A Quarter Century of Greatness: Boxing’s 25 Best Over The Last 25 Years (Part 3)

by Paul Magno

For  Part 1 of this feature, #25-#18, click here: http://thebluecorner.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/a-quarter-century-of-greatness-boxings-25-best-over-the-last-25-years-part-1/

For Part 2 of this feature, #17-#11, click here: http://thebluecorner.wordpress.com/2009/04/19/a-quarter-century-of-greatness-boxing%e2%80%99s-25-best-over-the-last-25-years-part-2/

 

10) Evander Holyfield: 42-10-2 (27 KO), 1984-2008

Key Wins: Dwight Muhammad Qawi (2), Carlos DeLeon, Buster Douglas, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe (1-2), Michael Moorer (1-1), Ray Mercer, Mike Tyson (2), John Ruiz (1-1-1), Hasim Rahman

Key Losses: Riddick Bowe (2), Michael Moorer, Lennox Lewis, John Ruiz, Chris Byrd, James Toney, Larry Donald, Sultan Ibragimov, Nikolay Valuev

“The Real Deal’s” first mark on professional prize fighting was as the greatest Cruiserweight of all-time. As a Heavyweight, Holyfield used heart, soul and old-school toughness to beat more than his fair share of Boxing’s best big men. Even well past his prime, Holyfield never cheated the public with a sluggish performance or a half-hearted effort; Evander was a real warrior, through and through.

9) James Toney: 71-6-3 (43 KO), 1989-Present

Key Wins: Michael Nunn, Reggie Johnson, Mike McCallum (2-0-1), Iran Barkley, Tim Littles, Charles Williams, Vassiliy Jirov, Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman (D)

Key Losses: Roy Jones Jr., Montell Griffin (2), Drake Thadzi, Samuel Peter (2)

Freddie Roach, Toney’s ex-trainer, recently said that an in-shape Toney had the potential to be the best fighter ever. Few who saw Toney at his best would rule out Roach’s assesment as pure fantasy. “Lights Out” outclassed fighters from 160 all the way up to 190, giving his opponents lessons in classic, old-school combat. With quick hands and a supremely tight defense, Toney’s only apparent weakness was at the dinner table where he probably ate away a few prime years of his otherwise stellar career.

8.) Manny Pacquiao: 48-3-2 (36 KO), 1995-Present

Key Wins: Jorge Julio, Marco Antonio Barrera (2), Juan Manuel Marqez (1-0-1), Erik Morales (2-1), Oscar Larios, Jorge Solis, David Diaz, Oscar de la Hoya

Key Losses: Medgoen Singsurat, Erik Morales

Boxing’s true “Mexicutioner,” Pacquiao has beaten a virtual Mt. Rushmore of Mexican greats in Barrera, Morales, Marquez and Larios. Over the course of his career “The Pac-man” has transformed himself from a wild rush of southpaw fury into a sharp and focused, division-jumping, pro. His most recent domination of De la Hoya proved all critics and, most experts, wrong. Boxing’s current Pound for Pound king has established himself as the force to reckon with in every division from 130 to 147.

7) Lennox Lewis: 41-2-1 (32 KO), 1989-2003

Key Wins: Donovan Ruddock, Tony Tucker, Frank Bruno, Ray Mercer, Oliver McCall (1-1), Andrew Golota, Shannon Briggs, Evander Holyfield (1-0-1), Frans Botha, David Tua, Hasim Rahman (1-1), Mike Tyson, Vitali Klitschko

Key Losses: Oliver McCall, Hasim Rahman

Maybe the most controversial placement on this list because Lewis seems to bring up vastly different assesments of his abilities and accomplishments. What can’t be disputed about Lennox, though, was the fact that he fought everyone in the division who was willing to fight him and mosltly won convincingly. His only two losses were avenged brutally. When Boxing has time to reflect, Lewis will be remembered as the best Heavyweight since prime Larry Holmes and, maybe, the best since Ali.

6) Floyd Mayweather Jr.: 39-0 (25 KO), 1996-Present

Key Wins: Genaro Hernandez, Diego Corrales, Carlos Hernandez, Jesus Chavez, Jose Luis Castillo (2), DeMarcus Corley, Zab Judah, Carlos Baldomir, Oscar De la Hoya, Ricky Hatton

Key Losses: None

One of the most gifted and best-schooled fighters of this era, “Pretty Boy/Money” Mayweather lit up the 130-135 lb division, beating the best of those divisions and displaying skills and abilities on an “all-time” level. Above 140 lbs, received criticisms for not fighting the very best, but still found a way to become 140, 147 and 154 lb. champ and true, lineal champ at Welterweight. In all fairness to Mayweather, actual timelines and business issues stood in the way of the one fight he could actually be accused of skipping- against Miguel Cotto.

5) Julio Cesar Chavez: 107-6-2 (86 KO), 1980-2005

Key Wins: Roger Mayweather (2), Rocky Lockridge, Juan La Porte, Edwin Rosario, Bazooka Limon, Jose Luis Ramirez, Meldrick Taylor, Hector Camacho, Frankie Randall (2-1), Joey Gamache, Ivan Robinson

Key Losses: Frankie Randall, Oscar De la Hoya (2), Willy Wise, Kostya Tszyu, Grover Wiley

In his prime, there was nobody who better represented the classic Mexican style and the classic Mexican fight ethic than “El Gran Campeon Mexicano.” With brutal body work, a calculated temper and a cast-iron chin, Chavez bullied his way to dominance from the Super Featherweight division all the way up to Welterweight. Chavez’s toughest enemy was his own weakness for partying and the last couple of years of his career saw him be a shadow of his true self. Prime Chavez is of the “all-time” class and Top 5 of the last 25 years.

4) Oscar De la Hoya: 39-6 (30 KO), 1992-2008

Key Wins: Jorge Paez, John John Molina, Rafael Ruelas, Genaro Hernandez, Jesse Jame Leija, Julio Cesar Chavez (2), Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Pernell Whitaker, Wilfredo Rivera, Ike Quartey, Oba Carr, Javier Castillejo, Fernando Vargas, Felix Sturm, Ricardo Mayorga)

Key Losses: Felix Trinidad, Shane Mosley (2), Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao

The tired, old cliche about “The Golden Boy” is that he “never won the big ones.” Well, it could also be said that only one fighter, Shane Mosley, ever really beat De la Hoya in the roughly 7 years of his his prime, from 135 to 147 lbs. Oscar not only became the face of boxing for more than a decade, but he did so with class and dignity. His resume has more big names than the Warsaw phone book- he fought the best of his generation. Were some of those names older or naturally smaller than De la Hoya? Yes, but his fame drew the best fighters to the table and, much more often than not, Oscar fought them.

3) Bernard Hopkins: 49-5-1 (32 KO), 1988-Present

Key Wins: John David Jackson, Glen Johnson, Simon Brown, Antwun Echols (2), Keith Holmes, Felix Trinidad, Carl Daniels, William Joppy, Oscar De la Hoya, Antonio Tarver, Winky Wright, Kelly Pavlik

Key Losses: Roy Jones Jr., Jermain Taylor (2), Joe Calzaghe

The symbol of technical excellence and old-school toughness, Hopkins has been boxing at the highest levels for more than 15 years. “The Executioner’s” numbers can’t be argued with- He was the sport’s last unified, 4-belt champ, 20 successful defenses as a Middleweight, and at 41 years of age he embarked on a second career run that saw him become the true, lineal champ at Light Heavyweight. For the vast majority of his career, B-Hop labored under the burden of being an outsider, shunned by promoters and sanctioning bodies for his outspoken tirades against Boxing’s injustices. B-Hop has had the final laugh and is evidence to the fact that superb conditioning and hard-earned ring intelligence are a boxer’s two greatest weapons.

2) Roy Jones Jr.: 53-5 (39 KO), 1989-Present

Key Wins: Bernard Hopkins, Thulani Malinga, James Toney, Mike McCallum, Montell Griffin, Virgil Hill, Reggie Johnson, Eric Harding, Clinton Woods, John Ruiz, Antonio Tarver (1-2)

Key Losses: Montell Griffin, Antonio Tarver (2), Glen Johnson, Joe Calzaghe

Jones was one of the most physically gifted fighter of all-time and, definitely, the most gifted of this era. Jones easily dominated world class fighters with an almost super human hand speed and uncanny reflexes. Literally untouchable for the better part of a decade, “RJ” ruled the world from 160 to 175 lbs and collected belts like matchbook covers, acquiring straps that most never even knew existed. The last flash in his career was his move up to heavyweight to capture the WBA title from John Ruiz. As his physical gifts diminished with age, Jones became vulnerable and beatable, but nobody can ever take away from the total excellence Jones displayed in his, 16-punch combination, pre-fight basketball-playing, prime.

1) Pernell Whitaker: 40-4-1 (17 KO), 1984-2001

Key Wins: Roger Mayweather, Greg Haugen, Jose Luis Ramirez (1-1), Freddie Pendleton, Azumah Nelson, Jorge Paez, Rafael Pineda, Buddy McGirt (2), Julio Cesar Chavez (D), Julio Cesar Vazquez, Jake Rodriguez, Wilfredo Rivera

Key Losses: Jose Luis Ramirez, Oscar De la Hoya, Felix Trinidad, Carlos Bojorquez

“Sweet Pea” was quite frankly, the best boxer of these last 25 years. With the best defense since Willy Pep and the inherent ring smarts of a Sugar Ray Robinson, Whitaker set about a pace of utter dominance from Lightweight to Welterweight, with the two blights on his record (a loss to Ramirez and a draw to Chavez) being complete robberies. Most amazing was the fact that not only did Pernell beat the best of his class, but for a long period of time, he rarely even lost a round! Pernell Whitaker was the perfect combination of gifted athlete and learned student of the game…and he was Boxing’s Best Over The Last 25 Years.

 

Honorable Mention (in no particular order): Michael Nunn, Ricky Hatton, Terry Norris, Johnny Tapia, Humberto Gonzalez, Michael Carbajal, Nigel Benn, Iran Barkley, Virgil Hill, Chris Eubank, Naseem Hamed, Meldrick Taylor, Kostya Tszyu

To Debate This List, Join The BTBC: Boxing’s Pound 4 Pound Best Fan Forum: www.boxingtimes.com

The Standing 8 Count (4/26/09)

by Madcow

Ahhhh….There’s nothing like a week off to really make a man feel at ease with the world. I was feeling a little guilty at first, but then I thought to myself, “Hey! You ain’t getting paid!” That made me feel a lot better.

Is there anyone who gets knocked out better than Jermain Taylor? I mean, look at his face and his body when he gets whooped! He gets this blank look in his eyes and his body crumples like one of my used kleenex. Now, there’s a man who has the decency to look whooped when he was whooped.

Congratulations to Carl Froch who followed the perfect strategy for beating “The Head of Block from Little Rock”: Throw punches and wait until Taylor gets tired and starts running into them. But, sorry, “Cobra,” you are still not “worthy” of a fight with Joe Calzaghe. It’ll take 10 more years and a loss to Sven Ottke to qualify you for “Super” Joe.

This Just In: Juan Manuel Lopez has just broken into Gerry Penalosa’s house and his beating the Filipino up at his dinner table… And Penalosa still won’t go down!

Gerry Penalosa is a freaking robot. I’ve never seen anyone outside of a Friday the 13th movie take so much punishment and still keep coming forward.

Penalosa’s toughness aside, Lopez is a beast and will massacre most of 122 and 126.

Speaking of massacres, Allan Green finally found his mojo and starched Carlos DeLeon Jr. on the undercard of Froch/Taylor. This is the first time I’ve seen the potential from Green that so many claimed he had. Where was this version of Green when he “pussed” his way around the ring against Edison Miranda? Maybe the section of colon he had removed? May I suggest a similar ass operation for Andre Ward and Eddie Chambers?

Speaking of ass-work, Cory Spinks is back in the mix at 154 lbs. with his solid win over DeAndre Latimore on Friday. Actually, to be fair to Spinks, this one wasn’t actually all bad. I just have to say, though: Doesn’t Cory Spinks look like the biggest idiot in the world when he does his pre-fight dance thing?

What I want to know is why anyone still sticks with Don King as a promoter? With just about one real card a year, he has at least a half dozen solid fighters just withering on the vine. A 22-year old prospect like Devon Alexander should not have ring rust against a club fighter like he did on Friday’s undercard.

James Kirkland was arrested on gun charges and could likely see prison time for a parole violation. Would it be too much to ask of Ann Wolfe to cut her hair short like Kirkland’s and assume the young phenom’s fight schedule? I mean, gee, Kirkland was doing so well…

So, next week is the big one- Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton. Let me be one of the first to say that, despite the 24/7 shows on HBO and all the hype, this is a mismatch. By the 4th round, Hatton will look like he was eating tomato paste without his hands. Forget all the pro-Hatton reasoning, Ricky doesn’t have a chance in hell. Pacquiao is going to beat him like Reginald Denny got beat in the LA Riots. This one will put the quaint and likeable chap, Hatton, into a much-needed retirement. And if Pacquiao is especially blood-thirsty on the 2nd, this bout will not be suitable for younger, more squeemish viewers. Floyd Mayweather Sr.- Bring a pint of O+ with you.

Apparently, Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s retirement is only going to last about 18 months. Rumblings are strong that “Money” will be coming back on July 18th against Juan Manuel Marquez and I believe them. Now, if it were rumored that he was coming back against a prime, world-class fighter in his own weight class? Then, I wouldn’t believe a word of it.

Ok, gotta run and see if I still have some money in the bank. I have a big vacation coming up. Paul, please remove all Swine Flu patients from the Central Mexico area- especially the zonas de tolerancia.

See ya next week, ladies.

British Boxing’s 64-Day Test

by Paul Magno

64 days.

Just a little over two months…but utterly crucial to the legacy of the modern era of British Boxing. Will this be remembered as a Golden Era for UK prize fighters or will it just be another class of talented pros who ultimately proved to be just a step shy of the elite? The answer to that question will be fleshed out after the following 64-day period of make-or-break challenges facing the best of the United Kingdom.

The gauntlet begins this Saturday, the 25^th as WBC Super Middleweight Champ, Carl Froch puts his title on the line against former Middleweight kingpin, Jermain Taylor. The 168-pound class has beefed up considerably since the days of Joe Calzaghe’s title reign, but Joe is long gone, resting comfortably in retirement. The heavy lifting has been left to Froch, who now finds himself in the position of defending the UK’s unspoken reign over the division. It’s Froch who’s left to do battle in a much deeper division with the added pressure of continuing the tradition of Eubank, Collins, Benn and Calzaghe.

To his credit, Froch has jumped right in and will be taking on one of the division’s best. A win gives him some breathing room…A loss could show the world that, all along, he was merely a 2^nd tier player who benefited from there being 4 separate world title belts. To Froch, this test comes down to a negation of his career or a justification of his status as a world class player.

The next challenge to the UK legacy comes on May2nd in the form of Ricky Hatton’s battle against Manny Pacquiao. While it’s no shame to be beaten by Pacquiao at this point, a blow-out similar to Hatton’s loss to Mayweather will just go to paint Hatton as a borderline champ who was several notches below the elite; An “also ran” on the world stage who keeps getting big fights based on his likeability more than his skill or talent.

A win, though, puts Hatton into the Hall of Fame and probably earns him the reputation of being one of the all-time greats at 140 lbs.

Jump ahead to June 20^th as David Haye makes his much-anticipated run at a Heavyweight title by taking on the division’s best, Wladimir Klitschko. Haye’s accomplishments at Cruiserweight were considerable, but his true legacy and reputation will be determined by how well he does against Klitschko.

After all the talk and hype surrounding this bout, anything but a stellar win will be a let down for “The Hayemaker.” And a loss- especially of the KO variety- will result in the instant disintegration of his personal legacy. A decisive loss to Wlad will turn Haye into a bit of a punch line in the sport and a poster boy for fighters who think they’re better than they are.

But…a win instantly validates everything Haye’s done or said over the course of his career and it puts him on the very short list of world class Heavyweights from the UK. A decisive win over both of the Klitschkos earns him a spot in the Hall of Fame and brings him closer to “all-time” consideration.

While, basically just starting his path to “all-time” status, Amir Khan has been thrust into the spotlight and on the 27^th of June finds himself in his biggest task. Khan will be moving up to 140 lbs to challenge for his first world title against veteran WBA Jr. Welter Champ, Andreas Kotelnik.

Can the UK’s version of the Golden Boy withstand another loss at this point in his career? Will a loss send Khan into a downward spiral similar to that of Audley Harrison? This is a very risky move by Khan’s promoter, Frank Warren; Basically a roll of the dice that the 22-year old prospect has what it takes to take care of the crafty Kotelnik. It’s essentially an all-or-nothing move that has the feel of desperation more than utter confidence.

So, it’s going to be a very interesting 64 days starting this Saturday. Will this be redemption for British Boxing’s current generation; A confirmation of “Golden Era” status? Or will it be proof of yet another generation of talented British fighters who just weren’t at the elite, world class level? We’ll see as, arguably, the UK’s biggest fighters get ready to face their biggest challenges.

At the very least, it’s going to be a fabulous 64 days for fight fans everywhere.

A Quarter Century of Greatness: Boxing’s 25 Best Over The Last 25 Years (Part 2)

by Paul Magno

For Part 1 of this feature, #18-#25, click here: http://thebluecorner.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/a-quarter-century-of-greatness-boxings-25-best-over-the-last-25-years-part-1/

17) Winky Wright: 51-5-1 (25 KO), 1990-Present

Key Wins: Andrew Council, Bronco McKart (3), Keith Mullings, Shane Mosley (2), Felix Trinidad, Ike Quartey, Jermain Taylor (Draw)

Key Losses: Julio Cesar Vazquez, Harry Simon, Fernando Vargas, Bernard Hopkins, Paul Williams

Wright may not always have been the most exciting fighter, but few could argue with his success or the skill-set demonstrated by his two wins over Mosley and his complete domination of Trinidad. Avoided by many of the top talents, Wright and his defense-minded southpaw trick book were forced into fighting whoever he could, whenever a fight could be made- even to the point of spending 5 prime years on the European circuit.

16) Jose Luis Castillo: 57-9-1 (49 KO), 1990-Present

Key Wins: Jorge Paez, Stevie Johnston (1-0-1), Cesar Bazan, Juan Lazcano, Joel Casamayor, Julio Diaz, Diego Corrales (1-1), Herman Ngoudjo

Key Losses: Floyd Mayweather (2), Diego Corrales, Ricky Hatton

Possibly the most underrated boxer on this list, Castillo had the misfortune of emerging after training partner Julio Cesar Chavez and at the same time as guys like Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales. Castillo didn’t capture too many headlines;  He just set about becoming one of the all-time greats at Lightweight through a steady pace of quality wins and exciting performances.

15) Felix Trinidad: 42-3 (35 KO), 1990-2008

Key Wins: Maurice Blocker, Hector Camacho, Yori Boy Campas, Oba Carr, Freddie Pendleton, Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De la Hoya, David Reid, Fernando Vargas, William Joppy, Ricardo Mayorga

Key Losses: Bernard Hopkins, Winky Wright, Roy Jones Jr.

With two precision rockets for fists, “Tito” Trinidad established himself as one of the finest offensive fighters of his era. Like most punchers, he could be outboxed, but the fighters who could do so were few and far between from 147 lbs to 160. Trinidad will go down as one of this generation’s most brutal KO artists and one of its most talented offensive fighters.

14) Mike Tyson: 50-6 (44 Ko), 1985-2005

Key Wins: Trevor Berbick, James Smith, Tony Tucker, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, Frank Bruno (2), Donovan Ruddock (2), Bruce Seldon, Frans Botha

Key Losses: Buster Douglas, Evander Holyfield (2), Lennox Lewis, Danny Williams, Kevin McBride

“Iron” Mike spent a total of about 6 prime years of his career in deep personal and managerial problems- including a nearly four year prison sentence. However, for about a 3 year period  from 1986 to 1989, no fighter in any division at any time was as dominant as Tyson. Using his phenomenal physical gifts, combined with Cus D’amato’s peek-a-boo defense and a generous amount of pure rage, Tyson became the youngest Heavyweight champion in history and maybe the most feared as well.

13) Erik Morales: 48-6 (34 KO), 1993-2007

Key Wins: Daniel Zaragoza, Junior Jones, Wayne McCullough, Marco Antonio Barrera (1-2), Kevin Kelley, Guty Espadas Jr. (2), Paulie Ayala, Jesus Chavez, Manny Pacquiao (1-2)

Key Losses: Marco Antonio Barrera (2), Zahir Raheem, Manny Pacquiao (2), David Diaz

The pride of Tijuana, “El Terrible,” came from humble beginnings to earn himself a position among the all-time greats from 122 to 130 lbs. Morales fought like a brawler with the sensibilities of a boxer, mixing solid fundamentals with the heart of a warrior. This mix made him one of the all-around best of this era and a earned him a rightful place among the other Mexican Boxing legends.

12) Shane Mosley: 46-5 (39 KO), 1993- Present

Key Wins: Philip Holiday, John John Molina, Jesse James Leija, Oscar De la Hoya (2), Fernando Vargas (2), Luis Collazo, Ricardo Mayorga, Antonio Margarito

Key Losses: Vernon Forrest (2), Winky Wright (2), Miguel Cotto

Just when everybody thought he was on the decline following his loss to Miguel Cotto, “Sugar” Shane shocked the world by knocking out Ricardo Mayorga and then, more surprisingly, totally dominating and brutalizing 147 lb kingpin, Antonio Margarito to once again capture a piece of the Welterweight title. Considering his recent success, its very possible that Mosley could earn himself an even higher placement on this list by the time he retires.

11) Marco Antonio Barrera: 65-7 (43 KO), 1989-Present

Key Wins: Agapito Sanchez, Kennedy McKinney, Erik Morales (2-1), Naseem Hamed, Johnny Tapia, Paulie Ayala, Rocky Juarez (2)

Key Losses: Junior Jones (2), Erik Morales, Manny Pacquiao (2), Juan Manuel Marquez, Amir Khan

Imagine picture-perfect technique and flawless execution delivered by a fighter with the sensibilities of a street thug- That was Marco Antonio Barrera. “The Baby Faced Assasin” became an all-time great from 122 to 130 lbs. by displaying the technique of a real craftsman with the attitude of a cold-blooded assasin. Winning was his primary drive and he rolled over most everyone who tried to get in his way.

To Be Continued…

Part 3: The Top 10-  Tuesday, April 21st

A Quarter Century of Greatness: Boxing’s 25 Best Over The Last 25 Years (Part 1)

by Paul Magno

Lists like this are always subjective and this one is no different. There is simply no way to take all of the sport’s best since 1984 and make a list that would make everyone happy…so, here’s my take on things and if you have a difference of opinion, feel free to comment here or let loose on our message board: www.boxingtimes.com .

I based my list on overall quality of opposition and inherent skill. To keep things fair, I excluded a fighter’s performance from when he was well past his prime. My focus was on the young fighter coming up and the champion in and around his prime…Let the debate begin:

25) Riddick Bowe: 43-1 (33 KO), 1989-Present

Key Wins: Bert Cooper, Tony Tubbs, Bruce Seldon, Evander Holyfield (2-1), Andrew Golota (2)

Key Losses: Evander Holyfield

Bowe was perhaps the most physically gifted of his contemporary Heavyweights yet, aside from his series win over Holyfield, he has little to show for it. Solid wins litter his resume, but talent and respectable competition don’t cut it on any all-time list. Names like Lewis, Tyson, Moorer and Mercer were around…Bowe had the potential to beat them all.

24) Joe Calzaghe: 46-0 (33 KO), 1993-2009

Key Wins: Chris Eubank, Robin Reid, Byron Mitchell, Jeff Lacy, Mikkel Kessler, Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr.

Key Losses: None

After a solid win over an older Chris Eubank to become WBO Super Middleweight Champ, Calzaghe went about setting a record of 21 straight title defenses against mostly 2nd and 3rd tier opposition. His saving graces were his total domination of Lacy and 2 respectable wins over Kessler and Hopkins.

23) Azumah Nelson: 39-6-2 (28 KO), 1979-2008

Key Wins: Wilfredo Gomez, Juan LaPorte, Jeff Fenech (1-1-1), Calvin Grove, Rafael Ruelas (2), Jesse James Leija (1-2-1)

Key Losses: Salvador Sanchez, Pernell Whitaker, Jesse James Leija, Jeff Fenech, Genaro Hernandez

The world first caught a glimpse of  the very young Azumah when he went toe-to-toe with the great Salvador Sanchez…and the heart he displayed that day carried on throughout the rest of his career.  “The Professor” was never the most physically gifted fighter, but he used his experience, superb conditioning and blue-collar work ethic to become one of the very best and the measuring stick for fighters in the Featherweight and Super Featherweight divisions for almost 15 years.

22) Mike McCallum: 49-5-1 (36 KO), 1981-1997

Key Wins: David Braxton, Julian Jackson, Milton McCrory, Donald Curry, Herol Graham, Steve Collins, Michael Watson, Sumbu Kalambay (1-1)

Key Losses: Sumbu Kalambay, James Toney (2), Fabrice Tiozzo, Roy Jones Jr.

Aside from having one of the coolest nicknames in the history of the sport, “The Bodysnatcher” was almost a blueprint for the perfect boxer. He was a “most feared man” before the term became popular and many of the sport’s best avoided him until the very end of his career. Still, McCallum was able to have a great deal of success on the European circuit and he accounted for himself well, even when he was past his prime.

21) Diego Corrales: 40-5 (33 KO), 1996-2007

Key Wins: Roberto Garcia, Derrick Gainer, Angel Manfredy, Jose Luis Castillo (1-1), Joel Casamayor (1-2) Acelino Freitas

Key Losses: Floyd Mayweather Jr, Joel Casamayor, Jose Luis Castillo

People forget just how much “Chico” Corrales terrorized the Super Featherweight division. With 27 brutal KO’s in his first 33 fights, Corrales just may have been the heaviest-handed 130 pounder in the history of the sport. Plus, who could ever forget his classice performance against Castillo in what could arguably have been the greatest fight of the last 25 years? RIP Chico.

20) Juan Manuel Marquez: 50-4-1 (37 KO), 1993-Present

Key Wins: Agapito Sanchez, Manuel Medina, Derrick Gainer, Marco Antonio Barrera, Rocky Juarez, Joel Casamayor, Juan Diaz)

Key Losses: Freddie Norwood, Chris John, Manny Pacquiao

Despite treading water in the early part of his career, Marquez has come on strong and has shown his excellence across 3 divisions. 2 of his key losses, against John and Pacquiao, have been of the controversial variety and the draw came in a fight with Pacquiao where he was dropped three times in the first. Marquez has the skill and drive to work his way up on this list and could very well find himself Top 5 or Top 10 by the time he retires.

19) Ricardo Lopez: 51-0-1 (38 KO), 1985-2001

Key Wins: Kermin Guardia, Alex Sanchez, Rosendo Alvarez (1-0-1), Will Grigsby, Ratanapol Sor Vorapin

Key Losses: None

The only negative about “Finito” Lopez was that there were no competitors in his weight class who were capable of giving him a quality tussle. With picture-perfect technique and the cold, calculating mind of an assasin, Lopez was as close to perfect as a human could be. There’s little doubt that if he were born 30-40 lbs. heavier, he would be at the very top of this list.

18) Miguel Cotto: 33-1 (27 KO), 2001-Present

Key Wins: Cesar Bazan, Carlos Maussa, Randall Bailey, DeMarcus Corley, Paulie Malignaggi, Carlos Quintana, Zab Judah, Shane Mosley

Key Losses: Antonio Margarito

Miguel Cotto at 140 lbs was as dominant a champion as you’ll ever find and, at 147, he’s proven himself a fighter who will fight (and can beat) anyone in front of him. One of the best offensive fighters of this era, his lone defeat at the hands of Margarito can be called into question due to Margarito’s controversial use of plaster-laced handwraps. Loss to Margarito or not, Cotto has become the standard-bearer at 147.

To Be Continued…

#17-#11,  Friday April 17th

The Standing 8 Count (4/12/09)

by Madcow

Help yourself to another heaping dish of Madcow Stew, Boxing’s answer to 60 Minutes, minus the annoying ticking clock and hideously ugly old people.

Paul Williams did what most expected him to do, he out-worked a defense-minded Winky Wright and walked away with an easy UD. Now, the rest of Boxing and the majority of its fans will go back to doing what I expect them to do- Ignore Paul Williams.

Let’s face it, Williams won’t be getting a major fight again unless he does like he did with Margarito- stick in a weight class, become #1 contender and force the issue. Otherwise, look for him to spend the rest of his career mopping up dying stars and beating up fringe wanabe contenders.

The undercard of Williams/Wright featured Chris Arreola vs. Jameel McCline. What’s a 3-Letter word for “chubby?” Starts with an “F.” Ok, let me get this out of my system: FAT, FAT, FAT, FAT, FATTY, FAT, FAT!  These two chumps were huge! They looked like they were getting winded during the introductions! I hadn’t seen so many stretch marks since I accidentally got carted into the Cook County Hospital Maternity Ward! When they clinched, you could hear a distinct squishing sound. This fight looked like the tranny actress, Divine from “Pink Flamingo” was fighting the version of himself/herself from “Hairspray.”

Phew! I think I’m done now.

Before Arreola apologists start writing me about how much he’s improved and how his weight really isn’t such a big issue, let me tell you chubby-chasers something; America’s highest-regarded Heavyweight hopeful shouldn’t look like he just got out of a pie eating contest. He’s our last chance for cryin’ out loud! If he can’t bring a title back to the USA, all we’re left with is Eddie Chambers and JD Chapman!

Oscar De la Hoya will announce his future this Tuesday, the 14th. Retirement or one more fight? I guess we’ll all know his future plans Tuesday afternoon. But wouldn’t it be a hoot if his big announcement was that he was going to now live his life as “Goldie,” his fishnet-wearing, gender-bending alter ego? Judging from his last performance, that’s not too far-fetched.

There’s not too much else happening in the sport, so I’ll close out this week’s column with my betting advice on the following fights:

April 25th- Jermian Taylor (-120) vs. Carl Froch (-110): Put it all on Taylor, but wait awhile before placing the bet. It’s almost even odds right now, but as the European bets start coming in, look for Froch to become the favorite. Then, you’ll clean up- Froch couldn’t beat Taylor on his best day. And this is coming from a Froch fan/ Taylor critic.

May 2nd- Manny Pacquiao (-230) vs. Ricky Hatton (+190): Pacquiao’s going to brutalize Hatton, but again, wait to make your bet. Right now, -230 is not that great, but as Vegas begins to fill with drunken Brits, expect those odds to drop to around -190.

May 9th- Chad Dawson (-800) vs. Antonio Tarver (+500): This is going to surprise some of you, but take your baby- sitting money and let it ride on Tarver. Dawson’s chin is too suspect to be such a favorite against Tarver. I wouldn’t bet my whole roll on this, but a 50 buck bet to win 250 is not bad- And if you lose, you’ll just have to skip your nice dinner and head out to the belly-busting, colon-grinding Circus Circus buffet.

June 2oth- Wladimir Klitschko (-260) vs. David Haye (+200): Common betting philospohy- Never bet on a fight between two screw-ups. So, I wouldn’t touch this one. However, I’d jump all over the 8 1/2 under at +150. If this fight goes more than 6, it’ll be a miracle; More than 8 rounds and it’ll only be because both guys tripped and sprained their ankles, preventing them from attacking.

So, there! I made you rich and you haven’t done a damn thing for me! A nice 10% would do just fine- Just enough to set another aviation record by once again going “Around the World” from the comfort of my own hotel room.

Alright, Kiddies, That’s enough from me. Too much and you’ll start getting all clingy- like Chris Arreola’s wet boxers to his blubbery behind…

See ya next Sunday.

Fight of the Week

by Paul Magno / PHONETOOL

 

Paul Williams: 36-1 (27 KO)

Height: 6’2”

Age: 27

Stance: Southpaw

Current Titles: WBO Interim Jr. Middleweight

Current BTBC World Ranking: # 4 (Welterweight),# 4 (Jr. Middleweight)

Career Highlights:

                                 UD Antonio Margarito

                                 TKO 8 Verno Phillips

                                 TKO 1 Carlos Quintana

                                  TKO 1 Andy Kolle

Career Lows: Lost to Carlos Quintana via UD

Titles Held: WBO Welterweight Title (2 Times)

                      WBO Interim Jr. Middleweight Title

VS.

Winky Wright: 51-4-1 (25 KO)

 

Height: 5’ 10 ½”

Age: 37

Stance: Southpaw

Current Titles: None

Current BTBC World Ranking: # 5 (Middleweight)

Career Highlights: UD, MD Shane Mosley

UD Felix Trinidad

D Jermain Taylor

UD Ike Quartey

Career Lows: UD Loss to Bernard Hopkins

Sloppy UD win over Sam Soliman

Tight MD Loss to Fernando Vargas

Titles Held: IBF Jr. Middleweight Title

WBC Jr. Middleweight Title

WBA Jr. Middleweight Title

WBO Jr. Middleweight Title

——————————

Winky Wright:

 “I get a lot of people asking me why I’m not fighting. I tell them it has nothing to do with negotiations, it’s because no one wants to fight me. No one wants to fight Winky Wright. They say it’s about the money, but it isn’t that. I wanted to fight Pavlik and Calzaghe, I’d go to England to fight him if he wanted, but the fact of the matter is, no one wants to fight Winky.”

“I’m looking forward to the challenge, I want to show I’m more than a defensive fighter. Yeah I’m a defensive fighter, but I’ve never seen a boxer win a match without throwing punches. I’m definitely gonna need my defense against Paul, because he throws a lot of punches. I don’t go for the knockout, boxing is a sport and it takes more than that.”

Paul Williams:
“I’m blessed to be here, and I’m ready to fight Winky.”
“He’s a big name in boxing and I’m gonna try my best like in my past fights.”
“I don’t do a lot of talking, I do my talking in the Ring. I just want to work hard and have a good time.”

——————————

 

The Live HBO Championship Boxing Broadcast Will Begin at 10 P.M. Eastern / 7 P.M. Pacific
On HBO East,West & HBO Latino

 

 

 

 

Bob Arum’s Mexican Standoff

by Paul Magno

Mexican Standoff:

 n: a situation in which no one can emerge as a clear winner. A no-win/no-lose situation

 

What must the atmosphere have been like in the dressing room after the main event of Latin Fury 8 as Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. celebrated his harder-than-expected victory over 106^th ranked Luciano Cuello? What could’ve been going through the minds of established veteran world champions, Fernando Montiel and Humberto Soto as they watched the media gush over Chavez Jr.? And what about when they heard all the big plans Bob Arum has in store for his young fighter? Could anyone expect these two accomplished warriors to be at all happy about playing second fiddle to a 23-year old who has yet to beat anyone ranked in the top 100? Would anyone blame them for frustration born from having to fight “stay busy” fights against marginal foes for marginal paychecks while Arum goes on and on about Chavez Jr.’s next PPV main event? Especially vexing for the pair of Top Rank champs is the fact that lesser Latino fighters are making bigger paydays with just about every other promotional company.

Recently, Bob Arum of Top Rank has shown an utter inability to land his Mexican and Mexican-American fighters the exposure and paydays they need. Instead, unless their name is Chavez or Margarito, they are in a perpetual holding pattern of rumored fights that never materialize and big opportunities that always seem to go to other fighters. Is this inability to push their Mexican fighters a product of Arum’s fading influence in the Hispanic market or is it indicative of Arum’s diminishing desire to promote anyone who isn’t already an established draw?

Fernando Montiel has to be among the most frustrated. He’s on many Top 10 Pound 4 Pound lists and on any informed Top 20 list. This superb technician and former Super Flyweight champ recently got tossed a bone and he was given a title shot at the vacant WBO Bantamweight title against unknown Diego Silva on the Chavez/Cuello undercard, but money fights with Cristian Mijares, Vic Darchinyan and Nonito Donaire never materialized despite rumors that they were close to being made. Now, Montiel is Bantamweight champ and a fight with Eric Morel is rumored. If this fight also falls through, Montiel may very well resign himself to the fact that no mega-fights are on the horizon and the money a pro like him deserves to make won’t be on the table until he’s well past his physical prime.

Another fighter lost in the shuffle is Humberto Soto, the talented 2-time and currently reigning WBC world champ whose career has been in limbo since early 2008. While he’s been fighting club fighters for small bills and intermittently entangled in a pair of farces for an interim title against the inferior Francisco Lorenzo, Golden Boy Super Featherweights like Rocky Juarez and Jorge Barrios have enjoyed multiple legit title shots on primetime HBO shows despite multiple big-fight losses. Soto’s next scheduled to fight Benoit Gaudet, another “keep busy” distraction on the Pacquiao/Hatton undercard.

And this inability to make the big fights for its smallest fighters, doesn’t stop with Montiel and Soto…

At one point, Top Rank’s Mike Alvarado was more highly regarded than fellow Jr. Welterweight, Victor Ortiz. Now, despite nearly identical records and similar achievements, Golden Boy’s Ortiz is HBO’s darling and he’ll be fighting for his first world title against WBA champ, Andreas Kotelnik while Alvarado’s next bout will be against Joaquin Gallardo, deep on the Pacquiao/Hatton card. Alvarado has to be second-guessing his choice of promoter.

A similar question mark has to appear above the head of Urbano Antillon, Top Rank’s tough, young Super Featherweight, as he continues to fight on obscure Spanish-language channels while fellow 26-year old 130 pounder, Golden Boy’s Robert Guerrero, has enjoyed two high-profile bouts on prominent cards following a year of inactivity.  

Even among the smallest of the small, unrest has to be brewing at Top Rank. Edgar Sosa and Ulises Solis, holders of the WBC and IBF Jr. Flyweight titles, respectively, look to make the only money fight in the division- against fellow Top Rank fighter, and WBO Flyweight champ, Ivan Calderon. Nobody other than Sosa and Solis seem in any hurry to make this fight. Instead, all 3 champs get tossed small fights to keep them busy and, essentially, keep them out of bankruptcy.

The Lightweight Lightning PPV last week served as further proof of Golden Boy’s dedication to the Latino market and their desire to keep their Latino fighters sharp and well-paid, with the most exposure possible. While the show wasn’t huge and the paychecks weren’t immense, all 6 of their fighters were engaged in lively, significant bouts in front of a crowd that was there to see them. Compare that to the Latinos in the Top Rank stable who, when not just sitting around, are fighting insignificant bouts in front of people who paid to see other fighters.

Bob Arum is currently engaged in a no-win Mexican Standoff with his fighters and the fans who want to see them. No matter what happens, though, he’s simply going to have to do something with his talent. It’s not enough to have a collection of talented fighters if there’s no effort to use them properly. If Arum has no desire to do the hard work of finding them quality fights, he should do the honorable thing and let them out of their contracts. To keep them strung along, like they currently are, is an insult to their abilities and a disservice to us fans who want to see them in worthwhile battles.

The Standing 8 Count (4/5/09)

by Madcow

Yes, its Sunday and that means another addition of The Standing 8 Count, Boxing’s turd in the punch bowl. Hold your applause ’til the end.

My Saturday afternoon was to be a very nice affair. A nice, early lunch, a “high-end” lady friend and Alexander Povetkin vs. Jason Estrada to top it all off. Well, I had the lunch and the lady. Then, as I tried to take in the Heavyweight fight from Germany, sleep overtook me- Boring, safety-first plod-fests tend to have that impact on people. I tried my damndest to stay awake, but I was out like a light by the fourth. By the time I got up, my lady was gone and so was my watch, a portable dvd player and 80 bucks from the nightstand. Wilfried Sauerland, you and your boring-ass fighters owe me about 400 bucks, total! And I’d like that money before the next Nikolay Valuev fight!

Still steaming from the Sauerland-induced coma and resulting theft, I was hardly in the mood for more Boxing. But I’m sure glad I didn’t give up just yet. The rest of the evening saw 6 fights, each entertaining in their own way. By the end of the night, I had forgotten my tragic afternoon delight.

The Lightweight Lightning PPV and the Showtime Championship Boxing show proved to me once again that Boxing needn’t be just scandals surrounded by mismatches and shoved into 50 dollar PPV’s.

In a world where Jones/Sheika, Khan/Barrera and Chavez Jr./Cuello are all PPV main events and the bitter aftertaste of the Antonio Plasterito scandal is still fresh in our mouths, we needed a night like last night to cleanse our suffering palates in preperation for the quality fights to come.

Lightweight Lightning gave us 3 quality showdowns and a glimpse at the freak show called Edwin Valero. The show took care of business in telling us that: A) Julio Diaz and Jesus Chavez are finished, B) Vicente Escobedo is good, but needs the type of education fighters get from fighting guys like Carlos Hernandez and C) Valero makes Edison Miranda look like “Sweet Pea” Whitaker.

Speaking of Valero, there’s something almost sad in the way he’s been sheltered. 2-time champ or not, he needs to go to school a lot more before looking for a spot on the varsity team. Right now, he’d be little more than a light snack for guys like Juan Manuel Marquez, Nate Campbell or Manny Pacquiao.

The Showtime card featured a unification of the WBC and WBO Jr. Welterweight titles. Timothy Bradley overcame 2 bookend knockdowns and an obvious physical disadvantage to get the unanimous decision. Kendall Holt accounted for himself very well, but the li’l guy Bradley was as tenacious as those Jehovah Witnesses I locked up in my basement that one time. It’s a shame that neither fighter, unless they beat up an emaciated Oscar De la Hoya has a chance of landing a shot at the Ring Magazine and lineal champ, Ricky Hatton.

The opening bout on that Showtime card pitted Librado Andrade against Vitaly Tsypko in an IBF Super Middleweight Eliminator. IBF champ, Lucian Bute, was in the audience looking like he wanted Tsypko to win so badly. When Andrade won an easy Unanimous decision, Bute gave him the “thumbs up” and then desperately urged his assistant to send some flowers to Montreal’s resident crooked ref, Marlon B. Wright.

The long-awaited (and I mean loooong awaited) bout between Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye is finally official for June 20th. Haye had to agree to another match with the Klitschko of their choosing should he win, then a fight with the other Klitschko, then a rematch with the Klitschko who got the first bout. Also, on the contract: Haye has to fight in high-heeled KISS boots, he has to eat nothing but Spam and Yoohoo for the 6 weeks prior to the fight and he has to wear the spit bucket over his head in every even-numbered round.

A tip for you, Klit bros.: Don’t act so scared. All its gonna take is one stiff jab or the breeze from a left hook and Haye is toast…or an English Muffin, whatever the case may be.

Now its time for me to go back to my online watch shopping, but remember: Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars! or was that “Keep your knees on the bed and keep reaching for the pillow?” I can’t remember, but I guess both’ll work.

A Weekend’s Worth of ‘Real’ Fights

by Paul Magno

Nate Campbell coined the phrase “Celebrity Boxing” to describe the recent pattern of signing huge, mega-fight, dream match-ups that were utterly insignificant to the sport as a whole. A few that come to mind most recently are De la Hoya-Pacquiao, Calzaghe-Jones and Hopkins-Pavlik. Now, next on the Celebrity Boxing circuit is Pacquiao-Hatton, likely a great fight that would be vital if there wasn’t so much unfinished business in both of their respective weight classes.

It’s hard to blame fighters for trying to cash in on their fame for their share of the remnants of Oscar’s golden pie, but these types of encounters do nothing other than pad the pockets of the fighters and the promoters; They do nothing to strengthen the continuity of their individual divisions- a must for the overall health of the sport and, essentially, they freeze out an entire generation of young fighters waiting to snatch the torch from the top dogs.

However, before the next addition of Celebrity Boxing on May 2nd, we have a weekend of ‘real’ fights that are truly significant to the fighters and/or the future of their divisions. We have veteran warrios fighting to stay relevant, young lions looking to make their mark and champions looking to unify…Crossroad fights abound this weekend. Here’s a brief look at each:

Friday, April 3rd

Randall Bailey vs. Frankie “Gato” Figueroa- The weekend kicks off with this Friday Night Fight gem featuring a hungry club fighter (Figueroa) looking to work his way out of the club circuit against a veteran former champ (Bailey), fighting to get one more shot. The winner of this IBF Jr. Welterweight Eliminator gets a shot at champion Juan Urango…The loser disappears.

Saturday, April 4th-

Kendall Holt vs. Timothy Bradley- Nobody twisted the arms of WBO Champ, Holt and WBC Champ, Bradley. They didn’t have to fight each other. They could’ve feasted on their much weaker mandatories in hopes of landing a big fish like Ricky Hatton, but real champions take risks and real champions, ultimately, are willing to put up or shut up. While the mesh of their styles may produce a less-than-combustible battle, nobody can downplay the importance of two champions in their primes taking a chance and behaving as champions do.

Alexander Povetkin vs. Jason Estrada- Not a huge fight and certainly nowhere near marquee, but this is among the rarerst of all occurences in the Heavyweight division- a fight actually pitting two young fighters against each other with something to lose. Some would say that Povetkin is ranked higher than he should be while some would argue that Estrada is ranked lower than he deserves…They’ll determine the accuracy of those rankings this Saturday.

Edwin Valero vs. Antonio Pitalua- Valero finally gets his chance to shine on American TV. He’ll have his chance to prove that his power isn’t just a YouTube myth, but he’ll have to prove it against the 39 year old banger, Antonio Pitalua,  who will be, literally, fighting for his livelihood. By the way, the vacant WBC Lightweight title goes to the winner.

 

Librado Andrade vs. Vitali Tsypko- This IBF Super Middleweight Eliminator takes two crowd-pleasing veterans and mashes them together to see who has a chance at career redemption. A win for Tsypko erases the frustrating and razor-thin controversial loss to Jeff Lacy in 2006 while a win for Andrade bags him another shot at champion Lucian Bute, who he literally came within seconds of knocking out back in October of last year.

Jesus Chavez vs. Michael Katsidis- Simply put, Katsidis is 0-2 in big fights and another loss ends his run as a legit contender. And, even, simpler put, a loss for the 36- year old Chavez just, plain ends his career. Two brawlers+Must Win Fight= A Keeper.

Carlos  “Famoso” Hernandez vs. Vicente Escobedo- The 38-year old Hernandez is on his way down while the 27-year old Escobedo is on his way up….They’re meeting somewhere in the middle. A title shot, and the much-needed payday that comes along with it, is a sure thing to the winner.

Julio Diaz vs. Rolando Reyes- At 29 and 30 years of age respectively, Diaz and Reyes are said to be on the downside of their careers. Expect action and lots of it with the winner staying relevant in the Lightweight division and the loser going back to small paydays on Telemundo.

Sure, none of these guys are superstars and none could fill the MGM Grand or sell a million+ PPV’s, but they’re doing the grunt work that’s so essential to keeping Boxing alive and healthy. In divisions where the best fighters won’t even pretend to fight their truest and most deserving challengers, these guys are taking matters into their own hands…

Monthly Awards- March ‘09

Fighter of the Month:

James Kirkland- The question about this 154 lb. prospect was always whether his wrecking ball-style offense would be as effective against top-level competition as it was against the fringe contenders and club fighters of the division.

On March 7th, in San Jose, California we got the answer as Kirkland took a huge step up against offense-minded Joel Julio and literally battered the Colombian slugger into submission.

Coming into this contest, everyone knew that Julio could be outboxed- His two prior defeats being at the hands of awkward southpaw stylists, Carlos Quintana and Sergiy Dzinziruk. But James Kirkland is as much a stylist as he is a pastry chef and he tore into Julio like he was in a hurry to get to his post-fight interview. Basically, Kirkland fought Julio’s game and beat him at it.

Julio had a few moments where he could’ve turned things around, but the constant aggression from the Austin, Texas native had him fighting off his back foot in retreat the entire time.

Eventually, Julio’s battered body conspired with his battered psyche and the fight was waved off a little past the half-way point.

This win turned Kirkland from exciting prospect to real Top 10 challenger overnight…and it also earned him The BTBC Fighter of the Month award…

Bum of the Month:

Roy Jones Jr.: Some people become Bum of the Month because of some sort of nefarious, underhanded or cowardly act they perpetrate…And some, like Roy Jones Jr., are awarded the prize because they’re just plain delusional.

You can’t blame him for wanting a pleasant ending to a career that, lately, has been going very poorly and, therefore, you can’t blame him for fighting in his hometown of Pensacola. And, yeah, I’ll even  forgive him the selection of Omar Sheika as his opponent despite the fact that Sheika, little more than a high-level club fighter- even in his prime, had lost two of his last three (six of his last ten) and had been very inactive (the Jones fight being only his third in about five years). Heck, I can even understand putting it on PPV, considering that no network would ever think of touching such a farce.

But what earned him the Bum of the Month title was the fact that Jones and his promotional company, Sqaure Ring, didn’t even try to put together a decent undercard to offset the pointless main event.

Instead, we got BJ Flores in a typically tame and mind-numbing performance and, worst of all, we got subjected to three horrid MMA bouts where, literally, nothing happened. The Boxing public had to sit idly by while little men, big and muscular black men, fat guys and biker-types played grab-ass for a crowd that was doing anything but paying attention.

Shame on you, Roy!

And for future reference to any wannabe promoters out there…Don’t ever think of mixing Boxing with MMA again…I don’t buy that they don’t mesh well because they are two different sports; Actually the sports themselves aren’t beyond comparison- But the demograpnics of MMA and Boxing are worlds apart. You’d have just as much luck putting a Greco-Roman Wrestling contest on the Wrestlemania PPV or having The Super Bowl played with Arena Football rules…

The BTBC Thread of the Month:

The BTBC Pound 4 Pound List (This Time For Real!)

http://www.btbc.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=831

The BTBC crew puts together its definitive Pound 4 Pound list and engages in some Wladimir Klitschko and Ivan Calderon debate along the way. For the final BTBC Pound 4 Pound list, check out our YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3t68SGPRmo