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Sunday, November 30, 2008

Williams Batters Phillips/ Arreola De-rails 'Freight Train'

By Michael Norby: Former welterweight world champion Paul Williams made an impressive 154lb appearance on Saturday night after he stopped veteran Verno Phillips after eight rounds to claim the WBO interim junior middleweight title at The Citizen's Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California, USA.

Williams 36-1 (27) was forced out of the welterweight division due to an apparent failure to secure a meaningful contest. After a very brief foray into the middleweight division (he knocked out Andy Kolle in 97 seconds), Williams found a credible and willing foe in the form of Verno Phillips.

Phillips 42-11-1 (21) who walked into Cory Spinks' backyard last March and walked out with the St Louis native's IBF junior middleweight title, bravely stepped up to the plate this evening. After eight punishing rounds, however, the Colorado based Belize national probably wished he hadn't as the ringside doctor deemed that the 227 punches that thudded against his head and body had inflicted enough damage.

Williams employed his incredible 12 inch reach advantage from the opening bell as he zipped out his jab before ripping a pair of right hooks to the body and head of the veteran early. Phillips was able to move away from his opponent's power for the most part and shot inside with single punches to the body through the first half of the frame. A clash of heads in the final minute seemed to bother both guys but inflicted nasty damage above the right eye of Williams. Phillips, who escaped with just a grimace, tried to take advantage and scored at the end of the round with sneaky punches on the inside.

Phillips was extremely cagey and his footwork was causing Williams all sorts of trouble in the early going. Thus, Williams' output was sparse as he tried to find the right moment to fire against a constantly moving target. He managed to corral Phillips against the ropes midway through the round but the veteran caught much of what was thrown at him before responding with a series of hard shots upstairs that worsened Williams' cut and scored well.

Between rounds, Williams' corner implored their man to revert to his jab and the towering lefty obliged - backing his man to the ropes with his jab before blasting him to the body with huge hooks. That buoyed the bloodied 27-year-old and he thumped Phillips with an array of power shots consistently throughout the round - hammering his man to the body before shooting hooks upstairs in an impressive display. The ringside doctor made his first inspection of the Williams' ghastly cut with thirty seconds remaining which was, by now, leaking a lot of blood and was surely a worry to the southpaw.

Williams continued to press forward in the fourth and he blasted Phillips to the body with left and right hooks - eating sporadic counters from the tough veteran in return. Phillips displayed his mettle and extremely good conditioning throughout the round as he waded through the hard stuff and unleashed his own short punches as he gamely attempted to swing control of the contest in his favor.

Williams was busier and more accurate, however, and he continued to thump Phillips to the body with both hands as the fight entered the middle rounds. He dominated the fifth and began to beat up the tough Belize national in the sixth round with sickening power and he truly hurt Phillips for the first time with a big left hand behind the ear as the round came to a close.

Like a gnat, though, a tired but game Phillips, who turned 39-years-old today, just wouldn't go away. He took another beating in the seventh and eighth but surged forward in spurts with single shots of his own that inflicted no real damage on his opponent. Williams, whose corner performed brilliantly with the extremely deep cut, was clearly gunning for a knockout and, given Phillips' weary state, that outcome seemed inevitable.

Indeed, after the eighth round, the doctor correctly ruled that Phillips was absorbing too much punishment and called a halt to the fight - saving the gritty veteran from further punishment and handing Williams an extremely impressive TKO victory.

Undercard Report
When you have two big punching heavyweights with nicknames 'The Nightmare' and 'Freight Train' then you can be sure that there won't be much technical boxing going on. This evening's contest was proof of that as high flying American heavyweight Chris Arreola maintained his unbeaten record with a stunning third round stoppage victory over Travis Walker.

Walker 28-1-1 (22) exploded to life from the outset and found his opponent with ease - knocking a clearly overweight Arreola 26-0 (22) to the floor in the second with a three punch combination. Arreola responded beautifully, however, and dropped an over-reaching Walker twice in the same frame before ending the contest with a perfect left hook early in the third.

Walker jumped out in the opening round and blitzed Arreola with an array of thunderous punches as the unbeaten fighter backed up to the ropes. Walker's superior hand speed was evident and, although he ate a handful of counter punches, he tagged his opponent with hard, crisp punches through the first half of the round. Walker then patiently applied his jab to set up his right hand which he used to great effect as he waltzed through the remainder of the frame.

After throwing an incredible 106 punches in that opening round, Walker emerged with great confidence for the second. Thirty seconds into the frame he dropped Arreola with a right hook to the body followed by two straight right hands upstairs. Arreola got up and, although he seemed to be gassed, he blasted Walker with a huge right hand behind the ear and dropped him with a subsequent flurry. Walker was hurt and found himself on the deck again seconds later after a sustained and vicious Arreola onslaught, although he fumbled his way to the end of the round by fighting his way inside not and allowing Arreola to find range.

Walker was still feeling the effects of the previous round as he emerged for the third and Arreola exploded almost immediately with a big right hand and ended the fight with a left hook that sent his opponent to the floor for the third time and forced referee Jack Reiss to stop the contest.

Source:http://www.secondsout.com/USA/news.cfm?ccs=229&cs=41848

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Rising Sunny boxing in brother Charlie's footsteps

Beddington boxer Charlie Edwards jets off to Azerbaijan this Christmas knowing younger brother Sunny is hard on his heels as a potential successor to his crown.

The 12-year-old, who spars with his older sibling in a ring erected in the front garden of their home in Beddington Lane, has won his last seven fights for Newham ABC since the pair switched to east London from Earlsfield ABC earlier this year.

Charlie, 15, claimed the ABAE National Golden Gloves title for the second time in March and is a regular England Schoolboys international having been named squad captain 12 months ago.

He heads off to the eastern Europe with the Great Britain squad for a five-day multi-nation tournament on December 17 having also secured funding towards his bid to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics.

"It is all go at the moment. Sunny has been doing really well and making headlines in east London. He will be old enough to enter the Golden Gloves himself next year, which will be interesting," said dad Larry.

"Charlie is spending the next two weekends at training camps in Sheffield ahead of the trip and then it is onwards and upwards."

Source:http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/sport/other_sport/headlines/3872715.Boxing_sibling_blazes_trail_in_brother_Charlie_s_wake_/

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Boxing program is important to Albany's youth

Ginger Berlin's Oct. 19 letter mentioned potential budget cuts that she believed the city of Albany should consider making, including "eliminating programs such as the city's boxing program."

As a person who has continuously observed Albany's youth boxing program on Quail Street, I can tell you that eliminating it would be a mistake and a tremendous loss for children in the community. I have been working in the criminal justice field for the past 18 years and have been in the boxing industry for the past three years.

Through both my criminal justice and boxing background, I have seen the strong need for youth to engage in activities that foster a sense of commitment, dedication and hard work. Albany's boxing gym youth program has given the teens who participate all of those attributes. Under the leadership of Mayor Jennings, John D'Antonio and their boxing trainers, Vlad Koshnitsky and Jerrick Jones, most of the young boys and girls in the youth boxing program develop disciplined minds and bodies that will carry through into adulthood.

I have also observed some of the "old timers" who come back to the boxing gym as adults act as mentors to the young people in the program. They often discuss current events, community issues, and tips on how to become "a champ." Many of these successful "old timers" once participated in a youth boxing program as well and went on to become successful business people in the community, in large part because of this program.

In closing, the Albany Boxing gym is a "diamond in the rough" and safe haven that should not only continue but also should be expanded and replicated throughout the state. The recent after-school violence that took place in the city of Albany should perhaps be the biggest testimonial for the continued need to channel aggressive energy in a positive manner. The youth boxing program is a natural and productive way to do so.

Source:http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=743488&category=OPINION

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Weekly Boxing Column: Loss could drive Hatton away

Ricky Hatton has pride. He knows only too well that he hasn't set the boxing world on fire since his stunning stoppage of Kostya Tszyu, who didn't answer the bell for the 12th round of their junior welterweight title fight in June 2005.

Hatton has gone 5-1 with three knockouts since. But one victory - over Luis Collazo - was controversial in that many thought Collazo won. A decision over Juan Urango was less than awe-inspiring. And there was a 10th-round technical-knockout loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and a lopsided, yet unimpressive, decision over Juan Lazcano in his past two fights.

Hatton was on cloud nine after taming the hard-hitting Tszyu. But that shine has definitely lost some luster. During the promotion for his fight tonight against Paulie Malignaggi (on HBO) at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Hatton was quoted in several publications as saying he would retire if he doesn't win.

Hatton, just 30, was asked this week to clarify.

"I'm not seriously thinking about retirement," said Hatton, of Manchester, England. "It is something I don't want to do. But in my heart, I should beat him and I believe I can do it in good style. I'm not taking anything away from Paulie. He has got fantastic skills and he is fun to watch.

"But I just look at what he's got in his arsenal and what I've got in mine. If I don't beat him ... a fighter has to be honest with himself. I lost to Mayweather. And the fight with Collazo, I had a bad chest infection.

But that was not the performance I expected from myself. I would just have to look at myself a bit closer."

One thing that could be affecting Hatton is his beer-drinking between fights, during which time he blows up as much as 40 pounds.

His new trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., has told Hatton he needs to stop that. Hatton has said that isn't going to happen.

Moreover, Hatton (44-1) believes that his real problem has been the mind-set with which he came away from the Tszyu fight.

"I think ever since I bulldozed Kostya Tszyu, I thought I could bulldoze everyone and you can't bulldoze everyone, not at this level," Hatton said.

"Kostya Tszyu had that big, massive right hand and the way I stopped him from using that was that I moved in so quickly he didn't have a chance to."

Hatton said that mentality caused him to forget about his boxing skills. He appeared to be out-boxed against Collazo, a slick southpaw. Hatton swung and missed so often against Mayweather Jr., he looked downright amateurish.

But Mayweather Sr. has reminded Hatton that he can be that attacking power hitter - he has 31 knockouts in 45 fights - and still utilize his boxing skills.

"I never tried to take nothing from Ricky as far as his style, because I feel he should be aggressive," Mayweather Sr. said. "I want him to be aggressive, but I want him to be smart aggressive. You ain't got to get be beat up because you are an aggressive fighter.

"You slip punches, you slide away from punches. He said he couldn't move his head and punch at the same time, but now he's been able to move his head and punch."

Hatton parted ways with longtime trainer Billy Graham in July. Versions reported online by various British publications initially suggested the split was amicable. Then Graham came out and said he was fired. When asked Tuesday to discuss the specifics of that split, Hatton respectfully declined.

That said, hiring the elder Mayweather to work his corner was a good move. If anyone can help Hatton, it's the man who refers to himself as "the best trainer in the world."

"What Floyd has reminded me of is that there have been two Ricky Hattons," Hatton said. "I have shown very good boxing ability. I have got it in me, but I forgot it. ... Floyd just brought out what I had locked up in the locker."

Malignaggi isn't buying any of it. The fast-talking 27-year-old from Brooklyn suggested that Hatton was never as good as people thought.

"His resume is full of big names, but they were all 100 when he fought them," said Malignaggi, who is 25-1 with only five knockouts.

"If I fought Aaron Pryor today, I'd beat the (daylights) out of Aaron Pryor. The only hungry fighters he fought in his whole career when they were in their prime were Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Luis Collazo.

"Paulie Malignaggi is only going to the third fighter he will have fought in their prime."

Tszyu was 35 when he was taken apart by Hatton. Not only was Tszyu still very close to his prime, he was in the top 10 of most respected pound-for-pound polls. Tszyu has not fought since that drubbing.

Malignaggi also bragged about his speed, saying that Hatton won't be able to handle it any better than he did the speed of Mayweather Jr. and Collazo.

Mayweather Sr. found all of Malignaggi's boasting amusing.

"I have to laugh," the elder Mayweather said. "This kid is going to get beat to death. That guy can't fight, man."

If that's true and Hatton loses, perhaps he should retire.

Source:http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/ci_11047771

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Boxing gym's knockout gift

CITY OF NEWBURGH - The power company turns out the lights about twice a year at the Newburgh Boxing Club.

Club owner Ray Rivera hits up the bank for a personal loan when the heating bills pile up four or five months deep, and the doors continue to open. That's been the life of the Washington Street gym since it opened - one step ahead of collapse.

And here, on Wednesday, is 20-year-old Shawn Worker, a rangy amateur from Washingtonville with a 12-6 record and a penchant for cruising the Internet for long-shot sweepstakes. He's on a cell phone with TV talk show host Jenny Jones. A long shot has paid off.

Rivera is on his way to the gym. He doesn't know about Jenny Jones or any of this yet. His assistant coach called and said he needed to take off work and head for the gym because a bunch of fighters from New York City are on the way to spar with the guys.

On any given day, the guys could include pro fighters such as 21-year-old Orlando DelValle and kids who wander in off Newburgh's streets with nothing to do. Rivera lost his son to violence, and he wants to help all of these kids. Someday, he wants to put in a community room on the first floor of the gym building so kids who don't box have a place to hang out and use computers. But that's a long way off.

Rivera walks through the door, and the cameras flash. Jenny Jones wants to talk to Rivera. Have Shawn tell you what he did, she says.

Shawn tells him how he was searching YouTube.com videos one day when he saw a heading for Jenny Jones. She was giving away a total of $1 million dollars in $25,000 chunks to people working in their communities.

He thought immediately of the Newburgh Boxing Club. He filled out a form and sent it in. A week later, Jenny Jones was calling his house. Suddenly, the community room is much closer to reality. "Thank you very much," Rivera tells Jones on the phone. "We need it."

The money won't cover everything, but it seems like a fortune right now. Jones is on the phone again. She asks Worker's mother, Joyce, to go downstairs and take a photo for her. She wants the "before" picture.

Source:http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081120/COMM/811200323/-1/NEWS

Monday, November 17, 2008

They're giving this fight a hook

As the Dec. 6 bout between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao approaches, the propaganda is flowing freely from the two camps.

Manny Pacquiao versus Oscar De La Hoya has a chance to turn into the most chewed-on boxing match because Tyson versus Holyfield.

It is still 19 days until the renowned pair steps into the ring at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas for what has turn into the most anticipated 12 rounds of the year. But the slings and arrows of pre-fight propaganda have been soaring for some time now.
Pacquiao and De La Hoya might really turn out to be worth all the noise.

The promoters -- De La Hoya's own Golden Boy Promotions and Bob Arum's Top Rank for Pacquiao -- have cut a contract that will bring De La Hoya a minimum of $15 million and Pacquiao a minimum of $10 million, no matter what happen in the ring the night of Dec. 6.

That's a large nut to crack, so the promoters have been functioning hard. The fight sold out in 17 minutes, and the goal of 1.5 million pay-per-view buys on HBO will make nice profit limitations all around.

But the economy is abruptly of such concern that there is a worry about the embarrassment of empty seats. The casinos buy tickets in move forward for their big players, but there are fewer big players going to Las Vegas right now. The same worries can be relevant to people who may now consider a $54.95 pay-per-view investment for a link of hours of home viewing a bit extravagant.

In the best of times, this one would have had the Vegas high rollers clamor for ringside seats and would have challenged the record 2.4 million pay-per-view buys set when De La Hoya lost a split result to Floyd Mayweather Jr., May 5 last year.

Still, if boxing knows not anything else, it knows how to crank up the sale machine.

Monday, at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, the sport play good cop-bad cop for assembled cameras and notebooks. The players were Pacquiao and his trainer, Freddie Roach, and without preparation it, they did a great audition for parts on "Law & Order."

Roach, who skilled De La Hoya for the Mayweather fight, called his former pupil "weak minded" and his current pupil "brawny minded." Pacquiao said he wouldn't comment on that.

Roach has been quoted regularly as saying that Pacquiao could very well knock out De La Hoya in this fight at 147 pounds. Pacquiao said that "a big success would be a bonus."

Roach called De La Hoya a "part-time fighter who has only fight four times in the last four years while Manny has fought four times in the previous year." De La Hoya is 35, Pacquiao 29, and Roach said that De La Hoya will learn, as Ali did alongside Holmes and Julio Cesar Chavez did against De La Hoya, what happens to old boxers alongside young guns.

"Oscar will find out how Chavez felt 10 years ago," Roach said. "The younger battalion takes over. It's Manny's time now."

Pacquiao, asked whether De La Hoya was the best-skilled boxer he had fight to date in his 52 professional fight, said yes.

To be clear, Roach is not a usual bad cop. He is the conflicting of a loud-mouthed carnival barker. A former boxer who battles Parkinson's illness on a daily basis and runs a gym that has produced 22 world champions, he always has been cruelly direct and honest. When Roach says he is "100% confident" that Pacquiao is the improved fighter in this one, that's because he is.

On the other hand, Pacquiao, the pride of the Philippines, is less likely to eloquent confidence or exuberance because English is not his first language and he is more contented staying with the safe and predictable.

Clearly, Roach has a plan and is excited about it. Asked what he experiential when De La Hoya stopped using his effectual jab against Mayweather in the later rounds, leading to his loss, Roach got a twinkle in his eye and said, "I know why the jab congested working and that's part of our plan."

Clearly, Roach is having fun with all this. Asked why he had a huge painting on the wall of his gym that depict De La Hoya fighting Felix Trinidad in their 1999 classic, Roach said, "I just put it up there since some guy wanted to sell it."

He pauses for result.

"Been up present a year," he said.

Clearly, the fun has just begin.

Source :http://www.latimes.com/sports/boxing/la-sp-dwyre18-2008nov18,0,5224541.column

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Boxing: Calzaghe owes it all to family

JOE CALZAGHE may be a global megastar after his victory in New York last weekend but the story after his success still remainder very much a family affair.

Calzaghe's persuasive victory over the once-great Roy Jones Jnr at Madison Square Garden firmly recognized him as one of the greatest boxers Britain has ever shaped.

And the popular consensus between the media and pundits, both American and British, was that the Welshman's dominant presentation cemented his place as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world right now.

The two plaudits meant a lot to Calzaghe, who looks set to announce his departure in the coming weeks. And, when option through the aftermath of his victory, there was one man above all that he required sharing them with - his father and trainer, Enzo.

In terms of longevity and triumph, the Calzaghe's father-son success is surely a rarity in the boxing world. And, looking back on all they have achieved together, Joe was quick to praise the man he believes made it all likely.

"At the end of the day I owe the lot to him," he said.

"He was the one that got me into the gym, aggravated me and, when I was struggling for money as an amateur, support me financially.

"The great thing is he has been able to share in my winner with me. I love him to loss and he is a myth in his own right anyhow.

"It's a great gym here and he has shown the world how good a teacher he is. You don't get Ring Magazine's Trainer of the Year for nonentity."

He added: "I'm undefeated with my dad in the corner and that's incredible really. I think I won my last 50 amateur fights and now 46 as a expert with him as a trainer.

"He took over when I was 19 or 20 and has done a great job. It's astonishing what we have achieved together."

For all their achievement together, Calzaghe admit it hadn't always been plain sailing. In fact there was, at one stage, a proposal someone else took over as his trainer.

But the 36-year-old discarded those calls and has reaped the rewards ever since. Such is the association they have, Calzaghe was, and remains, positive there is no better man for the job.

"The chemistry we have has been vital to my success," he said.

"He is my father and my friend who gives us a dissimilar sort of bond to most trainers and fighters.

"At times we can say things to each other that you might not get away with or else. We are both very fiery font and we always argue but, at the end of the day, it's usually sorted out over a cup of tea 10 minutes later."

He added: "People have told me in the past to get rid of my dad and get one more trainer. But, as it happens, I stayed with him and reap the benefits.

"It never really crosses my mind to be honest. He has been with me since day one and he determination be there until the end which is attractive great."

Source :http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sports/sports-news-round-up/2008/11/15/boxing-calzaghe-owes-it-all-to-family-91466-22262197/

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Hatton urge Calzaghe to stop

PA
Monday, 10 November 2008

Ricky Hatton has connected the chorus urging his fellow British boxing grand Joe Calzaghe to retire.

Calzaghe, 36, remains unbeaten in his specialized career after 46 fights, the last against Roy Jones Jr at Madison Square Gardens on Saturday night.

The Welsh fighter implicit he might fight on and there is assumption he could fight IBO and IBF light heavyweight winner Chad Dawson at a homecoming bout in Cardiff.

But Hatton dismissed the proposition, telling Radio Five Live: "He should retire - there's nothing more Joe Calzaghe can do.

"There's always a new candidate coming through. They're going on about Joe should fight Chad Dawson; I think that's a load of rubbish. Joe has beaten Bernard Hopkins, he's compressed Roy Jones - you can't get a better way to bow out, really."

Source :http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/boxing-hatton-urges-calzaghe-to-quit-1007990.html