By Jason Kim: The January 22nd pay-per-view card featuring former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KO’s) vs. little known 38-year-old Sherman Williams (34-11-2, 19 KO’s) is filled with a lot of aging heavyweights that have seen better days. The Holyfield-Williams fight is bad enough, as Holyfield has lost two out of his last three fights and hasn’t been a serious contender in the heavyweight division since 2000.
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Patrick and Michael slug it out IN &Out of the Ring! pt 4
By Steven G. Farrell: It wasn’t until June 13, 1935 when James J. Braddock defeated Max Baer in a fifteen round decision on Long Island City did the Irish have a champion that they truly could identify with again. “Cinderella Man’” stunning victory is still considered the greatest upset in boxing history. Braddock, a run-of-the-mill fighter, really has become the epitome of the Irish-American fighter: a courageous underdog with more heart than muscle. Russell Crowe drove the point in Ron Howard’s film version of Braddock’s career. Schaap (Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History) contends that when news leaked out that Braddock and his family had been on public relief (welfare) earlier in the Depression (and had paid it all back after defeating Corn Griffith before the Baer-Canera championship fight in 1934) it worked in his favor publicity-wise.
Patrick and Michael slug it out IN &Out of the Ring! pt 3
By Steven G. Farrell: James J. Jefferies, who was of Dutch and English lineage, was probably less prejudice than Sullivan or Corbett. Like Corbett, he had fought Jackson but unlike Corbett he had won. Afterwards, Jeff stated “I probably wouldn’t have hurt Peter much when he was at his best.” Jeff also had this to say to Jackson, “Don’t worry, Pete, we all come to it in the end.” There is an old photograph of Jefferies standing on a beach with two young black boys. Big Jeff has his arms on the shoulders of one of the lads. It is hardly the behavior of a bigot.
Patrick and Michael slug it out IN &Out of the Ring! pt 2
By Steven G. Farrell: By the Gay Nineties two out of three of Sullivan’s main challengers were black: George Godfrey, an American black, and Peter Jackson, a West Caribbean who had built up his reputation primarily on the shores of Australia where there was slightly less rancor towards blacks than in the U.S.A. Sullivan dismissed both black men with such remarks as “I will not fight a negro. I never have and never shall,” and “(Jackson) “is a great sport, a high roller, and is probably not in the best of condition. Isenberg ( John L. Sullivan and his America) writes: “It was Peter Jackson’s misfortune that he was forced to confront the twin evils of institutional and personal racism.” John L’s drawing of the notorious ‘color line’ met with the approval of his manager, William Muldoon, and America in general. Sullivan also disqualified the vast majority of all fighters by stating he would not fight for anything less than a purse of $10,000, effectively putting it out of reach of everybody except for James J. Corbett, a fellow Irish-American who had the backing of the wealthy San Francisco ‘silver kings,’ many who were of Irish stock. As time went on Sullivan said he would not risk his championship unless his opponent was white and American. Sullivan was known as ‘a son-of-a-b**ch of the first water and he didn’t have many kind words for Corbett, referring to him as a ‘duffer’ and ‘the young dude.’
Patrick and Michael slug it out IN &Out of the Ring! pt 1
By Steven G. Farrell: Boxing, baseball and horse racing were America’s three favorite sports long before football, basketball and hockey made the scene; and of these sports it can be argued that boxing was dominant over the other two. In fact well, well into the twentieth century, the big money went to the champions of the heavyweight division of boxing. In the 1880s John L. Sullivan, America’s first millionaire athlete, average earnings were well over a $100,000 per year during his prime while Mike “King” Kelly, his leading contemporary in baseball, made a salary of around $5,000 a season.
Chisora wants fight with Haye after Klitschko
By William Mackay: Unbeaten British heavyweight champion Dereck Chisora (14-0, 9 KO’s) is hoping he can get a fight against WBA heavyweight champion David Haye should Chisora get by his next fight against IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko on April 30th at the SAP-Arena, in Mannheim, Germany. Chisora has very little chance of beating Wladimir, and it’s next to impossible that Haye will waste his time fighting Chisora coming off what will likely be a brutal knockout loss or one-sided 12 round decision.
If Shane Mosley had a jab, he would wipe the deck with Pacquiao
By Allen Hmiel: The 39-year-old Sugar Shane Mosley is fading fast in a career that saw the once world’s greatest fighter, fast as lightning and quicker than a cat with a 46-6 record and 39 KO’s now faces his toughest opponent without the one tool needed to win. A strong reliable Jab capable of keeping an opponent out of range and also a Jab strong enough to actually hurt the on-charging enemy. Fighters without a good jab cannot fight 12 rounds against a talented fast punching foe who continually comes right at you.
Are Tournaments Good For Boxing?
By Alex Aviles: There has been discussion as to whether the Super Six Tournament was good for boxing or a bust. Personally, I believe the super six has helped the careers of of all involved. Ask yourself if the boxing mainstream media and fans has ever taken notice of the likes of Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, and the most regarded of them all Andre Ward before Showtime presented us with this super middleweight tournament.
Provodnikov showed good power but terrible defense and boxing skills against Herrera
By Jason Kim: Previously unbeaten Russian light welterweight contender Ruslan Provodnikov (17-1, 11 KO’s) showed that he’s not ready for the big time when he lost a 12 round unanimous decision to Mauricio Herrera (16-1, 7 KO’s) on Friday night at the Cox Pavilion, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Should boxing have a Super Heavyweight Division?
By Allen Hmiel: So many boxing champions and so many belts in so many organizations how diluted is the sport today? Without a worldwide boxing commissioner who rules the sport boxing is still going in five different directions.