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LENNOX LEWIS HALL OF FAMER

26 JUNE 2009 EVERY FIGHT, EVERY PUNCH, EVERY WEEK

DAVID HAYE WHAT NEXT?

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IVE 100 YEAR ANN

WIN DOUBLE McALLISTER AND BURNS IN COMMONWEALTH GLORY

MAN FOR THE FUTURE Ortiz takes centre stage

CAN ANYONE DERAIL LOPEZ, THE KO KING?

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Klitschko makes it look ridiculously easy in Gelsenkirchen BIG-FIGHT REPORT

26 JUNE 2009

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A TOWERING SUCCESS

This week’s issue June 26

Contents News 6

Fighting Talk Haye back in the queue

7

Khan not fazed Takes Kotelnik delay well

8

Liverpool show off Quigley’s shoulder injured

9

10 Klitschko-Chagaev Wladimir wins at a canter

Setanta knocked out 14 Diaconu-Pascal TV group in administration

7

Action

Groves so close Big step up postponed ■ FOR exclusive web interviews, staff blogs, up to date professional and amateur ratings and much, much more, go to >>

From zero to hero for Jean

16 Burns-O’Hara Commonwealth scrap

30|

Previews

Big Feature IBHOF weekend

Regulars

24 Ortiz-Maidana

4

‘Vicious’ Victor’s acid test

26 Booth-Dean

Shot Of The Week This is how it’s done

28 Diary

Should be good to watch

British & international dates

30 The Big Feature

24

IBHOF induction weekend

19 McAllister-Sowah

34 Your Say

Lee lowers the boom

Readers’ letters

21 Beltran-Meza-Clay

36 Amateurs

Pushing those punch stats

EU Championships

38 Amateurs

10

Enfield outdoor action

39 Amateurs Super Fred

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41 Amateurs When Beau met George

42 Old Timers Duff’s story concluded

43 Why I Like Boxing Oksana Baiul

44 The 10 Count Britain v the Philippines

|

46 Between Rounds

Cover photo Mark Keppler/AP/PA Photos

Victor Ortiz

Established 1909 | Vol 65 No. 25 | 26.6.09 Boxing News 30 Cannon St, London EC4M 6YJ | Tel +44(0)20 7618 extension | Fax 020 7618 3400 Editor Claude Abrams 3069 claude.abrams@boxingnewsonline.net | Assistant Editor Daniel Herbert 3070 daniel.herbert@boxingnewsonline.net | Art Editor Nick Bond 3071 nick.bond@boxingnewsonline.net | Senior Writer Tris Dixon 3072 tris.dixon@boxingnewsonline.net | Staff Writer Danny Flexen 3098 danny.flexen@boxingnewsonline.net | Advertising Manager Steve Turner 3428 steve.turner@boxingnewsonline.net | Group Production Manager Tricia McBride 3425 | Creative Artworker Graham Williams 3088 | Marketing Executive Paul Firth 3089 | Publishing Director Alex McLachlan 3077 | Managing Director Tim Whitehouse 3469 | Printing Warners Midlands Plc | Regd. at the Post Office as a newspaper | Published by Newsquest Specialist Media Ltd – a Gannett Company | Distributed by Seymour Distribution Ltd, 86 Newman St, London W1T3EX T 0207 396 8000

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Shot of the Week Inside the Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen

How to put on a show The promoters truly excelled themselves with the presentation of the event in Germany last weekend, even if the fights were not especially great.

This shot from the back of the football stadium is taken by Wolfgang Rattay for Action Images/Reuters

CLAUDE ABRAMS

FIGHTING TALK claude.abrams@boxingnewsonline.net

NOW HAYE’S IN LIMBO Photo: Action Images/Reuters

D

ON’T mention David Haye’s name to Wladimir Klitschko.

It evokes a sense of fury in the Ukrainian that is so untypical of the ‘world’ heavyweight champion.

It makes me uncertain whether Wladimir still wants to fight him to satisfy his personal desire to make Haye suffer for his tawdry publicity campaign or has reached the point where he cannot be bothered with the Londoner.

The impression I received in the early hours of last Sunday morning at the Veltins Stadium press room in Gelsenkirchen was that his management and advisory team of Berndt Bonte and American Shelly Finkel have Haye still in mind for the immediate future, but that Wladimir – who ultimately calls the shots – wants the Englishman to now earn his chance.

In an almost scathing outburst, Klitschko said: “I am very upset about Haye. Because of him I missed a fight in March and April [Wladimir postponed a planned spring date] and then in June he couldn’t deliver a fight at Chelsea [Stamford Bridge].

“I was shocked when I heard he couldn’t fight. I don’t blame him. Any athlete can get injured. But he mentioned to the press that he would need to postpone the fight two weeks and then this became four weeks.

“I have never worked with such unprofessional people. He has a big, dirty mouth. But actions speak louder. If he wants to fight me he must get in line. Haye’s mouth wants to make this fight. But I can’t rely on him. He is immature as a fighter and immature as a person.”

Following Haye’s injury announcement, Klitschko’s team offered the fight first to Nikolai Valuev and then Ruslan Chagaev.

Valuev apparently declined because he said he’d been training to face a southpaw.

According to Bonte, Wladimir’s manager, Valuev’s team then returned with a proposal for Klitschko to box IBF mandatory Alexander Povetkin, but only if Povetkin was afforded a rematch clause.

Bonte saw this as preposterous. “Can you imagine: we beat Povetkin and then Wladimir has to fight him again? Who has heard of such a thing?”

And so it was that Chagaev was handed his chance, though the WBA refused to sanction the match as being for their title. And now that Chagaev has been beaten, the “Champion in Recess” tag has, finally, been binned.

BACK OF THE QUEUE: Haye is no longer staring a title fight in the face

■ FOR exclusive web interviews, staff blogs, up to date professional and amateur ratings and much, much more, go to >>

www.boxingnewsonline.net 6 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

Chagaev struck a disconsolate figure. “It wasn’t my day,” he said. “But I’ll be back. He [Wladimir] was the better man.”

There’s no question for me that Haye would have put up a more spirited effort, even if the fight was never likely to have lasted as long as Chagaev’s bid.

Where Haye now figures in the heavyweight picture is uncertain, but David hasn’t lost his appeal because of an injury. Haye says he will be ready to fight again by July, but, because of television scheduling, that probably means he won’t see action until September.

It will be difficult for him to take a markingtime fight, not only in terms of finding the motivation after having prepared for Wladimir, but also because there is so much more to lose than gain. Perhaps he should face Chris Arreola, the WBC No. 1, to earn his shot.

However, when news broke that Vitali Klitschko had won his appeal in the Court of Arbitration to not have to defend the WBC belt against Oleg Maskaev, it left the door open for Haye. But only days later it was confirmed that Vitali would instead box Valuev in late September or early October.

Haye’s world really has come crashing down, especially as this week also confirmed the collapse of Setanta.

Bonte didn’t absolutely rule out HayeWladimir, saying: “Anything is possible. There are not too many good fighters out there.”

The winner of Alexander Dimitrenko and Eddie Chambers, who box in a WBO title

eliminator in Hamburg on July 4, is also under consideration. And Cuban Odlanier Solis, 14-0, has been shouting his mouth off, claiming he wouldn’t “freeze” like Chagaev.

Povetkin would seem the likely choice for Wladimir, but Finkel told me he was hoping the IBF might give the champion an exception to fight Haye, seeing as the Londoner pulled out with a legitimate injury and the Ukrainian’s win over Hasim Rahman in December was regarded as a mandatory.

“There are a number of fights we are looking at,” said Finkel, saying it could be Haye-Vitali or Vitali-Arreola or Valuev.

Bonte seems less certain about Haye’s inclusion in the mix. “He [Haye] is always talking, but when he has a chance to fight he pulls out. We are angry with the Haye situation. It was 10 days before we received an official statement from a doctor. I believe he is injured. Realistically, the fight with Haye could happen this year.”

However, hinting that Haye’s cancellation has made him unsure of the Englishman’s reliability, Bonte added: “But when will he be ready?”

News rounding up this week’s stories

News AFTER months of speculation and worry, Irish television broadcasters Setanta – who had deals with three major boxing promoters and also produced the celebrated weekly magazine show Steve Bunce’s Boxing Hour – have gone into administration.

The company had been losing money for some time but their failure to pay recent payment instalments for their football rights packages – £3m to the Scottish Football Association and, far more significantly, £50m to the English Premier League – and resultant loss of those rights, appear to be the final nails in the coffin.

Setanta went into administration on Tuesday (June 23), have been removed from the airwaves (in the UK) and have stopped taking customer payments.

In a statement, Neville Khan, one of three administrators appointed by Deloitte to deal with Setanta, said: “After a huge effort by the Setanta board, management team and its backers, it has not been possible to save the GB business, which will be wound down in due course.

“However, the International and Ireland businesses continue to trade on air whilst we are in discussions with parties to take on those businesses as going concerns. Regrettably, approximately 200 employees will be made redundant in respect of the GB business.”

Setanta had agreements with Hayemaker Promotions in the UK, Sauerland Event in Germany and Top Rank in America. While none of these companies issued statements regarding

News Quigley injury causes Magee cancellation Moorer leaves the Wild Card Gym Groves will keep ticking over Manny and Miguel in talks

7-9 8 8 9 9 HAPPIER TIMES: Haye with Setanta presenter Paul Dempsey

Setanta finished in UK

Sky and ITV now the only regular broadcasters of live boxing in Britain Setanta, a Deloitte spokesman added, “Our expectation is that all rights holders will take those rights back. We will not be selling those on.”

In other words, the three companies in question are free to pursue new TV deals. Hayemaker have surely lost the most out of the promotional trio. You have to believe that their TV deal made up a great deal of their income and with Sky and ITV now the only broadcasters of live boxing in the UK (Eurosport show some live shows from

the Continent), it will be difficult to get a new deal that is beneficial to them.

Popular presenter Bunce said of his cult programme: “The show will be missed. We mentioned more amateur boxers in the last six months than Sky and ITV have done in the last 20 years.

We talked about more fighters and more fights than any other TV outlet.

Nobody left the studio with splinters on their backsides. We broke tales, we pushed tales on and we took brave, brave decisions. It’s a terrible, terrible

shame. I know there were some boxing writers who turned their noses up at the Hour, but as many 4,000 fans made contact each week. We had some brilliant fights and some duds, which we dressed up beautifully – remember the last Marco Huck fight and the 1,000 crazy emails! However, I don’t think that we ever sold the fans a mongrel pup and told them it was a pedigree. It will be missed – ask any of our 180 guests from the last year or so.

“I hope I can find it a home.”

KHAN TAKING DELAY IN HIS STRIDE AMIR KHAN is relishing the chance of taking the date left vacant by the postponement of Floyd Mayweather’s fight with Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18.

With Mayweather pulling out with damaged ribs and Khan’s opponent, WBA light-welter champ Andreas Kotelnik, suffering a tooth injury in sparring, the big June 27 bill at the O2 has been delayed until July 18, and moved to the MEN in Manchester.

Sky Box Office, who were due to televise both bills, have salvaged the July 18 date with Khan and Co taking the slot.

“It’s going to be a huge fight,” said Khan. “There’s a lot of interest in the States and England and [with Mayweather’s pull-out] hopefully all

of the attention will be on this fight.”

Promoter Frank Warren is trying to tie up a deal with American TV but stated it would not affect the start time of the fight.

Khan’s trainer Freddie Roach was fuming, but the fighter is taking the delay in his stride, even though it means two trips to the UK to complete his training.

“It means I’m going to be a world champion three weeks later. I’ve taken AMIR KHAN this week off before going back to LA on Sunday [June 21].”

Kotelnik was going to have a minor operation in the Ukraine last week before finishing his camp in Germany with trainer Michael Timm.

“It was a sparring accident,” he said. “One tooth was snapped and one was broken.”

‘IT JUST MEANS I’LL BE A WORLD CHAMP THREE WEEKS LATER’

WAITING TO WIN: Roach and Khan remain confident of claiming the title

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 7

News rounding up this week’s stories BN In brief

Brodie’s back THE comeback of Manchester’s MICHAEL BRODIE, 35-year-old former four-time ‘world’ title challenger – at super-bantam and feather – is set for the Velodrome in his hometown on August 21.

It is a Hatton Promotions show.

It’s Brodie’s first fight since Scott Harrison knocked him out in four in June 2005. Michael had failed to win in his last three fights, finishing with a 35-3-1 (23) record.

Marie fights on THE wife of former Naseem Hamed and Acelino Freitas trainer Oscar Suarez, who, aged just 47, died last September from pancreatic cancer, is managing three of the fighters her husband used to coach.

Marie Suarez is seeking to continue her husband’s work with the help of her stepbrother, Raul Rivas, who has taken over training duties. The boxers being managed

by Marie are unbeaten Brazilian super-middle ISAAC RODRIGUES, 15-0 (13), lightweight JOSE REYES, 23-6 (8) and super-feather BYRNE GREEN, 5-1 (3).

In an article on NorthJersey.com, Rivas said of Suarez, “Oscar saw something in me. He believed in me when nobody else did.”

Quigley sparks cancellation Liverpudlian apologises to Magee as the show falls through AFTER British super-middleweight champion Tony Quigley pulled out of his July 4 showdown with former champion Brian Magee at the Olympia in his hometown, citing tendonitis in his left shoulder, the entire bill, also featuring George Groves and Craig Watson, has been cancelled.

Hayemaker said: “Due to an injury to Tony Quigley, we regret to announce that the July 4 Liverpool Olympia show is to be cancelled.”

It is believed that Hayemaker attempted to salvage the show by matching Magee with another Liverpudlian, former champion Tony Dodson, for the vacant title, but Quigley told us he would not give the belt up. That decision, combined with the implosion of Setanta (see page 7), who were to televise the bill, made the cancellation inevitable.

Quigley is devastated. “I’m gutted – I was really looking forward to the fight,” he said. “My shoulder doesn’t hurt doing normal things, only when I use it. I’ll know more when I’ve had a scan and seen a specialist.

“I want to say sorry to both Magee

Warrior show moved

MICHAEL HUNTER’S loss appears to be PAUL APPLEBY’S gain. We recently reported that Hartlepool’s Hunter has successfully extricated himself from his mandatory obligation to challenge European featherweight champion OLEG YEFIMOVICH of Ukraine. Now South Queensferry’s Appleby has been nominated to challenge the Ukranian. Purse bids are called for this Tuesday (June 30).

situation is more complicated this time as yet another Liverpudlian, Paul Smith, is waiting in the wings as mandatory challenger and has had to wait while Quigley-Magee was arranged before he got his shot. Magee knew nothing about Quigley’s pull-out when we rang him last week. “If that’s true, I’ll be really upset,” he said. “I’ve trained really hard and even if it gets rescheduled, I’ll have been out of the ring for a while.”

Well done, Pepe

FREDDIE ROACH has released assistant trainer Michael Moorer from the Wild Card Gym. Former light-heavyweight and heavyweight champion Moorer had been working with Roach’s stars, including Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan.

“He just doesn’t get along very well with the fighters and I have a really good relationship with my fighters,” Roach [left] told www.boxingnewsonline.net.

“But I have five out of six fighters that just don’t respond to him and I need that positive feeling at all times.”

For the full interview, visit our website.

ONE fight we missed from last week’s round-up of purse bids was ADNAN AMAR being ordered to defend his British welterweight title against Swindon’s unbeaten JAMIE COX.

Appleby steps up

and my fans but I promise I’ll make up for it in my next fight. It’s one of those things. I couldn’t fight with it and it halted my training.”

Quigley last week ruled out giving up his title to allow the Belfastman to fight for it, saying, “No way, it’s staying with me”, even though that’s exactly what Magee did for him in March, allowing the Scouser to stop city rival Dodson for the vacant belt. However, the

Moorer released

Amar gets Cox

WARRIOR PROMOTIONS’ show, set for Aston Events Centre this Sunday (June 28) has been cancelled and the entire bill moved onto First Team’s show the following Sunday (July 5) at the Tower Ballrooms in Edgbaston.

Also, NEIL PERKINS floored JASON CALLUM on the June 12 Wolverhampton show, not the other way around as reported.

INJURED: Quigley’s shoulder forces him to pull out of the Magee showdown

NOT to be overlooked, especially as we’d highlighted an award from the EBU for promoter Frank Maloney several weeks back, Pepe Forbes was also commended by the EBU. Forbes, who has been in boxing 50 years and faithfully worked with Matchroom in Britain as an agent for over 20, received an award for services to boxing. He was presented it by EBU president Bob Logist [below] in the presence of referee Giuseppe Quastazone at Newham in March.

BN Whispers...

MANNY PACQUIAO has said he wants to run for public office in the May 2010 congressional seat elections.

OLIVER McCALL defends his IBA heavyweight title against FRANKLIN LAWRENCE, 12-1-2 (7), at The Orleans, Las Vegas on August 21.

TAVORIS CLOUD is training in Florida for a late August/ September vacant IBF light-heavyweight title fight against CLINTON WOODS. HERBIE HIDE’S opponent in Voelklingen, Germany tonight (Friday June 26) is Hungary’s GABOR HALASZ. KARO MURAT defends his European super-middle title in Germany vs Italian LORENZO DI GIACOMO on August 29.

CRACKING fight on a Hatton Promotions bill on July 24 at Newport Leisure Centre as HENRY CASTLE takes on

8 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

GARY BUCKLAND. It is a British lightweight title eliminator.

RECENT Prizefighter finalist JOHN “BUSTER” KEETON will clash with DAVID DOLAN for the vacant English cruiserweight title on the Middlesbrough undercard of JOHN SIMPSON-PAUL TRUSCOTT II. HEAVYWEIGHT BRIAN MINTO, 33-2 (21), meets DONNELL HOLMES 31-0-2 (27), for the interim WBO NABO title on August 14 at Pullman Park, Butler, Pennsylvania.

THE twice-postponed MIKE JONES-LARRY MOSLEY fight is back on at Bally’s in Atlantic City on August 8.

THE August 1 double bill featuring TIMOTHY BRADLEYNATE CAMPBELL and JUNIOR WITTER-DEVON ALEXANDER is on at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, California.

GROVES WILL KEEP BUSY Saint George to work hard in the gym until Hayemaker future is resolved Photos: Action Images

ANOTHER man affected by the collapse of Hayemaker’s July 4 show (see page 7) was 4-0 (3) Hammersmith super-middle prospect George Groves.

The Londoner was due to make a huge step up on the Liverpool bill, taking on the unofficial domestic gatekeeper in his division, Nathan King.

King may be just 12-13 (1), but has lost inside the distance just once, and that was on cuts to British champion Tony Quigley. The pair were dead level when the end came after the fifth.

That was one of four defeats in King’s last four fights, but the Mountain Ash man dropped decisions to top domestic operators Kenny Anderson, Tony Dodson and Stephen McGuire, all by a single point.

Groves, nonetheless, felt ready for the challenge.

“I asked Adam Booth to get me someone in the top 10,” he revealed.

“King is better than his record suggests and I saw him as a real challenge. I need that calibre of opponent sooner rather than later.”

Keeping active is key for Groves. The former two-time ABA champion attempted to get onto Miranda Carter’s show last Sunday (see page 18) but could not be matched, quipping, “I guess no-one wanted to get bashed up on Father’s Day!” “Saint” George intends to get out on a smaller London show before the end of the season but in the meantime he will continue the trend of top-quality sparring he began by pitting skills

KEEN: Groves wants to box on a small London show before the season ends

Manny-Cotto talks BOB ARUM is hopeful MANNY PACQUIAO will agree to challenge WBO welterweight champion MIGUEL COTTO in Las Vegas on November 14.

The parties appear to have resolved a dispute over the weight with Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach saying 10st 5lbs would be acceptable – this after it was first reported the Los Angeles coach wanted Cotto to make 10st 3lbs.

But the purse split could be more difficult to agree upon with Pacquiao’s lawyers demanding a 65-35 distribution of the revenue.

Vitali’s ‘yes’ to Valuev

against world champions Carl Froch and Giacobbe Fragomeni.

Groves has recently sparred Ingle pair Paul David and Danny McIntosh, the English champions at super-middle and light-heavy respectively.

“We flew David out to Cyprus,” said Groves. “But unfortunately he got injured after our first session, so it turned out to be an expensive spar.

“Credit to McIntosh. We did six rounds, and hopefully we’ll do some more next week. He’s really pumped up for [Nathan] Cleverly and throws

shots from different angles. He’s very physically strong and trying to control bigger guys with my physical strength is a challenge.”

Groves flew out to Italy yesterday (June 25) to spar WBC No. 1 middle Domenico Spada, 29-1 (14), but Setanta’s collapse is also on his mind.

“It’s a dangerous time for boxing,” he said. “But you can’t put a price on loyalty and if Hayemaker are in the wilderness for a little while, looking for a new TV deal, I’m not about to jump ship.”

Trainers getting further training IT was heartening to attend the Board’s training course for trainers and seconds recently.

Not only did the large attendance at Canning Town’s Peacock gym convey that the interest in boxing remains as high as ever, but the concentration and enthusiasm of the assembled applicants fills me with hope for the future. Former ‘world’ champions Chris Pyatt and Steve Robinson were among those in attendance.

So much important information was covered, from dealing with injuries to different ways of wrapping hands to the Board rules on weigh-ins.

The First Aid portion of the course, co-ordinated by conditioning coach Kevin Fulthorpe (who talked about his role in last week’s State of the Game), was designed specifically for boxing.

The emphasis was on treatment for injuries and the candidates took part in some active learning, using mannequins.

The most interesting part was the section on conditioning and nutrition,

BN In brief

an area that has become more and more important in the last 10 years.

At the end of the morning (Role of the Second) and afternoon (First Aid, Nutrition, Conditioning) sessions, a written test was conducted and the mark for this, along with the reports gained from observation of the candidates, will dictate who receives a licence.The tests are multiple choice and most applicants so far (this was the third time the course had been conducted) have passed.

In an ideal world, such a raft of information would be disseminated over a few days, rather than just one. It’s rather intense. Also, it would be good to allow more experts to come in and lecture in more detail on their specialised areas; such as a qualified nutritionist.

Having said that, compared to what came before, this course is revolutionary and should be applauded. “It’s been well worthwhile,” said Robinson. “I’ve picked up a lot.”

DANNY FLEXEN

ACCORDING to various reports, WBA heavyweight champion NIKOLAI VALUEV will meet WBC title-holder VITALI KLITSCHKO in a unification fight this year.

“I’ve talked to Vitali on the phone recently and we agreed to meet each other in a ring,” Valuev was quoted as saying by Russian media. “As far as the dates we’re talking about the end of September or early October.”

Ukrainian Klitschko is said to have responded: “Yes, it’s true.

Nikolai had offered to fight and I’ve accepted his challenge.”

BBC ‘a disgrace’ FRANK WARREN has labelled the BBC “a disgrace” for failing to screen professional boxing.

The promoter, who has signed ABA light-welter champion RONNIE HEFFRON, has also called for more televised shows on a Saturday night.

“You need to get into your 10,000 and 20,000 seat venues,” he said in an interview on our website. “You’re not going to be able to do that on a Friday night. It cannot happen. You need that exposure on a Saturday. You don’t need it to be on a pay-per-view basis – you need it be on a subscriber basis or free-to-air.”

Visit www.boxingnewsonline.net for the full interview.

Steve turns over

FULTHORPE: Conditioner ran the first-aid part of the course

STEVE RICHARDSON, who has a Law Degree, a Masters in Sociology and works as a social worker, is turning pro after an unbeaten 10fight amateur career which included an ABA Novice title at super-heavyweight in 2007, beating Larry Olubamiwo in the final.

Richardson will be trained by former amateur coach John Skillen and promoted by Frank Maloney.

MATTHEW BOZEAT

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 9

Action IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight titles

Action All the best action from home and abroad Photos: Action Images/Reuters

FIGHT-WINNING SHOT: Klitschko (left) controls Chagaev throughout with a busy, firm jab

QUIETLY EFFICIENT Klitschko keeps it simple, using his two most effective punches, the ramrod jab and powerful straight right to dominate an undefeated former ‘world’ champion in Chagaev CLAUDE ABRAMS RINGSIDE GELSENKIRCHEN June 20

O

NE can understand why the Germans, renowned for their efficiency, are so appreciative of Wladimir Klitschko, while the rest of the world often regards the Ukrainian’s performances as somewhat monotonous.

The IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight ruler dominated Ruslan Chagaev, the WBA’s ‘champion in recess’, so thoroughly that for the nine rounds their contest lasted I couldn’t recall Klitschko being hit cleanly by a single legitimate head punch. Officially, the Uzbek-born but German-based former World amateur champion didn’t come out for the 10th because of a cut left eye.

It certainly wasn’t the case that Chagaev lacked credibility. Although he replaced British puncher David Haye at only two weeks’ notice, Chagaev had been in training to face 7ft Nikolai Valuev in a rematch at the end of May.

10 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

So Chagaev was not only fit, but had also been primed to tackle an adversary even larger than the impressively muscled Klitschko (17st 2 1/4lbs).

Yet Wladimir did what he has done so often throughout his 56-fight career (53 wins) – made a quality operator look distinctly ordinary.

Some might argue Chagaev was either limited or didn’t make a sufficient effort. But from my fourth row ringside seat it appeared more a case of Klitschko lulling his opponent into a state of ineffectiveness.

Ruslan (16st 0 3/4lb) kept his hands high in Winky Wright fashion, moved

his head and upper body to try to make Klitschko miss, and attempted to advance on the champion, though mostly at a walking pace. But Wladimir, the master of the basic one-two, held him off with a firm jab and, when he indulged himself, a forceful right.

The first time the right was thrown, towards the end of the opening round, it jarred Chagaev’s head back with such force that the only explanation for Klitschko’s modest use of the weapon thereafter was that the Ukrainian’s sense of caution far outweighs his driving instinct to close the show.

Lennox Lewis was sometimes

Action Pascal wins a cracker to take title Burns at his best to see off game O’Hara McAllister the new Commonwealth king Beltran Jnr nails down a shot

BEATEN MAN: Chagaev is cut, flustered and, ultimately, defeated

criticised for being the same, though the former undisputed world champion also had many nights when he was explosive and ruthless. Klitschko, at top level, doesn’t and in the second, when Chagaev was brilliantly floored by a left-right, Lennox would have set about to finish his opponent whereas Wladimir continued in a probing, step-by-step, meticulous dissection.

Wladimir was, however, more convincing here than the last time he faced a former Soviet southpaw – Sultan Ibragimov in early 2008 – and perhaps the stinging criticism from that New York fight served to remind him that while winning is imperative the manner of victory is also vital.

From the second round Klitschko’s jab was more forceful than against

Ibragimov, although Chagaev was more committed to going forwards than Sultan.

Yet for all Chagaev’s experience – and remember he twice beat Cuban Olympic king Felix Savon and was undefeated as a professional in 26 starts – Ruslan could find no way to penetrate Klitschko’s forcefield. He made one concerted effort at the end of the opener, when backing Wladimir to the ropes, but found himself immediately within the grip of Klitschko’s powerful arms.

After that, any time Chagaev ventured forward at a speed that took him inside the span of Wladimir’s long left the champion either retreated or stepped off to the side.

And thus it wasn’t a contest in any real sense of the word, but more

10-22 14 16 19 20

exhibition stuff that, as I said in my intro, the Germans tend to value far more than, say, the Americans.

Had this match been in Las Vegas the audience would have been booing and jeering from the very beginning and yet inside this spectacular Veltins Arena, with 61,000 people comfortably in their seats, rounds were often punctuated by applause for Wladimir’s skills.

It’s fortunate for Wladimir that he isn’t fighting to secure a legacy (this is what he said afterwards), because the Americans won’t take him seriously until they see more devil in his work.

Yet the US audience is the most important one in the boxing world, especially the opinions of those at HBO, who hand out the big bucks that enable Klitschko to secure the best ➔

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 11

Action IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight titles Photos: Action Images/Reuters

RARE MISS: Klitschko’s right hand is off target here but landed like a heat-seeking missile for most of the fight

➔ opposition. HBO withdrew their interest in this night as soon as Haye pulled out with a back injury (ESPN Classic finished up broadcasting in the US), but the Londoner’s absence (at both ringside and in the effect on ticket sales) was barely noticeable.

Berndt Bonte, Wladimir’s manager, claimed that after Haye couldn’t fight, only eight tickets were returned to them.

But I am certain that the idea of staging the match in a stadium of this magnitude would not have been a consideration had Chagaev been the designated opponent from the beginning.

Everything went perfectly for Klitschko, except perhaps for when a problem with the sound system caused the Ukrainian anthem to stop and stutter.

Klitschko, as ever the consummate pro, didn’t let it affect him. He was in

STILL STANDING: Chagaev gets up from a second-round knockdown tremendous shape and on his game.

Comfortable from beginning to end, Klitschko said he had expected Chagaev to put him under greater pressure – and so did everyone else.

But with the perplexed Chagaev

GOLD ADDICT: Klitschko is all smiles as he soaks up the occasion 12 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

either unwilling or unable to throw them. Klitschko walked away when much, the rounds became rather Chagaev offered to apologise. repetitive to say the least.

Starting the eighth on his toes, The knockdown in the second Klitschko tried briefly to vary his work, saw Chagaev sent skidding along his but the result was the same and a volley backside, but not especially hurt. He of rights at the end worsened the cut. was up at two, half-smiling, and in the By the ninth Chagaev’s spirit was third Klitschko started as though he faltering. He spent too long on the was eager to intensify his attacks. ropes, not punching back, and Yet while he landed with the right Klitschko drove home a succession of practically every time he threw it, rights when for the first time punching Wladimir remained a study in without too much concern for what concentration, more eager not to make might be coming back. Chagaev mistakes than deliver the type of returned to his corner wiping blood performance that would leave fans from his face. thrilled.

The doctor When questioned inspected the injury about this being a during the interval dull fight because of and, like Sam Peter its one-sidedness, against Vitali Wladimir at least Klitschko, it was revealed a sense of decided that Chagaev humour, saying: “That’s remain seated when a criticism when you WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO the bell marked the dominate and give no beginning of the next chance to your opponent. I’m not round, the 10th. looking to prove my chin. It’s made of At 33, Klitschko insists the best is yet glass, so I want to take care of it.” to come, his motivation being to make At best Chagaev landed a few punches his critics eat their words and, along each round to the body, but nothing to with brother Vitali, capture all the slow down the champion. Klitschko significant belts. had won every minute come the That leaves only WBA champ Valuev, halfway mark without so much as but given how Chagaev had beaten him throwing an uppercut, trying more it is surely only a matter of time before than a two-punch combination or the brothers make it a clean sweep. attempting a body shot.

A possibly emerging contender is In the seventh a left-right opened the huge and undefeated Alexander cut to Chagaev’s left eye and at the bell Ustinov of Belarus, who marked his the challenger threw a late left to the 16th straight win by unanimously head out of frustration as American outpointing over eight rounds referee Eddie Cotton came between Reading’s experienced Michael Sprott,

‘MY CHIN IS MADE OF GLASS SO I WANT TO TAKE CARE OF IT!’

Photos: Sumio Yamada

the former British and Commonwealth champ who had served as Wladimir’s chief sparring partner. I had it quite clearly in the Minsk man’s favour.

As ever, Sprott, having his third fight in Germany from his last four starts and in decent shape at 16st 13lbs, put up a resilient and committed display.

But he was nearly out on his feet at the finish, a right sending him reeling.

Ustinov had massive size and weight advantages. The 32-year-old sets a fast pace and moves quite nimbly for one so big (estimated 6ft 7in). At 21st 13 3/4lbs, he doesn’t, like Valuev, quite punch his weight, though has 13 wins inside. Sprott became the first to extend him for six fights.

For four rounds Ustinov kept Sprott on the end of his jab with Michael blocking, parrying and slipping.

Sprott had a good fifth and it looked as if Ustinov was beginning to flag from his efforts, but the big man, though open-mouthed, kept going.

The Englishman made more of an impression over the second half, bloodying Ustinov’s nose and cutting him on the right eye (from a left hook) in the sixth. Sprott, though, was looking banged up – his eyes swollen – though he still put in a good shift in the eighth. However, it was never enough.

Sprott found himself trapped and under attack on the ropes several times in the eighth and ninth rounds and swinging back hopefully with single left hooks.

Detroit’s Johnathon Banks (15st 8 1/4lbs) moved up to heavyweight after losing to Tomasz Adamek for the IBF cruiser belt in February and went one better than British contender Derek Chisora by stopping Melton Mowbray’s Paul Butlin in seven.

Tattooed Butlin had lasted eight with Chisora in May, but Banks, without ever impressing greatly, worked mostly behind a steady jab. Banks floored the Englishman for “seven” with a terrific right at the end of the first and again as he finally stepped it up in the seventh.

The conclusion came as Butlin sagged from a right-left hook and then

BN Germany Notes ■ THE WBA refused to sanction the main event and the AAPRP (American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians) openly slammed the fight for going ahead because Chagaev has Hepatitis B. However, Chagaev’s Hepatitis level in Germany isn’t considered dangerous to the boxer or his opponent, whereas in Finland, where Ruslan was supposed to fight Valuev last month, it is.

■ MANY of the British media cancelled their trips after Haye called off, but there was still a small contingent and Ricky Hatton also made the journey. I even heard one rendition of “Hatton Wonderland”!

BN Germany Notes

NEXT BIG THING? Giant Ustinov (left) is taken the distance by Sprott

OUTCLASSED: Brit Butlin (left) gives it a go but Banks is on another level a following right drilled him to the the jab, trying to bring the Latvian on to floor. Butlin was up at “eight”, but the his back hand or so he could catch him referee continued counting to 10. with right hooks. Lee sits down on his Butlin, who looked as if he could have punches better these days and moves fought on, wasn’t pleased. Banks is 21-1 more efficiently.

(16), but lacked dynamism. Butlin (16st Fedotovs, though, was tough and 10 3/4lbs) is 12-10 (3). willing. He nailed Lee with a jarring Banks’ Irish stablemate Andy Lee, uppercut in the fifth and cut the also trained by Emanuel Steward in Irishman on the right eye in the last.

Detroit, failed to hit top gear, too.

Another Detroit-based winner was Tall southpaw Lee, from Limerick, Cedric Boswell (16st 6lbs), who made displayed some classy moves and 38-year-old Turkish southpaw Serdar combinations, but gets caught too Uysal (15st 3lbs) retire after the fifth of often. Lee is now 18-1 (14) after a scheduled six-round show-opener, unanimously outpointing Latvian claiming a hurt left hand.

Olegs Fedotovs (11st 4 3/4lbs) over six.

Boswell, originally from Atlanta, was The scores were lopsided: 60-51, 60-53 in command, chasing down his and 59-55. opponent who couldn’t live with the Fedotovs had only once been stopped former Lennox Lewis sparmate’s and Lee dropped him with an strength and pressure. After several outstanding left to the chin in the last. rounds being backed up, Uysal shook Lee had been looking all fight to land it. out his left arm at the end of the fifth, Fedotovs, nose bleeding, was up at “two” contorting his face. His corner called it and benefited from a respite after off in the interval, handing Boswell win claiming a low blow the referee didn’t No. 30 from 31 starts (24 inside). Uysal see. Mostly, though, Lee boxed behind is 9-7-2 (4). ■ JUST SO-SO: Lee has improved his power and movement but still gets tagged too much

■ THE Germans really know how to put on a show. Having attended bills around the world for close to a quarter of a century, I can’t recall an event to rival this one.

This was a spectacular night out, a real occasion to be at, and one that would have undoubtedly been ever greater had the more charismatic David Haye challenged Klitschko instead of Chagaev.

Although it was an effort getting inside the arena – the accredited media and VIPs had to walk practically the circumference of the stadium to locate the appropriate entrance and then wait for about 30-40 minutes (many in the rain) until security were ready – the inconvenience was worthwhile.

On pitch level in the stadium were five-star gourmet food stands, free to all who had purchased ground seats. There were tables with tablecloths, silverwear and waiter service worthy of a posh hotel – hardly what you expect at a boxing show.

And so the bill started with Boswell against Uysal (I missed the first round as I was still attempting to get inside) and followed by Lee’s and Banks’ fights before there was a one-hour break during which entertainment (band and comedian) was laid on while everyone dined, drank wine, beer and champagne. It was all quite extraordinary if unusual and remarkably dignified.

There wasn’t a hint of unrest.

It’s been a long time since I attended a German show of this magnitude, but apparently this type of spread is quite common, which makes me understand why Germany’s high society are prepared to pay good money to go to major boxing fights. Even if the contests aren’t exciting, it’s a polished night out.

The fireworks, flame-throwers and lighting as Klitschko and Chagaev made their entrances were also stunning amidst the dimmed lights and camera flashes.

My only gripe with Germany is their tolerance for smoking. The laws against smoking in public areas in Britain and other European countries do not apply here. It didn’t help that free cigars were available.

Finally, with the main event going on at 11pm, the press conference enduring into the night and the local tram service from the venue halting at midnight, it was a challenge getting back to my hotel in the neighbouring town of Essen.

Finding a cab on site proved fruitless, so, along with travelling companion George Zeleny, I set off on foot at 2.30am along the main road back and, fortunately, flagged down a cab en route.

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 13

Action WBC light-heavyweight title

Pascal wins this thriller

From Froch victim to world champion in six months, writes Paul Salgado Photos: Herby Whyne/FightWireImages.com

MONTEAL June 19

ADRIAN DIACONU’S WBC lightheavyweight championship may have been on the line, but there was much more than the green belt at stake when he confronted Jean Pascal.

Romanian-born Diaconu has called the city of Montreal home for the last nine years, while the Haitian-born Pascal has lived there most of his life, representing Canada in the 2004 Olympics and minting a successful pro career there that saw him drop a close, exciting decision to Carl Froch for the WBC super-middleweight title last December.

Clearly, this was a bout for bragging rights in a city that feeds off sports rivalries.

Pascal’s move up the ranks to face Diaconu caused enough frenzy to draw 13,659 evenly split fans to the Bell Centre. While that number fell short of the 16,000-plus figures local favourite Lucian Bute has sometimes commanded, it was nonetheless an impressive turnout.

Add the fact that, on paper, the bullish Diaconu (31) versus the speeddemon Pascal had the makings of a sizzling fight, and a memorable night of boxing seemed a certainty.

And it was.

Amid impassioned cheers that accompanied every exchange, 26year-old Pascal boxed his way to a decisive albeit close unanimous win, serving Diaconu, now 26-1 (15), his first pro defeat in the process.

Diaconu was making the first defence of the (vacant) belt he won against Chris Henry.

Despite bulking up 7lbs, the 5ft 11in Pascal (12st 5 1/4lbs) looked remarkably chiselled and displayed his usual blinding speed.

Unexpected, however, was the strength he displayed against the 5ft 9ins Diaconu (12st 5 1/4lbs), who, despite his girth, found himself frequently tied up whenever he took the fight inside – where, it had been believed, he would hold the advantage. A fleet-footed Pascal circled and boxed from the opening bell, indicating his respect for Diaconu’s power. But a double jab, right-cross combination served notice early he had come to fight.

Pascal’s deft head movement was key to his defence, but some welltimed clinches quickly shut down any sustained attacks by a pressing Diaconu, who was simply outfought

MUSCULAR: The extra 7lbs suits Pascal (left) against Diaconu

and outmuscled in the early rounds.

By round four, Pascal was mixing quick bodywork into an arsenal that included sizzling jabs and snapping left-right combinations that were earning points. Diaconu seemed bothered by the reflexes of Pascal, and while he attempted to time the challenger’s attack, his counters lacked precision.

Ironically, Diaconu would have his best and worst moments in the fifth, which proved the most thrilling round of the fight. After crowding a mobile Pascal in the opening minute, Diaconu found himself on the receiving end of a blistering left hook that sent him toppling backwards on the seat of his pants.

Clearly stunned, he weathered several follow-up assaults before launching an overhand right that dazed Pascal and rendered his legs momentarily spastic. By the end of the round, it was Pascal who was holding on, trying to clear the cobwebs, while Diaconu seemed to have finally found his timing, which helped him to take rounds six and seven. By rounds eight through 10, however,

PASCAL PROMISES TO BE A HUGE DRAW IN MONTREAL AND A RIVAL TO BUTE 14 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

Pascal was dominating once more with his superior handspeed.

But a body shot followed by a hard right in round 11 marked Diaconu’s second opportunity to end matters inside the distance. Another overhand right had Pascal on rubbery legs but, although Diaconu was able to batter him into the ropes during the last 30 seconds, it was evident fatigue had hampered his ability to find the knockout sequence he needed.

Pascal, who escaped the tense 11th with slick speed and movement, closed the show with more of the same in the last to secure the unanimous win by scores of 116111, 116-112 and 115-112.

Always flamboyant, Pascal, now 23-1 (15), promises to be huge draw in Montreal and a potential rival to Bute in terms of popularity. Italy’s Silvio Branco, who was originally slated to face Diaconu on April 10 before an injury sidelined him, now stands poised as Pascal’s first title defence after notching a win over Zoltan Kallai last week.

In undercard action Toronto’s 22-1 (15) Troy Ross (13st 11 3/4lbs), who vaulted to fame after winning the Contender Season 4, scored a dominating performance over onetime amateur opponent Michael Simms (14st 3 3/4lbs) of Sacramento, California.

Simms, who sparred with Diacaonu to prepare him for Pascal, managed to land enough to cause swelling under the southpaw the 32year-old Ross’s right eye, but it was Ross who was stronger and got the better of the majority of exchanges in a fight waged mostly at close quarters.

Ross walked away with the win by scores of 99-90 twice and 98-91.

Undefeated local middleweight David Lemieux (11st 8lbs) scored his 16th consecutive early victory by stopping Mexico’s Martin Avila (11st 7 1/4lbs) at 1-17 of round two.

As with previous opponents, 20year-old Lemieux overwhelmed Avila with faster hands and superior firepower.

TWO TIMER: Pascal is now champion at the second attempt

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Action Commonwealth super-featherweight title Photos: James Williamson/Prizefighterphotos.com

PINK PUNCHER: Burns lands a left uppercut as O’Hara looks to come inside

GAME O’HARA PUSHES BURNS The Scotsman predicted he would stop his tough Irish opponent.

He did not come close and was made to work all the way BRIAN DONALD RINGSIDE GLASGOW June 19

DEFENDING Commonwealth super-featherweight champion from Coatbridge Ricky Burns claimed pre-fight he was going to beat Belfast

challenger Kevin O’Hara inside the distance but at no time in the 12-round war of attrition that ensued before a pro-Burns crowd did it ever look like happening.

The relentlessly aggressive Irishman followed cornerman John Breen’s instructions to lay on Burns to deny him leverage for the long rights that had wrecked Michael Gomez, all the while whacking Burns inside with hooks and uppercuts or looping overhand rights as

16 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

they broke from clinches.

At the end of 12 rounds at the Bellahouston Leisure Centre, Burns retained with a unanimous decision.

It was Burns (9st 4lbs) who caught the eye in the first three rounds. He speared O’Hara (9st 3 1/2lbs) with long raking left jabs and spiteful right uppercuts when the Irish challenger tried to slip the left lead to counter with the overhand right or double hooks to the ribs.

Ricky took the first round clearly,

BIGGER THINGS: Victorious Burns is eyeing a WBO title shot

even smirking contemptuously when O’Hara caught him on the bell. The Scot, resplendent in lurid pink and white trunks of which Liberace would have approved, took two of the first three sessions on my card as he stiffly jabbed Kevin off.

Having proved he was the undoubted master at distance, where his left jabright uppercut combination prevailed more often than not, Burns found it increasingly difficult to keep O’Hara on the outside from the fourth. The challenger swarmed inside with frantic bursts of short punches, winning rounds four, six and seven on my card.

Unfortunately, while Kevin’s inside bullying tactics deprived Ricky of the room to score with his jab for long periods, the Irishman’s lust for victory compromised his respect for the rules.

Witness round six, when referee Terry O’Connor warned both men for illegal stuff in the clinches, and round 11, when O’Hara doubled Ricky over with a vicious low blow to the groin that the Irishman claimed was accidental.

Similarly, careless headwork in round nine saw Mr O’Connor deducted a point from O’Hara.

Overall, the better punches throughout came from Burns, who reasserted his command in the last rounds by belting a tiring O’Hara with sweeping uppercuts and thudding body punches.

The Belfast man never let up, but that the superior quality punches came from the champion was a view clearly shared by the three judges. Dave Parris scored 117-110, Howard Foster 115-113 and Vic Loughlin 117-111, all for Burns.

Breen said: “I have no complaints – Burns won all right, although I had it closer than the judges did. But Kevin’s smother-and-hit tactics caused Burns enough problems to make a mockery of Ricky’s knockout prediction.”

Burns conceded: “O’Hara was much tougher than I expected but he was also dirty too.” There was talk of Burns, now rated No. 3 by the WBO, challenging their title-holder, Puerto Rican Roman Martinez but Ricky said: “I’ll leave that matter to my management.”

In the eight-round lightweight chief support Edinburgh’s former WBO superfeather champion Alex Arthur (9st 12 lbs) stopped Frenchman Mohamed Benbiou (9st 9lbs) in the first.

Ferocious-punching Arthur used his considerable height and reach advantages to drop his hapless opponent with almost his first punch, a tremendous left hook. This brought a count of eight from referee Paul Graham.

Despite his peek-a-boo defensive style, Benbiou was dropped twice more for counts from Mr Graham, who then called it off after 92 seconds of the first with the Frenchman cowering on the canvas. Even allowing for all the factors in his favour, this was an impressive

BIGGER AND BETTER? Alex Arthur insists he is a new man at lightweight

debut at lightweight by Arthur.

The Edinburgh man said, “My manager Frank Warren told me he wanted an emphatic statement from me at my new weight. Benbiou took goodclass Dane Martin Kristjansen the distance and I destroyed him in just 92 seconds. So no talk, please, of Benbiou being a mug.

“At lightweight I am not the weightweakened husk that lost his WBO title to Nicky Cook. Now I’d like a step up in opponent on the Amir Khan versus [Andreas] Kotenlik undercard so the Manchester crowd can see the new, dynamic Alex Arthur.”

Edinburgh southpaw welter Gary McMillan saw his original opponent Paddy Pollok of Lanarkshire withdraw with a knuckle injury.

So Gary, who boxes out of the same Lochend gym as Arthur, stepped up to light-middleweight to RICKY BURNS accomodate Mansfield-based Latvian Alex Spitko Both scaled 11st 4lbs for this sixthrees, which McMillan won on points at 60-55 for referee Graham.

After a cautious start, Gary was clearly annoyed when Mr Graham correctly warned both boxers for head use in the second round. The Scot dramatically channelled his ire into a sweet short southpaw left that decked Alex for a count of three. In the following round Gary staggered Spitko with a thudding shot to the temple, after which he dominated the next three rounds for a clear points victory.

East Ham southpaw Johnny

‘O’HARA WAS TOUGHER THAN I EXPECTED BUT DIRTY TOO’

Greaves (10st 5lbs) played to the gallery for laughs in the early stages of his four-rounder against new Glasgow pro Santino Caruana ( 9st 10 1/2lbs), doing an Ali shuffle and making faces at his grimly resolute opponent.

All that changed in the last when he Johnny came out of a clinch screaming at referee Kenny Pringle: “He bit me!”

While I did not see this alleged Tysonesque munching, it made the angry Londoner put some venom into his work, although he still lost 39-37 on Mr Pringle’s card.

The action-packed six-rounder featuring tall Bellshill southpaw Kris Hughes (8st 11lbs) and Aberdeen’s James Ancliff (9st) replicated, in miniature, the main event.

Kris won the first by using his height, reach and jabbing as Ancliff charged in.

But from the second Hughes’ inability to keep matters on the outside saw him sucked into vicious energy-sapping hooking sequences. By round five the Aberdeen man’s right eye was marked

up and Kris rocked him with stiff rights that had Ancliff nearly out on his feet at the finish. But credit to James for making Kris toil hard for victory, which came on a 59-55 score from referee Pringle.

The four-rounder between Coatbridge’s Craig Windsor (11st 2 1/2lbs) and tall Iranian Ben Deghani (11st 3lbs) was intriguing as Ben had recently wrecked the comeback plans of Aberdeen boxer Mike Reid.

But it was a crunching uppercut from fierce-hitting Craig that forced referee Graham to rescue Deghani after 2-03 of the third. The Coatbridge man had continually staggered Deghani with concussive short punches.

The show-opening four-rounder saw Swansea’s Tobias Webb (12st 8lbs 10ozs), having his second paid bout, dominate flashy Staines-based journeyman Michael Banbula (12st 13 1/4lbs).

It was no surprise when referee Mr Pringle scored it 40-36 in Webb’s favour after a one-sided contest.

ALL ACTION: Ancliff (right) ships a Hughes left hand

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 17

Action from England

GAME DOUGLAS LOOKS UNLUCKY

Photos: Philip Sharkey & Les Clark

Unsung Reading man pushes Theophane hard for eight rounds but comes up short SIMON EUAN-SMITH RINGSIDE BETHNAL GREEN June 21

UNDERDOG Mark Douglas chased and harassed Kilburn’s Ashley Theophane for the full eight rounds only to see Theophane take referee Ken Curtis’ verdict by 77-75.

The York Hall crowd roared their displeasure, and other ringsiders shared my view that Douglas (10st 7lbs 14oz) had done more than enough to win.

The loser accepted the verdict with exemplary sportsmanship.

Theophane (10st 8lbs 6oz) was the more skilful, showed heart when forced to stand and trade, and clearly won the final session as Douglas seemed to tire. But Douglas, from Reading and now 4-2, used just the right tactics, bulldozing forward and denying Theophane room to set himself.

Theophane never looked happy, or comfortable – or like a winner.

Douglas made his intentions clear from the outset, piling on pressure and forcing his man to the ropes. Theophane dug in some counters to the body but couldn’t stop Douglas’ persistent boring in.

Things got a bit heated inside and both were spoken to twice.

Mark marched in, landing a big right uppercut in the third and later, on the bell, a solid right to the side of the head.

The Reading man was always landing

the more significant punches, though Theophane hit back when he could.

But when Douglas opened up near the end of the fourth, Theophane really looked desperate – and Douglas was beating his man to the punch in the fifth, shrugging off a nick on the left eyebrow and a swelling below the right eye. Theophane hit back but was forced to cover up in a neutral corner.

Ashley was moving better in the sixth, at last creating space and catching Douglas as he came in. But he couldn’t keep Douglas off, and was forced to cover up desperately when against the ropes again.

The Londoner’s face was looking banged up by the seventh. Douglas kept getting close – and when Theophane launched an attack, Douglas came right back at him.

Theophane’s best round was definitely the eighth. At last he was picking his shots and finding the target as Douglas’ workrate began to drop.

Referee Curtis applauded both before raising Theophane’s hand and asked MC Mike Goodall to congratulate the pair on an excellent contest. Theophane is now 25-3-1.

There was a similar story in the sixround chief support on this superb Left Jab show, when Mark McCullough gave favoured opponent Lee Cook all he could handle, but Mr Curtis scored it 58-56 to Cook, now 12-1-1.

There were several who disputed the verdict, but many rounds could have gone any one of three ways.

McCullough dropped Cook (9st 12lbs

THEOPHANE NEVER LOOKED HAPPY OR LIKE A WINNER

GIVE AND TAKE: Cook (right) is the more accurate against McCullough 18 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

EVASIVE ACTION: Theophane (left) covers up as Douglas storms in 10oz) for “eight” with a body shot in the first, and sent his man staggering into the ropes when Cook tried to grab the initiative. Mark kept up the pressure in the second, always trying to take Cook out of his game – but Lee (Morden) stood his ground and landed counters.

The fourth especially was give-andtake with McCullough beating his man to the punch early on and then Cook starting to move and place his shots better. But by the end Cook was bleeding from the left eye.

A tremendous fifth set the scene for an all-out finale, which saw McCullough’s head jerked back by a left hook but the Buckinghamshire man storm back. Yet Cook was more on target, forcing McCullough to hold.

McCullough falls to a misleading 5-4.

Streatham’s Leon Williams (13st 13lbs 2oz) made it 2-0 by well outscoring Sale’s Mark Nilsen (13st 5 1/4lbs) over six-twos. Referee Jeff Hinds marked it 60-53, having docked Nilsen a point for holding in the last.

Three debutants won, the man working hardest being Ruislip’s Ryan

Toms (11st 2 3/4lbs), who had a war with Rainham’s Kevin Lilley before finding the finisher in the fourth and last.

By the start of the fourth Lilley had a swelling under the right eye and Toms was scoring with both hands – and then a right sent Lilley unsteadily into the ropes. Toms followed up, Lilley fired back, and referee Hinds warned Toms for headwork. Toms promptly launched another attack that put Lilley down on one knee, his nose bleeding and Mr Hinds counted him out at 2-19.

Chatham’s Scott Douglas (11st 13lbs 14oz) brushed off the extra height and southpaw style of Newark’s Jamie Norkett (12st 1 1/4lbs), constantly getting close and punching out a 39-37 victory over four. Curtis refereed.

John Wayne Hibbert (10st 12lbs) from Stanford-le-Hope uncorked a right to the body to floor Stretford’s Damien Jeffries (10st 3 1/2lbs) in the first of their scheduled four.

Mr Hinds called “Out” (despite Jeffries’ protests) as the fighter regained his feet at 2-55.

Action from Scotland & South Africa

McALLISTER MAKES IT EASY

Photos: Action Images

Tom Walker sees the hometown man destroy Ghanaian Sowah in three one-sided rounds ABERDEEN June 19

THE “Aberdeen Assassin”, Lee McAllister, grabbed the (vacant) Commonwealth lightweight title belt with both hands when he stopped Ghana’s Godfriend Sowah in the third of a scheduled 12-rounder at the Beach Ballroom.

McAllister (9st 8lbs 14oz) was rarely troubled in the opening round as he landed his jab into the face of Sowah (9st 8 1/4lbs) with regularity. The Ghanaian seemed mesmerised by the whole event and resembled a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car.

Sowah had an extraordinary defensive style, based on his holding his left arm straight out as though it was a sword that would keep the Aberdonian at bay. No such luck, as the second saw McAllister start to boss the fight.

When he crashed a right hook to Sowah’s head over the top of his left jab, the Ghanaian’s resistance ebbed. He became wilder with crude attempts at lashing out right counters to McAllister’s work.

The third opened with repetitive action until McAllister unleashed a

thunderbolt right hook/cross on to Sowah’s chin, sending him crashing heavily. The Ghanaian was up at “eight”, but referee Marcus McDonnell could see he was in no position to defend himself and rightly called a halt. The time was 143 and there was no real protest from either Sowah or his corner.

Cue bedlam in the Ballroom as the crowd erupted with pleasure at their local hero picking up another belt – one considerably more prestigious than his previous WBU baubles.

McAllister’s manager Tommy Gilmour is now aiming for a televised defence in the Aberdeen Exhibition Conference Centre (AECC), possibly against Gary McArthur of Clydebank.

That is a moot point, but there is no doubt that, under Dave Coldwell, Lee is now hitting harder than his record indicated.

He is now 29-2 with six wins early, while Sowah lost for the fourth time against 13 wins (seven early).

Muirkirk’s Joe Kelso (9st 8lbs 2oz) suffered a horrendous cut after an accidental clash of heads in the second round of his bout against late replacement Leon Deans of Derby (9st 13lbs). The wound was bad enough to

NEW BEGINNINGS: McAllister wipes out memories of his WBU reigns warrant Kelso being whisked off to the hospital for attention and he will require a long period off.

The opening round had been fairly rough and there seemed an inevitability of another head collision to match the one that had occurred early in the opener.

That inevitability came true with gruesome results, referee Richie Davies calling a halt to crown Deans after only 56 seconds of round two.

Josh Wale (8st 10lbs) from Barnsley sparkled in his first outing in Aberdeen

under Tommy Gilmour when he dominated Bulgaria’s Vladimir Borov (8st 13lbs 14oz) in a scheduled eightrounder.

Wale’s range of shots, movement and all-round ability were much in evidence as he demolished a 73-bout veteran.

Fans were groaning at the punishment the Sofia man was taking and, although Borov though never gave up, referee Davies decided enough was enough at 1-56 of round four.

I suspect Borov was glad when he did.

Distinct lack of va-va-Vuma lets Mashego in SECUNDA June 5

VINCENT VUMA can either look competent and sharp, as he did stopping unbeaten Mark Thompson in 2007 to win the vacant WBC International light-middle title, or he can look dreadful as he did when losing this same title to Ryan Rhodes, on points in London last year.

The Vincent Vuma who showed up at the Sasol Recreation Centre to defend his South African 11st title against Tshepo Mashego was the latter version, and after a lethargic and uninspiring performance he surrendered his title on a split 12round decision.

Vuma has only himself to blame for

his loss. This was the rubber match in a series that had seen both fighters win one apiece – with Mashego scoring an eighth-round knockout in June 2003 and Vuma equalling the score with a majority points win in March 2007.

And although Vuma was coming off a good points win over Hamlet Petrosyan in Switzerland for the IBF Inter-Continental bauble, he looked to have left his form back in the gym for this fight.

It was repetitive and OFF TARGET: Vuma falls short or misses with the vast majority of his punches

uneventful for 10 rounds, with Vuma fighting tentatively and showing little desire to get involved in the exchanges.

Almost 80 per cent of the punches he threw fell short or were slipped by Mashego, while Tsehpo’s counters were the cleaner punches which found their target.

Vuma kept the fight at long range and appeared apprehensive at getting too close to the challenger.

It was an uninspiring performance from the champion, who looked unwilling to make a fight of it. And although he tried to pull it off in the last two rounds, he had left his effort far too late.

Mashego appeared to have walked away a clear winner but had to see Vuma surprisingly awarded a 116-115 score from one of the judges while the other two officials gave it to the challenger by 116-112 and 115-113, a more accurate reflection of the fight.

Vuma dropped to 27-4, while Mashego improved to 25-9.

PETE MOSCARDI

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 19

Action from the US, France & Mexico Photos: Bob Newman

NAPA-BEATER IN A STRUGGLE

HIT AND MISS: Major avoids this jab from veteran Clark, but a later foul ends the contest

MASSY June 19

THE man who took the European bantamweight title from Ian Napa, France’s Malik Bouziane, had to get off the floor to retain with a unanimous 12-round decision over Belgium’s Carmelo Ballone.

Ballone (8st 6lbs), who had lost the crown to Napa, dropped Bouziane (8st 5 1/4lbs) heavily with a left hook in the second only for the champion to ride out the storm and regain control with his better boxing.

The challenger remained dangerous with his left hook but the greater variety and accuracy of Bouziane saw him home on scores of 115-112 twice and 114-113.

Bouziane, 31, improved to 12-1 (1) while 33-year-old Ballone fell to 21-4-1 (10).

Former World amateur champion Jérôme Thomas (8st 11lbs) moved to 5-0 with no stoppages as he outpointed David Gagna-Ginouves (8st 12lbs) over six rounds.

BUFFALO, New York June 19

HARD NIGHT: Bouziane needs to get off the deck to keep his belt

SOSA RETAINS IN SOME STYLE MEXICO CITY June 20

EDGAR SOSA retained the WBC lightflyweight title for the ninth time when he stopped Panamanian Carlos Melo in five rounds at Arena Revolucion.

Sosa, 29, shook Melo (7st 9 3/4lbs) with a left hook in the second and had him in trouble again in round three.

The challenger did manage to cut Sosa (7st 10lbs) on the right eye in the fourth but round five saw the champion finish the show in style.

A left hook to the liver dropped Melo and although the 26-year-old Panamanian beat the count he had not recovered. Sosa opened up with both hands and referee Frank Garza intervened with 2-47 on the clock.

X-CEL Promotions put on a five-bout card featuring a pair of co-main events in the return of hometown boy Nick Casal, fighting for the first time as a pro in his backyard, and a bout for the NABA lightweight title between Michael Clark and Meachor Major.

Clark, the Columbus, Ohio native, was up against Bahamian puncher Major, who starred here in February, when he climbed off the floor twice to stop Kevin Carmody in six.

The difference in class showed early in this 10-rounder as Clark (9st 9lbs) boxed and moved neatly while Major (9st 7lbs) wound up looking for bombs.

Barely a minute into the opening round, the two tied up with Major circling behind Clark and landing a right to the back of the head, sending Clark to his knees. Referee Hubert Earle called time and allowed Clark time to recover.

As the bout resumed, it appeared Clark was unsteady on his legs, trying to fend off the rushes of Major. When they tied up again, referee Earle called two quick breaks then, upon yelling “Break” a third time, Major simultaneously landed a right hook to the face and Clark landed flat on his back.

The crowd booed, and after a few seconds to assess the damage the referee waved it off, deciding Clark was in no condition to continue.

One member of Clark’s corner went ballistic, hurling insults at Mr Earle. It was assumed the official ruled a knockout for Major. In fact, it was decided Major was in the act of throwing the punch during the calls for a break, thus committing an accidental foul. The bout was ruled a No Contest at 2-14 of the opening round.

Clark was fitted with a neck brace,

20 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

Foul and fury in one-round farce Bob Newman watches a former ‘world’ title contender carried out after Major late blow strapped to a backboard, and taken to a local hospital for observation. Major stands at 16-3-1 1NC (14) and Clark is now 38-5-1 1NC (18).

The co-main event, and the one locals really came to see pitted homegrown Casal (10st 1lb) against Jefferson City journeyman Shad Howard (10st 2lbs). Casal didn’t disappoint, jumping on Howard from the get-go in this eight-rounder.

The taller Howard didn’t have an answer and hit the deck in the second from a barrage of body shots along the ropes. Despite making a go of it in the third, Howard got trapped along the ropes in Casal’s corner, failing to return fire, prompting referee Charlie Fitch to halt matters at 1-30 of the third.

Casal raises his ledger to 19-4-1 (15), while Howard falls to 13-15-3 (6).

Buffalo debutant Excell Holmes

(16st 7 1/2lbs) opened the show with a workmanlike stoppage (broken nose) over fellow heavyweight Damien Clement (17st 4lbs). Holmes is now 1-0 (1), Clement 0-2.

Local lad Guillermo Sanchez (9st 4 1/2lbs) kept his record perfect at 9-0 as he blitzed Ron Boyd (9st 9lbs) just within the first round at 2-59. Boyd was on the deck twice and overwhelmed.

Rochester, New York’s Kenny Abril, the State welterweight champion, outpointed Montreal, Quebec’s Sebastien Hamel in a six-round scrap.

It looked as though Abril (10st 6lbs) scored a clean knockdown in the opener, though referee Dick Pakozdi inexplicably disagreed. Hamel (10st 3lbs) showed skill and toughness, scoring with meaningful punches, though Abril chose to stick and move, winning 59-55 twice and 58-56.

SAD SIGHT: Clark goes to hospital for a check-up after his bout ends in a No Contest

Action from the US & Argentina

THE STATISTICS DO NOT LIE Zachary Levin sees the main event fighters throw nearly a combined 2,500 punches LAREDO, Texas June 19

THE CompuBox guys must have had sore fingers the morning after Friday Night Fights because the featherweights in the main event, Fernando Beltran Jnr and Monty Meza-Clay, threw a whole lotta punches.

Beltran threw 1,361, landing 37 per cent of them. Meza-Clay threw 1,020, connecting on 21 per cent.

Normally, I don’t rely heavily on punch stats. Not only can they be misleading, but they’re not necessarily accurate. (Hey, it’s just humans hitting buttons under pressure, not some foolproof super computer).

But in this case, the numbers don’t lie. Beltran used an effective and busy jab. Scores of the unanimous 12-round decision were 117-110 twice and 115112. Beltran moves to 33-3-1 (18) as Meza-Clay falls to 28-3 (19). Going in they were ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, by the IBF. Meza-Clay was knocked out in his last fight against the formidable Jorge Solis. At just 5ft 2in, he gave up five inches in height to Beltran. He had to get inside and move those hands.

But southpaw Beltran used the ring well and stayed committed to his left. It is not to say Monty wasn’t game or didn’t put on an exciting performance.

It just wasn’t enough.

FNF is routinely given short shrift from ESPN. Besides the meagre licence fee it must contend with, its scheduling is all screwy. This card was supposed to begin at 10pm (Eastern Standard Time).

A college baseball game was running way over. I kept checking ESPN2, and there was still no boxing by midnight.

Then Sports Center began. I figured they bumped boxing for the night.

(I later learned that with no advance warning, they switched the card from ESPN2 to ESPN Classic at 10pm. I guess a remote isn’t enough. Next time I’ll have a crystal ball handy).

Anyway, at 2am they did re-broadcast FNF, and I set the TV to record it. But when it began recording, TV viewers found themselves in the beginning of the sixth round of “Mean” Joe Greene’s eight-rounder versus Delray Raines.

I don’t know how Greene, now 21-0 (14), looked in the previous five rounds.

But I wasn’t blown away by what I saw in the final two, partly because I

witnessed him in the amateurs and loved what I saw from him then.

Still, he did enough to earn a unanimous eight-round decision, winning by scores of 79-73 twice and 78-74.

Greene began boxing at six and had over 250 amateur bouts. Along with winning a bunch of New York Golden Gloves titles, he won the National GGs when he was 18. He just barely missed a spot (to Andre Dirrell) on the 2004 US Olympic squad and turned pro shortly thereafter.

I remember the southpaw from Queens, New York as a physically strong pressure fighter, who was always on balance and set to punch. He had a vicious body attack, which was set up by a straight, stiff jab. He had an honest blue-collar approach I admired. And more often than not, opponents wilted under Greene’s relentless attack.

As a pro now competing at lightmiddle, he appears much more, well, green. There are clear holes in his game.

He squares up, he’s hittable, he doesn’t seem to have a gameplan or adapt particularly well when the need arises to do so. He’s game but unrefined.

Don’t get me wrong – he’s still a

handful. And his undefeated record is legit; he’s defeated some rugged opponents on his way up. But it’s as if he himself comes off as just a good, solid, rugged opponent. Not an elite performer.

In the final two rounds, Raines, now 15-6 (10), walked though countless flush shots. He’s a tough guy. How he ever got stopped by Buddy McGirt Jnr in one round is beyond me.

In fairness to Greene, he was coming off a 10-month layoff and filled in last minute when Australian Daniel Dawson dropped out. Still, this prospect/fringe contender, ranked No. 6 by the WBO (for whatever that’s worth), has yet to convince me he’s the goods.

Demetrius Andrade, the best US pro prospect to come out of the (suspect) 2008 class, got some play on TV. The tall southpaw campaigning at light-middle upped his mark to 5-0 (4) but was extended the four-round distance for the first time in his budding career.

Not only didn’t he stop Tony Hirsch, now 8-2-1 (4), he was sloppy and a bit too cocky for my taste. He’s talented but there’s plenty of room for growth. All scores were 40-36.

GARAY SHOCKER Champ takes what looks a routine defence, but loses his WBA belt amidst weight worries Photo: Sumio Yamada

SUNCHALES June 20

IN a big shock, Spanish southpaw Gabriel Campillo won the WBA lightheavyweight title with a 12-round majority decision over champion Hugo Hernan Garay at Club Deportivo Libertad.

It was only two fights and nine months ago that Campillo lost to Karo Murat for the European belt at 12st. If Garay picked him as an easy mark for this voluntary defence, it went horribly wrong.

Garay (12st 6 3/4lbs) won the first four rounds, and rallied to take the last, but in between Campillo dominated behind his right jab. He marked up the champ, who seemed at breaking point in the 11th and finished with his mouth open in fatigue.

Nicaraguan judge Enrique Portacarrero saw them level at 114114, but Guillermo Perez Pineda at 115-114 and Mexico’s Alfredo Polanco at 114-113 plumped for Campillo, now 18-2 (6).

Garay lost for the fourth time against 32 wins (17 early). Reportedly, he had to shed a lot of weight in the last month. Referee was Steve Smoger.

BEATEN: Argentine Garay loses for the fourth time in 36 fights www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 21

Action from the US, Japan & South Africa Photos: Ray Spencer

Nagashima’s late charge seals it KOGA June 13

KENGO NAGASHIMA (9st 9lbs) barely kept his OPBF lightweight belt as he looked sluggish from the outset, came off the canvas in the ninth and managed to eke out a split decision (114-113, 115-112 and 115-116) over OPBF top-ranked Korean champ Heejae Jo (9st 8 3/4lbs) over 12 close rounds.

Scores were 115-112 and 114-113 for Nagashima against a 116-115 for Jo. The 33-year-old Japanese southpaw looked a different person from the one who outboxed hard-punching Filipino Randy Suico to acquire the vacant OPBF throne in March.

After the eighth, the open scoring system showed a split interim verdict: 78-74 for the champ, 78-77 for the challenger and 76-76.

Then in the ninth Nagashima took a good one-two from Jo, 12 years his junior at 21, and went down on the seat of his pants. His fans were gloomy, sensing the champ would lose his belt, but the Japanese displayed heart and good combinations to dominate the last three rounds.

Nagashima improved to 37-3-2 (17) while Jo fell to 14-3 (8).

JOE KOIZUMI

Winning return for ex-champ TOKYO June 14

FORMER WBA flyweight champ Takefumi Sakata (8st 2 3/4lbs) returned to action after losing his title via second-round annihilation against Thai Denkaosen Kaowichit on the last day of the previous year and pounded out a unanimous 10-round decision over Korean titlist Jinman Jun (8st 3lbs).

Scores were 99-91, 99-92 and 97-94.

Kyoei Promotions staged the show.

Sakata, now 34-5-2 (15), made a slow start as usual but finished warming up his engine in the fourth and swept all rounds thereafter by battering the durable Korean upstairs and downstairs.

Sakata said, “I’ll try to win back the world belt either in the 112-pound or 115-pound categories.”

JOE KOIZUMI

SURPRISE: Bones is no puncher, Baba is tough but Adams stops his man

Old ‘Bones’ still strong Adams marks his first fight in a year with an impressive victory LAS VEGAS June 12

CLARENCE “BONES” ADAMS, former WBA super-bantamweight champ, made a resounding return at The Palms hotel after 12 months out.

Still only 34 but a pro since 1990, Adams stopped Ghanaian veteran Ali Baba (9st) in the eighth of a 10.

Not many halt the African, who in 43 fights had lost 16 and won 26 (19 inside). Adams (9st 1lb), not a noted puncher, became only the third to stop the Ghanaian.

The ending came 62 seconds into the round with Adams having won

every round for all three judges.

Rashad Holloway, who had been sparring Amir Khan in Los Angeles, could only draw against Harrison Cuello over six.

Holloway is now 10-1-1 (5), but this has to be considered a blow for the welterweight. Cuello, a Dominican southpaw now 18-10-3 (14), had been blasted in one by Vanes Martirosyan in his previous outing.

In a clash of 22-year-old lightwelters Mexico’s Francisco Rios Gill stopped Angel Flores of Las Vegas 67 seconds into the third of a scheduled six. Rios Gill is 17-9 (12), Flores 9-4 (3).

FAMILY MAN: Adams celebrates with his son Achilles Bones

GWAYANA NEARLY LETS IT SLIP EAST LONDON June 7

MFUNDO GWAYANA looked a clear winner at the end of 10 rounds of his defence of the South African light-flyweight title against an inept Sizwe Sinyabi before suddenly running out of steam.

The defending champion had to hang on desperately to survive the penultimate and final rounds to clinch a draw and thus retain his title before a packed Orient Theatre crowd.

Southpaw Gwayana, 13-3-1 going in, had a trying time in getting through Sinyabi’s negative and defensive tactics.

He spent the first half of the fight backing away from the advancing Gwayana, clutching and spoiling at every

22 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

opportunity when the champion came into range.

The first six rounds were untidy and uneventful, but a crisp left uppercut to the jaw rocked the challenger in the seventh. Sinyabe switched strategies, taking the fight to close quarters where he almost glued his chest to the torso of Gwayana. This resulted in numerous tangles with the referee having to force the fighters apart. But it was Gwayana who was doing the cleaner scoring in these mauls.

This unsightly encounter carried on in this manner until the 11th round, when Gwayana suddenly tired drastically. Sinyabi sensed this right away and turned up the pressure to have the champion hanging on and holding in order to survive the round.

The sudden transformation was dramatic and Sinyabi went for broke in the last, flooring the champion for “eight” with a perfect left hook to the jaw. Sinyabi swarmed all over the champion when he wearily pushed himself to his feet and again Gwayana had to hold on desperately to see out the round.

Although it could be argued Sinyabi had taken the last two rounds by 10-8 scores, it still did not appear to be anywhere near enough to snatch the win. One judge saw Sinyabi winning it by 114-113 while other scores were 115-113 Gwayana and 114-114.

The drawn result hugely flattered the challenger, whose record went to 21-8-1.

PETE MOSCARDI

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Previews WBA Interim light-welterweight title/WBO super-bantamweight title

Previews

Previewing the best upcoming fights in Britain and worldwide Photo: Gene Blevins/HoganPhotos

HOUSTON’S nearly man Rocky Juarez was due to have his fifth title shot tomorrow (Saturday June 27) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

However, his opponent – and WBA featherweight champion – Chris John withdrew last week with an unspecified blood disorder after collapsing in sparring on Saturday, leaving Juarez’s manager Shelley Finkel and Golden Boy promoter Richard Schaefer scratching around for a late substitute.

The name of touted Mexican prospect Juan Carlos Salgado was first mentioned. At 20-0 (14) he is seen as a bright young star like Juarez, 29, once was after capturing silver at the Sydney Olympics. Californian Eloy Perez, 13-02 (3), was also said to be in the running – but HBO rejected both.

Then Mario Santiago (who is due to fight on the untelevised portion of the Atlantic City PPV bill) was in the frame.

The Puerto Rican southpaw pushed WBO champ Steven Luevano to an exciting draw last year.

Santiago would have been an excellent last-minute replacement but, if defeated, Juarez would surely have risked what is almost certainly his final shot at a title.

A deal with Santiago came close, but ultimately Juarez, who did not want to take on a left-hander at short notice, pulled out of the show. John-Juarez could now happen at a later date.

“Rocky won’t fight at all,” said Schaefer. “There was an opponent [Santiago] that Rocky turned down and it’s not easy to find somebody at the last minute who is acceptable to all parties involved. The managers for Rocky were actually on board but it was really Rocky who turned it down. He would fight anybody but a lefty.”

That means young hotshot Victor Ortiz and puncher Marcos Maidana are upgraded as the sole main event on the HBO show and the fight will test the popular Ortiz’s box office appeal in

BIG HITTERS: Ortiz (left) and Maidana can both end fights with one punch

Ortiz tops Rocky’s show John-Juarez is off, but Victor is ready, willing and able to step up, writes Tris Dixon California, although a reported 8,000 of 10,000 tickets had already been sold.

Amir Khan and WBA light-welter champ Andreas Kotelnik will have a close eye on the clash for the vacant WBA interim title.

The combatants have similar records (Ortiz is 24-1-1, Maidana 25-1) with the Argentine boasting more stoppages – 24 against 19.

But Ortiz, 22, is the man with the big future following notable wins over Carlos Maussa and Mike Arnaoutis.

Maidana, 25, lost only a split decision to current WBA champ Kotelnik in his last bout while Ortiz’s sole defeat came in an early fight when a journeyman he

hit on the break stayed on the deck and won (by DQ) in the first round.

Many in the US are sold on Ortiz, with rumours circulating in LA that he has floored Manny Pacquiao in their heated sparring sessions over the last couple of years.

Schaefer said: “A few weeks ago I watched Oscar De La Hoya retire from boxing, leaving everyone wondering ‘Who would fill his shoes?’ To be a superstar first you have to have the talent, then you have to be charming, have that perfect smile and you need to work to help the community. To become a superstar you have to have all these ingredients and Victor has them all.”

“I can’t say I’m going to fill anybody’s shoes,” said Ortiz. “But I am writing my own book and I’m doing it well.”

“I know my opponent is good and people are going to enjoy this fight. But, in the end, I know I will win,” said Maidana.

It is a risky fight for Ortiz, who was dropped by a battle-worn Dairo Esalas last year.

But the Golden Boy brain trust would not be ready to risk their future star. They might be throwing him in at the deep end but one has to be confident he will swim rather than sink. And more likely he will do it in style in the mid-late rounds.

Also on the undercard is Freddie Roach’s hot Scot, Craig McEwan, 15-0 (9). He gets Mexico’s Guillermo Romero, 9-3 (7).

Prize guy Oakey out at home

STILL GOT IT: Oakey appears relatively fresh and fit at 33

HATTON PROMOTIONS, in association with trainer Johnny Eames, stage an open show tomorrow night (Saturday, June 27) at the Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth.

Topping is Eames’ light-heavyweight, hometown hero Tony Oakey. The former British champion meets Llanelli’s Shon Davies for the vacant International Masters crown over 10 rounds.

Davies is only 7-4 (3), but that record is deceptive. Only Commonwealth Games gold medallist Kenny Anderson has stopped him and of the three points setbacks, two – by decent pair Tyrone Wright and Billy Boyle – were very

24 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

close and the third, by former amateur star Courtney Fry, over three rounds in February’s Prizefighter tournament.

Last time out, Davies (22) was pipped

by Boyle on his opponent’s Sheffield turf for the same title (vacant then, too) that he challenges for tonight.

Boyle went on to be destroyed by British boss Nathan Cleverly, a man Oakey took the distance last October for the vacant domestic strap, only to lose widely on points.

That, and the fact Oakey beat both Boyle and Fry on his way to the Prizefighter crown, shows that Tony, still looking fit and strong at 33, should

have too much for puncher Davies.

The Portsmouth man, 28-4-1 (7), has a fantastic workrate, good head movement and amazing toughness. Only big banger Dean Francis has halted him and that took nine rounds. Oakey could wear Davies down late on, but I go for a clear points victory to thrill the fans.

Highlight of the undercard sees local light-middle southpaw Paul Morby, 5-3 (0), take on Newmarket’s unbeaten Pat McAleese in the latter’s first six-rounder.

Bulgaria’s Olympic (Athens 2004) light-welter bronze medallist Boris Georgiev – to be known as Bobby George – makes his pro debut.

Previews Will Booth be too smooth for Dean?

Abraham eyes Pavlik but gets Oral ‘Little Pacquiao’ ready to jump for Joyi

24-27 26 27 27

TIME TO BREAK THROUGH Daniel Herbert says Lopez is yet to gain mainstream fame and now faces tricky Lontchi Photos: Chris Farina/Top Rank

ONE of the most exciting boxers around today is Juan Manuel Lopez, the Puerto Rican southpaw with a devastating punch. But while the WBO super-bantamweight is known to hard-core fans, he has yet to break out to the general public.

That much can be deduced by the venue for his latest fight, a defence against Olivier Lontchi in Atlantic City tomorrow (Saturday June 27).

It’s the main event on Top Rank’s Latin Fury 9 pay-per-view show and goes ahead at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City – but not the main hall, rather the smaller (3,500 capacity) Adrian Phillips Ballroom at one end.

Tomorrow’s card is deep, which is just as well because Lopez has a habit of blowing opponents away early.

The man from Caguas, who turns 26 on Tuesday (June 30), has won all 25 fights, 23 inside the distance. He has notched no fewer than 10 one-round wins and if that often happens early in a boxer’s career when the opposition is soft, “Juanma” managed it at a much higher level, with his first three WBO title fights.

A year ago he ripped the crown from Mexican southpaw Daniel Ponce De Leon, a renowned banger himself.

He retained with first-round beatings of Cesar Figueroa (another Mexican) and Argentina’s Sergio Manuel Medina, in 47 and 98 seconds respectively.

Then in April, last time out, Lopez was taken into the 10th round

by Gerry Penalosa, a very experienced Filipino who had never been stopped.

Lopez maintained a high workrate, digging the body well and landing uppercuts to wear down the

BANGER V BOXER: Lopez (left) has never been 12 rounds but Lontchi plans to use his skills

37-year-old veteran. True, the Puerto Rican didn’t put Penalosa down, but then nobody has ever done that (and never will, because Gerry has since retired). Trainer Freddie Roach pulled Penalosa out with his honour intact, and Lopez still hasn’t gone the championship distance of 12 rounds.

The furthest he’s travelled is to the 1-12 mark of round 10, against Mexico’s Hugo Dianzo in August 2007. Dianzo had once dropped Paulie Ayala in a losing WBA bantam title bid.

And so to Lontchi, a

26-year-old originally from Cameroon who has been living in Montreal since 2001. He’s unbeaten in 20 fights (two draws) but only eight early wins doesn’t bode well for his chances tomorrow.

He reckons he will outbox Lopez, but only two fights ago (in August 2008) he was held to a 10-round draw by one Eduardo Garcia, an 18-5 Mexican.

And by his own admission, Lontchi has only ever boxed one southpaw, amateur or pro – and he lost! No doubt trainer Howard Grant will have arranged portsided sparring, but not against anyone who can bang

Linares a class apart

NO PROGRESS: Linares is not the superstar many predicted as yet

WHEN Jorge Linares won the vacant WBC featherweight title with a 10thround stoppage of Oscar Larios in July 2007, the Venezuelan seemed set for superstardom.

Instead, after a defence against ordinary Gamaliel Diaz (ko 8), he relinquished to contest the WBA championship up at super-feather.

He stopped Whyber Garcia in five rounds, but has gone from boxing at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas (undercard of Bernard Hopkins v Winky Wright) to a convention centre in Panama City.

His first WBA 9st 4lbs defence

tomorrow (Saturday June 27) is unlikely to change that. Linares, 26-0 (17), meets unheralded southpaw Josafat Perez at the Nuevo Laredo bullring in the challenger’s home country of Mexico.

Perez has had only 13 fights, winning all but the last – a 10-round split decision in September 2008 to Julio Cesar Sanchez Leon, whom he had outpointed for the Mexican lightweight title five months earlier.

But even if Perez is big at the weight, Linares looks far too good.

The champ can either win widely on points or grab a late stoppage.

like Lopez. And Olivier is conceding two inches in height to the 5ft 7in champion, which means he will have to get close to be effective. So “Juanma” won’t even need to wear out his legs to find his challenger.

Lontchi has beaten former IBF bantam king Cruz Carbajal (pts 12 in 2007) and another experienced Mexican in Cecilio Santos (ko 7 last time out in April).

But unless Lontchi’s a whole lot better than his record suggests, he won’t be the one to upset the Lopez charge to glory.

The pick is for Lopez to catch up with his volleys of spiteful punches and score a spectacular win by halfway.

Another 12-rounder sees Mexico’s Jorge Arce return from his February mauling by Vic Darchinyan with a 12-rounder against Fernando Lumacad of the Philippines.

Arce may be only 30 but has a lot of miles on the clock in a 51-5-1 (39) ledger. Jorge was way behind on points against Darchinyan when pulled out in round 11 because of cut eyes.

Lumacad is 19-1-2 (7) but has boxed just once outside the Philippines, and that was in Thailand. It brought defeat by experienced Wandee Singwancha, but on points (12 rounds), so Fernando can take a shot.

He has presumably been brought in to let the popular Arce get back on the winning track in a moderately demanding fight. So it looks like Arce on points.

Veteran Eric Morel is off the bill after his opponent, WBO bantam boss Fernando Montiel, pulled out injured.

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 25

Previews British super-bantamweight title

BOUND TO BE ATTRACTIVE Danny Flexen says veterans Booth and Dean cannot fail to put on a good spectacle Photos: Action Images

TWO veteran craftsmen fight over the British super-bantamweight title at York Hall, Bethnal Green on Tuesday (June 30) in a 12-rounder that will almost certainly be pleasing on the eye.

Slick champion Jason Booth of Nottingham, also the Commonwealth title-holder down at bantam, puts his 8st 10lbs belt on the line for the first time against Thetford’s neat-boxing Rocky Dean. Frank Maloney promotes and waiting in the wings as mandatory challenger for the winner is Hartlepool’s former British, Commonwealth and European boss Michael Hunter. Michael stopped Dean in a round in 2003 and Rocky must be desperate to avenge that. Booth was one-all with the Hartlepool livewire as an amateur.

Last time out, in April, Booth put on a sparkling performance that belied his 31 years (the same age as Dean and relatively old in the lighter weights) to take the vacant title against Liverpool’s Mark Moran. Despite training for a shot at the British super-fly title on the bill, late sub Booth bulked up at a week’s notice and dominated the Liverpudlian with fine defence, movement and accuracy.

The Nottingham man is on a winning run of five, against good company, and is enjoying a second successful chapter in a career that has seen him win British and Commonwealth flyweight titles plus the IBO belt at super-fly.

Against Moran, Booth, 32-5 (13) and trained by Tony Harris, had not seen any tapes of his opponent before the fight and the same is true for Dean.

“I don’t know anything about him,” Booth admitted. “I’ve heard he’s a come-forward fighter so I’ll counterpunch him for a bit and then see what happens.

“I’ve built into 8st 10lbs naturally now and I’ll be a lot stronger this time.”

Booth will give up only an inch in height to Dean. The Thetford man has a patchy record at 14-10-2 (4) but all bar two of his losses have come against then-unbeaten fighters. Three have come against the same man, former British boss Matthew Marsh, who after retaining the belt against Rocky in

November pulled out injured from a mandated defence against Moran, giving Booth his chance.

The first two Marsh setbacks were close 10-rounders, the most recent a majority decision over 12. Dean boxed well, his fitness and technical skills could not be faulted but Marsh just had a little extra movement and handspeed.

Rocky has beaten men like Mickey

EXPERIENCED: Arthur has superb amateur pedigree and is on form

SLICKSTER: Unbeaten Bhatia is fast, smooth and has plenty of flair

FINE WINE: Booth is in excellent nick for his age and has won his last five

MOTIVATED: Dean wants to win the title for his late trainer Humphrey

26 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

Coveney and current British bantam king Gary Davis, who he stopped in four rounds in 2005. He has shared a ring with the best around his weight class, including Hunter, Isaac Ward, Martin Power, Andy Morris and Marsh, although they all defeated him.

The Norfolk man has sparred Akaash Bhatia, Ian Napa and Coveney in the lead-up to this and says he is trying some new things for Booth.

“I’m working on more movement instead of walking in straight lines.

Booth’s a class act but I know I won’t have to go looking for him.”

The challenger is trained by Martin Bowers after the death last year of longtime coach John Humphrey. “I’d like to win this for him and his wife,” said Dean.

“I haven’t forgotten him.”

Dean will likely come forward, bobbing and rolling behind a tight guard. He works the body well but his best shot is the right over the top.

Booth will also look to avoid shots with good upper-body movement and

counter with flashy combinations, in particular the left hook (to body and head) and uppercuts from both hands.

Jason is as comfortable on the back foot as he is going forward.

His greater handspeed and accuracy can see him begin to pick Dean off in the fight’s latter half for a clear points win in a cracking scrap.

Quality chief support sees aformentioned unbeaten Harrow man Bhatia, with relative home advantage, take on Cwmbran’s Jamie Arthur over 10 rounds in an eliminator for Martin Lindsay’s British featherweight title.

Fast, stylish Bhatia is 14-0 (5) and has ended his last three fights within the first three rounds. This included a two-round knockout of a faded Marc Callaghan two fights ago with a big left hook, one of the punches of last year.

Arthur, 14-2 (4), has seen both his defeats come via the short route. Fellow Commonwealth Games gold medallist Haider Ali (Arthur won the 2002 title at lightweight, Ali at feather) stopped him on cuts in January 2005 before decent South African Harry Ramogoadi halted the Welshman genuinely six months later.

Arthur, two inches taller than 5ft 7in Bhatia and three years older at 29, beat the usual suspects on the way up but has won five in a row since the Ramogoadi reverse, including a standout two-round knockout of Dai Davies, who has a poor record but recently won the Welsh title at feather.

Arthur was a nine-time Welsh amateur champion but Bhatia has more flair as a pro and can win via stoppage around the seventh.

Olympic bronze medallist Darren Sutherland makes his London debut on the bumper undercard.

Previews from Germany & South Africa Photo: David Ebener/DPA/PA Images

ARTHUR ABRAHAM, the Germanbased Armenian who holds the IBF middleweight belt, doesn’t seem any nearer his dream showdown with Kelly Pavlik. Tomorrow (Saturday June 27) the man known as “King Arthur” marks time with a defence against Mahir Oral at the Max-Schmeling Halle in Berlin.

Sauerland Event promote the 12rounder and Abraham gets the chance to impress American fans because it will be shown delayed on Showtime in the USA. Both are 29 and while Abraham has a 100 per cent record at 290 (23) Oral isn’t far behind at 25-1-2 (10).

‘MANY AVOID ARTHUR BUT MAHIR HAS NOTHING TO LOSE’ AHMET ÖNER

Yet Oral, a smart-boxing German of Turkish descent, can’t match the champion for experience. His biggest wins have come over Italy’s Domenico Spada, on a split decision for the WBC International bauble; and Germany’s Alexander Sipos twice (pts 12 and rtd 7, both in 2008). Sipos went to Ireland in March and was widely outscored by Andy Lee. Then in May he was stopped (seven rounds) by Maksim Bursak in Ukraine. That’s not the form to suggest Oral can dethrone a man who has twice beaten Edison Miranda (pts 12, despite suffering a broken jaw, and rsf 4) – at a time when the big-hitting Colombian

STYLES MAKE FIGHTS: Clever Oral is clearly taller but Abraham is so strong

The path to Pavlik Daniel Herbert can’t see Oral obstructing Arthur’s unification plans was at his fearsome best. Yet Oral used to be a sparring partner of Arthur’s and the challenger’s manager Ahmet Öner says: “Many others in the middleweight division are avoiding Arthur because

they don’t think they have any chance against him. But Mahir has nothing to lose.”

The blemishes on Oral’s record came back in 2003-04, when he was

still boxing over four and six rounds.

He has surely improved, but Abraham is very strong for 11st 6lbs and must be favoured to wear him down for a late stoppage or wide points win.

Strawweight shootout Photo: Michael Pinyana

South Africa is ready for fireworks, writes Pete Moscardi

IMPRESSIVE: Joyi has reached a high in his two most recent bouts

FLORANTE CONDES, the former IBF strawweight champion, is known in his native Philippines as “The little Pacquiao”. With a record of 23-4-1 (20) it is not too difficult to figure out how this hard-punching, 29-year-old southpaw got his nickname.

Tonight (Friday June 26) in East London’s Orient Theatre, Condes will be pitting his punching power against arguably South Africa’s best pound-forpound fighter, Nkosinathi “Mabere” Joyi. The 12 rounder is an IBF final eliminator for its strawweight title held by Mexican Raul Garcia. It’s promoted by Branco Milenkovic’s BSP Productions and the venue is guaranteed to be sold out.

This is a battle of southpaw punchers in which a winner could be predicted by a toss of a coin. The similarity in the respective records of the fighters suggests this is an evenly-matched contest between two protagonists who possess the power and punch to end it at any time before the final round.

And while Joyi’s capabilities are wellknown to fight fans throughout the country, it is the unknown quantity of Condes that gives this fight its intrigue.

The Filipino made his professional debut in June 2002 with a second-round

knockout of Ruben Billones. In December 2005 when he won the Philippines Boxing Federation title against Philip Parcon (ko 6), and in February the following year he won the Philippines Games & Amusement Board title against Elmer Gejon (ko 5).

But Condes was aiming at greater honours and in July 2007 he travelled to Jakarta, where he dethroned IBF strawweight champion Muhammed Rachman by split decision. Just under a year later he lost the title in his first defence, being outpointed (again, split)

by Raul Garcia on the Mexican’s home turf in Baja California.

It was desperately close and Condes had his challenger down in the last. But it was in Garcia’s backyard.

Joyi, who always makes his ring entrance accompanied by his oversize teddy bear mascot, will not have lost much sleep over Condes’ imposing record. “Mabere” (meaning bear), as he is known, has little respect for records or reputations. His statistics of 19-0 (15) make their own statement.

Joyi has never been in a fight in which he has failed to impress, but he certainly reached a high in his last two outings, which saw him score devastating wins over tough Mexican opposition.

Sammy Gutierrez was 20-2-2 (12) when he squared off against Joyi a year ago. In an all-action fight, Joyi unloaded with a fierce combination in the seventh that left Gutierrez out on his feet and helpless. That Gutierrez had fought a 12-round draw and had lost a split decision to Garcia, made this an impressive win.

Experienced veteran Lorenzo Trejo was the next Mexican to face Joyi. He was dismissed with contemptuous ease in two rounds in November last year.

Trejo, 30-17-1 when he faced Joyi, had fought for both the WBC and WBO titles and had taken Edgar Sosa into the ninth round before being stopped in their September 2007 WBC light-fly title clash. No-one had treated Trejo with this degree of disrespect.

There is only one common opponent. In Joyi’s only fight outside the Eastern Cape, he demolished Filipino Arman della Cruz in two rounds in Johannesburg in November 2006 to win the vacant IBO strawweight title. Condes scored a fifthround knockout over Della Cruz in April the same year.

This is a tough fight to call, but I’m going for a Joyi win sometime before the eighth round in a slugfest.

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 27

Diary British & international dates Photo: Action Images/Reuters

JUNE FRIDAY 26 Melksham, Wiltshire Nick Blackwell v Dave Sadler; Kristine Shergold v Lana Cooper; Liam Richards v Anthony Hanna; Chris Long v Henry Janes; Miles Davis v Gary Cooper; Vatche Wartanian v Kevin McCauley.

(Promoters: First Team. Tel: 07976 283157).

Orient Theatre, East London, South Africa Nkosinathi Joyi v Florante Condes (IBF strawweight title eliminator) Casino Rama, Ontario Steve Molitor v Heriberto Ruiz (IBF super-bantamweight title eliminator); Greg Kielsa v Byron Lee Polley; Austin Trout v Shawn Garnett Desert Diamond Casino, Tucson (ESPN2) Daniel Jacobs v George Walton; Erislandy Lara v Willie Lee; Deontay Wilder v Kelsey Arnold Hermann-Neuberger-Halle, Völklingen, Germany (Eurosport) Herbie Hide v Gabor Halasz; Steffen Kretschmann v Denis Bakhtov; Dmitry Pirog v Kofi Jantuah Humberto Gonzalez Marbet Plus, Ciudad Neza, Mexico City (Telemundo) Jesus Jimenez v Santiago Ivan Acosta (WBC Latin flyweight title) Luna Park, Buenos Aires Omar Narvaez (holder) v Omar Soto (WBO flyweight title) Caguas, Puerto Rico Luis Cruz v Yogli Herrera

SATURDAY 27 Staples Center, Los Angeles (HBO) Rocky Juarez v Juan Carlos Salgado; Victor Ortiz v Marcos Maidana (interim WBA lightwelterweight title); Craig McEwan v Guillermo Romero; Adrien Broner v William Kickett Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth (www.brandhatton.com) Tony Oakey v Shon Davies (vacant International Masters light-heavy title); Pat McAleese v Paul Morby; Peter Haymer v Danny Couzens; Johnny Creamer v Jay Morris; Sam Couzens v s/o; Nathan Weise v Lloyd Smith; Boris Georgiev v s/o Adrian Phillips Ballroom, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City (ppv) Juan Manuel Lopez (holder) v Olivier Lontchi (WBO superbantamweight title); Jorge Arce v Fernando Lumacad; Yuri Foreman v Cornelius Bundrage; Vanes Martirosyan v Andrei Tsurkan; Demetrius Hopkins v Hector

Munoz; Matt Korobov v Benjamin Diaz La Palestre, Le Cannet, France Jean-Marc Monrose v Steve Herelius (vacant WBA Intercontinental cruiserweight title & WBA title eliminator); Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam v Gennady Martirosyan (vacant WBA Intercontinental middleweight title & WBA title eliminator); Sofiane Takoucht v Samir Kasmi (vacant French featherweight title); Nadjib Mohammedi v Jose Tavares Borges; Gregory Tony v Carlos Takam; Valery Brudov v Pascal Lacampagne; Ali Hallab v s/o Max Schmeling Halle, Berlin Arthur Abraham (holder) v Mahir Oral (IBF middleweight title); Sebastian Sylvester v Lajuan Simon (IBF middleweight title eliminator); Enad Licina (holder) v Ignacio Esparza (IBF Intercontinental cruiserweight title) Windhoek, Namibia Paulus Moses (holder) v Verquan Kimbrough (WBA lightweight title) Laredo, Mexico Jorge Linares (holder) v Josafat Perez (WBA super-featherweight title)

SUNDAY 28 Liquid Envy Nightclub, Luton Graham Earl v Karl Taylor; Martin Gethin v Jason Nesbitt; Jamie Boness v s/o; Blaine Courtney v s/o; Michael Devine v Michael Harvey; Luke Wilton v s/o.

(Promoters: First Team, tel 07976283157).

TUESDAY 30 York Hall, Bethnal Green (Sky) Jason Booth (holder) v Rocky Dean (British super-bantamweight title); Akaash Bhatia v Jamie Arthur (British featherweight title eliminator); Darren Sutherland v Gennadiy Rasalev; Ryan Evans v Johnny Greaves; Tom Dallas v Stas Belokov; Liam Shinkwin v Carl Griffith; Martin Power v Asamoah Wilson; Ashley Sexton v Mike Robinson; Mene Edwards v Mark Nilsen; Tomas Grublys v s/o; Martin Welsh v Kristian Laight.

(Promoter: Frank Maloney.

Tickets: £80 ringside, £30 other.

Tel: 0871 226 1508).

JULY THURSDAY 2 Moscow Grigory Drozd v Darnell Wilson; Sherzod Husanov v Ante Bilic; Dmitry Ganiev v Sapapetch Sor Saokorat; Vyacheslav Glazkov v Ozkan Cetinkaya

FRIDAY 3 Palais des Sport Marcel

BOXING NEWS FIGHT DIARY

■ FOR our regularly updated schedule of upcoming fights, go to >>

www.boxingnewsonline.net 28 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

HERBIE’S BACK: Hide gets Halasz in Germany Cerdan, Levallois Perret, France Souleymane MBaye v Paul McCloskey (vacant European light-welterweight title); Anthony Mezaache (holder) v Andrei Kudriavtsev (European lightweight title); Ali Chebah v Fidel Monterrosa; Johann Duhaupas v s/o; Christophe De Busillet v Mounir Guebbas Hanover Lukas Konecny v Christophe Karagoz

SATURDAY 4 Poitiers, France Anselmo Moreno (holder) v Mahyar Monshipour (WBA bantamweight title); Nadege Sikora v Isabelle Leonardi (vacant European women’s bantamweight title); Daniel Sassou Kodjo v Arsene Martirosyan; Frédéric Patrac v Manuel Sequera; Khedafi Djelkhir v s/o; Daouda Sow v s/o Color Line Arena, Hamburg Alexander Dimitrenko v Eddie Chambers (WBO heavyweight title eliminator); Susi Kentikian v Marcela Gutierrez Gaite; Alexander Alekseev v s/o; Alesia Graf v s/o

SUNDAY 5 Tower Ballrooms, Edgbaston, Birmingham Thomas Costello v s/o; Nasser Al Harbi v s/o; Dean Hickman v s/o; Richard Ghent v s/o; Rhys Davies v s/o; James Mulhern v s/o; Daniel Walton v s/o. (Promoters: First Team. Tel 07976-283157).

FRIDAY 10 Seaburn Centre, Sunderland (SKY) Lee Haskins (holder) v Ross Burkinshaw (British superflyweight title); Martin Murray v s/o; Tony Jeffries v s/o; Darren Sutherland v s/o; Dave Ferguson v s/o; Travis Dickinson v s/o; JonLewis Dickinson v s/o; Chris Mullan v s/o; Trevor Crewe v s/o; Danny Hughes v Larry Olubamiwo; Kirk Goodings.

(Promoter: Frank Maloney. Tel: 0208-467-7647).

Houston (ESPN2) Matt Godfrey v Shawn Hawk; Shaun George v Chris Henry Istanbul Selcuk Aydin (holder) v Jackson Osei Bonsu (for Aydin’s WBC International and vacant European welterweight titles)

SATURDAY 11 Altrincham Leisure Centre Mark Thompson v s/o; Scott Quigg v s/o; Rhys Roberts v s/o; Matthew Askin v s/o; James Barkin; Adrian Gonzalez v s/o; Alfonso Vieyra. (Hatton Promotions. For tickets tel: 0161 775 7500).

Kensington Town Hall, London Choi Tseveenpurev v s/o; Kresnik Qato v s/o; Mark Alexander v s/o; Nathan Graham v s/o; Junior Saeed v s/o. (Promoter: Spencer Fearon. For tickets tel: 07590 336636).

Nurburg, Germany Felix Sturm (holder) v Khoren Gevor (WBA middleweight title); Sebastian Zbik v Domenico Spada (vacant interim WBC middle title) BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, Florida (Sho) Joseph Agbeko (holder) v Vic Darchinyan (IBF bantamweight title); Steve Cunningham v Wayne Braithwaite (IBF cruiserweight eliminator); Antonio DeMarco v Anges Adjaho Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey Tomasz Adamek (holder) v Bobby Gunn (IBF cruiserweight title); Henry Crawford v s/o Laredo, Texas Nehomar Cermeno (holder) v Cristian Mijares (interim WBA bantamweight title) El Palenque, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico Cristobal Cruz (holder) v Jorge Solis (IBF featherweight title); Gabriel Martinez v Michel Rosales; Arturo Santos Reyes v s/o Emperor’s Palace, Kempton Park, South Africa Phillip Ndou v Lovemore Ndou

BOXING ON THE BOX FRIDAY 26 12.10am & 1.45pm ESPN Classic The Best Of Sugar Ray Robinson (pt 2) 8pm British Eurosport LIVE Denis Bakhtov v Steffen Kretschmann

SUNDAY 28 12.20am ESPN Classic Hasim Rahman: The Season 4.30am ESPN Classic Henry Cooper v Cassius Clay [below]

MONDAY 29 1.45am Channel 5 Boxing USA 2.50am ESPN Classic Rivalries: Ringside (pt 1)

TUESDAY 30 2.50am ESPN Classic Rivalries: Ringside (pt 2) 8pm British Eurosport Luis Abregu v Irving Garcia 9.30pm Sky Sports 2 LIVE Jason Booth v Rocky Dean

WEDNESDAY 1 JULY 3am ESPN Classic Rivalries: Ringside (pt 3)

THURSDAY 2 3pm ESPN Classic Rivalries: Ringside (pt 4)

FRIDAY 3 3pm ESPN Classic Rivalries: Ringside (pt 5)

The Big Feature

MAGICAL VISIT TO ‘TITLE TOWN’

Tris Dixon makes the trip to Canastota for this year’s International Boxing Hall of Fame induction weekend and finds a Brit is the star of the show Photos: Jeff Julian/FightWireImages.com & Mike Greenhill

CLASS OF 2009: (From left to right) Mitchell, McIlvanney, Lewis, Merchant, Canizales and Goodman

B

OXING’S magic dust was News journalist and Golden Gloves creator sprinkled over the small upstate Paul Gallico went into the Observer New York village of Canastota as category. The first recognised American it came alive for the 20th time heavyweight champion, Tom Hyer, entered since the International Boxing the Pioneer category.

Hall of Fame was founded.

However, Britain’s Lewis was the focal An illustrious guest list of fighters and point of the weekend. boxing-related personalities descended “Wow, this ring’s nice,” said the upon “Title Town” to witness the heavyweight who beat every man he faced inductions of the deserving class of former as a pro in his 44-fight career, as he heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, the received his Hall of Fame band. “Who under-appreciated (until now) former would have thought a 14-year-old boy who bantamweight king Orlando was dancing in front of the Canizales, South African mirror trying to do an Ali super-featherweight star shuffle would actually be Brian Mitchell, publicist here today? I wanted to be Bob Goodman, Scottish great like Ali, Jack writer Hugh McIlvanney, Johnson, Joe Louis and Japanese promoter Akihiko Rocky Marciano and many Honda and broadcaster more – so I’m really Larry Merchant.

LENNOX LEWIS humbled to be here. It’s a Posthumous inductees great honour.” included former middleweight champions Flanked by his mother, Violet, and wife, William “Gorilla” Jones and Billy Soose, also named Violet, who is expecting the while welterweight “Mysterious” Billy couple’s third child, Lewis thanked his critSmith was also enshrined in the Old-Timers ics, trainers and family. category.

“Six years ago me and my team had our Non-Participant inductees included last camp and I think about the sacrifices manager (of Benny Leonard and Gene they made, especially leaving their families Tunney) Billy Gibson and former New and being on the road with me,” he said.

Jersey commissioner Abe J. Green, while “The friendship we forged over the years the excellent American New York Daily will always be there. ➔

‘I’M REALLY HUMBLED TO BE HERE. IT’S A GREAT HONOUR’

30 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

‘WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT A 14-YEAR OLD BOY TRYING TO DO AN ALI SHUFFLE IN THE MIRROR WOULD BE HERE TODAY?’

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 31

The Big Feature Photos: Jeff Julian/FightWireImages.com & Mike Greenhill

NEW BLOOD: Cintron (left) and Berto offer Canastota something different

➔ “I did it the other way around. I waited Canto, managed to get in only 16 years until after my career to get married and after retiring and following 14 defences, six have kids. They weren’t really on the years after Norton.

Many felt Canizales’ induction overdue journey with me but I’m proud today that to his record-breaking at least they are able to share in some- thanks thing and I’m glad to have them here on bantamweight career of 16 title defences in the most important part of my journey – six years and three months. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why his acceptance into the Hall of Fame.”

Lewis, who made appearances on the speech was one of the highlights of a Friday, Saturday and induction day, signing glorious Sunday afternoon. He wept as he plenty of autographs in the process, thanked his family – including brother became the first modern Briton inducted Gaby who was there and whom he used to at the first time of asking in the Hall’s follow to the gym as a boy – and the fans.

“Boxing taught me a lot of lessons in life history – five years after retiring.

Naseem Hamed did not make the cut – that dedication, discipline and last year or this and there is still no place determination will pay off in the long run for Nigel Benn, although there was talk of and not to be easily swayed by obstacles and bumps in the road,” he Joe Calzaghe going in at said. “Boxing was good to the first try four years me. I have great memories from now, incidentally and no regrets. I just hope alongside Oscar De La that somehow, somewhere, Hoya.

I have made a difference in Once again, however, someone’s life.” there were murmurs of The crowd stood, deserving contenders still being overlooked with BRIAN MITCHELL clapping and cheering, as he took his seat and wiped some declaring threetime light-heavyweight champion Marvin the tears away.

“They say it takes a real man to cry,” Johnson and Caribbean puncher Julian Jackson as Hall-worthy. Also still waiting said fellow inductee Mitchell, as he took for the phone to ring are Japanese light- the microphone to make his speech. “And flyweight Yoko Gushiken, arguably his Orlando proved it today.

“I was an amateur for 10 years and a country’s finest fighter – who has been retired almost 20 years – and South professional for 15 and I think all that Korean light-flyweights Jung Koo Chang blood, sweat and tears and every second, and Myung Woo Yuh, Thai fly Sot Chitalada every minute and every hour on the road, in the gym, sparring and the guts and the and exciting American Danny Lopez.

Whatever, the plight of unheralded heartaches, this is what it was all about,” fighters from obscure corners of the world said the South African. “Today I am in the or the smaller weight classes was high- Hall of Fame.”

West Coast promoter Don Chargin spoke lighted by one attendee. He noted heavyweight Ken Norton was inducted in on behalf of the absent Honda, having 1992 despite going 0-3 in title fights while taken a phone call from his Japanese mini-genius, Mexican flyweight Miguel colleague the night before. “He said of all

‘THE BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS WERE ALL WORTH IT’

32 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

the honours he’s received in the last 45 years this tops everything,” said Chargin.

“It’s a huge privilege to be inducted in the same year and same class as Lennox Lewis,” said McIlvanney, who gave an excellent speech and is the benchmark for the modern boxing writer. “It would have been an honour at any time and I’m privileged to go in with these guys.”

Publicist Goodman, joining his father Murray in the IBHOF, had to follow McIlvanney’s lengthy talk.

“I did have a long speech made up,” said Goodman ripping up his sheets of paper.

“But McIlvanney just gave it.”

HBO commentator Merchant had everyone cringing when he thanked the IBHOF’s executive director Ed “Schultz” rather than Ed Brophy but he also praised his wife, Patricia, “who may not love boxing as I do but has lived with it as long as I have.”

The 10-bell salute was heard in honour of four Hall of Famers who passed away this year: Ingemar Johansson (who was too unwell to attend when inducted in 2002), Reg Gutteridge, Jose Torres and Joey Giardello.

There was some disquiet on the grounds that the guest list and number of visitors was smaller due to the credit crunch.

There is no question, numbers were down, particularly on a quiet Thursday when there was little activity aside from question-and-answer sessions with Mark Breland, another with Mitchell and countryman and Hall of Fame referee Stan Christodoulou, and one with welterweight champs Billy Backus and John H Stracey.

Aside from training fighters, Breland breeds and trains dogs and said his best night came when he beat Lloyd Honeyghan. “I did not like him at all,” he said.

“It’s good to see all of the great fighters most who go travel with “spending money”.

Lonsdale’s Chas and Kimberly Taylor, here,” said Stracey, who performed two songs during Thursday’s opening leading an army of Brits that might have ceremony. “There are no bigger and no made up as much as 15 per cent of the smaller fighters – we’re all the same. It is a crowds, were there for the 20th consecutive year and more than 200 fantastic occasion.”

Backus was asked what would have volunteers made sure the weekend went smoothly. There is no question that in happened had he fought Stracey.

“I like him too much to think what Canastota, boxing has found an unlikely I would have done to him,” he smiled. “I home.

Middleweight great Marvin Hagler, who didn’t know him then but I know him now loves attending to hang out with his fellow and I like him.”

“Where we will have a good match,” said fighters rather than speak to fans, said: “I Stracey, “is Graziano’s [bar] where we will feel like I’m home when I’m here with all of these guys. They’re like my brothers.” knock them back later.”

The loudest ovation of the weekend As it was, Backus shed the first tears of the weekend during the Q and A. He was came for hometown hero Carmen Basilio. clearly moved when a fan recounted a The more decrepit he becomes, the louder story of Backus saving a sparring partner’s the cheers. Also in poor health but battling life at the old Water Street Gym in on was Emile Griffith.

The two parade grand marshals were Syracuse. He nailed Herbie Walker with an uppercut – in front of a crowd of no more Federico Castelluccio, or, if you prefer, than six – and Walker swallowed his hitman Furio from The Sopranos and Burt tongue. With everyone else panicking and Young, better known as Paulie from the Walker turning purple, Rocky movies.

Backus – now 66 – ripped “It’s been an incredible,” his gloves off, reached said Castelluccio. “It’s a inside Walker’s mouth and beautiful place and I’ve saved his life. Backus wept met some wonderful as he heard the story while people.” the crowd applauded his In that respect, it is the heroics. same each year.

Some regular visitors And once the world MARVIN HAGLER said the number of new climbs out of the economic attendees was poor with the weekend stupor the number of visitors should serving more as a reunion between the increase, particularly when you fighters and fans who have been going for consider the likes of Kostya Tszyu, Julio years rather than one that presented new Cesar Chavez, Mike Tyson and Tommy faces. In fact, during the opening Hearns will be due their Hall calls in the next ceremony, Ed Brophy asked for a show of couple of years. hands for visitors who have been more On the first day, Jeff Brophy, nephew of than five times. A blanket of arms was executive director Ed, noted that one raised. He then went year by year to 20 and, familiar and friendly face would be missed while the numbers dropped, there was a high in particular – Jose Torres. number who have been going since day one.

Chargin said of Torres, “We all knew he That is, of course, good and bad. was a great fighter, a great husband and a However, Brophy unveiled plans to build great Hall of Famer. He gave us a lot of a larger museum on their ample grounds thrills with great fights. We all miss him and he has also come up with a Night of and send our condolences to his family.” the Rising Stars bash on the Friday night, Torres’ fellow IBHOF staples Basilio and an enjoyable event at the Rusty Rail House Griffith both seemed frighteningly frail. where current and future stars meet the Unless new faces are found from a fighter fans to talk about their introduction to the and fan perspective, these wonderful sport and careers so far. reunions will continue to get smaller. ■ WBC welter champ Andre Berto, lightmiddle stars Paul Williams and Kermit TEARFUL: Cintron, IBF super-middle champ Lucian Canizales Bute, heavyweight contender Kevin savours his Johnson and Beijing bronze medallist defining (Team USA’s only one in 2008) Deontay moment Wilder all spoke well.

They were followed by Lennox, who offered them words of wisdom from his own experiences, imploring them to “protect that money”.

So it was ironic the next day when former welter contender Fitz Vanderpool, in excellent shape, lost his wallet.

Another bone of contention with fans was the $135 banquet on the Saturday night. I did not go but one fan complained the meat was too rare and even one of the fighters joked his food, “Was still mooing.”

The memorabilia fare at the High School on Saturday produced some great value bargains and a few hidden gems. It is worth the $10 admission price alone, even if you use it as a museum for the day, though

‘I FEEL LIKE I’M HOME WHEN I’M HERE WITH THESE GUYS’

BN

The Inductees

Lennox Lewis Orlando Canizales Brian Mitchell Hugh McIlavnney Larry Merchant Akihiko Honda Bob Goodman POSTHUMOUS INDUCTEES OLD-TIMERS CATEGORY William Jones Billy Soose “Mysterious” Billy Smith OBSERVER CATEGORY Paul Gallico NON-PARTICIPANT CATEGORY Billy Gibson Abe J. Green PIONEER CATEGORY Tom Hyer THE GUEST LIST Livingstone Bramble, LeRoy Murphy, Marvin Hagler, Andre Berto, Paul Williams, Michael Carbajal, Greg Haugen, Gaby Canizales, Junior Jones, Deontay Wilder, Lucian Bute, Kevin Johnson, Carmen Basilio, Don Fullmer, Billy Backus, John H Stracey, Don Chargin, Marlon Starling, Stan Christodoulou, Emile Griffith, Leon Spinks, Ruben Olivares, Aaron Pryor, Carlos Ortiz, Dickie DeVeronica, Carlos Palomino, Kermit Cintron, Christy Martin, Kenny Bayless, Angelo Dundee, J Russel Peltz, Emanuel Steward

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 33

Readers’ Letters letters@boxingnewsonline.net

Your say… letters@boxingnewsonline.net

BOXERS MAKE THE SWEETEST MUSIC St★r letter ARE there any other readers like myself who try to escape, just for a short time, the obsessive grip that the sport of boxing has on their lives?

Or, like me, are they incapable of paying full attention to other pastimes?

Thus I find that I can’t even go to a concert without seeing, instead of the musicians, members of the boxing fraternity playing the particular instruments to which they themselves seem so suited.

Tonight we have the honest, undervalued viola played here by Mr Joseph Frazier in danger of being drowned out by the crash, crash, boom percussionist Mr G. Foreman, himself about to be upstaged by the eternally clownish bassoon played with unbelievable skill by the celebrated virtuoso; the incomparable Mr Muhammad Ali. We hear the self-important tones of the trombone played, inevitably, by the most unfairly treated musician of all time, Mr Bernard Hopkins. Hear the mesmerising lilt of the flute duet performed with elegant charm by the crossover pop-group The Sugar Rays, and, in complete contrast, here comes

Send your letters to: Readers’ Letters, Boxing News, 30 Cannon Street, London EC4M 6YJ Or via email to: letters@boxingnewsonline.net Please include your full postal address Photo: NBCUPHOTOBANK/Rex Features

ARTIST: Frazier showcases some of his honest talent

the lonely lead trumpet, surly and aggressive, threatening and ultimately tragic, played by the strange ex-blues man Mr Sonny Boy Liston.

All the while the solo clarinet is determined to be heard while going its own way with Mr Joseph Calzaghe on board. Just look at the double bass players with their powerful, robotic beat; surely that’s the brothers Klitschko from the Ukraine State Orchestra and of course all the while the poetic menace of the cello, played with dark foreboding by Mr Michael Tyson.

Who’s that wild-haired chap at the front, like a hyperactive child waving a little flagstick all over the place? Ah yes, of course; conductor Sir Donald King and the audience, appreciative and willing to pay sky-high prices just to be part of the occasion.

All too soon it’s over and we are ejected into the night air like the scuttling crowd from a Lowry painting; dismissed, dispensable, neglected and not needed – until the next time.

TYSON PLAYS THE CELLO WITH DARK FOREBODING

Harry Batty, Fleetwood, Lancashire

letters@boxingnewsonline.net

BN On email…

Weighty issue I WAS somewhat alarmed at the sight of another professional fighter turning up 50 minutes late at his weigh-in wrapped in a sweat-suit and towel and still come in overweight.

As a sports nutritionist and having worked with both professional and amateur boxers, it is clearly apparent many boxers rely too much upon acute and/or chronic dehydration to make weight with the use of sweat gear being common place in training.

Such practices have obvious implications for both health and performance and moreover, if the sums are wrong it can result in titles being lost even before entering a ring.

There is also a ‘one size fits all’ approach that is prevalent in boxing

gyms in that what works for one boxer will work for another despite clear differences in size, metabolism, training activity and so forth.

Weight-making programmes should be well planned and customised to each boxer and furthermore, prescribed by appropriately qualified individuals.

Indeed, I am aware of many scientifically incorrect nutritional practices that are routinely advised by unqualified individuals who are helping boxers to make weight.

Having worked as a sport scientist in a number of sports, I can honestly say that boxing is way behind the times in terms of sports science support.

The most high-profile example which springs to mind was Ocar De La Hoya’s recent weight miscalculations

against Manny Pacquaio. It amazes me that one of the world’s biggest stars could make such fundamental errors in his preparation.

Closer to home, I honestly believe the time has come for a real need for a culture change in British boxing, much akin to how professional football has changed in the last decade.

Perhaps the ABA would be a good place to start, with widespread coach and athlete education programmes being implemented in each of the home nations.

Dr James Morton, Webster St, Liverpool

LOVING SETANTA IN RESPONSE to Tim Farmer (BN June 12), I too was very impressed with Setanta’s coverage of the British ABA finals. It was much improved in slickness from their coverage of the English ABAs three weeks before. In particular, Mr Farmer noted the “sensible introductions from an excellent MC.” You published my letter (BN January 9) under the title “Why you need a Master MC”, where I praised Craig Stephen for his professionalism. I was very pleased to see Stephen was the “excellent MC” Mr Farmer referred to.

It was good to see him again on Setanta and the fact he introduced 10 bouts faultlessly on live TV only reinforced my belief we should see him more often.

Well done Setanta for another great show and I hope that you can get over your current financial problems.

Alan Thoirs, Stenhousemuir

34 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

We asked...

You said...

What is the best boxing venue in the world?

Madison Sq Garden........43% National Stadium, Eire....3% York Hall..........................28% Royal Albert Hall.............2% MGM Grand....................24% Arena Coliseo, Mexico.....1%

www.boxingnewsonline.net

Shame on BBC and ITV I HAVE felt compelled to write in to voice my extreme concern, and disappointment at the way in which boxing is covered in this country via the mediums of television and newspapers.

I am particularly disgusted with the two primary terrestrial stations (BBC and ITV). The BBC have shown that they have no interest whatsoever (after the Audley Harrison fiasco) and despite Britain having a thriving domestic scene at most weights ITV now have no interest in boxing (despite the boxing shows drawing good viewing figures, in spite of the silly times at which they are broadcast).

With Setanta looking like they’re going under as well, the only medium now to follow boxing in this country (either domestic or world) will be either this magazine or Sky Sports.

There was a time when the national tabloids carried all the major fights.

However, outside a few small columns, fights from around the world never get any coverage and really only Ricky Hatton and, to a lesser extent, Joe Calzaghe have been featured in recent times. This is all such a far cry from 15 years ago when the likes of Bruno, Eubank and Benn dominated terrestrial television and early Sunday mornings would see the world’s greats showcased.

I cannot see why boxing has become the black sheep of sports in this country and why the coverage has continued to decrease despite the fact that with the likes of Lennox Lewis, Calzaghe,

TV STAR: Bruno benefited from the exposure of television in the 1980s

I THINK it is about time a real boycott of a PPV event is organised. The forthcoming Amir Khan card is totally substandard.

You have an interesting main event and a British title fight at best. The rest of the card is really just the Olympians in non-competitive learning fights. We are being asked to cough up £15 for this!

If they get away with this, God knows what will be served up at the next Box Office event. This event is worth, at best, a fiver. I think Frank Warren should be ashamed of asking us to pay for this, Sky too. Why do boxing fans constantly have to pay? Sky Sports subscribers get the best football included, cricket fans are not being asked to pay extra for the Ashes, why always the boxing fans? Come on Frank, you owe us better fare than this!

C. Stanton, St Albans, Hertfordshire

Hatton, Enzo Maccarinelli, Gavin Rees, Amir Khan, Junior Witter, Carl Froch and David Haye, Britain has never had a more successful period (and more champions) at world level in recent years. It also has a fine array of Olympians to carry the domestic scene for the next few years at least.

As far as I am concerned the only thing that is killing boxing in Britain is the media’s refusal to cover a sport whose noble heritage dates back throughout modern history, that has a

truly loyal and dedicated fanbase and is well viewed when it is actually shown.

This is a media that would rather dedicate time, money and news space to covering the latest reality TV nobodies’ nightclub antics, than back its Olympians and sporting champions.

Thank God for Boxing News. The boxing scene would be unknown in this country without it!

Luke Stacey, Portsmouth, Hampshire

letters@boxingnewsonline.net

BN On email…

100 years on top

Ready for anything

IT COMES as no surprise to me that Boxing News the is top magazine [in WH Smiths’ combat section]. In the 50-plus years that I have been reading it, BN has never disappointed me.

Through changes of editor and format the one constant has always been it’s truthful, unbiased reporting.

Okay, sometimes a reporter wears his rose-tinted glasses but in general, for a magazine that covers every fight every week, we the fans can’t have much to complain about.

A happy 100th birthday in September. May you continue for the next 100 years where you belong – at the top.

I MAY talk a lot. You either love me or hate me. But I will back up everything I say in the ring.

Boxing is my chosen career. I’m passionate about the sport, so much so that when I step into that ring, I’m capable of anything. Take that how you will.

I’m looking to step up to the plate each and every time. I’ll leave the business to Frank (Warren), and I’ll take care of anyone the team puts in front of me.

I’m saying it now – anyone anytime.

I have the best team around me and I’m going to take my career as a boxer to the very top, and keep it for as long as I choose.

No-one, I repeat, no-one, will get in my way of achieving my goals. People

Terry Clarke, Ruislip, Middlesex

Us and them

are calling me out now, and that’s the position I will keep. They can keep calling me, because as they know, I am the man to beat right now.

And as for Tyson Fury, remember boxing is business. What they are offering right now I wouldn’t get out of bed for. If he wants me, pay up, show up and put up. And I’ll see you there!

Derek “Del Boy” Chisora [below], Finchley

Curious George DO any readers have memories of George Whelan, a wonderfully talented London amateur boxer of the 1950’s? I am trying to compile his career amateur record, bout-bybout, basically using my collection of Boxing News from 1952-1955, and would welcome reader responses.

William Simpson, 7605 Hollins Road, Richmond, VA 232296639, USA

Question time CAN you tell me whether Danny Price is still boxing in the amateurs?

Has Danny Hunt retired?

What about Howard Rainey for a feature in BN? Seems an interesting character!

Tim Farmer, Petworth, West Sussex *As far as we are aware, Danny Price remains an amateur.

Danny Hunt has not fought since his second defeat – a cuts stoppage – in May 2006 though never officially retired. He is now a personal trainer. We will consider the Rainey idea.

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 35

Amateurs latest news & action

Amateurs

The very best action, previews and news from the unpaid code Photos: Action Images

BACK IN THE GROOVE: Khalid Yafai won three times for gold at flyweight

ON SONG: Bradley Saunders again beat Lewis Rees on the way to gold

LONG WAIT: But Tommy Stubbs won the final clearly

YOUNG TEAM, GOOD SHOW GB coach happy as a squad containing several inexperienced boxers wins three gold medals to finish second behind the Irish at European Union Championships in Denmark

T

HE young Great Britain squad finished second team behind Ireland at the European Union Championships in Odense, Denmark from June 15-20.

Both nations won nine medals, but the Irish took four golds (plus two silver and three bronze) to GB’s three (plus two silver and four bronze).

Germany were third best with a trio of titles plus one silver and one bronze.

“We took a young team with four

Development boxers,” explained Dave Alloway, assistant coach to head trainer Kelvyn Travis.

“They were younger than last year’s team, which was the boxers qualified for the Olympics. It’s a learning curve.

“It was a good championships for us because everyone performed to the best of their ability.”

Alloway took us through the action in weight order, starting with Tommy Stubbs, who won gold at light-flyweight.

36 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

“We were hoping he’d get more than “He’s getting back into the groove one bout, but there were only three at after a long injury layoff,” explained the weight and Tommy got the bye. He Alloway of the Birmingham boxer. had to wait all week, but kept his weight “Khalid is getting stronger all the time. in check.

“In the final he met “Tommy performed one of the younger really well and did a Irish reps [Declan good job on the Pole.

Geraghty], a nice tidy The 15-3 score was a boxer. Kal showed his fair reflection.” maturity and his Also striking gold, greater experience at flyweight, was told. The 13-3 score Khalid Yafai.

DAVE ALLOWAY was about right.

‘LAST YEAR’S EU TEAM WAS ALL THE OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS’

Amateurs Hoddesdon open air extravaganza Olympic champ hands out prizes Jolting Joe doesn’t disappoint Scottish kids shine in Mostar “Kal got three bouts under his Kate. After a quiet first, Brad got into belt in what will probably be his last his stride and won 13-3. competitive action before the Worlds.”

“Brad is back on song now, back to Bantamweight saw a double GB where he was when he won bronze at entry in England’s Luke Campbell and the last Worlds [2007].”

Andrew Selby of Wales.

Welterweight Scott Cardle had two “It was disappointing for Luke good wins before losing in the semiCampbell. He’s actually not that finals to Ireland’s Willie McLaughlin. experienced – came from nowhere “The Irishman used this very tight, to win the Europeans. shell-like guard, as they do these days.

“In Odense he wasn’t firing on all It was like in the ABAs [when Cardle cylinders. He beat the Frenchman he’d lost to Liam Cameron]. beaten before but against John Joe “Scott gave it his best shot but couldn’t Nevin just didn’t get going. get clean shots off on his opponent. The “Luke was 3-0 down after the first Irishman got his tactics right and that’s and the more he pushed it, the more he why it was 7-1.” couldn’t quite claw it back. The 13-2 At middleweight Development squad score was not as close as it should have boxer Karl Kirkham drew German been, but there was no doubt he lost.

Olympian Konstantin Buga in his first “Selby is good young lad. In the bout. semis against the German Andrew Alloway: “It was 4-4 going into the could have edged it, but he lost his way last and experience told as the German a bit in the last round.” went away to win by three points [8-5].

At featherweight southpaw Iain “Karl now realises what the bigger Weaver went out in the quarter-finals stage is. He acquitted himself well.” to eventual winner David Oliver Joyce.

Light-heavyweight Obed “Iain had one good win then lost to Mbwakongo won twice for silver. a strong Irishman. It was a fair result “He stopped the Pole with a damaged – Iain didn’t really get going. Joyce nose then stopped the Croatian. He was was stronger and more mature and his usual nice, rhythmic self. experienced at this level.

“In the final he was boxing well “Iain enjoyed the against Hungary’s whole experience.

Imre Szello and was He realises now about just one point down the physical side of it going into round two.

– he’s got the skills but But in the big guys one needs to adapt to it punch can change much more.” everything. A right Another southpaw, hand caught Obed on Tom Stalker, won DAVE ALLOWAY the top of the head and silver at lightweight he went down. He got with Alloway reckoning, “He boxed up, took the count and boxed on, but very well all through. got caught again and that was it for him.

“He had two good wins and was two “Obed was fine afterwards. He’d points up halfway through round two boxed the Hungarian twice before, two in the final. We thought he was going to years ago. Just one mistake can change do it but then he lost his way tactically it all at this level.” and at this level you get punished. He In the semi-finals Szello had beaten fell two or three points behind, chased Ken Egan 7-6 in one of the upsets of the tournament. it and got picked off by the German.

Development boxer Warren Baister “Tom was disappointed – he could was one of only four heavyweights and have got the gold.” won a bronze medal.

The two GB boxers at light-welter “We wanted more bouts for Warren,” were Lewis Rees (Wales) and Bradley said Alloway. “Against Ireland’s Con Saunders (England). They had met in Sheehan he was doing well in the first Croatia last month with Brad winning, – was only one point down. and it was the same again in Denmark.

“But he hit Sheehan on top of the “Rees stopped the Turk then got head with his right hand and damaged Bradley again [quarter-finals]. We were it. When Warren came back to the hoping they’d meet later in the draw, corner at the end of the round, he could but what can you do? hardly feel the hand. We didn’t let him “It was a good technical bout and out for the next round.

Brad won more convincingly this time.

“He had an X-ray and it wasn’t Brad knew too much for Lewis. broken, but there was damage.”

“In his first bout Brad was always in The GB boxers will now have a break control against the Slovak and in the semis he met very strong Irishman Phil before returning to their Sheffield gym on Monday July 13. There will be Sutcliffe. It was a very physical bout training camps in France and Ireland but Saunders landed the cleaner shots. before the Worlds, which happen in “The final pitted Brad against Milan from September 1-12.

Hungary’s very experienced Gyula

‘JUST ONE MISTAKE CAN CHANGE IT ALL AT THIS LEVEL’

RESULTS 48 (3): Semi-final: Lukasz Maszczyk (Pol) outpd Istvan Ungvari (Hun) 7-6. Final: THOMAS STUBBS (ENG) outpd Maszczyk 15-3.

51 (7): Quarter-finals: DECLAN GERAGHTY (IRE) outpd Nordine Ait Ihya (Fra) 12-0, KHALID YAFAI (ENG) stpd Murat Temur (Tur) 2nd, Norbert Kalucza (Hun) stpd Peter Senky (Svk) 2nd. Semifinals: GERAGHTY outpd JOE GAGE (WAL) 19-2, YAFAI outpd Kalucza 13-2. Final: YAFAI outpd GERAGHTY 13-3.

54 (11): First series: Razvan Andreiana (Rom) outpd GARETH STEMP (SCO) 17-4, ANDREW SELBY (WAL) outpd Matti Koota (Fin) +13-6, Martin Parlagi (Svk) stpd Krisztian Lakatos (Hun) 1st. Quarter-finals: LUKE CAMPBELL (ENG) outpd Brahim Zenadaoui (Fra) 9-3, JOHN JOE NEVIN (IRE) outpd Mateusz Mazik (Pol) 13-1, Denis Makarov (Ger) outpd Andreiana 7-2, SELBY outpd Parlagi 3-2. Semi-finals: NEVIN outpd CAMPBELL 13-2, Makarov outpd SELBY 6-3.

Final: Makarov outpd NEVIN 9-7.

57 (11): First series: Michal Chudecki (Pol) outpd Tomas Vano (Svk) 15-3, IAIN WEAVER (ENG) outpd Orestes Molina (Esp) 12-3, DAVID OLIVER JOYCE (IRE) outpd Dennis Ceylan (Den) 11-8. Quarter-finals: CRAIG EVANS (WAL) outpd Amine Boumderdaci (Fra) 14-9, Sandro Schaer (Ger) outpd JONATHAN SLOWEY (SCO) 14-4, Chudecki outpd Miklos Roth (Hun) 15-1, JOYCE outpd WEAVER 9-6. Semi-finals: Schaer outpd EVANS 14-0, JOYCE outpd Chudecki 11-2. Final: JOYCE outpd Schaer 8-2.

60 (10): First series: Miklos Varga (Hun) outpd Fatih Keles (Tur) 13-8, TOM STALKER (ENG) outpd Michal Zerominksi (Pol) 15-6. Quarter-finals: Filip Palic (Cro) outpd Luis Enrique (Esp) 13-3, Eugen Burhard (Ger) outpd Gabriel Podasca (Rom) 8-2, ERIC DONOVAN (IRE) outpd Husnu Kocabas (Ned) 11-1, STALKER outpd Varga 7-2. Semis: Burhard outpd Palic 17-3, STALKER outpd DONOVAN 13-7. Final: Burhard outpd STALKER 10-4.

64 (13): First series: Traian Lupo (Rom) outpd Magomed El Marcouchi (Bel) 18-1, Marcin Legowski (Pol) outpd Aleksander Jacobsen (Nor) 10-1, PHILIP SUTCLIFF (IRE) stpd STEVEN SHAROUDI (SCO) 2nd, LEWIS REES (WAL) bt Irbahim Bostanci (Tur) rtd 2nd, BRADLEY SAUNDERS (ENG) stpd Dominik Dlinaji (Svk) 1st injury. Quarter-finals: Gyula Káté (Hun) bt Sami Machrouch (Fra) rtd 3rd, Lupo outpd Rafid Harutjunjan (Ned) 13-2, SUTCLIFF outpd Legowski

36-41 38 39 40 41

14-4, SAUNDERS outpd REES 11-3. Semis: Káté stpd Lupo 1st, SAUNDERS outpd SUTCLIFF 8-3.

Final: SAUNDERS outpd Káté 13-3.

69 (13): First series: Luis Portuondo (Bel) outpd Carmine Cirillo (Ita) 8-7, WILLIE McLAUGHLIN (IRE) stpd Erkan Bingoi (Tur) 2nd, Ladislav Takecs (Svk) outpd Maciej Sulecki (Pol) +5-0, SCOTT CARDLE (ENG) outpd Alexander Miller (Ger) 13-3, Torben Keller (Den) outpd SEAN FINNEY (SCO) 13-2. Quarter-finals: Balazs Bacskai (Hun) outpd Jaoid Chiguer (Fra) 19-3, Orhan Ozturk (Ned) outpd Portuondo 14-11, McLAUGHLIN outpd Takecs 11-4, CARDLE outpd Keller 9-6. Semifinals: Bacskai outpd Ozturk 10-1, McLAUGHLIN outpd CARDLE 7-1. Final: Bacskai outpd McLAUGHLIN 12-4.

75 (13): First series: Konstantin Buga (Ger) outpd KARL KIRKHAM (ENG) 8-5, Bogdan Juratoni (Rom) stpd Norbert Dabrowski (Pol) 2nd, Imre Mona (Hun) outpd Salvatore Grieco (Ita) 16-4, DARREN O’NEILL (IRE) bt Ulus Kaya (Tur) rtd 2nd, Eneste Glodi (Nor) outpd Stipica Brekalo (Cro) 168. Quarter-finals: Stephan Alms (Den) outpd Tibor Varga (Svk) 13-3, Buga bt Yoann Nilusmas (Fra) rtd 3rd, Juratoni stpd Mona 1st, O’NEILL outpd Glodi 13-2. Semi-final: Alms w/o Buga, O’NEILL outpd Juratoni 16-6. Final: O’NEILL outpd Alms 16-2.

81 (12): First series: KEN EGAN (IRE) outpd Constantin Bejenaru (Rom) 18-4, Erik Skoglund (Swe) outpd JAMES QUIGLEY (SCO) 7-1, Imre Szello (Hun) outpd Alexander Ullnes Hagen (Nor) 20-3, Omer Aydogan (Tur) outpd Mario Lakatos (Svk) 17-1. Quarter-finals: OBED MBWAKONGO (ENG) stpd Krzsysztof Sadlon (Pol) 1st injury, Hrvoje Sep (Cro) outpd Rene Krause (Ger) +6-6, EGAN outpd Skoglund 10-6, Szello outpd Aydogan 20-2. Semi-finals: MBWAKONGO stpd Sep 3rd, Szello outpd EGAN 7-6. FINAL: Szello ko’d MBWAKONGO 2nd.

91 (4): Semi-finals: Juan Agustin Olivia Aleman (Esp) stpd Dominik Milko (Svk) 1st, CON SHEEHAN (IRE) bt WARREN BAISTER (ENG) 2nd injury. Final: SHEEHAN outpd Olivia Aleman 13-2.

91& (8): Quarter-finals: Francesco Rossano (Ita) outpd Stefan Sliz (Svk) 7-5, Istvan Bernath (Hun) outpd Benni Jacobsen (Nor) 13-2, Erik Pfeifer (Ger) stpd Remzi Ozbek (Tur) 3rd, Razvan Cojanu (Rom) outpd ANDREW JONES (WAL) 7-4. Semifinals: Bernath outpd Rossano 10-4, Pfeifer outpd Cojanu 7-2. Final: Pfeifer bt Bernath rtd 3rd.

STRONG: David Oliver Joyce was top man in the featherweights www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 37

Amateurs latest news & action

CULLING EDGES BATTLE OF HERTS Danny uses his strength to beat former ABA champ Fowl on his own Hoddeson club show Photo: Action Images

DANIEL HERBERT

FAST: But James Fowl found that his speed wasn’t enough to earn him the nod over Danny Culling

RINGSIDE ENFIELD June 20

TWO all-Hertfordshire battles provided the pick of the action when Sab Leo’s Hoddesdon Boxing Academy stage an open show in a marquee pitched in the grounds of the King & Tinker pub.

Both were senior 3 x 3s specials, and after two quality battles honours ended even between the host club and Stevenage ABC. In the last bout of the day former ABA light-flyweight champion James Fowl, now up to fly, tackled Stevenage southpaw Danny Culling, who for the last two seasons has lost narrowly in the ABA quarter-finals.

Culling got a majority, but it could just as easily have gone the other way.

Fowl’s coach Leo took defeat philosophically, saying, “Both came in at 53.5 kilos but James will be much sharper at the flyweight limit. It could happen again in next year’s ABAs.” Looking a division bigger, Culling occupied ring centre and advanced steadily in the first as Fowl moved around him. Fowl’s faster hands were apparent but Culling landed enough solid shots to edge the session.

But round two saw Danny tire and start to miss more as Fowl gave him problems by switching stances.

For me James outworked his opponent in the last, when his only problem was a low blow that put him down. No count was applied and Fowl got up to touch gloves with Culling, proving that it was fought in good spirit.

Also over the nine-minute route, Hoddesdon’s Billy Clayden won a tight majority over ABA welterweight semi-finalist Justin Perry of Stevenage.

Perry won the first with his accurate shots inside as Clayden rushed in but didn’t allow himself room. Then Clayden found his range and over the next two rounds was more effective, using his strength to shut down Perry’s offence.

A pair of Dale Youth seniors impressed in 3 x 2s action, with both Mickey O’Rourke and Dion Juman winning.

Featherweight O’Rourke showed persistence to outwork Perry Holland (Gator) while light-heavyweight Juman took the short route as he stopped the host club’s Paul Jevons.

Almost every punch southpaw Juman threw hurt Jevons, who in the first got a standing count and suffered a nosebleed. Then in round two a combination followed by a right to the body dropped Jevons and referee Chaz Coakley called a halt.

A DEVA-STATING SEASON! DEVA Police ABC held their presentation night at the Aerospace Sports and Social Club at Broughton on June 12. The room was packed with 250 people, adults and children.

Mayor of Saltney, Mrs Ann Lloyd, and town councillor Mrs Veronica Jay were guests, with the former presented prizes to the juniors.

The club has two Welsh champions in super-heavyweight Andrew Jones

(also British champ) and junior Joe Lovell. Dave Melia is Welsh Novice champ while Dave Evans was runnerup in that event.

Awards went as follows: Person of the Year – Charlotte Jackson, for fundraising; Junior – Sam Pickering. Best bout by a Deva boxer – Joe Rigg. Most Dedicated – Joe Lovell. Boxers’ boxer – Ash Appleby. Boxer of the Year – Andrew Jones and Joe Lovell (tie).

38 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

Coach Mick Delaney has high hopes for stylish Juman, a former kick-boxing champion who has had only a handful of amateur boxing bouts.

Boxer who travelled furthest to the show had to be Alfie Patrick, representing Bada Navea of Spain.

The former Cheshunt ABC member beat Northolt’s Zamir Khan in a senior 3 x 2s.

Lynn AC prospect Chris Mbwakongo notched a good win on the day his elder brother Obed was contesting the European Union final (81 kgs) in Denmark. Chris showed the better skills to outpoint Pat Cash

(St Albans), although for some reason it was only a majority.

Catching the eye was Cheshunt’s skilful Hadleigh Jalil for his points victory over Simey Doherty (Hoddesdon).

Plans to match Ben Fowl, a former ABA light-flyweight finalist and James’ younger brother, fell through.

“He had a shoulder injury and then booked a holiday,” explained Leo. A bout on the printed programme that fell through was Tommy Tear (Dale Youth) against Bracebridge’s Darryl Baptiste, who had been originally lined up to meet Bushey’s Davey Docherty.

Watching the action were several stars past and present, including current unbeaten pros Ashley Sexton and Phil Gill, plus former Irish Olympian (Atlanta) Francis Barrett.

Incidentally, Barrett was coached to the 1997 ABA titles at 63.5 kgs by Luigi Leo, brother of Hoddesdon boss Sab. RESULTS L. Richards (Hoddesdon BA) outpd H. Osman (Nemesis); E. Whale (Nemesis) outpd J. Johnson (Barking); F. Doherty (Hoddesdon BA) outpd L. Jones (Ashford); C. Thomas (Lydney) outpd J. Saul-Bayliss (Hoddesdon BA); T. Marshall (Hoddesdon BA) outpd F. Barratt (Northolt); C. Falvey (Cashen Vale) outpd C. Wright (MK Victors); E. Delaney (Hoddesdon BA) outpd C. Westbrook (Tiverton); J. Williams (Northolt) outpd D. Stuchberry (Nemesis); S. Mullivil (Cashen Vale) outpd C. Martin (Nemesis ABC); J. Stabler (Dale Youth) stpd J. Ferrand (Hanwell); Chris Mbwakongo (Lynn AC) outpd Pat Cash (St Albans) maj; Hadleigh Jalil (Cheshunt) outpd Simey Doherty (Hoddesdon BA) unan; Olly Moody (Hoddesdon BA) outpd Bobby Jenkinson (Bracebridge) maj; Alfie Patrick (Bada Navea) outpd Zamir Khan (Northolt) unan; R. McNamara (Hoddesdon BA) outpd Callum Baptiste (Bracebridge) unan; Loz Bell (Hoddesdon BA) outpd Dennis Oshijo (Nemesis ABC) unan; Mickey O’Rourke (Dale Youth) outpd Perry Holland (Gator) unan; Georgie Bacon (Hoddesdon BA) outpd Billy Gowing (Five Star) maj; Fergus Maguire (Hoddesdon BA) outpd Jamie Chapman (MK Victors ABC); Billy Clayden (Hoddesdon BA) outpd Justin Perry (Stevenage) maj; Nathan Cox (Hoddesdon BA) stpd Darren Gilligan (Harlow) 1st; Dion Juman (Dale Youth) stpd Paul Jevons (Hoddesdon BA) 2nd; D. Culling (Stevenage) outpd J. Fowl (Hoddesdon BA) maj.

TWO OF THE BEST: Andrew Jones (with mic) and Joe Lovell share Best Boxer award, with PR man Tommy Dix

SEAN SO LUCKY

LOOKING GOOD: Guests including McTaggart (glasses) with the boxers

EDINBURGH May 10

Kinross top spot is shared Olympic champ McTaggart crowns both Dave and Ally as Best Boxer KINROSS Boxing Academy held a gala dinner show on May 22 and it was another outstanding success. The hosts won 6-3 against a strong Bolton select with crowd treated to hardfought contests.

Dick McTaggart MBE, the 1956 Olympic champion, was on hand to

present the Cup named in his honour to the Best Senior Boxer of the Year.

For the first time in the history of this young club it was shared, between Dave Nelson and Ally Gonsales.

This pair had turned in outstanding performances during the year and.

RESULTS

(Kinross first): DANNY ROBERTSON w/o J. Wood injured; DEAN BYRNE outpd C. Tainch; Daryl Rowley outpd by S. CAMPBELL; Ally McKay stpd

by C. McCULLOCH 2nd; JAK WOOD outpd A. Clarkson; Arran McNeil outpd by B. BROADHURST; MARK MILLER outpd K. Brisco; ALLY GONSALES outpd S. Jenkinson; DAVE NELSON outpd R. Fowler.

ELIAS GEAR (Kingswells) clattered Sean Finney (Kingdom) with a stream of body hooks for three rounds and also bloodied Sean’s nose badly.

Yet Finney was a majority winner of this 69 kgs bout at the Masonic Club.

Hosts Leith Victoria won five of seven. Edinburgh bricklayer Graham Whyte plastered Arbroath’s gutsy Andy Smart with classy left jabs and fierce hooks to win on points. Whyte is a protégé of Leith Vics’ former Euro 75 kgs bronze medallist Fundo Mhura, who received the Eric Bell Memorial Award as best Leith Victoria boxer.

Host club lightweight Paddy Jumelle narrowly outscored Holyrood’s Phil Coppola, while despite losing 11-10 to Holyrood’s Chris Givan, Leith Vics welter Shahazabe Ali took the Charlie Urquhart Memorial Shield for Best Junior.

In the bill-topper at 81 kgs Dean Marner (Port Glasgow), a late sub for injured James Quigley, made Leith’s Tom Carter toil for his points win.

Leith Vics middleweight Liam Whyte used scything uppercuts to stagger Craigmillar’s Kevin Ceston several times for a points victory.

Craigmillar light-welter Jason Easton impressively beat Arbroath’s fierce-hooking Darren Forster, while Jason’s 48 kgs clubmate Daniel Wickstead stopped Che-Ho-Cheng (Leith Victoria) in round one.

Host club middleweight John McCallum won when Hillpark’s Jamie McLaughlin was slung out in round three for alleged persistent holding.

OTHER RESULTS 69: James Thomson (Hillpark) outpd Greg Doyle (Port Glasgow). 75: Steve Morgan (Midlothian) outpd Darren Yorston (Leith Victoria); Stephen Shields (Edinburgh University) outpd Danny Barlow (Kingdom).

BRIAN DONALD

Changes can’t deter GB prospects GREAT Britain’s Development boxers started their preparation for the European Youth Championships with a trip to Poland.

Things didn’t go as planned. Head Development coach Jim Davison said: “On arriving at Poznan airport we were expecting a half-hour journey to Pnizny, but instead were driven across Poland for six hours to Rudas.

“Next morning at the weigh-in we learned the Czech Republic and Ukraine had pulled out. The team maturely took it their stride and put together a series of performances that saw them come home without a loss.”

The reorganised competition became a Poland v GB match with Welsh southpaw Fred Evans boxing twice.

Fred got the team off to a superb

start when he comprehensively outmanoeuvred and outpointed Poland’s Mariusz Warzilevski.

In the final Fred pressed forward, drawing Marcin Kaszas (Poland) onto hurtful rear hands and southpaw rights to the head. Kaszas could not lay a glove on Evans for almost two minutes, while the Pole was taking far too many.

The Polish corner, unlike the referee, saw what was happening and retired their boxer after one round.

Fred was voted Boxer of the Tournament.

Ryan Aston (England) made short work of Mateusz Kucz in the 75 kgs final. He started purposefully and like Evans soon found range with his rear hand. His good defences kept enticing Kucz on his way out.

Ryan was soon in full flow and landing punches. This time the referee appreciated the punch power and called a halt before the opening round was out.

In the 51 kgs final James Dickens (England) beat Konrad Rogowski 7-2.

After four entertaining rounds. When James revealed his fluent skills and ring savvy, he dominated Rogowski from first bell to last.

Baby of the team Zack Davies (Wales) was involved in probably the best bout of the tournament when he outpointed Kamil Jawdker (Poland) over four torrid rounds at 54 kgs.

Zack tried to use quality from the start but the never-say-die Pole refused to concede to Zack’s fierce attacks, fighting with his own brand of power.

Class tells in the end and the fourth round found Zack in complete control, a clear winner.

Biggest disappointment for Davison, assisted by coach Mike Kerr, was that Scotland’s Iain Butcher (48 kgs) didn’t get a bout. His finals opponent, Krzysztof Kopytek (Poland), was pulled out at the last minute.

Reckoned Davison, “That was a reflection on how strong the GB team was perceived to be.”

Next up for the GB Youths is the Brandenberg Cup in Frankfurt/Oder, Germany from July 1-5. Martin Ward joins the boxers listed above for that event.

The European Youth Championships happen in Szczecin, Poland from August 15-23.

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 39

Amateurs latest news & action

Star Hughes takes Hicks apart Multi-titled Malmesbury boxer tops his club bill in style, beating gutsy Yeovil opponent Photo: Eric Guy

IT’S A BIG THANK YOU FROM PAUL

CLASS: Joe Hughes (right) loses to Bradley Skeete in the ABA quarter-finals before bouncing back on home show

MALMESBURY ABC staged their endof-season show on the pitch of Malmesbury Victoria Club on June 6, when 19-bout entertained the crowd.

Rain threatened to put the dampers on things but relented an hour before the boxing started. It stayed dry throughout.

England International and multititled Joe Hughes had promised to put on a show in his bill-topping 3 x 3s with Yeovil’s Justin Hicks and didn’t disappoint as he took the brave Somerset boy apart.

From the start it was obvious Hughes, an ABA 64 kgs quarter-finalist this season, was in a different class. He landed powerful jabs and hooks, deftly slipping Hicks’ replies.

Midway through the second a crunching left hook shook Hicks for a standing count. The final round saw the brave Yeovil boxer refuse to fold as Hughes took a shutout points decision.

Charlie Ferris got the hosts off on a winning note with a majority decision over Barnstaple’s Harry Sugars.

Greg Cook met old opponent

FOR the last three years Paul Masterson has been an assistant coach at the Peacock ABC. He also holds the position as a Referee & Judge for the London ABA. He says he been using his spare time to give to the sport that gave him “direction, focus and discipline – just to name a few principles in life that seem to be forgotten today”.

Thus it is that he keeps fit in various sports including triathlons and marathon running. He competed in the 2009 BUPA London Marathon, finishing in 4hrs 56mins 18secs.

He explains how it came about: “I managed to gain a late entry in Charlie Cooper from Bridgewater’s Sydenham club in an all-action contest and found an improved Cooper a little too busy. Cooper picked up the decision by a close two-point margin.

Jack Williamson won the first against Barnstaple’s Keir McKinnon, but the latter upped his workrate in round two. In the last a nosebleed hampered Williamson and the Barnstaple boy got the decision.

Sam Jenner met St Albans’ Miley Cash over 4 x 2s and at the end of round one a right hand brought the Malmesbury boy a standing count.

Jenner battled back but in the last was caught again by a right. More followed to prompt the Malmesbury corner to signal a retirement.

Jamie Edwards showed fine footwork to beat Launceston’s Jonathan Dawe in a junior 71 kgs clash.

There was an unusual occurrence in the lightweight bout between Malmesbury’s James Bath and Dan Dawes (Yeovil) when the ended the final round after just one minute!

Bath had taken the opener with his

solid countering and probably shared the second. It was still in the balance going into the last but the premature finish saw Bath pick up a deserved points victory.

Debutant light-heavyweight Andy King was a revelation in gaining a unanimous points victory over Abingdon’s William Cobb. King boxed beautifully to orders.

OTHER RESULTS Junior: Riley Cox (Downend) outpd Callum James (Sydenham) unan; Charlie Ricketts (Downend) outpd Macaulay Cain (Sturminster Newton) unan; Michael MacDonaugh (St Albans) outpd Cory Smitherman (Trowbridge) unan; William Price (Sturminster Newton) outpd Billy Hearle (Downend) maj; Tamuka Muchapodwa (Reading) outpd Richard Goulding (Oakmead) unan.

Senior: Murat Chakir (Finchley) outpd Chris Pollard (Blackmore Vale) maj; Karol Zielinski (Frome) outpd Paul Sadler (Abingdon) unan; Monty Brooker (Sydenham) outpd Will Hibbert unan; Joe Wallis (Tredworth) outpd Ben BillamSmith (Oakmead) unan; Mike Devine (Blackmore Vale) outpd Sean Cleary (Finchley) maj.

‘BOXERS, OFFICIALS AND SPECTATORS GAVE GENEROUSLY’ January via a gold bond place from the registered charity group Shelter, who care and cater for homeless people in Britain.

“I attended various amateur boxing shows across North East London as coach, referee or spectator. On arrival I requested permission from the secretary of the hosting club for collection points to raise money for the charity. I was usually assisted by my daughter walking around the arena for collections at the intervals.

“Spectators, officials and boxers gave generously, contributing to £1,252.18 for my collection. I sent a cheque for this amount to Shelter.”

Now Paul wants to use the columns of Boxing News to “say a massive thankyou to all the people who gave so generously”.

FOSTER HAS FANS ON FEET THE Northern District of Scotland sent eight boxers to the Limassol Cup in Cyprus, which included teams from Greece, Malta, Wales, Latvia, Denmark and the host nation.

Six Scots reached the finals for three gold medals and as many silvers. There was also one bronze while the Cypriot super-heavyweight pulled out on the day of the final, leaving Scottish novice cham Gary Cornish without a contest.

In the welter final Scott Ross defeated Jonas Anderson of Denmark on a majority decision.

In an all-Scottish final that had the crowd on their feet, Darren Foster of Arbroath took a majority decision against Aaron McKelvie (Glenrothes).

Schoolboy Brandon Singh (Glenrothes) defeated Max Farrugia of Malta for gold. Team Manager was Raymond Mitchell, Head Coach Lawrie Redfern and Assistant Philip Brown.

TOM WALKER ■ THE Prince of Wales ABC also took part in the Limassol Cup. They came back with two medals in gold for Lance Cooksey (60 kgs) and silver for Francisco Borg (81 kgs).

Said John Waith, who went as referee/judge, “We’d like to thank Chris Aravis and Cyprus boxing for their warm and friendly welcome.”

Trainer for the PoW team was Wayne Bowden.

40 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

HOT SCOTS: The Northern District team at the Limassol Cup in Cyprus

THE Ragin’ Cajun Boxing Club of Lafayette, Louisiana won eight of 11 matches on an afternoon show in Sorrento. The club also won the Team Trophy.

Well-respected head coach of the Ragin’ Cajuns is Beau Williford, who recently met up with former world heavyweight champion George Foreman. The occasion was a show in Kinder, Louisiana (June 6) that saw one of Big George’s sons turn professional.

Back to the Sorrento show, which got off to a bad start for the Cajuns as 11-year-old Gavin Stowe lost a hard, close battle to Donivan Dassinger of Jeanerette, Louisiana. This was over three rounds and in the 75 lbs weight class.

Christine Bouchereau set the winning tone as she outboxed and outfought Jasmine Patton of Gulfport, Mississippi over three rounds at 132lbs.

Hunter Marvin, 14, used his slick skills along with a hard right hand to dominate Desmin Withers of Westlake, Louisiana over three rounds at 112lbs.

Bryce Landry, a 13-year-old 95-pounder, took immediate control against Dominick Dassinger of Jeanerette to win comfortably over three rounds.

Twelve-year-old Eric Bui and Dwight Lee of McComb, Mississippi battled for three exciting rounds with Bui having the edge in every session.

This was at 95lbs.

Nicky Vo, a 13-year-old female boxer, hit too hard and was too strong for Dasha Holmes of Wilson, Louisiana. They boxed over three rounds at 147 lbs.

Shane Fontenot, a 31-year-old with only one bout (a loss) on his record, was determined to get on the winning track along with his sons, Chance (13) and Kade (nine).

Shane faced David Miranda of Sorrento and dominated for a thirdround stoppage at 152lbs.

Eugene Broussard was outboxed by Blaine Hull of Baton Rouge, Louisiana over three rounds at 141lbs.

Wilfred Fuselier and Antonio Mignelli of Grand Bois, Louisiana had an all-out war over four two-minute

EIGHT IS GREAT FROM BEAU’S RAGIN’ CAJUNS Top coach’s outfit impresses on massive card in their home state SHAKE ON IT: Two of the sport’s heavyweights meet in Beau Williford and George Froeman

rounds at heavyweight (201lbs).

Mignelli used a Mike Tyson, peek-aboo style and threw devastating left hooks and uppercuts. But he met his match in Fuselier, who boxed like a vintage Buster Douglas to keep Antonio on the end of hard and fast left jabs, followed by dangerous right hands.

Fuselier was able to keep Mignelli at bay with his hard jab, winning a unanimous decision.

Brandon Schoeffler and Tyler Nixon of Westlake had boxed six times with Schoeffler winning all six. Number

seven looked as though it had been the easiest win of all – until the announcer stated Nixon had won by majority.

These 13-year-olds boxed in the 85lb weight division.

Chad Trahan, the 2008 and 2009 Louisiana Golden Gloves middleweight champion, was named the Boxer of the Night as he destroyed Jason Taylor of Grand Bois.

A southpaw, Trahan used straight and hard right hands to the body that caused Taylor to lower his guard.

Suddenly, a straight left to the chin

dropped Taylor to his knees for a mandatory eight count.

A right hook to the chin again dropped Taylor for another eight count and at the bell he was staggered by another straight left hand.

Round two saw Trahan immediately go on the defensive and another knockdown made referee Gerard Adams to halt the bout. This 165lbs affair was deemed the best of the 33-bout card.

Ragin’ Cajun boxers Smokey Guidry, Angel “Pito” Avalos and Dominique Bowie were unmatched.

Scottish youngsters work magic in Mostar SCOTLAND’S youths were outstanding at the Mostar multinations in Bosnia Herzegovina from May 20-24.

They secured three gold and two silver medals, with Josh Taylor picking up the Best Boxer of the Tournament trophy after three magnificent victories. Head coach was Kevin Smith, who supplied this report.

In the quarter-finals Taylor (57 kgs) got the ball rolling with a convincing 15-5 win over David Kanalas of Hungary, the World No. 5 for AIBA News.

At 60 kgs Connor McCallum was

very unfortunate to lose 7-2 against D. Pesic (Montenegro) after dominating throughout and forcing two standing counts.

Jason Easton (64 kgs) got Scotland back on track with a fine 11-4 win over M. Simonic (Serbia).

Aston Brown started his 69 kgs campaign with a devastating firstround stoppage of A. Brajkovic (Montenegro).

In the semi-finals Michael Jameson (51 kgs) shifted smoothly through the gears on the way to a comfortable 165 win over V. Gafurov (Germany).

At 54 kgs Joe Ham gave a clinical display of controlled aggression to

stop Z. Catic (Bosnia Herzegovina) in the second round.

Taylor scored a powerful 17-6 victory over Czech Miroslav Serban while Easton also booked a place in the finals by overcoming another Czech Repulic boxer, Adan Cerny, 17-10 in a very tough contest.

Brown made it five in a row for Scotland after outmanoeuvring German boxer Bulach Johannes, coming through 10-2.

Into the finals and Scotland’s first gold medal went to Jameson after a brilliant 19-11 win against Szolt Dobradi of Hungary.

Ham was very unlucky to lose 18-

12 to Elian Dimitrov (Bulgaria) when most observers thought Joe had done enough to recover from a slow start.

Taylor proved far too good for Martin Poptolev of Bulgaria, notching a third-round stoppage.

Easton found the going tough in his third bout in three days, although the 18-1 scoreline in favour of Varju Gyorgy flattered the Hungarian.

Brown polished off a great tournament for himself and Scotland with a 18-17 victory over local favourite Kenan Mehmedovic (Bosnia Herzegovina). The margin was bemusing because Aston dominated for four rounds.

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 41

OLD TIMERS

with RICHARD BARBER richard.oldtimers@yahoo.com

Rag trade to riches Photo: Monty Fresco/Daily Mail/Rex Features

Duff went from working in clothing to being associated with some of the biggest and best fighters in history WE looked last week at how Mickey Duff came into the world of boxing. This week I will conclude his brief early career history by exploring how Mickey became one of the most famous personalities on the world boxing scene.

When the Bodinetz brothers gave up promoting at Leyton Baths, Mickey applied for a manager’s licence and began to build a small stable. He continued to make matches for Dave Braitman and Ronnie Ezra, who tried running shows in opposition to the all-powerful Jack Solomons. It was during this time he met Jarvis Astaire and developed a friendship that lasts to the present day.

The 1950s were a tough time for Mickey and boxing could not provide him, and his wife, with a steady income. So he took a job with his wife’s uncle making duffle coats, donkey coats and corduroy trousers. This is where some people, incorrectly, think he took his name of Duff.

The best boxer he managed during this time was Solomon Bonarparte, a Canadian whose ring name was Solly Cantor, taken from the position of cantor his father held in the synagogue. He enjoyed some success with Solly in South Africa, staying there for eight months and accumulating enough capital to start his own clothing business upon his return to the UK. At the end of the 1950s Mickey’s dogged persistence was beginning to pay off. He worked with the likes of Terry Downes (managed by Astaire), Dick Tiger, Peter Waterman and many others who would go on to become household names.

By the time Downes retired in 1964 Mickey and Jarvis, along with Mike Barrett as partner at the Royal Albert Hall and Harry Levene as promotional figurehead at Wembley, had developed into a major force in British boxing.

There is immense prestige in promoting a world heavyweight title fight and the occasion that put Mickey and his associates on the scene was Henry Cooper’s second bout with Muhammad Ali in 1966. Jack Solomons had promoted their previous clash in 1963, when Cooper knocked down the then-Cassius Clay only to be stopped in the next round.

The interest the fight provoked was immense with many convinced Cooper could defeat Ali to win the world heavyweight title.

On the night around 43,000 people made their way to see the fight at The Arsenal FC stadium in Highbury, London.

The fight had produced a huge row because Astaire’s company, Viewsport, had the exclusive rights to screen it live at closed circuit venues around the country. He offered a deal to both the BBC and ITV to show the fight the following day. The two companies refused and protested to the Government, only to be informed they had no case. Cooper was stopped by a terrible cut in round six.

Solomons’ control over British boxing suffered a severe blow when his major venue, Harringay Arena, was closed in 1958. Two years later he lost command of the Southern Area Council of the British Boxing Board of Control after Mickey and Jarvis supported a move, which was successful, to allow only people without a financial interest in boxing onto the Council.

With Wembley and the Albert Hall, a contract with the BBC to televise his shows and an association with Terry Lawless’s stable, Mickey was in a position to launch himself on to the world scene. It had been a struggle but the rewards came his way and he went on to work with practically every well-known fighter.

Mickey was always good for a quote.

When I asked what it felt like to be 80, he replied without hesitation, “Better than being 85.”

We all hope to see you at many more LEBA meetings, Mickey.

Incidentally, please note the August LEBA meeting is on the second Sunday in the month.

42 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

Memorabilia alert

■

WHEN I reported, last January, the sad passing of John Redfern, I mentioned he was an avid collector of boxing memorabilia.

This lifetime collection has now been collated by his daughter Rebecca and is for sale on www.johnpatrickredfern.com.

For example, there are just under a thousand boxing books for sale, some very old and rare.

The collection also consists of autographs, including John’s famous autograph album, photographs, posters, boxing stamps, magazines and a lot more.

Put an hour or so aside to go through the list on this well put together website; there’s something for every old-time boxing fan.

Home Counties EBA

■

THE Home Counties EBA hold their annual BBQ at their HQ, the Golden Lion, High Street, London Colney on Sunday July 19.

Chairman Bob Williams says everyone is welcome but please could you contact secretary Dave Ayles on 01582 864274 or d.ayles@ntlworld.com to verify the numbers attending for catering purposes.

Bob says that as well as their president, former world middleweight champion Terry Downes, and all the regulars, they are expecting many other personalities from the boxing world to attend. The fun starts at 1pm.

BACK IN THE DAY: Duff is flanked by former Board General Secretary Ray Clarke and Muhammad Ali as “The Greatest” prepares to make a speech in 1974

WHY I LIKE BOXING

From the rink to the ring Figure skater Oksana Baiul has faced her own battles, writes Scoop Malinowski OKSANA BAIUL’S challenging life as an upand-coming figure skater could resemble that of many striving prizefighters.

Her mother died of cancer when she was 13.

Having already lost both her maternal grandparents, and not knowing her father, there was no-one to care for her.

When her skating coach emigrated to Canada, Baiul found herself sleeping on a cot at her hometown rink, as a mere teenager. But by the age of 16, heading into the 1994 Olympics of Lillehammer, Baiul of Ukraine was ready to shock the world.

“Even though I won the Worlds in ’93, I wasn’t expected to win at the Olympics,” she said. “We went to the Olympics as a new country, just split from Russia. I didn’t understand what was happening. The story happened with Nancy [Kerrigan] and Tonya [Harding]. I just did my job, skated as well as I could. I came out of nowhere like a tornado.”

Baiul became the first female athlete to win a gold medal for Ukraine. Today, she’s just about on par with the Klitschko brothers – in terms of fame in her homeland. And this natural-born competitor who overcame long odds in her life, enjoys boxing.

“I love to watch it live, it’s very exciting.

It’s a very tough sport,” says the 31-year-old who lives in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City.

“I love sitting there enjoying how people fight. It’s a fighter sport. That’s what I love about it. I’m a fighter, too. What you learn in your life helps you in your life. Life knocks you down, you get up again. You have to learn how to fight – fight towards pain and resistance.

You see all that in the ring, when you are sitting there watching the match.”

One early ringside experience was with Katarina Witt (another Olympic skating champ) in Germany.

“I skated in her show. She said, ‘Come to the fights with me’. So I went. Katarina loves boxing too. We saw English fighters. I don’t remember the names. I remember we talked about how the boxers came out to the ring, how they played the music. It’s really exciting. I remember we were kidding with each other – about the girls going out on the ice and fighting each other. Skating is a little like that, but more graceful.”

Baiul compares the pressure before a major skating competition as similar to what the boxers go through before a fight.

“Before the free programme there is a six-minute warm-up.

Photo: Action Images/Andrew Boyers

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Baiul is a fan of Vitali Klitschko

It’s a real difficult area to be in with the other skaters. Pressure is enormous, you’re anxious.

So you just stand there, shake your legs. So many things go through your mind. Me and Katarina were like, ‘Just go out and fight before the free programme’. That would make it funny.”

Baiul has been to many live fights and met many of the modern greats. “I’ve met Oscar De La Hoya. I went to his fights. Mike Tyson.

Lennox Lewis. Muhammad Ali. The Klitschkos.

Then you see how they fight in the ring and they’re different people. But when you talk to them, they’re like big marshmallows.

They’re like big bears.”

Her favourites? “I like Oscar, when he was in shape. And Tyson. You cannot deny it – a genius. I feel okay watching the Klitschkos. I see Wladimir at the fashion shows, I’m very friendly with him. He’s very nice.”

She met Tyson at the ESPY Awards in 2007. “He tried to stay away from people.

When you go through the life he went through – I think he put the gate up around him.”

Her favourite fight? “Let’s say Vitali is fine. When he got the title [vs. Corrie Sanders]. I was at the next fight he had at Madison Square

Garden [vs. Kirk Johnson]. It wasn’t really a fight. A lot of Ukrainians flew in from all over the world to see it. That place was packed with Ukrainians. They came from all over the globe.”

When asked why she thinks Eastern Europeans are dominating heavyweight boxing today, Baiul replies, “My sport is going through the same thing as boxing. Asians are dominating my sport, too. It was never like that, never. Now it’s all Asian people. I think it’s because of the coaching. And you have to be very hungry to do this or that.

You really have to be hungry, to love the sport and fight for it.”

Her favourite boxing movies? “Rocky, of course. And Raging Bull. I went to the premiere of the remake with Martin Scorsese.” Favourite boxing book? “I have the Klitschkos’ book. I really do. It’s about both of them. It’s a beautiful book, quite a lot of pictures of them through their lives, at home, doing different things.”

Earlier, Baiul commented about how there is a common tension before a boxing match and a skating competition. So I asked her if she has noticed any boxers who have the coordination and potential to make a good figure skater.

“It’s interesting to say. In figure skating you have to be graceful. That TV show Dancing With The Stars – the football players and boxers do that show and they do well and become popular.

I think Vitali would be a good figure skater!”

‘YOU CAN’T DENY THAT MIKE TYSON WAS A GENIUS’

www.boxingnewsonline.net / June 26, 2009 / Boxing News / 43

10

THE

COUNT

Hitman-Pacman: The antecedents Manny Pacquiao’s knockout of Ricky Hatton in May was the 12th world title fight involving a Filipino and a Briton. Joaquin Henson looks at the biggest and best

despite a shorter and thinner left leg, ravaged by polio as a boy.

McAuley was hardly threatened, although the decision was split as Filipino judge Pascual Ingusan saw it 117-112 for his countryman and David Parris had it 120-109 and Denmark’s Torben Hansen, 117-110, both for McAuley.

The Irishman went on to defeat four more challengers before giving up the crown to Rodolfo Blanco in Bilbao, Spain, in 1992.

Villa ko 7 Jimmy Wilde 1 Pancho New York, Jun 18, 1923

Weir w pts 12 Ric Magramo 7 Paul Scotland, Apr 5 1995

BEFORE some 23,000 fans paying close to $100,000 in gate receipts, the 21-year-old Villa unloaded a vicious right to the face and Wilde collapsed in a heap, face-first. The “Mighty Atom’s” seconds frantically entered the ring to carry the Welshman back to his corner, leaving referee Patsy Haley no chance to count. It was over at 1-46 of the seventh. A year later, Villa beat another Briton, Frankie Ash, in a title defence at Henderson’s Bowl in Brooklyn.

MAGRAMO, 34, was completely outclassed by Weir, 27, despite their disparity in experience.

The Philippine champion was in his 44th bout, Weir in only his 10th. But the Scot had all the moves to fluster Magramo. The judges turned in a unanimous decision. It was Weir’s first defence. Weir lost the crown in his next defence to Jake Matlala in November 1995.

Benny Lynch w pts 15 2 Small Montana London, Jan 19, 1937

Eric Jamili rsf 8 Mickey 8 Cantwell London, Dec 19, 1997

THE match was for the vacant world flyweight crown and marked the first time the title was unified since Fidel LaBarba held it 10 years earlier. Lynch, a Scot, would lose the throne on the scales a year later, unable to make the flyweight limit in a defence against Jackie Jurich. Lynch weighed in at 8st 6 1/2lbs and proceeded to stop Jurich in the 12th. He retired two fights and four months later with a record of 81-12-15 (34) and was only 25.

JAMILI was only 20 when he fought Cantwell, 33, for the vacant WBO title. The hard-hitting Filipino controlled the action most of the way and was ahead on two of the three scorecards when he halted Cantwell at 1-26 of the eighth.

Jamili lost the title in his first defence to Kermin Guardia on a fifth-round technical decision in Las Vegas in 1998.

Dado Marino w pts 15 3 Terry Allen Hawaii, Aug 11, 1950

BRIT BASHER: Villa (left) will knock out Wilde (right) and later beat Ash too

ALLEN lost to Marino, a Hawaii-born Filipino, in the first defence of the crown he won on a decision over Honore Pratesi four months before. They met in a rematch a year later with Marino winning another decision in Honolulu.

In 1953, the Londoner attempted to regain the title but lost a 15-round verdict to Yoshio Shirai, who had dethroned Marino, at the Korakuen Baseball Stadium in Tokyo.

4

Frank Cedeno rsf 6 Charlie Magri London, Sept 27, 1983 MAGRI, the popular Tunisia-born Londoner, was ahead on two of the three scorecards (the third saw it even) when Cedeno scored a dramatic knockout at 2-33 of the sixth. It was Magri’s first defence of the WBC flyweight title.

Cedeno went on to surrender the crown to

Japan’s Koji Kobayashi in Tokyo, also in his first defence. The jinx of the one-hit wonders plagued Kobayashi, too, as the Japanese was stopped by Mexico’s Gabriel Bernal in his first defence in 1984.

5

Duke McKenzie rsf 11 Rolando Bohol London, Oct 5, 1988 IN his second title defence, Bohol couldn’t get untracked against the shifty McKenzie. The Filipino was behind on the three scorecards, one by a shutout, when the end came at 2-25 of the 11th. Bohol fought until 1994 and had a foiled bid for the IBF bantam title held by Orlando Canizales. He is now a bellhop at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas.

Dave “Boy” McAuley w pts 12 6 Dodie Boy Penalosa London, Nov 8, 1989 NORTHERN Ireland’s McAuley had annexed the IBF crown from McKenzie and took on the two-time world champion Penalosa in his first defence. Penalosa was a boxing phenom, capturing IBF titles at light-fly and flyweight

Damaen Kelly w pts 12 9 Celso Danggod London, May 20, 2002 DANGGOD, eight days short of 26, was confident of bringing the vacant WBF crown back home because of his superior experience. He had 52 fights under his belt since turning pro at 17 while Belfast’s Kelly was a relative novice with only 17 bouts. But the Filipino journeyman was no match for Kelly, who won a unanimous decision.

Manny Pacquiao ko 2 10 Ricky Hatton Las Vegas, May 2, 2009 THE Filipino icon, known as Pacman, proved his worth as the world’s No. 1 pound-forpound fighter, pulverising Hatton at 2-59 of the second round to wrest the IBO 10st crown, his sixth title in as many divisions. Hatton was down twice in the first and took a brutal left hook on the jaw to fall out cold in the second.

Can you think of some more examples? Email us at letters@boxingnewsonline.net, or write to Boxing News, 30 Cannon St, London EC4M 6YJ 44 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

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BETWEEN ROUNDS

THE 60-SECOND INTERVIEW

Victor Ortiz Danny Flexen talks to Oxnard’s 22-year-old light-welterweight contender, 24-1-1 (19) Photo: Action Images/Reuters

Age started boxing: Seven.

First boxing memory: Probably fear!

Inspiration: It comes from trying to be something. My parents leaving me when I was young left a lot of hunger in me.

Favourite all-time fighter: It has to be either Bernard Hopkins or Shane Mosley. They are both great, intelligent fighters.

Best fight seen: Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo I. So much courage shown by both.

Pre-fight meal: Pasta and chicken the day before.

What do you do to relax: I surf with my friends, hit golf balls, skateboard, go dirtbiking. I only broke 100 as a handicap in golf last year so I’m not great, but it’s fun.

Pre-fight superstition: None.

What training do you do between fights: I like to be in the gym all the time, but out of camp I train like a normal human being.

Typical breakfast: Oatmeal, French toast or egg whites.

Toughest part of being a boxer: The diet.

I can’t eat pizza, hamburgers, French fries.

Favourite music: I like so many different artists from Taylor Swift, who’s a country

NO GOLFER: Ortiz enjoys playing but is not very good

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www.boxingnewsonline.net singer, to Breaking Benjamin, who are a rock band, to Marquis Houston and Tupac Shakur.

Last book you read: Coach Wooden. It’s about a really inspirational UCLA basketball coach.

Favourite movie: Cruel Intentions but I like the Harry Potter movies and Twilight movies.

What car do you drive: I have a pick-up – a 2000 Toyota Tacoma, lifted like a mini monster truck, and a GT 20008 Mustang, which is pretty fast and fun. They are both black.

Where do you train: Warrior Training Center in Ventura, California with [trainer] Danny Garcia.

Training routine: I run in the morning, seven-eight miles, sometimes 12, but less if I’m sparring. I’ll have a three-hour break then go to a regular gym for two hours to do cardio and bodywork. Then, at 6.55pm, I’ll spar and train at the boxing gym .

Toughest man faced: All my opponents have been pretty tough so I can’t answer that.

Supplements: None – I eat beans, chicken, fish, broccoli and lamb. I like Greek food.

What would you do if you weren’t a boxer: A student at the University of Kansas [the State where Victor grew up], majoring in business.

Last place you went on holiday: Kansas after my last fight [in March]. My girlfriend still lives there but she’s moving to California soon.

Favourite football team: The New England Patriots. I always used to draw the Patriots logo as a kid; I loved it.

Best boxer in the sport today: Bernard Hopkins.

46 / Boxing News / June 26, 2009 / www.boxingnewsonline.net

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