmer's strength. Carlos leans back on the ropes to avoid
any head shots but exposes his body. An inviting target for
Fullmer. ROUND - Monzon
ROUND 2 - Monzon is hitting Gene with some
ramrod jabs but Fullmer keeps coming. The referee warns Fullmer
for a low blow. A lot of clinching and mauling but the Monzon
jab is beginning to redden the face of Fullmer. ROUND - Monzon
ROUND 3 - Carlos opens the round with a hard
overhand right but Fullmer does not even wince. Monzon continues
to be effective with the jab. When Gene does get inside, Monzon
ties him up. Carlos is dictating the pace of the fight. ROUND
- Monzon.
ROUND 4 - Fullmer's manager Marv Jensen tells
Gene to " pick up the pace ". Fullmer does just that as he
is forcing Carlos into some dangerous exchanges. Fullmer punches
from odd angles and he connects with a couple of nice, clubbing
rights that get Monzon's attention. ROUND - Fullmer.
ROUND 5 - Gene continues to force the action
as Carlos attempts to establish his jab once again. Fullmer
now sports a small nick under his right eye. Gene is pounding
the body whenever possible. Still it looks like Monzon has
regained the upper hand. ROUND - Monzon.
ROUND 6 - Monzon seems to be firing punches
more fluidly and is putting together some nice combinations.
Although Gene's cut has not worsened, his right eye is beginning
to swell. Fullmer hammers a right to the body and a sharp
left hook to the head. Fullmer reaches with another right
to the body but Carlos countered with a beautiful counter
left to the jaw that sends Fullmer reeling to the ropes. Monzon
tries to follow up but Fullmer covers well and even landed
a nice, short left hook that gets Monzon's attention. ROUND
- Monzon
ROUND 7 - Marv Jensen has told Gene to get
lower. He has been standing to erect and is giving Carlos
a better target to hit. Gene follows instructions and begins
slipping under the Monzon jab and w
orking on the inside. Gene is staying close
to Carlos, nullifying the Monzon jab. ROUND - Fullmer. ROUND
8 - Fullmer is now fighting full speed ahead and the momentum
is making a subtle change. Monzon lands a crackling right
that opens a small cut over Gene's left eye. Nevertheless
Fullmer continues to march in banging to the body of Monzon.
ROUND - Fullmer.
ROUND 9 - The Monzon corner is imploring him
to use his uppercut and catch Gene coming in. Carlos lands
a few uppercuts at long range. Finally Gene uncorked a beauty
of a left hook to the jaw of Monzon and Carlos felt that one.
Monzon is beginning to use the jab again as he thwarts Fullmer's
rushing tactics. ROUND - Monzon.
ROUND 10 - Monzon opens fast and surprises
Gene with a nice flurry. Monzon's jab is really taking its
toll on Fullmer's face. Along with the eye cuts Gene has a
trickle of blood coming from his nostrils and there is blood
inside of his mouth. Ever the warrior Gene keeps trudging
in, making Monzon work every second of the round. ROUND -
Monzon.
ROUND 11 - Gene feels the fight is slipping
away from him so he is really taking the tempo up a notch.
Gene swatted Monzon with a couple of rights to the side of
his head and Monzon is now clinching on occasion trying to
stall the Fullmer express. Gene got the better of most of
the exchanges and is clearly back in the hunt. ROUND - Fullmer.
ROUND 12 - Fullmer continues to muscle Monzon
to the ropes and is landing heavy handed punches. Carlos nails
Fullmer with a beautiful uppercut and Gene's knee buckled
for a moment. Carlos thinks that Gene may be hurt and he follows
up with a savage barrage. The fans are going wild as Monzon
flails away. Gene covers well but was ineffective in mounting
any offense in this session. ROUND - Monzon.
ROUND 13 - There is a look of desperation
in Fullmer's eyes as he answers the bell. It looks like Gene
will probably have to score a knock out to win it and he is
going for it. Monzon seems a bit weary but he is still firing
that jab of his. Fullmer is just wading in with both hands
moving like pistons. ROUND - Fullmer.
ROUND 14 - Bloodied but unbowed Fullmer continues
his quest for a knockout. There are some fierce exchanges
but Gene is getting the better of it. Monzon is clinching
and mauling at every opportunity, trying to shave seconds
off the clock. ROUND - Fullmer.
ROUND 15 - Both men look near exhaustion but
they continue to work. Gene is head hunting now, looking for
that elusive knockout. Suddenly Monzon lets loose of a vicious
right cross that spins Gene half way around. This time Gene
is hurt ! Monzon lands a jolting left - right combo that does
Gene little good. Monzon is trying his best to put over the
finisher but the seconds run out. The fight is over. ROUND
- Monzon.
The winner by unanimous decision...Carlos
Monzon!
Monzon's height, reach and better overall
skills enabled him to win the fight but the hard nosed fighting
spirit of Fullmer made the fight appear closer then the score
cards indicated and gave the fans their moneys worth.
MOVIE REVIEW: "POOR BOYS GAME"
By
Jim Amato
This 2008 boxing movie is what I call a " sleeper
". The cast is headed by veteran actor Danny Glover who plays
George Carvery. George is a former trainer whose son is beaten
up outside the ring and left permanently disabled. The young
man accused of this crime is Donnie Rose ( played by Rossif
Sutherland ). Rose served nine years in prison for the crime
but upon being released he is challenged to a boxing match
by prospect Ossie Paris ( played by Flex Alexander ) , a friend
of the Carvery family. This is the perfect revenge setting
George and his distraught wife but the plot takes some interesting
twists and turns.
As usual Glover gives an A-1 performance and
the supporting cast, although not well known pull their weight.
Although far from being a classic, I liked it. It is well
worth a look.
KLITSCHKO vs HAYE: MR.HAYE MAY GET BLOWN
AWAY! By
Jim Amato
I recently caught a clip of cruiserweight champion
David Haye calling out heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko
at a shopping mall. Wladimir looked to be rather amused by
Haye's bold challenge. He had a " you've got to be kidding
me ' look on his face. Wlad said something to the effect that
David needed to put on some weight. He also told Haye to "
get in line " for a title shot.
I had to see for myself if Haye really had
the " goods " to be a force in the heavyweight ranks. There
were some excellent clips of Haye on www.youtube.com Yes I
saw that Mr.Haye has a lot of tools and he can really whack,
BUT...he won't win if he brings his chin. Aging Carl Thompson
took Haye outta' there.He has also ( Haye ) been knocked down
or hurt on other occasions. The Thompson bout was a clear
revelation for me. As Max Schmeling once said before his first
fight with Joe Louis, " I see something " in regards to a
Louis style flaw. I see a major flaw in Haye's style that
will be exploited by Klitschko. Haye takes too many right
hands and that happens to be Wladimir' s best power punch.
I see Klitschko keeping the aggressive Haye at bay with that
fine jab of his and then dropping over some big overhand rights.
If Haye did the shake and shimmy from a Carl Thompson right
hand, what do think Wladimir's right will do to him ? It may
not be pretty.
I'd like to see Haye fight a couple of heavyweight
fringe contenders before talking his way into a match with
Wladimir. A Williamson, a Monte Barrett, a Dominck Guinn or
even a James Toney. This way we could gauge if Haye is big
enough to play with the big boys of the heavyweight division.
The boxing public can ill afford being duped by Haye or promoters
looking to cash in on a lucrative Klitschko - Haye match up.
Haye needs to prove himself worthy of a title shot and if
he does he'll just have to march through the division and
wait his turn. As Wladimir told Haye to " get in line " My
advice to Haye..." Be careful what you wish for ".
FORMER MIDDLEWEIGHT CONTENDER TONY LICATA
PASSES AWAY. By
Jim Amato
One of the better middleweights of the 1970's
died recently. Tony Licata was a victim of a heart attack
at the age of 56. The smooth boxing Licata turned professional
in 1969 and was undefeated in his first 52 fights. ( 49-0-3
). During that streak he defeated the likes of Mike Pusateri,
Luis Vinales, Jose Chirino, Art Hernandez, Denny Moyer, Emile
Griffith, Cubby " Top Cat " Jackson, Mike Baker and Vinnie
Curto. He suffered his first loss in 1975 on an upset decision
to Argentina's Ramon Mendez. Tony came right back to outscore
Mendez in a rematch. On June 30, 1975 Licata met another native
of Argentina, the great Carlos Monzon. This was for the middleweight
title and they fought at New York's Madison Square Garden.
It would be Monzon's only appearance in the United States.
Licata fought gamely but was overpowered by King Carlos in
round ten.
Licata would go on to lose five more times
in his career to Jean Mateo, Mike Colbert, Alan Minter, Fred
Johnson and Tony Chiaverini. After the loss to Monzon he did
defeat Mike Rossman, Mike Nixon and Mel Dennis. Tony retired
in 1980 after 72 fights. His overall record was an outstanding
61-7-4 with 27 knockouts. He was halted on four occasions.
He met four world champions. May he rest in peace.
COTTO - MARGARITO ; THE CLASH OF SMASH
Every now and then a fight is made and you
get an electric feeling of anticipation. You can envision
the fight taking on so many different scenarios that you have
trouble projecting a winner. There is almost one certainty.
This fight should keep you glued to the edge of your seat.
No Calzaghe - Hopkins let down here. These are two warriors
staking claim, bragging rights if you will to being the best
fighter today in the historic welterweight division. The winner
of this fight will be mentioned in the same breath as the
past greats who graced the division and rightfully so.
Miguel Cotto has carried on the great dominance
of fellow countryman Felix Trinidad and this bout could be
Miguel's defining moment. He has put himself in to superstar
status with wins over Zab Judah and Shane Mosley. By defeating
Margarito he can cement his legend and begin looking for new
worlds to conquer. The fight everyone wants to see at some
near future point is Cotto versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mr.
Margarito may have some say in this matter. Although Cotto
and Floyd would be a highly anticipated showdown, from a fan's
perspective I believe Cotto - Margarito will be the much more
entertaining contest.
Looking at the big picture Cotto is the more
talented of the two. He can box a bit and he's one of the
best body punchers I 've seen in years. Margarito is a swarming
boxer that throws punches from all angles and he has a chin
of granite. My question is, how well will Margarito survive
the body assault of Cotto. ? This could be the key to the
confrontation along with Cotto's under rated jab. If Cotto
is unable to keep Margarito off of him, we may be looking
at a real donnybrook. Cotto's uppercut could also be a valuable
tool is discouraging the forward march of Margarito. Please
do not count Margarito out. He is a solid puncher, a real
banger and the Cotto chin could very well be Miguel 's Achilles
heel.
By all rights of reason the edge has to be
given to Cotto but Margarito will be dangerous until the end.
All I know is that I can't wait for the bout to begin.
ERNIE TERRELL; A GIANT IN THE SHADOW OF
ALI By
Jim Amato
Who was the second best heavyweight around during the first
title reign of Muhammad Ali ? A strong argument could be made
for Chicago's Ernie Terrell. Why ? Because he earned it. He
was even good enough to hold the WBA version of the heavyweight
title but everyone knew who the " real " champ was.
Terrell turned professional in 1957. At 6'6''
he learned early how to use his height and reach to his advantage.
He developed a good jab and learned how to tie up his opponents
on the inside. It wasn't pretty but it was effective. He won
eighteen of his first twenty contests losing two eight round
split decisions to Johnny Gray. In 1960 he was outscored by
the capable Wayne Bethea. In 1962 Ernie suffered a major set
back when he was halted by the powerful Cleveland Williams.
Terrell began his march to the top in 1963
defeating Williams in a return match and top contender Zora
Folley. In 1964 Big Ernie beat Gerhard Zech, Jefferson Davis
and stopped a young Bob Foster. When the WBA stripped Ali
of his title recognition they matched Terrell with perrenial
contender Eddie Machen. It was an ugly fight with a lot of
wrestling and little punching but Terrell did what he had
to do to win the " vacant " title.
Maybe Ernie was not considered the real champion
but he did establish himself as the most formidable challenger
to Ali. He closed 1965 with a decision over rugged George
Chuvalo. In 1966 Terrell defeated slick Doug Jones. Finally
after a failed attempt Terrell and Ali were finally matched
to unify the title. The bout would take place at the Houston
Astrodome. Ernie's bold refusal to acknowledge Ali's Muslim
name and refer to him as Clay irked Muhammad who vowed to
punish Ernie. Punish he did as Ali worked Terrell over throughout
the fifteen rounder. Round after round Ali would lash out
at Terrell with punishing jabs and flurries while screaming
" what's my name ? ". To Ernie's credit he gamely absorbed
the punishment with a very swollen eye. When it was all over
there was no doubt who the King of the heavyweights was.
The WBA would later strip Ali of the title
again in 1967 for refusing induction into the Armed Forces.
An eight man elimination tourney was set up to determine Ali's
successor. Ernie was one of the eight contestants and an early
favorite to win the tournement. Terrell was eliminated in
the first leg of the tourney being upset by Thad Spencer.
Terrell looked to be finished when he next lost to Mexican
Manuel Ramos. He would not fight again until 1970 and his
comeback drew little interest until he scored a major upset
in 1972 by halting highly rated Jose Luis Garcia. In 1973
Ernie lost a very controversial verdict to Chuck Wepner but
his career then came crashing down when he was belted out
in one round by Jeff " Candy Slim " Merritt.
In all Terrell fought 54 times winning 45
of them. He stopped 21 foes. Ernie suffered nine losses but
was only stopped twice. Today Ernie is remembered as a footnote
to Ali's pre-exile days. In reality he was a viable contender
who was overshadowed by " The Greatest ".
“Ferocious” Fernando Vargas" By
Franco
Floyd Fontanero
Let’s go back to February 12, of 2000, which was that fateful
day at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada,
where we witnessed two great warriors engaged in an intense
battle. By the third round of the fight, I realized I was
about to witness one of the most exciting fights I had ever
seen. Referee Kenny Bayless was not working that night, and
was on his cell phone with his brother. In the third round
he exclaimed, “This fight is just about over!” But, as we
know, it went well into the 12th. It was a night when two
forces collided. I give you Felix “Tito” Trinidad and “Ferocious”
Fernando Vargas. There may be some things in doubt in the
sport of boxing, but the courage of Fernando Vargas can never
be questioned. “You want it? You have to take it from me,
even if it means knocking me out!” That is Fernando Vargas.
There’s a saying in boxing, “smart first, brave second.” Main
Events, who was promoting Vargas, should have been as smart
as Fernando was brave. Being too young, and with not enough
experience, he was rushed to the likes of the very well seasoned
Felix “Tito” Trinidad. In my opinion, it was the beginning
of the end of a fighter that could have gone on to be one
of the greatest. There may have been a lack of experience
while in that great battle with Trinidad, but by no means
was there ever a lack of courage! How many fights have we
seen where a fighter, so early in a bout, takes such a brutal
beating, and still have that much fight in him?? The great
“Tito”, with his badly battered face, knew he had been in
the fight of his life; as he broke down while speaking at
the post fight conference.I can’t help but feel that with
more clever guidance, Fernando Vargas would have reached the
top many times over. Who could not see that after that brutal
contest, a young Fernando Vargas was not the same fighter
as before? Oscar De la Hoya sure did ,and smartly invited
him in the ring, When before Vargas was not anywhere near
the top of his list. “Smart first, brave second”! I can’t
help but think that Vargas was far more devastated after his
loss to De la Hoya than he was with his loss to Trinidad .
To defeat De la Hoya was Fernando’s ultimate desire, and with
better timing it very well could have happened. Some people
are bestowed greatness because of their many deeds and accomplishments.
In my eyes, “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas will forever be deemed
great because of his unmatched courage. Thank you for reading
my article.
National Golden Gloves
Press Release - 5/08
BOOK REVIEW ; " MY VIEW FROM THE CORNER
" BY ANGELO DUNDEE WITH BERT RANDOLPH
SUGAR. ( FOREWARD BY MUHAMMAD ALI ). Courtesy of Jim
Amato
I started following boxing with the emergence
of Cassius Clay in the early 1960's. Whether you liked Clay
or not he must be given credit for revamping the business
of boxing. He was to boxing what the Beatles were to music.
Clay who would later become Muhammad Ali changed the face
of the sport.
During the colorful, radical and turbulent
times of Clay / Ali, renown trainer Angelo Dundee was there
to witness it. In Angelo's new book " My View From The Corner
", he takes us along for the ride with Ali and the rest of
his entourage and it was one heck of a ride. Angelo is one
of the most respected men in boxing and through this book
you could see why. His sincere and honest outlook on everything
he has witnessed in the fight game comes shining through.
From Angelo's early beginnings as promoter
brother Chris Dundee's " go fer " through his association
with the great Carmen Basilio. Chris Dundee's " kid brother
" began to carve his own way He listened and learned from
the best of the old school trainers like Ray Arcel, Whitey
Bimstien and Charley Goldman. Little by little he rose to
the forefront of his profession. Working with the likes of
Willie Pastrano, Ralph Dupas, Luis Rodriguez and eventually
Ali and a host of others. This book took me through the history
of the era I grew up in. From the post Ali period to Angelo's
time working with Sugar Ray Leonard. Angelo has been a major
player in boxing's big picture for decades.
To me this was a " must read " and it brought
back a lot of fond memories. I highly recommend this fine
book.
CLEVELAND'S CECIL SHORTS By
Jim Amato
I learn more about the history of boxing in
the great city of Cleveland everyday. Talking to knowledgeable
people in the area like Jerry Fitch, Gene Glen, Tom Huff,
Jim Borgen and Sal Marino, well...I just learn something new
all the time.
Cecil Shorts was a wonderful welterweight
who fought out of Cleveland in the 1950's and 60's. Born in
1938, Cecil turned pro in 1956 and won his first ten bouts.
Among those wins were decisions over Larry Boardman and soon
to be Hall Of Famer Eddie Perkins. Cecil lost his first bout
in 1958 dropping a decision to Rudy Sawyer. He was then stopped
in two rounds by Perkins in a rematch. Cecil bounced back
to win three straight including a split decision victory over
Benny " Kid " Paret. He was then halted by another Hall Of
Famer, the crafty Luis Rodriguez.
Cecil had an up and down career against some
of the best welterweights in the world. In 1960 he lost to
Phil Moyer but defeated tough Vince Martinez. In 1961 Cecil
suffered a KO loss to Gomeo Brennan and a decision defeat
to Mick Leahy. He came back to beat the capable Isaac Logart
but was then taken out in eight by Virgil Akins. Shorts lost
a decision to rugged Jorge Fernandez but then got a points
verdict over Billy Collins.
Shorts did not fight in 1962 and when he
returned in 1963 he was stopped by Chuck McCreary. Next came
a ninth round disqualification loss to Akron's Fate Davis.
A 1964 return match with Davis saw Cecil on the short end
of the decision. Cecil had one more fight winning a six rounder
over Doug McLeod and then retired.
In all Cecil had 33 fights posting 21 wins
and a draw. He lost eleven fights. He registered nine knockouts
while he was stopped six times. He met four men who held world
titles. Eddie Perkins, Benny Paret, Luis Rodriguez and Virgil
Akins as well as several contenders. The city of Cleveland
should be proud of the accomplishments of Cecil Shorts.
National Golden Gloves
Press Release Courtesty of Beau
Campbell
Colorado Boxer, Louie Byrd won his fourth National Title in
a year last week at the National Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament
in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Louie, a junior at Wheat Ridge
High School and trains out of the Backyard Brawlers Boxing
Club in Denver, won the flyweight division. Malcolm Franklin
of California was his opponent in the finals. Byrd defeated
Malcolm 3-2 at the DeVoS Place in Grand Rapids in a packed
arena. Byrd is currently ranked number 2 in the country by
USA Boxing with two Junior Olympic Titles (2006 & 2007), USA
Under Nineteen National Champion (2007), and National Golden
Gloves Champion (2008). Byrd also won the 2007 Ringside World
Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri and the 2007 Aliyev Cup
World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Byrd has also been
training at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs
and will be representing the United States in upcoming duals.
Colorado /New Mexico Regional Champions results
at the National Golden Gloves Tournament, Grand Rapids MI:
Monday 5-5-08
Joseph Elegele, Florida - Dec.win - Edgar Zubia, Colo./New
Mex. 141 Wgt.
Francis Figueroa, Cleveland – Dec. win – Michael Saracino,
Colo./New Mex. 165 Wgt.
Tuesday 5-6-08
Jose Bernal, Michigan – Dec. win – Arturo Crespin, Colo./New
Mex. 154 Wgt.
Azea Augustama, Florida – Dec. win – Siju Shabazz, Colo./New
Mex. 178 Wgt.
Fidel Maldonado, Colo./New Mex. – Dec. win – Joe Baglio, Mid
South 132 Wgt.
Wednesday 5-7-08
Michel Herrera, Colo./New Mex. – Dec. win – Isaac Aguilar,
Rocky Mtn. 112Wgt.
Fidel Maldonado, Colo./New Mex. – Dec. win – Adrian Martinez,
Michigan 132Wgt.
Isaac Atencio, Colo./New Mex. – Dec. win – Devon Henry, Tri-State
201 Wgt.
Walter Burns, Detroit – Dec. win – Gildardo Garcia, Colo./New
Mex. 201+ Wgt.
Shawn Nichol, Colo./New Mex. - Dec. win – Dwayne Wisdom, Indiana
119 Wgt.
Thursday 5-8-08
Louie Byrd, Colo./New Mex. – Dec. win – John Tijerina, Nevada
106 Wgt.
Antonio Nieves, Cleveland – Dec. win – Shawn Nichol, Colo./New
Mex. 119.Wgt.
Fidel Maldonado, Colo./New Mex. – Robert Easter Jr., Toledo
132 Wgt.
Craig Lewis, Detroit – Dec. win – Isaac Atencio, Colo./New
Mex. 201 Wgt.
Michel Herrera, Colo./New Mex. – Dec. win – Tyler James, Michigan
112 Wgt.
Friday 5-9-08
Louie Byrd, Colo./New Mex. – Dec win – Stephen Young, St.
Louis 106 Wgt.
Daniel Lozano, Florida – Dec. win – Michel Herrera, Colo./New
Mex. 112 Wgt.
Michel Perez, New Jersey – Dec. win – Fidel Maldonado, Colo./New
Mex. 132 Wgt.
Saturday 5-10-08
Louie Byrd, Colo./New Mex. – Dec. win – Malcolm Franklin,
California 106Wgt. National Golden Gloves Champion; Louie
Byrd
Michel Herrera, Colo./New Mex. Sportsmanship Award, Bronze
Medal
Fidel Maldonado, Colo./New Mex. Sportsmanship Award, Bronze
Medal
For further information or interviews contact:
Beau Campbell
Vice President Colorado Golden Gloves 303-263-9024
Flashback to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and
Paul Spadafora By
Franco
Floyd Fontanero
A few hot Nevada summers ago, while I visited
the old Nevada Partners boxing gym in North Las Vegas, trainer
Jessie Reid was in his last days of training his fighter,
Paul Spadafora for his upcoming match. In walked a totally
unconditioned Floyd Mayweather, Jr. He had not set foot in
a ring for quite a spell, and made what I think was a foolhardy
mistake. He laced up his gloves, put on his headgear and took
on a highly conditioned Paul Spadafora for an impromptu sparring
session. The sparring went for a few rounds as Mayweather
tired and Spadafora was still running on a full tank. The
duel came to an end and Floyd dropped to the canvas exhausted.
Talking to Jessie Reid in March, 2008 he is still under the
impression that Spadafora can defeat Mayweather! He went on
to say, “I am waiting for Paul to come to Las Vegas so we
can kick ass on Mayweather. Paul really worked him over that
day and Mayweather wanted to quit because his eyes were closed
from the blows Paul landed on him.” Well, I was there that
day and my recollection of the sparring session was not the
same as Mr. Reid’s. What really transpired was that a fighter
in tip top shape for an upcoming fight sparred with a fighter
who hadn’t been in the gym for months. My opinion was and
is still the same today, if Spadafora, in top physical condition,
gave his best in that sparring session with an unconditioned
Mayweather, then I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have much of
a chance to defeat a ready to rumble Mayweather. It is not
too late to see who would be correct, Mr. Reid or myself.
The fact of the matter is, that a Mayweather-Spadafora match
would be a crowd pleaser…I’ll take Mayweather 8 rounds to
4.
COULD CONTEH HAVE BEAT CALZAGHE?
By
Jim Amato
Joe Calzaghe is now the toast of the British Kingdom. After
his long run as super middleweight champion, Joe conquered
Bernard Hopkins to become the world's best light heavyweight.
Where does Joe go from here ? Next up looks to be the faded
Roy Jones Jr. but what happens if Calzaghe beats Roy ? Well
I know Antonio Tarver has been calling Joe out. How about
Chad Dawson, Glen Johnson or Erdei ?
Too bad that Joe came along about thirty five
years too late. Back then Joe would have found stiff competition
right in his own back yard..Chris Finnegan and John Conteh
were on there way to becoming top contenders then. Finnegan
got a title shot against the legendary Bob Foster in 1972
and after a plucky performance Chris was halted by Bob in
the fourteenth round. It was the Ring Magazine " Fight Of
The Year. In 1973 Chris met and lost a fifteen round decision
to Conteh for the European and British Empire crown. In a
1974 rematch Conteh stopped Finnegan in six rounds. Conteh
was now making his way up the contender ladder. At the beginning
of his pro career there were times that Conteh beat heavyweights.
Before his second win over Finnegan, John had established
himself a major threat to Bob Foster. Conteh had beaten Vincente
Rondon and Tom Bogs leading him closer to the top. Foster
came close to losing his title to Argentina's Jorge Ahumada
when they fought to a disputed draw. At that point Bob decided
to relinquish his crown. The WBA matched Ahumada's countryman
Victor Galindez and Len " Stinger " Hutchins for their version
of the title. The WBC matched Conteh with Ahumada. Galindez
and Conteh emerged victorious. A fight between Conteh and
Galindez would have been a dandy but it would never take place.
John would make successful defenses against
Lonnie Bennett, rugged Yaqui Lopez and Hutchins. In their
infinite wisdom the WBC stripped Conteh of his title and said
it would recognize the winner of a bout between Mate Parlov
and Miguel Cuello as the new champion. Parlov halted Cuello
to capture the crown. Conteh would get a chance to regain
it but the awkward Parlov scored a fifteen round decision
over John. Parlov would soon lose the title to Marvin Johnson.
Matthew Saad Muhammad ended Johnson's reign and Conteh would
challenge Saad. John fought a wonderful fight and I had him
ahead after twelve rounds but he seemed to fade in the " championship
rounds " and Saad pulled out a fifteen round decision. It
was close enough for a rematch but this time Muhammad handled
John with relative ease scoring a fourth round knockout. Conteh
would fight one more time and then retire in 1980 after a
distinguished career posting a final record of 34-4-1.
How would Conteh have fared against today's
Joe Calzaghe ? Very well I think. Calzaghe's swarming aggressive
style would have been perfect for Conteh. John was very strong
and was able to hold his own against some decent heavyweights.
He was a good, solid all around boxer with a fine jab. Although
not a one punch kayo artist, John was a sharp hitter. John
tasted the canvas a few times in his career but he was only
stopped once and as Calzaghe showed against Hopkins he's far
from being a big banger. Also Conteh was not above using roughhouse
tactics in the ring. I think it would boil down to a matter
of tactics and Conteh had the superior talent. I'd have to
go with Conteh if the bout was the " real " championship distance
of fifteen rounds. If it was a twelve rounder Calzaghe might
have been able to salvage a draw. If it went fifteen I believe
Conteh would have finished strong to take the duke. Although
John faded in the late rounds against Saad Muhammad, he was
past his prime and Saad was a much more punishing puncher
then Calzaghe would ever hope to be. A peak Conteh finished
well in fifteen rounders againt Finnegan, Ahumada and Yaqui
Lopez.
I actually shudder to think of Calzaghe in
there with Bob Foster. Joe's lucky he did not fight in the
1970's and eighties.
CHAMPIONS WASTELAND ; SHOZO SAIJO
By
Jim Amato
Today with so many governing bodies and organizations
around it has become very hard to take someones claim of "
world champion " seriously. I mean there is the WBA, WBC,
IBF, WBO, IBA and God knows how many more will pop up in the
future. Split titles are not anything new to boxing but in
days gone by it was a lot less complicated. As much as I hated
it when either the WBA or the WBC " stripped " a champion
of his crown for some bogus reason and then " made " their
own champion. At least it kept the rift between just two claimants.
In some cases there were much needed unification fights like
Bob Foster and Vincente Rondon or Carlos Monzon against Rodrigo
Valdez. There were also cases where a unification bout would
have generated a lot of fan interest and cleared up the situation
but they never came off. Some bouts that come to mind are
Salvador Sanchez vs Eusebio Pedroza, John Conteh vs Victor
Galindez and Carlos Palomino vs Pipino Cuevas. There is one
bout that could have taken place in 1971 pitting two champions
from Japan who each claimed a portion of the featherweight
title. They were WBC title holder Kuniaki Shibata and his
WBA rival, Shozo Saijo. Alas the fight never materialized.
It seems that today Shibata is still remembered as the man
who made great Vincente Saldivar surrender. What about poor
Shozo Saijo ? He has been long forgotten outside of Japan
and somehow that just does not seem quite fair.
Saijo was born in 1947 and turned pro in 1964.
Shozo was not an instant sensation and over his first twenty
fights he compiled a less then earth shaking 14-4-2 record.
In 1968 he lost a decision to the highly regarded Jose Luis
Pimentel. In a rematch Saijo turned the tables and he got
the verdict. That led to a fight with the rugged Raul Rojas.After
the retirement of Saldivar, Rojas defeated Enrique Higgins
to claim the vacant WBA featherweight title. Rojas was matched
with Saijo in a non title battle and Saijo copped the decision.
On September 27th, 1968 in a rematch with the title on the
line Saijo became the new WBA champion.
Saijo did not just sit on his laurels. He
was a very active champion who defended his title five times
and won seven of eight non title affairs. His only loss was
to WBA super featherweight champion Hiroshi Kobayashi with
no title at stake. Finally on September 2nd, 1971 Shozo lost
his championship when he was hallted in five rounds by Venezuala's
Antonio Gomez. Saijo never fought again. His overall record
stood at 29-7-2. He scored eight stoppage victories and suffered
only one knockout loss and that was to Gomez. The path of
Saijo and Shibata never crossed when they both held the title
at the same time.Shibata held his portion of the title from
12-11-1970 to 5-19-1972. Saijo had a longer reign from 9-27-1968
to 9-2-1971, holding his piece of the crown for nearly three
years. A champion like Saijo should not be forgotten.
In conjunction with the Regional Golden
Gloves (open and click on last tab), here are the results
of the Regional Golden Golden Gloves Tournament - click here
for the results.
CLEVELAND LIGHTWEIGHT TOMMY SALEM
By
Jim Amato
The proud city of Cleveland has produced their
share of notable boxers. All time greats like Johnny Kilbane,
Jimmy Bivins, Joey Maxim, etc...helped to put Cleveland on
the fistic map. One fine fighter from Cleveland's gloried
past has kind of slipped through the cracks of deserved recognition.
He was a rough and tumble lightweight who campaigned in the
1950's. Although he was not blessed with great power, he was
able to win twenty of his twenty eight fights. His name was
Tommy Salem. Born in 1932, Salem turned pro in 1950. He was
undefeated in his first twelve bouts including two wins over
Tommy Tibbs. In 1952 Tommy lost an eight round split decision
to rugged Charley Riley. Salem bounced back to win three straight
before being outscored by Eddie Crawford. Tommy was then stopped
in seven rounds by Youngstown's under rated L.C.Morgan. Salem
then put together a five bout win streak that led to a 1956
fight with future champion and Hall Of Fame inductee Carlos
Ortiz. The bout was held at St. Nick's Arena in New York City.
Salem gave Ortiz all he wanted but dropped a spilt decision.
Salem's fine performance led to a return to St.Nick's to face
the highly regarded Johnny Busso. Again Tommy was on the short
end of a ten round split decision. In 1957 Tommy was taken
out by Walter Brown and Frankie Ippolito. He finally retired
with a respectable 20-7-1 record
A SHORT ON SHIBATA By
Jim Amato
Kuniaki Shibata was one of Japan's most under
rated fighters of all time. He was crowned three times as
a world champion in two different weight divisions. This was
in the 1970's when boxers had to go the "real" championship
distance of fifteen rounds.There were only two governing bodies
back then, the WBA and the WBC. Born in 1947 Shibata turned
professional in 1965. He was a very strong fighter with decent
power but he could also be a clever boxer at times. It was
Shibata's chin that would betray him on five different occasions
and probably eliminated him years later as a potential Hall
Of Famer. In the late 60's Shibata was stopped by dangerous
Dwight Hopkins and Hubert Kang for the Orient featherweight
title. Finally in 1970 Shibata shook up the world by forcing
the great featherweight champion Vincente Saldivar to retire
after twelve brutal rounds of action. In 1971 he stopped Raul
Cruz in one round. Then he drew with Panama's Ernesto Marcel
to retain his WBC title. Nine months later Marcel would win
the WBA's version of the featherweight title from Antonio
Gomez. In 1972 Shibata's chin was exposed again as Mexico's
Clemente Sanchez destroyed him in three rounds. In 1973 Kuniaki
pulled another upset by cleverly outboxing hard hitting Ben
Villaflor to win the WBA super featherweight title. Shibata
held on to his title with a draw against the always tough
Victor Echegaray. In his rematch with Villaflor, Shibata was
caught cold and flattened in the first round. Next Shibata
would score another upset in 1974 with a points verdict over
Ricardo Arredondo to add the WBA super featherweight title
to his belt collection. Shibata was a worthy champion as he
defended his crown successfully three times. In 1975 Shibata
tasted the canvas again as he was stopped in two by the great
champion Alfredo Escalera. Kuniaki would win three more fights
and would finally hang up the gloves in 1977. In 56 fights
his record was 47-6-3 with 25 KO's. In turn Shibata was blasted
out on five occasions. I will be doing a full length feature
on Shibata for the next issue of Boxing World magazine
In conjunction with the Colorado Golden
Gloves, here are the results of the State Golden Golden Gloves
Tournament - click here
for the results.
Roberto Duran is my favorite fighter of
all time. By
Jim Amato
Because of this fact I thought I may be a little
bias in my opinion of the book " Hands Of Stone ". Would I
over rate it because the subject was Duran or would I be too
harsh and expect too much ? All I know is when it hit the
shelf, I had to have it. Although time is not a luxury for
me these days I was going to make time to read this book.
I'm glad I did. The author Christian Giudice did a tremendous
job in researching this project. I was amazed at the number
of people who were a part of Duran's life and legacy that
he was able to talk too. The information he was able to gather
molded this into more then just a book. It became a journey
through Duran's life from his humble beginnings to the present.
Family members and former opponents along with many others
painted a picture of this great fighter and complex man we
call Duran. That name alone stirs great memories for boxing
fans around the world and the author was able to weave a superb
story of one of boxing's all time greats on to the pages of
this book. This is a must read for all boxing fans and if
you are a Duran fan...Well what are you waiting for ?
Author: Arthur Mercante By
Jim Amato
He was the best referee of my time and were
some great ones. Men like Mills Lane and Joe Cortez among
others. Arthur Mercante was the cream that rose to the top.
Now he has written a book titled " Inside The Ropes ". It
is a recollection of Mercante's travels through the landscape
of boxing. Mr. Mercante has decades of memories that he shares
his readers. It is a wonderful trip back in time as he talks
about some of the famous fights that he acted as the third
man. Patterson - Johannson II and Ali - Frazier I among others.
Mercante talks about some of the best boxers he's come in
contact with. Foreman, Frazier, Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard and
a young Cassius Clay. I thoroughly I enjoyed this book. It's
a slice of boxing history through the eyes of a man who has
seen it up close and personal. I highly recommend this fine
book.
Results of the Regional Four Corners Senior
Tournament in Phoenix, AZ held on February 22-23, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Bout #1 = Mike Herrera, NM vs. Francisco Ibarra - 112 lb -
Result = Mike Herrera, NM winner on points
Bout #2 = Randy Arellin, NM vs. Timothy Ibarra - 119 lb -
Result = Randy Arellin, NM winner on points
Bout #3 = Jose Haro, UT vs. Paul Romero, AZ - 119 lb - Result
= Paul Romero, AZ winner on points
Bout #4 = Suanitu Hogue, NM vs. Robert Rodriguez, CO - 125
lb - Result = Robert Rodriguez, CO winner by RSC-OS (Referee
Stops Contest Outscored)
Bout #5 = Aaron Olmedo, UT vs. Fidel Maldonado, NM - 132 lb
- Result = Fidel Maldonado, NM winner on points
Bout #6 = Daniel Calzada, CO vs. Bennie Tsosie, AZ - 132 lb
- Result = Bennie Tsosie, AZ winner on points
Bout #7 = Abel Ramos, AZ vs. Ronnie Reams, CO - 141 lb - Result
= Ronnie Reams, CO winner on points
Bout #8 = Ritchie Guerrero, AZ vs. Jeremy Ramos, CO - 152
lb - Result = Ritchie Guerrero, AZ winner on points
Bout #9 = John Neel, CO vs. Stephan McCray, AZ - 165 lb -
Result = John Neel, CO winner on points
Bout #10 = Joey Montoya, CO vs. Sifou Sua, UT - 201 lb - Result
= Sifou Sua, UT winner on points
Bout #11 = Mike Books, NM vs. Pedro Saldana, AZ - 201 lb -
Result = Mike Books, NM winner by RSC-2 (Referee Stops Contest
in second round)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Bout #1 = Louie Byrd, CO vs. John Tijerina, AZ - 106 lb -
Result = Louie Byrd, CO Regional Champion winner by RSC-1
(Referee Stops Contest in first round)
Bout #2 = Joseph Munoz, AZ vs. Mike Herrera, NM - 112 lb -
Result = Mike Herrera, NM Regional Champion winner on points
Bout #3 = Cynthia Moreno, AZ vs. Sabrina Montoya, NM - 119
lbW - Result = Cynthia Moreno, AZ Regional Champion winner
on points
Bout #4 = Randy Arellin, NM vs. Paul Romero, AZ - 119 lb -
Result = Paul Romero, AZ Regional Champion winner on points
Bout #5 = Emilio Garcia, AZ vs. Robert Rodriguez, CO - 125
lb - Result = Robert Rodriguez, CO Regional Champion winner
on points
Bout #6 = Fidel Maldonado, NM vs. Bennie Tsosie, AZ - 132
lb - Result = Fidel Maldonado, NM Regional Champion winner
on points
Bout #7 = Vincent Mirabel, NM vs. Ronnie Reams, CO - 141 lb
- Result = Ronnie Reams, CO Regional Champion winner on points
Bout #8 = Arturo Crespin, NM vs. Ritchie Guerrero, AZ - 152
lb - Result = Arturo Crespin, NM Regional Champion winner
on points
Bout #9 = Jesus Correa, NM vs. John Neel, CO - 165 lb - Result
= Jesus Correa, NM Regional Champion winner on points
Bout #10 = Andrew Hernandez, AZ vs. Mike Montoya, CO - 178
lb - Result = Andrew Hernandez, AZ Regional Champion winner
on points
Bout #11 = Sifou Sua, UT vs. Mike Books, NM - 201 lb - Result
= Sifou Sua, UT Regional Champion winner on points
Bout #12 = Terrance Perro, CO vs. Kamaal Ahmad - 201+ lb -
Result = Terrance Perro, CO Regional Champion winner by RSC-2
(Referee Stops Contest in second round)
Unopposed Female Nicole Pasillas, CO - Unopposed
- 114 lb weight class (There were a few other unopposed Females
from the other States, but we don't have their names at this
time.)
Team Trophy
1st Place = Arizona
2nd Place = Colorado
3rd Place = New Mexico
Click here
for the results of the BattleQuest 7 event!
On March 7th 2008, at
The Orleans Hotel and Casino in the Boxing Capital of the
World ( Las Vegas, Nevada ) Promoter, Mr. Frank Luca of Crown
Boxing will once again, and more than likely, provide and
entertain the boxing fans with yet another exciting boxing
card. Time and time again we have witnessed the exciting and
well-matched boxing contests that Promoter/ Matchmaker, Mr.
Luca has so very well arranged. So he always adds more excitement
to the already exciting sport of boxing. These are boxing
contests that no boxing fan would want to miss! So mark your
calendars and be a part of the great events that are brought
to you by Crown Boxing and the beautiful Orleans Hotel and
Casino. Upcoming events are March 7th , May 9th , August 15th,
September 26th, and November 21st, 2008. Sometimes we need
only let the record speak for its self, so lets go back to
July 6th, 2007. Remember? Or should I ask, how can you forget
a match like “Cobra” Johnny Taunton vs. Tomas Bernal? That
particular contest, I wrote saying what it really was , a
real scorcher. And what about the Layla McCarter vs. Angel
Martinez contest? A match where McCarter demonstrated how
a Champion defeats their opponent. An excellent bout, and
a bout where in my opinion, McCarter fought the near perfect
fight. On January 11, 2008 an IBA Continental Heavyweight
title bout was fought at the Orleans under the promotion of
Crown Boxing. By split decision Carlos “Boom” Barnett defeated
“Wreckless” Willy Chapman. And the list of good bouts goes
on. This brings a question that at times has been raised to
me; Is it my opinion that the IBA (International Boxing Association
) is a legitimate World Title? My answer, “It couldn’t be
more pure. The IBA World Title (Mr. Dean Chance ) rates as
highly, and is as respected as are the others. Let us be realistic
and see boxing as it is today, we don‘t have as much ring
talent as we once did. Boxing is far from being at its peak
and so putting great boxing cards together today is really
a challenging and difficult task . Promoters and match makers
are for the most part good at what they do, but if the talent
is not within their reach it makes for a very intense search
and a very difficult job. And if we don‘t see the so-called
great matches we once were fortunate to see, let’s not put
the blame on the promoters and the match makers. We, the writers,
photographers and boxing fans need to keep supporting the
sport of boxing and one day we may once again see a ‘Thrilla
in Manila.”
Always with great respect to Mr. Keith Kaiser,
Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission
and Promoter Mr. Frank Luca .
“See you at the fights!” Writer, Photographer:
Franco Floyd Fontanero
Editor: Rose M. Fontanero
Ring of Fire MMA Championship Fighting Presents

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


Tickets: VIP GOLD (4 person
table):
$250 VIP Silver (4 person table):
$200 Reserved: $30
General Admission: $20
For more ticket information and to purchase: Bad Boyz 720.275.7972
Gumm MMA 303.358.7152
Art of War 720.297.9465
For the latest & up-to-date fight information, visit: www.ColoradoFightEvents.com
www.RockyMountainBadBoyz.com
*subject to change
Sunday, Feb. 10, 3 p.m. Film Discussion
With award-winning director & filmmaker Jason Hutt. In the
words of trainer Jimmy O’Pharrow, the boxer Dmitriy Salita
“looks Russian, prays Jewish, and fights black.” The son of
Ukrainian émigrés, Dmitriy balances his strict observation
of Jewish law with the demands of the professional boxing
circuit. He once said, “If anyone wants a whuppin’ from me,
they got to wait until after sundown.” Orthodox Stance (the
title refers to a boxing position) takes us behind the scenes
to experience Dmitriy’s grueling training program, tense contract
negotiations and prefi