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Robert "the Ghost" Guerrero Interview

Robert Guerrero: "There's No Doubt In My Mind That I'd Beat Floyd Mayweather"

Rope A Dope Radio’s own Samaarah Choubak recently sat down with the former IBF Super Featherweight Champion and former two-time IBF Featherweight Champion of the world Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero. Among the topics that were discussed was the much talked about rumored potential showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Here’s what “The Ghost” had to say:

SC -. Hi Robert how you doing

RG – I’m doing good thanks how about yourself?

SC - Firstly tell us about why they call you "The Ghost" and about the beginning of your professional career and also your latest win over Michael Katsidis?

RG - It all started when I was about nine years old, because I was so quick with my hands and quick with my feet and I was learning to be just so quick in the ring. I'd be here, I'd be there and the kids weren't able to see where I was at. Then one kid said this guy’s like a ghost. It’s like his hands aren't there and I don't see his punches coming. I kind of got that name when I was nine. The last fight with Michael Katsidis was a tremendous fight. I was super ready and I had a tremendous training camp out in Las Vegas. I put in a good seven - eight weeks of preparing just for Michael Katsidis. Everybody knows what kind of fighter he is. He's a tremendous pressure fighter and he throws a lot of punches. You know you have to take some to get some. You know we had to really prepare for Michael Katsidis. He's probably the best pressure fighters in the game and you know he comes to fight. My game plan was to fight behind the jab and throw combinations. I let him pressure his way in and got him to run into my punches. The game plan worked out very well. One of the keys to the fight was to not allow him to gain control the fight. One thing with Michael Katsidis is he's a game changer. As soon as you allow him to force you back and apply pressure, he can take you out of your game plan. One of the things that I did was to keep him at bay and stay focused and not let him get me out of my game plan.

SC - That's great. So we know that you have 29 wins and only one loss with 18 knockouts. You’re undefeated in 6 world title fights. You are a 5 time champion in 3 different weight classes. We know what kind of damage you can do to your opponents and your boxing skills are immense. How did you develop the skill set of being and inside and outside fighter and also a counterpuncher?

RG - Well I picked up a bit of everything from sparring in places like the Wildcard and other gyms. I worked under different trainers. I worked with Freddie Roach a bit and also my father. My father is a tremendous trainer. He's taught me everything. One thing that he taught me was to keep my hands up, move your head, and work on the inside. I pretty much worked on all different aspects of fighting. I got the right sparring and I learned from other trainers who taught me so many different things. I picked up stuff from so many different fighters which helped me to develop a tremendous style that makes it hard to beat me in a fight.

SC - You've been talking about wanting to fight Floyd Mayweather, and reports have stated that he was considering you for the May 5th fight. Reports also said that the deal was in the final stages. Tell us the recent developments about that if any, as we know that you want to fight the best out there?

RG - Yeah there was a report that it was in the final stages and you know I leave that to my promoter and manager to handle all that. Definitely I want to fight the best and you know Floyd Mayweather is scheduled to fight on May 5. Like I said I want to fight the best, and to be the best you have to fight the best. Floyd Mayweather is the best fighter out there right now pound for pound and I'll be more than happy to participate in that fight with him. It's an opportunity of a lifetime for a young fighter like me to get in the ring with Floyd Mayweather, and if it comes my way I'm just excited.

SC - We all know that May 5th "Cinco De Mayo" is a Mexican holiday, and it would be perfect for Mexican fans to get behind you. Being a Mexican American yourself you sort of cover the market for good pay-per-view sales. Why do you think that worldwide fans would want you to be Floyd Mayweather's next opponent and not Many Pacquiao? He also has a great Filipino American fan base and worldwide fans have been longing for this fight for a couple of years now?

RG - I mean for one, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio, everyone wants to see that. They're both incredible fighters and that's the most talked about fight out there right now. That's a tremendous fight. With myself, if that fight could be made it will be a honor for me to represent the Mexican people on Cinco De Mayo, which is a huge heritage day for us Mexicans and Mexican Americans. It all comes down to that. I’m a five time world champion in three different weight classes. I've fought overseas in one world championship. It would be amazing to be able to put a fight together against Floyd Mayweather if it can be made and also to represent the Mexicans. Like I said, it does come down to the Mexican holiday, and it's a very celebrated holiday. It's a about war. It's about 4,000 Mexican troops going against 8,000 French troops. It's a younger wilder fighter going against a bigger pound for pound number one guy in the world. If I get that fight, there's no doubt in my mind that I'm going to defeat Floyd Mayweather just like the Mexican army did against the bigger army of the French.

SC - Lastly what do you think of Floyd Mayweather's recent comments of him not really knowing who you are as a fighter? How are you going to convince him and his camp to take this fight with you? You will have to move up a few weight classes, and if this happens what will this mean to you?

RG - You know that's a lot of nonsense hearing those comments what Floyd Mayweather said that he doesn't know who I am. I mean, I've been on co features with Floyd Mayweather and my name appears in newspapers. Floyd Mayweather is pound for pound the best fighter in the world. He's undefeated 42-0, and the reason he's undefeated is that he knows everyone. He does his homework. Nothing gets by him. He sticks to his game plan and that's the reason why he's undefeated. I mean all the credentials are there to make a mega fight. I have a tremendous story outside the ring with my wife. I want to capture the world championship to protect her and also for the Mexican Americans. It could be a mega fight and if HBO 24/7 get’s hold of it, it's going to be an incredible event. So it comes down to whether Floyd Mayweather wants to fight me or not.

SC - Thanks Robert and good luck. We wish you the best from Rope A Dope Radio. Lastly, is there any message to fans and what's your twitter address so fans can follow your updates?

RG - Yes I want to thank the fans. They have been really been good supporting me all the way through as well as my wife outside of the ring. I think I have more fans in the UKthan I have back home. My Twitter is @GhostBoxing. Thank you and have a good day.

Samaarah Choubak

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...

Vitali Klitschko: the Greatest Heavyweight Champion of all Time, by Roman Kolaczek Part 2

Klitschko is not just a heavyweight boxing champion; he is also heavyweight

scholar. In 1996, he graduated from the Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky Pedagogical

Institute and was accepted into the postgraduate study program at Kiev

University. On 29 February 2000, he presented his doctoral thesis on

"Talent and Sponsorship in Sports” at the Kiev University of Physical

Science and Sports, and his Ph.D in Sports Science was conferred. Klitschko

is the first heavyweight champion in history to hold a Ph.D. Obviously, as

a role model to youth internationally, Klitschko stands for educational

accomplishment as much as he represents dominance in boxing.

In business, too, Klitschko’s championship character is known and

respected. Together with his brother and co-heavyweight champion Wladimir,

and with KMG CEO Bernd Boente, Klitschko is staging boxing events of the

finest and most competitive caliber. KMG also signed a multimillion-dollar

deal with German television network RTL, an arrangement recently extended

to include the Klitschko brothers’ next five fights. Vitali Klitschko is

not just a great, dominant champion, student, and politician: he is a huge

success as a boxing promoter as well.

Charity has not escaped the champion’s attention. Klitschko and his brother

Wladimir are involved in many charity events and organizations worldwide.

Both brothers are members of Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, including

Laureus’s charity committee. They have worked for UNESCO’s Programme for

the Education of Children in Need. Vitali and Wladimir have also sponsored

charity and community outreach projects of their own, including the

Klitschko Brother Foundation.

Admirable, also, is that Klitschko is a genuine family man. Together with

his beautiful wife Natalie, he has three children: Yegor-Daniel,

Elizabeth-Victoria, and Max (named after the former world heavyweight

champion Max Schmeling). It is a credit to the champion’s character that

his marriage is free of scandal, which is unusual for famous athletes and

entertainers today.

As a caring father, husband, and son, Vitali always takes time out from his

busy schedule to be with loved ones. He stayed by his father’s bedside at

all moments earlier this year, when the elder Klitschko was dying of

cancer. The champion’s noble character that is evident to everyone,

including those who are not part of his family. Klitschko is welcoming of

all people, and is extremely tolerant and patient with everyone he meets.

I have often seen Vitali at public events, training camps, and at parties

after his fights. Treating people with respect is his priority. It comes

naturally to him. At Klitschko’s training camp in Austria this summer, for

instance, I was amazed that he finished almost every gym session by sitting

down, together with his long-term coach Fritz Sdunek, to converse with the

throngs of fans who sought his attention. He came as a truly magnanimous

human being who has respect for all who approached him.

Vitali Klitschko, the world heavyweight champion, is an impressive person.

As a fighter, he never needs to use big words or to burn $100 bills to get

attention. His actions in the ring speak more than words could say. In

every respect, Klitschko, as champion, has conducted himself in exemplary

fashion, inside and outside the ring. The time has come to consider that

Klitschko may indeed be the greatest heavyweight champion that boxing has

yet seen.

Sure, there have been champions who were humble people, who had great

careers and characters, who did charity work, and who were active as

politicians. But none of them did all of this at the same time…while they

were still champions.

But now we have a great heavyweight champion who does it all. Vitali

Klitschko, The Greatest of All Time!

...

Vitali Klitschko: the Greatest Heavyweight Champion of all Time, by Roman Kolaczek Part 1

Boxing has been a mainstream sport for over a century. Many generations

have had great heavyweight champions, many of them household names all over

the world. Anytime a major fight between two outstanding heavyweights

occurs, the same question arises: who is the greatest of all time? Today,

most are saying that this extraordinary heavyweight is Muhammad Ali.

However, if you asked fans in the 1910s, you would get a different answer.

They would probably have said Jack Johnson. A decade later, they would

likely have said Jack Dempsey. By the 1940s, the answer would be Joe

Louis, the great “Brown Bomber.” Later still, in the 1950s, many fans would

have picked Rocky Marciano as the greatest. And of course, by the

mid-1970s, most regarded Muhammad Ali as the greatest of all time. Since

then, Ali has remained “The Greatest,” even in spite of many great

champions following him, such as Larry Holmes in the 1980s, Mike Tyson in

the 1980s and 1990s, Lennox Lewis in the 1990s, Evander Holyfield in the

1990s, and now, the Klitschko brothers.

As they say, Muhammad Ali could “float like a butterfly and sting like a

bee.” However, without insulting Ali, it may be time to ask whether his

qualities are still enough to define history’s greatest heavyweight

champion. It may now be time to consider another warrior as the heavyweight

division’s new “greatest.”

I propose that it is time to honor Vitali Klitschko as history’s all-time

greatest heavyweight champion. No doubt, many will consider this

suggestion bold. But let us look at the facts. Klitschko has fought most of

the leading contenders, and after 15 years of boxing and 44 fights, he has

an incredible 90% knockout percentage. Not only has Klitschko won most of

his fights, but, incredibly, he has rarely lost a single round in any of

his bouts. His only two career losses were due to injuries suffered in

fights that he was handily winning. The two fighters who beat Klitschko –

Chris Byrd and Lennox Lewis – were behind on the scorecards and on their

way defeat when Klitschko was compelled to retire because of injuries, and

only because of injuries.

In 2008, after four years of retirement, Klitschko launched a comeback,

regaining the heavyweight title and demolishing all eight opponents he

fought. Dangerous, highly rated fighters such as Samuel Peter, Chris

Arreola, Juan Carlos Gomez, and Odlanier Solis, among others, have faced

Klitschko, only to be pounded into TKO or KO defeat. That Klitschko could

be so dominant after coming back from four years of inactivity is amazing.

At the age of 40, Klitschko is still in perfect shape and continues to

deliver the high quality athletic performances that are normally expected

only from men ten years younger.

As champion, Klitschko ducks nobody. His opponents are limited only to

those contenders who are at the very top of the WBC rankings. Remarkably,

Klitschko is a champion that is willing to fight on the road, to defend in

his challenger’s hometown. He recently defended his title against Polish

hero Tomasz Adamek in Wroclaw, in an arena filled by 44,000 pro-Adamek

fans. As usual, Klitschko demolished his challenger in dominant fashion.

Klitschko’s performances in the ring are more than sufficiently impressive

to rank him alongside history’s greatest heavyweight champions, and to

argue that he could have beaten anyone who ever fought. Equally striking,

however, are Klitschko’s accomplishments and behavior outside of the ring.

It is very rare, perhaps even unprecedented, that a heavyweight champion

has matched Klitschko’s achievements in the public arena.

The champion is not focused just on athletic achievement. He is also a

concerned citizen, determined to give back to his community as much as

nature gave him in athletic talent. Klitschko’s record as a politician

serves as an example. In his homeland of Ukraine, Klitschko is fighting

for civil rights, democracy, freedom of speech, and the rule of law. He is

an outspoken critic of corrupt politicians and those who abuse government

power. In this battle, Klitschko does not use his fists. Rather, he fights

through the activity of the political party he founded: the Ukrainian

Democratic Alliance for Reform.

Next year, Klitschko will run again for the position of mayor of Kiev. He

knows that the odds are against him: twice so far he has run and lost. But

still, Klitschko refuses to take a passive position against the corrupt and

anti-democratic powerbrokers who continue to influence politics in Ukraine.

Klitschko’s commitment to democracy and the rule of law are obvious from

his actions. Just last summer, for example, he left his training camp in

Austria to make an emergency trip to Ukraine in order to protest against

the unjust imprisonment of former premier Yulia Tymoshenko. Given that the

Adamek fight was only weeks away, it is amazing that Klitschko was willing

to suspend his training at that time. Even more impressive is that, in

publicly defending Tymoshenko, Klitschko knowingly risked being imprisoned

himself on political charges. But just as Klitschko never runs from any

boxing challenger, he does not shirk from threats in the political arena.

Klitschko’s courage in supporting Tymoshenko gave hope and confidence to

those Ukrainians who are determined to promote political change in their

country. They know that among their ranks is a fearless fighter: Dr. Iron

Fist, Vitali Klitschko.

...

Monte Barrett Discusses David Tua, High-Tech Training, Cedric Kushner, and Internet Fans, by Pavel Yakovlev

(September 25, 2011) - Monte Barrett has had an up-and-down career in recent
years, winning some fights and losing others. But Barrett’s prospects are
definitely on the upside these days. Last month Barrett soundly outboxed
David Tua to capture the WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific regional titles. The
victory establishes Barrett as the WBO’s #12 contender, making him eligible
for a world title fight. Now, years after being written-off by boxing
pundits, the 40-year-old Barrett is positioned to make some noise in the
heavyweight division once again.

The win over Tua represented Barrett’s second straight upset against the
power-punching New Zealander. Last year, fighting as a heavy underdog,
Barrett held Tua to a draw in Atlantic City. The fight’s outcome shocked the
public and spoiled promoters’ plans to move Tua into a big money bout with
one of the Klitschkos. In order to restore Tua’s credibility, a rematch was
scheduled, to be held in New Zealand. But this time Barrett did even better,
and emerged as a unanimous decision winner by scores of 115-112 (twice) and
114-113.

Now 35-9 (20 KO’s), Barrett has again proven that when he is in top shape,
he is a formidable challenge to most heavyweights. Recently Barrett granted
an exclusive interview to ESB.

Yakovlev: Monte, congratulations on your win over Tua. Are you going back to
New Zealand to fight Shane Cameron? Recent Internet reports indicate that
this fight is in development. Interestingly, Cameron’s manager alleged
stated that you priced yourself out of the negotiations by requesting a
$200,000 purse.

Barrett: That’s not true. There are no negotiations between Shane and I.
Shane’s people are just trying to create a media buzz. Ced (Cedric Kushner)
and I spoke a couple of weeks ago and he showed me one corresponding email
he had from Shane’s manger. Don’t believe what you are reading in the media.

Yakovlev: Tua was ranked WBO #3 going into this bout, and by beating him,
you have elevated yourself to the WBO’s #12 slot. Any comments on your new
ranking?

Barrett: I thought I would be higher, to be honest with you. I’m grateful to
be #12 though.

Yakovlev: Since beating Tua, have you received any big offers from promoters
internationally? I would expect this to be the case, given that you have a
recognizable name, a world ranking, two WBO titles, and a high profile win
on your recent resume.

Barrett: To be honest, no…at least I haven’t heard it from Ced. My rule of
thumb is, if an offer doesn’t have better than a 50% chance of
materializing into an actual fight, then don’t make the offer to me.

Yakovlev: Tell us about the bout in New Zealand. How did it compare to the
first fight?

Barrett: I thought I won the first nine rounds. I was in my zone. Most of
the time when you have a rematch, it turns out the same way. I cut him in
the fourth or fifth round. He didn’t know what to do, he was confused. I
thought the first fight was tougher for me, but every fight is mentally and
physically hard. I really applaud myself for winning this one. I made a
commitment to myself that I was going to through the whole process in
preparing, doing things I never did before, running, and training with a gas
mask.

Yakovlev: You trained with a gas mask? That’s a new one for me. I have never
heard of that. Tell us about it.

Barrett: My conditioning trainer, Luis Ruiz, put a gas mask on me in the
gym. It makes it harder to breath because it has less oxygen in it. You’re
supposed to perform the best you can with it. Using the mask was one of the
hardest things I have ever done in training. We would train in intervals of
twenty minutes with the mask. We wanted to simulate higher altitude
conditions. It also helps a great deal with being under distress, practicing
keeping calm and not panicking when things go south. I just wanted to be in
the best shape of my life, so we focused on my condition. I know winning
goes with the word “preparation,” just like in business when they say “the
early bird gets the worm.” I knew David Tua would be at his best and I felt
I needed to be two steps ahead of him considering that I was going to his
country, into the Lion’s Den.

Yakovlev: So Luis Ruiz really made a big difference for you in this fight?

Barrett: Luis worked the dog piss out of me. I was hating him then, in the
gym, but then I was thanking him after the fight. The funny thing is, when I
was scheduled for gym sessions, I would try to make all these excuses not to
go, and my lady Shanequa would encourage me to go. Thanks Shanequa, I love
you for that. Also, I had good trainers in Azor Gist – who is also known as
“Terrific” – and James Ali Bashir, who developed a game plan that we
believed in and stuck to. I just wanted to be in the best shape of my life,
so we focused on my condition. I knew people were going to judge me from the
Charles Davis fight, and that worked in my favor.

Yakovlev: What happened in the Davis fight? I found it shocking that he held
you to a draw, given how well you boxed both times against Tua.

Barrett:* * I was sick as a dog for the fight. I drove down there (from New
Jersey to West Virginia) in a snow blizzard and my trainer somehow jammed
the window. It wouldn’t role back up and everyone who was in my truck got
sick. But I had to fight. I was thinking, ‘I can beat him even if I’m sick.’
I was wrong. I should’ve realized that I shouldn’t have fought him when I’m
sick. I didn’t underestimate Davis, I overestimated myself.

Yakovlev: Getting back to Tua, I noticed that he was heavier for the
rematch. He weighed 244 ½ lbs. That’s seven pounds more than he weighed a
year ago in Atlantic City. Do you think that conditioning might have been an
issue for him this time?

Barrett: Him being heavier didn’t make any difference. This time he was
stronger, and he trained harder. He was healthier. In the first fight, he
looked like he was dehydrated. I know he was trying to look good on the
scales then. This time, he didn't feel pressure to have a good number for
the scale. I think with him having a conditioning trainer, they worked more
on his power instead of worrying about what he weighed on the scale.

Yakovlev: So it sounds like Tua was stronger for the rematch. Could you feel
it in his punches? Also, how do you rate Tua’s power?

Barrett:* *People ask me that question all the time, and it’s one of the
craziest questions I ever hear. Every heavyweight has punching power. Even
Kevin Johnson, who is supposed to be a light puncher, has power if hits you
the right way. Tua broke my jaw, what more do I need to say? To be honest,
all heavyweights are strong in their own way.

Yakovlev: Tua broke your jaw in the final round, so certainly you must have
felt that punch. Can you tell us about that?

Barrett: In the 11th round, David hit me with some great shots, and I don’t
think I was fully recovered when round 12 started. I knew I had the fight
bagged, so I just had to survive the final round. But then he caught me with
a good combination, and as I was going down, he pivoted his body position,
and hit me on the right side of the jaw with his right hand. It was like he
added insult to injury: I was already going down, and then he breaks my jaw.
It took me a while to realize my jaw was broken. Afterwards, at the press
conference, I knew my jaw hurt, but I didn’t know it was broken.

Yakovlev: Getting back to your training camp, who did you spar with for the
rematch? Do you have any comments regarding what you worked on in sparring
sessions?

Barrett: In sparring, I worked on speed especially. I noticed that David had
good hand speed when he stopped Shane Cameron, so I had to go to work on my
own speed. For the first month, I sparred with small, aggressive guys, and
worked on using my jab and left hand. I practiced slipping and countering
and things like that. I worked with middleweights, including Pawel Wolak.
Working with these lighter guys built up my speed, and helped me to let my
hands go. I also worked with light heavyweights and heavyweights.

Yakovlev: You mentioned that you prepared for Tua by studying films.

Barrett: I studied Ali-Frazier III and Douglas-Tyson, to see how the jab is
used to control a puncher, and how to stay busy without wasting punches. I
also studied David’s fights against Ike Ibeabuchi and Leonnox Lewis. I got
the most out of watching Lewis. I focused on how he kept the wedge
(distance), and how he kept the jab working. I knew David had no chance of
winning if he couldn’t get inside. Also, I saw that a good, hard jab will
back David up.

Yakovlev: Studying Tua’s films gave you and your trainer insight into how to
handle Tua’s dangerous left-hook. Tell us about that.

Barrett: We noticed that most guys move to their left against David, to
circle away from his left hook. But we saw that David throws that hook wide,
and he can catch guys at the end of it as they’re moving to their own left.
That’s especially if guys drop their hands as they’re moving out of David’s
range. So, in the fight, I stayed on my right, toward David’s left hook, so
I could smother the punch. I wanted to be on his left shoulder, going to my
right side. I think he was surprised by that, me moving to my right. Also,
with me moving to my right, I also had a better angle for throwing my right
hand.

Yakovlev: You explained that legwork was an important part of beating Tua.
How are your legs holding out at age 40? Did you find it hard or challenging
to condition your legs for this fight, considering your age? Also,
historically, it's been said in boxing that "the legs" are the first thing
that fail a fighter as he gets older. Supposedly, after a guy passes 35
years old or so, the legs aren't there anymore. Do you agree?

Barrett: No, I didn't find it hard to condition my legs for this fight. The
first thing I did is make a commitment not to have sex while training. I
have been fortunate to have always had good legs throughout my career. I
think the belief about boxers’ legs being the first thing to go is a myth.
The reason why I say that is because in this day in age we have more
information than the past about conditioning and the history of boxing.

Yakovlev: Today there are lots of leading heavyweights who are close to, or
older than, 40 years of age. This is really surprising. Years ago, when I
started following boxing, fighters were generally "old" at age 30, and by
age 35, they were usually retired. Back then, there were no professional
boxers over the age of 40. But now it's different. Why is this...what's
changed?

Barrett: Now, 40 is the new 30, because today we have supplements, medicine,
trainers, diets, healthy living, no smoking, and technology. As boxers,
we’re living in a different age, totally different than from yesterday’s
fighters. They say that you get out of your body what you put into it, and
if you take care of yourself, you should get good results. Also, today we
work more on using both sides of the brain when he box. Boxers take punches
to the head a lot, and their equilibrium can get damaged. So, they need to
rest and play challenging games, or word puzzles, or do exercises to restore
that mental edge. Also, let’s not leave out that there are more rules and
regulations in place than in the past, including different gloves, and more
rest periods in between fights.

Yakovlev: To be honest, I didn’t think you would be able to win a decision
against Tua in New Zealand. My expectation is that the judges would lean
heavily in his favor. Are you surprised at the fairness of the officials?

Barrett: I wasn’t worried because I had the right things written in my
contract up front. The three important things that concerned me were the
officials, the gloves, and the size of the ring. The three officials had to
iclude one from the United States and one from a neutral country. The
gloves had to be Everlast extra large ten ounces, and I had to have a 20
foot ring. Once it was in my contract, there was no way they could get
around that. When I got to New Zealand, I found out that for David’s last
fight, against Demetrice King, they used a 16 foot ring. I reminded them
that I had a contract for a big ring, so they couldn’t use that little ring
with me.

Yakovlev: I understand that you took issue with Cedric Kushner concerning
something that happened during your fight, at ringside.

Barrett: Yeah. In the 12th round, when I got dropped by Tua, I looked up.
Who’s the first person I see jumping and cheering? It’s Cedric Kushner. He
jumped up so high that he looked like he was fixing the lights hanging from
the arena ceiling. Think about it: he’s got to be 350 lbs, easy, but he was
so excited that he jumped right into the sky with joy. That pissed me off so
much. Just seeing Ced jump like that, all excited…that really motivated me
to get up. After the fight I told him, “you lost a lot of respect from me.”

Yakovlev: So seeing Kushner cheer for Tua really angered you. He represents
both of you, but obviously he had big promotional hopes for Tua.

Barrett: I understand that Kushner had a big contract for Tua, but he should
have acted like a businessman, there at ringside. I mean, I never saw Don
King do something like that at ringside. If you beat King’s fighter, even
when he doesn’t want you to win, he’ll take it like a businessman. But Ced
didn’t do that at ringside. I was so pissed. Let me tell you something. A
while back, Ced was in the hospital for two months. He’d had five operations
in three weeks. He was really messed up. Me and my girlfriend, we’d visit
him, and bring him fruitcakes. I visited him five or six times when he was
in the hospital. It had nothing to do with boxing, I was just being a
friend. As a human being, you try to be nice. We all struggle. After all
that, to see him jump for joy when Tua floored me…that made me so angry.

Yakovlev: But you and Kushner talked it over later?

Barrett: Later I told him that what he did was absolutely wrong. He admitted
it. He told me that he was in the wrong. If a man does that, I have respect
for him. Later, after he watched the films, he even told me, “you have some
kahoonas.”

Yakovlev: I trust that you and Kushner are on good terms now. I know he’s
representing you.

Barrett: The relationship I have with Ced is a functional relationship where
we understand one another and we are business partners. That’s the way
fighter-promoter relationships should be. My advice to younger fighters is
that they should realize that their promoters are their business partners,
and not their bosses. When a fighter realizes that, he puts himself in a
better position to understand things from the business side.

Yakovlev: I am told that Kushner inquired about matching you with Tyson
Fury, but that Fury’s people had no interest. I think you against Fury would
be an excellent fight. Any comments?

Barrett: Ced called Fury’s people, but they said they’re not interested. If
they’re not interested, then they not interested. A little while ago my
trainer told me that Fury would be a good opponent for me. I said all right.

Yakovlev: On Facebook you get a lot of messages from fans suggesting that
you fight Arreola.

Barrett: Facebook fans ask me if I would like to fight Arreola. Yes, I
would, but the money would have to be right. It would have to be an
eliminator for the mandatory too, with the winner getting a title shot.

Yakovlev: ESB has done a lot of articles about you in the past. As you
aware, ESB’s branding is that fans can post almost anything they want in the
comments section accompanying each story. I understand that some of
our more outspoken members have caught your attention.

Barrett: It just bothers me when these guys who post comments – who have no
credentials, no authority – say the things they do. These guys, who insult
fighters, they’ve never thrown a punch. They are stupid with a capital “S.”
They probably have beer bellies…a girl could probably beat them. Some of the
stuff they say here, under cover in the comments section, I’d like them to
say that to me in person in New York City. Then I’d ask the Lord to forgive
me.

Yakovlev: I’ve talked to several other well-known pro fighters who have
expressed annoyance with some of posters. I also know that Shannon Briggs
sometimes posts here and gives the less respectful fans a piece of his mind.

Barrett: When I think about some of these ESB posters, or bloggers, I wish I
could get just three minutes with one of them. They talk so much crap, but
everyone knows they are just gangster bloggers. These guys couldn’t bust a
grape in a food fight. Give me five minutes with them, no gloves, no ring,
and no ref…or even in a back alley or something. Just set it for me!

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Team Oquendo Nixes Banks Fight in Poland; Issues a Counter-Offer to Meet in Chicago, by Pavel Yakovlev

(September 4, 2011) - Next week’s bout between Johnathon Banks and Fres
Oquendo is cancelled. The fight, scheduled for the undercard of WBC
heavyweight champ Vitali Klitschko’s title defense against Tomasz Adamek in
Wroclaw, Poland, has been rejected by Oquendo’s camp. Tom Tsatas, Oquendo’s
manager, explained, “The circumstances weren’t right. We appreciate the
offer to fight Banks, but we weren’t comfortable with certain things about
the fight.”

Interestingly, Tsatas issued a counter-offer for Banks to meet Oquendo in
the United States. “I will offer Johnathon Banks the same amount of money –
the equivalent of what they offered us for the Poland match – for him to
fight Fres in Chicago,” said Tsatas. “They gave us a gift by offering Fres
this fight, and we appreciate it. We would like to return the gift by
offering Banks the same amount to fight here. In fact, if Fres does not
knock out Banks in Chicago, I will double Banks’s purse. I am willing to put
the money in escrow before the fight.”

The chance to fight Banks, who is rated WBC #5 and IBF #10, was offered to
Oquendo two weeks ago. Oquendo has spent the past month sparring with Vitali
Klitschko at the latter’s training camp in Austria, and Banks is a long-term
sparring partner for Vitali and his brother, IBF and WBO champion Wladimir.
But Banks is handled by K2 Promotions, one of the promoters of the Wroclaw
event. Thus, Oquendo and his team were leery of fighting as “the opponent”
under circumstances controlled by Banks’s handlers.

For Oquendo, the upside to the Banks fight was considerable, and the
decision to reject the match was made only after careful deliberation. The
bout appeared entirely winnable for the Puerto Rican slickster. He is every
bit as quick as Banks, possesses a better defense, and exhibits superior
footwork. Also, Banks is vulnerable to right-lead leads to the head, and one
of Oquendo’s most dangerous weapons is his fast and crackling overhand
right. Winning the bout would have yielded big rewards. By beating Banks,
who holds the NABF title, Oquendo could have regained his place in the world
world-ratings, a position he forfeited last year when he dropped a highly
controversial decision Jean Marc Mormeck in the latter’s hometown of Paris.

Ultimately, however, logic outweighed temptation in determining Oquendo’s
decision. Tsatas explained, “We didn’t have a lot of time to make a decision
here. Generally these fights get worked out months in advance. We didn’t
want to pass up the opportunity to fight Banks, and I think Fres would knock
him out. But the big issues for us were not having the proper training camp,
and me not being there in Europe to help him prepare. For a fight like this,
Fres usually has about 100 rounds of sparring, and that wasn’t even close to
happening this time. Fres was in Austria primarily to help Vitali, and he
wasn’t training for his own fight. After careful consideration, we decided
that the circumstances weren’t right. We had to think logically about this.”

Another problem for Team Oquendo was the bout’s length: only ten rounds. “We
wanted it to be for 12 rounds, but that wasn’t a possibility. Banks’s title
was on the line, but it was only scheduled for ten, which we didn’t like,”
said Tsatas.

“There’s no reason for two guys from the American Midwest to be fighting in
Poland,” continued Tsatas. “These two should fight in Chicago. I think Fres
probably knocks him out. I don’t think Banks can hold a candle to Fres. We’d
love to get this fight set-up in Chicago.”

Given Oquendo’s history of losing controversial decisions on cards staged by
his opponents’ promoters, he and his team can hardly be faulted for
rejecting the bout. The possibility of Oquendo losing a “home arena”
decision to Banks was not overlooked by experts. Evan Young, handicapper at
www.boxingforecast.com, for one, raised this possibility last week while
analyzing the bout.

According to Young, "Fres Oquendo has excellent experience and even though
he is a hard luck fighter, with many questionable decisions against him, no
one has ever run right through him. He's athletic and awkward and if he's
there physically, even in his late 30's, he will certainly not be
overwhelmed by Johnathan Banks. Banks is a decent fighter, with perhaps
some vulnerabilities - i.e. chin, stamina. He wasn't awe inspiring with a
draw against journeyman Jason Gavern a few fights ago. Knowing Oquendo's
history, it will probably be another close and perhaps controversial bout,
but one he is capable of winning, provided he is well prepared."

...

Oliver McCall Wins Big Over Damian Wills in Houston Tonight; Will Face Kali Meehan Next, by Pavel Yakovlev

(August 20, 2010) - Oliver McCall pounded out a unanimous decision over
hometown favorite Damian Wills in Houston tonight. The scores were 97-93,
97-93, and 96-94. The victory earns McCall the World Boxing Foundation
International heavyweight title, and improves his record to 56-11 (37 KO’s).
McCall is now slated to face WBA #12 and IBF #9 ranked contender Kali Meehan
in an important eliminator in Australia two months from now. Wills falls to
30-3-1 (23 KO’s) as a result of the loss.

The 31-year-old Wills was widely expected to use his advantages in youth (15
years younger) and speed to outhustle McCall, who had lost two of his last
three bouts. After a few competitive opening rounds, however, McCall used
his superior punching power, physical strength, and greater ring savvy to
assume the upper hand.

McCall’s strong left jab was a key weapon tonight. “In the middle rounds, I
took control of the fight. I started hitting him with my jabs then. I busted
him up. He was cut under his left eye, and he was cut over and under the
right eye. He was also bleeding badly from inside the mouth,” said McCall.
“Basically, he started off pretty aggressive, but I knew he wears down in
the late rounds.”

According to McCall, “We traded…there were a lot of punches landed. But I
could take his punches, and he couldn’t take mine. When I hit him, he got
cut and swollen, and he had to retreat. If he didn’t retreat, I would have
knocked him out. I had him severely hurt at least twice in the fight. He
also underestimated my defense.”

“He could punch a little bit, but I didn’t get hit with a lot of solid
punches,” McCall continued. “He doesn’t like pressure. When I came on and
hit him with power shots, he had to retreat and hold on.”

Ricky Fisler, McCall’s manager, stated that Wills was hurt in the seventh,
eighth, and tenth rounds. “Overall, I was confident, because Oliver got in a
lot of power shots,” said Fisler. “We had him going in two or three rounds.
Oliver won seven rounds out of it. I was a little worried about a robbery,
but it didn’t happen.”

“I think Oliver was robbed against Cedric Boswell recently at the Hard Rock
in Hollywood, and I was afraid of a hometown decision happening again,”
explained Fisler.”Oliver did enough to beat Boswell. He hurt Boswell a
couple of times, and blocked most of Boswell’s punches on his arms and
gloves. So, if it happened in Hollywood, I thought it could happen here,
too. But it didn’t. We won.”

Interestingly, McCall himself was not worried about a hometown decision. “It
did not cross my mind that I would get robbed by the judges,” he stated. “I
had a feeling that they were going to be fair here. That’s a good thing. In
between rounds, my corner was a little worried about a robbery, but I told
them, ‘Look, I’m clearly winning the rounds. I’m busting him up.’”

Wills’s gutty performance won praise from McCall and Fisler. “I got nothing
negative to say about Wills,” said Fisler.”Oliver outclassed him, but he
hung in there. Wills was game; he had a lot of heart. I respect him.”

In recent fights, McCall had entered the ring weighing well above 250 lbs,
looking inadequately conditioned. Thus, many presumed that he lacked the
motivation to prepare to tonight’s match. But the naysayers were proven
wrong: McCall weighed 248 ¾ lbs tonight, more than ten pounds less than he
weighed last March for Boswell.

“I’m pretty happy,” continued Fisler. “Recently Oliver had a little strain
in his back from playing basketball, so he couldn’t run for two or two and
half weeks. But he did well tonight. Now, we’re flying to Australia next and
that fight will put Oliver back in the top ten. Kali Meehan will not be able
to withstand Oliver’s pressure.”

Fisler is also interested in matching the rejuvenated McCall with other
leading heavyweights. He stated, “I’d like to put a challenge out for anyone
in the top ten, including Odlanier Solis and Chris Arreola. Personally, I
believe Wills would have given both of those guys are really tough fight
tonight.”

Regarding his future plans, McCall sounded focused. “I’m going to take two
days off, then get back in the gym. I‘ll probably start my training on
Wednesday,” he explained. “I’m going to be getting my weight down to the
230’s. I’m also going to focus on getting more sparring. I didn’t have too
much sparring for this fight. I did have great sessions with Eric Molina in
the week before the fight, but that’s all I had. Now, I’m going to get
quality sparring consistently, and my training camp is going to be better
structured. We got a fight eliminator against Meehan in sixty days in
Australia. I’m going to be ready.”

McCall was the WBC world heavyweight champion in 1994-95. He won the
championship in London, famously stopping Lennox Lewis with a single
devastating right to the jaw. A year later, McCall lost the championship to
Frank Bruno via decision. McCall has been boxing professionally since 1985.

June 11, 2011. Roseland Ballroom, New York. New York City has a strong Puerto Rican fan base and the ones that came out to the Roseland Ballroom on West 52^rd were treated to a slew of promising young hopefuls who all passed their respective tests, some easier than others. The shows were appropriately named Boricua Invasion I & II. Friday nights Boricua card was televised on ESPN2 while Showtime picked up Saturday’s event.

Boricua Invasion I - Friday, June 10, 2011

In the main event Kenny Galarza won a 10 round split decision over grizzled veteran Irving Garcia. And truth be told, the decision went to the wrong guy. Galarza was heavy handed as advertised, with all 14 of his previous wins coming inside the distance, landing some telling body shots early in the fight. But Garcia, who has mixed with top opposition, was able to utilize his jab and as the fight went on, his right hand began to find the mark with regularity. Galarza appeared the stronger guy early on and was probably ahead after 5 rounds but he simply had no answer to Garcia’s boxing ability as the fight went on.

Galarza began to fade badly after the 6^th round and the subsequent rounds become more one sided in Garcia’s favor. By the fights end, Galarza was lumped up around the eyes and was well worn out. Garcia was coming into the fight off of three consecutive defeats but the veteran always comes to fight and unfortunately, the obviously nonessential Garcia was given the shaft. And sadly, not many will notice or care. While I felt the decision was poor, the bout was decent with both men giving their best in a spirited contest.

In the co-main event Thomas Dulorme was too young and good for former title holder DeMarcus Corley as he won going away via wide unanimous decision. Many figured Dulorme to add another KO to his 11-0 (10 KO’s) ledger but Corley, while past his best, is a good survivor and will usually make it to the finish line. Corley tried to box but he wasn’t busy enough to really trouble Dulorme. Dulorme did drop and hurt Corley hard in the 3^rd round, but for the most part he gave the veteran respect and was content to pick his spots and put some rounds of experience on his ledger. Corley was also content to keep the fight safe and never went on an all out assault during the bout. It was a contest where neither man wanted to make a mistake but at this stage of the game, Dulorme was simply better in every way and easily cruised home for the win in a fairly slow paced bout.

Boricua Invasion II – Saturday, June 11. 2011

In the main event talented Luis Orlando Del Valle passed a demanding test in dead game Dat Nguyen in a grueling 10 round decision win. It was obvious early that Del Valle was the faster and more talented fighter. But Nyugen tried with all his might to overcome Del Valle’s skill with an iron will. And Nyugen did some good work by imposing his will when he could. And if Del Valle took a moments rest Nyugen was right there forcing the fight. But Del Valle showed great skill and intensity himself. He simply wouldn’t allow the determined Nyugen to take the play away from him. After battling hard for 6 rounds, Del Valle was finally able to hurt the granite chinned Nyugen in the 7th round. Nyugen finally seemed to hit a wall and the last 3 rounds were quite one sided. At that point Nyugen almost seemed too tough for his own good but he was able to hang in there and fight back just enough to avoid getting stopped.This was an excellent action fight.

In the co-main event puncher Jonathan Gonzalez was forced to go the distance for the 1^st time as a pro as crafty, and experienced Richard Gutierrez gave Gonzalez excellent work in their bout. Gonzalez won the decision by scores of 99-91 and 98-92 twice but the bout seemed more competitive than that. The judges had the rightful winner but I thought Gutierrez won 3, perhaps 4 rounds. But this was good work for Gonzalez. He didn’t have a guy he could run over and learned a lot in the fight. Gutierrez was able to cover up and counter off the ropes and landed his jab with regularity. But Gonzalez was the heavier handed guy and closed well, landing some of his better punches late in the fight. These guys both put forth a solid effort.

I thought that the matchup’s were all decent. All the prospects had live bodies in front of them and had to work hard and go more rounds than they have been used to. Galarza was the only fighter with a previous loss, (Brad Solomon) and it’s clear he will struggle with competent boxers. But all of these young fighters will be better from their experiences in these bouts. Of the 4 featured prospects that fought on Friday and Saturday, I was most impressed with Luis Orlando Del Valle. He clearly had the most dogged opponent in front of him and he displayed skill, power and fought very hard for a full 10 rounds. And I’d have to say they all have bright futures and I am looking forward to tracking their development over the next few years. You will be seeing them again.

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Can Mosley derail the Pacquiao express? By Evan Young

Every time Pacquiao fights it is an event as he is not only boxing’s best fighter, he is also the sports most popular boxer. You couldn’t write Pacquiao’s script any better than the way it has played out.

A poor, skinny Filipino kid with nothing, leaving home as a preteen for the big city of Manila to navigate his life through the brutal prize rings in hopes of something better. No one could have imagined that when the 106 pound Pacquiao turned pro at 16 he would win titles in 8 different divisions, become a Congressman and essentially become a brand name.

Mosley has cultivated a hall of fame boxing career in his own right. Raised in middle class surroundings, Mosley became a quick study on the Southern California boxing scene as an amateur. He won major titles, nearly made the Olympic team and become somewhat of a legend as a kid by getting the better of many hardened Mexican fighters while only a teenager in legendary gym wars that are prevalent in many So. Cal boxing gyms.

Mosley has had a hugely successful pro career and has only lost to excellent world champions and was arguably, when he was a lightweight, one of the best at the weight in recent years. His best career moments were 2 wins over then Golden Boy, Oscar de la Hoya and a surprising win over Antonio Margarito when no one gave him a chance.

When Mosley won the lightweight title in 1997, Pacquiao was still a flyweight and had lost the previous year by KO to 110 pound Rustico Torrecampo. If anyone said at that time that Pacquiao and Mosley would meet in 2011 and that Pacquiao would be a prohibitive favorite, that person would have been deemed certifiable. But here we are in 2011 and that is the case.

By the time Pacquiao was KO’d a 2nd time in 1999 as a 113 pound fighter, Mosley was making his welterweight debut against rugged contender Wilfredo Rivera. Mosley would go on to upset undefeated Oscar de la Hoya in 2000 to become king of the sport while Pacquiao had moved up to 122 after that KO loss and winning the flyweight title along the way.

Pacquiao came into American prominence when he upset Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in 2001 to win a super bantamweight title. Two years later Pacquiao’s legend was beginning to forge when he stopped Mexican standout Marco Antonio Barrera.

Mosley beat de la Hoya in a rematch in 2003 after losing his title to Vernon Forrest, who was an excellent fighter. Mosley dropped 2 fights to much larger Winky Wright in 2004 and many thought Mosley was done at that point.

In 2004, Pacquiao had entered the sweepstakes to compete for top billing in the 126-130 pound divisions with the likes of Eric Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez and Barrera. Pacquiao ended up drawing and beating the great Juan Manuel Marquez in 2 razor thin bouts. Pacquiao’s last loss came against the great Eric Morales in 2005 which Pacquiao avenged with 2 emphatic KO victories. With his final wins at that weight over Barrera again and Marquez, Pacquiao was the last man standing at 130 pounds and became known as the Mexicutioner.

Meanwhile, Mosley worked himself back to a welterweight title against tricky Luis Collazo in 2007 and looked good in losing a narrow decision to then best welterweight Miguel Cotto. Mosley reached the boxing pinnacle again when he utterly dismantled Antonio Margarito in early 2009 after Margarito had given Cotto a bad beating 6 months previous.

But Mosley was brought back to earth when, expect for one fleeting moment, he was dominated on all fronts against Floyd Mayweather in 2010. Subsequently, Mosley drew with Sergio Mora in a tepid bout where no one really distinguished themselves.

After Pacquiao left the 130 pound division in 2008, this is where his quest at the implausible began. He moved to 135 and KO’d lightweight title holder David Diaz. Then moved up 2 more division’s and challenged the much bigger Oscar de la Hoya. People were scared for Pacquiao’s health. Turned out to be an epic mismatch in Pacquiao’s favor. Pacquiao then starches the world best 140 pounder Ricky Hatton in 2 rounds, then dominates 3 huge and strong welterweights in succession; Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito.

The fact that Pacquiao become a top shelf 126-130 pound fighter is not a surprise but what he has done since then is virtually unparalleled. It’s amazing to think that a former minimumweight fighter, boxing’s lightest division, Pacquiao has become the best 147 pound fighter on the planet (and boxing’s pound for pound best) is almost beyond the realm of possibility.

So after my long winded history lesson, how will this fight shake out? Well, I think Pacquiao holds all the cards in this fight. I think he’s better in every way. I believe he has better skills, is the faster man and is the harder puncher.

I believe his conditioning is better than Mosley’s. Mosley tends to labor late in fights and simply cannot bring the work rate that Pacquiao does. He fatigued badly against Mayweather in a moderately paced fight and in his last bout against Sergio Mora, he fought in spots and got hit quite a bit.

They have 3 common opponents in Oscar de la hoya, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito. Mosley beat de la Hoya in 2 close bouts. Pacquiao annihilated de la Hoya. Cotto and Mosley fought to virtual draw while Pacquiao took Cotto apart piece by piece. Mosley stopped Margarito in 9 one sided rounds while Pacquiao badly punished Margarito for 12 rounds, literally breaking his face.

De la Hoya was probably past his best when he fought Pacquiao but he claimed he was well prepared and had lost a split decision to Floyd Mayweather only a year earlier. The Cotto that each man faced was comparable but the most glaring common foe to me was Margarito.

The Margarito that Mosley faced was a weight depleted shell after indulging in a 6 month party after defeating Cotto and having to drop nearly 40 pounds in less than a month to face Mosley. On the other hand, the Margarito that Pacquiao faced was primed and in incredible shape. He was in training, had an excellent camp and was as well prepared for Pacquiao.

And yet, even though Pacquiao didn’t stop Margarito, his performance was more impressive because of what Margarito brought to that fight. And through a few rough patches, Pacquiao laid a beating on Margarito that most couldn’t have endured except a teak tough, supremely trained fighter, which Margarito was that night. That Margarito, I believe, would have beaten the Mosley that had beaten him 2 years earlier.

I think Mosley’s lack of a tight defense and Pacquiao’s speed and volume are going to make this a very tough night for Mosley. And as an aside, people think of Pacquiao as little and quick, but make no mistake, he is physically incredibly strong at this weight, even stronger than Mosley. Pacquiao carries a good deal of weight in his thick trunk and those legs are fully functional with an uncanny ability to move in and out and side to side.

Mosley does have a good chin and has never been stopped but I think he has a difficult task to make to go the route in this bout. Even the best chins will break after repeated punishment. Margarito, who is as tough as they come, was nearly stopped early in his fight with Pacquiao and perhaps should have been stopped later but for some mercy on Pacquiao’s part coupled with an apparently sadistic referee.

But barring extreme generosity on Pacquiao’s part late in the fight, I do not think Mosley can make it the route. He is tough and determined enough to do some rounds but I think he’s going to be taking heavy, punishing shots from the outset and over time will be broken down. Couple that with Pacquiao getting stronger and Mosley fading in the 2nd half of the bout and I think we are looking at about 10 rounds of fighting. I’m going for a comprehensive Pacquiao victory by KO somewhere around the 9th or the 10th round.

Caveat: It must be stated that Pacquiao, despite being a monster in the ring, is a genuinely nice guy and does not want to really hurt anyone badly which completely belies this sport and his physicality. I’m only pointing this out because if Mosley does manage to limp into the 11th round, the possibility does exist that Pacquiao will take his foot off the gas pedal. But I still lean towards the stoppage win for Pacquiao because of the style match up and qualities that Pacquiao brings to the dance. And Pacquiao’s coach Freddie Roach wants the KO as a tool to say to potential Pacquiao opponent Floyd Mayweather, “Hey, look, I did this better than you.” And truth be told, sometimes a KO saves a fighter from a protracted beating and excess damage. Freddie needs to tell Manny that.

Other picks out right now:

Diego Magdaleno vs. Gilberto Sanchez Leon
Sebastian Sylvester vs. Daniel Geale
Ray Narh vs. Mike Alvarado
Librado Andrade vs. Aaron Pryor Jr.

You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/boxingforecast and reach me by email at evan@boxingforecast.com

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Timur Ibragimov: �SYou Got to Take Risks Sometimes, or You Never Achieve Anything,�� by Pavel Yakovlev

(April 27, 2010) – Timur Ibragimov had a big year in 2010. He fought five times, winning four, including an impressive victory over Oliver McCall for the NABA heavyweight championship. Positioned on the fringe of the world rankings at the start of the year, Ibragimov rose as high as seventh worldwide in the WBA ratings, and is currently rated 12th by the same organization. Ibragimov’s lone defeat – a close split decision against world rated Jean-Marc Mormeck in the latter’s hometown of Paris – only marginally undercut the value of his accomplishments in 2010. Still in the mix because of his high WBA rating, Ibragimov is hoping to meet a top contender in an elimination bout later this year.

Recently, this correspondent held an interview with Ibragimov. Among the subjects discussed was the Mormeck fight. Unbeknownst to the public, Ibragimov entered the bout nursing a strained achilles heel, a recurring injury that dated back to the summer of 2010. This correspondent had access to Ibragimov’s camp prior to his Gurcharan Singh and Luis Andres Pineda fights (in August and October respectively), and can attest to the reality of the injury. Ibragimov’s trainer Lou Lagerman, in fact, nearly cancelled the Pineda bout due to concern about whether the injury had healed. Ibragimov’s attitude, however, was that he could fight as long as the achilles problem was not too severe. Hence, he accepted a chance to fight Mormeck on short notice when Hasid Raman withdrew from a scheduled match against the Frenchman. Unfortunately for Ibragimov, bad luck intervened: his heel popped in the fifth round, and he was compelled to abandon his fight plan of using his legs.

In the fight film, Ibragimov can be seen leaning back on his right foot excessively starting in the fifth round. The injury afflicted Ibragimov’s left ankle, and undermined his ability to move laterally and box at long range. Unable to stick and move, Ibragimov was compelled to maul with Mormeck, with disappointing results. The Uzbekistani fought far below the form he showed last summer against McCall, whom he beat by using fleet-footed lateral movement and long range boxing skill. Nonetheless, the Mormeck fight was very closely contested. In spite of his handicap, Ibragimov connected consistently enough with rights to the body that most of the rounds could legitimately have gone to either boxer.

Ibragimov’s record currently stands at 30-3-1 (16 KO’s). At age 36, he is still within his peak fighting years as a heavyweight (note that the average age of BOXREC’s top 25 heavyweights is 34). Ibragimov possesses the tricky boxing style, durability (he has never been off of his feet as a pro), and experience to rate a serious chance of upsetting many of the leading names in his division.

2010 was a big year for you. At the beginning of the year, you were unranked, basically regarded as a top 25 fighter on the fringe of the ratings. Now you are ranked WBA #12 and are eligible for a title shot. What are your thoughts about your progress?

IBRAGIMOV: I am very happy with my accomplishments last year. I had some of the toughest fights of my career, and I fought five times. I don’t think heavyweight contenders have that many fights in one year anymore.

Promotionally, you have undergone several changes this past year, and are now a free agent. Any comments?

IBRAGIMOV: I had a contract with Yuri Fedorov at the beginning of 2010 and fought for the International Boxing Association title. Later on I had a contract with Heavyweight Factory, they gave me an opportunity to fight Oliver McCall, and I won the NABA title. I requested to be released from the contract after the Mormeck fight.

So Heavyweight Factory did not drop you. They wanted to keep you, but you asked them to give you a release?

IBRAGIMOV: Yes, that is correct. We had good work together with Heavyweight Factory, but I decided that it’s time for a bigger promoter or be a free agent.

Your big win in 2010 was over Oliver McCall for the NABA title. McCall was definitely in shape for that fight. What are your thoughts about the McCall win?

IBRAGIMOV: He was really strong…he has tremendous power. He was very well prepared for the fight and really came to destroy me; he weighed 244 lbs, his best weight in a long time. It was a good performance; I showed I had everything…the chin, boxing ability, and the punch. I think that was my best fight. I showed that I could take punches and throw punches at the same time…that I could slug and exchange punches. McCall was a very tough contender and an important fight for me.

Against McCall, you won the first five rounds, and the final four rounds. However, McCall came on strong in the middle rounds, and appeared to have taken control of the fight. Were you concerned at all during the middle rounds?

IBRAGIMOV: Not really, I knew I was winning most of the rounds and I was not worried, even when I started “fighting” with him in the middle rounds. But as soon as I went back to my corner after the eighth, Lou told me to stop fighting, and to start moving again. So I stayed disciplined and boxed McCall after that. That was the strategy for that fight…to know when to defend, know when to punch and attack, and not go crazy.

In the ninth, you got back on your feet and regained control of the fight. In the final rounds, you landed many right hands on McCall. Were you tempted to go after him to try to get a knockout?

IBRAGIMOV: Yes, but we know what happens when you start landing punches…you lose your discipline. With guys like Oliver, you have to be careful knowing that one big punch can get you destroyed. Look what he did to Lennox Lewis. Oliver destroyed him with one punch. Our plan was to beat Oliver by decision. If his legs were weak, then I would go for the knockout. But Oliver had an incredible chin, and his legs never wobbled. This is why I stayed disciplined with him. Sometimes when you are landing punches you don’t think about punches coming back at you, and you get in trouble. I punched a couple times with hard punches, but he took it well, so it was not a good idea to try to knock him out. With Oliver, it’s very dangerous to get close…he can knock you out with one punch.

After beating McCall, you fought Gurcharan Singh, who turned out to be a very tough and much underrated opponent. How tough was the Singh fight, and what are your impressions of Gurcharan?

IBRAGIMOV: He was really tough; I could see that he really wanted to win. But before the fight they told me that he was an easy opponent, and that I would knock him out easily because he was not active. But that did not sound right…I knew Gurcharan was better than that. He almost won the Olympics, and had a 20-0 record. He ended up being a tough contender.

In December, you accepted a bout against Jean-Marc Mormeck with only three weeks to prepare. The fight took place in Mormeck’s hometown, Paris, and was promoted by Mormeck’s promotional company. You lost a very close, very hard fought split decision. Any comments?

IBRAGIMOV: The fight was a big opportunity for me; I was told that it would be for WBA #3 ranking. At the time, I was in Sweden sparring with Attila Levin, to help him get ready for Helenius. Attila is a different kind of fighter than Mormeck; Attila is bigger, has a different style, and is different physically. If I was home in Florida, I would have prepared for Mormeck by sparring with Darnell Wilson, who is like Mormeck physically and stylistically. That would have been great preparation. Unfortunately I didn’t have a chance to spar with Darnell when I was training for Mormeck. Too bad.

You also had recurring problems with your achilles heel in the months before the Mormeck fight. Despite this, you took the fight anyway. Any comments?

IBRAGIMOV: I made a bad decision in taking the fight with my hurt achilles, but I had this opportunity, so I took it. We Russians say: “You have to take risks sometimes, if you don’t, you never achieve anything.” But the fight was at the wrong time for me, with the achilles problem.

Many observers believe the fight was so close that the decision could legitimately have been given to either fighter (note: in rounds, this correspondent scored the match 6-5-1 for Ibragimov, and 5-5-1 after the point deduction). Yet you have never claimed you were robbed, even though the fight took place in Mormeck’s hometown. Why have you been so modest?

IBRAGIMOV: Because I learned this attitude from my amateur career. As soon as the fight’s over and they raise the hand of the opponent, that’s it. What can you do? What is done is done. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. Also, the way I see it, I go to Mormeck’s city, so I know I have to drop him to win. In a fight like this, you have to drop the other guy. I knew that before I went to Paris. I went there and I did not drop him, so that’s it. No complaints. If I lost the fight, I lost the fight.

After getting off to a strong start against Mormeck, you lost most of the middle rounds. I thought Mormeck won the fifth through the ninth. But you turned the tide in the tenth, connecting with hurtful rights to the ribs, which appeared to slow Mormeck down. I gave the final three rounds to you. Any comments?

IBRAGIMOV: Yeah, when I started hitting him to the body with my right, I could see the changes; he stopped moving and started grabbing. But I could not really move because of my achilles. I had to lean back all the time because of that.

You went to Paris reasonably confident that the achilles injury was under control, that it would not be an issue. Then the injury flared up during the middle rounds. The symptoms were clear: I watched the fight with a boxing trainer, and he was able to notice the injury because of your foot movement. Any comments?

IBRAGIMOV: If you watch the fight, you can see that I could not move after six rounds. I could not bounce on my feet anymore because of my heel. My plan to win was to move and keep him at the distance, if I did that then the win would be easy. But after five rounds, I stopped moving. I started dragging my foot. The achilles injury was on the left leg, so I had to lean back on my right ankle all the time. That meant I could not use my right foot either, because I had to drag that foot all the time. It was not smart for me to take this fight with that problem. But that is one hundred percent my mistake.

In the final rounds, Mormeck looked broken down, and he clinched repeatedly, especially after taking body punches. That Mormeck initiated the majority of the clinches in the later rounds can be seen in the films: he constantly hooks his arm around yours. Even before that, Mormeck consistently used his elbows and forearms on the inside. Not once was Mormeck cautioned for these tactics by the French referee. By contrast, the referee harassed you in every round for anything you did that resembled clinching or pushing. What are your thoughts here?

IBRAGIMOV: (laughs as he answers) I think the referee was one of Mormeck’s cornermen. He would not let me fight. It was funny. From the beginning of the fight, he would not let me clinch, or allow me push Mormeck away. That was part of my strategy…to tie him up and push him away when he would get close. If that’s illegal, then we would not have Vladimir Klitschko as champion, or lots of other guys as champions. But always the referee was jumping in, pushing me backwards. Then later, as soon as I hurt Mormeck, the referee stopped the fight and took a point away from me. And when Mormeck got hurt again, the referee decided that it’s okay for him to clinch…that him hugging me is okay.

I understand that you took the Mormeck fight on short notice because of financial pressures. Any comments?

IBRAGIMOV: 2009 was a tough year, I was promised at least three fights that never materialized. I could not work because I had to prepare for a virtual fights that never happened, accumulated some debt and that is the main reason why I was agreeing to any available fights in 2010.

Can you tell us about your new training and conditioning work? I understand that you are using MMA style training now. What exactly are you doing, and can you feel the results?

IBRAGIMOV: I tried something new during the last rounds with Mormeck and I found it successful, I am definitely moving in new direction and I am very happy about that. I think it’s better done than said.

What are you doing to insure that the achilles heel isn’t a problem for you in the future?

IBRAGIMOV: I am following doctor’s and Lou’s recommendations and I am sure that my achilles problem will be minimized.

I understand that you sparred with David Haye many years ago. What are your impressions of Haye based on that sparring?

IBRAGIMOV: He is a very good fighter, not very predictable, and works really hard in the ring.

Haye is supposed to fight Vladimir Klitschko this summer. Do you have a prediction about who will win the upcoming match?

IBRAGIMOV: They are both very good boxers; I wish them both luck. I am sure it’s going to be a very good show.

What is your schedule now, in terms of how much longer you intend to box professionally?

IBRAGIMOV: With my new training strategy I am learning a lot about how far the human body can advance. I am getting to the best shape of my career and have no time to think about anything else.

...

Adamek Clears final hurdle to title challenge. By Evan Young

April 9, 2011. Newark, New Jersey. Tomasz Adamek entertained a wild throng of fans with a unanimous decision win over the "Clones Colossus” Kevin McBride at the Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey on Saturday night. Scores were 120-107, 119-108, and 119-108. McBride was the last obstacle Adamek (44-1, 28 KO’s) had to climb before reaching his dream of fighting for the heavyweight championship against either Vitali or Wladimir Klitschko later in the year.

The raucous contingent of 7653, many draped in red and white garb in recognition of Adamek’s Polish heritage, and nearly all were on hand to support their idol, appreciated watching their charge pound McBride at will. McBride, to his credit never stopped coming forward and gave the native Pole a vigorous 12 round workout. McBride 6’7 285 made every effort to use his 5 inch height and 70 pound weight edge as an advantage as round after round, he dutifully trudged after Adamek and attempted to lean, push and maul him into a position of vulnerability.

But speed, movement and punches in bunches carried the day and kept McBride off balance and lunging awkwardly for most of fight. McBride had trivial successes in the clinches with body blows and clubbing hits to the back of the head but for the most part they were largely ineffective. But Adamek seemed to understand that he was in for a long night as he didn’t stand in front of McBride (35-9-1) for too long and employed an effective body attack throughout the evening.

McBride, with his high guard and slow forward gait couldn’t evade taking body blows as Adamek would easily slip to the side and unleash thudding shots to flank of the Irishman. And when McBride dropped his hands, Adamek would often take his attack upstairs with fast flurries to the head. McBride would shrug them off and willfully march forward again looking to maul, grab and punch. You could rinse and repeat that scenario for 12 rounds. If you saw the 1^st round, you saw the last.

Adamek never seemed to really set down on his punches to the head as he understood that by digging in and throwing bombs, he would be giving McBride a sliver of hope as the Clones Colossus does have a heavy right hand that can do great damage if he lands directly on a stationary target. But on this night, Adamek was going to play it safe and not to do anything to jeopardize his forthcoming title challenge. The fans seemed ok with that as they got to see a full 36 minutes of Adamek domination which is much longer than many expected.

Were Adamek and his supporters concerned that he was unable to stop a 39 year old man who has been stopped 6 times and appeared to be out of shape? Did they wonder how Adamek can contend with a Klitschko, both brothers are light years superior to McBride in every way, when he had to labor a bit to keep the corpulent McBride at bay for 12 frames? It didn’t appear so. This was Ademek’s night and they enjoyed this celebration with him. Adamek, a consummate pro and cerebral fighter, is someone that takes things one step at a time. He will cross that Klitschko bridge when he gets to it. He has now arrived.

Undercard bouts

Light heavyweight Andrzej Fonfara (17-2, 8 KOs) scored an outstanding fourth round KO over Ray Smith (9-6, 3 KOs). Smith seemed to be in the fight until a fusillade of clean right hands from Fonfara sent Smith to the deck for the count at 1:04 of the 4th.

Olympian welterweight Sadam Ali (12-0, 7 KOs) scored a third round KO over Javier Perez (8-5, 5 KOs). Ali knocked Perez down in round one and dropped him cold with a hook in the 3^rd. Time was 2:40.

Super featherweight Joselito Collado (12-0, 3 KOs) won a six round split decision over Rafael Lora (11-4, 5 KOs) in an uneventful bout by scores of 59-54, 57-56 on two cards. The other card was 57-56 Lora.

Junior welterweight Jose Peralta (6-1, 4 KO’s) scored a 3rd round KO over Eber Luis Perez in round 3. Time was 2:24. Peralta was dominant, simply too young and fast.

Welterweight Vinny O’Brien (2-0, 2 Ko’s) stopped debuting Shakir Aquel Dunn (0-1) at 2:51 of round 4 in a scheduled 4 rounder. The action was spirited between these young hopefuls but O’Brien overwhelmed Dunn with volume and finally put him away late in the 4^th.

...

Kevin McBride: �SNobody Has Yet Tested Adamek�"s Chin,�� by Pavel Yakovlev

(March 29, 2011) - Kevin McBride will be the opponent when he fights Tomasz
Adamek two weeks from now at the Prudential Center in Newark. Adamek has won
all but one of his 44 career bouts, and is being groomed for a big money
fight against one of the Klitschko brothers. By contrast, McBride enters the
bout having lost four of his last five fights. Truth be told, the 6’6”, 280
lbs McBride has been hand-picked for the fight so that Adamek can get
comfortable hitting big men. At 6’1”, the Pole is a smallish heavyweight who
is still perfecting tactics to be used against the giant Klitschkos. Thus,
at first glance, the upcoming bout looks like batting practice for Adamek:
another easy win en route to his showdown with the Klitschkos.

However, there is another perspective to take on this fight; it concerns the
possibility of an upset, as remote as that chance may be. The hulking
McBride has a puncher’s chance against Adamek. Known as the Clones Collosus
because of his immense size and strength, McBride carries devastating power
in his right hand. The Irishman has sent 29 opponents home early as knockout
victims after catching them with this punch. The most dramatic display of
McBride’s punching power, of course, came in 2005 when he smashed Mike Tyson
into a sixth round kayo defeat. McBride entered the Tyson fight as a massive
underdog, yet pulled off the upset. Naturally, McBride is hoping to stun the
world again at the Prudential Center in two weeks.

McBride’s pulverizing right will definitely be a wildcard in the upcoming
fight. Adamek is known for lunging at his opponents, and at those moments he
is vulnerable to the right, especially the uppercut. If McBride brandishes
his power punch at just the right moment, then the seemingly impossible – an
Adamek defeat – just might materialize.

In this interview, McBride discusses his career and his preparation for the
Adamek bout.

*What are your thoughts about the upcoming fight? How do you see matters
unfolding once the bell rings?*

McBride: I don’t think the fight will go the distance. He’s the classier
fighter, but he’s sixty or seventy pounds lighter than me. His people are
underestimating my strength and power. It’ll be a good fight because he
comes to fight. I’m the bigger, stronger man, and hopefully I’ll catch him
on the chin. When I hit him, I’ll send him back to Poland. The Polish kids
in his area are going to be there, and they’ll witness it.

*Tell us about your preparation for this fight*.

McBride: I’ve been sparring with different guys, fast kinds of guys. The
other day I was doing four rounds with one guy who runs a lot, then another
four rounds with another guy stands but boxes a lot, and who gets on his
bike. The sparring is improving my timing and my speed. I can feel it; I
have that feeling of getting closer, getting fitter. Getting that feeling
reminds me of how much I love boxing. I’ve been boxing since I was nine
years old, and I know that feeling. Also my mental preparation for this
fight has been excellent. I’ve been seeing a hypnotist to help focus. I know
that nobody gets anywhere if they give up on their dreams. No matter how
many doors get shut, a person has to find a way to keep trying. I’ve been
very focused on realizing my dream of being the first Irish born heavyweight
champion of the world. The Irish abstract painter Sean Scully has been a
tremendous inspiration to me, when we talk. It is so important to keep goals
in focus. This chance against Adamek is an opportunity to make my dream come
true.

*What have you been doing to condition yourself for this bout?*

McBride: I’m working a lot on strength. I’ve gotten stronger since starting
training. Right now I’m bench-pressing 425 pounds, ten presses at a time. I
run five miles every day, and I’m doing lots of sprints. To work on speed
and timing, I do a lot of fast punching on the bag and mitts, and in
sparring, I punch with higher intensity. I can feel the improvement and I
love the feeling of getting closer. This is the biggest fight of my life.

*Who is training you for this fight?*

McBride: Goody Petronelli, Radavan Serbula, and Ermo Norrick. I’ve been with
Goody a long time. Ermo is really good on the pads. Radavan is doing
strength and conditioning. My manager Johnny Quinn will also be helping in
my corner.

*What do you know about Adamek? Can you tell us what you and your team have
determined to be Adamek’s strengths and weaknesses?*

McBride: I’ve seen some of Adamek’s fights. He’s a good fighter, definitely
a world-class fighter, fast. As far weaknesses go, everyone has their
weaknesses. I don’t really have anything to say about that. Adamek is a
good, strong fighter, but I don’t know if anyone really has tested his chin.
One thing he’s dealing with is pressure, because he’s going to have to look
good against me. He’s facing that pressure.

*I agree that the pressure is on Adamek to look good. For that reason, it’s
an important fight for him. But for you, the fight is even more important
because it represents a chance to gatecrash boxing’s big-time again.

McBride: I’m a big underdog, but I was the same for Mike Tyson. I beat
Tyson, and I’ll do the same for Adamek. This fight is even bigger than the
Tyson fight because Adamek’s rated up there in the top five right now. When
I win this fight, I’ll be in a position to be the first heavyweight champion
from Ireland. I’ll be the new Cinderella Man. I say you can run, but you
can’t hide from McBride. All it takes is one punch to the chin. I have that
punch, the ability to stop him with one punch. I’ve got 29 knockouts, so you
know I can hit. I can hit as hard as any heavyweight in the world, including
the Klitschkos. Years ago, Axel Schulz told me I hit him harder than anyone
he ever fought, including George Foreman. The power is there.

*One punch that Adamek may be vulnerable to is the right uppercut. Because
he’s so much shorter than big guys like you, Adamek lunges while unleashing
his left hooks and rights to the head. Against Michael Grant, Adamek took
some heavy rights during these moments. What are your thoughts about using
your right uppercut against Adamek? *

McBride: I know when he’s hitting me, he’ll be pretty close. When he hits me
anywhere on the body, arms, shoulders, whatever, he’ll be there to get hit.
I’m going to throw plenty of punches, and I’ll mix them up. I have a good
uppercut, I hit Mike Tyson with some good uppercuts. So hopefully I’ll catch
Adamek and end the fight.

*What are your memories of the experience of fighting and beating Mike
Tyson? *

McBride: The experience of fighting Mike Tyson was unbelievable. Growing up,
I idolized him. I also idolized Muhammad Ali. After I beat Tyson, Muhammad
Ali gave me a big hug. It was unbelievable. The experience of beating Tyson
was sad in one sense, because I ended a guy’s career. But it was incredible
because I shocked the world. Remember, that fight reminds me of how I love
boxing so much, and how I always wanted to be the fist Irish born
heavyweight champion of the world. Against Adamek, I have a chance to get
there.

*You are a native of Ireland, but you have lived in Boston since relocating
to America. Is it fair to say that you are now one of the Boston Irish?*

McBride: Yes, Boston is my home now. I have a lovely wife and two kids here.
My daughter Grainne and my son Caoinhin were born in Boston. The Adamek
fight is for two titles, and it would be nice to give one of the belts each
to my daughter and my son. I’m fighting for my kids, for my life. I love
this sport so much. I’m just so glad to get a second chance.

*The Adamek-McBride bout is scheduled for 12 rounds, and will be held April
9th, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Tickets are available
via www.ticketmaster.com. The event is promoted Main Events and Ziggy
Promotions.*

...

PIROG WINS EASILY BUT UNSPECTACULARLY IN HIS FIRST WBO TITLE DEFENSE, by Pavel Yakovlev

(March 26, 2011) Dmitry Pirog retained his WBO world middleweight title in Ekaterinburg, Russia, today with a dominant but unimpressive decision over Javier Francisco Maciel. Pirog controlled the action throughout with probing left jabs, well-placed body punches, sneaky uppercuts to the head, and by using airtight defense. Nonetheless, Pirog’s performance was inferior to that he displayed last summer, when he won his title with a spectacular knockout over Danny Jacobs. The Russian champion’s timing seemed slightly off, and his punches lacked their usual snap. Most likely Pirog was ring rusty from not having fought in the eight months since beating Jacobs, and thus did not display his full ability against Maciel.

This correspondent scored the bout 118-110 for Pirog, who was deducted a point in the tenth for illegally pushing with his shoulder at close quarters. The judges’ cards seemed inappropriately close, favoring the champion by margins of 115-112, 117-112, and 115-111. Maciel did very little today, aside from unleashing a few spirited offensives in which he generally missed with heavy punches. Indeed, the challenger’s objective seemed to be surviving, not winning. An explanation for Maciel’s reticence may lay in the fact that today’s bout marked his first on the world stage. Quite possibly Maciel and his handlers regarded the fight as just a chance to develop self-confidence and experience, and to show the world that the Argentine can survive until the final bell against the world’s best middleweights.

The opening rounds were slow, with both fighters feeling each other out. The difference between the pair, however, was that Pirog was sensing how to land punches, while Maciel was figuring out how to avoid action. The tempo unfolded as if predetermined by a script. Pirog jabbed to the head, followed by straight rights to the body. Maciel danced away and kept his guard high. Patiently, Pirog stalked the challenger, trying to provoke a response. Maciel, for his part, was unwavering in playing defense. Pirog won rounds one and two with his steady jab. The only significant punch landed by either fighter occurred in the second, when Maciel took a sharp left hook to the ribs.

Maciel finally opened up late in the third, winging a series of fast, hard lefts and rights at the champion’s head. Pirog had no problem slipping all the punches, however, and easily took the round by dint of his accurate jabs and body punching. In the fourth, Pirog punctuated his dominance by landing a sharp, solid right to the head, which seemed to shake the Argentine. Maciel reacted by accelerating his retreat, occasionally changing gears by throwing huge, roundhouse punches that missed their target. It looked as if Maciel had no real answer to Pirog’s tactical mastery and superior seasoning. All Maciel could accomplish was to run, and to exude an air of psychological defiance by intensifying his dancing at long range and sometimes tossing bombs that only fanned the air.

Rounds five and six were won easily by Pirog, who continued to connect with casual jabs, occasional body punches, and cleverly placed uppercuts. Interestingly though, in the sixth Pirog’s attack slowed and his body movement seemed less intense. This correspondent wondered if perhaps Pirog was playing possum, in a calculated effort to bait Maciel into fighting back. Maciel, for his part, continued to run and block punches.

The challenger finally came alive in round seven. After being shaken by the best punch of the fight yet -- a crackling right to the head -- Maciel accelerated his retreat. Once satisfied that he was safely out of Pirog’s reach, Maciel made another defiant gesture, dropping his hands to waist as if to suggest that he was not hurt. This time, however, Maciel followed up by unleashing his most effective offensive of the bout. The Argentine found his target when he threw a quick left and right to the head, and then sprang to the attack and connected with several hard, thudding body punches. Pirog shifted into full retreat, dodging most of the challenger’s blows. Nonetheless, Maciel’s surprising display of aggression, for the first time, broke Pirog’s tactical dominance of the fight. The challenger’s spirited punching display enabled him to share points in this round on this correspondent’s scorecard.

Maciel had an even stronger round in the eighth. After taking a few hard whacks in the ribcage, Maciel assumed the offensive. Swinging hard shots to the head and the body, Maciel forced the champion onto the defensive. Pirog dodged most of the challenger’s blows, but did absorb several hurtful punches to the ribs. Maciel was now the hunter, and Pirog was focused on safety, keeping his guard high and stepping back to avoid getting hit. Pirog was never in trouble, but he was conceding ground and initiative to Maciel. The eighth was unquestionably won by the Argentine.

Pirog returned to form in the ninth, though, leaving no doubt as to who was the boss in the ring. Moving forward and pecking away with his jab, Pirog soon forced Maciel to revert to survival mode. A crackling right to the head snapped Maciel’s head back, and a few well-placed, hurtful body punches gave this round to the champion. In each of the final rounds, Maciel stayed on the run, occasionally fighting back with roundhouse punches that missed the Russian’s head. Pirog continued to pile up points with his jab, uppercuts, and bodypunches until the final bell.

Curiously, in the tenth Pirog was deducted a point by the referee for roughhousing. Apparently the referee disapproved of Pirog’s aggressive use of his shoulder while forcing the action on the inside. This correspondent, however, believes that the referee’s point deduction was unnecessary. Pirog’s shouldering was no worse than that often seen in world-class ring competition. In fact, given Maciel’s general reluctance to fight, Pirog may have been justified in playing rough on in the inside in an effort to force some exchanges.

No doubt Pirog will take some flack from scribes and fans for failing to dispatch his obviously inferior challenger. Some observers may even claim that Pirog had a tough fight today, which is hogwash as far as this correspondent is concerned. Truth be told, Pirog did not look great today. But to be fair, almost anyone would have had difficulty performing brilliantly against a defensive-minded opponent like Maciel. It must not be overlooked that the champion’s tactical dominance was almost never broken during the match. That Pirog would win was never in doubt. The champion’s only real problem was finding a way to unlock Maciel’s guard, in order to snatch an impressive kayo victory in a fight that was otherwise destined to be an easy but unspectacular points win. Perhaps the world’s expectations were unreasonably high for Pirog today. Whatever the case, his record now stands at 18-0 (14 KO’s).

For Maciel, today’s result must taste sweet: a moral victory obtained because he heard the final bell against the formidable champion. In watching Maciel survive round after round, this writer sensed that the Argentine grew in self-confidence as the fight progressed, even though he stood no chance of winning. Maciel seemed to be proving something to himself: that he could share the ring with a much better fighter and not get knocked out. A professional since 2007, Maciel falls to 18-2 (12 KO’s), and can take pride in having fought competently against the first world-class foe he has ever met.

...

The Junior Middleweights. Imagine the possibilities!

The junior middleweights have a slew of very good and compelling fighters hovering in the neighborhood. Exciting former welterweight title holders Paul Williams, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto are now all here, looking for action. You have streaking Saul Alvarez and top Cuban prospect Erislandy Lara. And you have surprising title holder Cornelius Bundrage and newly crowned Austin Trout looking for battles. James Kirkland, who is 2 fights into his comeback, is paring back down to 154. You could match Pawel Wolak with practically anyone and you are likely to get a brutal slugfest that would be fan friendly. Vanes Martirosyan is young and keeps winning.

While it’s unlikely all the great potential matches get made for various reasons, I believe there is a good possibility some of these potential excellent contests can happen in this division. It looks like Cotto and Margarito are in talks about a possible rematch. That figures to be another good fight. But there are so many intriguing possibilities with this mix of former champions, contenders and hot prospects. And the possibilities are numerous as there are brutal pressure fighters, skilled technicians and boxer/punchers.

You could plug in almost anyone here and make a great match up. It will be interesting to see how guys like Lara and Martirosyan do when they step to fight the ‘iron” in the division like Margarito, Angulo and Kirkland.

Can Wolak step up and hang with the more established pressure fighters? Can he force a boxer type into his type of fight? Can Kirkland regain his old form and live up to previous expectations? How will the skilled Trout do when he steps up? Can Williams return to the most feared fighter in the world? Will Cotto and Margarito battle? What will the winner do? Cintron seems like he’s got more in the tank, where’s he been? Will Alvarez live up to the hype bestowed upon him? He’s got a lot of tough fights down the line. Can Bundrage secure a big fight and pull a surprise?

Who will eventually be considered the number one junior middleweight in the world? We have a lot of unanswered questions in this division. I just hope that we get these great potential match-ups and this fun, exciting division sorts itself out over the next 2 or 3 years.

Below are my top 12 in no particular order

Alfredo Angulo – He’s an unforgiving fighter with great accuracy and pressure. Since his loss to Cintron, he had been looking great and a mission to the title but he has been derailed by Visa problems and hasn’t fought in 8 months. I hope things can be resolved because he is a top player in the division and makes for great fights.

Antonio Margarito – a brutal pressure fighter has been marred in controversy since the “glove” incident. But after a losing but game effort against Pacquiao, he is back on the map and the venom against him is waning. A rematch with Cotto is being discussed and appears likely.If he wins, Kirkland and the like await.

Paul Williams – he has some redeeming himself to do after his brutal loss to Sergio Martinez (KO2) he has plenty of possibilities here Williams is a lanky pressure fighter that was once an avoided fighter before his rematch loss to Martinez. Can eh get back to a top level? Me thinks he’s hit his ceiling already.

Pawel Wolak – he is a walk in pressure fighter that has a way of making a ring very small in a hurry. He’s a guy not afraid to get hit to land his own. He looked great against former champ Yuri Foreman a few weeks back. I want to see him against a more formidable challenge to see how he holds up.

Kermit Cintron – he has been off a year since his strange bout with Paul Williams where he propelled out of the ring and lost a technical decision. He’s beat Angulo, drew with Sergio Martinez (highly disputed) and lost to Margarito twice. He’s still one of the divisions top guys. Perhaps after a warm-up he could step in against anyone.

Miguel Cotto – Cotto is the WBA super champion. Everyone knows Cotto’s resume. Good boxer, skilled and a good puncher. Has only lost to the best, Margarito and Pacquiao. Coming off win over Ricardo Mayorga. He’s had so many grueling fights, how long will he go on? Talks of rematch with Margarito in the works.

Erislandy Lara – Cuban prospect has scored four 1 round KO’s in a row. Hard to forget his struggle with Grady Brewer. But he is a talent and is being groomed properly. He fight’s spoiler Carlos Molina on March 25, 2011.

Vanes Martirosyan – a skilled boxer/puncher with good speed and amateur pedigree. He’s a sharp hitter that still needs a bit more seasoning before he fights a dangerous foe. He was fortunate to get past former champ Kassim Ouma a few fights back. But he's right back at it and is improving.

James Kirkland – a bruising destroyer, that looks to cut down anyone in his path, no matter what’s in his way. Before he went to prison, he looked to be the best in the division with his hiding of Joel Julio. He looked, understandably, a bit rusty in his comeback but is likely to regain old form. But he does need several more fights to see where he is.

Cornelius Bundrage – an older fighter that picked up the title against an out of shape Cory Spinks. But it’s good to see him doing well later in his career. I don’t see at his age is looking for paydays. And with a title to offer, he may just get it.

Austin Trout – Trout is a fast technician and not well known which he would like to change. He was impressive in his last outing when he won the title from Rigoberto Alvarez (Saul’s brother) in Mexico. He’s looking for respect and names.

Saul Alvarez – highly touted prospect, and now WBC champ, is coming off wide win over game Mathew Hatton. Alvarez still needs more work before he fights better guys. But at only 20, he’s got time on his side. Takes another step up, but not too big, in Ryan Rhodes in his next bout.

Honorable mention: Cory Spinks, Deandre Latimore, Sechew Powell

No Pacman or Mayweather?

I didn’t talk about superstars Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao because, well, Mayweather has disappeared again from the scene and Pacquiao, after he takes care of Mosley, probably only has eyes for Mayweather and if its a no go there, maybe in typical Pacquiao style, he could go for one more great challenge in Sergio Martinez as that’s what the great ones do, take on the unimaginable.

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Solis wins title eliminator in bizarre ending; Cloud defends title over determined Zuniga

Miami , Florida, American Airlines Arena - Odlanier Solis, 260, won his heavyweight title eliminator against Ray Austin, 239 3/4 last night by 10th round disqualification last night at American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida. The strange end came with with only 1 second left in the 10th, when both men nearly toppled over the top rope at press row and upon the break by the ref, Austin clocked Solis with a right hand.

The foul came after Austin was trying to survive for his fistic life as Solis was on verge of a stoppage win. Austin was hurt and down in the round and was looking stay a float in any manner possible. The tackle by Austin that nearly landed both men outside the ring coupled with the egregious late hit was enough for referee Tommy Kimmons to halt the proceedings.

It seems to this writer that a stoppage win was inevitable prior to the disqualification as Austin seemed to have run out of everything at that point in the fight. Strangely, the judges believed Austin was still in the fight after nine rounds.Judge Rocky Young has Austin up by 2 points at 86-84. Ged O’Connor had it even at 85-85 and Mike Ross seemed to be watching the same fight I was, had it scored 88-82 for Solis.

Solis was in control most of the way and never bothered by Austin. He came perilously close to Stopping Austin in the 5th round, who was down and badly hurt for much of the round. Austin won two, maybe three rounds when Solis seemed to take a breather. Other than that, Solis slowly stalked his prey looking to land heavy power shots. And every time he exploded on Austin it had a clear effect. With the win Solis has now earned the right to face Vitali Klitschko for the WBC heavyweight title.

Tavoris Cloud successfully defended his title against Fulgencia Zuniga by unanimous decision in a much tougher than expected title defense. Zuniga, looking slow and fighting over his natural weight appeared to be over matched. Cloud jumped on him from the opening bell and an early stoppage seemed imminent. But Zuniga, who has a history of toughness, always fought back and found a way to land. Just when it appeared, on many occasions, that the referee would step in, Zuniga would fight back.

And in the fourth round, Zuniga hit pay dirt. He caught Cloud with a big left hook and had him teetering. And Zuniga went after him with full force. There was no doubt Cloud was under some some distress. Cloud would fight his way out of it but he sustained a bad cut for his troubles. And the fight hit fever pitch in the fifth round as they were engaging in a full fledged war that saw several momentum shifts in the round. With that exertion, both men took a breather in the sixth.

From the 7th round on, Cloud began to take over and the fight slowly became more one sided. Zuniga while still fighting hard, had less steam on his punches and appeared to be wearing down. Notably, Zuniga was hurt in the 9th and badly rocked in the last round. Zuniga, who was dropped hard in the 12th, somehow fought back just enough to make it to the final bell. Cloud won by wide unanimous decision in a tougher fight than the scores indicated. The judges scored it 117-108, 118-108 and 116-109. With the win, Cloud is looking for big name fights with the likes of Chad Dawson or the winner of tonight's bout between Jean Pascal vs. Bernard Hopkins.

In an entertaining slugfest, Ricardo Mayorga overcame game Michael Walker for a 9th round KO. Mayorga came out with bad intentions form the beginning. He fought like a man that was in a hurry and as he landed sizzling power shots thrown from the floor, and an early ending seemed like a possibility. But Walker was determined and as rounds passed it was clear Mayorga was going to be fighting in spurts. That's when Walker was able to do some business. And while Mayorga landed the harder shots, Walker was getting back into the fight by the 5th round. But Mayorga, when he felt the need, was able to land hurtful power shots that clearly bothered Walker.

Mayorga did his usual clowning on the ropes, while letting Walker unload. It was vintage Mayorga in that regard. At one point with Walker with head down and throwing, Mayorga was actually looking out in the crowd and talking. Hilarious. Things unraveled for Walker in the 9th. He was dropped early and badly hurt. And Mayorga pasted him several times while he was down. The ref docked Mayorga 2 points for the infraction but it was moot point, no pun intended, as Mayorga pounced and forced a referee intervention moments later. I don’t know where my Mayorga goes from here but he is a colorful character with a sold fan base. He'll be back.

New York-based heavyweight Darrel “King” Madison had things mostly his own way against Michael Marrone as he was able to out box and out speed Marrone for most of the rounds. Marrone had some modest successes but he struggled with the quicker man and had no solution. Judges scores were 100-90, 98-92 and 99-91 for “King David” Madison.

Eileen Olszewski won the WIBA/GBU female flyweight belt with a unanimous decision victory over Anastasia Toktoulova Olszewski wass imply the better technician and appeared to out box the game Toktoulova. Scores for the bout 80-72, all for Olszewski.

Cuban cruiserweight Pedro Rodriguez stopped over matched TJ Cook in the 2nd round of an entertaining fight while it lasted. Cook was game but simply over matched by the better fighter.

The evening concluded with two quick walkout bouts with prospect Erkan Tepe destroying Donato DeMartiis by TKO in the very first round. And Cuban lightweight Angelo Santana finished John David Charles with a fusillade of punches late in the 3rd round.

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Bernard Hopkins vs. Jean Pascal fight preview

Bernard Hopkins challenges Jean Pascal for his WBC light heavyweight title in Montreal on Saturday night. Hopkins is a marvel at nearly 46, fighting at a high level. He’s had a tremendous career recording a record 20 title defenses as middleweight champ. While he will be remembered as a great fighter, I think he deserves credit as one of the greatest self managed fighters.

He has navigated his career like a well an astute business man while giving everyone his ghetto rhetoric which has captivated many. I could get into a soliloquy of how Hopkins has maneuvered himself and taken all the “right” fights but that is another story for another day.

The thing is, Hopkins won’t fight someone he doesn’t think he can beat. He seemed to forget Chad Dawson’s name but once Dawson lost to Pascal Hopkins was right there. As I said Hopkins is astute. But is he right this time?

I don’t think he is. Yes, he has won all the press conference with his sharp wit and ghetto inclinations. But I don’t think it will be enough to con Pascal on fight night. Pascal has a blend of youth, speed and toughness that should be enough to carry the day.

Hopkins is savvy and has the ability to slow down a fight but Pascal is quick and unorthodox. I expect that the he will be able to jump in with his punches and use angles and movement to score points.

For all of Hopkins's bad ass act, he has tried to pull the big con in recent years. Against Joe Calzaghe he writhed around the canvas for a lengthy spell after a borderline, glancing low blow. And in his rematch with Roy Jones, Hopkins took it to new levels with him getting dropped by ordinary shots to the back of the head during a clinch. And Jones was just retaliating to Hopkins's tactics. It looked to me like Hopkins wanted a disqualification and those moments stunk like fish.

So don’t be surprised if we see some “big con” moments by Hopkins. He will cry foul and look for edge if he needs a breather or a moment to gather himself.

While Hopkins is still highly competent as a fighter, he has diminished. He’s like a fast ball pitcher that turns to junk to get a few more years on the odometer. Hopkins is a junk-ball fighter that can get a win but it ain’t pretty anymore. It’s ugly and almost taxing to watch.

Pascal is the younger man by 17 years and has faced some competent fighters such as Dawson, Carl Froch and Adrian Diaconu. I believe Pascal the the ability and speed to dictate the terms of the battle. Hopkins will try to hold a lot and slow things down but Pascal is fast of hand and foot. And Hopkins is simply not a busy fighter. And if Pascal isn’t drawn into the muck where Hopkins wants him, he’ll be okay. I’m going with Pascal's youth, speed and awkwardness to carry the day for a successful title defense against the old lion, probably by decision.

There are 3 picks in the subscribers section with plays on Huck vs. Lebedev, Mayorga vs. Walker and Cloud vs. Zuniga....

Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito; what should we expect?

Well, we couldn’t have Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather this year, which was a major disappointment to many but there is no doubt that a buzz has been building for Pacquiao’s contest against former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito in the house that Jerry Jones built in Dallas, Texas on Saturday, November 13.

There are many things about this contest that make it compelling. For one, Manny Pacquiao is one of the fighters. That alone, will draw millions to this event. But fortunately there is more than that. I think some people are acknowledging that Antonio Margarito may be a more formidable challenge than most initially believed when this fight was announced.

Once Margarito was flying high on top of the boxing world after his brutal destruction of then undefeated Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas 2 years ago. He was well respected as a guy without perhaps the natural gifts of some fighters but with grit, strength and fortitude difficult to equal.

But all of that was shot to hell when prior to his contest with Shane Mosley in January, 2009, a plaster type material was found in his gloves prior to a career worst performance against Mosley in which he suffered his first stoppage loss. Speculations arose from many that questioned Margarito’s knowledge of those events and any previous use of loaded gloves.

He become a pariah in one night. He was suspended from boxing and the fistic world threw him on the scrap heap – and many still hate him. But with time and a repeated mantra by Margarito that he had no knowledge of the illegal shenanigans, and with enough credibility as a fighter, he managed to land the biggest and highest paying fight he could get.

The fact is Margarito is a real opponent and to me, represents the biggest threat the Pacquiao has seen recently. I say there is a strong possibility that Margarito never had loaded gloves prior to his fight with Mosley. I’m giving Margarito the benefit of the doubt. Even though Margarito destroyed Cotto and Cintron in recent bouts, those victims never expressed that anything seemed strange in those bouts. Those fighters were there first hand, I would think that if they felt something “different” they would have expressed such at that time.

My belief on the Mosley situation is that Margarito’s former trainer, Javier Capetillo, panicked because he knew he had an under trained and weight depleted Margarito and he did what he could get his guy a win in an adverse situation. But he screwed up, he got caught.

As for Pacquiao, he’s always been a hugely talented fighter but he reached the stratosphere when he moved up from 130 pounds, to destroy Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey in succession. Pacquiao emerged as the best 130 pound fighter but not without a furious few years of fighting Mexico’s toughest guys. He actually lost his first outing at 130 to Eric Morales in 2005 by close decision. But Pacquiao was still shoring up his craft at that time and went on to savage Morales in 2 subsequent bouts. He beat Marco Antonio Barrera in a rematch at 130 and then squeaked past Juan Manuel Marquez in their rematch at 130 pounds.

At that point not many could have envisioned Pacquiao climbing 3 divisions to wreak the kind of havoc he has done. But I think there are a few reasons why he jettisoned so much from mere champion at 130 to boxing’s number one fighter.

For one thing, Pacquiao simply added more tools and skills to his explosive southpaw style. He was a raw talent but he became an excellent fighter as well. Talent and ability are a tough combination to beat. Also, his growing body was screaming to move up in weight. Making 130 was killing him. By moving up in weight his body added lean tissue that it desperately craved.

Pacquiao added a strength and conditioning coach, Alex Arizza, which has paid huge dividends. He’s an extremely hard worker. And another thing that surprises people is his actual physical strength. He’s looks diminutive but he is deceptively strong, he has an amazing trunk and is simply hard to out muscle.

He has kept his trademark speed and power with the move up in weight. All of this is why he had such a phenomenal run since leaving 130 pounds. Basically, you can’t outbox him, out work him, out tough him or out muscle him. How the hell do you compete with someone that holds ALL the cards. That’s been the problem for Pacquiao’s last 4 opponents.

Usually a trainer will devise a strategy to exploit someone’s weaknesses but when the fighters best attributes can’t match up to an opponent’s weaknesses, it spells disaster. That’s been the case with Pacquiao’s recent fights.

But we have a few wrinkles here that might just make this a more competitive fight than the odds makers suggest. It is known by many that this hasn’t been the best Manny Pacquiao training camp. Yes, he’s training hard but he may have entered camp in lesser shape than he usually does. And, this camp has been shorter than most, coupled with various distractions that accompany a newly sworn in Congressman in his native Philippines, among being pulled in many directions by so many people.

And Margarito, not overly impressive in his comeback fight against Roberto Garcia, has done nothing but live, breathe and eat training for quite some time. Margarito is a big, tall guy and he has seemingly pared his weight down over time and not in a hasty manner. He is giving training his all like this is the most important thing in his life - and it is. He didn’t break too much after the Garcia fight and has been in the gym. When the fight was made many months ago Margarito was already in quite good shape while Pacquiao was literally out of gym, campaigning for his election – behaving like boxing was not his first priority - and it wasn’t. Pacquiao has been forced to squeeze a lot of training into a short period of time.

I’ve never picked against Pacquiao before but if there was ever a chance he could lose, this fight is it. If even the very best are not at their very best they are quite capable of losing to lesser fighters. Sometimes boxing is about timing and if one guy has a let down they can definitely pay the price. Many people are dismissing Pacquiao’s alleged training troubles as hyperbole to sell a mismatch of a fight. But while Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach is a great quote machine, I think in essence he speaks freely and honestly. I have to believe he has some concern about this fight and his charge.

It is quite possible that we will see a much better Margarito than we saw against Mosley and perhaps a less well prepared Pacquiao than we have seen over the past 2 years. And as some will remember before Margarito’s fall from grace, he ain’t exactly chopped liver.

Many questions surround this fight. Is Margarito shot like many seem to believe? Is Pacquiao under prepared? Is the timing of this fight just right for Margarito? Is Pacquiao simply too talented and speedy to slip up against the rugged but speed challenged Margarito? Is Margarito simply too big and strong with a likely 15-20 pound weight advantage on fight night? And what if Margarito had cheated in other fights besides his attempt to do so with Mosley and all his great wins were a mirage? That question has to be considered, as much I want to look away from that. As you can see, there is a lot to look at here.

I will have a wagering recommendation for subscribers on Pacquiao vs. Margarito shortly after the weigh in on Friday as well as several other bouts for this upcoming weekend.

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Maurice Harris vs. Nagy Aguilera preview

Former contender Maurice Harris takes on young prospect Nagy Aguilera in a 12 round heavyweight contest in an off TV fight.

Harris, many will recall, was a hot and cold contender in the late 90's and early in this decade. He had ability and talent, fought many top guys, but never had the best chin and perhaps was mismanaged during portions of his career which resulted in some tough losses.

Aguilera is a youngster with a good amateur pedigree. He has fast hands and surprising power. He will explode with combinations and can catch people cold. He blitzed former title holder Oleg Maskaev in 1 round last year and has a slew of early KO's.

Aguilera was stopped when he stepped up against murderous puncher Sam Peter. Aguilera was boxing well but was caught in the 2nd round and simply couldn't recover.

Harris does have ability and is on the comeback trail. He seems to be taking this seriously and is down to a proper number in the mid 230's. And is looking to erase his career low fight in 2007 when he weighed a bloated 261 against gigantic Tye Fields and was retired in 4 rounds.

Aguilera hasn't fought a lot of major talent with the exception of Peter and Maskaev, although he lost a split nod to fellow prospect Darrell Madison. But he's been a busy fighter and he is fresher and younger than Harris.

Well intentioned as Harris's comeback might be, I think he's seen his better days and cannot turn the clock back enough here. I imagine this will be a boxing match for several rounds until Aguilera lands a bomb.

Harris has been stopped 10 times and Aguilera has the explosiveness to hurt Harris with a clean blow. And once he catches Harris, I expect he will be able to land to the coupe de grace for a KO win, perhaps in less than 6 rounds. ...

Alfredo Angulo vs. Joel Julio breakdown

Excellent match-up between punchers as Alfredo Angulo defends his interim WBO light middleweight title against Joel Julio on Saturday night from Ontario, California. The bout will be televised on HBO along with Tomasz Adamek vs. Chris Arreola.

Both these men can seriously punch and could hurt the other. But I think Angulo is the better technical fighter as he has good balance and keeps his hands high. Julio can be known to wing the right hand which can come in a little wide.

Angulo does struggle with movement and good boxers as evidenced by his upset loss to Kermit Cintron in 2009. In that fight, Cintron was able to stay out of Angulo's wheelhouse enough to secure a win over the surging Angulo. Julio has decent hand speed but he's not a boxer/mover type and I'm not sure he can be.

He relies on his power and pressure whether successful or not. Julio tried to match power and strength with James Kirkland last year and while Julio landed plenty, he was overwhelmed and sapped after 6 rounds, ultimately surrendering on his stool at the conclusion of that round.

I see a similar scenario playing out in this fight. Angulo will provide pressure and Julio will hold his ground and bomb back. But I think Angulo will probably prove to be too much because he can bring massive pressure and is unrelenting. Angulo will have to be careful though because he has shown a vulnerability to right hands and that is Julio's bread and butter.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Julio score a knockdown and/or wobble Angulo but I see Angulo's pressure and his nasty offensive arsenal getting to Julio and eventually wearing him for a stoppage win in a scintillating fight, perhaps somewhere around the 7th round.

Also, check out the Tomasz Adamek vs. Chris Arreola and Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler fight picks on the main site!...