UNCLE LEO
Ogdensburg, NY- The youngster asked the tired old reporter, “Why do you suppose he wouldn’t just let them go ahead and take the samples and test for the drugs if he was clean”?
The old man spoke slowly and thoughtfully, “Son, do you suppose the entire thing was only the first act of the play.”
“But old-timer,” he returned, “If that’s just the beginning then where do we go from here”?
“Well son, it’s like this. What if you always wanted to be the biggest thing that boxing has ever known? How would you go about it? Possibly the best way, and certainly a good way, would be to win the biggest boxing event of all time. What’s that you say? Why you’d have to create it, it wouldn’t just happen by accident.” READ MORE…
PRYOR-ARGUELLO ROUND ONE AUDIO AS WELL
San Francisco, CA- Listen to Sunday’s show featuring READ MORE…
COUTURE WINS BATTLE OF THE ANCIENT
Las Vegas, NV- Randy Couture, 205, Corvallis, OR SUB 2 Mark Coleman, 205, Columbus, OH. For a guy who is 46 years old, Couture (18-10, 7 KOs, 3 SUBs) showed he is still an accomplished striker. The former UFC light heavyweight (205 lbs) and heavyweight (over 205 lbs) Randy exhibited excellent traditional boxing and dirty boxing in the clinch. Coleman (16-10, 4 KOs, 8 SUBs) had no answer for Couture’s superior striking. After dazing Coleman in the second, Couture took him down and pounded on him until Coleman gave him his back which allowed “The Natural” to secure the choke which put his 45 year old opponent to sleep.
MILD UPSET IN SEMI MAIN EVENT READ MORE…
Saturday, February 6, 2010
MR. VALERO REMAINS MR. PERFECTO!
Monterrey, MX- Edwin Valero, 135 lbs, Las Vegas, NV TKO 9 Antonio DeMarco, 135, Tijuana, MX. (WBC 135 lb. title) Valero (27-0, 27 KOs) was cut on the right cheek in the opening round followed by a huge gash high on the left side of his forehead courtesy of an accidental elbow from DeMarco (23-2-1, 17 KOs). DeMarco for his part stood his ground but only fought in spurts. Between rounds 8 and 9 an exhausted DeMarco had the look of a beaten fighter and after the ninth he had enough and opted out.
Carlos Abregu, 147, Salta, Argentina UD 10 Richard Gutierrez, 147, Miami, FL. Abregu (29-0, 23 KOs) was down in the second round only to return the favor as Gutierrez (24-4-1, 14 KOs) hit the canvas in the third frame. Both fighters were cut over the left eye, with Abregu’s being the more serious. Abregu’s superior skill claimed scores of 97-91 twice and 98-90 in what was an entertaining battle.
Marvin Quintero, 136, Tijuana, MX TKO 2 Luis Gonzalez, 132, Monterrey, MX.
Quintero (19-2, 15 KOs) makes it three knockouts in a row in dispatching Gonzalez (14-2-1, 8 KOs). Gonzalez was down in the second round, got up only to receive a storm of punches from Quintero causing the 2:59 stop.
TOP RANK LIVE ON FOX SPORTS NET READ MORE…
DOES ROACH HAVE “THE GOODS” HERE?
Los Angeles, CA- 2009 “trainer of the year” Freddie Roach thinks his new charge, two-time Olympic gold-medalist and Cuban defector Guillermo Rigondeaux (5-0, 4 KOs) has the tools to beat World super bantamweight 122 lbs) Israel Vasquez (44-4, 32 KOs) right now. On the surface the notion seems like a stretch, but at 29 years of age the former amateur star should be brought along quickly. His last bout was last on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights where he disposed of the over-matched Adolfo Landeros (20-13-1, 9 KOs) 28 seconds into the fight with a perfect left to the body. Landeros lay prone on the canvas for several minutes.
WATCH THIS BODY SHOT YOURSELF!
CUBAN DEFECTOR GIVES PURSE TO HAITI READ MORE…
COMBINED AGE OF UFC MAIN EVENT IS 91 YEARS!
Las Vegas, NV- Tonight’s UFC 109 main event from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV will feature a bout between the 45 year old UFC hall of famer Mark Coleman, 205 lbs., Columbus, OH and 46-year old fellow UFC hall of famer Randy Couture, 205, Corvallis, OR. Coleman (16-9, 4 KOs, 8 SUBs) enters as a heavy underdog against the fan favorite Couture (17-10, 7 KOs, 2 SUBs). I think this match basically comes down to one thing; Couture has been able to evolve his game throughout his career and Coleman hasn’t. Couture has kept up with the competition over the years while Coleman has remained somewhat one dimensional. Couture cruises to a decision or getting a late stoppage here as Coleman tends to runs out of gas.
UFC 109 UNDERCARD ONLY LOOKS FAIR! READ MORE…
Friday, February 5, 2010
NSU Center Arena, Miami, FL (ESPN 2) Glen Johnson (49-13-2, 33 KOs) vs. Yusaf Mack (28-2-2, 17 KOs) Odds/Prediction: Johnson 8-5. Mack has never lived up to potential. Both fighters in “must” win situation.
Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, CA
(Showtime) Freddy Hernandez (27-1, 18 KOs) vs. Demarcus Corley (36-12-1, 21 KOs) Odds/Prediction: FH 3-1. Corley hasn’t won a fight in years! Losing streak continues here. Dropping $900 to win $300.
Saturday, February 6, 2010 READ MORE…
HOMOPHOBIA FEEDING OUR BOXER POOL?
Unbeaten Ciso Morales
New York, NY- What would you do if you were repeatedly accused of being gay? Some people come out of the closet, while others honestly declare their heterosexual preferences. Others still keep silent and tell the snooping parties to mind their own business. Upcoming Philippine fighter Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales (14-0, 8 KOs) discovered he had enough talent to start a boxing career. Morales took to the largest newspaper in his country, the Manila Bulletin, to tell the world that boxing turned his life of ambiguous sexuality around. “Those who called me gay before are now my closest friends and they now show me some respect,” he beams. So what to make of a morality tale where our sport is the means to gay liberation (in the sense of boxers being liberated from being called gay)?
SHADY JOURNALISM FROM MANILA BULLETIN READ MORE…
BOXING’S NOT JUST ABOUT HBO & SHOWTIME
Pittsburgh, PA- As we toast boxing’s royalty, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Shane Mosley, for delivering the biggest events this side of Pacquiao-Mayweather to the bourgeoisie, let’s keep our glasses raised to those fighters often viewed as second-class citizens in the sport. They compete in clubs, on the off-television part of cards or, in best-case scenarios, for relatively modest paydays on ESPN and as B-sides to showcased stars. Week in and week out, including this weekend, they persevere despite being defeated, insulted or – worse – ignored, so let’s take a moment and give them their due.
ESPN OFTEN DISPLAYS THE “MIDDLE CLASS”
Shows like ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights,” Versus’ “Fight Night Club” and GoFightLive cards provide exposure READ MORE…
BOXING FANS CONTINUE TO WORK THAT DVR!
NEW YORK, NY – Boxing’s busy winter schedule continues this weekend with two cards featured on both Friday and Saturday night. Tonight, ESPN will showcase former light heavyweight (175) world champion Glen Johnson (49-13-2, 33 KOs) when he takes on Yusaf Mack (28-2-2, 17 KOs) over 12 scheduled rounds in the main event of ESPN 2’s Friday Night Fights, live from the NSU Arena, in Fort Lauderdale, FL on ESPN 2 at 10:30 PM ET.
ROAD WARRIOR TAKING LONG WAY HOME READ MORE…
UFC HEADED TO DUBAI IN APRIL
San Francisco, CA- The Ultimate Fighting Championships had a press conference this past week in Dubai to promote an outdoor-mega card set for April 10. UFC champ Anderson Silva faces Vitor Belfort at 185 lbs, BJ Penn to defend the lightweight (155) diadem against Frankie Edgar, and Renzo Gracie meeting Matt Hughes. Having never had a show outdoors, the UFC is having an outdoor stadium set up much like Caesars Palace did for boxing in the 1980s.
CYBORG AFRAID SHE MIGHT HURT OTHER CHICKS!
Fresh off a KO win this past Saturday in Miami, FL, Cris Cyborg, the ‘pound for pound’ best female fighter in MMA, the woman who nearly beheaded Gina Carano last year, she prefers NOT to train with women. “I’m more comfortable with men. I’m afraid I’d hurt women.” Cyborg turned down an offer from Playboy to do a pictorial spread. Seems her husband is the proud/jealous type (who wouldn’t be) and she nixed it! Having your wife nude, well I remember the problems it caused then #1 rated Tennis star Jimmy Connors. Married to famed Playboy centerfold Patty McGuire, Jimmy ran into the stands after one heckler.
ASSN OF BOXING COMMISSIONS V. EDMONTON COMMISSION READ MORE…
TYGART IS STRAIGHT & TO THE POINT
San Francisco, CA- In an interview with a Michigan newspaper, Travis Tygart of the US Anti Doping Agency pulled no punches regarding the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight falling apart. Having worked with both camps before the event was called off, Tygart had this to say. “Out of respect for both sides I don’t want to get into a ton of detail, but it’s safe to say that the Mayweather camp wanted the carte blanche gold-standard that we run, and the other side (Manny, Bob Arum, Freddie Roach, etc) didn’t want to do that.”
BOTH DESERVE BLAME, BUT MANNY A LOT MORE! READ MORE…
EDWIN VALERO: THE MOST AVOIDED FIGHTER TODAY!
Los Angeles, CA- Showtime finally comes through with another installment of it’s World Championship Boxing series Saturday when it features explosive power puncher, WBC lightweight (135 lbs) champion Edwin Valero (26-0, 26 KOs) of Venezuela versus Tijuana’s WBC interim champion Antonio DeMarco (23-1-1, 17 KOs). Valero is a relative unknown to the American public due to only fighting on US soil once in the last five years. He was denied a boxing license in 2004 after failing an MRI in New York. A brain injury from a motorcycle accident in 2001 led to the failed test.
VALERO GOT HIS “BONES” BEATING ON “EL TERRIBLE” READ MORE…
San Francisco, CA- There have been hundreds of whining posts from fans of Manny Pacquiao trying to throw trash at Floyd Mayweather. “He hasn’t signed the contract, he’s scared, etc.” Well Pacnuts, you can all STF up now that Floyd has inked a pact to fight Shane Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas. And after my reading an interview with a USADA rep, he put it like this. “Floyd wanted to do the Olympic style testing, while the other party (see Pac) wanted no part of it.” READ MORE…
SANS TV BOXING WOULD BE DECEASED
Atlanta, GA- No other sport of any significance is more of a “television-only” endeavor than boxing. This wasn’t always the case, of course, as the sport far predates the medium and remained an immense local live draw until the last 30 years or so. But as big fights were increasingly pulled from big American cities and routed to Las Vegas and other resort destinations, television virtually became the sport’s life blood.
TV IS THE SPORT’S LIFELINE
How important is television to boxing? Think about this question: what percentage of boxing fans, those people tuning in regularly to fights on HBO and Showtime, has never seen live boxing at any level? 30%? 40%? It wouldn’t surprise me if it were well over 50%, because if you don’t live within 30 minutes of a casino, your opportunities to see boxing are extremely few and far between. Between high school sports, minor league sports, small local race tracks and participatory sports like golf, nearly every other sport geographically blankets the nation. By comparison, the public awareness of boxing in this country without of television could safely be estimated to about zero. It would be like Jai Alai in South Florida.
SHORTEN THE ROUNDS LIKE UFC FIGHTS? READ MORE…