Boxing News Thread
- Thread starter heyzel
- Start date
It happened in 2003 which to me doesn't seem like that long ago. They're both the same age.
maybe, maybe not. I think it says something though. My point is it shouldn't be a foreclosed conclusion that Ortiz beats Khan, especially being that Khan beat him so easily in the junior Olympics when Ortiz was highly favored to win. Of course, they're both older & wiser now, but they were both highly skilled fighters when they met in '03.
maybe, maybe not. I think it says something though. My point is it shouldn't be a foreclosed conclusion that Ortiz beats Khan, especially being that Khan beat him so easily in the junior Olympics when Ortiz was highly favored to win. Of course, they're both older & wiser now, but they were both highly skilled fighters when they met in '03.
Khan has no chin, his defense sucks ass, and he has a stamina problem. We will find out a lot about Khan in the Judah fight. Judah has fast hands and punching power something that Khan has never seen in the ring before. Khan was getting hit and hurt by slow ass Madana and barely made it out of that fight on his feet. Khan hasn't showed me the punching power to keep Judah off of him. The Ortiz that fought Berto would KO Khan late in the fight.
Haye clowns Wladimir in HBO face to face with Kellerman
By Dave Lahr: I just finished watching the HBO face to face with Wladimir Klitschko, David Haye and Max Kellerman, and I got to say that Haye really clowned Wladimir bad in the the special. Haye made Wladimir look almost silly and tongue tied. It’s good thing that Wladimir isn’t forced to do a lot of these face to face meetings with Haye because Wladimir came off really bad.
I thought for a second he was start crying when Kellerman started mentioning the demented t-shirt that Haye had put together depicting Haye holding cut off heads of Vitali Klitschko and Wladimir. Wladimir got real quiet and didn’t say much after Kellerman brought that up, leaving the rest of the interview to be dominated by Haye. It was already being dominated by Haye, but Wladimir was pretty much knocked out when the decapitated head stuff was brought up. He looked like a little boy that had his feelings hurt, and Haye was enjoying every moment of it.
Here’s some of the zingers that Haye was saying “He’s clearly a d*ckhead. He doesn’t have a f****ng clue what he’s talking about. Just jabbering on about absolutely nothing. The fact is your getting knocked unconscious. You’re going to be crawling around on the floor like you was against Corrie Sanders, like you was against Lamon Brewster. Your going to get that same shock. ‘He’s coming to get me.’ I am going to break you down, slow you down and take you out. You think your going to jab, jab and grab me all night long. It’s not going to happen. I’ve got a remedy for that. On July 2nd your going to see a gulf of difference between a tremendous little man and a good big man. If that gives you comfort about me being scared of you, take that with you. Sleep with that. I really don’t want to be there, that I’m forced to be in this fight because you somehow cornered me and there’s nowhere else to go. If that’s what you need to sleep at night then go for it. If he believes that just my mouth got me here then he’s in for a world of hurt. You’ve got to realize that you’re in with someone so much faster than you’ve ever been in the ring with. You can’t find sparring partners as fast as me that can punch from all angles that I do, single punch knockouts because they would have already knocked you out. I want the Klitschko heads this year, plain and simple. That why I’m in the game for. I can feel he was going to throw a punch. I feel it. The only time you’ve come out of your comfort zone is when you get knocked down and knocked out. You want this to be a snoozefest, a cure for insomnia like the rest of your fights. But this one is going to be an entertaining one. I feel it. I’m being looked forward to being taught a lesson, a jabbing lesson. You’ll see me standing and a referee counting over him, slowly probably.”
Even after Haye made Wladimir look silly, Wladimir attempted to shake his hand, as if some kind of appeasement gesture. It looked completely out of place after the shellacking that Haye had given him. Haye then shock his hand, ignoring Wladimir’s outstretched hand, saying “Save it for after the fight, man.”
By Dave Lahr: I just finished watching the HBO face to face with Wladimir Klitschko, David Haye and Max Kellerman, and I got to say that Haye really clowned Wladimir bad in the the special. Haye made Wladimir look almost silly and tongue tied. It’s good thing that Wladimir isn’t forced to do a lot of these face to face meetings with Haye because Wladimir came off really bad.
I thought for a second he was start crying when Kellerman started mentioning the demented t-shirt that Haye had put together depicting Haye holding cut off heads of Vitali Klitschko and Wladimir. Wladimir got real quiet and didn’t say much after Kellerman brought that up, leaving the rest of the interview to be dominated by Haye. It was already being dominated by Haye, but Wladimir was pretty much knocked out when the decapitated head stuff was brought up. He looked like a little boy that had his feelings hurt, and Haye was enjoying every moment of it.
Here’s some of the zingers that Haye was saying “He’s clearly a d*ckhead. He doesn’t have a f****ng clue what he’s talking about. Just jabbering on about absolutely nothing. The fact is your getting knocked unconscious. You’re going to be crawling around on the floor like you was against Corrie Sanders, like you was against Lamon Brewster. Your going to get that same shock. ‘He’s coming to get me.’ I am going to break you down, slow you down and take you out. You think your going to jab, jab and grab me all night long. It’s not going to happen. I’ve got a remedy for that. On July 2nd your going to see a gulf of difference between a tremendous little man and a good big man. If that gives you comfort about me being scared of you, take that with you. Sleep with that. I really don’t want to be there, that I’m forced to be in this fight because you somehow cornered me and there’s nowhere else to go. If that’s what you need to sleep at night then go for it. If he believes that just my mouth got me here then he’s in for a world of hurt. You’ve got to realize that you’re in with someone so much faster than you’ve ever been in the ring with. You can’t find sparring partners as fast as me that can punch from all angles that I do, single punch knockouts because they would have already knocked you out. I want the Klitschko heads this year, plain and simple. That why I’m in the game for. I can feel he was going to throw a punch. I feel it. The only time you’ve come out of your comfort zone is when you get knocked down and knocked out. You want this to be a snoozefest, a cure for insomnia like the rest of your fights. But this one is going to be an entertaining one. I feel it. I’m being looked forward to being taught a lesson, a jabbing lesson. You’ll see me standing and a referee counting over him, slowly probably.”
Even after Haye made Wladimir look silly, Wladimir attempted to shake his hand, as if some kind of appeasement gesture. It looked completely out of place after the shellacking that Haye had given him. Haye then shock his hand, ignoring Wladimir’s outstretched hand, saying “Save it for after the fight, man.”
Pacquiao to sign lucrative deal with Nike
By John F. McKenna (McJack): It was reported in the “Malaya Business Insight” that after signing a multi million dollar deal with Hewlett-Packard a month ago, WBO Welterweight Champion and Pound for Pound king Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO’s) is set to sign a more lucrative deal with the giant apparel company Nike.
Pacquiao will be leaving in two weeks for Portland, Oregon to meet with Nike Chief Phil Knight and other top Nike executives to plan a marketing strategy for the promotion of “Pacman” product lines.
The deal is similar to, if not richer than the pact Nike had with former NBA great Michael Jordan.
Pacquiao’s wife Jinkee told “Malay Business Insight” that her husband will be travelling to the United States in the company of his Canadian adviser Michael Koncz.
Meanwhile Manny Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum told the Examiner’s Michael Marley that the media tour to hype Manny’s November fight with Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KO’s) in Las Vegas will be global. The tour will start in Manila then will be going to Singapore, where there is a huge interest in Pacquiao.
The tour will also be going to Abu Dhabi in the Middle East and then head back to America. The tour will culminate, appropriately enough in Mexico City.
Pacquiao is set to grace the cover of the inaugural issue of “Fight Life”, a boxing magazine which will hit newsstands soon. Manny has also appeared on the cover of the prestigious Time Magazine.
Manny will be in the company of acclaimed television and movie star Ron Periman of the famed “Sons of Anarchy”. The two met at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood and have become close friends.
It has become increasing clear that Manny Pacquiao has become a world wide celebrity and that he has transcended boxing. He accomplished this by not only being a great fighter, but by also being a good will ambassador for the sport that he loves so much. Through it all Manny has never forgotten where he came from and has worked hard to help his people in the Philippines.
By John F. McKenna (McJack): It was reported in the “Malaya Business Insight” that after signing a multi million dollar deal with Hewlett-Packard a month ago, WBO Welterweight Champion and Pound for Pound king Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO’s) is set to sign a more lucrative deal with the giant apparel company Nike.
Pacquiao will be leaving in two weeks for Portland, Oregon to meet with Nike Chief Phil Knight and other top Nike executives to plan a marketing strategy for the promotion of “Pacman” product lines.
The deal is similar to, if not richer than the pact Nike had with former NBA great Michael Jordan.
Pacquiao’s wife Jinkee told “Malay Business Insight” that her husband will be travelling to the United States in the company of his Canadian adviser Michael Koncz.
Meanwhile Manny Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum told the Examiner’s Michael Marley that the media tour to hype Manny’s November fight with Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KO’s) in Las Vegas will be global. The tour will start in Manila then will be going to Singapore, where there is a huge interest in Pacquiao.
The tour will also be going to Abu Dhabi in the Middle East and then head back to America. The tour will culminate, appropriately enough in Mexico City.
Pacquiao is set to grace the cover of the inaugural issue of “Fight Life”, a boxing magazine which will hit newsstands soon. Manny has also appeared on the cover of the prestigious Time Magazine.
Manny will be in the company of acclaimed television and movie star Ron Periman of the famed “Sons of Anarchy”. The two met at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood and have become close friends.
It has become increasing clear that Manny Pacquiao has become a world wide celebrity and that he has transcended boxing. He accomplished this by not only being a great fighter, but by also being a good will ambassador for the sport that he loves so much. Through it all Manny has never forgotten where he came from and has worked hard to help his people in the Philippines.
Vanes Martirosyan: "I honestly don’t think Saul Alvarez deserves to be a world champi
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - This week’s 129th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with the #1 ranked junior middleweight contender in both the WBA and WBO organizations, Vanes Martirosyan (30-0, 19 KOs) who is coming off a seventh round stoppage victory against Saul Ramon (34-9, 29 KOs) a couple of weeks back. Martirosyan talked about his fight and shared opinions on other aspects of the boxing landscape, including Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach, Alvarez-Rhodes, Judah-Khan, and more! Here is what he had to say:
Regarding his recent seventh round TKO victory against Saul Ramon:
“Saul was a tough guy. He came in there with good power and he was well prepared for the fight. He got me good in the first round. He caught me with a good shot. I went away from the game plan and tried to trade with him in the beginning. I was supposed to box him the whole time, but I went in there and tried to trade with him and I got caught. It kind of woke me up to the boxing game actually with that knockdown. I’m happy it happened in a way because it kind of woke me up and I’m happy it happened in the beginning of my career and not later on when I’m in bigger fights and that happens and I don’t know what to do.”
His thoughts going into the seventh round in his fight against Saul Ramon:
“Well in round six if you watch it, I told my trainer, ‘I think he’s getting tired. I’m going to just stand in front of him and he can’t hurt me anymore’. So in round six I stood in front of him the whole time and let him give me his best shots, and I kept digging into the body too, sometimes. In round seven I knew I had him once I landed a good right hand and I saw him buckle, and I just went for it from then.”
On the post fight celebration when he was dropped by one of his trainers:
“Oh! With the celebration in the ring my trainer picked me up and he slammed me on my back because he tried to put me on his head and he dropped me. But after the fight we just went and had some pizza and we were just happy. It hasn’t hit me yet for a few days since what I did, but it was a great feeling.”
Regarding where he sees himself in the 154 pound weight class:
“I think it’s time for me to go for the big boys and fight the best out there. Whoever they say is the best, I’m willing to fight them. I hope that the fights get made. Right now the guy on my list is Saul Alvarez because I have that title. He has the gold and I have the silver, and I want that gold belt. So right now it’s Saul Alvarez. I hope everything goes well on Saturday and we can make the fight happen. We’re even willing to go to Mexica. Bob Arum said it, also. We’ll go to Mexico and fight him there.”
His views on the upcoming fight between Saul Alvarez and Ryan Rhodes:
“I haven’t really seen Rhodes fight. I have heard that he’s a tough guy. He’s a tough cookie and we’ll just see. Saul looks like he’s in great shape and I just wish both of them the best, and let the best man win.”
Regarding previous comments Freddie Roach made on the show when he claimed Martirosyan would “destroy Saul Alvarez”:
“I think we’ll KO him. Freddie says I’ll knock him out in one round! We do really, really hard training at the Wild Card and the Gym I’m at, too, the GFC. We train really hard and the sparring there is sometimes harder than the fights. So Freddie knows what I can do and I’m with Freddie, too. I believe that we can knock Alvarez out in one round, also.”
Regarding his unanimous decision victory against “Mean” Joe Greene:
“I don’t think I had a good fight that night. I mean it helped me a lot. Joe Greene, he’s a friend of mine. It helps a lot as far as later on in my life, but for the fight game I thought I put on a boring performance. I should have done a lot better and gave the fans a better fight than what I did. Going into the Saul Roman fight I had to do something like that and I knew I had to perform really well, because I couldn’t just go out there and put on another dull performance. So I think I did that and now it’s time to fight the big guys, but the Joe Greene fight helped me a lot to know what I should do in the ring.”
On his working relationship with trainer Freddie Roach:
“It’s like a father and son thing. He’s my best friend when we’re outside of the gym, and he’s really serious when we’re in the gym. I look at him as a Dad figure in the gym. My Dad always says, ‘When we’re at home I’m your Dad, but when we’re in the gym Freddie’s your Dad’, and that’s how it is. We respect Freddie, and you see with Freddie how loyal he is with his fighter and how good of a trainer he is. I don’t have to tell you guys how great he is. You guys already know, and you can see from his accomplishments how good he is.”
His experiences with other fighters in Roach’s stable, including Manny Pacquiao, Amir Khan, Julio Cesar Chavez Junior, Daniel Jacobs, and Peter Quillin:
“I think it’s great, because we all spar together and we all help each other. Like Peter Quillin is one of my favorite sparring partners because the guy can punch and you can’t make a mistake in front of him or he’ll make you pay. Chavez is good sparring for the pressure that he puts on. I mean it’s just great to work with all of the guys. When we go sprinting, me and Amir sprint together. We bring out the best in each other and we even do the swimming drills and the sprints together. So it’s good to have those guys in the gym, especially Manny Pacquiao. You watch him train and it makes you want to train twice a day or three times a day, because every time he trains it’s like he has nothing, like he’s fighting for the world title for the first time. It’s good to see those guys and see what they accomplish, and they push you to reach your goals also.”
His views on Manny Pacquiao’s amazing run since he made the jump up into the higher weight classes:
“I don’t know man. I think Pacquiao’s a superhero, bro. I don’t know how he does it. I mean the training that you see that he puts in at the gym, you can see how he does it but at the same time, to do what he’s done! I just can’t wait for my kids’, kids’, kids’ to talk about this guy and hopefully one day I’ll be just like that if not better, so people can talk about me. I’m just happy that I’m living in a time where there are people like Manny Pacquiao to help you accomplish your goals and watching somebody like that is amazing.”
On how he first became involved in boxing:
“I was a little kid with a lot of energy and I was always getting into fights with older kids. I was only like 6½ or 7 and my Dad was a fighter in Armenia, so as soon as he found out there was a boxing gym around the house he took me there and I started when I was 7.”
Regarding some of the experiences he underwent during his amateur boxing career:
“My amateur career was amazing. My Dad always told me I was pretty good, and I didn’t know how good I was. He took me to this big tournament like to the Olympic Team and I was fighting in an open division. I was only 17 years old. When I started to beat all these guys like Timothy Bradley, Andre Berto, and I started beating those guys, I started to realize how good I am and that’s when I how I got my name ‘Nightmare’ also. I mean the Olympic experience was the best experience, going to the opening ceremony, going to the White House, meeting the President, and the First Lady. It was just the most amazing feeling in the world and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”
On whether he is surprised it has taken this long to get the type of recognition he now gets give he turned professional in 2005:
“I think that all has to do with me. I think I progressed a little slower than I should have, but now I feel like I know what I want and I know what I need and I’m just pushing myself to reach the higher levels now.”
On which champions in the 154 pound weight class he would most like to face:
“I mean Miguel Cotto, even Austin Trout. I fought Austin three times in the amateurs. I beat him all three times. I mean I don’t know what the case is with him. I know he failed a test or something. I don’t know what happened there, but other than that I would love to fight any of the champions out there. I would even love to fight Sergio Martinez. I mean I would love to fight anybody that’s out there, whoever it is.”
His views on the rematch between Cornelius Bundrage and Sechew Powell:
“I think Bundrage is a very awkward fighter. Sechew Powell is a good boxer when he wants to be. I think if he’s there mentally he could have a good fight again. I saw that first fight. It was crazy. They both dropped each other in the first round. Bundrage is a weird fighter so I really don’t know because I don’t know how he’s going to perform. I’m pretty sure that now that he has a world title his mindset is probably going to be different. I know it’s going to be a great fight. I’m kind of excited about that one, actually. The last one was a first round knockout. We didn’t really get to see what Bundrage could do against him. Hopefully in this fight we’ll see.”
Regarding some of the fighters both past and present he has most admired and enjoyed watching:
“I like Alexis Arguello and Pernell Whitaker. I love those guys a lot. I mean I watch the older fights when they go to war and stuff like that. When I was younger it was De La Hoya because he went to the Olympics and did all of those things, but right now my favorite fighter that I admire is Manny Pacquiao.”
His views on the upcoming fight between Amir Khan and Zab Judah:
“I mean they have similar styles. They’re both fast. I think it’s going to be a great fight, but I think Amir’s going to pull it off. I mean Amir trains crazy. Amir trains just as hard as Manny Pacquiao does in the gym. He’s my boy and I think that he can do it, and I’m not just saying that because I’m close with him. I think that Amir’s younger and that he could pull it off, but I think if Zab Judah has a chance to catch him and hurt Amir, because Amir doesn’t have the world’s greatest chin and I think that Zab also has a chance to knock Amir out with his power and his speed. But working with Pernell, I think it’s going to give him a lot of credit and it’s going to push him a lot. Pernell would stand in front of you and hit you and can’t be hit. So we’ll see how he does with Pernell.”
Regarding what he would ultimately like to accomplish in the sport of boxing:
“I want to be the undisputed junior middleweight champion, maybe move up to middleweight, and I want to retire undefeated. That would be my greatest goal, to go out on top.”
His views on the upcoming returns of James Kirkland, Alfredo Angulo, and Paul Williams:
“I don’t know what happened with Kirkland. I mean Angulo is having those visa problems. And Paul Williams, I always wanted to fight Paul Williams to tell you the truth. I think that it depends on how hard they want it. I mean look at Amir, Amir got knocked out in the first round, and look what he’s accomplished. I think it’s a mental thing in boxing more so than anything. You guys know that. I wish them the best. I hope that they can come back, because they’re great fighters and they give the fans what they want to see. So I can see through with what they do and come back stronger and harder.”
Regarding what he wants to do if he is unable to secure a fight with Saul Alvarez:
“If Saul doesn’t want to fight me I don’t know what’s going to happen since I’m the mandatory for him, but I’m going to still do my thing. I’m still going to start training, and just do my thing, and just wait and see what’s next.”
On whether his desire to fight Saul Alvarez stems from the fact he does not believe Alvarez has defeated high level competition to date:
“Right now since I have that belt, yes. If I didn’t it probably still would be, because I honestly don’t think Saul Alvarez deserves to be a world champion! You can’t fight a 147 pound man and become champion. The guy never fought at 154, the other guy. I don’t know how that happened. I know that the WBC will do the right thing this time and let us fight. I mean it’s the way it should be. The mandatory fights the champion, not whoever the champion wants to fight.”
On whether he believes guys like Saul Alvares and Julio Cesar Chavez Junior earned their championships:
“I think if I had the backup like they did and the name and all that stuff that I would have a lot of titles with me. I don’t know. At first I thought Chavez was just a name, but seeing with him and sparring with him, I think that he’s turning into a fighter. I don’t think he’s become world class yet, but I think he will be. With Saul he’s just an exciting fighter. He’s an exciting kid. They gave him the opportunity and he took advantage of it. So I don’t blame them for taking advantage of the name and their promoters helping them get there. But if they’re up there then now it’s time for them to fight the best, not just whoever they want to fight with. I don’t think that’s right, but I think them going up there. Who wouldn’t want that?”
On what he would like to say to his fans and the listeners of On the Ropes Boxing Radio:
“I want to thank you guys for taking the time to have me on the show, and to all my fans out there I’m going to continue doing what I do. I hope you guys are happy with my last performance. It’s only going to be better and I’m only going to improve, and I promise that I will make you guys proud. I will always fight the best, not just people that they want me to fight. I know I’m not the best, but I’m always willing to fight the best!”
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - This week’s 129th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with the #1 ranked junior middleweight contender in both the WBA and WBO organizations, Vanes Martirosyan (30-0, 19 KOs) who is coming off a seventh round stoppage victory against Saul Ramon (34-9, 29 KOs) a couple of weeks back. Martirosyan talked about his fight and shared opinions on other aspects of the boxing landscape, including Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach, Alvarez-Rhodes, Judah-Khan, and more! Here is what he had to say:
Regarding his recent seventh round TKO victory against Saul Ramon:
“Saul was a tough guy. He came in there with good power and he was well prepared for the fight. He got me good in the first round. He caught me with a good shot. I went away from the game plan and tried to trade with him in the beginning. I was supposed to box him the whole time, but I went in there and tried to trade with him and I got caught. It kind of woke me up to the boxing game actually with that knockdown. I’m happy it happened in a way because it kind of woke me up and I’m happy it happened in the beginning of my career and not later on when I’m in bigger fights and that happens and I don’t know what to do.”
His thoughts going into the seventh round in his fight against Saul Ramon:
“Well in round six if you watch it, I told my trainer, ‘I think he’s getting tired. I’m going to just stand in front of him and he can’t hurt me anymore’. So in round six I stood in front of him the whole time and let him give me his best shots, and I kept digging into the body too, sometimes. In round seven I knew I had him once I landed a good right hand and I saw him buckle, and I just went for it from then.”
On the post fight celebration when he was dropped by one of his trainers:
“Oh! With the celebration in the ring my trainer picked me up and he slammed me on my back because he tried to put me on his head and he dropped me. But after the fight we just went and had some pizza and we were just happy. It hasn’t hit me yet for a few days since what I did, but it was a great feeling.”
Regarding where he sees himself in the 154 pound weight class:
“I think it’s time for me to go for the big boys and fight the best out there. Whoever they say is the best, I’m willing to fight them. I hope that the fights get made. Right now the guy on my list is Saul Alvarez because I have that title. He has the gold and I have the silver, and I want that gold belt. So right now it’s Saul Alvarez. I hope everything goes well on Saturday and we can make the fight happen. We’re even willing to go to Mexica. Bob Arum said it, also. We’ll go to Mexico and fight him there.”
His views on the upcoming fight between Saul Alvarez and Ryan Rhodes:
“I haven’t really seen Rhodes fight. I have heard that he’s a tough guy. He’s a tough cookie and we’ll just see. Saul looks like he’s in great shape and I just wish both of them the best, and let the best man win.”
Regarding previous comments Freddie Roach made on the show when he claimed Martirosyan would “destroy Saul Alvarez”:
“I think we’ll KO him. Freddie says I’ll knock him out in one round! We do really, really hard training at the Wild Card and the Gym I’m at, too, the GFC. We train really hard and the sparring there is sometimes harder than the fights. So Freddie knows what I can do and I’m with Freddie, too. I believe that we can knock Alvarez out in one round, also.”
Regarding his unanimous decision victory against “Mean” Joe Greene:
“I don’t think I had a good fight that night. I mean it helped me a lot. Joe Greene, he’s a friend of mine. It helps a lot as far as later on in my life, but for the fight game I thought I put on a boring performance. I should have done a lot better and gave the fans a better fight than what I did. Going into the Saul Roman fight I had to do something like that and I knew I had to perform really well, because I couldn’t just go out there and put on another dull performance. So I think I did that and now it’s time to fight the big guys, but the Joe Greene fight helped me a lot to know what I should do in the ring.”
On his working relationship with trainer Freddie Roach:
“It’s like a father and son thing. He’s my best friend when we’re outside of the gym, and he’s really serious when we’re in the gym. I look at him as a Dad figure in the gym. My Dad always says, ‘When we’re at home I’m your Dad, but when we’re in the gym Freddie’s your Dad’, and that’s how it is. We respect Freddie, and you see with Freddie how loyal he is with his fighter and how good of a trainer he is. I don’t have to tell you guys how great he is. You guys already know, and you can see from his accomplishments how good he is.”
His experiences with other fighters in Roach’s stable, including Manny Pacquiao, Amir Khan, Julio Cesar Chavez Junior, Daniel Jacobs, and Peter Quillin:
“I think it’s great, because we all spar together and we all help each other. Like Peter Quillin is one of my favorite sparring partners because the guy can punch and you can’t make a mistake in front of him or he’ll make you pay. Chavez is good sparring for the pressure that he puts on. I mean it’s just great to work with all of the guys. When we go sprinting, me and Amir sprint together. We bring out the best in each other and we even do the swimming drills and the sprints together. So it’s good to have those guys in the gym, especially Manny Pacquiao. You watch him train and it makes you want to train twice a day or three times a day, because every time he trains it’s like he has nothing, like he’s fighting for the world title for the first time. It’s good to see those guys and see what they accomplish, and they push you to reach your goals also.”
His views on Manny Pacquiao’s amazing run since he made the jump up into the higher weight classes:
“I don’t know man. I think Pacquiao’s a superhero, bro. I don’t know how he does it. I mean the training that you see that he puts in at the gym, you can see how he does it but at the same time, to do what he’s done! I just can’t wait for my kids’, kids’, kids’ to talk about this guy and hopefully one day I’ll be just like that if not better, so people can talk about me. I’m just happy that I’m living in a time where there are people like Manny Pacquiao to help you accomplish your goals and watching somebody like that is amazing.”
On how he first became involved in boxing:
“I was a little kid with a lot of energy and I was always getting into fights with older kids. I was only like 6½ or 7 and my Dad was a fighter in Armenia, so as soon as he found out there was a boxing gym around the house he took me there and I started when I was 7.”
Regarding some of the experiences he underwent during his amateur boxing career:
“My amateur career was amazing. My Dad always told me I was pretty good, and I didn’t know how good I was. He took me to this big tournament like to the Olympic Team and I was fighting in an open division. I was only 17 years old. When I started to beat all these guys like Timothy Bradley, Andre Berto, and I started beating those guys, I started to realize how good I am and that’s when I how I got my name ‘Nightmare’ also. I mean the Olympic experience was the best experience, going to the opening ceremony, going to the White House, meeting the President, and the First Lady. It was just the most amazing feeling in the world and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”
On whether he is surprised it has taken this long to get the type of recognition he now gets give he turned professional in 2005:
“I think that all has to do with me. I think I progressed a little slower than I should have, but now I feel like I know what I want and I know what I need and I’m just pushing myself to reach the higher levels now.”
On which champions in the 154 pound weight class he would most like to face:
“I mean Miguel Cotto, even Austin Trout. I fought Austin three times in the amateurs. I beat him all three times. I mean I don’t know what the case is with him. I know he failed a test or something. I don’t know what happened there, but other than that I would love to fight any of the champions out there. I would even love to fight Sergio Martinez. I mean I would love to fight anybody that’s out there, whoever it is.”
His views on the rematch between Cornelius Bundrage and Sechew Powell:
“I think Bundrage is a very awkward fighter. Sechew Powell is a good boxer when he wants to be. I think if he’s there mentally he could have a good fight again. I saw that first fight. It was crazy. They both dropped each other in the first round. Bundrage is a weird fighter so I really don’t know because I don’t know how he’s going to perform. I’m pretty sure that now that he has a world title his mindset is probably going to be different. I know it’s going to be a great fight. I’m kind of excited about that one, actually. The last one was a first round knockout. We didn’t really get to see what Bundrage could do against him. Hopefully in this fight we’ll see.”
Regarding some of the fighters both past and present he has most admired and enjoyed watching:
“I like Alexis Arguello and Pernell Whitaker. I love those guys a lot. I mean I watch the older fights when they go to war and stuff like that. When I was younger it was De La Hoya because he went to the Olympics and did all of those things, but right now my favorite fighter that I admire is Manny Pacquiao.”
His views on the upcoming fight between Amir Khan and Zab Judah:
“I mean they have similar styles. They’re both fast. I think it’s going to be a great fight, but I think Amir’s going to pull it off. I mean Amir trains crazy. Amir trains just as hard as Manny Pacquiao does in the gym. He’s my boy and I think that he can do it, and I’m not just saying that because I’m close with him. I think that Amir’s younger and that he could pull it off, but I think if Zab Judah has a chance to catch him and hurt Amir, because Amir doesn’t have the world’s greatest chin and I think that Zab also has a chance to knock Amir out with his power and his speed. But working with Pernell, I think it’s going to give him a lot of credit and it’s going to push him a lot. Pernell would stand in front of you and hit you and can’t be hit. So we’ll see how he does with Pernell.”
Regarding what he would ultimately like to accomplish in the sport of boxing:
“I want to be the undisputed junior middleweight champion, maybe move up to middleweight, and I want to retire undefeated. That would be my greatest goal, to go out on top.”
His views on the upcoming returns of James Kirkland, Alfredo Angulo, and Paul Williams:
“I don’t know what happened with Kirkland. I mean Angulo is having those visa problems. And Paul Williams, I always wanted to fight Paul Williams to tell you the truth. I think that it depends on how hard they want it. I mean look at Amir, Amir got knocked out in the first round, and look what he’s accomplished. I think it’s a mental thing in boxing more so than anything. You guys know that. I wish them the best. I hope that they can come back, because they’re great fighters and they give the fans what they want to see. So I can see through with what they do and come back stronger and harder.”
Regarding what he wants to do if he is unable to secure a fight with Saul Alvarez:
“If Saul doesn’t want to fight me I don’t know what’s going to happen since I’m the mandatory for him, but I’m going to still do my thing. I’m still going to start training, and just do my thing, and just wait and see what’s next.”
On whether his desire to fight Saul Alvarez stems from the fact he does not believe Alvarez has defeated high level competition to date:
“Right now since I have that belt, yes. If I didn’t it probably still would be, because I honestly don’t think Saul Alvarez deserves to be a world champion! You can’t fight a 147 pound man and become champion. The guy never fought at 154, the other guy. I don’t know how that happened. I know that the WBC will do the right thing this time and let us fight. I mean it’s the way it should be. The mandatory fights the champion, not whoever the champion wants to fight.”
On whether he believes guys like Saul Alvares and Julio Cesar Chavez Junior earned their championships:
“I think if I had the backup like they did and the name and all that stuff that I would have a lot of titles with me. I don’t know. At first I thought Chavez was just a name, but seeing with him and sparring with him, I think that he’s turning into a fighter. I don’t think he’s become world class yet, but I think he will be. With Saul he’s just an exciting fighter. He’s an exciting kid. They gave him the opportunity and he took advantage of it. So I don’t blame them for taking advantage of the name and their promoters helping them get there. But if they’re up there then now it’s time for them to fight the best, not just whoever they want to fight with. I don’t think that’s right, but I think them going up there. Who wouldn’t want that?”
On what he would like to say to his fans and the listeners of On the Ropes Boxing Radio:
“I want to thank you guys for taking the time to have me on the show, and to all my fans out there I’m going to continue doing what I do. I hope you guys are happy with my last performance. It’s only going to be better and I’m only going to improve, and I promise that I will make you guys proud. I will always fight the best, not just people that they want me to fight. I know I’m not the best, but I’m always willing to fight the best!”
Mike Tyson, James “Buster” Douglas Meet Again For First Time In Over 21 Years At Figh
By James Slater: When they last met, as bitter ring rivals, legendary heavyweights Mike Tyson and James “Buster” Douglas put on a fight that was full of great action, but soon known around the world as THE biggest upset in boxing history. The February 1990 fight elevated Columbus journeyman Douglas to superstar status. Tyson was never ever the same fighter again, and unfortunately a rematch never took place.
In fact the two former heavyweight champions never crossed paths again. Until last night. As reported by Cincinnati.com, the two men who lit up the 1990’s boxing scene engaged in a reunion of sorts last night at a fight card in the city. Former pro Nate Tubbs, brother of former titlist Tony Tubbs, is trying to bring big-time boxing back to Cincinnati, and he enlisted the help of the two warriors who, between them, gave us the upset of the century.
The two giants met at Grand Victoria Casino, and they witnessed action put on by Daniel Judah (brother of Zab) and some up-and-coming young fighters. By all accounts Tyson and Douglas had a great time, and it must have been hard at times for the fans in attendance to keep an eye on the ring and not focus on the two ringside celebrities.
“That was cool,” Douglas said of the reunion with Iron Mike. “It was a long time coming. It meant a lot. I respect Mike, and the things that he is doing now are pretty great.”
Promoter Tubbs, a former sparring partner of Tyson, said he owes Tyson a favour for the way he agreed to come by last night. Tyson really does seem to be a changed character from the hell raiser he once was. Now looking as though he has also got himself back in good physical shape, the former “Baddest Man On The Planet” is basking in the glory of having been enshrined in The Hall of Fame in Canastota. It seems the loss to Douglas, the first in Tyson’s legendary career, is not something he has any loss of sleep over these days.
Who would have believed that back in February of ’90, when Tyson (along with Don King), did all he could to have the loss reversed due to the short-lived “long count” controversy? Tyson is relaxed with his place in history today, and he has no ill feelings at all for the one-time 42-1 underdog who knocked him out in the 10th-round in Tokyo, Japan all those years ago.
By James Slater: When they last met, as bitter ring rivals, legendary heavyweights Mike Tyson and James “Buster” Douglas put on a fight that was full of great action, but soon known around the world as THE biggest upset in boxing history. The February 1990 fight elevated Columbus journeyman Douglas to superstar status. Tyson was never ever the same fighter again, and unfortunately a rematch never took place.
In fact the two former heavyweight champions never crossed paths again. Until last night. As reported by Cincinnati.com, the two men who lit up the 1990’s boxing scene engaged in a reunion of sorts last night at a fight card in the city. Former pro Nate Tubbs, brother of former titlist Tony Tubbs, is trying to bring big-time boxing back to Cincinnati, and he enlisted the help of the two warriors who, between them, gave us the upset of the century.
The two giants met at Grand Victoria Casino, and they witnessed action put on by Daniel Judah (brother of Zab) and some up-and-coming young fighters. By all accounts Tyson and Douglas had a great time, and it must have been hard at times for the fans in attendance to keep an eye on the ring and not focus on the two ringside celebrities.
“That was cool,” Douglas said of the reunion with Iron Mike. “It was a long time coming. It meant a lot. I respect Mike, and the things that he is doing now are pretty great.”
Promoter Tubbs, a former sparring partner of Tyson, said he owes Tyson a favour for the way he agreed to come by last night. Tyson really does seem to be a changed character from the hell raiser he once was. Now looking as though he has also got himself back in good physical shape, the former “Baddest Man On The Planet” is basking in the glory of having been enshrined in The Hall of Fame in Canastota. It seems the loss to Douglas, the first in Tyson’s legendary career, is not something he has any loss of sleep over these days.
Who would have believed that back in February of ’90, when Tyson (along with Don King), did all he could to have the loss reversed due to the short-lived “long count” controversy? Tyson is relaxed with his place in history today, and he has no ill feelings at all for the one-time 42-1 underdog who knocked him out in the 10th-round in Tokyo, Japan all those years ago.
Pavlik vs. Bute in November a strong possibility
By Dan Ambrose: According to the latest boxing news, former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik could wind up facing IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute in November.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum started negotiations on Friday for a bout between Bute, a star in Canada, and the former middleweight champ Pavlik. There isn’t a venue thus far, but it could end up taking place in either Canada, which seems more likely given the huge crowds that Bute typically draws over there or in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Arum had this to say to vindy.com: “If Kelly wins, he’s back on top of the heap. If he loses, but gives the crowd an incredible performance, he’s still right in the mix.”
If Pavlik’s recent poor performance against Alfonso Lopez is any indication, Pavlik will indeed lose and lose badly to Bute. I can’t see Pavlik coming out of a fight with a skilled fighter like Bute looking like a star. Most likely, Pavlik will look just as awful as he did in his losses to Sergio Martinez and Bernard Hopkins.
The blueprint has already been made in how to beat Pavlik, and I saw no changes to his style in his recent narrow win over the little known Lopez. If anything, Pavlik looked even worse than he was before. Throwing him in with a fighter like Bute sounds like a great idea of you don’t mind seeing Pavlik get boxed around for 12 round one-sided rounds. If you’re a fan of Pavlik, then you might not want to see him fight Bute because it’s going to be one-sided.
Pavlik and Bute actually have a lot in common. Both of them have been disappointing champions who, for one reason or another, have failed to make many interesting fights.
By Dan Ambrose: According to the latest boxing news, former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik could wind up facing IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute in November.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum started negotiations on Friday for a bout between Bute, a star in Canada, and the former middleweight champ Pavlik. There isn’t a venue thus far, but it could end up taking place in either Canada, which seems more likely given the huge crowds that Bute typically draws over there or in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Arum had this to say to vindy.com: “If Kelly wins, he’s back on top of the heap. If he loses, but gives the crowd an incredible performance, he’s still right in the mix.”
If Pavlik’s recent poor performance against Alfonso Lopez is any indication, Pavlik will indeed lose and lose badly to Bute. I can’t see Pavlik coming out of a fight with a skilled fighter like Bute looking like a star. Most likely, Pavlik will look just as awful as he did in his losses to Sergio Martinez and Bernard Hopkins.
The blueprint has already been made in how to beat Pavlik, and I saw no changes to his style in his recent narrow win over the little known Lopez. If anything, Pavlik looked even worse than he was before. Throwing him in with a fighter like Bute sounds like a great idea of you don’t mind seeing Pavlik get boxed around for 12 round one-sided rounds. If you’re a fan of Pavlik, then you might not want to see him fight Bute because it’s going to be one-sided.
Pavlik and Bute actually have a lot in common. Both of them have been disappointing champions who, for one reason or another, have failed to make many interesting fights.