No keeping down the Quiet Man -- Boston Herald

By Ron Borges, Boston Herald

MANCHESTER, England - John Ruiz calls himself “The Quiet Man,” and that’s what David Haye and most of the powers in boxing want him to remain Saturday night - quiet, man.

Don’t bet on it.

The two-time WBA heavyweight champion from Chelsea is trying not only to reclaim that title which young Haye now holds, but also to put his name in boxing’s history books next to three of the best heavyweights who ever lived - Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.

Unbelievable as it may seem to his critics, if Ruiz upsets Haye at the M.E.N. Arena, he will join them as the only men to win the heavyweight title three times.

No one, including Ruiz, ever expected one day his name might be in the same sentence with such fistic luminaries. But such are the vagaries of the sport today, and such is the determination of Ruiz who, by his own admittance, has “so-so talent, but I make up for things I lack with heart.”

That is what has sustained him through a nearly 18-year professional career and brought him to this moment at an age when far more gifted fighters have long faded away into civilian life.

That spirit comes from a well-spring given him by his mother, Gladys Martinez Morales, who worked three jobs to feed him and his siblings and instilled in each of them a fundamental understanding that life will knock you down. That is a given, no matter your station in life. All that matters is what happens next.

Considering the job he chose, it was good advice.

“No matter what pushed her down, she got up and kept moving forward,” Ruiz said after a light workout at the Northside Boxing Gym in a less-than-fully-refined section of Manchester. “She used to say don’t look back. That’s when you lose focus. That’s the character I saw in my mother.”

It is the way Ruiz has had to be throughout his career, which includes 11 world title fights (5-4-1, 1 no contest), a series of promoters not inclined to believe in him, and a constant battle to overcome critics who hated his brawling style because it made for less than scintillating television.

“They always used me to test other fighters,” Ruiz (44-8-1, 30 KO) recalled. “Whether it was Pannix Promotions (who promoted Lewis for a time) or Don King, they only wanted to test their fighters against me to see what the next step was for the other person. Every time, I was supposed to get knocked out and stepped over.”

Seldom have his wins been an art form, and seldom have his defeats been undisputed, except for a quick KO loss early in his career against David Tua, and a one-sided points loss to Roy Jones, Jr. that still haunts him today.

“I quit on myself that night,” Ruiz admitted. “I’m not proud of that, but it’s the truth. I was going through a divorce and everyone wanted Jones to win. That was the vibe I felt that night, and the sad part is that was the vibe I accepted. I just said to myself, ‘If they want to give it to him, let him have it.’ ”

That is the only time Ruiz’ spirit has been broken, and he’s since come back to reclaim the WBA title once and fight for it two other times. If he doesn’t win, this will be the last time - and he understands that, just as he knows why he’s a 6-1 underdog. Haye is 29, a former cruiserweight champion, native Brit, handsome, chiseled, glib and portrayed as the future of the division. Ruiz is The Quiet Man. Seldom in boxing is the quiet man the favored one.

“We both got something to prove,” Ruiz said. “I have to prove I still belong at this level, and he has to prove he ever belonged at this level.”

This is only Haye’s fourth heavyweight fight, having won the title from 7-foot Nikolai Valuev barely four months ago, who twice beat Ruiz in close and hotly disputed decisions. He has said he intends to storm Ruiz from the outset, overwhelming him with superior speed and his feared right hand.

Ruiz shrugs at the thought of that and smiles.

“If he wants to make it a fight, that’s my jungle,” he said. “It’s not what I’d do if I was him.”

At 38, Ruiz is who he’s always been. He’s The Quiet Man, the Underdog, the B-side.

Saturday night, none of those things will matter once he’s alone with David Haye. The only thing that will matter then is that he’s still Gladys Martinez Morales’ son, a fellow not easily dissuaded or defeated.

Source: news.bostonherald.com

Andre Dirrell Update -- FightNews

By Mariano A. Agmi, FightNews.com

Promoter Gary Shaw has provided an update on the condition of Andre Dirrell after the blow he suffered when Abraham landed a huge right hand to his head while he was down. “Andre suffered a concussion. One doctor thought he suffered a seizure. His thoughts were very scrambled. He went from yelling to everyone over at Showtime, ‘who called me a coward’ to yelling ‘they knocked me out’ to ‘where’s the fight? I want to fight,’” stated Shaw. Shaw explained that the Michigan State Athletic Commission should have taken additional precautions when a disheveled Dirrell seemed disoriented and confused following the incident. “I think the fact that Michigan has not done a lot of big fights created some problems within the ring,” explained the promoter. “[Andre] should have been taken from the ring in a stretcher and transported immediately to the hospital. Instead he walked to the dressing room and while there was absolutely scrambled”.

Shaw also noted that Dirrell spent three hours undergoing neurological testing at the hospital and despite being cleared, was still visibly shaken. The promoter reported that Dirrell seemed better yesterday and would fully recover from the setback to battle against fellow American Olympian Andre Ward in Group Stage 3 of the tournament.

Source: fightnews.com

Why didn’t Dirrell have tears when he was crying? -- BoxingNews24

By Chris Williams, BoxingNews24.com

I don’t know if I was the only that noticed this or not, but when Andre Dirrell was crying after his 11th round disqualification victory over Arthur Abraham last Saturday night in their Super Six tournament fight in Detroit, Michigan. Dirrell had been easily winning most of the fight when he seemed to fade in the 10th round. In the 11th, Dirrell was running for his life from Abraham when he slipped on the canvas. Abraham, not one to waste a good opportunity, loaded up plastered the side of Dirrell’s head with a nice uppercut.

Dirrell had time enough to look at Abraham, grab his face, wince and then keel over on his side, looking like he was out cold for a brief moment. The fight was stopped at that point as the referee Lawrence Cole disqualified Abraham for the foul. I think it was a good call. I have no problem with that, but I was kind of confused about the crying that Dirrell did after he was revived by the ringside doctor.

Normally when a person cries, they have tears rolling down their face, but for some reason Dirrell had no tears whatsoever. I didn’t know what to think about it. I thought he was really hurt up until I noticed that there was no tears falling down his face, yet he was crying off and on for at least a minute. I’m not an expert crying, but as far as I can tell, a person usually produces tears when they cry.

I didn’t see any tears coming from Dirrell’s face. My question is why weren’t any tears falling down Dirrell’s face? That’s really weird. Was Dirrell really crying or just whining? If Dirrell was just whining, then I can understand the absence of tears. Whining can have tears or no tears. Whining is when a person complains in a tearful way, but it doesn’t need to have tears present.

Dirrell was clearly complaining after the fight, and looking really confused about what had happened. I don’t know whether that was because he was feeling the effects of the knockout or something else. If Dirrell was faking, then he might have not known how to act. I don’t whether Dirrell was hurt or not. All I do know is that I didn’t see any tears falling down his face when he was seemingly crying.

That was what struck me as kind of strange. When I see persons crying and no tears coming out, I tend to think they’re acting. When a person is genuinely upset, like in the loss of a loved one, it’s not something you can control. So for Dirrell to be crying and nothing coming down his face in the way of tears, I’m left wondering why that was.

Perhaps it was just a case of Dirrell just whining and not crying. It’s really hard to tell. Not too many people have said anything about Dirrell crying, so maybe it’s not a big deal with anyone. It just seemed a little strange to me that there weren’t any tears.

Abraham said after the fight that Dirrell was “a good actor.” I don’t know. If Dirrell was acting, I wouldn’t call it good acting, because a good actor would have been able to produce tears and I saw none from Dirrell last Saturday night. I don’t know if Dirrell was really hurt or not, but I guess I have to believe he was because no one in their right mind would go trough all the trouble to fake being knocked out.

Source: boxingnews24.com

Pound for Pound: Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, or None of the Above? -- Ringside Report

By Joe Wilson, RingsideReport.com

Ranking a fighter pound-for-pound has never been easy for me.

Some fighters are exciting to watch whether they win or lose. It’s really hard to rank a fighter based on pound-for-pound.

What do you look for?

Some fighters are big punchers who knockout their opponents; then there are some fighters who are so skillful in the ring, that they can hit and don’t get hit. Meaning they give punishment, but taking very little punishment themselves, if any at all.
Should a pound-for-pound fighter be judged on how many opponents they knockout, or what kind of ring generalship they show in the ring? There have been some experts in the sport that don’t believe in a best pound-for-pound ranking. Hall of Fame Trainer and HBO boxing analyst Emanuel Steward does not believe in such a thing.

Steward feels that ranking a boxer pound-for-pound is something that’s been made up of lately. Steward has been involved in the sport of boxing for many decades and “when he’s asked that question” he quickly ops out of it. “I don’t believe in a pound-for-pound ranking,” he’d say without any hesitation.

I remember during a HBO telecast years ago, Hall of Fame Boxing Analyst Jim Lampley asked Steward to pick the pound-for-pound best fighter for that era. Steward quickly responded, “I don’t have one”. I just don’t believe in a pound-for-pound ranking. He then said, “If I had to pick a fighter, I would have to pick my all time favorite, and that is…Sugar Ray Robinson. He would be the only one worth such a title” pound-for-pound in his opinion, he said.

That same year, during a Roy Jones, JR., fight, Lampley asked Former Heavyweight Champion and HBO boxing analyst at the time, George Foreman that same question. Foreman answered saying, “trying to rank a fighter pound-for-pound is pure garbage, there should be no such thing.”

Lampley smiled and turn away.

I really share the same views as Emanuel Steward and George Foreman on this subject. Everyone has their own opinion when it comes to ranking fighters. I’m one that enjoys the “sweet science of boxing.”

I rank fighters high who display skills in the ring. No disrespect to the trainers, but–smart fighters who can think for themselves in the ring to pull off a win, gets my vote.

A fighter that is smart and can deliver punishment without taking much in return, while in the ring, and win, gets my vote.

Fighters such as; Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Aaron Pryor, Sugar Ray Leonard, Pernell Whitaker, Bernard Hopkins, Sugar Shane Mosley and Floyd ”Money” Mayweather. These fighters have displayed unbelievable skills in the ring. I usually can look at fighter’s face at the end of any bout and see the damage that was done in the ring

Very rarely did these guys show damage to their face after a fight.

I’ve just recently added Manny Pacquiao to these special names above; even though his defense is still a little suspect, but the excitement he always brings makes him worthy.

To place Pacquiao at the top of the current pound-4-pound list, will be based on how well he competes against Mayweather and Mosley should those fights take place.

If there is a pound for pound list, this is what it would be:

1. Floyd Mayweather, JR

2. Shane Mosley

3. Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao

4. Bernard Hopkins

5. Juan Manuel Marquez

6. Paul Williams

7. Chad Dawson

8. Israel Vazquez

9. Miguel Cotto

10. Nonito Donaire

Some may agree or disagree with my picks, but this is how I rank the best fighters in the world today.

Source: ringsidereport.com

David Haye on the road to John Ruiz -- Mirror

By David Anderson, Mirror.co.uk

John Ruiz has taunted David Haye, claiming: "Is boring the worst thing you can say about me?"

Ruiz had steeled himself for a barrage of abuse from WBA heavyweight king Haye after his verbal attacks on Nikolai Valuev when he dismissed the Beast from the East as a "smelly, hairy circus freak".

But the American challenger says he laughed when he heard the best insult Haye could come up with was to call him a "cure for insomnia".

The former two-time world champ sees this as a victory in the mind games between the fighters and can't wait to get in the ring with him at Manchester's MEN Arena on Saturday.

"If that's the worst thing he can say about me, then I'm very shocked because people say he really likes to talk," said Ruiz.

"If this is what he has to do to get motivated and get in fight mode, then he'd better do as much talking as he needs to because come Saturday, I'll be ready to do my talking in the ring."

Ruiz, 38, first won the WBA crown when he beat the legendary Evander Holyfield nine years ago when Haye was still an amateur.

This will be the Quiet Man's 55th fight at heavyweight and he feels Haye, who has had just three fights at this weight, has never come up against someone of his pedigree.

"This is a test for him because he's going to realise this is a heavyweight fight here against a guy who comes to fight," he said.

"He's got a fight on his hands. We know he likes to move around a lot and at times take things easy, but we want to throw him off the groove, let him know that basically he's going to have to throw enough punches to keep me away from him."

Mandatory challenger Ruiz stepped aside in November so that the Londoner could take the title from Valuev and he feels this has worked to his advantage.

He lost twice to the giant Russian and did not fancy his chances of getting a decision in Germany if they had fought a third time.

"I congratulate David for winning the title," said Ruiz, who beat Turk Adnan Serin in seven rounds on the undercard that night in Nuremberg. "It gives me an opportunity to fight someone else other than Valuev, "This time with Haye I think it's better fight for me. I know he might be a better opponent than Valuev, but trust me, this is a better fight for me."

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While Haye is motivated by the desire to fight the Klitschkos, Ruiz, who is an inch shorter than the champ at 6ft 2ins, is driven by the ambition of joining an elite band of fighters who have been three-time world champs.

"I could join some of the great names," he said.

RUIZ RECORD

Wins 44 (30 by KO)

Defeats 8 (1 by KO)

Draws 1

Ko win % 56

Rounds boxed 322

Age: 38

Height: 6ft 2in Reach: 78 inches

Born and lives in Massachusetts, USA

Haye to win with 1st round KO 12-1; Ruiz to be counted out at any time 4-7; Haye to win on points 9/4; Ruiz to win by KO 13/2; Ruiz to win on points 10/1.

Source: mirror.co.uk

John Ruiz targeting historic WBA win over David Haye -- BBC Sport

BBC Sport

John Ruiz has set his sights on making history when he challenges David Haye for the WBA world heavyweight title in Manchester on Saturday night.

Victory over Briton Haye would see Ruiz join legends Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield in seizing the crown for a third time.

"To be included alongside names like Ali and Holyfield would be a dream come true," American Ruiz said.

"I'll give it everything I can, let's see how the chips fall."

Haye claimed the heavyweight title by beating giant Russian Nikolay Valuev on a majority points decision last November in Nuremberg.

And Ruiz, who lost on points to Valuev in 2005 and 2008, believes Haye was fortunate to sway the judges.

"I was surprised he got a decision out there [Germany], Ruiz told BBC Sport.

"I tried three times to get a decision out in Germany but luck was with him, and I bless him and congratulate him, and this time he knows that he will have a fight on his hands come Saturday.

"He did what he needed to do he got the win and if I knew that was the kind of style you needed to use I would have done the same kind of style."

Ruiz, with eight losses, 30 knockouts and one draw in a 54-fight career, claims his opponent is a relative unknown amongst the American boxing public.

"He is still in the beginning stages I mean his name is spreading around but he still has to face someone who has been in the heavyweight division and that is me," said Ruiz, who last fought in November, beating Adnan Serin inside seven rounds.

"When people ask me who I'm fighting and I tell them they still don't know who he is. But sometimes I like to be not known than known and maybe he feels the same way."

Londoner Haye, who has lost once in 24 fights, has described Ruiz as an "ugly type of fighter that drags people down".

However Ruiz, nicknamed the 'The Quiet Man', says he plans to adjust his style for Saturday's MEN Arena bout.

"You are definitely going to see something more of the old-style Ruiz where I used to box and punch, not like recently when I was leaning in too much and came into the hold situation.

"It will definitely play a big role in the fight, with David Haye being the smaller guy and me leaning in on him it could count as a plus. I've got to play it by ear when I step into that ring."

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Bernard Hopkins Chat Transcript: Talking Roy Jones Jr. and More -- FanHouse

By Michael David Smith, FanHouse



Bernard Hopkins will step into the ring on Saturday night against Roy Jones Jr. for their long-awaited rematch, but before he does that he stopped here at FanHouse to answer readers' questions in a live chat.

The full chat transcript is below.

[Comment From Billy: ]
Could you put into words how much it means to you to finally get a second shot at Jones?

Bernard Hopkins: It means a lot. I'm highly motivated and ready to go. Seventeen years in the making is a whole lot.

[Comment From Tyler (Memphis, TN): ]
Bernard, did you see the Andre Dirrell-Arthur Abraham fight and, if so, what did you think about the ending?

Bernard Hopkins: I didn't see it. I watch a lot of boxing, but when I'm in training I'm up at 5 in the morning so I don't get a chance to see many of those late-night fights.

[Comment From Keith: ]
In the past, you have been highly critical of your hometown quarterback, Donovan McNabb. What are your thoughts on his probable exit from Philly and the Eagles' future under Kevin Kolb?

Bernard Hopkins: After my victory Saturday night I'm going to have a big party where we celebrate sending McNabb where ever he goes. The Eagles have a chance to get to a Super Bowl and a change is well overdue. I think the starter should be Michael Vick and the backup should be Kevin Kolb but I think both guys should get a chance and Vick might still need some time to get comfortable. I'd actually like to see them mix both guys up. I think either one, both having different styles, can be successful.

Vick is a running quarterback. McNabb was a running quarterback early in his career with the Eagles but he changed. Somebody suggested that he should stay in the pocket. And I'm like, McNabb, don't be an idiot. God gave you the ability -- take advantage of that. It's not a bad thing, it's a good thing.

[Comment From Brian: ]
What do you make of the Joe Calzaghe story? Do you think he'll fight again?

Bernard Hopkins: I think he will fight again. He's obviously pretty good at keeping things quiet because nobody heard about it until now. I hope it's not bad -- drugs can do bad things to people. But he came out and told everybody what was going on with his statement. I hope everything is alright with him. For 90-plus percent of athletes, drugs aren't part of what we do. We walk a straight line.

[Comment From Deon Willis: ]
Roy Jones is a washed up fighter, you're still a high prized fighter why take this fight?

Bernard Hopkins: To me, it's personal redemption. People need to understand that this fight didn't happen for me when I wanted it to happen. Roy isn't the same fighter he was years ago. Neither am I. But I think the world would agree that I have a lot more left than he does. This rivalry, to me, is like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Roy doesn't like me, I don't like Roy. Roy wanted to handcuff my career and I had to make my career out of what I could. And now two legends with 80 years of experience will be on display on Saturday night and I think boxing fans will be doing themselves a disservice if they don't watch two legends. When is the next time you're going to see two legends go at it like this? Roy Jones has pride and Roy Jones wants to go out knowing that he beat Bernard Hopkins, and I think that makes him dangerous. I don't want people to think he's washed up to that point.

I'm also hoping to bring the best out of him and I think that if I bring the best out of him that will also bring the best out of me. Roy has nothing to lose, and that makes him very dangerous.

[Comment From Nardfan: ]
Bernard - huge fan. Just wondering what your plans are for the next few years? You're obviously still capable of putting the hurt on people (any guys on your radar for future fights?) and involved in promoting with Golden Boy, but would you ever consider becoming a trainer down the road? If so, is there any up and coming talent you feel you could help mold? Good luck this weekend, but I doubt you'll need it.

Bernard Hopkins: I definitely won't become a trainer. I prefer the business part of it, I like promoting fights. I would also like to accomplish something that only two middleweights have accomplished in history and that's moving up to heavyweight and becoming champion of the world.

David Haye and John Ruiz are fighting in England and my goal is to finish off Roy Jones with an outstanding victory and then campaign in the early fall or late winter -- with time to get my body ready for it -- to become the third middleweight to win a piece of the heavyweight champion. That's my goal, the Haye-Ruiz winner. No catchweight, none of that stuff -- I want the heavyweight title.

I've already got my training nailed down to move up to heavyweight -- my trainer has spent a lot of time looking at my body muscle mass and helped me figure out that at 200 to 204 pounds I can be explosive, speedy and win as a heavyweight at that weight. Keep in mind, David Haye is a big, strong guy, but he's not a Klitschko. He's bigger than me but it's not something where you'd say, "Bernard, are you kidding me?" Now, the Klitschko brothers, those guys are just huge. But it's realistic to think I could go after David Haye or John Ruiz.

I think the winner of John Ruiz-David Haye and me and Roy Jones, it makes a lot of sense.

[Comment From Future MiddleWieghtChamp: ]
How did you feel this fight with Roy Jones Jr. will effect your career win or lose?

Bernard Hopkins: Well, if I lose it would be devastating. If I win it would be, "Bernard has finally settled the score with Roy Jones Jr." Losing is no option. I have to win this fight and will win this fight. This fight will take me to the next stage, the next level of things I want to do. People are waiting for reasons to write Bernard Hopkins off and I'm not going to give them a reason for that.

I'm going to leave boxing one day, but if I'm going to leave on my terms, I must beat Roy Jones.

[Comment From CMeaux CMeaux: ]
Floyd Jr. or Suga Shane? I'm guyessing you and Suga are BFF's so him right?

Bernard Hopkins: I'm picking a tough fight early on, a tough fight that will be competitive early, and then I think in the middle rounds Shane Mosley will give Floyd Mayweather something that he's never had to take on before.

Mayweather's previous opponents haven't given him the kind of threat that Shane Mosley presents. Shane has quick feet and quick hands. Zab Judah was the last person to really go after Floyd Mayweather like that, and Zab had Floyd's number early on but couldn't sustain it. Shane is going to win the fight.

I think that if Mosley-Mayweather goes past six or seven rounds, people will see a difference in styles between Mosley and anyone else Mayweather has fought in the past. And with all due respect to Jeff and Roger and Floyd Mayweather Sr., Mosley has a better trainer in Naazim Richardson, the best-kept secret in boxing right now.

Naazim isn't just a trainer, he's a strategist. Naazim breaks down tapes until three or four in the morning, he knows what guys are going to do, and he'll tell me things and I wonder, "How did he see that?"

Naazim is a big piece of that puzzle, why Shane Mosley is going to win that fight.

[Comment From Terrence: ]
Would you mind explaining how spending time in prison affected the rest of your life?

Bernard Hopkins: I need therapy. I say that to be funny but also to be serious. When I say I need therapy, all the things I have, my kids and my wife, all those good things, every day I'm motivated by where I came from and what I came from. There's not a day that goes by, or even two or three minutes, when I don't think about, "I survived that."

People didn't think I was going to survive past age 18, let alone accomplish what I've accomplished in my life. I go back and think to those days when I didn't have fame and fortune -- I go right back to where I came from. I survived that with nothing. So maybe I need therapy because some would say, "That was a long time ago, Bernard." But I can't let it go because if I let it go I might as well retire from boxing because that's the foundation of my psyche.

[Comment From Mitch: ]
Do you like the UFC? How would you do in it?

Bernard Hopkins: I don't like the UFC, at least I don't like people matching it up with boxing. They're two different sports and I don't like it when people compare the UFC and boxing because the UFC is not boxing. Those guys are fighting like a street fight, although I know they train very hard and there's a strategy to it. But I just don't like it when they try to compare that to the sweet science of boxing. I respect what they do, but boxing is totally the opposite from the UFC and MMA. They're just totally opposites.

[Comment From Porfi Porfi: ]
My question is : Which victory of yours do you consider the most significant in your boxing career.?

Bernard Hopkins: I could name at least three: Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya and Kelly Pavlik. I'd also throw one more in there, Antonio Tarver.

I mention those fights because those are all fights where people had totally written me off as an underdog. People thought I was going to get knocked out by Kelly Pavlik and they used that as part of the promotion. I won those fights even though I was a 4-1 or 5-1 underdog.

[Comment From Guest: ]
Do you have anything to say to those who think you fight dirty?

Bernard Hopkins: Welcome to boxing.

[Comment From Jakey_beeee]
Who is P4P king Manny Pacquiao or Mayweather ?

Bernard Hopkins: Pacquiao. I think when Mosley beats Mayweather, that will be a better fight than Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. I think Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is being pushed because they could make a lot of money with it. But I think the more competitive fight is Mayweather vs. Mosley. I'm answering this fight more as a fighter than a businessman because I really like the style of the fight of Mayweather vs. Mosley.

Mosley comes forward and throws punches and will make it an exciting fight. Mosley is getting his shot by default -- not because they wanted it -- but I think at the end of the day this will be a more competitive fight and the money was really the only driving issue to make Pacquiao fight Floyd but at the end of the day the right thing happened for Floyd and Shane.

That's it for now. I'd like to invite everyone to watch our fight on pay-per-view, to watch two legends square off in the ring, for a once-in-a-lifetime situation. Watch an extraordinary event on Saturday, April 3.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Arthur Abraham Still a Hero -- The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

By Edmond Y. Azadian, The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

DETROIT — The much-anticipated fight between Arthur Abraham and Andre Dirrell took place at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on March 27. The undefeated Armenian from Berlin, Germany was facing Michigan-native Dirrell.

To the credit of Armenians in Detroit we must say their show of support was tremendous. They were joined by a contingent of Armenians all the way from Los Angeles, Chicago and Toronto.

The huge arena was alive with the Armenia tri color. Dirrell’s local fans were equally enthusiastic but also intimidating. Had the outcome of the match been different, many Armenians, and some of the referees would not come out alive, despite tight security.

Abraham had won 31 matches, 25 with knockout and no losses. He played a very ethical game, knowing full well the intention of the hostile media and the fans.

Dirrell was more athletic and he was able to avoid Abraham’s punishing punches — that is until the 11th round, when he was exhausted and was running around the ring like a scared rabbit.

Finally, Abraham cornered him and he was knocked down almost unconscious, when Abraham reached one for his finishing blow, while he was falling down. That was considered a penalty and he was disqualified.

Dirrell was taken to the hospital disoriented and doctors announced that he was being tested for brain damage. Though Dirrell was declared the “winner” of the match, Arthur Abraham is still a hero!

(Note: 337 articles appeared in the media on the fight, most biased against the “European.” This article aims to be more objective.)

Source: mirrorspectator.com

WHISPER IT, BUT QUIET MAN IS STILL A BIG NOISE -- UK Express

By Niall Hickman, Express.co.uk

FORMER choirboy turned ‘Quiet Man’ John Ruiz is adamant David Haye will not have a prayer on Saturday in their world title showdown.

Britain’s new world champion haye might find comfort in the fact he will be facing a former choirboy in Manchester, but Ruiz insists he is no angel.

Ruiz, whose self-effacing demeanour has earned him heavyweight boxing’s least threatening sobriquet, ‘The Quiet Man’, admits he is not exactly eye of the tiger outside the ring, more sleeping pussy cat.

“I live my life properly and I am very respectful of my elders and everybody I ever meet,” he said. “Would I have put the Klitschko brothers decapitated on a T-shirt like David Haye did? No, I would not. That’s just not me. If Haye wants to do that, fine. But that isn’t me. It’s just hype. I was a choirboy when I was a kid and my mum, Gladys, brought me and my brothers up to be good kids, who watched their mouths and behaved themselves.

“My mum would fight with anybody. She is that kind of person. I am like her in the ring, but out of it I’m a dad and I want to set an example to my family.”

Boston-raised Puerto Rican Ruiz is hoping to create a slice of boxing history by joining Evander Holyfield and Muhammad Ali in winning the world heavyweight title three times should he prevail over WBA champion Haye at the sold-out MEN Arena.

Ruiz might not belong in the same breath as those two legendary fighters, but the facts speak for themselves – Haye is in for a tough evening.

Ruiz has seen off plenty of high-class opponents, including Holyfield, Andrew Golota, James Toney and Jameel McCline. He put Holyfield on the seat of his pants, something Lennox Lewis could not do in 24 rounds.

But the suspicion remains that, at 38, and with three losses in his past six fights – two of which were against Nikolay Valuev, whom Haye beat last year – Ruiz is shop-worn. He counters this by pointing to his durability, the record showing that he was last sparked out 14 years ago when a peak-form David Tua finished him off inside a round. “I can take a shot all right, but can David Haye?” asked Ruiz.

“Anybody can go down in the heavyweight division. It only takes one punch. Look at Lennox Lewis. He was the best heavyweight of his era and he got finished early by Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman. If I catch Haye right he will go down, believe me.”

That was about as threatening as Ruiz gets, but don’t be fooled. He hasn’t travelled over from Las Vegas to get a taste for the Manchester weather. “Of course I am here to win,” he said. “I have done it before. I have been there before. Haye hasn’t.”

Asked if he was impressed by Haye’s display against Russian Valuev, which left the 7ft Valuev punching fresh Nuremburg air all night six months ago, Ruiz admits he was. “David Haye fought a great fight against Valuev. He worked out a strategy and executed it perfectly. But would I rather be fighting Haye or Valuev? Haye every time.

“Haye has fast hands and he is good on his feet, but so am I. My hand speed has been enough to knock out a lot of good fighters.”

Ruiz’s CV points to one conclusion, that when he steps up to the higher level he is often found wanting. Not only have Tua and Valuev beaten him, but also Roy Jones jnr, Ruslan Chagaev and Holyfield.

That record of defeats looks set to be extended, and Haye should prevail. But the last thing a fighter loses is his dig, so Ruiz has a puncher’s chance. He said: “I have won when everyone said I would lose. My best is good enough.”

Haye against Ruiz is live and exclusive on Sky Box Office. Call 08442 410 888 to order. ‘Ruiz could match Ali’s third title’

Source: express.co.uk

Holmes unhappy with state of boxing -- Wellsville Daily Reporter

By Derrick Balinsky, Evening Tribune

Hey, boxing fans. Disappointed with the current condition of your sport? You aren’t alone.

Larry Holmes, a former world WBC and IBF heavyweight champion who attended the 37th annual Sports Night festivities in Hornell Saturday, discussed the state of boxing and its recent decline in popularity. His explanation, however, goes well beyond the sport’s inability to attract new fans or hold tight to the die-hards. Instead, Holmes points to boxing’s desire to expand with the creation of numerous “leagues” and federations. He said the United States’ inability to produce a heavyweight champ in recent years hasn’t helped either.

“I don’t like the way it is, I don’t like the way it looks,” Holmes said. “We don’t have an American heavyweight champion and that’s unheard of. We got guys coming into the sport from anywhere and becoming heavyweight champion of the world. American athletes, American fighters are better than that. But the downside to it is that these guys aren’t dedicated to the ring. They’re mainly just in it for the money and that can’t be the only reason to be in this sport. That’s why we have a lot of foreign champions now.

“There are two reasons why the sport isn’t as popular as it was. First, the average fan is tired of paying all that big money,” Holmes continued. “You’ve got Ultimate Fighting which is basically free sometimes and they’d rather watch that than somebody who is not going to represent. Only a few guys right now are representing boxing in a true light — Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley — guys like that. There aren’t too many and they aren’t in the heavyweight division, they’re in the lighter weights.

The heavyweight division? Gone.

“I just hope all the fans keep tuning in. This is the sport that made me, and it’s a great sport. Right now it’s on the downlow, but it’s going to come back.”

Holmes believes Pacquiao and Mayweather will one day get together in the ring. The winner? ESPN’s ninth most underrated athlete, who finished with a career record of 69-6, including 44 by way of knockout, believes Mayweather would have a decisive advantage.

“I would definitely watch it,” Holmes said. “I like Pacquiao and I would hope for him to win, but I think Mayweather would have the edge on him because he’s a boxer — he doesn’t stand still, you’ve got to find him. It would be a great fight, but I’ve got to stick with Mayweather to win the fight.”

Holmes has had his share of great fights, and great opponents. In 1980, he met up with the legendary Muhammad Ali, who was returning to the ring in an attempt to win the heavyweight title for an unprecedented fourth time. Ali appeared to be in great shape but was on medication for a wrongly diagnosed thyroid condition and was unable to recover his former skills or stamina. Holmes dominated the match and Angelo Dundee retired his fighter in 10th round, giving Holmes a win by TKO — the only nondecision loss of Ali’s career.

“Ali was a guy that was known and loved around the world. Not only that, but he was my friend,” Holmes said. “It was hard to get in the ring with a guy who had helped me out and given me an opportunity to grow. It was hard to fight. But for the money, for the title and to be recognized as one of the great fighters, you did what you had to. And that’s what I did.

“I haven’t seen Ali in two years. That was the last time that I was up to his house in Michigan and we had a great time together,” Holmes went on. “He wasn’t really well, but he was relaxed and he remembered me. We did a lot of talking and had a lot of fun.

“He’s a great guy, who will always be loved by me, and I know he will be loved by many. He’s made a lot of people happy during his lifetime.”

Other memorable matches came against Ken Norton, Gerry Cooney, Leon Spinks, George Foreman and Mike Tyson to list a few.

“I got a lot of great memories with a lot of the guys,” Holmes said. “There are a lot of good things out there with those fighters that I fought. They were all great guys, who never forgot where they came from and they all remembered to give something back. That’s the way that I like it. After all these years we’ve all come together to celebrate those days. We get together and talk a lot of junk, but it’s great, man. Those guys are great to be around, we all have a lot of fun together.”

In the early 1970s Holmes’ career began as a sparring partner to Ali, but his career gained notoriety in 1978 when he upset Earnie Shavers to earn a WBC title shot against Norton. The 15-round bout was eventually awarded to Holmes based on a 2-1 judges’ decision. After 14 rounds the match was squarely even according to the panel.

“I was always athletically inclined. I never thought I’d be a boxer though,” Holmes said. “I did some boxing early, but I tried anything really — I played football, basketball, baseball — like any typical, normal kid would. When I dropped out of school I had no where to turn, but I still loved sports. With boxing, I didn’t need to have an education and I eventually met a guy by the name of Ernie Butler, who introduced me to boxing and the rest is really history.”

Source: wellsvilledaily.com

John Ruiz ditches anger management to right a wrong against David Haye -- The Guardian

By Kevin Mitchell, Guardian.co.uk

It is not surprising that John Ruiz, a former altar boy who grew up in awe of his Latino mother's temper, is happy to be known as The Quiet Man. What few expected when he hit Manchester with whispering dignity today were revelations of sublimated anger. At 38 he sounded like a man who might have had his fill of the business.

Under dull skies that reminded him of his childhood in a tight-knit Puerto Rican community 30 miles from Boston he made the ritual noises about dragging David Haye into the trenches to take away his shiny new WBA heavyweight belt, a bauble Ruiz has owned twice and will contest for the 12th time on Saturday night.

He last saw it disappear from view when Nikolai Valuev outpointed him for the second time in 2008. Neither decision in Germany, the home of doubt, was conclusive. They were setbacks obvious enough to make the calmest soul fume. "I got cheated," Ruiz said. "Maybe enough is enough. Maybe I should have retired. But it happened. I got another opportunity. And thank goodness I'm not fighting Valuev. I'm fighting David Haye."

Haye is Ruiz's polar opposite, a one-time Bermondsey boy scout, a reformed playboy who has developed megaphone tendencies in striving to pump life and cash into a moribund heavyweight scene.

Ruiz knows about Haye's infamous wind-up of Wladimir Klitschko, the severed head tee-shirts. He says he will not fall for similar shenanigans. Haye is not so sure. "It's a little tasteless," Ruiz said, "but it's his style. I would never do it. I've heard it all, I've seen it all. I've been in the sport such a long time I can't let something like that bother me. Anger's been part of my life. But I control it. Come fight time, I go out there and unleash it. That's what boxing is about.

"My stepfather introduced me to boxing. I never knew what it was. I put on the gloves and then, I don't know … I think it comes from my mother. She's a fighter, basically. And she has a hot temper, let's put it that way. If you get in her face, she'll get back at you. She doesn't care who it is, man, woman, whatever."

Yet, for all his seeming reluctance to let boxing or verbose opponents beat him down, he struggles to hide the rage against unfairness. His mother, Gladys Martínez Morales, took multiple low-paid jobs to keep the family together. "She raised us on her own," Ruiz said, "did the best she could. That's what makes her special. She kept fighting, did whatever she could to put food on the table, worked the fish market, all sorts of jobs. At the same time she disciplined us, gave us pride, making sure I didn't forget my Puerto Rican heritage.

"I do enjoy fighting but there are times when, I don't know, maybe it's just the anger inside me. I'm still here, but I'm looking forward to moving on, being with my family. I got a three-year-old now. At the same time, I still have a little fire in me.

"Boxing is a business. If I did a little more talking back then, I would probably have been a billionaire by now. Who knows? But that's who I am. I don't want to change. I'm just here to fight. I try to bring some pride, some honour, to the sport. We were raised Catholic. I was an altar boy. She made sure we stayed on the right path."

It's a path that has covered 54 fights, against quality fighters, including a knockout defeat by David Tua 14 years ago, and leads now to Haye and a seething MEN Arena on Saturday night.

They are curious dancing partners, the altar boy and the boy scout.

"Last time, against Valuev, luck was with him," Ruiz said, slipping back into boxing mindset. "This time, he's got a fight on his hands."

He surely has.

Source: guardian.co.uk

David Haye v John Ruiz: Quiet American aims to channel his 'anger' -- Telegraph

By Gareth A Davies, Telegraph.co.uk

Yet he was once 'the choir boy’, an altar boy raised with his three siblings by a single mother in Massachusetts. Ruiz insisted his Spartan upbringing led to an anger inside him which has seen him impervious to age in the division.

David Haye aims to address that at the MEN Arena with rugged youth and dangerous speed. Ruiz, 38, possesses a ring resume which reads like a Who’s Who of heavyweights – good, bad and indifferent – from the last fifteen years.

Among them, Evander Holyfield (three meetings – win, lose, draw), Nikolai Valuev (twice – both losses), James Toney, Hasim Rahman – one of only two rivals to beat Lennox Lewis – and Roy Jones Jnr. Champions all.

Yet the stifling style employed by Ruiz has enabled the canny character to survive against top-class opposition, ten of whom have been world champions. This is his eleventh world title contest.

But frank revelations came from Ruiz as he admitted that his enduring fighting spirit comes from his mother, Gladys Martinez Morales, “a lady but a fighter” who held down three jobs to raise her young Puerto Rican family with dignity. Yet the family’s treatment in the US left Ruiz with an anger he uses even today.

“My mother did what she could to put food on the table, worked in the fish market, held down three jobs, raised us on her own, and had a fighting spirit.

"She taught us discipline and gave us pride and made us special,” said Ruiz after a workout on Wednesday. He looked lean, and will come into the ring at around 225lbs.

“Anger has been a part of my life, stuff that has happened in my life, I control it and come fight time I go out there and unleash it,” he said.

Ruiz, who has a 44-8-1 record, but has lost three of his last six contests, has held the WBA crown twice. Two of those last three bouts were against 7ft Russian man-mountain Valuev.

Both of those contests, were lost, marginally, on points. Haye, once the undisputed world cruiserweight champion, has had only three heavyweight contests.

David Haye v John Ruiz is live in HD on Sky Box Office on Saturday night

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Haye - I'll take his head off -- Sky Sports

Sky Sports

David Haye has risked the wrath of John Ruiz by threatening to take his head off.

The WBA heavyweight champion, who famously upset the Klitschko brothers by sporting a t-shirt with their severed heads on last year, says he is in the mood to deliver a blistering knockout performance at the MEN Arena on Saturday night.

Haye has been unusually subdued in the run-up to his first world-title defence, live on Sky Box Office, but exploded into life in familiar fashion with the first bell 72 hours away.

Ruiz has arrived in England with a small entourage and without his family, a man on a mission to become only the third man in history to become a three-time world heavyweight champion.

But Haye believes he has left his loved ones at home because he knows what's coming.

"I wouldn't bring my family either, if I knew I was going to get decapitated!" he told Sky Sports News.

"He's gonna get knocked out and maybe subconsciously he knows that. That's why he told his family to stay at home.

"I'm bred to do this, I'm a fighter through and through. I know what it's like to be in hard fights, I know what it's like to dig dip and I'm expecting to have to dig deep.

"I'm mentally prepared for a tough, gruelling fight - but a fight he will end up unconscious in."

Blazing

Only one person, David Tua, has managed to knock Ruiz out in 54 professional fights.

Haye will be boxing at heavyweight for only the fourth time and says concerns about his weight and physique will prove unfounded once the bell sounds on Saturday.

He only arrived in Manchester in the early hours of Wednesday morning, but insists it is merely a case of the quiet before the storm.

"I wanted to do my last hard training session in London, in my own gym," he said. "It's fine, it's only when I really get into the changing rooms that I really switch on.

"A lot of fighters switch on too early; you see them shadow boxing a week before their fight and they're burning up too much energy that they need in the fight. When I'm in the ring, that's when I'm 100 per cent, all guns blazing.

"It's all about looking, feeling and being as perfect as possible on the night of the fight. There's no need being on peak performance three weeks out - it means nothing.

"Everything myself and Adam (Booth) do is to peak when we walk into that ring. When I climb through them ropes I'm in the best physical condition I can be in and that's all that matters.

"I'm expecting a real tough night; it's going to be exciting but I am going to knock him out."

Promoter Frank Warren "Doesn't See Haye Even Making A Dent" In Either Klitschko Brother -- Eastside Boxing

By James Slater, Eastside Boxing

Like him or not, you have to admit that U.K boxing promoter Frank Warren speaks his mind. Known for not always saying good things about fighters, even the men he has worked with, Warren has come out swinging at WBA heavyweight champ David Haye; at least that's the way the things Warren has had to say will most likely be interpreted by Haye and his fans.

Speaking with Mail online, Warren began by saying something that practically everyone agrees with - how a Haye-Nikolai Valuev rematch, which has been talked about, is a very bad idea indeed!

"If Haye beats [John] Ruiz, then Sauerland [promotions], who he's signed a deal with, will enforce a rematch with Valuev," Warren told Mail online. "I think that would be a disaster for boxing, but the rematch clause is there in the contract. It was a dreadful fight the first time around, I don't care what anyone says.

"Either guy could have been given the decision, it was the most boring fight ever."

Though Warren is absolutely correct when he says a Haye-Valuev II would be bad for boxing, it is questionable whether or not the promoter would be saying all the negative things he is saying about Haye's winning performance from last November if he was promoting the charismatic Londoner. Some experts, after all, lauded the way Haye showed patience, stuck to a game-plan and outboxed the giant to win on points.

Still, though some did admire Haye's maturity and boxing skill, we don't want to see a part-two; as Warren states. What we do want is for Haye to face one or both of the Klitschko brothers. Warren is most doubtful Haye would have much of a chance against either man if he does fight them, however.

"The only way for Haye to get to fight one of the Klitschkos is to pay Valuev to step aside," Warren said. "Valuev will then meet the winner. I don't know about Haye being the saviour of the heavyweight division - I want to see him fight the Klitschkos first. The Klitschkos would be too big and too strong for Haye. I don't see him beating either of them.

"I don't see Haye even making a dent. If Monte Barrett can put Haye on the floor then the Klitschkos certainly can."

It's likely a good number of readers of this web site will also agree with what Warren has had to say about Haye and his chances against Waldimir and Vitali. Most fans do seem to think the brothers would be too strong for the former cruiserweight king. But that's the thing: we all want to find out for sure! Haye has done so much talking about what he will do to the Klitschkos, we NEED to see if he can back it up.

Needless to say, if Haye can do so; Warren, and a good many other experts, will have to admit that they were very wrong about the reigning WBA heavyweight champ and his talents. But will we ever get to see the fights? Certainly not if John Ruiz beats Haye on Saturday night in Manchester. And it seems more and more fans are beginning to feel this could happen.

Source: eastsideboxing.com

Tua - all the way -- New Zealand Herald

By Steve Deane, New Zealand Herald

David Tua cruised to a comfortable points victory over Friday Ahunanya in Auckland last night but the dreary performance would have done little to promote his world title prospects.

Nigerian Ahunanya carries the moniker "The 13th"'. As in Black Friday. But Good Friday - a day when everything is shut and not much happens - would be more appropriate.

Ahunanya hardly fired a shot. His strategy seemed to consist of backing on to the ropes, taking a few body shots and then slipping away to make the stalking Tua track him down all over again. Occasionally he offered a stiffish jab, but little more.

Tua went about his work efficiently enough to take a unanimous points victory, but his foe was slippery enough to avoid serious punishment.

Ahunanya had been inactive for more than two years before this fight. Some would say that stretch remains unbroken.

But after the fight, he presented a different view.

"I did what I had to do, I thought I won the fight," he said.

His trainer Luis Tapia agreed.

"This is bad for the sport," Tapia said. "We won every round, Friday won every round."

That opinion was at odds with the score cards. One judge gave Tua every round (120-108) and the other two did not score it as even close.

More than 18 years have passed since Tua marked his professional debut with a 37-second demolition of American Ron Humes in Virginia.

Today, he is is a vastly different physical and mental specimen from the 19-year-old who stepped on to the pro stage in such devastating fashion.

But some things haven't changed. He hasn't lost his power, nor seemingly much of his speed. But neither has he grown the extra 30cm that would enable him to fight on more even terms with the likes of Ahunanya.

Last night's fight asked an important question of Tua. Was his effort against Shane Cameron a one-off, a case of an ageing lion roused into one final roar by a yapping hyena?

Or is his continuation, as he likes to call it, the real deal?

It's probably for real, but last night's snore fest will have added a dose of reality to the world-beater tag he took by dealing to Cameron.

The next question for Tua is whether he can sustain the sort of momentum needed to push him into the frame for a title shot at WBO champ Vladimir Klitchko.

He went into last night's fight ranked third by the WBO. But the near seven months that have passed since his demolition of Cameron did little to keep his name in the title shot frame.

Last night's victim, Ahunanya, was unranked. The victory was little more than was expected of Tua, and will have simply kept him treading water.

Tua needs to get busy against some higher-calibre opponents.

On the politics side, not much has changed. Tua is committed to two more fights for Maori TV. The lack of pay-per-view revenue means those contests will probably be small-beer affairs.

Another option for Tua is to hit the road and fight overseas, but he has shown a reluctance to do that, pulling out of a planned February fight with former champion Bruce Seldon.

So once again it is a case of watch and wait. The clock is still ticking for the 37-year-old Tua.

But last night's effort at least suggested his time isn't about to run out any time soon.

Source: nzherald.co.nz

Meeting of influential promoters nets few answers for boxing's woes -- Sports Illustrated

By Chris Mannix, SI.com

NEW YORK -- Those who love boxing are the ones hurting it the most. It's true. Just ask them.

On Tuesday afternoon, six of the most influential men in the sport -- promoters Lou DiBella, Dan Goossen, Gary Shaw, Kalle Sauerland and Mick Hennessy and Showtime exec Ken Hershman -- gathered with two dozen or so media members in a private room on the second floor of the Renaissance Hotel in Times Square. They were there to discuss the Super Six World Boxing Classic, Showtime's fledgling tournament that will eventually anoint the new face of the 168-pound weight class.

It began civilly enough. Hershman championed the competitiveness of the tournament thus far, a stretch punctuated by Andre Dirrell's controversial DQ win over former middleweight champ Arthur Abraham on Saturday. He cited the record viewership for Abraham-Dirrell (which was boosted by Showtime's free preview weekend, upping the number of available homes from 18 to 55 million) and the Congressional bill-thick stack of publicity for the tournament that sits on his desk.

"The interest," Hershman said, "is ratcheting up."

No discussion of the Super Six, however, can pass without talking about the health of the sport. And for the promoters, that's when the gloves came off.

Like wolves they attacked each other. Golden Boy was a particularly popular target. The promotional heavyweight -- which was not represented in the room -- was blasted for putting on the putrid Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones Jr. card this Saturday, a $50 pay-per-view that isn't worth 50 cents. The fight was attacked. The undercard was attacked. The promoters were attacked.

"You expect people to tune in for three hours to watch that s---?" DiBella said.

"That undercard," Shaw said, "is a disgrace."

Even Hershman got his hands dirty. When asked about HBO's counterprogramming the Super Six with fights of its own, a visibly irritated Hershman called HBO's decision "intentional" and "regrettable" and said it was "unfortunate that [HBO] feels so threatened by this tournament that they think [counterprogramming] is their answer. Why don't you put on better fights instead of worrying about what we're doing?" HBO responded with a statement denying any counterprogramming, saying its goal was to "provide the best possible boxing matchups with the best fighters in the world."

But as their indignation grew, so did their hypocrisy. Because before any matchmaker can level accusations, each needs to take a long look in the mirror.

Consider: Sauerland Event and Top Rank blew the best middleweight title showdown in years when they nickel-and-dimed each other out of an Abraham-Kelly Pavlik match. More than 10,000 energized fans filled Newark's Prudential Center for Tomasz Adamek's win over Jason Estrada in February. So, of course, Adamek's next fight, against Goossen-controlled Chris Arreola, is 3,000 miles away in Ontario, California.

Then there is Don King, who could be the most subversive force in boxing today. DK has had a particularly unsettling stretch: He has buried prospect Devon Alexander, sabotaged a light heavyweight title fight between Glen Johnson and Tavoris Cloud, blown up an exciting cruiserweight match between Steve Cunningham and Matt Godfrey and priced lumbering heavyweight Nikolai Valuev right out of a fight with Vitali Klitschko, one of the only heavyweight fights out there that could generate any real interest.

In an effort to line their pockets with a little bit of extra change, promoters -- who have grown fat with the riches of casino money -- have hamstrung the sport with their own shortsightedness. It's not the rise of MMA that has hurt boxing, a thinking many have come to adopt. It's boxing itself.

"MMA didn't take boxing and put it in the shape that it's in," DiBella said. "We did. Sometimes I'm the first to mention MMA to other promoters and they say, 'Shut your mouth,' and they are right. We have to worry about our own sport. We have to make sure we are providing compelling entertainment. In our sport, we shove s--- down people's throats, and they are supposed to be interested in it?"

There are signs of progress. On April 10, DiBella will put on an HBO card headlined by explosive welterweight champion Andre Berto, who will defend his title against former titlist Carlos Quintana. A solid undercard featuring a matchup between former junior featherweight champion Celestino Cabellero and featherweight prospect Daud Yordan and a look at highly touted prospect Guillermo Rigondeaux strengthens the show. And as puzzling as the decision to move Adamek-Arreola out of New Jersey is, it's an explosive matchup between two quality heavyweights.

The Super Six will move forward, too. In April, Carl Froch will defend his title against Mikkel Kessler. And in June, Andre Ward will defend his belt against Allan Green.

You can't fill a crater with one shovelful of dirt. And as brilliant an idea as the Super Six is, it can't fill the hole boxing has dug by itself. It needs help. And the promoters are the only ones who can provide it. They talked a lot during the two-hour meeting in Manhattan. Now it's time to go out and back it up.

Source: sportsillustrated.cnn.com

I'll KO Kessler and King Arthur -- The Sun

By GAVIN GLICKSMAN, The Sun

CARL FROCH is looking forward to piling the misery on Arthur Abraham after taking care of Mikkel Kessler.

The Cobra puts his WBC title on the line against Kessler in his second Super Six outing on April 24 in Denmark.

Kessler, still reeling from dropping his WBA crown to Andre Ward, knows another defeat in the super-middlweight tournament will leave him staring into the abyss.

And Froch is confident he will end the Dane's hopes of reaching the semi-finals before taking care of Abraham, who lost his unbeaten record to Andre Dirrell on Saturday night.

The Nottingham puncher said: "I've got another headline fight against Abraham straight after Kessler, so I've got the makings of becoming massive.

"And that's exactly what I want — I want the recognition.

"I fancy doing a number on King Arthur quite easily. No disrespect to him as he's tough, strong and can bang a bit, but he's quite a small man.

"He's a middleweight who's stepped up and as far as I'm concerned he's not really a boxer — he's a fighter and a brawler.

"I've always coped with fighters and brawlers quite easily, so I think I'll knock him out."

Froch expects Kessler to come out with all guns blazing when they collide in Herning next month.

But he believes the Viking Warrior is past his best following his unexpected loss to Ward last November.

The undefeated 32-year-old added: "If he loses, Kessler will still go to his final group stage fight in the Super Six, but he's pretty much in the last chance saloon.

"He's fighting for a world title and has been given a gift horse really, so I think he's going to take the bull by the horns and give it a really, really good go.

"He'll be trying to take the title off me, so it's my job to make sure he doesn't. I'm expecting him to bring his A-game and be quite ferocious.

"But I'll do what I have to do to win. If that means outboxing and sticking my jab in his face, I will do.

"If it means standing in front of him and going toe to toe in a real battle, as everyone knows I can, I will.

"Ideally, I want a fight, I don't want to get hit. I want to keep low and use my boxing skills.

"But if it comes to it later on in the fight, I'll stand in front of him and trade blow for blow."

Froch already has two points on the board following his split decision over Dirrell in October.

The Cobra endured a frustrating night against the American but is determined to silence his remaining critics by knocking out Kessler.

He said: "Regardless of how it goes, I'm going to get the win. I'll be looking for the stoppage because I want the bonus point.

"As far as I'm concerned, three points will secure my place in the semi-finals of the Super Six - and that's very, very important to me.

"I'd like to get Kessler out of there, so I'm predicting a late stoppage."

Source: thesun.co.uk

Andre Dirrell: 'I Executed Perfectly' -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Accused of "Running scared," following October's split-decision loss to WBC super middleweight (168 pounds) champion, Carl Froch (26-0, 25 knockouts), former Olympic bronze medalist, Andre Dirrell, had something to prove entering last Saturday's group stage No. 2 bout with unbeaten, former, middleweight (160 pounds) king, Arthur Abraham, before Dirrell's partisan fans at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena.

Not only was Abraham's peek-a-boo defense perceived to be impregnable, but he was coming off of a 12th-round knockout of former undisputed world middleweight titlist, Jermain Taylor, was after his ninth knockout in his past 10 fights, and his third straight stoppage victory.

But it was the 27-year-old Dirrell who emerged the signature performance of his young career, flooring the 30-year-old Abraham for the first time his career in the fourth round with a long, counter-left hand, slicing a cut beneath his right eye with a seventh-round, left hook, and frustrating the Armenian-born fighter into a bout-ending, 11th-round foul.

Abraham (31-1, 25 KOs) lost his first, professional bout by disqualification at 1:13 of the 11th, as Dirrell rose to 19-1, with 13 knockouts in their Showtime-televised, Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic bout.

Dirrell spoke to FanHouse in this Q&A about the fight, the future of the tournament, and the victory's impact on his career.

FanHouse: During the immediate moments after the fight, I understand that you were under the impression that you had been knocked out?

Andre Dirrell: Yes, I did. I did. I heard the commotion, and then, I saw my brother jump into the ring. So I didn't know what had happened once I saw that. But I knew that I was low in that corner, I just didn't realize that I was on a knee. I remember the doctors asking me where I was, but I didn't remember any of the punches or anything like that.

I just figured that I was just in the corner and got caught. I remember the fight. I remembered, like, certain rounds of the fight, like, seven rounds of the fight. I thought that it was a lot closer than when I finally watched the tape. But there was so much commotion that I couldn't even think. I couldn't think of nothing.

When you get hit, like I had gotten dropped as an amateur, and you just hear the whole crowd, and you're like in a dream. So I got up, heard a bunch of commotion, a bunch of people were around. My head was hurting really bad. And I just couldn't focus. My mind wasn't on anything but what had happened.

I'm thinking that I had gotten dropped and I'm hearing the crowd going crazy, so I was think that was pretty much it.

FH: Who was the first person who told you that you had in fact been declared the winner?

Dirrell: My big brother, Willie, he's one of the corner men. And he was like, 'Andre, you won, man, you did your job. You did what you were supposed to do.' And I was like, 'What?' And he was like, 'You dropped him, man. And he got disqualified, man. You was whuppin him, man.' That's all that I kept hearing was that he got disqualified.

FH: So can you tell me about the experience of watching the replay of the fight on tape?

Dirrell: I watched the whole fight. I couldn't stand watching the end. I could not stand watching the end. But as I watched the fight, I was executing perfectly. I was using all of my abilities that I had and the abilities that he couldn't handle to beat him in that fight.

Like I said, I was in training camp, and it was a hard training camp. I knew exactly what I had to work on, and I believe that I executed perfectly. It was a beautifully executed fight -- the way that a boxer is supposed to beat a brawler. I saw that I was given round after round. There were very few flaws.

I was even surprised by my performance. I didn't see holding and I didn't see running. I just utilized the ring well. I thought that it was a beautiful fight, man. It was a beautiful master piece leading up to the disqualification.

FH: Whom did you watch the fight with?

Dirrell: My fiance, Alaia Zamora, was with me watching it. I was still anticipating waiting the whole time until the punch had come. It was explained to me when I got hit, where I got hit at, but I still didn't expect it to be the way that it was. I thought that I had gotten hit in the temple, because my temple was very sore.

My head was hurting really bad like I said, and my jaws were hurting. And when I watched the fight, I actually saw that I had slipped, went to get back up, and so I'm more or less up on all fours, looking down. And then he brings the hook in and connected right on my jaw. I believe that my mouth was open a little bit.

And I hated watching it. I didn't even want the camera on me. I hated watching it. It wasn't a good feeling.

FH: How so?

Dirrell: I really believe that he took my shine. Even if people say that I was acting, or taking a dive, even if so, and that was 100 percent true, he brought that disqualification on himself. He did that. A lot of people are judging my character when they should be judging his.

Everybody thought that Arthur Abraham was a nice guy who walks around and smiles all day. Even me, I thought that he had a great personality and seemed like a good guy to be around. But when you're in a losing situation, how do you handle yourself then?

When your backs against the ropes, how do you handle yourself then? He showed it. And it's really tough for me to digest. I just wanted that legitimate win, being that I had lost to Carl Froch, and I wanted to bounce back and show the world that that loss didn't affect me mentally.

And I did that, but I didn't get the glorified things that I should have. I didn't get that in-ring interview. I didn't get to go to a post-fight press conference. It was just tough for me to swallow. It's tough for me to swallow right now, it really is. No matter how good that I looked, I wish that I could have finished that fight legitimately.

I watched the tape twice, and I've watched it for the last time. I'm not going to watch it again, and that's a guarantee. I looked at it and I saw where I was on the canvas. I watched me throw a jab on the way down. My legs slipped, and I slid down. He backed up a bit off of that punch, looked at me the whole time, came up and just stared and really just hit me.

After being on the ground for 1.2 seconds. It was a shot that he felt that he had to take, and we all know that he wouldn't done that if he was leading on the score cards. It wouldn't have happened.

FH: Was there a moment in the fight where you knew that you were in complete control?

Dirrell: It was pretty much the first round, as awkward as it sounds. I know that he's a slow starter, but at the same time, I knew that his ability to handle pressure wouldn't be that heavy. I pretty much knew that if I stuck to my game plan that it was going to be pretty easy.

Once I felt him out in the first couple of rounds, I figured that he would start to feel the pressure. I was pretty confident from the first round on.

FH: What particular punches do you believe had the most effect?

Dirrell: I honestly believe that it was the straight punches. A lot of times I wouId throw the straight left down to the body, and turn out, and that was confusing because he never knew whether I was going to throw to the top or the bottom, or to the body or the head. And most of the straight lefts that I shot to the body, I would come right back around to the top with a looping left hook.

That would get right around his defense, and that started to confuse him down the line. So the straight punches were pretty much the most effective punshes for me because they set up everything else.

FH: Were there any punches that you felt he was concerned about as far as potentially being knocked out?

Dirrell: I honestly believe that the left hand would have knocked him out and was hurting him the most and was the most effective as far as power punches go. And I believe that once he felt my power, that he knew that if I landed the right shots, that I could take him out.

I didn't throw enough uppercuts in the fight, and I wish that I had. Because a lot of the punches that he threw were those leaping, looping punches. That's when I would step to the side. For example, when I dropped him the first time, I stepped to the side of his looping punches and came right over the top with the left hand, I could have done that a lot of times in the fight.

But for the most part, I was just keeping my composure and boxing and not looking for the knockout, and that's how the big punches landed. So, there was a possibility, even after the stoppage, that I could have stopped him in around the 11th or 12th round.

FH: Is there any consolation that you thrilled your home crowd?

Dirrell: It really felt awesome, man. It was the best feeling in the world. I haven't had a home fight in a long time. The one that I had before in Flint, that was the beginning of my professional career, but it was nothing compared to this. I knew that my crowd was going to bring out the best in me, and I knew that I would feed off of the crowd's energy.

I knew that it was going to be my best performance yet. I haven't heard a single fan tell me that it wasn't my best performance -- everyone that I've talked to. I didn't run, and I didn't grapple, I moved just enough. Slight movements made the biggest difference.

Running would have just built his confidence, but being right there in his face, giving him small turns and coming back with punches, that was going to confuse him. I did just that, and I truly believe that I did everything that I didn't do in the Froch fight.

FH: Where are you reading or hearing that you took a dive or whatever?

Dirrell: The European fans. I've already gotten like 250, more than that in requests on Twitter. And they're still coming in. You have a few guys telling me that I was acting. And I'll tell them, 'Well you let the strongest guy at 178, or 168, and, 160 hit you while you're on the floor and let's see just how you act?'

I fed into one because it was very blatant and it was just blatantly disrepectful. But the rest of them, I ignored them.

FH: What does it say about you and Andre Ward that you beat the two guys who were perceived favorites in Kessler and Abraham?

Dirrell: We were supposed to b e the underdogs, but I said it before that this tournament was made for us. We're the two, superior boxers, we're the fighters that people want to see the most of and see what we can bring to the table. They want to see if we can handle the pressure, and we've answered all of the questions.

Because we're so talented, and because we're so young, and because we're in our prime, then, this tournament has to be focused on us. They just want to see if we can cut it or not. There's no oen I've ever faced in sparring or boxing period that hits as hard as Abraham did.

Abraham is the hardest-hitting guy I've ever faced, period. Mikkel Kessler speaks for himself, more than 40 fights. They wanted to see how well we could do, and we answered all of those questions. From this moment on, the fans will pay close attention to us when we fight.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com